So I know it's been forever since I blogged. I swore this would be the year I stayed on top of it.  As usual, life gets busy and the blog takes a back seat.  I've been taking lots of pictures though to put it my blog.  First thing I will share (soon) is the bridal shower album I did for my daughter's friend.  I was so happy with how it turned out and it really challenged my creativity.  She loved it!  She scrapbooks some herself so she really appreciated the effort and knows what it takes to put your heart into creating layouts.  During all this, I had to breakdown and get a new computer.  So, I am the proud new owner of a laptop which I am still learning how to use.  It's totally different than my desk tops I have used in the past.

My heart is broken tonight for the total devastation that has happened in Oklahoma.  I had to turn the tv off tonight because I just couldn't handle it anymore.  As a parent, I cannot fathom what those parents are going through.  You think school is a safe place.  That's all I can say about this because I will lose it.  I just want all my kiddoes home so I can give them a big hug and tell them how much I love them.

Jodie Arias.  Yes I got sucked into watching that trial.  I am very happy with the verdict.  The jury in Arizona got it right unlike a jury here in Florida a few years ago.  I won't go into that one either.  I don't know what I am going to do when it is all over.  I love watching all my HLN people give their commentaries.  I love Vinnie, Ryan and Joey Jackson.  I enjoy Jane Velez-Mitchell and even Nancy Grace.

Mark is finished with school this week.  He has one more full day tomorrow and early release on Wednesday and Thursday. He is going to drive me nuts being home all summer but at the same time, I will NOT miss that commute to his school.

Speaking of being finished, one more night of Dancing With the Stars.  Yes, I am one of those.  I have watched every season since it began.  I am so hoping that Kellie and Derek win. I love them together.  Can she be any cuter?

I think Zendaya is overrated and I feel like the judges really want her to win.  Ali and Mark are okay but all their dances look the same.  Jacobi and Karina are fun but I don't think he is the best dancer.  He certainly is a great entertainer though.

I  could keep going with everything I have been up to but I will save it for another time.  My bed is calling me.  I am just waiting for Emily to get home.  She finally got her car and is driving herself around (okay, so it's three years later) but I am a worrier.  Once I see those headlights in the drive, I can shut this down and call it a night.  I hope that when I wake up and turn on the tv tomorrow, there will be some good stories coming out of Oklahoma.  We need some good stories and some good news from out of there.  

Good night.

Happy New Year!!!!

Another year has come and gone.  I love the month of January.  It's a fresh start, a new beginning.  Every year I set a goal and by Spring, I have forgotten all about it.  I start of strong and then get lazy.  Every year I tell myself that this will be the year I follow through.  Well, guess what?  This is the year I will follow through.  

So, to start off the new year, I am doing something I have always wanted to do. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love to scrapbook.  I love to take pictures.  I love to lock myself away in my little room in my house and watch some sappy Lifetime movie and get creative.  I have always wanted to do the Project Life by Becky Higgins.  Every year I talk myself out of it because I don't want to make the investment and then not do it.  So, last week I ordered the kit. Maybe this will be the thing that keeps me on track for my goals for 2013. I even chose my word for the year.  Blossom.  I want to grow (which was my other word) and improve.  I want to be a better wife, mother, friend, scrapbooker and of course blogger.  I could go on and on.  2012 was a huge year of change for me. Liz graduated from college!  Emily graduated from high school and Mark started middle school.  Greg?  Well he just goes with the flow  College life agrees with him.  He's my easy kid.  Point is, my kids are growing up and they don't need me 24/7 like they used to.  They have become adults.  I find myself  for the first time in years, having time to myself.   I am only 45.  I have lots of living and catching up to do.  So this is MY year. My year to blossom.

Mark is having a wonderful year in his new school.  What a change.  Although I miss the convenience of the local school and putting him on the bus, it is so worth the commute to his school.  Ready for this?  He made the honor roll the first quarter.  Unbelievable.  I have always known he was capable of it but he just needed the right tools (and teachers) to get through to him.  Having a kid with a learning disability was new to me.  I felt lost and no one knew what we were going through.  Our public schools just didn't work for him.  I love that he is in a small class, only 11 kids.  I love that they learn about the Bible in school and say prayers.

So, I look forward to 2013.  First thing on my list is to take down the tree and all the decorations.  I love that feeling of seeing everything put away and clean.  My motto every year is "out with the old, and in with the new".  I tell the kids that for every new piece of clothing that comes in, one must go out. The donation box is growing.   I love it!  Here's to a new year, a new beginning.  Happy 2013!

Greetings blogger friends.  It's been a long time.

Life has been absolutely crazy.  Liz graduated from the University of Florida,  Emily graduated High School, Mark finished elementary school, and Greg, well he's just plugging away at USF.  He got accepted into the College of Exercise Science which he was working very hard to achieve.  He also just today got his NASM certification.  Not exactly sure what it stands. He is currently working as a personal trainer and it has to do with that.  Obviously you can tell I am not up on personal training.  I guess now that I have one in the family,  I should maybe start training.

Steve and I managed a trip to New York City in July.  We were celebrating our 25th Wedding anniversary.  It's not until October, but we decided to take our trip in the summer before Mark started school.  We had a blast!  Neither one of us had ever been so that made it even more fun exploring somewhere we had never been.  I loved it! I can't wait to go back someday.  We saw  the sights (Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Empire State Building,  the 911 memorial site, Rockefeller Center).  We stayed in Times Square which was CRAZY full of people.  We even managed two shows....Jersey Boys and Phantom of the Opera.  Such great shows.

Here we are in Central Park

Mark starts school next Monday already.  Middle School!  Hard to believe.  It was really weird getting all the back to school stuff and only having to get it for one kid.  I am done to one school for the first time in YEARS.  I've always had the kids in different schools and on different schedules.  It's kind of sad.  It's been an adjustment not being needed all the time.  I know the kids will always need me, but now they are self-sufficient.  I know it sounds weird but I do miss it.    Usually dinner consists of just Mark and me.  Steve gets home later and the kids are all gone out or working.  I never know if they will be home for dinner or not.  

Finally, I got a job.  I am a scrapbook/Paper-ed instructor for Michaels.  It's started off slow.  It's hard to build classes and get people in but maybe now that school will be starting soon, I can be a tad more busier.  It's been fun and I have learned so much from the training.  I've been trying hard to make more time for my scrapbooks.  I have always loved creating them and over the last few years, I just haven't spent as much time on them as I'd like because of all the craziness with the kids.  So, I've decided to make that a top priority.  I am in the process of creating a new blog in addition to this one so I can post some of my layouts.  I am hoping to get a bit more creative by doing it and hosting some challenges and swaps.  I used to be in a group on the old AOL boards and we would do all kinds of swaps and fun stuff. I really miss that and hope to start again soon.  I will keep you posted as soon as the new blog is up and running.  

I am going to end this post with some random pictures and I am going to do much better at updating this blog.  I miss blogging.  I've tried to keep up with all my friends blogs but Facebook has pretty much taken over. I'm actually getting kind of bored with FB. It's great to keep up with all my old friends and family, but I miss my blog buddies.

Anyway, have a great Tuesday.  Hope it's a good one.

 Yes!  She did it.  It was down to the wire, but she's done with High School

 Here's the little man all decked out for his 5th Grade Celebration.  So handsome.

Prom.  She was beautiful.

Our college graduate.  Go Gators!

Oops, guess I really need to get some pictures of Greg.  He's not one to get his picture taken.  He's the one who always disappears when the camera comes out.  Guess I need to work on that!  

Well, hello there blogger world! What's up?

I can't believe I haven't blogged in MONTHS. I have no excuses. My life really is a highway.

I have lots to update (which is why I haven't blogged). First, Liz is home from UF. She moved back home in December, for good (well for awhile anyway). She got an internship with the Tampa Bay times her last semester. She's a business writer. Best of all she's getting paid to write! Everything she has worked hard for is finally paying off. She's interned for the past few summers, but they have all been unpaid. I am so excited that she is getting paid to write! She has loved writing stories ever since she learned how to write. I am so glad I saved all her "stories" from when she was young. She was a writer on the middle school paper and was a write and Editor in Chief of the high school paper. She continued that all the way through college and even became Editor in Chief of The Independent Florida Alligator at UF. Words cannot describe how proud we are. She will become a college graduate on May 6th. YIKES.

Greg is doing AWESOME at USF. He's in his second year working on a degree in Exercise Sciences. He is currently working as a personal trainer. He's also working on a certification for being a personal trainer on his own in addition to this class load. Again. so proud. Now if he only had the extra time to get his mom in shape. :)

Emily graduates on June 5th. I will have ANOTHER high school graduate! I'm too young to have my kids so grown up. She got accepted into USF as well but unfortunately not until the Spring session in 2013. So, she was really sad but hey, she got in. She is going to do her first semester at the community college and then transfer over the 2nd semester. So proud of her. She has the worst case of "senioritis" since school started so it's been a long school year trying to keep her on track. Too many changes at the school and it's just not the same. I will not be sad to be finished with the high school. After 8 years, it's time to say goodbye.

We found a middle school for Mark!!!!! Yeah. That is a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. The public school system hasn't worked for him. They are so focused on their stupid FCAT scores. I've never been quiet about how I fell about that. So, we've decided to go private. It's going to be tough with 2 in college and then him in private, but we all do what we have to for our kids. If I have to eat top ramen, I will. It's very hard as a parent to see your child struggle. It's hard when you hear the parents of the "smart" kids complain about the "not as smart" kids. Everything is such a competition these days. Regardless if they are at the top of the class or the bottom of the class, they are all kids and they just learn different. I've been blessed to have some great teachers who recognize that. Sadly, it came a little too late for him with his previous school, but he seems to be on track now. He is really excited about this new school and that it won't be as near as big. I feel really good about this.

Steve and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary in October. Hard to believe. So we are planning a nice trip just the two of us. Something we have never done before. Seems like whenever we celebrated a milestone anniversary, we were always moving. So, we are hoping to go on an Alaskan cruise. If that doesn't work out, then I would love to go to New York City. Never been there. I would love to go see show on Broadway and take a stroll through Central Park. I'll keep you posted on what we decide.

I promise not to disappear again for months. I have more news to hopefully share soon. Don't want to jinx it if it doesn't work out.

Happy Thursday!

Here I am! Yes, I am still alive and well. Just took a little break from blogging because it seemed like I always had the same thing to say. So, now having taken a break, I have some new stuff to share.

All is well here in our house. I got the kids all settled back in school. Elizabeth is a senior, yes a SENIOR, in college. I still can't believe how fast the time went by. She is Editor-in-Chief right now at the Independent Florida Alligator (the University of Florida's newspaper). So, she is busy, busy, busy. She's still involved in her sorority as well. This year she chose to live off campus in an apartment with three other gals. Her apartment is so cute and I love her new roommates. This is going to be her best year yet!

Greg is loving college. He's still at the USF. He now is also working as a personal trainer. He's doing what he loves. He's even talking about going for his Master's. Right now he's trying to figure out how to get one of his certifications as a trainer in addition to a full course load. But, I know that he will figure it out.

Emily is a senior in high school. Can you believe it??? I can't. Her school year started off to a not so great start. If you followed the national news about a kid who wanted to shoot up a school and it be "bigger than Columbine", that was her school I was so sad for her that that is how her final year of high school will be remembered. On our back to school night right before school started, we were walking around the school with lots of cops on the campus. On their first day, it was full of media and even the helicopter was circling. They had bomb sniffing dogs do a sweep of the school that morning. When I first read the article, I thought maybe the kid was all talk and just wanting attention. I almost felt sorry for him. But they released more information last week and he was serious. He will be tried as an adult and I hope they throw the book at him. I can't say enough about how the school handled the situation. The first day went off with no problem and then we got another phone call. Apparently a teacher (who wasn't working at the school anymore) was arrested for having "an inappropriate relationship" with a student. So, the media and their camera's were back. The situation happened the previous year but for some reason, they like to make an example of our school. We are finally in a routine now and hopefully we will finish the school year without any further incidents.

Mark is in the 5th grade. He pointed out to me several weeks ago that I have "three seniors". A senior in college, high school and elementary school. haha. So far he is doing great. Moving him last year to a new school and repeating the 4th grade was just what was needed. He also is on some medication now to help him "focus". I'm so proud of how hard he is trying. After the first of the year, we will be searching a middle school for him. We are definitely not sticking with the Florida Public School system for him. He is going a different route. So, I have my work cut out for me.

I'm still selling my Avon. Not making a whole lot of money but I am not losing money either. So, that's good. If you ever need any Avon, please visit my website. They have some great deals and they sell so much other stuff besides make up. www.youravon.com/kbehrman

I finally got back into my scrapbook routine. I'll be heading back up to Indiana in February for the girls weekend again. I was so excited I was asked back. That was such a great time. If anyone is in Indiana and is looking for a fun weekend away, you definitely need to check out Michelle's Memory Loft in LaPorte.

Well, that's a quick update of things going on. I'll have more to share tomorrow or the next day.

Have a wonderful Tuesday.

Holy smokes Batman, it's February. 2011 is already starting to fly by. Please slow down.

Two weeks from today, I will be in South Bend Indiana visiting my friend, Lisa. I met Lisa when I moved here to Tampa in 2003. Our boys were on the same baseball team. We hit it off immediately. We had so much in common. We were both from the midwest, loved scrapbooking, we were very active in our kids schools, little league was our "life", just to name a few. We live(d) in a newer community that is still "booming". There is also a "reputation" that goes along with our little community. Yes, there is a lot of fake boobs, botox and silicon here. But with Lisa and I, we didn't fit that mold. Everyone here is too busy living "above their means" with their fancy houses and cars, hitting the country club and tennis courts and running down the road in hardly nothing at all. But not Lisa and myself. Our houses were not "show pieces" that you couldn't enjoy living in. We enjoyed being mom's, carpooling and just being ourselves. Our kids were not perfect and we didn't expect perfection from them. Don't think our whole community is like this. It's just unlike anywhere I have ever lived before. I have made many nice friends here. So, when Lisa told me they were moving back to Indiana, I was devastated. In less than a month, she was gone. Thank goodness for Facebook. It's a great way to stay in touch. So, I am flying up to see here in two weeks for 5 days. Over the weekend, we are going to a scrapbooking getaway. I cannot tell you how excited I am. Unfortunately, it's very cold and still lots of snow there. This Florida gal is going to be way out of her element. This is a picture of the kitchen of where we are staying. It's called Michelle's Memory Loft in LaPorte, Indiana. I have not clue how I am going to get all my stuff there, but it's been really challenging and fun getting it all together.

Overall, life is good. Kids are keeping me busy. It's been weird this year only having to get two kids off an out in the morning. Seems like just yesterday, I was getting Liz off to kindergarten, Greg off to nursery and getting Emily all bundled up to run around. Time flies.

Kids are off school AGAIN tomorrow. It's "fair day". Needless to say, we won't be attending the fair. I'm looking forward to sleeping in. I told Mark that maybe we'd go see a movie or something.

Mark is starting to stress over the dreaded FCATs that will be here before you know it. I really hate these standardized tests. We have made the decision that once he finishes elementary school, we are pulling him out of the public schools. I have always been a big advocate of them, but I'm done. They aren't teaching him anything except FCAT, FCAT, FCAT. The kid is 10 years old (almost 11) and still has not learned cursive. It's no secret he struggles. Teach kids the basics and it will come. But not here, they are teaching them some math which they will never use in life. Even Steve and I can't help him. Teachers I have talked too don't like this math program either. It's so sad to see what he isn't learning and what my other kids learned in other states. So, I need to start researching private schools. I always joke with my hubs that you will never see anyone from Florida on teen jeopardy. They've never learned half the stuff. Okay, I'm done moaning and groaning.

Well, I'm off to volunteer in the media center at Mark's school. Hopefully, by this afternoon, the sun will come out in time for our three day weekend.

Happy New Year!

Hard to believe it's 2011. Where did 2010 go? It seemed to just "fly" by. Now I have the task of taking down all the Christmas decorations. I love looking at the Christmas tree so I procrastinate taking it down. Our first house was small that the tree pretty much came down the next day. I don't feel the need to rush taking it down now that we live in a house that has room for a tree. But, this weekend it will come down. Steve has finished his year end stuff at work so he will be home to help. Unfortunately, he worked all day New Year's Eve, New Year's day and Sunday too.

Everyone is back in school, with the exception of Greg. He starts back on Monday. It's kind of weird having the house all quiet again after all the "bodies" lying around the house watching TV. As much as it bothers me, I let it go. I don't know how many more Christmases I will have them all home together. This time next year, Liz "should" be a college graduate. She's not sure though that she wants to graduate early. I think she should and get a head start. It's going to break my heart though when she starts sending out all the resume's out of town. Now we are getting Emily going on all her college stuff. She finally registered for her SAT. Hard to believe that she is a junior and will be a senior.

With all the changes going on with the kids, I've kind of neglected "me". So that is my word for the year. Yes, it sounds selfish but for the past 20 years I've been "mom". Somewhere in there "Kim" got lost. Don't get me wrong, I have NO complaints. It's just that after all this time, I am ready for some "me time". Everyone else's needs have come first. I've let myself get lost. I put on weight and my health is not the best. My last doctor appointment, my cholesterol was up and so was my blood pressure (I'm on meds for those already). So, I left the doctors office with even more meds to take. So, in addition to "me", I am also going to use the word "no" more often. It won't hurt the kids to stay at home while I do something for myself. I cannot tell you the last time Steve and I had a date night. We are always having to pick Emily up from work and take her somewhere. Giving her her license, is not the answer. She knows that. Her grades slipped so until they go back up, she's a passenger. So, she knows what she has to do in order to achieve that. So, if I am out taking a walk, they can wait on me for a change. I know that sounds selfish, but I have to start taking care of me. I may even give running a try. I've said that in the past but have never done it. This is my year to try!

Another thing I have done is booked a trip to see my friend, Lisa, in South Bend, Indiana. She invited me up for a scrapbook weekend at a lodge at the end of Feruary. So, I'm off for a weekend of scrapbooking. Steve is fully capable of taking care of getting Mark and Emily off to school. He's all on board and told me to take as much time as I need. So, I'm leaving on a Wednesday and coming back on Monday. I love that he is so supportive of me. I know he is really worried about my health. He's always trying to remind me to take my fish oil and even got me a cookbook for Christmas and told me he would eat what I did.

So, what do you think of the new blog? I came across this website and fell in love with it. It so fits my personality. I'm still working on the header. I just can't figure out how to get the title right. But, I'm not going to give up. I still need to tweek some more stuff, but "baby steps".

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. May 2011 be a great year for everyone. Hopefully, I will do better at keeping up with this blog.

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