In the last 4 days I have taken over 350 pictures.

Saturday morning was the annual spring soccer team photos. Me and another photographer got the bid, the teams were split and we were off. I hired my bh to help me with the paperwork, keeping track of frames and the money. It was a 3 1/2 hours of non-stop teams. But it was so fun. Then it was off to my son's soccer games. Now the more tedious job begins of sorting through each form, hoping they match up and ordering.

Then there was the fundraiser of one of the elementary schools which they asked me to be a part of. I was more than happy to donate my time to this event. Eric Crouch was the guest of honor. For those of you who don't know him, he was the 2001 Heisman Trophy winner at the University of Nebraska and went into the NFL after that for a short time. Now he plays for the Canadian football league. Being in a town where the majority are Husker fans, I knew it would be a hit. So I was official photograher, taking photos of Eric and his fans. Most of them were kids all decked out in their Husker gear. My son got a picture and a football signed by him. Of course, he wore his Packer shirt which got a laugh from Eric. He even threw a pass to my son. That was pretty cool. So now that fun is over and I have to sort through those and get 5x7 ordered for each. Whew!

By the way, when I asked my girls if they wanted their picture taken with Crouch, they politely said, "No thanks, we'll wait for the cheerleaders."

By the way, this minivan driving momma is going to be somewhat more hip in about a month...yep, got the SUV on standby. It's a white Jeep, as close to "cool" as I can get (or is that "kewl") As soon as it pulls up into my garage to replace that forbidden minivan, I'll send some photos.

Wasn't it only awhile ago I was making fun of my bh for treating his truck like his own child?! And here I am, excited to post photos of mine. Sorry, bh. I can relate to your giddiness.

Karen, stay strong. Don't let the minivan monster get ya!

Well, I have signed up for my races for the year...2 5K's, a 10K and the half marathon. These are all races around here but one day, I'd love to go to a completely new state for a race. There are so many to choose from. My running buddy and I were scanning over all the possibilities. I stopped at a race scheduled in the Cayman Islands. So if I signed up, we would just HAVE to go. I wouldn't want to lose my entry fee, right?! I put that thought in the back of my head and one day I'll surprise my bh with a trip to Mexico, all because I have to run a road race there.

Hmmmm, wonder how that would go over?!

It's funny how women form groups of friends, depending on the activity or event. I realized this when my son told me I know too many people. On a recent trip to HyVee, he stated now we can't stop and talk to anyone, we are just here for food... So I started thinking about my circles of friends...

*The Runner's Club, including my great friend and running partner. These ladies are the ones I run with, stratigize about upcoming races and talk about which shoes are the best.

*School yard moms...we all met while waiting for the school bell to ring everyday about 4 years ago. Our kids are all friends too.

*MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) moms...these are the ladies I can talk to about kid worries, problems and meet twice a month for play dates.

*Church moms...these are the ladies whom I feel safe talking about spirituality with.

*Soccer, football, basketball and dance moms...we are there for each other for carpooling when needed and schedules, which get crazy at times.

*College moms...now this group I have known most of my life. These are the ladies I see once a year and when we get together, it's like no time has passed. These are the ladies that make me feel young, we laugh, we stay up late and we share beds (no rumors now) This is the group that knows my wilder side...just don't tell my kids.

*High school moms...we still keep in touch, mostly email, xmas cards...but it's fun to see how we've grown and changed through all the years.

*Couple moms...these are the ladies where our husbands are also friends and our kids are friends. We get together for grill outs, the annual 4th of July parties and hang out the lake. We take trips together and have family and couple times together.

It's great to have so many circles of friends. Even though my son doesn't like the chatting we have to do, it's part of being a woman! I'm glad to know so many of these ladies and they are a part of every chapter in my life. Girl Power!

There are two times every year in my children's lives where even though it's a happy occasion, I can't help but to feel a little sad. One is their birthdays and the other is the first/last day of school. Am I crazy? Last Sunday we celebrated my son's birthday. He turned 10 and is the coolest, most awesome 4th grader I know. Okay I know I'm his mom and all but he also rocks my world. We had a great day with grandpa, got Packer stuff and a new golf bag for his clubs. The best part was telling him we were going to a Packer/Viking game in September...his chance to see Brett Farve in action other than our basement big screen. The look on his face was priceless. And then it hit. Wow, he's ten years old. 3 more years and he'll be a teenager...8 more years and he'll leave home for college. Time just goes so fast. I don't think I realize it until birthdays and those school days come up. I know I'm a little more wierd about this than most which is why I don't say much about it. I know I can't stop time but I just wish it would last a little longer. He's growing into a great person...very athletic, smart, kind, spiritual. I am proud of him. Just when I finally get used to the idea of him being 10, 11 will roll around! Sheesh, will I ever be normal?!?!

The following photos really being peace to me. We all took a drive a few weeks back and hundreds of geese were just sitting on the half frozen lake. They were so beautiful. I couldn't stop taking pictures. Then like it was on cue, an eagle soared overhead. I quickly changed lenses and snapped away. It's not my favorite with just blue sky in the background, but it is the closest and most clearest shot I have gotten of an eagle. I have found that I really need a longer lense to get really close photos of these creatures. They spook very easily. But it sure was fun trying to get as close as possible.

I regret not noticing nature when I was younger. If you look around you, there is just so much to see, so much to take in. I look forward to our family "drives" to see what kind of wildlife we will see because you really just never know. and when you do experience it, the peace it brings seems to last awhile. My bh wants to take my turkey hunting this year...he'll hunt, I'll bring the camera and I am excited to share that with him. With him and with our kids. Now that I am older and somewhat wiser, that long lense for nature days seems feasible and well worth it. For the peace I feel when I am surrounded by nature is nothing short of amazing.

Thank God for all that He has created.

God's beautiful world...

Found this photo from last summer at the lake...

Today my youngest had her kindergarten checkup. The last kindergarten checkup I will ever have to make and the last one I will ever have to worry about. This whole kindergarten thing is a little overwhelming for me but that's a whole other blog. Today, right now, I am so happy this appointment is over. My little one is done shedding tears from the shots, ate her Happy Meal and is ready for kindergarten. I had to explain we needed to finish preschool first though. She wants to know how many more sleeps 'til kindergarten...hmmm, I need to figure that one out.

Last summer, my little one had a seizure in the backyard. It was the scariest thing I have ever seen and even today, I get emotional about it. From that point, she had to have all these tests done...EEG, blood work and an MRI. They were looking for whatever it was to cause this to happen. Thank God, there were no tumors, there was no diabetes, there was nothing. We figured it was a reaction to low blood sugar and her body responded by having a mild seizure. The doctor said she would grow out of it. Thank God again, she has had no more episodes since and is thriving. But I still was worried about this apointment, worried they would find something. Again, prayers were answered. My 5-yr. old is the spunkiest, smartest little girl I know. She rocks my world.

My bh said we were blessed today. And we were. We are. Look out kindergarten class of 2007...my little one is ready to roll and I have a feeling she'll be the first one there.

This past week I have been helping in my youngest daughter's preschool at our church and oh the stories that I heard from these little kids! During circle time, Mrs. Johnson was describing an animal in a book she was going to read and she wanted the kids to guess what it was. Her description was something brown, eat nuts and has a fuzzy tail.....a little boy raises his hand and says, "I know you are going to say Jesus but it sure sounds like a squirrel to me." That got a huge laugh out of everyone!

Hope it made you laugh too!