Someone's Special Day

I felt it was time for a new post. So here I am.

Christmas was great! We visited C-town for just a few days and then headed back home where Sean had a whole week off from work! We did a lot of laying around and a lot of cleaning. I let Sean get rid of a bunch of Kaitlan's baby stuff that I was holding on to. Hoping he would agree that we could have another baby. But I guess he's right. We have three beautiful blessings that we are more than grateful for.

Speaking of our three blessings, today marks thirteen years since we were blessed with our first. Sage is officially a teenager as of 8:39 this morning! It really is an awesome thing to watch our babies grow before us. They make me so happy!

Some other exciting news... Sean came across a Nikon D60 and put a down payment on it for me!!! **happy dance** I've been moping about mine since it died on us at the end of this summer. I don't know what all accessories will come with it, but I can't wait to get my hands on it!!

This Saturday we all piled into the car and drove down to Houston to visit Sean's granddad. He has been in an assisted living home for several years now suffering from alzheimer's. We all hung out for a while visiting with some of Sean's uncles, aunts, cousins and his dad. We had Chipotle. We drove around downtown Houston for a bit when we were told the wrong direction towards food. And we visited some more. Yesterday afternoon we got the call that his granddad passed. He wanted to be cremated so they will be having a memorial for him in a few months.

Okay, I'm getting out of here. We're going to our family's favorite restaurant for Sage's birthday dinner!!

Someone's Special Day

What's going on

Boy, oh, boy is December a busy month or what?! But it is so much fun! Now that I stay home and home school the kids it seems I have never been busier. It's great being able to have such a flexible schedule!

This last week has been kinda yucky. Sean worked really late all week long. Now when I say late, I mean late. He has to be in at 6am and wasn't been getting home most nights until around midnight. Then he had to be up and back at work come 6am. Plus he missed all of the fun we had last week and over the weekend. It stinks but I guess we should look at all of the extra time as a God-send being that it's the holiday season and all. At least that's the way we choose to look at it!

Last week Thursday we had our Cub Scout Christmas party. Our den I planned it this year and I am glad it's over! That was the first time I have planned any kind of event like this on my own and it is so stressful. Especially when not a single person many people will cooperate with you!

Since my camera stopped working, all I have is my cell phone for pictures (and that's why it's such a crappy pic!). So here's Raiden on Santa's lap at the party. He visits each year. In fact, I wish I could find Kaitlan's picture from last year. Even funnier is the one taken this year the day after Thanksgiving. My sister's boyfriend snapped a shot of Kaitlan running back to her daddy's arms. She wouldn't even go see Santa at the Scout party... and he's a family friend! I guess Sean's pre-Christmas prep on Santa didn't work!

A couple of days before that Christmas party we had really nice weather and took advantage by going to the park.

We had lunch.

Then the kids played.

And they climbed.

And they slid.

And just had a good time.

Apparently this is the look I get now when I ask Kaitlan to pose for a picture. I don't get it, but it's still cute!

We went to the Christmas luncheon for our home school group on Saturday. The food was delicious and included an apple pie I made and from-scratch green bean casserole with fresh green beans so pretty that I had to take a picture of them.

The kids had a book walk and did some crafts.

Sage working on her her ornament. Kaitlan playing with sequins.

I guess this is the finished product.

Raiden working on his snowman ornament.

Raiden's finished snowman.

And then one of the Santa wish list holder craft that we did at home.

Besides all of this fun stuff we've been baking lots of cookies and I've been trying not to eat them! We head out to C-town in the morning and then back home on Saturday. Next week Sean is off so hopefully we'll get some stuff done around the house (yeah right!) and get to have some much need family fun.

Everyone have a very merry Christmas!!

What's going on

Hostile Environment

I think it was about 3 weeks ago that I talked to my dad and he told me about the trip he would be taking. He works on the road and stays out there often for up to a month or so. He has even started going to other near-by countries.

This time it's different, though. Pakistan isn't Dominican Republic. Nothing like it.

He called me last night and said that it did scare him some. Actually, I think it scares him a lot. He hasn't been sleeping well and all of the paperwork is overwhelming.

Apparently, the airport my dad will be working at has bombs dropping "no closer than a half mile away."

U.S. bombs, that is. You know how those Taliban guys keep hiding out in Pakistan? Yeah. That's who they're after.

My dad tells me that he has had his employers take out a hefty life insurance plan on him in case something were to happen to him over there. He's also getting his will in order.

I would rather just have my dad back home safely. 

It's really cool, all the traveling he does now. But it's not so cool that he's going into such a hostile environment this time.

I'll tell you this. My praying knees are going to be busier than usual.

Hostile Environment

You Annoy Me!!!

I am the oldest of three girls. I have to admit that, although I am a pretty laid back, conservative person, there were moments that my sisters would get on my nerves. What I don't remember was getting annoyed by them for doing things that had absolutely nothing to do with me or when they were in a completely different room than myself.

Let me explain.

I love my almost-teen daughter so much. She is a smart, caring, sensitive young lady. She gives me a ton of attitude, but she also gives me so much joy.

While sitting at the computer yesterday, she came to me for help with her Language Arts assignment. As she walked up behind me I could hear her talking under her breath about how she was "gonna kill him". Raiden was in the front room keeping Kaitlan entertained until I came back to prepare lunch. I hear this kind of thing quite often from her. I understand that he's her little brother and I know that he does bug her plenty, but he was in the other room. Talking to someone else! The poor kid can't do anything right in his big sister's eyes.

My response was to stop right there before anything else and ask her (very calmly I may add) what it was that he was doing to directly annoy her. She tried to walk away. Yeah, that's the response I get much of the time when I try to talk to her or get on to her about something. I figure it's pretty normal for a pre-teen/teen. Right?

I wrangled her back in and gave her a talkin' to. I explained to her how her words can hurt not only her brother, but herself. How we never know what tomorrow holds for any of us. I asked her how she would feel if those type of words were the last she spoke to her brother. Needless to say, there were a few tears by the time I finished talking to her. I also talked plenty about how her attitude needs to change. How she makes the rest of us feel like we are making her life miserable.

This kid. I love her so much. I am trying my hardest to make life as happy as I can for her, but she is always crabby and throwing darts at just about everyone in the house. (Not literal darts!) What else can I do?!? She gets to do so much more than her little brother. And rightfully so. I let her stay the night with friends or have friends over when she hasn't cleaned her room or finished all of her chores. Maybe THAT is part of the problem. We have given our children so many liberties without earning them that they now expect them.

AAAAAHHHHH!!!!! So frustrating!

You Annoy Me!!!

Fall Fun

Where, O, where to begin this....

I've been thinking about my blog more here lately. I keep asking myself, "Self, why can't you just get in there and write a little something about your day?" So, it may be boring, but I'm going to attempt to get on and just write something. I have already missed the first day of November, but I will now try to get into a habit of writing each day. Wish me luck. :)

With Halloween being on a Sunday, it made for quite a full weekend. I actually wanted to go out on Friday evening, but I'm kinda glad we didn't. I think we got plenty of junk on Saturday and Sunday. We started out Saturday evening with a carnival in downtown. It was a great family friendly event and the kids, well, the two kids we had with us, had a blast. Sage didn't go because she decided to go watch Paranormal Activity 2 with her friend and friend's mom. I didn't really want her to go see it, but she's smart enough to know that that sort of stuff is just a movie and not real. Not to say that she doesn't understand that Satan really does tempt us everyday and.... Okay, I'm getting into a whole 'nother subject now. Let's just say she knows what it truth and what is Hollywood. Reeling it back in now.

So come Sunday, we had a birthday party for an awesome little man. My friend H's amazing little boy turned 1!!! He slept most of the time we were there, but it was still a great gathering with our friends.

After Lil' Man dug into his cake, we headed out to try to get our little monster to nap. I say little monster because she was tired and acting like, well, a little monster. :) The nap never happened, but it's amazing what a nursing session does for that kid. Once we got Sagie made up, we all headed out to the fall festival at the church. We had a great time. Sean lost the keys. Someone found them (thank you, Lord and Pastor Daniel!). And we headed to a trunk or treat at another local church. We tried our hand at the cake walk. We lost. But we did have a great time. We ended the night with some more trick or treating in the neighborhood. I think we ended up getting home no later than 8:30 so we did pretty darn good. We also did pretty darn good in the candy-getting department. I'm trying to change up some of our eating habits and what we put into our bodies, but I think I'll take it easy on them for now as far as the goodies go. It's not like they get to eat a pound of candy a day!

Now on to the good stuff. Apparently our camera decided to die on us after our vacation this summer, so I have no real camera, but I did get a few shots of the kids with my phone:

My 80s rocker chick!

There's Tony Romo! Broken clavicle and all.

And last but definitely not least, my little angel baby.

Fall Fun

Running on empty..

Today I just know that I will be walking around my house like a zombie. I already feel it. It seems that my adorable two year old thought it necessary to stir at around 3:30 this morning which usually prompts a quick nursing and she's back off to dreamland.

Not THIS morning, though. Every time I pulled her off, she would whine again. I'd plug it back in and she would act like she was going back to sleep.

Needless to say, that was not her plan. I attempted to refuse her the ti-ti.

She would fuss louder.

Then Dad began complaining.

Yes, dear, I'll keep her quiet.

Back with another attempt to nurse the little booger angel to sleep. Never mind the fact that my bladder was on the verge of combustion.

Then the alarm starts going off it's normal six or seven times.

She finally decides to fall asleep just in time for me to get up and get Sean ready for work.

I do believe a nap will be on the schedule for today.

Running on empty..

She's Aliiive!

Yes, I am still alive and I am waaay overdue for an update! I have had such good intentions, but I have been so super busy.
This would make week 5 of our new home schooling adventure and I can now say that things are going pretty darn well. ;) I must admit that week 3 was a difficult one, though.

We had visited our family in C-town (for the first time in almost a year!) for the Labor Day weekend. Once we were back home, I started hearing a lot of complaints from Sage. She was voicing her desire to return to public school on Facebook and Myspace but not so much to me.

It hurt my feelings. It hurt that she had not yet given home schooling a chance. That she wasn't talking to me about it. I let her know how I felt and then left the ball in her court.

The past two weeks haven't been so bad. I am getting more organized and figuring out what works for us.

I'm happy with that.

Last week I finally took care of something that has needed to be taken care of for a while.

I am (what I figure to be) a typical mom in the aspect of taking care of the husband, kids and house and not taking care of myself so much.

I found out a few years ago that I had what they call dysplasia when it comes to my cervical cells. In other words, the cells were abnormal and could form into cancer.

I found this out at about the same time I found out I was pregnant with KK. In fact, I found out about the pregnancy the day I went in for the biopsy.

Praise the Lord that it was not too bad at that time and all I had to do was come back every 6 months for another pap.

Well there I go again not taking care of myself. I went to my first appointment a few months after Kaitlan's birth but failed to make my next appointment 6 months later. And the next 6 months after that.

With some hard nudging gently coaxing from dear husband, I finally went in for an appointment.

What do ya know, it had gotten worse.

That's when the wonderful Dr. W scheduled me for what is called a LEEP procedure. I went in Tuesday morning last week for a (really) quick day surgery that hopefully took care of what ailed me. (When I say quick I mean quick. I went in at 6am and was on my way home at 9am!)

Now I just pray that it has been taken care of and I will not have to face this issue any more.

In other medical news, it seems that Sean's maternal grandfather will probably be joining his wife in the Lord's arms sooner than we had hoped. We found out that he has stage 4 colon cancer that has spread to his liver among other places. We're talking about an old tough Marine who is now weak and depending on his children to take care of him. It's really sad and the family could use your prayers. I don't know if it's awful to think this way, but when it comes down to it, sometimes I just wish God would take them and get them out of the misery they're suffering. Such a difficult subject.

Okay, I really need to get out of the doom and gloom that I'm starting to fill with, so on to something great and sad in it's own right.

My baby girl is going to be 2 years old in just about 2 weeks now! I can't believe it! She is so tiny, but I can see how much she is growing and I wish she could just stay little forever. Especially when I think of her sister and that attitude! Only kidding... kinda. =) Actually, this kid is a teenager in a toddler body, I tell you. She has attitude that is unimaginable for a kid her age. I'm really loving (almost) every minute of it, though. Our family wouldn't feel complete without her.

Well that's it for now, folks. Someone has to do laundry around here and I can tell you that it isn't any of the other 4 people that live here! Have a blessed day and I hope to post again soon!

She's Aliiive!