Cruise Recap - Day 2

Here is my next recap!!!!

Day 2 – Thursday, May 13 The first day of the Cruise!!!
Since our flight left Dayton at 5:45 AM, it was an EARLY morning! I got up and got ready and went to pick up Joy at her house and then we went to my parents’ house. My dad was our chauffer for the trip. We all loaded into his truck and off we went to the airport. Note here…I was pleasantly surprised that not only were Mom and Jodi ready on time, but they were also both in good moods! That is saying a lot since they are not morning people! Yeah Jodi and Mom!!!

We got to the airport and dad dropped us off (breathing a sigh of relief, I am sure) and we went in. We didn’t know it then, but we were the last ones to arrive! How crazy is that since I am the only one used to that early morning hour and I am usually the first to arrive anywhere?!?! LOL I guess we were all pretty excited about this trip!

A very nice lady at the Delta counter helped us immediately (we must’ve looked like we needed it) and we were on our way! We met up with the rest of the group at our Gate. Thank goodness we had our own semi-private area to wait. We might’ve gotten on the nerves of the other passengers. (Or maybe we did anyways? LOL) After some great pictures and my mom handing out our “magic wands” for anything that annoyed us or wasn’t going our way…we were on our first little plane to Detroit.

The flight was fine and we arrived in Detroit with no problems. We all were hungry, so we kinda split up and did our own thing for breakfast. Joy and I opted for a sit-down breakfast at Max & Ermas’. It was yummy! We then headed to our gate and got off with…oh wait, PROBLEMS! We boarded the plane just fine. But then we didn’t take-off right away. In fact, we sat on the plane for a long time. There were storms and such, so we had to wait for a good time to take off. Mom was panicking a little bit….well, not so much panicking as getting upset because this just meant less time on the boat. So, we took off and ended up landing in Miami later then expected, but still in PLENTY of time!

We get off the plane in Miami and head on our way! We found the people holding the Carnival Signs….and one older man who told us that someone’s Mama was looking for us. That was so cute. Joy’s mom had flown from her home in Iowa and the first time they saw eachother was in the airport at Miami. They were both pretty excited!

After retrieving our luggage and boarding a bus to the boat….we were so stinking excited! I remember seeing the ship for the first time and commenting that it was OUR turn to take pictures and get on the big boat! Mandy said, yes…it is our turn to annoy others with our pictures. You aren’t annoyed, right? Well, even if you are..don’t tell me. LOL I don’t really care. Kidding….kinda.

So, we get to the dock (and really, I mean building next to the huge ship). This was my mom’s 10th cruise with Carnival, so she was a VIP. We weren’t sure what that meant, but we quickly found out. We didn’t have to wait in line at all and we went to a little reception room (hoity-toity) to get registered or whatever it is called. We got our sign-n-sail cards (the room key and the way you pay for everything on the cruise) and were on our way!

We were marveling and oohing and ahhing over every little thing on our way to get on the ship…and then we where there! It was beautiful! When you get on, you are in the main atrium and it is like a grand entrance to a very nice hotel. I was immediately surprised that the boat wasn’t nearly as wide as I thought it would be. I mean, we walked on and I could see right across to the other side. Now, mind you, it is HUGE. But that was just my first thought. We got in the atrium and decided to wait to watch everyone else get on before we ventured to our room.

Immediately there was a bar-maid with a tray of umbrella drinks and Mom bought Jodi and me our first drinks on the cruise! LOL We wanted to have them in hand when everyone else boarded! Plus, I think it was my mom’s way of telling us it was okay that we drank in front of her. Neither Jodi nor I have ever drank alcohol in front of our mother. What Mom didn’t know is that this drink was delicious….but VERY, VERY strong! And we hadn’t eaten for quite a few hours. LOL After everyone else boarded, we all went our separate ways to our rooms.

Our room was awesome. I mean, they are very small on cruise ships, but it was so nice! It had two twin beds and a Murphy bed type thing. It went up into the ceiling and they bring it down at night. We had a balcony and the view was incredible. We dropped our stuff and immediately went exploring! We found the Lido deck and sat and enjoyed our drinks (well, kinda because we were feeling a bit tipsy. LOL) and then we had a little bite to eat before we took off to explore the rest of the ship!

Okay, let me explain to those who have not been on a cruise what the Lido deck is. This is the place to be. LOL This is where the pools (salt water filled) and hot tubs are. This is also where there were like 6 or 7 buffet lines and about 6 soft-serve icecream machines. There were 3 or 4 bars and lots of bathrooms and tables and indoor seating and outdoor seating and a water slide and just lots and lots of things here. They have a pizza buffet, a New York Deli line and lots of other things. This is where we ate nearly every meal except dinner. Lots to see and do….and lots of great people-watching opportunities!

So, after we explored the entire ship, we went back to our room to get ready for dinner. We all got spiffied up and headed off to find our dining room. Now, let me insert here that we were all tired and excited and hot and everything all rolled into one. Mom and I took off to find our dining room and Jodi stayed behind to finish getting ready. Well, Mom wanted to try some perfume, so we went to the perfume store and then got lost trying to find our dining room. We finally found it and sat down and Jodi got there right after. LOL She didn’t have any problems finding it. Just a note…Mom and I had problems finding it EVERY NIGHT. LOL

Dinner…WOW. We had the best seats in the whole house. Our group of 23 women (I know, isn’t that cool) had three tables right in the middle of the dining room. Seriously, the best seats in the house. So, they treat you like absolute ROYALTY on the cruise. They put your napkins on your lap for you and just cater to your every whim. After looking at the menu, and following my mom’s advice, I ordered two appetizers (she ordered 3) and then a dinner and an extra dinner to share with her. I wanted to try tilapia (yuck) and this is the time to do it since you can order whatever you want and it is all included in what you have already paid for! Dinner was delicious! We had fun talking and laughing and just enjoying every minute of it! Dessert was DIVINE. Now, I remind you that this is my mom’s 10th cruise with carnival and for the past 10 years we have heard about this great dessert called Chocolate Melting Cake. So, of course that is what we got for dessert…Mickey Mouse Style. What is this slice of heaven, you ask? They bring you this sinful bowl of hot chocolate cake and then two smaller bowls of vanilla icecream and it is DIVINE. There is really no other word to describe it. I am sure it will be in heaven for you to try there if not before!!! So, as we are enjoying this taste of heaven, the maitre’ d introduces himself and then the best part (so far) happens. The waiters start singing and dancing….it was AWESOME. They had these little platform spread throughout the dining room to store the menus and stuff in and to put the trays on to serve from….well, they are also dancing platforms! That was a hoot! We all loved it! Marella, one of my mom’s cousins that we were sitting with, was a particular hoot and was fanning herself because she said she was getting hot from the waiter who was dancing by her. She chose her seat differently the next night to be closer to him. LOL

So we left there and went to the 5th Floor. This is where a lot of the entertainment was. There was a casino, shopping, a piano bar, a sports bar, a karaoke bar, a bar with a live band, a dance bar (like hip-hop or something), an internet café (LOL), a library, a cigar bar, and who knows what I am missing. But you get the point….there was A LOT of different things to do on that floor. We went to the karaoke bar first and what a hoot that was!!!! We got there and got books and Mandy put us all down to sing “Goodbye Earl” by the Dixie Chicks….I put in to sing “Killing Me Softly” by the Fugees and Mandy put in to sing “Something about Elvis” (or something like that) by Patty Loveless. Well, we quickly figured out that the person in charge of the karaoke was the world’s biggest dork with no personality. I mean, seriously….Ines was her name and bless her heart, she needed a behind-the-scenes type job…we think she was related to the captain! Remember that dorky guy in “Dirty Dancing”….the grandson guy…yep, that was Ines. She also couldn’t sing, but thought she could. LOL Anyways, there were some good and some not-so-good singers while we waited our turn. Meanwhile, the “older” ladies we were cruising with also came to the karaoke bar, but didn’t sit with us. They were a riot. Well, it was our turn and so Jeanna, Chelle, Mandy and I (at least, I think that is who went up there) got up and sang Goodbye Earl. Since we were on a cruise with 23 ladies, we had a good cheering section (HA) and it is a fun song, so everyone cheered us on. Well, just as we went to sit down, Ines called my name and at this point…this is what I am thinking….”I am about the whitest girl in here getting ready to sing a song with soul in a room full of soul sisters. What am I doing?” LOL But at that point, what have I got to lose?!??! So, I sing my song and had so much fun with everyone doing the “1 time, 2 time” and “go on girl” stuff. Then Mandy sang her song and ROCKED IT! She is amazing….and it was pretty ironic that she sang a song about Elvis because the next guy sang “Teddy Bear” by Elvis. This is the funniest part….he had a great voice, but didn’t look a stitch like Elvis. He was pudgy and bald. Well, Mom and her cousins all got out their magic wands and tried to use them to make him LOOK as much like Elvis as he sounded like him. LOL It didn’t work. LOL But it was fun!!!

So, some of our group went to bed (party poopers) and the rest of us made our exit from the Karaoke bar when a few of the ladies got out of hand with their song and actually, Ines started to sing again. This was AFTER we had done the Conga Line around the bar (started by Joy) and laughed our butts off. So, we looked in at the piano bar, but it was really smokey in there, so we opted to not stay there.

We went over to the bar with a live band….and it was love at first sight. First of all, this place was decorated so COOL! It was dark, but had these cool lights on the ceiling that were huge music notes. There was a huge trumpet on one wall and the tables had legs that were also instruments. It was just really, really cool. And the band. Wow. What do I say….the band was simply AWESOME! It was a group of guys (I think they were Filipino) and they were amazing! The lead singer was the drummer…..they sang covers from all genre’s. Anyhow, we went in and were up dancing almost immediately. I don’t even think I can do justice to how much we loved this band…..and this band loved us. Have you ever been to a party or a club and seen a group of girls dancing and they look so sexy and sultry and every guy wants to be with them? Well, that is precisely what we were…….NOT! We were that group of ladies that you see that you wonder, umm…do they think they can dance? Then you realize….they are having a ball and I want to be with them! That is what we were! We danced and we whooped and we hollered and we just had an awesome time. The drummer would say “Ladies” and point his drum stick at me….although everyone else thinks he was pointing at them. Anyways, he would ask us to dance and sing songs just so we would dance to them. This was night one of our love affair with Music Network, the greatest live band on Carnival Destiny EVER! We literally shut the place down that night (at almost 2:00 in the morning) and then headed back to our rooms.

When Mom, Jodi and I got to our room, we were so giddy and just talked for a bit while we all got ready for bed. Oh, and of course we had a “towel creature” in our room and chocolate mints on our beds. It was HEAVEN! We fell asleep still smiling from our first “day” on the boat!

Tomorrow is KEY WEST!!!! Stay tuned!!!!

We went on a cruise!!!

Did you know that we went on a Girls' Cruise?!? LOL

I want to share EVERY detail about it because it was AWESOME! But it will take me a while. So, I am going to post one day at a time.

Here is my first post:

Wow. I wanted to write a recap of our FABULOUS vacation! I am still smiling from our Girls’ Cruise a few weeks ago. Jodi is brilliant for having the idea and I still can’t believe we managed to pull it off. We all have wonderful husbands who allowed us this privilege to go and enjoy ourselves so much. So…here is my Cruiser Chic Recap:

Day 1 – Wednesday, May 12 The day before the cruise
Mom, Jodi, Gracie and I met up and drove to Waynesville and met Janice (our other sister) at Der Dutchman for a lovely brunch! We enjoyed the time to eat and visit so much. I think this is going to be our annual way to celebrate Mothers’ Day! Gracie was really, really good too!

So, after a lovely brunch, we took Gracie to spend some time with Papaw and we headed out shopping. Note to self, shopping with Jodi and Mom is dangerous to my pocketbook. We went to TJ Maxx because I needed to get an evening bag for the cruise. I hadn’t realized that I needed one. So, we had fun shopping there for a little bit until it was time for our pedicure appointment! We headed over to the nail salon and met up with Mandy, Chelle, Aunt Joanne, Aunt Barbara and Jeanna….all of us (except Joanne) got pedicures and it was wonderful! There was a lot of laughing and excitement going on! The nail ladies were a hoot! Jodi and I got the “French Manicure” on our toes ( so pretty!) and then we started talking about buying rhinestones or something to put on them….then Jodi asked about flowers and before we knew it….everyone of us left there with pretty flowers on our toes! We had fun taking pictures of our toes outside (without Chelle and Mandy because they were tanning and wouldn’t let us borrow their feet for pictures).

We then headed (Mom, Jodi and me) to Gabriel Brothers. Mind you, at this point I was completely packed for the cruise and had my new evening bag. Well, don’t you know that I left Gabriel Brothers with two new sundresses for the cruise. LOL Like I said, shopping with them is dangerous. Thank goodness GB is very, very cheap!!! We had fun looking at lots of stuff there.

After that, we went to Mom’s house and I collected my kids and went home to spend the evening with them and try to sleep before the big day!!!

10 Years Ago Today....

I married my best friend! And today....I couldn't be more blessed. I just look at my husband and how wonderful he is to me and I am amazed at God's blessings in our lives. We have three beautiful children and we are closer today and more in love today than I could have ever imagined.

Now...that isn't to say that we haven't had our moments that have been hard in the past 10 years. We have been through a lot of drama together but God has used those life events to pull us closer to HIM and closer to each other.

I am so blessed to have a husband who puts Christ at the center of our marriage and we share the same love for Christ.

I just wanted to post this as I am thinking about my wonderful husband! I took him ice cream at lunch as he is at home planting flowers....he was surprised. I also have another gift to give him later and he doesn't think I am getting him anything! HA!

Anyways...10 years ago today I was preparing for one of the best days of my life! I always say that it is funny to me to look back now at that day and think about how in love I thought I was. I don't think I really knew what love was at that point. Not sure if that makes sense...but with each day and each year and each baby that was born and each night up with a sick kid and each time he looks at me and each time he cleans the house or does the laundry or buys my special things at the store or brings me flowers just because or pushes me to do something that I really want to do but don't know if I can do or each time he tells me I am beautiful or watching him read the kids a book or saying it is jump on daddy time and watching him play with the kids or the times he stays home with the sick kid so I can go to work or the times he gets the kids ready and comes to watch me in a race or the times he tells people what a great mom I am or the quiet moments when it is just him and I and we just talk....I mean the list could go on and on....each of those moments have made our love grow and made me look at him more and more for the man he is and not the man he will be. I love him and I am so blessed to have him as my husband.

Just wanted to share that today!!!! Happy Anniversary to me!!!!

OH....and Happy Earth Day too!!!

Love ya!

I love this time of the year!!!

God has a plan for you. Before you even thought about Him and what His plan entails for you, He was already thinking about you and He already had a plan for you. Wow. That is pretty cool!!!

So, we had a great sermon yesterday. I have to tell you that when we first started attending this new church, I wasn’t too sure about the preacher because he is vastly different from Bob and I really enjoyed Bob. But let me tell you, there have been so many awesome sermons. My mind has totally changed about him. Yesterday he preached from Jeremiah 1 and it was a powerful, powerful sermon. Then the sweetest thing happened at the end of the service. Each Sunday they invite people to come up if they need prayer or whatever and it is always so sweet how it is handled. Typically he will tell everyone what the person is requesting prayer for and then invites people who have had similar situations in their life to come up and pray with them. I love that part of the service. It is so neat to see. Anyhow, yesterday there were several people who went up for prayer and right before the end of the song, these two young boys went up together. You could tell that their parents did not know what they were doing and they actually tried to stop them for a second but they were quick! LOL Well, those two little boys went up to request prayer for their grandma who is having back problems. When Randy (our preacher) asked them their Grandma’s name…they shrugged their shoulders and said “Grandma”. So sweet. So, he prayed for their grandma and it was so precious. So precious to see their faith and they knew that their request – no matter how big or small – was just the right request to take to the Lord. Oh, if only we had that same faith and persistence. It was a great ending to a great service. Oh…plus we sang the Revelation Song yesterday and that is just about one of my favorite songs ever and it was so neat to see how it moved so many people.

However, on that note…I have to say that last week on Easter, church was really great in all three services that I sang in. And I had this cool conversation with a guy after the first service. Our first service is a traditional service and the average age of the congregation is about 65 or so. Well, I made the comment to him that it was neat to see some of them “get into” worship with us because that is so rare and there aren’t many. And he said that he has a different theory about that….he said that just because we don’t see them “get into” worship the way that we do, doesn’t mean that they aren’t “into it”. We talked about that for a while and he made a great point and I will certainly keep that in mind. Now, I still think the ones that stand with their arms crossed and their lips pursed together are probably NOT into worship, but who am I to judge? LOL It was just a great conversation and Easter worship was really good!

So, what has been going on in my life the past two weeks since I last posted? Let me recap all of the excitement for you!!!!

Vacation….was AWESOME! We left early on Sunday morning and drove to Gatlinburg. My parents have an AWESOME time-share place there that has a very cool indoor waterpark. So, we got there on Sunday and Mom and I went and got groceries and Scott and Dad took the kids onto the resort and waterpark. The kids had so much fun. That night, we stayed at the park until it closed and then went back to our room and I cooked dinner. We had a relaxing evening and just enjoyed the company. Then the next day we got up and took the trolley (found it!) to Gatlinburg and went to the Aquarium. Aside from Gracie having a few meltdowns, we had fun there. Faith just loved to take pictures of everything and she was a bit scared of walking under the sharks. We all tried to touch the sting-rays and I actually did touch one but no one else could reach them. We ran into two families from Dayton there that we knew…so that was a bit weird! Then we went back to the waterpark for a bit and then we went out to dinner to Logans. YUMMO. Plus CHEAPO. We did some outlet shopping…I have to go to the Disney Store when we are there and then back to the room for dessert and games. Then on Tuesday we just planned on spending the entire day at the waterpark and we had a blast. The kids all love it and just had so much fun playing. I went back to the room at one point and made sandwiches for lunch and we just hung out all day there and enjoyed the time. After cleaning up and grilling out for dinner, we went to the Miracle Theater to see Joseph and the Technicolor Coat of Many Colors featuring Melinda Doolittle (from American Idol a few seasons ago) as the narrator. It was AWESOME and the kids all were great and really enjoyed it….we all did! Faith’s favorite part was getting Joseph’s autograph afterwards. She thought she had seen a celebrity! So cute. Plus the kids got to ride on a camel! Oh….Gracie fell asleep on my lap right before the end, but she still loved it! We got up and headed home the next morning. Being home and off work the next two days was fabulous because we had perfect weather! The girls and Isaac literally played outside pretty much the entire two days. I took them to Cox Arboretum one day. I had never been there before and we will definitely go back because they had so much fun and it was so pretty. I didn’t take my camera and that was really dumb. I got the pictures that I posted here with my phone.

Then that was Easter weekend and we had fun with my family! We painted eggs on Saturday with Jodi’s family and Isaac got to hang out with Austin. He sure loves his cousin! They played a lot of basketball and a lot of xBox. Austin ended up spending the night with us and the boys had fun….well, I know Isaac did. He probably annoyed Austin, but Austin was a good sport! And of course, Easter Sunday was tiring because we had to be at church early and sang in all three services, but that was very fun! Then we got to spend most of the day with my family – which I LOVED – but we had to leave before everyone else to go to Scott’s family….which I could’ve done without. Oh well. I enjoy spending time with them….but lately there has been drama again, so that makes it not as much fun. Plus, when my family gets together, it is really more of a gathering of my best friends, so I just hate missing out on any of that! But…did you know that we are going on a cruise in May? LOL So, that will be awesome! I am getting so excited!

So, anyways….then I had to go back to work and work was crazy busy! But at least I have a job! I ended up spending one night in Columbus, which was okay. I just enjoyed one night of total quiet and peace in a hotel room. That doesn’t happen very often. And the rest of the week was spent just getting caught up at work and running to soccer practice and baseball practice and t-ball! The kids are super busy…but they are enjoying it all. Poor Gracie isn’t in anything yet, but she enjoys running everywhere with me. Well, for the most part! LOL

We have been doing some landscaping at our house and I just don’t want to come to work! I would rather be sitting in my backyard and enjoying the fruits of our labors….or just enjoying the sound of the girls playing (or screaming) in the backyard! They LOVE their playground so much. I need to get them a new see-saw thingy to put in place of the baby swing since we don’t need that anymore. They will play out there for hours. It is so funny to listen to their imaginations as they play baby or go on rock hunts or push the dog down the slide (LOL). They crack me up.

I am sure there is so much more that I could say….I feel like I could go on forever, but I am also sure that I would bore you to tears! Love to all!!!

Spring Break!!!!

“Be careful little eyes what you see. Be careful little eyes what you see. For the Father up above is looking down with Love, so be careful little eyes what you see.”

Not sure why that popped in my head just now, but it did so I thought I would share. I love that Casting Crowns Song that includes this song at the end. How true it is; how true it is. Amazing that the little songs we learned in church as kids can have such an impact on us even as adults….or in some cases, especially as adults.

You know, God is just really working in my life right now. Being a Christian for so long, I have definitely experienced times in my life where I know that I was far from God. And I have definitely experienced times where I know that I am close to God. This is one of those close to God times. I don’t know why we allow ourselves to move far from Him when it feels so good to be close to Him. I know that Satan orchestrates that, but we allow it to happen. So, anyways….I really think that our new church is challenging me in ways I have needed for a while. It has a lot to do with timing too. But when you spend time in His word and in prayer and you deepen your relationship with Christ, other things fall into place.

So, what is going on with me? Well, I am on vacation next week…can I get an Amen!?!?!? I am so ready for a week away from work. I was originally only planning on taking three days off, but just changed my mind yesterday that I wanted the whole stinking week! Now, I am sure I will pay for it when I get back…so I will take my laptop and do some work from home next week, but a whole week of not getting up at 3:45 is so exciting to me! We are heading to Gatlinburg with my parents on Sunday and will come back from there on Wednesday. We don’t really have a lot planned while we are there – other then spending time at the WaterPark at the resort that my parents own a time-share in. The kids are excited about vacation! I haven’t even started packing or getting stuff ready for that yet. So, I am going to be busy on Saturday!

Well, according to Jodi’s facebook note…we have less than 49 days until our cruise. WA-FREAKING-HOO! I can’t wait! We had a fabulous time this past weekend with our “cousins’ sleepover” at Jodi’s house. Although, I fell asleep before the end of the karaoke, but we had fun! We always have fun when we are together…we need to do it more often! I am telling you what….God has blessed me with some awesome people in my life. If you read Mandy’s post, you can tell that we had some deep conversations on our way home (sorry that you missed it, Jodi) about what a difference God has made in our lives. It was just so powerful and we were all in tears at one point because the magnitude of what one young girl did for our family hit us all at the same time. It was very cool. One of the things that we have really been talking about in my Bible Study group is that it isn’t always our responsibility to cultivate the seeds that are planted, but it is our responsibility to plant seeds. It was just a powerful conversation. When you can look back in time and see where one person planted a seed and then another cultivated it and then to see the ripples and how God works….amazing.

Our adventures with Buckeye are going pretty good. He is a very sweet little puppy and he is getting the hang of how/when/where to go potty. We still don’t let him have the run of the house, but soon he will be able to go where he wants. He is going to stay with a very nice family from our church while we are on vacation. They have a bunch of animals and live out in the country, so he should have fun there. Oh, plus they have 4 sweet kids to play with him. We went to lunch with them after church last Sunday and we had a great time. They started going to our church about the same time or a little bit after us and so we have formed a friendship over the months. They are a very sweet family. It is funny because we really don’t have anything in common with them, but we all get along great. Anyways, I am sure Buckeye will have fun there. The kids are going to miss him, but taking him on vacation would NOT be fun!

Yesterday, I picked Isaac up from his Student Council Meeting and the advisor came over to me and told me what a great kid Isaac is. She said he is her most dependable and responsible kid on the Student Council….which is amazing considering there are 4th and 5th graders on there too. She said that he is always the first to volunteer to do anything to help and he constantly asks her how he can help her. Talk about making a Mama proud?!?!? I told her thank you and then she said…”No, thank you for raising such a fine young man.” Now, that fine young man doesn’t always reside at my house, but it was so nice to hear that from a teacher! Wait until she has Faith and Gracie! HA! Boy will she be surprised! LOL

I was so mortified by Gracie the other day. On Saturday night after we got home from Kentucky, my family loaded up and went to Rita’s (the most yummy ice/custard place around) for their free ice day. So, we get up there and are standing in line and I pick Gracie up and pretty loudly she says (with her hand on my chest now)…”Look Mommy! I can feel your big boob!” I about died right there in the parking lot. Of course everyone around us heard that…..and they were all snickering but trying not to look too much. The lady behind me was dying laughing. Scott was like…did she just say what I think she said? Umm..yes…she did! That girl is infatuated with my chest and hers now too. The other night I was giving her and Faith a bath and they both just kept saying boobs over and over and over again. And Faith used to call them “chubby-chubbies” and she remembered that and was like…well, they are kinda chubby mom. Oh, this is going to be fun.

Well, I am going to go eat my lunch! My mother-in-law is going to keep the kids tonight so I can go out to dinner with some football moms and then I am going to check a few more places for a swimsuit. I am so sick of swimsuit shopping….wonder if I could just wear a bag! LOL

Love you all!!!!

Warning: A Rambling Lunatic Wrote This Entry

Seriously…is it Friday yet? Let me tell you, this has been a week! For some reason, work has been extremely stressful this week and home has been busy – so I feel like I am spinning my wheels but not getting anywhere! I know that you all have been there before too! Can I get an Amen?!?! LOL

((Insert girl squeal here)) We are having our “Cousin’s Slumber Party” next Friday night and I simply can’t wait! The Ohio Cousins need to talk about the driving situation, but I am so excited! I need a little get-away! ((Insert girl squeal here))

My kids crack me up….I have been thinking about this today and I just keep giggling about it. The school is doing a fundraiser and for some reason, Isaac and Faith decided that they would only return one form and then share the prizes that they get. Not sure what made them decide to do this because I never even mentioned it, but fine by me! So, yesterday I asked Isaac which of them would actually return the form in their name and he said… “Well, we had a drawing and Faith Anne won, so I put her name on it.” So stinking funny. There is no doubt in my mind that he literally wrote his name down and then Faith’s name down and pulled a name out of a hat. I was at Bible Study when this transpired, but it cracked me up!

So, I have had a couple of melt-downs this week and I just think that the stress of work…well, that I allow the stress of work… to get to me too much. And then trying to be a good mother and a good wife and a good Christian and a good housekeeper and a good….well, you see. The list goes on and on! Again, I know this is something that we all struggle with and I am not alone, but sometimes I just feel like throwing in the towel because I just can’t do it all! I really liked that “invisible” post that Mandy put up because that is often how I feel! Sometimes it all just gets to me and then what I don’t like about myself is that I take it out on the people that I love the most. The other day…Monday…was just NOT a good day for work. All around…just not a good day. Well, it happened to be one of the days that I “leave work early” and go get the kids from school and then work from home for a few more hours. Well, Isaac had a club after school and Gracie was at the sitters so it was just me and Faith Anne. I literally just looked at her and started crying because I feel like I am failing her so much. She was happy as a lark cutting and coloring while I was sitting across from her working. But I looked at her and thought….here I am working when I should be spending time with her. UGH. There are times, as a mom who works outside of the home, that I just feel so guilty. Then there are other times that I know I would not be a good stay-at-home mommy….but Satan just knows what buttons to push and how he can help me bash myself. I know I am rambling….so feel free to stop reading. But it just helps to put this out there…ya know? I think that as moms….well, not even that….as women, we will always feel guilty about something. Not cleaning enough, not exercising enough, not being a good enough mom, not being a good enough wife, not being a good enough cook, not spending enough time here or there or anywhere. Anyways….Satan uses those feelings and then piles on inadequacy and insecurity and before you know it, you are feeling worthless. Which is the exact opposite of how God views us and wants us to view ourselves. He treasures us like rare jewels and he treasures our efforts and uses them for His glory. How can I let Satan tear me down over and over and over again? I bet that hurts God’s feelings. Then I begin the questions (or Satan pushes play again) of how can He love me so much…why would He love me so much?

I guess it is good that I realize it is Satan who plants these seeds…but I need to get better at shutting Satan down and not allowing them to grow.

Again, I know I am rambling but it feels good to put this out there. I hope I am not alone with these struggles.

As you can see, God is working on me…..THANK GOODNESS. I have been spending more time in His word and in prayer and in just “being” with Him. Now mind you, I need to spend a lot more time with Him….because it is pretty amazing how much it makes a difference. But when I feel Him working on me is when I feel the guilt and the doubt and the insecurities mount. I wish Satan would just take a hike right on out of my life! HA! Don’t we all?!?!?

Okay….I need to get back on track.

Scott is going to Butler Springs (church camp) this weekend for the Men’s Retreat. He is going with his buddy Jason and our old Minister and friend, Bob. There is a big group of men from our church going. So, I hope they have a good time. I know he has been looking forward to it and so have I, actually. It is so neat to see how God is working in both of us since we have been at our new church. Again, being pushed out of your comfort zone can be a very good thing. So, it is just me and the kiddos this weekend. We are going to go over to Mom and Dad’s house and do a little “Welcome Home” decorating. The kids are so excited to do that…and about them coming home!

Cute idea for mommies of little clutzy girls, like my Gracie. On Tuesday, she fell at the sitters. She didn’t really have any cuts or anything, she just landed funny on her wrist. So, to get her to calm down….normally a bandaid will do, but Tera told her to close her eyes and she painted her wrist with sparkly fingernail polish and told her to open her eyes and then said that it was Princess Dust and the Princess had put it there to make her feel better…..and of course, she did! LOL She was so excited and proud to show it to me when I got there. I thought that was a great idea for future reference!

Well, I have rambled enough for one day. Thanks for loving me in spite of my flaws and rambles!!!

Spring?!?!?

I think Spring might be here…at least this week it is! I don’t know about you, but the sunshine and warmer weather has me in a great mood – even though work has been extremely stressful this week. Ugh…it is only Tuesday! Seriously!??!?

Well, the adventures of Buckeye are continuing at our house. I really to believe that Scott and I are both too anal about having a clean house to have a dog, but these are the things we do for our kids! Although, Isaac isn’t that interested in the dog! The girls are more smitten with him than Isaac is! I think he would rather be playing his xBox or watching TV or playing basketball! Silly, silly boy! We need to transition the dog to going outside for the potty instead of going on the puppy pad. I put him outside yesterday and he was like…umm…now what? LOL He just stood there and looked at me. He did poop for the first time outside when Faith and I were walking to get Isaac from school yesterday. That was funny because he kinda did it mid-walk. LOL I bet you are so interested in the bodily functions of my dog! LOL He is a funny little thing. He has a pet squirrel (stuffed animal) that he loves. He will occasionally bark and growl at it. And he also barks and growls at his reflection in the window. The other night I was cracking up because he would peek his head out from around the couch and see his reflection and start barking and growling. Ferocious little thing! HA!

The family is all doing good! My parents come home this weekend…can I get a Woot! Woot! ?!?!? They have been gone since January 2nd and we all miss them terribly! Honestly, the babysitting situation has been just fine. We just miss them! And the kids really miss them. We are going to make some signs to go over and decorate their house with to welcome them home. Also, I do need my handyman of a dad home! I have a list for him to start on when he gets back. LOL Mom said he needs to feel needed…well I need him!

I have a real dilemma. Well, it may not seem like a real dilemma to y’all… but it is to me! The Vera Bradley Outlet Sale…well, the day I am supposed to go to with Jodi, Joy and her cousin Kelly is on Friday, April 30. That is the same weekend as the Women of Faith Conference in Columbus. Well, I have already made plans with Jodi, Joy and Kelly to go to Vera that day. A big group of ladies from my new church are going to WOF and leaving on Thursday night to stay in a hotel for the conference. I think that would be a great opportunity to really get to know the women at my church…and several of them have been asking me to go. I don’t really have any good friends there like I had at BCC…mostly because we haven’t been there long, but also because I need to attend more of the things that they do for women to develop those relationships. Anyways…Scott is urging me to go to WOF because he thinks it will be cheaper (HA!) but also because he wants me to make friends too. So, I am in a tough spot. I don’t want to let Jodi, Joy and Kelly down…and I don’t want to miss out on the great deals…but I do want to go to WOF…..so I just don’t know what to do! Decisions, decisions. I was actually pretty surprised that Scott would be okay with me going to WOF because I would be away from home for two nights and then just a few weeks later I will be on our cruise. But I think he knows how much I enjoy WOF and this is a neat thing to be able to go with a big group.

Onto other topics….I have to tell you that I am really enjoying being a part of the Worship Team at our new church. It is really fun!!! I actually am on the rotation with Sara’s previous MIL…which is interesting. We are the two real altos…and then there is this “tenor” who sings with us. BUT he can’t read music (not that I am good at that) and he just sings what harmonies comes naturally…which is the alto part…so Patty and I have to fight him for a part. We kinda just wait to see what he sings and then pick a different part. We have laughed a lot about it. It is fun learning all the different personalities and quirks of the groups. Scott sings opposite weeks of me, so he has a whole different team that he works with. It is just so much fun….Oh…and Sara…Patty is giving me her 20% discount on vera, so that is WONDERFUL. She brought me a new purse to church on Sunday and that was so fun! It is the little things in life that I get excited about. Have you seen the new Cha-Cha purse by Vera? It is ADORABLE!

I am all over the place today! I went swim suit shopping last week and let me tell you….is there anything more depressing than that?!?!? I literally left the store fighting back tears. ICK. Just not fun. I won’t go into all the details, but believe me when I tell you that skin that is no longer filled with as much fat is not pretty. LOL I ordered a suit from Chadwicks and HATED IT….so I sent it back. I just ordered one from Lands’ End (a friend had a good discount that I could use and free shipping) so we will see how that one goes. I thought I needed it before the cruise, but I really need it by the end of March for our vacation to Gatlinburg. My parent’s time-share has an indoor waterpark and that might require a swim suit that doesn’t fall off of me like my old one does. Anyhow….suffice it to say that I HATE swimsuit shopping.

I am very excited that next weekend we are having our Cousin’s Sleepover at Jodi’s house! Yeah! That will be a good time…and we can talk about our cruise-ware! I haven’t bought anything yet…I was thinking of wearing the dress I bought for my MIL’s wedding since I have only worn it the one time. So, we will see. I wonder how fancy everyone else will want to get. I did get my passport ordered, so that is a big relief. And I made my final payment for the cruise…so I am all set! If only May would get here sooner! Actually, I shouldn’t say that because it already seems like time is flying by!

Well, I guess I should get off of here and finish up some stuff at work. I just felt like rambling for a bit so that is pretty much what this post is! Maybe you just feel like you are talking to me.

OH! Listen to what my darling Gracie did yesterday….I went to pick her up from our Sitters in Centerville (yuppy town) and she tells me that Gracie pee’d in her backyard! LOL Apparently they were outside playing….Tera went into the house to get something and came back out to see Gracie’s bare butt squatting in her yard to pee! I about died when she told me. I am thinking that their daughter Madison showed her how to do it because we have certainly never done that….but it was so funny! Now, Isaac…I would believe in a heartbeat (thanks Dad), but Gracie?!?!? She thinks it is funny. LOL

Tootles!

Buckeye...

In case you haven't seen on Facebook...here is the newest addition to our family! I cannot believe that I let my husband and kids guilt me into a dog....but he is pretty cute. Now, if we can just get him potty trained....life will be good!!!! Thank goodness we have hard-wood floors!

All of the kids love him...even Gracie! We just got him yesterday and she is already carrying him around the house. Thank goodness he is good with kids. He just lets Faith and Gracie carry him around like a baby.

Well, not much time for a long update...just thought I would share pictures of our new baby!

Testing...Is this thing still on?!?!?

Yes, that is right. Don’t adjust your screen….this is a new post! And yes, this is a Christmas background still on my blog. Unless one of you can tell me how to change/get rid of this, I will have to live with it. I can’t remember for the life of me how I did this and therefore, I can’t remember how to make it go away! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

So…what’s it been? A year or so! Geesh! Time flies when you are having fun! To be fair, I have never stopped reading those that post….I just stopped posting. I think at first I was busy and then it was just so long that I didn’t know where to start and that was overwhelming to me…so I just kept putting it off. But I decided that I need to do more blogging…so here I am!

Life is good! I mean, seriously…life is good. Now, that doesn’t mean that life is perfect! HA! But who wants to listen to all my problems….and the problems that I have are so minute compared to the struggles that others face. I just have to look at my life and be amazed at how much God has blessed me. I have a husband who treats me like a queen…now that doesn’t mean he is perfect (who is?) but I fall more in love with him every day and I appreciate how he takes care of me and the kids. I have three beautiful kids who amaze me every day. I have a house…and lots of debt….but then we both have jobs….and God provides for our NEEDS. I feel so blessed.

My job is going good. In January, my work-load basically doubled which really threw me for a loop. I spent most of the month working 12-14 hour days. I would work all day at work with no break and then go home and get back on my computer as soon as I could. Not the best work/home-life balance, but it was necessary. I am in a better groove now, so it isn’t as bad. I like being busy and feeling like I am adding value, so it has been good for me professionally. Personally, I am going through one of my spells where I feel like a bad mother. I just go through this periodically, but some days I feel so guilty because I feel like work gets the best of my day and the kids and Scott get what is left over. I have to work really hard to not allow that to happen and to not let myself get so guilty. I know that I could never be a stay-at-home mom….but there are times I wish I could just take a break to spend more time with the kids. Ahh…like I said, I go through this every few months and then it gets better. I just have to work through it and work on cherishing every minute I do have with the kids!

Speaking of the kids…they are really doing great. I love giving a play-by-play of each of them…so here goes:

Isaac
Well, I didn’t get to share here….but he had a really great football season last year! His team was nearly undefeated (lost one due to a bad call) all season and made it to the SuperBowl! That was a ton of fun (I actually painted my face! LOL). They lost that game, but it was so cool to make it there. He had a lot of fun with football last year. He is doing really, really good in school. I laugh now at how much we struggled with our decision to send him or to not send him to Kindergarten early. I believe we made the right decision for him. He is at the top of his class and just really likes school still. He just had his first science project (or should I say WE just had it!) and that was fun. We studied the Wii to determine if playing video games can be considered a form of exercise. The three games we tested were bowling, baseball and boxing. Bowling was NOT exercise (raising our heart rate to at least 50% of our maximum heart rate) for any of us….Baseball was exercise for me and Scott, but not Isaac….and Boxing was exercise for all three of us. That was a cool experiment! I just went to google and typed in something about science projects and video games and poof….there was the idea! He thought it was really cool. So, anyways…he is doing good. I am just so proud of that little guy! He has such a big heart!!!

Faith Anne
Oh, my little DIVA! She had so much fun cheering last year for football. She took it very seriously and does a great job. Right now she is on the fence about doing it again this year because she says she gets too thirsty and hot (LOL). However, she and Gracie both still go around the house doing cheers and their cheer dance. So, we will see! I am supposed to be the assistant coach, so hopefully she decides to do it! LOL She is doing great in school too. Funny thing…on her report card the only area she received a minus on….self-control. HA! She tends to want to get her own way and not be very happy about it if she doesn’t get her own way! She is very stubborn and determined and I just have no idea where she gets it! RIGHT! We recently went to Bounce-U (an indoor bouncy house place) with our new church (another story) and there was this huge slide that all the kids wanted to go down. HOWEVER, in order to get to the huge slide…you had to climb up this insane ladder made of bungee cords. It was REALLY hard. I guess the older kids were all struggling, but were able to do it. Well, when it was time for the younger kids (Faith’s group) to go to this room….not many of them could do it without help. Well, Faith was determined that she was going to do it by herself. And by golly, she had to work at it for 15 minutes or so….but she did it all by herself….3 times! I was so proud of her and that just said a lot to me about her character! She will not let anyone tell her she can’t do something (which is not always a good thing) and she will keep trying until she can do it. This has been evident in her learning to tie her shoes and play games on the Wii and just lots of things. It is so cool to see her learn and just so interesting to see how different she is from Isaac. She loves all things GIRLY and just keeps me on my toes.

Gracie
And then…there is Gracie, our God’s great sense of humor!!! Let me just tell you that there is NEVER a dull moment when Gracie is around. It is funny…she is the third child, but she is like a little hurricane making waves wherever she goes! Where do I even begin with her?!?!? She is Faith Anne’s shadow, but also walks to the beat of her own drum. She wants to be wherever her sister is, but wants to do it her own way if that makes any sense. She definitely tests the limits and has so much spunk that I don’t know what to do with it half the time. She has all of my stubbornness and Scott’s in one little body. For example, she LITERALLY screamed for 30 minutes straight one day because she wanted to open the garage door but couldn’t because she had gloves on. So I made the mistake of opening it. Well, she was screaming and crying and so I put her in her room. She had an absolute temper tantrum for 30 minutes…then she was very quiet. I nearly went to check to see if she was still alive, but then she opened her bedroom door….walked out of her room and out to the garage door. She opened it and went out into the garage and then closed the door behind her. She opened the door and walked into the house and said…"Hi Mommy”. I was like….are you kidding me? Yeah, so that is a taste of Gracie! OMG…. Half the time, I am not sure whether to hug her or spank her, but one thing is for sure….our lives would not be complete without little miss Gracie!!! She cracks me up because she will come and find me after playing in make-up or jewelry or whatever and ask me if she looks FABULOUS. LOVE IT!

So the kiddos are great! Scott and I are doing really, really well! We will celebrate our 10th anniversary in April. That seems so hard to believe. We are planning a weekend get-away, but not really sure where yet. We are toying around the idea of going to Chicago. Scott wants to go to a Cubs game (woo-hoo) and I would like to see a show or shopping or something. So, who knows. He isn’t much of a beach person and since I am going on the girls’ cruise in May….I am not pushing him for a warm spot! I will get my beach fix in May!

Well, one of the biggest changes in our lives came last year in September. The church we had been attending (and the one that Scott grew up in…for 28 years) had some issues that we did not agree with, so we left and started “shopping”. We actually only went to two other churches and quickly found our new church home! It is funny how God had to KICK us out of our comfort zone to put us where we needed to be. Oh my. There are just no words to describe how wonderful this has been for our family. It is like a breath of fresh air….and it has strengthened my relationship with Christ and Scott’s relationship with Christ and therefore, our relationship with each other. It has just been amazing to see how this has all worked out according to HIS plan. It was certainly not our plan. And I will tell you that I still miss so many of the familiar faces and friends that we left behind, but I just KNOW that we are where God wants us to be right now. We are both part of the praise team at our new church and loving every minute of it. And I start teaching a Sunday School class (once a month) in March. We actually go to a Sunday School class together…for like the first time ever…and it is really nice. It is neat to go to a “bigger” church that has lots of things to offer and you don’t have to do everything. So, it is a new and exciting experience for us! It was really hard initially, but is so good now!

There is so much more that I could go on and on about….but I probably better get back to work. I will just add in that I have been working on Weight Watchers for 28 months now…that is a long time. I am not at my goal weight yet. That is a bummer. But I have lost close to 130 pounds from my heaviest (right after having Gracie). I still struggle sometimes, but I am sort of settling into this new way of living for me….healthier. Now my problem is that I don’t know if I will be able to get to the number on the scale or the size of clothes that I would like to without addressing a situation called loose skin. Yep, I have a lot of it. I guess that is to be expected for all the years I was not nice to my body. So…that would come by the way of surgery and that just isn’t in the cards for us unless I can figure out a way to get insurance to pay for it. So…that is a bit depressing. On one hand, I am very proud of the hard work I have done to get here…and I know that I have not done it alone. It is not by my strength…FOR SURE. But on the other hand, it is frustrating that I can’t really get past this last hurdle. Not sure if that makes any sense or not….but I LOVED something that Mandy posted not too long ago and it can really be applied to SO MANY aspects in life. She said something to the affect of… “I don’t have to be perfect, just persistent.” That is so true in my weight loss journey….but probably more importantly in my relationship with Christ. He doesn’t expect me to be perfect, because He knows that I can’t be. But He does expect…and deserve….for me to be persistent. So…thanks Mandy for sharing that! It has meant so much to me!!!

Well, toodles! I am going to try to be a regular poster again….so we will see how that works out! Any help on removing the Christmas theme would be greatly appreciated!!!!

More Pictures

So...I just wanted to share some more of my favorite vacation pictures. Enjoy!

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 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!!!!!

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!!!!

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!!!!