The END~

It's always a let down when things you've enjoyed and done for so long come to an end. Cam just had his last home wrestling match...the last one of the season, but the VERY LAST for him...since he's a senior, he will now be moving on to bigger things. Its been so much fun to watch him over the years as he has progressed and improved and become a fierce competitor. He's thoroughly loved his wrestling years, his coaches and many friends. Having his wrestling days come to an end is going to be very hard. He's a great young man and I can't wait to see what the future holds for him!

Betcha can't see Cam in that circle can ya?....I'll give you a hint as to where to find him,

he's the one STANDING A HEAD above everyone else.

Out warming up with the guys~

At the last home match, the parents always get something for the seniors...this year it was a really nice poster of each wrestler...pretty cool!

Cam is excited to compete at Region in a few weeks and then on to his last and final State Tournament! He's worked so hard and we can't wait to see how he does...no worries, I will keep you posted.

When you WISH upon a STAR.....makes no difference who you are~

Have you ever wondered what you would do if won a million dollars? Would you go on a shopping spree and buy everything in sight? Would you go to a third world country and spend your money helping others or would you put it in the bank and save it for a rainy day? When I was a kiddo, every year we would get the Publishers Clearing House "sweepstakes entry form" in the mail. My mom would faithfully send it in, in hopes for a BIG check one day...of course it never happened, but it would always get my mind ticking and wondering what I might do with that much money....I still wonder. I hope that I would be wise in spending it, but a little part of me would want to be a tiny bit irresponsible for just a minute...maybe buy something I've always wanted, but never been able to afford (don't know what I would pick because there are many things that fall into that category, but I'm sure if the opportunity ever arose it wouldn't be hard for me to think of SOMETHING).

I know for sure that I would pay off my house, buy a 2nd car and get rid of all of our debt...(those would be the VERY first THINGS I would do NO matter what)...then I might plan a family trip to someplace "tropical" and take my entire family. I would eat me some lobster and crab and spend many, many hours basking in the sunshine somewhere by the ocean! Maybe I would come home and hire a landscaper to come and re-do my yard...making it weed free and beautiful. I might go in for a little "reconstructive" surgery...removing some of that "icky flabby stuff" that doesn't seem to ever go away no matter how hard I try! OH....I can think of many, many "FUN and exciting" things I could buy or might do, and a lot of creative ways I could spend my millions (sometimes its just fun to dream...even though I know in reality, getting a million dollars will never happen).

What fun is life if you can't dream? Dreams are what takes us away from the cruelty that reality sometimes lays before us. Everyone has to have a dream, something to wish for, hope for, plan for...no, PLANNING for a million dollars isn't really "reality" but its a fun dream that I like to fantasize about every now and again...I think A MILLION DOLLARS actually falls in the category of "DAY DREAMING"(you know, thinking about things that can't really ever happen)....! I DO have realistic dreams, I have realistic hopes and I have plans for the future, that I would like to see come to pass sometime in my life time...and hopefully they will.

"Dreams are a wish your heart makes"

Me ThiNkS~

Happiness is the ultimate goal.

It is the goal of all other goals. - Deepak Chopra

As the New Year has shone her bright and cheery face...I have been contemplating life and where I want mine to lead this next year (because what I do THIS year will carry on into the NEXT year and so forth). I haven't quite got all my goals and aspirations squared away in my little brain...but as soon as I do I will be jotting them down (probably not on my blog...but on paper none-the-less). When each new year rolls around I not only think about the personal changes and growth I would like to see happen in my life, but also about things I want to accomplish and get done (those little "jobs" that have been ignored for too long). I have many organization projects that I am hoping to undertake...Its funny how writing those kinds of projects down, almost always makes me feel more inclined to accomplish them. There is something about being able to see a "check mark" on a list of things that "need to get done" that just makes me giddy! I am hoping that this year I can turn those "to do" jobs into "done" jobs.

I love the idea of having goals. They thrill me. I have learned the hard way that it does me no good to "set a goal" in hopes that I might accomplish it, if I don't have any intention of really doing it in the first place. I'm just setting myself up for failure right off the bat. So I try to set goals that I really want to achieve (that are within my reach to some degree), things I've wanted and needed to do for a long time, but just needed a little motivation in getting them started. I'm a "list" kind of girl anyway, and so writing goals down is like putting a fire under my feet and is usually a sure way to get myself going and excited about the "doing part" of the goal setting process. For some reason it makes me feel there is actually a "NEED" to work on my goals (if for no other reason than just to put a "check mark" by the words I've written when I accomplish my goal...I know, call me crazy...but it works for me).

I've also been contemplating which things from my "Bucket List" I want to do this year...I figure if I don't set those as some of my goals, they most likely will never get done. I've added a few more things to my list...but figure its a good investment, I plan on living a long time and I want a stack of things to look forward to as the years creep up on me. I don't plan on sitting around in a rocking chair watching TV as the time passes...that sounds so unappealing to me. Don't get me wrong, I love to watch TV and relax with a good book, but I'm a "doing" kind of person...I WANT to EXPERIENCE things, not sit by and watch others experience them! As long as I'm physically and mentally able...I want to DO THINGS. When my body gives out...THEN I will sit and enjoy some TV.

Here's to 2012....a year of accomplishing what I set out to do, living

a happy and humble life...and working harder to be a better person.

"You may have the loftiest goals, the highest ideals, the noblest dreams,

but remember this, nothing works unless you do". - Nido Qubein

Comings and Goings...in's and outs...ups and downs....Life in December~

December always comes and goes so quickly at our house. Its always packed full of school activities, church activities and all that it takes to get things done for Christmas (you know...finding the right gifts, for are the right people in our lives). I always find myself wishing it lasted a little longer and was a little less busy...but so go the holidays at my house. Instead of posting about every single thing we did during the month, I thought I would give a brief over view of our 30 days of December....that way blogging our entire months happenings won't be quite so time consuming for me....

On December 18th Deron's sweet Grandma passed away.

She was many things to many people, but to me she was very special.

She always treated me like one of her very "own" grandchildren...always giving me hugs and kisses and telling me that she loved me.

I remember many times sitting with her and listening to the stories of her past,

her ups and downs and laughing at the funny things she would say.

She often had us all laughing as she wasn't afraid to say how she felt about

anything or anyone ...

She will be sorely missed, but I'm so glad she is out of pain and with the man

of her dreams...after 26 years of being separated. I'm sure she is loving life in heaven. I know thats where she wanted to spend Christmas this year!

We love you Grandma!!

No one could sport a "red hat" from the "Red Hat Society" like Grandma!

We love her! I'm sure she found a red hat somewhere in heaven and is wearing it now.

Kim loved spending time with Little Mister and

getting to know him all over again~

Of course...(as you can probably tell) much of our Christmas holiday was spent enjoying

"Little Mister" ~ its so much fun having a baby around again!

Uncle Erik let him sport his special "Wilk" hat....too cute!

Little Mister came over to open his presents at our house~

He was so stinkin cute and excited about "presents"....

(the sun was glaring in through the window...hence the odd shadow on his face)

Christmas morning at our house is always so much fun at our house...

Cameron showing Little Mister the "cho-cho train"....

Cameron and his friends enjoying a homemade Mexican dinner...

(made by Cam himself, I might add)

and exchanging some Christmas gifts.

Halle and Cam at their Christmas concert...Halle in the choir and Cam at the guitar!

They did a wonderful job!!!

Kim and I enjoying some Christmas time together while she was home on Winter break!!

I got to enjoy the entire month (at some time or another) with all of my kids. Its hard when they grow up and move away because I don't get to see them all like I would like , but thank goodness for the holidays...when we get to spend more time together. It was a crazy, busy month...but a good month!

Last but NOT least......

Over the years we have had 4 children in braces (everyone except Dayna, who was blessed with perfect teeth), costing us many, MANY thousands of dollars...but it was all worth it as they each got their braces off and and put on a GREAT BIG smile! NOW...its Halle's turn to take on the "metal smile"...which she will be sporting for the next 4-5 years. She is the last of of our little crew.

She was so excited to be getting them on. I thought there would be fear, anxiety and tears....BUT nothing but pure excitement. She has been such a great patient and has done everything that the Orthodontist has told her to do! I can't wait to see the end result...(but oh wait....that means she will be 18, I guess I'm not so anxious for that to happen!)

Arriving at the Orthodontist office....last time to see this smile~

Arriving home with a bit of a sore mouth, but glad to have the braces on

and having the process started!

We've already noticed some of her teeth moving...which always amazes me at how fast that happens. I'm glad we've been able to get braces for our children...its something Deron and I were never able to have and always wished we did...so I'm grateful we could give our kids a gift that will last forever.

Out smarting Grandma!

I had "Little Mister" over at the house few weeks ago and learned that it was no longer safe to leave my purse lying open, within his reach. He was snooping around in my purse when he found something bright and colorful and decided to check it out...dipped his cute chubby hands into my purse and pulled out my container of gum. I figured he was safe with that, after all it has a strong SNAPPED on lid, and would be great for a few minutes of an entertaining rattling noise....LITTLE did I know that Little Mister can open up those STRONG SNAP lids by using his teeth and popping off the tops. What a smart little guy!

" hmmmm...look what I found in Grammy's purse"...

...a bright green bottle....

...it shakes and makes cool sounds....

...and NOPE, I'm not giving it back....EVER!"

Can you tell...Little Mister doesn't lack for attention and love at our house!

RiOts and Renegades!

The holidays are always full of "family fun"....and I love every minute of it. A few years ago my oldest daughter decided that it was time to start having our "own" family Christmas Party because our family was getting older and more than half of them have left home...we have 2 married children, 2 living on their own and 2 teenagers left at home...SOOooo we started "The Wilkerson Family Party" where the kids exchange Christmas gifts, we play party games and EAT until we want to throw up (isn't that the 3 things that make up an exciting party?!). This year Dayna came up with some hilarious "Minute to Win It" Christmas games...and we had a RIOT!

There wasn't a dull minute, thats for sure!

My three beautiful daughters........

Grandpa and Little Mister.........

Todd and Dana.........

Forcing a smile from Erik, who was "too tired" to smile on his own....

My honey and me.....

Cam and Deron listening intently to the instructions of the games....

Dayna starting us off with "Game #1".....

Todd, working on getting his red pom-pom stuck to his "vaseline" covered nose...

and trying to beat Dana in the process~

Made for a fun competition between the cute little married couple....

Halle competing with her dad...trying to move the Oreo down to her mouth, using

only the muscles in their faces to move the cookie...

Dayna and Cameron competing to see who can build the highest "unicorn horn" on their

foreheads out of "little Debbie Snack Cakes"...

Cameron declaring a VICTORY!

Erik and Kim competing in the "Snowman Tird Toss"

...its harder than it looks (or so Kim says)

Jack and I competing in building a "Christmas Tree" out of Reddi Whip....but it was

the "fake" stuff from the Dollar Store and it didn't hold firm, making it VERY difficult

to build a "FIRM, TALL tree".....but we gave it our all...........

BUT....I couldn't refrain from "sharing" my cream with Erik...

...and in turn, he couldn't help but SHARE a little with me~

Ending in ALOT of laughs and fun memories!

I have to say though, if I was going to give a review on "Dollar Store, CHEAP Reddi Whip" I would have to give it a thumbs DOWN for facial cream...it is greasy and caused me to look like a "teenager" for a few days (acne)...BUT on the other hand, it does make for a great STIFF Mousse though, my hair wouldn't move AT ALL...I could have made some pretty sharp and stiff spikes on top of my head if I wanted to...AND as far as using it for the purpose that its meant for (consuming), I can honestly say that I can't imagine actually EATING that stuff, it tasted AWFUL!

We had a wonderful day, full of fun, food and YES...even a riot or two, but we all went away smiling! I love my crazy "renegades"! I wouldn't trade them for the world!!