Year in Review

Here is a quick run down of major events in our lives this year.

Jan - Scott started at Salem Hospital full time, Hannah and I both went back to school after a wonderful Christmas break. Also found out we would be having a new addition to the Lea family later this year.
Feb - Scott started the application/testing process at Mehlville, Metro West, and Monarch Fire Departments.
Mar - Hannah and I had a very nice Spring Break.
Apr - Jackson and Alexis turned 2, Scott was still interviewing at the three departments
May - School's out for summer (for Hannah anyway). Scott got word that he was hired at Mehlville. Yippee!!!!! We also had a 4 day vacation to Kentucky Lake with my family.
June - Scott went on a little fishing trip with his brother and he started at Mehlville. I had summer class - Mental Health Nursing - did not care for it at all. Hannah started T-ball in June.
July - Summer school ended for me. Celebrated the Fourth of July. T-Ball ended. Scott loves his new job. Jack loves summer - always wants to be 'side (outside).
August - back to school for me and Hannah. My good friend Amber welcomed baby #2. Scott and Hannah went to Six Flags, then Hannah spent a few days at her Papa & Grandma's in St. Louis.
September - Scott started the Fire Academy. My sister had her little baby girl Isabel.
October - Enjoyed as much time with Daddy as we could when he was home. Fall is my favorite time of year. Pumpkin Patch didn't get to happen due to illness. Halloween was a blast!
November - Scott and Hannah celebrated Birthdays. Deer season. Scott finished the fire academy. Thanksgiving was great (mostly except for that strep).
December - The best time of the year. Hannah and I went on Christmas break, got to spend lots of time with my kids. We all made it to all of our Christmas celebrations this year, no sickness! Praise the Lord!

I have big plans for 2010. I will graduate for RN school and return to a normal life. We have a wonderful family vacation planned that my parents have so graciously given our family. My kids have never been to the beach so I am anxious to see what they think of it. I have only been once and don't remember any of it really. We are discussing an addition to our family, if God has that in our plans. It is gonna be an exciting year! I can't wait!

Working on Listening Skills

Wow ladies! I have read some amazing blogs lately. From Santa to Birth Control, Discipline to Heartbreakers, and so many more. I love you all, I love that when I read some blogs I get fired up and just wanna call people up and debate them, I love that when I read some of them I wanna call you up and hug you or cry with you, but most of all I love that I feel like I can relate to you wonderful women. I am so blessed to have such great circle of Christian blog friends.

Anyway, with that being said, sometimes I feel like my blogs are very negative and down right witchy. I hope that others don't think this of me, because I really am a happy person, just very very busy. SO I have decided that for a bit I am just gonna read (listen) to everyone else's blogs. So you may not see any new blogs for me for a while, but I am still out here. So inspire me, provide me some cheer. I seem to need it right now.

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Weekly Recap

This week has been, well interesting.

Sunday - started out with a trip for myself to Dr After Hours; diagnosis strep. I return home expecting to sleep all day and get better quickly but Mr. Marcee had other ideas. Won't go into details on that one, needless to say he was no Josh Adams.
Monday - stayed home because of strep. Took Jack to Dr. Rao because he had this cold that would not go away and turned to pretty green snot Sunday; diagnosis sinus infection.
Tuesday - went to work, still not doing the best but no headache or fever. Decided to have a quick recheck with Dr. Sievers; diagnosis strep AND ear infection. New antibiotic. Played UNO that night with Hannah where she had her divine exclamation.
Wednesday - work, feeling better by the afternoon. Jack good, diarrhea (yes TMI) from Augmentin. Hannah great! Sigh of relief that this week is gonna get turned around after all.
Thursday - good day, had eye Doctor appt, Scott went to Hannah's Christmas party, I went to work. Scott & Jack great. Hannah complaining about her stomach but had soooooo much junk at her party we assumed it was related to this. She claims she drank "like 4 gallons of soda and that made my belly hurt"
Friday - 4:00 am Hannah running frantic to our room screaming "Mommy I need you" and then runs back out. I of course bolt out of bed to see what is wrong and she is standing at the kitchen trash can vomiting. She insists she is feeling better after the "episode". She goes back to bed. I get up at my usual time, get ready, get Jack and Hannah up to get ready. Hannah tried so hard, but she says to me "Mom, I just feel so funny when I stand up" and then goes to her bucket to vomit again. So we stayed home. She was so upset, didn't get to give her teacher her gift, almost had perfect attendance for December.

I am seriously starting to wear down on all this. Why? Why must my family be so sick this year? Am I carrying the germs home from work? I feel like we have a pretty good diet. I don't even run the kids around alot like we have in the past. I do not understand this at all. And this is very frustrating for me because I am a nurse. I know what to do and what not to do. I get the handwashing and isolation guidelines.

So, please pray for me and my family during this rough time. Pray that we can obtain good health before Christmas.

Uno

So my 7 yr old just beat me at Uno and proclaimed that "God just keeps giving me Draw 4"s".

The Duggar's

Ok, am I the only one in the world who follows the Duggar's? For those who don't they are the family from Arkansas that has 18 kids that all start with "J". Well she was pregnant with baby #19. Apparently (according to the news) she started having some gall bladder trouble and had to go into the hospital. I guess this led to some contractions and they had to deliver the baby at 25 weeks. So from what I can tell they had a 1 lb.? oz. baby girl Josie. According to the news she is doing as good as can be at 25 weeks.
Anyway, the whole point to this blog is that as weird as it seems to all of us that they have 19 kids I plan to pray for that baby girl. They have entrusted their entire lives to God and whether you agree with their decisions or not I think that the way they are raising their children is amazing. I have watched their show for a few years now and feel I have learned a thing or two from them and look forward to their show every week.
So pray for little Josie.

Christmas Ideas

Ok, if anyone sees my husband out shopping give him a couple of hints cause he has asked me about nothing. Here are my ideas:

a new watch
a new purse - must be cute but functional, NO bottomless pits, must have some sort of divider
a new crock pot
a new small stick vac - we have a Rainbow and I love it but when you just have a quick little mess it is a pain in the booty
a massage

The list could go on and on. . .

Yipeeee!

I have made it. This long, dreaded semester is finally over. Scott is done with the fire academy and in less than 6 months I will be an RN. A huge weight has been lifted. Seriously, I think if you weighed me I would be like 50 lbs. lighter. Haha! Anyway, I am so glad it is over. I can finally get some Christmas shopping done, spend some normal time with my kids, and reorganize. Yipeeeeee!!!!!!!!!

Christmas Shopping

Survey question: I think I am the only person I know who hasn't really started Christmas shopping. I mean, I have bought a few things for my kids, but really have a long way to go. My sister and I are planning on going next Sunday, so I hope she is prepared for a looooooong day, as I have alot to do.

Facebook

So I have now reactived my facebook. Gonna see how it goes. My biggest complaint before was it wasted so much of my time. I basically on Christmas break now so we will see. If I find that it is still a waste of my time I will deactivate for good, if it doesn't I will keep it. So if you are on facebook look me up.

Found 'em

Hey, just in case anyone was really worried about my rapid weight loss a couple of days ago while I was so ill I found two of those three pounds yesterday at my mother-in-laws Thanksgiving dinner. Yummy! She makes the best stuffing! Anyway, we are feeling much better here at my house, Happy Sunday!

Vote please and spread the word

My very good friend Amber Bouse has entered her adorable dog into the Hallmark Channels photo contest. Please vote for her doodle and spread the word. Here is the link:http://www.hhofdogcontest.com/dogs/doodle-bouse-nov-25

Turkey Smurkey

Here is how my turkey day went, but first a little background info. Go back 11 months, last year we had a stomach virus at our house on Christmas (3 out of 4 of us) so we didn't attend Christmas at my dad's house AND Scott's mom spent Christmas in the hospital so we didn't celebrate Christmas Eve with them like we always do. So fast forward to September 26 - Hannah has strep. September 28 - Jackson has strep. October 29 - Hannah has strep again. November 18 - Jackson has strep again. November 20 - you guessed it, Hannah strep X 3. But wait for it - November 25 - Mommy has strep. Now let me tell you about strep for all you lucky people who don't have tonsils anymore. Kids seem to recover very quickly. 24 hours of antibiotics and they are bouncing off the walls again. It is great, much better than a virus that is contagious forever and wears them down (sarcasm here guys). But as an adult it is one of the worst possible things, the fever is horrendous, your body aches, I went from freezing under 4 blankets to drenched in sweat multiple times. If I didn't know I had strep I would equate it to influenza (which I have thankfully never had). Tuesday night I kinda started feeling bad while getting my hair done, then overnight I had the fever - 101.7 to be exact. Woke up with no fever so called the doctor, got on an antibiotic and thought I will be fine, caught it early enough, no worries for Thanksgiving dinner, I will have been on my antibiotic 24 hours - don't have to worry about sharing it with anyone. I was wrong. I was so sick. I sent my family to have Thanksgiving dinner at my dad's and to celebrate Miss Hannah's 7th birthday while I layed in bed all day. I even debated about going to the ER but knew I could drive myself there. So I took extra motrin, benedryl to help me sleep, my antibiotic of course and went to bed. This morning I woke up at 7:15 and the headache and body aches are gone. My throat is still killing me but I can deal with that. It is amazing how much better I feel today.
What am I thankful for this year? I am thankful for antibiotics that still work to fight off strep. And hey, courtesy of Mr. Strep (has to be a male bacteria, a female bacteria would pay more attention to holiday gatherings - LOL) I lost 3 pounds in two days.
And of course I did no Black Friday shopping.

Reader Poll

Who is going shopping early on Black Friday? I can't decide, yes there are some smokin good deals out there - have you seen the Walmart ad? But I am gonna be in St. Louis so that makes me a little nervous.

Happy Friday!!!!

Today is significant for a few reasons:

1. Scott's last day at the fire academy. Yeah! Back to the normal schedule for him, which is still different then most people but he is home more than gone.
2. My niece Kaitlyn's birthday - I believe she is 14 today. Do you know that I was 14 when Scott and I started "going out"?
3. 6 months from today is RN school graduation! Yeah me! There is a light at the end of the tunnel.
4. Our good friends Chad & Amber Bouse have been married 12 years today. They started "going out" about the same time we did and we all were high school friends and still good friends today. Happy Anniversary to them! 12 years is a long time today.
5. Did I mention Scott is done at the fire academy now?

Exterminator

OK, I don't know what you guys call them at your house, but we always told Hannah to brush her teeth good to keep away the cavity "bugs". Well we did good for 4 years until this last visit. She had one cavity "bug" on her top molar where the enamel didn't form all the way and we didn't get the sealants on in time. So today we had our first visit with the exterminator aka Dr. Grover. It went well, she had the lovely laughing gas. The worst part for her was the sealants and I think that was because the assistant who did them was very impatient with her and not kid friendly. So without getting on that soap. . .one thing I have learned working in pediatrics is to be very patient, answer their questions, and explain what you are doing. We take for granted that we know what all those instruments are going into our mouths. Kids don't realize that and it kinda freaks them out. Anyway, she did awesome with Dr. Grover, and our "bug" is now gone.

Fall Fun!!!!!!

Here are some pictures from Halloween and fall leaves. I just love this time of year. Hopefully after today I will be posting some hunting pictures, lets keep our fingers crossed.

Weight

I hope this doesn't sound mean, but it does my heart good to see others out there (close to my age) struggling with weight. It makes me feel so normal. And seeing Chrissy and Kim get back on the Weight Watchers band wagon rejuvinates my weight loss desires. Kim, be proud of those three pounds, that is hard work! So I too am gonna break out my books and keep track of my points. I won't be going to meetings, really, when would I have time right now. Maybe after things are less crazy. So you fellow WW chics post some good tips you get.

Thanks everyone for making me feel normal. And Chrissy that whole self-control thing is such a bummer...

Happy Monday everyone!

I Vow. . .

I have been thinking alot about all the stress in my life and the effects it has on my children, their health, me, my health, Scott, and my relationship with God. I have read (according to Stephen Covey) that it takes 21 days to make (or break) a habit. So I have decided that starting tommorow I am going to try these things daily, even if I have to make myself a checklist that I fill out every day. So here we go ladies (in total random order):

I vow to ask myself twice every time I put something in my shopping cart, swipe my debit card, write a check, or pull through a drive thru (like McDonald's for my Mocha) if I really need to spend that money? Is it in my budget? Could something else be bought with this money? So yes if you see me at the grocery store I may open the milk case twice and talk to myself before putting the jug in the cart. Or you may see me wait in the drive up line at McDonalds and then pull back out just before ordering. I haven't lost my mind girls, I have just decided I don't need it after all.

I vow to make every bite count. Does this mean that I will never splurge? Nope it will just mean that it will be what I am really craving instead of what is handy. Who knows maybe by the time I get to what I really want the first vow will kick in and I won't want it anymore.

I vow to balance my checkbook and pay my bills weekly on Saturday morning. I know as a former banker I would be ashamed of me, but I never balance my checkbook. I just go with the flow (or lack of flow) of money. Crazy I know.

I vow to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily. Even if I have to walk on the treadmill at 10:00. I know this isn't the best time to exercise but maybe the next day I will get it done sooner.

I vow to pray with my children every night before they go to bed. And pray myself before I go to bed, even if I have to kneel at my bed to make myself do it. I pray alot - but not consistently. You know those Christian's that pray when they need something, I am one of those, gotta work on that.

I vow to ask my husband and daughter (Jack's a little young still) if there is anything I can do for them. I think as a society we have stopped helping others so I want to be a good example to my children and show them that Mommy helps others.

Oh the list could go on and on but I feel this is enough for what I have going on in my life right now. When I look over my list it seems that all of these issues are related to one or two things: self-control and choices. Day 1 starts tommorow, I will keep you guys posted, and ask me about it from time to time, keep me accountable.

Payless Coupon

Ok if anyone needs new shoes here is a smoking good deal. Go to www.oprah.com and she has 50% off coupon for Payless you can download. But it is only good now through close of business tommorow.

So Proud

Wednesday we had our Parent/Teacher Conference for Hannah with Mrs. Conway and Mrs. Stack. I was soooooo nervous going in. You see, I am one of those moms who wants my child to excel in everything she does and have had a hard time realizing that doesn't always happen. Don't get me wrong, Hannah is a very smart little girl, but she definately has some focusing issues and has a hard time sitting still. She had never really shown a huge interest in reading, getting through her letters last year was a constant battle. I think deep down inside it makes me feel like at some point I failed her, at some crucial developmental phase I didn't teach her how to sit still or didn't instill in her the desire to learn/read. So here I go, by myself, to her conference, expecting the worst. (I am sure you see where this is going). Mrs. Conway had her stuff in a neat little stack but all I could focus on was this one page sticking out that had in big red writing - 100% Wonderful! Yep, she had done so well on her math assessment. I was not surprised on that one, she has always favored math/science stuff like me. Then Mrs. Stack started telling me how disappointed she was gonna be to lose Hannah in December because she was doing so well in Reading Recovery that she would no longer need that extra attention. Mrs. Conway then started talking about how good it was to see Hannah going from the lower end of the class on reading to one of the best readers in the class. It was just like one of those Sylvan commercials. I don't know how I didn't break down right then and there but I didn't. Mrs. Conway even gave her a good mark for behavior. This is a huge accomplishment. So then I stuck around to go with Hannah to her reading class and it was amazing. She is reading and figuring out crazy words. This was the good news I needed to happen this week. This was God's gift to me this week that definately lifted my spirits and made me realize that with all of the craziness I have in my life right now we are gonna make it and we are gonna be just fine. And I truly attribute all of this to my renewed devotion to prayer and God. I don't know why, but over the last two months I have really felt drawn to him, like I needed him more than ever and have really prayed alot about me and my family. This is the answered prayer I have needed.
Lord, Thank you for this blessing. Thank you for reminding me how wonderful my little princess is. Please continue to show me how to be a good mother for my children and how to be an example of a humble, prayerful christian mom. Amen

Weekly Recap

Here is how my week shaped up:
Jackson - ended up being sick off and on all week. Monday he was home with me. Tuesday I thought he was better so I sent him to Cheryl's only to have him wake up from nap with fever so I had to go get him around 3:30. Wednesday and Thursday he stayed home with Papa Dave. Friday he went back to Cheryl's but we did start him on some oral steroids/breathing treatments because of croup. Of course with him being sick we did not go on our annual trip to the pumpkin patch. I was very upset about that but don't wanna make anyone else in our extended family sick.
Hannah - is great! Absolutely nothing exciting to report on her except she is reading like crazy and I love it.
Scott - had an awesome week. He got to go to the Vice President Biden speach in St. Louis. Political views aside it is a once in a lifetime experience to be on stage with the second in command.
He is also looking amazing. He hasn't lost but about 8-10 pounds, but all that PE is making him look hot! He has lost almost all his beer belly and has a very nice set of pecs! Which brings me to. . .
Me - after seeing Scott when he got home I have decided to reinstate my diet. I am gonna use the weight watchers points system and should have weekly posts on my loss. At work we have a weight loss challenge going on until Thanksgiving so I would like to lose 15 pounds before then. Keep me motivated girls!
Thats about it. School is going ok, we have about 8 more weeks until Christmas break! Then only one more semester! Yeah me!

One of THOSE Mondays!

My day today started out at 4 am with little Jack Jack climbing in to bed. This is nothing new, however, he doesn't usually feel like he has been under a heat lamp. So at first I am thinking WOW how nice he was to come snuggle with me, it was a little chilly in the house this morning so I needed a snuggle bug. Then it hit me that hmmmmmmmm he is really warm. That's right, you guessed it, Jack had a fever. 101.4 to be exact, nothing to write home about, but enough that I had to spend the day with him. Dr. Mom has decided that he just has a cold because he has no other symptoms and has not ran a fever all day on top of the fact that I have a cold. Unless something changes my diagnosis is it is just a common cold. So hopefully tommorow we are both back at daycare and school/work.

STJ. . . All The Way!

Well, the Tiger Football team didn't win last night but that's ok because there was the cutest group of cheerleaders you've ever seen there. The Varsity Cheerleaders held a fundraiser and had a mini-camp for the elementary school girls. They got to cheer for an entire quarter! Hannah had a blast! Here are some cute pictures.

Prayer Request

Ok blog girls! I am calling/counting on you. Without going into tremendous detail I will try to make it short and sweet. Pray for my mom - she has her third blood clot in her leg. She has been under a tremendous amount of stress lately (due to the next two requests) and her clot has returned. Pray for my brother, Brent - he is battling drug addiction but is in a good, safe, Christian environment now so pray he gives God a chance to heal him. Pray for my sister, Rachel - she is having alot of stomach issues and pain after eating to the point she won't hardly eat. They can't figure out what is wrong, maybe it is from the stress in the house, not sure. I think that pretty well covers it.

Hi!

Happy Monday everyone!

Cause Chrissy said so. . .

Ok, so my goal picture is a bit unrealistic. That chic has no stretchmarks, her tatas are very perky, and I am sure she has been airbrushed. So at my favorite blogger Chrissy's insistance I will post a picture of me. It is from Easter 2004. I am pretty sure this dress is either a 10 or a 12 and I would be excited to wear either size again.

Goal Picture

Hey, I thought since everyone else was posting their goals I might as well share mine. I looked for a picture of me from when I was younger and skinnier but I just didn't find that "one". So I figured this one would do cause I think that suit is too darn cute, appropriate for a mommy but might turn Scott's head when I walk by. Plus I love black and red and it has underwire for support so it is my ultimate suit to wear on the beach next summer!

Much Better today!

Wanted to give everyone a quick update. Jackson is doing great, if it wasn't for that 24 hour on antibiotic thing I would have sent him to Ms. Cheryl's today. But that's ok, we are getting to spend the day together just hanging out. I have figured out he is a mess maker. He will dump a basket in two seconds just to see how big the pile will be on the floor. Oh well, good opportunity to teach him to clean up his messes. Hannah is back to normal. I have no signs of sickness. I am also feeling much better today about school. Scott and I had a good talk about it and I feel like I am doing what I need to for my family. My new hope is that when I am done in May I can maybe find a weekend only option at a hospital, maybe in St. Louis where I could work two weekends a month and then be home with the kids during the week. Plus I still want that third baby so that would work well for a new baby. We will see. I have been with St. John's for 5 years so hopefully they offer that kind of program in St. Louis. For those of you who don't realize my dad and stepmom live in St. Louis so I could easily stay with them overnight. So we will see, only God knows what I should do and when.

God has given each of you some special abilities: be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God's many kinds of blessings.
1 Peter 4:10 TLB

The Lord will work out His plans for my life - for Your loving-kindness, Lord, continues forever.
Psalm 138:8 TLB

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good. . . to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11 TLB

Health Update and odd ??????

So here is our update: Hannah is doing much better, went to school today with no problems. Drum roll please. . . . . . . . . . . . . Now Jackson has strep!!!!!!!!!! I wonder when it will be my turn? So now would everyone please pray that Jack has a quick recovery like Hannah and that I don't get it! Which leads to my odd ?????? Do you guys believe that God tries to tell us things through events OR that he doesn't give us more than we can handle? Let me explain further - I am at a very difficult crossroad right now. In case you haven't heard my life is a little stressful right now with Scott being gone during the week, school, work, and two kids. So is God trying to tell me via my kids being sick that this plan of mine isn't what he has in mind for me OR is he trying to show me that I am superwoman and with his help I can do all kinds of things - similar to what an RN might do? If this was happening last year when I was just starting nursing school I would have dropped out a long time ago. Now of course I am not far from being done so do I just suck it up and plow on through or drop and return to my life before nursing school? You see at one point I felt a great calling to be an RN, that I could really help alot of people by treating them with dignity and respect and along the way put a little glimpse of Christ in their eyes. Currently I feel so discouraged I don't know what I am supposed to be doing. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, what is your opinion of fasting?

Vacation

I am so excited! We got the best news today! My Dad and Stepmom are renting a beach house next year in Destin, Fl for our entire family. With Scott's new job I wasn't sure we would be able to go because vacation is based on seniority. But Scott got word today that he got his vacation approved. So June 5-12 we will be in Destin! This is so awesome. I am so blessed to have parents that want to spend time with all the kids, and so blessed that we all love spending time with each other. Growing up that wasn't always the case, you know when you get steps and halfs involved it gets messy when you have all those teenage hormones going. But now we are a pretty close knit group, which I love! So Florida here we come! Hannah is so excited. She has never been to the beach. Jack of course hasn't either and I think I went when I was younger to see my grandparents but don't remember it at all. Yeah! So countdown starts now to save money and lose weight! I wanna be a hot beach momma!

Ok, a few other details to add. Hannah got diagnosed with Strep Throat today so pray for her and me and Jackson that we don't get it as well. Scott should be ok, he had his tonsils out when he was a kid. Also, pray for my brother, he has battled drug abuse for a long time. I think things may be changing this week so be praying for him.

Did I mention I am going to the beach next year? Oh yeah, and it will be just after RN graduation! So much to look forward to next year.

Family Update

Just wanted to give everyone a quick update on what is going on in our lives.

Jackson - oh my sweet little boy. He is doing awesome! He is really starting to say alot, hasn't bitten anyone in a couple of weeks (thank you Lord!), and growing so fast. It amazes me how raising a boy is soooo different from a girl.

Hannah - loves First Grade. Now we have had a few bumps in the road, but overall I think she is getting the hang of it. She goes to a special Reading Recovery program because she was a little behind the curve in her reading and she is doing so good. I am so proud every night when she brings home her little homework bag and has to read me and Jackson two books. She has made soooo much improvement. Kudos to Mrs. Stack her Reading Recovery teacher. She is amazing.

Scott - loves his new job for Mehlville Fire Protection District! He will be starting the St. Louis County Fire Academy Monday so everyone pray for him and us. He will be gone to it Monday - Friday and then will have to work a shift every other weekend. The academy lasts 11 weeks so we will miss him dearly and I know he is gonna miss us. Pray he has the strength to endure this 11 weeks of training and pray for us at home without him. The kids are gonna miss him and I am gonna miss him. Not to mention the fear issue, I know my in laws are down the road but I definately sleep better when he is home so having him gone 5-6 nights a week is gonna make me really tired.

Me - this has been a rough semester for me. I love the topics so far - mostly OB and newborns - but it has been interesting at times. We have new dynamics in the classroom with a new instructor and it has definately brought me out of my comfort zone. But that isn't always a bad thing. Plus last week we started clinicals so that is gonna make the time fly by. Hard to believe in a little over 8 months I will be graduating from RN school!

And in case anyone hadn't heard my sister had her baby! A little girl, Isabel Ann joined big sister Alexis in Ross & Jessica's family on 9/10/09. I got to be there for the whole thing and it was amazing. My sister is an amazing woman. Being their made me feel like I finally got to experience what childbirth is supposed to be like. I was so proud of her. (I love you Jess!) And I got to give Isabel her first bath with the awesome nursery nurse Gretchen! Yeah me! It was so cool. Anyway, I am sure she will be posting pictures on her blog soon. Be on the watch out for them!

A few more

Here are a few more pictures. My favorite picture is the one with Hannah and Jackson looking at each other. He is watching her so closely and she looks like she is "teaching" him something.

Pictures as Promised!

Here are some pics from Maramec Springs a couple of weekends ago. Hope everyone enjoys!

While I was away. . .

OK so I have neglected my blog. I dunno why, well actually that is a lie. I recently found facebook and farmville. Of course at first I was glued to my computer watching my friend number rise higher and higher and now I am thinking There is no way I have that many "friends", acquaintances yes, friends no way. So now I am thinking that I opened a can of worms I wish I could close. Cause of course now I find pictures of me floating around the Internet, do I really want them there? I dunno. I have found pictures of my kids. Again I must ask do I want them out there? I definitely do not. Do I think people should be able to post pictures without your permission. ABSOLUTELY NOT! So now I am considering shutting down my facebook. Not sure yet, just thinking about it. Plus it is such a waste of time, seriously I have so much other stuff I could be doing like being with my kids, studying, working on my house, the list could go on and on and on. But the positive spin is that I have talked to people on facebook that I haven't seen in years and think it is so cool. So I just have to rethink the way I interact with facebook. And seriously if you are reading this and you have posted pics of my kids please consider removing them. I am glad that you are thinking of my kids enough to post them on your wall, but with all the weirdos out there in this world I just don't know if I want them out there. Sorry, hope that doesn't hurt any one's feelings. . .

So what has been going on in my life lately? Well I started back to school last Monday. Yeah me! Hannah started back to school the week before that. Scott is loving his new job! Jackson is growing like a weed. Over the weekend we did lots of cool stuff. Saturday the kids and I went to Maramec Springs and made S'Mores in our front yard, Sunday we went to Rylee's 2nd birthday party. It was an awesome weekend, we had perfect weather. Reminds me that fall is just around the corner and I love fall!

So this week I will try to post some pics from our weekend, I got some cute pictures at Maramec Springs of the kids. Also, I think I am gonna up the security on my blog so if you are reading this don't freak out if later this week you have to have an "invitation". Just shoot me an email and I will be glad to send it to you! I don't want to leave anyone out, I just want to make it more private. Have a great Monday everybody! I love you all!

Busy Week

So the last week has been a bit hectic, but good. I love my new job and I love working with kids (except when they cry). Finals happened! Yeah! I ended up with a B in the class which really makes me sad because until mental health I had all A's in my nursing classes, but I am now ok with the B. Mental Health is a very hard class to study for. I mean, you can study all the disorders and know them like the back of your hand, but you can't really study for therapeutic communication questions and it seems like about the time I think I have them figured out something new gets thrown in. Oh well! I am glad it is over and happy to be out of school until 8/17. Yesterday we had an amazing day together as a family. We spent some time at the river just relaxing. It was great! The weather was beautiful and the kids had a blast. My sister had a car accident Saturday (everyone was fine, no injuries) but it was very scary for them. Thank you Lord they were unharmed! My good friend Amber is still pregnant - this is a good thing - she is only about 35-36 weeks so we would like Braeden to stay inside a little longer. She has had lots of contractions lately but they seem to fizzle out. I pray that the Lord brings little Braden into the world when he is ready for him and healthy and not a moment sooner. She also started a blog so you guys will have to check it out.

And the most exciting thing is that I lost 4 lbs. this week! Yeah me! I had been struggling to get going on this weight loss. I had lost 1 lb. then gained back three so now I am down 2 lbs. from where I started and feeling like I have a grasp on the situation. Thank you Chrissy for the encouragement and to the girls I work with - Kristina my new weight loss buddy & Dr. Rao, Kendra, and Becky - thanks for understanding and helping me stay accountable! I really, really appreciate it! Only 58 more pounds to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Monday!

Hey everyone! I just wanted to report in to everyone on how my day went. I had a great day in Peds with Dr. Rao, Kendra, and Becky. It was so fun.

10 Things That Make Me Happy

These are in random order
1. The way Jackson talks - he is just starting to add tons of words to his vocabulary and it is so cute the way he tries to repeat what we say
2. Hannah's freckles - she has spent so much time outside this year and she has the cutest little freckles across her nose
3. New Job - I start in my new department Monday and I am so excited!!!!!!!!!
4. Finals - Wednesday is my Mental Health Class final
5. Summer Fruits and Veggies - oh man is fresh produce gooooood right now.
6. Scott - he is hard at work today, but I am so blessed to have a husband that works very hard to help others and support his family. He has worked a lot lately and we miss him, but I am so happy to have him in my life.
7. Gravel Roads - Yes, I am thankful for them. I read a couple of posts this week about some road improvements in town and I must say I love my dusty, pot hole speckled gravel road. I wouldn't trade living in the country for anything, I love my privacy and the great outdoors!
8. Babies - I love fresh new little babies. Lucky for me my sister and my good friend Amber are expecting in September so I will get to love on them. Plus I will get to see new babies all the time at work.
9. America - no matter how terrible the economy is or how bad things seem to be in America we are so blessed to live in a country with freedom and prosperity.
10. Blogs - I think they are the coolest new thing! I have reconnected with so many old friends and family members thru blogs. I just love them!

$ and Sadness

Ok so my $$$ thing today is I want to share with everyone the coolest thing. I heard about it on Dave Ramsey. It is called E-Mealz. It is so awesome. For $5 per month you get a meal plan for the week and a grocery list for the week. But the even cooler part is you can choose your store: Walmart, Aldi, or a generic grocery store AND you can chose regular meals, low fat meals, WW points meals, and even meals for two. It is so cool. And it will save you $$$ cause the meals are relatively low cost. I think the usual list price is $75-80 for 7 meals. I usually go thru and remove a couple meals and substitute some of our family favorites. So for busy moms this is amazing. And the recipes are really good, and easy. Scott even cooks them, the recipe is right there. So if anyone needs any cool ideas for meals here is one worth trying.

www.e-mealz.com

Sadness: Tommorow is my last day with Dr. Cunningham. I didn't think I was gonna be sad, but I am. She hired me with no doctor's office experience just an EMT license. I have had so much fun with her over the last 5 years. I am really gonna miss her and the girls in the office. But it is time to change, so everyone say a little prayer tommorow that I don't totally lose it. And if I have ever taken care of you in the Ob/Gyn office know that I enjoyed every minute of it and will miss you all so much. And I will get to see some of you in my new office. Chrissy - call me about switching if you really want to.

And Hey about the get together - what works better for everyone July 31st or August 7th? I am thinking for the first time we could maybe go out for mexican food or whatever everyone wants, I don't care, I am open to whatever. Just post an idea if you have one.

Friendship

I found some quotes on friendship for everyone to ponder.

"A true friend is the one walking in when everyone else walks out."

"A mere friend will agree with you, a true friend will argue with you."

"A friend is someone who sees through you and still enjoys the view."

So to all my young, cool friends (thank you Tiffany), all my been around forever friends, and everyone in between thanks for being my friend! God has truly blessed me with wonderful friends in my life.

And if you are reading this you better start following it so I know who is out there reading this! Got it! And if you have a blog and haven't updated it in a while - get to work slackers!!!! (Becca and Amber)

Speaking of friends - who wants to have a girls night? It can be at someone's house, or out to a movie and dinner - no kids - just the girls (ok if you are lactating you can bring the kid). I think it would be fun, all get together in person instead of in blog. LOL What do you think? If you are interested post a comment so we can get the ball rolling. Heck Ashley can even give us a Zumba lesson!

Monday Thoughts

Does anyone besides me always set high expectations for Monday? The start of a new week, gonna get alot done, blah blah blah. Well this Monday was no different. I was running full speed at my diet, gonna be super mom, get the house clean while Scott is at work, exercise, get all my work caught up at work, and start preparing for my final next week. Well ladies I don't think any of those things have happened or are gonna happen. But suprisingly I am ok with that. My kids are playing with their cousins right now, I have been organizing my desk (aka making neat stacks), and am working up the ambition for the kitchen clean up. So once again I have a Monday that did not live up to my expectations but that is life. And as for that diet thing, well that's what next Monday is for. Ha!

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday everyone! Get out there and enjoy this beautiful weather! I know my family is. We don't get great days like this in July very often.

Prayer

Today I need prayer, don't really want to elaborate on why and am not entirely sure myself but I just feel like I need prayer today.

Happy Wednesday!

I don't have a whole lot to blog about today. I have decided this week to follow in Chrissy's footsteps and document my weight loss journey. Maybe you guys can keep me accountable. I did put up a sign on my refrigerator that I am gonna mark off each of the 60 pounds I wanna lose (yes girls that is 60). So far after 1 week I have marked off 1. Disappointing I know. But I did get up and excercise this morning, yeah me! So we are hopefully off on the right foot today. Today is just a blah kind of day, it rained, Scott is gone at work, I hate bills, and I want a vacation on a beach with a little umbrella drink brought to me by Juan. Instead I will have an adorable two year old bring me a mostly drank glass of tea that he has deposited generous amounts of backwash into (you know you have all been there and are going Eww, yuck while laughing your booties off and checking your own glass for floaters). And you know what, as I write this blog I realize that rain is good, Scott at work is also good cause it helps with those bills I hate, vacation would be nice, but I have to finish school first, and that adorable two year old can bring me tea with floaters any day. Thank you Lord for all of these blessing!

Also, please say a little prayer for my father in law, he is having some kidney problems and we aren't quite sure what is going on yet. So keep him in your thoughts!

Whoopie Cushion and Thanks

Ok, so today I had to run into the Dollar store to get some toilet paper. We love to look around in there, you never know what you are gonna find. Well lo and behold my little princess found a whoopie cushion. Oh My! My two kids were laughing hysterically in Dollar General making fart noises with the whoopie cushion. I have never been so mortified and amused at the same time. Of course I am thinking I won't see anyone I know and here comes Sarah Ray up to the checkout counter. Naturally Hannah has to run up to her and hug her and show her the new wonder. Luckily Sarah is just a fun enough person that she was not offended by it. As we walked out of the store I handed Hannah the huge pack of Charmin and told her I thought she might need it. He he he!

So my blog has a cool new look, thank you to Jess and Chrissy and Nel who have the cute background to inspire me. As I was looking through them I found this cool one with fire trucks on it and it reminded me that I needed to thank some people. To my husband Scott, Uncle Shawn (I realize his is retired but he will always be chief to me), Uncle Carl, Steve Ruben, Shawn Karl, Liz Karl and all the other Fire Fighters, Paramedics, and EMT's THANK YOU so much for what you do! I pray that you all are safe when you are asked to go into dangerous situations and that God watches over you all and your families.

Changes

I don't know about everyone else, but change makes me nervous. I have never been one of those people that live in the moment and can transition from one thing to another. I like routine. I like my kids to have a routine, they like their routine. When they don't have routine, they show signs of morphing into some kind of monster that I do not know. Why am I writing about change you ask? Well I have been going through alot of it lately and I have decided it has me in a funk, so I hope that writing about it will get me out of my funk. I have changed my simple go to work life and take care of my kiddos to one that involves endless hours of homework for nursing school, working part time, and depending on alot of family to get us through until I graduate. And now I am going to be changing jobs and that is the icing on the cake. I am excited about my new position, but it is change and I am scared to death. For anyone who doesn't know I am going to be leaving the OB office to go to work in pediatrics with Dr. Rao on July 27th. Now, don't get me wrong, I am so excited to work with Dr. Rao, I have loved her for a long time as our pediatrician and know that she will teach me so much. But I have been with Dr. Cunningham, whom I love and still love, for 5 years so I pretty much have a set routine there - so this is a huge change for me. So say a little prayer for me, I know it is gonna work out!

Why not, everyone else is doing it. . .

So here I go, my first venture with a blog. I hope this will allow me to keep up with my friends and family. You see I don't do Facebook or My Space, we have dial up for our Internet connection so it would never work. Where we live the only option for high speed is satellite and it is too darn expensive for our budget. So while I wait for Century Tel to bring high speed to our area I muttle through with dial up. Needless to say I won't post all the time, but I will try to post at least once a week.

Today is Friday evening, Hannah just got home from her last T-Ball game of the summer (sad and glad emotions from me). I love T-Ball, I remember playing it myself when I was a kid, but this year was very hectic for me. You see I made it very clear that I didn't want to coach this summer because of nursing school I knew I didn't have enough time to work with the kids. My dear sweet husband said "No biggie, just show up at the games with Jackson, I will take care of everything". Let me tell you how that went - it didn't. You see just about the time the games started Scott started a new job - one that he had to work pretty well every Friday. So guess who got to be coach - ME!!! Now, I love that I got to spend time with my daughter and her friends, but I don't like to do things halfway and I feel like that is all the kids got. So my mixed feelings are glad that the season has ended so I won't feel so guilty but sad because next year Hannah will be in Bantam league and that means she is growing up.

Jack and I had to stay home tonight due to a little stomach virus Jack has, so we just hung out, played outside with the dog, and waited for Hannah to get home. Scott is at work, working his first overtime shift. Wish he was home, but proud of what he does.

That is all for today, I am gonna work on posting some pictures and all that good stuff. Hope to hear from you soon!