My Crazy Crazy Life in Gilbert

Great genes!

2011-05-18T08:35:00.000-07:00

The in-laws are off to Europe this Sunday. They will be gone for about 7 weeks. My sister in law is a published writer and is writing ANOTHER book. So she's off to Paris for her research. They wanted to get the family together before they leave. Here's a photo of all the grandkids. As my M-I-L always quotes "the fruitage of the belly is a reward"... all of these kids are just too amazing for words. I love my kids cousins, they're awesome!

Has it really been 6 months????

2011-05-11T09:28:00.000-07:00

Memorial, 2011. They are getting BIG! This is Dylan's first time wearing a suit. He was so excited to look like Daddy, Gavin and Luke.

Man, I'm so bummed I have let my blog go to pot. I don't keep a writing journal and this blog is the only way I can express myself and tell my kids about our adventures together. I'm sure they will love reading it when they get older. Making memories and writing them down. I think it's important. I will try to keep up again, but life has been SO busy lately and so much has happened and gone on in the last 6 months. I'm not even sure I can catch up. Let's start fresh!

In my usual character why don't I start by complaining...hahaha. I'm getting soooo worried about the hot weather that is upon on.

The last two days have been gorgeous. Why can't I just stop and enjoy them instead of worrying about how hot it's going to be in a matter of time.

I think I might actually try to do this sometime this summer. I have never done it to see if it really works. The kids would get a kick out of it if the egg actually fried.

I need to slow down, and smell the roses, so to speak.

These are from our backyard, they smelled awesome!

Two more weeks left of school...EEK!!! I have a love/hate relationship with school.

Fall...what is that????

2010-11-09T08:55:00.000-08:00

Born and raised in Arizona, I really don't get to see Seasons, per se. We have hot or cold, and that's about it. But today I walked out and it was 50 degrees outside and I was all giddy. I love when it's freezing! And then I noticed our tree. It was so pretty. It's glowing with gold all over.

Who says we don't get seasons here in hell?

This is proof that we do, thank you very much!

I'm scared...HOLD ME!

2010-09-19T20:46:00.000-07:00

Today my baby girl is a TEENAGER!! How did this happen??? I can't believe it's already been a year since I wrote this blog post for her when she was 12.... CLICK HERE

Where did the time go? Scott always tells me I'm going to miss these days of the kiddies being little. I really never believed him until recently. I am already longing for the days when they were babies and everything was so new and exciting.

Now I'm faced with hormones, boys, junior high, boys, high school, boys, driver licenses, boys and the list goes on and on.

Excuse me, I think I'm going to throw up now! I'm not feeling so well.

I heart Patrick Swayze!!

2010-09-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

This video seriously makes me want to dance...in the privacy of my own home, of course! :)

Scroll down and pause/turn off my Playlist at the bottom of this blog and then hit the play button on this bad boy...you won't regret it!!!

Thank God for Medical Miracles!!

2010-09-09T09:33:00.000-07:00

That is what the neurosurgeon told Scott on his last visit. You are a Medical Mystery and a Medical Miracle.

Today is the 3rd Anniversary of Scott's stroke. When I think back to that time, it makes me sad :( Even anxious. But then the day passes and I realizes that what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Not that I'm happy that this happened but if Scott hadn't gotten sick we would have never known he had underlying issues (blood pressure, kidneys, etc)...so like his nurse told me the day after his surgery...try to look at this as a blessing in disguise. Now I wouldn't go that far as to say this was a blessing but it's true, there were some issues disguised. He didn't know and I would have really hated for him to wake up one morning and have a heart attack and never have the chance to correct it. Now that would be tragic.

This is Scott just weeks after he got out of the hospital, doesn't he look great!

So instead of letting life stand still and letting this date in history define me/us as some victim (even though I like to think it made me stronger, maybe it softened me, maybe it hardened me...maybe just maybe I don't take little things for granted anymore, like breathing on your own), no, I'm going to look at that time as a blip in our life that straightened us up and put us on the path to healing. I tell myself often not to dwell on the negative raw emotions of the events of that time, they are just to painful, but to put what happened to our family in perspective and move on! Without healing and moving forward, there's no hope and I don't deal well with a hopeless situation.

So Happy Anniversary Scott! Happy Anniversary to your 3rd year on a new lease on life...I'm so glad you survived so I can torture you some more :) I love you! More than you'll ever know!

I'm the WORST Blogger

2010-09-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

I started this blog to keep our extended family updated on our progress and to have a somewhat journal of my children's life...well, I'm failing miserably. It's hard being a mom with 4 kids and a Facebooker...haha, seriously I need to get a grip on that addiction STAT!

Why O Why Do I Live HERE?????

2010-07-15T17:45:00.001-07:00

I seriously cannot handle this heat. I'm suffocating! I can't leave the house because I feel ill...and when I do I almost don't even make it home. And don't even get me started on what you smell like when you peel your clothes off after being out all day. It's like living in a literal hell. If it wasn't for our families, we would move. I don't care that we have nice winters...is this really worth it? NO NO NO NO NO!!! No, I tell ya, it's NOT!

So if you see some lady shrieking down the street covering her body screaming "I'm melting"...Don't freak out..it's just me!

Can you tell I don't like the heat?

Where Have You Been???

2010-01-04T10:12:00.000-08:00

I've been getting this question alot...and I have no real good answer....I've been busy, but I could not begin to tell you...with what. I need to get back to blogging though. I've missed so much and my online journal to my kids is severely lacking. It's like they just missed 6 months of their life :(

I'm going to do a big quick recap in my next posting and hopefully I can keep up with this darn thing. I need to prioritize it though. It's important to me...so I need to JUST DO IT!!!

Baby Girl Turns 12!!!

2009-09-19T09:31:00.001-07:00

My baby girl, my only girl, my first born...Sydney is 12 today. Where has the time gone? I'll never forget the day I found out about her. Sydney knows this story. I tell it to her all the time. Not to show her that she technically was not wanted, ha! (so we thought)...But to show her that what we thought was our biggest mistake turned out to be our biggest blessing. My doctor who told me I was pregnant came out to the waiting room, as I sat there crying, and handed me a pink carnation and said "here...maybe it'll be a girl"...and guess what...9 months later...I got my baby girl.

I cried for 9 months because I didn't want to have a child and then after she was born, I cried for another 9 months because I couldn't believe how special and beautiful she was and that I actually thought that I didn't want her in the first place. She changed my life!

At 11:59 p.m., 12 years ago today, on her due date...(with only a minute to spare)...Sydney Rayne came into this world. And ours lives were never the same again.

I couldn't believe how beautiful she was. While I was pregnant with her I used to cry all the time because I thought she was going to be ugly. I still crack up that I was so worried about what she was going to look like. I know, I'm shallow like that, but come on now...who doesn't worry about that, right??? Scott pulled her out and laid her on me and I couldn't believe it...she was GORGEOUS!!

When she was a baby, I would hold her all day and all night. I never wanted to put her down. To this day some time I catch myself staring at her in amazement. She is truly unique and awe inspiring to me in so many ways. She's so beautiful inside and out. Having her in my life has changed me forever! I know I am a better person today because of her!

Sydney has 3 little brothers and everytime I got pregnant and had another, she would just cry because she wanted a sister so bad. That is my ONLY regret to this day....that I never gave her a sister. But she has PLENTY of cousins to keep her occupied.

She's kind and caring and loves life! She likes to shop. She is definitely going to send us to the broke house with her love for all things Juicy Couture. The funny thing is this is what I love about her probably the most. I love how she can hang with the boys but then can totally get all diva'ed out.

She also loves to cook and will try ANYTHING I make...which of course makes her a keeper, in my book!

She works so hard in everything she does. She is a straight A student in an accelerated class. She gets her own talks up for the meeting and does a GREAT job. We are so proud of her for doing her best in everything she does.

She loves to hang out with her friends and chit chat and design clothes on the internet. She loves to read and play her viola. And if she had her way...she would still be sleeping in the same bed with me and Scott. Just this morning she quietly strolled in and crawled into bed with us.

I'm so glad she was a girl and that I get to experience having a daughter. It's fun to go shopping or lay in bed and read a book or a magazine with her. Words cannot describe how my heart melts when I see her all dressed up for the meetings and her bags and books ready. I never have to tell her twice. She knows when I'm stressed out and will jump right in and help me out. She's so grown up. I can't believe it's been 12 years already.

She's also star struck and loves to meet and read up about famous people. She's alot like mommy in that way.

Did I mention, she loves to shop, oh, and have LOADS of clothes. She's alot like daddy in that way.

Even though I tremendously miss her being a little girl, I can't wait to see what she accomplishes in her life and to see the wonderful woman she becomes. She brings us so much joy and even though we are tough on her at times, I think she knows it's because we love her and want only the best for her.

Dear Squidney, you were absolutely GORGEOUS when you were born and you have only gotten more beautiful with each passing day, inside and out. Daddy and I are so very proud of you. You are growing up to be quite a little lady. You make us so proud and we love you very very much!!! Please don't ever stop loving us...it would crush us. So if you could please not turn 13 and just stay 12 forever...that would be great!

We're Better...Now Time to Catch Up

2009-09-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

So we're all feeling better after I doused the house with Bleach and overloaded the fam with Vitamin C. But life is still so crazy and exhausting. I have so many backlogged posts...CALGON, take me away!!!

Because I keep this blog as an online journal/diary for my kids, I need to do some catching up. We had a very full summer so this week, I'm going to try and recap.

What to look out for:

Dilly Bar gets a haircut

Gavin gets railroad tracks (braces)

2 week trip to California (never again!!!)

Dear John letter (Dear shower chair)

2 year mark (the date no longer defines me)

Stay tuned!

It Never Fails

2009-08-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

The start of a new school year means GERMS, GERMS and more GERMS! Before school began, I started pumping my kids with Vitamin C. Well, it didn't work. First it was Gavin...first week of school, he's sick to his stomach, throwing up and a head cold. He missed school the first week.

Next it was Luke. Fevers, coughs and sneezing. Then Dylan...again!! And baby + mucus = Pink eye! Gross!!! Then it was Sydney. Fevers, head cold, sneezing, etc. She has now missed 2 days of school. This does not look good! These schools are nazi's when it comes to missing. They will send truancy officers after you mid school year. I hate it!

Then I started running around the house with Clorox bleach wiping everything down and spraying Lysol all over the place. And guess what...now I have it! UGH! I felt like I was going to die yesterday. But my sweet hubby Scott, came home early from work, made chicken noodle soup for his sick girls (me and Sydney), unloaded and loaded the dishwasher, bathed the kids, brought me dessert and even put Dylan down for bed. I'm pretty fortunate to have a hubby that can cook but last night he went above and beyond. Thanks Scooter, your wifey loves ya!!! I needed the rest.

We've been taking the Vitamin C, but if anyone else out there knows of any other good immune boosting concoction, I'm all ears!!

#3 Starts Preschool...Double Hallelujah!!

2009-08-20T07:31:00.001-07:00

Luke started preschool this week. For weeks I told him that he was going to go and he was insistent that he was NOT going to go. He would even cry and tell me he's too smart to go to school. He would point out colors and shapes and say to me "See mom, I told you I was smart, I don't need school, or "I already know everything, I don't need to go" (OMG, this already?? I thought this only came with teenagers in high school)

But then as it got closer and closer he was starting to get excited. He would tell me "mom we gotta get my school stuff together". He even wanted me to pack him a lunch. When I told him that he didn't need to bring a lunch because he was only going to be there for 2 1/2 hours, he was pretty ticked off. On the way to preschool that first day, he was excited but when Gavin asked what Luke had to bring, Luke abruptly pointed out "Yeah, but I don't get to bring food!"...The whole way there the first day he kept saying to me "what kind of snack am I getting?" "Can I pick out what I want?" It's all about the food with us!!!

This is the coolio vintage spider man backpack that I got him at Pottery Barn Kids for $12. I won't even tell you how that transpired, but let's just say "it's great to have connections!"

Because he has a reputation to uphold, he says to me, while taking his pictures that morning, "Mom, now take a picture of me with a mad face, like I don't want to go to preschool!"...OY!!!

Gavin wanted to go with us the first day to see Luke off. When Gavin walked in to the classroom, he told me later that he got all teary eyed. He said it looked so fun and that he missed preschool. I'm telling you folks, Gavin is going to make a GREAT husband!!! So sensitive and emotional but in a quiet way. Back to Luke: When Luke walked into the classroom, his eyes lit up. He couldn't wait to get started. He walked right over, sat down and didn't look back. His attitude: "don't let the door hit you on the way out".

I'm kinda sad that he's already 4 and ready to go off into the world but I can see so much Independence in him. A lot of folks ask me why I put my kids in preschool. Sydney and Gavin's birthdays are in September and November, so they missed the August cut off and were so much older than most kids in their class so I enrolled them in preschool. Both Gavin and Sydney have done exceptionally well in school and I owe a lot of it to them being older than most of their classmates and preschool. Luke's birthday is February so it probably wasn't necessary to put him in preschool, but I want to give him the same opportunity that Syd and Gavin had. I'm glad I did. He is so excited about preschool and has already mastered writing his name. But then again, it's only 4 letters.

When I picked him up after preschool, he ran up to me and said "That was fun!". Then he tells me that he didn't make any friends and that he asked a boy to be his friend and the boy said "No, I have a girlfriend". What in the world???? Scott told him to tell that boy (while looking at the girl), "Not for long!"...HA!

The second day I picked him up. He ran up to me really excited and said "Mom, I made a friend!" I asked him what his friends name was and he says "I don't know, but I asked him twice to be my friend". I then explained to him "Honey, don't look needy, one time asking is more than enough!".

The 3rd day I picked him up, he ran up to me and says "I know he's name now" and I said "who", he said "my new friend...he's name is Parker"...then I said to him "What's your teacher's name"...he hesitated and looked across the yard and yelled at the teacher at the top of his lungs..."What's YOU name again"...she just cracked up. "Miss Tiffany, remember?"...then he laughed and threw his head back "Oh yeah, I forgot!"

All and all, it was a good week and Luke is ecstatic about preschool! I think I'm getting him ready and giving him a jump start for school.

But man, preschool is EXHAUSTING!!!

Best and Worst Day of the Year

2009-08-12T07:43:00.000-07:00

School's back in! I can't believe I took almost the entire summer off from blogging and we're already back to Day One of school. I say it's the best day and the worst day of the year because I'm SOOOO happy to have them back in school BUT, 6:00 a.m. comes very very early in the morning. Within about a month, I'll be done with this already and guess what...only 8 more months until summer break!! JOY JOY!!!

Well here's Sydney and Gavin off to their first day of 6th grade and 3rd grade. They wanted to ride the bus to school, which made me kinda sad. I always take them to school and walk them to their classes. This year they wanted to trek it alone. I guess I'm cramping their style now. My babies are growing up... sniff sniff :(

Luke ADORES his older brother but he ADORES Gavin's DSi more, so he knows once Gavin's off to school, the DSi is all his (for at least 8 hours, that is)!!!

Here's the infamous $40 bag that my daughter wanted. She obviously doesn't know that we are in a recession nor does she realize we have 4 kids...but of course I caved...she is my only daughter after all :) !

So long SUCKAS!

This little guy starts preschool next week. Pictures to come!

P.S. I will fill you in soon on all the things that happened to us over the summer! Stay tuned!

Mary and Doug Finally Have Their Sugar Plum!!!!

2009-08-03T10:00:00.001-07:00

Mary and Doug left for China last week and today they finally...after almost 4 years...got their baby girl. Kailahni Xiu Gang. She is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!! I can't wait to meet her when they get back. To read about their amazing journey (Mary is so awesome about journalling every single thing), go check out their site:

http://babygirlschneider.shutterfly.com/

Congratulations you guys...she was so worth the wait!

Blueberries and a 4 year old's dream

2009-07-31T11:37:00.000-07:00

My kiddos LOVE fruit...especially blueberries. They could eat pounds and pounds of blueberries. The other day, my 4 year old, Luke, opened the fridge looking for the big white bowl of washed blueberries and to his dismay, they were GONE! He was so disappointed. He said to me "Mom, I want to grow a whole bunch of blueberries so I can have them forever and ever". What a GREAT idea!

The problem...I have no garden and I live in Arizona. I guess that's two problems. I have an area reserved to start a garden at the end of the summer. But I have to be honest, I have never heard of anyone in this horridly hot state ever growing blueberries. Does anyone out there know how you grow blueberries and where they actually grow the best? Luke would love you forever if you give me any tips. Thanks.

My very adventurous and future gardener, Luke.

Last Day of School...AWWWWW!!!!

2009-05-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

I have been on a blogging break. But I will try to catch up. Today is the last day of school. Trust me when I say this is "Bitter Sweet"! Can't wait to sleep in but I do not look forward to 4 kids at home fighting.

Stay tuned!

SUGAR PLUM IS ALMOST HERE!!!!!!

2009-05-21T19:29:00.001-07:00

My friend Mary has been trying to adopt a baby girl from China. The process has been long and grueling. It's been an emotional roller coaster. And as the time got nearer, anything and everything that could have gone wrong has gone wrong including stopping all adoptions because of the Swine Flu. But after over 3 1/2 years, she got her referral today. I can barely type this because I'm shaking with excitement. We can not be more HAPPY for Doug and Mary and we can't wait to meet the Sugar Plum!

Doug and Mary, we are so beside ourselves with joy for you and Jacob and Benjamin. When we heard the news, we started screaming and crying, including Sydney. The whole family is beyond excited!!!!!! We are all just thrilled for the good news.

This isn't her but I just thought this little girl was so cute.

If anyone would like to read about Mary and Doug's journey to get their little girl, click here.

This is Mary and I, back in the 80's.

Skate or Die!

2009-05-12T22:24:00.003-07:00

So we found this ramp at a yard sale for $10. I was probably more excited to find it than Scott and the boys were. Growing up we had a huge half pipe in our back yard. My dad built it for my brothers to skateboard on. Well in about a week, as soon as that thing was done, we were like the most popular kids on the block. Most of the neighbor kids played on that thing for hours every week. It was super fun....that was until my dad heard weird noises at night and found half the neighborhood kids in our backyard having a skate party on the ramp...can you say LAW SUIT!? So after that my dad had to pull a chain across it and lock it up at night so we didn't get the pants sued off of us for some punk kid breaking his neck.

Well Gavin is still learning his way on the skateboard but he totally rocks it on the roller blades. He couldn't wait to get home from the yard sale that day and try out his mad skillz on that ramp.

He was very afraid at first...and the first couple of jumps were SCARY! But within about 10-20 minutes, the kid was jumping leaps and bounds across that thing. It was so funny watching him.

He was almost practically doing the splits every time he came off that ramp.

And one point, every time he would jump in the air he would look like a super hero.

Because I was worried about him smashing his face in, I pulled the ramp next to the grass. Well that didn't last long. Once he learned his moves, that ramp was pulled out to the street. Cars were swerving around it to get by. And of course, our house has become the most popular now because of the ramp.

But as long as the ramp is in the street, they can break their necks...it's not on my property...not my problem! So skate away...I'm a cool mom like that!

Of course Dylan and Luke tried to get in on that action.

Dylan is either really scared in this picture or he's take a poop! Poor kid never gets any privacy doing his bidness.

"Hmmm, yeah, I think I'll try this out"

"Whoa, this looks a little bit harder than I thought"

"Maybe if I teeter the skateboard up here and then just jump on it, I might catch some air"

"Well maybe if I just slightly slide my body down it won't be so dangerous"

"Oh forget it, I just cannot do this...this skateboarding bizness is for the birds"

Oh and there was NO WAY Scott wasn't going to try out his old 80's moves.

Oh dear lord, I see yet another injury in our future.

Yeah right poser...but it does look pretty SA-WEET!!!

Day One AGAIN!!! Grrrrrr!

2009-05-04T21:31:00.000-07:00

I'm on day One of the South Beach Diet again.

I'm in a really really bad mood!!!!

Any ideas or suggestions for the next two fun filled carb-less weeks?

Swine Schmine!!!

2009-04-27T08:36:00.001-07:00

Yes we were throwing up in Mexico the entire time (well I wasn't, which is totally unfair because I would love to lose a few El Bees), BUT for the record, we DID NOT bring back the Swine Flu so all you Facebook Freakies, stop blaming me!!!

We're on Vacation Again

2009-04-17T19:14:00.001-07:00

This time, we're in Rocky Pointe, Mexico. We love this trip. We take it twice a year every April and October. We come with a pretty good size group of family and friends. My kids so look forward to this trip because we camp in travel trailers right on the beach and every morning they go out when the tide is out and crawl across the corral to find little "treasures" (fish, octupus and what not). I like it because it's relaxing but not to worry, I am still connected to the internet, that is...thank god!

The boys love looking for these

Sydney bides her time checking out these

For sure I'm going to have one of these

And Scott will for sure have more than one of these

And of course we can't leave without having a few days worth of these bad boys

But most of all, I look forward to enjoying a few of these..the sunsets!

Will post pictures when we get back!

CHEESSSSSEEEEEE!!!!!!

2009-04-12T13:33:00.001-07:00

What's In A Name?

2009-04-03T13:08:00.001-07:00

Sydney Rayne

A few days ago, Sydney walked up to me and asked me a question about Barack Obama and this is how the conversation went:

Sydney: Mom, do you know what Barack Obama's middle name is?

Me: No, what is it? (Of course I know what it is, but I want to see where this is going)

Sydney (with major emphasis): It's HUSSEIN!!!

Me (all surprised like): Really?

Sydney (with even more emphasis with a side order of sarcasm): SCARY!!!

I totally cracked up laughing. Sydney knows our religious beliefs and how we know that God's rulership and government is the only thing that can bring true peace to this earth. She knows we are neutral on all earthly politics. But then she says to me: "Does everyone know this?..You know...the people that voted him in?"

Again, cracking up laughing. I told her yes, most people that voted for him know that his middle name is Hussein. It's obvious that she relates Hussein to someone scary.

This conversation made me think of a recent talk we had at our Sunday meeting. The brother gave examples of people and what we think of them when we hear their name. For example...Hitler, Charles Manson, Saddam Hussein. Of course, most of these people make us cringe at the thought of them.

He then told us to ask ourselves..What do people think of us when they hear our name.

I have to be honest...there are certain people that when I hear their name I cringe. But there are other people that when I hear their name, I get a warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach for them. And then I wondered what people do when they hear my name...do they cringe or do they get the warm fuzzy feeling. I asked Scott what he thought and he made a good point. We try our best to make sure that people view us as god fearing caring and kind individuals but because of our circumstances in our life and how other people are either raised or their circumstances in their life, we can not please everyone.

This brings me back to my conversation with Sydney. I told Sydney not to judge Barack Obama by his middle name and that was just a name given to him by his parents. I personally don't want my daughter judging anyone anyways, but I told her to view someone by their actions, their speech and the dealings in their life. Barack may be a kind person and have a great family life but does he love Jehovah? Is he doing what's right in God's eyes?

That's how we should view someone. How is their family life? How do they treat people? How do they treat their family, their spouse, their children? Are they kind? Do they find the good in everyone? The people that make me cringe are the people that breed on the drama, the hatred, the constant turmoil. I told Sydney to try and not judge these ones, but to focus on what's important...her name. The name she makes for herself while on earth and how Jehovah feels about her and the name she's made.

I can't make people be kind but I'm just going to try and work on my attitude toward these ones. My conversation with Sydney made me realize that it's not our physical name that was given to us by our parents that defines us, rather, it's our actions and how we treat others that make our name. I hope she got something out of this. Raising children is hard...probably the hardest thing I've ever done. I just hope what I say and do can be a positive influence on my kids. I know what I am doing now is shaping them for their eternal future...(but no pressure!...HA!)

We Got Hit Again!

2009-03-31T07:33:00.000-07:00

This time, they redeemed themselves from the last time. Don't get me wrong, the forking was good, but this was even better. In fact, they did such a good job that when I pulled up at midnight, I had to jump out of the car and start taking pictures before we drove through the giant chain of toilet paper they made (good job Alec!). I have to say, even I, one of the TP Queens, was impressed. We left the mess there over night, because we were just coming home from my brother's wedding (more on that to come later...it was beautiful!), and we were exhausted. Then early in the morning we had to leave to meet up with the family for breakfast. By the time we got home mid morning, the whole mess was cleaned up....again! One of the first times we were toilet papered when we moved into this neighborhood, our kind neighbors cleaned it up thinking their son's teenage friends had got the wrong house. I have to laugh at that one. Little did they know who was moving next door.

Apparantly when we pulled up, the culprits were still there. One of them had to jump the fence into the back yard and totally freaked our dog out. He was barking like someone was stabbing him. He has never been the same since.

But this time, our other kind neighbors decided to help us out and clean it up. At the time we drove up, we really had no idea who had cleaned the mess up, but later that evening they came over and told us they felt bad for us because they thought we were being targeted...HA!....They said they wanted to call the police but weren't sure if we knew the kids doing it...I told them to call the police next time...hahahahahaha...I can't stop laughing!!!!

They saran wrapped Scott's car

Other than Alec's name, I won't mention any other names, to protect the innocent. Apparantly some people are reading my blog and trying to use what I post against certain people, so I will spare these poor young souls the wrath of certain unhappy people that fill the need to do such.

Stay tuned for "To Blog or Not To Blog"....more on what I should be posting to protect the innocent.

Something Fun For The Kiddies

2009-03-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

Sydney got the cutest cookbook from Cousin Jana Banana. It was Paula Deen's First Cookbook. Cousins Drue and Presley came over to stay the night and the kids picked out a recipe in the book to make....Cookies On A Stick. I ran to the store, bought the ingredients and the kids made this. It was so much fun and it was so easy because everything is store bought. Sydney decided to take pictures and put it on her cooking blog, Sydney's Cafe...you can go check it out here for all the steps to making it and to see cute little baby Dylan enjoying his Cookie On A Stick!

We're Baaaack!

2009-03-24T07:35:00.000-07:00

We came

We Saw

We Conquered

And it was a blast!

Favorite part of the trip:

Tower of Terror for sure!

And watching Dylan on "It's a Small World Ride"

Sooooo cute!!!

Worst part of the trip:

(Besides Dylan loses his shoe the first day and then peeing all over his socks that night and paying $12.00 for a pair of socks (well I for sure wasn't spending $30 on a pair of plastic Buzz Lightyear tennies and I for sure wasn't going to pay $35 for a pair of Disney crocs with fur...it'll be 110 in AZ before we know it and he will never wear those again)

Definitely the Tiki Room...I never realized how lame it was.

It was nice to get away with just me, Scott and the kids. We rarely do that because both Scott and I come from very large families and vacation with them both. It was a good time and I'm glad we made it work.

HOORAY For Vacation!!!

2009-03-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

We are off to the Happiest Place on Earth!

My little 4 year old can't wait to see this guy!

My 8 year old really wants to ride this!

My 11 year old Diva wants to feel like a princess.

And of course Hubby can't wait for this one!

But me and Dylan...well...it's all about the food. I can't wait for this!

See you when we get back!

Celebrate With Us!

2009-03-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

Jaime and Jen Dish (formerly J&J Dish It Out), just blogged their 100th post. In the blogging world, that's HUGE! We are so excited so pop over and visit and celebrate with us. Leave us a comment or grab a pen and paper and find something to eat for dinner tonight!

Jaime and Jen Dish...click here!

I know there are pics of me like this!!!

2009-03-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

My sister in law Kim sent me the funniest blog

It's called Sexy People

And it's portraits over the years of some scary people

For two days I've been scrolling through these

There is just NO words for this one.

They are hilarious

You have got to check it out...click HERE!

We Got Forked!!! What is that you may ask!

2009-03-08T22:11:00.000-07:00

So a few months back we came home to this:

And this:

Ugggghhh..

Here I am thinking wow, whoever did this got us good!!!
...well because we had to bend over and pick up like a million forks...okay, not really...more like a hundred. But, but by the time I was done...my back was thinking it was a million.

And then it rained so it was mushy. The toilet paper hung in that tree for days...okay, maybe a few weeks. We're the neighbors you HATE to live next to.

So while I'm thinking someone got us good this time...we had no idea what was in store for later. Stay tuned!!

Sydney's Cooking For Kids Blog

2009-02-24T18:54:00.000-08:00

So ever since I started a cooking blog, Jaime and Jen Dish, with my good friend, Jen Ragan...Sydney has taken a HUGE interest in this whole cooking thing. Not that she hadn't before. She's always been inerested, but she pretty much would sit on the barstool in front of the counter and just watch Scott or I prepare the food. Now she has definitely wanted to become more hands on.

Sydney's friend Kaylee was over a couple of months ago and mentioned something about "Sydney's Cafe"..I asked her what it was. She told me that Sydney wanted to learn how to bake and when she got older, open up a little cafe and call it Sydney's Cafe. And that her and Kaylee would work there together. I thought that was so cute! Kaylee loves to cook too!

So I told Sydney that everytime she helped me make something or if she made something herself, I would take pics and blog it. She asked me if she could have her own cooking blog. A blog just for kids. Of course, I was all over that idea. Just think...Food Network hasn't even delved into this type of genre...Kids in the Kitchen. I'm thinking I should call them up and put a bug in their ear. I think it would be a huge success. What do you think?

Well here it is...Sydney's cooking blog debut:

Sydney's Cafe

Just click on "Sydney's Cafe" and it will take you right to her blog.

Well She Did It

2009-02-17T06:53:00.000-08:00

Sydney cut her hair.

A few posts back I talked about Sydney and her wanting to cut her hair. The census was...let her do it and grin and bear it. And even though she cut off all her lovely curls...

...I love it. It's so cute...and don't tell her...but it makes her look younger and I like that.

And the best part...she loves it too!

Scott's cousin Emily cut it for her. Emily is cute as a bug and Sydney just loves her. Syd was very excited to go to the salon and get the star treatment from Emily. And Emily delivered big time. But then again, Emily is always super sweet to all my kids. We heart Emily!!!

Gavin and Luke were there waiting for the final product as well. Here is how they bided their time.

And Dylan took to drinking...which kept him pretty happy.

Pretty cool, huh?

2009-02-11T20:09:00.000-08:00

Sydney was sitting on the edge of the couch and the blinds were open.

This is how I found her when I walked into the living room.

... I told her not to move and ran and got my camera.

Aren't these neat photos?

Happy Born Day #3

2009-02-09T01:15:00.000-08:00

Today you are 4! Can you believe it? It seems like many moons ago that you came into this world. So many things have happened since you arrived. You had to grow up very fast in such a short period of time. I think you did a great job!

I do have to say, for sure you were being difficult before you even got here.

After 16 hours of labor and 5 doses of pitocin, with no drugs, mind you, you finally decided to come out...sunny side up...OUCH!

You've been causing me problems ever since....and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Sometimes when you are really naughty and you drive me crazy and I call grandma Valerie for advice, she tells me that you are just like me when I was little. I kinda like that!

Grandma Valerie and Aunt Nee Nee like to call you a little stinker! It's especially funny when you rile them up. I kinda like that too.

Daddy doesn't like to admit it but he named you after one of his favorite movie characters...Luke Skywalker...

...and what's really cool about that is that you LOVE Star Wars so I think that's pretty neat.

We also love your name because you were named after my grandpa Lowell and daddy's grandpa Lowell. We like to call you L.L. Cool H.

Before you were even a twinkle in our eye, we thought our family was complete...that was until you decided to show up!

And how cool was that, that we were wrong...because now that you're here, life is "exciting"!

There are so many things about you that I love so much. It's hard to even pick out my favorite thing. Besides your laughter and your humor and your excitment, and your utter cuteness, one of my favorite things for sure is...YOUR EYES!

You're the only one that has Mommy and Daddy's green eyes and they're beautiful!

I also love how you get excited over the smallest things and you love your brothers and sisters so unconditionally. You are such a sweet little guy and sometimes misunderstood, but just know this...

We love you #3 and life would not be as humorous or exciting without you here. We might call you little pet names like "The Destroyer" or "Lukie Pukie" or even "Devil Spawn"...but know that you make us laugh, you make us cry, but most of all you complete us!

Happy Born Day...

4 years old...WOW!

I Got Issues!

2009-02-05T09:05:00.000-08:00

I've been told I have a juice cup "issue"...

Um...I'm pretty sure my juice cup "issue" pales in comparison to my socks "issue".

What do y'all think?

Happy Anniversary Scott

2009-01-29T06:01:00.000-08:00

Now, however, there remain faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love...1 Corinthians 13:13

Dear Scott,

Today we have been married 15 years! Can you believe it? So much has happened in the last 15 years. Good times, bad times, happy times, sad times. But through it all, I always ALWAYS felt the love from you. I don't know if I have ever told you this, but when you got sick and you were in the hospital asleep, you couldn't talk to me and I wasn't sure if you could even hear me. At any given time, I would have 50 people around me...doctors, family, friends...but I have to say, those were the loneliest days of my life. Dark times I tell ya...dark times! There are things that you really only can tell your spouse and they will understand or just get you. I'm so happy you survived your ordeal and that we can have this day. My life would not be complete without you! You are slow to anger and you help to balance me out. Your first and foremost interest is always to support this family and I'm so grateful for that. Thank you Scott for being who you are! I love you from the deepest depths of my heart.

Your wife and friend,

Jaime

P.S. These are the only pictures I could find of us on this computer because you won't fix our other computer...and since I'm complaining on our anniversary, do you think you can fix that running toilet upstairs...oh, and that toilet paper that is still hanging in the trees from last weekend, yeah, if you could get that...that would be GREAT!

Oh, and one more thing, thank you for my four beautiful children...I have YOU to thank for getting pregnant four times, but don't get me wrong, I love them all dearly...THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

(This is the song we danced to at our wedding...I still love it so much!)

Update: I just got this email from Scott...didn't I tell you he was a great guy!

Happy Anniversary! Thanks for the ecard and the blog post, I appreciate the props and love. I can't hear anything though thx for letting me know what is playing, when I get home I will view it there. It's been 15 years, that went by pretty quickly hopefully we will both survive 15 more and on. I love you so much and am thankful every day you are my wife. I appreciate the children you have given me and hope you get joy from being with them. Sorry you have to deal with them so much I know it would weigh on me also, as a bonus gift since mine is not coming for a few weeks you can pick any day you want and just get away. Maybe one of the Fridays I have flex we can plan it so I will get the kids to school and you won't have to deal with anything. We can plan it soon so just let me know. I love you and always will, your husband - Scott.

Okay, so you heard it folks...I'm getting a free day...he can't back out now...it's published!!!

(And what's up with me crying every time I read this blog post AND his email...geez I'm either hormonal or I really really love him)

Reply All - The Anti-LOL

2009-01-28T08:06:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I've been known in the past to send out huge mass emails. And then for like days on end everyone on my mass emails is getting replies back. For years, I've loved this because I felt like everyone was in an ongoing conversation, kinda like at a party, but recently, I had to learn the hard way how annoying this is.

Scott (my hubby), hates it when I put his email address on a mass email. First off, he's a City employee which makes him a target if someone was to ever write anything questionable in these mass replies. Front page news: CITY EMPLOYEE'S EMAIL TRACKED DUE TO REPLY ALL.

Secondly, he hates logging in and finding 250 messages with "LOL" or "HAHAHAHAHA" written in them. I mean come on people...who really cares if you're laughing out loud at your desk. It really only matters to the people that you're really close too. Joe's cousin's brother's wife's kid doesn't really care if you're rolling on the floor laughing your butt off. (Well he's a kid...maybe he does care, but his mom or dad at work REALLY doesn't care)

I never could understand when people would write me back and say "please take me off this email list because this is my work email". My usual response back was "okay Debbie Downer" or "reeeeaaaaarrrrr". My friend Lisa can totally relate to this. We've had many a conversation over these people that don't want to be part of our "reply all" frenzy.

But recently, like I said, I became the victim in one of these mass emails. I was put on an email list with 50 other people that I didn't know. And for a week I was getting responses back..."LOL", or "you are so funny Cindy" or "that would totally be you Frank"...WHO THE HECK IS FRANK??? It was sooooo annoying!!!

So let me apologize now to all those people that I have ever had to put through this complete and utter nonsense. I really didn't get it until now. I will be following Scott's lead in the future and instead of reading these 50 responses...instead, it will just be DELETE!!!!

UPDATE:

So since I've sent this blog posting out, I've had some good responses...I had to share a few...I'm sure these people are going to kill me but they were too good to pass up!: (I've used only initials to protect the innocent)

A.A.: OMG I love it! I heard this statistic that 1 in 12 people hit "reply-all" on those mass e-mails. Well since you added me to your list, I've never seen so many "reply-all" -ers in my life! You have a really social bunch of friends! I've never been confident enough to hit the dreaded "reply-all" button. But I'm glad you "saw the light". Ha haha!

E.G.: I'm so glad you finally realize I'm not a total jerk for hating reply all, soooo glad. :)

Thanks folks, I am glad I've seen the light also!

Don't you just love how I do something and can't see it any other way, but once it gets on my nerves, I hate it, and I'm going to make sure everyone else knows it!

Yeah, It Doesn't Look Good

2009-01-25T23:31:00.000-08:00

So this last weekend was BAD, BAD, BAD!

I ate all things GOOD and EVIL!

And now I feel like this!

We totally have the same haircut and color.

Not good for the ego.

I'm not even going to tell you how much weight I gained...it's not pretty.

Dieters CANNOT Have A Social Life

2009-01-23T23:24:00.000-08:00

So I'm already stressed about this weekend. The feeding frenzy starts today. We have to go to dinner at Oregano's tonight for my sister and brother-in-law's 20 year anniversary. EEK!!! Pasta and Pizza = Fat Jaime!

And then tomorrow we go to the matinee showing of Lion King.

Afterwards we are going to Monti's La Casa Vieja on Mill. Double EEK!! They have the best bread EV-A!!!

I am so torn about what to do. First off, I want to REALLY enjoy myself this weekend. Really enjoying myself means EATING EATING EATING.

Here's my dilemma: Do I go out, have a good time, eat what makes me happy and pay the consequences later...I can always just diet another 3 or 4 weeks, right?

Or do I keep it simple, like order a salad and not eat the flippin yummy rosemary bread at Monti's

and the ooey gooey yummy pazookie at Oregano's,

and pretty much be miserable and watch everybody else order up and eat up?

What to do, what to do!!!???

I took this quiz...UH OH!!!

2009-01-21T09:38:00.000-08:00

81%

Created by OnePlusYou - Free Online Dating

Time to get a job!

HOORAY for ARIZONA!!!

2009-01-18T19:32:00.001-08:00

So I'm going to be honest, I'm not a football fan. In fact, I somewhat hate sports. Maybe it's because I'm a basketball widow when the NBA season starts and it's so irritatating. BUT when the team that Scott is rooting for is actually winning, then all kinds of my fun awesomness busts out! So now I'm all over being a HUGE Cardinals fan. For years, I thought they were so lame and they stunk...well, because they did. But now...Super Bowl....YEAH BABY!!!! So I can't say I've been loyal for a very long time but NOW I'm totally a fan. The best part of this?? We are playing the Steelers.

And what makes it even more interesting, my husband's family is HUGE Steeler fans.

This is Scott's crazy cousins Amy and Melissa. They go to Pittsburgh in the dead of winter to watch football games because...yes...they are those type of fans....COO COO!

Of course, there is no way they aren't going to root for the Steelers, but how can they NOT support Arizona, their awesome home state? This is going to be very fun and very interesting. Let the razzing begin!!! So for now, I'm a HUGE sports fanantic because it's party central all up in here in Phoenix. It's going to be CAR-RAZY!!!

Can I get a Whoop Whoop....GO CARDINALS!

To Cut Or Not To Cut...That IS The Question

2009-01-14T21:48:00.000-08:00

So Sydney wants to cut her hair SHORT. I, of course, am freaking out. Not because I don't think it will be cute and not because I just want her to have lovely long golden brown locks....it purely for selfish reasons. She's going to HATE it and I'm going to have to hear the constant complaining and crying. But, I have to let her do it.

Not to be disrespectful to my mother, BUT, she made me this way. My mom felt that since I had red hair, that I should NEVER EVER cut my hair...that it should be long. Well that's just plain child abuse. While my "blonde" sisters were out getting bangs and feathered haircuts and spraying "sun-in" in their hair for highlights, I was walking around with about 60 lbs of solid red hair on my head and feeling like Mama Cass. I had Crystal Gayle hair for many many years. Okay, maybe it wasn't that long (or even that pretty) but folks, it was so long that when I would take a seat I would be sitting on my hair. And my hair was THICK...is THICK...so you can only imagine the headaches I had. I told myself that I would never do this to my daughter. But now...I'm in this predicament and I'm really struggling with this.

I don't want her to cut her hair. Finally after many years of "scraggly cave man hair", her beautiful curls have emerged and I really like them. I know she just wants a change but her hair doesn't grow that fast and I'm worried the change isn't what she's going to want and then it'll be another year or two before we're back to where she originally was. UGGGHHHH!!! What to do, what to do! Nothing! That's just it. I'm going to take her to get her hair cut off and I'm going to hate it but I'm going to do it with a smile on my face because I'm a cool mom like that. (God, I can't believe I'm doing this!!!) At least she's not asking for a nose ring or a tattoo.

The Ugly Cry

2009-01-12T13:54:00.001-08:00

Okay, I'll admit it...I cry on occasion. And the last year and a half...I've done enough crying for my entire family! In fact, in the last...say...4 years, I've cried enough for an entire village. I don't mind crying, once in a while. I think it's good for you. It's kind of cleansing in a way. But there are several different kind of cries. There's the "new mother" cry...the cry you do when you first see your baby be born and then every time you look at her for the next, I don't know, 10 years of her life. There's the "I'm proud of you" cry. The cry you do when you see your kindergartner up there belting out the "ABC" song on the cafeteria stage. There's the "I'm so happy to see you I could burst" cry. That's the cry you cry when your husband wakes up from a stroke. There's the "I can't believe my kid is that stupid" cry. That's the cry when your kid jumps over your other kid's leg in mid air and comes crashing down on his head on the coffee table and busts his ear open and you have to rush him to the E.R. to get his ear stitched up (or in our case glued up). And trust me, there's so many more cries I could tell you about and I'm sure you know of them. But the cry I want to tell you about today is the "Ugly Cry". This cry is very random and somewhat pointless and very very ugly. It's the kind of cry that makes you come up with sounds out of your body you never knew you had....the blubbering billowing cry. It's the cry that doesn't really fit into a category other than it's own "Ugly Cry" category. And well...last week, and today, I have busted out with the Ugly Cry on more than one occasion.

Last week, it was when I finished Where the Red Fern Grows. Okay, maybe this cry could fit under "The Grieving Cry" but the cry I came out with definitely fell under the "Ugly Cry". I mean, when the first dog died, I was shuddering from crying so much but when the second dog died...Little Ann...I couldn't even breath I was crying so hard. I mean, when she drags herself onto Old Dan's grave...OMG, it was more than I could even handle. The Ugly Cry that day was fierce!!!

But today, for some odd reason, my Ugly Cry, just kept creeping up on me. First, it was a commercial on T.V. I can't even remember which one. The water works start. Then I was looking at photographs on the computer and I busted out with the water works again. Then I sat down to watch The Biggest Loser, which I had DVR'd from last week. Oh man, the Ugly Cry just belted out. It was so unbelievable I actually had to turn the TV off, just to regain my composure.

Well, the reason I'm telling you this is because I think everyone should be allowed one Ugly Cry a week. But that's it! Ugly Cries are redundant and meaningless and only make for more ugly crying. Last week when I finished the book, I got my ugly cry out. DONE! (And why do all great classics have to end badly...geez!) And then this week, Biggest Loser...I got my Ugly Cry out...DONE! It just sucks that my Ugly Cry reared it's ugly head on Monday. Now I have all week to get through. This is going to be tough! I'm sure it'll try to sneak up on me, but I'll restrain myself because like I said, one ugly cry turns into another ugly cry and the next thing you know, you're popping pills and hiding flasks under the bed. Really not a good thing so...folks, get the ugly cry out, but then clean it up. You got a life to live and it's very much worth living. Learn from the ugly cries...I am. In fact, this is the first time I've ever watch Biggest Loser. It was very touching and my ugly cry made me realize that I have a heart and that my heart breaks for people with the weight of the world on their shoulders. It was so moving and inspiring, I can't wait for the next episode. I have so much to say on the Biggest Loser subject. I'm sure I'll blog about that soon. Like I've said in the past...

Stay Tuned!....

Dysfunctional Tea Party

2009-01-08T07:19:00.000-08:00

I heart TEA! Seriously, I love it. I drink it all the time. If I had it my way, I'd have a tea party every day of my life. I can't wait to get older and wear those funny hats and boas and walk around like I'm all hoity toity. I'm going to have lots of tea parties for my old fart friends. It's going to be great. So in November when my family came out to visit I wanted to have tea and scones for them. It was late...after dinner...not your usual time for tea, but whatever, it's my party and I can do what I want (crap, there's that narcissim again). So I set everything out and everyone really enjoyed it.

I was so excited...even Heath and Jimmy joined in the fun.

It was a blast.

But of course there's always one in the bunch that doesn't quite get it.

Poor Jana!

Day 7 Of Hell (the one in the bible...not the bad word)

2009-01-05T08:08:00.001-08:00

So I've lost 7 lbs and I'm just not that happy about it. I HATE dieting. I'm pretty much feeling like this right now:

If I even so much as remotely looked like this chick...I would continue to be large. She's hot....I'm NOT!

Sorry if this pic was offensive but even larger girls gots to be sexy right?

It's All About Me!

2009-01-02T23:23:00.000-08:00

So it was told to me by a certain someone, to remain unnamed, that another certain someone , who also will remain unnamed, said that I talk about myself alot....on a blog. Wait, did I just say "a" blog...I'm sorry, I meant "MY" blog. I was, at first, a little surprised. Then it went to irritation. Then it went to feeling bad about myself (obviously what the complainer was shooting for). Now it's just plain "I don't give a crap" and actually I have to say, it has definitely moved on to laughter. I think it's hilarious that someone is actually clicking on my blog link, reading it, and then getting off the blog to complain about me talking about myself ALOT. Last I checked, reading a blog is a "choice", not a demand. Seems to me there are some curious folks out there and they really want to see what's up with my life but then walk away and talk about me...for some reason, I'm kinda like Fly Paper to those kind of freakys. Don't get me wrong, I love it when people stop by, and really really love it when they comment. But I blog for one reason and one reason only...OUTLET! I think I got some things I need to get off my chest and instead of taking pencil to paper, I take fingers to keyboard. It's great therapy and if it makes people laugh in the process, then I feel like I'm helping make the world a happier place. Pure Narcissism at it's best, right???

A blog I like to read every so often is C Jane, and today I checked her blog and it was about someone leaving a comment on her blog about her being self-centered. I couldn't believe it when I read it because this comment about me being self-centered was just made a few days ago...weird timing on that. So I left her a comment and another fellow blogger, Nicole saw my comment and decided to write about being self-centered on her blog. She summed it up beautifully...she said:

"Bloggers are confident rather than self centered, and tend to be more of an extrovert in personality. they are social, outgoing, and for the most part articulate. I would guess that most have at least some education beyond high school and many have graduated college. They are probably verbal learners and not overly shy. In a nut shell they are confidant, empowered, and comfortable in life, and in who they are, and what they believe."

Oh and did I mention that she referenced MY blog, you can read about it HERE...wow, I'm famous...oh and by that last comment, obviously also Narcissistic.

Next Week's Topic: Sarcasm 101

Stay Tuned!

Kids Tell It Like They See It

2008-12-31T14:22:00.000-08:00

So I'm on this diet and I wanted to take a "before" and "after" photo. I come downstairs in my "before" outfit...sports bra and bikini bottom to have Scott take a picture of me...EEK! And #3...aka Luke...says to me "eeeeeeewwwww Mommy"... I'm like "what???" all defensivelike because I know exactly where this is headed and he says "you're GA-RROSSSS!" with emphasis on gross...where did he learn valley girl talk?

What's up with the "Dr. Evil" face?

Hmmm, I think I might take Luke for a car ride today.

Day Two....GRRRRR!!!

2008-12-30T15:53:00.001-08:00

Day Two of my diet and I want to pretty much kill someone....

And then eat them!

I'm Going On A Diet!!!

2008-12-26T19:52:00.000-08:00

Dylan's on a "SeeFood" diet. And from the looks of my butt and my gut I've been on the same diet for quite some time now. So on behalf of my butt, my gut, my quad chin (thanks Jen...love the quad chin!), my back fat, my kankles, we wish you a farewell...because starting Monday, I'm going on a diet!!! And not the "SeeFood" diet either. So please let me apologize ahead of time because if you thought I was a raging lunatic before....just wait till you hear my rants from being deprived of really really good food.

Now don't get me wrong, big girls are beautiful and I personally think fat people are happier jollier people (I'm a pretty happy person), but I also obsess about being skinny so I thought I would try it out and see what all the hype is about (...like I'm actually going to be skinny...HA!). And no, I'm not going to tell you how much I weigh or what kind of diet I'm doing...I'm not even sure myself but I will never devulge my weight...okay, well...maybe I will after I lose a few L...B...'s. Stay tuned!

My fat shadow bids you farewell too.

TO BE CONTINUED....

The Great Cookie Disaster

2008-12-22T22:07:00.000-08:00

So I love to bake...especially in the winter. Cookies are my weakness. I LOVE LOVE LOVE cookies. There is no cookie I won't try and especially now since I have my cooking blog, I'm always looking for new recipes. So I found this yummy sounding cookie from this blog called Picky Palate. They were called Chocolate Cinnamon Crispers.

The recipe called for cinnamon chips. Now when I read this, I got all excited, because I remember that I had some cinnamon chips in the spice cabinet. I had bought them from this co-op that I buy fruits and veggies from. I'm not sure why I bought them...I'm sure they were cheap and I figured I would use them some time. I wasn't even sure what they were for but, needless to say, I had them so I was going to try the recipe out.

I got all the dough mixed together and got ready to stir my cinnamon chips in and noticed that they were kinda hard. I nibbled on one and as it moistened in my mouth, it did become a little softer. I figured they would just soften up in the baking process. So I proceeded. I baked them up. They smelled awesome and they looked super yummy. I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into one. I let them cool. I bit into one and almost broke a tooth. I thought...what the heck? So I kept eating it thinking maybe, just maybe I had gotten a bad chip. I ate the whole cookie, but it was hard...hard to eat that is. I kept chomping down on hard bits.

Well I didn't proceed with the rest of the mix. I was worried.

Scott came home from work and this is how the conversation went:

Scott: Smells good, what are you making?

Jaime: I was making cookies but I almost broke a tooth when I bit into one.

Scott (laughing): Well what did you put in them.

Jaime: These cinnamon chips that I bought from Bountiful Baskets.

Scott: Let me see them.

Scott examines the chips

Scott: Jaime, these are obvious WOOD.

Jaime: Really???

I go straight to the computer and look up these so called cinnamon chips...and lo and behold...I had eaten an entire cookie full of POTPOURRI.

I'm an idiot!!!

(What's your cooking disaster?)

Update: This is what I was supposed to use:

Only 5 1/2 Years Later

2008-12-20T22:12:00.000-08:00

So I spent the whole day in the garage. And only 5 1/2 years later, I can finally park in it!

How do you like them apples?

BEFORE

AFTER

What a thing of beauty!

If you want to know what motivated me, you can read this POST.

Now don't get me wrong, there's still ALOT of stuff in there, but it's organized junk now...and I can park my car in there....WOOOOO-WEEEEEE...(as my g-ma Hazel would say.)

(And don't ask me why we have 9 bikes..yes 9!!!)

What the Heck does Booty mean?

2008-12-18T13:09:00.000-08:00

I use the word "Booty" A LOT! I love that word. Sometimes I'll be in public and I'll say booty and people just stare at me like I'm crazy. From my last post, I likened my candy stash to my "booty"...and someone was like "what is that?" I can't believe there are actually people out there that don't know this word. It's one of the most awesome words EVER! It means alot of things but most of the time when I reference it, I'm talking about a "treasure".

And have you tried these? They are awesome!

Dirty Little Secret

2008-12-16T12:56:00.000-08:00

I mentioned in my Twinkie post about my secret stash. So I'm giving it up! I know many of you moms and dads can relate to this...but probably more so the moms. Whenever the kids go down for a nap or go to bed at night, that means "snack time". I have this secret stash in my pantry. It's like the only time I can bust out with the "booty" because my kids are scavengers. If I let them in on the stash, they'll eat the whole thing and rob me of my joyous "snack time". Sometimes I can't wait for nap time or bedtime so I'll sneak away and steal a little morsel from my stash. Many a time I have been busted hiding in the pantry with a mouth full of chocolate. These darn raccoons these kids are. They can sniff out sugar miles away and know every trick in the book. Do any you guys have this problem? Please let me know so I don't feel alone.

And if you do read this post, please don't tell my kids about my dirty little secret or my plan will be foiled. And you don't want to see Jaime deprived of her precious chocolate.

Why, as parents, do our kids make us resort to this thievery and secrecy?

Yes, this picture was posed, obviously, but why do I look like such a crazy woman??? Could it be my hormones and being that close to a entire jar of chocolate? I have crazy woman eyes.

Tag, You're It!

2008-12-14T09:41:00.000-08:00

Since I started doing this blogging thing I've noticed other bloggers play little games with each other and I was feeling a little left out until Mandy from Home With Mandy tagged me. I'm so excited because now I feel like a true blogger amongst bloggers. The way this works is that I have to tell 7 random or weird things about myself, which was extremely hard because I'm pretty much an open book already so I had to dig deep. Then after my 7 random or weird thoughts, I have to pick 7 other bloggers and tag them. So here ya go:

I love microwaves but have to act like I don't because Scott hates them.
I wanted to be a professional photographer when I was young.
I really don't have just 1 best friend and I kinda like it that way.
I want to move into a very very small house and get rid of everything to prepare myself for rough times ahead.
I love home parties of every kind, tupperware, pampered chef, etc., even if I don't buy anything, I love to go to them and I love to throw them.
If I had it my way, I would have a tea party every single day of my life.
When I can't find a toothpick, and need one REALLY bad, I pick my teeth with the post on my earring...eeewwww GROSS, I know...sorry.

They said weird so the last one definitely qualifies as weird and gross.

So there you go, this was really hard because everybody knows so much about me already. I need to tag 7 other blogs. This was also hard because I'm new to the blogger world but I'm going to take a stab at it. All the ones I picked are very new as well, so this should be interesting. So here ya go:

Kristen

Crystal

Alec

Mary

Sheila

MicahGirl
Sunny E

Click on their names and it will take you to their blogs. I would have tagged Jen Ragan, but Mandy tagged her on our food blog...go check it out at j&j Dish It Out. All of you guys, here's the rules...Have FUN!

I'm Free!

2008-12-10T09:14:00.000-08:00

So today I'm sick. Really Really Sick. In fact, so sick that I called Scott at work and begged him to come home and take care of the boys for me so I could get some rest. I told Luke that Daddy was coming home to take care of him. This is how the conversation went:

Me: Daddy's coming home.

Luke: Why?

Me: Because he's coming home to help mommy take care of you.

Luke: I don't need anyone to take care of me.

Me: What do you mean you don't need anyone to take care of you?

Luke: Well, I'm not sick.

Me: Well you still need someone to keep an eye on you.

Luke: No I don't.

So apparantly Luke doesn't think he needs supervision. It reminded me of that time I was sick like two years ago and I accidentally dozed off. I was pregnant with Dylan and I honestly could not help myself. I pulled Luke into bed with me and turned on the T.V. and went off into dream land. When I woke up, this is what I found:

That will teach me never to doze off and teach Sydney never to leave her play make up out.

It's my "Born" Day!

2008-12-07T08:30:00.000-08:00

And I have nothing to say except....I'M OLD!

And I'm going back to bed.

Twinkies = Big Butt

2008-12-02T22:08:00.000-08:00

So almost two years ago, Tina broke my CD player in my van (she tries to blame Sydney, but I know she did it..nice try Tina)...and because I'm so cheap, I have never taken the car in to get it fixed...you know money for diapers, wipes and internet kinda take precedence over money to fix CD player.

So about two weeks ago, Luke is screaming in the back of the car so I walk all the way to the back and hand him whatever he's screaming for and I back myself back to the driver's seat. Well in the process, my rear end hits the middle console which houses the CD player and I hear this sound...the sound of a CD ejecting from my radio. HOORAY, the CD player is fixed. So I call Scott to tell him the good news and his response "cool, all those Twinkies you ate paid off".

Well the point of this story is this: Twinkies are an Addiction (not sure how the point of the above story got to this point, but I didn't know how to tie the two in).

My cousin Jana came into town last weekend and brought me a gift. A twinkie holder. She knows I love twinkies and thought I might happen to need a holder one day for one of my twinkies. Okay, why is this starting to sound sexy...okay, back to the story.

How do you like the Horse's Butt in the background?

How fitting.

So last night I'm at the grocery store and I see Twinkies are on sale. I NEVER EVER buy these. For several reasons. 1) they are disgusting, in a good way, 2) I do think they are expensive and usually only buy them when we go to Mexico, and 3) you can't just stop at one!

So I'm thinking...well I do now have my holder and it would be pretty fun to try it out so I buy a box. I bring the box of Twinkies home and my kids FREAK OUT! Seriously folks, I'm not kidding...it was like a bunch of dogs to a bone. I'm the mean mommy that doesn't buy grody sweets like Twinkies or Sunny Delight...yuck. I do buy the occasional candy bar or granola bar and I do have my own stash (more on that later), but I really don't buy crappy stuff like Twinkies. If we want dessert, I just bake something.

Anyhoo, today the boys both went down for a nap at the same time...HALLELUAH...and nap time means snack time. So where do I go...straight for the twinkie box...and eat...not ONE...but TWO twinkies. Not even one of them made it into the cozy little twinkie holder. Geez...I got problems!

Side note: This kid Ian HERE is cute! I guess he has my problem too.

When Did THIS Happen???

2008-11-30T21:51:00.000-08:00

Bathrooms Scrubbed....CHECK!

Toys Picked Up....CHECK!

Beds Made...CHECK!

Dishes Done and Sink Cleaned....CHECK!

Floors Mopped....CHECK!

Rugs Vacuumed...CHECK!

Garage Cleaned Up and Organized...CH....

What the...????

beautiful boy

2008-11-25T23:30:00.001-08:00

I found this picture of Dylan...is it just me or is he glowing???

I knew he was an angel :)

I'll take the Green Frogs

2008-11-21T00:20:00.000-08:00

someday her prince will come

but for now I'm just grateful she's kissing green frogs instead

How Was Your Day?

2008-11-19T07:54:00.000-08:00

This is what my day looked like yesterday.

Can we say Bi-Polar?

How was your day?

A Better Tomorrow

2008-11-18T08:13:00.000-08:00

I had a really rough day yesterday. From about 10:00 in the morning till 10:00 last night, my heart raced all day in complete anxiety. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake it. It was exhausting. Then I had a conversation with my mother in law and it came to me...newfound strength to get up again today and really look at...not what I cannot control...but what I can control and what I'm thankful for. Being a Jehovah's Witness, and not celebrating holidays, talking about being thankful for things in the month of November might seem taboo for some...but not for me. I pride myself on the fact that I'm thankful EVERY day. Every night I go to bed, I pray. I pray for strength, for peace, for health and the saneness of mind to get me through what I cannot control...and then I end my conversation with Jehovah by always telling him how much I love him and thankful I am to him for granting me the feeling of security in my own home in such a wicked world. I thank him for giving me 4 wonderful healthy children that sometimes drive me crazy but that I could never live without. I thank him that I have all my siblings and my parents with me still today. I thank him that Scott has all his siblings and all his parents with him still today. I thank him for helping me to wake up and survive another day on this glorious earth that he provided for our pleasure and that I'm sorry that the people of this earth don't respect what he's given us. I thank him for Scott. For giving me someone that so graciously deals with my dysfunctional extended family. And last, I thank Him for finding me and letting me be raised in a god fearing family and letting me know Him. So today, I wake up and I'm not feeling to great, still feeling a little down, but I am fine with that. I know that because of how I feel today and how I felt yesterday means that things can only get better from this point. And I know that tomorrow can offer me a better today.

Gavin's 8 Today!

2008-11-16T14:16:00.000-08:00

Happy "Born" Day Buddy!

8 years ago today, I was having the easiest labor of my life

And then at 8:14 I had the fastest delivery in the WEST!

You are sooooo cute and crazy!

I love ya Pumkin!

No way!!! I Never Knew This.

2008-11-15T18:25:00.001-08:00

Okay, I'll be honest, I love to read up on all the politics but because my stance is neutral, I tend to drive people a little nuts. But just because I'm neutral doesn't stop me from reading up on what our crazy country is doing because..well...I live here and need to stay informed. So...I found this article (you can read it here or by clicking on article) and it totally floored me. Apparantly the President of the United States cannot email, text message or instant message anyone. WHAT?????

The PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES is not even allowed to have a lap top. Is that the craziest thing you ever heard? I don't think I've ever seen Obama without that Blackberry in his hand. How will he adjust to this new life? Actually do I really care...NO!

But it does make you wonder. I mean I live on the computer ...it's my therapy... my outlet ... my everything ... okay, well, not my everything but pretty darn close. I can't even get up a #4 talk for the school without my computer. How do you research anything without a computer? Well I'm being a little dramatic, the president apparanly can use a computer but can't have a laptop or Blackberry. That is just plain WEIRD! I guess being a stay at home mom has its advantages over being a president of a giant nation.

Car Wash Gone Bad

2008-11-13T06:44:00.000-08:00

So me and the kids washed the car the other day. I know...we're crazy.

We should have just taken it in to the real car wash. To be honest, it looks like crap. There are streaks everywhere and it doesn't have that coco/vanilla/new car scent that you get when you go to the "real" car wash.

And we froze our butts off.

We shouldn't have started in the back of the car, because when we went around to the front...this is what I found....

NOT GOOD!

I've Been ROBBED!!!

2008-11-10T20:41:00.001-08:00

My waist....it's GONE!!!

Why do I blog???

2008-11-09T13:55:00.001-08:00

I love this quote which pretty much sums it up:

"We write to taste life twice,

Once in the moment and in retrospection"

I finally did it!

2008-11-07T06:59:00.000-08:00

With scott's leg a-mending, he has not been able to do the normal things he "sometimes" does...which mowing the lawn would fall into that category. I have cried and moaned and groaned about it...as you all know from reading my Facebook. And I did it just in the nick of time...the grass was totally dying.

But I finally got off my butt and mowed the darn thing. I know it's just a mere SNAP of grass...but it's MY snap of grass and

I MOWED IT!

Who knew mowing the lawn could be so much fun!

Even if it's going to cost me later with major itchies! And allergies!

But it was fun and that darn grass LOOKS GREAT! Don't you think??

Now if I could just get the winter grass planted before the big freeze....any volunteers?

TO BE CONTINUED!

Happy Born Day #4

2008-11-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

Today my Baby Dylan has been in this world for one solid year! Dylan came into this world during troubled times but he didn't let that get to him. I was really worried about him, but was torn because my worry was also for Scott at the time. I was 7 weeks pre-delivery when Scott fell ill. I lost 10 pounds in those last 7 weeks. I knew Dylan could feel my pain and he didn't cause me much trouble. I have to say that the last 7 weeks of my pregnancy were pretty easy as far as pregnancies go. Dylan just knew what I was going through and so he just hung out and bided his time. When things started to get rough, he also knew...it was time. He came 2 weeks early.

So sometime mid-afternoon

(after 4 kids who remembers the time),

on November 5th, last year, my full chemical baby was born.

(Dylan was my only child born with drugs...Poor Dylan)

But let me tell you, if someone told me that epidurals would have brought such precious cargo to me like this, I would have had one with all my births.

He pretty much eats or drinks whatever I give him and then some!

He is the kindest most gentle sweet thing I have ever had so close to me in my life. He is like a breath of fresh air.

He pretty much goes to whoever I hand him too and likes it!

And he does Acrobatics...imagine that!

He's happy all the time.

I'm not kidding folks...the kids is seriously happy

ALL THE TIME!

He is so special in my heart for so many reasons, but see...we share alot in common....first and foremost, he's a redhead.

That's obvious.

Gavin's partial to the red hair too...for obvious reasons as well.

But Dylan and I are both #4 in our birth order.

I know with my whole being and soul that I was not only meant to have Dylan in my life but that he is our last child to be born from my womb. I like to think we ended this on a sweet note and his name is Dylan Michael Horton.

(Named after our dear friend Gary Michael Day)

(Can only imagine what Gar would have to say about another redhead)

I love that he has such a kind and loving soul and spirit. I love how he's so easy going. Dylan...in so many ways completes me and makes me a better mother and a better person!

His chubby cheeks are scrumptous!

I absolutely love his striking blue eyes that he shares with his brother Gavin, my mother, and his auntiesTina and Denise.

I love how they look like big almonds that kinda droop in the corners.

And...I love that on his fattest of days, he looks like my favorite comedian,

Chris Farley.

We Love You Bobo!

Has It Really Come To This???

2008-10-28T09:37:00.001-07:00

As many of you know, Scott tore his achille's tendon...right off the bone. He had surgery 3 weeks ago. He went in last week to get his cast off...and yes, they put another one on! NOOOOOOOO, say it isn't so...two and half more weeks. He came home with this handicap tag. Okay, here's the deal...I'm 36 and as much as I hate this tag and think "what the heck has happened to us"...I'm actually giddy about this whole thing. The fact that we have "special parking privleges"...is so exciting to me. Is this so bad of me? I mean, seriously, think of this..Scott had brain surgery last year and couldn't even walk on his own...yet...no handicap tag...and I was 9 months pregnant! NOOOOOWWWW they decide to give him this tag....uuummm, a little late. I will be honest...this leg thing has actually probably been worse than bringing Scott home after a stroke. He can't do anything. Our lawns are overgrown. He can't pick up the baby. He has to manuver the stairs on his butt. He can't carry anything.

Help has arrived...in addition to our lovely handicap tag...which I'm sure people will glare at me if I come strutting out the car with no wheelchair or limp...today, a knee walker arrived.

DONNA: "SCOOTER GETS A SCOOTER"

I can't stopped laughing about this thing. It's so hilarious. It reminds of the little dog on that movie Babe. His back legs didn't work so he had this little contraption that he would run around in. It looked something like this. I told Scott to decorate his up.

So to sum up the events of today...my age just went from 36 to 66. Handicap tags and leg walkers. I'm just glad we saved the arm rail and shower chair from when he had his stroke...it's really come in handy. Oh, the little joys in life.

With one leg, Scott's new nickname is Eileen. I'm so politically incorrect, I know...but with what's happened in my life...for some reason, I don't really care. Oh, the little joys in life. I will have more update on his progress.

(club Nouveau is so lame but I couldn't find a better song...so here's to a little 80's nostalgia, since we are getting so old)

To be continued...

Follow Up to "My Wonderful Little Pumkin"

2008-10-21T23:14:00.000-07:00

You have no idea how much I love this little guy! He seriously has been begging me to blog him so this morning I told him I would blog about him before he left to Mexico. So right after school today, he came running in the door right into the office to check my blog to see if I blogged about him....(I can't believe he remembered). So he read my blog and I look over at him and he's crying. Of course I'm mortified thinking that i've said something to embarrass him but in fact, he was crying because he said it made him sad and happy all at the same time. It was like a huge gust of emotion just came over him. It made my heart swell with so many emotions...I can't even explain! I asked him if he wanted me to change it and he shook his head no but said could I please change the music because it made him sad for some reason. I felt so bad and horrible that I had not blogged him well. I told him I would put any song on this blog for him so he asked me to put Soulja boy on...well...hellooo, that song totally has bad words in it..of course I didn't know this until I googled the lyrics. Geez, I've been mumbling out bad words not even knowing they were bad words because I never know the words to any songs. Anyhoo, he then said he wanted Hey Ya by Outkast so I did it but the blog just didn't feel the same. Soooo, I put both songs on once he left the office...hehehe. I hope to blog about something else before he gets back from Mexico or he's going to kill me for putting this song back on.

BTW: To understand what I'm talking about...read my blog below 6

My Wonderful Little Pumkin!

2008-10-21T11:17:00.001-07:00

Gavin loves my blog and keeps begging me to blog about him. I've been thinking and thinking of what to say but my mind is so full of wonderful and funny things, I can't even narrow it down to just one thing. Tomorrow Gavin leaves with my parents to spend 6 days in Mexico. I wanted him to go so bad. He just loves the beach. For being paler than the moon, he's so in his element on the beach. Sometimes I watch him and I can tell he's singing a little tune in his head and it's a happy tune for sure. He likes to explore and find "treasures" or "creatures". He has a zest and zeal for life that is so untouchable. I know he wants to live his life to the fullest because I know that he is aware of death and dreads it. Just a few weeks ago he asked me if I was going to die some day. I told him if God allowed this system to go on, that I just might but that he would see me again...he cried and cried and cried. The next day he asked me if he could hang out with me for the day. It broke my heart. I knew he wanted to spend every waking moment with his mom before she dies. I hate that he worries about those things at such a young age but I know he's the wiser for it. Getting a real sense of death in his mind, I think makes him realize how precious things are. I see that in him everyday.

Even though I wanted my wonderful little ginger head to go to Mexico...I'm freaking out. I've always had this morbid thing about not seeing people or things again so I obsess about "is this the last moment" and the last year of my life just made it worse for me. I know I will see Gavin again, but I'm stressed to the max. Thank God I'm sending him with my over protective mother. She'll probably have a dog leash on him tied to her beach chair so he won't get out of her sight.

Gavin was my only child that was planned. That doesn't mean I love him any more than the others, but it makes me feel so much more responsible for him in some really odd and disturbing way. I planned him and now I have to see it thru. Okay, I know...that just sounds crazy and so stupid but for some reason I really feel that way though. I know I have to see all my kids thru but I guess in my "make plans" mind...I have big plans for him....I know...so idiotic.

Well Gavin, here's my blog to you! The things I love about you from A to Z.

A is for ALL the flowers you pick for me because you love to see the smile on my face.

B is for the Boy in you that just melts my heart.

C is for how Cool you are in so many ways!

D is for Doing all your chores without every complaining

E is for Everything you do that makes me so proud of you every single day.

F is for how Funny you are and make me laugh all the time.

G is for Gavin...my main man!

H is for Horton, I know a name you just love because it's in Dr. Seuss.

I is for I LOVE YOU!

J is for all the Junk in your room that are you special "treasures".

K is for how Kind you are to everyone.

L is for how Lucky I am to be your mother.

M is for my little Man who exceeds my expectations in every way.

N is for Never going a day without giving me a hug and kiss and telling me you love me.

O is for On Time...I never have to ask you twice to get up and get ready.

P is for your Pout that sometimes drives me crazy but I know it will change soon!

Q is for your Quirky ways, like when you keep a piece of bark and think it's special.

R is for your beautiful Red hair!

S is for your Sensitivity that makes me know you're going to be a great dad and husband.

T is for the Time I have with you...every minute so precious.

U is for Understanding when I'm stressed and giving me a huge hug!

V is for Victory...you are a brilliant student and a pretty good skate boarder too!

W is for Where did the time go...you're almost 8!

X is for eXamine...which is what you do with everything...it's sooo cute!

Y is for Your Space, which you love to call your own.

Z is for your zaniness that sometimes is misunderstood.

I'm determined to do it!

2008-10-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

So I started walking a few months ago. It was going great...the knees were hanging in there. Two weeks in to the process, I started getting this horrible pain in my side...next thing I know...I'm getting rolled into emergency appendix surgery. Was this my omen?? My wakeup call??? Should I stop walking...I think not...workout demons, get behind me! So I started walking again and told Scott he was going to walk with me...next thing I know...he's limping home with a torn achilles tendon...uggghhh....is there no end in sight??? My cousin from Tennesse is coming down to walk the 1/2 mile PF Changs Rock and Roll marathon in January. I'm determined to walk it with her. Of course I'm scared that I won't be able to finish and be completely humiliated when the little cart has to come by and pick me up. At the rate I'm going now as far as training, I'm pretty much going to throw up or faint within the first 2 miles.

I have no idea what's going to motivate me to get my butt going again. I'm so tired all the time, my back hurts, the house is a mess, the kids are crying...I could go on and on. But then I step one foot out that door in that 70 degree weather and the thrill of it all comes rushing back. So tomorrow I offically start the walking process again. The little boys are good sports about it. But you should see me huffing and puffing pushing that giant double stroller around our neighborhood. I'm working on one mile this week but next week I'm going to walk the full 2 miles right into Chick Fil A and get me a chicken sandwich...my reward..right???

I'm planning on taking the kids on a 1 mile fun run this Saturday...we'll see. If I can get a babysitter for the little ones, I'm there! I think it's a great idea and a good example to Sydney and Gavin about excercise. Because right now, I'm not cutting it as a role model in the excercise dept. So stay tuned, you might see me on the news crossing the finish line...or maybe on the news getting air evac-ed to the nearest hospital.

Side order of Saturated Fat, please!

2008-10-12T10:24:00.000-07:00

So in my quest to becoming healthy, I also want the best for my family. I told my kids...no more fast food. I mean, once in a while but not the every week, sometimes twice a week, crap! So apparantly Sydney has been in mourning because she felt the need to make some sort of shrine for her love of fast food. Luke was playing with Play-Doh and Sydney came in and concocted this little sculpture in honor of McDonald's...it even had a toy (the little orange car looking thing in the front). It was sooo funny! I can't believe what kind of effect food has people, and especially kids! This is how I know I need to be a better example for my children...why didn't she make Fish or Broccoli????

One Very Long Year

2008-10-09T14:14:00.001-07:00

So I had been journaling a little and putting it on my facebook but now that I have this blog spot, I thought I would add some old entries from my journal. This one is about our last year and its horrible crazy twists and turns so I thought I would add this one for sure. It was dated September 9th...one year to the day since Scott's stroke. So here it is:

So I've been waiting for this day for a whole year! I have no idea why I wanted the year "mark" to come and go. I guess maybe to put closure on this crazy thing that has happened to us. I know in some of your minds, maybe this was just our "blip" but to us it was life changing. One year ago today, I could not wake Scott up and it was the scariest day of my life. Up to that point, I had never even called 911. For a whole week I sat in agony wondering whether or not he would ever talk to me again (literally and mentally). Now one year later, sometimes I wish he would just SHUT UP! Hahaha. I really thought today, September 9th would be a sad day and that I would sit around and be morbidly depressed as I thought about why this had to happen to us. But to be honest, it's not like that at all. I'm happy! I can't stop smiling at the fact that Scott is okay and my family is healthy (for the most part). I'm estatic he survived what he did. And the things that we have gone through this last year...it's amazing! We even added another one to our family and now we're 6! It's been a crazy ride and I'm just glad to say it's all just a distant memory now. One of the most important things that I took from this (besides hundreds of other things), is that life is very precious and can be over in the blink of an eye. The things I said that day could never be taken back and so when I talk I choose my words wisely. I never want to be in that position again EVER! One more thing I took from all of this is that the support of my friends and family was untouchable. I'm speechless when it comes to how I feel about what everyone did for us. So today we can hold our heads up high and say with pride WE ARE SURVIVORS!

Luke's Big Special Day!

2008-10-06T11:15:00.000-07:00

Well we did it...barely! It was so crazy by the time the kids came home from school and to my complete dismay, Scott came hobbling home from work. He hurt himself playing basketball during his lunch hour. He could barely walk. I was so exhausted and the thought of getting all the kids ready (Sydney, Gavin and Dylan were going to Tina's....btw...thank you Tina for watching them for me) and getting Luke ready and trying to help Scott, was about throwing me over the edge. I laid down in my bed and actually got teary eyed. I thought...this is horrible. One day I try to do something nice for my kids and I can barely move...I felt like my arms and legs weighed 5000 lbs. Tina called and was like "get up and get ready and get over here". She knew I would feel better once I got ready and was out the door. She was right. I dragged myself out of bed, got the kids all ready, packed their bags and we were off. Luke was finally excited to go!
Well, I'm such an idiot! I thought it was Disney on Ice...it wasn't. It was a giant play with all the Playhouse Disney characters...Handy Manny, Pooh, Little Einsteins...etc. It was so lame. Me and Scott kept looking at each other and texting each other completely making fun of it...hahahaha, we are so immature. But of course, to Luke, we portrayed it as the BEST THING EVER!!! He really enjoyed it! So even though I don't think Luke realized the extent of his "Special Day"...I know he really appreciated getting to finally sit between Mommy and Daddy and not fighting with any of the other kids to get that spot. And I wasn't holding a baby, I was holding Luke in my arms. I think he thought that was pretty cool. It was all about him and he loved it.
One of the things I loved most about it too, was that Sydney and Gavin were excited for him. I loved that they were happy for him and really got into it. I can't wait for their special days now. We haven't picked out what we're doing but they are really thinking about it and they are going to make it good and with the prices today...I'm pretty sure we're going to go broke in the process...Hahahaha...but they are only young once and it's all worth it!

Today's Luke's Special Day

2008-10-03T08:19:00.000-07:00

So I started this thing where I want to take each of my kids out to have a day with just Mommy and Daddy. I got the idea off Jon and Kate plus 8. We have four kids now and sometimes finding the time to give them their invidual attention is extremely challenging. I talked to Sydney and Gavin about the idea and asked them what they thought. They were all over it! We didn't start with Luke for any particular reason except that he loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and a few months ago, I saw that it was coming to Disney on Ice...so I decided to buy tickets and he would be our guinea pig on this whole "special day" thing. Of course he has no idea what I'm talking about. I've been talking about his special day for weeks now and he just gets this frown on his face like "I'm not spaycial...so stop calling me that". Today when he woke up, I shouted "it's your special day today". He frowned again and said "I don't want to go...I just want stay home and play video games"....uhhhh, can you say "uni-bomber".
I'm kinda getting bummed about the whole thing because I want him to be excited and he's not. He's 3. I think I'm expecting too much. My other dilemma is that I would love to take Dylan. After all he is free and he is so interested in everything. Then again, all 11 month olds are interested in everything. I think Dylan would LOVE it but it's not his day...it's Luke's....even though I don't think Luke gets it and he for sure doesn't appreciate it.
I think I will decide at the last minute about Dylan because I know that once we get there and it's just Luke, it will be so much fun to interact with him. We really are never alone with just one of our kids at a time so as I write them, I'm sure I won't take Dylan. It'll be fun to see how Luke handles it and soaks it all in.

My first day doing this and I'm nervous

2008-10-02T22:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I finally decided to do this. I love to think about what's gone on in my day and always think that I should write things down, but I absolutely hate getting pen and paper out. I can type much faster than I can even think so here were are. There are so many things that have compelled me to do this but so many reasons why I shouldn't. But I'm going against my better judgement and I'm going to become a blogger. I think this will be a great outlet for me. It will help me organize my thoughts, my days, my memories. So from this day forward, my life is an open book...so let's get reading!