Mrs. Morgan

I have decided to give a quick update on Morgan in between catching up on the Holidays and our "busy" posts...

Everyone has been wondering about her and what SHE is up to...

Here is our stinker butt

Most days she allows me to photograph her. It is almost as if she knows what I am doing and it makes her happy too. I love this about Morgan. Every once in a while I will set up shop only to find out she isn't having anything to do with my camera.

HOW big is Morgan?

14 months old

23 lbs

30.5 in tall

12-18 mo's clothes

Her favorite foods:

Spaghetti

Teddy Grahams

Ham and Cheese sandwiches

Fruit Loops

Oranges

Chicken

Cheerios

Peas

Carrots

Celery (to chew on)

Words she can say clearly:

Mommy

Daddy

Bubba

Dog

Doggy

More

Snack

Trash
Night-Night
Bubbi = sippy

she has said please a few times but only when her brother Tyler asks her to. They must have a thing because she doesn't say it for me and Kale.

Yesterday evening while we were all eating dinner, Morgan grabbed daddy's napkin and wiped her mouth!! Kale and I looked at each other and just busted out laughing! So, of course Morgan did it about 18 more times and in between laughing at us! The cutest things she picks up on out of no where are just crazy cute!

Her favorite things to do:

Get into anything she can reach

Go though mommy's purse

Lock and unlock the cabinets in kitchen

Pull all of her clothes out of the drawer and then put them all back

Bath time

Putting her diapers in the trash HERSELF

Snuggle

Our little girl is getting big fast!!

Love

The Shank Family

Busy, Busy, Busy {#1}

Our Shank Family has been busy lately.

We have started so many new things in our lives for 2013. I can promise you though that these are NOT new year resolutions. We, Kale and I, decided no more funky resolutions that we knew we wouldn't keep! Instead, we have been praying and seeking the Lord within our family to help us make many changes throughout this year and beyond!

I want to say that some of these changes are coming along pretty easily...but then I would be totally bluffin!

It's been really tough. We have shed some tears. We have had some changes that are almost unbearable!

So what have we been up to in our lives these days??

Sharin has officially decided to step it up and take on full time schooling this go around for 2013. What does this mean?

Instead of graduating around January of 2015...she gets to graduate THIS OCTOBER!!!

Yep. You read correctly. Sharin is graduating with an Associates Degree in Web Design and Interactive Media through the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in October!!!!

Is she excited?? YES!!!

Despite a really rough start to this new routine and demand for her time...she's doing really well.

Sharin is the kind of person...her grades being A's are so important. As she progresses through onto harder classes....she might have to settle for a B here and there.

We will definitely be throwing a shin dig for her graduation!

_____________

More to come!! Stay tuned for the other busy, busy, busy posts!!

~ Love,

The Shank Family

K & S {two years}

You remember our FIRST year...

WE MADE IT THROUGH YEAR TWO!!

Not that I thought that we wouldn't!!! 

Marriage is by far one of the hardest things I have ever had to work at. If I didn't have the Lord, prayer, commitment and a little attitude...I would have never made it two years!!

We celebrated our marriage of two years on time this year! I was absolutely stoked that it wasn't 4 months down the road like it was last year when I had literally just had Morgan.

I got to choose the restaurant. I also got to choose where we went afterwards! It was nice. Very nice. 

We had a wonderful day filled with lots of small moments that made Kale and I realize that all of the fights, arguments, disagreements and bumping heads this whole time...WAS TOTALLY WORTH IT!

I hired a friend photographer to take pics of us this year! She did a wonderful job.

I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for us in year 3!!

Oh...and...announcement:

We have decided against a full blown wedding! We are already married...we've already committed and we are so happy with the fact that we didn't have a wedding. What do we have planned? We are going to be having a "Destination Renewal of Vows" here in 3 years. We spoke to one side of the family over Christmas break about things and they were able to help us with this decision. We are so happy to "Get away" and renew the vows we said to each other two years ago! We will have a post coming between now and this summer with the

Who

What 

When

and

Where!!

In the meantime...save save. Kale and I will be paying our way and the actual day costs ourselves. We are really hoping that those who wish to join us will be able to do so! We are giving such a great notice because of the expense involved. We are planning an all inclusive so that the cost will definitely be affordable for everyone!

Love ~

Kale and Sharin

Turning One Birthday Shoot

Before we would celebrate Morgan's birthday... I wanted to get some birthday pics of our beautiful little girl! I knew that the actual day of her birthday would leave me without pictures that I shot myself. 

The first set of photos were taken at the park in peace and quiet. These ones were nice! Daddy helped hold my reflector and keep Morgan from running off. We had to team up against this fast little girl if we wanted to succeed.

And, I think we nailed it!

Then, while the grandparents and great grandparents were here, we took her out to our backyard to shoot a few more. We figured this time we would just let her go and shoot.  It was very funny to watch her interact with a chalk board!!

Happy ALMOST one year my little one!!!

~ Love The Shank Family

Thanksgiving {#3}

I am so far behind with our family blog it is a little unreal! This woman has been really busy getting A's in school. I am very proud to be a full-time wife, mother, chef, maid, laundry mat and all those wonderful things that come with parenting!

I know all of you totally understand because you are either there with me or have been there for many many years!

So, catching up, continues...

After the BIG Black Friday sales, Kale and I decided to go out and catch some sales ourselves. Just for fun. We took the kids and had a wonderful time going to the mall (almost spent on Christmas presents) but decided to go just to get out of the house. The kids love the mall. They get to enjoy a long walk, treats from the food courts and all the decor the mall has to offer!

We hit up Starbucks which is my all time favorite coffee shop! This also happens to be the one place Kale just can't stand! He absolutely despises that anyone could enjoy a $5 coffee! It's just coffee he always tells me! You can get the same stuff at home! I always give him this really ugly dirty face because I KNOW that's not true!!

An eventful night to say the least..

We hit up Starbucks and what would ya know...

the Starbucks hater..bough...a black coffee!!!

So we hung out at Starbucks for a while so Morgan could eat

Then we shot off to the Mall to stroll Morgan around and check out the great sales

Yes, this would be boys being boys...Kale pretending to "fart" on Tyler's head lol

Morgan finds herself in the mirror at Abercrombie...what a doll face

What a Great Thanksgiving! We wish we could have been with you guys but we couldn't. So we had some celebrations of our own :-)

Love ~

The Shank Family

Happy New Year!

Our Shank Family just wanted to stop by everyone's email to say:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

We love you all so much! We have been so busy since the Holidays started...we know you have been too! We have lots and lots to catch you up on...

Thanksgiving #3

Morgan's First Birthday

Kale and Sharin's 2nd Anniversary

Christmas

Christmas #2

Tyler's 7th Birthday

A new year for our family {the small things we are putting in place} NOT resolutions!!

and MORE!!

We will be back to write posts and say hi!

We hope that you all got our cards and LOVE this Holiday season!!

We love you all. 

~ The Shank Family

Marley (our 4th kiddo)

Our Shank Family is asking for your prayers through a hard time. We just got some news yesterday from our vet that saddened us into tears and heartbreak. Many of you know about what is going on because of our calls for comfort. Many of you love our dogs and are hearing about this for the first time.

A week ago, I saw Colten lift up on Marley's chin. Marley yelped in pain. I automatically thought "Oh no. What's wrong with his spine?"

Very shortly after the thoughts I had subsided after a little comfort from Kale. I thought I just overreacted as I usually do.

A few days later I realized he wasn't himself. He actually wasn't himself at all.

Marley is Dominant. He eats and then when he is done, Jackson has his turn. Well, for a few days I noticed that Jackson was eating and Marley was not interested. The night before last and yesterday morning Kale and I witnessed Marley fall to his right side a few times. That's when I really knew something was wrong.

I told Kale that I would be taking Marley to the Vet. With Christmas in sight and much money spent on gifts and all sorts of other expenses, Kale had asked me to just be careful. We have so much to take care of right now and he feared paying hundreds to a vet over a simple pulled muscle that will heal in time. I actually was convinced after seeing him stumble that he really did just have a pulled muscle.

So, along we go. The vet bill was supposed to be around $50. I even called to find out the charges. We do love our dogs but vets like to charge for anything and everything.

So, after she did an evaluation (which was actually a neurological evaluation) later finding this out.... she must have known the whole time....

she broke the news to me. Colten is sitting right beside me the entire time. She said that he had a spinal injury. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Did she really just say spinal injury. I wasn't alarmed or scared. But then she mentioned a surgical referral. I started getting scared. Humans have insurance for these things. Well, our pets do not. I knew that it would be big and that would be o.k. What I wasn't expecting was $3000 plus big right out of the gate. There is no way that we can put our family through a surgical procedure financially knowing that he will never be the same, he might now make it through and all the rest that goes along with one surgery after another.

I knew when she said this that our family just can't afford these type of expenses. I immediately lost it. I mean I lost it. Here I am so concerned over a pulled muscle sitting beside my oldest child (whom the dog was bought for in the first place as a gift) and I am being told that I have to euthanize my own dog.

So, the story begins.

I'm heart broken. I can't believe what is happening. Our pup and our LOVE is going to die at our hands? I know, he isn't a human but oh my goodness he is such an important part of our family.

Right now, we have him on medication. He takes a anti-inflammatory, a muscle relaxer and a pain killer twice a day. The other reality to this situation is that these meds are $150 every 7 days. How long can we budget this? How long can we watch our dog be in pain and then get relief knowing that it will never get better?

He will go on this way until the neurological damage is so severe he can't walk. That is not something I wish to put my dog through.

Marley goes back to the vet on December 28th for a follow up. This will be the time we get an x-ray to confirm and then make our decisions. I know that we will make the right decision and I know it will be what is best. I am not ready to say good-bye. Needless to say, he slept at my feet all night last night. ALL 100 pounds of soft, snuggly Marley! Love Love Love him!!

~Love

Our Shank Family

Time For A Change

So, now that I am back on blogger and have been writing posts at least once a week...I started getting really bored with that old blog header that is probably almost a year old already.. So I changed it up and created a new look for our family blog! I think it's cute and it has very recent photos of the children on it. Sneak Peak at what a lot of you will be getting in your mailbox very soon!! Hope you like!

Christmas Present have been arriving daily at the Shank House! I can't believe it is almost here!!

We love you and miss you all!

Love,

The Shank Family

Thanksgiving 2012 {part 2}

Are you really ready for part 2? I think part 2 is the most fun part of this years little Thanksgiving story. Why? um...because I LOVE to shop!! 

All the Black Friday madness...it all started with a simple question..."What's the deal with Thursday Night?" Sent to me from my best friend Beth of course.

So, the boys and the baby chilled out with Kale. I believe more football/television was their agenda. They might have even rented a movie or two as well.


So, I meet Beth at Walmart around 5. Realizing when I got there (30 minute trip) that I forgot my camera. So I drove all the way back home and then all the way back to Walmart. Then we stood...

and stood...




and stood...

For heavens sake we really needed a TV for Beth! So we stood some more...


It was totally worth her saving $300 on a 60" television!

Here are some shots of the events taking place that night...

people lounging in lawn chairs that are for sale...

stuff falling everywhere and being thrown around...

and the really sad part? People everywhere were on their cell phones! Seriously??

Then the bell goes off...people go crazy and I can't wait to get OUT of Walmart!! We did score some great deals on gifts for the kids and hubbies though!!

Then we headed to the mall. Oh My Goodness were there some really awesome deals going on. So good that I waited in line (all by my lonesome) while the Best friend went home :( Deals were too good to go home. I ended up getting home around 4:00am. So tired and beat down. Thank goodness Kale was off the next day. I got to sleep like a baby.

I scored though and everyone was happy!!

The End!

Next Black Friday...I'm just not sure about YOU!

Thanksgiving 2012 {part 1}

Well, Happy Thanksgiving 2012 from the Shank Family!

 We enjoyed Thanksgiving as a family of 5! We had tons of fun with Sharin being the busy shopper and Kale being the chef.

Kale spent the day with the boys watching (I believe) a football game played by the Kansas City Chiefs. I heard lots of yelling and screaming throughout the house by all 3 of my noisemakers!

Kale decided to cook a spiral ham this year. Alone. Yep. Alone. He made us a Honey Spiral Ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, rolls and dessert.

It was fabulous being able to sit back and enjoy the day with Morgan while the hubby cooked!

He was incredibly proud! Pictures of this ham were necessary for future reference!

And of course the taste testing began... If Kale had a bigger stomach..he would have taste tested himself into a coma!

We spent the day lounging around and being lazy. We definitely got fattened up for the Holidays. I think we ate most of that home and all that went with.

We also got some shots of little Miss Morgan chowing down! She ate this meal like it was her last.

We are so thankful for our family of 5. It has been a blessing this year enjoying much time with Kale as his new jobs allows. I enjoy seeing him happy and active. He has so much energy for things like this now.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We love you all!!

~The Shank Family