12.12.2008
Suitcases, Santa & More
12.10.2008
Quick Update
12.04.2008
My Heart Hurts
Sarah and Crystal~ Thank you. I am so very grateful for the last 3 years. For the memories, the heartache, the laughter, the tears, the joy. For the beginning of a lifetime of friendship. The two of you are a such a blessing to me and to my family. I am a better wife, mother and woman because of my friendship with you. I love you and will miss you more than you know. New York City or Bust ladies.......2010!!!!!
For all of my wonderful bloggy friends.......my amazing friend Sarah has started a blog and you have to head over and show her some bloggy love!! I still don't know how to do that whole click here and it will link to something else trick (if anyone wants to help a sista out let me know!) but you can find her at Every Which Way but Home on my blog list to the right!! Shower her with a great big welcome to the blogosphere!! Hope everyone is having a fantastic week and i will be back soon with updates!! Atleast written updates...i kinda accidentally let the movers pack my usb cable so pictures will have to wait until i can get a new one. I miss keeping up w/ everyone and hope to be back in the saddle again soon!
11.30.2008
Not. Cool.
My plan was to do progress in pictures where tonight i would post before pictures and then each evening of the mover being here i would post pictures of the progress. So.....i'm going to do my best to stick to my plan. If that doesn't happen i will post once we are done with movers and cleaning and give everyone the low down! I pray everyone is have a great Thanksgiving weekend!!
11.14.2008
A little of this and A little of that....
I am so completely overwhelmed right now that trying to compose a typical post is beyond me. But i want to post and i can't begin to tell you how many times i've thought over the last couple of weeks "oh i want to post about this" or "aahhh that would be a great post" and yet here we are. No posts about any of it and one chica doing my best to keep my head above water and take things one day at a time. So here it goes....a random list of things that have been going on around here!
*we sold hubby's truck. A true blessing and answer to prayer. Also a very real lesson about who's in control and it ain't me! It happened so much faster than we ever dreamed it would! Hubby listed it late one night and THE NEXT morning we got a call from someone who was pre approved and wanted to see it asap. To make a long story short it was a hectic two days of rearranging schedules, ferry rides back and forth, talking to the bank and so on and 48 hours after listing it we were down to one car. Isn't that just like God??!! Only He could have orchestrated every detail to work out as perfectly as it did. And He taught me a lesson....things didn't go the way I had planned but He was faithful to provide! We are so very blessed!
*i faced one of my biggest fears in life this week. and it wasn't pretty. but i did it. i went to the dentist. my heart rate just doubled because i typed that word. thats how much i dislike the dentist. i broke my jaw my senior year of high school and ever since then i have a definite dentist phobia. but i went and what should have been 1 regular visit turned into 3 visits with a total of 12 injections in my mouth over two days and alot of soreness. i knew i needed a cleaning...i had no idea what i was in for. but its done for now atleast. and guess what...i get to go to the dentist every 4 months instead of 6. FABULOUS. Just fabulous. it could be worse though right. it could be worse and maybe if i keep telling myself that i'll eventually believe it. and one last thought on this one....don't ya think w/ all the technology we have now that they could make dental torture tools silent????? i mean is that really too much to ask??
*have i mentioned that i am embarking on a cross country move in 21 days?? 21 DAYS!!! i have a list that is like 2 1/2 pages long full of things that need to be done in the next 16 days before the movers get here. Oh my goodness......all i can do is crack up. because if i didn't crack up i would either scream or cry and i'm not too fond of either of those options. so i randomly laugh out loud when i begin to think of all that needs to be done. and try to be mindful of the fact that God is so good. And he has been so incredibly faithful through this so far and He will continue to be. Why is it so difficult sometimes to just rest peacefully in knowing that He has prepared the way and will continue to provide?
*i have a hubby who is beyond amazing. i don't know that i've ever been more grateful for him than i am right now. he is always ready and willing to do whatever needs to be done to help me out. he has been so incredibly supportive, loving and helpful and there just aren't words to truly say how thankful i am. my hubby rocks!
*today when i really really should have been cleaning my house or doing one of the millions of things on "the list"...i wasn't. I gave into my 3 year old's request for me to "just yay(lay) on the cowsh(couch) and watch docor sooosss(dr suess) wif me". It was just what i needed! A little cuddle time with my lil man.......it was the most worthwhile messy house i've had in a while!
*Colby is at a sleep over tonight. it blows my mind that i have a child old enough to be reading chapter books and going to sleep overs. where does the time go??
*i have a Stampin Up! event tomorrow morning that i haven't gotten the food for or designed the project i am supposed to be bringing! So i guess i should go now so that i can go to the store and get the fruit tray and get home and design something! And maybe even get some sleep before i have to be there in the morning!!
So there ya have it.....random and unorganized thoughts from yours truly!
To sum it up....my life is crazy right now. But regardless of how crazy or hard it has been i am blessed beyond measure. I have so very much to be grateful for and i am doing my best to remain mindful of this wonderful fact and not get too wrapped up in stress and discouragement. No doubt my presence here will be unpredictable but i will write as much i can find time to!
11.03.2008
Breaking News.....
DEANNA & JESSE BROKE UP?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Oh my goodness....i'm so in shock right now. A couple of months ago i wouldn't have been surprised but she had me sold on the whole relationship. CRAZY! Anyway....i really don't even have time to be finding out about anyone's break up but i couldn't help but post. So sad for Jesse. I have no idea how to do links and all of that so i can't help ya out and tell you exactly where to go but google it for the whole story! I'm hoping to have time for a "real" post soon.....hope everyone is having a good week! And please do comment w/ your thoughts.....are you surprised? Not so much?? Can't wait to hear what all of you think!
10.29.2008
Fall Fun
Fall is by far my favorite time of year. I love everything about it....the cooler temperatures, the colors, smells, activities, foods......i L.O.V.E. fall! We've been busy enjoying lots of fall activities this year as a family so i thought i would share a few of them today!
We made time to carve one of our pumpkins one night last week. The boys were so excited and then they spent the whole time cutting up the pieces of the pumpkin that were going to go in the trash! But they had fun and every once in a while would glance up to see how the carving was going!
The pta at Colby's school holds a fall festival every year with games and candy and fun giveaways. We have attended every year and it is always so fun to see all of the kids and to watch Colby interact with his school friends! We didn't win anything in the giveaways this year but they boys had a blast and left with tons of candy!
Colby & friends!
Colby doing the bean bag toss!
Daddy and Brayden taking a break from all the action!
And then on Sunday we headed to the south end of the island with some friends to the M Bar C ranch. It was gorgeous and alot of fun. The ranch holds camps to benefit children with various disabilities so the money spent went to a great cause and we had such a good time! We played games, went on a hayride, picked a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch, and had a good 'ole ranch style dinner!
Isn't it beautiful?
On the hayride wagon
cute rocking horses
So, fall is my favorite season and these are a few of the things we've been doing to enjoy it! What is your favorite season?? And what sorts of things do you do to enjoy that season??
10.27.2008
Another one bites the dust.....
Here is a picture of our lil man at the end of his 1st season.....soooo stinkin' cute!! =)
And here are a few from this season!!
These 3 have played together all 6 seasons!
We will always have such fond memories from our time on the soccer field here on Whidbey Island. And while i know there will be soccer wherever we go it just doesn't make it any easier to bid farewell to a part of our lives we've truly come to cherish. To all of those who have touched our lives the last 6 seasons...(you know who you are)....Thank you just doesn't seem like enough. Tears stream down my face as i type....there just aren't words to tell you how much each of you has meant to us as a family. You will all be so very missed. Good luck in seasons to come!
(why can't crying just burn like massive amounts of fat??!! i'd be one skinny chica i swear!) ;)
10.24.2008
Campout....kind of....
Silly Boys
The whole family!
All ready for sleepy time!
While it might not be a real campout, it's close enough for us!! These two lil guys are so much fun! Hope ya'll are having a wonderful weekend!!
10.21.2008
Punkin' Patch
This is one of our favorite things to do as a family each fall! What are some of your favorite fall family traditions??
10.17.2008
Good for the soul.....Bad for the diet!
Yummy!! The last batch is baking and after dinner we will be decorating!! More pictures to come later tonight of our masterpieces!! Cause ya know...they WILL be masterpieces! ;) Hope everyone is enjoying their Friday evening!!
******Pictures as promised!******
Oh how these two lil men bring me so much joy! We had a great time as a family mixing, baking, cutting and decorating halloween cookies tonight.
Brayden's Creations.....notice the bite out of one of them....lil stinker!
Colby's masterpieces.......
Have a fantastic weekend!!
10.16.2008
Mommy & Me
Two
Colby is 7 and Brayden is 3
Workout days (which are mon, thur, & fri) i get up at 4:30 to get a workout out in before daddy leaves for work and the other 2 days i get up at 6:45
gosh.....a bowl of cereal, or some fruit, or a bagel and ALWAYS washed down with a nice warm cup of coffee!
That would be a definite yes......i do my best to encourage activities other than tv and Brayden definitely watches more than Colby since he is home with me all day. Living in a fairly isolated area where about 9 months out of the year are cold, wet and nasty it becomes harder and harder to find things to do that keep them entertained! Colby loves watching the discovery channel or animal planet and Brayden's favorites are Super Why, Word World, Wonder Pets, and Backyardigans!
Colby enjoys reading, soccer, football-both playing it and watching it w/ Dad!, anything related to science or nature, Awana, playing his nintendo ds, computer games and both card and board games. Brayden loves being outside, building things with legos and blocks, Cubbies, anything w/ his brother, "reading" books(more like making up the story as he flips the pages and looks at the pictures), and coloring or painting pictures!
I am very blessed in this regard! Brayden does nap in the afternoons and i do get some time to myself. I am working on making it a priority to start this time each day studying the Bible and soaking in God's word, then followed by cleaning, organizing, laundry, stamping, phone calls, blogging and/or reading......i usually just prioritize what needs to be done and get as much of it done as i can!
Most importantly w/ my hubby! The majority of our "just us" time happens after the kiddos are in bed each evening! We talk, laugh, prepare for the next day, watch tv, play computer games....or whatever else we decide but we do it together as much as possible!
Cherish each and every moment! Find reason to be thankful in every situation you are blessed to experience with your children....fun or not, easy or hard....its all such a blessing and goes by so fast! And network with other mommies! This has been such an encouragement for me......nobody understands like someone who is doing it too!!
*Scrapper Mom @ My Yesterdays, Todays, & Tomorrows
10.12.2008
Yes Yes.....
There are so many things i want to get done in that 7 weeks in addition to the "normal" things we always have on our plate. I want to slow down time and take in every minute i have left here on this island that has become home for the last 3 years. I want to memorize every moment i can spend with my amazing friends that God has so graciously blessed me with while here. I want to take time to notice every little thing that has become "normal" to me while here and enjoy them like i used to....like seeing bald eagles in flight, the snow capped mountains beyond the gorgeous bay, Angelo's....my favorite spot to meet with girlfriends and enjoy coffee and breakfast, the deer who roam freely nearby and always want to take their time crossing the street when i'm running late, and so many more. I cherish every memory made and the emotions are already beginning to take over knowing that time is running out for us here. This chapter of our life is almost over. God is so good and i have come to know so much more of Him as He has been my strength and companion through lonely deployments, my hope and comforter through trials of my own and those i have experienced with friends, and my joy through all he has blessed me with the last 3 years.
I know God has great plans for our family as we move on to the next chapter. And i know He will continue to be my strength over the next 7 weeks as well as my comfort as i say goodbye to everything that has been home for the last several years. Please pray for our family as we prepare for this move. Pray for continued strength for John and me as we work through all the details....logistical and financial. Pray for guidance for me and John as we strive to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to teach the boys to rely on the Lord and to find strength in him. And pray that all will work out on the other end.....there are so many unknowns for us right now when we get to florida so just pray that it will all work out.
Pictures and fun updates to follow soon! Hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend!!
9.28.2008
Random~ness
The "rules" of the game are as follows:
1. Post the rules on your blog.
2. Write 6 random things about yourself.
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post.
And drumroll please......
*1* I never finish a can of soda....EVER.....and i don't really know why. It drives John crazy and I used to deny it but i've just accepted it now. For whatever reason there will always be a couple of drinks left in any can that i open.
*2* I have expensive taste....put me in a room with 5 of anything (furniture, shoes, anything), don't put prices on any of them and i will pick the most expensive one! Every time....it never fails....i find something i absolutely love, check the price and it out of this world expensive.
*3* Street lights always go out when i drive by them...WEIRD.....people never believe me until they are riding with me and it happens. Its very strange.....
*4* I love baby feet but once they get past about age 2 feet begin to disgust me. I CANNOT stand them.....and don't even think about letting your feet come anywhere near my pillow...YUCK YUCK YUCK.......on the contrary i love foot rubs and pedicures for myself.
*5* I order the exact same thing at coffee shops....every single time and i have ordered it for probably close to 2 yrs now. The same thing...atleast 3 or 4 times a week! A non fat white chocolate peppermint mocha with half the white choc......and i've yet to get tired of it. ALL of the employees at my favorite coffee shop know my order...even if a friend goes and picks it up for me they always ask "is this for the girl in the brown crv" haha...it cracks me up!
*6* I couldn't come up w/ anything else so i asked John and this is what he had to say... "you always seem to decide you want me to get something for you right when i sit down. ALWAYS." haha....i guess that is kind of random and maybe i should pay more attention to that....
So anyway...there you have it.....6 random things about me! I don't know if i can come up with 6 people to tag but i'll tag:
*1* Ginger @ The Small Moments
*2* Girl @ a boy, a girl, and a pug
*3* Erin C.@ Crumpton Classics
I'm looking forward to seeing what kinds of random things you girls come up with!! Hope you enjoy!
9.25.2008
Hubby Love!
At the car dealership i worked at.....long story but we did not start dating until after the 2nd
2. How long did you date before you were married?
1 year and 8 months
3. How long have you been married?
4 years today!!! =)
4. What does he do that surprises you?
I am constantly amazed how intelligent he is.....he's brilliant and doesn't even know it!
5. What is your favorite feature of his?
His smile
6. What is your favorite quality of his?
9. What is his favorite food?
11. When & Where was your first kiss?
16. Who said i love you first?