Never A Dull Moment

2011

2011-12-31T06:42:00.003-06:00

Not really sure how to describe the last 12 months...you always want to say blessed-good-maybe "memorable" would work!!

One year ago today is when my mom called with my step dads Dx... Stage 4 Cancer 2-8mo to live!! So we started 2011 with much uncertainty. January though started out keeping us busy! Big C was playing HS Soccer so we spent many a cold evenings sitting on EXTREAMLY cold bleachers! Brings new meaning to "freezing your @$$ off" :) The hubs started taking call(on his own) in his new job so that took some getting use to AND he celebrated the lest year of his 30's! Red showed a quilt in the youth show and Squeaks did a bake good and neither placed ;) February brought us a lil snow for the kids to play in...yes in Tx AND we found out Ocho would be arriving!! Someone may have also turned 35 but we won't talk about that!! March brought Spring Break which consisted of doing not much of anything! Keep in mind we were still in the middle of Soccer season (the LONGEST sport EVER) We joined a new church around this time and the kids have gotten very involved in that!! Never thought I could leave the Episcopal church but sometimes its about church family than a specific religion!! And this church family is amazing! Big C jumped right in and helped lead an Easter service! April and May are always typical end of the school year craziness! Summer seems to have come and gone in a flash. We always enjoy our pool membehip... though this year it seemed more difficult to get there! 7 kids alone at the pool and preg isn't always easy and P's job limited the time he could go (or it was at least a good excuse) but Sue Bee got in and took off like a fish K Baby wanted nothing to do with it! We were able to enjoy a staycation enjoying things we don't always get to do!PaPaw gave Big C a kayak so P and Big C took it out Fathers Day weekend and then Big C was able to go over and show PaPaw his pictures and tell him all about his trip! So glad he did cause that was the last "good" visit he had with him! Big C left the next day for Eng Comp in Kansas where they placed 3rd! Somewhere in there we took both older girls to camp too! July though was one of those vacations that the kids will remember foreverK Baby talks about it still at least once a week! Lone Star Yogi!!! Hopefully we'll make it a yearly tradition!! Once we got back we celebrated Big C turning 15 and K baby 4! I was feeling very preg in 114 degree weather! In Aug we celebrated K baby and C cakes b days (yes C cakes wasn't til the 29th but hey) We rented an inflatable slide and did a bray party in the AM and back to school party in the PM it was a lot of fun! Big C took drivers ed in Aug too! Aug actually is somewhat a blur between drivers ed, cross country, cheerleading, back to school shopping and in the same week my step dad went downhill and my FIL ended up having emergency bypass surg the day FIL got discharged my step dad passed away! 4 days later school started! Through it all my mom never missed a beat didn't miss a day of work and was strong as ever PaPaw would have been proud!! We waited til Labor Day and had a memorial service reason my mom and step dad discussed not wanting anyone to miss work or be inconvenienced (typical them) then Sept just flew by as we waited for Ochoa arrival. Big C did cross country, Red cheerleading Squeaks volleyball, C Bear various activities, my Dr was a lil concerned how I'd make it all work if I went into labor. But luckily Ochoa cooperated and let us be at the church picnic, and Reds First Communion on the 2nd and arrived on the 3rd!! After that our year was GONE in a flash! I've never been so unprepared for the holidays! I was still buying gifts on Christmas Eve and cleaning @ 2am Christmas morning :) but all was good!! Most people can pretty much sum up their year by Christmas...Oh No not us! My mom left the day after Christmas to visit family in La my hubs went to check her mail only to find water POURING out her house! FYI if copper tubing detatches from the water source while not home it WILL flood 1500sq ft. BUT all is on the mend dirty and drying but as in everything we just keep saying it could always be worse!!! BUT we will be just fine if 2012 is a little less eventful!!! :) Happy New Year to all!!

Ocho has arrived!!!

2011-10-15T20:18:00.004-05:00

And it's A GIRL!!!
arrived Oct 3rd at 10:19AM
6lbs 15oz 19in

Here are some pics of our lil Sweet Pea!!

She is just wonderful and a perfect little angel!!!

Last post from a mother of 7!!

2011-10-02T07:43:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow morning we will welcome our 8th little blessing! NEVER NEVER EVER would I have believed you 10yrs ago if someone told me I'd have 8 kids by the end of 2011!! BUT I also could not imagine life if we didn't!!

Quick update on everyone!!

Mr C Cakes: Is a funny little boy trying to enter into the terrible two's!! This week he discovered he can move his stool through the house, turn lights on, and get into entirely too much quickly and quietly! Sue Bee put it perfect "some little 2yr old got smart on us!" She nailed that one! But the boy has got the BEST personality his timing is perfect on making the silliest face or a great big bear hug! But pretty certain he is in no way prepared that this baby will actually not live in my tummy forever much less take up space in his house!

K Baby: I believe is missing her siblings during the day! She and Sue Bee played all day so well together. C Cakes and her play together BUT he is a boy and just not the same as big sister! We'll see what bringing Ocho home does for this... a lil nervous!

Sue Bee- Is loving Kinder! She got student of the month Friday so was very excited!! Her teacher had her baby 2wks ago so after that she was VERY anxious for her own brother or sister to arrive! Only problem she is having is NO NAP at school. She LOVES her naps and is so very tired by 4PM on school days! Her little personality is so outgoing and witty she just keeps everyone on their toes!!

Cani Bear oh Cani Bear!! This boy!! Funny as all get out, smart and sweet as can be! Line up girls, leave ur dating info and I will contact u if u are approved (but don't hold ur breath) Cani Bear keeps his eyes on older girls like lifegaurds and his teachers!! His latest achievement was getting second place in the district wide chess tourny. He beat out 4th and 5th graders for this!! Made me feel a little guilty fussing at him to turn the lights out at night and stop playing chess against himself!! Guess he taught himself a thing or two!!

Squeaks- is having an awesome year!! She is staying after school to play volleyball, she has started first communion at church and gets to attend youth group now!! Grades are great and maybe just maybe she's coming out of her shell a little. But u have to keep in mind she falls between 2 of our most outgoing kids so this is tough for someone who is shy!!

Red Red Red- she is a 13 yr old girl! That should say it all! Loving cheer, loving social life, and doing well! She keeps me on my toes!

Big C- If I listed what he wasn't in it would be quicker!! Starts each day at 6:30 running and ends it in lord only knows what activity! HOSA officer, Engineering Pres, he'll be going snow sking w the youth group during Christmas, always something going on and still able to keep all A's!! And most important keeping a focus on his future!! He's thinking about a lot of different areas but all I could see him being sucessful in! Its exciting for us to hear his dreams (even if they change a couple times a week)

As for the crazy parents...we are taking it all in stride! We were driving somewhere the other day and just had to laugh! The conversations that were taking place behind us were just hilarious! And that is just our life!!

FDOS.....

2011-08-31T20:47:00.000-05:00

Well the first week of a new school year is in the books!!
Sue Bee has started Kinder. The first day she came running to the van to tell me she met a vampire A REAL one! Her friend is a vampire the entire family is!! But don't worry she promised not to bite!! Can she come over to my house mom? Why sure just not on Halloween!! :) By Wed she told me she wasn't going to school tomorrow... no reason just wasn't going! No worries she was out of bed, dressed and ready to go without complaint Thurs morning!! She seems to be having fun! Her teacher is preg (due 2wks before me) so she was out on bed rest this entire week but will return Mon morning.

Cani Bear started the 3rd grade! He got 2 great teachers and seems to like his class~ though he hasn't gotten to say much thanks to his chatter box sister!!

Squeaks seems to like 6th grade. She has classes with girls she has hung out with at the pool for years and has met new friends through them!! This was something we all were hoping would happen. It's not always easy finding friends being raised the same way now days. She even seems to like her teachers so that's always good too!! Looking forward to watching her grow this year and find her wings! And seems like we're off to a great start!!

Oh Red.... She as always is loving school though the actual classes get in the way of her social life!! :) She too has a good schedule and will do fine. Next week will be her first week to cheer at a game so I know she will love that!! Should be a fun year

Hard to believe we have a Soph. in High School!!! Big C has some tough classes but not as tough as the next 2yrs will be :) He decided to run Cross Country this year so he is at school by 6:30 running 6-9 miles. He seems to like it so far! He decided to do it to help with off season soccer training. I think he's starting to think about what activities are going to take priority during his last last 2 years and thinking ahead for what colleges will look for. I love that he is focused on th road ahead. He is thinking biomedical eng. as of now.... time will tell!!

Last Day Of Summer Break!!

2011-08-26T09:40:00.007-05:00

4th annual
SHAVING CREAM FIGHT!!!

Aug 17th

2011-08-23T15:28:00.003-05:00

After an 8mo battle and a very long tough week my step father lost his battle to cancer.

In the last week I've reflected on this relationship and the involvement/impact he had on my life, my husbands life and most importantly my kids life. I'll be the first to admit we did not see eye to eye when he and my mother got married. I was probably 12/13 yrs old when my mom met him. Now raising my own teens I have to wonder why in the world did this man not RUN and never turn back? Why would he willingly enter into the world of teens when he had no children of his own?? 20+ years later I respect him for not allowing us to run him off.

I moved out, got on with my own life and may not have always made the best choices~ but unless asked he kept his opinion to himself and let me make my own mistakes~ something that helped make me who I am today! I quickly met my husband and got engaged. He and my husband hit it off right off. Though it got to be a bit of an inconvenience cause he ended up always wanting my husband to spend his days off helping him or going and doing things with him. Again at the time it was quite a PITA. Between my step dad and my husbands dad my poor husband was being run ragged helping them. We ended up having to draw a line in the sand just so our lil family could grow develop and have time for things in our immediate lives. But that bond and the time my husband spent with my step dad that first year year and a half of our life together formed memories my husband will cherish forever.

Shortly into our marriage we welcomed our first child. This wasn't shared for years later but while I was preg my step father said to my mom "they aren't going to just think they can dump their kids here every weekend and expect us to care for them are they" after our son was born and he realized we were very much attached parents he asked my mom "do you think they will ever let us watch that boy?" When I had my first child is when my eyes were open to the heart of this man!! Here he was a gruff retired police officer that absolutely ADORED my son. Not having kids of his own he thought every little thing my son did was the most awesome thing in the world...he continued to think this way til Aug 15th when he saw my son for the last time!! He enjoyed every second and event of his life. He loved all my kids but being his first grandson and never having a boy of his own he loved seeing my oldest grow from a little baby to smirking about him starting drivers ed!

In the last week though it has really surprised me of my blood relatives reaction to this loss. Not once has anyone called to ask how my kids were doing with his death. Yet in the past week I've realized more and more that being blood related doesn't "make" you a father or grandfather. In my adult life when %$#@ hit the fan and we would need advice or help fixing something we always called my step dad first. Of course we learned to weed out half the BS he'd add but the other half of his advice was right on usually saved us time and money and taught us many lessons in life. You know the guidance that any father would offer. While I was sitting in a flooded house alone 9mo preg with 5 kids only one person came to try to get us out...it wasn't anyone who was "blood" related. When he saw he couldn't get to me he offered to do anything he could to help. I declined all his offers and assured him we'd be fine. Before the water had even receded it was my step father who had made calls to line up restoration people to come help us clean up. Through the years my husband, my kids and myself have had disappointments of "family" not being involved in special events for one reason or another. But Aug 6th we had a birthday party for our 2 youngest kids. In 15 years and 7 kids this was the very first birthday party he ever missed of my kids. 4 blood related grandparents and none of those can say they made it to every birthday party. But the non blood related one didn't miss one until he was confined to bed dying! Christmas 2011 will be the first Christmas of my kids lives that their PaPaw is not with them. Every single Christmas the blood related parents/grandparents just cause us stress and disappointment about seeing us and their grandchildren...but not once not one single Christmas morning did my children not see him~ not because we'd tote them over to his house to see and spend time with him. Because he made these little precious people his priority. He never put his own needs or wants before those of my kids. My kids could have called him for ANYTHING and without hesitation he would have given them whatever he could in life. When my kids pick up the phone to call many blood related relatives they joke for half an hour listing the excuses that they predict will come from the other end of the phone!!!

So in all this rambling of reflection this sums up what my step father meant to our family.... “The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life.”

Thank You Greg/PaPaw for loving my family! I know my children will cherish the time you spent with them and the memories made!!

July/ beginning of Aug

2011-08-23T15:07:00.003-05:00

Well after our camping trip the kids had back to back VBS's. Which they were given a little souvenir at the last one... The Stomach Bug!! In our house that is one that lasts a couple weeks :( And my least favorite part of motherhood!! During that time Big C started drivers ed every morning and cross country, Red had cheerleading camp, K Baby had a birthday,Big C had a birthday, and we registered everyone for school! That was just our household.... Unfortunately my step father started going downhill with his battle from cancer about this same time and my MIL had surgery along with my FIL having quad bypass! It was a CRAZY 2 weeks to say the least! All the while my other half worked 12 straight and busy days too! But we got through it all and tried to make the best of the final days of Summer! Oh and did I mention I'm 8mo preg during all this in triple digit heat!! BUT we keep on truckin and enjoy our lemonade along the way!!

Loads of fun in July!!

2011-08-23T09:45:00.003-05:00

In July we met family from Louisiana at a campground/waterpark for a couple days of fun!! We were hoping to get all the 3rd cousins together...that didn't pan out but was a loss to those who did not come cause the kids all had a BLAST!! Hard to believe we were able to get 12 kids together and have everyone get along the entire time!! Hopefully we have started another family tradition and others will join us the next time!!

June.....

2011-08-15T07:03:00.003-05:00

Well June consisted of P taking a long weekend off to go camping....That turned into a staycation because we just couldn't get some of the little things done to go camping. So our staycation consisted of Peach/blackberry picking and a day in the hill country. I really didn't know the kids would enjoy it "THAT" much. They have already asked for it to be one of our yearly traditions! The next day we went to a waterpark about 2hrs away but we LOVE it! Not too big not too small and something for everyone to enjoy! Not sure who had the most fun C Cakes going down all the slides or Big C taking him on them all! It was a lot of fun!! No pics from the waterpark but here are some from the orchard.

WOW can u tell Summers been busy??

2011-08-12T22:08:00.000-05:00

Lets see all the kids did complete the school year and did VERY well! I think we got the biggest kick out of Cani Bear (our goofy, push the buttons, always putting on a show, making us laugh kid) got the Citizenship Award basicly the most well behaved kid in class!! Squeaks had a fabulous graduation from 5th grade! Which moves her out of elementary now!! We went and registered her yesterday...I pray her year goes smoothly. She is still much more reserved and a bit more of a follower so we have to use different parenting approaches with her. But 6th grade is a perfect year to find out a little more about who you are and what your strengths are. She is very coordinated and could be a very strong athelete! Hope her coaches also point this out to her! The older 2 completed the year with a bang too moving to the 8th and 10th grade

Easter pics!!

2011-05-07T19:47:00.008-05:00

Downhill Stretch!!

2011-05-03T08:38:00.002-05:00

21 More Days Of School!!! Yes I am probably looking more forward to Summer than even the kids I LOVE our Summers!!! I say this like we are going to just sit around and relax or something HAHAHA!!! I just looked at the month of June OMG its going to be CRAZY!! But a fun no homework, no projects, no school routine kind of busy!! The last day of school is June 2nd. Red leaves for her school trip to New York 4 days later! She arrives home at probably midnite or later and we get up a few hours later to go camping. Sadly it is the only way we could squeeze a trip in in June!! Then we are back from camping for 3 days and Big C leaves for his national Engineering competition. He is gone for at least a week (haven't even gotten the dates)he gets hm and the following day the 2 older girls go to different camps for a week! There you have it June is already gone!! Poof just like that one month of our break will be history!! July isn't quite as crazy but will be filled with another family camping trip, Red will have cheerleading camp, and Big C plans to volunteer at the hosp for the summer!! Aug purposely was left a little less hectic so everyone will be in town. I know this too will fill up quickly but at least all my kids will stay within 10 miles of us and be home all together!! I might just have to oh I don't know prepare for A BABY that will quickly follow the start of school!

To back track and update Big C went to Eng Comp last month and got 1st place which gave his group the invite to nationals. With this they could own patent rights to their creation. As mentioned Red will have cheerleading camp! This would be because she tried out and made cheerleader!! How in the world did I of all people become a "Cheer Mom"? Soccer mom Swim mom Baseball mom all I would have seen myself as but CHEER MOM!! I will NOT be wearing any big bows and walking around w/ a video camera capturing my childs every move I can promise you that!!! She's excited and that's all that matters!! She is finding out quickly that her lifestyle though causes her to have to work and save a lot of $$$ to partake in all these activities. Most people just assume that with 7 kids the grandparents support and pay for these things (I guess they assume this cause most people w/ just 2 or 3 kids do things that way now days!!) NOPE we're old school our kids each have x amount of $$$ set aside from us to pay for their "extras" each year. Once that is gone they have to save the rest themselves! So Red is pinching every penny right now as she has to pay for half of cheerleading, earn spending $$ for NY and pay for camp (hence one reason she is going to a different camp this year)She may not like that she isn't given everything like some of her friends but in the long run she will grow up with respect to the mighty dollar or so I hope OR she'll just follow what I've told her all her life "Marry RICH!!"

As for the others....
Squeaks celebrated her 11th birthday last month!! She is going today to tour her new school for next year! Hard to believe she will be finishing Elm school! She is as excited as Squeaks gets about anything!! Just goes with the flow and takes it all in stride!

Cani Bear- is still his typical self!! Silly as ever but when it comes to school and school work this boy kicks bootie!! I'm anxious to see how he'll do next year when he starts getting real number grades. His last report card they didn't test him in reading once I read the comments to why it said they don't test past level 20 in 2nd grade (he passed that the first half of the year) For him being such a little toot at home I always worry he might get bored and get in trouble at school but luckily he behaves himself too!! Pray this continues!!

Sue Bee- Is SO EXCITED about starting Kinder!! She talks about it daily! She may end up being the little trouble maker. This girl does NOT ever stop talking!! Wonder where she gets it from??? I have no idea how she will sit #1 all day and #2 sit without opening her mouth!! She has 2 very loose teeth right now so (thank you Dr Al who told her she'd loose them this summer) she asks a couple times a day if they are ready to fall out! May I remind you I HATE teeth I can't stand to even see a tooth get wiggled. So I'm ready for them to be gone so I don't have to look at em anymore!! :) She is my mini me her preferred shoe to wear is her rollar skates! and she can skate too! She is just a ball of energy all day long!!

K Baby- Well to start with she no longer wants to be called K baby or her K name at all she will correct us and tell us her name is Capricia her way of saying Patricia!! We'll see if this sticks or if its a phase I guess whatever she decides will be her "name". She is a strong willed hard headed little girl but at the same time so gentle and sweet. She is probably our easiest child of all! Always replies w yes mam and takes very little correction to get her to mind! A little sneaky but good! She is going to be a great helper next year!!

C Cakes- Well he is a wild and crazy boy!! He will be our first broken bone or stitches. This kid will just jump. No care in the world what will or won't catch him! Might even be sillier than C Bear. And a smile and big blue eyes that just melts your heart!! He's a fun little boy that is really starting to bloosom into a little person. Still not talking much but I've learned not to worry about that they will talk when they have something to say!!

Ocho- is growing well! Kicking moving growing and behaving thats all I can ask! We are about 16 1/2 weeks we'll have another sono at our next appt but we WILL NOT find out the sex so don't bother asking or trying to change our minds cause it just won't work! The kids of course want to know but P and I both have no desire to find out we really liked not knowing until the BIRTHday so considering it is our child we kind of get the deciding vote!! :) But of course always excited to see the sono and watch our little miracle move and react inside!

I will try to load some pics from Easter soon! They are still on my camera! P was on call so we just have pics from hanging out here hunting confetti eggs! But it was fun!!

Life in Numbers....

2011-03-16T08:50:00.002-05:00

52- The number of school days left in the year!!! We are on Spring Break right now and though I LOVE the break it sure makes the rest of the school year hard to cope with. The time has changed so we will be trying to get everyone inside fed, showered and to bed while still light outside and we ALL just want to stay and play outside all night. BUT within those 52 days we still have State Eng comp, cheerleader tryouts, 5th grade graduation, and I'm sure a zillion other events so I'm sure it will fly by!!

35- This would be how old I turned on my birthday last month....AND I woke up sick @ 3:30 AM on my birthday and sadly have been sick with one thing or another ever since. I'm not sure that is a good sign! Not to mention most of the kids and hubs have been sick at some point in there too!! Always seems to happen either the 2wks before or after my birthday EVERY year!! No matter what anyone says that to me is NOT middle age all my grandparents have lived to be over 80 so I'm holding on to that!! I will finally admit I am in my mid 30's!!! :)

20- This is evidently the going rate for History projects these days!! I found this out with a lil phone call from the principal a couple weeks ago. He starts the conversation with "It appears your son is quite the little entrepreneur. As he says it a mothers pride starts to bubble inside a little. He had just returned from Engineering comp so I thought he was going to be asked to present his idea @ a program or a group. That pride quickly took a hike as he continues. "It appears your son is charging $20 to do other kids projects" "He did his own project but then also did a second one for profit." As a parent I wasn't real sure how to react I figured busting out laughing may not be appropriate. Luckily he continued on to tell me his punishment so I just listened. He then asked if I'd like to speak with my son...Ummm Yea I think so!! So in my very Stern mommy voice I proceeded to remind the son that one of our rules is a call from the principal = 10 times worse punishment at home!! P had the day off that day (we were actually out to celebrate my b-day) so we had all day to discuss the situation and punishment. I think my biggest disappointment was the fact that here he is a GT student but he couldn't think far enough ahead to not turn in the same thing.... which it was later discovered he DID indeed do a totally different project and only got caught because kids narked on them!! For some reason that made me feel much better about the situation. So through the day we replayed the convo with the principal with different ways I could have reacted... "why yes sir we are aware. Times are tough and we have 7 mouths to feed we all have to find ways to make a little extra cash." OR maybe this one would have been better "I am so sorry sir. My step dad is dying of cancer and his treatment costs thousands of dollars every little bit helps" or "Do you know how much college costs now days sir" and of course the #1 question What happened to the $$$ ?? Well the principal actually never asked for it back we made our son return it to the principal to return to the idiot that had to run his big mouth!! :) Though we laugh about it behind the sons back he paid dearly for his actions the following weekend and I'm pretty certain he will think twice about doing it again!! As parents we were thankful it was the sale of a history paper not of drugs. I wish I could think this would be the worst thing in parenting we'd have to deal with....

19- This would be the number of days my poor husband has to work without a day off. Any other time it probably would be no big deal but that is every single day of Spring Break. The week before the week after and everything in the middle!! So needless to say we are hanging out close to home for Spring Break this year. All part of being the "new boy" :)

8- This may be our new favorite number or as we are saying "Ocho" We found out last month that Ocho will be joining our family the end of Sept beginning of Oct!!! All are very excited and there is a clear battle over boy or girl!!! Some want to stick with a pattern others want to even things out!!

38 days til SPRING!!!

2011-02-10T10:31:00.001-06:00

Just sayin!!! :)

SNOW DAY!!

2011-02-03T09:31:00.001-06:00

So yesterday the kids got a "snow day"! As we went to bed the forcast was calling for us to get 1-3" of snow! That would have been great....but as luck would have it that forcast quickly went down the drain. By 11 that night roads were a total mess ICE all over them! By 1am school for the kids in MY HOUSE had been called off :) Wasn't sure about the rest of the district BUT this momma doesn't do ice!!! At 3 I got up and still NOTTA! I felt like I was sitting in a bubble as everyone all around was getting SNOW!!! By the time we got up @ 6 it had indeed Snowed sticking mainly to the driveway and sidewalk due to the ice skating rink under it. I had visons of blood in the snow, cracked tail bones, and 7 kids falling all over the place!! BUT we did bundle up and venture out in it all! It was pretty and was enjoyable I won't go as far to say "FUN". But a great memory to say the least!! Here are some pictures from the 2011 Texas Snow/Ice!!

1/1/11

2011-01-01T12:23:00.002-06:00

Well here it is another year... Some years you enter with a little more hesitation than others. This is one of those years!!

2010 was for us a pretty good year. If we could take the last 2 months of it away it would have been clasified as pretty awesome!! :) But I guess we have to count all 12!I know our year will be filled with more joy and blessings than sorrows but when you know there is inevitable sorrow on the horizon it is easier to be pessimistic instead of optimistic!!! But I know that things which do not kill you make you stronger. So I will make it a point to see the silver lining in all things. To count every blessing no matter how small it may seem. And know that He Is the same yesterday~today~and FOREVER!!! I will praise him in the good and in the bad and know that the "why's" are not for us to understand!

As we enter 2011 I am blessed with a wonderful husband with a job he enjoys, kids that are healthy and awesome, a business that I can do when I want and be my own boss, and more finacial stability than we have ever had!! (ALL on our own with 7 kids if I may add) :) So though life with our extended family may offer challenges and sorrow. The blessings and joy within our immediate family just couldn't get much better and for that I am beyond grateful!!!

May you find many blessings in your life in 2011!!

So Hard To Understand.....

2010-12-29T21:09:00.003-06:00

Tonight for the 2nd time in my life I had to view a casket only 3ft long!! That is something that should just not ever occur. Surrounding this casket were pictures of an 8lb 6oz perfect healthy beautiful baby boy! Tomorrow I will have to view a casket 3ft long for the 3rd time.... 2 babies taken before they turned 2weeks old from 2 sets of parents 12 hours apart just can not be understood!! In life we don't see the full picture and may not ever understand the why in things but I hope these families find a way to make it through!!!

And it's over!!

2010-12-29T09:21:00.003-06:00

Christmas is never really one of my favorite holidays. Too much Hoopla and drama. We didn't have a lot of drama this year only because we are so use to the same ol $hit we just don't really care anymore and the older kids are smart enough to see things on their own!!!! Hubs and I find it funny that as kids we stayed at our own homes and grandparents came to visit us and our mothers fixed the meals. So here we are the family trying to keep up that tradition by inviting everyone to our house and every year only my mother comes willingly and excited to see her grandkids Christmas Day!! Hubs finally told me this year NO MORE catering and taking up an entire 2 additional days to celebrate just because people don't want to come to our house Christmas Day!!! With 7 kids and a husband who won't always be off Christmas Day we have to do what works. His new rule is come Christmas Day or put it in the mail!! I'm so sure that will happen! Through it all we are learning how to make life easier on our kids once they have kids!!! :) Surely w/ 7 kids we'll get invited somewhere for Christmas! Although watch now my kids will fall into this new trend and expect me to host Christmas til I die!! So here comes the end of December.....That means HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! May 2011 bring you many blessings!!

Take the time to see Christmas in the HEART of others!!

2010-12-13T09:52:00.004-06:00

Most people comment to me "oh enjoy these years they grow up so fast" "oh if I could see Christmas in the eyes of a child again" I can not argue with any comments like that and it is precious don't get me wrong. But last night something more meaningful and more precious occurred. This in the heart of my 14yr old!!
As I posted last week about my heavy heart- I think it has affected us all. But last night on the way home it was just the older 2 kids and I driving hm. Red asked me if she could use her babysitting $$ to buy the little kids Christmas (she's saving for camp) I told her to use just x amount instead of from 2 nights. She didn't think it would be enough. Trying to remind her about it not mattering the amount but the love you put it in. So I suggested we go to the dollar store because the lil girls would love a coloring book or book from there. As we listed who else to buy for I said I don't even know what to buy for "Jennifer" What I wanted to get we just can't afford this year. I laughed and said "well unless ya'll don't want your gifts" a couple miles later Big C says just give me my cleats (he was there when we bought them and this would be pair #2 in 3mo) and take the rest back it'll be there in a year and I don't HAVE to have any of it. As he then got Red onboard proceeding to go inside and get Squeaks and Cani Bear to give up just one gift request. (they weren't having it). About half an hour passed and C came back to me. Mom I have $$$ in savings (used only for educational purposes) can I borrow from that and go buy what we discussed I'll pay my savings back with my Christmas $$$ this way nobody else has to give anything up!!! Fighting back tears I said "no we'll make it all happen you've proven a lot to me tonight and I'm glad to see the spirit of Christmas in your heart."
Actually he TAUGHT me a lot lastnight!!! I work off such a tight budget and try to keep everything so "equal" that I often let that get in the way of the whole picture. Sorry I get it from my mother who still makes sure my brother and I have the same # of gifts and the amount spent is within dollars of each other. (we live 3 states apart how would we ever know??)
So anyone who says they want to see Christmas through the eyes of a child....I'd much rather see it through the heart of a teenager ANYDAY!!
The item was purchased last night w/ about a 25% discount making it not much off the "budget" that can now burn in hell :) None of the kids sacraficed a gift and my son opened my eyes to the true joy of Christmas. And to the person who said to me "you have everything in the world you want there is not one single thing you desire for Christmas" Honestly NOPE not one damn thing. I have EVERYTHING my heart could EVER desire and then some!!!!! It makes me sad that so many people really do have wants when they have EVERYTHING right in front of them they just don't take the time to enjoy it!!! Thank You Big C for having a heart of gold!! To think a family member called him immature this Summer....There are grown men who haven't a heart THAT selfless and sincere!!!

Word of The Month.....

2010-12-07T14:46:00.002-06:00

CANCER- Not prejudice against age race or sex. A disease that has a mind of its own and is a real A$$hole!!! (not quoted from Webster)

I sit here with a heavy heart because of this monster. All of the cures for so many things and this one continues to kick the ass of the human race! Last week it was an adult I was concerned with being diagnosed with the disease. Then Sunday I find out a friend from childhood has a 4yr old daughter who has a brain tumor. She had surgery yesterday to see if there will be any treatment to try. My heart breaks for a child I've never met and I think any mother reading this just got a knot in their stomach. A healthy happy 4yr old one day to this..... makes me remember there are no guarantees in life! If that's not enough from this Beast Big C has a friend who I believe has lymphoma. When he told me this this Summer I couldn't give my son false hope. I told him to stand up for his friend if anyone picked on him, to be a friend to him always and above all to pray for his friend. But to realistically know he may not ever graduate from high school...That friend is not doing well. 63-15-4 you just never know what life has in store for you!! I have just looked at my kids today and tears fill my eyes. I just couldn't imagine.... so this holiday season I am reminded to cherish every moment~ make fabulous memories for my children~ and remember there are no guarantees those who are with you this Christmas will be there the next!! Old~ Young~ Healthy~ Sick no guarantee

Oh almost forgot...

2010-12-01T11:48:00.002-06:00

ICKY WALKS!!!!

He'd been taking steps for a couple weeks but I'm tough on my kids... they don't get credit until they walk more than they crawl!! So he got up Monday the 15th and decided his feet were perfect transportation! By the end of that week he was trying to run!! Watching a baby walk just never gets old!! So funny!

Here we are the end of Nov.....

2010-11-30T15:15:00.003-06:00

Well another month has come and gone! Can't say it's been the greatest month of 2010 but as always I'll make lemonade if you give me a lemon so I'm drinking up.... a lil cold for it though maybe lemon and my spiked hot cocoa would go together too!

Sue Bee turned 5 on the 15th!! She LOVES her birthday! She has such an awesome spirit and love in her little 5yr old heart! She has looked forward to being 5 I think for 2yrs.....last night I told her your birthday month is almost over! 11 more months and it will be back when you turn 6. She looked up and said "mommy I want to stay 5 FOREVER!" Wouldn't that be the perfect age to stay......

Along with November ending come the holidays....oh how I have a love hate relationship for them!! I HATE HATE HATE Thanksgiving. Too many people spend 335 days out of the year being unthankful- greedy and well pretentious. Then all of a sudden Thanksgiving arrives and they want to proclaim their thankfulness for everything!! SAVE IT!!! Wake up EVERYDAY thankful for what you have been blessed with and appreciate your family instead of the 30 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas!! So needless to say we don't really celebrate Thanksgiving. We teach our kids to be thankful everyday not just the last Thursday of November!! We stay home eat a non traditional meal- watch football- movies whatever and give thanks for our everyday life!!

And now here approaches Christmas! Tis the season to anticipate when the #%&@ will hit the fan!! Why you wonder well because we are horrible people who want to stay in our own home for Christmas. For many years we toted kids from house to house after getting up at the crack of dawn- kids had to leave toys behind- and spend HOURS driving over the river and through the woods kids SCREAMING the entire way!! By the days end we had tired cranky kids- tired and cranky husband and wife- and ALWAYS some other unhappy family member because we didn't eat there, didn't get there early enough, or just plum didn't stay long enough!! SO about 6 yrs ago we decided NO MORE we will invite everyone to our house! You would think this would be a welcome invitation- food- gifts- kids.... unfortunately this always comes with a dose of drama and trust me in the next 25 days at some point $&%^ will hit the fan :) Tis the Season now isn't it!!

So we try to ignore the outside negatives and focus on our kids- our traditions- OUR memories!! The kids always look forward to the Advent calender. This year they each have a day of the week to remove the symbol. Along with removing their day they are to do a good deed for someone. This may be help with someones chore- read a book to lil sis- something to GIVE to someone around them! People often wonder how we do Christmas with this many kids... Keep in mind I'm a planner I've been getting gifts for almost a year- black Friday sales have nothing on the sales I find all year!! But we also try to stay focused on the true meaning of Christmas instead of trying to stimulate the economy. Yes Santa comes to visit we are weird but not THAT weird!! :) (I'm kidding I know many reading this don't do Santa) But Santa is not the main focus of our day or the season. We encourage our kids to think about and think of things we can do for those less fortunate. My FAVORITE part of Christmas is on Christmas Eve when the kids give gifts to each other. The elementary kids "buy" things with points they earn reading and Big C took the $$$ he earned ref'ing and bought everyone something (with NO encouragement from us) Each kid gets excited about seeing the others open what they gave and the lil ones LOVE getting a gift from big bro and sis! It is the perfect example that it is not how much $$$ you spend on a gift its what you put into the gift that matters!! The "magic" of Christmas really only pertains to K baby and Sue Bee this year but the "spirit" of the season grows within our family every year as our older kids are growing up! Many worry about how the material side of Christmas will influence their kids when they grow up. Well a friend who has a girl Big C's age did not allow their kids to believe in Santa they are christians the kids go to private school but they didn't want the Santa therory to influence the season. I thought at the time about doing this but now seeing my older kids values of the season I know Santa does not carry near the influence as we do so I enjoy the very few "magical" Christmas' with the lil ones even more than I did with the older kids. Because I know oh too quickly how fast they grow!!

So in case the weeks get crazy as I'm sure they will.....

MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU!!!!

Word Of The Day........

2010-11-10T01:26:00.002-06:00

Pretentious - Definition 1. appearing to have an unrealistically high self-image 2. made to look or sound important

I've worked hard since I was 16yrs old (actually probably younger because I made good money babysitting but 16 is what Uncle Sam knows about) :) I may not have several framed pieces of paper on my wall to show everyone how educated I am. And I am by no means classified as upper class. Guess what THANK GOD!
I am finding as I near middle age more and more about the people around me. I am losing respect I once had for some and gaining respect and admiration for others. That respect is based on lifestyle and a lot around the word Pretentious! Some may think "well she is just jealous". I myself thought that at first too. But then I realized I'm not jealous because I don't desire what these people have. If I desired these things they too would be made my priority. My priorities remain spending time with my kids and husband. So to work several jobs or work and go to school isn't, wasn't and probably never will be a priority.
So back to my word Pretentious... it irritates me that some people feel all those framed papers on the wall some how make them better than those around them. Each place value on a check makes them just a little more superior then Joe the plumber. There are 2 ways I look at these people. Example A the people who went to school to earn those degrees so they could decorate their walls brag about what school they went to, will add each letter before or after their name to show others their accomplishments. Example B is the one who wanted to educate themselves to better the world or those around them. They have those pieces of paper sometimes more tucked away in a desk drawer at home. And unless they are in the current role will simply write their given name no need to add anything more. Example A drives a brand new high dollar vehicle. Example B a non flashy get me from point A to point B. Example A shops at the high end retail stores to spend 50% more than Example B did just so they can say "Oh I got that at ______". Example A coupons? discounts? those are for people who don't have what I do. Example B no we'll go to the movie early to get the cheaper deal. AND my favorite Example A will make sure others know what they have but never pay it forward. While Example B will donate his time or money to those in need. Example A you may think of as the Pretentious one and yes probably is but I think my Example C fits it to a T. That person who has no education, married into $$$, when you start talking with them they quickly bring the conversation to what's important (themselves), they will never hesitate to tell you all about their brand new car, their latest trip, show you their newest electronic toy to which they will also brag about how much they spent on it, they talk frequently about people they know that are successful thinking that by association it adds to their own quality. And this is the person that will quickly assume they are wealthier than, better than, and more important than the above Example B. I feel very sorry for both Example A and C. I am sorry they have such obscured priorities.
I know I am rambling and seeing it's 3am the day after I buried my grandmother this may make no sense BUT....my point is- We all came into this world pretty much the same way. And none of us will live forever. I believe it boils down to 2 groups of people those who could have been wealthy if they hadn't worked so hard trying to prove it and those people who ARE wealthy be it with actual $$$ or with life/love itself. In raising my kids I hope I can instill 2 very important messages One-Honesty is the best policy and Two- Everybody puts their pants on one leg at a time!!! No matter what they do in life I hope these beliefs remain in each of their hearts. That they will become successful by fullfilling whatever their dreams may be but when they do to remember their roots.

The "punny" family

2010-11-01T13:36:00.011-05:00

So with hubs changing jobs, trying to play catch up, and starting holiday shopping Halloween was just not an expense we wanted to go "ALL OUT" for this year. So I see Americas "Cheapest" Family being interviewed on the Today show last week. They were bragging about their $4, $14, $16, and $18 costumes....well move over I'm taking your spot.... 6 Halloween costumes for under TEN BUCKS for everything even the tape I used! (that is NOT a piece) may not be beautiful but they served the purpose for an hour worth of fun!!

Icky- "Chick Magnet"

K Baby- "Raining Cats and Dogs"

Red- "Bubble Bath"

Cani Bear- "Duncan" donut

Squeaks- "Smartie Pants"

SueBee- Pigs in a blanket

Change is good....

2010-10-30T20:42:00.003-05:00

Well I try to keep reminding myself of this the past month!! After 16 years in dialysis the hubby started a new job this week. It doesn't sound like that big of deal but 16yrs is a long time and our relationship never has known anything different. Being in dialysis is just not a normal life. When your husband is getting up anywhere from 1:30am - 3:30am it causes everyone to adjust their evenings/nights the night before and then again the evening/night he gets hm. The trade off of course more days off. So now he will be working at the hospital with normaal human hours instead of that of a coyote.
His first week on his new job seemed to go really well. He is working in the area of the hospital that does the scopes. He said on Tues or Wed that he didn't know his head from his butt (but I reassured him that as long as he knew the difference between the pt's all would be good) He is doing a lot in the OR, seeing tests run that didn't even exist 16yrs ago. Mid week he said "I don't miss my old job at all" He's even signed us up for the Christmas party. He seems excited about work.
Although my type A personality may take a little time to create a new routine. And I will have to adapt to snooring ALL night instead of a lil peace and quiet. And we both will miss our weekdays of running around together. BUT him getting more beauty rest and liking where he works will for sure out weigh any change we have to adjust to!

Corn Maze 2010

2010-10-18T06:54:00.003-05:00

We were able to go to the corn maze last weekend. This has become our favorite Fall tradition! You wouldn't think wandering around a corn field would be considered "fun" but seriously it is! Probably will be more fun when everyone walks on their own but that's not gonna stop us! :) I started posting pics but think I'll put a slide show up instead. Too many pictures I wanted to share!

Ummmm yes Icky did turn a year....a month ago!!

2010-10-02T23:02:00.002-05:00

Sorry a month behind I guess! But his birthday did come and go! What a hoot this boy is!! We think Cani Bear is a mess....he may have met his match!! Icky is pretty rotten though too! :) He is big-fat- and lazy and likes to be held! So not even an attempt at walking yet! But he can climb on anything and everything! He is still having a tough time adjusting to Big C being in school all day but it is getting a little better. But just as tough for Big C too. Last week was a busy week and I overheard Big C tell Icky "goodmorning buddy I missed you yesterday I didn't see you all day!" :) I love seeing their bond it makes me all warm inside!

School Days School Days.....

2010-09-21T13:57:00.003-05:00

And just like that another school year begins!!

Big C started HIGH SCHOOL!! Holy Cow where is time going??
Red- started 7th grade
Sqeaks- big man on campus...5th grade
Cani Bear- 2nd
and Sweet Sue Bee well we could have put her in PK but just couldn't part with her just yet!! Didn't u see above I said Big C started High School!! I was just dropping him off at PK! I won't give my kids up an extra year probably ever again!! So she stays home and isn't missing a beat!

So here they all are heading off to start a brand new year!!!

Kissing Summer 2010 Goodbye!!

2010-09-21T11:18:00.008-05:00

How did I not already post one of our favorite traditions?? This is our end of Summer shaving cream fight for 2010!!! As always fun was had by all!!

You were great to have around, made for some fun times and we will be anxiously awaiting your return in June!!

Icky 11mo

2010-08-07T07:41:00.002-05:00

Well guess what that means...birthday planning time! Hard to believe!
He is a funny little man baby. Our biggest problem is going to be when Big C starts school in a couple weeks. Icky is absolutely spoiled rotten by him and LOVES him!! He much prefers bubbie over ANYONE else! When C was gone the other day I heard Icky just "talking" away when I went to see what he was doing he was talking to a picture of C. He pretty much just jabbers but you know when he says "ball" and he can throw em too! He is pulling up and cruising a little but HATES falling to sit back down and shows NO intrest in walking anytime soon! Does he really need to he knows there are plenty of people to take him where he needs to go! He loves the pool and we found out he loves the beach too! He is a pretty easy going guy and goes with the flow. Just as long as his big brother doesn't walk in and not pick him up or get out of the van or walk upstairs without him. :) I smile but I'm not exaggerating either!

Port A

2010-08-06T21:04:00.005-05:00

2 weeks ago we hooked up the pop up and headed to the coast! We all had a great trip! Icky LOVED the water (a little TOO much) he kept trying to crawl into it. There was a tropical storm in the gulf so tides were high and by our last day the water had a bunch of yuck in it. But still we had fun! Would love to go back again in the Fall

As much as I'm trying to ignore it school is quickly approaching :(
I registered the younger 3 school aged kids this week and Big C will reg on Monday. Red signed up for Spirit squad so she had practice this week. We planned Squeeks summer perfect first week Disney World last week camp. So as we dread the start of school she still has an awesome week ahead of her! We decided to keep Sue Bee home again this year. I always thought she'd "NEED" preschool this year but she doesn't need it for socialization and I am going to just work on writing and PK activities to make sure she is where she needs to be for Kinder. But the main reason we know how fast the years are flying by and I'm just not willing to give up my last yr having her home with me! Most think I'd be counting the days til school starts and put as many kids as possible in PK but I'm complete opposite I HATE SCHOOL!! :) So I got school supplies registered them but I'm throwing it all in the closet and ignoring that Summer is ending until Aug. 22nd!!

Icky 10mo

2010-07-10T10:46:00.003-05:00

OK so I missed a couple months.... sorry!! Icky went to the Dr Wed for a check up. He weighed 23lbs 4oz not sure how accurate that is since he was 23lbs 8oz in May?? But he was 30in long still a big boy but finally growing up and not out. He is crawling all over and decided last Friday to pull up on the side of the bath tub. He's done it a couple more times but nothing regular. He has a mouth FULL of teeth I think 7 as of today. He is a SPOILED ROTTEN baby! Most kids this age cry if mom or dad leave the room or walk outside. Not here he throws a fit if he even hears Big C's voice and he doesn't pick him up and hold him. He much prefers him over anybody else. Not sure what people are going to think when he goes to class with his brother in a back carrier! When he was born someone at the hospital called him a man baby... he is just that a little man. Just rough and tough and just a BOY!! :) So much fun but not a cuddley sweet little baby expect to be slapped bit and a baby that just wants down! Oh and just as cute as can be!!

This picture was actually taken camping June 5th!! So he was 9mo here!!

SUMMER!!!

2010-06-24T21:00:00.005-05:00

These are a few pics from our first 2 camping trips! We've had fun and look forward to many more! Next stop is the coast! Hope oil or hurricanes don't tamper the fun!

OK.....

2010-05-16T17:14:00.003-05:00

OK I'll finish up the updates on the older kids.... We have 13 more days of school!! I am just/ or more excited than the kids!! Although as I looked at dates for camping this Summer I realized just how crazy busy it was going to be!! BUT that kind of crazy is such a blast! Much more fun than is your homework done, folders signed,projects ready, hurry to bed it's a school night routine!!

Big C hold on to your seats he has picked his freshman classes tried out for golf (and made it) In the next 3 wks he'll go to TN and WA. Golf practice starts as soon as school gets out AND the project I'm most excited about....he is making us a new kitchen table. We outgrew the one we have and it is impossible to find one big enough to fit our family yet still fit in the kitchen! So we designed it and he is building it! It won't be finished by summer so he'll have to go up to the school and work on it some!! Can not believe this time 4yrs from now we will be sending out his graduation invitations!!

Red Red Red.....she is celebrating her 12th birthday today!! And she is our little DIVA!! She lives for her social life...I think she just might think she'll disappear without a texting device at hand 24/7!!Hard to believe she will be in 7th grade in a couple weeks!! She is wanting to join the spirit squad and we've talked her in to trying out for volleyball. (only way she can be in athletics instead of plain ol PE!) She is going to keep us on the go the next 6yrs. She will go until she can't go anymore!

Squeaks is still just her laid back carefree self! She is gearing up for her choir concert. This was something new she tried that I don't think she'll do again :) But it is good for her to try new things and figure out her likes and dislikes. She is a little like her daddy perfectly happy sitting in the house in front of a TV she isn't the social butterfly type. She will be going to camp again this Summer but she is most looking forward to just getting a break. She's a great student but won't miss school during the Summer.

See

2010-04-26T09:14:00.001-05:00

I started the post below last week.....it set opened on my computer that long and still never got finished! :) So to be continued!

Updates

2010-04-19T14:10:00.009-05:00

Cani Bear- Still the laugh of the family!! Give him something simple to do and he'll give you a laugh doing it! He went on his first fishing trip this past weekend. Yes with all the rain didn't catch much but I think he had a good time!! He is still doing wonderful in school and I think keeps his teachers on their toes! Having quite the crush on one of em ;) Just his picture here tells you a lot! But not only does he make good grades he does actually behave at school too!

SueBee- Oh SueBee she might should have been a red head! She is soooooo very sweet and has a heart of gold. She loves animals and still has her heart set on getting a "flicka" (horse) Lately though she is quite the drama queen and a little toot! She likes doing things she shouldn't and bringing K baby down with her! The latest was babypowder vs livingroom....I'm still cleaning it up a week later. This followed by feeding the chicks....about 25lbs of feed all at once but don't worry she took turns filling the cup with K baby!! :)

K Baby- We are POTTY TRAINED!! Such a big step in life! :) She is growing up so much. Sweet as can be but Bull headed! She is talking up a storm and quite frankly she is a funny little girl! She is happy go lucky and doesn't let much bother her!

Icky- He is quickly approaching 8mo he is rockin and a rollin gets around but not "crawling". He got his first top tooth this weekend. He has the most beautiful blue eyes and a gorgeous smile! He still won't eat any real food! He is still a big boy but has slowed down a little now! He continues to be an awesome baby. Just goes with the flow as long as you don't leave him alone he's good!

Cause this is how I roll these days....

2010-04-19T13:33:00.006-05:00

SUEBEES Birthday Pics :)

These were taken in November just converted this weekend!!

Spring Break

2010-03-21T13:31:00.006-05:00

Well another Spring Break has come and gone. Only 51 school days til Summer!! It is going to be a busy 9 weeks so hopefully it will go quickly. Big C will be starting golf he will be going to state DI comp. Squeaks has several choir perfomances and of course just all of the end of the year hoop la. So before we know it it will be pool time!! Most people think I would dread the kids being home!! NO WAY!! I love the be nowhere at anytime routine!! We really did nothing this Spring Break which made it all that much more relaxing!! These pictures are from the past couple weeks!!

Our Lucky Charm

2010-03-21T11:20:00.006-05:00

At 6 mo he has 2 teeth- started sitting up about the time these pics were taken but still won't just set him down and walk off! He is still such a good baby but does not tolerate being left alone in a room for even a couple seconds. Still not really into the food thing! (Sadly these are just as much notes for myself as updating others) :)

Sorry still no time...

2010-02-13T14:58:00.004-06:00

But here are Icky's 4mo (5mo I think just may get skipped)
He weighed 20lbs 12oz and 26in long and a head circ of 45cm Dr picked him up and couldn't believe he didn't weigh more he said "he is a SOLID 20lbs!" and that he is!

Still Alive.....

2010-02-01T23:38:00.003-06:00

OK so New Years I had this great idea to recap 2009 on the blog and get it all up to date....... ummmm obviously didn't happen. Would add Icky pics from 4mo and 5mo but 4mo haven't even been converted to jpg and 5mo haven't been taken! :( Last year I had ZERO sessions from mid Dec to Mar....this year I have had on avg a session a week! So to say the least things are busy here!

Quick update

P-back to work after almost 2mo recovery of broken foot
big C- placed 2 4th's in 2 wks ago in UIL, and last week a 2nd
Little Red- Got reserve grand champ for her quilt and got 1st in UIL last week
Squeaks- is doing great, getting more involved in UIL and other activities
Bear- is Bear!! gotta work on spelling a little he scored 103 a couple weeks ago first week all year he didn't make a 104!! ;)
Sue Bee- Is still compassionate little Sue Bee. She loves animals and everyone around her!
K baby- is still silly as ever, starting to take on a personality of her own
Icky- rolled over several times (I'm hard on my kids and don't give them credit for a milestone til its done frequently) about 2 weeks ago, got his first tooth Sat and goes for a check up tomorrow!

Thats a very quick update of a crazy crazy life!!

3 mo

2009-12-11T06:56:00.002-06:00

I told you I wouldn't be writing much...... wanted to share Ickys 3mo picture picture though. Also included is Sue Bees 4yr picture. Maybe after the holidays I will be able to catch the blog up on our crazy life!!!

2 months

2009-11-03T10:19:00.004-06:00

Lets see the Dr said he's a little over the curve. Even his head is a little big. Big C started out a pound bigger at birth but Icky is now a pound bigger than he was at 2mo..... So he is growing well to say the least! He was 15lbs 6oz 23 1/2 in and drum roll please 41 1/2 head circ Head is big to hold extra knowledge....the rest of him is big to survive in this family!! ;) I'll try to get Halloween pics loaded before the end of the week....hopefully :)

OK Lets See...

2009-10-23T09:16:00.008-05:00

Icky- has finally decided to smile at us....BUT only if we whistle and then its smile and babble but thats few and far between! Funny that our other baby that held out on smiling is little social butterfly! This boy is thick and full of rolls very curious what he'll weigh at 2mo!!

K Baby- is definitely turning into a little person. She is talking VERY well. Scorpion was todays word very clearly. Unfortunately she repeats daddys words VERY clearly too! She is one hard headed little girl too but yet so sweet. She is quick to apologize and use her manners (without being told)
Sue Bee- Is getting a little onery! Probably would benefit from preschool right now but just didn't want that this year!! She is gearing up for her birthday month!! Poor girl has everyone elses back to back that hers always seems so far away! She tells everyone she's going to be 5 because she is looking forward to being 5 and going to school w/ the big kids!! I can claim a mini me on this one! 1:7 see why I don't gamble!! (God knew what he was doing the world can't handle too many of us!)

Bear- Is Bear!! A MODEL student and a PITA at home!! ;) He likes to put on a show and joke and pull pranks! He says he wants to be a comedian when he grows up!! Well on his way!! We meet w/ his teacher next week but like I said he's perfect at school and smart as a whip! He is playing soccer for the first year AND has eveyone laughing at the games (falls on purpose, stands backward as goalie, trys bunting w/his head, just a goof!) I'm a little scared what he may pull on us as he gets older!

Squeaks- Is having a great year! Got into SC, choir, grades are good, trying out for UIL!! She is still our reserved quiet one but I guess being between a social butterfly and a goof she doesn't have much option!! Plus she has a lot of her daddys genes in her!! She is gearing up for hunting season wanting to get herself a deer! (she's the only child quiet enough to hunt!)

Little Red- Got elected Pres this week!! There were about 20 kids running so I was scared she might not win!! She was SO excited!! She is doing good in school. They put her in 7th grade Math (her weakest subject) but I refuse to take her out because I want her to learn that sometimes you have to work really hard to succeed! AND she's having to work really hard and she is doing good!! Just cutting into her social life a little!!

Big C- Started golf back up this month w/ a new coach. She pulled me aside and told me he had one of the best swings out there! He seems to be enjoying it a lot. He is also playing Soccer again!! Of course there are his school activities too! He will be going on a trip to DC this Summer too. Know that will be a great trip for him!!

Of course with all that we are BUSY BUSY BUSY!! Those are the fun easy things to do! It's the house cleaning, lawn mowing ect that seems to just never fit in!! I know everyone says let that stuff slide and enjoy your kids BUT we just can't do that! So we enjoy our kids and sacrifice sleep ;) Life is wonderful though and we love getting to spend time as a family! Last weekend we went to the corn maze, and this weekend we have a fall festival in town. We are limiting our events to OPEN air right now and Icky stays INSIDE his pouch! Poor boy is going to be a year old before people know he has a head!! I am quite impressed that people seem more respectful to not trying to touch or peek at him! (maybe they think I'm sick with my mask on!) I'M KIDDING!! (but the thought has crossed my mind and hand sanitizer hangs from my sling) :) I'm including some pics from last weekend! And I will try to upload pics every week or so BUT don't expect much more the next 2 months it looks like I'll have about 2 sessions a week between now and mid Dec! Not complaining but hours are not being added to my day!!

SO Happy Halloween-Happy Thanksgiving-Merry Christmas- and Happy New Year!!! :)

What A Great Big Sis

2009-10-16T14:50:00.003-05:00

Sorry I haven't written an update lately but had to share this!! I'll try to update next week!! (maybe)

Icky 6weeks

2009-10-14T11:04:00.002-05:00

And if I respond that would make ME RUDE?!?!?

2009-09-25T12:03:00.002-05:00

It's amazing to me how people just don't bat an eye at the unsolicited comments they make! 9 out of 10 times we bite our toungue and respond with a fake little laugh or grin or on good days even respond with a joke. But there is one family in town that I just want to give a piece of my mind. The mother (my moms age they are/were friends when I was a child) first made a rude comment to me when she found out I was preg with #3. It was something like this will be it right?? Instead of saying don't you have 3 kids *&^@*& I just grinned! Funny to see a few years later her daughter have her third. Well comments have continued through the years. This Summer the mother saw my mom and someone else in the area knew I was on bedrest and asked how I was when she over heard this she proceeded to make negative comments to my mother which my mother (gotta love her) responded to the lady with I am so blessed to have 8 grandchildren (one is my niece) and we see every child as a blessing! If now yesterday I didn't get a &^%^&)y comment from the daughter. As tempted as I was to make a blunt comment back I refrained!! But WHY?? Why do I stay polite I would never vocalize my judgement on others lifestyles. As much as I'd love to respond to the mother with so how did you handle things when you were busted sleeping with another married man by his SON??? Or so has your daughter gone back to her husband or is she still messing around with the black guy?? But yes I just had my seventh child with my husband whom I've been with and faithful to for 15 years!!
We always get random comments and we are fine with that and most are followed by support or a positive comment! Example as I walk up with Icky in the sling another of my mothers friends sees us and says "how many is that?" 7 "SEVEN oh my gosh well good for you we need more population like yours" But I just seriously don't get it. Why is our family size anyones business? I can not think of one thing that my kids don't have or won't have that they would if we had just two kids. We aren't having children and then leaving them with grandparents every weekend so we can go have "our" time or leaving them with a sitter for "me" time! We 9 out of 10 times if you see us you see all of us together! Not my kids with their grandparents or ponned off to others. Gov't is not buying our kids meals. They may eat store brand cereal and off brand bread but guess what I was raised on that too and I only have one sibling! Our kids are well behaved straight A students that contribute in a positive way to society. So again WTH is it anyones business and definately WTH is it acceptable for people to make non supportive comments about it? But I can promise you if I answered the question "don't you know what causes that" with a birds and bees response I'd be seen as rude. But I guess only people with fewer then 4 kids are permitted to make rude comments and get away with it!! And sadly its not just friends family does it to.....and we all know how perfect all our family members are so of course they are permitted to throw those stones ::: insert EYE ROLL :::
So off my soap box but soon very very soon that family is going to catch me at the wrong moment and get an ear full!! (oh and this would be a well to do family in town) :)

2wk check up

2009-09-15T15:09:00.002-05:00

Well to quote the doc... "he's a good lookin kid!" Guess that means he passed inspection! He weighed 8lbs 14oz and was 21 1/2in that translates to he's a good eater! Doc wasn't worried about his stuffy nose; he got his PKU done and didn't even cry through out like most babies- he would cry then wimper then look at me so sad- He forgave us quickly though!

2 weeks already!!

2009-09-13T10:59:00.001-05:00

Icky is here!!!

2009-09-05T12:49:00.003-05:00

Its A Boy!!
Aug. 29th 10:55am
7lbs 5oz 21in

He at first looked to have RED hair its looking a little more golden now so who knows!! He is absolutely wonderful!!

First Day Of School

2009-08-26T08:27:00.002-05:00

OK pictures will have to follow later....I've tried uploading them to here for 3 days and its just not working :(

Big C started the 8th grade this year! Hard to think he'll be in high school in just another year!! He is excited about the year talking non stop everyday so far about it all. He is taking the toughest academic classes offered to him but still is able to squeeze in like 4 electives. But for the most they too will either help guide him onto the right track for high school or at the least look great on applications in coming years. He is thinking much further ahead in life than most of us could imagine! Last week he was applying for the Airforce Academy...yes seriously you can apply at his age! And he did that on his own!!

Little Red started the 6th grade! She has not acted "excited" but not "upset" either! She has been very quiet each afternoon which is very unlike her. She too is in the toughest classes offered and I think that has her a little worried. She needs the challenge though and to have this year as a confidence builder.I think I may be saying "Can't Never Could" a lot to her! We discussed how much attitude played a role in things too. She of course is a little more focused on the social aspect of school! No clue where she got THAT from!

Squeaks started the 4th grade! What a HUGE difference this year has been starting out! Last year she had cried each day begging to be home schooled! This year she seems SO EXCITED. I think it helps she got the teacher she wanted! I hope she is able to come out of her shell a little more this year finding activities she enjoys! For the first time ever she is the "oldest" of the family at school so she isn't always so and so's little sister!!

And then Cani Bear....God bless his teacher!! He does behave usually at school and does VERY well. But this year he has some wild classmates that just may put that poor teacher over the edge!! This is the same 1st grade teacher Red had and we're friends with her and adore her! He will actually have 2 teachers the other is young fresh out of school so she has a lot of energy and ideas! He will also start being pulled out for GT next week. This will be a new adventure for him and hopefully give him the extra challenge he needs to stay on track behavior wise! My only issue right now is getting his school supplies to stay in HIS box so he is not chewing on the same pencil the kid next to him just had in his mouth and sent home daily (and yes I may end up cleaning them too ;) ) !! This is ALWAYS a peeve of mine but a risk I can not and will not take this year with Icky being a newborn! Seems like all schools would be thinking ahead trying to keep kids well but obviously not so!! :( We'll see what is in the backpack today!! Otherwise the teacher is going to have a phone call in the morning!! And yes I talked to her once already but I know she can't monitor 22 kids all day so alot is just training C Bear!!

For having 4 kids in school we are very fortunate!! Not very often you get all good teachers and all the kids are excited for the year!! Lets hope it stays on track and they all end the year on the same note!! We are truly blessed to have such great kids!!

Last Day Of Summer

2009-08-24T11:22:00.003-05:00

Well Friday we celebrated our last day of Summer break!! In the past we've always had "water day" last year we added a shaving cream fight and the kids had so much fun we had to bring it back this year!!

I can see the light!!

2009-08-20T22:05:00.003-05:00

Well went back to the Dr this AM!! No change and I will see him again on Thursday! The good news is... if Icky is not here by Aug 29th then he will induce!! As done as I am that day would really work out great. First my Dr is on call so he will deliver-the kids will not miss school-we'll have a week of school behind us- I will have help with the older kids- It will hit right for P's paychecks and he'll get to be home for 2 weeks- and a bonus it will be prior to Sept 1st so we will get to decide when Icky starts Kinder not the state! We still just pray if I go into labor before that it does not go TOO quick and P is able to be here and I make it to the hospital. But we REALLY do not want Icky to arrive this weekend it would be very difficult on us all! Only one bad thing about the 29th....Icky will share Michael Jacksons birthday :) I guess we can get past some issues! It is nice to think though we will be holding Icky in just 8 short days!!

Update...35 + weeks

2009-08-14T12:17:00.002-05:00

Just got back from the Dr. Good news bad news. He wants me to stay on my meds for one more week...obviously they are keeping contractions less frequent and intense since I found out the hard way (stopped my meds) that they quickly resume fast and furious. I'm just DONE with the side effects they are really not enjoyable AT ALL but part of it!! The good news is I can resume normal activities probably not the best thing for him to tell me but you'd think after knowing me as long as he has he does know I only function in 2 speeds....stop and full speed ahead. :) SO we will be cleaning this weekend steaming couches,floors,and getting everything ready for Icky and next week we will try to hit the pool and enjoy the final week of Summer!! I'm sure Icky will make his/her appearance the WORST time possible....first day of school! I would seriously be crushed if I wasn't here to see my kids off and do our first day of school rituals :( Not to mention the one in charge of my kids during labor is a TEACHER. Unfortunately P and I are very much type A personalities with a bit of OCD so us not being able to make plans and do just doesn't work well for us. P had his mind made up that he was starting maternity leave on Monday thinking I'd go off the meds and as strong and frequent as they've been this time around he really didn't want to be 45 min away and I really wasn't wanting to be home with 6 kids alone and deliver! BUT its looking like he will work another week or 2 for sure. At this point 2 would be good so the kids can finish the first week of school and P can hit his pay days right (sadly he looses $$ when he takes off)Doc and I have the same prediction....we'll discuss induction next visit! As he laughed and said isn't that how this usually ends?? I tried getting him to set it up today but no luck!! So he ended the visit EXACTLY as I told one of the kids... "See you in a week if not sooner!" But this baby will come into the world when he/she is ready!!

Aug already....

2009-08-08T22:33:00.003-05:00

Well once Aug hits so does all the Back To School musts!! Of course it's a little hard to register 4 kids from bed! So P and my mom got to tackle that one. Of course there was a ton of paperwork that only a parent could fill out and info that P had no clue about!! But with a couple phone calls and a second trip to drop off paperwork all 4 kids are registered for another school year. The first day is the 24th so only 2 more weeks!
I have found one perk to bedrest...can't shop so mom also got the chore of finding school supplies. Some things I just know my husband would go crazy doing and I'm avoiding that at all costs right now!! So thank goodness for NaMaw! They are all bought labeled and in backpacks ready to go!! Now just to get the point across to the teachers that we WILL NOT be sharing school supplies this year. Thats always my wish but this year it will be my DEMAND. You know how many germs are on all those crayons and scissors. YUCK!!
Thank goodness I am a little bit of a type A personality and got clothes shopping for school done the beginning of July. That would have been a nightmare. But everyone has new clothes and school supplies so they are good to go now!! But lets pray Icky does NOT choose to make a debut on the first day of school that would be a little crazy for ALL involved! Even the weekend before would not be ideal SO you KNOW when it will happen ;) Hopefully we will have that last week of Summer to hit the pool and work in a couple last summer fun activities!! -
As for Icky...we went back to the Dr Thursday. My other half was a bit nervous Wed night with me having contractions every 4 minutes for a couple hours. He said he was fine delivering a 38 week baby at home but NOT a 34 weeker :) Luckily no change so we were just to stick with our same treatment. Then Thurs night was a crazy night for me with side effects from the meds. It's a crazy med on a normal dose but he has me completely maxed out and it has some crazy side effects some that I think I may be discovering. For 2 weeks my left ear has been numb causing a very weird hearing sensation. Dr checked it out and there was nothing in the ear like fluid to cause the problem but he had never had anyone complain of that before. Then that night the entire room was spinning and I could not lift my head off the pillow. The next morning I had a nose bleed which makes us think it was high B/P. So I decided the heck with this I'm stopping the meds. Friday was a great day contractions weren't much worse so I figured well the meds weren't doing anything anyway. AND my ear got better through the day. Then this morning I still wasn't taking my meds and contractions hit a little too crazy so it was back on the drugs I went...I will just live with the side effects for 5 more days and pray the Dr takes me off them Friday. The only thing is that means contractions would more than likely return like they did today within a day or so. Not really a "bad" thing because I'd be far enough along to deliver BUT that makes me really nervous because I wouldn't go running to the hospital with them like that because that is my normal BUT they go from my normal to baby in a matter of half an hour or less. SO the Dr and I will have to get more of a game plan laid out. Something along the lines of I'm calling him as I get in the car and he can wait for me a mile down the road and follow me to the hosp or deliver on the side of the road!! ;) Quick deliveries are great but this is the down side of them! But I guess that's just one of the risks of having a baby. I'm sure all will go smoothly and as I've told P we will do this until 38 weeks when the Dr induces me just like the past 4 times!!
The new OB opening has been pushed back too! It is now "set in stone for the 18th". We'll see if we make it!! And for all those misinformed or catty people I would love to have this baby in the new wing because it is BEAUTIFUL top notch technology and something as an employee of the hospital I have been part of watching from the ground up. Something that has been talked about honestly since I was hired there 17 years ago. So my "goal" is not to have the first baby born in the new unit as was so rudely stated to me today but I would be a bit ticked to be the last to deliver in the old one. BUT that is usually how our luck goes! But I'd guess when the time comes I really won't care what wing I'm in as long as I am at the hospital and not the side of the road or home alone with 6 kids!! Can you tell what I'm most nervous about?? :)

Happy 2nd Birthday K Baby!!

2009-07-31T15:10:00.004-05:00

One thing that ABSOLUTELY drives me NUTS is someone calling a child over a year a baby!! But it seems her nickname is just going to stick and she may be 20 and still be our K Baby! Even at VBS the other parents laughed because all our kids called her this!! I guess its a good thing Icky is already Icky there won't be any conflict in nicknames!! :)

I think that 2nd year is one of my favorite times in my childrens lives!! They learn and change so much in that year. They go from a baby to a little person full of personality!!
So what kind of personality
has shown through on K baby? Very good question :) First off she is a singer she can honestly carry a tune even though she may not know the words!! She is a silly little girl that likes to be in the middle of it all! She has no problem holding her own in this family thats for sure!! She has each of her older siblings wrapped around a different finger making her quite spoiled!! When one is not around she just moves on to the next "playmate" but with no question she and Sue Bee by far have the sweetest relationship!! Yesterday at nap time K Babay laid down and patted her sisters back to sleep!! They usually get along so well and show so much affection towards each other!! It is so sweet! I just hope they stay like that and don't start having WW 3 in years to come! She seems to be pretty prepared for Icky to arrive. Again she will lay next to me just rubbing my belly and lovin on it. She thought it was pretty funny when Icky kicked her right in the face this week but didn't move an inch waiting for it to happen again!! But if I had to sum her up in a shorter phrase it would have to be DADDY'S GIRL!! She loves the days her daddy is home from work and her face lights up when she hears him arrive home!! She is another precious little additive to our family mix!!

No News Is Good News!!!!

2009-07-31T13:38:00.002-05:00

Well back to the Dr yesterday for my regular appt!!! He is still on vacation so I saw his Nurse Practitioner (the same one that busted me touring the new OB) ;) She said Icky was growing and looked good!! All my vital signs looked good so she said keep doing what I'm doing.... STAY IN BED and take my meds. I was hoping to see the Dr next week instead of going 2 weeks but she said 2 more weeks but to come back sooner if anything changes! She wants this baby in until 36 weeks!! Thats 19 more days...... I just don't know if that is the same thing Icky has in mind...he/she seems to think we are leaving em out of something!! So I go back and see the Dr on the 14th at that point I'd guess he'll tell me to stop my meds and let nature take its course!! He usually doesn't keep me on my meds past 34/35 weeks!! I made my appt in the AM just in case he wanted to tell me you need to go to the hosp so we can have a baby!!! SO basically 2 more weeks on meds and in bed!!! I know people think "I wish a Dr would tell me that" trust me it is not fun AT ALL. Especially for someone who is use to going 90 to nothing day in and day out. I have made it known to Patrick to shoot me if I ever become bedridden because I NEVER want to live like that!! Because I know it would be just plum painful!! I think I might should worry that he was so quick to agree!

Update

2009-07-27T08:48:00.002-05:00

Well we are just taking things day by day minute by minute at this point. Things can go from looking great to a little worried in a matter of a few contractions. Thursday my contractions started breaking through the medication. Unfortunately I am maxed out on that so there is not much that can be done from home. SO when I woke up Friday AM and they were pretty steady at 5 min apart I decided to go see my doc before he headed out of town!! WELL he left THURSDAY :0 so with talking to his NP she told me to go straight to L&D. When I got there the Dr on call was already seeing pts (not my 2nd choice) and knew I was coming in so he saw me. Great Dr just approaches things different from mine. But he came in checked me and said things had not changed. But he wanted to keep me for awhile. I would have hoped he would have tried to stop the contractions but he didn't feel they were a threat. After a while of contracting though and nothing showing up a nurse discovered the monitor wasn't on good enough (doesn't help Icky moves and kicks it like crazy) once she adjusted it contractions were definitely around 5 min apart. The Dr came back in and decided he wanted to get a dose of steroids in me just in case. This just helps the babys lungs get a boost on developing. So I got a shot then- then he came back still no change so he felt comfortable sending me home. I was to return Sat for a second shot. As we talked I asked "when do you advice me to come in for contractions" he said if there is any change from these today. Again not my Dr so I laughed and said I go from contractions like this to baby in less than an hour. (He just thought I was being a smartass) luckily a nurse who's seen it stood up for me! :) SO I was sent home to spend time with what he said is to be my "bestfriend" for a couple weeks (my bed). Saturday I did go back for the second shot. I then saw MY second choice doc in passing and gave him a heads up!! He felt good having the steroids in me and really didn't feel at this point he would transfer me to SA. And he will care for Icky so that made us feel good that he was confident to keep us here! I picked his brain on things and he told me to just come see him if things start up again. But here lies our problem now HE leaves for vacation on Wed and is gone till Sun. and the Dr I really don't want will be the only Dr around! I guess the only good thing is I really don't care if I tick that one off so I will INSIST on what I want tried or not tried and not just let Dr call the shots!!! (sad but the initials don't always make them good at what they do and honestly there are many nurses that I'd trust to deliver my baby before this Dr) BUT we are praying that nothing happens in the next week and that won't be an issue! I see the NP at my docs office on Thursday so hopefully she will give me an idea of when I'll see my Dr and what her opinion on things are. I know she will keep me on bedrest another week but hoping I'll see my Dr the next week instead of having to wait for 2!! But I'm thinking I won't go back to the Dr until the 13th and at that point I'd guess he'll stop my meds and let nature take its course!! (And might as well set up my induction too cause I'm willing to bet thats how this will end!!) But as for now we are just taking everything minute by minute and confident God is watching over Icky and I both!! Keep us all in your prayers please. No this isn't easy or fun on me but it is also a huge stress on P too. Poor guy is working over 50 hours a week and then having to come home and pick up the slack here on top of all his manly outside duties. For a family who just wants a clean organized house to bring a new baby home to so we have nothing to do for 2 weeks but love our kid.... why these last 2 babys have we been thrown such a curve ball!! BUT always seeing the glass half full....our house has flooring and no mud being swept out of it this time. So a little clutter won't kill us. (irritate us but not kill us...maybe)

How quickly things can change....

2009-07-22T10:39:00.002-05:00

Well after VBS Friday we came home and I laid the little girls down for a nap. This is my time to catch up on emails/work and just have some time to sit. About 4 o'clock contractions hit me like a freight train!! Luckily I had meds from last pregnancy and was able to start them and got them to taper off in a couple hours. Of course it had to happen on a Friday. So I just stayed on my meds until the Dr got in the office on Monday. (yes I could have gone to the hospital but I use MY Dr because MY Dr knows me it would be like rewinding 10 years to see another Dr) Once he saw me he said "your older kids are old enough to be helping you out" "I want you off your feet" obviously still a male Dr. :) But our short term goal is to get to AT LEAST 34 weeks anything before that will be reason for a trip to "the big house" as he said. That would be to SA and that is the LAST thing we want for oh so many reasons!! Ideally we would still like to make it to 38 weeks but at this point every day and week count! I would foresee him taking me off my meds and letting nature take its course right before the 35 week point if not then then it would be the following week. My doc is very much a take it as it comes type of guy! He is just the right balance. But I know him well enough to know if he says get off my feet that's what I have to do. He hadn't told me that the last 3 pregnancies so I know he had his reasons!! Of course he leaves on vacation this weekend and won't be back till the 3rd.... but the Dr on call for me (like the way I say that and this is why we love Seguin) My 2nd choice doc is going to cover my care if my Dr isn't around instead of just having the random on call doc cover. Dr number 2 knows my history-knows me-treats our family- and has probably the most caring heart and best bedside manner around. So I know he will treat me just as my OB would and I trust him 100% and that's what I have to go into a situation with and that is a huge reason to not want anything to do with the SA Drs. I go from being a PERSON/FRIEND who is being cared by people who care about the outcome to being #682 don't know you from Joe the game is on and I'm having to be here! :( I'm a pretty relaxed in control patient but I would NOT be emotionally stable if I got removed from my comfort zone!! And then the care of my newborn to just whoever :0 the thought makes me sick at my stomach!! I would seriously be a nut case!! So I sit and rest and we say our prayers to prevent any threat to this unborn baby and to keep all my nuts in a row!! Into day 3 of things and the kids are doing very well considering. Of course they get a little more wild because they have a little longer leash and are stuck at home. But hopefully this will be for only a couple more weeks and we'll have time to fit in a couple more "fun" things before Icky arrives!! So to all who read this please keep us in your prayers!!! Yes Icky would probably have minimal issues at birth but at 32/33 weeks a lifetime of issues could follow and those are things no parent wants to think about for their child.

32 weeks!!

2009-07-18T01:58:00.002-05:00

Wow the baking time of Icky is in its final weeks! Always a little bit of an eye opener when you think "if I went into labor in another 2-3 weeks they wouldn't stop this baby from coming!!" Guess maybe I should get my butt in gear!! The only real must is to wash a load of Icky clothes/sheets/bouncer covers! Maybe we'll get the swing out this week?! But it sure would be nice to catch up on a little more!

We got Back To School shopping done a week or so ago so that is a huge weight off my back! Can't believe we only have a couple more weeks of Summer! We'll register the kids in like 2 weeks. Big C will have 2 training camps to go to for special activities he'll be in this year...then it will be back to the real world before we know it! If I continue to hate the school year this much I just might start homeschooling....OK not really but I really hate the school year schedule! (so much so I'm sitting awake at 2am blogging about it) ;)

I saw my Dr on Thursday and was a little disappointed he didn't set an induction date but we at least talked about it and he knows I'm very nervous about going past 38 weeks as fast as my labor goes! So he agrees we need to induce around then but still waiting to get a little closer to time before getting it scheduled! Our brand spankin new OB unit is to open on Aug 1st so Icky should be born there!! We hope to go to the ribbon cutting and look at the new facility next week!! We won't be the only ones to benefit from it...there will be a nice new waiting room on the floor for those sitting waiting for a baby to be born! So no more in and out peering in the nursery window wondering if that music playing is for us or not! I'm sure the kids will be standing gaurd to see when the Dr walks in the door! I can see them all now following him with their ears pressed up against the door waiting to hear if its a boy or a girl! They all seem very excited! Even K baby seems to understand it all.

On another note I survived a week of VBS!! Makes me very thankful for the well behaved kids we have. I just don't understand how parents can just simply allow their kids to run wild. Outside is a place to run and release energy. The church parish hall is NOT!! And sure don't understand how a kid can not follow simple directions (like sit down don't run) I certainly stepped out of my box this week and got out of my safe zone! But I also am very happy in my safe-OCD world and will be fine with not stepping out of it again anytime soon!! :) I think it was a great week for the kids. They all seemed to have a fun time and that is what is important!

This weekend we are celebrating Big C's birthday...THIRTEEN yes I know that means I'm the mother of an official teenager!! How that happened I don't know. But I'm guessing its a sure sign I'm not 20 anymore! What the weekend will hold...who knows but hopefully it will be fun for him!!

Finally...

2009-07-14T06:37:00.004-05:00

Red 11 going on 21

Sisterly Love!

Squeaks is 9

She's B-a-c-k......

2009-07-05T19:39:00.002-05:00

Well I just returned from picking Red up from camp...a day early :( I got a call yesterday evening that they were having to close camp down due to an outbreak of Influenza. Now we have to sit and wait to see what the next 72 hours has in store! Pray we stay in the clear though it has a short course with an 8 member houshold no illness is short lived. Not to mention that isn't exactly what we need while getting things ready for a new baby!!

She does seem to have had a great time though! It seems like some of the best cabin mates shes had. Some were a year older but hopefully she will stay in touch with them! Her favorite part was getting sunscreen in her eye and being given a frozen water balloon to put on it....pretty clever! They pretty much squeezed in all the activities they had planned in a couple less hours!!So needless to say we have a very tired camper home now!!

This week I will be preparing everything for our churches VBS! Why in the world did I say "oh I'll get it all organized but I can't promise I'll be able to be there that week" (knowing I was preg but the cat wasn't out of the bag yet) Little did I know at that time I'd have the flu for almost a month followed by how many bouts of the stomach bug, Swine Flu break, and everything else that kept me from getting everything done ahead of time! So here I am a week to go and a whole lot to do! Some may be real diappointed cause I'm just not one of those moms that has to go "all out" so people ewwwww and ahhhh over it all! Have a teaching-sing some songs-do some crafts and games and call it a day!! Do kids really care if you turn the parish hall into a jungle?? Do we realy have to have TWO days to decorate?? I don't but others want to so as usual I do as others would like....But hope they don't expect me to be painting some darn zebra!! I have a whole house of stuffed animals make a scene with them and call it a day!! Hopefully all goes well and the kids have fun!! That really is all that matters!! But for the record....I WILL NOT be in charge of VBS possibly EVER again!! OK I shouldn't say NEVER but not while preg with 6 young kids and running a business...... But as my quote to the side says "If God brought me to it he'll get me through it....right!"

Oh those pictures of the big girls did get taken but sadly my kids pictures bring in no profit so they get put on the back burner! Soon very very soon but don't hold me to it!! :)

Sum Sum Summertime!!

2009-07-03T15:33:00.002-05:00

Well we are still in the full swing of Summer! Tuesday after the Dr. appt I took Little Red up to camp! This is her 3rd year and she always enjoys herself! By the looks of the pictures that holds true this year too! I pick her up Monday so it will be fun to hear about her week!

As for those still at home we hit the pool a couple days this week!Sue Bee decided on Wed she was ready to swim! She took swimming lessons (which got her use to the water but can't say they did her a whole lot of good...) But all of a sudden Wed she put her face in the water and was walking on the platform. I encouraged her to hold the railing and kick while she put her head in....she didn't like that so I held her while she did that once then.....she was off. The first day she wouldn't get off the platform but was swimming in a small area. The next day she was from platform to me to daddy to platform to the side to another platform. Just about that fast too! She WOULD NOT take a break!! Tomorrow maybe daddy will catch her off the diving board. (thats usually my role but not real great at treading water right now while swimming w/ a 3yr old on my back) :) It is so funny though how with kids something just clicks and they never look back!!

No big plans for the 4th!! Go and Do errands early maybe BBQ for the fam here at the house, see if we can see the city fireworks through the trees and go to bed early praying none of the neighbors shoot fireworks that may burn our house down..... Typical holiday for us!! ;)

Icky status!!

2009-07-01T09:38:00.002-05:00

We got to take a look at Icky yesterday!! He/She looked great! The reason It appears this kid is all right under my belly button is because this kid is curled up in a tight little ball. We first saw feet and in the same frame saw the head and more feet....I had to ask several times "how many feet does this kid have?" I swear we saw feet from every direction! There was a toe BEHIND the head at one point! He/She was awake No surprise to me cause this kid NEVER stays still! But we were entertained by legs, she/he tried to give Kayle 5, and appeared to be yawning and sticking the tongue out at us. Sounds like this child will fit into the family just perfect!! The only "problem" was the size of this childs head!! The tech remeasured from 3 different angles about 3 different times but kept getting 32wks and 3/4 days. That would be great but I am only 29wks and 3 days and that was EXACTLY what the abdomen measured. So it appears we will be having a bobble head!! And while in this little ball the legs were perfectly crossed! Again the tech avoided hiney area and turned the screen to get the leg and cord measurements. She said she didn't even catch a glimpse between the legs so we will go into labor with only one person knowing if this child is a boy or a girl!! If you had asked me a week ago I'd of said a girl but after seeing a big head and a big baby I'd say boy today!! So I'll go ahead and predict its a 50% chance its a boy!! And for anyone who thinks we are keeping the name choices from you....NOPE we've got nothing!! I've about decided Icky will end up on the birth certificate!!!
The realization that I could have a new baby in 4 or 5 weeks set in lastnight. I'm ready for baby thats the easy part but somewhere in there I have a house to get some things tended to. Two birthdays. In charge of a week of VBS, and still have photo sessions lined up for work!! And some how in there I need to go school shopping for 4kids!! It is not advised to go school shopping with 6 kids but when hubby works 2 jobs I'm guessing there will be no other option!! If only I had a crystal ball to know exactly how long I had before the big day!! I know those things will work themselves out and thank heavens for on line shopping but you all know I'm a planner and have to have everything ready to go!! What is important is that Icky is healthy-I am healthy and with a head that size we may have a little Einstein coming into the world!! :) God is good!!

And she's off!

2009-06-16T16:39:00.005-05:00

We dropped Squeaks off at camp Sunday!! She seemed as excited as Squeaks gets about anything! :) I got her there early so she could be toward the front of the line to get pick of the bunks....as most first time campers-she picked the top! Not top of 2 but top of 3! I wonder if 2 days into she understands what we meant by hot air rises?? But you know what if she wants the top bunk so be it!! But I'd bet next year we get there early so she can get a bottom one! :)
We have seen several pictures of her. She got to go to the river toobing yesterday-played capture the flag last night- and looked like a hike this AM for teaching. We saw a non action shot today with she and a group of friends and a great big "fun" smile so I take it she is enjoying herself!
The pictures here are from when we dropped her off! Sue Bee already is excited about when she gets to go to camp in 5 years!!

Do you ever wonder......

2009-06-07T17:55:00.003-05:00

Do you ever sit back and wonder what people think of the life they see once they are dead and gone?? I sit and have to laugh at how gullible people in life are. And get quite disgusted by all the "church going christians" who go to church every Sunday Bible studies in between shouting to the world what a wonderful christian they are. But sometimes I have to question are these people maybe the ones who need to be reevaluated the most. They like the public to see them one way and to fit that I'm the perfect parent/friend/citizen mold. But then as life continues and the ghosts surface you find out that man in the second row serving his church and Lord is molesting his daughter the 6 days in between. Or the father who sits in church with his wife and kids only to commit adultery but go take communion every week and continue in his ways. Then you have those who blow smoke up peoples butts praising themselves and spreading lies and rumors stirring the pot any chance they get just to make the impression of themselves better-yet living a life of lies while others get hurt by the actions. So do you ever wonder when the family of these people die and look back on their lives and see what BS they believed their entire lives and how it impacted the people around them - do they regret their behavior? Are they saddened that they were so stupid going through life? Or do they still turn the other way only wanting to believe this oh so wonderful church going christian? Yes I am christian and therefore I live each and everyday knowing I am an honest person. Maybe that doesn't benefit me in my day to day life because wouldn't everybody love me if I was that person who lived a fake life just to fit the expectations of those around me at the time? A christian on Sundays, healthy when my doctor asks, the perfect wife, the perfect mother...... Nope I don't guess I fall into any of those categories BUT man it feels great to go to bed every night knowing I don't have a lie to defend or remember. And though I don't fit that "perfect" mold I find comfort in knowing that when those around me die they can see that in their life I may not have been in church every Sunday, I may not have been the perfect mother but as they look down they will see that I was the honest one always telling those around me the truth while others lives were built on lies. And how stupid are they going to feel when they see their maker and have to justify their actions toward the honest one??? So life may not be great everyday but god does it feel good to live an honest life and get to think about how stupid some people are going to feel when their day comes! And when my day comes and all my friends and family have to describe me I hope the first word that will come to mind is HONEST. And if I do not leave but one impressionable characteristic on each and everyone of my children I hope they will carry with them through their own lives the simple quality of living each and everyday of their life honestly even if it doesn't get you the furthest in life and the highest in life. Those are really not important when you stand at the fathers right hand.....

Last Day Of School

2009-06-05T07:36:00.006-05:00

We finished up another school year yesterday. We now have a first grader, a 4th grader, a 6th grader and an 8th grader in the house! We had a busy week with many activities and award ceremonies. I don't know which was harder seeing our little Cani Bear graduate from Kindergarten or Little Red graduating from Elem school. It DOES NOT feel like 6 years since she started school. To think that Cani Bear was a newborn when she started....now look at life!
Patrick and I aren't the bragging type. Always proud but don't discuss it often with other people. But it's kind of hard NOT to recognize how awesome they all ended the year on. Cani Bear got Top Reader of Kindergarten reading 80 words a minute. When I talked with the reading specialist she said to let him read on a second grade level over the Summer that he could have easily read beyond what he did but she only tested to a certain level. He got accepted into GT so he will be in GT level classes for the rest of his time in school! The reading specialist also laughed (knowing me since before I was married) remembering when Cani Bear was born and she said the little bull in a china cabinet sure is different at school he has done really well! Lets just hope he continues down that same path and doesn't start getting comfortable and/or bored and show his true personality! Squeaks finished up the year with all A's and was the only one in her class to ace the math portion of her TAKS test (even scored better than the top kid in the grade) For starting the school year in tears skipping class asking to be homeschooled she came a long way and had a great year. She has never and will never like change and she is just much more shy so adjusting to things takes her a while. But this was a year that really helped build her confidence and she proved a lot to herself! Red got several awards at her awards ceremony including presidential award for exceptional grades. Her teacher could not talk more about what a wonderful leader she is. Next year will be a whole new adventure for her and probably a bit of a reality check when she gets to meet ALL the 6th graders in town. I know though with her personality she will easily hold her own in life. :) Big C continues to do wonderful! He was choosen as outstanding 7th grade boy, voted class most intellectual (did I spell that right) :) got accepted into the PALS program, voted class vice president AND made all A's all year except for one 89. He will be in mainly 9th grade classes next year even getting high school credit for some. The more he gets out of the way leaves more doors open for college credit while he's in high school. That would be FREE college credit. :) Of course we are always proud of our kids accomplishments but I think above and beyond what they acheive is the teachers and other parents comments as we pick them up. People in the general public (ok and some family) are quick to judge our family when they have to put the car in neutral to let us cross the street and we take all the stupid comments that come as we walk through the store. Because when those who know us and have watched our children grow come up compliment them and get excited to see we are expecting another one because as they say "we'd like a whole classroom of kids like these" one comment like that from an aquaintence trumps a dozen stupid large family comments anyday!! So we end the chapter on another school year. With full expectations of having a summer of just plum FUN! I know it won't happen but with as little hussle and bussle as possible so I can recharge to survive the Fall with 7 active kiddos!!

End Of School Fun

2009-06-03T12:17:00.002-05:00

Today the little girls and I are trying to enjoy what could be the last school day just the 3 of us!! Ready to have all the kids home for Summer but have to admit we'll miss our "little girl" time. The little ones play so well together and we have had a lot of fun this school year. They have been at such fun ages and it is so fun watching them together. This morning we went to Wal Mart and bought new bubbles and came home and had some Wilbur and bubble time outside. Then we came in and made a cake. We will decorate it after nap and then go get Sue Bee's favorite afternoon treat a slush (so awesome that a 50 cent slush can make her so happy!) Next week will start our Summer time fun with frequent trips to the pool. After looking at our schedule the other day our Summer is going to fly by because it is already so jammed pack. Always a good kind of hectic!

Chatter Chatter Chatter Box!!

2009-05-28T21:20:00.005-05:00

K baby has decided that talking is a fun skill in the last 2 weeks. It is always funny to see what they pick up on first. Of course the very firsts; months ago were NO and WHY!?!? But as she was jibbering in the car and I had no clue what she said I turned and said "No Way!" She looked at me and said "YES WAY" (guess that's one I say too often) She seems to have a bit of her youngest brothers personality...a tad bit silly and mischievous!! She is one strong child. She can hold her own as #6! Lets pray she learns to be a little gentle with her younger brother or sister! She does seem to realize there is a baby but only time will tell on how much she understands about it all. Lets hope jealousy doesn't show its face when we've been so fortunate 6 other times! Hard to believe that she will be 2 years old in just 2 short months!! So funny how they go from baby to little person in just a matter of months!

Shirley Temple

2009-05-22T13:55:00.002-05:00

Well I went this AM and watched the cutest red headed Shirley Temple. She was chosen from her class to be "interviewed". They have worked for months on these biography projects. To say the least I completely believe her when she tells me she will work as a TV anchor. She has better public speaking skills then most adults I know. She memorized her entire report to resight as she was interviewed and I don't think stumbled a once. THEN she ended the interview when asked "What song are you most famous for" by standing up and singing "It's a good ship lollipop......" she sang a good portion word for word!! She ROCKED!!! I wish I had it on video because it was just AWESOME!!! Think we will be attending many drama productions in the coming years......

9 More Days Of School!!

2009-05-21T15:04:00.007-05:00

I do not think I have ever been SO READY for Summer! I swear this has been a really tough semester around here! I am probably more ready for Summer routine than the kids are!! Does anything really beat afternoons at the pool!?!?

As of now I am busy trying to get things organized around here so we can just enjoy our break. Once Summer is over we will be welcoming Baby C or K so trying to be prepared!

I do have a wonderful husband but could live without some of his wild ideas! His latest was to have the house painted....the entire house excluding bedrooms. So that meant to move everything, take everything off the wall and the painting started before EASTER and just got finished!! :) So after over a month of feeling like we were in the middle of moving we are now in the process of putting everything back in its place!! You know why not? I have nothing to keep me busy in the normal daily routine of cooking, cleaning and caring for a family of 8....that's all left for the little fairies who come and do all those daily chores!! :) Slowly but surely I shall reach this goal too!

Little Red celebrated her 11th birthday :0 last week! Can you believe she is 11 already! She is gearing up to complete elem school and moving up in the world. She continues to be a wonderful leader in her school and continues to be our sweet firey red head here at home!! I really should have known when she let me labor for 24hrs came out sunny side up and hasn't stopped running her mouth since!! But oh how dull our life would be without her in it!!

C Bear lost his first tooth lastnight!! He looks so big now with a gap in his mouth! Only problem now is Sue Bee is trying to get one of hers to fall out.....

Speaking of Sue Bee she has FINALLY gotten her pet pig!! Wilbur! She loves this little guy! She is so very sweet to him singing to him and being his "mommy". She can't wait to take him swimming at the pool and to teach him to dance!! Here is a picture of she and Wilbur. This is right after a bath...he's not that pink anymore!

As for the others they are all just gearing up for the end of year. Wave Pool parties, Fiesta Texas, Field Day, Picnics, Awards, Graduation you name it we will be celebrating it in the next 2 weeks!

As for now though we intend to be ring in what should be the first weekend of Summer by seeing who can and can not still swim....

I hope to get the older girls birthday pictures taken Monday and I'll post them before their next birthday (maybe) :)

I've been an AWFUL blogger!!

2009-04-23T11:09:00.002-05:00

In case anyone ever wondered...you can pretty much count on a CRAZY busy life in this house for the first 5 months of every year for oh lets say the next TWENTY years!! :) We are running non stop pretty much everyday and every weekend. If I ever set still long enough to actually think about things I too would probably ask myself the question everyone asks me "how do you do it!" But fortunately we just take it all one day at a time enjoy every minute of it and go full force!!

Lets see both of the older kids competed in DI regional competition the end of February. Both teams advanced to state that was held in March. We had a break from activities during Spring Break in March and we took advantage of the break doing very little! Went to Sea World one day and then the weather got cold and nasty so we hung around the house playing catch up! Once Spring Break was over it seems the usual craziness kicked into high gear!! After a couple slow months with the business things really picked up in March and April. I have done school pictures for two local preschools which I was really excited about. Another photographer in town has closed her business and has referred many of her regular clients to me! So if Patrick is not working one of his two jobs I usually have a shoot scheduled. Then of course I have to fit editing in between 9pm and 6:30am (a lot can get done at 3am) I am truely loving my work though and it is perfect for our family right now!

We celebrated someones 9th birthday and Easter all in the same weekend! Both were very enjoyable but celebrated between another passing of the stomach bug. (our house is full enough we no longer are accepting visits from her!! She has certainly over stayed her welcome this year)

Somewhere in there we also got 2 four legged family members. A mamma longhorn and her calf and she is about 5mo preg too! So the kids are excited about having a "baby' cow. Sue Bee has big plans on riding them!! If anyone could do it she would!

We are all living life to the fullest and having fun in the process! We are down to just 6 weeks left until Summer and will be welcoming Baby C or K in about 18weeks max!! Ichy is growing great! had a sono last week and everything looked great! The lady knew we did not want to see between the legs so we got many upper body shots. But she did have to snap a picture for us of the tightly crossed legs and said even she does not know if this is a boy or a girl!! We are both very excited about not knowing and the kids are all very irritated about not knowing!!

Life is good- Life is busy- Life is Fun and there's Never A Dull Moment!!

I will post some pictures soon!

What all the kids are up to....

2009-02-25T16:10:00.002-06:00

OK Lets see do we start oldest to youngest or youngest to oldest???

Big C- He is BUSY BUSY BUSY!!! His day starts bright and early having to be at basketball practice by 6:30 every morning. (an event mom is very ready to END!!)From there it is GO GO GO ALL DAY!! He has competed in several UIL events placing 2nd in the first rounds and in the champion round brought home a 4th and 5th place. UIL is competing in educational challenges. Each event required after school practice. The days he didn't have that he had golf practice and lets not forget DI practice too! And he still enjoys going to youth group each Wednesday so we try our hardest to get him there for that! Basketball games are every Thursday night and on the weekends he either has BB, UIL, DI, or taking the ACT. So his months have been jammed full of activities! Basketball ends next week. Golf tourneys start the end of March and I think I heard him mutter trying out for track last night. I told him anything that does NOT require me to leave this house before 7 AM!!! :) He is doing wonderful keeping an all A avg in the midst of all that too! He is a really great kid...starting to test the teenage waters but still a good kid!

Little Red- Will always be our little red! Has she not tested us since day one?? She is growing up fast and keeping me on my toes! She too is busy busy! She also competed in UIL getting 4th place. Being student body pres keeps her going too! At least early to school for her is 7:15!! She is on a DI team too so she has been busy with practices. She attended Mid Winter for the first time in Jan at the camp she attends during the summer! She is doing wonderful in school too keeping an A/B avg!! She is our little social butterfly!!

Squeakie- She is growing up and takes it all in! She has not gotten to that crazy busy age yet that will start next year! :) She is loving the 3rd grade and her teacher this year. Her teacher was raised in Germany so she brings a lot of German education into her classroom and Squeaks LOVES it. She already wants to be in German club next year. This teacher also is teaching them watercolors so she comes home frequently w/ her water painting and does quite well at it! She also is making wonderful grades and the honor roll this year!

Cani Bear- Oh Cani Bear!!! His teacher LOVES him! She could not write anything more wonderful on his report cards! He got to read to the principal a couple weeks ago (the first in his class) and the first one in kinder to read her a chapter book! He still keeps us laughing most of the time! He doesn't miss a thing and seriously has a wit about him (not always appropriate but funny. It will be interesting to see how he ends the year!

Sue Bee- OK I've had 4 prior children and seen a lot of kids during their toddler years. I fully prepared myself for the trying three's.... no need! I swear this is the SWEETEST most kind hearted little girl anyone will ever meet! She is the first to always say Happy Birthday and want to do things for others.It is always "yes momma" "oh yes mam" em "no thank you" (although at times that is when I say pick up your toys). She will eat her lunch, put her plate in the trash and go straight to lay down for nap rarely having to be told even once! She truly melts my heart everyday! She LOVES her baby sister and is SO excited about ICKY (that's what she named baby) in my tummy!! She is begging for a pig. She has a stuffed pig a farm pig a pig book she is in love with pigs! We hope to find her a pot bellied pig as a pet soon!

Last but not least is K baby- She has turned into a little chatter box in the past month. She adds new words and phrases to her vocab everyday! It crosses my mind often during the day that these two little girls are at the best ages of all! At 18mo she is really starting to bloom into her own little person. Watching her personality come out is so much fun...difficult at times but fun! She likes to explore and that can be a challenge. watching she and Sue Bee is so much fun. I hope they stay close like they are now forever. They will just lay down cuddle together and look at books watch TV or take a nap. It is so very sweet. Quite funny though she has now started mocking her sister and sucks the same finger as her now (she NEVER sucked her finger until last month) It will be fun to watch her over the next 6mo turn into a little toddler!

Yeh I know its been a while.....

2009-02-25T15:13:00.002-06:00

What a wild couple months it has been! First to prepare and celebrate the holidays WHEW always busy around here!! But it was one of our most enjoyable Christmas celebrations in a long time! The kids enjoyed staying home and getting to visit with their grandparents and family and getting to play with their toys all day long!! Once Christmas ended it seems it took the 2nd week of the holidays to recover.

Then the new year began and it was back to school. And a birthday was celebrated by the OLDEST member of our family! It was wonderful to give him 7 flowers on the 7th to celebrate his 37th birthday and that we'd be welcoming lucky blessing #7 by the end of the year! No big surprise but he was quite excited to find out for his birthday I do believe!

By the next week it was show time...youth show that is! Big C placed 13th in his class and the top 13 went on to auction so he just barely got in! Little red got first place in her bake good (everybody says she's a little like her mother) :) So she too got to auction. Poor squeaks had her first year showing a goat and just struggled she did great but its a tough task for a 9 yr old! She did not place. After a lot of hard work I think it was decided to take a break from goats until the economy improves. By the time you buy the animal feed the animal it just isn't paying off right now! So we may have a lot of baking going on next year!

During that time Patrick also had strep throat. By the next week I got knocked on my rear with the flu. I seriously thought death was near me at one point. It may not have defeated me as well if I was not pregnant but pregnancy and flu just don't mix! It took me about 3 weeks to feel human again. Probably if I had sick days in my job and could actually take a day or 2 off I would have recovered a little quicker. But as most mothers know that's not how life goes and we still get up and tackle the day head on no matter what! So yippie finally getting back to life myself....Oh if it would all go so smoothly! Within days the stomach bug took up residency in our house! Not 1, not 2, not even 3 but 6 of the 8 family members caught the bug. My dearest husband not once but twice!! (and any wife knows that's twice as bad as a kid having it):) I laughed one day remembering how I thought the stomach bug w/ 4 kids was horrible...how times change. So morning sickness and caring for stomach bug victims is always a great combo!!

SO that brings us to this week almost 5 full days of a home of everybody being well for the first time in almost 2 months!! KNOCK ON WOOD!!! I should buy stock in Clorox and Lysol!! It is now being debated that we will just remove the months of Jan and Feb from our lives because it always seems to be trying months for us!

In the midst of the bug I also got to celebrate my 33rd birthday!! I got 7 beautiful Tulips from my wonderful husband!!

So for those thinking I fell off the face of the earth....close but not quite!! I always try to remember - things could always be worse - and God will never give me more than we can handle!!

Oh my- seriously only 4 more days till Christmas....

2008-12-20T21:34:00.002-06:00

Gee whiz what a busy, fun month! Photo sessions galore yippie- christmas tree chopping-confirmation-winter dances- basketball try outs- and 13 yr anv oh my!!

I had a wonderful holiday season my first Christmas in business! I was a little nervous but it all went really well! I am loving my job and having so much fun!!

Big C was confirmed on the 7th. It was the most beautiful confirmation I've ever been to-and the longest!! He tried out for BB and made the team!

The little girls gave quite a show during the Christmas program at church. But as I see it lambs are suppose to roll on the ground and make lots of noice!

Our family tradition has been to chop down our tree! So this year was no different! It was so sad to see how no rain hurt the crop. But we left with the "perfect" tree! Why is it that the "perfect" tree never fits in our stand!

P and I celebrated our 13th wedding anv this past Tuesday! I can not believe I have dated/been engaged or married to the greatest man in the world for almost half my life! :0 How lucky am I....

Today we finally got to go see Santa! Luckily none of the kids pulled any surprise requests on us!

Sue Bee is THREE!

2008-11-24T00:02:00.002-06:00

Hello Trying 3's!! Well we made it out of terrible 2's with no real temper tantrums. Temper YES but none of the throw yourself on the ground like some kids do! So I fully suspect 3 will be her year!
She is by far our biggest Tomboy yet! She had a spider birthday party. She begs for a baby snake a couple times a week. And will get very upset if you "accidentally" kill any insect in this house! They are all her babies!!
She has a heart of gold for everything around her. Be it her baby sister, the cat or a spider she wants to play with and love them all!
The most simple things will make her so happy! I have never had a child be so excited for their birthday party. She talked about it everyday for months! She planned what kind, where and what friends to come! She wasn't worried if she got gifts she was most excited to give bubbles to her "friends." She handed bags out to all her "friends" including her grandpa, her uncle Jimmy, whoever she could because she wanted to share!
If she knows someone doesn't feel well shes the first to comfort them. If she does something wrong she is quick to apologize on her own!! She just loves to spread her joy to everyone around!! She always thinks of everyone around her. Wanting to take flowers to someone, she wants to buy others gifts all the time, and always the first to cuddle and say I love you or thats a pretty shirt!She is just plum genuinely sweet! Some kids do sweet things cause they are told to she does sweet things because she WANTS to!
Don't get me wrong she has a strong willed side to her but the sweet side dominates over the other!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY sweet Sue Bee!!!

So busy so little time

2008-11-07T13:31:00.005-06:00

My goodness what a busy couple weeks! We had a "picnic" for Halloween, we went to 2 assisted living centers to trick or treat and then trunk or treat. The kids seem to enjoy the Assisted Living the most (and they them) each year!

Then we headed for our annual corn maize trip! It seems to be turning in to a must do tradition because it was being requested for weeks!

Last night we had Big C's final football game! He caught 2 beautiful passes and got laid out pretty quickly following! Only injury was a jammed finger from the uncatchable pass!
Prior to the game we met with the big girls and C bears teachers!! Lets see little red is teachers pet- and has found her thing in public speaking! She has been on SA news introducing her school- she gives announcements in front of the entire student body! She claims she is going to be a news reporter! Squeaks teacher was very pleased too commenting on how polite and sweet she is! As for Cani Bear the teacher was warning us that as an entire grade level the Math "grades" were pretty low. Then she realized oh hold on he was the only one in class who got them all right-in fact he may be the only one in Kinder who got a perfect score. Then she proceeded to use the word perfect and then get this ANGEL!! I requested later for the superintendent to do a psych eval on the poor lady! She must be going nuts!! :) She referred to him as "a card" but she figured him out real quick and he doesn't pull much over on her! Big C is almost done with his 2nd 6 weeks! He had all A's the first 6 wks and appears to be following suit this time too! He gets a little sports break and will try out for basketball after Christmas!
Busy Busy but oh so fun!!

Fall Fun

2008-10-20T12:07:00.003-05:00

This brings a whole new look on the phrase Ass Kisser!

Cani Bear doing a little Muttin Bustin!!

Hard to believe we are wrapping up the first 9 weeks of school! All has been busy but all has gone well! I always say Spring is my favorite season- but Fall may being about to take the lead!! We've had football-homecoming-the Fair. Still to come corn maize, Halloween, maybe even the pecan fest... Fun Fun Fun!!

A 1930's Wife??

2008-09-27T16:50:00.001-05:00

100

As a 1930s wife, I am
Very Superior

Take the test!

Here is my Write in......

2008-09-22T11:17:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I think Maxine should run for president. She was right on with this one!

Everyone concentrates on the problems we're having in this country lately: illegal immigration, hurricane recovery, alligators attacking people in Florida ...

Not me. I concentrate on solutions for the problems. It's a win-win situation.

+ Dig a moat the length of the Mexican border.

+ Send the dirt to New Orleans to raise the level of the levies.

+ Put the Florida alligators in the moat along the Mexican border.

Any other problems you would like for me to solve today ? Yes!

Think about this one:

1. Cows
2..The Constitution
3. The Ten Commandments

C O W S

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that during the mad cow epidemic our government could track a single cow, born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she slept in the state of Washington? And, they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give each of them a cow.

T H E C O N S T I T U T I O N

They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq .... Why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it has worked for over 200 years, and we're not using it anymore.

T H E 1 0 C O M M A N D M E N T S

The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse is this: You cannot post 'Thou Shalt Not Steal,' 'Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery,' and 'Thou Shall Not Lie' in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians...It creates a hostile work environment.

RELIEF.......

2008-09-18T18:22:00.002-05:00

Well after a long time to worry about just how Little C would do in Kindergarten we got his first progress report today!! Lets see he got 3 checks and 3 check +'s! In the comments she said he is an ACTIVE learner and contributes to class discussions. I bet he does!!! But sit down cause this is the best part....... He got not satisfactory behavior BUT.... satisfactory +... WOOHOO 3 weeks down 30 to go!! Now don't ask about his home progress report I'll just say he gets very tired at school and has 8 hours of energy in that little body!! But thats OK we are doing good at school!!
All other progress reports were very good also!!!

And in other news.... our first child has entered into the political arena! Little Red was elected Student Council president last week!! So exciting!!

So the school year is in full swing. Big C is playing another game tonight- Daddy and GG are his cheering section tonight! He starts golf next week and I'm hearing thoughts of DI teams too! Busy Busy!! Before we know it the holidays will be here and gone!!

Have A Great Week!

Big C's first game

2008-09-12T10:30:00.002-05:00

Well something about a seventy pound white toothpick running around to be knocked around by large not so white not so seventy pound boys will make any mother cringe a little!! But he did really well! Blocking a guy even to allow his team mate to score. Another kid didn't like it much that he decided to block him and tried to rough him up a bit but my son and his personality just responded with the WTH expression and went on his way! The big bubble butt was probably trying to figure out how he was being held back by a 70 lb toothpick!! The kickoff which was scheduled for 5:15....was only about an hour late and it was only about 9o degrees so EVERYONE was pretty hot and tired by 7:30 end! But it's always fun to watch them play!Oh almost forgot.....we won!!!

I Don't Ever Want To Go To School Again

2008-08-28T21:44:00.003-05:00

Well I think I had my first kid play hookie today!! Squeaks woke up saying her stomach hurt! I hate that one... it could be so many little things but you hate to send them off and have them get sick..... so I let her stay home. By lunch I could hear her crying. You have to relize if your sick in this house you are isolated to your room to read, sleep, watch a movie. But when I inquired about the crying I get I Don't Ever Want To Go To School Again...... of course I ask why. Because I get homesick while I'm at school (mental note gotta get meaner). My first concern was uhoh someone was mean to her. Nope! We discussed how her teacher was a nice teacher even though it wasn't the one she wanted. She says no I like my teacher. I went down my mental list of anything I could imagine being wrong but I still just get I get homesick!! So I tell her well it's nothing new it's the law and if you don't go to school mommy and daddy get in trouble so here comes her solution.....you ready for this one.....Just homeschool me!! HAHAHAHAHAHA one you'd have the MEANEST teacher ever, two we'd kill each other, three you would end up being the dumbest person ever if left up to me!! (scroll down to photos of Summer fun) That would be me everyday!! I would stat on something for 2 minutes and switch! I could never do it!! So after having her laugh at my expense she seemed to get better! HoHo it may be a long school year!

Another Year begins.......

2008-08-26T12:28:00.010-05:00

Well another Summer has come and gone! Yesterday was the start of many firsts! We have one starting Kindergarten, another starting Jr High, One who starts getting "real" grades, and one that is the leader of the pack!

Well the day did come that we had to let him go! I selfishly kept him home for 5 years with us. But yesterday he eagerly walked in for his first day of school! He was so proud and looked so big! Daddy took the day off so we could all walk him into school and send him on his way! He did great until he saw 600 other kids sitting in the gym. His big brown eyes looked up at me with just a touch of worry. But I quickly reassured him I would walk him to his teacher. Once I pointed her out to him he kissed us and was on his way! At meet the teacher he hid from the principal...he was scared of her. (I'm thinking that's not a bad thing) but the principal did not want any of the kids to feel that way so she tried to talk with him... before we left sweet Cani Bear went and gave her a hug! Though he still says he doesn't even want to go see her to read!! He must have had PE before the girls and the coaches knew who he was... all that was said is "he likes to talk" (hush I didn't ask for mental thoughts!) But big sister made sure he wasn't "bad" for them!! He was full of stories about his day. His friend was a boy in a blue shirt... too bad he'll be in red today so who knows if C bear will find him again! He said he was ready to go back to school because they were making something today!

Once I uploaded these pictures I got a kick out of just how much he looks like his youngest uncle here! Minus the big head that is still a GG gene!

Lets just pray this doesn't happen on the playground. But for those concerned it must happen more than we think and the punishment isn't near as bad as I would expect! In fact it's minimal and yes I checked!

Squeaks was probably the saddest arriving home. She had her heart set on one teacher and did not get her. She didn't complain over the weekend so she seemed to have a good attitude. But when she got in the car she was quiet and sad. By the time we got in the house and tried to talk about her day the tears started falling. Her teacher is a seasoned teacher and is very good at what she does. I knew her when I taught water aerobics and I know she is passionate about her work. But sometimes to have success you have to be a little more structured. She will be with her B day teacher today so hopefully she will fall in love with her to balance out the two teachers! On a good note though... she made a new friend and she was excited about that!

Well Little Red is big man on campus this year! She was NOT happy at meet the teacher with where she was placed. I played it up all weekend on how it would all be good. When she got home yesterday she was SO excited and LOVED her teacher. (quickly admitting she may be a bit of a teachers pet) Hey whatever works! She isn't in class with too many of her friends but is with her closest friend so that is good. She is already listing everything she wants to be involved in this year. Hummmm wonder where she gets that from?? She is excited about being the leader of the school!

Big C started Jr. High!! Hard to believe but it's true! He has just about every class with one of his best friends and a couple with one of his favorite female friend! So he was excited and I didn't sense a bit of anxiety from him! When we went to get his schedule it was so fun to hear so many people make a point to call his name to say hello. But he is a pretty likable guy if I may say!

The end to another Summer!

2008-08-26T11:27:00.005-05:00

I know most people would think I would be pushing my kids out the door to start the school year! Honestly I HATE IT!! I would much rather have school for 3 months and 9 months vacation!!! But I guess that wouldn't fly too well! So usually we have "water day" at home the last day of Summer. But with all the rain we had the grass was high and the last thing it needed was more water on it to cause difficulty mowing. So we changed things up a bit this year.....

Shaving Cream = $2.00
Water to clean up
Watching my kids add a memory to the mental book = PRICELESS

It is amazing how much fun can be had for practically free!!We did find out one is sensative to shaving cream, shaving cream really doesn't burn the eyes too bad, but Baby K doesn't recommend eating it! Oh how I hate to see Summer End!

Where Did The Year Go??

2008-07-31T15:11:00.002-05:00

I think that first year goes faster and faster each kid! How can I describe our sweet K Baby.... If she crys....respond!! She is pretty easy going so if shes crying she is either hurt or tired! She doesn't even cry for hunger cause she went a 9 hr stretch while I worked and refused to eat but didn't fuss either! She weighed in at 20lbs 8oz today making her the heaviest of the girls by this age! The sparkle in her eyes, smile on her face, and cute little giggle melts our heart!! She adds so much joy to each of our lives and shows us more and more the love the kids all have for each other!! Bubbie has really taken on the big brother role this Summer- he begs everynight for her to go sleep with him!!! Little does he know she wakes up at least every two hours and he WOULD NOT even hear her! (maybe that is what we need to do)

I am anxious to watch her little personality bloom over the next 6 months. This is such a fun stage she has really taken off walking these past two days and running is soon to follow!!Adding new words to her vocabulary everyday... so so fun! Yes that is a hint of red in her hair... not as red as big sis really a whole new color in the mix!

363 days.....

2008-07-21T18:57:00.003-05:00

And we'll be the parents of a TEENAGER!!! We could not ask for a better son and his siblings couldn't have a better brother! Teachers will stop us and express the desire to have 20 like him! He loves his younger brothers and sisters and they adore him (even the one right under him but she won't admit it!) The younger girls usually prefer Bubbie over us! He played Soccer again last season and will start again in the fall- along with football and track in the spring! We'll see what the future holds as far as sports.It's hard to believe he will be a middle schooler in a couple weeks! We know these next 6 years are going to be gone in a blink of an eye.....

A year ago today.....

2008-07-20T21:27:00.004-05:00

Well a year ago today is when our house flooded.... this photo was from the following morning as we waited for the clean up crew! Being the glass half full type of person I always know there is good that comes out of the bad...... but I never really figured it out on this one. But I'm sure someday it will be clear. But as for now I can say it seemed to wash the scorpions out of the house.

Below is a picture from the same area today..... could there just be a happy medium??

We can't even recall what a green field looks like now! :)

But we are all healthy and happy so a wet or dry field really doesn't matter!!

AND....She's Off!!

2008-07-08T15:32:00.002-05:00

It's amazing how their personalities shine through at times like these. She was SO EXCITED after she made it across the hall. Then she got more and more excited each time she'd get started again. She still knows crawling is much quicker though! Counting the days till her big day!!

Sum Sum Summertime....

2008-06-18T21:52:00.003-05:00

I know most people assume I'd be pulling my hair out with 6 kids all home. BUT it's the opposite I LOVE SUMMER!! I love not having to set an alarm (most days) even though we are up about the same time its much nicer awakening to a sweet little cry than a loud annoying alarm!! Then we just go with the flow most mornings. It might be cleaning the house or getting to a camp but for some reason it's much more fun dropping the kids off at 8 o clock for camp compared to school! Little Red is off at church camp this week. I'm praying it is the best investment we make this Summer! We get to "watch" her all week through the web page pictures! That has been so much fun!! Though now she will be "bored" the rest of the Summer!

Mr Cani Bear is about to be put in solitary confinement for the next 2 months!! All I can say is PRAY for his kinder teacher!!

Miss Priss is talking up a storm!!Her voice cracks me up! My favorites right now... I help you dada!! I ride my BIKE- insert bicycling arm movement here! And K baby my baby!! And that she is! My kids all get along pretty well but there is just something about she and K Baby. Maybe its cause she curled up and slept wrapped around my belly before she was born....but it truly melts our hearts to watch!! I hope they always keep that bond because two other sisters fight enough for any one family!! (but yet it took less than 48 hours for someone to admit they missed their sister-probably was needing a good fight!)But overall I think we are pretty lucky!

Our favorite Summer activity... the pool!! All the kids love the water and even Miss Priss is learning to "swim" the others do great!

Hope everyone is enjoying their Summer.

F-I-V-E.........

2008-06-04T19:08:00.003-05:00

I can not believe our baby boy is FIVE years old!!! He is our little Jay Leno!! Always working the room for a laugh or two. He loves telling jokes, making up jokes and just being a clown!
His older siblings are fighting over who gets to teach him to read this Summer. Of course they all think they are the best for the task! Big brother has already worked with him on math and he has picked up on it all quite well! Hopefully he gets a teacher next year that will continue to build on that so the clown in him stays out of trouble!
He sure brings a spark into our family. Always bringing a smile to our faces!

The next decade

2008-05-20T06:43:00.002-05:00

Well little red has begun the next decade of her life! Oh what will it hold for her?? I remember when she was a couple months old her daddy looking at big brother saying "you're going to have to help watch over her" of course he was all of 2... well little red reached up and wacked daddy upside the head. He responded with "nevermind". And still to this day she can hold her own!! She makes very good choices for herself but at the same time she won't be pressured by others to do what she doesn't want to! Now I did NOT say she doesn't pressure others to do what they aren't suppose to. She has a habit of giving her siblings bad ideas and then sitting back waiting to watch them get in trouble!! But I guess that is one of the joys of being a big sister! She will always be our little social butterfly. Her social life is always booming. I'm sure this will be the most booming change in the coming decade. She is going to be one busy little girl!! What a fun road ahead we all have to look forward to in this next decade (which I know will fly by)!

With 6 kids one expects ER visits!!!

2008-05-02T14:01:00.002-05:00

But you'd expect the visits be DUE TO MY KIDS!!! Nope not around here! Let me just recap oh 2 weeks I guess......Old fence is needing to be removed so out goes my dear husband saw, chainsaw, and various other tools. After about an hour I hear him come in and making noises and immediately starts running water. Yep you guessed it I was relieved to see the tip of the finger intact since the chainsaw was involved....He gets the bleeding stopped and back to work....(9 hours later....) The "bear" of a post still stands and as for my husband...well toddler K said "that bear kicked daddy's hiney" and that's exactly what appeared to have happened. The bleeding finger seemed OK but the knuckle 5 times its size and immobile was concerning! So off to the Docs office! DX= infection of the knuckle! Antibiotic filled....free help came and removed the remainder of the fence!! Somewhere in that day he also hit his finger nail and it is black and will probably fall off! So a couple days pass and my dear husband decides to get somethings done for his car....a little time passes I hear the door open,funny hissing noise, water running! It appears his leg jumped in the way of the grinder so he has a lovely area left there now! Last Saturday we decided to enjoy some BBQ. Outside looks great not much that needs to be tended to so we started getting the food together. Well my ADD dear husband decides to "break up" the stumps. Yes the stumps that have been there for about a year. He broke one up no big deal, then took a break to make some fabulous BBQ. After we eat he goes back out while I clean the kitchen. When I get outside he is ramming this poor stump with a digging stick....I decided I probably should stay outside and "assist" after seeing the bear of a stump throw him on the ground I decided to suggested "pulling the stump with the mower" no luck. So back to his way! As I observe this I see the safety concerns and suggest burning the stump. I see our son beaming with pride to "help" his father. Obviously my husband was not going to listen to me and was dragging my sweet son into his testosterone party. So I order my son to get away and threaten him!! Thinking the testosterone filled bodies actually listened I went inside. About half an hour later My son comes in telling me to go look at daddy....low and behold a huge gash right on his forhead (I did refrain from saying I told you so) assesed his needs only to relize he was coharent, no fixed pupils, minor blood loss, I then say you need a stitch or 2 and I TOLD YOU SO!! He then asks can you see my brain???? Hummmmm NO I see nothing!!! NOTTA!! EMPTY!!! Though a stitch or 2 was called for he decided to live with a scar! (a permanent reminder that his wife is ALWAYS RIGHT!!) So I don't seem too heartless I did make sure he could wake up a couple times during the night! He woke up quickly each time I wacked him on the forehead!! So by now lesson learned right..... Come on who are we talking about. So Wednesday I call him to inform him a tree is fixing to fall onto the house. So he decides to pick up a chainsaw on the way home (did I fail to mention that bear ate the old one) So after he got home he tells me he's going to get the chain saw ready for tomorrow. Its 8 oclock at night what more would he do??? As I'm putting kids to bed I hear the sound of chain to wood!! So 2 of the youngest lay in bed watching daddy while oldest dear son "helps". I jump in the bath. Only to here 'hehehe that limb fell and knocked daddy down" Well there was no worry in any voice nobody was screaming and obviously falling isn't too unexpected around here. Nobody bothered to tell me though that he had fallen and couldn't get back up!! Once I was ready for bed dear hubby was in the shower I talked to my son...no mention of dady falling, much less telling me the limb knock the ladder out from under his daddy throwing him across the yard to land on top of tree limbs and a chainsaw. So dear hubby walks into the bedroom holding his intact arm saying he needs to go to the ER. I tell him to shut up and not joke around like that!! Then I look and see his arm shaking dilated blood vessels and an arm twice its size!! What's he say....I'll just wait till tomorrow I don't like the ER!! HELLO!!! Get in the car we are leaving!! So after an impressive 2 hour trip to the ER he came home with a fractured wrist and a very sore body!! The lesson we have learned is 1. hired help is cheaper than co pays 2. Never will we not carry AFLAC on my dear husband 3. Our son will help his daddy now only if his daddy stays inside!! I look forward to when my dear husband is healed because we will begin teaching him some domestic chores such as LAUNDRY!! All and all he is doing OK. His arm does hurt quite a bit and he will follow up with an orthopedic next week! Just pray for his poor patients who he'll have to stick one handed for awhile!!

You going to get another baby??

2008-04-29T21:57:00.002-05:00

Oh sweet Cani!! We pulled up to the hospital today so I could go visit someone. As I'm getting out Cani yells you going to get another baby? I laughed and said yeh give me a couple minutes. I was only in and out in 5 minutes and hop back in the van to give P the low down. After about 10 minutes C looks at me with those big brown eyes and asks "so what's the baby look like?" I said well sorry you got another sister but God gave us a little black one this time he thought we needed something different (as I rub his bald little head). He grinned and went on his way. It is so funny what goes through that little boys head. We laughed it off because these are the "funny" little things he says all day. But as everyone is sound asleep and I sit here thinking through the day I just pray that sweet little brown eyed boy isn't looking too forward to going to pick up his black baby sister any time soon!

Oh eight is great!!

2008-04-17T12:17:00.003-05:00

Hard to believe The older 4 kids are all about to turn another year older! Squeakie turned 8 last week and I think has enjoyed her month of fame! She had a friend stay the night this weekend and then our family and theirs met and went to an indoor play area with rock climbing, arcade, roller coaster, trampoline thing (seriously its name) and a huge nerf ball play area. It was a lot of fun! Each of our kids seem to pull a little more from one gene pool than others. So though she may be our 3rd child raising each one takes different tactics at times. With the first 2 we reused some and throw others out. With Squeaks we just threw all the old ones out and started from scratch. Different personality for sure. It is so funny how the boys are so much alike then #2 and #4 are very similar and it appears that Squeaks and Baby K may have like personalities. Time will tell. If that's the case we are going to pair each like child up to share a room because I don't know if we can handle the disagreements for another round with the youngest 2! As I say Never A Dull Moment around here! Happy Birthday Month Squeakie, Wee, MeeMee depends who says it!!

Oh the things trapped in a 2yr olds head!!

2008-03-31T11:35:00.003-05:00

It is so funny to listen to Miss Priss! She may not have been verbal up till now but don't let that fool you..... she was watching everyones every move and listening to EVERY word!! Lets see some of her favorites. "Let Go Me!!!" we hear this one often. I caught her playing on the bench the other day when I asked what are you doing I get "I sweeming" and that she was laying on the bench SWIMMING! Her daddy told her to do something outside the other night and she looked up (with that parents are such idiots voice) "It dark!!" And my favorite not the least bit original but it still makes me laugh the 5th time around... "I bleeding I bleeding" with bright red ketchup on the tip of her finger!(yes I'm easily entertained)It is just so funny to listen to her when I expect to get simple basic responses I get a full thought process that catches me off guard!Hearing her sing the songs on her shows is a hoot! She is quite the little character still a bit squealy and a tad bit of a temper but oh my gosh she makes us laugh!! She set out Saturday swinging herself for most of the time. Perfectly content just being independent.But no matter how moody she may be she always smiles at Baby K and will be sweet and love on her! And we are no where near weaning from the finger sucking... she just has to switch when her favorite gets chapped and raw!

Hippity Hoppity Easter Came And Went!!

2008-03-28T14:16:00.004-05:00

Well that was a quick holiday! Sonrise service was a little cool and windy but one of our traditions (some enjoy it more than others) When we arrived home baskets were filled with Springtime goodies! Less than a week later I think the bubbles are all spilled I mean blown and everything has been broke in well! Then it was off to NaMaw ans PaPaws for more baskets filled,an egg hunt and yummy food. I forget just how much fun watching a 2 year old hunt for eggs can be! Baby K got her one and was content holding on to it! Mr 6th grader knows mom is going to limit candy intake so he ate it as fast as he got it! Now Spring has sprung and we are all anixous for Summer and pool time!!Lets pray for rain during the Spring this year instead of summer time floods!!

Where did the month go??

2008-03-22T09:48:00.003-05:00

Wow it's been over a month!! I guess I shouldn't claim things to be an excuse BUT cut me a little slack!! I am raising 6 kids ya know!! And since that wasn't challenging enough I decided to open my own business! Check out my web site www.admirablephotography.com This has been a dream for quite some time and the timing just fell into my lap when it did. I am so lucky to have such a supportive husband who has really encouraged me and has helped with some great ideas. He doesn't always see the same thing I do in a photograph so I at times let that input go in one ear and out the other but as far as promoting my business he has had some very clever ideas and is a very helpful hand.
Thanks to some other clever ideas I'm organizing my house going through closets,attics ect clearing out clutter so in order to weed through clutter it seems I just am making more! But I will thank these people with these clever ideas when its all said and done!!
The kids are finishing up a week of Spring Break. I always hate Spring Break its like the little tease before Summer. And this year I don't think they have another day off till Summer break. So it will be a grueling last 9 weeks filled with MANY activities! I don't think we have a free weekend till June!! Which that does make the time fly!! For Spring Break we went camping!! Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and are ready to venture out again!! Other than some fierce wind we had great weather and a lot of fun!! I like roughing it a bit more than my other half though.
Baby K is coming onto 8mo next week! Yep you read that right 8 months! She is crawling all over, pulling up, clapping, and just turning into a little person! She is still such a great baby. Though I've heard a certain 4 year old call her spoiled. Yes I am to blame a little but her siblings are much worse than me!! They still fight over who gets to hold and play with her!
Toddler K is talking up a storm now!! She pretty much says it all now!! And still when she is good she is really really good but when shes bad she is REALLY REALLY bad!! But her personality is really blooming and is so very cute! She is getting to be a little more of a daddy's girl the past couple weeks! She like a little red headed girl we know will definitely hold their own in life!
We are all looking forward to Easter tomorrow morning always a fun holiday in our house!

Our 2 Little Sweethearts!!

2008-02-17T18:02:00.002-06:00

Oh what are we in for???

2008-02-09T21:23:00.000-06:00

So today we are out and about running errands. Stop for a bite to eat and after we order we were just sitting waiting and chatting. Mr C (could stand for charmer) looks at me with those beautiful brown eyes and just as serious as could be says "I gotta get that girl with the yellow hair's phone number." Mind you he's gazing across the restraunt at our blond college aged waitress. You would have thought he was an 18 year old boy! Quite funny that he knows how to hit on a pretty girl BEFORE he even knows she has BLONDE hair not yellow! P did say all along that boy has it made having 2 older and 2 younger sisters so close in age!! But I guess really its his older brothers friends we should worry about or the babysitters! Daddy says he has good taste! :)