Here's a Sneak Peek!

Okay! So the building and painting is FINALLY DONE! Yeah! I can't even tell you just how big of a project this turned out to be! After 4 coats of Brown, 5 coats of Red, 3 coats of White and two falls off the ladder.. it's finally over! I am so excited! Yeah! I fell of the ladder twice.. once with a whole thing of paint in my hand.. I'll tell you what.. this project was a trial for me! I've been getting really bad migraine's and getting very dizzy and blacking out... and even passed out twice.. any way... I got really dizzy and blacked out while on the ladder and fell off... I'm okay! No worries.. the second one I really tweaked my back though... so I've been a little sore.. thank goodness Nick and I are going to sit in the Hot Tub tonight! Yeah! I'm going to sit and soak! :) I let Preston pick out his color so he would feel involved and seeing how he's a teenager now.. I thought it was important that he got something he liked... and in Avery's room.. I went with the Red... I was a little nervous because I am not a very BOLD person and I thought it might be too bold for me.. plus a few of you said you didn't think it would look good... I do have to tell you I am so glad I went with the Red... I LOVE it! I think it looks so good! I'm very excited how it all turned out! I couldn't have done this remodel with out my Dad helping me build the shelves and putting them together.. that took ALL Day.. and my Mom coming to help me put a coat on them as well! Thanks Mom and Dad! I love you guys so much and don't know what I would do without you! I will post more photos when I get the shelves totally decorated and the rooms put back together too! I just wanted to show a sneak peek for all of you who keeping wanting to see photos! So here you go!

Here's also a little update of the things besides remodeling... that we've been up to. Avery can count to 13 all by herself! Sing her ABC's ALL the way through... All by herself... and is trying to show us all that she is the boss of the house.. that doesn't fly well with me as most of you know! ha! ha! The other night.. I called Preston to dinner... she goes to the stairs and says, "Peston... come eat Now! Mom Said!" Okay.. she's not even two yet! Then she wanted me to come here and I was right in the middle of something... so I told her I would be there in one minute... she furthers to say.. "Come here NOW!" and points her finger to her side! Oh Yes She Did! I about died.. she usually isn't so bossy... it's all just started here in the last few weeks... I'm besides myself because Preston was so mellow... and how many of you have called me the Nazi Mom???? Okay! I'm thinking Avery is going to give me a run for my money and get in trouble more that I can even imagine... She can be so sweet... and usually is.. she loves to say Please and Thank You. Yet I think she's still going to have a rude awakening! ha! ha! She is talking so much and I can believe the funny things that come out of her mouth.. she is still a little cleaner.. sometimes.. TOO MUCH! She loves to clean which normally is great.. but not in a NON childproof home! She keeps us all rolling.. has the cutest expressions and still is the apple of our eye...

Preston has been very busy still playing basketball and baseball.. a normal night for us is going from basketball to baseball... He's still doing very well in school and loving the thought that he's going to be in 9th grade next year! His basketball team is doing very well... and he loves being on a team with his close friends and winning... He's growing into a great young man. I am so proud of him! I am just having a really hard time he's growing up so fast... between the deep voice and finally being taller than I am... really has hit home!

These photos of Avery are after she's been helping me with the remodel... I think I got all the paint off her! :) I can't believe she is going to be two years old here in another couple weeks! It makes me want to cry! We are very excited for Grandma Ramona to come in town from South Dakota... she's also going to be celebrating her 80th birthday while she's here... I'll have more photos of that. We are having most of Nick's family fly in for the weekend of Valentines and Avery's Birthday to surprise her. She has NO idea! She just thinks she's coming for Avery's birthday! Little does she know! ha! ha! I'm so excited for everyone to come! It's going to be so much fun!

A Tribute to My Brother Shayne

So today is another Anniversary mark of when my Brother was killed in the Air Med Helicopter crash.. does it ever get any easier? It seems that no matter just how much time goes by.. you still miss them SO MUCH! Life goes on and you learn to cope and live.. but the pain never goes away... there are still so many reminders and still so many times the crash gets put on the News.. or in the paper... which seem to bring that horrible night all back. As most of you know, my Brother was my Hero! The one person I wanted to be like when I grew up! He was an AMAZING man and I only wish I could be like him! Those of you who knew him, know that there just aren't too many men like Shayne Carnahan!

I know that there are several of our friends and loved ones who have also gone through a tragedy and lost those you've loved... some recent and some in the past.. So many of you know what a heartache it is! Thanks to our family and friends, we are able to get through it! Many of you also lived through the Tragedy with my Brother... those of you who are family know what a horrible loss it was and many of our friends were also there for me and my family.. we wouldn't have been able to make it through with out all of you! Still to this day, your memories, your love and your support are what help keep our spirits up! I know I say this a lot, but I truly mean it! I am so lucky to have such great family and friends. I have the best family EVER! Including Nick's Family! I honestly couldn't ask for any better.. on either side! I love you all so very much! I have so many friends who have been in my life since I was very young... who have been there for me through all the good and bad in my life.. there are also several wonderful friends who have been in my life more recently who I also wouldn't have been able to make it through the trials in my life without. So it looks like I am a lucky girl! Thanks for being such great people! We truly are very grateful you are all in our lives! You are what makes it possible to carry the trials life brings and you are what helps get us through! We love you!

We know where he is and what he is doing. He's in a WONDERFUL place, it's those of us who are left behind that are suffering.. I'm just grateful to know what kind of person he was and the way he lived his life. I just miss him so much and I can't wait for the day that I can hug him and pay him back for all the little tricks he played on me while we were growing up! Little does he know.. I have several things up my sleeve! :)

The song, "Angels Among Us" is one that is very special to our family. KBULL 93 Dedicated this song to the Air Med Crew when they were killed... now, every year we dedicated it because Shayne will always be an Angel Among Us! Also, "The Dance" by Garth Brooks is also very important because that's how Shayne's life was. He was grateful to have the time he did with his family and friends. Shayne lived his life helping not only those in need, but everyone around him.. he died doing on of the things he loved the most... Saving Lives! To A Great Man! I LOVE YOU More than you will ever know!

Trying to Catch up on Life.. and a BIG Thank You!

Okay! So my life has been so crazy this past month! Man, Oh Man! Between the Holiday's, Parties, Sports and my Sub-for Santa Project... We had a great Holiday Season! We were able to have our Fikstad Family Christmas party where all of my Mom's side of the family gets together and has a great time visiting, eating, visiting with Santa and enjoying each other! I was a little worried just how Avery would take "Santa". All month we have been talking about Santa, watching Santa shows and talking him up... hoping.. just hoping she would take well to him! Boy... did she ever! She was a Crack up! Santa walks in and she YELLS, "SANTA! OH SANTA! HI SANTA! LOVE YOU SANTA! SANTA! SANTA! SANTA! We were All cracking up! She wouldn't leave him be! Poor Santa.. she ran up to him the whole time he was giving out gifts, hugging his arm, telling him Hi over and over and over! Santa would hug her and pick her up and put her on his lap in between kids and talk to her.. even though it wasn't her time to get her gift! What a great guy he was! Thanks to Santa for making her experience a great one! Some Santa's would have just ignored her or would have gotten tired of this little girl bugging him... not our Santa! So Thank You Santa.. if you are reading this! I really appreciate you for making Avery's experience such a delight! You will have to see the photos... then you'll know what she was doing! We got it on video.. it was great!

The kids and I slept out under the Christmas Tree again this year.. waiting for Santa! Nick didn't want to sleep on the floor... so when we woke up.. we had to rush into the bedroom to get him so he wouldn't miss her face when she saw that Santa came and left presents, ate his cookies and left his little special surprise... So I'm not sure if we will be able to keep that Tradition up... we don't want Papa to miss out on the excitement! We might just have to bring in his cot and let him sleep on that! ha! ha! Christmas was Great! We had such a great day! Christmas Eve we went over to my parents house to have our Annual Christmas Eve Party! So the kids got to play with their cousins and open their Christmas PJ's.. then when we got home, Uncle Bub came over to visit for a while.... then also came back in the morning to watch the kids open their presents and have Christmas Breakfast with us! We love Uncle Bub so much and are so glad he's here to share in our special times.. my Mom and Dad came over to see what the kids got and then we went to visit my Aunt Julie.. so all in all.. it was a great day! The kids had a great time!

I just wanted to say thank you for all of you who helped with our Sub-for-Santa project! I was so stressed out about it this year, with the economy the way it's been. I scaled way back and still didn't know if I was going to be able to get them all taken care of. I lost several sponsors this year, and other's had to scale back because it has just been such a hard year for everyone... which I totally understand. There were several generous people in my life that stepped up and helped me make this a success and I am very grateful! This year we were able to provide Christmas for 27 kids! What a great experience it was. So Thank you, to all of you who helped make this happen. This is such an important project Preston and I do every year and have done since he was just little. There are so many people out there who are suffering and need help so seriously, Thank you for helping us touch those children's lives! You all mean so much to me! We are so blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives... you always help us in our little.. and sometimes big Service Projects! It means so much to me and I love you guys all so much!

Our New Year's ended up to be pretty relaxing.. we were going to go to Nick's Bosses get together, but I haven't been feeling the best lately.. plus Preston was going to be home and we decided to let him have some friends come over and celebrate... plus we are drags I know, but we hate to leave Avery too! We are getting to be old and boring! ha! ha! So we stayed in, got pizza, watched movies and Nick blew his duck call at midnight! Even little Avery stayed up to enjoy the festivities! It was fun!

As I look back on this past year.. there have been lots of ups and some downs... isn't that how life has been lately for everyone? There are several of you who have also had some major trails in your lives and I hope you know that we will always be here for you! We have such great family and friends and I don't know what I would do with out all of you! Thank you for being such a great part of our lives and making such great memories for us and our kids! Life will always have trials and disappointments.. but it will also have such great times and joys.... one thing I am working on and trying to remember is.. it's those around who, who will help get you through.. good or bad... the people in your lives are the ones who help make things bright. Like one of my favorite quotes... "Life is what you make it!" We can get up each day, face the things going on with our day, no matter if it's good or bad with a smile or a laugh! There are so many things in our lives that we can't control... they are going to happen no matter what we do... so why not smile and laugh and make Enjoy the Journey NOW! Don't miss out on life or the joys it can bring... cherish your kids, your family and friends... enjoy the love and friendships you have and try to make everyday a better one than the day before! I hope you all have a great 2009! We love you guys so much and are so grateful that you are a very special part of our lives!