ThirtySomething

I haven’t had much to blog about recently.  The last two days we have been living in a winter wonderland though and it’s pretty.

I ventured out in it yesterday while it was still just powdery, fluffy snow.  Now everything is under a sheet of ice!  ICK!

 

The kids are not really liking that they’ve been cooped up these past couple days, they have been going a little stir crazy here.  So, they have resorted to fun with self portraits:

In addition they have enjoyed making messes and getting on each others nerves and being FULL of energy.  But even in all the cabin fever madness, they are still sweet and cute and cuddly.  We are blessed!

This past weekend we celebrated my mother in law’s birthday by going out to eat and then back to their house for birthday cake!

 

It’s a good thing we decided to go on Sunday and not Tuesday (on her actual birthday) or we would have had to cancel it due to the ice.  We had a great time.

Now, Aeryn is so excited because HER birthday is next!!  She says she wants “a chocolate pretty princess birthday cake and a mermaid doll” for her birthday.  Makes birthday shopping easy.  We are getting her 2-3 things and I am sure the grandparents will spoil her as well!  :)

I had a job interview a few weeks ago and I did not get the position.  That put me in a little funk because it was a job I really wanted and knew I could do well at.  Oh well, I am trusting that God is in control.  I’ve had a peace about me through this entire time that went away for a bit when I found out that job wasn’t mine and I got VERY discouraged, but I am feeling better and still trusting in God.  HE is our provider and I know HE will continue to supply us with our every need.  So far, we’ve been 3 and 4 months without work and we are still above water (barely).  We Praise Him for that.  I just need to keep my mind and heart in that place…God is in control.

Until…

 

Goodbye, President Bush.  I didn’t always agree with what he did…but I also do not know what he does.  Farewell, I wish you all the best from here on out.  God Bless you.  (I found this video here)

We went bowling today with a great friend I haven’t seen in many, many….too many years!  It was soooo wonderful to see her again as she is one person I’ve missed so, so very much from my high school years.  Leanne and I were pretty much inseparable when I was in high school (she’s 3 years older than me).  If I wasn’t at home 90% of the time you could find me with her, no doubt!  I don’t know what it was with her, but I always felt so much peace when I was with her and she knew everything about me and I her. 

So, we met up again through Facebook and planned a bowling day with our families.  I know my kids RAVED about bowling, they really had a wonderful time.  Jack was a little punk for a while, he is a bit shy around people he doesn’t know…so he just watched from here:

Though the only reason he is UNDER the table is b/c he saw me with the camera.  LOL!  My lil shy guy!  He did decide later that he would bowl and LOVED it. 

I did very poorly, except this one time:

STRIKE!!!!!!!!!!!  (my friends lil’est one and Aeryn were my cheerleaders)

Aeryn LOVE bowling and did pretty well…for a three year old and with lots of help!  :)

I have a couple others, not great photos and then my batteries died.  BOO!  I didn’t get ANY photo’s of Leanne, her hubby OR her other 2 kids.  Maybe next time!  :)

Leanne, if you see this, thank you soo much for an AWESOME time!  We all had so much fun!  :)

Uuuummmmm, wanna know what two bored kids, who find a (not very well)hidden art kit (because they are known to do this kinda crap), that are supposed to be sleeping.  All the while mom and dad, downstairs, in ignorant bliss, have NO idea they’ve FOUND said art kit!  I mean, it is typical in this house for my children to fight bed time, and we have to remind them to be quiet….and the nice momma I am, allowed Aeryn to sleep in her brothers room tonight b/c they did sooo well last night…

Well, here ya go!

 

I went upstairs to go to bed to find THIS lovely treat.  And funny thing is, they were totally impressed with themselves and were showing us their art.  Aeryn drew a beauty shop apparently and Jack just drew all kinds of random stuff…including, a “Weird Nose Clock” (notice small, bottom, right box).  Honestly, I had to take it lightly b/c I was a wee bit furious with them, but also with myself b/c I didn’t go check up on them earlier…coulda shoulda woulda!

So, tomorrow morning, instead of having fun…they (we) get to CLEAN those walls.  And if that doesn’t work and I’m not holding my breath, I guess Jack’s room gets a shiny new paint job (and BTW we rent this place)!!  Wooooooo!

GOODNIGHT!

I know, you might be saying to yourself…but they’re just in preschool!  I know.  LOL!  But, they still get one along with the rest of the school (the school goes from PreK to 12th grade).  I think they each got pretty good markings and I wanted to share.  :)

dananananana…dananananana…BATMAN!

Jack hasn’t taken too fondly to school.  We struggle almost daily to get him there in the mornings.  He tells us he hates school and just does not want to go.  He also fights sleep on school nights.  When he knows the next day is a school day, he will do anything he possibly can to avoid bedtime…it is a constant struggle for us.  A lot of mornings we are dragging him to the car and then from the car once we get to school.  Sometimes he is screaming and clinging to us, other times he walks in but not easily and then some days we’re pleasantly surprised to watch him go in with a cheerful attitude.  I feel bad for his teacher on the mornings he’s screaming.  Jack is 55 pounds and over 4 feet tall…a big boy and when he goes limp and is fighting you…it is tough to overcome him.  But she does a great and wonderful job with him. 

I am sooo proud of all that Jack has accomplished this year.  He takes after his dad in soooo many ways.  It is unreal, I didn’t think some of that stuff was genetic!  LOL!  He LOVES computer time.  His teacher says that he is teaching his classmates (who are comprised of preschoolers AND kindergarteners) when it is computer time.  He has known all his letters (by site too), numbers 0-10 (by site too), colors, shapes and such like that since he was just 2.  He has known how to write letters since right before he turned 3 and how to write his name since he was just over 3.  Now, he can write anything you ask him too and even sometimes without coaching him how to spell the word.  This year in school, in the short 4 months, not only has he learned to write his letters in lowercase, he also knows all the sounds they make.  Which leads me to my next statement, Jack is reading!!!!  We will hear him sound out words while he’s playing or while we are in the car…one word he recently read correctly was Nicorette!  WOW!  LOL!  He has a Jeff Gordon race car he got for Christmas from my sister and brother in law...Jeff’s sponsor (for those who don’t know) is Nicorette.  He said at first Nicorett-a but then corrected himself and said Nicorette.  That is not a word we use around our house!  And we are not Nascar fans!  LOL!  Nor do we have tv, so he really read that word!  :)  He gets a word box at school and every so often the teacher puts more words in, he has them down, usually, within the first time of reviewing them.  His teacher told me that he is a really, really smart child.  It’s just getting it out of him that’s difficult.  We certainly feel that he really knows a lot more than he lets us know.  I wish he wasn’t so hard headed!  Even still, we are so very proud of Jack and all that he’s accomplished in these past 4 months.  He amazes me all the time!!!  :)

 

 

(she dressed herself that morning…every princess must wear a sundress…even in the dead of winter!  LOL!  This was her compromise.  HA!)

I am so proud of Aeryn, the little diva herself, she is doing SOOOO well with school.  She takes after her momma and really is a social butterfly!  She has far exceeded my expectations.  Aeryn is a fairly clingy and UBER shy little girl, but she SHINES in school and her report card shows that beautifully!!  :)  She has mastered her letter recognition, counting to…12, lol and is starting to learn what sounds each letter makes, she knows H and S very well.  And she knows how to (verbally) spell her first and middle names!  :)  I am so proud of her!! 

We were in a car accident over 2 years ago now and we have been waiting on a settlement ever since.

Well, today I faxed a piece of paper to my attorney to get the final settlement paperwork started! WOOHOO! In a few short weeks, this should ALLLL be in the past! WHEW!

Chris is a very creative and talented man when it comes to all things computer!  He is a self taught web designer and I think he does AWESOME work, I haven't seen a bad website from him. 

  (first Father's Day '04)

Recently, our Church asked him to create them a website.  I was so excited to see him take that and run with it.  :)  He was THE man for the job!  Thanks Pastor, so much, for giving Chris the opportunity to serve our Church in this capacity!  :) 

Without further adieu:

www.hagerstowngrace.com

Ok, I've pent up this anger for a little too long.  I need to release it!  So, I used to work for an irrigation supply company.  The job itself wasn't all that bad.  I felt completely UNDER appreciated for all that I did there, (like commuting 80 miles each way or helping set up the entire warehouse for operation and office too) but whatever.  I left there back in September and in late October, I was asked to come back for a week or so to mind the store while the bosses were away for a managers meeting in December (I was an assistant manager there).  I very happily agreed to help them out in their time of need (Lord knows we could use the money).  So, I worked there from Dec 15 (Jack's birthday, no less) thru Dec 23 (minus the weekend of course).  This fell into 2 pay periods.  So, they royally screwed up my first paycheck by direct depositing into a closed account (I thought any and all paperwork is null and void after termination...and it had been over 90 days since I'd left).  AND they deducted medical insurance from it!  And THEN I was told that they didn't realize I had worked the second week...they knew!  So, here it is 5 weeks later and I have yet to get paid AND it hasn't even been worked out...I have HEARD NOTHING FROM THEM ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!  GAH!  I wish I felt better....

So, we had a fairly uneventful weekend.  Which is really good, actually.  The biggest excitement by far was that we took the kids plus Samantha and her friend along with us to Chuck E. Cheeses.  This would have been a perfect outing to have a small point and shoot for...but alas.  We ended up going to the store after our trip and found a very inexpensive one.  YAY!!!  Then, we came home, the kids (Samantha came home with us) played while Chris and I did some cleaning.  Fun times!  :)  So, here are some photo's to share from the new point and shoot! 

First, the sheep I knit for my mom for her birthday (she LOVES it, BTW):

 

An adorable picture of a boy and his kitty...so sweet (this is where Buddy is almost every night):

  

The cats eyes don't really glow and look evil in real life...I can't figure out how to fix it!

 

And one to show you my handsome husband....you can see the apple does not fall too far from the tree with my boys!  Can't ya?  This photo came fresh from the camera...no editing.

Today was a normal Sunday....we went to Church and then to my in laws, we don't do much when we're there on Sunday's and that is just how I like my Sunday's to be.  :) 

Chris fixed my comments!  Horray!  :) 

 

This week has been quite busy.  First the kids were back to school and we celebrated TWO birthdays this week.  My father-in-laws birthday was on Wednesday and my moms was tonight.  We went out to dinner on both nights and now I feel gross!  LOL! 

I knitted my mom a cute little lamb for her birthday and silly me, I forgot to take a picture.  I'll get one soon and post it, it really turned out very nice, I was actually very pleasantly surprised.  She loved it, of course.  I was supposed to make her jammie pants, but I have just not been in the sewing mood lately.  So, when I handed her the small bag for the lamb, she was all like, "hey, this isn't big enough for jammies!"  LOL!  Haha!   We went tonight, to the Olive Garden for dinner, I LOVE their pasta fagioli.

I didn't get the hat I am knitting for my dad in law completed , but I'll keep working to get it done before I see him next, I am about 40% done.  It is just a simple ribbed stocking hat, but I am a really slow knitter.  We went to Longhorn for his birthday dinner and that was yummy.  We were joined by Uncle D and we all had a very good time. 

Here is the birthday boy with the kiddos:

"Marlboro Man"

And here is a photo of Aeryn, the dancin' diva...er...I mean Princess.  :)  She dressed herself that night, she did a great job!

Beauty:

And for good measure:

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM AND POPPY!!!

I really need a small point and shoot camera for family outings such as these...I hate to lug around our huge SLR's out to restaurants and other such places.  I'd share and take MANY more photo's.  LOL! 

I had an interview today at a local college.  I have a really good feeling, it went very well!!  I hope to hear from them next week sometime to see if I am the candidate they chose.  I am soo hoping they chose me!

Oh and in other news, right after purchasing a brand new large pack of pullups for the diva herself, she has given them up for good.  She tells me, "I am a big girl now mommy, put those away!"  It's been over a week at least since she's wet through the night.  We are finally done with diapers/pull ups!  :)  Hooray! 

Until...

I thought I had the issue resolved, but I don't. I am going to have my hubby take a look at it and see if he can fix it. I hope it isn't an issue with my theme b/c I LOVE my theme!!!!!! Anyway, hopefully it'll be up and running very soon. Thanks! :)

Every other school in the area has a 2 hour delay. EVERY OTHER ONE! except Jack and Aeryn's school! I am a bit surprised, actually, since they closed early yesterday with everyone else. It is 9am and we are still at home, I was really hoping for that delay, oh well!

EDIT: The kids are staying home. Deal with it. They're mine. :)

I have been thinking about starting a(nother) blog and decided now was a perfect time. I am still trying to figure it all out, but for now, here it is in all its glory! :) Here I will talk about our lives as it passes us by (waaay to fast). This is sort of a place for me to put our memories and stories. It is a place for me to talk about my interests and my family. I hope you all enjoy it! :) Here's to a GREAT year! :)

2008, year in review.

I am not one to make resolutions. Last year, I just said I wanted 2008 to be better than 2007. It came in with a huge BOOM! January 16th, my parents home burned down, all that was left was a shell of a home, it was a total loss. They relocated to an old farmhouse and are STILL waiting for their home to be re-built, building has not even started. Here is some photo's of what it looked like once the fire department put out the fire:



The fire was quite a blow to my parents, they will never be the same, this was something completely devastating to them and it makes my heart ache for them just thinking about it. So, on to the rest of 2008. In January, I started working for Central Irrigation. I was so excited to start and glad something was finally starting to look up for us...dispite the 90 minute commute each way.

In February, Aeryn turned THREE! She is such a beautiful little girl. She is full of spunk and attitude and completely 110% ALL girlie girl! She loves everything princess, pink and sparkly! I'd say my job is well done! :)



March came and Chris turned 31 and Samantha turned 9! Samantha is such a beautiful little girl. She has the sweetest personality...usually. She adores her cousins and is usually quite helpful with them. Samantha is like another daughter to me and she spends a lot of time with us too.



March was a very difficult month for me...even with all the GREAT things that were happening, it was difficult. Chris landed an AWESOME job as a manager for a car dealership 25 miles away. The pay was fantastic...the hours weren't great, but Chris has been in the biz for a while, so we knew what to expect. We had to find childcare QUICK! At this point my children were 4 and 3, they had NEVER been in the care of anyone else aside from myself or Chris...or the occassional grandparent. It was hard for me to have to find someone SO FAST to keep my children. I picked someone on the quick and it was an awful one day experience. AWFUL! So, I took some more time off work and found a woman that was a MUUUCH better fit for us. She was a fabulous find. whew! It was so stressful for me and very difficult too b/c while I knew that us both working these full time plus jobs would be good for us financially, it was hard for me to let someone else take care of my babies. I know, I know, people do it every day. I hadn't...it takes time to adjust.
March also marks 2 years that Lisa has been in prison. *sigh*
April...May...June. Not too much to report. Life was busy...way. too. busy.
Somewhere in there we got 2 cats, Patches (Aeryn's) and Buddy (Jack's...he named his kitty sight unseen...he was so excited!)



Jack got a bad case of strep



and we had many trips to the park in our very limited free time!

July was a fun month for us. My parents and us went to Hershey Park for a mini vacation. Fun was had by all and the best proof I have is (Samantha and Aeryn in the first photo, Jack and Aeryn in the second):



Also, our church had an awesome VBS called "Carnival Grace". It was basically a carnival for the kids to enjoy. There were bounce houses, pony rides and games galore. Samantha, Jack and Aeryn LOVED it.



August is when we switched the kids from going to an in home daycare to a private school. We enrolled the kids into a nearby Christian school and we were excited. Here Jack and Aeryn would meet new friends and be in a school we hope will be their home for many years to come. Jack wasn't too keen on it. We struggle to get him to go to school willingly. But, despite the tears, he is learning and having fun. At least his wonderful teacher says he's having fun. Aeryn, the one I was really worried about, does wonderfully. She loves school. She is a social butterfly (believe it or not) and adores her teacher.



September, I turned 31 and I lost my job.

October, Chris lost his job. I hate this darn economy.

My dear friend, Christina, treated me (as a birthday gift) to an AWESOME concert.  It's the first time I have ever gone to a real live concert.  It was AWESOME!!!  I had the BEST time!  And it was a blast from the past, of course, New Kids on the Block!  w00t!!!!!  I loved it sooo much!!!!  :)  I loved it.  :)  I felt like a teenager again!  :)  It was a great show!

 

This is the guy I was waitin' to see!

I have video's to come!  :)  I had the best time at this concert!  :)

On Halloween, we took the kids trick or treating, Jack was a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and Aeryn was a snow princess.  We had a fun time with one bad thing happening.  Some stupid idiot thought it would be ok to frighten a 3 and 4 year old by lunging and screaming at them from behind a HUGE scary mask after sitting like a statue for quite a few minutes on their front stoop...plus it was dark at their house as they had blue light bulbs in their light fixtures.  Before this house Jack and Aeryn were happily skipping from house to house going to the door and saying Trick or Treat (this is a HUGE deal for my very shy babes) and they were SOOO excited to go to the house with the blue lights....just to get the crap scared outta them.  It was poor judgement on my part, I really trusted this person would NOT try and scare my YOUNG children...esp. since they were reluctant to keep going once they saw the masked person.  I was very angry about this since it made the rest of the time just terrible for my little ones.  We were several blocks away from our starting point, so it was a long walk back with Aeryn, I think she cried the rest of the way.  Poor thing.  Makes me feel horrible every time I think about my poor judgement call!  BLAH!

 

 

November we spent the month, for the most part, sick.  One or another or all of us were sick at one point or another.  And this was a month we took Jack to the ER twice in 10 days.  The first trip was due to the face that he couldn't catch his breath and sounded very croup-y.  By the time he was seen by the doctor, he was fine.  Oh course.  And the second time was 9 or 10 days later because he managed to slice his finger open on a piece of broken glass...he was scavenging in the closet which was off limits, but he chose not to obey and sliced his finger open instead.  After FOUR hours in the ER waiting room and it bleeding most of that time (badly at first) when we got back to see the doctor she said it wasn't really all that interesting.  And that if it were her child, she would not stitch it.  So, we didn't.  And now, it's healed very nicely.  Thanksgiving came and went without much issue.  :)  But oddly enough, I have no photo's from our celebration. 

On to December. Jack and Aeryn had their very first Christmas performance at school! I was sooo excited. They did a beautiful job...even though Jack pouted through the entire performance (the face you see him making in the photo below, is how he stayed for the entire program...even walking in). Aeryn sung her little heart out, it was sooo cute. I have a video of it....that will have to come later since I don't have it on my computer yet.



Jack turned FIVE on the 15th!!!



Happy 5th birthday my sweet, lego playin, superhero lovin, costume dressin up in, sweet, fun lovin little one! We love you and feel so blessed to have you each and every day. Momma loves you, bear, always and forever!

We had a wonderful Christmas. I think my mom-in-law bought out Toys-R-Us...the kids were on and are still on toy overload! They seriously got soo much stuff! I am so thankful to my in laws for what they do for the kids, so thankful. Patches and Buddy also got some fun treats:

 


Despite all the downs we had this year, we are so very blessed and had a great 2008, compared to 2007. :)