Keeping Up!

I just wanted to jump on here really quick and put a few thoughts down. I think it helps me to mentally "unload" alot of my thoughts and worries. If you know me at all, you know that I worry about EVERYTHING. Leave it to me to do the opposite of what God tells us to do. He says worry about NOTHING, but what do I do? You got it, the opposite! It's something I am working on. I think it's a control thing really. I don't like to NOT have control of things, even it's something that is impossible to have control over in the first place.
I have decided in the midst of planning to try and do one thing each day towards our move. I started it this week and so far I have things coming down off of the walls, my food pantry cleaned out and wiped down, and some toys pulled out to go into my garage sale. I am having a HUGE garage sale on May 2nd and am hoping to make some extra money towards our move. I have had ONE garage sale in my entire adult life and hope that I do better than I did the last time. I am not good at messing with those haggling expert garage salers, that's for sure! My two good friends, Heather and Susan, are joining me with the garage sale, so I hope we make some good money.
I am four weeks from closing my business. It will be a bittersweet moment for me. I am so ready to be done with childcare in my home. I love every part of having my business, except it's in my house. It is so hard for me to separate my job from my home life and I hate it. It makes me not enjoy my job at all and that makes me sad. I love working with kids and couldn't imagine doing anything else in my life. I will be very sad to see my last two daycare kids go on May 1st, so sad. They have become a part of my family and almost seem like my own children. I have had one of them since he was 6 months old! I have watched him get his first tooth, start crawling, say his first words, and even start to walk! He is attached to me almost as much as his mother (almost) and cries when I walk out of the room, or is left with a stranger. I worry about him going to his next daycare provider so much. So even though my hear it breaking, it also rejoices knowing we are moving onto a new stage in our military career.
I guess I have rambled enough about nothing really. My head feels alot clearer just getting these things out there. It is so hard to keep my head clear these days with the ten million things going on in it. From getting ready to move overseas, planning my kids' birthday parties before we leave,to my sister's bridal shower I am throwing, to helping with wedding plans, and even planning stuff while in Ohio with family, I am VERY, VERY overwhelmed right now. It will be a nice break this summer in Spain to just relax and enjoy my own children at the pool everyday...not to brag or anything...LOL!
I know I keep promising pictures and I hope to get some up sometime this weekend. We are heading back to Six Flags to check out the animal section. (My favorite!) I promise to get some up soon.
Spring Break is right around the corner and I can't wait! I will only have ONE daycare child and we have lots of things planned for the week to keep us busy. Six Flags, Chuck E Cheese, and maybe even the ocean are just a few of the things we have planned so far! I can't wait!

Staying busy

Well, I thought I would take the time to update my blog. I guess it's been a while? Like I said before, I have been hanging out over on face book alot lately. I just pop on there and see what everyone is up to and that's about it.

We are keeping busy here as always. I have some pictures I plan to post on here soon, it's just finding the time to do it. The past two weekends we went to Six Flags, which is only 20 minutes away from us. We have been here 5 1/2 years and this was the FIRST year we decided to buy season passes and look what happened. We got orders! It's ok though, we will use them alot before we leave. The kids have a blast there. It's such a different experience when you aren't rushing around trying to fit everything into one day. Chelsea rides all of the roller coasters with Steve and the two younger kids and I hang out with the animals or in the little kiddie area. It's fine with me. I have the best time just watching my children have a blast. I am not into the big roller coasters much anymore. I guess I am getting too old.

Our first time there which wasn't the warmest of days, I got to participate in the dolphin show. It was amazing. I have the video I am going to try and upload onto here. I was so happy to be picked to participate and then kind of regretted it at the very end. You will have to watch the video to see why.

Other than hanging out at Six Flags, we are just getting all of our stuff done to head overseas again. It's not like they hand you the papers and say "farewell", you have to get medical clearance, get a bunch of papers signed off, take a terrorism thingy online, get your passports....the list goes on and on. That's not even including getting your house ready to be packed up. Yes, they have movers come and pack your house for you, but you have to sort through everything and decide what to send with the packers, what to put in storage, and what you want to carry with you. How in the world do you do that? Do you realize how hard it is going to be to pack clothes in a suitcase to last a month? Yeah right! Once the movers take the clothes, I can't just go and get them back and change my mind. It is going to be frustrating, but I am trying to plan so it will hopefully all work out.

The kids are doing well. They are all excited about going to Spain, except Chelsea. She has made some really great friends here and worries that she won't make any over there. She is slowly warming to the idea. We are being very considerate of her feelings, but also are encouraging her to think positive. I know she will love it once we get over there, it's just going to be hard for her to leave here first.

Tyler has now started his baseball season. He LOVES baseball and is sooo good at it. I am not just saying that because he's my son either. Saturday was his first game and he threw two kids out at first! I was such a proud mommy! I just love watching his games and really hope that he stays with baseball. He has such a natural talent. I love his coach this year because he played in college and I know he is going to learn so much.

Jaelyn has a birthday coming up. She is going to be 5 on May 9th. Where has the time went? She amazes me each and every day with something new she says or does. She got tears in her eyes the other day when I told her that when we move to Spain this won't be our house anymore and she said "But I love this house! What if somebody takes it?" She is so sweet and innocent, but don't let that fool ya! She already has a teenage attitude! She wants to be such a big girl, yet she still wants to stay at home with her mommy. It is so sweet. She will start school and Spain and I know she is going to love it!

Hope all is well in the blog world. Seems like alot of people aren't blogging as much these days. Kind of makes me sad, but it is a busy world. I promise to try and put pictures up soon!

Guess what?

Yesterday as I was going about my business at lunch time, my phone rang. I recognized the number and my heart dropped. It was Steve's First Shirt calling to let me know we got ORDERS!!!!! Yep, we will officially be leaving California by June. Yes, you read that correctly, JUNE!! I have THREE months to get my house, kids, dog, and business ready to move! Anyone looking for some daycare items??

I don't even know where to start, so I started making my list of things to do. It is going to fly by quick. The sad thing is, we bought season passes to Marine World (Six Flags). We have decided to go there as many weekends as possible, so we can get our use out of them. That's not a REALLY bad thing, but fitting it into all the other things we have to do will be.

So where are we going you ask? Most people know because I have been hanging out over on Facebook alot. You can join me over there anytime, it actually is alot of fun! We are heading back to Europe to.......SPAIN! Yep, Spain. We are soooo excited. This wasn't our orginal plan, but you know what a sense of humor God has right? I am sure He is sitting up there giggling right now! The base we are going to only has 100 military people there. That is small, very very very small. It will be even smaller than the Azores, but at least we won't be stuck on a tiny island this time. We can drive ANYWHERE in Europe we like to. I already have plans of heading up to Ramstein, Germany to see some of our good friends up there. I am sure Steve will do some golfing while we are there and I will have to do some shopping! I am so excited to be able to get some great things from over there! Christmas shopping this year is going to be AMAZING!

Not only am I working on getting things done around here for the move, but I am looking ahead for a job over there. They have a really small Child Development Center and I am really praying I get a GS (government job) position while we are there. It is a good job to snatch, if you get the chance. That was one of our regrets from the Azores, so I don't want to make the same mistake again.

I am rambling on and on here. I just had to get on here and post this for my non-Facebook friends and family, although there aren't many! I hope all is well in Blog world. I plan on getting on here tonight and hopefully posting some pictures from the snow this weekend. We had the BEST time ever!

Check back for some pictures soon!!!

You be the Judge!!

This is a post I have been wanting to do for a while. I am very excited to announce that it has been a complete and FULL year, since I last drank mt.dew...or any soda for that matter. Steve left last February for school in Texas. I knew this was my chance to actually kick the habit! He loves his mt dew and I knew I would not be able to quit with it in the house. If you know me at all, I am the "cold turkey" type and that's what I did with this habit too. I was drinking close to 3-4 mt dews a day! Think of all that sugar I was taking into my body! Wow! Have you ever read the label on a mt dew, or any soda? It is not good at all, even diet drinks aren't great for you. I have quit drinking mt dew a couple of other times ,but they only lasted MAYBE a week, so this is a huge accomplishment for me.

The hardest part for me was when I went out to eat. I LOVE LOVE fountain mt dew or any fountain soda, so it was very hard for me to eat out and not wash it down with a cold tasty fountain drink! It took about two weeks until I actually enjoyed the food too. It really helped me not want to eat out as much, so I am sure that is a good thing. I still carry that habit too. I am not too big on eating out as much, at least fast food.

I am very proud of myself for this lifestyle change. Alot of people have "judged" me through this process and I have learned to let it go in one ear and out the other. It's not their body, they don't have to live with it...right? I am still learning how to maintain and think I am doing fairly well at it finally. It took me a while to learn that it was ok to eat a few extra things here and there. My problem is I don't know how to do moderation. I am still learning, but have really got alot better at it. I am still running about 3 times a week. I have to admit it has slowed down a bit since my husband's return. I am back in the game again though. All I want is to be in good shape, so I can live as long as I can to be around for my children. I am really hoping to lead them by example. I don't want them to go through the same struggles as I have had too.

So I am challenging myself to another year of being soda free. I am going to decrease my eating out habits even more, and my goal is to be running 5 miles, three times a week. That is my goal for this year. I made last year's goal, so I have complete confidence I can do it! If not, then I have you all to hold me accountable!


You be the judge and tell me what you think! I think I have done a great job! Please do not confuse my being proud with being conceited....I am by far from being conceited, if you know me at all.







This picture was taken the day before I quit drinking Mt.dew. February 2008

Me! One whole year later....and I don't miss it a bit!

Quick post

Well we are definitely back to normal around here. We have got back into the fast pace of life again. There is usually something going on almost every night of the week and full on the weekends too.
Business has been good for me, but very exhausting. I am full with six kids all day long. My first child arrives 645AM and my last child leaves by 5PM. It is a very very long day. Most people probably shake their heads thinking I have it made being able to work at home, and I agree, but it's not as easy as you think. I am a maid, diaper changer, mediator (between children), cook, and much much more. My days are FAR from easy. I enjoy what I am doing, but look forward to when I get to work out of the house again. I feel very tied down here alot.
Steve has been back to work and things are going well for him. He is running his shop now and it isn't an easy task. He does a great job and puts in alot of hours as well. By the time 8pm rolls around, we are exhausted and ready to relax. There isn't much room for relaxation though. We have been busy searching for the right new vehicle for us. We started out hunting for a smaller SUV, but that road took a sharp turn and this is what we got! I love it and love everything about it. If you are in the market for a new car, now is the time to buy. They are almost GIVING them away at this point. I am so pleased we went with a Chevy because they have awesome warranty's going on and you just can't beat them. I know it's a huge car, but when you are driving it you can't even tell. Here is a quick picture of it. It's a 2008 Chevy Suburban.
Other than that, there isn't much going on. We are planning our vacation in May, helping my sister with her wedding details, and just getting our kids through the rest of the school year. Tyler is about to have a Science Fair next week and we are so excited for him. This was his first Science Fair Project and I think he did a GREAT job- It's on Ants and their Habitat. (He chose the subject) I think it's a little young to be doing such a HUGE project, but who am I to say anything? He has learned alot from it and that's all I care about.
It is nap time, which is my quiet time, so I am going to get going. I have dishes to do and paperwork to complete. It's a never-ending job.
Please keep me in your prayers. I will be going in on Wed for a bunch of lab work. I am sure I am fine, but the doctor just wants to check me out thoroughly. I will let you know...

Finally! Some pictures!

I am FINALLY getting back here with some pictures. The kids are playing so nicely right now and it's free-time, so I decided to jump on here real quick and get some pictures on here.
You know me, I am a little backwards, so this post will be backwards too. Anyway, we are having a great time getting back into a routine. I am back to work, so we are celebrating Chinese New Year this week in daycare. The kids are LOVING it. Monday we made Chinese Lanterns and then yesterday we started our Chinese dragons and finished them off today. I can't show pictures of the other kids in my daycare without permission, so you are getting a picture of Jaelyn working hard on her dragon. They all love to paint.
Steve goes back to work next Monday, so he is enjoying his time off for now. He has been hunting, golfing, and out for a ride on his motorcycle. He has been fixing his motorcycle up too because he thinks he is going to sell it. I leave the decision completely up to him. We have plans together to pay everything off next week and then we will be in the market for a new Family vehicle. We have a couple in mind, but have to get out there and test drive them first. We are not jumping into this purchase lightly. We did that with the Rodeo and regretted it. I can't wait to get my new car, even though I won't be driving it through the week during the day! I guess that means it will stay that much cleaner for a longer time!
I hope everyone in blogger world is doing good! I am so happy to have my husband home and to be getting back into a routine. Here's to a NEW YEAR- Chinese Style!

Jaelyn working on her dragon.

Our Chinese lanterns. The kids loved cutting these. Of course, I had to help my little ones.

This is our dinner out to Cattleman's. It is a great Steakhouse and has wonderful food! I had steak and lobster and was in HEAVEN. I love lobster- any seafood. If you are wondering why Steve is wearing this lovely hat, it's because our friends told them that it was his birthday/Welcome home dinner and of course the restaurant had to sing to him.

This was his face when they first showed up. I promise, I had NOTHING to do with this!

The cute couple out without kids and enjoying being together.

Samson is even happy to have his daddy home too!

Tyler practicing Guitar Hero. He can play it on medium now! He is just like his daddy- good at everything. Kind of make you nauseous.....lol.

Just hanging out together.

Jaelyn and Daddy- together again...

Tyler getting kisses from Daddy. Chelsea did get a hug and kiss too, but she didn't hang out too much. She is a teenager now you know and that is "so" uncool.......

Hugging my man! It was such a wonderful feeling to be hugging him again! Don't mind my backside. I wasn't happy with this angle at all, but wanted everyone to see our reunion picture!

Waiting patiently....

More pictures to come soon. I have been taking lots of pictures lately. I am loving my camera and still have more to learn about it, but will eventually.

Oh yeah, we are FOR SURE going on vacation this May. I reserved the hotel already and put a down payment on it too, so hopefully that will make us stick to it! We will be heading down south to DISNEYLAND! I can't wait to go and wish it was tomorrow! It will only be for a five day trip, but it will be lots of fun. As soon as we return, we will be heading out to Ohio for my sister's wedding. I just see this summer passing me by already!

What can I say?

There aren't words to describe how wonderful this past week has been for me, not only me, but for my whole family.
We had a wonderful reunion last week with Steve. His flight didn't come in until 10PM, but I still chose to take the kids to the airport. They were way too excited to keep at home this time, so we all made a trip out of it. It was so awesome to see Steve's face again. It had been a long six months and I was so happy to have him back in my arms again! The kids were just as excited. We made signs saying "Welcome Home Daddy!" They were so proud of their signs too. I have pictures, but don't really have time to post them tonight. That will have to come later this week. I need to get to bed soon, since I have to go back to work tomorrow.
I feel like we haven't stopped since Steve walked off the plane. We have ate out alot, SHOPPED alot, played Guitar Hero TONS, and even found time to take a nap or two. It just has been so awesome. This has been one of our best reunions ever. I have enjoyed every moment of it and wish it wasn't over already.
We have actually had time to think things over and have decided that we are taking a family vacation this year. We will be taking it in May, but I will share the details later. I don't want to jump the gun too much. I always get so excited and then things don't work out, so I am waiting until closer to time to talk about it.
I can tell time is going to fly by so quickly already. We have our vacation planning, my sister's wedding to go to, and also this year is our TEN year anniversary! I can't even believe it's been ten years already! Time just passes you by way too quickly when you are having fun.
I hope all is well with all my blogger buddies! Sorry I haven't been around much, but I am sure you all understand.
I promise to post some pictures later this week. It's just a matter of finding some time.....