Back to Basics...

I miss blogging regularly. I am starting a new post a day/photo a day challenge on Feb. 1. Be on the look out and join me if you want!!!!

Until then....

Awkward...

Jason and I have found ourselves in an awkward position, not of our own doing. I can't go into detail because it involves friends and it is sensitive. But, have you ever thought to yourself, "WOW, I really thought junior high was over"?

That is what happens. When you are a teenager you think that surely stupid crappy things will not be the same when you are an adult. Only then you become and adult and realize...oh wait, it just gets worse.

What makes this worse is that this involves friends from church. Granted we are not the ones on the giving or receiving end of this "issue", but we are the other couple in the middle. Jason and I both feel loyalty to one couple and totally agree that the other party was out of line BUT we are trying to be Christian about this.

Seriously, junior high was bad enough...

Gentlemen, Start your Engines...

Yesterday was the Pinewood Derby. This is one of the biggest events for Cub Scouts. Austin and Brodie were both VERY excited about it. Basically they give each scout a piece of pinewood and they have to take that and make it into a car. They have a weight limit so things are fair. Really it was a lot of fun. They have a sibling race so Jason helped Brodie make a car as well. Neither of the boys won, but they had a lot of fun. Austin did get the design award for the craziest car design. Chase even had fun watching the action.

My Bubba...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the bestest brother any girl could ever ask for!!!! Oh yes, and neener neener boo boo you will always be older!

Temporary...

This is just a temporary design. I don't really have time right now to do anything really creative with it. My time right now is being split between sick people (all five of us now have this cold/sinus thing), school and a project I am working on at church.

Let me know if anyone has any other problems viewing anything!

Trouble...

I have been made aware of some trouble with my page not showing all the posts. I will try to fix it by tomorrow. I am not having that trouble so I may just have to redesign the whole thing.

It's gotta be Satan...

No, Brodie isn't Satan!!!

Last semester I didn't finish out my bible study because for pretty much two months solid at least ONE of my kids was sick. Well, guess what...two of my kids are sick now and it is only week #2 of bible study. Luckily I have done the first few weeks of this study before so I didn't feel too bad not being there. I do firmly believe that Satan will try all means possible to keep us out of God's Word....so I fully blame Satan for this cold! Damn you Satan!

Tagged...

I got tagged by Margaret for this meme (started by Lindsey)....both of which are blogs I have recently started reading! Hi Girls!

Here is how it works....
Here is a list of categories - add the titles and links to previous posts that you feel fit these descriptions... and tell why if yah wanna!
***
~Funny~

I had to do four... How Much?!?!, Conversation with Austin, Walmart (just for the picture really), Aunt Kree

~Serious~

It Only Took 8 years, Mushy

~Ugly~

This one is just ugly because I was very hormonal at the time...Stop It

~All about YOU~

Freckles, and Identity

Now I tag...Shana and Mandy

Sunshine At Last...

Today was the first day we have been able to see the sun in over a week. Austin and Brodie were excited that they could finally go out to play. So now I have banished them to stay outdoors. The weatherman said that the sun is going back into hiding this week. As you can see Chase wanted to join his brothers.

Dog Whistle...

Apparantly now my voice has reached a tone which my children can no longer hear. I thought surely I could keep them from totally tuning me out until they were teenagers. I think I will blame the cold weather.

Ice Bound Prison...

Welcome to the world of Wacky Texas Weather...

The boys and I are all stuck at home today. Austin's school got canceled due to the weather and well, we are all going batty. We were stuck inside most of the weekend too. Last night it sleeted and snowed and the roads are solid ice. I desperately need to go to the store. I want to go to Hobby Lobby and I just in general need to get out. AHHH!!!

OK, so I got out a little yesterday before the new ice storm hit. Bible Study started back up at church. That is always good cause Brodie and Chase get some time with other kids. Then last night I started school. So I got out of the house, but not enough.

I might need more coffee to survive today...

Better...

Better picture of the new hair...well maybe not better of the hair, but better of me :-)

Unfair and the Wiggles...

Last night we had NO KIDS. NO BABY!!!!!! Want to know what is unfair? I still woke up every 1-2 hours. I knew I should have taken a sleeping pill!!!


The reason we had no kids last night was because it was the annual party for Jason's company. We had a really great time. I love it just because it gives me a reason to dress up (stay at home moms love to have a reason).

We had more fun watching all of the older people dance (after a few drinks) than anything else. The stuffiest engineer turns into a wiggle machine with the right band and a few glasses of wine. HILARIOUS! (picture taken with camera on phone...bad quality!)


It was nice just to have time out with my hubby! Well all, I guess I better go get ready for church!

Gone to the dark side...

Bad picture....it is pouring rain out and I took this right after getting home. Better pictures to come I promise!

Ewwwww...

Let me set the scene...

Brodie, Chase and I are about to have lunch. I set Brodie's plate on the kitchen table and then call to Chase so he can come help me eat my baked potato. I hear him under the kitchen table.

I lift the tablecloth...

There he is...playing happily WITH CAT THROW UP!!!! I reach him just in time to keep him from EATING some of it.

I cleaned him up gagging the whole time.

Stupid cats...f-ing cats.

Being Selfish...

I have been getting up early in the mornings and going to the gym before anyone gets up. Yesterday while I was getting ready to go Chase woke up. I decided to let everyone else sleep and just skip the gym. No biggy, it was one day. Well, this morning he did the same thing. I was VERY tempted to just give up on going again today. But, I decided that I was going to be selfish and make Jason deal with it and I went to the gym.

For the record, Jason is wonderful and never balked at the idea of having to get up with Chase so I could go. BUT, it was hard for me to walk out. It was hard for me to make Jason get up. It was hard.

But, sometimes as a Mom you have to be selfish. The mornings are the only time I can consistently work out. Especially since I am starting school next week. So, selfish it is...

By they way, THANKS to those of you that delurked already. I found some great new blogs to read in the process. And Ash, I too use bloglines and forget to comment, so I am going to try to be better too!

De-Lurk...

Thanks to Sheryl of Paper Napkin , it is officially De-Lurking Week here in the blog-osphere. What does that mean? It means that all of you lurkers that read blogs and never leave comments need to stop it. Let me tell you a little secret. We bloggers LOVE comments. I know for a fact that on average I have between 60-75 readers everyday. And yet I only get a few comments a week. Time to come out of the woodwork people. See that comments link at the bottom of each post? Use it!!!

You know you want to!!!

Between the cracks...

Someone whom I love dearly is going through a life change right now. I won't talk about it here, because it is very personal and not my place. It has got me thinking though.

I have had my share of life changing, earth shattering moments. Probably more than most 26 year olds. I have never been ashamed of talking about my past because it is what it is. Most of it resulted from bad decisions made by a girl too young to realize what she was doing. Teen pregnancy, miscarriage, married by 18, separated at age 23, divorce...I have been through some stuff. Here is what I have found through all of that. In those "cracks" of life, the moments that have us down, that is where new life springs up. Some of the biggest blessings in my life have resulted from pain and suffering. Sometimes we have to be refined by fire.

Romans 8:28 has long been one of my favorite scriptures. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose."

You want to find life? Look in the cracks...

Get out...

I adore Beth Moore. It is no secret that if someone is teaching one of her bible studies I want to be there. She has been a special teacher to me, though I have never met her.

I got this book yesterday at Walmart. It just came out and I am so excited to read it I can hardly contain myself.

I suggest any woman who wants to deepen her Christian walk take a look at some of Beth Moore's studies and books.

That is all...my free plug for Beth.

OH yea and to say, I am going to be seeing Beth Moore in February and I am so looking forward to it.

Obsession...

I received an email from Sara asking me what software I used to do my new header. Well, this explains why I have changed my site so many times over the last few weeks. MY HUBBY GOT ME PHOTOSHOP!!!! I can't stop...I am obsessed. It is awesome and so hard at the same time. I don't know how to do 80% of what it is capable of, but I am having a blast. I even made a new header for Shana....

Obsession....

Mean Mommy...

I know that everyone has their own thoughts on babies and sleep issues. I am not opening this up for debate. I just need to talk....

When Austin and Brodie both turned 6 months I had them cry for 5 minute intervals until they fell asleep. It literally KILLED me. I would sit in my room and cry while they cried. However, I firmly believe in this method. It took one week and they were going to sleep alone, no fuss and sleeping pretty much all night. They continue to this day to be GREAT sleepers (we have had a few patches of issues, but nothing major).

Chase is now almost 8 months old and he is NOT a good sleeper. At all! He just isn't. He has no clue how to go to sleep without Mommy or Daddy holding him. If he coughs and wakes up we have to go pick him up to put him back to sleep (entirely our fault for starting it, but dammit he is our last baby...Jason's ONLY baby). I have always said that he is a bit more needy of a baby than Austin and Brodie were. He may not be, it may be that he is just spoiled since we know this is our last baby. I don't regret relishing moments with him....BUT I AM TIRED! I haven't ever come completely clean with how bad it is on here, because well...he is such a good baby and I don't want to complain. I am not exaggerating in saying he has only slept more than 4 hours at a time ONCE. He had one 6 hour stretch when he was 3 months old. Other than that, he is up every 2 hours. Lately, he goes down about 7:30 and sleeps until 10:30. Then it is back to every 2 hours.

So why haven't we done the cry out? Many reasons I suppose. The one I have verbalized is that every time we get ready to something comes up. I am a firm believer that the cry out only works if the baby is not sick, or teething, or out of their normal routine. Chase started teething right at 6 months...then he got several colds and ear infections in a row...then we traveled...then and then and then. Sometimes I know that I was just making excuses, mostly for Jason. He can't STAND hearing Chase cry. He is so loving as a father and just can't handle it. Well, here we are...no cold...2 pearly whites smiling, no red gums...no traveling....and Mommy is completely exhausted.

So, we put him down tonight and he wasn't happy. AT ALL....it has now been a little over an hour. He has a big, panicky cry. It is heart wrenching. However, it is comical when we go in to lay him back down and give him his pacifier he instantly goes limp and crashes. Then we leave and he screams....

Ahhhh...wait....there is now silence. And we are now asleep....only another week of this and hopefully we will have a better sleeper on our hands.

No Way...

I was reading Susie's blog this morning and thought this was a great idea. I am never good at resolutions, but this I can do.

So, here is my list of things I absolutely WILL NOT do in 2007:

~ End the year weighing more than I do now

~ Quit School again

~ Start treating myself as badly as I used to

~ eat broccoli

~ Spend more than 1 hour a day on the computer when there are other things that need to be done (I will at least try)

~ stop blogging...I think I would go insane

~ Wear gauchos...don't get me started

~ Cut my hair shorter than my shoulders

~ Say, "Wow wouldn't Hilary make a great president."

~ Complain about the rain...after the drought we have had.

~ take my husband for granted

~ Stop praying

~ Close myself off from new people

~ Allow things out of my control to rob me of joy.

What about you? What will you NOT do in 2007?

From Us to You...