Busy Bees

We have been busy little bees running from one activity to another.  We had a great Thanksgiving here in Myrtle Beach.  John's whole family was able to come to Myrtle Beach so we had a crowd.  There are 19 of us now just in John's immediate family.  We had a lot of fun and ate non stop for what seemed like days. 

Riley and Lyla and I have been busy getting ready for the holidays.  I find random ornaments through out the house everyday.   Lyla likes to take them off and carry them around the house with her and then just leaves them in random places.  We have also been watching the 25 days of Christmas on ABC Family everyday.  It is funny that Riley is watching all the same movies we all watched when we were kids.  I guess claymation never really gets old.  I think I am done Christmas shopping but I am sure something last minute will pop up, it always does.  I don't think we will be visiting Santa this year.  Riley talks a big game but everytime we are any where Santa is she can't muster up the curage to sit on his lap.  Lyla on the other hand wants nothing to do with Santa and even cries if he waves at her in passing.  Riley has been singing Christmas carols non stop since Thanksgiving.  Today instead of "three french hens" she substituted it with "three rubber chickens"...???

I hope my kids grow up loving this special time of year as much as I did as a kid.  My grandfather always made Christmas so special for all of us.  So far I think they love it too! Riley and I will head to the local performance of the "Nutcracker".  Last time we went she reinacted it all in the aisle while the dancers danced on stage.  Hopefully, we can remain in our seats this time :) 

Sick Babies :(

Well we have had two weeks now of sickness in our house.  First, the week before Halloween Riley went down with a bad stomach bug.  She made a quick recovery in time for a great Halloween weekend.  Then last Monday she woke up with a fever and a bad cough.  She then gave said cough and fever to her daddy and sister.  So far I have been spared.  I hope I stay healthy so that I can continue to take care of everyone else.  Basically, we have been trapped in the house for two weeks.  No dance, kindermusik, gymnasitics,  Bible Study Fellowship, or library time.  Needless to say I am a little stir crazy and looking forward to getting back into our routine. 

Halloween Madness

Well we have survived Halloween weekend.  Lyla was a witch and Riley was a Carolina Cheerleader, Cinderella, Belle, and finally Tinkerbell.  John was a dork I mean Duke fan.  We kicked off the weekend with trunk or treat at church Friday night.  Then Saturday we had a neighborhood wide party for all the kids.  Topping it all off with trick or treating.  There are almost 500 homes in our neighborhood it feels like we hit them all.  We are all exhausted.  Glad we were able to have Halloween after the week Riley had fight at stomach bug.  However she recovered and we now have enough candy to last well into 2010.  Hope you guys do too!

C*U*T*E

Here is a cute picture of the girls sitting on the couch the other night.  Lyla's hair is styled with mashed bananas.  If you ever run out of mouse or hair gel I think bananas will do the trick. 

We are doing great.  Just seems like we are going 90 miles an hour all the time.  We have activities of one sort or another everyday of the week except on Monday.  I am really enjoying this time with my kids and trying not to worry too much about the job front.  Unless of course, you are a potential employer and you are reading my blog.  ;)

My grandparents Patty and Vaughn celebrated 59 years of wedded bliss yesterday.  That seems like such a long time.  When I called to ask what they did to celebrate she told me they had gone to the dump and then to Walmart.  While it may not sound romantic they must be doing something right I mean 59 years is no joke.

Things I have learned...

Ok so some more things I have learned....
1.  4 year olds are ridicoulously bossy.
2.  Mother really means: Human napkin.
3.  I have learned since having children that I can sleep on the smallest sliver of mattress. 
4.  Sleeping through the night is a distant memory.
5.  I really am starting to feel like Riley's taxi service and she is only 4. 
6.  Setzer's can not hear ANYONE when the tv is on...it's like a genetic condition.  (This includes my husband and children)
7.  My 10 year old dog will never stop peeing in the house.
8.  Laundry is never done.
9.  If you don't do dishes for one whole day they literally could stack all the way to the ceiling.
10. I can no longer find spell check on this thing!!!!

Dr. Ashman

One of my favorite professors died very unexpectedly yestderday.  He really inspired me to be a better student and strive to be my best.  I wish I had  met him my freshman year instead of my junior year.  What a wonderful man who really left a legacy at LR and with all who knew him.  Dr. Ashman you will be missed greatly!

This was posted on the LR website. 

Dr. Lowell Ashman, professor of political science at Lenoir-Rhyne University since 1975, died unexpectedly on Wednesday, Oct. 7.




Ashman was at work in the Rhyne Building when he suddenly collapsed. He was rushed by ambulance to Frye Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.



Ashman earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from Brigham Young University, and held a doctorate in political science from the University of Utah.



Before joining the faculty of L-R, he worked as a staff member for Utah Sen. Frank Moss, served as a research analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency and taught in Germany for the University of Maryland.



Ashman received the Distinguished Professor of the Year award from Lenoir-Rhyne in 1977. The L-R yearbook, the Hacawa, was dedicated to him in 1997.



He served as advisor for the Model UN student organization since coming to L-R. Each year, he took a group of students to New York City to participate in the international Model UN.



He encouraged his students to take a personal interest in politics. Before each national election, his students conducted a poll of residents in the Hickory area. The results of that poll usually made front-page news in Hickory. He and his students also hosted election night parties to encourage the campus community to watch the election results on television.



Ashman taught at Harlaxton College, a part of Lenoir-Rhyne’s international education program in England. He also took community groups on tours of the Soviet Union and gave seminars on foreign issues. He frequently spoke out about political issues and was often quoted in the local media as an expert on foreign policy and politics. He and his wife, Edrys, are the parents of five adult children.



Funeral arrangements are pending. There will be a guest book on campus where friends, students, alumni and colleagues may express their sympathies to the family. The book will be available in the Cromer Center on Thursday afternoon, Oct. 8; from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9; during the football game on Saturday, Oct. 10; and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12 in the Cromer Center.

Addam

Happy 11th Birthday Cousin Addam! 

Bed Time

Well here are some pictures from this summer.  One is from Lyla's birthday.  The other two are just randoms.  I should be in bed but my kids are still up.  I think we need an intervention from Nanny 911 or something.  Bedtime is just not my specialty.  Granted my kids go to bed late, but they also sleep in.  With no one working or schooling we really have no early morning scheduled events.  It's a good thing too Riley is NOT a morning person.

 Lyla is still up because she is cranky due to the four molars that are trying to pop through her gums.  She has had a fever off and on since Thursday night.  Doctor's say children don't get fevers from teething.  I say BULL.  Lyla is also still trying to walk, and doesn't care too much about talking. 

I have been wanting to redocrate the blog for a while.  I looked all around the internet and found many beautiful templates.  Unfortunatley, I still have not mastered all the ins and outs of blogger and html and xml codes.  I did it last time with that sunflower thingy but to no avail I have settled with the black background that was provided (and idiot proofed) through blogger. 

I usually try and not jump on any soap boxes esp. here on my blog, BUT....John Edwards what a dissappointment and embarrassment you have become to yourself and your family.  Mrs. Edwards please take a lesson from SC's own Jenny Sanford and kick his ass to the curb! You are a wonderful, smart, and accomplished woman you seriously do not need him.   I apologize, I just had to get that off my chest. 

In updates on our cousin Rhys Proctor he had his surgery on Friday to correct a heart defect.  He is doing fairly well.  He had a few set backs today and last night with seizures that they think are a temporary side effect of the surgery.  Please continue to pray for him and his parents.  They have a long recovery and more surgeries in their future.

Fall

Wow I can not believe it is already Fall. We have had a great couple of weeks. We went to Brewgrass in Asheville this past weekend with some friends. It was wonderful. I am not a drinker but it was fun to see so many friends, and see John in his own personal heaven. He has been brewing for a long time and was really in his element on Saturday.

While we were at Brewgrass Riley got to go with her "L" cousins Luke and Lorelei to see "Peter Pan" at the Asheville Community Theatre. She seemed to really love the experience. Lyla came with us to brewgrass and had a wonderful time rolling around in the grass and eating the pretzel necklaces that were being handed out.

I have come to the conclusion that sleeping with Lyla is like sleeping with a WWE wrestler. I am constantly getting head butted, throat chopped, poked in the eye, slapped across the face. The girl is asleep while all this is going down but, man am I ready for her to sleep through the night in her own bed. She starts out there but around 2-3 she ends up in our bed. Which is when John heads to Riley's bed. He is not a fan of all the middle of the night abuse imposed on him by a 13 month old. My goal is to one day have everyone sleeping in the correct rooms in the correct beds. Bedtime has become a battle with Riley.

Please keep our 3 month old baby cousin Rhys Larson Proctor in your prayers he was supposed to have open heart surgery on Tuesday to correct a birth defect. However, another baby who had been born the night before needed to have immediate surgery at birth. Rhys' surgery has been pushed back to Friday. Please keep him in your prayers as well as his parents Tammy and Keith I can not imagine what they are going through.

Sept. Birthdays

Well we got to spend Labor Day weekend celebrating my Grandfather's 80th birthday. We went to Davidson river and had a picnic with a my Mease side of the family. It was a great day. Granddaddy likes blueberries so we all brought some type of blue berry dessert. My dad also brought what felt like 100 cupcakes. We had a great weekend. We went to the Nature Center and got to see family and friends. We are all so blessed to get to celebrate Granddaddy's 80 years on the planet. We hope there will be many many more birthday's.

Yesterday would have been Tissie's 90th birthday. Man I can not believe she has been gone for almost 4 years. We miss her. I know she would have enjoyed these two wild girls I have! In fact some days I know they are channeling her.

We have started back to most of our regular activities. Gymnastics and dance. Kindermusik starts back at the end of the month. I am hoping this will help ease Riley's boredom.

Busted!!!

Riley: Mom, can I have some candy?

Wendy: Yes, you may have two sour patch kids and some gum.

R: What about chocolate?

W: No, we are having brownies after dinner tonight.

20 minutes later, I return to the living room. Riley has melted chocolate from ear to ear, literally.

W: Riley, did you eat chocolate after I told you not to?

R: (Oblivious to the ear to ear chocolate face she is sporting) No mom, I did not eat chocolate.

W: Why is the candy bar in the drawer 1. open and 2. have teeth marks all the way down the side?

1 Year Check Up

Lyla Setzer's 1 Year Check Up.
Weight 17lbs 10oz.= 5% tile
Height 28 3/4 Inches =40% tile
Head 18 3/4 Inches =95%

Dear Kids,
This blog will probably have to serve as your baby books. I just haven't put forth the effort into doing a real scrap book of any kind. Sorry.
Loveyour terrible,
Mom

Things I have learned...

This is something new I am going to start trying to list every week or so. Some interesting facts that I might want to look back and remember one day.
1. Babies will put anything in their mouths.
2. No matter where we go Riley WILL have to poop in the public restroom.
3. I learned to knit this year.
4. You can not always reason with a four year old.
5. Rachel Ray sure does use a lot of ingredients I have NEVER heard of and CANNOT find at the store. 30 meals my ass!
6. Staying at home with my kids has been harder than I imagined.
7. No matter how cool her clothes might be, Barbie will always run around our house naked from about 5 minutes after she enters our home.
8. Sibling rivalry starts young.
9. Patience really is a virtue.
10. Last but not least,the show Toddlers and Tiaras scares the you know what out of me.

Happy 1st Birthday Lyla!

Happy Birthday to my baby! I can not believe it has been an entire year. This time last year I was miserable. No offense. You were supposed to be this nice neat planned C section. You on the other hand had your own plans. You came early, just like Riley. However, they told me to wait until my contractions were 5 minutes apart for one our or my water broke before we came to the hospital. Well I had contractions for 15 hours that were 10 minutes apart. I finally made the executive decision to head on to the hospital. Your dad suggested we wait until the contractions got closer together. However after 15 HOURS, I informed your dad that he could either stay at the house and watch TV or he could come with me to the hospital. We went in around 9pm and 11:10 you were born via C-section. You were perfect and looked exactly like your sister only about a pound heavier. My delivery and recovery were a piece of cake, it was just the labor that sucked.We have had so much fun this year watching you grow and loving you. Riley has loved being a big sister most of the time anyway. My hope is that you two will grow up and become the best of friends. We have had a great year. I lost my job when you were born, and since there are no other real jobs out there right now, I have been able to be home with you and sister. While we have missed the income, I have really enjoyed getting to see all the things I missed with Riley while I was working.

You are night and day different from your sister. Riley was independent from day one, you on the other hand have been attached to me from day one. While at times it is overwhelming, seeing as you don't even let me out of your sight to go to the bathroom, we have become very close. In addition, Riley did not walk until she was 18 months old, but talked at what seems like birth. (She hasn't shut up since.) You on the other hand want to go go go and follow right on sister's heels. You are climbing, crawling, cruising, and on the verge of walking already. You enjoy splashing around in the toilet and putting anything you can find in your mouth. You now dance when you hear music. You are clapping and waving. You can say, Mama, Dada, Nana, Pop Pop, Mermaid, and Baby. Just like your sister you know what you want when you want it. Unlike your sister, you can not talk and tell us.

We are so very proud of you and love you so much. We have had a great year watching you grow and go. Happy Birthday to you Lyla. May God watch over you and bless you. Also, Happy Birthday to your Pop Pop yesterday!

Smile for the camera!

I tried to take the girls to get their pictures made....as you can see we will have to go back another time :)

What a week.

OK so I just busted little Miss Lyla splashing around in the toilet. Grosser than gross. This baby is into so much more than her big sister was at this age. Lyla is now officially a climber. She eats dog food. Enjoys throwing plates out of the dishwasher and shattering them on the kitchen floor. She broke an aqua globe in one of the potted plants while eating fistfuls of dirt. She laughs in my face when I say NO NO! We are now just one week way from the big birthday number 1!

It just amazes me that my two children are SO different. Riley was not walking or even thinking about walking at this age. She was too busy talking, and talking, and talking some more. Lyla on the other hand could care less about talking. She has added a 4th word to her vocab. "Mermaid". What the hell, I have been working on sister, doggie, Pammy, something familiar. While mermaids are a popular item in our house I am just surprised to hear her bust it out the other day in the bathtub and again later to her dad.

Now on a side story on Friday we woke up to some jackass on our front porch. Turns out some of the neighbors down the street had some wild drug induced party and this guy was a guest of theirs. He managed to break into several vehicles and one garage on our street. John confronted him in our front yard and then chased him on foot for a while. Luckily he was caught by the police and is still in jail. Little did we know this jerk was also carrying a gun. I am SO unbelievably THANKFUL that he didn't use it on John. Makes me sick to my stomach to think of what could have happened. People are just crazy! I have called 911 three times this week. Once for the robber, and twice for wrecks I witnessed. I hope they don't like flag my number.

On the lighter side we enjoyed a wonderful dinner tonight with Max and Liz. They came over and Liz cooked us dinner. What a great person. Who comes to your house and cooks dinner for you? It was awesome we cherish our friendship with both of them. This week will be busy planning and preparing for the big bday bash. Riley is trying to convince me that Lyla would like some Barbie's, but I am not falling for that. :) I hope everyone has a great week, and by everyone I mean my mom who maybe the only person who reads this.

Home Again...whew

After more than a week in the Mountains of WNC we are happy to be back at the beach. Not so happy about the heat and humidity and the beach traffic, but thrilled to see John. I took the girls up to Asheville last Saturday to visit with my mom, grandparents, my dad, sister and brother. We got to spend a lot of quality time with those most important to us that we unfortunately do not see as often as we would like.

Lyla was great she actually let my grandmother hold her several times this visit. She is slowly letting those other than mommy have a place in her heart. Riley was thrilled to see Granddaddy Mease and Grandma Patty. We "helped" put up the corn that had come in. I had hoped we could have helped with beans, but my Mease Grandparents have their garden harvesting down to a science after all these years and I think we were mostly in the way.

We had a great week in Asheville we went to the drum circle, Mount Mitchell, and many other fun day trips through out the mountains. We missed John/Daddy very much. I think he actually got a little bored here without us. He said one to two days is enough peace and quiet. After that it gets a little lonely. However, last night when we were all piled in the same bed cris crossed over top of each other, he did mention he did no miss sharing the bed with so many people :)

I can't believe we are well into August. Baby Lyla turns 1 in two short weeks. She is so grown up. She too is tiny just like Riley and many people are shocked when they learn she is almost a year old! Where in the world have the last 12 months gone???

Still here...

My my where does the time go it's almost August. There will be no pictures with this blog as we haven't really taken any this summer. We have been pretty busy. We went on our annual pilgrimage to Helen, Ga. for our Setzer Family Vacation. It was fun. This was the first time I have been since before Riley was born because I always had to work. (See there are perks to unemployment.)

Riley has had her four year old check up complete with 4 shots and a finger stick. It was as awful as it sounds. Luckily no more shots until she is 11. She had her first trip to the dentist. She came home and brushed her teeth six times that day. She has a pair of red white and blue flip flops that have stars on them. She informed me that they were her "Barack Obama flip flops". Where does she come up with this stuff?

Lyla is blazing new trails every day. She is up on all fours crawling at top speed in an effort to keep up with sister. She is pulling up and holding on while walking along the furniture. I also noticed she disappeared today while we were in the hallway. She has apparently learned to climb up the steps and was half way to our bonus room. Bring on yet another baby gate. She adores her big sister and wants to do whatever Riley is doing. This causes much frustration for Riley. Riley informed me she would rather have a big brother than a little sister. Lyla has no interest in baby food she wants only people food. She is still VERY clingy to mom and is in fact screaming for me as I write this. I am hoping this will pass. I packed away the co-sleeper and she is sleeping in her own room about half of the night.

I hope everyone is well. Come visit us if you are in the MB area we love to have company!

4....

Well I can not believe that four years ago today I became a mother. What a whirlwind it has been! Riley, you have filled my life with love and laughter. You are so smart, funny, and strong willed. Daddy and I are so proud of you each and every day.

You have, and I am sure you will always be, your own person. You have become such a great little personality. You remind me a lot of myself. I also think you remind me a lot of Tissie. Some days I think you are channeling her. God help me!

You have become such a wonderful big sister. Although, you did tell me just the other day that Lyla was getting on your nerves! Sorry, honey but I think that is what sisters are supposed to do. You two will have a long road of strained nerves at times. My hope is that you will one day become best friends.



Sorry to everyone for not blogging in a while. We have been so busy. You would think that when you are out of work things would not be so busy. However, we manage to stay busy each and every day.


May's happenings have included: Riley getting her ears pierced. My sister Tiffany got married May 23rd. Riley and I were both in the wedding. Riley came down with some crazy rash while at the wedding and it turned out to be Fifth disease. Riley danced her you know what off at the reception. She literally danced EVERY song. We all thoroughly enjoyed the fondue fountain! Lyla had her 9 month check up and is only in the 5% tile for weight weighing in 15lbs 11oz. We have to work on bulking you up little lady. Riley's 4 year old check up is coming up soon. There will be four shots I am already dreading it.

We have been anxiously awaiting the hatching of 14 duck eggs from "Mother Duck" that laid eggs out side our neighbor's front door. Riley and I check on her everyday. We figure she is due to hatch any day now. She began laying on Mother's Day and continued until she had 14 eggs to sit on. We take her bread and water although she is not thrilled with us when we get close!Hopefully, our pond across the street will be full of baby ducks within the next couple of weeks.

John has been really swamped at work for the last month. He is studying for another test at the end of next week. We had a great time last night at our neighborhood cook out. Riley swam and swam and swam!

Once again, Riley, Happy 4th Birthday. I love you! Here is one of your first pictures. June 14th, 2005 12:45pm 7lb 2oz.

Dancing Queen

Riley is the 2nd from the end on the right side. We had our very first dance recital this afternoon. It was great. Riley did wonderfully. 364 days of the year Riley wants to wear make-up. On the day of the recital when she is supposed to wear make-up.........SHE REFUSES. Oh well the show went on with out lipstick just the same.

This is Lyla's new favorite face. She loves to scrunch up her nose and snort through it at the same time. Not sure what this is about, but it is cute non the less. She is currently cutting the top two front teeth. Which causes her to wake up every 1.5-2 hours to nurse. Or at least I hope it is the teeth and not a sign of a new trend. It is wearing me out.

And here are more pictures of our ballerina. They did a cute number and they had dolls that matched their dresses. It was TOO cute. Riley proclaimed to all within earshot that "I am the star of this show." Get ready world!

Dress rehearsal with Ella on the left and Laurel on the right. We are so proud of Riley and glad it is over for this year! Watch out summer here we come! Mom is here for the week and we plan to spend as much time at the beach and pool as possible. I hope you all have a great week!

Out of the Mouths of Babes....

I just wanted to share the conversation I just had with my sweet almost 4 year old this fine morning.

R: Momma what comes on next?

M: Clifford the Big Red Dog

R: DAMMIT!!!

Don't worry we had a discussion about how even Mommy's and Daddy's should not say that word.

Easter Pics

Here are some pictures from Easter. We had a great Easter at the Setzer compound here in MB. Sisters
"K" Cousins (Kaleb Karson and Kaitlyn)

Posing

Family

"K" cousins + Riley

Fire

(Highway 31 to our house)
Well we made it through the fire. It has been a little touch and go at times in the past few days. As of tonight the fire is 85% contained. The fire started on Wednesday about 4 miles from our house. The day it started the it was very dry around here as we have not had rain in over a week and the wind was gusting around 30 miles per hour. Although the fire started close to us the wind carried it North and East of us the first night. Which is where it destroyed some many homes up at Barefoot Resort. Then on Friday when we woke up things seemed okay around here. However, as the day wore on the wind changed and began to push the fire to the south back towards us. It came within 3/4 of a mile from our house. They evacuated all the school across the street from our neighborhood and a nursing home. I began to pack a couple of suit cases and all the pictures just in case we got the evacuation orders. Luckily, we never did. There were 5 black hawk helicopters dropping water for three days it was like being in a war zone. This has been a stressful scary week around here. We are SO blessed that our neighborhood was spared. We are also blessed that with more than 20,000 acres burned, 70 homes completely destroyed, 100 more homes severely damaged, and more than 4,500 people displaced not one person lost their lives this week.

(view from our front yard)

I really hope that we don't have to go through this again. Thank you for all the calls, prayers, and words of concern this past week. We greatly appreciate everyone thinking of us. Just continue to pray for those who lost their homes, and the fire fighters who continue to work at getting this fire knocked out.

So much to say...so little time :)

Well gosh where do I even begin. As you can see by the last two posts it has been a very rough few weeks for the Setzer clan. First John's Uncle lost his battle with cancer and then his grandfather passed away after suffering from a period of declining health. That was John's last living grandparent. We were sadden by death but after watching Papaw go through several years of dementia I know he is in a better place and has his full mind and body back.

I also reached a milestone on April 4th I said good bye to my twenties. I don't feel any older. Maybe a little wiser :). We went to Asheville to see my parents and my grandparents. Below is my favorite picture that I took of Grandma Patty and Lyla. We also got to go to the Biltmore house. The tulips were in bloom and they have opened up several new rooms. It was a great day. Someone asked Riley what she saw at the Biltmore house her answer was "beds and beds and beds and beds."

Riley continues to keep me on my toes. She seems to at times be one step ahead of me. I think she has been reincarnated as my Grandma Tissie. (GOD help me!) We ALWAYS argue about cleaning up toys and her room. The other day I asked her to go and clean her room she responded by bending over the arm of the chair and saying: "Aww mommmmm just go ahead and spank me."

John got to go to the Master's practice round in Augusta on Wednesday. Needless to say, I think this made his year. Thanks to our good friend Max who had an extra ticket! He has also been brewing more and more.

Above is a picture I think the Biltmore should use in the advertising campaign. Riley now has to "model" and "pose" for all pictures being taken of her. No more can we just have unscripted cuteness. She is so vain :).

Lyla is doing great. She is my petite little baby as was her sister. She is on the verge of crawling. Her current mode of transportation looks much like the worm dance and is in a backward motion. She is very sweet however, she does have a blood curdling scream that could wake the dead when she gets upset. She is a mama's girl and can even be heard saying mama. I was so thrilled to hear mama first this time as opposed to Riley who said dada first.

I love this picture. Riley was very determined to smell EVERY flower in the garden that day. I turned around at one point and Riley had veered WAY off the path and was in the middle of a flower bed smelling flowers.

It is now way after midnight and I have a cake to frost, baskets to fill, Easter dresses and "lacy slocks" to lay out, and hopefully some sleep before getting up for the big day tomorrow. I hope everyone has a happy Easter and can reflect on the true meaning of this special day. Thank you God for so many blessings on this Easter eve!

Dennis Setzer Sr. (John's Grandfather)

It has been a tough month for the Setzer's. Less than a month ago we lost John's uncle Curtis to Cancer and this weekend Papaw died after a period of declining health. I have so much to write but I am wiped out. Maybe tomorrow.

Lincolnton - Mr. Dennis Lee Setzer Sr., 85, of the Brian Center in Lincolnton and formerly of Crestview Drive, Lincolnton died Friday, April 3, 2009.

His funeral will be 11 a.m. Monday, April 6, 2009, at Emmanuel Lutheran Church with the Rev. Gary Dittman officiating. Entombment will follow at Forest Lawn Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday at Warlick Funeral Home in Lincolnton.

Mr. Setzer was born in Caldwell County and was the son of the late C. R. and Mary Braswell Setzer. He was preceded in death by a son, Curtis Setzer and three brothers, Banks Setzer, Howard Setzer and Clyde Setzer. Mr. Setzer was the owner of Setzer ' s Buick-Pontiac in Lincolnton and was a veteran of World War II having served in the United States Army.

He is survived by a son, Dennis L. Setzer Jr. and wife, Jeanne, of Myrtle Beach; two daughters, Kaye Setzer Bach and husband, Ronald, of Lincolnton and Frieda Setzer Cooper and husband, Steve, of Weaverville; a daughter-in-law, Teresa Setzer of Lincolnton; two brothers, Max Setzer of High Shoals and Ned Setzer of Lincolnton; three sisters, Lena Jones of Lincolnton, Evelyn Tino of Gastonia and Mary Nell Bell and husband, Ken, of High Shoals; 10 grandchildren; and 17 greatgrandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Hospice of Lincoln County, 107 N. Cedar Street, Lincolnton, NC 28092 or to the Alzheimer ' s Association, Western Carolina Chapter, P.O. Box 6014, Charlotte, NC 28260-1444.

Warlick Funeral Home in Lincolnton is serving the Setzer family.

Curtis Ronald Setzer

From the Lincolnton Newspaper:

Mr. Curtis Ronald Setzer, age 61, of 643 Lithia Inn Road, Lincolnton died Saturday, March 14, 2009.
He was owner and operator of Setzer’s Buick Pontiac, and currently owned and operated Stitches with Style Embroidery out of his home. He was a loving father, a loving Papaw, and a loyal friend to many. He enjoyed golf as a member of Lincoln County Club and actively attended Boger City Baptist Church.
He was the son of the late Mabel Robinson Setzer of Lincolnton. He is survived by his father, Dennis Lee Setzer, Sr. of Lincolnton; his wife Teresa Elmore Setzer; three daughters, Allesa Elizabeth Setzer of the home, Dawn Setzer Reep and husband David of Lincolnton and Kristy Setzer Smith and husband Stan of Lincolnton; one brother, Dennis Lee “Buddy” Setzer, Jr of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; two sisters, Kaye Bach of Lincolnton and Frieda Cooper of Weaverville, N.C.; three grandchildren, Kynlon Dawn Reep, Karmyn Elizabeth Reep and Macey Michele Smith.
The family will receive friends tonight, March 16, from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Warlick Funeral Home in Lincolnton. The funeral will be 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 17, at Boger City Baptist Church. His final resting place will be Forest Lawn Cemetery in Lincolnton.
Memorials may be made to Long Shoals Wesleyan Academy, 3032 Wesleyan Church Road, Lincolnton, NC 28092 or to the Boger City Baptist Church Building Fund, 2201 East Main Street, Lincolnton, NC 28092 or to the American Cancer Society, 6000 Fairview Road, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28210.
Warlick Funeral Home in Lincolnton is serving the Setzer family

Well lets see where to begin we have been busy busy busy! Last weekend I loaded up the girls and we headed to Asheville to see my family. It was the first time we had been home since Thanksgiving. It was so nice to see everyone. It makes for a long trip with two little ones. After about 45 minutes in the car Riley begins to ask "are we close to Pammy's house yet?" Normally it only takes about 5 hours however, with these two, we were more like just over 6. Lyla does great for the first half and then after that she is ready to get out of her car seat. Towards the end of the trip on the way up Riley informed me she needed to get out because her but was tired and sweaty. It's a tough life. :)

We had a great time. We got to see my mom (Pammy) and my Grandparents Patty and Vaughn as well as my dad and sister. My sister is getting married in May so I had to go and get fitted for my brides maid dress. This was by far the highlight of Riley's trip she got to watch all the "wedding girls" trying on wedding gowns at David's Bridal. She was in heaven. She likes to sleep with my mom when we go home which is fine by me. However, my mom snores quite loud (sorry mom). Riley informed me that she likes to sleep with her Pammy because she is SO loud she keeps all the monsters away. Who knew snoring could be such a great thing!

My first weekly column came out yesterday. So far the response has been good. I am now trying to figure out what to write for this week. Hopefully, something will come to mind.

Now John and I will be watching basketball morning, noon, and night for the rest of this month and on into April. This is my favorite time of the year, despite the fact that I turn 30 in less than three weeks, sigh.

Last but certainly not least, Uncle Curtis needs a miracle in a bad way. The cancer has taken over his liver and he is not doing well. I am praying for miraculous healing so that he will be able to see Allesa grow up and have more time with the rest of his family. Please remember him as well as his family in your prayers.

Imaginary "friend"

I don't think have blogged about Riley's imaginary "boyfriend", but his name is Soldier. He started appearing a couple of months ago. He is NEVER here when John is home but Riley is very funny because she has all these little details. For instance, last week "Soldier" hurt his pinkie and his foot and was in room 408 at the hospital. Riley also informed me that she likes to kiss Soldier sometimes. (God help us!) However, if you bring any of this up in front of John she gets really angry with me.

Tonight Riley told me I made "a very tasty dinner". We had Grandma Patty beans (beans grown and canned by my grandmother Patty), and lasagna.

As for Lyla, she is teething I think. Her nose is like a faucet. She is drooling and gnawing on everything and has had a low grade fever. She is miserable. I feel so sorry for her.

I am currently working on my new gig which is writing the neighborhood beat for a local paper here in town. It's small 500 words per week. They do pay but it is a minor amount. So minor its not even enough to report on my taxes. :) I am hoping to have fun with it and who knows maybe it will open a door somewhere for me. I will post the link to my weekly article once I get one published.

I hope you are all well! Sorry no pictures at the moment but we don't have a camera at the moment.

hi...

Just thought I would check in with any body who still reads this thing. We are well and just plugging right along through life. Lyla had her 6 month check up. She is 13 lbs 25 1/2 inches long. Her weight is in the 10% tile and her head is in the 95% tile. (She's a Setzer) The doctor said we need to work on her ability to sit up unassisted. But if you ask me how in the hell is she supposed to sit up with a 10th % tile body and a 95% tile head. Can you say orange on a toothpick? Anyway we did our vaccines which as always she was a trooper! She is also scooting on her belly a little bit and rolling and rolling and rolling some more. I can put her on the carpet and leave the room and when I come back she is over on the hardwood floor?!?!

As for Riley, she is just full of herself. She has become a huge Beyonce fan within the last few weeks. She loves to sing "All the Single Ladies" she can even do the hand thing during the part where Beyonce sings "if you like it then you shoulda' put a ring on it". I am requesting that CD for my birthday I think Riley and I will both enjoy that. As Riley can tell you Thursday is a busy day for her. We shuffle/rush from Kindermusik to Dance and then on to Swimming. We also have choir practice Thursdays but we completely spaced it tonight.

As for John and I, we are staying busy. He is currently installing a new dishwasher!!! We finally caved and bought a new one since our old one always sound like a mack truck was coming through the house and every thing came out just as dirty as it went in. I am still looking for a job a long with the rest of America. Unfortunately I am not having any luck. I am also in the countdown to 30. ughhh. Only a little more than a month left in my twenties.

Please keep praying for John's uncle Curtis, his cancer has spread through out his body. We are hoping for some miraculous healing to take place. He has a six year old daughter that needs more time with her father. (As does the rest of his family.)

Life is a Circus

Well you would think since I am unemployed I could find more time to update my blog. However, things have been crazy. I have had a cold and we are staying busy with projects around the house and trying to find fun things to do around town. I am trying to get in the swing of being a stay at home mom. However, I am still looking for a job (a long with half of America).

As you may be able to tell from our pictures John and I took the girls to the Circus on Saturday. We had a great time. The girls seemed to enjoy it. Riley was a little scared at first, but really enjoyed it. Lyla likes to go anywhere as long as she knows I (my breasts) are close by. She is very clingy much more so than Riley ever was.

Riley just finished her first round of swimming lessons and is doing well with them. She is also still loving dance class and Kindermusik. Lyla is starting to eat some solid baby foods. Although she seems to get gas from everything I eat or anything she eats. She also started Kindermusik last week and loves it. Her hair is all falling out and starting to come back blond just like her sister did at this age. I think she is also trying to get some teeth but nothing has popped through those gums yet.

I am sure I am leaving out tons of details about our lives but I am a bit tired and ready go to bed. This week my Aunt "Honey" is having her pacemaker replaced, so pray for her. My mother in law is running the half marathon this week so we will be cheering for her. We are also eagerly awaiting the arrival of the newest Setzer and hoping the baby will turn on his/her own sometime this week. I will try to up date more often. :) I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Prayer Requests

There are a few people in my life that need to be lifted up in prayer at the moment.
Garrett Sheehan, is a 6 year old boy who is a friend of my mother's. He is currently losing his battle with cancer. Also, his parents who I can not even imagine being in their shoes.
Curtis Setzer, John's uncle who this week learned he has more cancer spots on his liver, and is currently in Philadelphia under going intense Chemo.
Dennis Setzer, John's Dad who just went via ambulance to the ER because his heart is in atrieal fib.

I pray that the Lord can place his healing hands on all three of these people, and ease any pain and suffering that they may be going through. Also, I pray that you can be with their families and give them the strength to get through these illnesses. May God bless you all.

New Pictures

I added a ton of new pictures from our holiday adventures check them out when you get a chance. :)