The Sandman Squad

Look at the Sandman Family

2010-03-20T09:46:00.002-06:00

This past Thanksgiving, Grammie wanted a photo of all her grandkids. So, we tried to get everyone to hold still and smile, but the sun was toooooo bright and everyone was tired from a long holiday weekend of playing and catching ailments. So, here is what was captured during 15

minutes of photo time. We love those Huskers!!!! Go BIG RED!!!

Bronco Cheer Camp 2009

2010-03-20T09:41:00.004-06:00

Each year the WP cheerleaders host a day cheer camp for the elementary girls to learn cheers and a routine that they will perform at half-time of a basketball game. This year the girls got a set of poms and new t-shirts. It was so fun to watch the girls perform and show a little attitude during half-time.

Alexa's 6th Birthday

2010-03-20T09:35:00.004-06:00

My baby is growing up!!! Alexa turned 6 on December 3rd and we enjoyed lots of cake!!! She is the biggest cake eater and loves Pooh. Alexa enjoyed having a friends party and a family party. Lots of gifts too. She can never get enough partying!!!!!!

Huge Snow Storm of 2009 (not the only)

2010-03-20T09:30:00.005-06:00

I took a few moments before I scooped the walks to capture these photos of the major snow storm that hit before Halloween and delayed everything for a couple of days. The huge drift in the back was the hardest and heaviest to scoop. My pumpkins were not excited about the wintery weather. Not to mention that the farmers needed to harvest their corn. One of many setbacks this past year related to the weather.

Halloween 2009

2010-03-20T09:22:00.003-06:00

Is it Hannah Montana or Haylee? Is it a pink ballerina or Alexa? And who is the rooster??? We also found a chicken and a camo girl.... We had such fun at Halloween. Haylee is a bit obsessed with Hannah, and Alexa was determined to be a ballerina. So what should a mom do, but find the appropriate costumes. Noah doesn't care what he is, but I have this costume from Haylee's earlier days. Every year the elementary teachers host a Halloween Party/Costume Parade at the school for everyone to attend. As you can see, Noah wanted to be in the action too. The chicken is McKenna Doetker; after her mom and talked about the costumes, we knew we had to get them together for a photo shoot. So, cute, we hope it doesn't spill over to junior high love!!! And the camo girl is my niece Madison who would never miss time to hang out with cousins and "Trick or Treat" for all the goodies.

Halloween Pumpkin Patches 2009

2010-03-20T09:04:00.005-06:00

Here are a few random photos taken from Cox Pumpkin Patch and the Wright Pumpkin Patch too. The cousins always have fun together and we are never at a loss for humor. There is a neat photo of the Cox car that made an appearance at the patch "Uncle" something they named it; very humorous to watch and quite creative too.

Haylee Turns 7

2010-03-20T08:46:00.003-06:00

It is hard to believe that Haylee Elizabeth turned 7 on October 15th. She enjoyed lots of fun with friends and family. We were blessed to have lots of cake to eat and laughs to share. I was brave and hosted a friend party full of 1st graders and a craft even. I have no idea if the Halloween bracelets made it past that party day. But they were lots of fun to create and string.

Boys will be Boys (so they say)

2009-09-17T20:06:00.002-06:00

Seriously, it was a crazy day with MOPS and making jam and trying to catch a nap since I started the day with a migraine. Well Noah is always a bundle of fun and ingenuity, so to speak. I found more things today that made me go "Huh??" and "Seriously!" It began with Noah taking a trip out to the garage and back into the house holding two eggs. He said, "eggs, Mommy." I said, "did you break any?" Noah replied, "yep." I was so mad!!! And sure enough, there were three broken eggs trailing out of the carton up the stairs into the house and the fridge door was wide open! So after scrubbing the garage floor and stairs I came in to start dinner.

Well, it wasn't long when I heard Alexa scream from the toy room, "Mommy, Noah peed in my doll house!" I said, "what? He peed?" "Yes, in my doll house," Alexa replied. Now, Noah is potty trained and knows better than that, so I scolded him and swatted his hinny and he went crying down the stairs. I gathered up the "lil green" machine and headed up to the toy room to clean up the mess. It appeared that he stood in front of the doll house and peed, but actually he peed in the teeny tiny potty that is furniture for the doll house. The doll house toilet was overflowing!!! I was still upset, but had to chuckle at the fact that Noah thought of this all on his OWN!!! So, tomorrow will be a better day, I hope, and Noah is going to the sitter!! Maybe I can actually get some work done in the office. My life is certainly touched in many different aspects as watching a little boy grow up enjoying all of life's offerings...

Garage Door Scare

2009-08-26T16:15:00.003-06:00

I think I finally figured out why I couldn't upload this hilarious video for all of you to see...I needed a faster DSL, so I am trying it out for a couple of days. I hope that you enjoy this video. I had previously tried to upload it, but no avail. The story goes like this...There was a period there when Noah always wanted to be like Daddy, with the boot, and hat. One evening after bathtime, Noah toddled out to the garage and Haylee was close behind to help keep an eye on him. Just in time for Derek to come home and scare the pj's right off of her.

First Day of the 2009-2010 School Year

2009-08-21T14:09:00.001-06:00

School commenced Tuesday and both girls are so excited about school this year. I am pleased to report that Haylee is in first and Alexa is in kindergarten. They barely had enough time to turn around for the photo.

More Fair Photos

2009-08-21T14:05:00.002-06:00

Chase County Fair 2009

2009-08-21T14:00:00.003-06:00

This year we enjoyed the fair with cousins from Alma. The kids had a blast riding endless lines of carnival attractions--over and over. And once again, we had to visit the face painting lady (who is extremely talented). You can see her creative hand working on Alexa. There isn't anything better than an evening at the fair with rides, food, the expo and cousins.

Haylee's Locks of Love

2009-08-21T13:56:00.002-06:00

This year or all year Haylee has been growing her hair to donate it to the "Locks of Love" philanthropy/cause. She was able to donate 10" of hair the middle of August. Her hair will be used to make a wig for a child that is fighting/living with cancer. It is so awesome to see our daughter understand the concept of giving to a worthy cause. She is ready to grow it again!! Cheers to Haylee.

2009 Born to Win Womens Conference

2009-08-21T13:37:00.002-06:00

Here are a couple of photos of Pam Thum and Stephen Marshall as they presented the Born to Win Conference for women. It was hosted by the Hamlet Church and over 90 women were present to learn how they are "Born to Win". If you ever have the opportunity to see them, do so. It will forever lift your spirit and improve your outlook on life and your relationships. God bless Pam and Steve for offering to present this conference and thank you to all the women (young and old) that attended. Oh, and the women of HUC, thank you for the fabulous food and hospitality. It was greatly appreciated and we are forever grateful.

Wheat Harvest 2009

2009-08-21T13:33:00.003-06:00

This year seemed to follow suit like last year. Meaning that harvest took an entire month to complete. The kids loved to ride the combine and tractor with grain cart again this year. It is even more fun in a new one!!! Noah is following his daddy's footsteps and his grandpa's and his great grandpa's--he loves to farm and everything that goes with it!! What a blessing it is to have a child so interested in the farm and ranch.

Fun In Texas (at the pool, where else?)

2009-08-21T13:27:00.002-06:00

We (the kids and I) made the 11 hour trip to Texas in July for Tami & Gregg's baby shower. When asked what the kids would like to do for fun while in Texas? The only response was play at the pool. So we did just that everyday!! Thanks to Auntie Ane, Aunt Tami and Uncle Gregg-O for a fun extended weekend. We love you all!

Beatiful Rainbow

2009-08-21T11:09:00.003-06:00

I nearly had forgotten that I was able to catch this photo at 5 a.m. one morning. It is so peaceful and you can almost smell the rain.

Hanging out with our new cousin, Madison

2009-08-21T11:05:00.002-06:00

My brother, Van, recently married a very nice young woman, Christina, and she has a sweet 9 year old daughter, Madison. Our kids are thrilled that they have a new cousin to hang out with, but I think that Madison is even more so. After the engagement was announced, she said that she wanted to move here!!! She is delight and we are blessed to welcome her to the family. And her mommy too...

Upgrading Weanie Status

2009-08-07T10:08:00.002-06:00

Well folks, I have officially upgraded my weanie status from weanie to no longer a weanie!!! I killed, with a shovel, my first rattlesnake today just off of our front steps in the grass. Noah found it and said, "snake, Mommy." While we were walking off to feed the calves and Haylee said, "Mom, Noah says there's a snake!" I looked around the corner and sure enough there was a rattlesnake peering it's head up and I was praying, "Lord, please do NOT let that snake bite Noah!" I kept yelling at Noah to run away and get to Mommy, but he just took his time. I grabbed my yellow shovel and sent the kids inside. Let me share that my adrenaline was racing or boiling and I was freaking out. So I smacked the snake with my shovel to try to break its back, I kind of missed so I cut its tail instead. But then I realized that my Mom was right about my shovel needing to be bluntly sharper, so I used the side of it like an axe and voila, I had managed to chop, in two whacks or maybe three (I really don't remember), its neck off about 7 inches from the the head. It was similar to an out of body experience, I just remember thinking, I have to protect my kids and I will NOT let anything harm them. Then I made the important call to my Mom to confirm that now I am no longer a weanie and to verify that I had done the job completely right. She reminded me that I needed to cut the head off right at the neck so that it wouldn't/couldn't have the reflex to bite anything or anyone and to bury it in a hole. Good point, I thought and did just that. It came complete with 7 buttons! This my trophy for the duty of protecting my family. I think that I need a shower to remove all the nervous sweat and to calm my nerves. My parents told me that my first would be the hardest, I am hoping that I don't have to find any more in my yard. That makes two rattlesnakes at the Sandman home thus far for 2009.

Pool Fun

2009-07-08T21:23:00.000-06:00

Spring 2009 Concert

2009-06-29T10:35:00.004-06:00

Here are some photos of Haylee's spring concert and the production of the "Three Pigs Opera". It was so cute to see the growth of the Kindergarten class and how much they have matured in just a few months of school. Haylee was the pig that built the brick house and her pig sisters are Maycee and Kendra (her good friends). The boys were the wolves. Haylee is really blessed to have such a great class of kids for her friends.

Alexa Graduates from Preschool 2009

2009-06-29T10:15:00.004-06:00

This entire year Alexa has been ready for Kindergarten, but we told her that she couldn't go to Kindergarten until she completed Preschool. Here are some photos from Graduation night. During the program each class sings songs with the actions and sometimes sign language too. Each child receives a folder with various writings, stories, pictures and crafts to commemorate the year. This is a nice tool for Mom's especially when deciding what to keep from year to year. Alexa is definately ready for Kindergarten to begin in August (goodness, less than two months away!).

Elementary Field Day 2009

2009-06-28T07:26:00.004-06:00

Easter Party 2009

2009-06-27T11:46:00.001-06:00

I am a Weanie!!

2009-06-27T10:01:00.002-06:00

At least I can admit it!! Right before school was out I had returned from McCook and my Mom brought by our new addition to the family, BG (Baby Girl). I didn't pick the name, but she is 2 and I cannot train her to come to anything else!!! That's another story, but during the time that my Mom took BG to the clinic and returned to our home for coffee, I went out to plant my tomato plant. In my quest to multitask...I came around the south side of the garage and looked down next to the foundation where my plant was and saw a HUGE rattlesnake enjoying the cool location between a planter and the foundation. It wasn't bothered my presence, but I was shaking in my flip flops!!! So I told Haylee to go inside because there was a rattlesnake and she proceeded to lock all the doors! I got my shovel and turned the car around to kill it when it came down the drive way (I am not a weanie in a car). And all the kids came running out to sit in the safe car while we waited for the snake. It was pretty happy where it was and wasn't moving, so I called Derek (my hero) to rid the snake and told me to kill it and I said, "I haven't ever killed a rattlesnake with a shovel, so I am a weanie." He wouldn't be available for a while so I called my Mom to find out where she was...enroute to our home. I needed her snake killing experience to rid the snake. She willing came to the rescue (my other hero). With the shovel, my Mom moved the planters and killed the snake (YEA!!!). It had 6 buttons and was 2 1/2 feet long, at least. I keep the rattle on the kitchen window sill to remind me to always be looking and keep the shovel where it is handy for snake killing.

The next day, I was out watering the planters and other plants and our cat, Ink, pulled out a gardner snake from the same spot!!! Seriously, I don't need any more snakes. I did grow a little bit of confidence to kill that snake. All the snakes need to know that they are not welcome in my yard, after all I have three children.

Too Many Commitments, Too Little Time

2009-06-27T09:40:00.002-06:00

For those of you that follow our blog or just check in from time to time, I sincerely apologize for the lack of posting any thing on this wonderful tool. I have decided that today I would catch all of you up on our "Crazy Life". A lot has happened since Easter and I need to share it with you. And I for the life of me cannot get any video to upload. I will work on that or maybe I should learn how to operation YouTube? Any constructive thougths there????

My life is seriously a crazy one, but if it weren't I wouldn't know what to do with my life. I love being busy and haven't learned how to say NO yet, I could use some coaching there too...

Flying Kites on Easter 2009

2009-04-12T15:30:00.000-06:00

Just Foolin' Around...

2009-04-05T18:01:00.004-06:00

I recently got a new digital camera because I lost the memory card to my old one behind my desk and it would take an act of congress to move it to retreive it. I know that you would tell me to go purchase another memory card...Well, I did try three different cards and no avail, so I broke down and bought a new one. So far I am getting used to it and like it. The best part is that my children haven't figured out how to run it yet so it is still intact!!

We were outside enjoying a nice, but windy, day with the swing set and new baby calf, Juliet.

Uploading Issues...

2009-02-26T10:40:00.001-07:00

So it seems that I am having a technical difficulty when it comes to uploading the video of Haylee and Noah in the garage, I am still trying and hope that I can please everyone with the video soon. Keep checking back, it might be there...

Noah, Unlock the Door!

2009-02-26T09:41:00.002-07:00

So, I ran into a friend at the local grocery story and she commented that she loved the story about Noah and the counter. I said thanks and that there were several other stories that I hadn't taken the time to share on our blog, but needed too. Then I rounded another aisle and yet another person asked if Derek had made it home? I was a little puzzled and couldn't for the life of me think of what she was referring too...
Here's how the story goes...
One Sunday after church we decided to grill steaks and enjoy the afternoon with the family, of course, I never know when the grill will run empty on propane (today was the day) and I sent Derek to town with Noah to exchange the tank because after all I couldn't watch him and get the rest of lunch ready when he is continually sneaking out the locked doors and into the steer pen. So off they go in Derek's pickup and it was taking at least 30 minutes or longer when the phone rang and it was Derek asking if I could please bring the extra set of keys in because Noah had locked the pickup doors as soon as Derek got out! And Derek kept coaching him to please hit the button on the door to unlock, but Noah could only lock it!! And with everyone enjoying the laugh Derek called for the keys. Only in a small town could so many enjoy the comedy at the local gas station!! As I am on my way to town, I met Derek coming home. So when I got back I asked how he was able to get back into the pickup? Just by chance, Noah hit the unlock button on the remote which was on the keychain with the keys in the ignition. And that is why several were concerned about Derek making it home since he was locked out of the pickup for 30 minutes in front of Crossroads and the staff there were still laughing about it two days later.

The preface to the story...
In January I volunteered to help take tickets at the theater and then the girls could watch the show Despereaux and Derek would take Noah since he can't sit or stay still for more than a minute. So off to the movie the girls and I go and while I am finishing up the tickets, Derek calls on his cell phone but I cannot hear him because there is something seriously wrong with his phone and I told him that he would just have to call me when he got home. About 10 minutes passes and he calls back while I'm getting refreshments at the concession stand and asks me if there is an extra set of keys to his pickup? And I answer of course, but why does he need them? He said that as soon as he put Noah in the pickup and shut the door that he locked all the doors before Derek could even get around the pickup! And to top it off he coached Noah for over 30 minutes hit the unlock button but no luck. So he was planning on taking the feed truck home to get the set of keys and return to unlock the doors when suddenly he hit the unlock on the remote! All is well and Noah was having a swell time playing inside the pickup, driving, turning etc. Daddy wasn't so pleased, but enjoyed the laugh!!

I think that we might have to invest in those spare key holders that you put under the carriage of the vehicle for easy rescue or it is time to enroll in OnStar!! You can all be the judge, but I think that Noah is pretty inovative and FAST!! It seems that he can't be trusted really any where, literally.

Silly Noah

2009-01-19T14:30:00.003-07:00

I wanted to share some photos of Noah and his cute little antics. The first one here is a time when he painted himself with the glitter paint of stars and other shapes and colors. It took several baths to get all of it out. I think at least three days passed before it was all gone! Then he took a little tumble down the stairs because his sister were playing rock star concert in the dark and he couldn't find his footings coming down the tile stairs! I was so scared that we would have to violate my "NO ER" policy, but all turned out well. I just bank on a permanent bruise on his forehead. Then there are some photos of Noah goofing around and they always make me smile!!

Holy Cow, Alexa Turns 5!!

2009-01-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween 2008

2009-01-11T15:29:00.002-07:00

Look at the energetic cheerleaders and ferocious tiger; Haylee and Alexa both wanted to be cheerleaders this year and thanks to our friends for supplying the costumes, they were. I think there is a bit of a pattern going on; last year princesses, this year cheerleaders! And Noah could really care less about costumes and hates having hats on so he was a headless tiger!

Snow Day or Ice Day

2009-01-09T17:11:00.005-07:00

This would probably constitute as the first snow of fall 2008, but it really didn't stick around too long for the kids to enjoy. As you can tell, it ended up being a rather icy day with lots of wind. But you have to love the kids enthusiasm for the weather. Here are some photos of the kids enjoying about 20 minutes of really cold weather.

Noah the Monkey

2009-01-08T21:46:00.003-07:00

Pretty much every day, Noah finds the time to scale the chairs and RUN on the counter in the kitchen. At first it was semi-cute, but has since become a nuisance. As you can tell from the photos, he loves to play in ANYTHING and stops at NOTHING!! Not even the kitchen sink with pan soaking, this becomes the swimming pool for toddlers. The usual track for the countertop is...up the chair, sit on the breakfast bar, then jump up and down and scream. Then off to the coffee pot where he checks the grounds and comments, Whhh (blowing at the pot noting that it is HOT). Then he stops to check the flour and sugar and mix them together for a nice blend of baking ingredients. Next is the sink, he pulls out he faucet and runs in place in the sink. He definitely takes time to look out the window and see what jewelry he might find on the window sill to try on or rearrange...Then he is off to the cookie cabinet above the appliance garage to have a snack of coffee cookies that he leaves half eaten and smeared everywhere. Now he notices that he is close to the really fun cupboard...THE SPICES!!! Yippee, Noah must try to open each bottle regardless of size and the ground cloves steal the cake because he opens it and pours it EVERYWHERE!! Then across the stove to the cupboard with PAM, baking chocolate and seasoning packets. By this time, he is busted by his older sisters and I have run from one end of the house to the other to discover the messes he has created. That is why I have named Noah, the Monkey. He will climb anything and finds mischief wherever his is. And of course it is all innocent the first time or two, but not the 9th or 10th. I will say that my vacuum smells very clovey now. Thanks Noah, you rock my world and never ever cease to amaze any of US!!

More Birthday Photos (Party #3)

2009-01-08T21:45:00.000-07:00

Oh My Haylee is 6!!!

2009-01-06T15:28:00.000-07:00

My Music

2008-10-20T17:57:00.001-06:00

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

A New Niece & Cousin

2008-10-20T10:30:00.005-06:00

We are so happy to welcome Baby Kamri Sno Neal to the family!! Derek and I happened to be in Kearney the day she was born and stopped in the next day to see the family!! As you can tell is doing well and growing. She has a few proud cousins too. I guess I helped name this child four years ago at the baby shower for Miss Addison (before she was born). That was too many years ago for me to remember. So I'll be happy to claim the fame for this one, but I barely remember the name game that day. She loves to cuddle and snuggle. And she is sooo tiny!!

Fun @ the Fair

2008-10-20T10:02:00.003-06:00

We had a great time at the Chase County Fair. The girls got their faces painted each of them choose the butterfly design. And they enjoyed the flying boats with Kendra too! We couldn't wash our faces that night either.

Haylee's 1st Day of School

2008-10-20T09:54:00.004-06:00

I can't believe that my baby is old enough to start school! I was a bit sad, but she was and still is so excited to go everyday!! Here she is with all of her stuff. Have a great day!

Tami's Wedding

2008-10-20T09:38:00.003-06:00

These are just a few of the photos I snapped before the wedding. We hosted the groomsmen at our home and had a full day of hair before the wedding began at our house. It was a gorgeous day for a gorgeous couple! We are truly blessed to have a wonderful family.

Someone Cut My HAIR!!

2008-10-20T09:12:00.004-06:00

On Memorial Day 2007, we enjoyed lunch at Grammie and Grandpa's house. Suddenly we realized that the girls were very quiet and we didn't know where they were. Soon, Grammie said it was time for ice cream so out come the girls and we asked, "what are you doing?" "Oh, nothing", they said. So as we are scooping ice cream I looked at Alexa and said, "YOU CUT YOUR HAIR!!! It wont' be long for Aunt Tami's wedding!" She was suddenly sad. I went on to ask, "how did this happen?" "I don't know", Alexa said. "Haylee?", I said. "I don't know", Haylee said. I think I was more disappointed then Alexa. So an hour goes by and we go home and we are discussing what happened and that it was okay to tell Mom and Dad what happened. It is always important to tell the truth. So Haylee pipes up," I know how the story goes". "Really?", I said. "Yes, Alexa held it while I cut it", Haylee said. I said, "the only person who should ever cut your hair is Mandi (hair lady), please don't ever cut her hair again because we can't fix this." Alexa said, "I don't like it sissy!" And there you have it, a self-cut mullet for everyone to enjoy. It wouldn't have been so hard to fix if it would have been only one cut, but it was four different ones. You be the judge!!

Summer Fun

2008-10-20T08:18:00.003-06:00

As many of you know, I have seriously fallen behind on updating my blog. So I hope that I can get a few posts done for you to see the changes in the kids from summer to fall. These photos were taken on a hot day and Alexa even made a sand angel. She is so funny and creative. Noah likes to be in it all whether it's water, sand or MUD! On several occasions, he has had at least 3 baths a day!!

Happy 1st Birthday Noah!!

2008-07-20T23:38:00.002-06:00

What a fun day to celebrate Noah's birthday as he turned one. It is so hard to believe that he is already one!! We celebrated a few days early so that everyone could enjoy.

As you can tell, he LOVES cake and isn't afraid to get messy either. He is such a joy and delightful addition to our family. We are truly blessed with healthy, happy children.

More Inside Photos

2008-04-08T17:14:00.005-06:00

Here are more photos of the inside of the home, there are a couple of shots of the kids bathroom that serves as the main bath. One of Noah's blue room. There is a photo of the hallway in between Noah's room and the girls room. And there is photo of the office where I spend a lot of time working for the business and trying to update the blog!! And Noah says hi!!

Finally, Inside Shots

2008-04-06T17:55:00.002-06:00

These are the finished photos of the interior of our home. The top photos are what you see when you walk into our home through the front doors. Then there are photos of the dining area and the kitchen.

Let's Rodeo San Antontio!!

2008-04-06T17:26:00.003-06:00

It's pretty sad that two months have past since our getaway to San Antonio for the the Stock Show and Rodeo and I haven't posted the photos of the things we did. I did have time to get all the shots of our trip, but we went to the rodeo and stock show. Let me preface this with the fact that we ARE not rodeo people, but we loved the rodeo!! This rodeo and stock show lasts for 18 days and features a musical artist at the end of each performace every night. We decided to attend on Friday, February 15th and had the Star Experience of a chuck wagon dinner before the rodeo and seats above the bucking chutes!! Then as if that wasn't cool enough we were escorted down to the ground (arena) for the concert of Joe Nichols. He is pretty cute and a good entertainer. It was also salute to the troops night and several in our bunch were injured soldiers and their dates who got kinda wild!! You'll have to ask for more details. It was quite entertaining for us though to see others making complete fools of themselves!! And it wasn't us :-) We also watched the pig races and the cowboys comedies. And we watched the bird show (keep your eyes peeled for that post too).

This stock show and rodeo is put on by thousands of volunteers every year. It is held at the AT&T Center where the Spurs play (of course we didn't get to see a game because of the rodeo). Maybe another year we can as we hope to go back it was absolutely beautiful!! Their web address is www.sarodeo.com (if you want to check it out).

Having Fun

2008-03-28T22:51:00.001-06:00

We enjoyed some fun in the cold sun and drew with sidewalk chalk. Noah had a great time trying to eat the dirt with his mittens!!

Oh MY!!

2008-03-28T22:25:00.002-06:00

Holy CRAP!! A whole month has flown right past me and I haven't updated or posted a thing to our blog since the 1st of the month. What is my problem??? Oh yeah, I failed to mention that we had something every weekend in March and we all got ear infections AGAIN!! I think that we are doomed to never be well or escape these nasty infections. It was so miserable at the Sandman house that we didn't do a thing for a week. This is the first week that we were back among the living. I am praying that we stay this way for a few more months. I hope again that you all are staying healthy.

In addition to the sickness, Derek's class is to host the WP Alumni banquet this year and of course he hasn't helped get it off the ground so I have spent several days getting the letters ready, and have begun the organization of this ordeal. And I also recently created my P.E.O. chapter's yearbook with Word and ClickBook (way cool software to create brochures and planner pages and things of that nature).

And tonight we enjoyed a pancake supper at Rainbow Promise for Haylee and Alexa's preschool fundraiser. I flipped hundreds of hot cakes!! And the girls each performed a song of their choice for all of us to see.

Noah's Walking

2008-03-01T15:05:00.002-07:00

YEA for Noah, he took his first steps on his own Wednesday, February 27th!! We were all so excited and cheered him on; he loved it. Now if he would just continue to walk on his own, but crawling is so much faster (I guess). And as many call it; the Frankenstein walk is the cutest ever. I will get some photos taken so that I can post too. But we couldn't let one more minute go by without sharing the news.

It is a new found freedom for him. I am also quite thrilled for him, but that means that he is growing up. It happens so quickly.

More illness?? Please NO...

2008-02-19T13:17:00.002-07:00

On the 10th of February, we had Noah dedicated and enjoyed a wonderful family gathering afterwards. By this time, Haylee was continually coughing her brains out. Then on the 12th, I took Noah to McCook by 7 a.m. MT to have the tubes inserted into his ears. I am thinking, great, things will get better now!! Well, Derek and I take off for our vacation (the first in four years) on the 13th and the kids are all coughing, but I was sure that it was just the common stuff going around. Well by that afternoon, Haylee and Alexa had vomitted and Noah was still running from the nose and ears! This is not the ideal situation for the grandparents. And not probably the best time to be on vacation, but what can you do? You had booked this months in advance and who knew that the kids would get the junk again?? Only this time to find out that all THREE have ear infections. Haylee's was the worst, followed by Alexa and then Noah. Bless my parents for taking all three to McCook to see the pediatrician and get some answers. After a couple of days on antibiotic the girls were better. Noah was still very sick. So we decided to lay very low for the remainder of the weekend and on Monday Noah was still very ill. So after a couple of phone calls to the pediatrician; she prescibed an oral antibiotic in addition to the ear drops that Noah was already taken. She said that we should see an improvement within three days (I sure hope so). Oh, I also failed to mention that Derek was sick the entire time we were on vacation and he thought he had ear infection too. So, off to the clinic on Monday for him; and yes, he had it too. I am continually praying that I will be spared so that I can continue to take care of all my sick ones. Therefore, we are not going anywhere this entire week to insure that we can be well. So, to the sadness of the girls, that means no preschool, AWANA or MOPs this week. And we love everyone of those activities. But I figure that if we can't get well, how can we stop spreading all the junk??? I hope everyone else is staying healthy.

Too Many Ear Infections!

2008-01-29T18:21:00.000-07:00

YIKES, Noah just completed his 5th ear infection and upon seeing the ENT today, he still has fluid in his ears! I realized that we don't go to daycare or have children in school yet. So how can Noah have so many ear infections? Well according to the doctor, I have my own daycare at home! I should have known this since there are 3 of them running around. Noah is completely miserable and needs to be held all the time. The doctor says that he will be even more mobile after tubes than he is right now. I don't think this is possible since he is by far the busiest of them all at this stage in babyhood. But, I'll believe the doctor and go with him on this one. I did ask if we could please get the 3rd surgery free (he didn't find this as funny as me). After all, Haylee and Alexa had their tonsils out :-) I thought it was a great question. At any level, Noah is not a happy camper because of this fluid so he will be getting tubes in two weeks. I am praying that he won't have any more infections between now and then. But just in case, the doctor gave us antibiotic to get us through.

New Teeth, Old Teeth

2008-01-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

New teeth, old teeth. Red teeth, blue teeth. One tooth, two teeth. I feel like I should be writing a Dr. Seuss book...
As many of you know, Haylee surprised us with permanent teeth on her 5th birthday. And then about 6 weeks later another tooth. YIKES!! She is too young to be growing permanent teeth. And this is what the dentist said too. Usually, kids start closer to 6 when they get the big teeth; not in Haylee's case. In fact, she was getting the new teeth and not losing the baby teeth because they were coming in so far back behind the baby ones. And they are 1 1/2 times the size of the baby teeth HUGE!! Having a mouth full of several sets of teeth isn't fun!! So, after a trip to the orthodontist and several to the dentist; Haylee had THREE teeth pulled on the 17th. Now her large teeth will have a place to go. And we will begin annual visits to the orthodontist. Who knew that these trips would begin sooo soon!! Not me. I decided that this is coming from Derek's side, not mine.

New Years Resolutions

2008-01-13T15:33:00.000-07:00

Well I resolved to not be so uptight with my kids when they are continually fighting. But I can't seem to let it go. I do encourage them to solve the issues themselves, but I am always the referee. I guess that goes without saying. It's a Moms job. I don't like to though.

I had also hope that we would stay healthy with the New Year. That got thrown into the toilet too. Derek came down with influenza for 2 to 3 days before he actually could return to the feedlot again (with medical help of course, this is how you know he was REALLY sick). Noah's nose keeps running and Ms. Alexa has been running a fever. I spent 3 nights on the couch so that I could avoid the illness and ended up with a bit of a cold. I spent more time with cleaning products then I planned too. But we are on the mend trying to regain the energy and strength before the sickness storm hit our home. I am praying for a better week and more especially a healthy one.

Word to the wise, get flu shot! Derek wishes he would have.

Happy New Year!!

2007-12-31T13:07:00.000-07:00

Our family would like to wish each of you a very Happy & Prosperous New Year. We are so thankful for the gifts from above and are blessed to have such an awesome family and great group of friends. Thank you for your many blessings. May you all be blessed in 2008.

The True Meaning of Christmas

2007-12-31T12:59:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot to share this awesome story with you all. Probably the week or two before Christmas Haylee looked at our Christmas tree and noticed that there was a really neat ornament of baby Jesus in the manger and Mary and Joseph on each side. She asked if that was baby Jesus and I said yes. And then she noticed the angel at the top of the tree and said, "Mom, that looks just like the angel that told Mary she was going to have a baby"! I said, "yes, it does and I would imagine that the angels did look alike". I couldn't let another day go by without sharing that special moment. She knows what the true meaning of Christmas is and with the reinforcement from preschool and AWANA and Sunday school she has absorbed it all!! I feel truly blessed that my children are learning so much each day, not just in the world, but from God too. The circle begins to feel complete doesn't it!! I hope that Christmas was special for all of you as it was for us. And Alexa just thinks that Christmas is so much FUN!!! She can't wait for it to roll around next year.

The New House (finished)

2007-12-24T11:10:00.001-07:00

These are the photos from outside to show the finished look of the house. We moved a couple tree rows and while I was watering I took photos of the outside. The photos are from the top: the front; the back (the little shed out is the old fireplace area that was built to house the small pipe and above that is the original upstairs; everything to the left of that peak is new); a nice view from the west looking at the garage and office windows; and then the view from the east (the left two windows are the kids rooms and then the door is into the kitchen). We even got our lawn started!! That was a very busy 4 weeks of constant watering. As many of you know that while your building/remodeling a new spot you don't always have the funds to put in underground sprinklers, so I am the watering crew (if you will). We feel pretty fortunate to get the lawn started so the kids can enjoy it next summer and not have to play in the dirt. But I am guessing that Noah will probably prefer the dirt over the nice soft lawn. Alexa will always prefer to play in the mud because it is so much fun! And Haylee would rather be clean most of the time. I will try to get some finished photos of the inside so you can see how we chose to finish the look. That will be tricky since we have three kids that love to make messes! And as always, when you are in the area please stop in to see us.

Alexa turns 4!!!

2007-12-24T10:58:00.001-07:00

Thanksgiving at the Sandman's

2007-12-24T08:03:00.000-07:00

We hosted our first ever Thanksgiving at our new home and it was AWESOME. At least in my opinion. We had lots of space and lots of people too. I think 16 adults and 8 kids. We had a table dedicated to the little ones and they sang, yelled and laughed the entire time. It is so much fun to get together with your cousins and be crazy. I am not sure that they ate too much, but they loved the cookie turkeys that Tami made them. I think this was the staple of the meal, forget the nutritious stuff!! As for the adults, we ate too much. Which is the usual story, but we are good cooks and have great recipes to share. You can see that we enjoyed the food too. And then there is a photo of Mary Jo pushing the kids around on Great Grandma's walker. It was truly hilarious to hear the kids laugh and giggle as the air flew through their hair!

Noah pulls himself UP

2007-12-24T07:58:00.000-07:00

Noah is pulling himself up in this photo, but he was doing it long before I could snap a photo of it. He thinks that he is pretty big stuff and is even crawling stairs!! YIKES. I didn't plan on that so soon, but we are putting the gates up. I couldn't believe it when the girls told me that he crawled up the stairs behind them. I was sure that they had helped, but they said no. Oh my gosh, I couldn't believe it. Then that afternoon he did it again and I caught him two stairs from the TOP!! Wow, he is growing up too fast!!

Happy Halloween 2007

2007-12-24T07:41:00.000-07:00

Halloween was a princess repeat at our house. The girls love being princesses. What could we say to that?? Several families from the MOPs group got together to take all the kids treating before the sun went down and it got too cold. So we started off at the Wheelers and made our way around the countryside and then into town. As you can see, Noah didn't partake or really cooperate too well. So, we are hoping for a more visible goblin next year.

We have TONS of turkeys!!

2007-12-24T07:32:00.000-07:00

Several mornings we would see these turkeys wandering into the yard and the girls thought is was so neat to have them so close. Close until the dog would chase them off. And of course the girls wanted a photo of them. This is taken out the front door to the north and they were running off as soon as we quietly opened the door. But we did have right next to the house a week before. These are perks of living along the river--wildlife. We have seen the deer crossing our drive with their babies early in the morning. Did I mention that we are very early risers here at the Sandman house? We are and some mornings I wish we weren't.

Noah's Crawling!!

2007-12-24T07:11:00.001-07:00

Oh my goodness, Noah is by far the busiest of the kids yet. I had always heard that boys are so much different then girls when it comes to getting into things. But I thought...yeah, right. Well they are right on and I have to be one step ahead of him in search of the next object that he will try to put in his mouth. Our girls could have cared less about eating anything (that includes food), but then we have our busy boy who isn't content very long with much unless it is playing in the water dish until he is SOAKED!! And he just smiles and laughs which melts my heart. And he started crawling on October 23!! Here are the photos for your enjoyment so you can see for yourself.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends and Family,
I guess that I didn't realize that because of my photos many of you thought that we weren't in our new home yet. I am really far behind the 8 ball and am uploading photos of the project as I have time (which isn't very much). We have been in the newly remodeled house since August 1st and are loving the space to accomodate us. We just hosted our first ever Thanksgiving for Derek's family and my folks too. We had a great time with lots to eat and great new recipes. We are truly blessed to have a super awesome family (on both sides) and can't thank God enough for them all. If you are in the area on December 7th around 7 p.m. MT, we are hosting a Pre-Christmas/House Warming Party. So join us and bring an appetizer or dessert and your favorite holiday spirits. I'll do my best to get photos of the upcoming party too.

Happy Holidays from the Sandman's

Drywall Action

2007-11-11T13:50:00.001-07:00

Here are more photos of the house in process or progress. There is one photo of the contractor mudding the kitchen. This is the process that takes so long because mudding is an art and you have to do things just right or you can have goofs. We did run into some goofs when the mudding would start from one end of the seam to the other and before the contractor could get back to the starting end, the mud was drying. So we experimented with new mud to get the right drying time. You'll notice that the next few posts will not have as many photos because I was busy taking care of Noah and it seemed to be challenging to get photos before he would start crying because we weren't paying attention to him. The photos are from the top: the girls toy room looking to the south (this is the room that I did the most demolition because I pulled down all the closets and little tile ceiling and the paneling from the walls too. The girls loved this because they got to help pitch things out the window and watch it fall to the ground--pretty cool!); the toy room looking to the north; the kitchen under mudding; and the dining area.

Haylee turned 5!!!

2007-10-27T15:58:00.001-06:00

Noah @ 6 Months w/ Sisters

2007-10-27T15:24:00.001-06:00

Good Bye Kody

2007-10-27T08:40:00.000-06:00

It was a bit of a sad day at the Sandman's on Wednesday, the 24th, because my dog of 10 years had to be put down. She was becoming more and more sick and doing things in the house that would make several of you vomit (so I won't share!!). But she wasn't the same old Kody she was just two years earlier. She was beginning to be so grumpy and growly that I didn't know who would be safe around her. After taking the girls to preschool, I came back home and loaded Kody for her final trip to the clinic (which was never her favorite anyway). And I was very strong, I didn't cry or sob; I just said good bye and we'll meet again someday. I did really well until on our way home from preschool: (this was the part that nearly broke my heart)
Alexa: How did Kody's visit go at the doctor's office?
Mom: Well, Kody is very sick and isn't going to get better.
Alexa: Did she die? (this is coming from a 3 year old!)
Mom: Yes, she did because she wasn't going to get better.
Haylee: (sobbing her eyes out!) I miss Kody and I want her back.
Mom: I miss Kody too, but she is in Heaven now and will be healthy and her playful self.
Alexa: (crying because her sister is) I miss Kody too!!
Mom: I promise that someday soon (a couple of years) we'll get another dog.
Haylee: I want a Ricki dog (this is a miniature daschund like my parents have)
Alexa: Me too.
Mom: Well, you'll have to tell Daddy about this and see what he says. (Derek doesn't like small dogs)

As you can imagine this have been the topic of the rest of the week. And if you'd like to read a great book, check out "Marley & Me". It is a great story about a neurotic dog and his life. It is full of ab hurting laughter.

Drywall Construction

2007-10-25T20:21:00.000-06:00

Finally it looks like there is progress when the rock goes up!! The girls had so much fun looking at the changes each day and loved that their room was nearing completion (a little closer anyway). A little story about their room; there was fire place in the basement and the previous owners added a huge (larger than a closet) space to the outside for a chimney and just decided to paint the window rather than taking it out and covering it with drywall. There was a tiny little pipe in there when the window broke during demolition. I was totally amazed at all the space. Well needless to say their chimney wasn't tall enough and the house would fill with smoke because of the lack of draw. So rather than take it off we incorporated it into the girls room as a sitting area. It really did give the room a neat look. You're looking at from top: The girls room; Haylee & Alexa standing in Noah's closet; the girls sitting area in their room with drywall needing to be cut and lots of insulation; the huge wall in the great room; & another photo of the great room looking towards the hallway to the laundry & office and Alexa is headed towards the garage.

More Inside Construction

2007-10-18T21:56:00.000-06:00

This is the part that goes pretty fast because every day we could see progress. Whether it was getting some of the old out or watching new walls erect. Well as we continue with more 2 x 4 photos; you are looking at (from top): you'll have to tilt your head, but this is the new stairway going up to the play room; master bathroom; master bedroom looking at the bathroom on the right and the double closet on the left/center; and the last is a shot of the great room/living room looking toward the garage and office (you can see the window).

Inside Construction

2007-10-13T21:57:00.000-06:00

Here you see lots of 2 x 4's that will soon be walls. I'll do my best to recall what these were and what they will be when complete. The top photo is of the kitchen; then the basement (which had a fireplace in it that didn't draft well at all and that will be a storage room with HVAC; next is a photo of the dining room bay window; followed by a photo of Noah's Room (on the right w/ window) and to the left is the pantry, you can also see the stairs going up, but none going down yet because those have to be cut first; and then the last photo is of the main bath looking through the girls closet.

Pink House

2007-10-13T21:43:00.000-06:00

For a long time, we were known as the pink house. It seemed to never change. We thought that the siding should go on as soon as the pink happened, but I guess we don't know much about building. So our home remained pink until August!! This really wasn't funny. Because so many referred to our home as the "pink house" that no one thought any progress was happening. There was always something happening on the inside, you just couldn't see it from the outside. How sad it was that when we were expecting deliveries for the house we would tell the drivers to look for the pink house :-(

Who gave us a GOAT??

2007-10-09T17:18:00.001-06:00

Very early in the morning, someone (who is quite sneaky) chained and padlocked this cute goat to the entry gates at the feedlot! Derek was less than thrilled. He had to take the gates off the hinges to get in. Someone took a lot of time and money planning their prank because it happened before 6 am! The joke is on the joker because we sold it within 6 hours to a little cowboy that needed a pet goat! Haylee & Alexa thought it was cute (and it was). But the Sandman's don't do goats, just cattle.

House Construction Phase II

2007-10-08T22:52:00.000-06:00

I'll call this phase II, but there are so many to this project. Here you are looking at the enclosing of the additions. As you can see, we were constantly fighting the weather. These photos are (from top): southside looking at master and garage and to the far right is what will be the girls room and main bath; just the addition; west side; just garage (looks like it is next to a lake); and finally the roof is near completion to meet up with the old (still next to the lake).

Check out my Slide Show!

2007-10-07T18:48:00.001-06:00

Alexa's 3rd Bday

2007-10-07T17:00:00.001-06:00

More Initial Construction

2007-10-07T16:14:00.000-06:00

Here are the photos of the trusses and the bits of the old addition coming down to reveal the new house. I remember the cold January day that the crane arrived it was a gorgeous morning and by noon it was snowing. The crane couldn't make it up the drive. By evening we had at least 6 inches on the ground. It is really amazing to look back at these now and see how far the house has come. The photos are from top: north side; up close of the old addition without the roof and about to come down; and 3 from the north.

Initial Construction

2007-10-07T15:58:00.001-06:00

Once the foundation was set, the conractors began the decking and outer walls of the house. Photos from top are: looking at garage and office from the west; looking at master from the south; looking at south side of garage & master; decking on the north side of house which will be the kitchen & dining; and looking at the laundry & office from the north. We will eventually take off the old addition you see in the last photo to incorporate the new to the old.

Mud Fun

2007-10-07T11:18:00.001-06:00

Just having fun in the mud after a huge rain.

House Foundation

2007-10-07T10:59:00.000-06:00

Here are some photos of the foundation process. We hired Derek's cousins husband, Kent Gerih of Gerih Concrete to do the work. As you can see we are adding on quite a bit to the house. The photos are from top: northwest corner (to be office & laundry); west side (garage); another garage photo; and from the south (master).We will also add out to the front (north) of the house. And put on a kitchen and dining area too on the northeast corner. We will be taking off the old addition which was the old kitchen. Those who saw the house before couldn't imagine such a large kitchen, but it wasn't functional. So we were able to see through it and have a vision for our new home.

Baby Noah's Arrival

2007-10-07T10:30:00.000-06:00

Here are some very proud sisters of their new baby brother, Noah Ross Sandman. He arrived a few weeks early on March 12, 2007. After 2 days of labor, he came emergency c-section. Therefore, Mom is still in the recovery room. Noah is truly blessed to have doting sisters that never leave him alone. He loves every bit of the action!!

Feedlot Kittens

2007-10-07T10:28:00.000-06:00

We love kittens. The Mama kitty at the feedlot had 6 little kittens. We couldn't make enough trips each day to see them. They have since grown up and are wilder then snot!!

Happy Halloween 2006

2007-10-07T10:23:00.000-06:00

Here are Halloween photos of the girls with their cousin Lanie (Tinkerbell). They were horsing around at Grammie's House. Haylee (pink Sleeping Beauty) & Alexa (blue Cinderellya) enjoyed being princesses.

House Demolition

2007-10-07T09:46:00.000-06:00

Here is the inside demolition project (what a huge mess). As you can see, Haylee and Alexa are wondering what we got ourselves into?? It is hard to see the end result through this mess. We completely gutted the house down to the 2x4's. The photos at top: old bathroom looking south; old kitchen looking east; living room looking north; living/dining into old bedroom looking south.

Our House Project

2007-10-07T09:23:00.000-06:00

This is the beginning of our huge project to remodel an old farm house. It doesn't look like much, but over the course of 10 months, it became a reality. Of course we still have several things to do, but they are little things. The photos from top: west side, south side, southeast side, & north side. How cute is Alexa waiting for the concrete guys to do their work?