Happy New Year 2012!! I cannot believe I have not posted in well over a YEAR!!

And no wonder why.

The house: we have taken a ton of wallpaper down, painted almost every room, hung curtains, updated the kitchen, added onto the front porch, added a flowerbed, and are in the planning stages of the master bath renovation.








The first kid: Jaxon is 5 now, will be 6 in a few weeks and just started kindergarden!!! Jaxon's teacher has nothing but great things to say about him and we couldn't be prouder!! He is learning so much a loves it. He goes all day!! The first day of school when we left him we told him how much fun it was going to be, when I picked him up he jumped in the car and proclaimed "I did not have fun, Mom!!". With the insanely long wait picking him up, we let him start riding the bus and he LOVES it!! He played soccer this fall and last spring, he loved practice, but when it was time for the games every Saturday he would run in the other direction of the ball. So, this semester he is signed up for Hip Hop, will share those stories later. Jaxon also got glasses, he looks so cute in them :-)



The other kid: Annee is 2 1/2!!!! Seriously, where does the time go? AND such a girl!! So glad God blessed us with both!! Last year was her first year of school and absolutely adored Miss Cayla; we did too ;-) This year she is at a new school and loves all the kids and her 3 teachers. She is my little cuddle bunny and my night owl (especially when she has a nap). She is growing up way too fast, they both are!! She also started dance class... we are in a mommy and me class and I am having just as much fun!!



The mommy: Last year I started teaching the MDO at church and loved the 3-4 babies and this year so blessed to have Tiffany come in and help me, we normally have 7-9 babies and we are having so much fun!! We are going to add another day so we can focus on the older girls to have a true "pre-school" setting. And my business Style Reflections by Lynne Marie (http://stylereflectionsbylynnemarie.blogspot.com/) has kept me crazy busy. I cannot believe I have been in business for almost 2 years!! Style Reflections has been at Friend's Market Boutique in Guthrie, OK since then and for about 6 months I was at Feathered Nest Market, but didn't fair so well there. Style Reflections is thriving at Friend's Market and so blessed to be a part of such a great business!! I have great plans for 2012!! I took the kids to Ohio for 3 weeks this summer, we had a great time with Granny and Papa, the Arnolds and the Fellousizs, Aunt Claudell, Aunt Vickie and Uncle Jack. I also got to spend a fun filled evening at a mini high school reunion. And as most of you know, I am a Halloween freak and the past few Halloweens the church has had a trunk or treat, what a blast!! In 2010 we were Hansel and Gretel and the witch with the house made of candy and last year we made the car into a sushi roll (not showing in photo) and we were a Geisha and a Sumo wrestler.







The dad: Mark was having eye issues in the spring and went to the eye dr. Come to find out he had a torn retina, so had to have surgery. The surgery did not work and he had to have another surgery. He was down for several weeks. Mark was offered a sales position and he decided to accept (kind of hard to decline when the big bosses request him to move up:-) He has been very excited about the change. Santa's helper came dressed as Santa came a little early Christmas Eve to deem Mark an honorary elf, the kids got a new "park" and Mark put it together just a week ago... the kids LOVE it and the weather had been nice enough for them to play on it for several days!!



At the end of the summer we took a trip to Miami without the kids, which was wonderful!! We laid on the beach, ate at an incredible place in South Beach, snorkeled at the best place off Key Largo. It was too short, but already planning a trip down there again with or without the kids :-) The holidays were full of fun with many parties, Christmas Eve and Day with family and ringing in the New Year with the sweet Pyrons.

Open for Business!!!

Check out my other blog with business updates.... Style Reflections by Lynne Marie!!! Items for show available at Friends Market in Guthrie.

HOME SWEaT HOME

Good is so good!!!! What a whirlwind August and September. Mark was asked to go to Maylasia for week for work and while he was away I finish staging the house. The sign went up in the yard and in three days we got two offers!!!! WOW!!! We weren't quite ready for such a quick good-bye!!! With that, the panick set in because we set the closing date for Sept 26th, leaving us about a month to find something else with limited time to house hunt. We looked at many yucky houses in our price range with much disappointment. Then one magical day, 3 weeks before closing, the Lord answered our prayers. Our new house isn't in the exact context that I dreamt it, but it is what we asked for....a living room and dining room up front, the kitchen and family room together, the bedrooms all together and a mudroom!!! We do have to tear down a few walls of wallpaper, change out the kitchen cabinet doors and countertops, paint, replace light fixtures, and renovating the master bath. A little sweat never hurt us and soon it will be HOME SWEeET HOME. So, almost all of the boxes are emptied and the walls are slowly being painted!!!

Jaxon is enjoying school and Miss Julia this year and impressing us every day with how fast he learns and how silly he can be. Annee is another kid who impresses us daily..... she started crawling at 6 1/2 m!!!! And recently she has been pulling herself up and stands forever there and moves around that way!!!


In October we had a family date to the pumpkin patch with our favorite Kochers!!! Jaxon fed the farm animals, chased some goats, had a pony ride and picked a pumpkin. What a perfect day!!!

For Halloween Jaxon was Dennis the Menice and Annee was a snowbunny :-)


This month we have been visiting family and friends in OHIO!!! We have been busy about every other day!!! Mark has been a doll while we have been gone and taking care a honeydo list. I can wait to see how wonderful the house is going to look!!!


Well, lots of plans for the house in December and cannot wait!!!

Soon to be homeless.

Well, God is crazy amazing, we got the house ready to sell, when the sign hit the ground we had 6 showings in 2 days, on day three we had two offers on the table. Now the joys of all of the appraisals, the inspectors, the repairs, oh, yes, and finding a new home have began!!!! Prayers are going up continuously that we make the right choice in a new home and all of this selling business goes smoothly!!! I hope we enjoy our cardboard box, haha!!


Bye Bye Beautiful House


Jaxon started school this week!!! I know this year is going to be amazing for him. Miss Julia is going to teach him so much. He has also taken a liking to photography... Who knows what will come of that!!!

Jaxon's 1st day of school!!

Annee is 5 m this month!!! Her little personality is sure coming out... she is so happ and flirty as her big brother, I think we are in trouble, two onry kiddos, got to love it!!! She is on the go, no, she isn't crawling yet, but she rolls and scoots everywhere!!!

Annee being Annee

What fun my kids are!!!

The summer is in full swing and flying by too fast!!!! We are doing great and enjoying the summer with much fun!!! We go to Auntie's house regularly to play with the girls in the pool (they are growing up soooo fast.... soon Erin will be able to babysit!!!)

Jaxon and I have a reg. standing date every Friday at the movies, unless it is a girly movie, then I have invited Erin or Katie to join me :-) Jaxon is such a big boy and is amazingly doing things for himself (like getting a juice box from the fridge and brushing his teeth, etc). And he has conquered potty training during the day!!! He is doing great, and I am so proud of him!!! Jaxon makes us smile with some of the things he comes up with..... Jaxonese: Bumply - English: Bumpy, Jaxonese: Shake shake shake, shake your body - English:..... shake your booty. One day we went to Sonic and got shakes and he took his and shook the cup around and said, "Mommy my shake isn't shakin'". Silly boy!!! And we love him so, even when he is testing us.


Annee is full of smiles and giggles!!! I can't hardly believe she is already 3 m old!!! She is just a little doll and I LOVE dressing her in girly clothes (although she doesn't have many because she is still so tiny.... some of her 0-3m clothes are still too big if you can believe that). This Sunday we are having their 3 yr and 3 m pics done... I cannot wait to see how they turn out, what fun!!!!

The 4th brought Damon, Lesli and Brayden into town.... what a treat!!!! I love them so much and the boys just adore each other..... they do get on each others' nerves, but who doesn't. We had a wonderful time playing at the pool and visiting with them!!! I also got my first ride on Mark's motorcycle!!! Too fun!!!!

The time has also brought us to the decision to pack up and move... no, not far, just to a better school district. We are praying hard to have the Lord lead us in the right direction, but we know it has to be someplace else other than where we are. We would love to build and had a meeting with a builder tonight, and there is much to consider and lots of planning, etc. We plan to meet with another builder to see what they can do and then go from there. Then there is the selling of this house.... oh how I am going to cry, I just love this house and we put so much sweat and tears into it.... we gave it plenty of TLC!!! So, needless to say, we need to get it ready to put on the market and hope to have everything done by the first of the year and then hopefully shortly after we will be ready to move into our new home :-)

The summer has finally arrived!! School is out for Jaxon and the potty training is in full swing!! He is doing great, but of course he has had a few accidents and it is OK. He is adjusting to Annee a little better each day and I am feeling better too :-) Jaxon loves to play in the sprinkler and with his T-ball, he is actually really good :-) Annee's trick of the month is her beautiful smile!!! We discovered she has a cute little dimple like mine and her Granny's.... too fun!! Jaxon loves to make her smile with his goofy faces.

In May Mark went on a guys Ozark Mts. and rode through the hills every day!!!

We added another memer of the family, Zuko, the fiesty Siamese cat. He aolutly loves Jaxon and so much fun. He's very playful and a fun boy!!!

We don't have any plans this summer, other than to get through it :-)

Wow, it has been a full year since I posted last!!! Lots have happened in that year.

In May Mark drove me and Jaxon to Ohio for the month so we could help Mom and Dad with their spring cleaning and planting. We had a wonderful time helping and visiting everyone!! While we were there we went with Mom and Dad down to Virginia to visit my Aunt Wendy and Edloe and Aunt Vickie and Uncle Jack decided to join us there.... what a great time all around!!!

The summer was filled with fun at Auntie's house swimming.... Jaxon loved the water this year. We also got the news that Rylan and Kalei were expecting their first one (due in January), yippy!!!

The fall was also filled with fun. Jaxon started dayschool at NW CoC. He has met lots of friends and have learned so much. Also, he attends Mother's Day at Mayfair and hangs out with Miss Laura on Fridays!!! We found out some exciting news.... we were expecting too (due in April)!!! For Halloween we we circus freaks, I was the tightrope walker, Mark was the beared lady, and Jaxon (winning first place at the fall festival at church) was the strongman :-)

In December we took our first official family vacation to Disney World!! We got to see Mickey, Minnie, Lighting McQueen and Goofy. Jaxon rode his first roller coaster and Mark spinned us in the teacups till we thought we were going to throw up. We also went to the beach and saw Kimmie and her kids. What a wonderful time we had!!! We made home in time just for Christmas and Santa brought lots of fun things for Jaxon. Damon and Lesli and Brayden came to visit too.

January brought a new little Kocher.... Ke'Alohilani (heavenly sunshine) aka Alhoi (sunshine), and what a little China doll!!!

In February Jaxon turned 3!!! We had a fun celebration with friends and family!!! Mark surprised me with wonderful Valentine treats!!! I recieved gorgeous flowers from my little man, Jaxon and then yummy chocolate dipped strawberries, an incredible massage and a wonderful romantic dinner downtown.... what a treat to be spoiled and so loved!!!

March brought us one month closer to our newest addition (oh ya, we found out we were having a girl, with happy tears). On March 27th we actually celebrated our 10th year anniversary with a date (first time ever on the actual day). Then four days later our sweet Annabelle Mae was born.... March 31, 2009, 9:08 am, 7lbs 5 oz, 19 3/4"... and what a cutie!!!

Mom and Dad came out to help me with Jaxon and Annee so I could rest. We colored Easter eggs and had a great time watching Jaxon hunt for the eggs. And now that brings us up to date.... and Annee is three weeks old!!!! What a funfilled year!!