April through June

School is out and we're into summer!


Cade is officially done with Kindergarten. Wow, it's one thing to have a Kindergartener, but to have a 1st grader!?! He can't be old enough! He's in Summer School right now and seems to be enjoying it. He likes drawing pictures and writing senctences about the picture. It's really neat to see him reading and trying to figure out how things are spelled. He did pretty good through school considering the amount of time he was out due to being sick. He's had strep 5 times since September and November and December he had croup. We decided to see an ENT (ear,m nose, throat) Dr. Caden is scheduled to have is tonsils and adenoids taken out on June 30th. He's looking forward to the popsicles, pudding, yogart, and ice cream :-)


Madi loved her pre-school teacher this spring. For the summer, she's enjoying her one day a week, but misses her teacher. She's writing her name and loves drawing! She's enjoying spending one day a week with my Aunt Glenda and the rest of the time with my mom, Mimi.


Cade and Madi are both playing t-ball this year/summer. Madi's more into this year then she was last. She still enjoys playing in the dirt! Cade started out really enjoying it. While he's going to summer school, it makes for a long tiring day! He's a boy that loves his sleep!


Doug and I have had to adjust our form of discipline with Caden. The usually wasn't working any more! We then realized at school he gets to make choices all the time, once he was home he was told what to do. We've been trying to give him options when it comes to things. He also will loose "TV time" when he doesn't mind. Between the two changes, things are going more smoothly. He still has his moments, but doesn't every one?


Doug has been working for the Conservation Department since August. August through April he worked with the forestry department. Since May he's been working at the fisheries. They are temporary positions. In August he's hoping to go back to the forestry department. He's learning a lot and in all the different fields. He just heard that they're going to start taking applications for the Conservation Agent training with in the next week. They will do interviews toward the end of August. So for now we're doing a lot of praying!



My hours at work have been cut back a little bit. Financially not crazy about it, but it gives me time to pick the kids up and get dinner going before Doug gets home. I like having a little more time in the evenings. Still working six days a week, so the extra time in the evenings is nice! Last week I officially hit the big 30. Not a fan... I guess it's not like anything really changed. I just don't like the sound of be THIRTY!

February/March

In February I started working full time plus- 6 days a week. Doug was supper close to being the first volunteer to hit 1,000 hours with the Conservation Dept. We knew it would look good on his resume' in the future, so I agreed to work more hours till he hit the 1,000 hour mark. He officially did on Sat. I/we are so proud of him! He's now slimming down on the amount of hours he's putting in, but trying to find a 2nd job. Once he finds something, I'll hopefully be able to cut my hours at work back down. It's never easy to spend so much time away from the kids. Just praying it's temporary! I've been trying to rack my brain with a job I can do from home starting here in a couple years. I've thought about medical billing and coding, but I hate to rack up debt going back to school. I don't know if I have enough creative juices to create my own business.
Over the weekend Cade started getting sick again. He has strep for the 3rd time in under two months. Hopefully after this round he'll be good for awhile! The Nurse Practitioner said they now take tonsils out if you have strep 6 times in 1 year. Hopefully he won't hit that!
Madi is going to start a new preschool soon. It will just be for a couple mornings a week, but more structured. I know it will be good for her!
This past week Madi and I found a good nickname for her.. she's my little lady bug. Of coarse, for her sake, I have to add princess in there every once in awhile! Cade has always been my little monkey- for obvious reasons! I called him that yesterday and he informed me that he was a spiderman monkey. So we agreed that he's my spider monkey. Kids are so entertaining. I can't imagine my life without them. I know it gets crazy some times, or more like I go crazy some times :-) We all keep each other very entertained!

Update for Pictures

Since I hadn't posted anything in awhile, I thought I'd put a "Year in Review" up. These pictures are some of the highlights of 2009 to now.

Cade had a blast getting to hunt with Daddy. We were impressed with how long he stayed quiet!

Cade love's fishing! (he was born into the right family)






Cade breaking the "board" that Master Harmen was holding.
4-09

Madi loved Gymnastics!

4-09

Cade and Madi's last game of t-ball, their teams played against eachother. They had fun!

6-09

Cade, Grandma White, and Madi at Angel's wedding (My cousin).

Along with the multiple funerals last year, there were also several weddings

6-09

Cade and Madi were cuddling and playing in bed with Grandma Borden.

They were being silly, sticking their tongues out!

7-09



Cade and Daddy on Cade's 1st day of school! He can't be old enough yet!

August 2009

Madi at her first day at Preschool. Waiting for her snack.

9-09

My mom and I took some fun pictures of Madi before she got her 1st hair cut.

November 2009



This picture of Madi watching her Daddy graduate was in the

Springfield News-Leader 12-19-09



Cade, Doug, Tiffany, & Madi. We were VERY proud of Doug! He graduated with his 2nd Bachelor's degree 12-18-09



Cade giving Madi a Christmas kiss.

12-09

Madi, Cade, and I had fun playing in the snow.

January 2010

Time has passed!

Wow, it's been some time since I've updated our "life". Since the last time I wrote there have been quit a few changes in life! 2009 was an interesting year!! Doug's Uncle passed away in January, one of our close friends grandma's passed away in March, I lost both of my grandma's- one in July and the other in August. At one point we sat down and figured in a 19 month span we lost around 12 friends and family members. We did make a new friend, Melissa! We worked with her through several of the funerals. Loosing both grandma's have been especially rough! Cade and Madi took it better then we anticipated! Every once in awhile, they'll say they miss them. All I can do is agree... we all miss them! But they are healthier and happier in heaven!
I started back to work the beginning of August. I was able to find a place to work during the hours the Cade is in school. I really enjoy it, but do miss being at home and all the flexibility.
Cade started school in August and has really enjoyed it! He had some moments at the beginning, but once he learned to keep his hands and feet to himself it's gone a lot smoother! Shortly after school started he quit Taekwondo, which I think helped too. (keeping hands and feet to himself) I always looked forward to Cade starting school and I would be able to help out with parties. This school year, I jumped in with both feet! I was the only mom to sign up, so I was dubbed the "head" mom. It has been fun though.
I do feel like I've missed out on some one on one time with Madi, but she stays with my Aunt Glenda 1 day a week, my mom(Mimi) 2 days a week, and goes to Preschool 2days a week. I know it's been good for her to be in school. She's a little attached to her mommy, which I don't mind, but it's good for her to be at school and get special time with her Mimi and Grandma Glenda.
Doug quit installing flooring around Sept. He occasionally does some on the side. He got a job with the Conservation Dept and they were working around his school hours, which was nice! He officially graduated December 18th! He's continued to work with the Conservation Dept. and come May he'll work for one of the Fisheries. We have found out that The Conservation Dept. is officially hiring agents. In the Summer they'll start taking applications, do interviews in the fall and then by the end of the year we'll officially know if he's been excepted! In April he will have been volunteering for 2 years. He's put in almost 1000 hours volunteering. It's been crazy, but we know it will be worth it in the end.
Cade and Madi played t-ball last year. Cade loves it! He even asked for a blue metal bat for Christmas. Madi enjoyed it after a while. She's been able to take gymnastics off and on the last year. That's more her cup of tea!

Needing Prayer!

Wow, this is not the time of year you want to be visiting someone in the hospital! (Not that you want to any time of the year for that matter!)
We got a call Tue. night from Doug's Aunt Ty (Doug's mom's sister) They were having an ambulance come to take her husband, Steve, to the hospital. He was having a lot of pain in his chest and it felt like an elephant was sitting on him. They were pretty sure he was having a heart attack. They did tests and found he wasn't having a heart attack, but he had several blood clots in his lungs. (They admited him that night.) The next morning they went to turn Steve on his side and he started having a major heart attack. (This was his 4th) They did some more tests and found that the valve on his heart is not working correctly so the other half of his heart is enlarged because it's working over time. His blood pressure and pulse is back to normal so they think they have the clots disolved. The have him sedated enough to have a tub down his throat (Sorry, no technical terms) That way his heart can be resting and not having to work so hard. If he can fight through this they'll perform surgery. The Dr's have said he'll have to fight! So far he is. Right now the family can use all the prayer they/we can get!
God will never give us more then we can handle! It just seems hard sometimes! Thanks in advance for the prayers!

Holiday Season

It's amazing how time flies! I can't believe Thanksgiving has already past and Christmas is only 2 1/2 weeks away! We love being with our families during the holidays. It's kind of a curse and a blessing. The mojority of our family lives around here, so we have to squeeze in all the family gatherings! It's so fun watching all the great-grandkids play. The majority of them, on the West side, were born in a 4 year span. Below is a picture of the 5 that were at Thanksgiving. (One of the better pics.) It's impossible to get 5 kids to sit still and smile at the same time :-)
Zoey, Madilyn, Ainsley, Rhange, and Caden (All West's)

I'm so thankful that I've been able to get all of our Christmas shopping done so quickly this year! I try to start earlier in the year, because of Doug's work, money is usually tight in the winter time. This year was the first year I actually went shopping on Black Friday. My sisters and I found a lot of good deals! I'm not a huge shopper, but I don't mind doing a major trip once a year. Going with my sisters helped and it keeps us entertained! It is definitely a nice relief to know I'm done!

This past weekend we did our Christmas pictures. I made a deal with Doug that we only have to do family pictures for Christmas, one time a year. (He's not a big picture fan.) This year it went really quick and smooth. I know it helps since the kids are getting older! We even had time to get a picture of the 3 cousins on the White side. Now I need to work on Christmas cards... I'm out of excuses :-)

West Family December 2008

Doug & Tiffany

Madilyn & Caden

Our Handsome Cade

Our Beautiful Madi Rai

Ty 16 months, Madilyn 2 1/2 yrs, Caden 4 yrs

It's been awhile...

Where to start... I'm not doing so well on keeping up with things!

The kids enjoyed Halloween this year. They're both at the age where they enjoy dressing up and seeing everyone... the candy is an added bonus! (They don't realize yet that Daddy get's the majority of it.) Cade was a Good Pirate and Madi was a Fairy Princess.

About a month ago (Nov. 9th) we found out that my cousin passed away. It still seems surreal! He was 6 months older then me and had moved up her with my Aunt. They were living with my Grandma for now. From what I gather he was really excited to restart things up in Springfield. I was looking forward to getting to know him better, but God had other plans. It helps knowing I'll see him again someday! My Aunt was still in the hospital, from having back surgery when my Dad and Grandma found him. She was released that day to come home. I know it's been hard on my Aunt and Grandma! God holds us and guides us through!

I use to babysit a little girl , Emilee, that's 10 months younger then Madi. I watched her for 6 months, I then realized I was not one of those moms that could babysit in my home full time. It's not bad every once in awhile, but consistantly.... just not my cup of tea. I've actually started watching her again on occasional Saturdays to help her parents out. I know all three of the kids get a kick out of it! It's someone different to play with. One of the Saturdays I was watching her, my mom, sisters, nephew, my kids, and I went and took pictures at a pumpkin patch/maze place in Marionville. We were able to get a couple good pics of each kid.

Emilee 20 months

Madilyn 2 1/2 years with Earl the dog.

Caden 4 years old.... so grown up!

My nephew Ty, 14 months

Cade & Madi