So...I just wanted to share some more of my favorite vacation pictures. Enjoy!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Thursday, April 09, 2009
April?!?!?
It is almost Easter! Is that crazy or what?!?!? It seems like we just had the Christmas Season and it is already Easter! I guess that old adage about time going by faster as you get older must be true! Although, I am not getting older! LOL
I am in a giddy mood today and I am not sure why, other than I just found out that they are laying off people again…and people that do what I do….so I am trying to be super positive. One of the ladies that I work with…she and I have been cracking jokes about it all morning since we found out, but it really isn’t funny. It is really scaring me to death. But….I keep telling myself (over and over and over again in my head) that God will provide. No matter what happens, He is in control and He is the Lord of my life and He will take care of me. So….enough of that “Debbie-Downer” topic!
So, what has been going on in my world? Let’ see….most exciting thing is that we had our Family Vacation last week! It was wonderful! Jodi might say differently, but don’t listen to her! LOL Just kidding…I am sure that spending a week with my 3 rugrats when you aren’t used to being around kids all the time was culture shock….but I think we all had fun! We went to Disney World!!! Mom, Dad, Jodi, Isaac and Faith Anne left on Friday and got to Florida on Saturday and Scott, Gracie and I left on Saturday and got there on Sunday. They enjoyed the beach on Sunday, we all enjoyed the beach (Cocoa Beach) on Monday and then we headed to the Magic Kingdom on Tuesday. Let me tell you…seeing it through the eyes of my kids….there really are no words for how amazing that was. I kept getting emotional all day when I would see them get excited about things. God has blessed us so much to have the opportunity to raise these 3 precious angels and to experience life through them. Now, that doesn’t mean that there were not moments that I would have liked to kill them…or give them to Mickey Mouse to take care of (LOL), but it was so neat! In fact, Gracie had a “time-out” on the steps of Cinderella’s Castle – with the Fairy Godmother looking on. Jodi took a picture of that! LOL It was MAGICAL, as they say. I will bore those of you that I will see soon with the details in person! Everyone else, there is just so much…I don’t know how I could capture it in one entry! Basically, I spent most of the day with just the girls and Scott took Isaac to do the “big-kid” type stuff. We all had fun and I think everyone got to do what they wanted to do. Most importantly for Faith Anne, we saw Snow White right at the start of the day! Very cool….although Jodi and I agree that you have to be a complete DORK to work there….part of the requirement, I am sure.
Anywho, the next day we pretty much lazed by the pool at our resort and then did some shopping. We had a lazy day to recover and then on Thursday, we went to Hollywood (what used to be called MGM). Now, there was debate as to whether we should go to Hollywood or Animal Kingdom and I won….Hollywood. We had a great time, but I think if I had to do it over again, I would go to Animal Kingdom. Since we have been back (of course), so many people have told me about all the cool things at AK. Anyways…we went to Hollywood (so there) and it was fun! Again, I took the girls and everyone else went off to do “big kid” stuff. I had so much fun with my girls! We saw Playhouse Disney on stage….VERY cool and got pictures with a TON of characters. It was so much fun. I hooked up with Mom, Dad and Jodi at lunch and spent the rest of the day with them. It was very neat. There were cool things at Hollywood!!
Friday we went to Downtown Disney and that was very cool. You definitely want to make that a stop on your Disney Tour. Maybe even go there first…they have some really cool things there. We enjoyed the day there and then had to pack up for our trip home! We left Saturday morning and got home on Sunday evening.
All in all….it was a FABULOUS Trip! I wouldn’t really call it “vacation” because I was absolutely exhausted when we got home…but it was a great trip! I can’t wait to go back! After we save up again, because MAN that place is EXPENSIVE! EVERYTHING is more expensive there….like, there is no “Dollar Menu” at McDonalds! LOL But it was worth it! The kids had a BLAST and made lots of great memories! I need to get my pictures developed! I better work on that before Easter so I can share them with the cousins!
So, aside from that major excitement in our lives…everything else is just cruising right along! We came back from vacation to the start of soccer and t-ball for Faith Anne and baseball for Isaac! Needless to say, our calendar is CRAZY these days. I actually had to post something on our fridge at home to try to keep everything straight. But Soccer is only April and May, so that will only over-lap with t-ball a little bit. Baseball/t-ball games don’t start until May sometime. I can’t wait to see how Faith Anne does!!!
Speaking of Faith Anne….she did great at her Kindergarten Screening! She scored 137/200 and the average score was 112. So….we are feeling pretty good about our decision to send her to school in the fall. We meet with her preschool teacher next week to talk about what to work on over the summer. We are going to do the full day program for her like we did with Isaac, so I am feeling very good about this decision. It was a lot easier than Isaac’s! And Gracie, we won’t have a choice…so that is good! I don’t do well with decisions because I second-guess myself so much. Anywho…so my FAB will be starting Kindergarten in the fall!!! Oh, the thing she did the worst on with her testing…Body Awareness! LOL I laughed when I read that. They tell them to draw a person and they get points for like eyes, nose, fingers, ears, etc. So, apparently she wasn’t very detailed with her drawing. Too funny.
Gracie-Girl, as I call her…she is just as ornery as ever! She has been having some bowel problems lately…don’t you love knowing that. So, I might have to take her to the doctor if that persists, but it is fun to see her personality develop more and more each day. She is definitely stubborn (no idea where that comes from) and not easily persuaded to do something that she doesn’t want to do. I can tell that she is going to be a challenge for me! We butt heads A LOT. But I still love that girl so much! She can be so sweet one minute and then punching her sister the next (literally). Never a dull moment!
And my buddy Isaac….he is doing good. We have had some challenges at school…he has brought home some D’s and F’s, but his report card just came out and he got all “E”s and “S”s. So, I am very proud of him. The teacher is transitioning from doing their work together as a class to letting them be more independent and doing their work by themselves and that has taken some getting used to for Isaac. Plus, he is always worried about taking care of everyone else (again, not sure where that comes from) and he needs to just focus on his own needs! He is such a good kid…with a big heart. He is so much like my dad at times!!!!
Speaking of worrying about everyone else…at one point on our vacation, I told Mom that the reason that she and Jodi bicker is because they are so much alike. (Jodi and I had just had that conversation too). So, mom looks at me and she says…Okay, Missy. Just for the record (because that is how I started my comment to her) it is not your responsibility to make everyone else happy and to make sure that everyone else is having a good time. And I have thought about that so much since she said that….I really do do that! I really do spend a large part of my time making sure that everyone else is taken care of and that everyone else is happy…..sometimes I forget to think about me. Now, believe me….I am not saying that I am not a selfish person…because we all are and I am no different. But I do need to find a balance sometimes. Sometimes I tend to fall to one side too much. Well, that might sound very conceited…but I am certainly not meaning it to. It was just a deep thought that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about…
Scott is doing good too. He had fun on our vacation, however I wasn’t very nice to him. I keep looking back and I was so worried that he would say something he shouldn’t or get on my family’s nerves that I didn’t let him have much fun. I kept telling him to be quiet and not say that and not do that….that wasn’t very nice of me. I guess I should just let him get on their nerves….lol. I probably got on their nerves more by telling him to be quiet than he would’ve if I would just let him be himself! LOL Oh well! Anytime you vacation with family, you love them dearly, but you realize why you don’t all live together all the time! LOL
Well, I think I have rambled about nonsense long enough! I just wanted to share a bit of our vacation with you! Love you all and I do check up on all of the journal-goddesses every day! I don’t always comment, but I do check them daily! So, I am praying for you and loving you all!!!!
I am in a giddy mood today and I am not sure why, other than I just found out that they are laying off people again…and people that do what I do….so I am trying to be super positive. One of the ladies that I work with…she and I have been cracking jokes about it all morning since we found out, but it really isn’t funny. It is really scaring me to death. But….I keep telling myself (over and over and over again in my head) that God will provide. No matter what happens, He is in control and He is the Lord of my life and He will take care of me. So….enough of that “Debbie-Downer” topic!
So, what has been going on in my world? Let’ see….most exciting thing is that we had our Family Vacation last week! It was wonderful! Jodi might say differently, but don’t listen to her! LOL Just kidding…I am sure that spending a week with my 3 rugrats when you aren’t used to being around kids all the time was culture shock….but I think we all had fun! We went to Disney World!!! Mom, Dad, Jodi, Isaac and Faith Anne left on Friday and got to Florida on Saturday and Scott, Gracie and I left on Saturday and got there on Sunday. They enjoyed the beach on Sunday, we all enjoyed the beach (Cocoa Beach) on Monday and then we headed to the Magic Kingdom on Tuesday. Let me tell you…seeing it through the eyes of my kids….there really are no words for how amazing that was. I kept getting emotional all day when I would see them get excited about things. God has blessed us so much to have the opportunity to raise these 3 precious angels and to experience life through them. Now, that doesn’t mean that there were not moments that I would have liked to kill them…or give them to Mickey Mouse to take care of (LOL), but it was so neat! In fact, Gracie had a “time-out” on the steps of Cinderella’s Castle – with the Fairy Godmother looking on. Jodi took a picture of that! LOL It was MAGICAL, as they say. I will bore those of you that I will see soon with the details in person! Everyone else, there is just so much…I don’t know how I could capture it in one entry! Basically, I spent most of the day with just the girls and Scott took Isaac to do the “big-kid” type stuff. We all had fun and I think everyone got to do what they wanted to do. Most importantly for Faith Anne, we saw Snow White right at the start of the day! Very cool….although Jodi and I agree that you have to be a complete DORK to work there….part of the requirement, I am sure.
Anywho, the next day we pretty much lazed by the pool at our resort and then did some shopping. We had a lazy day to recover and then on Thursday, we went to Hollywood (what used to be called MGM). Now, there was debate as to whether we should go to Hollywood or Animal Kingdom and I won….Hollywood. We had a great time, but I think if I had to do it over again, I would go to Animal Kingdom. Since we have been back (of course), so many people have told me about all the cool things at AK. Anyways…we went to Hollywood (so there) and it was fun! Again, I took the girls and everyone else went off to do “big kid” stuff. I had so much fun with my girls! We saw Playhouse Disney on stage….VERY cool and got pictures with a TON of characters. It was so much fun. I hooked up with Mom, Dad and Jodi at lunch and spent the rest of the day with them. It was very neat. There were cool things at Hollywood!!
Friday we went to Downtown Disney and that was very cool. You definitely want to make that a stop on your Disney Tour. Maybe even go there first…they have some really cool things there. We enjoyed the day there and then had to pack up for our trip home! We left Saturday morning and got home on Sunday evening.
All in all….it was a FABULOUS Trip! I wouldn’t really call it “vacation” because I was absolutely exhausted when we got home…but it was a great trip! I can’t wait to go back! After we save up again, because MAN that place is EXPENSIVE! EVERYTHING is more expensive there….like, there is no “Dollar Menu” at McDonalds! LOL But it was worth it! The kids had a BLAST and made lots of great memories! I need to get my pictures developed! I better work on that before Easter so I can share them with the cousins!
So, aside from that major excitement in our lives…everything else is just cruising right along! We came back from vacation to the start of soccer and t-ball for Faith Anne and baseball for Isaac! Needless to say, our calendar is CRAZY these days. I actually had to post something on our fridge at home to try to keep everything straight. But Soccer is only April and May, so that will only over-lap with t-ball a little bit. Baseball/t-ball games don’t start until May sometime. I can’t wait to see how Faith Anne does!!!
Speaking of Faith Anne….she did great at her Kindergarten Screening! She scored 137/200 and the average score was 112. So….we are feeling pretty good about our decision to send her to school in the fall. We meet with her preschool teacher next week to talk about what to work on over the summer. We are going to do the full day program for her like we did with Isaac, so I am feeling very good about this decision. It was a lot easier than Isaac’s! And Gracie, we won’t have a choice…so that is good! I don’t do well with decisions because I second-guess myself so much. Anywho…so my FAB will be starting Kindergarten in the fall!!! Oh, the thing she did the worst on with her testing…Body Awareness! LOL I laughed when I read that. They tell them to draw a person and they get points for like eyes, nose, fingers, ears, etc. So, apparently she wasn’t very detailed with her drawing. Too funny.
Gracie-Girl, as I call her…she is just as ornery as ever! She has been having some bowel problems lately…don’t you love knowing that. So, I might have to take her to the doctor if that persists, but it is fun to see her personality develop more and more each day. She is definitely stubborn (no idea where that comes from) and not easily persuaded to do something that she doesn’t want to do. I can tell that she is going to be a challenge for me! We butt heads A LOT. But I still love that girl so much! She can be so sweet one minute and then punching her sister the next (literally). Never a dull moment!
And my buddy Isaac….he is doing good. We have had some challenges at school…he has brought home some D’s and F’s, but his report card just came out and he got all “E”s and “S”s. So, I am very proud of him. The teacher is transitioning from doing their work together as a class to letting them be more independent and doing their work by themselves and that has taken some getting used to for Isaac. Plus, he is always worried about taking care of everyone else (again, not sure where that comes from) and he needs to just focus on his own needs! He is such a good kid…with a big heart. He is so much like my dad at times!!!!
Speaking of worrying about everyone else…at one point on our vacation, I told Mom that the reason that she and Jodi bicker is because they are so much alike. (Jodi and I had just had that conversation too). So, mom looks at me and she says…Okay, Missy. Just for the record (because that is how I started my comment to her) it is not your responsibility to make everyone else happy and to make sure that everyone else is having a good time. And I have thought about that so much since she said that….I really do do that! I really do spend a large part of my time making sure that everyone else is taken care of and that everyone else is happy…..sometimes I forget to think about me. Now, believe me….I am not saying that I am not a selfish person…because we all are and I am no different. But I do need to find a balance sometimes. Sometimes I tend to fall to one side too much. Well, that might sound very conceited…but I am certainly not meaning it to. It was just a deep thought that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about…
Scott is doing good too. He had fun on our vacation, however I wasn’t very nice to him. I keep looking back and I was so worried that he would say something he shouldn’t or get on my family’s nerves that I didn’t let him have much fun. I kept telling him to be quiet and not say that and not do that….that wasn’t very nice of me. I guess I should just let him get on their nerves….lol. I probably got on their nerves more by telling him to be quiet than he would’ve if I would just let him be himself! LOL Oh well! Anytime you vacation with family, you love them dearly, but you realize why you don’t all live together all the time! LOL
Well, I think I have rambled about nonsense long enough! I just wanted to share a bit of our vacation with you! Love you all and I do check up on all of the journal-goddesses every day! I don’t always comment, but I do check them daily! So, I am praying for you and loving you all!!!!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
I am still alive!!!
So, yeah…it has been a while! Like two months! What is that all about? I still check everyone’s journal every day…but for some reason I have a hard time taking the time to post. I think it is because there is so much to say, but yet….not enough time. I don’t know. But who cares? I am here now! LOL
Let me give you a person-by-person update before I get to me!
Gracie
Well, Gracie is growing up so fast! She is talking a lot and just changing and developing quite the little personality. She is so strong-willed and such a little pistol. I just love her to death, but there are moments that I could just strangle her! She is a screamer…she screams when she doesn’t get her way…and she likes to torture her brother and sister. But then she will also do the cutest things that just melt your heart. So, she is something else!!! She is still pretty tiny comparatively speaking….but she holds her own!
Faith Anne
I have enrolled my Faithy in Kindergarten! Can you believe that? She goes for her screening at the end of this month. She is so ready to go….but I am not sure that I am! I just can’t believe it is that time already! She is such a little drama queen. Everything with her so melo-dramatic. But she also has a very loving side….she is my cuddler and just likes to be held and told that you love her…over and over and over again. She seriously wants like 10 hugs and kisses every night – from everyone. The other day I was at Target with the girls and they were both riding in the cart and they had been hitting each other (SHOCKER) but then they started singing the “I Love You” song from Barney (HATE that show) and hugging and kissing each other. It is moments like that….I cherish and hope they really do end up being the best of friends like I am with Jodi! Oh, and Faith Anne regularly tells me that she wants to get married too. What a funny little girl! She is really liking gymnastics and looking forward to starting soccer and t-ball soon! Of course she will have to have all pink stuff…cleats, shin guards, ball, bat, glove, etc. And then she will be cheering for football too. So, she is going to be busy! But it is her turn…she has been to all of “Isaac’s Stuff” for the past few years…now it is her turn too!
Isaac
Well, Bubby-Man is doing really good too. His grades are slipping a little bit at school (not all “A’s”), but he is doing good. His biggest problem at school is talking too much (really?) and being too concerned about everyone else and not just himself (again, really?). But overall, he is still doing good in school and still really likes it. His teacher’s husband passed away, so that was rough on him because he has really grown to love his teacher and he was sad when she was out for a few weeks. His basketball season is now over…he LOVED playing! His team lost one game, so they had a great season and a lot of fun. At the last practice last week, they had the kids play the parents and so I got to play! That was a lot of fun…even though he fouled me a lot. He is excited to start baseball too and he is really excited that football season is getting closer. It was funny because in football, he just isn’t very aggressive…well, in basketball, he was almost TOO aggressive! If we can just get him to switch that, that would be great! But he always keeps us busy! He is such a “pleaser”….a lot like me, actually. He just wants everyone to be happy all the time. When Gracie is upset…or even Faith Anne, he wants to do whatever it will take to make them happy. He is just a sweet, sweet kid. Don’t get me wrong, he teases his sisters some too….but when they are really upset, he is always the one to go get their favorite book or toy or try to take their punishment for them. They are blessed to have such a great big brother!!!
Scott
Well, he is doing great at work, in spite of the economy. I guess that people are home more now, so they don’t want to give up their cable. So, that is good for our budget! We still don’t see a lot of each other, but I am assuming that most people our age with kids our ages are like that. One day we will get to enjoy each other again! I am blessed to have a hubby who is so good to me. He really takes care of me and the kids….and he doesn’t complain about it…too much! LOL He spoils me! He has been very busy at home the last few weeks because we switched bedrooms for Isaac and the girls. So, that involved a lot of painting and repairing walls and re-hanging curtains and pictures and stuff. They look REALLY nice and we are SO glad it is done! I wish we could afford a bigger house, but I do love what we have…if only we had one more room! Some day….
And me…well, I am doing good. I had a big scare with my job in January. We had a big shake-up here and did some restructuring and down-sizing. There was about one week where I really, really thought I was going to have my job eliminated….and honestly, it still could happen. But for now, my job is safe and it has changed some, but I still have a job! In this economy…that isn’t something to take for granted! I have a new boss…a woman! I really like working for her. She has a very annoying voice, but she seems to be a good person to work with and she is very appreciative of what I do. So, that is work!
I am still losing weight….but very, very slowly! I guess that I am okay with that because they say the slower it comes off…the longer it will stay off. But I do wish I could just wake up skinny and at my goal! That just isn’t happening as fast as I would like it to! I have about 25 more pounds to go to my goal. At this rate…I might make it there by next year. LOL I have decided that I am really going to try to just enjoy where I am at in this journey instead of always trying to move faster. I am way healthier now than I have ever been…way more active than I have ever been….actually wearing smaller clothes than I remember wearing since high school...so I guess I can’t complain too much! I have learned a lot about myself on this journey…but still have so much to learn. I don’t think you ever “arrive” when you are someone like me, who has had a weight issue my whole life. The moment you think you have “arrived” is the moment that you start gaining back, I think. So…anyways….that is going good! I hit a pretty big milestone in my journey last week and it felt GREAT!
I have some fun and exciting things coming up! This weekend, the girl cousins are all going to Kentucky to Jodi’s house for a baby shower. The shower is on Saturday, but we are all going down on Friday night and having a slumber party at Jodi’s house! I am so stinking excited! We are going to play karaoke and just have a great time laughing together! I can’t wait!!! Then, we are going on vacation to Disney World the last week in March for Spring Break! That is so very exciting too! I am dreading the drive down there, but I can’t wait to see the kids’ reaction to the Magic Kingdom! We are going to go there two days….and that is all, at this point as far as the parks go. Mom and Dad and our whole family and Jodi are all going…so it will be a blast! This is the last year that we can go with Gracie being free…and I was able to get 20% off the tickets through work, so it won’t be TOO bad. But I can’t believe how expensive it is!!!! So, that is exciting! Then in April, the cousins are all going to Women of Faith…and Mandisa is going to be there…WAHOO! Have you heard her new song…LOVE IT! I need to get her CD. And then the weekend after that….is the Vera Bradley Trunk Sale! I don’t know who I am going to that with or the details of that…but I WILL be there….that is FOR SURE! Oh….and then one other thing I just thought of, my cousin Michael and Kami are getting married in June and Isaac is in that wedding. That will be fun and all the Oklahoma crew will be in town, so that is another exciting thing to look forward to! And Tessa is getting married in May….just lots of exciting things on the horizon!
Well, I am sure you are bored with my rambling by now. I know there is so much more to tell you, but I will bore you with that another day! I do ‘lurk” every day! It is part of my morning routine when I get to work! Love and hugs to you all!!!!!
Let me give you a person-by-person update before I get to me!
Gracie
Well, Gracie is growing up so fast! She is talking a lot and just changing and developing quite the little personality. She is so strong-willed and such a little pistol. I just love her to death, but there are moments that I could just strangle her! She is a screamer…she screams when she doesn’t get her way…and she likes to torture her brother and sister. But then she will also do the cutest things that just melt your heart. So, she is something else!!! She is still pretty tiny comparatively speaking….but she holds her own!
Faith Anne
I have enrolled my Faithy in Kindergarten! Can you believe that? She goes for her screening at the end of this month. She is so ready to go….but I am not sure that I am! I just can’t believe it is that time already! She is such a little drama queen. Everything with her so melo-dramatic. But she also has a very loving side….she is my cuddler and just likes to be held and told that you love her…over and over and over again. She seriously wants like 10 hugs and kisses every night – from everyone. The other day I was at Target with the girls and they were both riding in the cart and they had been hitting each other (SHOCKER) but then they started singing the “I Love You” song from Barney (HATE that show) and hugging and kissing each other. It is moments like that….I cherish and hope they really do end up being the best of friends like I am with Jodi! Oh, and Faith Anne regularly tells me that she wants to get married too. What a funny little girl! She is really liking gymnastics and looking forward to starting soccer and t-ball soon! Of course she will have to have all pink stuff…cleats, shin guards, ball, bat, glove, etc. And then she will be cheering for football too. So, she is going to be busy! But it is her turn…she has been to all of “Isaac’s Stuff” for the past few years…now it is her turn too!
Isaac
Well, Bubby-Man is doing really good too. His grades are slipping a little bit at school (not all “A’s”), but he is doing good. His biggest problem at school is talking too much (really?) and being too concerned about everyone else and not just himself (again, really?). But overall, he is still doing good in school and still really likes it. His teacher’s husband passed away, so that was rough on him because he has really grown to love his teacher and he was sad when she was out for a few weeks. His basketball season is now over…he LOVED playing! His team lost one game, so they had a great season and a lot of fun. At the last practice last week, they had the kids play the parents and so I got to play! That was a lot of fun…even though he fouled me a lot. He is excited to start baseball too and he is really excited that football season is getting closer. It was funny because in football, he just isn’t very aggressive…well, in basketball, he was almost TOO aggressive! If we can just get him to switch that, that would be great! But he always keeps us busy! He is such a “pleaser”….a lot like me, actually. He just wants everyone to be happy all the time. When Gracie is upset…or even Faith Anne, he wants to do whatever it will take to make them happy. He is just a sweet, sweet kid. Don’t get me wrong, he teases his sisters some too….but when they are really upset, he is always the one to go get their favorite book or toy or try to take their punishment for them. They are blessed to have such a great big brother!!!
Scott
Well, he is doing great at work, in spite of the economy. I guess that people are home more now, so they don’t want to give up their cable. So, that is good for our budget! We still don’t see a lot of each other, but I am assuming that most people our age with kids our ages are like that. One day we will get to enjoy each other again! I am blessed to have a hubby who is so good to me. He really takes care of me and the kids….and he doesn’t complain about it…too much! LOL He spoils me! He has been very busy at home the last few weeks because we switched bedrooms for Isaac and the girls. So, that involved a lot of painting and repairing walls and re-hanging curtains and pictures and stuff. They look REALLY nice and we are SO glad it is done! I wish we could afford a bigger house, but I do love what we have…if only we had one more room! Some day….
And me…well, I am doing good. I had a big scare with my job in January. We had a big shake-up here and did some restructuring and down-sizing. There was about one week where I really, really thought I was going to have my job eliminated….and honestly, it still could happen. But for now, my job is safe and it has changed some, but I still have a job! In this economy…that isn’t something to take for granted! I have a new boss…a woman! I really like working for her. She has a very annoying voice, but she seems to be a good person to work with and she is very appreciative of what I do. So, that is work!
I am still losing weight….but very, very slowly! I guess that I am okay with that because they say the slower it comes off…the longer it will stay off. But I do wish I could just wake up skinny and at my goal! That just isn’t happening as fast as I would like it to! I have about 25 more pounds to go to my goal. At this rate…I might make it there by next year. LOL I have decided that I am really going to try to just enjoy where I am at in this journey instead of always trying to move faster. I am way healthier now than I have ever been…way more active than I have ever been….actually wearing smaller clothes than I remember wearing since high school...so I guess I can’t complain too much! I have learned a lot about myself on this journey…but still have so much to learn. I don’t think you ever “arrive” when you are someone like me, who has had a weight issue my whole life. The moment you think you have “arrived” is the moment that you start gaining back, I think. So…anyways….that is going good! I hit a pretty big milestone in my journey last week and it felt GREAT!
I have some fun and exciting things coming up! This weekend, the girl cousins are all going to Kentucky to Jodi’s house for a baby shower. The shower is on Saturday, but we are all going down on Friday night and having a slumber party at Jodi’s house! I am so stinking excited! We are going to play karaoke and just have a great time laughing together! I can’t wait!!! Then, we are going on vacation to Disney World the last week in March for Spring Break! That is so very exciting too! I am dreading the drive down there, but I can’t wait to see the kids’ reaction to the Magic Kingdom! We are going to go there two days….and that is all, at this point as far as the parks go. Mom and Dad and our whole family and Jodi are all going…so it will be a blast! This is the last year that we can go with Gracie being free…and I was able to get 20% off the tickets through work, so it won’t be TOO bad. But I can’t believe how expensive it is!!!! So, that is exciting! Then in April, the cousins are all going to Women of Faith…and Mandisa is going to be there…WAHOO! Have you heard her new song…LOVE IT! I need to get her CD. And then the weekend after that….is the Vera Bradley Trunk Sale! I don’t know who I am going to that with or the details of that…but I WILL be there….that is FOR SURE! Oh….and then one other thing I just thought of, my cousin Michael and Kami are getting married in June and Isaac is in that wedding. That will be fun and all the Oklahoma crew will be in town, so that is another exciting thing to look forward to! And Tessa is getting married in May….just lots of exciting things on the horizon!
Well, I am sure you are bored with my rambling by now. I know there is so much more to tell you, but I will bore you with that another day! I do ‘lurk” every day! It is part of my morning routine when I get to work! Love and hugs to you all!!!!!
Monday, January 12, 2009
What a Weekend!!!
***Disclaimer*** I am doing this at work, so I know my Christmas theme is still here but I can't get rid of it at work. I need to log on at home so I can change it. Sorry!!!
Hey there! Yeah, so it hasn’t been so long since my last post. That is out of the ordinary for me…but I had such a jam-packed weekend…I thought I would share it. Really, I think there are just some things I want to “talk” about. Ya know?
So…anyways….Friday night wasn’t very exciting. Scott took Isaac and Faith Anne to a basketball game, so it was just me and Gracie and we went shopping. I always have fun when it is just the two of us. She just says the cutest things. She really talks well…and A LOT for her age! So…that was pretty much Friday night.
Saturday was like the never-ending day…but it had some great “me-time” built in too! We got up early because Isaac had his first basketball game! Wow. That gym was like MASS CHAOS. It is a big gym and they have these huge curtains to divide it into 4 basketball courts. So, yeah…four games going on at the same time. Plus, it was picture day….so it was craziness! Faithy’s preschool teacher from last year was there and I asked her if it was always like this and she said yes…sometimes worse when all the grandparents decide to come too! But anyways…his first game was great! We had the camcorder, but it messed up for some reason so we didn’t get it on tape! Bummer! But that kid (Isaac, obviously..lol) was more aggressive in basketball than he ever was in football! He did a really, really good job and he scored! The first time he tried he scored! I was one proud Mama!!! They won…although they were winning so much at the half that they reset the scoreboard and then kinda stopped tracking it. It doesn’t really matter because it is just so entertaining to watch!
We left the basketball game and Scott and the kids dropped me off at home…by myself! BLISS! He had to work down in Wilmington so he took all three kids with him to our friend’s house so they could all play together. HEAVEN. Yeah, so I ended up cleaning house some and reading some. Then my mom came and picked me up and we went to Skinny Cousin’s baby shower! That was fun because Mandy and Chelle and the other Mandie were all there, so we were able to visit and just relax. Skinny Cousin got a lot of cute and adorable baby girl clothes – lots of pink!!! She is so funny…she told me that I definitely have the title of Skinny Cousin right now because she is so pregnant. Umm.. yeah, but that won’t last! LOL
So then Mom took me home and I had another 2 hours of BLISS (aka being home alone). LOL I seriously cannot tell you the last time I was home alone! I know lots of you are in that same spot…it was WONDERFUL for those that can’t remember! I cleaned more and did laundry and read some more. Then I started dinner and then my quiet time was over. It was bliss…short-lived, but bliss nonetheless!
We ate dinner and then I went to church for PT practice. I missed having Sara there, but I had fun hanging out with Tessa! We talked wedding stuff some and just commiserated with each other when we were frustrated. LOL
I got home from there and Scott had lined up a sitter (I knew about this before) and we headed out to go to a bar to hear my Uncle’s band play! We went to the wrong place at first and talk about being uncomfortable. We walked into this little dive and everyone stared at us….it was the wrong place. So, we found the right place and talked to my Uncle and his “should-be girlfriend”. We met my MIL and her boyfriend there. Well, the invited my FIL and his wife…because the four of them hang out regularly…. At one point, Scott says…”how weird is it that I am sitting in a bar with my parents. And not only my parents but my mom’s boyfriend and my dad’s wife. WEIRD!” It was a bit strange. But the band (Diddley) was REALLY, REALLY good!!! I had never heard them with a full band before and I was AMAZED and PROUD of my Uncle!!! Go DIDDLEY!! I am ready to be a groupie!
So…the next morning, I had to sing in both services at church. Okay….so I was very emotionally charged anyways because I was all excited about Isaac’s baptism. Well, before the first service started, I hear this older woman in the congregation start to berate Jason, our Worship Minister. I mean…she was talking to him like he was a dog. At first, she was so loud that I just thought she was teasing….but then I realized she was serious and I just was astonished. I walked back to the room we pray in before the service and saw Jason and I just started crying. I felt so bad for him that she would talk to him like that. So, we prayed and waited for me to get composed (I couldn’t stop crying and that was making him uncomfortable…LOL) and then we made it through the first service. Fine…so….I was making tea and getting ready to go to Sunday School and I just was a nervous wreck! Laura (Hair Dye) had to help me with my tea because I was just shaking and a mess! So, we get to Sunday School and our teacher wasn’t there…but there was 6 of us ladies and for some reason, I had diarrhea of the mouth and just spewed out all of the fears and nerves and emotions of the day. I was in tears telling them about how proud of Isaac I was and about our meeting with Stew (the youth minister) and about Scott and I arguing last week about his dad and about his dad and about how worried I was that my dad would punch his dad and about blah, blah, blah. You get the point. So, they all prayed for me and we prayed for one of the other girls who is really going through a rotten time right now. It was just a beautiful example of how God wants us to minister to each other.
Anywho….so we walk out of there and I am feeling pretty good about everything. I head over the church and see Mandy and her family there and that was so special to me…. And then I headed into the sanctuary and I saw Chelle and Matt and Katie (Mandy’s sister) and Jodi and Jimmie and my parents and both of Scott’s sisters and Deanna and their kids and my MIL and Rob (her boyfriend) and my FIL and Patty (his wife) and I felt so blessed to have such a loving family there to celebrate this day. THEN…Scott pulls me aside (mind you, I am supposed to be praying with the PT before the service) to tell me that his dad wants to be in the baptistery with them too. WHAT? I immediately said no way. So then Scott says…well, then maybe we should tell your dad no too so we don’t cause a scene. And I said…NO WAY. I said we are doing this the way Isaac wants us to. Then Scott starts to walk off and I grab him again and say…”This is Isaac’s day. You tell your Dad for once in his life this day isn’t about him and needs to stop trying to make it about him.” I then went back to the prayer room, but they were done praying and walking out….I grabbed Tessa and hugged her and asked her to pray with me and am in tears. She hugged me and prayed (man, I love that girl) and then we head onto stage…but first, Jason sees me and is like…..are you okay? I was like…Yeah, I just need my FIL to not be here. He says…well, let’s just sick (insert name of mean old lady who attacked him earlier) on him. We both laughed and went onto stage and had an AWESOME, AWESOME service. And my baby boy made the greatest decision of his life. He chose God….and just like the song that we sang says….the angels were praising with us yesterday. It was beautiful….it was so awesome….and I had my awesome and wonderful family ALL there with me. I love them all so much.
As a side note….Scott didn’t want his dad up there either, but he didn’t know what to do and he was trying to keep peace and not cause a scene. I guess when he told his dad no, his dad was actually fine with it and said that he just wanted us to know that he was proud and wanted to be a part of it. It wasn’t brought up again (so never to me) and he actually came up to me afterwards and hugged me and was crying and saying he loved me. And I saw him hug my dad too. Now…I still can’t stand the man. But…he is Scott’s dad and I have to learn to tolerate him. This bitterness that I harbor against him isn’t hurting him, but it is hurting me and it could hurt my marriage if I don’t let it go. That is going to be a daily struggle….but I have to do it.
So….anyways, after that, we all (and I do mean ALL) went to lunch at BD’s Mongolian BBQ at the Greene and it was so much fun!!!! We had a great time together and I think everyone liked it….we had to leave abruptly because Isaac had a football party, so I felt bad about that. But it was just so neat and emotional for me to look around that room and see so many people that I love there to support my family and my son.
When we got home…I was exhausted. Physically…but more so emotionally. It was such an emotional day….good, bad and hard….but emotional all around!
God is so good. There just aren’t words for how great He is. I am so blessed. I am blessed to be a part of a family that comes together to celebrate together. I am blessed to be a part of a family that comes together to pray for each other. I am so blessed to be a part of a church family that loves and teaches my kids. I am just so blessed. God is so good. Thanks for letting me share my weekend with you!
Love you all!!!!
Hey there! Yeah, so it hasn’t been so long since my last post. That is out of the ordinary for me…but I had such a jam-packed weekend…I thought I would share it. Really, I think there are just some things I want to “talk” about. Ya know?
So…anyways….Friday night wasn’t very exciting. Scott took Isaac and Faith Anne to a basketball game, so it was just me and Gracie and we went shopping. I always have fun when it is just the two of us. She just says the cutest things. She really talks well…and A LOT for her age! So…that was pretty much Friday night.
Saturday was like the never-ending day…but it had some great “me-time” built in too! We got up early because Isaac had his first basketball game! Wow. That gym was like MASS CHAOS. It is a big gym and they have these huge curtains to divide it into 4 basketball courts. So, yeah…four games going on at the same time. Plus, it was picture day….so it was craziness! Faithy’s preschool teacher from last year was there and I asked her if it was always like this and she said yes…sometimes worse when all the grandparents decide to come too! But anyways…his first game was great! We had the camcorder, but it messed up for some reason so we didn’t get it on tape! Bummer! But that kid (Isaac, obviously..lol) was more aggressive in basketball than he ever was in football! He did a really, really good job and he scored! The first time he tried he scored! I was one proud Mama!!! They won…although they were winning so much at the half that they reset the scoreboard and then kinda stopped tracking it. It doesn’t really matter because it is just so entertaining to watch!
We left the basketball game and Scott and the kids dropped me off at home…by myself! BLISS! He had to work down in Wilmington so he took all three kids with him to our friend’s house so they could all play together. HEAVEN. Yeah, so I ended up cleaning house some and reading some. Then my mom came and picked me up and we went to Skinny Cousin’s baby shower! That was fun because Mandy and Chelle and the other Mandie were all there, so we were able to visit and just relax. Skinny Cousin got a lot of cute and adorable baby girl clothes – lots of pink!!! She is so funny…she told me that I definitely have the title of Skinny Cousin right now because she is so pregnant. Umm.. yeah, but that won’t last! LOL
So then Mom took me home and I had another 2 hours of BLISS (aka being home alone). LOL I seriously cannot tell you the last time I was home alone! I know lots of you are in that same spot…it was WONDERFUL for those that can’t remember! I cleaned more and did laundry and read some more. Then I started dinner and then my quiet time was over. It was bliss…short-lived, but bliss nonetheless!
We ate dinner and then I went to church for PT practice. I missed having Sara there, but I had fun hanging out with Tessa! We talked wedding stuff some and just commiserated with each other when we were frustrated. LOL
I got home from there and Scott had lined up a sitter (I knew about this before) and we headed out to go to a bar to hear my Uncle’s band play! We went to the wrong place at first and talk about being uncomfortable. We walked into this little dive and everyone stared at us….it was the wrong place. So, we found the right place and talked to my Uncle and his “should-be girlfriend”. We met my MIL and her boyfriend there. Well, the invited my FIL and his wife…because the four of them hang out regularly…. At one point, Scott says…”how weird is it that I am sitting in a bar with my parents. And not only my parents but my mom’s boyfriend and my dad’s wife. WEIRD!” It was a bit strange. But the band (Diddley) was REALLY, REALLY good!!! I had never heard them with a full band before and I was AMAZED and PROUD of my Uncle!!! Go DIDDLEY!! I am ready to be a groupie!
So…the next morning, I had to sing in both services at church. Okay….so I was very emotionally charged anyways because I was all excited about Isaac’s baptism. Well, before the first service started, I hear this older woman in the congregation start to berate Jason, our Worship Minister. I mean…she was talking to him like he was a dog. At first, she was so loud that I just thought she was teasing….but then I realized she was serious and I just was astonished. I walked back to the room we pray in before the service and saw Jason and I just started crying. I felt so bad for him that she would talk to him like that. So, we prayed and waited for me to get composed (I couldn’t stop crying and that was making him uncomfortable…LOL) and then we made it through the first service. Fine…so….I was making tea and getting ready to go to Sunday School and I just was a nervous wreck! Laura (Hair Dye) had to help me with my tea because I was just shaking and a mess! So, we get to Sunday School and our teacher wasn’t there…but there was 6 of us ladies and for some reason, I had diarrhea of the mouth and just spewed out all of the fears and nerves and emotions of the day. I was in tears telling them about how proud of Isaac I was and about our meeting with Stew (the youth minister) and about Scott and I arguing last week about his dad and about his dad and about how worried I was that my dad would punch his dad and about blah, blah, blah. You get the point. So, they all prayed for me and we prayed for one of the other girls who is really going through a rotten time right now. It was just a beautiful example of how God wants us to minister to each other.
Anywho….so we walk out of there and I am feeling pretty good about everything. I head over the church and see Mandy and her family there and that was so special to me…. And then I headed into the sanctuary and I saw Chelle and Matt and Katie (Mandy’s sister) and Jodi and Jimmie and my parents and both of Scott’s sisters and Deanna and their kids and my MIL and Rob (her boyfriend) and my FIL and Patty (his wife) and I felt so blessed to have such a loving family there to celebrate this day. THEN…Scott pulls me aside (mind you, I am supposed to be praying with the PT before the service) to tell me that his dad wants to be in the baptistery with them too. WHAT? I immediately said no way. So then Scott says…well, then maybe we should tell your dad no too so we don’t cause a scene. And I said…NO WAY. I said we are doing this the way Isaac wants us to. Then Scott starts to walk off and I grab him again and say…”This is Isaac’s day. You tell your Dad for once in his life this day isn’t about him and needs to stop trying to make it about him.” I then went back to the prayer room, but they were done praying and walking out….I grabbed Tessa and hugged her and asked her to pray with me and am in tears. She hugged me and prayed (man, I love that girl) and then we head onto stage…but first, Jason sees me and is like…..are you okay? I was like…Yeah, I just need my FIL to not be here. He says…well, let’s just sick (insert name of mean old lady who attacked him earlier) on him. We both laughed and went onto stage and had an AWESOME, AWESOME service. And my baby boy made the greatest decision of his life. He chose God….and just like the song that we sang says….the angels were praising with us yesterday. It was beautiful….it was so awesome….and I had my awesome and wonderful family ALL there with me. I love them all so much.
As a side note….Scott didn’t want his dad up there either, but he didn’t know what to do and he was trying to keep peace and not cause a scene. I guess when he told his dad no, his dad was actually fine with it and said that he just wanted us to know that he was proud and wanted to be a part of it. It wasn’t brought up again (so never to me) and he actually came up to me afterwards and hugged me and was crying and saying he loved me. And I saw him hug my dad too. Now…I still can’t stand the man. But…he is Scott’s dad and I have to learn to tolerate him. This bitterness that I harbor against him isn’t hurting him, but it is hurting me and it could hurt my marriage if I don’t let it go. That is going to be a daily struggle….but I have to do it.
So….anyways, after that, we all (and I do mean ALL) went to lunch at BD’s Mongolian BBQ at the Greene and it was so much fun!!!! We had a great time together and I think everyone liked it….we had to leave abruptly because Isaac had a football party, so I felt bad about that. But it was just so neat and emotional for me to look around that room and see so many people that I love there to support my family and my son.
When we got home…I was exhausted. Physically…but more so emotionally. It was such an emotional day….good, bad and hard….but emotional all around!
God is so good. There just aren’t words for how great He is. I am so blessed. I am blessed to be a part of a family that comes together to celebrate together. I am blessed to be a part of a family that comes together to pray for each other. I am so blessed to be a part of a church family that loves and teaches my kids. I am just so blessed. God is so good. Thanks for letting me share my weekend with you!
Love you all!!!!
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Happy New Year!
Wow! So, 2009 is upon us! That is just so hard to believe! It seems like it was just yesterday that we were scared of Y2K and all that jazz! Where does the time go?
Well, we ended up 2008 with a really great Holiday Season. I am not sure why it felt so wonderful to me this year, but it was just a great time of spending time with family and enjoying all of the many blessings that God has given us. I am usually sad when Christmas and New Years are over….I don’t really get depressed, just sad. I just hate to see it all end. But this year….I wasn’t happy to see it go, but I wasn’t sad either because it was just a great time!
Umm…we hosted my MIL’s side of the family “Family Christmas” at our house again this year…that was nice. It is always nice to do something like that because my house has never looked so good! LOL We remodeled our main bathroom (thank you Dad!), Scott repainted and redecorated our back bathroom and he painted our laundry room. Oh, he also painted all of our new doors (we have had them for a while, but just never painted them) and bought all new door handles for them! I am telling you…my house looks great! Oh, we had to buy new furniture too…we got a couch and loveseat (buy one get one free offer) and so that led to a new rug and new curtains and new footstools! LOL So, our house looks really great….and that was our Christmas present to each other. We didn’t get each other anything else because we have just spent so much money on our house here lately. But anyways…..so we had his whole family over….about 45 people! That went really well. We moved a bunch of furniture around and it just worked out great and I think everyone had a good time.
Umm…Christmas Eve was at my Mom and Dad’s house and then with all my Mom’s family at my Aunt and Uncle’s house. It was just a wonderful day all around. I always enjoy time spent with my family….and this year was no different! We went caroling to a few houses in their neighborhood and I LOVED that. We used to do that all the time when we were kids…..so it brought back some very sweet memories and it was fun to see Isaac and Faith Anne having so much fun with it too. Of course, we told them it wasn’t like trick-or-treating, and the first house….they came out with a plate full of cookies. LOL But that was really fun! And I got a Vera Bradley purse from my cousin, so what could be better than that? LOL It was just a great, great time with my favorite people in the world.
Christmas Day was fun…with one exception…but the kids had so much fun opening their presents and playing with their toys. They got some really great things….and a lot of really great things. We had both of our families over for breakfast and that is always so special to me….to have everyone together. Chaos…but like Mandy said, good chaos. After everyone left, we had naps….HEAVENLY….and then we went over to my MIL’s for dinner and games and then over to my parents for snacks and games. It was just a very fun day!
The one exception to the day....my FIL. He is just a POW (which stands for Piece of Work). He and his wife were late coming over on Christmas...so we didn't wait for them to eat. Then they still weren't there by the time the kids were itching to open their presents...so we handed them out and were just getting ready to open them when they walked in. He was upset that we didn't wait for him...whatever. THEN! Scott was showing him the bathroom that my Dad and Scott worked so hard on to remodel and he says it is nice....but asks why he didn't replace the hinges because they were rusty. WHAT? We have new flooring, new toilet, new vanity, new sink, new medicine cabinet, new paint, new door, new door handle and you point out that the hinges are rusty?!?!? THEN......he gave my kids a few small toys....he gave Scott $40....he gave both of his daughters $40.....he gave his other grandson (my nephew) all kinds of toys.....and he gave my SIL's "friend" $20 gift card..........He gave me.........NOTHING. Yep, NOTHING. Now, I don't want or need anything from that man, but to come into MY house....and to disrespect me like that....what a POW!!!! Needless to say, Scott hasn't spoken to his dad since Christmas and I don't care if I ever speak to him again. My MIL says it was probably an over-sight....but it is now 2 weeks after Christmas. Don't you think he would've found it by now if he just forgot my present? LOL Oh well....just chalk it up as one more thing about that man that makes him a POW. LOL
The day after Christmas was nice because my Dad offered to keep all three kids so that my mom, Jodi and I could go shopping! We had lunch and shopped and that was really fun…we stayed away from the big crazy stores….just went to a few small ones. That was really enjoyable and a nice time with them!
Let’s see….so then New Years Eve, we ended up having everyone over to our house because my Mom was really sick. So, we had my family (the cousins and one aunt & uncle) over to our house. We had so much fun playing games and just being together to celebrate the New Year! It is so fun for me to see Faith Anne and Gracie play with Abbey and Katie and then Isaac with the boys because it just brings back so many memories from our own childhoods. We all got a good laugh out of the girls playing dress-up with real dress-up clothes and not my lingerie….inside joke. But it was just so much fun – as always – spending the evening with my favorite people (except some of them were missing). I am so blessed to have family that double as my best friends and I genuinely love them and love spending time with them. Isn’t God great?
So…those were the major holidays! The other days…I was on vacation, so they were just blissful! LOL I had a lot of time with the kids each day….a nice reminder of why I am a better Mommy because I work! LOL Just kidding…kinda. My kids just fight a lot. They actually would play really, really well together for a few hours….but they would fight a lot for a few hours too. So, that was annoying. But it was just nice to “be”. We had a lazy schedule and they got to stay in their PJs for as long as they wanted to and play with their toys or watch movies or just hang out. I read some books….saw some movies….it was just a really, really great vacation!
Ummm…but now back to reality! I didn’t do great with my eating plan while I was on vacation. I pretty much just ate whatever I wanted. I did go to the gym every day – actually more than I normally do! But I still gained weight…not much, but enough to kick my butt back into gear. I would like to hit my goal and lose 28 more pounds this year. I would like to be a WW leader or at least in the training program by the end of the year. So, I have to get focused and I really need to jazz up my exercise routine to help with my problem areas! It is so neat to be able to buy clothes at whatever store I want to now! But I need to lose more off my top half so that I can fit more comfortably in those clothes! LOL My momma cursed me with a big chest, so I am not sure how to get rid of that…but I am going to work on it! LOL
Other goals for 2009….just to live each day to the fullest and be positive. There is so much in my life to be grateful for and I often lose sight of that. God has blessed me beyond my comprehension…..and He always provides. He has blessed me with a husband who loves me…and although he gets on my nerves sometimes, he really treats me so wonderful and does so many little things for me that I too often take for granted! He has entrusted me with three beautiful children….and I don’t deserve them…that is for sure. We have a home, we have two cars, we have all of our basic needs provided and we have the promise that He is coming back for us one day soon….God is so good and I don’t say that or think about that often enough.
One more note….Isaac is going to be baptized…probably this Sunday. We have to meet with Stew to make sure that he is ready for this….but he has been asking us for a few months now and to hear him explain what it means….oh my gosh. It is so precious. He “wants God to take the yuck out of his heart and replace it with good stuff.” He knows that “all of the yuck won’t come out…and more yuck will come in….” but he wants “God to live in his heart and help him take care of the yuck.” So precious. How ever did I get so blessed?
Have a great day! Love and hugs to all!!!!
Well, we ended up 2008 with a really great Holiday Season. I am not sure why it felt so wonderful to me this year, but it was just a great time of spending time with family and enjoying all of the many blessings that God has given us. I am usually sad when Christmas and New Years are over….I don’t really get depressed, just sad. I just hate to see it all end. But this year….I wasn’t happy to see it go, but I wasn’t sad either because it was just a great time!
Umm…we hosted my MIL’s side of the family “Family Christmas” at our house again this year…that was nice. It is always nice to do something like that because my house has never looked so good! LOL We remodeled our main bathroom (thank you Dad!), Scott repainted and redecorated our back bathroom and he painted our laundry room. Oh, he also painted all of our new doors (we have had them for a while, but just never painted them) and bought all new door handles for them! I am telling you…my house looks great! Oh, we had to buy new furniture too…we got a couch and loveseat (buy one get one free offer) and so that led to a new rug and new curtains and new footstools! LOL So, our house looks really great….and that was our Christmas present to each other. We didn’t get each other anything else because we have just spent so much money on our house here lately. But anyways…..so we had his whole family over….about 45 people! That went really well. We moved a bunch of furniture around and it just worked out great and I think everyone had a good time.
Umm…Christmas Eve was at my Mom and Dad’s house and then with all my Mom’s family at my Aunt and Uncle’s house. It was just a wonderful day all around. I always enjoy time spent with my family….and this year was no different! We went caroling to a few houses in their neighborhood and I LOVED that. We used to do that all the time when we were kids…..so it brought back some very sweet memories and it was fun to see Isaac and Faith Anne having so much fun with it too. Of course, we told them it wasn’t like trick-or-treating, and the first house….they came out with a plate full of cookies. LOL But that was really fun! And I got a Vera Bradley purse from my cousin, so what could be better than that? LOL It was just a great, great time with my favorite people in the world.
Christmas Day was fun…with one exception…but the kids had so much fun opening their presents and playing with their toys. They got some really great things….and a lot of really great things. We had both of our families over for breakfast and that is always so special to me….to have everyone together. Chaos…but like Mandy said, good chaos. After everyone left, we had naps….HEAVENLY….and then we went over to my MIL’s for dinner and games and then over to my parents for snacks and games. It was just a very fun day!
The one exception to the day....my FIL. He is just a POW (which stands for Piece of Work). He and his wife were late coming over on Christmas...so we didn't wait for them to eat. Then they still weren't there by the time the kids were itching to open their presents...so we handed them out and were just getting ready to open them when they walked in. He was upset that we didn't wait for him...whatever. THEN! Scott was showing him the bathroom that my Dad and Scott worked so hard on to remodel and he says it is nice....but asks why he didn't replace the hinges because they were rusty. WHAT? We have new flooring, new toilet, new vanity, new sink, new medicine cabinet, new paint, new door, new door handle and you point out that the hinges are rusty?!?!? THEN......he gave my kids a few small toys....he gave Scott $40....he gave both of his daughters $40.....he gave his other grandson (my nephew) all kinds of toys.....and he gave my SIL's "friend" $20 gift card..........He gave me.........NOTHING. Yep, NOTHING. Now, I don't want or need anything from that man, but to come into MY house....and to disrespect me like that....what a POW!!!! Needless to say, Scott hasn't spoken to his dad since Christmas and I don't care if I ever speak to him again. My MIL says it was probably an over-sight....but it is now 2 weeks after Christmas. Don't you think he would've found it by now if he just forgot my present? LOL Oh well....just chalk it up as one more thing about that man that makes him a POW. LOL
The day after Christmas was nice because my Dad offered to keep all three kids so that my mom, Jodi and I could go shopping! We had lunch and shopped and that was really fun…we stayed away from the big crazy stores….just went to a few small ones. That was really enjoyable and a nice time with them!
Let’s see….so then New Years Eve, we ended up having everyone over to our house because my Mom was really sick. So, we had my family (the cousins and one aunt & uncle) over to our house. We had so much fun playing games and just being together to celebrate the New Year! It is so fun for me to see Faith Anne and Gracie play with Abbey and Katie and then Isaac with the boys because it just brings back so many memories from our own childhoods. We all got a good laugh out of the girls playing dress-up with real dress-up clothes and not my lingerie….inside joke. But it was just so much fun – as always – spending the evening with my favorite people (except some of them were missing). I am so blessed to have family that double as my best friends and I genuinely love them and love spending time with them. Isn’t God great?
So…those were the major holidays! The other days…I was on vacation, so they were just blissful! LOL I had a lot of time with the kids each day….a nice reminder of why I am a better Mommy because I work! LOL Just kidding…kinda. My kids just fight a lot. They actually would play really, really well together for a few hours….but they would fight a lot for a few hours too. So, that was annoying. But it was just nice to “be”. We had a lazy schedule and they got to stay in their PJs for as long as they wanted to and play with their toys or watch movies or just hang out. I read some books….saw some movies….it was just a really, really great vacation!
Ummm…but now back to reality! I didn’t do great with my eating plan while I was on vacation. I pretty much just ate whatever I wanted. I did go to the gym every day – actually more than I normally do! But I still gained weight…not much, but enough to kick my butt back into gear. I would like to hit my goal and lose 28 more pounds this year. I would like to be a WW leader or at least in the training program by the end of the year. So, I have to get focused and I really need to jazz up my exercise routine to help with my problem areas! It is so neat to be able to buy clothes at whatever store I want to now! But I need to lose more off my top half so that I can fit more comfortably in those clothes! LOL My momma cursed me with a big chest, so I am not sure how to get rid of that…but I am going to work on it! LOL
Other goals for 2009….just to live each day to the fullest and be positive. There is so much in my life to be grateful for and I often lose sight of that. God has blessed me beyond my comprehension…..and He always provides. He has blessed me with a husband who loves me…and although he gets on my nerves sometimes, he really treats me so wonderful and does so many little things for me that I too often take for granted! He has entrusted me with three beautiful children….and I don’t deserve them…that is for sure. We have a home, we have two cars, we have all of our basic needs provided and we have the promise that He is coming back for us one day soon….God is so good and I don’t say that or think about that often enough.
One more note….Isaac is going to be baptized…probably this Sunday. We have to meet with Stew to make sure that he is ready for this….but he has been asking us for a few months now and to hear him explain what it means….oh my gosh. It is so precious. He “wants God to take the yuck out of his heart and replace it with good stuff.” He knows that “all of the yuck won’t come out…and more yuck will come in….” but he wants “God to live in his heart and help him take care of the yuck.” So precious. How ever did I get so blessed?
Have a great day! Love and hugs to all!!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)