December Greetings

So, Happy Holidays! I cannot believe that in two weeks, it will be Christmas Eve! Boy, do I have a lot to do between now and then! But I am going to do it all with a joyful heart and the knowledge that we are celebrating the most wonderful time of the year…the birth of our Savior! It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle and stress of the Holidays…but I am not going to let that steal my joy this year! God is good all of the time and all of the time, God is good!!!!

It seems like so much has happened…and yet my life isn’t that exciting, so it is probably a bit boring! The most exciting thing (at least that I can remember) is that I completed the 5 Mile Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day! Hope, my friend from work, and I walked/jogged the 5 mile race and DID NOT FINISH LAST!!! It was an AMAZING experience and one that I know I will do again! I really want to do the Jingle Bell Run this weekend…so we will see. But the coolest part…..Scott, Isaac, Faith Anne, Dad, Jodi & Jimmie all came and cheered us through the finish line! It was so cool to be coming up on the finish line and see my family there cheering for me! What an AMAZING thing!!! Never in my life did I ever think I would have the will or the desire to do that…but I had both and it was awesome! And again….very awesome to have my family there cheering for me at the end. I was surprised to see them all there and very touched!

Umm…this Facebook stuff is pretty addicting! I have had a lot of fun reconnecting to people from the past! One really neat person that I have been talking to was a good friend of mine at college and now he is a youth minister and it has been really need to chat with him. God puts people in our lives when we need them….and he was such a great friend to me then and now. It is neat to see how God has worked in his life. And the people from high school….and just this morning a lady that we know from the small church I grew up in contacted me….it is WILD! The bad thing is…it is a big time-waster! I have too much to do to sit and play on it…but I do when I can!

Another very exciting thing is our bathroom is being remodeled as we speak! My Dad is doing it for us! I am so excited! We have been wanting to do it for a while, but he has been busy with “paying” customers. Well, he just finished a job and we are going to be hosting Scott’s Family Christmas (about 50 people) at our house, so he said he would get it done for us before then! It is going to be BEAUTIFUL! I wish we could’ve gotten rid of our blue tub, but that is major renovating – like tearing down walls and stuff…so we just went with new flooring, new vanity, new sink-top, new toilet (a tall one!) and new medicine cabinet! And he is going to put wood trim to match the vanity around our mirror so it will look better. I am so stinking excited! He started it yesterday and should have it all done tomorrow, I think. It will be so nice…and didn’t cost that much. The labor is usually the most expensive part…and he gave us a discount (lol) and then Scott’s aunt works at Lowes, so she got us a great discount on that stuff….so it only cost a bit over $500. That is a lot since we are tight for money at the holidays, but so worth it in the long run. I will have to post a picture of how beautiful it is! LOL

And yes….Christmas is almost here! I am totally done shopping with Faith Anne, although if we had the money I could just keep buying her all kinds of stuff. She was the easiest to buy for this year for some reason. I need to get a few more gifts for Isaac and Gracie….and a few other people. I have only really been out shopping once – the day after Thanksgiving. This weekend, my boss is having his Christmas party….we might try to get some shopping done after that if my parents don’t mind keeping the kids a bit longer.

We had our family pictures done last week at Walmart. I was really upset because we had an appointment t Portrait Innovations on a Sunday at 4:20. So, we got all dolled up and got there at 4:15 and they told us it would be over an hour wait. What? We had an appointment? What is the point of having an appointment if I have to wait over an hour? So, after speaking to the manager….we just left and got an appointment at Walmart. We actually went straight to my parent’s house and had my Mom take our picture for our Christmas cards…it was alright. I am not sure how you get a good picture of two adults and 3 kids under the age of 7. Anywho…the last family picture we had….I have lost at least 100 pounds since then and had my eye surgery….and Gracie was 2 months old! So, I can’t wait to get them next week!

Ummm…this past weekend was my Annual Girls’ Weekend with my friends at work. We went to Indianapolis and had a great time – shopping, food, dancing…just lots of fun. One of the girl’s mom just passed away in September, so this was a very needed trip for her. It was nice to be able to just be with friends and be ourselves. We laughed together and we cried together. It was a lot of fun. I can’t wait until next year!

Here is my person-by-person update…

Scott
He is doing great in Cincinnati (his new work “place”)! He is already moving to the top of her their sales people and just doing a good job. He is much happier with his boss and seems to like it. The drive isn’t too bad….and it helps that gas prices went back down. We don’t see a lot of each other because of our schedules and the kids, but things are going great!

Isaac
He is doing really good in school still. We had his football party and he loved seeing all those friends again. Basketball has started…but right now it is only one day a week and in January it goes to two days….that is nothing compared to football! He likes it so far – we will see! This is his first year playing this sport.

Faith Anne
She is good – just lots of drama with this little girl. She is definitely the middle child! She is doing well in preschool and we still haven’t gotten her in dance or tumbling yet. I need to get something secured for the first of the year. She is very creative and loves to color and create things. Deanna (our babysitter) always brings arts and crafts for the girls and Faith Anne loves that. She talks about it for days!

Gracie
She is such a funny little girl. She keeps us in stitches. She makes the cutest expressions. I can’t believe how good she is talking…she says Hannah Montana (oh dear lord) and just is really good for her age with talking. She is very demanding and throws a fit if she doesn’t get her way…typical baby! Oh wait, I was the baby…did I say that? LOL

So, there is never a quiet or dull moment in our house! Oh…we had to get a new couch too! We went to Morris and they had a buy the couch, get the loveseat free deal. So, we got that. It looks really nice…but still needs broken in…ya know? But our old couch broke…and again, since we are having Christmas at our house, we had to get a new one. One good thing about hosting a party is that your house gets really clean and fixed up! LOL

Well, I have to get going to get Isaac from school. Hope all is well with you all! I think most of us have migrated to Facebook because this is becoming a ghost-town…except for Kelley!!! I love keeping in touch with everyone….no matter how we do it!

Merry Christmas (in case I don’t get back here)!!!!

November Ramblings...

Well, hello again! Am I the only one that cannot believe that Thanksgiving is only one week away? I always look so forward to this time of the year! The holidays are always so much fun. I just love spending all the extra time with family! And my kids love all the sights and sounds of the Holiday Season! I am a big dork and I already have all of our inside Christmas/Winter decorations up! We are closed on Veteran’s Day, so I typically do it then. This year, I did it the night before because I had a long weekend off. Anywho, I did it all by myself because I am a bad mother! LOL No, really because when the kids help me, the ornaments all just go in one place – the bottom. So, I did it after they were in bed so they woke up and were so excited to see it. They will get to decorate their trees in their own room. Isaac has a tree from last year and I am going to get the girls a pink Princess Christmas Tree. Faithy is so excited about it.

Oh…I am bad about telling about the pictures! I took these with my phone one day. The girls had asked to go out back and play….well, Scott had raked the leaves into piles and was going to move the piles (by way of tarp) to the curb. Wel….the girls ruined his piles. It was so funny….I took a picture and sent it to his phone. He was like…umm….what happened to my piles? I said…what piles? LOL But they had fun and that is all that matters!!!

So, everyone here is doing fine! Here is my play-by-play…or person-by-person:

Isaac
He is doing great in school! I am just so proud of him. He lost his front tooth and the other one is loose. He might really need his two front teeth for Christmas! Actually, the one he lost already had the other one behind it. He looks so stinking cute. And he learned how to whistle, so he is very proud of that! He is kinda sad that football is over, but also kinda glad. They ended up having a really great season and got beat in the 3rd round of the tournament…they did really, really well. We all cried when they lost, but I am kinda glad they did because if they would’ve won, I am sure we would’ve made it to the Superbowl, which was this past Sunday and it was so cold and snowy…that would’ve not been much fun! Their party is coming up and he is looking forward to that. Basketball starts in two weeks. This will be his first year playing, so I hope he likes it!

Faith Anne
She is doing great in Preschool! I met with her Teacher and although I am not a big fan of her teacher, she did say that Faith Anne is very bright and she sees no reason why she wouldn’t be ready to start Kindergarten next fall. Isn’t that unreal? She absolutely loves to sing…all the time….and it doesn’t matter what. She makes up words to her own tunes. Her music teacher at school is Mrs. Maloney, but she calls her…and insists that she is right…that it is Mrs. Baloney. LOL But she just loves to sing and do anything with her hands creatively. We are going to make Christmas ornaments this weekend, I think. I just love her spunk….but it does get her in trouble sometimes. She hits Isaac a lot….so we have to work on that. He needs a bit of her spunk! LOL

Gracie
Well, aside from the royal temper tantrums…she is great! I guess that I had to have one kid who throws true temper tantrums. One night (well, actually on more than one occasion) she was in her room screaming (and I do mean screaming) for 45 minutes straight. One time, I handed her her ball (or pacifier) and she threw it across the room. I held her while she screamed/cried for about 20 minutes and then she just crawled out of my arms into her bed and went to sleep. Yeah, so that has been lots of fun. LOTS of fun. I have just been putting her in her room and telling her when she is done screaming she can come out. I have done pretty good for the most part of keeping my cool….but sometimes it does really wear on me. Other than those….lol…she is great. She is like a little sponge and just soaks up everything her brother and sister do. She can count to 12 and she can say most of her ABCs. She sings the same songs that Faithy sings and she does all the motions to Jesus Loves Me. She can be so stinking sweet and adorable one minute…and then throwing a temper tantrum the next! But I wouldn’t trade her for the world! She is definitely a “mama’s girl”.

Scott
He is doing good…he turns 34 tomorrow! He transferred to Cincinnati and mostly sells at apartment complexes now. So…nothing really changed except for where he goes for his meetings – he goes South now instead of North. So far he likes it, I guess that is what matters. He is working with his buddy Jason quite a bit, so that helps. So, things are going good for him!

So yeah…things are just plugging right along. I am sure that I am not alone in feeling the financial strain of the economy and of course worrying about the holidays. It seems like this time of the year, every year, things start to fall apart financially. BUT…God always provides and I am confident that He will continue to care for us. I just have to remember that He is in control and He will provide for our NEEDS. I just get the “wantsies” too much! LOL

I am still sitting around 80 pounds down. I just can’t seem to move much past this point. I gain a pound and then lose 2 and then gain 1 and then lose 1….it is frustrating. I have been increasing the intensity of my work-out, so I am losing inches…I can see it in my clothes. So, that is good…but I really had a specific goal in mind for the end of the year and I am just teetering right above it. I am doing the Turkey Trot (a 5 mile run on Thanksgiving) so that is exciting. Now….I am not running! I am going to walk and jog…but just to say I completed it is going to be an accomplishment!!! Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would do something like that! So, think of me at about 8:00 on Thanksgiving! As long as I don’t finish last, I will be thrilled!!!

Work is great now that Stinky Pete is gone. My new boss is wonderful. He has his pitfalls, as all bosses do….but overall, he is leaps and bounds above what I had before! Obviously times are scary for financial institutions, but so far it appears that we are faring alright and that my job is safe. That could change at the drop of a hat though! The good thing for me is that I have worked in the branches before and could easily transition back to that world…and that is the safest place to be – the least expendable. Times are scary right now for everyone!!! Raise your hand if you are ready for the Rapture?!?! I know that I am! I am ready to get my kiddos Home to the Lord!

Umm…I guess that is good for a quick update. If I have time in the next few days, I would like to do a post about all of the things that I have learned this year in my weight loss journey. It really is so much more than just the physical side of things…God has really worked on me this year. And for that, I am very, very thankful!!!

Love you all….and if I don’t get time to come back….HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Happy Halloween!!!

So is everyone else feeling like me and you can’t believe that it is already the end of October? WOW. Where has this year gone? Not to sound old, but time really does fly by the older you get!

We have had some excitement since I posted last time! Last week, Tuesday night, I was at home with the girls while the boys were at football practice. I was sitting with Faith Anne and reading her a book and Gracie had just gotten down off my lap. She tripped over my foot (because apparently I am not supposed to have appendages). She fell into our gliding rocker – pushing the seat back and exposing the wood underneath. She cut her eye and got a big shiner on her eye! I freaked out because it was bleeding and immediately starting swelling…so I called Scott and made him come home from football practice. We put ice on it and decided not to take her to the hospital. The cut wasn’t that deep and it was so close to her eye, I don’t think they could’ve done stitches anyways. I have a scar in the exact same place next to my eye! Plus, she was acting fine. I still got up to check on her a million times that night! But doesn’t she look pitiful in this picture?!?!?

So, the very next day….I kept checking on her with the babysitter and then I headed home to get Isaac from school….when I get a call from Scott that he had been in an accident! I am so lucky that I wasn’t in an accident trying to get to him! He was sitting (stopped) at a green light because the car in front of him was turning left…the car behind him didn’t stop and the speed limit was 55. So, she hit him going pretty fast. She was driving a big Denali and he was driving his little Focus. So, the picture I have attached is the rear end! The front end also had damage because he was pushed into the car in front of him. Yeah, it totaled our little Focus – our little PAID OFF Focus. That is the bummer of it all. Praise the Lord, Scott was fine and the kids were not with him….and we are getting over $7300 from the insurance company for our 2003 Ford Focus that had 97,000 miles on it! While I was typing this post…we bought a car! We bought a 2003 Ford Explorer with the third seat. This is a blessing in disguise because the Focus was too small for our family of 5, but did I mention that it was PAID OFF?!?!? Anyways….we only had to finance a little bit that we will pay off in February and we got a vehicle that we can all fit in comfortably and it has less miles than the Focus did! At any rate, God is good. Scott wasn’t injured even though all the attorneys that have called us and sent us letters want him to be. LOL

So…those two things have helped to make our lives very interesting! The other thing that has been going on….Isaac’s football team is STILL UNDEFEATED! We made it through the first two rounds of the tournament, so we have a big game on Saturday morning! We are playing another team that is undefeated. So…about 9:00 on Saturday, say a little prayer for Isaac…and his parents because I have turned into quite the crazy woman at these games. I know these kids will be so heartbroken if they lose and it is really so much fun to watch them win! They won by an interception this past Sunday and it was so cool! One of our boys intercepted it at the 10 yard line and ran in for the touch-down. Talk about an exciting win!! Football season has been extra fun this year! And Isaac is really enjoying it all! There are some good kids on his team.

So, that is the really big things that have been going on here! Let me give you a person-by-person recap….

Scott
Obviously the biggest thing with him has been this accident! But, he is also transferring from the Dayton area to the Cincinnati area for work. He has been guaranteed that he will have all the North turf to work (which is closer than he has been driving lately) and he will be working with his buddy Jason again….and his boss is a friend of their’s. I don’t really understand it all…but I am just praying that he made the right decision. They really didn’t want to lose him from Dayton, so I am sure he can come back if it doesn’t work out….but that is weighing heavy on my heart and mind. I just want him to be happy and if this will help that, then I am all for it.

Isaac
I gave you the football recap….more importantly; school is going really good for him! I went to his parent/teacher conference and she had nothing but great things to say about him and how bright he is. On all of this testing they do, he is leading his class as far as where he is now vs. where they should be. He is doing exceptionally well in math – so he is for sure my kid. The only problems she is having with him is talking – and more because he is making sure everyone else is doing what they are supposed to be doing – and not putting his name on his paper. So….I already knew about both of those things and we have been talking to him about that. But she really had some nice things to say about him and it went really good! I took him and Faith Anne to see High School Musical 3 on Sunday and he liked it, but hid his eyes at the kissing scenes. He is such a funny kid. It is so fun to see him growing up and hearing some of the things he comes up with. I love experiencing every new thing with him….he is such a joy!

Faith Anne
My little Diva is always keeping us on our toes! I think I am going to get her in dance, but we are having a dilemma because football season is lasting so long. She is doing good at preschool and seems to be learning so much. I hope she will be ready for Kindergarten next year. I really want to put her in the Kids’ Club program like we had Isaac in, so hopefully that will work out for us financially. She still has her ornery streak where she hits or bites or kicks her siblings when she doesn’t get her way, but we are working on that. Talking to her or reasoning with her is hard….but it does seem to help some! It is just funny how different she is from Isaac. Here is an example…the other day when we were leaving the movie theater, for some reason she and Isaac both started to run at the same time. I saw it about to happen, but I couldn’t stop it…they bumped into eachother and she fell down really hard. Immediately she starts crying and so does Isaac because he feels so bad and it was truly an accident. Faith Anne got up and hit him…..and he was crying because he felt bad for her! Yeah…if he would’ve been the one to fall, I am pretty sure she would’ve just laughed at him. They are so different!!!!

Gracie
Besides the constant bruises, she is doing great and developing such a cute little personality and saying so much. She really talks very well for her age…a lot better than Faith Anne did at this age. She is talking in sentences and just says the cutest things. We definitely have to keep a constant eye on her! We keep joking that Grace wasn’t the best name for her….Faith Anne told my mom we were going to change her name! LOL

So, that is our update! Me? I am doing good. My weight loss has really slowed down – which is very depressing! But I knew that would happen. I have less than 30 pounds to go to be at my goal…but that might change once I get closer.

OH! I am doing the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving! Yep…Hope (the girl I work with) and I are all signed up for a 5 mile race on Thanksgiving Morning! Now, I have no delusions that we are going to WIN that race…I just want to say I finished it and NOT come in last place! The slowest person last year finished in 1 hour and 37 minutes. I know we can beat that. I have done 2 miles in 25 minutes, so if I can shave some time off of that, we will be fine! It starts at 8:00 that morning. I am so exciting about this….and can’t wait to say that I did that!!! I hope this is the first of many more to come!

Work is fine…..kinda boring right now. I know it is going to pick up here soon, though… so I am just enjoying it for right now. My new boss is great…so I don’t have all the drama to write about that I did before!

So, Trunk or Treat is tonight! Isaac is going to be a beat-up/bloody football player, Faith Anne is going to be Snow White and Gracie is going to be Minnie Mouse. I will try to get a good picture to post of my three kiddos. I am not looking forward to all the candy…but it is supposed to be great weather and the kids always love it so much. I am taking tomorrow off so that I can go to Isaac’s party at school. I like to participate in those as much as possible…I don’t want him to feel like his “working mom” didn’t get to be there for him. So, I am making cupcakes and going to help! I love that…it is so fun to see them interact with their friends…and embarrass them with a hug or a kiss! LOL

Well, that is about it for today! I will be so extremely happy when the election is over! I loved what Kelley posted or emailed…I don’t remember which….about no matter who wins the election…God is still GOD and HE is still in charge! I am so scared for our world right now – not even just our country. I hope Jesus comes and takes us home soon!

Love to all!!!! And Happy Halloween!!!!

Say your prayers today, please....

Where does the time go? Am I the only one who cannot believe we are in the middle of October and heading into the Holiday Season? Wow. Time just seems to go at warp speed anymore. I know, I know…I sound like an old person. I guess I kinda am an old person! LOL

Well, quite a bit has happened since last time…the first thing I am going to write about is just the biggest thing on my mind today and I would ask that you stop what you are doing (even reading this! lol) and say a prayer for Jodi, Jimmie and the two precious foster children that they have to say goodbye to today. Thanks for doing that…. So, today is going to be a rough day for them, but they are going to be (and have already been) so blessed for listening to God’s prodding and showing His love to these little girls. So, we saw them over the weekend and it was sad to say goodbye to them. Faith Anne and Maycie just kept hugging each other and the goodbyes took forever. And that was a three year old and a four year old who didn’t really know that they wouldn’t see each other again. Those girls have made a lasting impression on all of us!

The other thing that is weighing on my heart is today would have been my Aunt Barb and Uncle Claude’s 37th Wedding Anniversary – she passed away last Wednesday…one week before their anniversary. Last week was a whirlwind…It started on Friday night while I was at the Ladies’ Retreat. They had to pick up my Aunt by ambulance because she had gone into what we thought was a diabetic coma. Her blood sugar went down to 30. So, Saturday morning as I was leaving the retreat, I called my mom to firm up our plans for the day and she told me that it wasn’t looking good for my Aunt. So…I cried pretty much all morning and at Isaac’s football game that afternoon. It was Parent Appreciation Day, so our whole family walked out on the field with him at the start of the game. Well, Mom came to the game and she and I left for the hospital as soon as the game was over. My Aunt was not doing well at all and it was hard to see her like that. The next day (Sunday), they moved her to Hospice. At the hospital, the person from Hospice told them that their goal would be to get her home. Well, as soon as they got to Hospice, the nurse immediately told them that she was in the final stages and she would not be going home – that she had less than a week, from her best guess. Let me tell you – Hospice is an amazing, amazing place. The work they do is just amazing. That night, Aunt Barb would respond somewhat to my Uncle and her kids. So, at one point…we all gathered around her bed and the chaplain led us in the Lord’s Prayer and Psalm 23 and then another clergy sang a few hymns. It was just an amazing experience. My cousin Michael got out his Bible and read some scripture…..it was so beautiful. So, both Monday and Tuesday I had to work but would go straight from work to Hospice….and then we got the call Wednesday morning that she had passed away. I am glad it happened the way that it did…she passed very peacefully. And I know that she is healed completely and loving all the children up in heaven. She was an amazing person who loved so many and that was so clear in her funeral on Friday. We had family in from Oklahoma and so Thursday & Friday were consumed with family time and grieving time. My family definitely all pulls together and shares a lot of love and laughter. It was just what Aunt Barbara would have wanted. Please continue to pray for my Uncle Claude and the kids – Andy, Michael and Nichol and Michaela, the grandbaby. For them, the hardest days are still ahead and I am sure today is going to be a hard day for Claude.

Thank you all for your kind words, prayers and hugs. I really appreciate it.

In other news, I haven’t heard anything from the school about that job. I am thinking they probably gave it to someone internally…but it would’ve been nice to at least have gotten an interview! I am going to have to check on that. I wasn’t really holding my breath, but it would’ve been nice!

Quick recap on my family…

Isaac
He is still doing good in school. I have a conference with his teacher on Thursday and his report card should be coming out soon. He has gotten in trouble a few times for talking too much – go figure. But I think things are going good there. He still says he likes school and his teacher. They are on a field trip today and my Dad is there with them. He is such a good Papaw! Isaac’s football team is still undefeated! Our last game of the regular season is Saturday and then we enter tournament time. It would be so cool for them to go all the way – they would get to play at Welcome Stadium (UD’s field). So, we will see! He is going to miss it when it is over, that is for sure. He has a really good time – and so does Scott!!!

Faith Anne
She is still having some behavior problems…but they aren’t horrible. I am thinking it is her age and a middle child syndrome. But I do really enjoy her…she cracks me up and can be so very sweet when she wants to be. She seems to be doing good at Preschool. I am anxious to meet with her teacher to see what she thinks about her.

Gracie
My baby turned two! That is just so hard to believe! She kept saying “my birthday” and still does. If anyone else says it is their birthday, she has a fit. We had fun at her birthday party….she really enjoyed throwing everything (tissue paper, card and present) out of the bags. LOL It was the fastest I have ever seen someone open presents! I had to go back through everything afterwards to see what she got since she just threw everything, but it was very cute!

Scott
Things are going fine for him with work….and he is still enjoying coaching football. I think he will be happy to see the season end, but he has had fun this year. I think we are both ready to get back to a more normal routine…until the next thing starts!

So, that is about it for us, I guess. It has been a crazy few weeks, but life should be settling down again soon. Scott and I have a date night this weekend and we haven’t had time for just the two of us for a very long time…so I am thrilled about that! I think we are going to do dinner and a movie. I want to see that movie “Fireproof”, so hopefully it is still in the theaters this weekend.

Oh, I have been enjoying the “reconnecting” part of Facebook! I don’t know much about all the other “stuff”…but I have been talking to a few people from high school and college and it is really neat to get reconnected through that! It has sure brought back some good memories!!! Now all the other stuff, I will have to figure that out when I have time to sit and play with it…but the talking to people is fun!

Hope you all have a great week…..praying for Jodi and Jimmie!!!!

Happy Fall Y'all!

Hey there Ladies! Yet again…time has just flown by! I cannot believe that tomorrow will be the first day of October! That is just craziness! I guess that I get so caught up in life that I lose track of time! Must be old age!

Although we always have so much going on…not much has really changed! But I will still give you the play-by-play on each person in my family! Before I get to that….whoever would have thought that a hurricane would affect us here in OHIO. But it did! Hurricane Ike played havoc with all of our lives…and we had no power at our house for 8 days. It was just crazy! We even had Isaac’s birthday party (30 kids) at our house with no power. Yeah…that was lots of fun. So, now we have power and life is getting back to normal!!!

Scott
Well, he is doing just fine! Work was interesting there for a while because of the power situation. And so because of that, they weren’t allowed to sell – for obvious reasons – so they had to work nights “guarding” generators. Yeah, that was fun. It wasn’t that bad, but it did play havoc on our routines! The money was really good for that though…and he worked like 10 – 12 hour shifts. So, he is back to selling now and things are finally back to normal. He took Isaac to the OSU game this past weekend and they had a really good time. He is really enjoying coaching Isaac’s team this year and making good friends with the other coaches. It is definitely a fun time for him and all of us.

Isaac
Well, after all of the drama at the beginning of the school year…..he LOVES his teacher. Yep…he loves her. I think she started the year out like the mean catholic school nun just make sure the kids respected her…and now she is having fun with them while learning! He brought home his mid-term report yesterday and he all I think 4 S (Satisfactory) and 3 E (Excellent). So, he is doing great! We have parent-teacher conferences in a few weeks, so I am looking forward to that! He seems to be doing good all around, so hopefully that continues!

Football is still lots of fun for him and he is getting better and better. He could still be much more aggressive, but maybe that will come with time. If not, I am sure he will self-select that football isn’t for him. It is way too early to determine that now. Now, he is just having fun with it! We had four Sunday games – in a row – and now the rest are Saturday, so that makes us all very, very happy! It has been hard missing church for those four weeks.

My baby boy turned 7 on September 18. That is so hard to believe. Wow. We had a football party where he invited his ENTIRE football team. We had no power, but the people across the street did…so I had videotaped their game earlier that morning and we ran an extension cord across the street so the boys could watch their game on TV. It was so funny….but they were all boys and had fun, even though we didn’t have a gourmet meal! LOL Lots of boys…too many boys….but it was fun!

Faith Anne
Well, sometimes she is doing great. Other times, not so much! I really think we have a case of “middle-child syndrome” with her and if she is getting all of the attention, she is fine. When she has to share the attention with her siblings, she is a little brat. We are working on that with her. I am really trying (trying very hard) to talk to her and try to reason with her about her behavior. It is hard to not just scream at her for being so mean, but then what lesson is that teaching her? So, I am trying to make a very conscious effort to sit with her and have heart-to-heart conversations about her behavior. It isn’t working yet, but it might! LOL

She is doing good at preschool and seems to really like it. Her teacher this year really treats them like Princesses’. Great. Just what she needs. LOL But she is constantly singing or doing cheers and she is so much fun to be around….when she is getting your attention! LOL

She had a great time on vacation with my parents and Jodi and Jim and their girls. She talks about it a lot still.

Gracie
Little Miss Gracie has become quite the “mama’s girl”. She only wants me most of the time and wants to hug me and stuff all of the time. It is very sweet and I am enjoying it very much – especially since I know she is my last baby! She certainly has a mean streak, but she can also be so very sweet. She is an adventurer and not much scares her. It is funny to me how different she is from Faithy and just in general, how different all three of my kids are.

Gracie will be 2 on October 9. That is so hard to believe. It seems like just yesterday I was sitting in Tim Horton’s crying because I was pregnant…and not wanting to call Kelley and tell her because they were trying to get pregnant. And now…I wouldn’t change a thing about having Gracie and Kelley has had 2 more kids! God just has the greatest sense of humor! He keeps us on our toes!!!

So…that is the down and dirty on everyone. There is so much more…but who wants to be bored with all the little details? The update on our childcare situation is that Stephanie (Scott’s youngest sister) her “friend” Deanna is watching the girls for us at our house on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. She is charging us a bit more than my Aunt charged, but we are saving on gas money….and things are going good so far! I have to admit, I do have some reservations….but she really loves my girls and they love her. I know she would never do anything to hurt them. She has their day all planned out. They do craft time every day and the girls are really having fun with her. So, we will see how things go. She goes to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so as long as that works out, we will run with it.

I would like to ask for your prayers. I have applied for a job at the school district here. It is a Payroll and Benefits Analyst position. I don’t know if I am qualified or even that I really want it. But I had been telling my MIL that I would love to get on with the school – they have good benefits and it is just a great place to work. So, she sent me an email about this position and on a whim, I applied. That was yesterday. I thought more about it and I sent in my resume today. The starting salary is exactly what I am making currently….so just pray that whatever God’s will is…that it be done. I would love the opportunity, but it is also scary because I have worked here for 11 years now. It would be a big risk and a big change. This is heavy on my mind and heart right now….

I am down about 78 pounds. It is coming off slower and slower. I am trying really hard to just be happy with where I am instead of always looking at where I want to be. This has been a long journey, that is for sure! And I still make mistakes along the way, but I really think this is going to be “the last time” for me. I really think I am going to be able to keep it off this time.

We did have the Bethany Dillon concert at our church a few weeks ago and that was awesome! It was really intimate and just her and her guitar and it was so neat to hear her talk about where the songs came from – where she was at when she wrote them (spiritually) and just to hear her. My mom went with me and we both really enjoyed it. Stew talked at the intermission and he always does such an awesome job. It was just a great evening.

Well, I have so much more that I could say, but then no one would read it because it would be too long. Hope you are all doing good…love ya!!!

All over the place....

Hey Girlies! I hope everyone is doing just fine! I know that Jodi and Mandy are still on vacation in Gatlinburg – lucky ducks. I wish I was on vacation! I could sure use one…but then, I bet we all could!

I have been on an emotional roller-coaster for the past few days…but more on that later! Let me update you on my world! I will start with the kiddos – their lives are more interesting!

Isaac
Well, my baby boy is doing great! He started 2nd Grade last week. Yep…that is right…2nd Grade! Where, oh where has the time gone? I took his first day off of work so that we could all take him to school that morning and then I could be there to pick him up. He didn’t really want us to walk him to school and he certainly didn’t want me to take pictures, but I did both! We found his classroom and his locker and we met his teacher. He got all settled in his chair and looked up at me with his big brown eyes. I asked him if he was ready for Mommy and Daddy to leave or if he wanted us to stay. Well, he said with his words that he wanted us to leave, but his eyes were saying something else. So…of course I started crying. So then he really wanted us to leave. LOL So, we left and Scott was teasing me about crying. Next year will be even worse since Faith Anne will be starting too! So….I picked him up that day and the drama of the first week began. I had heard some horror stories about his teacher – how mean and strict she is. Well, she sent home a contract for us to sign as parents and Isaac had to sign it too. I am scared of her! LOL The first week was rough….Isaac said that she was yelling at some of the other kids and she almost sent him to the office for asking someone to hold the door when they were going outside on their walk. He almost missed his recess because I (mommy) forgot to sign his homework. It was a rough week. Friday night, I was talking to Laura W and had pretty much decided to pull him out of her class. I was going to give her this week and talk to her at the Open House. So…fast forward through the weekend….more traumatic stuff happened (I will tell about that in a minute), so I was just an emotional wreck worried about all of this. So, on Tuesday when I went to pick him up from school…I was talking to a friend of mine who is a kindergarten teacher at his school and she has a daughter in Isaac’s class. She told me that Isaac will be fine and that she purposely put her daughter in this teacher’s class because she is a great teacher. I guess her strategy is to kinda “scare” the kids the first week to make sure they know who is in charge and that they respect her. From what Isaac has said and from what she told me at the Open House, that boot camp is over and things are more normal in the classroom. So, after talking to my friend and after she talked to Isaac, we both felt better. Then the Open House was that night and I waited around to talk to the teacher when there were no other parents around. We had a really good conversation and I actually think that I like her. She just had nothing but great things to say about Isaac and how he is the brightest kid in the class and very respectful and well-behaved. I told her that he was scared of her and she apologized for that but assured me that things would only get better from her on out. I told her that he is a very sensitive kid and what you can say to one kid would crush my kid’s heart. It was a very good conversation and I left there feeling so much better about that entire situation. He says that he likes her now and that he likes being in her class. So, we will see how the year transpires, but after a rocky start….things are looking up for 2nd Grade!

He is doing great in football too. They won their first two games and then tied this past weekend. He isn’t very aggressive on the field, but he is having fun and that is what really matters! I can’t believe that he is going to be 7 in two weeks. Wow. Time really does fly!

Faith Anne
Little Miss Faith Anne is on vacation right now with her Mimi and Papaw, YaYa and Jim (Jodi) and their two little girls. Apparently they are having a great time. She is too busy to really talk to me, that little stinker! Here I am on the verge of tears because I miss my little girl and she doesn’t even want to talk to me on the phone because she is having too much fun! This will be the last year that she can do this because next fall she will start kindergarten! She had to miss her preschool orientation and her first day of school, but I figured that it wasn’t a big deal since we know what to expect this year anyways. So…next week she will start back to school.

I haven’t gotten her into dance yet…I will probably look into that next week too. I need to take her to a dance studio or something because the rec center schedule doesn’t work for us with our football schedule. So much to do, so little time!

Gracie
Gracie is doing great and enjoying the extra attention she is receiving this week since Sissy is gone. But she misses her Sissy! She walks around the house trying to figure out where she is! She is at such a fun age, although challenging. But it is fun because she is talking non-stop and it is starting to make sense! You can really decipher a lot of what she is saying. She is a pistol and hits her brother and sister a lot….or bites. The other day she bit Faithy on the back really hard, so I bit her back. We are still struggling with keeping her in her own bed at night. If I lay down with her until she goes to sleep, she is fine…but if we just try to lay her down, she gets up about a billion times. That and she is very attached to her “pew” (purse) and “ball” (pacifier). I think she might be my biggest challenge yet when we have to take the ball away from her.

So…the big traumatic news in our life is that my Aunt Barbara, the one who has watched my kids for the past nearly 7 years, is not going to be watching them for us anymore. She is taking a full-time job in the daycare at their church. She called me and told me on Friday night….I was out to dinner with Laura W and I just started crying! I was so worried about Isaac and his school situation…and then this news….I kinda lost it. We were really busy on Saturday and Sunday, so I didn’t have a lot of time to think about it then…but on Monday and Tuesday, I cried off and on all day. The thing that makes me so sad is that I have never had to worry about my kids. I knew that they were with someone who loved them and was taking very good care of them. I just love the influence that my Aunt has had on their lives. I am sad that Gracie will miss out on that the most. I mean…Isaac was with her for 5 years….Faith Anne was with her for 4….but Gracie was only with her for 2. SO. All of that being said, I totally understand that my Aunt needs the full-time money, but I am just sad for my kids….and we don’t really know what we are going to do! My parents will still watch the kids 2 days a week….we just have to figure out the other 3. There is a chance that a good friend of mine from church is going to be quitting her job and staying at home in December in January….so that might be a solution. I think we are going to try to find someone for at least Fridays right now and make it work with our flexible work schedules on Mondays and Wednesdays…but we have to find someone for Fridays because Scott has meetings at work on those days. If we can make that work for a while, then we will save some money and hopefully this other opportunity will fall into place so we can leave the kids with someone we know and love and trust. If that doesn’t work out, we are back to square one and don’t really know what we will do. We have been spending about $450 a month in childcare and preschool for the girls….if we have to take them to a daycare, that will go up to about $1100 a month! Wowzers. I know that we have been getting off really cheap and we will for sure be paying more than what we paid my aunt….but nearly $700 more a month?!?!? Why do I even work?

SO….please keep us in your prayers. I know that this is a dilemma that every working mom has to face….but this is really our first time facing it! This is very new and unchartered territory for us. And Scott doesn’t get how I feel about this. He doesn’t get why I am so upset. I tried to explain to him that there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t feel guilty about being at work…about being away from my kids. And when I am at work all day, there isn’t a minute that goes by that I am not worrying about work but also worrying about my kids. I guess that Dads can shut that off, but Moms can’t! They are a part of me and they are always on my mind and in my prayers.

Well, I guess that brings you up to speed on the drama in our lives right now. Thanks for your prayers….God is so good.

In other news, I will keep this short because I know this is running long…but we had a wonderful holiday weekend. We jammed as much into it as we could… but saw a lot of family and had a really great time. My Dad’s family from Oklahoma came in town and it was great to see them all….and then we went to Somerset, Kentucky for my Mom’s family reunion and had a wonderful time there. I am just continually amazed at how Awesome God is and how blessed I am. I need to keep that in perspective when I let all these “problems” get to me. In the big scheme of things, I am so very blessed.

Love you all….Hopefully we will hear full vacation updates from Jodi and Mandy!

August...already?

Wow. So, it has been a month. Really? A month? Where did the time go? Why is it that time goes so much faster the older I get. Or maybe it is just that the older my kids get the crazier my schedule gets. Who knows? But I can’t believe it has been a month! And what a month it has been! I will try to bring you up-to-date.

Well, my family survived Camp Extreme week at church. It was actually very good and not too stressful. The only stressful thing was the time commitment. Everything else about it went smoothly and was fun. It is just such a time commitment. But time well spent.

I went on my Emmaus Walk the following weekend – the last weekend in July. That was so wonderful. I can’t put it all into words here, but I can tell you that it was an amazing and life-changing experience. I went into that weekend thinking that I knew what Love and Grace are…but I really experienced both that weekend and I will never be the same. I made some really great friends…gave up some junk I have been carrying around for a very long time….got to know myself a little better….just had an amazing experience. If you have never been on an Emmaus walk and would like to….talk to me! I would love to help you have that same kind of experience that I had. It is indescribable!

I am only 1.8 pounds shy of having lost 70 pounds. Which means I am only 40 pounds away from my final goal. That is pretty exciting. Scott and I are going to go on a long-weekend type vacation when I hit that mark. We might even go on a 3-day cruise if I can convince him of that! I hope that this will happen in the early part of next year. I am not going to start planning it until I am like 15 – 20 pounds away. But that is definitely something to look forward to! I am really going to try to stop focusing so much on where I am going with this and focus more on how great I am doing NOW and where I am at NOW. It is so easy to get so caught up in the numbers, when really it is more about how I feel and look. I mean, I am adding years to my life by just getting healthier. So…that is what is going on with that part of my life. I have started reading the “Lose It for Life” book again because I just think it has so many great lessons in it that I will need to continue to apply for the rest of my life.

Other exciting things in the past month:

Well, the little thing of an answered prayer (dripping with sarcasm) that Jimmie was alright and they were able to “fix” what was wrong with him. We were all pretty worried about that, but God came through in a BIG way!
Scott and I were asked to sing at a wedding of a girl from our church. The wedding was in Columbus, so they paid for our hotel the night before and we were able to really enjoy our little “honeymoon”. My parents and his Mom helped with the kids, so we were without the kids and had a wonderful, wonderful time together! Sometimes it is easy to forget what just being a couple is like! The rehearsal was fun and the wedding was amazing. We just enjoyed ourselves so much!
We also got to have a date day! Yesterday we went to a Red’s game and there was a MercyMe concert afterwards. We went with another couple and just had a wonderful time again! The weather was perfect and we just had fun together. We ate dinner at Montgomery Inn and that was a special treat that we weren’t expecting to do. Then Scott went to the Bengals game last night….so he had a really fun sports day! Even though he doesn’t like the Bengals, Isaac does…so they had fun doing that.

Let me do a “Missy-Style” post to update you on the kiddos:

Isaac
Football has started! We are in our 4th week of Football! We had our first game this weekend and we won! That was very exciting! He is really enjoying football and having a lot of fun with the other boys on his team. He has an awesome coach this year and he is learning a lot. He needs to be more aggressive…he is much too nice! I keep telling Scott that he gets that from me. But really, I think he is just so much like my Dad. Although, Dad was a good football player. He just needs to learn how to be “mean” on the football field while still being the “sweet-boy” that he is off the field. Hopefully that will come. But he really tries hard and hustles – so that is all we can ask of him! Scott is having a lot of fun being on e of the coaches. I think they have like 7 guys and I don’t know who is having more fun, the coaches or the kids. It is a good group of guys. So, right now football is Monday – Friday for 2 hours each night. This week it is only 4 nights and then next week, during school, it is 3 nights. He starts 2nd grade on Tuesday of next week. That is so hard to believe! It seems like just yesterday he was born – let alone kindergarten and 1st grade! We are going to go up to his school probably every night now until they post who his teacher is. He really wants one certain one, so hopefully he isn’t disappointed. We have just about all of his supplies…but we haven’t bought him any new clothes. Hopefully we can squeeze that in sometime this weekend. He is just doing great! Keeping us busy, but doing great!

Faith Anne
My little drama queen…she is doing good. We just took her to her 4 year check-up last week and she is 42.25 inches tall! She is just growing up so fast! She starts preschool the week after next and is very excited about that. We got a letter in the mail telling us who her teacher is, so she has been telling everyone about that. She is a little confused because she just assumed she would have the same teacher again this year. She certainly keeps us entertained – she is always making up songs and singing non-stop. She also loves to dance and just be the center of attention. I need to look into getting her signed up for something – bad Mommy. But she is doing great and I just love her personality!

Gracie
She is just at such a fun age – although she is still into absolutely everything. Probably the cutest thing about her right now is that she won’t go anywhere without her “Pew”…which is what she calls her purse…and yes, it is a Vera Bradley purse. In it, she stores her pacifier (called her ball) and a few little toys. It goes EVERYWHERE with her. Jodi calls her Sophia from the Golden Girls. It is too funny. Mom and Dad’s neighbors even commented on it! But she is just so much fun because she definitely has a very strong personality. There are lots of aggravating moments, but there are also lots of sweet moments too. I am enjoying her more and more now as she is getting out of her holy terror stage. I am sure there will be more holy terror moments to come, but it is getting better! It is funny to me how different she is from the other two.

So, that is my play-by-play for the kiddos. Things are going great right now. Oh, sure…I am worried about finances – we always are. But God is so good and He provides for all of our needs. Worrying is just not doing anything for me, so I might as well just let go and let God. He wants to take those worries from me, so I am going to do my best to give them to him.

I do have a couple of prayer requests. First, my Aunt Barbara on my Dad’s side of the family was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given 3 – 6 months to live. Jodi and I went to visit her on Friday and she looks pretty bad. I know that we serve a God of miracles and that He is in control. And I have complete faith that if it be His will, she will be healed. So, please just pray for His will in the situation and for the family to be strengthened. She is a Christian and her son Michael is a Christian, but I am not so sure about the rest of the family. They could all use some major prayers. Again, God is good and He has performed miracles in this family before (remember my cousin Michael from last year). I just pray that His will be done and that we, as a family, are able to minister to them.

Also, please keep Jodi and Jimmie in your prayers. There is a very good chance that the two angel girls they have been loving will be leaving them next week. So, please pray that they are strengthened for whatever the future holds – both Jodi and Jimmie and the Mayce and Aniya. Whenever those girls leave them, I am confident that they leave with the love of Jesus in their hearts like they have never known before – and that is because of Jodi and Jimmie. So, I know that they are following His will, but that doesn’t make it any easier to say goodbye to a part of their heart. So, please pray for them!!! Jodi and the girls were up this weekend and my kids just had so much fun playing with them – we had so much going on that I didn’t get to spend as much time with Jodi and I would’ve liked – but we did make sure the kids spent time with the girls. They are definitely a part of our family and will be missed!

Alrighty….well, I better get back to work, I guess. Work is great – Stinky Pete is gone and I have a new boss that I absolutely love!

Love you all and I hope it won’t be so long next time!!!

Hey Everyone!

Here are some vacation pictures! The first one is from where we spent most of our time - the beach of Sanibel Island. The next one is me on our boat-ride to Key West. I also have a sunset picture from our boat-ride back from Key West. And then there is FABulous with her BFFs at Sweet-N-Sassy salon and her new hair cut! Now for the scoop.....






Okay. So I am sorry that it has taken me so long to post after my VACATION! Life just gets crazy…as you all know very well! Let me give you the recap!

Kelli’s hubby took us and dropped us off at the airport on Thursday morning. We got there about 5:00 and our flight was supposed to leave at 6:10. Well, we see right away that it is delayed by one hour. Okay. Not a great start to our day, but we had a 2 hour lay-over in Detroit, so no big deal. So…we get our boarding passes and then they start weighing and tagging our luggage and Kelli’s suitcase was more than 50 pounds. She had borrowed one from her parents and it was HUGE. That cost her $50. Not a good start to our day. So, she pays that and is not happy, but we vow to not let it ruin our day. We go through security and they pull her off to the side and rudely tell her to sit….she had a bottle of sunscreen – new and un-opened – in her carry-on. That is a no-no. It can’t be larger than 3 ounces. So she has to give that to them. She is now on the verge of tears and I am trying to keep her together. The girl is getting ready to turn 40 so she is emotional! LOL We got to our gate and finally (after the hour delay) board our plane and go to Detroit. We run across that airport to get to our next gate (seriously it was at least a mile!) and it is on time! Great!!! We see our plane come in and watch the people get off it. We watch our suitcases arrive to be loaded…and then we hear an announcement that due to mechanical issues, our flight is being delayed and there will be an another announcement in 30 minutes – which is 15 minutes past when we are supposed to be in the air. We were hungry, so we went to look for food…we found some and came back only to find that all the people that were waiting to board our plane were gone….empty…poof. Our first thought was that they boarded it without us…not good. Then we realized that they had just moved us to a different gate and plane. Good! They were already boarding…great! So…we get in the air to Fort Meyers. Life is good. I could tell the plane was starting to descend…I was excited…and ready to get off the plane. Then…the plane starts to ascend again…what? I asked Kelli about it and by this point, she was annoyed with my many questions – I am a bit of a nervous flyer. So, she ignored me…lol…she was watching a movie on my mp3 player. Sure enough, the pilot comes on and says that there was a thunderstorm over the runway, so we are gonna fly around for a few minutes until it passes – you know Florida storms. So, we see some golf courses, the ocean…the same golf courses, the ocean….the same golf courses, the ocean…and then the pilot comes on and says that we are going to have to go to Ft. Lauderdale to re-fuel and then come back and try to land again. WHAT? I want to go to FORT MEYERS, not FORT LAUDERDALE! Whatever. So….20 minutes or so later, we land in Fort Lauderdale. We are not allowed to get off the plane and just wait for them to refuel. Great. We are done getting gas…we get in line to take off….we are like the 2nd plane in line…and then all of a sudden all of these planes are passing us…what? The pilot comes on and tells us that for some reason we have been pulled out of the line for take-off…we need to park and get directions..so hang-tight. I WANT OFF THE PLANE! LOL Don’t know what happened, but we eventually took off and headed to Fort Meyers. This time….no problem! We landed!!! Hallelujah! We got our rental car…that was a trip…..and then found our hotel. It was very nice! It wasn’t as close to the beach as we had hoped, but for the price…it was perfect!
So, the first night we went to the beach – of course – we ate appetizers at some small dive on the beach. Then we went to Super Target and got the stuff we needed for our day at the beach the next day and then ate dinner at Cheeseburgers in Paradise. We had a great first night there after the whole flight situation!!!

Friday, July 4th…we got up early and had our free breakfast at the hotel and then headed to Sanibel Island! We stopped by the visitor center and looked at the map to figure out what beach to go to…got that figured out and went down to find it. We found it and let me tell you…it was a piece of heaven! We walked out…determined to get all of our stuff in one trip…and it was a long walk because this was a beach that was so beautiful and so un-commercialized…it was awesome! You literally looked left…saw nothing but beach….looked right…saw nothing but beach….looked out…saw nothing but ocean…looked behind you…saw nothing but vegetation. It was wonderful. We staked our spot…oh, we had bought one of those Styrofoam coolers and filled it with ice and drinks. I carried it out there and it started to leak. Well, it was stinking heavy, so when Kelli picked our spot, I might’ve put it down too hard…it broke! Ice and drinks went everywhere! It was awful! We salvaged as much ice as we could…but it was kinda comical!!! Anyways, we got all settled and I decided to go get in the water for a bit. I wasn’t in there but like 10 minutes and I saw 2 dolphins – not even 20 feet from me! So..yeah, at first I was thinking sharks. LOL But then I realized it was dolphins and I was so excited. I started yelling for Kelli and then got out because although they are friendly, they were a little close! But that was very cool! We literally spent 7 or 8 hours at the beach that day. It was HEAVEN. We read or slept or played in the water or just watched the waves and people. It was such a wonderful, wonderful day. We went to dinner at a cool restaurant on a marina that night and then sat in their lounge area that was on the 2nd floor to watch the fireworks. Very cool way to spend the 4th of July!

Saturday, we got up early and went on a boat-ride to Key West! The ride was 3.5 hours long…and we just sat on the top deck and watched the waves pretty much the whole time….awesome! When we got to Key West we rented bicycles and rode all around the island! I hadn’t ridden a bicycle in more than 15 years, so that was interesting! Lots of laughs there! But I didn’t wreck! We went to the southernmost point…only 90 miles from Cuba! Then we had lunch at a place called Kelly’s – it is owned by Kelly McGinnis. We did some more riding around and then went shopping…we went to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville…that was AWESOME! It was just a wonderful, wonderful day. We saw as much of the island as we could until we had to get back on the boat to come back. It rained a little bit, so we sat in the lower deck and watched a movie and then went up to the top deck to watch the sunset. It was amazing!!! We saw a ton of rainbows! That night, we went to a hopping bar at Ft. Meyers for dinner. It was karaoke night, so that provided lots of laughs! We had a great time there.

Sunday…that was Kelli’s 40th Birthday! We got up very early and I gave her her present….that was fun! I got her a really cool bracelet. Then we went to the store and got more drinks and snacks for the beach…and a real cooler! We headed back out to our same beautiful beach and spent another 7 hours at the beach! Then we went shopping and then back to the room. We ended up taking naps – the sun wipes you out! Then we went back to the same dive on the beach and ate dinner there. It was a wonderful, wonderful day!!!

Monday, we got up and headed to the beach…again! We spent as much time as we could there before we had to come back to the room and get ready to go home. We got to the airport JUST IN TIME because I thought we flew out at 3:56, but instead it was 3:00!!! The flight home was perfectly uneventful! We were a tad late getting into Dayton, but nothing like the trip down there!!!

So…that was our vacation! I know I left out a bunch, but you get the gist! It was a FABULOUS vacation that I loved every minute of and would do it again in a heartbeat! Jodi wants to take a cruise when she turns 40 in two years…count me in! It was wonderful!!!!

So, when I got back…FABulous turned 4! I can’t believe she is already 4! So, the day after her birthday, we went to Sweet-N-Sassy with 3 of her BFFs. It was a fun – DIVA-FILLED day! My MIL brought the girls long-stemmed pink roses…very cute. They had a wonderful time and I LOVE Faith Anne’s new short hair-cut! It is so cute on her…and her hair is perfect for it!

The next day, I turned 32…whoopee! Scott and the kids took me to lunch – which was nice – and then I took the kids to the Clinton County Fair with my parents. We had a great time…and it was a fun way to spend my birthday!

Then I had to come back to work…but GUESS WHAT?!?!?!? STINKY PETE IS GONE!!! Yep, he got moved to Austin, Texas…so I have a new boss….and he is WONDERFUL. He is someone I have worked with for the past 7 years and I LOVE HIM! Now, he isn’t perfect, but he is WAY BETTER than Stinky Pete! So, that is very, very exciting!!! Stinky Pete actually told me that he was moving before I left for vacation…it was official when I got back. So, very cool!!!

Then we had Faith Anne’s birthday party…fun, but Brayden – my nephew – bit two kids! And of course, the two kids he bit were Lucy, the little girl at our church who has leukemia, and Jodi’s foster-daughter Aniya. So…that was bad. I felt horrible and wanted Stacey to just leave with him, but how do you tell your SIL to leave? It wasn’t good.

So…this week we have Camp Extreme at church – which is SUPER fun, but SUPER tiring! I run from work to get the kids to home to change clothes and grab a bite to eat to church…and then home to bathe the kids and then put them to bed and clean up the house or collapse into bed! That has been our lives this week. But tonight is the last night and it is so much fun for all the kids – so it is worth it! We don’t have big plans for this weekend, so hopefully I can get my house back in order!
Well, that is about it for now! Thanks for hanging in there this long, if you did! I am going on an Emmaus Walk next weekend…so it might be a while before I post again! Love to all!!! And please keep Jimmie (Jodi’s hubby) in your prayers! The uncertainty is very hard! We just have to trust that God is in control!!! Love ya!

VACATION!!!!

So, how in the world am I going to survive this day at work? I am bored out of my mind at work and today is my LAST DAY BEFORE VACATION! There always has to be a “last day before vacation”, but they really stink! Hopefully either I get a fun project to work on to make the time go by fast…or my boss just says to go home early. Yeah, that isn’t going to happen…so hopefully it will just go by fast!

So…since it has only been a week since my last post, I don’t have a lot to say…but like I said, I am bored! So I am sure I can think of something!

Maybe I won’t do a person-by-person update this time. Maybe I will just talk about what is going on.

Last week, my Daddy turned 65! That is just so hard to comprehend for me. When did I get so old and my parents age so much? I mean, seriously, they are both in fantastic health and I don’t think either of them look or act their age, but 65 is a scary number for me in my mind. I guess I just can’t really fathom the day that they won’t be here anymore. Anyways, I have just been thinking about that a lot lately. We didn’t really do a whole lot to celebrate his birthday. For some reason, going out to dinner with me and my three kids wasn’t his idea of a relaxing dinner! LOL We did go out to dinner later in the week, and validated why he didn’t think it was a relaxing dinner! Three kids – especially with two under 4 – is just a lot!

Last Friday night, Scott had a softball game. He plays for his work team and my Uncle Poncho plays with them…so it is fun to go to those games and see my family! Plus they won! Anywhoo, after the game…somehow I left the ballfield with 2 extra little girls! LOL Not sure how this all came about, but I left with Abbey May and Madison (Mandy’s daughter and our friend’s daughter). We first went to the fireworks (there was some sort of celebration on the Base) with Mandy, Steve and Eli…and Isaac was with us too. Scott and Gracie went home. So, we watched the fireworks and then the girls all came to my house for a sleepover! I didn’t realize when we first asked Abbey that it was her first sleepover (besides at her grandparent’s, of course). She was so cute when I asked her if she wanted to stay…she said that she would have to think about it and then ask her Mommy and Daddy.

I got the girls situated in bed and asleep before midnight and then they were up by 7:20. They played pretty good together, aside from the normal drama of sharing toys. Gracie wanted to be right in the middle of whatever they were doing and that didn’t go over too well. At one point, I was putting laundry away and I hear the three older girls all telling Gracie to go away and then all of a sudden I hear crying….Gracie bit Madison on the foot…and left a mark! She bit her pretty hard! I was like…couldn’t you have at least bit your sister and not one of the other girls?!??! So, then I think they were all scared of Gracie the rest of the morning!

So, my nice peaceful and shopping-filled Saturday morning plans didn’t happen, but that was alright because it really was fun for the girls and I had fun watching them! They played tea-party, doctor, mommy, dress-up….all kinds of things! At one point, Abbey was in Gracie’s bed being the baby and Faith Anne and Madison were hugging…they were being the Mommy and the Daddy! LOL So cute to see little girls play together!

Oh….just had to insert this. Did you know that I have collar bones? I didn’t know I had them until I felt them yesterday for the first time. Funny how I am noticing little things like that since I have lost so much weight. I am down 63 pounds now. I am hoping to just maintain or only have a slight gain over the next week of vacation.

So…vacation! Kelli and I fly out on Thursday morning and get to Ft. Myers around noon. We are both so excited! We are planning on going to Key West one day and renting bikes to tour the island! That should be really fun! Since we have both lost so much weight and are both so aware of it, I hope that we keep each other on track! We are planning on splitting a lot of meals and stuff – not only to watch what we eat, but also to save some money! And we are going to get up and walk on the beach every morning to watch the sunrise! If we can get up and go to the gym at 4:00, we can surely get up at 6:00 to watch the sunrise! So, we leave Thursday and come home on Monday evening. I am so excited, but I am also starting to feel guilty and sad about leaving the kids. I am going to miss them so much….but I also need this Mommy time. I know that some of you probably think I am selfish for doing this, but everyone is different and this is something that I need for me. Scott is so great to let me do this. He is going to have help with the kids from my parents and his mom. Plus he is great with them and manages them every morning by himself anyways!

I promise to tell you all about it when we get back…and will try to post some pictures! I don’t come back to work until next Thursday! So…two days of work this week and two days of work next week! I was gonna come back on Wednesday, but that is my birthday and I decided that I would rather be home with my kids on my birthday then at work!

Umm…let’s see…..Isaac’s baseball team won their game again last night. He played 3rd base one time and he didn’t do very good. He just wasn’t paying attention at all. The coach talked to him after that inning and the next time he played pitcher…doesn’t mean he pitched because it is coach-pitch, but he stands next to the pitcher. That is usually the person who gets the most action…and he did great! I was so proud of him! He is having a lot of fun and learning a lot! Last night was his coach’s last night because they are on vacation and we only have two more games….he got all choked up talking to the boys. His oldest son was there and he made him come next to him and told him that it wasn’t but a blink of the eye ago that he was their age. It was so sweet…he is such a sporty, manly, man…but also so tender-hearted and good with the kids. We are blessed to have him as a coach.
My little girl, Faith Anne, will be four on Monday! That has just flown by! We are taking her, Abbey, Kristin and Madison to Sweet and Sassy on Tuesday to have their hair done and their nails and toenails painted! That will be very cute, I am sure! Then we having a Hannah Montana party next Saturday! I would love to find a cute dress with sequins on it for Faithy to wear to her party….so I need to look for that. She is a true Diva!

Oh…so…this past weekend, I went to a birthday party (took Isaac and Faith Anne) at the skating rink. So, how do you teach a kid to roller skate? I tried to help Isaac and Faith Anne, but I don’t know how you teach them to do it! Isaac was not gonna give up and he (by himself) went all the way around the rink (holding onto the wall). Now, it took him a long time…but he did it! Bless his heart, he wanted to go again and ended up wiping out pretty bad. I seriously thought we were going to have to go to the ER, but then he felt better. Faith Anne did alright, but she didn’t like it too much. I put skates on and instantly remembered how to do it and did really, really well….until….I was going to go back out to the rink and fell on the carpeted step! How dumb is it to have a step in a skating rink! LOL I have a big knot on my knee…but I really think that Scott and I are going to go there on a date-night soon. It was so much fun, I had kinda forgot how much I loved that!

Well, I guess I better do something constructive here today! Take care everyone and I won’t be able to keep up with everyone…so I will “see you” when I get back! Love you all!!!

I am still alive!!!

WOW. I can’t believe that it has been so long since my last post! I check everyone else’s journals ever day, so I forget to update my own, I guess! Either that or time just flies when you are having fun! That could be it too!

So, since you all seem to love it so much…here is my post in the style of Missy:

Scott
He is doing just fine! Since he works in sales – and sales of something that people don’t “need” when times get tough, things have slowed down some for him. We have seen it reflect somewhat in his paychecks, but we are hanging in there! It isn’t bad yet….so hopefully he will continue to do okay. He is still one of the top salesmen in his division, so I guess that is a good sign. And he still seems to really like what he does – especially the flexibility of it! I enjoy it so much because he is such a big help around the house. I know, I know…I am very spoiled by him! He still does all of the grocery shopping, all of the mopping, all of the yard work…we split the laundry pretty evenly now. He is just such a good house-husband since he has more time at home then I do. In other news with him, he is enjoying helping with the coaching of Isaac’s baseball team, playing softball on Friday nights and getting ready to help coach Isaac’s football team! So, needless to say, he keeps busy! We don’t see a lot of each other, but that will change…one day!

Isaac
He is doing great! I think he misses his friends from school. He gets out his yearbook frequently and looks at his class picture. He has been reading a lot this summer and doing great with that. He spends a lot of his time working on “projects” – which means lots of paper, crayons, glue, tape, etc. He and his sisters could sit for hours and create things. He also really has enjoyed the Wii! I probably didn’t share this cuz it has been so long – but his report card from 1st Grade was just awesome! He was above the grade-level expectation in most things – and the things he wasn’t were like music (hello?), art and gym. So, in reading, math, writing, etc. he was above the grade level. We were so proud of him! We bought him a new game for the Wii – Mariokart and let me tell you, that is a very fun game! We have all enjoyed playing that when we get the chance!

He is doing good in baseball! The first few games he struck out a few times, but since then he does great with hitting. Now, if we could just get him to stop watching the ball when he should be running, that would be great! He also needs to work on his fielding some…but their team is great and they all seem to really have a great time!

We signed him up for a Sports-Fun-Camp this week and so far he really likes it. They just play games all day long…so he was one tired pup last night and I am sure he will be tonight too! But we wanted to give him something to keep him busy in the summer. He will have football camp in a few weeks – the same week as Camp Extreme. So, he will be tired that week too! But then football practice starts like a week or two after that….so then he will really be worn out! We are very excited about his football coach this year – it is a guy that Scott went to school with and they are a very strong Christian family. He was actually a high school football coach in Georgia but then came back to join their family landscaping business. We practiced in the field next to them last year and we were always impressed with them – so that is very exciting! There is another kid on their team who is taller than Isaac – so between the two of them in the line – they will do a great job of clogging up the middle!

So…Isaac is doing great! Just keeping us moving!

Faith Anne
My little princess is turning 4 in less than two weeks. Is that hard to believe, or what?!?!? I can’t believe it! In so many ways, it seems like just yesterday that she was born – but in others…not so much! We are having a Hannah Montana party for her! She is very excited about that! We are also taking a few girls to Sweet-and-Sassy to get their hair done and their fingers and toes painted. That ought to be a trip!!! She is such a girlie-girl! I know that she will love all that girlie stuff! She is constantly asking me if she is beautiful and I, of course, assure her that she is! I need to work more with her on being beautiful inside too….she does have a temper with her brother and sister!

She is still terrified of dogs – so it doesn’t look like we will be getting one when she turns 4. I am really fine with that, because that would just be one more thing for me to clean up after, but I know that Isaac is disappointed. But she is truly terrified of them, so I can’t justify making her miserable!

She is so smart and should have no problem starting Kindergarten next fall. Her preschool teacher just raved at how far she had come in her first year of preschool. So, hopefully she does just as well this year! Do I sound like an annoying mother who brags about her kids? Well…I am! LOL I think we all are!

So, Faith Anne is doing fine and is becoming my “big girl” more and more every day!

Gracie
Where do I begin with Gracie? Well, some of you have heard this story – so if you have, I apologize. But for those that haven’t…you might have thought that you have been in the running for World’s Worst Mother a time or two with your kids? Never fear! I have that award all locked up!!! A few Friday’s ago, Scott had been doing yard work and the girls were outside playing. I was on the patio watching them. Well, Scott went inside to take a shower and the girls were on the patio with me – playing. Well, I must’ve dozed off and next thing I know, Faith Anne is asking me where Gracie is? I jumped up and looked in the back part of the yard and didn’t see her…so I ran out the front gate – which was open! I ran out front and didn’t see her….and since it had only been a split second and I didn’t really look in the back yard very well, I ran back to the back yard and looked in the two little houses we have out there. I then noticed that the back gate was opened too. So, I ran out that gate yelling for her and looking for her….Faith Anne is following me the whole time…also yelling. So, we ask an old man if he had seen her and he said no, so we ran back to our yard and I ran inside. Isaac was playing the Wii and I asked him if he had seen Gracie – he said no. I told him to go tell his Daddy to get out of the shower because I can’t find Gracie and I ran out the front door and up and down the street looking for her. Nothing. So I ran back to the back yard. No Gracie. I ran back out front and was crying (duh) and Scott finally came out and he starts yelling at me. I told him to shut up and just help me find her (we were both a little freaked out) and he ran one way down the street with Isaac and Faithy and I ran the other. I turned around and came back to our house with every intention of banging on all the neighbor’s doors to ask for their help. About that time, Gracie comes walking towards me! We have a path across the street from our house that leads to the school and the ball fields…we use it a lot. Well, at the end of the path, the first thing you encounter is a big parking lot. She had opened the gate to the back yard….walked all the way up the side of our house, through the front-yard, ACROSS THE STREET, up the path and into that parking lot! When I saw her, she was on her way back to me. I didn’t know whether to hug her or strangle her! Of course I picked her up and HUGGED HER…but then Scott had to take her from me because I was HYSTERICAL by this point and was shaking and sobbing uncontrollably. So….yep…Worst Mother of the Year Award goes to….ME!

Other than that (lol), Gracie is good! I can’t believe that she is almost 21 months old! She is very ornery and has her own unique personality from the other two. Scott and I maintain…and you might think we are joking, but I assure you we are not, that had she been our first, she would have been an only! Life with Gracie is never boring, that much is for sure!!! I love her to pieces, but she sure brings a whole new dimension to ourlives!

Me
I am doing pretty good. I am at a bit of a plateau with my weight loss – stuck at 60 pounds. I am hoping to get past that tomorrow at my weigh-in. I spent part of this past weekend fasting. It really is a good thing for me to do – both physically and mentally. Physically – obviously it cleans some of the toxins out of your system – but mentally it is good for my spiritual well-being. I think I got pretty comfortable with a 60 pound weight loss and started to feel a bit prideful of it. I needed to re-focus and remember that I didn’t do that by myself. God has been with me every step of the way. If I lose sight of that, I will probably put it all back on! So, I am feeling better about the way things are going there. I still have a long way to go, but I do feel so much better being 60 pounds lighter…and buying smaller clothes!

Work is….well, work. Changes are on the horizon….but I don’t want to go into all of that right now. It will be an interesting…and probably stressful…few months! But…what’s new?!?!?

Kelli and I leave for our vacation next week! We fly out Thursday morning and return on Monday night. We are going to Ft. Meyers, Sanibel Island! I cannot wait…and I cannot be more excited about it! We have both worked so hard to lose weight before this trip…..I know that we are going to enjoy feeling better about ourselves and just enjoying a care-free vacation! We plan on visiting a different beach every day that we are there and just enjoying the freedom to pick up and go whenever we want to! So, I will have to share some pictures of that! We are planning on taking a day-cruise to Key-West one day….that should be exciting! That is my birthday present…and my Christmas…probably this year and next! We actually got a great deal - $500 for the air-fare, the room for 4 nights and a rental car (per person). I thought that was a great deal!

Umm… I guess that is about it for me! I know this is a long post, so hopefully you made it this far! I have been REALLY bad at leaving comments lately…so I am sorry for that! But I do read every day and most importantly, I do pray for my Journal Goddesses!

Love you all!!!!

June...already?!?!?

Yeah, okay…so I have totally started this entry like 10 times, but I always get distracted and never finish it! So, hopefully this time I get it finished! It has been a while since an “actual post” for me. Although, not as long as others (clearing throat…Dawn, Debbie, Jodi…the list could really go on and on!).

Things are going great in our household right now! Let me just give you the play-by-play for each person! I know everyone loves it when I post like that!

Scott is doing great! Work is going fine…he is keeping busy at home because he is a wonderful wife/husband! I know that I am spoiled by him….so I appreciate it! I try to remember to say thank you very often because I really do know that he spoils me. The ladies that I work with are always amazed by what I tell them that he does! He really does make a great wife! LOL I went to my first softball game of his the other night. They have a team with the guys he works with…and my Uncle Ronnie is the pitcher! Anywhoo, I was there for the first time and so was Aunt Joanne and her whole family – including Eli! So, although I didn’t get to visit with Chelle and Mandy much (I had to be the scorekeeper and watch Gracie at the same time), it was great to see them and know that Mandy was doing so much better. And that little Eli is so beautiful! You just forget how little they are!!! Anyways, they lost the game…actually they were winning until the last inning and then a new dumb rule kinda did them in and the other team scored like 20 runs in the last inning. I think I am not allowed to go to anymore games! LOL Anyways…so Scott is doing good! His company had a family picnic day at the Beach Waterpark this past Sunday. That was very cool because it was free to get in and they fed us lunch and the drinks were free all day! We left Gracie with MIL and Scott spent the day with Isaac while I spent the day with Faith Anne and we had a great time! It was perfect weather! Scott and Isaac went on all of the waterslides and had a blast! I spent the whole time in the kiddy-pool area with Faith Anne and she loved it.

Isaac is excited because his last day of school is on Thursday! He has done so great this year in school….I am anxious to see his final report card! They have been doing some fun things these last few weeks and he brought home his journal yesterday and it is neat to see what he has written about all year…and how much it has improved! They had a pool party last Friday and all the kids went to the Rec Center. I was a bit tiffed at the school because they asked us to send sunscreen, which I did, but obviously no one helped my first grader put it on! He was SCORCHED that evening…and in a lot of pain. I will make sure to talk to someone about that next year! He had fun anyways! He is doing really good in baseball! At their game last night, he hit the ball on the first or second pitch all three times he was up to bat and they were very good hits too! He got mad because when he was running from 2nd to 3rd, the boy who was up to bat hit the ball right to the 3rd baseman, so he got out two times that way. He started to cry, but kept himself in check. It was all I could do to keep from going and giving him a big hug, but that would’ve been worse! We tried to explain to him later that even the fastest runner can’t beat that if it is hit right to the 3rd baseman! After each game, the coaches pick the MVP and they get a lunchbox full of stuff…well, Isaac got it last night! He was so happy and I was so proud of him! I do have to tell you something funny….he was outside playing with the neighbor boys and he thought I had gone inside. So, he starts to shake his private area in a little dance and then ask them if they want to see his nipples? I caught his eye and he knew he was in trouble….as I was stifling back laughter! So, after the boys left, we sat down and talked about it and I told him he shouldn’t do that…blah, blah, blah. Later that night, because of course Scott wasn’t home when this happened, I told Scott that he needed to have an anatomy talk with Isaac. So, he did and he told him that it is his job to bring honor and grace to the family of God and also to our family and by doing that and saying those things, he isn’t doing that. I don’t know how much of that he understands…but we have to start trying to make him understand that now! He is only 6!!! I guess because he hangs out with mostly older kids though, we are gonna have to deal with all of this early! Oh boy!!!!

Faith Anne is all done with preschool now! She had a great first year and I am so glad that we sent her! I just wish we had sent Isaac too! She really loved it and I can see that it made such a difference with her socially as well as academically. Her teacher actually cried when she hugged Faith on the last day. I think she really liked her spunk! She is already looking forward to next year. She is also looking forward to her birthday party in July. We have been asking her what she wants to do and she has some grandeous ideas…so we’ll see what we end up doing. My MIL is mad because the day we might have her party doesn’t work for her….but oh well! She kinda irked me off about that last night. Whatever. So, we are still trying to figure that out. Otherwise, Faith Anne is doing great. I just love her personality and watching how she is becoming her own little person. You can definitely tell that she is a middle child because she is in constant need of affirmation. She wants to always tell me how much she loves me and in turn, for me to tell her how much I love her. I don’t mind it one bit…it is just funny how different she is from Isaac in that respect. We don’t have her signed up for any dance or anything right now…so I need to look for something for her to do. I have enjoyed the break from that though! We still always have something going on, it seems!

Gracie is well, I am not sure how to put it! She is really a doll-baby, but she is also a difficult child! I can tell that she is FOR SURE going to be my challenge! She just has her own mind about everything and if she wants to do something….get out of her way! I want to channel that strong-will in, without breaking it altogether. My mom went to Kentucky to watch Maycie and Aniya (Jodi’s girls) and she said that after being with Aniya for that time, she realized just how difficult of a child Gracie really is. She is just ornery – into absolutely everything – and very, very stubborn. She is talking more, which I love. I love to hear her say “Sissy” and “Bubba”, which are two of her favorite people and words! But if they take something she wants, she has no problems biting…hitting…screaming…whatever to get her own way! I love her to pieces, but she is a challenge!!!!!

So, that is the short update on my family! We are a crazy bunch, I tell you! Things with me are going pretty good. I asked my boss if it looked like I was going to lose my job and he said definitely not…so hopefully that holds true. There have been so many cuts around me, that I began to panic. But he assured me that that was not going to happen.

I have lost 57 pounds and weigh in again tomorrow. I am just in a groove with it right now. I hope it continues! For some reason, it seems that it is really clicking with me this time and I really think I can do this and I can keep it off! It will be a constant struggle – I am sure for the rest of my life – but I am going to keep at it!

Kelli and I are trying to figure out where we are going for our get-away in July. We were waiting to get a good last-minute deal. It will be here soon…so we need to figure it out. I am excited about getting away for a few days! I would love to go to California or Florida…we’ll see!

Well, I better get to work. I feel like I am leaving something out that I was gonna share… but I can’t think of what it is now! Love you all and praying for so many!