Wiped out

We had our last Christmas gathering tonight and I am exhausted! Tomorrow should be a nice relaxing day...but not happening. I am going to psych myself out to get everything all cleaned up nice like it was Christmas Eve. Before the chaos happened....well, before Santa appeared, and we had numerous items strewn about the living room and I started cooking for Christmas with my mom...my kitchen is such a disaster...and I hate cleaning the kitchen....wish me luck. I will hopefully finish early enough to download my pictures tomorrow :)

Luckily, if I don't finish completely tomorrow like I plan, this week is a short week so yippee!! I am off Wednesday, Thursday and Friday again this week for New Years. I am getting spoiled with the short weeks ;)

Happiness.

I came home today to a mostly clean home...and the sound of CCR blaring on the stereo and my husband and kids squealing and laughing and running around and Toby, who was groomed today and looking so fab and smelling wonderful, running all spastic everywhere.

The scene could not be more perfect. I am so thankful for my wonderful, happy family. We have our moments, but I wouldn't trade one of those moments for all the material things in the world.

Oh, and what makes today even more perfect? I got a cute new purse ;0)

Weekend Perfection

I had a perfectly lovely weekend. I didn't do a darn thing. It was wonderful. I cleaned all day saturday and sunday. I managed to get my room cleaned out and am soooo close to having my desk completely purged and back in order which is so awesome. My goal is to be MUCH more organized than I am. I am working on that. :) Will let you know my progress. ha ha ha.

Carson fell off a slide at school Friday. He fell about 5 1/2 feet at a run and NO ONE CALLED ME. I was so mad. I realize he didn't tell his teacher he fell off a slide and landed on his head then back when he got back to class, BUT the recess teacher's should have asked a few more questions when he told them he fell and hurt his back. That really upset me. I took him to the ER Friday when he got off the bus and found out what happened. He was complaining of back pain, he couldn't bend over and it hurt to lift his arms. So I wanted to be safe. He didn't hurt any of his bones, no fractures or anything, but he does have bruising of his muscles. So he's pretty sore. Kind of the equivelant of a car accident for him really. I felt bad for him. So he's been laying low. Since I am caught up at the house with everything and there isn't much going on, I think I may ask one of his friends to come spend the night with him Friday. That will make him happy. He's been begging for that to happen and it hasn't yet, but sister has been spending the night places and having friends come over so I need to "level the board" really. ;)

Well, I hope my Monday is as productive as my weekend was. Happy Monday to ya'll!!!

I got it!! yay!!

Well, I got my picture!! It is so beautiful and I am so excited. My camera is dead so I will have to take a pic of it later. I am going to clean clean clean today and organize tomorrow so I will likely just take pics of my house and post those.

Hubby brought my fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving box down from storage last night. I am so excited. I love to decorate for this time of year. Its so much fun!

Yesterday afternoon, Derek just had to go to Academy. We are wanting to get our light switches and outlet covers for the living room and kitchen (I want Mossy Oak covers - well actually Real Tree Hardwood Green but they are all the same.) So off we went. In my search for the outlet covers, I found something spectacular!! I found a REAL TREE CUTTING BOARD! It is absolutely darlin. So I bought it, took to my mommy, she paid me back and she is holding it till my birthday. I don't know if can stand to wait that long though! My birthday is in late November. Mom and I have a pretty cool relationship. I dont like for her to spend alot of money on me for holidays cause I know she's not got an endless supply of pictures of dead presidents so I prefer that she use her money elsewhere, so if I find something I have to have, I can call her and tell her and that is what she will get. But since neither of us go to Academy very often, I went ahead and just bought it and took it to her. I know it was the easiest birthday shopping ever for her! ha ha ha ... but I can't wait!!


Oh, and another totally awesome find at Academy that my hubby bought me....some camoflauge croc flip flops. They are so comfy and I love them. So that was my day of being spoiled :) Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!!

Super Busy Weekend

Okay, so it wasn't super "busy" but I stayed super busy. We had nothing on the "calendar" except cleaning out one of our storage buildings (Yeah!) so I got my table out of storage FINALLY and the kids toys and my movies. Now, as you know, I am a movie junkie. We are a movie family. I don't know why, we just love movies. We like to pile up on the couch or lay in the bed and watch movies. That's our thing. We don't do it all day every day, but when we want special "family time" that's what we do. And when Derek and I want a date night but we don't feel like going out we go to our trusty movie collection. However, I did not realize how vast our movie collection was until we toted those bad boys home. Its obscene. Ridiculous really, but I love my movies. I am going to have to buy a HUGE cabinet just to store those. Its not that we didn't know we had a lot of movies in storage, but see, in the last year, we have bought movies too and its ALOT. I could probably start a small movie rental business! :0) I know...so bad...

But on another note, I did get alot done yesterday. Got most of my laundry through, my house all clean and organized with all my crap from storage...It put me in a pretty good mood and I slept pretty good last night as a result!! Always a plus!! It was just nice to feel on top of it all for a change! Plus, I CAN'T WAIT to go home and cook dinner and sit at the table as a family like we used to do. I am "old-fashioned" that way I guess. Dinner should be with everyone at the table. I love that and I am a stickler for it and the last year has drove me insane that we couldn't do it. So yeah!! I have everything at home waiting on me! I am making new stuff tonight per the family's request...chicken n bowtie pasta, broccolli casserole, crusty italian bread and strawberry pretzel squares. yummy!!

Medical update

Well, I survived! ha ha ha...Thursday night was the worst night of my life. I had to drink 1/2 gallon of the "prep kit" and I probably kept 1/4 or less down. It was awful. B.A.D. I don't think I would wish it on my worst enemy to be honest. I finally got to bed and was so nauseated I didn't really sleep between that and my nerves. Friday morning wasn't too bad. I didn't actually get back there until about 11:45. They put my iv in and gave me two things one to relax me and one to make me forget (HALLELUJAH) - within literally seconds everything went black. I woke up 2 hours later to my mom laughing because apparently I had been "awake' and repeating the same questions over and over due to the "amnesia medicine" and though I remember bits and pieces of yesterday afternoon and evening, apparently the amnesia medicine lasted awhile! They did discover pockets, which confirms that I have divroticulosis and I also have gall stones which means my next step is removal of the gall bladder. FUN FUN. The doctor is apparently very concerned that I have divroticulosis, because apparently it is pretty much unheard of in someone so young (I am only 25) So, not only am I LOVING my genetics right now, I am also researching increasing my fiber intake without taking a pill everday and the lifestyle change ahead in that I can't eat certain foods anymore...so long my beloved strawberries - unless I can figure something out there! :( But I look at this as an opportunity to educate myself and my kids on eating healthy and leading healthier lifestyles. Already, I have done a good job with my kids...they prefer fruit over other sweets and enjoy veggies and most "grown up" foods that small kids hate. So I can't complain too much.

Speaking of bragging on my kiddos...I was so tickled this morning. I gave my kids their first real allowance. I forgot to last week so they got double this week. They have done spectacular in helping around the house and helping me out. We recently redid their rooms and they got "nice big kid" furniture and stuff for their rooms so they are acting more responsibly. Shanna has always been like that. She's almost neurotic about it, Carson on the other hand could usually care less. Shanna gets her OCD from my side of the family. My dad was DIEHARD OCD. My kids are pretty mature for their age - especially Carson - and I can sit down and have a serious conversation with them if I need to. So we sat down and discussed the fair things for them to do in order to receive "a paycheck" like mommy and daddy every week. $5 per week for the following: They pick up their own rooms, make beds each morning, keep their bathroom neat (no dirty clothes in floor, no toothpaste in sink, empty the trash can if its full), take turns feeding their cats in the a.m. and p.m., take care of their dirty dishes (by placing in sink or trash) and water Papa Wheeler's plant outside on the front porch. Most of this is stuff they should do anyway, but my kids won't so we call them chores and a few are only done weekly so its not so bad. When I do my cleaning on the weekends, they usually love to help out anyway. Carson absolutely loves to clean tubs (don't ask me why), Shanna loves to help dust and they both love to sort laundry. So I was absolutely thrilled that they kept up their rooms for two straight weeks and was so happy to give them allowance this morning. I was even more proud when CArson went straight to his piggy bank and decided to save his money and Shanna did the same. They really are good kids.

Now, to brag on the hubby....he's been such a doll the last two days. He was very sweet and concerned and helped me so much the last two days and took care of me. It was absolutely precious and I love him to pieces for it. We went grocery shopping this morning and he was helping me pick out "healthier" foods for me, checking fiber content for me and so forth. He has been pretty worried about everything going on and it was so sweet to see him act like that yesterday. Completely out of character for him to be like that in public or in front of other people. It even threw my mom off! :) Its nice for people to see the sweet side of him I only get to see most of the time. he he he

Well, I am off to finish MY list of chores today since the kiddos are at the lake with the church...I just wasn't up to it today.

Dr. Appointment Recap

Morning!! So yesterday was hump day..woo hoo!! and my consult for my procedure that is coming up...

It was scheduled for next week - not too excited about that but he PROMISED I would be completely unaware so that makes me feel better. After that we get to discuss the removal of my gall bladder. Fun times.

We had softball practice last night and we did pretty okay. We are doing better but I am definitely looking forward to a couple of months off. The ballpark every day is starting to wear on me. I need some home time and friend time and just some freaking me time! :0)

I spent the rest of the evening at home cleaning house and swapping laundry. I am trying to get a head start since I will be at the ball park again this weekend. But again, this is the last weekend so yeah!

My m.i.l. decided to finish up the walls and furniture for my kids rooms. Carson's is looking so good. I will take pics and post later. I am so excited. I am getting ready to paint their bathroom next. I am thinking like baby/springtime/sunshine yellow and white - like daisy's. That feels clean, fresh, and feminine to me. I need something girly. The rest of my house for all intents and purposes will be done in mossy oak (I am addicted) so I need my bathrooms to be a little more girly....what do you think??

Happy Memorial Day!!

Well, I have thoroughly enjoyed my day off!! :) Even though it wasn't a true day off b/c I spent the first half of it cleaning my house - what I didn't finish last night. But I am satisfied. I stayed home most of the day with my family. I got to cook lunch and eat with my kids, which never happens cause we are usually on the go during the weekends and eat lunch on Sundays at Grandmas. I feel refreshed and relaxed!!

I am in the process of cooking my manicotti for my family (per their request) and am looking forward to a yummy home cooked family dinner!! yeah!!

Now to gear up for a short but busy week!!

and last but certainly not least....Thank you to the soldiers who have laid their lives down for our country so me and my family could enjoy the freedom we all love so dear!! Thank you!!

Rainy Sunday

Well, both kids rooms are painted and the trim up! YEAH!! All that's left is the hall, kitchen, living room and back bathroom...then the carpet and then a break while I decide what to do with the rest of the place! FINALLY!! So excited.

We had a ball tournament yesterday. I don't know what my deal was. I was so pumped to play yesterday but I got up in a SERIOUSLY pissy mood. I don't know why. I think it was in the air, because Shanna and Carson were both pissy, alot of my girls were whinier than usual and NONE of them seemed to want to play. That could be because we were playing like teams that are waaaaaaaayyyyyyy above us on skill level, but hey like the other parents were saying "its good practice". And it is good practice, but we have a tournament for the next two weekends. I didn't want to start our tournament weekends playing these teams ya know? and I am not even sure that all our parents realized this, but we have a tournament at our ball park next weekend and district the weekend after...sooo.....but I am excited for the girls because we do have some awesome games coming up that I am really looking forward to. :) We did get a tournament trophy yesterday though. Not sure how we managed that but we did. Our girls were so excited! They deserved a tournament trophy so much this year so I am excited that they finally got one!

I am in a much better mood this morning, I think I maybe just didn't sleep well the night before and after sleeping about 4 hours a night all week with Derek's hours last week it just caught up with me.

We went grocery shopping last night. In my attempt to be more on top of things at home, I spent last night clipping coupons, planning a menu and grocery shopping. Hot Saturday night with the husband huh? ha ha ha....So I get to cook this week! I haven't cooked in awhile and may be part of my problem. Cooking is my stress relief and I tend to get crabby when I go for awhile without doing it. So instead of the usual grilled hotdogs, hamburgers, mac n cheese and stuff for Memorial Day, I am making my husband's FAVORITE FAVORITE dish, My manacotti and crusy italian bread. He loves my manacotti. It was the first thing 'from scratch' I ever cooked for him and from that day on, he has NEVER said I could not cook. In fact, when he sees me cooking the kitchen and there are no boxes around, he gets all excited and wants to come taste. The best part of being in my kitchen is my kids. They LOVE to sit on the other side of the bar and ask questions "how do you know what to put in there?" "Why does it look so gross right now but taste so yummy later?" "When I get big will you show me how to cook?" So, this week, I am cooking almost every night. Shanna and Carson got excited when we got home with grocery bags. They like to help unload the groceries and this is usually what you hear "YYYEAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!! Apples, Look Shanna, mom bought Apples!!" "ooohhh, oooohhh, Carson, look POPTARTS!! MY FAVORITE!" Its hilarious. You would think these kids starve and live on bologna and ketchup when I bring home groceries. :)

But today, today is housecleaning day. We are having family time tomorrow and not doing anything but staying home and spending time with our kids. So today, I have to get my house immaculate (which is going to be a miracle! Luckily, my mother-in-law has been painting for us and in between she will do laundry or my dishes or clean a room - I get on to her but I am SO grateful for her help. It was much needed since I have not had the energy the last two weeks to do it all alone and Derek's help is sometimes nonexistent).

So I am off to start in my bathroom and work my way back to the kids rooms so I can enjoy a TRUE day off tomorrow!! Happy Memorial Day everyone!

Sunday Scoop n HAPPY EASTER!

okay, well, I am a holiday ho. I love holidays, I love everything about them. I love how people are in happy moods on holidays. I love the food, the smells, the colors, the traditions, the excitement, the anticipation. My favorites are (in order): Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Halloween, St. Patrick's Day (This is my biological dad's birthday which is why its special to me), July 4th, Memorial/Labor Days, Valentine's Day and any other day off!! ha ha ha.....

I love holidays where I get to pretend I am something special like Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny. My kids still believe in both, and I love playing it. This morning was no exception. I put the baskets out at about midnight.....Shanna woke up and there was a spider on her window in her room. She came to get daddy and after daddy dealt with the teeny spider I couldn't believe she saw, she sleepily asked him 'can I go through that easter basket I saw now?' :) how cute is she?? So I told em to come on and they came running..."ooohh,,, a frisbeeee!!!" "ooohhh, reeses eggs! I love reeses eggs" and my absolute fave quote of the morning...my darling 5 year old daughter with the biggest heart of gold in the world "LOOK MOMMY!! I GOT A BABY DUCKLING!!" (its not real, its a doll) but you couldn't tell her otherwise. This child has more baby dolls and stuffed animals than anything in the world, but if she doesn't get some kind of animal for easter, she will be devestated. She loves to walk down the aisle at walmart and just stare at all the plush bunnies, and puppies, and duckies, and chickies....ITS ADORABLE.

So we had our easter fun this morning! We did our easter egg hunt yesterday (good thing too apparently, since its pouring outside) at my friend Brooke's. We have a yearly tradition for Easter Weekend. On Friday night our kids get together and we color eggs. On Saturday about 11ish we get together and hide eggs over and over and over...then we cookout that evening and hang out. of course this year, we couldn't cook out. I had a close cousin come in from Utah and she's prego (YEAH!!) and I couldn't wait to see her so I had to go there last night, but its okay! So we had a busy day and a fun one! Nothing like cookouts and easter egg hunts!!

oh!!! and guess what!!! I found the most awesome thing yesterday!!! I live in a tiny town. very small. We have 1 stop light at the main intersection. We got that like may 6 years ago....we felt special. We have 2 gas stations, both of which sell pizza and sandwiches, one which has a car wash. They have been there since I was tiny. Well, in the last like 2 years, we have grown. We have a small bank, a Fred's and a Sonic! It's not the same tiny town it used to be! They even put a Big Red down the highway with a McDonald's...well, like a week ago they opened a Dollar General next to Fred's. Don't know why, but they did. (For the record, I am waiting on a grocery store. I want a real grocery store out here dangit!! So I don't have to go to town!! ha ha ha, I am lazy like that) I don't like Fred's. Now, I generally go to Benton for everything, grocery shopping, Wal-Mart everything. Fred's. It doesn't have my preferred brands and the few brands they do have I have to pay nearly double for unless I want to drive 15 minutes to Benton for laundry detergent when I am lookin rough cause I am cleaning house....The color bleach I usually pay like $5 for at walmart was over $8 at Fred's!! No thanks!! so we stopped yesterday to check out the DG...just to compare prices to Walmart and Fred's next door when we needed something in a pinch. OMG. Loved it. They had tons of my preferred brands, comparable to WalMArt and they are right down the road. No more going to Walmart for one cleaning item and coming out with a cart full! WOO HOO. But, what made my day...a mop. Yes, a mop. See, my linoleum floors have those little cellulite looking grooves in it...I hate it. and hopefully in the next couple of months, those floors will be gone! But for now, I have to spend about 3 hours on my hands and knees with a Mr. Clean MAgic Eraser (b/c nothing else will clean those little grooves) and mop by hand my kitchen and the bathrooms. I HATE IT. Hate. With a fiery passion that burns. My back and knees are killing me when I am through and I am so sore the next day. Well, as I was walking down the cleaning aisles at DG yesterday, I passed the mops, when the word "magic eraser" caught my eye. OH YES, there was a MOP made by Mr. Clean and the mop pad was a big ole MAGIC ERASER!!! AAAAGGGGHHHH!!!! I just about cried I was soooo excited! I paid $13 for a mop (which is ridiculous!!!) But I don't care. I would have paid $50 not to have to go on my hands and knees for hours!! My hunny just laughed at me. It is so sad that you come to a point in your life that something that makes you so happy is a mop! ha ha ha...Well, HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

Crazy Week!

This week has been absolute chaos! First, I get up late Monday, I was an hour late for work (luckily, Monday was a holiday so it didn't really matter b/c we only worked part of the day anyway). I didn't get ANY housework done last weekend so I was hoping to catch up Monday, but b/c I was late, I got jack done. Then, Tuesday, I have to update my computer b/c its acting all retarded and apparently I needed to update the Windows service pack. So I update. and afterward...OMG...It has erased all of my dictation that I had not finished just yet, erased my connection to my scanner and my printer was acting up. Nevermind that it took half the day to update so I had to work on my second computer at the office. Yes, our office is sometimes so crazy and I get backed up and need to work away from the phones and front door that we actually have a second work station in the back for me to work on. Sad huh? :) anywho...Well, then yesterday I can't get anything done for the computer being retarded and several disability appointments. Today? My printer QUIT. It quit! Ok, for those of you that don't know, a legal secretary without a working printer is like a faucet with no spout. basically, useless. So for half the day, while my boss drove to Benton to get a new one, I was unable to do much of anything. So my Friday, which is supposed to be my short day, will no doubt be an extremely LOOOONNNGGG one. Boo.

Oh, and they are coming to tape and mud my walls and get ready to spray my ceiling and walls to get them ready to paint and my house is a wreck and nowhere near ready. I have weeks worth of laundry to catch up on. I need to do the billing at the office (I reckon I will be bringing that home to do). I just look at my little pig pen and go "why me?" I can clean it immaculate and when my hubby and kids walk through the door its as if everything I just cleaned goes 'WWWOOOO HOOOO" and jumps back into the floor, or on the bars, or the book shelf, or the couch and the laundry magically appears back in the hampers. Its crazy.

On top of the stress and anxiety I have about my house, I am very nervous about my dad going back to the doctor tomorrow. I am so nervous that it is going to be bad. Please pray for him. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in July, 2007. We have been so blessed to have had the last year with him. He spent Christmas and New Years of 2007 in the hospital struggling to survive and since he came home in February, 2008, I have been trying to stay closer to him than I have in the past. I am so thankful the Lord felt compelled to bless me and my siblings with another year with him. He got to see my little brother have a baby. He got to see his granddaughter start softball, which was a huge part of his life prior to getting sick. The last year has truly been a learning and growing experience for my family. So keep him in your prayers that everything turns out okay tomorrow!! I am going to attempt to get some sleep tonight, although that hasn't really been in the cards the last couple of days! :)

Until next time...