What a big girl!

Our niece is getting so big!! I can't get over how quickly she's grown in less than 2 months. She's just shy of 8 months old and I wish we could live closer to Corey, Danielle, & Hannah so we could be there to watch her grow... but I guess that will have to wait until a later time. For now, here are some pictures of Miss Hannah, our big girl:

I've been tagged...

A few people have sent this to me to do, so here we go!

I am: a child of God, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a dog-lover, and a friend
I think: about what I want to do when I "grow up"
I know: every line from "The Sound of Music"
I want: to sing for a living :)
I wish: that we could live closer to our families
I hate: mushrooms
I miss: New York
I fear: having ugly babies - seriously... it's a problem
I feel: tired, but happy
I hear: a lawnmower next door
I smell: fresh-cut grass, which means Spring is officially here!
I crave: sweets
I search: for a solid Bible-preaching church with a great music ministry team
I regret: wasting time worrying
I love: being a part of God's family
I ache: for people who don't know the love of Christ
I care: about serving others
I always: straighten the things on my bulletin board at work
I am not: a big fan of leisure reading
I believe: in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth... And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord... I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. AMEN
I sing: all the time - even when I don't realize I'm doing it!
I cry: everytime I sing the last verse of "Victory in Jesus"
I fight: for things worth fighting for
I write: emails all day long
I win: every puzzle on "Wheel of Fortune" - I own that game
I lose: myself in music
I never: go to sleep without telling Shane I love him
I confuse: people with my randomness
I listen: to Christmas music WAY before the season actually begins
I can usually be found: on the computer or watching tv... kind of pathetic, I know
I am scared: of spiders and bees
I need: to pull up our carpet!
I am happy about: having such wonderful friends
I hope: to record a demo sometime this year... we'll see how it goes!

Goodbye, Jeep!

Yes... it's sad, but true. We are no longer Jeep owners - it's a tough reality to swallow. But with the rising gas prices and the engine only giving us 17 miles per gallon, Jeep just had to go. Here are a few pictures of it before it was driven away to New York. So long, old friend!! :(

Good Samaritan Law...?

If you saw the final episode of "Seinfeld" you know the meaning behind this blog title. On my way home from work today my car ran out of gas. Mind you, last night after Shane took it out for a Krispy Kreme run (about 35 minutes away), he said, "You can definitely get to work and back on the gas in your tank right now. I promise." Well... so much for that! As I attempted to get to the side of the road, I realized I wouldn't be able to completely pull into the driveway off to my right. I'm fairly close to being out of the road and am extremely visible from both directions - a blessing on these back roads of Kentucky! I immediately turned on my 4-way flashers and picked up the phone to have Shane bring me some gas. About a minute after I hang up the phone a woman slows down to help me, and she decides to pull over. What she DOESN'T see is the massive ditch that she's about to go into. So I'm waving my arms trying to get her to stop... but does she see me?? Of course not. She realizes what's happening about 3 seconds too late. And as she attempts to stop, the ground beneath her car starts to sink in. Before you know it, her car is teetering on the edge of this ditch and all I can think is, "Dear God - PLEASE don't let this woman get hurt for trying to help me! PLEASE don't let her car tip over!!!" I immediately dialed 911 for help. Thankfully some guys in a pick-up truck pulled up as this was happening and jumped out to help steady the vehicle. They were able to get it up far enough where it wasn't going to tip over anymore, and the woman was able to get out. I'm apologizing left & right as she comes towards me and all she can say is, "Are you okay?!!" I was stunned to think that her first thoughts were about ME!! Are you kidding? Am I okay... are YOU okay??!!

About a minute and a half later the cops arrived on the scene - not a shabby response time, I might add! They asked the woman (whose name I now know is Kelly) if she wanted to file a report, and she simply says, "There's nothing to report. I pulled over to help her because I saw her flashers on. As I went to pull to the side of the road, the ground sunk in from underneath me. We didn't have an accident, no one is hurt. Everything is fine." At this moment I am so grateful for God's gift in sending THIS woman... as opposed to others that could've acted entirely opposite in this type of situation.


After quite a long time passes - and both of our husbands are on the scene - the 2nd round of tow trucks is able to pull her out without ANY damage!! PRAISE GOD!!! As the Chevy Tahoe was being lifted out of the ditch I was saying the same prayer over and over - "Thank you, Jesus; thank you, Jesus!! Needless to say, I'm still trying to process this entire thing. Below are some pictures of Kelly's Tahoe in the ditch:

Spring has sprung!

It really doesn't get much better than the weather we've had this week. Low to mid 70s, partly cloudy and a slight breeze... spring is definitely here! I hope everyone has a chance to get outside and enjoy it :)

On another bright note, my youngest brother turned 18 at the beginning of this week (April 7) and I still can't believe he's that old! Our family couldn't have been more excited for this celebration. The past year has been a rollercoaster for him - and us - and we're MORE THAN thankful for what God has done in Tyler's life and body. For those of you who don't know, he was diagnosed with Lymphoblastic Lymphoma last May, and today... just about 11 months later... we are ecstatic to say that he's CANCER-FREE!!!! PRAISE GOD FOR HIS GRACE & MERCY!! It's so amazing to be able to physically watch Him move in our lives, and this is simply one of those instances. I am constantly humbled by the things He has taught me through Tyler. And if you're reading this - Happy Belated Birthday, buddy! I love you!!

A Great Weekend!

I had a blast with my cousins in Illinois this weekend. We had such a wonderful time!!! I wish I could've stayed longer, but am so happy we were all able to be together. Here are some shots from Saturday and Sunday...

Daniel & Seth enjoying some brownies :)

(from the left) Me, Stef, Daniel, & Kristen... Seth was still napping


Daniel & I (isn't he such a cutie?!)


And here he is... Mr. Seth Norman Yaiko!!! This child is such a joy :)

Thank you ALL (Kristen, Stefanie, Daniel, Seth, Uncle Doug, Aunt Patti, & Josh) for a truly unforgettable weekend!

What did you eat?!!

Ok... don't get me wrong. I absolutely LOVE my dogs, but sometimes the smells that come out of them cannot even be put into words - they're just plain wrong. Sometimes I wonder if there's been a change of formula with their dog food, considering they've eaten the same exact food their entire lives. We hardly give them "people" food for fear of what it would do to their stomachs - they can't handle anything too rich.

So while our friends, Katie & Richard, were over watching "American Idol" with us tonight the dogs decided it was time to bust out the big guns. Seriously... I have never smelled anything more horrible in my entire life. What makes that??! I feel bad since they can't really help it, but come on - don't get too comfortable, puppies! The moment they relax is the moment the horror begins. Ah, the joys of being a pet owner :)