Planet Payne

2012-01-19T19:59:00.002-05:00

Christmas 2011

2012-01-09T12:37:00.000-05:00

Christmas was BUSY for us this year. Friday night we went to my parents house for Christmas with my Dad's family, then Saturday was Christmas Eve with the big dinner at my Gramma's, then Christmas Day we did our thing in the morning, had Mike's sister over at noon, and by 6 we were at my parents again to celebrate with them and my brother. Phew!! Tiring but so glad we have so much family to be with!!

The kids got lots of good stuff this year and it's always great to see their excitement. It was also a blessing to be having this Christmas in our own home! Last year I never would have guessed that we'd be here a year later. I'm so thankful for all that God has blessed us with this year!!

Pictures to come once I finally get them off the camera!

Isaac's Admirers

2012-01-09T12:31:00.000-05:00

Isaac seems to be getting a collection of pictures from girls at school. He's a ladies man ;o)

Sick baby girl :o(

2012-01-09T12:26:00.000-05:00

So much I want to catch up on but so little time, as always.....I'll start with some pics I uploaded a few weeks ago for the purpose of blogging.

Lyssa boo had pneumonia in late November. I thought her breathing sounded strange in the morning so off we went to the ER. She got her first x-ray and she was dehydrated so they kept her for a couple of hours to start an IV fluid drip, then gave her a round of antibiotics in the IV too. She was a trooper, but I think she just felt so tired and weak that she just couldn't protest too much :o( But I'm happy to say that she was feeling much better after a couple of days and returned to her rambunctious little self!

Recap of the past week

2011-11-28T21:46:00.000-05:00

The day before Thanksgiving, me and Mike had our big yearly argument. Not sure why, but we always seem to have a big one around this time of year. Holiday stress maybe? It's not good, but it always somehow gets us back on track :o) And I can honestly say that I enjoyed having my family home for a 5 day Holiday, instead of wishing they'd all go back to school or work.

Unfortunately, I don't handle stress well so I spent the week fighting off panic attacks :o( I hate that I ever have to deal with them cuz it makes life hard, but I'm thankful that they only show up occasionally.

Thanksgiving at Gramma's house was nice....until the end when another panic attack struck out of the blue, so I gave Mike "the look" and he got us all out of there quickly to go home. Sometimes I really don't give him enough credit. He knows me so well that I don't have to say a word and he knows what I need.

The rest of that evening was one big fat attack after another but I made it. Me and Haylee didn't get to go out for black Friday shopping because of me and I feel awful about that :o( But we ended up going out to the mall that Saturday instead, just me and her for several hours.

The rest of the Holiday weekend was full of Christmas decorating. Me and the girls did the tree inside while the guys worked on the outside. They did a great job!! I need to get pics outside but here's the tree inside :o)

And the teachers say...

2011-11-28T21:27:00.000-05:00

That both boys are doing great!! Isaac's teacher went on and on about how sweet he is.....and Ethans teacher said he has all A's and he's making friends well. She specifically said that he is making "the right kind of friends" which made me very happy to hear :o) I always hope that my kids will lean toward the good crowd instead of the bad. Brandon was always very selective about who he spent his time with and we've never had any concerns with his friends.

Anyways, they are both doing well in all areas! Here's a piece of Isaac's art that we saw hanging in the hallway :o)

Making cake.....

2011-11-21T18:16:00.001-05:00

With Haylee-Boo....then we're off to teacher conferences for Ethan and Isaac. Can't wait to hear how they are doing, especially Isaac since its his first year of school. I already know Ethan will get raving reviews as always ;o)

Report Cards

2011-11-12T23:29:00.000-05:00

Proud of my kiddos!! Ethan made the high honor roll, Haylee got 2 B's and the rest A's.....Isaac got mostly good marks except where it said "raises hand before speaking". He got a P for progressing. Hahaha! Thats our little chatterbox! This year he is having to learn ALOT of self control :o) But he's doing well!!

Besides that, it's been a pretty uneventful week....

The weekend

2011-11-06T22:16:00.000-05:00

Was busy!! Friday night I went with Isaac and Ethan to Mother/Son game night at school. We ate, played games and won tickets for prizes. Big fun! Daddy kept the girls and they watched a movie and made cookies together :o)

Saturday was Fall family work day at the Payne house. We raked ALOT of leaves, cleaned out gutters and put the outdoor toys away. Of course like every year, the kids got to jump in the huge pile of leaves after the hard work was over. Our neighbor (Charlie Brown) walked over with some bags of candy that he and his wife made for the kids. We've only been here for 3 months now but I really LOVE our neighbors so far. They've all been very friendly!

Today we went to church and then to Gloria's to help her with some things. She took us out to dinner, which was greatly appreciated! She also gave us alot of her old Christmas lights and decorations. She wanted her garage emptied and we lost most of our Christmas stuff in the damp basement at the old house, so it worked out well for all of us. Now I cant wait to put the lights up outside, but that will have to wait until after Thanksgiving, to stick with tradition.

Me and Mike also tried to hang a new basement door tonight. It's up there, but I'm not fully convinced that it will last for long. I'm not so sure this DIY stuff is gonna work for us ;o)

Pictures soon from this weekend!

Hide & Seek ain't just for kids!

2011-11-03T19:18:00.000-04:00

Yes, I played hide and seek outside tonight with Isaac & Ethan, cuz sometimes it's just nice to be a kid again :o) Elyssa's been at my Moms house all day hangin' out with her Grammy, so I took advantage of some time with the boys. Brandon's doing homework and Haylee is sleeping, as usual. She must be going through some kind of girly, pre-puberty, hormonal thing cuz she sleeps alot lately - and she's a bit on the "touchy" side too.....

More Pics...

2011-11-03T13:57:00.005-04:00

We finally had a nice day yesterday, not too cold and the sun even showed up for awhile. Of course in my mind, this meant dragging out the Canon!

Someone gave her this really cute barbie jeep for free. What a blessing for my lil girl...Obviously, her steering abilities need a bit of polishing. Either that or the tree should have moved.

Isaac doesn't care if it's Barbie....or pretty purple :o)

And isn't he sooooo handsome??

2011-11-03T13:28:00.001-04:00

Some pics from the gym at Ten Point O in Elyria. Elyssa absolutely LOVES this! They don't really teach the kids anything. It's just 45 minutes of free play on the gymnastics equipment, every other Wednesday. I would LOVE to enroll her in one of their classes, but our funds just won't allow for that right now. Maybe after Christmas though :o)

This one shows her new haircut. Short and sassy, just like her!

In the foam block pit

Just being her cute self

And when I turned to talk to a friend, I looked back a few seconds later to find her like this....

Disappointed

2011-11-02T10:54:00.002-04:00

Because some people and their petty issues, have to ruin things for others. I mean really, we're not in high school anymore. Does it really matter who hangs out with who? I waited a LONG time for a certain thing to happen, and then it did - and now apparently I should keep that "thing" hidden to avoid offending someone else? Even though it should be a good, happy, wonderful thing?

I'm learning more and more that you just can NOT please everyone. I can try, but some people really just make it almost impossible....And for those people, I'm done trying....done catering to everyone else's childish problems.

Facebook was a great "tool" for me. I was so extremely shy before and in many ways, facebook helped me come out of my little world and get involved with other people....online and eventually offline too.

But lately I think that being in my own lil world was much safer. Maybe not as fun, but definitely safer. I enjoy facebook because I like writing a little bit about my day - something I can share with others and look back at. But since everything has to stay so rediculously secretive, I will come here and blog instead, and a VERY select few will have access to it. It won't have the social aspect that facebook has, but maybe thats not so bad after all.

Of course, these are my feelings for today....I reserve the right to change them tomorrow :o)

Haircut!

2011-11-01T23:27:00.002-04:00

Elyssa got her first big haircut today. It was so uneven and oddly layered - I wasn't thrilled about cutting it so short but my hope is that it will grow nicer now. Thanks Aunt Yvonne!

Halloween revisited

2011-11-01T10:47:00.001-04:00

So it turns out the hubby DID get to go trick-or-treating with us. Yay! We had a ballerina, Snake Eyes, a vampire, a cowgirl.....and since we went with Rach & Josh so we also had a lil bunny and a Rapunzel. Good time with family! It doesn't get better than that! Our kids tire out easily so I'm glad we took the wagon with us.

Jordan

Samara, Elyssa & Haylee

Tired Ballerina

Its Halloween

2011-10-31T08:53:00.001-04:00

And it stinks that I have to do everything alone because of Mikes work schedule....Most of the time I feel like a single Mom, but I'll put my feelings aside as always and make sure my kids have a great Halloween tonight. That's all that really matters.

Carman

2011-10-31T00:08:00.001-04:00

We saw him, just 20 feet away. It was a great night with my Mom, Nancy, Kathy, Brandon, Haylee and Ethan :o) How awesome to see him up close. He's still great, even without all the dramatic concert effects we've seen before.

I love these girls!!

2011-10-30T14:20:00.001-04:00

In May....

2011-10-30T14:16:00.001-04:00

I very unexpectedly fell in love with an old (111 years to be exact) farm house that was for sale. We had NO intentions of buying a house but I knew in my heart that this was supposed to be mine :o) There were several obstacles along the way but God stepped in and handled it all - So in early August we finally signed the official papers, bought our own home, and moved in the night before Elyssa's 3rd birthday.....nothing fabulous or fancy.....but its OUR home!! Its a work in progress but we've already done several minor things to update it and I've got a lot more ideas for the future :o)

Only 6 months....

2011-10-29T23:52:00.000-04:00

Since I last posted. Thats awful!! But I'm about to download the blogger app on my phone so I can do it more often :o) Obviously, since I last posted, we DID make it safely to Florida. DisneyWorld was awesome!! Seeing Elyssa meet the Princesses made me teary eyed. All of the kids had so much fun and cousin Rhonda was a wonderful host. We also did Hollywood Studios, Gatorland and spent a day at the beach. I finally got to see a REAL ocean and it was everything I thought it would be! The whole week was a blast and I wish we could have stayed longer.

Since then we have had some big things happen! But I'll have to blog more about that later, cuz it's time for bed now!

Its almost time!!

2011-04-17T21:29:00.000-04:00

Our Florida trip is quickly approaching! I keep waiting for that "thing" to happen. Ya know, that unexpected thing that will ruin the trip and make us have to cancel the whole thing. But I'm trying to stay optimistic :o)

I'm nervous about leaving. I can't really explain why. I guess it's just because we haven't gone on any REAL vacations. The only things we've done were quick trips - camping for 2 days or Niagara Falls for a weekend. This is so much farther, and longer.

But I hope it's the trip of our lives! One that the kids will never forget. I know Elyssa won't remember it, but hopefully the rest of them will. I am even excited about the long drive. I remember when I was a kid and we used to drive 9 hours to Tennessee. Everyone complained about the driving time but I loved it :o)

The big van is rented, and I will spend this whole week packing and figuring out what else we need....5 days and counting!

Not the best week ever

2011-03-23T11:32:00.001-04:00

Last week we had a little blip in our Disney trip. It turns out cousin Rhonda can't get us into DisneyWorld for free. Not in April anyway.....so we had to make a decision: Postpone the trip or go anyways and pay to get in. Getting 7 people into Disneyworld is close to $500 :o( Postponing the trip would mean waiting until NEXT year. We all agree that we don't want to go during the summertime because we are big babies about the extreme heat, plus that is the rainy/hurricane season and we don't want to risk the weather being bad while we're there either. Soooo, we've decided to go ahead and go in April, as planned. We will have to pay to get in, but right after we found that out, Mike also found out he's getting a bonus from work in April and that will cover it all!! So, God worked it out. Rhonda also found out that she CAN get us into Hollywood Studios for free, so that is something we'll be able to do on another day while we're there! That looks like something the kids will really enjoy!

I finished the wedding pictures and sent the bride thelink for viewing them. Apparently I forgot to take a picture of someone....the bride's sister-in-law. She is in a couple of the pictures in the background, but none of the posed family pictures. I had a bad vibe about doing this wedding and the bride and groom didn't seem very friendly. I really need to listen to that little voice in my head! But, I told them from the start that I don't know anyone when I do a wedding, so they need to be sure that they tell me who needs to be in the posed pictures and who goes with what family, etc.....I had no idea that this woman was even the brothers wife.....Ugggh! Anyways, I told her I would check my pictures again to make sure I didn't miss one with her in it, but there just aren't any. We'll see what she says now. Hopefully this doesn't ruin my future photography career ;o)

Weddings and a moment missed

2011-03-13T23:13:00.000-04:00

I did a wedding on Saturday. Why is it that the men at weddings make me a nervous wreck?? They always act like they can't stand having to be in the pictures. I hate doing weddings, but that seems to be what I get booked for all the time....I haven't even looked through the pictures yet. Hopefully I got some decent ones but my nerves were shot.

And that is what I did all day, instead of going to see my daughter sing at the college with the Lorain County Honors Choir. What a horrible Mom.....I felt awful about it but I didn't know the date for it until a week ago and I had already booked the wedding. Mike went to see her sing, and my Mom and Dad. I'm ordering the DVD and hopefully that will help to redeem me.

Disneyworld!!

2011-03-09T11:44:00.000-05:00

It's almost time!! On April 22nd we leave for the LONG drive to Disneyworld. I never thought I would ever be able to take my kids to Disney. But Mike's cousin Rhonda lives near there and out of the blue she emailed me with an offer we couldn't refuse: a stay at her house, and getting all 7 of us into Disneyworld for free! This is awesome considering I've only met Rhonda one short time about 7 years ago. What a blessing she is!

So, our biggest expense will be renting a bigger van for the week. I am SO excited.....Honestly, I think I am more excited than the kids. We're going to see the Toy Story characters that I love, and the Princesses and most importantly, we'll see this famous guy:

It's unfortunate that Elyssa is only 2 and probably won't remember the trip at all, but she'll relive it someday through pictures...And knowing me, there will be ALOT of pictures! :o)

3.7.11

2011-03-07T21:40:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I just can't think of a nifty title so I'll just put the date up there instead :o)

Ethan, Isaac and Elyssa were so sick last week. I'm tired :o) It's hard to take care of everyone. Elyssa and Ethan slept so much and the fevers were out of control. Baby girl was sooooo whiney, and today is really the first day that she seemed back to normal again.

She also fell backward in her Barbie chair and cut her head open, on the day we were having a snowstorm of course!! After calling the nurse, we decided that she would probably be ok without stitches. These little people just enjoy keeping me on my toes!

I think I'll be signing Elyssa up for preschool next Fall. The same one that Isaac goes to, which is only one day a week for 2 hours. By then Isaac will be in Kindergarden, and that means that while she is there, I'll have two whole hours to get some things done....errands, shopping, etc. It's strange but the thought of that almost scares me. When I actually get to venture out without kids, I always feel like something is missing. I suppose I will get used to it - and I'll probably get alot more done without the little Miss needing to go potty every 10 minutes :o)

In other news, Saturday I went with Rachel and Josh for her 4D ultrasound. The baby wasn't too thrilled about it so she kept her feet up in front of her face most of the time...Hard to believe she will be having another baby girl in April or May!! Our family has been so blessed with healthy children.

Various Tidbits of Life

2011-02-02T22:27:00.000-05:00

The kids have had 2 snow days in a row and right now, tomorrow isn't looking good either. I think they've already run out of snow days for the year. Of course this happens during the one week per month that Mike is on night shifts. I get to spend my whole day trying to keep these wild ones quiet while he sleeps. Fun times I tell ya! :o)

In other news, I traded in my beloved Canon XTi and got a used 40D. That's exciting stuff, although it was a little emotional to hand over my "baby" to someone else. I really think I'm going to love this new one though!! I can't wait for Spring so I can get outside and play with it more!

Miss Haylee graduated from her Dare program on Monday. Here's proof that she will NEVER do drugs :o)

And it was fun because they held the graduation at my old high school. I got to walk around a little bit and I can't say that much has changed.....other than my age :o) But thinking back to high school didn't make me sad about getting older. I was such a shy (aka terrified) teenager - and even into my 20's and early 30's. Just in the last year things have changed, although I'm not sure why. But it's definitely a good thing. I have more confidence and I feel better about myself. For once I don't feel like everyone else is above me....most of the time anyway. I still struggle with those self esteem issues, but I am a totally different person and I kinda like the new me ;o)

Birthday Boy

2011-01-27T22:40:00.000-05:00

A few pics from Isaac's party. He got nice gifts AND ended up with $75 on top of that! Sheesh, he's only five!! Today I took him shopping with his money and he bought a big remote control jeep. He says he's going to race Daddy :o)

A couple of funnies

2011-01-21T22:31:00.000-05:00

My kids seem to say the funniest/cutest things lately....

This morning I woke up and Isaac ran to hug me and said "Good morning Mommy!! Did you have a good sleep?" Awwwe!!

Later on, I jokingly said something about Haylee talking too much and she says very dramatically "I know! It's exhausting to be the one who talks all day long!" Haha!!

In other news, on our way home from the mall today, we ran out of gas on Island Road. My gauge must be off....but me and Haylee had fun while we were stuck in the middle of nowhere. This is my child in the middle of the road - wearing thin capri leggings and a sweatshirt type jacket. It was 12 degrees at the time. That'll teach her ;o)

Other than the wild plow truck incident, we were fine until Mike came to save us a few minutes later. Aaah, good times!

Another birthday...

2011-01-19T23:31:00.000-05:00

And this one has me quite emotional....but not because it's my birthday - it's actually my little Isaac turning five.

He's always been our carefree, wild, energetic little boy who was totally oblivious to the world around him. Some parents would complain about that and I understand to a point. But he always amazed me with how innocent his mind was. He had NO idea that anything could ever go wrong. No fears, no worries, no regrets. Just play, eat, sleep, repeat....

Now, I see that changing. He seems to care more about other people's feelings, worries more and he acts more mature than he did even just a few weeks ago. His heart is changing and he is more aware of the things around him. While I know thats a good thing in some ways....it also makes me sad because he is discovering that bad things DO happen, and that people get angry and do hurtful things, and maybe to be honest - I wanted him to stay clueless about those things. He asks me often if we still love him and I continually tell him that nothing he could do would change that. He never thought of those things before and it breaks my heart that he would worry about such things.

I know that turning 5 means going to school soon, and then he will learn even more about the real world. Why can't they just stay young...innocent...sweet? This song pretty much sums it up for me:

"To you everything's funny.....you got nothing to regret....I'd give all I have honey....if you could stay like that"

So tonight I sang that song to him while we were rocking and he said with the sweetest little crackling voice "I'm sorry Mom, I have to grow up - So I can be a good big person like you and daddy".

Happy birthday little man, you melt Mommy's heart!!

The good, the sad and the ugly.....

2011-01-18T10:37:00.000-05:00

Lots of random thoughts from this weekend, some good and some not so good.

Evan came home to visit. He left for Marine bootcamp in August and due to some health issues, he finished late. It was an amazing feeling to open my front door last Sunday and see him standing there in his Marine uniform. He has spent alot of time here over the last few years and I've always said he was my "other son". Saturday evening was his bootcamp graduation party. So very sad to see him leave again, but he is going to be great. He's such a great kid, despite having a rough family life.....We bought him a marine bible with his name printed on the front. Something he may not appreciate fully right now, but I hope he does someday :o)

My girl Haylee, I'm so proud of her....at Evan's party she sang karaoke and blew everyone away. We come from a long line of singers/musicians and I'm so glad that talent has been passed down to her, and even more importantly, that she is brave enough to show her gift....unlike me! She has sang at my Moms church and just recently, our youth leader asked if she would sing a song during offering in their kids church. There's no better feeling than knowing my child has a great talent AND she's using it for Jesus!! Go Haylee!!

On to Sunday - We got together with some friends and family and went tubing with the 4 wheelers. It felt good to just goof off and be a kid again!

And then came Monday - Sick sick sick!! I woke up at 5:30am with a crampy stomach and ended up with some kind of tummy bug. I am glad the kids didn't have school that day. Ethan was a great help and kept Elyssa's messes picked up. Mike picked up Haylee from Janell's house and brought home some dinner for everyone. Thank God for my family :o)

Disappointed....

2011-01-14T15:13:00.000-05:00

I guess you should never assume that people actually "grow up" as they age. It's simply not true for many people.

On facebook I came across a couple of people that Mike and I used to work with at Dreco, which is also where we met. I told them it would be nice to see everyone we worked with again, and we decided we should set up a Dreco reunion. I pictured us all meeting up at a restaurant with our families, talking and catching up and showing pictures of our kids. I assumed that most of those drama-loving party animals had probably changed for the better after 11+ years. I guess I was sadly mistaken.

Word of the Dreco reunion is officially out on facebook....and everyone has decided to meet at a grubby little hick town BAR. These former coworkers are talking about getting drunk already, and making comments about who they hope does NOT come, and how they will make certain people feel unwelcome on purpose. Apparently it's the same old drama and the same old drunken disaster.

I'm sad, because there really were a few people I wanted to see....but I guess I won't be going - to the reunion that was MY idea in the first place :o( It's not at all what I had planned, and Mike agrees. I suppose some things are better left in the past anyways.

New Year - 2011

2011-01-04T08:36:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year and once again, it's been too long since I've blogged here. Christmas was good. Mike surprised me with a couple of things I wasn't expecting. A nice change from "take some money and go shopping for yourself".....although THAT is fun too :o)

Christmas Even was special this year. We had alot of family and friends at my Moms church for our Christmas Eve dinner. Even Santa showed up! We took a few minutes to recognize family members who have passed on recently, and lit a candle for each one. I hope we do that every year now.

The kids got way too much as always, but they are blessed with so many loving family members. Netbooks, a PSP, guitars, dolls, Wii games, legos, roller blades, BB guns and more - filling up this already cluttered house.

New Years Eve we went to the outdoor shop and then played some Monopoly and Wii to pass the time until Midnight. Isaac didn't quite understand it all. After the ball fell, we screamed, kissed, blew our loud squawkers, drank our juice....and 10 minutes later he asked, "When is that ball gonna fall so I can drink my juice?". That little guy cracks me up sometimes.

So, it's 2011 and I must admit (again) to being a slacker lately with my bible reading and prayer. Time just slips away so quickly and when I get a few free moments at night, I usually sit down with my computer and catch up on emails, facebook, blog reading, etc....

This morning I woke up and my first thought was that I wanted to read my bible. It was an excited, urgent feeling. Then I wondered where to start and instantly "Ruth" popped into my head. I figured there must be something to learn from Ruth. So, I woke the kids for their first day back to school, made myself a cup of coffee and sat down with a blanket and my bible. Of course Elyssa, who normally wakes up around 8:30am, woke up today before 7am. Minor setback, but I still got to read the entire book of Ruth while she snuggled with me and watched TV.

I'm not exactly sure what I've learned from this woman named Ruth. Maybe that she was loyal and loving no matter what? Something I have struggled with lately - having a bad, selfish, angry "why me" attitude......Or maybe it has reminded me that I need to be more supportive of family members who are alone. In the past few days I have felt some guilt over my husbands sister. She never married, she is in her 50's and lives alone. She lost her Father and sister within 30 days of one another, 2 years ago. Since then she has really gotten more involved in our kids' lives, because basically, we're all she has left. Her other 2 brothers really don't care to talk to anyone and the extended family is not around much either. She goes overboard buying our kids Christmas and birthday gifts, she watches them for me to shop or for us to get a night out. Sometimes she just offers to take them to dinner and a movie.....and I have not let her know what that means to me. In fact, her birthday was december 29th and I got busy, had a bad day, and never even got around to calling her. So, maybe the book of Ruth has showed me that I need to send her an email, or give her a call and tell her how much I appreciate her.

Anyways, it's a new year and I hope that this renewed desire to read my bible sticks around. I want to be the best christian/person/wife/mother that I can be in 2011!

New baby and pottytraining

2010-09-04T10:37:00.000-04:00

Congrats to Rachel and Josh, a new baby on the way and Samara will be a big sister! I honestly have wondered how I would feel when someone else that I'm close to gets pregnant again. Would I be sad knowing I will never experience that again? Well that answer is no :o)

I actually feel comfortable with what I have at this point in life. Elyssa is almost potty trained and it's a relief to know that diaper days are over. I've been buying diapers almost constantly for the past 10 years. I feel some sense of "freedom" now that she is a little more independent. I mean, I've been doing the baby thing for 19 years! I'm not trying to rush the next 3 years before Elyssa starts kindergarden, but I am also looking forward to possibly going to school or working part time once she is in school. I feel very blessed that I have been able to stay home with my kids while they're small. I wouldn't change that for anything, but I'm looking forward to the future also and seeing what life is like without a baby or toddler, cuz it's been a LONG time for me :o)

On the potty training front, Elyssa has only had one accident in the past 3 days. Yay!! She is doing great and it came so suddenly. She was totally against it and then changed overnight. I'm so proud of my lil sweet girl!!

Changes...

2010-08-21T01:16:00.000-04:00

It's August 20th and school starts in 11 days. Summer is coming to an end, which really makes me sad. No more unscheduled lazy days, sleeping in, spending a day at the beach. It's back to the hectic mornings and after school activities.....I hate to see my kids go back every year, even though I admit I will NOT miss the bickering that steals my sanity some days. Ha, I love 'em!!

Brandon starts college in 3 days. College already!! That is pure craziness!! I hope he really enjoys it.

Our "other son" is leaving on the same day, for the marines boot camp. Brandon met Evan when they were in middle school and he has been around quite a bit. I am nervous for him and I hate to see him go but I wish him the absolute best. He's a great kid!

So, in the next 11 days, our house will change....It'll be quieter, less messy, less hectic, less exciting....and more empty :o(

On the up side, I do look forward to spending some extra time during the day with my little man Isaac, and my baby girl Elyssa. I'll work with Isaac more on his letters and numbers so he'll be ready for Kindergarden next year. Things won't be all bad, and there's always the weekends for the big fun :o)

12th Anniversary

2010-07-06T20:09:00.000-04:00

Happy Anniversary to us!! Twelve years ago today we were getting married....It's funny to think that we got married in Las Vegas. That is so NOT my style normally. I think I was going through my short "wild oats" stage at that time :o) But it was fun and adventurous and I definitely do not regret doing it that way.

It was the 1st (and only) time I've ever been on a plane and the first "real" vacation I've ever been on. I loved it!!

So, here we are 12 years later.....Mike had to work all day so it wasn't too exciting, but we went to eat last night alone and he brought me a bouquet of daisies after work. We're aiming for year 15 to go back to Vegas for a few nights :o)

Hot, hot, hot!!!

2010-07-06T00:59:00.000-04:00

Summer is in full swing and it's HOT!! Ninety four degrees today and no air conditioning. Thank God for the walmart pool.

Yesterday was the 4th of July. We spent the morning swimming, then went to Gramma's house for a few hours. Big family cookouts are one of my favorite things. The kids played on a blow-up water slide and even the babies went down it a couple of times.

The day before that we spent some time at the Burnett cookout. Between the blow up slide and Gary's pool slide, I think my scrawny Isaac probably wore his little legs out. He is ALL fun, ALL the time :o)

We took the kids to see fireworks last night and then came home to have a bonfire and roast hot dogs. Lots of fun....but I am ready for a few days of rest!

Perfection....

2010-06-27T12:58:00.001-04:00

My last post got me thinking about something else....Leading a simple country life. Maybe I should have been born in Mayberry. I would've been happy there!

There are times that I feel like what I have isn't good enough in some people's opinions. We live in an older house, the lawn is not beautifully landscaped, the inside is not expensively decorated, we drive older vehicles...We even have a lopsided pool :o) Most would say we don't have much....and ya know what? I'm finally ok with that. In Fact, I prefer some of the little non-perfect things that we have.

I suppose everyone's idea of perfection is different but I have always LOVED old country houses. The ones that look like people are truely LIVING in them. They have charm and a story behind them. These pictures are beautiful to me:

Look at the one below. Most people would see a weathered house, not worthy of living in. I see two rocking chairs on the porch, where a "Granny" and "Papaw" sit and relax in the evening. They've probably lived there for many many years....And at one point I'll bet their home was filled with many small children - making messes, climbing trees, spilling things, laughing, fighting, playing, working....There's so much to see in this picture!

And even this one, which is the one that WE temporarily call HOME:

That is where my family plays and laughs and argues and catches lightening bugs. Thats the tree my kids climb, and behind that is the red wooden swing that we swing on in the evenings! That is where we make memories that will someday be very special to our children.

At some point in the future, maybe I'll have a different home - But for now we are happy. We aren't worried that a few of the pine tree branches were cut to make playhouses. We don't notice because we are too busy having fun together in the crooked pool - and quite honestly, I don't even mind the occasional mud puddles in our driveway because without them, my children wouldn't experience the joy of doing THIS:

And I could never live in the city again, because I would miss having THIS to look at from my back yard hammock:

I see my childhood home often. It's right down the road from us and I have already promised myself that I will find a way to buy it if I ever see a for sale sign. My Grandparents say it looks awful...and it does. But I want it. My Grandpa built it himself - How awesome would it be to raise your children in a house that their Great Grandpa built? One that their Mommy and Grandparents AND even Great Grandparents lived in!! That means so much more than the fixable imperfections that we see with our eyes.

I love the song below. So many times I've wondered how the owners would feel if I asked to walk around the yard, or even inside the house. Maybe they'd call the police and tell them a weirdo was on their doorstep :o) Like the song says, as we grow older we deal with hard things, we get hurt emotionally and we become different people because of those things. When I drive by the old house, I remember a carefree child whose biggest worry was whether to eat, swim or chase ducks off the back patio. So, when I heard this song, it immediately became a favorite. That house on route 83 is "The House that Built Me".

Summertime Fun!!

2010-06-27T10:12:00.001-04:00

It's officially Summer and I'm loving it. I have never been a very scheduled person, so this is the best 3 months of the year for me. No alarm setting or getting up early, no having to rush home from somewhere because the kids will be getting off the bus, no Girl Scouts or other school events. It's just a beautiful thing :o)

With Mike working the hours that he does, I'm usually on my own with the kids or we meet up with other family/friends. So far we have been to the drive-in, the beach, the sprinkler park, various playgrounds....and spent many days lazing in our own swimming pool. In August Mike will take his week long vacation so we're trying to think of something fun to go and do with the kids. I'm sure we'll hit the zoo at some point also.

For me, it's the little things that I remember most from when I was a child.....Catching lightening bugs in a jar, swimming, playing with our cats or dogs, catching baby frogs, playing hide n seek, flying kites, making simple clubhouses. We used to play for hours on our swingset!! I have a strong desire to teach my children the same things. Fun doesn't have to be elaborate or expensive. Just appreciate what is around you in your own back yard.

About 3 weeks ago my kids were trying to make forts under the pine trees in our side yard. Of course I had to jump in and help :o) Before I knew it, Mike was out there with his chainsaw, removing a few pine branches to open up "doorways" to their houses. We then took the scrap branches and built a wall between the boy and girl areas. They took their camping chairs in there and a few toys. They even went into the farmers field and found rocks to make little pretend fire rings on each side.

One of my proud Mommy moments. I love to see them working and playing together!! I am looking forward to more Summer fun in the next 2 months!

Mothers Day

2010-05-08T22:30:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is Mothers Day and I feel blessed that God has aloud ME to be a Mommy - FIVE TIMES!! What greater blessing is there on this earth? Yes, they may drive me crazy someday, but I'll enjoy the ride anyways :o)

I lost a baby in 1998 and I remember at the time wondering why God would let that happen. Who knew I would end up with 4 more children after that? God gives and he takes away...and I never could have dreamed that he would GIVE so much in the future. People ask me how I can possibly handle having 5 children and I say "I really can't imagine life any other way".

As I type this, they are upstairs working on "something". I don't know what it is but Isaac has already whispered in my ear that they are giving me a gift tomorrow. They put so much effort into this day every year and it makes me smile to hear all of the whispering going on tonight :o)

Another year older....and wiser??

2010-05-04T11:32:00.000-04:00

On April 16th I turned 35....THIRTY FIVE!! I remember being young and hearing people talk about how "time flies" when you get older. And now I know EXACTLY what they mean, especially after having children. I think back to my teenage years and it literally seems like it was about 5 years ago, not TWENTY years ago.

Turning 35 bothered me a little....Ok, alot. I couldn't quite put my finger on the reason until my Mike suggested that maybe it was because 35 rounds up to 40, not down to 30. Yep, thats it!! I am now on my way to 40. Blech!!

But finally I am realizing that time DOES fly by.....and alot of the reason it passes so quickly, is that we're always in a hurry. Rushing here and there, always worried about what to do next.

So here's another old saying "Take time to smell the roses". I need to listen to that and plan to do "nothing" more often :o)

Another Fall

2010-03-31T23:46:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I truely wonder about myself. We ran into Kmart tonight just to get some sugar and Elyssa wanted to go in the back of the cart, instead of in the seat. I grabbed a ball from the ball cage and gave it to her and decided to let her sit in the back since it would only be for a few minutes. Of course, I turned my back for just a few seconds and when I turned around, she was standing/leaning over the side and before I could grab her, she hit the floor....with her head. That dreadful sickening THUD that I have come to hate after having 5 kids.

She cried and has a bump but her behavior was fine after that....Funny thing is, about 5 minutes later I hear a recorded voice over the Kmart speaker system saying "Please be sure to keep your children buckled into the carts and never leave them unattended". Not sure if that was a coincidence or if someone saw it on a security camera and decided to play that message. UGGGGH!!

I get the bad Mama award for 2010......already!!

Missing Leah

2010-03-30T10:50:00.003-04:00

After a year of having our video camera, Mike finally sat down and figured out how to get the videos onto the computer. He showed me how to plug the tiny card into my laptop and view the movies. Pretty neat!

We were watching some clips from last year and he told me that our old dog Leah was in one of them. Cool!! But I wasn't expecting what happened when I clicked play. The very moment I saw Leah's face I felt a flood of emotions, started crying and closed the laptop. I told him I couldn't watch it, but of course I opened it again and finished watching....
The video was from Mike's brothers house and Leah was running in the yard with Rays dog....the same yard we buried her in about a month after that video was taped. All I could think while watching it was that she was running on her own grave :o(

I have never felt a strong attachment to any animal until we got her. As soon as I saw her at the pound, I knew she was "our dog". I remember her laying in the back seat that day when we went to get Brandon from school. We drove for probably 5 minutes before she popped her head up and Brandon noticed her. He loved her too! She was always great with the kids.

When she died our whole family cried, including my big strong husband AND his 2 brothers. We all took turns digging her grave and buried her with her toys and some pictures the kids made for her that morning. I remember calling my Aunt & Mom to tell them and I could barely get the words out because I was crying so hard. A few years ago, no one could have told me that I'd feel so strongly about a dog.

RIP Leah....We miss you still!!

Ghosts and Angels??

2010-03-25T18:02:00.002-04:00

I'm not sure what I believe about SEEING angels or "lights" or beings....but something else happened today. Brandon woke up and came downstairs to tell me that he had seen a "ghost". He said he was at his girlfriends house visiting last night. She was playing a playstation game and he fell asleep. When he woke up, she had also fallen asleep and he saw a bright golden colored light by the TV and against the wall. He said he didn't feel afraid and it didn't look like it was coming from a window and it just kind of faded away after a few seconds. I immediately said "It was an angel Brandon!!" and then I thought wow, did that just come from my mouth? I have always been skeptical of things like that although there have been 2 people in my family who have seen things before.

I told him how I have been praying for them and about the things happening with Trisha this week....He said "Wow! If you guys are going to pray for me one week, could you please warn me ahead of time?" :o)

3/24/2010

2010-03-25T00:58:00.000-04:00

It's been almost a month since I've been here. I can't say that there is really anything exciting to say.

I have a horrible cold and I've been a whiney baby about it :o) Elyssa has it too, although she is almost over hers. We've been cuddled up in the recliner at night so that we can breathe and so Daddy can get some sleep too.

We've put carpet in the kids' rooms which somehow caused a HUGE argument between me and Mike but it's all worked out...for the moment. I got some things off my chest that have bothered me for YEARS and I think it has helped alot....But anyways, the carpet makes their rooms look so much nicer.

I've really had to take a look at myself lately and admit some flaws. Especially, the fact that my spiritual life is pretty pathetic. No ones fault but my own, of course. It's time to work on that! Some of the women in my family (Mom, Gramma, Aunts) have decided that we will fast from certain meals every Tuesday and take that day every week to really focus on specific people who need prayer. I know we'll see some great thing happening soon!

It's almost Easter. My kiddos are in a little church play this Sunday. I'm still searching for the perfect Easter dress for Elyssa. Mike things I'm going overboard with the search but Haylee won't let me dress her girly anymore so I want to get my chance in while Elyssa's too young to argue about it :o) I remember Easter Sunday always being so special when I was a kid. The clothes, the dresses, the white shoes and hats and purses....then the Easter plays and so many people at church and the egg hunts. Of course as an adult I know that Jesus is the most important thing, but it's still fun to have a reason to REALLY dress up the kids! And sooo, the dress hunt continues.....

Snow Day!

2010-02-26T08:25:00.001-05:00

It's a snow day for most in Northeast Ohio. The newsman says the roads are treacherous.

And we are out of this:

Not a good combination....Looks like maybe we'll be visiting my Gramma today. It's great to live a mile away from her, so I can borrow toilet paper :o) I think I now owe her about 5 rolls.

With 6 people using the TP on a daily basis, I have decided I need THIS:

Head Shots

2010-02-21T19:48:00.008-05:00

I did some yearbook headshots last week for 2 soon-to-be graduates....I'll be doing more senior pics for each one in the Spring when it's nicer out. Sometimes I forget how much I love photography until I do another shoot.

Happy Birthday!!

2010-02-20T21:13:00.001-05:00

Two years ago I was pregnant with Elyssa and not yet knowing whether she was girl or a boy. I found out she was a girl in late March of that year. A little over a month later, my Aunt Rachel found out that at age 35, she was pregnant with her first baby. Since we had grown up in the same house and were very close, we hoped that she would also have a girl.

When I was 7 months pregnant, my cousin Janell found out that SHE too, was pregnant.

Three days before I had Elyssa, Rachel found out that she was indeed having a baby girl....and then about 2 months later, Janell found out that she would also be having a girl.

Elyssa was born in August of 2008, Samara was born that December, and Ava was born in February of 2009. They are the baby girl trio.

Today, the last of the trio had her 1st birthday party. Little Ava Nell - Named after her Great Gramma Nell who died unexpectedly 2 hours after her birth. It's so hard to believe that she is already one and Elyssa is heading for TWO!

We have been blessed with 3 healthy, beautiful, wonderfully perfect little girls.

Happy Birthday Ava Nell!!

This week...

2010-02-15T19:36:00.000-05:00

Was not fun. Isaac and Elyssa were both sick and unhappy and Elyssa's "cold" turned out to be pneumonia. That meant breathing treatments every 3 hours, even throughout the night. Not so fun for someone who is very cranky when lacking sleep - I'm talking about me, not Elyssa :o) But we made it, and I am happy to see her returning to normal again. Saturday she was very sleepy, feverish and had hardly eaten anything for days, so it started to scare me. My Mom came over and we prayed for her and by evening, she was quickly getting her energy back and ate a few bites of popcorn and yogurt.

She went for a recheck today and the pediatrician said she sounds better but not completely, so we're doing a few more days of breathing treatments. She also lost a whole pound from not eating :o(

Because of the kids being sick, we spent our Valentines Day at home. Mike made us breakfast and gave each of us a box of candy. Unfortunately, I had spent several days at home taking care of Elyssa so I never got out to get him anything :o(

Snow, snow, snow

2010-02-09T18:27:00.000-05:00

I feel the urge to sing a Christmas carol, except it's February! The kids could quite possibly get a snow day tomorrow. I am very ready for Spring!

Isaac & Elyssa are both sick - which means alot of coughing, whining, whimpering and a bit of insanity for Mama. The bright side of them being sick is that they are unusually snuggly :o)

Looks like between the sick kids and the snow storm, I'm stuck at home for a couple of days.

A Conversation with Isaac

2010-02-06T23:03:00.000-05:00

ISAAC: When will my Nintendo DS come in the mail, Mom?

ME: In a few days

ISAAC: Will it be here before I'm 40?

ME: Yes, of course Isaac

ISAAC: (relieved) Oh, thank GOD!!

2/05/2010

2010-02-05T19:28:00.000-05:00

Pretty boring this week. I took my van in to get a new bumper due to an accident back in November. Looks puuuurty now!!

I went to a coupon class Saturday so I've been working harder at that. Sheesh, it's like a part time job trying to figure out sales and clip coupons and print coupons, etc. But it pays off. Today I got $56 worth of groceries for $16! If I could do that every week I'd be very happy!

On a sad note, the elementary school that I went to is being demolished. It's been closed for many many years because of asbestos issues, but up until about 2 years ago, all of the old playground equipment was still there so we used to take the kids to play since it is literally a 30 second drive from our house. Alot of memories....It makes me feel old in some strange way. The bright side is that they moved some of the playground pieces to the park across the street. So, there's a small part of "Belden Elementary" there...at least for now. I am hoping to get there in the next few days to take some pictures before it is gone forever.

Maybe I'll do that tomorrow because ALL of my kids are gone. Wow, I can't remember the last time we had a night with NO kids. This is Elyssa's first time sleeping at my Moms house, which is bittersweet of course - I am thrilled to have a quiet night, yet I feel a little lost without her. I'll survive I'm sure ;o)

More boo-boos

2010-01-31T19:54:00.000-05:00

Have I ever mentioned how ummm...."energetic" Isaac is? As soon as his eyes pop open in the morning, he is WIDE awake and ready to start the day. I am soooooo not a morning person!! He gets that from his Daddy!

Anyways, about 3 months ago, he thought he would help Elyssa down our 3 steps to the back door. I was in the basement getting laundry when I heard the dreaded thud, followed by screaming. This resulted in Elyssa's 1st emergency room visit and x-ray. The diagnosis? A broken collar bone! Ugggh!

So on to more recent boo-boos. We were out shopping on Friday and Elyssa was buckled safely in the shopping cart with Isaac walking next to it....You see where I'm going with this right? Just when I turned to pay for my items, the cashier put his hand to his mouth and said "Oh noooo" - Before I even saw what was happening, I again heard that very distinguishable THUD, followed by screaming. My very energetic Isaac had jumped onto the side rail (down by the wheels) of the cart and flipped it. Poor Elyssa now has a nasty bruise on her forehead but doesn't seem too traumatized...unlike her Mommy, who now has shopping cart-phobia.

The Dentist

2010-01-26T17:12:00.000-05:00

Do they EVER have anything good to say?? I took Ethan and Isaac for appointments today and they both need alot of work done to their teeth. Good grief, Isaac is only FOUR! So, I'm having another bad Mommy day. They brush twice a day...I'll be honest and say that flossing doesn't get done. I feel pretty bad that they have to go through so much now. I am 34 and have NEVER had a cavity filled, but Mike has had almost all of his teeth "fixed" at some point. Is is hereditary?? Brandon is 18 and has never had a cavity filled or anything else besides a cleaning every year.

Arrgh, arrgh, arrgh!!

Party Time

2010-01-24T20:47:00.000-05:00

Isaac's party is over and I am thrilled to say that I don't have to throw another birthday party until JUNE! I am definitely not one of those people who enjoys hosting parties, it makes me nervous and stressed and I'm always relieved when it's over.

The party was ok. Everything was a blur to me, but he played hard and had fun and that's all that matters. Another (larger) party came in so we kind of rushed things to get out of their way.

We brought his little cousin Joey (also 4) back home with us for a sleepover. They are both snoozin' already but I'm sure they'll have fun playing tomorrow.

Once again, happy birthday my sweet little guy.

Happy Birthday Isaac!!

2010-01-20T22:01:00.009-05:00

We spent part of the day at Auntie Rachels house, just playing...then came home and had mac 'n cheese with sliced hot dogs for dinner. The birthday boy got a plate full of brownies to share with his siblings, and we gave him gifts from us. Sunday will be his real party at Burger King Playland.

Happy Birthday my chatty little man! We love you!!

The Day Before Tomorrow

2010-01-19T07:57:00.000-05:00

Good morning! Long weekend and I spent most of it at home doing nothing of importance. Mike worked 24 hours of overtime last week, including 12 hours Saturday so I went to church Sunday and then spent the rest of the day watching movies, watching him play Lego Indiana Jones with the boys, and just relaxing with him. He's working hard to get us out of what I call the "after Christmas hole" LOL I feel bad that he is working so much but the overtime doesn't usually last for too long and it's a huge blessing for us right now.

So this morning its back to school after a 4 day weekend for Haylee and Ethan. Like a bad Mom, I fed Isaac and Elyssa some instant oatmeal and plopped them on the couch to watch some TV...Nothin' like a little mickey in the morning to grant Mommy a few minutes of peace. I can hear them both singing the "hot dog" song. Though Elyssa sounds more like "hotdough, hotdough".

Tomorrow my Isaac turns FOUR years old and I find myself wondering what I was doing on this day 4 years ago. It was a Thursday and I was packing my bag. I knew I was being induced the next morning but thats me, a procrastinator all the way! I remember packing up the soft blue crocheted blanket my Mom had made, the little blue knotted hats and tiny blue socks. I spent the day TRYING to enjoy those last kicks and punches inside my belly. He was going to be our last baby (haha) so I wanted to remember those moments....but all the trying in the world didn't help. I really just wanted him OUT!! I was so umcomfortable, my ribs hurts, it hurt to walk, and I was DONE! I wanted to meet my little Isaac.

The next day I found out why I so umcomfortable. My little boy was 9lbs 7oz and was born battered and bruised but healthy! To be honest, my first thought was "Wow, why does he look like that?" LOL His ears were smashed flat against his head and his little nose was terribly crooked.

The picture below makes me laugh everytime...Especially now because I noticed that I named this picture "YIKES". Oh my gosh, I am a HORRIBLE horrible Mother (said as I am still laughing). My poor child, but seriously, how can you not giggle a bit when you look at that!?

This one wasn't too bad....

And thankfully, after several hours, he turned into THIS beautiful little thing :o)

1/16/10

2010-01-16T08:40:00.000-05:00

Haylee is off to Camp Timberlane with the Girl Scouts. I went there with the school when I was the same age as she is. Seems like it would be alot more fun if it weren't WINTER but whatever LOL....I love the Girl Scouts program. They still say their "promise" at every meeting, which is:

On my honor, I will try:
To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

I will do my best to be
honest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong, and
responsible for what I say and do,
and to
respect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place, and
be a sister to every Girl Scout

How awesome is that? Pretty much sums up everything you need to be in life. We went with the troop to a nursing home for Christmas, they've cleaned up at the schools and planted flowers there, and many other things. I am really looking forward to April when we go to Cosi and stay overnight in a hotel. Haylee is all about girl time, which we don't get very often, so that will be a special time for us.

As for the house, I am keeping up! I got the downstairs mopped yesterday and worked on painting my kitchen trash can to match my 50's diner kitchen. It looks so cute now (the blue can was really clashing)....My plan was to do it black and red but being that we are BROKE from Christmas, I thought I'd wait a few more weeks before spending money on paint. While I was out yesterday, I thought I'd stop just to get an idea of what paint costs, and the nice boy at True Value said, "We have one color on clearance right now for $1.99 - I think it's RED". I love it when I'm reminded that God cares about even our smallest desires, not ONLY our needs - though that would be enough.

It's Snuggle Week

2010-01-13T19:00:00.001-05:00

This is the week that Mike works 11pm to 7am....So, this is the week that my sweet snuggly girl sleeps with me all night. Ok honestly, she sleeps with US most nights anyways, but I do enjoy that one week a month that we have the bed to ourselves. Mike tosses and turns all night, gets up to go to the bathroom at least once, snores....You get the idea.

Anyways, I have been reading my Eclipse book every night since I got it for Christmas. So now Elyssa always brings her own book to bed and she always waits for me to pick up mine from under the bed. It's so cute, and she hardly "reads" for a minute before she starts wiggling over to me and before I know it, she's nestled under my arm and lost in dreamland.

Last night after she went to sleep, I snuck back in here...to the computer of course! I was reading someones blog and you know - one blogs leads to another. Somehow I found myself on the blog of a Mother who lost her baby girl, Maddie, at about the same age that Elyssa is now. I sat and read her blog for close to an hour. Google Maddie Spohr, this little girl had an amazing smile! As I went back to bed and looked at my sweet sleeping pink-cheeked girl, I was reminded once again that my children are gifts. I didn't deserve them, I am not worthy...maybe not even fully capable of the job God has given me. So many people are not so blessed, and yet we often take our kids for granted. Thank you God for reminding me what really matters in life!

As for my day, I finally got the computer room cleaned. It wasn't as bad as I expected and looks pretty darn good :o) Tomorrow, more laundry and some grocery shopping.

Oh, I also decided to get more serious with some preschool learning for Isaac. He is definitely my most difficult child to teach so I admit I tend to put things off due to my own lack of patience :o( But tonight he surprised me with what he already knows. He easily pointed out A, B, C, D and E but I stopped after E. Didn't want to push it :o) I wrote his name and he wrote it by himself underneath mine. He did mazes in the activity book and had no problem matching pictures to their "shadows" on the other side. My wee man might be mentally ready for this stuff now. LOL He will go to school late due to his birthday so he doesn't go until the Fall of 2011, but I might actually put him in a VERY part time preschool this coming Fall. I've never done the preschool thing, but I think for Isaac, it'll really help prepare him for Kindergarden...mainly the structured setting, sitting down, being quiet, listening, etc. I hope his Kindergarden teacher is ready for him! LOL

Speaking of my sleeping beauty....This is from today, napping with a build-a-bear panda, which is actually HAYLEE's but Elyssa stole it a couple of months ago and won't give it back LOL

Good enough

2010-01-11T19:57:00.000-05:00

I dusted, I mopped....never got the computer room cleaned but I ended up washing some walls and ceiling fans so I'll save the computer room for tomorrow. I also did our first "10 minute room clean-up" with the kids. I set a timer for 10 minutes and then supervise (LOL) while they clean as much as possible in the 10 minutes. They actually went for it and did very well :o)

Tomorrows Plan:

Computer room
2 loads of laundry

1/11/10

2010-01-11T08:04:00.000-05:00

Today's plan:

Computer room clean-up
Dusting
Mopping (since I never got to it Saturday)

I've been thinking about my last post, and I think I've had a revelation!! The two issues (feeling like I need to DO something AND the slacking with my kids) are completely related! The thing I've been missing and feeling like I should be doing, is enjoying my kids, loving on my kids, teaching my kids....and sadly, I've even gotten lazy with teaching them about Jesus. It's time to get back on track, and to see the wonderful opportunity God has given me. I used to feel that it was the most important thing in the world, raising these little humans :o) But those feelings got lost somewhere along the way.

Brandon, Haylee, Ethan, Isaac and Elyssa - They ARE my legacy!! Whatever they become as adults, is directly a result of how WE raise them. Wow!! How scary and exciting at the same time!! I'm up to the challenge! Bring it on!

Ummm....

2010-01-08T20:03:00.000-05:00

I just re-read my last post...Is it possible that I'm having what they call a mid-life crisis, but maybe a bit early??....CRAP!!

A New Year

2010-01-08T18:35:00.000-05:00

and I haven't posted since JUNE!?? Bad bad me!! Sometimes I wonder why I even bother coming back :o)

All is well for the most part here. Haylee and Ethan are getting straight A's in school, Isaac is getting ready to turn 4 on the 20th, Elyssa is causing toddler havoc around the house and Brandon is working at Toysrus.

Lately I've been feeling....I don't know...old? Sometimes it feels like life is moving so fast. When I think back to my teen years, it doesn't seem like so long ago, but technically I could say I was a teenager TWENTY years ago. That doesn't sit well with me and it gives me an uneasy feeling, but why? Thirty-four isn't what most people would consider to be old but for some reason, I can't get the thought out of my head that you only live once. You truely only get ONE chance to live your life, and then you're gone and life just goes on without you. And somewhere down the line it's as if you never even existed. Have I done anything truely memorable? Will I "leave a legacy" as the song says? I feel this urge to do SOMETHING lately, something of importance, but I can't pin point what that thing is. It bugs me on a daily basis lately and I need to start praying that God will show me what it is.

Many times lately I also feel like I am totally slacking with my kids. I think back to when I had Brandon and Haylee and Ethan was a baby. I had so many plans every day and I couldn't wait to just go for a walk with them, or to the library, or just to the park. I enjoyed my time with them and when I went to bed at night, I felt like I had done something important that day....something that mattered. Then Isaac came along and don't get me wrong, I love him always. It's not HIM...But with child number 4 I guess things started to get harder and more tiring. Then Elyssa came along too. Everything feels more like a chore now. Like "I really don't feel like going to the park but I will because a good parent would". I WANT to feel like I used to but don't know how to get back to that point....and I blame alot of that on my own lack of organization. I let things get behind, like laundry or the bathroom cleaning or whatever. Then I get stressed about those things and have to work harder to get them in order again. I procrastinate until I am stressed and late and angry with EVERYONE for not being ready, when really it was my own fault for not starting earlier. It's a vicious circle that leaves me stressed and worn out by the end of the day.

Well, thats all very depressing isn't it??

Anyway, it's a new year!! My New Years resolution is to get my house clean and keep it that way (as much as possible considering we have 5 kids!). That got me thinking about my blog and I thought maybe I could use it as sort of a "to do" list.

So for tomorrow, my plan is to get these things done:

2 loads of laundry, washed and put away

mop the downstairs

Clean the downstairs bathroom

PLAY WITH MY KIDS WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT WHAT ELSE NEEDS DONE!!

Sounds like a plan to me :o)

Summer Time!!

2009-06-18T12:34:00.000-04:00

I'm back for another blog, 4 months later. LOL

We now have a toddler! Elyssa is crawling around like a little army man or scooting around on her butt through the house. She is also a champion runner in the walker. She stands while holding onto furniture. I'm not sure if she will ever get her knees up to crawl the right way but she sure does get around! It's so hard to believe that she will be one year old in less than 2 months!! She waves now and shakes her head "no-no" when I say no (which is often these day, lol). Still, her favorite thing to do is hang out on my hip :o) Some days that gets old but I know someday I will miss this time.

Brandon graduated on June 4th. So, I guess I managed to keep my first child alive for almost 18 years. Thats always a good thing! He had an issue earlier that day and almost didn't go to the ceremony. Thank God for my Mom, the talker. We convinced him to go and I think he was glad he did in the end. He looked so very handsome in his cap and gown! He is a good boy and I am proud of him for sticking with his morals all throughout high school even though it cut him off from alot of people. That says alot about a person, especially a teenager.

It's summer so all of the kids are home for the summer. I was a bit nervous about that but it's going alright so far. I really was getting into a slump about Motherhood. I was starting to slightly think of my children as burdens instead of beautiful blessings. LOL I have been taking better care of MYSELF, praying for a more positive attitude, and sleeping more and I feel much better about life again. I really am blessed to have these 5 munchkins.

I started typing this about 6 hours ago and got sidetracked a few times. Now it's 11:30pm and I am heading to bed.

2009-02-09T16:09:00.000-05:00

Everytime I say I'm going to post in this thing weekly, it ends up being months before I come back to it. Oh well, here's a quick update on us.

In December, Mike's Dad died from alzheimers. In early January, his sister died very unexpectedly. She had a heart attack while driving. Two days after her funeral, his cousin was found dead in her apartment. Needless to say, it was a rough month.

Christmas went well. The kids got more than enough, of course! They love their Nintendo DS systems.

Then the birthdays came...Haylee turned 9 on December 28th. We took her to McDonalds playland and to get a new DS game at Gamestop. She also had a sleepover party the following weekend. Then it was Isaac's birthday on January 20th. We had brownies with candles and he yelled at us to "stop singing at him" when we sang Happy Birthday :o) He's always such a happy little guy (note my sarcasm). Gotta love his attitude though LOL He did enjoy blowing out the candles. He got some hotwheel tracks, clothes, cars and a goldfish named Diego...Yes, I said Diego!

Aunt Rachel had her baby on December 26th - Samara Moriah Noel Smith. Elyssa's future best friend :o) Beautiful little girl with lots of dark hair and weighing in at 10 pound exactly. Funny thing is, she is now 6 weeks old and weighs LESS than 10 pounds. Rachel had to start supplementing with formula but now little Samara is growing quickly. We are now patiently awaiting the birth of Janell's little girl, Ava Marie. She is due anytime!

Hmmm...what else?? The kids are great...they are all doing well in school. Haylee just danced with the Skippers Dance Team at school. Thats always cute! Elyssa is almost 6 months already. She is almost sitting up by herself. I am reading "The Baby Whisperer" book, trying to get her to sleep better. She had been sleeping all night for a couple of months and suddenly stopped in december, so we're trying to get back on track with that. So far, she is improving.

Looks like I need to go control the sibling rivalry, bu-byeee! :o)

I'm Tired...

2008-11-14T22:52:00.000-05:00

I guess this will be a whiney post. Can I call it "venting" so it doesn't sound so bad?

I am tired...tired and a lil' bit overwhelmed. Mike has been working some extra hours and I can tell that I have been on my own with the kids more lately. I have to play the good Mommy role but geez, I am just plain crabby inside! LOL I need a vacation!!

I love my kids to pieces, and Elyssa is really a pretty good baby, but I am WORN OUT lately. I need to start taking the prenatal vitamins again to get some energy back. I hate feeling "blah" all the time. Most days I can't wait for night so I can go to sleep, but then I sit here instead because everyone else is asleep and I can enjoy the peaceful house. It's a rediculous pattern that I KNOW is not good for me!

Add to that, in the past 2 months, I have had 2 LONG colds and some type of weird flu thing too. That hasn't helped anything.

I just wish I could go to sleep one night and not wake up until my body is READY to wake up....Instead of waking up to an alarm blaring or "MOM! I'm hungry!".

It's all part of the life with 5 kids, I know that...and I wouldn't trade them for anything. I am just having one of those days I guess. And on top of everything else, I have these moments and then feel terribly guilty for not feeling that "motherly bliss" at all times.

Oh well...I do hear my bed calling. I'll do the smart thing and answer it :o)

A plug for the big guy upstairs!

2008-11-08T22:08:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to tell a little story about my Gramma while I'm thinking about it.

About 9 years ago she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer...It was pretty much as bad as it gets. She had known that she had a lump for about 6 years before the doctors found it but she's stubborn and refused to tell anyone. It was so bad that a large sore/scab had formed on the OUTSIDE of her breast.

She had a partial mastectomy, chemo and radiation. She lost all of her hair and felt sick often but rarely missed church and still went on her mall shopping sprees occasionally. Only a few short months after the diagnosis, she was back to work cleaning houses (she has her own cleaning business).

In 2005, she found out the cancer had returned. They found it in some of the bones around her neck area....bone cancer - not a good thing to hear. So, again she had radiation but opted for no other treatment. She was declared cancer free again a couple of months later. Her doctor was still not very optimistic, but when he told her she had 7 years left at the MOST, she just smiled and said "You apparently don't know the God I serve".

Now it has been almost another 4 years. She had a PET scan done last month which would show any cancer in the whole body. Her doctor called her and asked her to come in to talk to him about the results.

He told her that there was something there....but they couldn't decide if it was worrisome or not so they wanted her to see a surgeon to double check. Of course we all started praying and fasting. When she went to see him he ran more tests and told her that he couldn't find anything!! He also said, "From looking at your history, you should not be alive....But you come into my office and you are strong and healthy. You are a walking miracle".

God has been so good to our family. My Mom has also had cancer twice and went through it better than most, even without chemo OR radiation! They both have a wonderful story to tell, but most importantly, they both serve the same God, and he continues to keep them under his wing.

Thanks Lord!!

Rachel's Shower

2008-11-08T21:45:00.000-05:00

Today was my Aunt Rachels baby shower. She got soooo many gifts and she looked beautiful! She is more like a sister to me than an Aunt. It made my heart happy to go to her shower today....to see her finally pregnant with the baby she has wanted for so long. I can't wait to meet little Samara so she can play with Elyssa :o)

Haylee and I worked on some decoupage wooden letters that spelled out "Samara" for the nursery wall. They turned out really cute.

As for family news....nothing too exciting. The kids are all doing well in school. They are still fighting like cats and dogs at home but we're working on that behavior.....Next week we'll be ordering Brandons cap/gown/invitations for graduation. Aaaaahhh!!!.....Isaac is pretty moody lately. The terrible 2's are at their worst right now. On the flip side, he often tells us he loves us out of the blue and that makes up for the rest. Is there anything better than hearing "I wub you Mom"?

Elyssa will be 3 months in 3 more days. How did THAT happen?? Today she rolled over for the first time, back to front. She thought it was a neat trick so she did it 3 times for us. She's got the chubbiest little cheeks and she's been a happy little girl for the most part. Everyone comments on how good she is. She waits patiently for someone to make eye contact and then gets this HUGE smile on her face. I must give her 50 kisses every day :O) She sleeps from 9:30pm until 5-6am. I'm sure most Moms can understand how wonderful that is! I truely couldn't ask for a better baby!

Besides the fact that I'd like to win the lottery, life is good right now :o)

No more spermies???

2008-10-03T22:07:00.000-04:00

Yes, thats right, Mike had a vasectomy and has been officially delared sterile. I hate that word but it's the cold hard truth. No more babies for us. He called me while I was shopping last week to tell me this news. I felt that "not so good" feeling in the pit of my stomach when he said the words. I knew I'd be a little sad but I wasn't expecting it to be THAT emotional.

I guess maybe it's because I've been having babies since I was SIXTEEN! It has been the center of my life for the last 17 years! Now, I am leaving that part of my life behind forever and it's just....weird! Why is it so hard for me to give that up?

Anyways...Right after he told me, I started walking to the checkout line, fighting off the tears, and there was an older woman behind me. She start talking to Isaac and then the baby and asked how many kids I had. When I told her I have 5, she said in the sweetest southern voice, "Oooh honey, you are so lucky...so blessed to have 5 beautiful healthy children! That is just wonderful!".

For a minute I thought how strange it was for her to say that. Usually when I tell people I have 5 kids, I get comments like, "Oh you poor thing" or "My goodness, how do you handle that?". Then there's the oh so popular, "Are you CRAZY!?". LOL

But on that day, God sent me that sweet little old woman to remind me that even if I never have another baby...I am already BLESSED!!!

Thanks Pastor Loomis!!

2008-09-22T14:11:00.000-04:00

I woke up yesterday thinking about Brandon. My firstborn child will graduate in a few months. Why does it seem like only a short time ago that I was 16 years old and getting ready to give birth to him? Wasn't it just last week that he was toddling around, shaking his booty to "achy breaky heart"? I can't believe how fast life has moved since then. Where has the time gone? I felt sad yesterday morning, thinking about my boy growing up and leaving and not needing me anymore.

I laid in bed thinking about what I would plan for his graduation party, then I got up, got dressed and dragged my sulking self to church. Here is the start of my Pastor's message from yesterday:

"I was in Florida this week with my Grandchildren and as I watched them playing together on the couch, it felt as if I was watching my own children at that age - and I thought to myself, where has the time gone?"

Alrighty then, I realized very quickly that God had a message for me :o)

Pastor Loomis preached a great sermon and what I got out of it is this: God has done great things for us in the past, but we can look forward to even greater things in our future. Don't get older and dwell on what USED to be. God has so much more in store for us - more than we can even imagine right now! Maybe it's time to stop asking "Where did the time go?" and instead say "Look how far I've come....and look where I'm going!!".

So, instead of looking back and wishing my boy was small again, I will look forward to seeing what he becomes. He might be out of my hands, but I am putting him into God's....and really, thats where he has been all along :o)

One month already??

2008-09-10T22:34:00.000-04:00

Elyssa will be be one month old tomorrow. She has been such a good baby so far and has smiled at me a few times this week. I haven't caught it on camera yet but believe me, it seriously melts the heart :o) They are those huge toothless smiles with the "smiling eyes" to match.

I am so in love with her, I can't even describe it. If I didn't have other things to do, I think I could literally sit and hold her...rock her...stare at her...ALL DAY!! I love all of my children equally of course, and that will never change, but I've been different with Elyssa. Maybe it's the fact that I'm older and calmer, or the fact that I've had 4 babies before her so I knew what to expect this time - But I am alot more relaxed and peaceful this time. I'm sure alot of it also has to do with knowing that she our last baby. I want to enjoy every minute and hold her as much as possible while she's still in the snuggly newborn stage. I know that I will never have this again so it makes every tiny new milestone seem bittersweet.

She saw the pediatrician last week, at 3 weeks old. She was 9lbs 9oz and 21 1/4 inches and everything checked out perfectly. I didn't need a doctor to tell me that - I already know she is perfect :o)

As for me, I don't think my body is "bouncing back" like it has before. I mean, I've lost almost all of the 23 lbs I had gained during pregnancy so that's not a problem. But my lower stomach muscles and pelvic bones always hurt terribly. Some days are better than others....today is not one of the better days :o( If I sneeze or cough I get a horrible pulling/burning sensation down there, like maybe I have some pulled muscles or something..? Uggh!! I had the same feelings during pregnancy but I just assumed it would be gone by now. I'm almost due for my 6 week postpartum checkup so I'm trying to hold out until then to ask the doctor.

School is Good!!

2008-09-02T12:40:00.000-04:00

I always hate to send my kids back to school. Partly because it means that the lazy summer days are over. No more lazing in the pool, no sleeping late, no sleepovers, etc...

On the other hand, I am totally enjoying my peaceful house for 8 hours a day! Elyssa isn't much trouble (yet) and Isaac is alot calmer without Ethan and Haylee around. I clean the house and it STAYS that way. Amazing but true! I can also watch "big people TV" again and actually HEAR it!

Of course, when the other kids walk thru the door, it's complete and utter chaos again. I love and miss them but I do like getting a few hours of sanity every day :o)

Brandon is a senior this year. Hard to believe....At this point he really has no plans for after he graduates. We've basically pushed him through high school. He's a smart kid but he does NOT give 100%. He only does what he HAS to do to get by. It's been a struggle for sure. All of his teachers agree that he is much smarter than average, but is very "lazy" with his work. Laziness has always been an issue at home too. I hope and pray that he finds some ambition this year.

Haylee is in 3rd grade. She's the social butterfly. I don't worry too much about her because she always seems to find a friend, no matter where she goes. She is outgoing and I'm sure she'll do well this year. Her teacher was a good friend of mine in elementary school. Small world!!

Ethan is in 1st grade. He went to school last week without any fears, but this week he was more hesitant. He worries alot about little things and he's really shy so I hope he finds some good friends this year and enjoys himself more. He seems to play with little girls more than boys. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I would like to see him find a few good boy pals too. I think boys are generally louder and more rambunctious and it intimidates him.

Hoping they all have a great year and do their best!!

Better late than never right?

2008-08-23T23:08:00.000-04:00

I had planned to update about the baby being born but I always get distracted. Obviously, Miss Elyssa June has arrived! She was born August 11th, weighing 7lbs 12oz and she was 20 inches long. I can't believe she is almost 2 weeks old already!!

I am going to post her birth story sometime soon, but right now I am too busy rocking her....snuggling her....smelling her perfect little round head....staring at her sweet face....you get the idea :o)

I'm going to be a Mommy....again!

2008-08-09T15:44:00.000-04:00

In less than 48 hours, our baby should be here. I'll admit I am NERVOUS about labor this time. I don't know why....maybe because Haylee will be there with us and I feel like I need to stay very calm. Who knows, maybe I'll cave and get an epidural this time. We'll see! But I am excited to see what she looks like. Will I finally have a baby with hair?? Probably not. LOL

I think I am in the nesting stage right now. I've washed windows, cleaned, rearranged a few things and mopped all of the floors. Bring on the baby I say!!

Last night I decided on one last splurge and bought her a pink infant carseat (after going to 5 stores!!). I just couldn't imagine using the green and blue one I already have. LOL Honestly, I have been very "cheap" this time. I haven't bought anything new. All of the clothes have come from resale shops and garage sales. I still had the pack and play from Isaac, and I got the moses basket and swing used from craigslist.....So, I figured I am entitled to one brand new thing for her :o)

Mike just went out to Loomis to get me a remote cable for the camera. Since everyone else gets into the delivery too much and forgets to take pictures, I guess it's up to me. Hahaha!

I probably won't update again until next week. I'm taking the laptop with me, so I'll probably post a quickie blog sometime Monday night when everyone leaves me. I never can sleep well and that newborn channel gets old pretty quickly :o)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANDON!!

2008-07-29T23:46:00.000-04:00

Brandon turned 17 at 1:55am today! It's hard to believe he's that old already! He'll be starting his senior year in August!

We had his party on Saturday. He had a few friends over and they played their annual "machine gun kelly" game until almost 2am outside. I thought they would outgrow it eventually but they started playing it at his party when he turned 11 and it's the big thing every year now. All of his friends come prepared with dark clothes and hats. I guess boys really don't ever grow up ;o)

Anyways...Happy Birthday to my oldest "baby" boy!!

August 11th - Delivery Day

2008-07-27T12:52:00.000-04:00

We didn't get our 8-8-08 date, but I will be induced on August 11th....assuming nothing happens before then, which it probably won't. Sooo, two weeks from now we will have another little pink girl....a screaming bundle....no sleep....no rest....no "me" time.....and I can't wait for it!! LOL

I finally got all of her things put away and I was almost in tears looking at all of the tiny little shoes, hairbows, socks and onesies. About 7 1/2 months ago I found out I was pregnant and to be honest, I felt shocked and disappointed that we had "let this happen" again. We are in our 30's - We aren't supposed to have unplanned pregnancies. I felt like an irresponsible embarrassed teenager. How would I tell my family? How would I deal with another pregnancy/baby when we already have 4children and Isaac keeps me so busy already?

It's funny how things have changed over the months. At some point, my fears and disappointment turned into peace and joy! God knows exactly what he is doing and I feel bad now for even doubting that. This perfect, wonderful little girl was meant to be part of our family, and Haylee is getting something she has prayed for for years - a little sister! Sometimes the best things in life are the ones you don't plan for. I truely am blessed, no matter how chaotic my house is sometimes :o)

Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to those that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.

Time is almost up!!

2008-07-21T15:06:00.000-04:00

It's been a few weeks since I've updated. We had another ultrasound on the 10th. The baby is doing well and she (yes, it's still a girl!!) was estimated to weigh about 4lbs 15oz. The technician said she is average weight, not on the large side, thank God!!

Tomorrow I go to the doctor again and will talk to the doctor about setting an induction date. We are hoping for 8-8-08 which is about a week before my due date, and it's a Friday so my parents can keep the other kids for the weekend. Plus, it's just a cool date :o)

I have enjoyed my pregnancy up until now, but recently my back has started to hurt badly, and I get out of breath SO easily. Thanks to the back pain, I now have the "pregnant waddle" - I am officially sick of being pregnant and ready to meet my baby girl!

The other kids are doing well. Mike has been off work since late June so we've had plenty of family time this summer. Maybe TOO much. LOL I am ready for our normal life to resume, whatever NORMAL means :)

Oh, we have picked a baby name FINALLY, although we aren't telling any of our family until she is born....but her name will be Elyssa June. Elyssa is a form of Elsie (Mike's Moms name) and Elyssa/Elsie means Consecrated To God. June is my Mom and Grammas middle name....and my Great-Gramma was actually named Elsie too, so she will be named after FOUR of her Grandmothers. Pretty cool, eh??

The Birthday Boy

2008-06-28T22:00:00.000-04:00

The 25th was Ethan's 6th birthday! He went out with Daddy to shop for a toy and have lunch at Burger King. Haylee and I made him an oreo cake.

Today was his party. We decided to keep it small with just my parents and a few of his closest friends from church and school. He had a spongebob theme and his favorite dairy queen cake. Even though it rained off and on, we managed to keep the party outside under a big canopy and the kids still got to swim during dry periods. All in all, it went well. Ethan has one friend staying the night and right now it's 10:40pm and they are running around here dressed as spiderman and batman.

I spent all morning cleaning and washing floors but I am starting to realize that cleaning good before a kid party is pointless :o)

Pictures will be posted soon. I have to go now and get them to bed.

Updates....

2008-06-21T10:27:00.000-04:00

Ooops, it's been awhile again. Things are good here. The kids are out of school for the summer so life is hectic but we're all surviving. They've been swimming (when it's warm enough!) and having friends over alot.

Little Miss Ella June will be here in about 7 weeks. No, Mike has NOT agreed to that name yet but I'm still holding out hope. I've gained a total of 19lbs so far and I feel pretty good, other than a backache here and there. Her kicks and movements have gotten alot stronger. The kids like to watch my belly jump and move. yeah, I'm a freak show! ;o)

The photography biz has really picked up in the past month or so. I've had a wedding, a HUGE sweet 16 party, some children and a doggy shoot. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with all of the editing but I think I'm getting there. I already have 2 things booked for NEXT year and a few things this Fall.

My Aunt Rachel is almost 12 weeks now. She has had 2 instances with spotting but she has seen the babe on ultrasound and hopefully she'll be able to hear the heartbeat next Thursday! We are having fun with the pregnancy/baby talk, garage sales and shopping. I wish we were having the babies closer together but a 5 month age difference won't be so bad. I hope she has a girl too!!

Since my last blog, Isaac has potty trained himself....mostly. He mastered the pee-pee thing in ONE day, with no help or pushing from us, but the poop issue has not been so easy. He is getting there, though!!

Ethan will be 6 in 4 days! Amazing how time flies!! Next year he'll be a first grader!!

I guess that's about it for my updating. Little Jo-jo turns 3 today so we are getting ready to go to his party.

Mothers Day

2008-05-12T10:42:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was Mothers Day. It rained all day but otherwise, it was still a good day. Haylee and Ethan couldn't wait to give me their gifts. They had made some things at school and also colored some pictures for me here at home. Isaac even scribbled on paper for me :o)

Mike got me a huge tomato plant and some Mrs Millers pepper mustard dip! Yay!! The man apparently knows I like to eat!

I went to my Moms church that morning and then picked up pizza and mothers day cupcakes and we all went back to her house for dinner.

Mike took Ethan and Brandon home later that evening and I took Haylee and Isaac and went with my Mom to a church where our old Pastor (Rudy) was preaching. We loved him sooo much and I was pretty upset when they announced their resignation from the church. We hadn't seen him or Sharon since they left about 4 years ago, so it was nice to see/hear them again. I really miss those days....and I miss my Mom going to church with me too. She left my church a year ago to go somewhere else. I know she has to go where she feels led to be....but that doesn't make me miss her any less :o(

Anyways, it was a good day overall!

Busy Day!

2008-05-03T22:19:00.000-04:00

Today was Mike's 39th birthday. Next year is the big 40!!

I took Haylee to the Red Cross this morning for a class to earn her first aid badge. Good job Haylee-girl! Now we know who to run to if we choke on a chicken bone or something ;o) Just kidding - I am really glad she learned those things. Mike and I were actually discussing taking the adult class. We both learned those things in high school but geez, that was like....5 years ago....heeheehee

After we picked her up, we all went out to lunch for Daddys birthday, then we were off to the big Art show! Haylee and Ethan both got their artwork picked to be on display. Poor little Ethan hates art class but he was so proud of his caterpillar today. Haylee had two things, a sunflower picture and a self portrait. Sooo proud of them both!!

Will you have me?

2008-04-30T20:10:00.001-04:00

This is Isaac's new way of asking someone to hold him or pick him up - "Will you have me"? It's soooo stinkin' cute!! I love to hear him say it. You just can't say no to that sweet little face.

I went to a garage sale this morning with Rachel (the preggo Aunt). She found some gender neutral things and I got 2 outfits for our baby and a few cute onesies. I can't wait until garage sale season is in full swing!! Today was only the beginning :o)

We went to visit my Gramma today and Isaac 'helped' Papa Ray outside in the greenhouse. They shoveled some dirt, checked the plants and walked around the yard. Papa always comes in and says "That boy wears me out". Yeah, Isaac has a way of doing that.

Brandon had a zoo trip for school today. He said it was boring because most of the exhibits were under construction. He also didn't like it because they gave them some worksheets to do while they were there ;o)

Ethan and Haylee will both have their artwork displayed at an art show on Saturday. That is exciting, especially for Ethan since he really dislikes art class for some odd reason.

Tomorrow is another OB/GYN appointment....Yippeee....can you sense my sarcasm? They are pretty boring and pointless at this stage. But I'll be the good patient and spend $10 in gas to go pee in a cup, tell the doc that I feel fine, and then drive back home. LOL

Pregnant!!

2008-04-28T15:05:00.000-04:00

No, not me....well, I am too but this post isn't about me :o)

My Aunt found out this morning that she is pregnant with her first baby! She is 35 and they only tried for one month. I am beyond excited because we grew up like sisters and I always thought it would be so great to be pregnant together. Finally, we get to do that - even though I only have 3 months left.

This morning I woke up to my alarm and then dozed off for a few minutes and in that time, I dreamed that she came to me with a PG test and told me it was negative. So I held it up near a window and said "No, it's POSITIVE!! It's just very light!!". I woke up sad when I realized it was a dream but about 10 minutes later she called me crying and said "Trace, I think I see a line!"....I said "I think you see one too because I just dreamed it a few minutes ago!" LOL

Of course I had to rush to her house to see the line for myself :o)

She will be due January 6th according to the online due date calculators. Our babies will only be 5 months apart, yay!!!

Congrats Rachel & Josh!!

Sunny Days

2008-04-26T12:14:00.000-04:00

It was a beautiful week here! Mike was out of work due to some back pain so he was home all week too and we spent alot of time outside. I think we ate outside on the picnic table at least once every day. I LOVE Spring! Too bad next week's weather doesn't look so great. Upper 40's for the high's - what is that about??

Anyways, we did some yard work and some power washing. I love the smell of cut grass! I also lined the flower garden with rocks that we found in the field next to us. I overdid it and had a couple of painful days after that. Of course I got alot of "I told you so's" from Mike, and my Mom says I need to "act like I'm pregnant" LOL....but hey, my yard looks good right now :o)

Isaac is taller this year and he has taken over Ethan's power wheels 4-wheeler. He just turned 2 in January but he can steer it perfectly and he knows how/when to reverse and back up. I think we'll need to invest in another one or hopefully find one at a garage sale. When Ethan gets on it, Isaac runs behind him the whole time, crying "my ride, my ride!!"

Isaac is definitely the out-door-sy one. Is that a word? From the moment he wakes up he is asking to go 'outlide'. I can hardly get him to stop playing long enough to eat and if we have to go in for awhile it's a dramatic crying scene. He has been more difficult about laying down for a nap too. I am not ready for him to stop napping yet!! LOL But honestly, he still NEEDS a nap. If he doesn't take one around 1pm then he wants to fall asleep around 6-7pm and that's not going to work out well.

Our next big step is potty training. It would be nice to have him out of diapers by August when the baby arrives. But, we'll see how it goes.

The Baby Girl

2008-04-21T21:58:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I was worried because I was hardly feeling any movement from this baby. She is still a light kicker and during the day when Im moving around I don't really notice anything going on. Mike and the kids have not been able to feel anything on the outside yet....but this morning I woke up at 4:30am and there was a party going on in there! I could feel her rolling and kicking and some small lumpy body parts pushing outward on my belly. Quite shocking compared to her usual light taps and thumps! Of course, I stayed awake to enjoy the moment. It went on for probably 20 minutes before she settled down again. Now I am wondering if she just sleeps all day and parties all night :o) A sign of things to come? Let's hope not!!

This picture is from last week at 22 weeks. I am now 23 1/2 weeks. We're getting there, but August still seems like so far away!!

The Weekend

2008-04-21T18:40:00.000-04:00

Saturday was pretty boring. I had expired tags so we couldn't go anywhere :o( But Mike grilled chicken and we had a picnic outside and did a bit of yard work while the kids played.

My Grammy ended up back at the doctors that day. She had her bladder "sling" put in on Tuesday and came home Thursday. By Saturday afternoon her tummy was huge and painful and she realized she hadn't peed in almost 24 hours! They gave her a catheter at the office that evening and drained 2 1/2 bags of urine! Yikes!!

Anyways, we went to her house for a visit on Sunday (I risked the expired tags since she lives 2 minutes down the road) and she was feeling much better but still sore from the incision. Isaac convinced my 70 year old Pappy to play with him and they went off looking for frogs (for some reason men are total suckers for Isaac). Ethan and Haylee joined them eventually and they found a frog in the ditch so they were watching him hop and swim. Me and my Gramma were sitting on the porch swing and it wasn't long before I heard a splash....I jumped up to see Ethan climbing out of the ditch, covered in water and mud - literally from head to toe! Ooops! That was my cue to go home - With Ethan sitting on a garbage bag LOL

Happy Birthday to me!!

2008-04-16T20:08:00.000-04:00

Today I turned 33. No biggie, I lived thru it....This morning before school, I knew Ethan and Haylee were up to something. Before Haylee got on the bus, they gave me some homemade cards, some leftover Easter candy wrapped in a paper heart that Haylee cut out, and a box filled with things from their rooms. Just what I always wanted...Mickey Mouse books and baby doll clothes. LOL! Those are gifts I won't forget anytime soon :o) But very sweet and thoughtful of them!

Since everyone else was at school/work, I took Ethan and Isaac to Burger King for breakfast. Then we went to visit Gramma Cadle at the hospital. She had surgery on her bladder...something about it "falling" and needing lifted again. I don't know the details but she did well and she was harrassing the nurses about wanting to go home already. Typical Gramma - Now we have to try to keep her from going back to work too soon because she is stubborn and won't listen to the doctors orders.

After that I took the boys to Ely square to blow some bubbles and enjoy the weather. it wasn't long before there was a small crowd of children around us. You'd think they had never seen bubbles before. LOL Isaac chased bubbles and fell flat on his face...TWICE! He now has scuffs and scrapes on his forehead, nose and above his lip. Poor little guy -

When Mike got home, they all made me birthday brownies, we rode the 4-wheeler and played outside with the kiddos. Mike and I will also be going out ALONE this weekend since we couldn't do anything exciting on a work/school day. That will be the first time in months that we've done anything without the kids. Yippeee!

A "33" picture from today -

Sunday Ramblings....

2008-04-13T21:33:00.000-04:00

Nothing too exciting going on for us. My Mom called this morning to see if we all wanted to come over for dinner after church. They ordered pizza and she also had gotten a small cake and some ice cream for my birthday (which isn't until Wednesday). I told her I was trying to ignore this birthday - You know the old saying "Ignore it and it'll go away"? LOL I guess that doesn't always work. Thirty three is on it's way whether I like it or not....blah!!

Anyways, I am so amazed at the relationship between my Dad and Isaac. They have really become pals over the past few months and Isaac has somehow managed to turn my big tough Daddy into a true "papaw". My Dad had picked up a peg perego 4 wheeler from someone last summer but he never could get it working for Isaac. So, today he tied a rope on the front of it and pulled Isaac around outside, by hand! They also rode the 4-wheeler and then my Dad followed him around while he rode his trike. I never thought I'd see the day that my Dad would turn into a softie for a child. He carries Isaac around the whole time we're there, feeds him, plays with him....Can you say SPOILED??....but it's a beautiful thing to see. Isaac LOVES to go see his Pappy!!

I don't really have much more to say. Oh I did buy a few outfits on ebay for the baby! Yay!!! I paid a whole $11 for 8 outfits (including shipping!!) - and 3 or 4 of those were brand new with tags Carters outfits!! I definitely got a deal and I can't wait to get it all!

The Repeater....

2008-04-11T10:28:00.000-04:00

Isaac is driving me nuts with his repeating. He says the same sentence or question about 20 times in a row. Yesterday we were at Goodwill and he would not stop asking, "Go home now? We go home now? MOMMY!! Go home now?". People were starting to look annoyed. I went into the dressing room to try something on and I tried to reason with him :o) I told him he is too loud and needs to stop saying that and be quieter. So he whispers loudly 'MOM'....I say what and he whispers "We go home now? go home now?". I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry at that point.

Then we get home and while I was cooking french toast, he stood there and asked about 30 times, "Is that mine Mom? That mine? Is that mine?". No matter how many times I answer, he still keeps asking. AAAAHHHHH!!

This morning Mike got his turn. Isaac sat on his lap for a good 15 minutes with a picture of his little cousin Joey and asked Mike, "Is that Jojo? Is that Jojo? Ooh Jojo, is that Jojo"........over and over and over and over. LOL

We'll look back at this phase and laugh someday, RIGHT??

Now for the big news.....

2008-04-09T22:06:00.000-04:00

We found out right before Christmas that we are having another baby! It was a big surprise but we are looking forward to having another newborn in the house. The due date is August 16th....Here is baby #5 at 12 weeks:

This is me at 14 weeks:

When we told the kids, Brandon said he was moving out ;o) Haylee was excited. Ethan was upset because he thought we meant that I was going to the hospital RIGHT THEN. LOL Once we explained to him that it would be a few months, he was ok and happy. Haylee started praying for a sister right away and of course the boys were wishing for another boy.

The 18 week ultrasound was on March 20th. The tech measured everything and said that the baby looked good. When she suddenly turned the machine off, I was surprised that she hadn't asked if we wanted to know the sex. Doesn't almost everyone want to know that?? So, I asked her if she had seen it...She looked at Haylee, Mike and Ethan and asked if any of them would be disappointed in the answer. I told her that Haylee might be and she smiled and said, "No, she won't be - it's definitely a GIRL".

I couldn't stop a few tears from slipping out. Then I looked over and saw my big strong husband wiping tears away from his eyes too. I think we were just sooo happy to know that Haylee would finally get the sister she has wanted for so long. They'll be 8 years apart but that's ok :o) I have to admit, I really wanted a girl too. After 2 boys in a row, I am ready for pink ruffles and bows again.

Here is a picture of our second daughter at 18 weeks. I can hardly wait to meet her!!

I'm baaaack!!

2008-04-09T17:43:00.001-04:00

So, I guess it's been awhile? I haven't posted on here since October of last year!

Well, Christmas was great but thank God it is finally SPRING!! We are enjoying the warmer weather and, since the kids were out of school today, we had our first cookout/picnic today. That is one of my favorite things to do in the warm months, especially since Mike cooks :o) Something about the Spring weather makes me feel so relaxed and peaceful.

After reading my last post, I feel the need to say that yes, Brandon DID finally pass his driving test. LOL He got his license on October 31st - Halloween

We are off to church....will update more tonight.

10.25.07

2007-10-25T18:51:00.000-04:00

Soooo, Brandon took his driving test yesterday and failed :o( He hit a cone but passed the driving part. Better luck next week B!

We took the kids to "Trunk or Treat" tonight. People decorated their trunks and sat in the school parking lot passing out candy. Someone stopped to take Haylee's picture for the newspaper! Gramma Connie made her entire costume! My Mom is awesome!!

After Isaac got his first piece of candy, he didn't care about anything else. LOL

Brandon and Ethan, both spiderman....

Isaac the skeleton....

Haylee as Glinda, the good witch....

Are they cute or what!?

Here we go...

2007-10-24T09:41:00.000-04:00

After reading some friend's blogs, I thought this looked like fun so here I am! I'll just start by introducing our family members:

Mike: The man in charge.....or so he thinks (just kidding hun!). He works hard so that I can be at home with our children until they are all in school. He tries his best to give us what we need and want. We met at work in 1996 and we've now been married for 9 years.

Tracy: That would be me, the Mama of the house. I've been a stay at home Mom since our daughter was born almost 8 years ago. I'm known as the family cheapskate :o) I love finding a good deal and I love garage sales! My passion is photography and I recently started my own little business, doing some paid photography jobs. I'm loving every minute!

Brandon: My oldest "baby". I had him when I was 16 so we've basically grown up together. He is now 16 years old, a junior in school and getting ready to get his license. He is generally a good kid and doesn't cause problems - probably the calmest and most laid back of all of the kids. He has always seemed more emotionally mature than most of his friends. He got into the Tech Prep courses at the JVS and hopefully he will enjoy that and take it further when he graduates. Maybe become partners with me in the photography biz? **hint hint Brandon**

Haylee: She turns 8 in December. She's our only daughter and definitely a drama queen. She is outgoing and makes a friend everywhere we go. She desperately wanted a sister but ended up with 3 brothers instead. She is constantly annoyed by them. "He's looking at me, he touched me, he made a face at me..." This goes on and on :o) She has a wonderful heart though and loves to pray for people. She is very smart and very "deep" at times, so I often have to remind myself that she is only 7 years old.

Ethan: He is our shy guy. He tends to be Haylee's little shadow. He started kindergarden this year and has done much better than I expected. As long a he knows Haylee is nearby, he is ok. He reminds me of myself because he worries alot and thinks too hard sometimes about what MIGHT happen. I hope to change this, for him AND myself. He's emotional and sweet and loves to spend time with his family.

Isaac: The white-headed wild child! I joke that if I would have had Isaac first, I probably wouldn't have had anymore children. LOL He has no fear of anything so he is always climbing, jumping, falling, etc...Going anywhere with him is always interesting, to say the least. You just never know what might happen! He keeps me on my toes! He has such a sweet, cuddly side too. At night he gets his blankie, then climbs up with Daddy in the recliner for a backrub, and fall asleeps there.

So, thats a little about us. To most people I'm sure our household looks and sounds like a madhouse :o) I guess we've gotten used to it. Sometimes it's a bit overwhelming but when you just sit back and watch them, you have to be amazed by their energy and spirit. They are a contant reminder that it's the little things in life that matter the most.