Updates..

Well, blogging has definitely taken a backseat to, well, life. We are staying pretty busy these days. Addison is still loving school, I just wish that I didn't have to walk her in everyday because these mornings are getting pretty chilly. I know that soon she won't want me to walk her in, so I do cherish our walks.

The kids have been practicing for their Christmas play at church. They do love our church!

The husband is back in school. I am very proud of him for going back (again) and pursuing something that makes him happy. I am even loving typing up his homework for him =) I actually get to do something "adult" for a bit. I spend the majority of my time taking care of the kids and house, that taking time out to help my husband is very rewarding. He is pursing a BS in Ministry and Leadership. Where God's road may take us, I don't know, but we are looking forward to the journey.

Umm...Not much else is new. The kiddos are enjoying life, we are enjoying life...nothing too exciting!

I hope everyone had a safe and Happy Halloween! I know we sure did!!

Diapers???

What a title to a post. Diapers. What does that have to do with anything? Well, I have discovered a new favorite diaper. With only 1 left in diapers, it is a little too late, but oh well. Usually I use the Babies r us brand Especially for Baby...They are very durable and don't leak. A big plus, they are soo inexpensive. Well, a sweet lady at church on Sunday brought me a coupon for the Target brand diapers, so we got some. I think they are very comparable to the Especially for Baby brand. I have not had any problems with them at all. I found a few stray Pampers around the house and used those a few days, and I will never do that again. Kamryn woke up every day, soaking wet with the gel falling out of the diaper. Not fun. So, Babies r us or Target? Target is closer, I will probably stick with those until Kamryn is potty trained..which will most likely be a while, because, face it..Kids these days are rarely potty trained by age 2. Anyways...that's it on diapers.

Life right now is wonderful. I love my husband dearly. He amazes me every day! Oh yeah, he irritates me every day too. Who's husband doesn't irritate them? It isn't anything "bad" that he is doing. He just knows how to push my buttons, and so he does it...CONSTANTLY! He knows I don't get mad, I just get flustered. Gotta love that about him!

Addison just turned 5! I can't believe it! I remember everything about my pregnancy with her, and my labor. It was kinda fun going back and thinking about that again. She is loving school.

Logan is just Logan. He is on a movie frenzy here lately. He started out watching Cars 3 times a day, then he moved on to Happy Feet. Now, he is on a Kung Fu Panda fit. Gotta love him.

Kamryn, is my difficult child right now. I think she is teething. She is incredibly fussy. Medicine calms her down. She is eating us out of house and home. It is ridiculous!

Me, I am fine. There are alot of things going on in my life. Most I choose to ignore, because if I dwell on the bad (people or situations) I will just get stressed out and hate everything. I choose to live in the moment and enjoy the good things. I know I have to "deal" with the bad things, eventually, but right now, I just ignore. It is easier. I couldn't get through the day to day dealings of bad things without my husband. He is always there to remind me to "not worry and don't care." I sure to love him. He keeps me very balanced. He pulls me back down to earth when I just float away thinking about the terrible things. We had a seminar at church last Sunday and that was the BEST Sunday I have had in a long time. We were at church from 9:30 until 2!! I loved it. I almost wish every day could be that wonderful, but I know that isn't reality. We learned how most churches go wrong and how people fail is because they aren't giving God all the glory. People make everything about them, and it shouldn't be that way, it should all be about God. He didn't just send His Son to die on the cross to save us from our sins. He sent His Son to die on the cross to save us from our sins to give Him all the Glory. The last part just always gets lost in translation. It is truly difficult to stop making everything about us. But I am trying to remember every day to give God the Glory and to stop making it all about me. Anyways, Great times. That is really all for now. Don't have much else to say.

Oh, What a day!

Well, today just stinks...The husband left around noon to go out of town to work. I sure do miss him when he isn't here. As much as he just lays around on the couch, you wouldn't think I would notice he was gone, but I really do notice because my work around the house doubles. I know he will be back tomorrow night, but I just miss him like crazy already!

Everything is going great. My headaches are, for the most part, gone!!

Not really anything new to say, except that I am getting really REALLY irritated. I could care less if these people know who they are or not, but seriously GROW UP.

Anyways, with all of that aside, it is time to get Kamryn out of bed, and fix some dinner (Yay for frozen pizzas!) and get the kids in bed...I am about ready to collapse!

So, with that being said...bye...maybe I can find something interesting to post soon...

oh..where to begin??

Well, These last few weeks have been crazy. Addison started school last week and absolutely loves it. She begs to go every day and doesn't understand why she can't go on the weekends. She wanted to go all day, but the 4-year old program is only 1/2 a day. It has been a success so far.

Logan is hooked on Cars..he watches it at least once a day, sometimes more.

Kamryn is growing...

The husband has me hooked on Farm town on Facebook. It drives me nuts that I am so into it, but my husband has successfully turned me into himself, so why wouldn't I like it?

This is a short post, I have to go work on my homework for Bible Study even though it was cancelled tonight. Maybe one day soon I can write more. Off to tend the farm and work on my homework. =)

Tolerance

While every person HAS to tolerate something on a daily basis. I believe I have met my tolerance quota for the rest of my life! Here in the last month or so, I believe I have been very tolerant to some things that have gone on. While I'm not here to point fingers or name names (is that the same thing?) I just want to prove a point.

I have some HUGE pet peeves of mine. Most of them, I can do nothing about, except to some degree, tolerate it, and then complain about it =)

1. Disrespectful people. While I am sure I have been disrespectful at some times, I believe that I tolerate this one way to much. I usually just let what is said roll off my back and I ignore it. However, when someone is just straight up disrespectful to my children, or to me about my children, I can no longer tolerate it anymore. If I feel like I have been disrespectful, I apologize for it. I know I have been disrespectful when I feel guilty about it. So, yeah, I'm not saying I have never been disrespectful, but when I am, I apologize. If you want to be disrespectful to me, then leave me alone...and get out of my life.

2. People who say one thing and do another, especially when it is to cover their rear end. I try to be the person who is true to my word. If I'm not, that makes me a liar, and I don't like that. I don't want to be a liar and completely have someone put all of their trust in me, just to have me let them down. which brings me to...

3. People who let others down on a daily basis. I have had my share of this in my lifetime. Whether it be friends or family. I am the type of person that when I am told something, I get all excited and pepped up, and usually I am the one being let down. It doesn't feel good.

3. Driving. Yes, I dislike driving. I think it is that everyone thinks they are the only person on the road and the only thing that matters is that they get to their destination as fast as possible, with complete disregard for anyone else. It is for this reason I usually only drive to church, and the store.

4. People proving me wrong, on a daily basis. This one isn't so much of a pet peeve as it is an annoyance. My husband is the best at this. However, when he does prove me wrong, I usually deserve to be made fun of and we usually have a good laugh. But seriously, who likes being proved wrong?

5. Talking to someone on the phone, and in the middle of your conversation they just start talking to someone else without saying "hold on a minute." enough said...

6. Not having any privacy what so ever. I know this is a price you have to pay when it comes to having kids, but seriously, I would like to change my clothes every once in a while without someone walking in and trying to talk to me.

7. Being told something so completely ridiculous about myself, that I just have to say "What???" I mean, seriously...why on earth would anyone tell someone else, "Oh, by the way, you are rude, you are an inconvenience, you are unappreciative, you are stupid." I'm not saying all of these things have been said about me, but seriously, When I look back at myself, I don't see myself as being rude. When I am spoken to, I speak back, just because it isn't exactly what you want to hear, doesn't mean that I am being rude. Or when I ask a question and someone says "Well, that's stupid." Seriously, I only ask because I honestly don't know, I just want an answer. I was raised in Sperry, there is a lot I don't know.

8. Being told how to live my life. I may ask for advice, that doesn't mean I am going to take it, but I do take it into consideration. I believe that my life is just that, MY LIFE. I don't think anyone should be able to tell me, "You need to live here, you don't need to have any more kids, you need to do this or that." Honestly, maybe you need to be telling yourself that stuff. I decide what is going to happen in my life (Well, with God's help) I discuss things with my husband, we make a decision based on what we want.

9. Being asked for advice and then being told that I need to just let you live your life how you want to. Come on, if you want to live your life how you want to, then don't ask for advice if you are just going to complain about it. enough said....

10. Not being able to do what I want when I want without fear of being judged. I know that I shouldn't feel this way, and that I shouldn't care what others think. But in our current situation, it is a feeling that isn't going away anytime soon. I hate feeling so uncomfortable. I wish I could go back to the days where I could walk out of my front door or in my front door, for that matter, without being judged. I want to be able to sit around and do nothing or be able to go and do something without being judged on it. But, as I know this isn't happening anytime soon, I guess I just have to suck it up and continue feeling uncomfortable.

Anyways, I do have way more pet peeves than this, but these are the ones that are bugging me alot today. I really just felt like I needed to vent on those things, as I realize the only person I can really "talk" to about this stuff is my husband, and he has heard it enough. I'm sure right now I am one of his pet peeves, but he doesn't make me feel that way. He listens (most of the time) and gives me advice, and I really try to take his advice, but it is hard for me, and it isn't my nature to be so laid back about EVERYTHING. I absolutely love my husband with all my heart, and he means everything to me. Just my little rant for today, I am going to try to get on with the rest of my day without letting any of these things bother me (Wish me luck!) We have an exciting weekend ahead, as well as an exciting next week. Lots of stuff happening! I can't wait!!!

Searching and Praying.

Well, this week has gotten off to a rocky start. I have had a terrible past few weeks. I have been very discouraged and depressed. Then, I got an invite to a ladies Bible study. I asked the husband if he could manage the kids on Tuesday evenings so I could go, and he said "Of Course." So, the first night came, and I went. I was very intimidated, but I am just that type of person. It takes me a while to get warmed up. I noticed I stuck around the people I knew the best, and just stayed away from those that I didn't know. Little did I know, that one night could change the world for me. I learned so much in that one night, that I couldn't imagine how I had gone so long without this fellowship and time of learning. Well, to make a long story short, I am in love. This bible study has opened up so many doors to "what can be" in my life, instead of what I just have to accept. I don't have to accept anything that isn't a "God Idea." ( A good idea isn't always a God-idea) Anyways, last Tuesday, I had a lightbulb turn on inside my head, and I realized it was God, and he opened up new doors for me, and I am excited to get things started. However, the moment I knew what God wanted, Satan started coming in and had me second guessing God and what I was to do. I felt so discouraged. Then, I talked to one of the women in my bible study about it, and she was most encouraging to me. I am now content with what I am supposed to do, and am actually excited...Then, in comes the devil again. This week started off sooo well. I was in a great mood and great mindset, and then it was like the world was crumbling beneath me. I didn't go to bible study this past Tuesday because so much had happened, I was overwhelmed and just felt like if I were to leave "the" house it wouldn't be a great idea. So, I stayed home. Did things get better?

No.

Things went downhill from there. I spent all day yesterday with a migraine that made me so sick I didn't feel like doing a thing. I also spent the majority of the day bawling my eyes out. Fear of the unknown, and future, and present just flooded into my head and I thought that I needed to take control and figure everything out. Finally, at the end of the day (well, 5:00) I hadn't gotten anywhere, and I realized, I can't take control of a situation that I have no control over in the first place. God has the ultimate control. We came into this situation, thinking it was going to be the best choice for us, and now I realize, it wasn't a God-idea, so He hasn't blessed the situation. I understand now, what is going on. We are in this situation because we didn't pray about it first, we impulsively made a decision to go forward with it. Where has it gotten us? No where. Yes, God is present in our lives. No, He isn't making us miserable. We have to make a decision on this situation, and you can guarantee that it will be a God-idea. I will not ever make a decision like this again. At least, I hope I don't. It has not only made us miserable, but it is breaking me down. It is to the point where I just don't know what to do. I have prayed numerous times in the past day, and it is all out of my hands now. I can only follow through with what God wants for us. All of this that I have mentioned became even more evident last night, as I was doing my homework for bible study. I came to this realization last night. Before last night, I was an emotional wreck. Here are a few things my book said last night.

"Sometimes we reflect on times we tried to do something right and do it well and still think to ourselves, It should have worked! God just decided not to bless it."

"God can also bless out lives profoundly for our pure-hearted plans even when He can't, for kingdom reasons, bless our idea."

"When God doesn't appear to bless your plan to do something for Him, consider that He wants to do something for you instead. Ask Him what! Then, as He reveals it to you over time, cooperate and let Him do it! Every work of our hands that God truly blesses always originates with a specific work of His in us."

and last...

"Listen, Beloved. You aren't-nor have you ever been-a failure. Anything God has stopped you from doing for Him was only so you's be still enough to let Him first do something for you."

(Beth Moore, Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed)

I read those last night and realized that this invitation to participate in this bible study was Gods way of helping me with this situation. Not only does it help out now, it will help out in the future.

A good friend at church last night told me that she had been praying for me and my headaches the past few days, and said "I have realized that when I recognize that satan is tempting me or trying to deceive me, if I say out loud for him to leave me alone, it helps. Maybe you should try that." Those weren't her exact words, but that is my summarization of what she said.

So here it is, "Satan, GO AWAY. YOU will not win! In the Name of Jesus Christ, LEAVE ME ALONE!!"

Boy, does that ever help!

Who's Crazy????

Yeah, we all are! I discovered this while talking to my sister on the phone yesterday. Her husband kindly said that we are all crazy. I replied with "He's crazy!" Greg replied with, "It takes one to know one!" But you know, it is all true. We all have crazy tendencies. I'm sure everyone in the world has someone that thinks they are crazy. What does this have to do with my blog today? Absolutely nothing =)

Anyways, life right now in the Buckner house, is well, crazy.

Our weeks are so full, and the kids aren't even in school yet. Sundays are church days and then clean up the old house days. No, we still aren't done with that doggone house yet. We think we are finished, and then it turns out it still isn't good enough to put on the market. Am I happy about that? No. But that is a different story. Mondays, are daddy works while mommy watches the kids and then go over and work on the house. Tuesdays, Addison has gymnastics, and I have started doing a ladies Bible study, Wednesdays are church, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays are all work on the house days. Will it ever end? I am at the point where I think this stupid old house is never going to be on the market, because well, I assume it will never be good enough. Quite frankly, I am sick and tired of spending every free moment of our lives over at that house because it means the kids are stuck playing the Nintendo Ds while Mommy is in one room, and daddy is in another. I don't like my kids to play video games much. I think they can apply themselves in better ways, but it keeps them busy and quiet while we are working. I have not gotten to spend a free moment with my husband in quite some time. I need my husband, we need to have time to talk to one another and not just the routine "I love you, I love you toos." Yes, I guess I could not go to my ladies bible study, but then, that is one more night we would be over at that house. I still wouldn't get to spend time with my man! Life is very difficult for us right now. The transition of moving is a lot harder than I thought it would be, and we are trying our hardest to make things work, but it is proving to be very difficult. I have spent countless hours crying my eyes out because I am super stressed and angry and frustrated, and by golly, I just want to give up! But, we sacrificed a lot to be where we are at right now, some days it seems worth it, some days, it doesn't. I don't know how much longer I can take this life, but I am trying my hardest to give it all to God and let him carry me through. I have realized that I can't do it all myself, I can't walk down this road anymore. God will have to carry me the rest of the way.

Anyways, I am loving my ladies Bible study. We are doing, Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed. It is amazing. I love all the ladies that participate and I am enjoying getting to know them better. It helps to know that these ladies have my back and are more than willing to help out with anything. I love it. I can't wait to go tonight. I have aaaalllllllmmmmmoooooosssssssttttttt finished my homework. I am struggling with some things and it is proving to be very difficult.

Anyways, I think I just really needed to vent some more about that dadgum house. This might be the task that completely ruins me and breaks me. I hope not. I know that God is there, and if this situation is not at all possible, He will help me fix it or help me regroup and change our lives to go in a different direction. Whatever He choses to do, I am more than willing to go!!

Well, Mom and Grandma are on their way over here. I am looking forward to a great visit!

Moving???

Yep. We did it! We finally moved into the new house.

Yeo. We still aren't done with the old house.

As difficult as a process moving can be with 3 kids (and a husband), we made it happen. We were VERY fortunate to have a family friend come down and watch the kids for the week we were moving. That meant, I could pack, load up, unpack, go back and do it all however many times it took, without having to worry about my kids being in the way and not being able to get anything done. It took the entire week to get fully unpacked. Well, that is a lie. We aren't fully unpacked. We still have the office left, but we don't have the bookshelf we want yet, and what is the point in unpacking stuff, just to have to pack it up again?

We are loving the new house...it was a difficult transition to go from 2 full bathrooms, to 1 full bathroom and a bathroom with only a sink and bathtub. I'm not complaining, it is just "God forbid that one of the kids has to go to the bathroom while mommy or daddy is showering." These kiddos have the worst timing...so yes, I have taught Logan to pee outside! Addison doesn't understand why she can't. Anyways, I love living here. I love cleaning this house. No, I don't have pictures yet. Yes, I will take some...one day.

Kamryn is now walking...ALL OVER THE PLACE. And, she is drinking whole milk...only...the only milestone left for her, is drinking out of a cup. I can't bear to break my last baby of the bottle yet. I can't believe how she has grown. Oh yeah, she FINALLY has 2 teeth!

Logan and Addison are good. They are enjoying their playroom to the fullest. We finally got their TV hooked up and all, and so they play in there, or Logan goes into his room and plays while Addison stays in the playroom...and guess what?? NO FIGHTING!!!! That has been the greatest thing.

Well, I hear all 3 kids calling for me to get them out of bed. I don't mind doing that in this house =)

Kamryn...

Well, the dreaded day came.

Kamryn is now 1 year old! I'm pretty sad about it. She had a great birthday party. We all had a blast. Anyways, this week is Vacation Bible School at our church. Last night was the first night and it went GREAT! Addison brought her friend Kylie. They had a blast and we are ready for the rest of the week! Here are some pictures from Kamryn's big day!

Singing Happy Birthday!


Look Mom, I can eat my cake with no hands!


So happy to share her cake!

My Husband...

I absolutely, positively, without a doubt, LOVE my husband. He is amazing. He is also very lucky to have married such a tolerant, laid back wife. I don't know of many husbands who get to come home from work, and lay down on the couch and just watch tv all evening. Well, Mine does. And, he deserves it.

Anyways, enough mushiness....

Yesterday, I called my husband around 5:10, because I was getting ready to heat up the deep fryer and there wasn't any oil in it, so I wanted to find out exactly what to do, so I don't mess it up. He tells me, and we hang up. Then, about 5 or so minutes later (maybe longer) my phone rings and it is the husband. He says," I just totaled my car so I don't know what time I'll be home." I said, "What? Are you okay?" He said, "Yeah, I just totaled my car, I'm okay, I'll be able to figure something out after the cop gets out of my car." Well, the call went on and on and I finally felt like he was ok, and I was able to hang up. Then, I started bawling. Apparently, it was his fault, he rear-ended a guy, both cars were pretty messed up, but both of them were able to walk away from the accident. That doesn't happen often. Well, to make a long story short, JD had the car towed to the new house, and my father in law brought him back home. After he got inside, and before I could grill him, he took a shower, then made a few phone calls. Then, I started asking questions. One of the first things he said was...

"I am blessed."

What?!?! After a car accident, and now having no car, how can you be blessed?

He said, "I'm okay. The other guy is okay. I am blessed."

Wow. What a way to view a car accident. I'm sure I would be no less than panicked and crazy. I was no less than panicked and crazy, and I wasn't even in the other accident. But, that is my husband. Yes, he cares about the situation and the fact that our insurance will go up, and we had to get our other broken down car in working order, but he still has his faith in God, and knows he is being taken care of. He is content. He isn't worried or anything. He is calm, and content. I love him. He is definitely helping me keep my sanity. Especially with us in the middle of packing, and this crazy economy, this situation just wrecked my stress level, but my husband comes in and just eases my worries with his contentedness. (What a way to live the sermon that was preached to us on Sunday!) Anyways, I love my husband, even though he is turning me into himself. I consider myself a very lucky woman to have found my perfect mate, and to have found it in him! Anyways, too sappy?? I think so. I just made a cookie cake, so I'm gonna go eat while Logan and Kamryn are sleeping!

Whatever...

Well, this will be short, probably not sweet, and to the point. I have more errands to run. It isn't fun. (boy, that rhymes!) I'm not a happy camper. I haven't told anyone why yet. Does it matter?

No.

Does anyone care?

No.

Do I really care?

No.

I had this little thing all written out and decided not to post it. It isn't the worlds business. It is mine. And, I really could care less how much more effort I put forth. I'm done.

Now, It's back to running errands. Oh, By the way, yesterday, our sermon was about being content in every situation. Well, guess what, I'm content in this crazy twisted situation. Because why? I don't care anymore. I'm content with my life how it is. I know there will be circumstances that will come in and mess up this life I have right now, and that's okay. That is part of being content about my life. I can handle it. Anyways, more on the sermon later when I have time.

See ya!

and more packing...

Well, JD and I exercised last night... 15 minutes cardio and 15 minutes core body on My Personal Trainer...and then I did about 25 minutes on Wii Fit. I am exhausted....but I am still packing. I started on Kamryn's room. There is SO MUCH JUNK. Oh well, we are sifting through everything and throwing out stuff we don't want. Goodwill will have so much stuff once we are done. Anyways..Here is a picture or two that I promised...




well, maybe just one picture...but a really cute one!!

Packing...

Well, this weekend was great. It was LONG, but great. We spent lots of time with family, and it was fun. We were pretty much outside constantly until Monday, and we took the day off and just layed around. It was great! And, we are now packing up the house, for the big move. I have been filing EVERYTHING that hasn't been filed in the last year or 2 or 3....and we are throwing out everything that we don't use. EVERYTHING!!! I probably won't be doing much else besides packing. I haven't even had time to do Wii Fit...I have gained weight since I haven't been exercising. I have pictures...will post later...back to packing!

Dealing with Stress.

Well, these past few weeks have been hectic. We have had sick kids, and what not. Right now, the kids seem to be on the mend. The only thing they have going right now is runny noses. Thank goodness! I have been battling headaches. I think I determined last night, after I took painkillers and such, that they are tension/stress headaches. Now, only to get rid of the stress.

Not gonna happen anytime soon.

I think all people, regardless of age, race, religion, weight, height,...etc... go through stressful events. Some things are more stressful than others. Nontheless, everyone's stress affects them differently. Apparently, mine makes me sick. Seriously. Sick.

I don't want to go into details what my stress factor is right now. I just know it is there. I was so dibilitated last night by this headache, that I had to stay home from church. Believe me, I would have rather been at church, than watching American Idol. I missed church. I couldn't keep anything down, and I was confined to the couch...with Kamryn. It was an interesting night. I realized after JD and the other kids got home from church, that I wasn't looking in the right direction for relief of my stress. I remembered last Sunday, a very inspirational woman at church sang a song about God and how whatever crossroads you come to in your life He will bring you through it.

I decided to get out my Bible and look through it for some encouragement. JD came in the bedroom and said "What are you doing?" I said "Oh, just reading." He said, "Well, our devotion for today was Psalms 104, I think. You should read it. It was about cancer, It was either Psalms or Romans." So, I looked up Psalms 104. It didn't really sound like a passage for someone wanting to seek comfort for cancer would read. So I kept reading. Psalms 105. Keep reading. Psalms 106. Then I read it. Psalms 107! I read it, and reread it. This is exactly what I was looking for. Here is a bit of the passage:

(this is from Logan's Bible, because it is the closest one to me)

"O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever..."
(it goes on to talk about some of the people and their hardships...)
" Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness.."
Psalms 107: 12-14

What a wonderful passage to read. Especially in my time of distress. This prompted me to rethink how I was dealing with my stress. I prayed for a little over an hour and I immediately felt better. I have always known to trust God with everything and he will provide, but it is really hard sometimes. I know through this time of hardship for us, God will provide. I don't know how, I don't know when. But I am at ease. Although thinking about the situation prompts me to worry, I just have to put the worry aside and pray to God and He will comfort me and He lets me know that everything will be okay!

Wow! What an amazing night.

3 kids or 4???

Well, my last post was about curveballs, and how I knocked them out of the park. I think the past few days have been a whirlwind of curveballs. So many, I lost count. However, this round, I was defeated.

I hate to have a defeatest attitude, but sometimes it just gets the best of me. Saturday was spent with 3 sickly kids. All 3 of them vomited in a 24 hour period. I am pretty sure it was due to allergies and drainage, because they are all okay now, they just have stuffy noses. After I didn't have ANY sleep Friday night, I had about a 15 minute nap Saturday. That didn't do much for me. I was angry Saturday night because I got in bed after 10 PM. I REALLY wanted to be in bed by like 8, however, the children wouldn't co-operate. I really didn't want to get up in the morning and get ready for church, but I did. I am so glad that I did. Our pastor had an amazing sermon. This Sunday it was short, and to the point, fire and brimstone. I LOVE it! I love his sermons because there isn't a "hidden meaning." He lays it all out for you, and gives it to you straight. I used to have a difficult time at my last church because it was like you had to look for the hidden meaning in what was NOT said. It was very confusing and very unfulfilling for me. I guess that should have been the point where I needed to move on. However, this Sunday was so refreshing for me. I know the week was going to be GREAT.

Boy, was I wrong.

Not that it has been terrible, but it hasn't been one of the better weeks. Yesterday, I had a meeting at church. It was wonderful to be away from my kids for that long...then I had to pick them up. I was glad to see them, I was not glad to have to pay to pick them up, but when you have to pay someone to watch your kids, you can't really complain. The one thing I was going to do, was apply for some jobs, however, I forgot. Maybe I can drop them off one day and go fill out these applications. I spent the majority of yesterday afternoon cleaning, and yelling, but such is the life of a mom.

Then, today comes...I have a terrible headache. No, no, not just terrible, but TERRIBLE. I had to turn of all the lights and just let the kids do whatever they pleased. Not a great idea. So, I had to turn the lights on and clean up their messes...with my headache. Then I cooked dinner. Now, the husband is home, and after everyone is done eating, I get to clean all over again. I am watching Logan lick the table clean. Anyways...the title of today's post...really has to do with my 3 children...and my husband. Do I mind having to clean up after him like I do with the other kids?? Not really, Yes, I wish he would put his dishes in the dishwasher instead of the sink, but it's okay. He works all day away from home. I don't mind cleaning up after him. Yes, I wish he would give me a hand on rough days like today, but it's okay. I am a mom, and a wife, I signed up for this job a long time ago. However, I did see on the news today that "they" (I don't know who "they" is) figured out how much a stay at home mom should make a year. I guess "they" based it on all of a mom's jobs, and a SAHM should make around $120,000 a year. I SOOOOOOO wish I got paid money for being a mom. That would be fantastic, but I will settle for hearing a "Mom, you make the best food all of the days." even on days that I just make Tuna Helper.

Tomorrow, is church. We are starting new classes for the kiddos. Addison has decided to do card making. I am helping out in card making, so we will see how that goes. Anyways...Here is a picture...or 3 =)

Curveball, anyone??

Well, life throws us curve balls sometimes, and we can either aim high and knock it out of the park, or we can strike out and feel defeated.

I am notorious for feeling defeated anytime I get thrown a curve ball. No matter the circumstance, I usually (99% of the time) strike out and blame myself and beat myself up. I guess that is just my nature?? I don't know. I can usually pick myself up and move on, but I dwell on it.

Today, is not one of those days. Well, at first it was. I thought it would be a normal day of cleaning, cooking, taking care of kids, ya know, the usual. Then, my first curve ball was thrown. Kamryn slept much later than Addison and Logan. Not a big deal. I got them fed and when Kamryn woke up, I got her fed, and put her in the pack 'n play. I started the usual cleaning, and straightening up, when I heard this noise.

Curveball #2. Kamryn was throwing up. I jumped up and started cleaning her up, and cleaning up the playpen. I took her temperature and it was normal. I got her a change of clothes and when I went to put them on her, I noticed she was hot, so I took her temperature again. It was 100 degrees. I tried to put her down for a nap (it was that time.) but she wouldn't sleep. I put her in her walker and proceeded on with my day. I would say that I took a swing at that one and at least got on base...

I fixed the kids lunch, gave Kamryn some pedialyte, and called the dr just to make sure I was doing everything right (even on kid #3, you can't be to sure) then...

Curveball#3. Addison runs in the living room, and told me how she had just thrown up. Yes, all over Logan's bed. So, I got her the throw up bucket and let her lay on the floor, and proceeded to take off Logan's sheets and do laundry. So there you have it. 3 curveballs right in a row. Here is the time that I usually get defeated. I think to myself that I can't do this. I need help. Right now, I am on top of the world. I have complete confidence in myself as a mother, that I can take care of a sick baby and a sick 4 year old, and a normal rambunctious 3 year old.

I dare life to throw another curveball at me. Yes, I know I am probably setting myself up for a HUGE ordeal, but that's okay. I can do this. I am able. So, with that being said, let me clean up more throw up, do the laundry, dishes, and clean the rest of the house, all while watching my soaps. =)

Extreme Makeover, Bedtime Edition??

Well, the time finally came to re-arrange bedrooms. Hopefully that marks the last bedroom change in this house. When we just had the 2 kids, the room situation was easy, Addison had her room, and Logan had his. Then we threw another child into the mix, and ta-daa!!! we had to re-arrange rooms. We decided that since a baby is up in the middle of the night, to try Logan in Addison's room. It worked out well. He was in his crib and Addie in her big girl bed. The late nights of talking weren't that great, but we delt.

Then, a few weeks ago, Logan decided to turn into a big boy over night (sniff, sniff) and we put him in his big boy bed. Thus began the endless hours of yelling at the kids to stay in bed and for the love, BE QUIET!!!! Well, this just wasn't working out well. So, Tuesday night, we decided to take action. Addison's bed is the easiest to move, so we re-arranged Kamryn's room and put Addison in there with her. However, what I didn't prepare myself for...Addison, talking to Kamryn.

Yes, Kamryn just babbles back, but they talk...and talk. Well, the first night went well, until I woke up to Logan yelling "Sissy, what are you doing?" I promptly got up and said "Logan, don't yell" I went back into the bedroom and thought I could get a few more minutes of sleep (Oh yeah, this was at 6:30 IN THE MORNING.) The next thing I know, Logan and Addison are running through the house. So, I promptly got up, put Addison and Logan in bed and got Kamryn out of bed and told them "You will stay in your bed until I tell you that you can get out of bed." This resulted in much screaming and crying, and not just from me =) They stayed a bit longer and I got them out of bed and fed them, and we went about our day.

Another thing I didn't prepare for...All 3 kids being awake before I want to wake up. I am used to Kamryn waking up and playing in her bed at 6:30. I get her out around 7:30is or so, after I shower. The other kids wouldn't wake up until around 8. Now, they are all awake around 6:30. I guess this means that I have to start taking my showers at night again, and making myself get up at 6:30. I am not looking forward to that.

Well, I thought I had a lead on a job, I submitted my application on Monday, bright and early, and as of yesterday they hadn't denied my application. Today I checked and it said my application was being reviewed. I was so hopeful, but I checked a little while ago and it had been denied. That is like my 10th application to be denied. I just can't catch a break. Oh well, I will keep trying.

I am so sick of this weather. It makes me just want to sleep all day, and I can't do that. I have to clean, and when it is rainy, I don't want to clean. My house is all dark and dreary, and I want to relax, but I have never ending laundry to do and never ending dishes. Oh the joys of being a stay at home mom...and this is why I want to go back to work. Anyways, not much else new in our lives. Just the same ol'. The washer and dryer are calling my name. I should get back to work.

This week

Well, this week has been way out of the ordinary. I know I said that I wouldn't be blogging for a while, but stress makes me do things I say I won't.

Looking for a job is harder than I expected. I have filled out 8 applications the past 2 days. I have daycare lined up, but need a confirmation on a job to be able to put them in day care. Craziness!

I guess since I don't have any type of degree, I am not qualified for anything. IT sucks!!!

And, to top it off, our A/C is broken. And I'm not talking, can be fixed in an hour, broken. It is BROKEN!!! The guy came out today to look at it. He isn't sure what is going on, it needed coolant. It was on empty, so he was going to fill it, and the unit overheated. It was so bad, he had to put everything away and they have to come back tomorrow to try to fix it. If it still doesn't cool down tomorrow, he said most likely the compressor is bad. I'm not sure if the unit is still under warrenty, if now...WE'RE SCREWED!!! It is over 80 degrees in our house. I have been letting the kids run around in underwear, and I have on shorts and a t-shirt. I never wear shorts, I usually freeze, however, it is impossible to freeze in this house. Last night we had every fan turned on, and I didn't even use a sheet to cover up, that is sooo not normal. I even volunteered to let JD open the windows if it would cool the place down. I hate sleeping with windows open, because my allergies kill me. It is that bad, that I am overlooking my health just to cool down this house. How great for me!

So, I decided that we need to save some money around here. I called DISHNetwork today and downgraded our plan. Now, instead of the top 200 channels, we have the top 100 + local channels. I took one for the team! I should get a reward. With the downgrading, I ended up getting rid of the only channels I watch. Bye bye Soap network, discovery health, Lifetime movie network, and hallmark. =( BOO

Oh well, I am saving us almost $50 a month. Way to be frugal. With this being said, I need to go finish fixing the kids dinner, and figure out how to stay cool.

It's one of THOSE days.

I probably won't be blogging for a while...Just not into it right now, and I am too busy with a husband, kids and a freakin house. I am also looking for a job and daycare. So, won't be on for a while. Oh well.

Boys vs. Girls

Well, this is about potty training. Let me start from when we started potty training Addison. We really started when she was 18 months old. That is pretty young, but I thought repetitive action would spark her curiosity and she would catch on. Boy was I wrong. Her 2nd birthday came and went, and still she wasn't potty trained. I was letting her wear her "big girl panties" and I would set the timer and every 30 minutes I would take her to the bathroom, and she would still have accidents. I fretted over this for a while, and I kept hearing, "It's okay, she will do it when she is ready." "Don't push her too hard." No matter how many times I heard these things, I still thought that it was something I was or was not doing right. Then, her 3rd birthday came and went, and I still thought she should be potty trained, but she really wanted nothing to do with it. She would do good for an hour or so, and the would be playing so hard, that she would forget. We found out I was pregnant again, so I really wanted her to be potty trained before the baby was born. To me, it felt like she would never be potty trained, and I would be That Mom, ya know, the one with the 9 year old still in diapers and still sucking her thumb. I also thought that Logan would end up being potty trained before Addison, and he was only 2. Well, it finally happend, She was about 3 1/2 and she woke up one day and said "Mommy, I want to wear big girl panties." So, I let her pick them out, and she did fine that day. She has been fine since then. Of course, all kids when they are starting out, have a few accidents. They are few and far between though, and I am content with that.

This brings me to the boy. I decided after the pressure we put on Addison, that I would not do the same with Logan. I guess that is what having more than one child is for. You learn what to do and not to do with the first one, and you do things different with the others. I never pressured him, yet I would let him come into the bathroom with me or Addison, just so he could see what we were doing and maybe it would spark some interest. Well, I guess it did. Logan just turned 3 last month, and the past 2 weeks or so, he has been making all the effort to be potty trained. He tells us he needs to go, and sometimes he does, and sometimes he doesn't. At least he is trying. Then, he woke up on Wednesday and wanted to start out in "big boy underwears." I gladly let him pick them out and put them on. He did great, no accidents whatsoever. We were getting ready to go to church Wednesday night, so I put an extra pair of pants and undies in the diaper bag and decided to try it out with him. Well, we made it to church, and he told me he needed to go to the bathroom. I let the nursery workers know that he didn't have on pull-ups, and that he might need a little coaching. I went upstairs with the bigger kids, and looked down into the playroom, and he was still dry. When I picked him up from the nursery, they said he told them when he needed to go. He was still dry!!! I was impressed with my little man. So, daddy told him that if he went all day Thursday with no accidents, he would take down his crib and put him in the big boy bed. (His crib turns into a toddler bed.) Well, daddy got home and Logan was still dry, so he got his big boy bed!

Now, I have 2 potty trained kids and 1 to go! It is such exciting news in our life! I never thought this day would come. Now, what do you think, those of you with experience, are boys easier to potty train than girls? I think so!

In his big boy bed

Loving his new bed!

Today..

Well, today has been a hard day for me. Well, once I got the date correct, that is. I called my mom today and as we were talking, she said "Today would have been your Grandps's 80th birthday." I replied, "But I thought his birthday was the 16th." She said, "Nikki, it is the 16th."

I didn't forget his birthday, but I forgot today was the 16th. Since that conversation, he is all I have been thinking of. I have been pretty emotional. He passed away almost 3 years ago. It is still hard. I spent the majority of today thinking about the fun things we used to do. I decided to let the kids go play outside today for as long as they wanted. My grandpa used to take us outside all of the time. We (and when I say we, I mean my grandpa and my sister) would work in the garden, or do some kind of work. I usually got to sit out of all the work. I'm pretty sure I had my grandpa wrapped around my finger. He would say, "Poor little Nikki, why don't you go inside and rest." As if I was so completely worn out from eating my Grandma's yummo meals and watching cartoons. I know, it must have been all of that hard work playing school with my sister and cousins. I did all the work, because they made me be the janitor, or the cafeteria lady.

We would always walk down to the post office, and Grandpa would point out all of the houses and name who all lived there. He always told the best stories. He would also pay me to eat just about anything. He loved to joke around and sing and dance and just be silly. My heart aches knowing that my kids don't get to experience that, but I know he is in a better place, and he is no longer hurting. I'm sure he is up in Heaven giving God a run for his money!

All in all, today has been a decent day. I just miss my Grandpa. He would have been 80 years old today! I'm sure going to be happy to see him again in Heaven some day.

Happy Birthday Grandpa!! I Miss you!


On a lighter note, Logan has gone 2 whole days with no accidents in his "big boy underwears." We even made it to church and home again with no accidents. I am a pround momma! He is getting to be such a big boy!

Hope everyone is having a good day!

Feeling a bit down on myself...

Well, today was one of those days, where I felt like I was just here. I had no motivation to do anything, although, I still had to.

Recently, I was asked to serve on a ministy committee at our church, which I am very honored to have been asked. Well, I received an email wondering where I would like to be "plugged in" at. I decided what I would do, was email this person back, and give my strengths and weaknesses and according to those, be placed where I am needed or where I would fit in. In deciding to write this email, I called 2 people, I will not mention their names, nor their relationship to me. I am not mad at these people, I hold no grudges for what was or was not said. I just felt down. I asked both people "What do you think my strengths are?" The first response, from both parties was silence...like a minute of silence. The first person then replied, "Well, I guess your strength could be that you are good with kids."

SLAP!

Obviously I know this about myself already because, HELLO!!! I have 3 kids. I was looking more along the lines of skills that I am good at, organized, not organized, creative, not creative...etc.. And then I heard "Well, I'll have to think about it and call you back." Next call, "What do you think my strengths are?" Reply:"..............." Silence. This one was more of a slap in the face than the other one. Here I am thinking, "Ok, apparently, I am not good at anything, I have no strengths..." Then I hear, "Well, I guess you are good with kids since you have 3 of them."

SLAPSLAPSLAPSLAP!!!!

Now, I am thinking, "Ok, I am only good at taking care of kids. Apparently I should just become a professional baby maker because apparently that is all I am good at." Well, I ended that conversation. Once again, I am not mad at these people. I guess I just need to do some re-evaluating of my life, because apparently I have no strengths whatsoever. I guess I am just destined to make babies, have them, and care for them. How will I ever be able to go back to work if all I can list on skills is "I am good with kids." Ridiculous. Of course I am going to be down on myself. What a way to spend a day. Not only am I taking care of my 3 kids this day, cleaning the house, feeding mouths, and doing laundry, but I am also having to re-evaluate my life...

Great. What a day.

How will I end my day?

Baths for 3 kids, husband still not home, night clothes for kids, kids in bed, clean what is strewn all over the living room, and realize : right now, it is 7:23, and I have yet to eat a meal.

What a day.

It's off to the bath for the kids. Then I suppose I can get in bed, just to lay and think.

By the way, I emailed this person back and told her what areas I would like to help in and what areas I would not like to help in. I guess I could have avoided the whole situation by doing this first and not calling anyone and asking them anything.

Chalk one up for me on making myself feel down.

Whew...

Well, this past weekend, was LOOOOONG, but that didn't bother me. We had our final Easter services at church. The Crucifixion service was a good service, I saw a little more into what happened when Jesus died. Sunday was our Easter service, and I can't help but smile every time I hear the Hallelujah Chorus. Then we saw our families, not too much to tell. We got home around 4pm, and Addison was the first to fall asleep, then Logan, then Daddy, then Kamryn. I put Kam in bed, then Daddy woke up, and he woke up the kids, we put them in their night clothes and put them back to bed. Thus begins another week. This week so far, has been super busy. Here is my Monday:

6:00 AM: Wake up, shower, curl up under the covers in bed.

6:45 AM: Get out of bed, dry hair, put on makeup.

7:30 AM: Curl up under the covers again, and flip through the channels.

7:35 AM: Drag myself out of bed, and get the kids out of bed.

7:45 AM: Fix breakfast for the kids, get their clothes out of their closets.

7:55 AM: Straighten hair, get dressed.

8:10 AM: Wait for the kids to finish eating.

8:20 AM: Wait for the kids to finish eating....get the diaper bag ready, get everything ready to walk out the door.

8:30 AM: Wait for the kids to get dressed

8:40 AM: Redress the kids correctly in their clothes

8:45 AM: Start fixing Addison's hair

9:05 AM: Rush to get the kids shoes on them, and get them loaded into the car.

9:15 AM: Drop Addison and Logan off at Playtime Plus

9:25 AM: Stop at SONIC for a much needed caffine fix

9:30 AM: Head to the church

10:00AM: Meeting at church

12:15PM: Pick up kids at Playtime Plus, Head over to Pepsi

12:45PM: Leave Pepsi not too happy because it was a wasted trip over there

1:15 PM: Stop at Walmart to pick up some groceries

2:00 PM: Turn on General Hospital, fix kids lunch, feed Kamryn, put her in bed.

3:00 PM: My turn to eat lunch

3:30 PM: Finally check my email

4:00 PM: Clean kitchen and living room

5:00 PM: Start Dinner, decide to make some baby food, get Kamryn out of bed

6:00 PM: STILL fixing dinner and making baby food

6:30 PM: Feed kids and husband dinner.

7:00 PM: Clean up kitchen.

7:30 PM: Realize I haven't eaten dinner yet, get kids night clothes out, fix bottle for Kamryn

8:00 PM: Finally sit down, Feed Kamryn, put her in bed.

8:15 PM: Logan wakes up Kamryn, I get her and try to rock her. She pulls my hair...I scream

8:30 PM: Try to put Kamryn back in bed.

8:45 PM: Get a screaming Kamryn out of bed. Rock her.

9:00 PM: Put a calm Kamryn back in bed.

9:15 PM: Decide Kamryn won't sleep because her belly hurts from her puree'd spaghetti, rock her.

9:25 PM: Get frustrated with Kamryn, put her back in bed. Get myself ready for bed, take medicine to help me sleep, turn on FRIENDS season 3, fall into a DEEP sleep.

What a day!!! It never slowed down. I don't mind that, I have to get used to that when the kids get into all of their activities.

Today, I said "I am going to lay on the couch all day and not do a thing." Has that happened? No. I got up, ate breakfast and got back in bed. Then I got the kids up. I have been fixing food for them, changing diapers, taking kids to the bathroom, laundry, fixing things, laundry, cleaning, have I mentioned laundry? It has been slower today, but I am worn completely out, and I get to do it all again tomorrow. Such is the life of a mommy. Anyways, that is really all I have to say right now. I'm tired...and have stuff to do =)

More hair...

Well, This post is about hair. I can't resist fixing Addison's hair, and putting little pretties in it now. Here is what we did today.

Addison's hair with the gems in it.

The top of her hair...

Side view

back

Top again..

Easter

Well, this isn't going to be a blog about hair, or my kids. This one is a bit more serious, and when I say a bit, I mean ALOT.

So this past week has been following up to today, Good Friday. Last Sunday was Palm Sunday. We had an amazing church service and saw pictures from the Holy Land (pictures my pastor took a few weeks ago.) We got to see where Jesus stood and looked over Jerusalem, the road he rode the donkey down into the city, trees in the Garden, and then the thorn trees from which his crown of thorns was made. It was moving. Just to see where he was the days leading up to his death, is amazing. I can't even begin to comprehend what was going through his mind. I think to myself that if I knew exactly when I was be put to death, I would turn and run in the other direction, just to get away from being put to death. How incredibly selfish of me.

Last night was our communion service. I had never experience communion like this before. This was one of the most moving services I have ever attended, and not much was said. Those of us who were there gathered to remember The Lord's Last Supper. His disciples were told to go to The Upper Room and prepare a table. They knew not what was about to happen. During the dinner, he was betrayed, but he knew that would happen. He broke the bread, passed it around, and said " This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19) Then he took the cup, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." (Luke 22:20) Well, in our sanctuary, there was a table set, with bread and grape juice around every seat, 12 to be exact. There was one chair in the middle, with no food, this chair represented Jesus seat. The 12 chairs around it, represented the 12 disciples. We got to go sit at the table, eat of the bread, and drink of the cup, and just try to imagine being one of Jesus 12 disciples on that one night. Jesus place had no food, why, you ask? He said "I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom." (Matthew 26:29)

The experience of just sitting at a table like the disciples did was not only overwhelming, but also very affirming. I am one of Jesus disciples. Any child of God is a disciple. I was lost in my thoughts as I realized that I am not doing everything that God wants me to do. He wants me to do more, be more. I realized, I want to do more, and be more. I don't want Jesus death to be in vain. I want to live up to what He wants of me. I want to respect Him, and what He went through so that we could live with Him forever. He didn't die because he commited some outrageous crime. HE KNEW NO SIN. He died for us. How unselfish of Him.

I can not say that I have done everything in my life the right way, I have done things I shouldn't do. I have asked forgiveness from those things. Some, I have not done again, some, I struggle with daily. All I can do when I fail Him, is ask for forgiveness. He is always there, with open arms to comfort me, and let me know I am forgiven. How simply amazing is that? When I feel alone, and am feeling down on myself, there is ALWAYS someone for me to talk to, and He ALWAYS makes me feel better. I LOVE that!

Tonight is our Crucifixion service. They are showing some scenes from The Passion of Christ. I am not sure what I am feeling about the service tonight, because what we are gathering for, is certainly not something to be excited about, or happy about. It is a sorrowful event, what happened. But, we know what happens after that, He rises from the dead, and goes to live with his Father in Heaven. We know that He will come again for His children some day, and we get to live in The House of the Lord FOREVER!!!!!!

Goodness, I have chills now, just thinking about it. Like I said, I can't even begin to comprehend what Jesus went through in the days leading up to his ressurection, but I can reflect on what He did for us, and can strive to be better for Him. I can also celebrate that He will come back for me one day!

With all this being said, I hope everyone has a great Easter weekend, and remembers what we are celebrating for. For those who have no idea what Easter is all about, or would like to know more, I am more than willing to talk (or write) it over. Email me.

Happy Easter!

Not today...

Well, I did do a new hairstyle for Addison today, but It was just to keep her hair out of her face. However, the point of this blog is to advertise. I found a how-to on making these cute little hair thingy's. I thought to myself "Hey, I can do that!" So, I did. They are called hair coils. You fix your little girls hair, and then you stick one of these in there, and twist and it stays in place and looks like the "gem" or whatever is on it, is freestanding. They are so cute.. I am still in the process of perfecting mine, but Addison loves them. Anyways, If you know of a little girl or a mom who loves to do a little girls hair, pass this on, and I am more than happy to make some according to what you want (Color, size, and shape) and if anyone wants to buy them, email me, and I will tell you a price, based on what you want. Here are some pictures:

This is Addison's favorite.

The pictures didn't come out very well. These are pink gems and "diamond" gems.

The gems in the hair. They didn't work too well with Addison't hairstyle.

These are purple and pink beads with rhinestones on them.

These are the stars. Haven't put them in her hair yet.

What do you think?

And...again!

Well, here is 'do #3. It is a little spin off of the previous one. I wanted to do something with her hair down. I don't know if this is a little much for Easter or not??

I love the basketweave on top, but I'm not too pleased with the little "pouf" on top...myabe we will try again tomorrow =)

Next One...

Well, I did it. I sat Addison down in front of the TV, put on a movie, and played with her hair. I found another Website that had some cute 'Do's. If you go here: http://ww.girlydohairstyles.blogspot.com/ you can find some really cute ones! Anyways, here is the one I tried, and I put my own little spin on it...

I absolutely love the top, because it looks like a basket weave. I am going to keep working on this one to make it look better...I want it a little different...maybe not so big?? What do you think?

Link

Well, I don't have time to blog alot right now, I am just here to post the link to the little girls hair-do's.

http://www.hair4myprincess.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

Hair??

Well, this has been an interesting weekend. JD was in Las Vegas for the ACMA's. Lucky Duck! I will write more about that when I hear more about it. Today, I was thinking...I need to find a cute way to fix Addison's hair for Easter. Usually for church, I straighten it and pull part of it back, and she looks oh, so cute. Well, for Christmas, I pulled part of it back and curled it in tiny ringlets. I went to Yahoo and typed in a few different phrases to search for. I ended up at a blog...which I will post the link later when I am on my other computer. Well, I looked at different pictures of this little girls hair, and chose a few styles to try out. For those of you out there who have little girls and want som fun, even funky ways of fixing their hair, this is the place to look at. She (I really don't know who she is, but she is the writer of the blog) gives detailed descriptions along with pictures of every single step. Well, I tried the first one, and since Addison has some bangs that are growing out (stupid lady that cut her hair last) we weren't able to do that one, so I tried a second one. Although I won't fix her hair this way for church, it is cute for just everyday, or playing outside, or even gymnastics. We will probably try this out tomorrow for gymnastics and see how it goes. Anyways...here are the pics.

This is the back view...

View from the side.

Tomorrow, hopefully we can find a hair-do that works for Easter!

Stress, Anyone??

OH MY GOODNESS!!! What a crazy week it has been. I can hardly believe that it is already Friday. I don't even know where to begin. Well, Sunday, Kamryn was in Urgent Care, she was okay, except she hadn't been eating much. She had only 3 bottles total on Sunday. She is a pretty good eater, and usually has 6 bottles + 3 meals. Well, Monday, was a bit different. Kamryn didn't eat AT ALL. This concerned me. She woke up late which is unusual for her, and had a wet and dirty diaper. Then, she wouldn't take a bottle, or eat food. This concerned me. I know a person needs to eat and drink to be healthy. I knew she needed to stay hydrated, but how do you get a 9 month old to drink something...YOU CAN'T. Well, I called the dr's office a few times and around 3 they called back and said that I needed to bring her in. JD met me at the dr's office and the dr said that she had lost weight. 1 lb or so. He said to try to get her to drink ANYTHING. We got home, I tried to get her to drink, she wouldn't, finally, JD tried some pedialyte in a sippy cup and she drank about an ounce. Well, Tuesday morning, I woke up and checked on Kamryn, she hadn't moved all night. I checked her diaper. DRY, which meant she hadn't peed since Monday morning. I spoke with the dr at around 7ish Tuesday morning. He said to bring her in at 8. I rush around to get dressed and get a diaper bag ready to leave. My mother in law came over to watch the big kids, and I drove in the morning traffic to get to the office. Have I mentioned that I hate driving?? Well, it sucked. We got to the dr, immediately got back to the room, and Kamryn had lost another 1/2 a pound. Well, she was barely moving. She would just sit on my lap and rest her chest on mine. She was puney. Well, the dr walked in and looked at her and said "I already called St John's this morning, let me write down some orders and you can head over there." Luckily the office is right across the street. I don't think I could have managed to drive a longer distance. I was in a panic. Well, I bundled Kamryn up and headed to the hospital. I got lost trying to get up to Peds. Well, we got up there and I had to strip her down to get a weight. She screamed. HArdly any tears coming out. She was one dehydrated baby. She had lost a total of 1 1/2 lbs in 2 days. I got her diaper back on her and just held her in her room until daddy got there. He went down to admitting and filled out all the paperwork. Then, the nurse came in to take her to the treatment room to get an IV started. That was terrible. They stuck her 3 times and couldn't get it in because she was so dehydrated, then they finally got it in. When the went to hook up the IV, the fluid wouldn't go in, so they had to try sticking her some more. Well, they got the IV fixed and she started getting fluids in her. She FINALLY drank some pedialyte and slept. She started peeing. You could tell she started feeling better. All Tuesday, she could have clear liquids. Wednesday, she got to start formula and solids. Well, everytime she ate, she would spit up, we ended up having to stay Wednesday night too. Well, Tuesday night, I slept in the crib with Kamryn. Where else was I supposed to sleep? They brought a pull out bed in there Wednesday night for me. She was slowly getting better Thursday and she finally started keeping stuff down. We got to go home last night. We got home between 8:30 and 9. It was so nice to be at home, in my own shower, and my own bed! Today, Kamryn is doing good. She has kept everything down. Addison and Logan stayed with Mimi and Papa all week and they finally came home today. It is nice to have my family back! Now, I just have to get back in the groove of things. I have laundry to do before tomorrow because JD leaves for Las Vegas tomorrow. Anyways, the timer just went off on the washer, so I need to get to it! Here is a picture of pitiful Kamryn in her hospital bed.

The white towel on her arm is to keep her from bending her arm and pulling out the IV.

Pictures????

Well, this weekend has been a bit, well, different. There is no other way to describe it. Friday, I took Kamryn to the Dr, and picked up her prescription and started her on it. Addison went to spend the night with Mimi and Papa. It was just The babe and The Bub. We had a decent time. Addison and Logan are so close in age, that they play well together, and fight with each other. It was nice to have a break from the fighting. Well, Kamryn decided she didn't want to sleep AT ALL. So, at 7am, I put her in bed and shut the door (not to be mean, but just so I could get a little nap) went in my bedroom and shut the door and turned off the baby monitor. I got about 2 hours of sleep. Then, I looked out the window and see the massive snowflakes. That is pretty much how we spent Saturday. After JD got home from working, he took Logan to get a hair cut. We just spent time relaxing. Then, comes Sunday. Sunday School was cancelled, so we ended up not going to church. JD had to work, so he left around noonish. Well, Kamryn still wasn't feeling or sounding good. So I called our insurance nurse line. I didn't want to bother our pediatrician, although he is always as pleasant as can be after hours. Well, I told the nurse everything that was going on. She gave me a few symptoms to look for and said if these happen, to call 911. Well, some of those were happening, but Kamryn was still being pretty pleasant, especially for only eating once all day and not sleeping. She ate about 3 oz around 10, and this was around 1. Well, the nurse said to call the pediatrician. I call the answering service and they paged him. He called back in about 10 minutes and I told him what was going on and he said "Ok, well, you need to take her in. If the antibiotic (which is one of the strongest ones you can get) isn't working, she probably needs to be hospitalized." I asked if Urgent care was fine, he said yes. Well, I am upset by this point, and I get off the phone with him. I rush around to get a little makeup on my face and get all 3 kiddos dressed and ready to go. I had to go pick up JD and drop the kids off. Well, to make a long story short. We took her to BA Urgent care. They did an RSV test and a chest xray. If your baby has never had a chest xray, consider yourself lucky. It was very traumatizing, for me and Kamryn. Well, the tests came back, RSV was negative and the chest xray showed fluid in her right lung. He changed her prescription and sent us on our way. Well, I am still concerned today as Kamryn slept until after 9 this morning. I had to go wake her up, and it is 10:42 and she hasn't eaten anything. She hasn't eaten in over 15 hours. Her chest sinks in when she breathes and she is salivating excessively. I have a call in to the dr, so we will see how that goes. I realize now, that my title doesn't quite fit the description of this blog, so I guess I will put plenty of pictures of the kids up. Here ya go!!!

The kids after church.

Watching a 3-D movie with Papa

At the new house riding her stick horse.

Kamryn before she got so sick.

Kamryn swinging at the new house.

Barbies, Lungs, and Rain. Oh My!

Well, this week has been nonstop chaos. So, I dug out my old Barbies and let the kids play with them. Yes, Logan too. He did dress one Skipper doll, and then he found Todd, Ken's little brother and would not put him down. It was pretty funny to listen to Logan try to disguise his voice to sound...like a boy. He would speak in a "deep" voice and say, "I'm a Yiwwol boy." Yiwwol= Little. He has a little baby voice still. It is absolutely adorable. Anyways, Addison and Logan have had a blast. I also played, probably a little too much, but it was fun playing Barbies with my little girl.

Onto the lungs: Not mine, Kamryns. For the last week and a half or so, since Kamryn has had this nasty cough, I could swear that it was in her lungs. After numerous rants, JD would listen to her with his stethoscope, and say she sounded fine. Well, I woke up the other morning with her coughing stuff up. I called the Dr's office yesterday and they never called me back. So, this morning at 8:30 I called them back and they called me at 9:15 and said I needed to bring her in. I rushed around and got all the kids dressed and piled them in the car. Well, about that time, it starts pouring down. Have I mentioned I HATE driving? Well, Me + Driving + Rain = PANIC ATTACK. Yes, I am praying constantly "Just let us get there safely and in one piece." Well, the rain slacked up and my panicing eased. So, I get off the BA at Utica and there are 3 lanes, a left turn lane, a left turn/go straight lane, and a right turn lane. I am in the left turn/go straight lane so I could turn on Utica and go up to the drs office. Well, there is a car next to me, no big deal. My light turns green, I start going and then start turning, and what do I see? The HUGE SUV next to me (In the left turn only lane) trying to go straight. So, I put on my brakes and they look at me and pass like it is no big deal. I had a minor heart attack. (This was my driving experience today) Well, back to Kamryn's lungs. We go to the dr and he said she had fluid in her right ear, but it was nothing compared to her lungs. He gave us a prescription and said she should start getting better.

Well, last night I was reading Addison her bible and then we were working on her memory verse and she said it perfectly, So, I asked her where it was found (Matthew 17:20) was the answer I was looking for, and she said "I don't know" Then I said, "What book is it in?" Her answer "Mom, it's in the Bible." I guess I should have expected no less from her. I laughed for a while. And then we went in the bedroom to go to bed and I was praying with Addison and her prayer:

"Dear God, Help us to remember you, and everything that you did and everything that you do. And God, help us to remember Jesus and everything he did. And God, Help us to be good.....AND GOD, help us to be able to play with Barbies all of the days. Amen"

Oh it was so cute. Anyways, Mom is here, I have to run errands. This is it for now. Enjoy..Oh, no picture right now, I don't have time =) I will post one later.

Complete Randomness....

Well, the title says it all! That is what this will be about. Anything, and Everything.

Sunday, we had Logan's little birthday party. It was just Mimi, Papa, Aunt Becca, and us. It was nice. Logan ran in the house and immediately wanted cake. We made him eat first. He did great blowing out his candles. Only half of the cake got splattered with spit! I don't mind eating something after my child has gotten a bit of spit on it. Sounds gross? Well, he lived off of my nutrients for 9 months and then "expelled" himself from me in a very inconvenient way. (I saw inconvenient, because, who REALLY wants to be laying down on a hard bed, feet in stirrups and exposed for the world to see? If he can have an entry into the world like that, I think I can eat a little bit of "spit" cake. It was cookie cake. It was GREAT. He opened presents and loved every one of them. His 2 favorites are his robot from Aunt Becca and Uncle Derek, and his farm set from Mimi and Papa.

I thought back on it, and we have had someone sick for the past 6 weeks in our house. Crazy, huh? Well, Kamryn and Logan had their routine checkups this week. They are both growing. Logan, little by little, Kamryn ALOT. She is in the 50th percentile for everything. She is our biggest child...by FAR. Logan, is in the 5th percentile. He has only grown 1 inch in height and 2 lbs in weight in the past YEAR. Kamryn, has slowed down a bit. She is 17 almost 18 lbs at 9 months. Logan is 24 lbs at 3 years. Ridiculous.

I had one of those "What was I thinking" moments the other night. I was in bed, my husband was reading, and I wasn't in a reading mood, and he wouldn't let me watch TV because I am hooked on "Beverly Hills 90210" right now. The OLD SCHOOL episodes from 1990. So, I got out my senior book and started looking through it. Most of the memories made me laugh and smile. I had a great time in high school...despite the bickering. Then, I got to this picture...of an ex-boyfriend. I'm not going to name names...a small bit to protect this persons identity, and a HUGE part because I'm completely mortified I ever dated this person. We dated my Junior year in high school. I actually didn't like him the first few times I was around him, but then he kinda grew on me. He was definitely not a "looker" but he had a decent (?) personality. We dated for 5 months. I looked at this picture of this guy, and immediately shoved it back into the book, which made my husband grab it. He laughed at me. I understood why. "What was I thinking?" I have changed sooo much since my high school days. It has been 8 years since I graduated. Those were some fun times. I really enjoyed some of the comments left in my book, and then realized that some of those people have changed alot, and some are no different than they were 8 years ago. Some...are in jail.

Well, onto Wednesday night. Church was awesome. Addison's teacher bragged on her and how well behaved she was and how great she was doing with her memory work. It made Mama proud. Our class is still "The Truth Project" dvd series. Last night, was pretty much about governmet. I learned ALOT that I didn't know. I kinda knew that the basis of the government back in the day was God. He was the foundation on which the government was built. The don't teach that in school. Just to see how much the government has strayed from its original position is remarkable. I also learned that the study of law was based on God and faith in God. Then. Charles Eliot was appointed the President of Harvard University and he appointed Christopher Columbus Langdell as the Head of Law and Law was changed forever. It was no longer based on faith in God and God, but was now based on Charles Darwin and Evolution. Langdell said that law evolves as people do, and WE (the people) have the right to say what is right and wrong. It is baffling to think our country was so stable and grounded way back in the day. Now, our country is falling apart and people have lost sight of their faith. It was said in our discussion that if it took only 1 man to change the history of law, then can it take only 1 man to change the direction of our country and get our foundation on faith back? Interesting, huh? The original charters and constitutions state an Acknowledgement of God's authority and recognition that the state was subject to and accountable to God. WOW!!! I personally think that our current leaders and others who have contributed to the country's downfall, should be held accountable for straying from the original statements written down way back in the day. Just my little rant and rave for the day.

Well, to go back to the beginning of this post, I thought we were all well. Kamryn has had a little cough since she had her throat infection. Well, I have come to realize that my kids always get a cough after they have an infection. I got Kamryn out of bed today to see her face covered in green snot. Then, she coughed...and out of her mouth came green mucus...YUM! I have a call in to the dr, but haven't heard anything yet. So, since I am still WAY behind on housework, I have to get off of here and do my chores. Anyways...gotta find a good picture to put on here.