So Thankful and Blessed

This year, we hosted Thanksgiving at our house… in our New HOME. I’m so thankful and grateful for so many things but “family” is near the top of the list.  What would we do without family?  I think of those that don’t have a family or those that have to spend it alone because they don’t get along with their family and this makes me so sad.  I’m so grateful to have a family that I get along with (most of the time – LOL) and love dearly.  We kicked off the holiday Wednesday night with appetizers, chili and a movie in our theater room followed by a very yummy Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. Friday was low key, we hung out and played games and the kids and Jeff watched a movie with Jeff’s parents.  We had our annual dinner at Pappadeaux followed by going to a high school football game that Tamia was performing at during halftime.  The kids and I have not seen her since January 2013 and although we didn’t get to talk to her, we got to see her and watch her dance. It was so great to see her and that beautiful smile of hers, and I think she was excite to see us tooJ.  Hopefully we can start seeing her more and build up our relationship again.

 



Jeff carving the turkey - doesn't he look so cute!!

My little helper in the kitchen.

Basketball is ramping up and Jayden’s first game is this week! He made the A team and we are super proud of him for his hard work and dedication to this sport.  He’s a giant now, I think he’s about 5’9” or maybe even 5’10” and eats 3 times the amount of the rest of us.

Club Volleyball is in full force as well.  Kiarra’s first tournament of the season is this weekend and it’ll be interesting to see how they do.  We are at a new club this year and we only know 2 other girls on the team so I’m excited to see how they play.

We are planning to get Taryn back in dance now that our schedules are not as crazy.  Poor thing, she is just sooooo bored and doesn’t get to do aaaannyyyyyyyything!  She is seriously growing up way too fast.  Now that she has big (HUGE) teeth in front, she looks so different.

Christmas is right around the corner and I can’t wait to get my shopping done and get our trip planned.  We put out 6 trees up over the weekend and are hoping to get the outside lights done this week.

Pick 6 Baby!!!

Last week Jayden had his last football game of the season.  It was raining all day so I thought they’d call the game off but I was informed they don’t call football games because of the rain.  Before this season started, I pretty much knew NOTHING about football. I thought the sport was so dumb. I simply don’t understand why someone would want to catch a ball, attempt to run with it and get chased and tackled to the ground by HUGE boys/men.  I didn’t understand tight end vs corner back vs safety vs quarterback… Ok ok, just kidding, I knew the role of the quarterback but not the others.  I couldn’t understand first down or fourth down or first in ten or whatever all that lingo is (I still don’t know if I’m even saying it right).  We played a total of 9 games and to be honest, I was pretty clueless for the first 4 or 5, OR 6.  People in the stands would be hollering stuff that I knew nothing about.  I would be on my phone Googleing what they said just to try and understand what the heck was happening.  One minute we were running the ball one way and the next we were running the other way.  What the heck, I knew it wasn’t halftime yet so WHAT IS GOING ON?  I had a lot to learn.  I read a couple of great “Football 101 for Dummies” type of articles which were helpful but just as I thought I understood what was going on, I’d hear someone yell something from the stands and yet again, I was clueless.  Sorry I don't have any pictures from the front, the pictures we get from the school have not come in yet. He's #84.

 

Our playoff game, last Wednesday was rainy and chilly.  We kicked off to the other team and they attempted a play or two. The scoreboard clock wasn’t working so we had no idea how much time was left in the first quarter.  Their quarterback was all set up to throw the ball and threw a beautiful pass…… right into the hands of Jayden (insert crazy Mom screams here).  If my knowledge of the game is correct, Jayden was playing safety for this play (I think I get double confused because he plays offense and defense) but he caught the ball and ran it in for a touchdown.  It was beautiful.  Jeff was yelling “pick 6 baby” and our fans went crazy!  Do you think I had my phone out and ready to record, of course not….Ugh!  I now understand the hype of JJ Watt.  No, I’m not comparing my son to the amazing JJ, but I finally understand they hype of him scoring because of him being a defensive player.  A couple of weeks ago, Jayden had his first touchdown ever as this year is the first time he’s ever played football but he was playing offense so although I was extremely excited (and shed  tear or two) it was expected.  This touchdown, or pick 6 as I’m told I need to call it, was just the icing on the cake for our last game of the season.  Soon after this excitement, the lights on the field went out.  It wasn’t completely dark yet but was getting dark pretty quick.  It was POURING at this point as well.  They continued to play and we scored another touchdown.  The score was now 12 – 0.  It was approaching half time and they decided to call the game due to the rain….or so we thought.  Since this was the last game and was our playoff game per say, which determined our ranking for the season, we needed a winner.  Come to find out after picking up Jayden from the school a bit later, the other team forfeited the game.  Wooo-hoooo.  We took 3^rd place overall which is great in my book!  We are very proud of Jayden for his attitude on and off the field and his growth in this sport this season.

 

Basketball tryouts began today at 5:30 am so we move right along to one of my favorite sports.  There are about 120 boys in the 7^th grade trying out this year and there are only 36 who will make a team.

 

Taryn is 8!!

Today is Taryn’s 8^th birthday!  WOW, what an amazing 8 years we’ve had with this child.  She brings so much joy to our family.  She makes us laugh harder than anyone else can make us laugh, just by being herself.  She is a ray of sunshine and reminds us daily that God is more important than anything or anyone.  We had her birthday party on Saturday.  She wanted a small party with 6-8 girls where they could watch a movie in our theater room and have ice cream sundaes.  Not a great deal of planning had to go into this and with our busy lives right now, this made me so happy.  I let her decide the toppings for the sundaes and she helped me make cookies and cake balls. Party days are tortuous for kids, they are bouncing off the walls and wait ALL day for the party to start.  She was sitting at the front window an hour before anyone was supposed to get there, JUST in case someone arrived early.  Her first guest arrived and she was so happy!  Her second guest arrived minutes later and the 3 of them started to play and giggle while waited for others.  They didn’t want to start the movie without the other friends because they didn’t want anyone to miss any of it.  After waiting over an hour, they decided to go ahead and start the movie.  Taryn was so grateful for these 2 girls but I could see the sadness in her face that the other didn’t come.  We had 5 others rsvp and say they’d be there.  I get it, things come up, people get sick, etc.  8 year olds, don’t necessarily get it.  When the movie was playing she kept coming downstairs and peering outside to see if anyone else was coming.  It broke my heart.  I pulled her aside and explained to her that something must have come up and the others are not coming.  She took it like a champ.  I probably should have said those words to her an hour earlier but I was holding onto the hope that someone else would come.  Her response “it’s ok, that means more ice cream for us”.  That really tugged at my heart strings.  Although I could still see the sadness in her face, she put on happy face and enjoyed the rest of her party. At a last minute notice, one of the girls was able to spend the night so for the most part, that made up for it.
 

 

Kiarra wrapped up volleyball two weeks ago and has been eagerly awaiting the start of club.  Tomorrow is their first practice.  We changed clubs this year so there is a bit of anxiety for the new season, new coaches, new location, etc.  Kiarra has improved so much over the past few years.  Her vertical has increased and her love for the sport is greater than ever. At the beginning of the season, she was playing front row for one game and then back row for another game.  One district games started, she barely left the court. There were times she needed to be pulled to re-group and calm down but for the most part she played hard and did well.  We are proud of her attitude on the court as well.  It’s not always easy playing out there when fans/students from the other teams are shouting obscenities and doing everything possible to throw you off.  We had an interesting experience with these coaches this year.  The girls did a LOT of conditioning.  I think they could out-run any other team in the district, possibly the state of Texas.  Coaches would keep track of missed serves, shanks, etc. and their punishment would be conditioning. It was hard for me to understand why they didn’t work on those serves and passes and sets or hits but I’m not the coach and don’t have a say in the matter.  I do understand the need for the girls to be in shape and be well conditioned. What I don’t understand was the punishment of conditioning for everything they screwed up on during the games.  Needless to say, we are all very excited for this club season.

 

Over the past year or so Jeff has been going through training and taking lots of tests to become certified in Six Sigma. I am proud to say that he is now a Green Belt in Six Sigma and is hoping to move forward and get his Black Belt.

 
I still really like my new job, not the commute!  All my travel plans have been delayed to next year so although I was really looking forward to traveling this year, I won’t be going anywhere for a few months. I’m so grateful for this opportunity and am looking forward to growing in my career and learning new things

How can it possibly be 10 years....

The first six weeks of school have flown by.  It’s been super busy with my new job, volleyball, football and life! 

I’m feeling so blessed and so proud at this very moment.  Jeff and I just celebrated our 15 year wedding anniversary.  We didn’t do anything spectacular, as a matter of fact we spent it exactly how we would of wanted to, cheering on one of our kids at their sports function.  It happed to be a volleyball night so we spent time at Kiarra’s game and then the two of us went to dinner at a super fancy restaurant, Pot Belly. Don’t judge! It was late and we were running errands so it was a good fit into our schedule, and their sandwiches are pretty good tooJ.

I almost can’t believe I’ve been married for 15 years.  Besides all odds being stacked against us, it doesn’t seem possible that I’m old enough to be married for this long let alone be able to keep something going this long.  We’ve had our share of ups and downs but reflecting back over the years, we sure have had a lot of fun.  We don’t take fancy trips, or get-a-way weekends without the kids but yet we have so many memories together.  I’ll never ever forget the moment when I realized I loved Jeff, not the early puppy love stuff but the true love I felt when I knew we’d be in it for the long haul.  I don’t know the date, but I do recall exactly where I was, the clothes we were wearing (yes, we had clothes on!!) and the tears we shed that evening.  We’ve not had it easy, but it’s all been worth it.  Each day we continue to grow stronger as a couple, fighting trials (literally) and tribulations and hoping and praying for a happy healthy life together.

I am so very proud of my kids right now.  Progress reports were good and the kids are making their way through the first 6 weeks of this school year.  Kiarra made the JV volleyball team this year and has been playing well.  Almost the entire team is the same that she played with last year.  Jayden is playing football for the first time ever and he made the top team. There are so many kids playing football this year, they have 4 teams just for 7^th grade.  He has a lot to learn if he wants to continue to play and he’s still trying for that first touchdown but for someone who’s never played, I think he’s doing a great job (I’m not biased or anything).  Taryn is still struggling with having to change schools. It makes me so sad when people ask her how school is going because there is not a positive answer.  Even though her school is brand new, it’s already busting at the seams.  They have 6 second grade classes and are creating 2 more.  I put in a request for her to move to a new class and we were just informed yesterday that she was chosen to move.  YAY!! She’s not been to dance in weeks because our schedule just doesn’t allow for it.  She is such a good sport about it though.

My new job is going really well.  The commute is horrible but looking past that, everything is good.  It was a slow start, as it’s a much slower pace than what I’m used to but I’m starting to get the hang of things and am enjoying it.  I’m looking forward to traveling again, looks like my first trip will be to Amsterdam!

Sunday marks the 10 year anniversary of Dads accident.  There are times it seems like I haven’t talked to him in 20 years and other times I just can’t believe it’s already been 10 years.  People say it gets easier with time.  LIARS!!  They are!  They lie, right to your face!  I know it’s with good intentions but the more years that go by, the more and more I miss him.  I know I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for his passing but I hate it that he’s not here to share our lives and be here to see the kids grow up. Friends - PLEASE don't drink and drive.

 

Love you all!  Thanks for reading.

Summer Vacation 2014

Since before school got out, Jeff and I were talking about a vacation and getting away for some relaxation.  Booking a vacation is stressful for me.  I looked at Cruises, Disney, Beaches, Great Wolf Lodges and other Adventure Parks.  Each time I’d begin to look, I’d get so overwhelmed with all the options and hotel choices and cruise ships…. I needed a travel planner! Weeks went by and we did nothing!  I knew I was about to resign from my job so there was also a bit of hesitation on booking something.  Well, we waited so long that I looked at the calendar one day and realized we only had 2 weeks left to do something because of volleyball camps and tryouts.  Everyone always raves about Destin and it’s a relatively short drive so I found a reasonable hotel and booked it.  I would have preferred a condo but since it was such a short notice, the condos were quite pricey. 

We left at 4 am on a Wednesday and drove to Destin.  It was only about a 9 hour drive; the kids slept off and on and watched movies the rest of the time.  It’s not a very pleasant drive, kind of boring actually.  We were able to check into our hotel early so we did that and then headed straight get something to eat.  We went to a place called Harbor Docks that was referred to us by the hotel staff.  The service at first was not good, we didn’t get waited on for 10-15 minute and they were NOT busy. I was thinking we should just up and leave but we stuck it out and were all so glad we did.  The restaurant was on the water so while we waited, Jeff took Taryn down to the boardwalk and watched fishermen cut some massive tuna, red snapper and other fish.  She thought that was pretty cool.  Once our drinks came, service was great for the remainder of the meal and the food was delicious.  IT was too early in the day to not do something fun or relaxing so we headed to the beach.  Everyone was right, the sand and water in Destin is amazing!  I wish now that I would have bottled some of the sand up just because it was that soft and pretty!  Soft like baby powder! Jeff and the kids all buried each other and then had to break out of the sand. Jayden and Jeff threw the Frisbee while Taryn and Kiarra built castles.  After enjoying the beach for a few hours, we headed back to the hotel to clean up for dinner.  We couldn’t decide what we wanted and we were not super hungry so we landed on pizza.  We found this great place called Merlins Pizza just down the street; actually everything is “down the street”.  We arrived and it wasn’t busy so we found a booth, ordered and they said it would be 75-90 minutes… WHAT!!  We had a choice, we can wait the 90 minutes or we can leave and try to find something else and wait an hour at any other place… so we decided to wait it out. By the time the pizza came out, we were all quite hungry and it was YUMMO!  Not as great as Flippers Pizza in Orlando but pretty close.  Once we ate, we were all exhausted so called it a night.









 

Taryn driving the boat!!

Thursday was the only day we had real plans.  For the most part I wanted to wing each day (yes, I said it – Mrs. “I plan every minute of every day” said I wanted to wing each day!!) but this day was planned.  We got up and had breakfast in the hotel and all got ready to go to the boardwalk. We planned to spend the entire day there because we had a dolphin watching excursion planned for 7 pm that we knew we had to check in at 5 pm.  On our way there, roughly 10:00 am, it started pouring.  POURING!!!  Ok then, change of plans.  We decided to do a little souvenir shopping instead.  Each of the kids got a really cool t-shirt made and we picked up some things for the family and co-workers.  We were in the store for almost 2 hours.  By the time we left, the rain had stopped and everything had dried up.  We headed back to the boardwalk when we faced yet another setback.  This setback sent up to the pharmacy and back to the hotel.  2 of us stayed at the hotel while Jeff and 2 of the kids went to get us lunch.  He picked up some shrimp po’ boys and they were pretty good.  Our kids had never had a po’ boy before… can you believe that!?!?  Taryn was the only one that didn’t get one, she got pasta instead.  Finally around 2:00, we were able to go to the boardwalk for real!  Parking was nightmare but other than that the boardwalk was a great time.  Kiarra and Jayden zip lined and Taryn climbed a huge rock wall.  Jeff, Kiarra and Jayden did this freaky 4D zombie shooting thing while Taryn and I watched them on a screen.  It was finally time for our boating excursion to go see some dolphins.  Some friends of ours were in Destin at the same time we were there so we met up with them and they were able to book the same excursion.  We did get to see some dolphins and a beautiful sunset.  Every Thursday in Destin, they have fireworks off of a barge in the water so we booked this excursion so we would be on the water for the firework show.  While waiting for it to get dark enough for it to start, we were getting bored and decided to play the game Heads Up.  It didn’t take long before every kid and half of the adults on the boat were playing the game with us.  It’s such a fun game!!  Finally, the fireworks started.  I love fireworks.  There is something so beautiful and magical about them.  It was so nice being on the water with family and friends during that moment.  Once it finished, our excursion was over and we were pulling back up to the boardwalk.  We’d had such a late lunch that we didn’t eat before getting on the boat so now that it’s 9:30, we are all starving!  We left to find something to eat.  Most restaurants close at 10:00 so I got online to find something open until 11.  The only one I could find was Bubba Gump Shrimp.  When on vacation, I hate eating at places that I can eat at any day of the week while home but we didn’t have much of a choice.  We got to Bubba Gumps a little before 10 and gave our name to be put on the list.  The staff was kind of rude but it was late and I didn’t think much of it.  We didn’t have to wait long and they called us to seat us.  One girl had a major attitude so Jeff asked if something was wrong or something like that.  She said “we close at 10 – or are supposed to close at 10”.  I about snapped.  I was quick to say, “Your website says 11:00!”  She said “yea, that’s wrong, we close at 10”.  I was willing to leave, I didn’t want the chefs spitting in my food for coming into the restaurant so late. I was outta there, but they insisted that we stay and that it wasn’t a problem.  Food was mediocre; dessert was disgusting (they forgot to put the fancy sauces on the bread pudding).  I just wanted to get out of there.  We were the last ones there and it just didn’t feel right.

Taryn with her cute face paint.

Bubba Gump Restaurant

Taryn climbing the rock wall

Friday was the day I was really looking forward to.  The beach – ALL DAY!  The weather was beautiful.  We wanted to go to a different beach than the one we went to on Wednesday but that didn’t work out so well for us.  All the beaches by the condos are private beaches for people staying in the condos we went back to the place we’d already been.  It was just as gorgeous on Friday as it was 2 days prior. We set up our canopy and Taryn went straight to making sand castles.  I sat in the sun and soaked up as much as I could.  It wasn’t long before it got a little hot and Taryn was begging me to get in the water with her.  I refuse to get in the water in Galveston but this water was blue-ish and I could see my feet even being in the water that was to my waist.  The waves were strong and knocked us down but it was a lot of fun.  I sat with her for hours and played in the sand (yes, I know, for once I actually got my hands in the sand).  I literally could of stayed there for 5 more hours but we didn’t plan the day very well and didn’t take our normal “beach food” so everyone was hungry.  Since we skipped lunch we decided to have an early dinner.  We cleaned up and decided to go to Old Bay Steamers in Fort Walton Beach.  It was only 12 miles from our hotel so we thought it would be a quick trip.  We left the hotel at 5:15 and called ahead to see if there was a wait.  They said to come on in because they had not wait.  Sweet!  As we pulled out of the hotel we realized we would not be getting there anytime soon.  Traffic was horrible.  It took us an hour and 15 minutes to travel 12 miles!  I thought Houston traffic was bad… Houston traffic has NOTHING on the traffic in Destin.  By the time we go there, there was an hour wait for the 5 of us.  Ugh, we’d already skipped lunch and the kids had been saying for hours now that they were hungry (right before leaving the beach, during our cleanup/shower time at the hotel and the drive to the restaurant).  We were able to order drinks and appetizers from the bar which I’m glad we did.  They had great appetizers.  The wait wasn’t so bad either.  We were seated and ordered our food. If you are ever in Destin or Fort Walton beach and don’t mind spending a little money on a nice dinner, you HAVE to go to this place.  Our food was so good.  Some of the best seafood I’ve ever had.  They steam or grill everything, nothing is fried.  I had lobster tail, shrimp skewers with rice and veggies.  Soo sooo sooo good!  We all really loved our food.


Old Bay Steamers - Lobster Tail and Shrimp



Old Bay Steamers - Pineapple Shrimp



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday we packed up to head to New Orleans to spend the evening with Jeffs parents.  Before leaving we went to the place next to us where the kids could ride go carts.  They had a blast.  We probably could of stayed there all day doing that.  Then we headed to the outlets to do a little shopping.  Talk about disappointing.  I was ready to spend some money and get the kids school clothes knocked out…..  Or not!  I bought 3 things.  A pair of shorts and a tank top for Taryn and lunch!  That is it.  The shops were terrible.  I couldn’t even find thing that we liked that were overpriced where I had to disappoint the kids and say no.  They just didn’t have anything we liked.  Guess I shouldn’t complain, saved us some money J.  From there we headed to New Orleans.  On the way, we went through Pensacola which is where Jeff was born and lived until he was 8 years old or so.  We even drove by the house he grew up in.  It was our luck to hit traffic in 4 places on our way to his parents’ house so we arrived much later than anticipated (guess I should of planned each of these days better and we wouldn’t of had all these mishaps).  Thankfully, Shirley had dinner prepared for us so we didn’t have worry about that.  We visited with them and got up the next morning and headed home.

Although it wasn’t a super fancy vacation, I am so grateful to be able to spend a few days relaxing and spending quality time with my family.  The day before vacation is when I’d given my notice at work so that was a huge weight off my shoulders so I was able to relax and enjoy.  I’m also very glad we didn’t stay longer that we did.  Destin is not as big as I thought.  I was expecting this huge island and night life and a million things to do.  It’s definitely not that, but it was perfect for us.

Leap of Faith

God is so great!  Today, I got out of bed knowing it was going to be my last day at BP.  It wasn’t the easiest decision to leave but it was absolutely necessary.  The situation with my job continued to spiral downward so Jeff and I began to discuss taking a leap of faith. I began to pray, or beg God to be honest, specifically about opportunities outside of BP.  After 9 years, I was quite comfortable there however with the hiring freeze, I knew there wouldn’t be opportunities for me anytime soon.  During this time, there were many nights I would come home crying or fall asleep crying simply because everything we all worked for was being taken from us and everything we poured our hearts into was being forced to conform into a process that doesn’t work.  We had 9 coordinators leave since our transition to this new group just 6 months ago and this group refused to back fill their positions so the work just continued to pile on the remaining team members.  I was being forced to do 2-3 peoples full time jobs in 40 hours a week with no mistakes and everything done in a timely fashion.   This is seriously impossible.  During this same time, Kiarra put in a prayer request for me at church. 

Within days of that prayer request, I received 3 calls about opportunities, 1 with BP and 2 with other companies. I was so overwhelming, in a good way.  One of them was from a lady I worked with 10+ years ago at Waste Management.  The following week I interviewed for that position, later in the week I received an email from them to do a back ground check and personality tests and then the following week they offered me the position. This, my friends, is what I call God Speed!  I couldn’t wait to give my 2 week notice!!  I thought about waiting until we got back from Destin but I knew that would prolong my time to be stuck with those crazies so I went ahead and gave my notice that day, 2 weeks ago today. Although I was excited to give my notice, it wasn’t necessarily easy.  I look around and see people that I’ve worked with for 9 years, people I hired, people I remember getting married and having their first child.  These people I consider my friends, my family.  There were many weeks that I spent more time with them than with my own family so although I was eager to get out of the situation I was in, it wasn’t the easiest decision.  Knowing all the other coordinators are super busy and don’t have the capacity to now take on my work load, it hurt my heart a bit knowing they will have to take on all my responsibilities.  At some point, I have to walk away and say “it’s no longer my problem”, I’m not there yet…

After taking a few weeks off, I’ll begin my new job as a Learning Systems Specialist with an offshore drilling company.  I will continue to be in a Learning Organization but will be working on the systems side of it rather than the logistics and coordinating side.  I will be traveling internationally a great deal which I’m quite excited about as well.  I’ve been working contract for the past 3 years and although it has its advantages, I have to say that I’m super excited to have paid holidays, vacation days and be a salaried employee again.  Some of the additional perks of this job are just amazing, almost too good to be true.  I’m very excited for this new journey.

It’s really amazing to see how one prayer request can come full circle.  From the day Kiarra wrote that request to the day I was offered the job was only 32 days.  I’ll say it again, God Speed.  When you pray and He says move, you better be ready to act upon it.

And yes, Aunt Loretta – I will still be home for Christmas!  I have pre-approved days off.

Kiarra is driving!!!

Wow…. Summer is finally here again - praise God!

I posted about Jayden’s rough week and the excitement of Jeff getting his boot off but I’ve not mentioned some other excitement in our home. 

Kiarra officially has her drivers permit!!!  She’s been taking driving school for the past few weeks and on the 3rd day of class she took her test along with the rest of the class.  Since I’ve been the only driver for the past 14 weeks, it’s never worked in our schedule to get her to the DMV to get her actual permit.  Well, Tuesday we made the trek to Rosenberg and after a long wait...a VERY LONG wait may I add she officially has her permit.  The day before driving school started, I took her to a school parking lot and let her drive for the first time.  Of course there were no cars, only light posts, curbs and of course the school.  She actually did great, better that I expected.  So, it was only fitting that after getting her permit this week that I let her drive….  She didn’t want to drive home, which I can totally understand (I wouldn’t have let her anyway as she’d never driven on a real road before) but once we got to our subdivision I let her drive around a few streets. For it being her first time on the road, she did well.  She didn’t hit any curbs, cars or people so I consider that successful. Now there may have been a time or two (or 20) that I raised my voice saying “don’t hit the curb” or “you’re getting too close to the curb”, but all in all she did great and I’m so proud of her for putting her fear aside and driving, even if it was only around the neighborhood.

To say the last 14 weeks have been busy is a complete understatement. I didn’t realize how much I depend on Jeff for some little errands like running to the store for something I forgot to get, picking up/dropping off a kid here and there, etc.  Don’t get me wrong, we typically divide and concur for most kid related stuff but since he’d worked out of town so much last year I got used to just doing everything myself again.  Since my last post, Jeff became a little more independent and started moving around a lot more with the boot.  As the weeks progressed, he started hating that boot more and more and would wear it less and less.  He was good about wearing it anytime we left the house but the minute we got home, it was coming off.  I would nag him a bit because I didn’t want him to have to go through the surgery again and have to start over with all the progress he’d made.  He started physical therapy about 5 weeks ago to build the strength back in his leg. It will take about a year before he has full strength back and will be able to use it the way he was prior to tearing his Achilles.  All day Wednesday, he was like a kid in a candy store, smiling from ear to ear - just overjoyed with being free, being able to drive, walk freely without a limp, etc.  I find it very convenient that he got the boot off the same week the kids’ evening schedules go to a minimum.  I went from running Jayden 3 days a week to/from practice (5:30 - 7pm) and running Kiarra to/from driving school 4 nights a week (7 - 9 pm), in addition to Taryn’s dance class and her allergy shots each once a week AND church on Wednesday nights TO Jayden only having practice once a week, driving school being over and then the normal 2 things for Taryn.  How convenient JEFF DAILEY…. how convenient!!!  Of course all that was in addition to dropping off/picking up Jeff from his co-worker who drove him to/from work and often going to physical therapy before heading home.  We also relied on friends to take Jayden to practice some days because we just couldn’t get home in time. We left the house at 6 am and most days I didn’t walk back in the door until 9:15 pm.  I was simply exhausted!  Then on the weekends we had tournaments, I literally felt like I didn’t have time for anything.  I’m not complaining, I actually really enjoyed the time Jeff and I spent in the car going here and there and the time I got to spend with the kids, even if it was only for a few minutes going here and there.  That said, I’m glad we can divide and concur again… even though there isn’t much to divide right now J

Last month, we made a short trip to Iowa for my niece’s graduation. We actually spent more time driving to/from Iowa than we actually spent in Iowa.  Crazy, I know but totally worth it. It was a tear-jerking moment to see her walk across the stage and accept her diploma.  It was also great to catch up with family and friends I haven't seen in years!

I finally feel settled in the new house.  We still have some boxes to unpack and some shelves/storage to sort out but all in all I feel settled and love it.  We replaced the carpet in the formal rooms with wood floors and we absolutely love them. Not sure why we didn’t put wood floors in other houses, it was the simplest process and they are just gorgeous.

Jeff still loves his new job and pretty much wishes he would have made this type of a change earlier on.  I don’t think he has regrets necessarily but he really is enjoying this inside job, especially now that he can drive himself to/from work!

As for me…well, I’m just hanging in there. I really do need to start looking for another job but that in itself is a bit scary.  Although I’m not happy with the situation I’m dealing with right now, I’m still comfortable at BP.  Change is inevitable and I’m ok with change…what sucks is when adults are treated like little kids and our every move is micromanaged and documented.  It’s weird! Of course it’s ok for the smokers to take six 15 minute breaks everyday but good grief, don’t try to leave 10 minutes early (even after working all day, no breaks or lunch break).  It’s really insane.  I am doing my best to stay positive through it all and am trying to smile through it.  It doesn’t help that I was overlooked for another role to someone who is majorly less qualified. I guess it pays to be a bull-shitter which is something I’ve NEVER been good at. I am a big believer in everything happening for a reason but it still hurts and at the end of the day still sucks that I’m being told I have to answer all her questions because if not, I’m not being a team player… so this is how it goes. I answer her questions, the questions she should already have answers to in this role…so I’m helping her to be successful in the role that should have been mine to begin with.  I’m not bitter or anything (hahahaha).  EVERYONE in our group was shocked when they announced that she got the role.  No joke, I’m not just being big-headed here, everyone’s jaw dropped and they looked at me when they made the announcement.  It really is crazy though, and of course she waits until our manager is away from her desk before she asks me the questions.  Once, I said “hang on a minute, I’m in the middle of something”…. And then I waited for boss lady to come back and then I answer her question.  Do you know that she pulled me aside the next day and told me that if our boss is at her desk that I can just answer the question through email and that I don’t need to voice it!  bahahahaha - I guess she’s feeling insecure!  I swear it feels like we are in a movie in an episode of a reality show.  On a serious note though, if you have any advice on this, I welcome it.

And here we are… summer 2014.  Kiarra will be a sophomore, Jayden in 7th grade and Taryn in 2nd grade.  How this is even possible is beyond me. Looking forward to a relaxing and peaceful summer before the madness of the next school season kicks in.

16 years and going strong

Wow - it really seems like yesterday that I blogged 15 years and counting.  What a year my family has had! It’s been good, bad, ugly and beautiful…

Jeff’s been in his boot for 3 weeks.  Hard to believe it’s been 5 weeks since he had surgery to repair his Achilles.  He is very annoyed by the boot and is ready for it to be off… I think he has even given thought to taking it off early.  I can see those wheels churning in his head, I know him!!  Other than that, he’s doing ok.  He really likes his new job and is getting the hang of things. He's never really worked in an office environment before so he's dealing with some office drama that is quite hysterical to me. 

Kiarra just finished up her last tournament for this club volleyball season. We spent the last 3 days in Dallas and had a great time.  Our girls played hard. We came up short a couple of games but all in all had a great season.  These girls have great chemistry and really did well together on the court. If we can just keep Kiarra’s head from bouncing off the gym floors, she MIGHT be able to play a whole season!  Speaking of that latest concussion, Praise GOD - she received an all clear from the neurologist 2 weeks ago.  There is still one area of her brain they are a little concerned with but are not retesting for another year so all in all, it is great results which led to great news of her being able to get back on the court full force.  Even with that injury and having to sit out of a couple of tournaments and many practices, we are proud that she didn’t give up and stuck by her team to support them.

Jayden was recognized a couple of weeks ago for his art skills.  A piece of his art was displayed for the festival celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Cinco Ranch Library. It was a great honor for him and we are very proud of him.  He had another tournament this weekend and Jeff said he played great.  His team took 1st place so they must have done something right.  He is often quite a bit taller than the other kids on the court but every now and then there is a kid who gives him a challenge (height wise).  From the bruises on his arms, I can see that he was pushed around a bit but he still stayed strong and assisted his team to a great day.  Jayden has been such a huge help with the move and doing things around the house while Jeff has been taking it a little easy. 

Allergy season in Houston is really year round.  There is always something in the air that Taryn is allergic to.  A couple weeks back, she had a little runny nose and sore throat and I didn’t think much of it.  We skipped a week of allergy shots and went on with the days. Then, she developed a crazy rash.  Well, with moving and washing sheets and playing/rolling around on the new cozy (as she calls it) carpet, I just thought the rash was either an allergic reaction to our new laundry soap or a little carpet burn from her rolling/flipping around on the carpet.  Yesterday (while I was in Dallas), I got the dreaded call from the school nurse.  Jeff can’t drive and I’m 5 hours away, I just knew she was going to have to be picked up from school… Then the nurse proceeds to tell me that Taryn has Fifths Disease.  DISEASE??  Why does it have to be a “disease”!!??  Well after she explained it to me, I wasn’t so worried but dang, the word “disease” is just so…so… permanent.  I was very relieved to hear that it will run its course and she’s no longer contagious… but back up 2 weeks to that runny nose and sore throat and that IS when she was contagious… OOPS, my bad.  Even the nurse said that all parents attribute those symptoms to allergies so I shouldn’t be too hard on myself.  What sucks is that there really isn’t anything we can do for it.  Benadryl cream helps a tiny bit and when she gets hot it flares up so we are to keep her cool.  Good thing we had a cold front move through today!  Other than that, Taryn is doing great. She is going to dance class every week and is really enjoying those.  First grade is coming to an end very quickly and she is reading really well.

As for me, I’m just running around like a chicken with my head cut off.  Jeff not being able to drive has been a little tough on me (and my gas tank).  It’s almost like he’s out of town and I’m handling things on my own again, expect - he’s in town and I’m driving him around too!  Seriously though, I wouldn’t change it for anything. I love to serve my family and although I joke and complain a bit, I enjoy all the little conversations I get to have with each of the kids. I’ll be so glad for Friday to come, I have 9 people coming to the house to repair things, install things, clean things, etc. Then I can enjoy the rest of the weekend unpacking boxes, something I just have not had time to do.  On a happy note - I LOVE MY HOUSE!!!! We do have the kitchen finished and our bed is finally together (thanks to Jayden and Jeff) so things are progressing nicely..not as fast as I'd like but I'm reminding myself daily to take it ONE day at a time.

I seriously think Jeff and I are happier now than we’ve ever been.  Although I have my daily struggles with myself and my health problems, I’m trying to stay positive through it all.  I can only do so much and have to focus my energy on the positive and not think of the health issues.  Jeff has always been super supportive of me and I’m so grateful he’s stood by my side through all of this and has unconditional love for me and I for him. I want to grow old and grey with this crazy man!  

NEW HOME

Last week, we received a call that put me in tears.  Happy tears.  The day finally came to close on our house and become homeowners once again.  What a journey we’ve been on these past 2 years (1 year and 9 months, but who’s counting). If you’ve read my previously posts, you know I was not happy with the house we purchased in June of 2012. In May of 2013 we made the decision to sell the house and build a new one.  It took 10 LONG months for them to build this house, but it was worth each and every minute of it.  We originally thought we’d be closing in December, then we were told it would be February (actually no one told us this – we just assumed since they were so far behind).  In January, we received the great news that we’d be closing on Feb 24^th… well that day came and went and they were still putting the finishing touches on the house.  This may or may not of had anything to do with the long list of repairs I kept giving them.  Finally, the first week of March we were told we would close on March 26^th.  Well, all the paperwork I’d signed had our interest rate expiring on the 25^th so I was quite concerned with closing after that date.  They kept assuring me that everything would be fine but since we’ve been down this road before, I was getting a bit anxious.  On Wednesday, March 19^th they called and said we were clear to close on Friday the 21^st.  Hallelujah. Praise GOD!  The only problem with closing a week early is that I hadn’t made arrangements for moving.  With Jeff being in a cast and crutches, he wouldn’t be any help.  YIKES, what to do – what to do… So I did what any girl would do, hire movers!!  My Mom and her friend came and helped me pack which was a huge blessing in itself.

Friday came and I could hardly contain myself. We still didn’t know the final amount of money that we needed to take to closing so I was waiting very anxiously with my phone in my hand, refreshing my emails each time I died playing flappy bird (which is often).  It’s now after 10 am and closing was set for 12:00.  Knowing we have to make a stop at the back for a cashier’s check, we would have to leave the apartment by 11 to get to closing on time. Finally, at 10:45 am, I received an email with the final amount to bring to closing. Jeff and I quickly zipped out the door and headed to the bank.  We got to closing and everything went as smooth as can be.  At our last closing, in June 2012, I left in tears because I was so upset about the survey and having the massive easement in our back yard… the only tears I shed on Friday, March 21^st were tears of joy!!!  Feeling so blessed in so many ways. 

The kids standing at the bar looking into the kitchen
about a month before the house was complete.

The movers were scheduled to arrive between 2 and 6.  2 guys arrived a little after 6:00 with  a tiny 14 ft. trailer to move my furniture.  SMH!!  They were complaining from the start “this is our 3^rd move of the day”, “we’re tired”, “you have too much stuff”, blah blah blah… When I made the arrangements for the movers, I explained to the lady that I have Texas sized furniture, big and bulky and heavy.  Because the guys who showed up said it would take way longer than what the lady quoted me, which would cost me double or triple the amount, I spent over an hour on the phone arguing with the company.  They wanted to charge me more to come back the next day with a larger truck and 3 men… ah, NO.  Not my problem you messed up and didn’t send the right size the first time.  So it went from being $85 an hour to $125 an hour…  and from a 3 hour job to a 6 hour job.  They seriously lost their durn mind!  Although we do in fact have big furniture, we barely had anything at the apartment. It was literally a King size bedroom set (headboard, footboard, dresser w/ mirror, chest 2 night stands), a Queen size bedroom set (headboard, footboard, dresser with mirror), a breakfast table and chairs, couch, chair, a 7 ft book shelf and a tv stand.  No way it would take 6 hours!!!  We were only moving 2.5 miles down the road so even if they had to make 2 trips, it would not take 6 hours.  So, after arguing with the incompetent General Manager of Apartment Movers for 90 minutes with 2 guys staring at me (one who was missing a lot of teeth and kinda scary) I finally just hung up.  What a mess and waste of my time.  All this time, Jeff is at the new house thinking we are going to show up any minute with our furniture.  Needless to say, we all slept on the floor at our new house the first night.  I could swear that they forgot to put the carpet pad under the carpet in our bedroom, that floor was brutal.

Since the movers screwed us over, I just decided to pick up a couple of day workers and rent a U-Haul truck to move the stuff ourselves.  Saturday morning, we did just that!  With the help of my Mom, dear friend, brother in law and 2 guys, we knocked this out with a couple of hours.  It felt great to have some of our stuff in the house.

Because we had a very busy weekend of tournaments and moving and other errands I was not able to open a single box until Tuesday afternoon. It’s been an insanely busy week (considering I am the only one in the house that can drive right now) and I finally unpacked the last kitchen box last night.  That is the only room that is unpacked and put away.  None of our bedrooms are unpacked and we still have a 20 ft. storage unit that has to be moved too…  Our closet looks like a tornado went through it, it’s a disaster. It’ll be a busy night getting things in order because we have painters coming tomorrow!!

On Wednesday, Jeff got his cast off which he was so happy about.  They also took the stitches out.  He’s now in a boot for at least 10 weeks.  The doctor said that everything looks great and that it’s healing properly. The boot has a 3 inch wedge in it to keep him walking on his toes… kinda cute!  Now that he doesn’t have to use the crutches, he is much happier.  He and I both went back to work on Thursday.  Thankfully, he has a co-worker who lives in Katy who volunteered to drive him to work for these 10 weeks.

Volleyball is wrapping up.  We only have 2 tournaments remaining which makes me quite sad.  I love the volleyball season.  Looking forward to watching my girl and her team in action this weekend.  We had a great tournament last weekend taking 1^st place in the silver bracket. Kiarra had another round of testing today to see if her brain is all healed from the concussion.  Praying for great results.

Jayden is going strong in basketball.  He has his 2^nd tournament this weekend that Jeff and I will be able to go to.  I can’t wait to see him and this new team play.  I love watching these boys take control of the court.

If you could, please just pray for my sanity.  I’m serious.  This is all quite stressful for me.  Being the only driver, and trying to get the kids to/from their activities, Dr’s appointments, homework, in addition to moving (address changes, utility hookups, construction updates, furniture purchases) and having a busy work schedule myself, it’s causing me a great deal of anxiety and we all know “when Mama’s not happy – NOOOOO-body’s happy”…  Thankfully, they are each only in one activity.  I’d really go insane if they were involved in more than one sport. 

Please also pray for Jeff and speedy recovery for him.  It’s really hard on him not being able to help during this move.

Torn Achilles

Yep, that’s right - another injury in the Dailey house. 

2 weeks ago, Jayden’s basketball coach scheduled a “parents vs. boys” game for our end of season party.  We thought this was a great idea. Jeff plays basketball with Jayden at the park and works out regularly so thought nothing of getting on the court with the other brave parents to take on the kids.  Game was going great for the first few minutes and then Jeff insisted that someone threw a ball at his ankle... He could barely put pressure on it, it just didn’t feel right.  We kind of thought it was funny because he was so dramatic about “who kicked me” and “who threw a ball on the court”. He didn’t step back onto the court.  We iced it that evening and it was apparent that it wasn’t getting better so he saw a sports medicine doctor on Monday.  He was certain that it was a torn Achilles so the doctor put him in a boot and of course he ordered an MRI.  The MRI was scheduled for Friday with a follow-up appt. with the same doctor on Monday.  At the follow-up appointment, Jeff was told that he had a partial tear and that he’d need to see a surgeon…  We should have just started with an orthopedic surgeon to begin with because the news that is coming next did not make us too happy.  Not only did Jeff have a full torn Achilles, but the sports medicine doctor put him in the wrong kind of boot.  Had he of been referred to a surgeon to begin with instead of trying to treat Jeff, he may not have even had to have surgery.  He possibly could have been put in a cast right away for it to heal on its own but since he continued to walk on it, drive, etc. for over a week, he possibly made it worse. Anyway, Jeff was able to see the surgeon last Wednesday and have surgery the same day.  At first the Orthopedic Surgeon thought he wouldn’t be able to do the surgery until the 25th because he is on vacation this week for Spring Break but after leaving the room briefly to check the schedule, he came back and said “unless you want to do it today”… I got the call at work at 8:30 from Jeff saying “I’m having surgery in 2 hours”…. Ahhhhhhh, OK??

I rushed out of work to get home to pick him up to take him back to the hospital… Several phone calls and texts to some important folks to inform them (but mainly ask for prayer), lots of paperwork (pre-registration, insurance verification, etc.) a few hours later… and a little stress, they called him back.  Our amazing pastor came right away to be with us and pray with us, he is so great.

After 90 minutes or so (who’s counting), the doctor came and said that he was in recovery and that all went great.  He was able to successfully repair it - thank GOD!  He’ll be in a cast (with crutches) for 2 weeks and then in a boot for a minimum of 10 weeks.  He cannot put any weight on it whatsoever.  I had to wait another hour or so before I could go to recovery to see him.  All the nurses were amazing. I finally got to see him and he was wasted… you see, Jeff’s never been drunk so seeing him in this state was too funny.  I’m sorry friends, I did not record it.  He was in that recovery area for another hour or so and then moved to another room for the final recovery stage… this took forever. I seriously didn’t think we were ever going to 

leave the hospital.  Apparently they had another emergency or something because we were left alone for almost 2 straight hours.  No one came to check on us and there was not a sound in the hallway.  For a minute, I thought maybe they all left for the day and forgot about us.  I finally peeped out there and they assured me they’d be coming in to discharge him soon.

He was finally discharged around 7:00 pm I guess and we headed home.  He’s never used crutches before so that was a bit tricky… just coming off anesthesia + being loopy on pain medication + trying to use crutches = not a pretty site…

Every few hours he’s been taking pain medication and doing quite well. So far, he's not had to deal with massive pain. The kids have been a tremendous help since the surgery. We had to cancel our out of town plans for the later part of Spring Break but they didn’t care, they were just worried about Daddy getting better.  He has a terrific boss now (thank God) that is allowing him to work from home until he gets his cast off and is off the crutches.  Since it’s his right foot, he won’t be driving any time soon so we are making car pool arrangements for when he has to go back to the office in a few weeks.  I was able to get an exception this week as well and am allowed to work from home to help take care of him.  Since moving into a new group last month and being told that working from home is NEVER allowed, I am very very grateful for this opportunity and that they allowed this exception for me.

Please keep Jeff in your prayers.

Before Surgery 

After Surgery

Update on the kids real quick…

Kiarra is doing well.  She has more tests the end of this month to ensure her brain activity is back to normal and that she’s fully healed from the concussion.  She had to sit out of a volleyball tournament 2 weeks ago which about killed her. She is slowly getting back into practicing and doing strength and conditioning so hopefully by the end of this week she will be back at it 100%.

Jayden finished up his basketball season with Katy Youth Basketball. All in all he had a great season. He’s now playing AAU and just had his first tournament this past weekend.  Neither Jeff or I were able to go of course but according to the other parents, he played great and hustled.  That’s all I can ask for!

Taryn is back in dance and is loves it.  This girl has music playing in her soul 24/7.  She couldn’t wait to get back to school today to see her friends.  Spring Break was so boring for her. She has been the biggest helper since Jeff’s surgery, I think she has a future career as a nurse or something in the medical field. She claims she wants to be a teacher but this girl has serious compassion for people… time will tell…