Christmas is coming

I'm so excited to announce that we are going home (to Iowa) for Christmas this year!!! This is the first time in 5 years that we'll be there for this holiday and I'm stoked. Taryn has never been to Iowa for Christmas and she is just as excited as the other kids. Since she is the only one that doesn't have a concept of time, she thinks that Christmas is "tomorrow" and that we are going to Grampy's any moment. She has her bags packed... so cute!

I have not started shopping and honestly don't even know what to get the kids this year. I'm struggling to figure out a few things... Do we have Santa come early and celebrate Christmas early, do we ship gifts there and have Santa find us there to let them open Christmas morning, do we wait and have Santa come while we are gone and celebrate after the fact? I just don't know what to do! It makes sense to do it early but I can't imagine the kids not opening gifts from Santa Christmas morning. What to do - what to do...

I have asked each of the kids what they want for Christmas. Jayden said he wants books and more nerf guns, Kiarra wants a cell phone and an iPod, Tamia wants clothes and jewelry and Taryn wants and iPod and a "real" laptop. Why is it that my 4 year old is suddenly more expensive than the older girls!??! Taryn told me she does not want any more babies or books, because she has enough. She is going to be one disappointed little girl come Christmas morning (or whenever we celebrate).

Jayden had a reading benchmark a few weeks back and he passed with a 97% (missing only 1 question). He only needed a 65 to pass and he killed it, we are so proud of him. Yesterday, Kiarra brought home her reading benchmark (that she stressed out about for a week) and she scored a 95% (missing only 2 questions). I think she needed a 75 to pass but regardless she did awesome and we are so proud of her as well. Taryn just moved up to the next room as pre-school. She is such a big girl and so grown!

Thankful

This time of year reminds me of all I’m thankful for. Tomorrow, my family will sit around the breakfast table and we’ll all express what we are thankful for. We get silly answers like “the Wii” or “my dollies” but it’s the ones mentioned that have no $$ value that melt my heart. Last year Kiarra told me she was thankful for being a big sister, Jayden said he was thankful for being loved and having a home, and Taryn said she was thankful for her slippers (I know, materialistic – but still so cute)… Today and always I’m thankful for:

• Freedom of Religion – Can you imagine being forced into a religion that you don’t believe in? I’m so thankful for the opportunity to choose Christianity. The love God has for me and my family (and all of you too) is unfathomable. It’s an honor to serve Him and call Him my hero.
  
• My Husband – He is my love, my rock, my everything.
  
• My Kids – They are my heart, each and every one of them has it.
  
• My Mom – She is the best. She's been there for me through it all! I can’t imagine life without this lady.
  
• Family and friends – What would we do without a great family and set of friends who keep us real? There are too many to count but you know who you are!
  
• Military, Police, Firemen, etc – God bless those who serve our country, fight for our freedom and put their lives on the line to keep us safe.
  
• Teachers – These men and woman are amazing and truly gifted.
  
• Doctors & Nurses - I can’t say enough about this profession. I’m so thankful for our doctors and nurses.

There are countless more but I’ll stop there for now…I’m supposed to be working.

Taryn turned 4!

Wow, my baby girl is 4 years old. How can this be? It seems like yesterday we brought her home from the hospital, so tiny and so cute, our precious baby girl. I am amazed daily by her beauty, cuteness and grace. She is 110% girly girl. I barely remember life without her by my side; she is such a joy each and every day. She is totally into being a mommy right now. I understand this is a natural gift God gives all baby girls; there is just something so sweet about the way she holds and cares for her babies. If I’m not feeling well or one of the kids or Jeff is hurt or sick, she is there by our side to care for us, stroking our face or hair telling us that it’s going to be ok. On the flip side, she is by far the most stubborn of my kids. I hate to brag or sound ridiculous but our kids have typically been good kids, they’re obedient and well mannered, of course they’ve made mistakes but they’ve learned from them. Taryn is different; she challenges us, A LOT, and is whinier than the others (which I can’t stand) and I want to think it’s the third child (or youngest) thing and I know my older brothers would agree the youngest child gets away with more…blah blah blah… I used to argue this point with them but I now agree and understand what they’ve been telling me since I was 14! We would never let Kiarra and Jayden get away with the things Taryn gets away with. Even with the loosened discipline she is still a great kid…besides the fact that she cut her own hair when she “wanted bangs”, and cut her clothes when they “didn’t fit right” and lets not forget the time she spread gum ALL over the stairs… Ahh, the lovely memories.

Since I was going to be out of town for her actual b-day, we had a small celebration for her the weekend prior to her b-day. Mom came over and I made Taryn’s favorite meal, spaghetti, and we let her open the gifts we got her. It was then; right there in our family room that I really realized she is 4! FOUR years old! I’m just blown away at how fast she’s grown up! She was such a big girl when I told her I would be out of town for her b-day. She didn’t cry she acted as if she actually understood. If you’ve talked to me in the past 2 weeks you know how pissed off I was that I had to miss her b-day. I’ve never been away for my kids b-days... NEVER! I will always remember that I wasn’t with her on her 4th b-day… Ugh, this thing called a job!

This past weekend we had her real party and it was wet and cold. I originally scheduled it at the bowling alley but then remembered how much fun we used to have hosting big parties at our house so I quickly changed it. Of course that was before I knew it was going to be raining! It’s actually a good thing a few families didn’t show up because we were out of room in our garage. The rain held off all day...but yup you guessed it, it started drizzling minutes before the party started. It didn’t seem to bother the kids much; they still had a great time jumping and playing in the moonwalk and they enjoyed playing a few other games as well. We had a great group of kids, the majority of our friends have kids the ages of our other kids so there were only a few her age. That didn’t bother her a bit; she can run and hold her own with the older kids!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl! We love you LOTS!!!

Since my last post I must have thought of a thousand things that reminded me of my Dad and good times we shared. Although I'm very sad that he isn't here on earth with us, I'm very grateful for the 25 years I had with him. I could go on and on about him, the good times and the bad but for now I'll move onto something else...

October is a beautiful month in Texas. The weather is perfect but the pollen and ragweed is brutal. I'm terribly allergic to many things (155 out of the 165 I was tested for) so everything from animals, to weeds, grass, trees, shrimp...you name it, I'm allergic to it. The good thing is that it typically only affects me in the fall. The first week of the month, my aunt was in town and we went to the Renaissance Festival. It is HUGE, a ton of walking, a ton of food, a ton of people dressed completely inapropriate, and a TON of trees... trees that I'm allergic to of course. We got there around 9:30 am and by noon, I'd sneezed over 50 times. You may wonder why I counted and I know that's silly but I just needed to know how many times a day I sneeze. I stopped counting at 50. This was the first time my kids have been and the first for my aunt and I must say it was a lot of fun despite the fact I couldn't breath. We enjoyed a few shows, munching on all the great food (turkey legs, cheesecake on a stick, kettle corn, etc) and the kids even got their heads chopped off... Pictures to come another time (I need to get them from Mom). All in all, it was a great day. For those of you in Texas, I highly encourage you to go to the Renaissaince Festival. Look real close at the picture of Jeff and Jayden...do you see the guy in the black right behind Jayden?

My aunt comes each year and this year was just as fun as the others. We spent time playing war with our nerf guns, playing cards, Wii games, going to dinner and just hanging out. I really enjoy her coming to visit us each year!
The kids got their report cards a few weeks back and I'm so proud of all of them. All A's for Jayden, A's and 1 B for Kiarra and all A's and B's for Tamia. This week I had a conference with Jayden's teacher and it went great. I walked in his classroom and his teacher (who is the cutest little thing - no wonder he "likes" her) closed the door behind me! I automatically thought "oh shit", but then she put her hands together and said "I LOOOOVE Jayden" and went on and on about what a great kid he is and how blessed she is to have him in her class. It felt really great to hear all these things. I wasn't surprised, he is a great kid and she's called me twice to tell me great things he's done in class and for others. He is quite bored as he finishes his work before everyone in class but he uses that "boredom" or "extra time" to help others instead of doing something stupid and getting in trouble. I'm so proud of him!
Kiarra just had her first Choir concert. They sounded really good! She had a project in school last week where she had to write a song. This wasn't anything new to her as she has written a ton of songs but she asked her teacher if she could sing it to the class. She actually got up and sang the song, with a little choreography, to the whole class. She wasn't scared, she wasn't nervous, she just sang her heart out. She's learned to stand up to mean girls too. Another girl was getting bullied one day and Kiarra told the bully to grow up and get a life! This was the same bully that pinned Kiarra up against her locker one day so it was a big deal for Kiarra to stand up for another girl against this other girl that is 3 years older than her. Yes, the bully should be in 9th grade but has been held back a few times so is only in 6th grade!!! Crazy huh! Anyway, I'm so proud of her for singing in class and doing such a great job in school and everything else!
Taryn....oh my sweet little Taryn... She is something else! If I had to predict the future, I'd say that this is the child that will give us problems. I often say she has Jeff wrapped around her little finger but what I really should say is that she has the whole world wrapped around her little finger. Her personality has really come out lately and her sassy little mouth has landed her in her room (or the corner) to think and a few times has had to get vanilla. That's right, VANILLA. Talking back or lying in my house means a teaspoon of vanilla and it only takes once or twice and it's nipped! Well, it only took once or twice with Kiarra and Jayden.... Anyway, Taryn is such a sweetie and brings so much joy to my heart. Even when she is sassy and disobedient, she is so cute and so sweet! I know that doesn't even make sense but if you know her, you know what I mean... Can you believe that she is going to be 4 in less than 2 weeks!
Nothing much has changed for Jeff and I. I'm going to Canada the week after next and I typically love going to Canada and getting away for a few days but this trip is different. I'm actually going to miss Taryn's birthday and I'm not happy about it! I will remember forever that I was not with her on her 4th birthday. I've tried to mentally prepare for it and not be angry at my boss or anyone else but the reality is that I'm pissed and I think it's crap that I have to miss her birthday! This should be my last trip there so I want to make the best of it but it's going to be hard when I know I'm missing my baby girl!

Missing my Daddy

Tomorrow, October 5 marks the 6th anniversary of Dad going to heaven. I always get into a bit of a funk this time of year and I don’t think it’s unusual but I’m starting to question how many years this will last. In 25 years, will I still get into a funk each October? Will there come a time that this day passes by and I don’t think of it? Would it be wrong to let this day go by and not be sad? I’m torn! I don’t want to be miserable but I don’t want to forget about it either. Everyone tells me to remember the good times and I do, that doesn’t make it easier, it actually may make it more difficult but I love reminiscing the good times.

My favorite memories with Dad are:
Learning to ride a bike - he was the one in the back yard holding the back of the banana seat and encouraging me to “pedal” and “balance”. Where was he when I needed to learn to ride that 4-wheeler…
Wednesday night Volleyball – Every Wednesday night my parents would play volleyball with all the other old folks. Of course I realize now that they were all younger than what I am now but anyway… We’d always go with them and help set up and play basketball or volleyball while everyone was arriving. Teige and Talan would usually end up leaving and I’d have to walk home by myself and I’d be soooooo scared. It was only one block (up hill) but that was a long way for someone who was and still is scared of the dark. I hated that walk! One time, after 30 minutes or an hour of them playing, Dad came out of the school to smoke a cigarette and I was still sitting there on the steps. I’m pretty sure he yelled at me to get home but I don’t remember that. What I do remember is him telling me to hop on his back and he gave me a piggy back ride all the way home and made it back in time to play the next game. I wonder if he told my Mom he did that for me…
Shooting pool – I was 10 when my parents divorced and Dad lived in Soldier for the first few years. I would go stay with him on the weekends and my favorite thing to do was to go to the bar to shoot pool and drink Sarsaparilla Root Beer with him. He was pretty good at pool and would try to show me tricks. As I look back, I did love to play pool but what I needed was that one-on-one time with him. Now and then someone would be in there that would catch his attention for a few minutes but 99% of the time it was all about us spending time together. My brothers were off with their friends or sports so it was just the two of us and that time is now so precious to me.
Learning to play sports - since Dad coached my brother’s baseball team when they were younger, he thought he was an old pro and could teach me softball as well. “Elbow up, straighten your back, bend your knees, watch the ball, swing the bat!” I would get so frustrated with him, especially when he would be an umpire during my games and call a strike when I was batting and it would clearly be a ball! He taught me how to shoot a basketball and how to serve the volleyball. He was always there for my games and ready with glove in hand each time I mentioned playing catch.
Learning to drive - Dad was the one who took me to get my permit and let me drive home the same day. Of course I’d been driving around Moorhead for years, either as a little girl sitting on his lap or just straight up illegal to/from the gas station or store. After getting my permit, he’d let me drive everywhere…unless he was pissed at me for skipping school or doing something I shouldn’t of been doing. Everyone in the car had to wear a seatbelt, no excuses. I loved sitting at a stop sign for 20 seconds, he would be so irritated!
My wedding day – I was so grateful that Dad got to walk me down the isle on my wedding day. At the time, that day was very much taken for granted, but as I look back I am so fortunate and thankful he was here for that day. I tear up every time I hear Butterfly Kisses as this was our Father/Daughter dance song. It was so touching to see him cry when he first saw me in my wedding dress and how choked up he got when we were dancing. I’ll never forget he and Mom dancing too. It was a magical night.
Seeing him with my kids – Kiarra was 2 weeks old when I flew to Iowa for the family to see her. I couldn’t wait for Dad to see my blue eyed, black haired baby girl. After Jayden was born, we made the same trip up after just 3 weeks. Kiarra had him wrapped around her little finger in a flash. He loved his grandkids! Each time we made a trip back to Iowa before his passing we all looked forward to “Grandpa Terry” make his appearance at my Grandparents house. He’d be there at the crack of dawn and would never say no to the kids when they asked him to play. He’d be on the floor playing dolls with Kiarra or farm with Jayden. Most often he’d be sitting at the table with coffee at one side and a kid in his lap playing cards. If they wanted to go to the park, he’d take them! If they wanted to play baseball, he’d find a ball and bat and play baseball with them. He always did what they wanted to do. It didn’t matter what sports game was on or what the adults were gossiping about, he took time to play with them and they remember that! I regret that Taryn wasn’t able to meet her “Grampy” as she calls him.
It saddens me deeply that he won’t physically be here to see his Grandkids graduate from high school or college, get married, or meet his great grandkids but one thing is for sure… We serve a great God and I know that one day I’ll see my Daddy again. He has been watching over us for 6 years and since that night, that night that took his life, my life is truly better. I’m not happy that he’s not here with us but through his death there is life. I found God and through worshiping Him, my marriage got stronger, my parenting improved and Jeff and I were able to lead our kids to Christ!! It doesn’t get any better than that! Our entire outlook on life changed for the better. I miss my Dad more than words can express but I know we'll dance again to butterfly kisses...

Out with the old – In with the new

The last several months have been interesting, I love what God is doing in our lives. We have our focus back on what matters, God and family (good friends=family too). We’ve gone through many changes that have affected us all in different ways; with Jeff in his new job and working from home in the evenings and some weekends to my situation at work + my new job, to letting go of friendships that were toxic, to all the kids being in different schools and last but most important, finding a new home church. There has been a lot going on! The kids have had to adjust to Daddy not being as available in the evenings and me being more available (I’m refusing to work nights/weekends again – let’s see how long it lasts this time around), the loss of friends, leaving our most recent home church where they had met many new friends to finding a new home church where we will feel welcome and right at home again. Taryn is struggling with the loss of friends more than the others. She is too young to understand and I haven’t found a logically explanation for her (almost 4 year old) brain. She talks about a certain someone all the time and although it’s very cute that she remembers him and wants to call him to come over and play, it always ends in her crying. She has such a caring heart and simply wants to know why. The last blog, you got to see a video of Taryn that I recorded right after she’d cut her hair, well she hasn’t cut her hair again but she has cut her clothes. I don’t know what she was thinking but I picked her up from daycare one day last week and her skirt was cut in several areas. She said she wanted it to “wiggle”…. Here is a sweet video of her singing a cute little song she learned at school.
Jayden hasn’t had another melt down about Kiarra not being in the same school with him. We struggled a few weeks (before school started) with him crying every time we mentioned school. He is still bored in school; it’s not challenging enough for him so he is often the teachers pet. He finishes his work a lot faster than the others in his class so the teacher puts him to work. I received a call from his teacher the other day that made me smile ear to ear. She was raving about how awesome he is and how he is such a great helper. I love those calls and was (and am) so proud of him!
Kiarra has adjusted to Jr. High very well however she had a taste of mean girls this past week. I’ve been warning her about how mean girls can be, especially in Jr. High, so she was a little prepared but really, how can you totally prepare them for something like this? I’m looking for a book or two for her to read (or for us to read together) to help her understand and/or learn to cope with it (please inform me if you know of one). You know how it goes, one minute they are friends, the next they are not and by the next day they are again. She is frustrated that these girls are not true friends. My advice to her was to stay true to yourself and do things from your heart and with good intentions and true friends will stick by just like they’ve stuck by me. Kiarra LOVES playing volleyball, in enjoying being part of the pep squad and of course she still loves to sew. Those three things along with our crazy family time keep her busy and focused. I’ve explained to her that her friends will change 100 times before she is an adult so let go of the bad ones and move on with the positive ones. I’ve come to the conclusion that if someone seriously wants to be part of your life, they will seriously make an effort to be in it…If not, then you have your answer…
I’ve finally transitioned all my duties from my old position to my co-worker and can now focus on my new stuff. This year has been a roller coaster at the office and I’m ready for some normalcy again. I’d much rather be working 80 hours a week than deal with the weirdities that have been going on, may sound crazy but it's true. My health is in much better shape and I’m feeling good enough again to start working out. I can’t wait to get out there and run and work out with Kiarra. I’ve been pain free for almost a month, thank GOD. Bring on the workouts!!!

Back to School part 2

I can honestly say that I’m not a fan of the kids being in school. The schedules, the lunches, the HOMEWORK etc, it’s just a lot to deal with. I know this is what they need to start their education and all but seriously, lay off the homework teachers! I love that they all love school and I am grateful they attend great schools so I don’t want to sound ungrateful, it’s just all a bit overwhelming. I now have workbooks for Taryn so she can do “homework” while the kids are doing it. It’s just something simple to keep her busy and it keeps her from asking me a million questions when I’m trying to answer their million questions while cooking dinner.
We went to New Orleans for Labor Day and had a great time visiting my in-laws. We didn’t venture out of the house much do to some other activities going on in the city but it was nice to chillax and hang out. I love to see my kids with their Grandparents. It doesn’t matter if we’ve been away from them for 2 weeks, 2 months or 6 months, they pick up right where they left off and carry on with discussions, jokes and laughter.

While in New Orleans we had the opportunity to visit our friends John and Penny and their precious kids. We visited their church and, as always, were welcomed with open arms. Our kids enjoyed going to Journeytown to learn and meet new friends and we were able to enjoy the music (which was fabulous) and listen to a great sermon. I am so thankful to John and Penny for our friendship, for their mentorship and ultimately for them believing in us. Thanks Franklins!
Well our trip ended all too soon and Monday morning we had to hit the road and head back home.
Jeff was moved to manage another group. He was a bit disappointed at first because he really liked his crew and was forming a bond with them. He’s closer to home now and knows he will bond with the new guys just as well. He also had to come off home dispatch (drove company vehicle to and from work) which stinks but if that’s as bad as it gets then all is good!I had an Upper GI Endoscopy last week and the gastroenterologist found and removed several polyps. The pain I had is now gone and I can finally eat a meal without doubling over in pain. Thank GOD! I’m almost back to 100%.
Many of you have been asking me to post videos of Taryn. Well, over the weekend our little sweetheart decided she wanted to CUT her hair. She is now our little peacock! The first video is of her crying, this was shot right after I realized she'd cut her hair. She cried and cried and apologized a thousand times. The others are just some cute videos from the past week. Enjoy!

Back to School

I can't sleep (damn vicodin), so may as well blog.

The kids are off to a good start. Kiarra said Jr. High is “great” and Jayden said this year is “the same.” Kiarra is already preparing for her first dance (in 4 weeks) and a pool party with her choir group! Seriously?!!? I’m quitting my job and homeschooling! Anyone know a good “work from home” gig?

Kiarra gets herself up every morning by 6 and is showered and ready to go by 6:45, including eating breakfast. She is up and gone before Jayden is even out of bed – crazy! She has mastered opening her locker and getting from class to class without being late. She’s met new friends and connected with old ones – so far so good.

Jayden is getting the hang of changing classes too. This is his first year for having more than one teacher (besides the normal switching for music and p.e.). When he got home yesterday I asked him what he learned… this was our conversation:
Me – Jayden, what did you learn today?
J – Ummmmm, I learned that you can’t do anything by yourself.
Me – Really? What can’t you do by yourself?
J – You can’t cure cancer by yourself.
Me – True, what else?
J – I don’t know, that’s all we talked about.
Me – Ok. Well, what else did you learn today?
J – I don’t have head lice.
Me – [laughing] well that’s good!
J – Yea!
I share this with you for 2 reasons, the 1st reason is that I think it’s insane that they talk to 3rd graders about cancer and the 2nd reason is that I’m sure he learned more than that (or not) but of his 7 hour day, he remembers cancer and head lice. I’ll never understand! Moving on…
We make a point of eating dinner together every night. Now and then Jeff works late or I’m out of town with my job but I’d say 98% of the time, we all sit together at the table and have dinner. We have a routine, I do all the cooking, each of the kids has chores to get the table ready and Jeff cleans up (most of the time). Last night was no different, Taryn got the placemats and forks and put them on the table, and then I asked her to get the cups of ice water since Jayden was doing something else. She is so obedient and does what we ask of her the majority of the time with a smile and good attitude. She literally says “please and thank you” for everything. Ok, let me rephrase or re-explain. She asks “Mommy, may I have milk tonight please and thank you?” or “Mommy, can I play with my toys in the bathtub please and thank you?” It is adorable. We’ve explained that she should wait until we answer to say “thank you” but she insists on saying it all at once. She still apologizes for things that are clearly not her fault but her feeling get hurt anytime anyone is upset so she feels the need to apologize. It’s hard to believe she will be 4 in just 3 ½ months.

I had my cat scan on Monday and it showed a kidney stone. I finally know where the pain is coming from! I’ll find out next week after another x-ray the plan to remove or blast it. It’s been a brutal week of pain and missing a lot of work! Of course missing work isn’t always so bad considering I don’t have to look at or deal with the bully but I’m falling behind and have a ton to do before the end of the year. I’m going to do my best to stay committed to my promise to the kids in that I won’t work when I get home from work (at least not until they go to bed). Oh yea, bought another camera so pics of kids trip to NO coming soon.

Tomorrow marks the 2nd anniversary of Grandma Nilmah going Home to be with Jesus. RIP Grandma! We all miss you.

Summer has come to an end

I can hardly believe that summer is already coming to an end. The kids start back to school on Monday - Tamia in 7th, Kiarra in 6th, YES 6TH GRADE, and Jayden in 3rd. They’ve had a great summer and are looking forward to starting. Kiarra went to the Jr. High last night and to get her supplies, schedule and locker info. Wow, what a disaster that was. First, we had to park a mile away because there were SO many cars. Then, hundreds maybe even a thousand people roaming the halls trying to figure out their home room class, lockers, lunchroom, gym, etc. It was not only students; the majority had their parents and their 13 siblings with them! It was hot and irritating that there was no direction, just walk in and figure it out and there may be a 7th grade cheerleader around to point you in the right direction (or in our case, the wrong direction). Kiarra walked her schedule, met all her teachers and learned to open the combination pad lock on her locker. That may not seem like a big deal, but she’d never used one before so it was a learning experience. Jayden will find his classroom and meet his teacher tonight!
I’m so blessed to have such great kids. Jayden has practically mastered being a gentleman and is such an awesome kid. Taryn still amazes us everyday with her cute little smart self. She has the best imagination. Her latest cuteness happened yesterday morning as I was trying to get her out the door to daycare.
Mommy: “Taryn, get your shoes we need to go”
Taryn: “Mommy, my shoes are too small”
Mommy: “Taryn, they fit fine yesterday so please go get your shoes”
Taryn: “My feet growed when I was sleeping my hair growed too”
Mommy: [laughing] “ok Taryn, we’ll look for new shoes this weekend”
Taryn: [so excited] “We will? You will buy me new shoes tomorrow?”
Mommy: “No Taryn, this weekend. Tomorrow is Thursday. This weekend is in 20 days or so” (I know, I lied)
Taryn: [irritated with me now] “Mommieeeee, this weekend IS tomorrow”
Mommy: [laughing and being sarcastic] “Are you sure Taryn, I think this weekend is in 20 days, go ask sissy.”
Taryn: “UGH. Mommieeee – you’re sooo annoying me, it is toooomooooorroww”
Me – [laughing of course] “OK OK Taryn”
She’s been saying “annoying” quite often but saying it in the middle of this conversation was too funny. She is hilarious. She frequently updates us on her puppy and her kitty and how they bite her and how the puppy barked all night and kept her awake. I love her imagination.
As for me, I’m still struggling with my health, a new but old problem this time. I’ve been having some major stomach problems, so bad that I’ve hardly been to work. The stress of the bully I work with, my new job, Jeff’s new job, hiring a nanny, and just life in general has finally caught up with me. This all started a few months back, along with the migraines, when the mean lady at work started attacking me. I go in for a CT scan on Monday so although I’m not looking forward to drinking that nasty barium again (I just drank it Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning because I was supposed to have the scan on Wed but it was cancelled), I am looking forward to finding out what is wrong with me. I literally look 7-8 months pregnant and the pain is unbearable. It’s just ridiculous!! Jeff has been so supportive and helpful throughout these past few months, especially the past 2 weeks when it really got bad. He is the best!
(sorry no pics again... I promise to get a camera this weekend)

Kids in New Orleans and having them home

The kids had a great time in New Orleans with their Grandparents. They went to many places and did lots of fun things, Kiarra even learned to sew on her sewing machine. She made Jeff and I each a pillow and did a fantastic job. She recently sewed Tamia a purse for her birthday and did a great job on it as well. I would take pictures to post, but unfortunately there will be no pictures for a while. Kiarra had our only camera with her in New Orleans and accidentally left it in her pocket. Well, it got washed – the memory card is still good, but the camera is toast.
Although Taryn enjoyed her alone time with Mommy and Daddy she was so excited to see Kiarra and Jayden. I thought she was going to wet herself when the door bell rang and she saw them standing at the door. She shrieked and ran to the door so fast, seriously – lightning speed. She had tears when hugging them! It was oh so precious.
We had a great weekend with Shirley and Perry when they brought the kids home. Jeff’s brother Cory and his wife Joy came over for dinner one night and we all hung out. It was really nice to see them and spend time together as a family. Cory and Joy are moving to Katy within the next few weeks so we are looking forward to spending even more time with them. Now if we can just get Perry and Shirley to move out here.
The kids haven’t been involved in sports or many extra-curricular activities outside of church and we don’t mind the non-busy schedule that most parents pull their hair out trying to accommodate one kid going this way and another kid going that way. Recently Kiarra has found an interest in volleyball so we figure she is going into Jr. High, a little volleyball won’t hurt anything. It happened to fall the first week she got back from New Orleans and she did really well considering she’s never really played before. She had a great time, met new friends and learned the powerful overhand serve. At the end of the week, she was accepted in their fall power league. We are really proud of her. She did a great job. Will all this sports talk, it has of course peeked Jayden’s interest and now he wants to play football, baseball and basketball! YIKES – what have we started? Guess it’s time to look into something for him as well.
It’s hard to believe the kids only have 3 weeks of summer vacation left. 3 weeks and Kiarra will be in Jr. High!! I think I’ve blogged before about how upset Jayden is that they won’t be in the same school. He literally breaks down crying when he thinks about it and each time we discuss it. He loves his sister so much and that makes me so happy. He pointed out that they won’t be in school together again for 7 years, when Kiarra is a senior and Jayden is a freshman. Gosh, that seems like so far away but I know it will be here before we know it.
Jeff really likes his job and even though it’s a bit demanding at times he has learned a great deal about managing and I’ve seen a change in the way he runs our home – a good change! He has to deal with some serious stuff and some funny stuff as well (he had to help one of his employees chase a dog to get it back in the fence the other day and as you all know – Jeff is NOT a fan of dogs). Too funny!
As for me, working for BP hasn’t been easy these past few months. The media has slaughtered us and if you’ve heard me say it once, you’ve heard it a million times –don’t believe everything you hear on the news…heck, you can’t even believe the weather guy half the time! I continue to be proud to work for BP and hope that one day; everyone will see we are doing our best to fix this.

New Orleans and one-on-one time with Taryn

Each summer, the older kids spend a week in New Orleans with Jeff’s parents. This year Tamia suggested they spend 2 weeks there and that was ok with everyone so we agreed on that. Friday, June 2nd we packed up and headed for New Orleans to spend the weekend and to leave the older kids there with Shirley and Perry. It was a nice relaxing weekend, we did absolutely nothing and it was wonderful. Jeff and I have been working really hard and traveling quite a bit so a little R&R was exactly what we needed. We did get a chance to visit with his Grandmother who recently relocated there from Atlanta, Jeff’s best friend and of course we couldn’t be in NOLA without a visit with our great friends John and Penny. For the first time in 7 years we didn't have a 4th of July party. I almost didn't know what to do with myself. Monday came all too quick and it was time for us to head home. We’d prepared Taryn by telling her often that she’d be coming home with us and the older kids would be staying. I was afraid of a meltdown but she did great. A few weeks prior to the trip, Tamia’s Mom decided she couldn’t stay in New Orleans so we brought her home with us as well (I think that helped Taryn too). It had been a few months since we had baby mama drama so we should have expected this! Regardless, it was hard for Tamia – she was so excited about getting to stay with them 2 weeks and now she didn’t get to stay at all.
I miss Kiarra and Jayden a lot, but this one-on-one time with Taryn has been a blast. She has an amazing personality and is so energetic – her mouth never stops, she even talks in her sleep! Everyday when we get home she walks in the house and says “kids, I’m home – KIIIDS, I’mmmmm HOOOOOME.” It is so cute. She’s been a huge help too, I took clothes out of the dryer threw them on my bed and went in to throw in another load, when I came back she had already started folding the clothes! Is she awesome or what? With the kids being gone, Jeff thought she should sleep on the couch so she isn’t upstairs by herself during the night (and he says he’s not wrapped around her little finger – HA!)… So each night, she lays in bed with me until she falls asleep then Jeff puts her on the couch. This is priceless time, we watch tv, play games and giggle until we get in trouble. I’m having so much fun with her. It takes me back to when Kiarra was this age and Jayden a tiny baby [tears…] – priceless memories. Taryn even went to her first sleep over during this time. She’s never spent the night with anyone except my Mom and she did really well. I’m not sure if she’s ready to be gone a whole week, that will have to wait a few more years, but she is good with one night here or there. Some of her new sayings are:
“You crack me up”
“Mommy, I AM old enough now”
“Ummm, ummm” (as she smacks her teeth with her tongue)
“When I get married….”
“Mommy, the baby in my tummy…”
I couldn’t understand why she was so fixated on getting married and having babies. For a few months she has been talking everyday about “getting a baby in her tummy.” Well FINALLY, it all makes sense. Her teacher at school is expecting her first baby and has been talking to them about it. Whew, at least I know where that is coming from. She loves to listen to music and as I think I’ve posed before, we always have music on and dance around the house like crazy fools. She knows all the words to Jesus Take the Wheel and if she wasn’t so shy, I’d stick her in a pageant to perform it. One of these days I’ll get it on video and will post it for all to see. Even right now, we are sitting in my bed, she is fixing my hair and every minute she throws her arms around me (choking me) and hugs me, kisses my cheek and neck and says to me “I lub you sooo much Mommieeee”. She is one awesome kid!Kiarra and Jayden come home in 2 days and I can’t wait to see them! I am so grateful to my in-laws for keeping them for 2 weeks (the kids better of behaved so they can go back next year). J Its memories like this that will stick with them their entire life and I’m so glad they have Grandparents to make memories with.

Sorry, no pics this week. The kids have the camera in New Orleans.

Fathers Day, Jayden’s Birthday and 2nd trip of 2010 to Iowa

This year was the first Fathers Day since Dad passed away that we were planning to be in Iowa. I was dreading it from the day we planned the trip several months back. Jeff always seems to get ripped off on Fathers Day because I simply don’t like Fathers Day anymore. Trying to buy him a card is pure torture. I try to “remember the good times” and “not think about it” but seriously? Is it that easy? So this year, the kids and I planned to surprise Jeff celebrate Fathers Day a week early. Our plan was a success and we all had a great day.
2 weeks before going to Iowa we invited a few boys over and had a little b-day party sleepover for Jayden. 5 boys came, we went bowling, played limbo, musical chairs and they spent hours building things with legos. They all had a great time.
Our trip to Iowa began on Friday, June 18th we drove straight through and after 17 amazing, wonderful, terrific, fantastic hours in the car with 6 other people, we arrived to our destination. Jayden was so excited that we were going to be in Iowa for his birthday that we decided to throw him a surprise party – on Fathers Day. My aunt Marcia was a HUGE help in making this happen. She did all the shopping for us, made potato salad and cut up tons of fruit. Having the party on Fathers Day was great because all day we kept referring to the “Fathers Day picnic” that was taking place in the afternoon which was actually his party. He and the other kids filled 300 water balloons! We started the day giving Jeff his Fathers Day gifts and sharing our gratitude to him. We spent the day getting some things ready for the party; I had to take my niece to get a bathing suit and a few last minute food items.
Jeff and my cousin Jeremy took the kids to the park so we could finish preparing food and get the cake from Aunt Marcia’s house. Family started to arrive and I was ecstatic. At 4:00 Jeff brought all the kids back from the park and we all yelled “surprise” to Jayden! He was so confused and didn’t understand what was going on. I had to explain to him that this wasn’t a “Fathers Day picnic” but his birthday party instead. He was surprised and so happy. We had a slip-n-slide for the kids and of course the 300 water balloons that I think the adults had more fun with than the kids. Within an hour everyone was there and we had dinner – or supper as they call it – water balloon fight, followed by cake and gifts, more water balloon fight, basketball and of course the good ol’ slip-n-slide that the kids played on the entire time. The kids had a blast playing with all their cousins.
We spent the rest of the week chilling, going to my nephew’s baseball games and my nieces softball games, swimming and hanging out with family.
Saturday, the 26th was Brent and Kellie’s wedding and it was beautiful. The ceremony had me in tears, the speeches at the reception had me in tears and seeing the other side of my family had me in tears. My Dads cousins were there and it was so great to see them and hug their necks! We all danced the night away, ok ok the kids danced WAY more than I did but we all had a really good time. Congratulations Brent and Kellie!!
Sunday, we got up, packed up and headed for home. We packed as if we would stop and get a room along the way because we were all exhausted but ended up driving straight through again. I drove the first 15 hours and Jeff drove the last few. Although I love my family and love spending time in Iowa, there’s nothing like crawling into your own bed! We got to the house around 5 am and crashed. All in all we had a great trip. See my facebook page for tons more pictures.

Beach, Beach and B-Day

Last Sunday, Jeff was working so Mom, the 4 kids and I headed to Stewart Beach in Galveston to soak up a little sun. We had a great time building sand castles, playing in the water, watching the jet skiers and of course eating our yummy watermelon and strawberries. Ok, let me set something straight…the KIDS and Mom had a great time building sand castles and playing in the water…I can’t stand to touch the sand or get in the water. Nasty! I like the beach for one thing - the sun! Today, we planned to go to the beach again however Kiarra had other plans. She came down with strep throat (Taryn was diagnosed with it last week). Now, I’m not 100% positive Kiarra has strep but I’m 99.95% sure, especially since they have the exact symptoms. After she woke up with a fever, body aches and major head ache, I realized our Memorial Day/my b-day beach trip was in jeopardy and that we would stay home – watching movies and well, do NOTHING. I was more than ok with this idea, but Taryn on the other hand was so upset. She’d been looking forward to this trip since we were on our way home from Galveston a week ago. Well, the best husband in the world came to our rescue and volunteered to stay home with Kiarra so Mom, Jayden, Taryn and I could go. Jeff doesn’t really like the beach anyway, well not as much as Mom and I, so after they argued about who would stay home with her, we went ahead and took off (Jeff won the argument and stayed home). We left an hour later than planned and WOW – never again will I leave on a holiday weekend after 9 am. We got to the beach around 11:30 and it was packed, we had to drive over a mile on the slippery sand to find a spot we could set up shop. Last weekend we rented an umbrella and chairs but this weekend we decided to buy a canopy and chairs to take it with us. We thought this would be great because we can use it over and over and not have to waste our money on the teeny, tiny umbrella….but, not so great when we didn’t have Jeff there to help us put it up. You should have seen us!! I’m getting a good laugh just thinking about it. The family beside us must have felt bad for us; they ended up helping after we tried for 30 minutes, looking like fools. Thank GOD for nice people!! Other than the difficulty with the canopy and the dried seaweed, the beach was great this weekend as well. Taryn looked so adorable in her new bathing suite. At one point, she realized she had sand in her water shoe (because we weren’t at the beach or anything) and was freaking out. These are pictures of Jayden helping her rinse her shoe in the sandy water and get it back on.












Every 6 years, my birthday falls on Memorial Day and this year is the lucky year we get to celebrate it along with our fallen soldiers and loved ones who have made their way to sit at the right foot of Jesus. Memorial Day means more to me now than ever. I’m looking forward to my b-day pedicure at a local spa in the morning, and then spending the day with my family and friends remembering loved ones while enjoying nothing other than CRAWFISH! YUMMY. Let’s hope Kiarra doesn’t find an ant pile this year. Last year she got over 200 bites after falling out of a kiddy pool onto a tiny pile of fire ants.

We snapped a few cute pictures at Rainforest Café Friday night during dinner. Taryn is still scared of that place as you can see from her facial expression.

The kids only have 3 days of school left. I can’t believe these are Kiarra’s final days of elementary! It seems like yesterday we were walking her into her first day of Kindergarten. She is growing up to a beautiful young lady.

Mothers Day

I love Mothers Day. I totally get spoiled by my husband and kids. Since I can’t eat early in the morning, the “breakfast in bed” on Mother’s Day stopped a few years back. After church, we took Mom to Olive Garden for lunch. Kiarra has been excited about this lunch for weeks. You'd think this was the only Italian food in TX. Don't get me wrong, I like Olive Garden, but geez - it's not that great. I thought she was having an attack of some sort on the way there - she was so excited!! After lunch we headed to the premium outlets to do a little shopping (Coach was having a HUGE sale).

Every year, Jeff and the kids make me cards and this year was no different. My card from Jeff was full of sweet words and lady bugs that he hand cut and glued on (I love lady bugs). Kiarra wrote me the most amazing poem and made several flowers out of coffee filters. Jayden’s card was very sweet and creative and my sweet little Taryn made me an awesome card at daycare using her finger prints as flowers. I loved everything - the gifts, candy and especially the hand made cards they all spent so much time working on.

To my Mother – You are the most amazing, most supportive Mother anyone could ask for. I appreciate everything you do for me (and all 6 of us) and can’t wait to spend many more Mother’s Days together. As I grow older I have more and more respect for you. I realize the crap I put you through as a teen (I’m sorry) and thank you so much for never giving up on me. Happy Mothers Day!

To my Mother-in-Law – You are the best Mother-in-Law a girl could ask for. You welcomed me to the family and treated me like your own. You are a beautiful woman, inside and out. Thank you for always being so kind and warm hearted. Happy Mothers Day!

To all my “Mom” friends and relatives – You inspire me is so many ways. Keep up the hard work ladies. Motherhood is not always easy but it’s totally worth it. Happy Mothers Day!

To all my friends that one day will be Moms – Enjoy your life now, once you have kids – it’s over…just kidding! When you do have children, enjoy every minute of their lives because they grow up too fast. I can’t believe I celebrated my 11th Mother’s Day today.

To my husband and children - Thank you for supporting me through these years. It hasn't always been easy but you've been there by my side through the good times and the bad. I will forever be grateful to you for loving me the way you do. Thank you for the great gifts and letting me pick out my purse, perfume and shoes, the beautiful cards, flowers, chocolates and most of all love. You made my day very special and I love and appreciate each one of you for it. You are the best!

And it wouldn't be a day in the Dailey home without a little music...

April trip to Iowa – Andrea and Lucas Wedding

My cousin Andrea got married this past weekend and as always, we decided to drive to Iowa – in the new car. Kiarra and Jayden have always traveled well, even when (8+ years ago) we didn’t have a TV in the vehicle. They would color, Jayden would play with cars and Kiarra would play with babies. They would take a ton of books and sit and listen so patiently to each other read them (this was before they could read but had the books memorized) or Jeff, Mom or I would read to them. Well all those wonderful years of spending 18 hours in the car (one way) to and from Iowa have come to an end…at least for a while anyway. Taryn doesn’t do so well in the car – she hates it actually. We were not even out of Moms sub-division and she was asking if we were going to Grandpa’s house. She must have asked 300 times…before getting to Dallas!!! “Mommyyyyy, are we going to Grandpa’s house?” She didn’t understand why we had to stop for gas and why it was taking so long to get there. In her sassy high pitched but questioning voice she would ask/say “Mommy…. ughhh – what is taking so LONG?” Needless to say, the trip seems to get longer and longer. In the 40+ trips we’ve made to/from Iowa, we had never gotten a speeding ticket – until this trip. I wasn’t speeding by much; actually I wouldn’t and still don’t consider it speeding but he wrote me a ticket anyway – Jerk!
We arrived on Thursday around 3:30 pm and were quite exhausted. After getting settled; Jeff sat outside in the peace and quiet, listening to the birds while the kids played with their cousins and I ironed our clothes that got wet from the rain we endured on the way - ugh! Jeff wanted a good steak (corn fed beef) so we went up the street for dinner. Grandpa, Marcia, Kay, Teige, Kathy, Logan, Morgan, Talan and Molly joined us. It was YUMMY. We went back to Grandpa’s and crashed for the evening.
Friday morning I helped Andrea decorate for the reception. You should have seen us ladies trying to arrange tables for all their guests. Talk about funny! We thought we had it figured out several times to find out we were 40 chairs short or more! We had rehearsal that evening and Taryn decided she wanted to be shy…so shy that she wouldn’t walk down the isle when it was time to practice. I knew we had some major convincing to do to get her down the isle during the wedding ceremony. We had a great dinner that evening in Decatur and got to catch up with the family. I can’t believe how grown up my nephews and niece are getting!
The big day arrived. I could tell Taryn was scared of walking down the isle. We talked about it a lot, trying to get her to loosen up and get excited but she was super shy with everyone and was not having anything to do with being the flower girl. The time for pictures came and she was scared, I mean really scared. I’ve never seen her like that. She normally loves the camera and poses and says “take my picture mommy”. There was NONE of that, she cried and cried. She sobbed on Andrea’s shoulder saying “I want my Daddy.” Of course I called immediately and told him and Mom to hurry and come because she was acting a hot mess. The photographer is going to have to crop me out of half the pictures because I’m in them trying to get Taryn to chill out. It took another hour but she finally loosened up and stood pretty for a few pictures. All the guests arrived and time was ticking. Jayden handed out programs and Kiarra lit the candles with Morgan. They did so awesome! The music started and all 8 bridesmaids/groomsmen walked down the isle…this meant it was time for Taryn to make her grand entrance along with the other flower girl, Kailee and the ring bearer, Max. After finding and chasing down Max I said, “ok guys, it’s your turn – go ahead.” And they all looked at the hundreds of people staring at them in the church and looked up at me like I was crazy. I said again, “go ahead.” Nothing…none of them moved…you could have heard a pin drop. I’m looking around for Logan because the back up plan was for him (since he was an usher) to escort them down the isle if they wouldn’t go on their own. All of a sudden Max sees Lucas, the groom, and off he goes. I nudge the girls, “go ahead girls – walk down the isle – follow Max” I said. Again, nothing… I turn to Andrea with a questioning look asking if it’s ok for Jayden to walk them down. She agrees so I have Taryn take Jayden’s hand and said “go ahead – walk with Jayden”… They were having nothing to do with that. Taryn was saying “no mommy, I don’t want to.” I kept saying, “Walk to Daddy Taryn.” I look back at Andrea again and next thing I know, Kailee is gone. I don’t know where she is but she is gone. Come to find out, she RAN down the isle to her Grandma when I turned to Andrea. Andrea said to me “you take her down”… “Me,” I said, “yeah, you walk her down” Andrea said again. So with a deep breath, off we went down the isle. Thank God it was a short isle, I was crazy embarrassed and not at all prepared for that. All that happened in like 30 seconds! Taryn was so scared to walk down that isle by herself but after getting to the front she stood there with her new friend, Gretchen, the Maid of Honor. She was so good during the ceremony. I was very proud of her.

Andrea was stunning beautiful, the wedding was beautiful, from the gorgeous bride, bridesmaids, the flowers, music and guests. Everything was beautiful.
We had a great time at the reception. Food was awesome, cake and mints even better and the dance was a great time too. I’m so glad we got to be part of Andrea and Lucas’ special day.

We got up Sunday morning, packed and loaded up the car and headed to Logan to have breakfast with Teige and Talan (and their families). We didn’t get on the road until 1:30 pm so by the time we got home, at 5:30 am Monday, there was no way Jeff or I were going to work and I couldn’t make the kids go to school. We all slept a few hours and enjoyed the beautiful day at the park, washing the car and unpacking.

We’ll make this trip again in June so stay tuned to see if Taryn rides any better this next time around.
Congratulations Andrea and Lucas!

EASTER

Spring is my favorite time of year. We have amazing weather, flowers are blooming everywhere, the kids are almost finished with school (which means no more homework for a few months), but most importantly we celebrate Easter. We all love Easter. We’ve gone out of town the last few years on Easter but this year we stayed home and celebrated in our new church home with my Mom and our long time friends. We had a little egg hunt in the front yard and the kids had a blast…the adults did too, confetti eggs – need I say more? Taryn was so excited this year; it was so cute to see her spend hours playing with empty eggs. She would separate them by color, mix them back up, and divide them up into baskets. We even colored eggs this year, which is something we have not done in a while due to going out of town. When I was a kid, we had 5 colors to color our eggs. Blue, red, green, yellow and we would mix the red and yellow to make orange. Now, they have all these colors plus more, fancy glitter eggs, camouflage eggs, and there are fancy ways to color the eggs. We all had a great time putting our own spin on the eggs.

Jeff is a few weeks into his new job and he no longer thinks its going to be easy. He’s been learning how to run his crew, learning all the programs they use and is starting to get used to sitting in an office. He’s been a traveling man the past 1o years driving job to job so having an office and using 2 monitors is new to him. He is like a kid in a candy store; he is so excited to go to work every day and talks about all the new things going on non-stop. It is great to see him happy again.

I’m not sure when my new job will officially go into effect. I guess it already has but I haven’t transitioned my old duties just yet so I’m still wearing 3 hats. I’m enjoying traveling to campus’ again this spring for our annual recruiting events.
I’ve been to Texas A&M and will go University of Texas this week, Oklahoma University next week and then Texas Southern University sometime after that. This is for sure the most fun I have in my job and I get to keep this responsibility in my new role so I’m happy about that. I’ll hit up another 3-4 schools in the fall. I still love my new car and can’t wait to take it on the first road trip in a few weeks. I’m even more excited about seeing all the family at my baby cousins wedding!

Jeff’s Grandmother is out of the hospital and will be moving to an assisted living facility in New Orleans this month. She wasn’t very happy about leaving Columbus Georgia, where she has lived her whole life, but I think she is starting to warm up it. Please keep her in your prayers. Jeff’s mother Shirley has been there with Benny, taking good care of her and is getting her prepared to move.

Taryn started dance last week and she is too cute. She told me “Mommy, you forgot to buy me dance clothes”… oopsie, I guess I need to do that. She is going to have a recital later on. I can’t wait. They are so cute at this age. She’s already learned a lot and she can even stand on her toes. Amazing!

Kiarra and Jayden brought home their progress report for these 6 weeks and they are both getting A’s and B’s. Kiarra is really excited for Jr. High; I’m not so sure I’m excited for that yet. Kiarra on the bus with 8th grade boys…… hmmm, NO. Definitely not ready for that yet. I just realized that Kiarra will be finished with Jr. High before Jayden gets there. He’ll be in 5th grade when Taryn goes to Kindergarten and a freshman with Kiarra is a senior. I’m torturing myself thinking of all this. Why can’t they just stay in elementary?

New Beginnings Part II

GOD is GOOD! He continues to bless us and I don’t for a second want to take it for granted. I was offered a promotion at work last week and gratefully accepted. I am now the Program & eLearning Advisor. We are hiring several people and will finally have the help we’ve needed for years. I don’t know if I’m more excited about the promotion or the additional team members. Ok ok, I’ll admit it – I’m more excited about my new job.

Jeff started his new job yesterday. He said it was a little overwhelming but exciting. He thinks the job is going to be easier than he originally thought. He won’t be able to totally get into the swing of things until later in the week when he gets his laptop and phone. He is training with this old fart for a few weeks, then they will cut him loose to manage his 17 person crew. We are all so proud of him.

Bennie, Jeff’s Grandma is in the hospital. She’s been fainting quite a bit. She is feeling good but each time she tries to stand, her blood pressure goes out of whack and she gets dizzy. Please keep her in your prayers.

After 7 years and 170,000 miles it was time to say good-bye to the big red hoe (Tahoe). We traded in that bad boy for a new Chevy Traverse and so far, we love it! The true test will be in April when we make our first trip to Iowa in it. I finally have A/C again! Praise GOD!

Jeff's parents are coming here over Easter and Shirley is going to teach the girls how to use their sewing machines. The kids have no idea they are coming and will be so excited.

Tamia had surgery on her eyes last week. She had 2 bumps removed from her inner eyelids, I’ll spare the details. She has been with us since Friday and we’ll have her through Sunday. Her Mom had “somewhere to go” and needed us to keep her this week. We were good with that. We’ve never had Tamia during spring break and we’ll take every extra chance we can get with her. They are all on spring break this week.

Kiarra and Jayden had field day at school last week. Jeff and I volunteered and it was actually a lot of fun. Kiarra is enjoying her final months of elementary school and Jayden is looking forward to being the only one in elementary.
I had Kiarra at the doctor 2 weeks ago and she was diagnosed with a UTI…again! Let me be the first to tell you that I am so upset about this. She has struggled all these years with bladder problems and all this time she may have had a UTI… the WHOLE time! There are other health problems she’s had because of her bladder problems and now that the UTI is gone, the other problems are gone too! I can not believe that all this time, it could have just been that… of course I do not know this for sure, but it totally makes sense. Grrr… so irritated with all those doctors right now...

Jayden hasn’t had a headache in 2 weeks. I don’t know what changed but he has not had a single one. Thank you GOD! He has been sleeping better, eating better and doing better in school. I don’t know if it is the change in weather or what but I’m not going to complain.

Taryn is going to start dance classes and is super excited. She now has 2 dogs and no kitties. I won’t tell you what happened to the kitten because it wasn’t very nice. I don’t know where she comes up with things she tells us. You’d think she watches horror movies or something. She is quite the little mommy these days. She wants to take her babies and all their “stuff” with us everywhere we go. It is so cute to see her with their diaper bag, her purse, 3-5 babies and her cute little “mom shoes” (high heels), walking all over the house and being a Mom to them. I’m now the “grandma”…. YIKES!!!

I’m very proud of all 4 of them. They love to help around the house, they beg us to go to church and church activities and are just really good well rounded kids. I wouldn’t trade them for anything!

New Beginnings

Jeff received great news yesterday. The promotion he’s been working on the past few months came through and they offered him the job “Manager of Network Services” starting on March 16th. I’m so proud of him for going after this; he deserves it and will be great! The other good news is that he will be moved back to the west side of Houston which is closer to home and he will have normal hours again. Praise GOD!
I’ve taken on additional responsibilities at work as the most difficult person I’ve ever worked with is finally gone. This may sound mean but working with this woman has truly been a test of my patience. I’m glad to have that behind me and move on to better things. I’m still on my weight loss journey. I’ve struggled with this for years; from the nasty thyroid disease, to taking steroids for asthma, having hormones out of whack, loosing a parent and having 3 kids in the middle of all that, it’s been a roller coaster of weight gain and loss. I’m in the final stretch and can’t wait to finally be proud of this accomplishment.

I’ve spent a lot of time in prayer lately, thanking God for everything and counting my blessings. As my heart continues to break for the Marsh family (http://www.laylagrace.org/) and everything they are going through, it makes me realize my problems are minimal. I mean the 6 of us are healthy and besides the random viral infection, ear infection, or weight gain/loss we are good. They are loosing their child to the horrendous disease of cancer! Shanna’s faith is like no other I’ve ever known; she’s been so strong through this. She knows exactly where her baby girl is going and although this doesn’t make it easier for her knowing she is in her final days with Layla Grace, she has an amazing amount of faith. She has inspired me to spend more time with my kids, my family and friends. No more excuses. No more “not now Taryn, I’m busy” or “lets do a puzzle tomorrow because I’m tired” or “I’m working guys please be quiet.” I want to hear them sing, laugh, play and be kids. Jeff and I were chosen to be their parents and I want to do the job God intended for us to do. We don’t know how long we have with these precious ones and tomorrow is not guaranteed.

On a lighter note – Taryn continues to amaze me with her cuteness and kindness. She is so precious and such a funny crazy kid. I was “getting on her nerves” the other day and all I was doing was cooking dinner. She repeats what she hears and I’ll be the first to admit that those words come out of my mouth on a regular basis. All I could do was laugh and hide my face in my shirt so she wouldn’t see me. She is starting to be picky about her clothes and since the others were never like that, I don’t know what to do. She wants to wear short and t-shirts everyday and it’s been cold! As for her kindness, she apologizes for everything. If she steps on my toes she immediately says sorry and if I accidentally scratch her or something she says “it’s ok – it’s an acccccident.” She is just too cute!
Jayden has been having more and more headaches. They come on so sudden and are very painful for him. Looks like another trip to the doctor for more tests. He is still so skinny but growing taller and taller. His pants are all too short now as if he is waiting for flood. Good thing warm weather is right around the corner. He can’t wait for spring, to play outside and ride bikes and throw the football! He is such a gentleman also. With all these girls surrounding him he is going to know how to treat a lady.
Kiarra is gearing up for Jr. High. She applied for VIP (Very Important Privileges) at school for these final week in elementary and was accepted into the program for her good behavior and grades. She gets “Jr High” seating at lunch which means she gets to sit anywhere she wants. She was really excited about that. She is starting to take more and more time getting ready each morning making sure her hair is in place and outfit is coordinated with jewelry of some sort. She is growing up before my eyes and is more beautiful each day. I’m so proud of her for the decisions she has made.
Tamia is about an inch from being taller than me! I’m not ok with this. I want them all to stop growing. It sounds like she will be having another eye surgery for her eye that turns out. She’s had this done twice already and the second time it looks as if they over corrected it and now it turns out. She’s been getting teased and it breaks my heart knowing how mean girls are. She is the sweetest girl and always jumps to help out anytime with anything. She’s recently told me that she doesn’t want kids! I was a little upset about this but she explained to me that she has so many brothers and sisters that she just doesn’t want any. I thought this was hilarious, sad…but funny at the same time. Besides our kids, she has 2 other brothers and a sister. She is aspiring to be a pediatrician so she will be able to change the lives of children forever.

February 15, 2010

I will start with saying Happy 11th Birthday to my beautiful daughter Kiarra and Happy Birthday (tomorrow) to my beautiful Mother. I can’t imagine life without either of these ladies.

I came down with pneumonia and bronchitis 2 weeks ago. It was not fun. I managed to get well enough to hold our super bowl party and what a party it was! We had a great time and are so proud to call ourselves Saints fans. I only wish we were in New Orleans now celebrating Mardi Gras. I thank GOD for Jeff and all he did for me while I was ill. The kids were good troopers too.

Taryn had her 3 year checkup last week and came out with a good bill of health. She is finally growing, now in the 30th percentile in height and 17% in weight. Last year she was under 15% in both. We were driving to Olive Garden for lunch yesterday and she said to us “I need to look at my FACEBOOK!” Jeff, Mom, Kiarra, Jayden and I all laughed so hard. She is too grown and acts like she knows what she is talking about. She’ll be the first to give you an update on her puppy, or kitty, yes – she has a kitty now too (again – imaginary). She has quite the imagination with her animals.

I took Jayden to the doctor at the same time I had Taryn in for her check up. He’s been having severe headaches for a few months now and has been diagnosed with migraines. They took a whole lot of blood from him to run several tests. Those results are still pending and I’m pulling my hair out waiting to hear. Jayden still has a love for Lego’s and builds the most amazing jets and helicopters. He will spend hours and hours building. He got his hair cut again and although I miss his big curls and long hair, I do love it short. He looks like a handsome young man again.

We spent time this weekend looking over Jr High classes as Kiarra has to turn in her selections tomorrow. She is growing up before my very eyes and it warms my heart that she has her head on straight and is making good choices, not only with school but with her friends, peer pressure and everything that goes along with it. She is an amazing young lady with a big heart and big tears that flow when that heart is broken. She is still a little more sensitive than I’d like, but that is what makes her so special. She is the clumsiest child I’ve ever been around and has constant bruises on her legs from running into things or falling (up the stairs).
I don’t know how she has managed to get through 11 years without breaking a bone (knock on wood).

I thought this blog thing was going to be so easy and it wouldn’t be a problem for me to find time and things to post but this is hard (“that’s what she said” wink-wink CR).

Going back to work after the holidays was brutal. I really did enjoy my time off and had myself second guessing if I wanted to continue working. Hmmm, what to do – what to do? Well it didn't take me long to realize I needed to jump right back into the swing of things. I made a personal goal to myself and my kids that I will not work over 60 hours a week and will do my best to keep it under 50. I’m focused on getting myself and my family healthy. Yikes, I wonder how healthy this bottle of wine is… JUST KIDDING!

Jeff is still driving across the country to work each day, ok ok – only across Houston but it seems like it’s across the country when traffic is as bad as it is sometimes. There are days it takes him 2 hours to get home. God is good, he put a co-worker in Jeff’s crew that also lives in so they’ve been car pooling the last few weeks. This is great as they get to take the HOV lane and bypass all that traffic and we get to save money on gas too. He is ecstatic the Saints are going to the Super bowl!!! GEAUX SAINTS! With Jeff growing up in New Orleans, he’s been a fan since he was a kid. We hope this brings great things to the city of New Orleans. It breaks my heart to go there and see the city in the shape it’s still in since hurricane Katrina.

The kids were very excited to go back to school. They received their report cards last week and I’m happy to announce that Kiarra had 7 A’s and 1 B (missed an A by 1 stinking point) and Jayden had all A’s. We are so proud of them. We’re not sure about Tamia’s grades as she is not allowed to share that information with us (baby mama drama – call me sometime and I can give you a good laugh).

Taryn had a rough couple of weeks back at daycare after being home with me those 18 days. 10 of her friends transitioned to a new room and she got 6 new friends in her classroom. She started acting out in ways she’s never done and having weird potty accidents. I’m not even sure we should call them accidents. This child has the craziest imagination and does the funniest things. Of course it’s funny to me now but at the time, I was not too happy with her. One evening she took all the clothes off her baby doll, sat on her baby and pee’d on it!!! I asked “Taryn, what are you doing?” She responded “Mommy, my baby had to go pee pee so she did – see!” Seriously, all I could do was laugh. She tells us the funniest stories about her dog (imaginary) and her pig that lives in her room, again imaginary but really funny. I try to get the stories on video but they are not as funny as when we are driving down the freeway and she is telling me the stories for the first time. I know I sound like a broken record but I would do anything to freeze time so all my kids would stay the exact ages they are right now.

Tamia and Kiarra are both turning into young women (yes, I said it - women – read between the lines). They are maturing in ways I’m not ready for and in ways that honestly scare me. Boys look at them when we are out and it’s just not right. In my first posting, I wrote about Kiarra’s teacher and how awesome she is. Well, I have some bad news – she retired! Kiarra came home crying one day because it was her teachers last week due to her retiring early to care for her husband who is very ill. It was a very tough week for Kiarra and for all of us. Mrs. Chevalier may forever be Kiarra’s favorite teacher. She was a true blessing to all of us.

Jayden decided he wanted to have a food fight at school this week. For those of you, who know us well, know we do not tolerate this behavior (even though I did it and it was a blast), we expect our kids to behave proper in every situation or at least make good choices. We’ve been working with him on that and coaching him to not follow other kid’s when they choose bad behavior but to think about his actions and the consequences prior to making decisions. As you know Jayden is very emotional, I can look at him with my “you’re in trouble face” and he immediately starts to cry but he took his punishment for this behavioral very well. He didn’t cry, he used good manners and he chose his punishment which was very appropriate for what he did. He’s growing into a mature young man himself and we are very proud of him for recognizing his bad behavior and wanting to do something to change it. Oh yea, and after 6 months of Jayden growing his hair out, he finally wanted to cut it. He's back to looking like a boy again.

On the same note, Jayden and Kiarra decided to lie about something (that was actually really funny if they would have told the truth) the other day and I made them write “I will not lie again” 50 times. They also had to write 5 sentences on why they think they shouldn’t lie. They each wrote a few that brought tears to my eyes. I won’t name names here but the sentences they came up really touched my heart and made me realize that now and then we are doing the right thing as parents by disciplining the way we do.

• I will not lie again because I get in trouble.
• I will not lie again because it hurts God.
• I will not lie again because I love God.
• I will not lie to my parents or my friends or their parents.
• I will not lie again because I might not have a good life.

How powerful is that??!! And again, I’ve learned a lesson from my 8 and 10 year old kids!

Well, that’s all for now peeps.