Six boys and a little lady

Has it really been over a year?

2011-10-31T12:42:00.002-05:00

Wow! Long time no post. I figure with FB no one reads blogs anymore....but here is a quick pic of our Halloween!!

Invisible Baseball

2010-10-17T15:33:00.000-05:00

Our neighbor is a very talented young girl (who is also our babysitter). She invited Cierra and Jonah to be in a short movie she did. They had a blast. They keep asking when they are going to do it again.
Check it out!

Cierra, the song writer

2010-10-13T18:16:00.003-05:00

My little girl has a lot of feelings. All I can say is that she definitely is a girl. She writes songs to perform for the family and sings them so earnestly. I did the same thing when I was younger. I would write songs and dream of performing on the radio. Yeah...never happened. However I have high hopes for my little angel...if you have ever heard her sing you know she has a beautiful voice. I asked her if it was ok if I shared a couple of her original songs on our blog and she assured me that she did not mind. In fact she made sure to leave her notebook out by my lappy so I knew where they were. Now if I hear either of these on the radio we are going to be real mad! ;)

No Love No Key, No Key No Love
by Cierra Elizabeth Lamont

You kicked me out of your heart. Let me back in.
Babe I tried with all of my heart. I'm missin you
Open the door or make a bridge
Make a rainbow bridge
Make a wooden bridge
Just make a bridge

Chorus:
No love, no key, no key no love
Babe tonight
Nooooooooooo key no love
Nooooooooooo love no key

That's how it goes tonight
If you let me in I'll give you my heart to keep
If you don't break it like I did

Repeat chorus

Give me one more chance.
Lovin you is like a joke to you
Which puts me in hurt tonight
You hurt everyone you date babe

Oooooooooooooooh

Repeat Chorus

So Much Love
By Cierra Elizabeth Lamont

So I was in the park
You saw me
I saw you
It was crazy
You asked me out
It was love at first sight
Soooooooo much love
Tooooooo much love
Sooooooo much love
It was love.

Now how sweet are those?? That is a lot of emotion to come from such a little girl. Of course she has the Disney channel and all those teenage girls singing love songs to help fuel her artistic fire. She is so full of hope and dreams. I love her with all my heart.

A new chapter

2010-09-13T11:38:00.002-05:00

I am officially a college student(again). I am so excited, but I think I am even more scared. This is one of those things that other people do, that I envy and will do one day when I have the time. It has felt like an out of body experience while I have been applying, gathering papers and waiting for admission into the school. And now I have just read my first chapter for my Philosophy class. It feels so good!
However while I was reading, Tyler came in for this, and Landon came in for that, and the laundry was buzzing and I smell the nasty bathroom that I need to clean and I know I need to make a shopping list, and I know I need to do "mommy school" with the boys, and I am looking at my spin bike knowing I need to exercise at some point today, and I really hate blow drying my hair because it takes forever, and I still need to make my bed, and I still need to do my reading for my research class and Psychology class....AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Deep breaths!! I think it is time for me to relax and prioritize. I need to do this, and I want to do this. Everything is a learning process and I am about to get schooled!! Haha!
So maybe I won't have a spic and span house. And maybe I won't always be dressed...but hopefully I will be able to juggle all that I need to do. Super Woman...can I borrow your cape????

He's self sufficient.

2010-09-10T16:59:00.004-05:00

Well, I guess I can go ahead and pat myself on the back. I have raised a very self sufficient little three year old. I caught Landon making himself a PB&J TWO times today.

The first time I walked in the kitchen and he was rinsing his plastic knife off in the sink...he even cleans up after himself. He had also attempted to make himself a glass of chocolate milk..but we were out of milk. Bummer. It seems he decided to add some Nesquik to some water. Yum!

And about five minutes ago I caught him making his second PB&J. This time with a real knife. He apologized. Seriously? The boy must be real hungry.

Really Landon? I am very capable of making you a sandwich...you need only ask. Don't grow up too fast!

Mele kalikimaka

2010-09-08T17:21:00.009-05:00

Ok, not really Merry Christmas...just wanted to say that.

When the kids came home from their dad's for the summer we had a welcome home luau. Other than the decor and the Hawaiian haystacks we ate, not much else was luau-ish. I think I will plan better next time. But, the kids had fun. And we were together!!

Thanks to the 99 cent store here we were sporting all sorts of Hawaiian stuff. Love that inflatable pineapple! Classy!

Way awesome goblets with Hawaiian Punch. Clever I know. And thanks Aunt Kathy for the cute drink umbrellas!

A Hawaiian Transformer at my luau...yep!

The fam!! So under my lei is a flowered bra. Cierra and I both had one. And under my flowered bra is my shirt that says, "World's Coolest Mom". I think that speaks for itself. ;)

We MUST be crazy!

2010-08-16T13:23:00.002-05:00

That's a dog...laying on MY couch! Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!

We finally did it..we got a dog. I have put if off as long as my family would let me. I haven't been excited because I am not stupid. I know that having a dog is a lot of work, especially a puppy.

She has not let me down...she is a lot of work. However she is cute and I know the kids will LOVE her!

So welcome to the family Zarah! (The "ar" is prounounced like the pirate AAARRRR!)

I was actually grateful...

2010-06-09T22:19:00.004-05:00

...for this mess that the boys made. Grateful to have something to do. It is really crazy going from busy, busy to absolutely nothing. While everyone is excited for summer, I dread summer. Summer means I am three children less. Don't misunderstand me..I am happy that they get to spend so much time with their dad. I know they love it and need it. I just feel kind of lost without my huge crew to take care of. Yes I still have the twins, but it is different. My job is the kids. That is what I do all day, every day and when more than half my job is gone, life seems sloooooow.

Seriously I think I may go insane when they all leave home. I really have to get a hobby ;)

Tyler feels the need to change his clothes like 5 times a day. It drives me nuts!

Holy cow! What is under there?

They were building a tent. Funny boys.

8 years ago....

2010-05-28T17:03:00.009-05:00

...a sweet baby girl was born. And I got to be her mom!! Cierra Elizabeth Lamont. What a girl!

She continues to be a joy to all around her. She continues to amaze me with her positive attitude. She is such an example to me. She has the best outlook on life and is kind to everyone around her. She is so giving...even to her brothers who give her a hard time most of the time.

And on Saturday June 5th she will enter the waters of baptism. What a special time for her.

Happy Birthday Cierra! We all love you sooooo much!!!

Opening presents

New outfit from Dad and Kim.

Popcorn on a stick for her class

Cierra and her class at lunch.

2010-05-19T20:34:00.004-05:00

My kids are thriving here in Las Vegas. They have made so many new friends. They come home from school, drop their backpacks, use the restroom, grab a snack and then they are out the door until dinner time. Or we have 3 or 4 kids at our house at a time. It is wonderful. I love it! I am so thankful that they are having so much fun.

Life is good!!

Oh and we have a little girl at our house that just got her ears pierced for her impending 8th birthday. She was such a good sport. Didn't even cry. Just was a bit shocked that it hurt so much.

{{before}} In the chair...a little nervous. Like how Dylan, Landon and Ron are outside looking in? The little store could not accommodate our huge family. Haha.

{{after}} Still a little stunned.

A Couple Of Things....

2010-04-21T22:00:00.005-05:00

First off...I am so excited! I inherited my mom's old (and I mean old...like 30 years old) Kitchen Aid!!! Man they build these things to last! This is my first one and I am digging the retro green! It matches my kitchen perfectly!! My mom told me that the color was called "avocado". I love it!!! A lot of cakes, breads and other yummies have been made in this thing. I am honored to carry on the tradition!
Isn't she a beauty!! :)

Second...this is what we see when we look in our backyard now. They have demolished the houses behind us. Our little street is the only one standing. When they are out working full force I almost feel like we should be waving a flag reminding them that we are still here. It is so noisy, and the house SHAKES when they are working. Oh and the dust...we are covered! The furniture is covered. We are sneezing and wheezing. Very pleasant.

Does this make anyone else sad?? They are tearing out the trees. It really makes me sad. They are living and beautiful and then they are ripped from the ground. Ugh! We have a wonderful tree in our backyard that the kids climb and we have rope swings hanging from. I will be so sad when they tear it down.

Up Hill Battle

2010-04-12T16:58:00.004-05:00

What a day! I have seriously been cleaning ALLLLL day! However I have many forces (Tyler, Landon and Jonah) working against me.

At least they have organized messes.

I'm sorry...is my vacuuming getting in your way?

Ha. A day in the life eh?

Dresser Face Lift

2010-04-09T14:40:00.004-05:00

Cierra's dresser was in major need of a face lift. I put these knobs on when she was a baby and her room decor theme was flowers/garden. As she quite often likes to point out..she is a big girl now so I was thinking we needed a change.

SPRAY PAINT PLEEEEEEZ!!

Took off the knobs, gave them a spray and roughed them up a bit;)

BEFORE

AFTER
Added some bling too!

Much better!

Why I Love Being A Mom

2010-04-07T16:53:00.008-05:00

Walking into the kitchen and finding this...

Walking around the corner and finding this....

Walking into the little boys room and finding this...

Walking into the bathroom and finding this....
(soaking wet hand towel..the water was still running and everything)

Walking into the family room and finding this....

Walking into the boys room and finding this....

and this.....

I've been watching you Dad!

2010-04-01T14:16:00.004-05:00

This is Tyler's foot. And he has on two socks. Just like Dad. He was watching Ron takes his boots off the other day and noticed that he was wearing two socks. "You have two socks Daddy?"

And we knew it was all over. This child does EVERYTHING his dad does. Ron will come home in his workout clothes, then Tyler will go put his on. And he makes sure to have an undershirt just like Dad. Ron went in the bathroom to change and came out...then Tyler went into the bathroom to change and came out and put his clothes just like Ron put his. It is really cute...and annoying! I mean COME ON!!! I am with you 24/7 Ty! Don't you want to be just like me??? Just kidding. Really though it is sweet

And you know Ron loves every minute of it!!

Follow Follow Me!!

2010-04-01T11:57:00.003-05:00

Ok...so my sisters and I have a newer new blog that we started to post our crafts on. It is called 1 Talented Family. So PUHLEASE give us a visit! We really want to become BIG! hahahahahahaha!!!

Go there NOW....NOW!!! I really do have some talented sisters!!!

Family Movie Night...and how many times can I say cute?

2010-03-26T23:19:00.007-05:00

So at the beginning of the visit with the boys I had told Ron about this great idea I had. It was a reward system using fake money that the kids would earn for doing chores or other good behavior. Then at the end of our visit we would have a big movie night and have a concession stand at which they could use their "money" to buy whatever junk food they wanted.

Well.....as with many other things in my life, I didn't quite follow through.

And then all of the sudden, here we are, the last night we all have together and the plan was not in place. I know I have said it like a gUZillion times, but I am not feeling that great and today I had a gUZillion loads of laundry to do to pack the kids up to see their dad..and then at the last minute my neighbor asked me to drive her to the airport which took almost two hours because of lovely Las Vegas traffic.

So, my wonderful, cute and awesome husband TOTALLY picked up my slack and made it happen!!! He even printed off a little menu with prices for everything...it even included clip art!! How cute is that???!!??? He also printed off some cute Family Movie Night Tickets that they had to buy also. Needless to say, the night was a hit! He turned something ordinary into something the kids will never forget. They all keep saying how awesome they thought it was and of course it was the "best night ever!!!" (They say that all the time, but still...it's good to hear.)

Thanks babe for making tonight work and making it great!!

The Menu...blurry picture

Movie ticket - $10

Hot Dog - $5

Nachos - $5

Candy - $5

Soda - $5

Popcorn - $5

Oh and by the way the movie was "Planet 51". Cute.

The kids picking their candy and paying up!

The movie tickets. We will definitely use these again!

New pictures of the kids...I tried!

2010-03-25T21:22:00.030-05:00

There is a really cool place here on base called TTF (Threat Training Facility) that has stripped out military vehicles. The kids got to climb and play on them which they LOVED!! We snapped a few pictures!

The latest and greatest...

2010-03-25T12:35:00.002-05:00

Come over to Snack-n-Crafts to hear more!

Joining Forces!

2010-03-25T12:30:00.005-05:00

My sister in law started a craft blog called Snacks-n-Crafts and she has so kindly agreed to let me post with her. Check it out!!

Seven Kids: Day...oh whatever!

2010-03-23T23:01:00.006-05:00

Obviously I set my sights high on the "day by day" blogging. We just aren't that interesting;)

We have had a great time so far. We mainly stick around home because, well, going somewhere with seven kids is just not that fun. Good thing there is a lot to do here on base. We have lots of parks and a big yard that the kids disappear into every day. We were thinking we could alternate nights half and half for showering the kids, but that is not possible seeing as how our backyard is all dirt. They come in FILTHY! I am talking sand in hair, on clothes and in the ears! We do have big plans to take Josh and Zach to M&M World. Don't tell Dylan, Cierra. We will probably do it when they are at school so we can at least only take one car. They have already been anyway. Jonah lucks out because he only has school half day.

Tonight was haircuts. All 7 boys (including hubs). I hope to take some pictures of all the kids before the boys leave. My friend Christy in Texas has taken all of our past family pictures. I don't know what I am going to do without her!

I am rambling...too much allergy medicine.

The crew at the skate park

Me and my sweet girl on the swing

The fort in what used to be the living room:)

Now that's A LOT of grilled cheese!

Don't tell Target but....

2010-03-20T11:21:00.010-05:00

....I copied one of these prints...and may have some copyright infringement going on. I was in need of a picture for my living room. I have three framed and matted pictures but don't like the prints anymore. So I have been trying to figure out what to do. I started out with a bird design but Ron told me that it looked like a project I did in 7th grade. Thanks babe. So, I was on the hunt for a more "mature" looking project. I came across these prints at Target and I really like them...but don't want to buy them. So... I do what I do best...I copied it. I chose to do the middle one first. I just drew it free hand and painted the negative space. I think it turned out great. I can't wait to do the other two.

Linking up to That's so Cuegly!

Seven Kids: Days 4&5

2010-03-19T22:40:00.004-05:00

This sums it up...a house FULL of boys!!

Caught 'em right before the "add water" part. Phew!!

Well, I am already slacking...and it was only day four! I do have a perfectly good reason...I am pretty sure I am dying. I have not been hit with allergies this bad in years. I think it's because of the dry climate here and construction kicking up dust all around me. My abs hurt from coughing so much, my nose is raw and my voice is gruff.

Anyways...

Stress level - low to moderate.

Yesterday, armed with my wad of Kleenex I was able to attend all three kids reading picnics. It was a lot of fun. Ron was able to help out with the other kids so I could go and support the kids.

The kids have basically just been playing outside non-stop. They come in filthy dirty and full of cuts and bruises everyday. We have black eyes, bloody toes, cut up arms, bruised knees, skinned elbows and fingers (ouch) and a wrenched back. Tonight Dylan was putting his helmet on and caught his skin in the buckle....double ouch!!

Tonight the boys are watching some airplane stunt movies and Cierra and I are watching "Alice in Wonderland"...just the two of us. However, Jonah just slipped a note under the door that said that we hurt his feelings because we said "no boys allowed." Aw, guess we'll have to let him in.

See you tomorrow.....hopefully;)

The Wall and a link up!

2010-03-18T10:59:00.011-05:00

So, a few people have asked to hear more about my wall. It is so simple!

Click on the picture to see it better!

Supplies: Min Wax Wood Finish stain (color of your choice)

Rags

Gloves

Stencil of your choice. I got mine at Hobby Lobby

Tape to hold the stencil in place

This technique works best if you already have an eggshell or satin finish on your wall. All you do is line up your stencil, and lightly blot with rag dipped in stain. Repeat until your whole wall is done. When you are done stenciling, lightly rub over the wall with a little more stain, or don't...it's your wall and your call :) I didn't intend to rub it out, but after I was done stenciling I thought it needed something more. It is so easy and cheap!! A can of Min Wax is only abut $8 and you barely use any. I have done the rest of my kitchen walls with it, minus the stencil. Love this stuff!!

I am linking up to Tea Rose Home and That's so Cuegly! My very first link-up ever! So check it out!!

Also

Seven Kids: Day Three

2010-03-17T22:18:00.008-05:00

Stress level - moderate

I ain't gonna lie...I could use a break about now. The kids are actually being pretty good. The endless to do's is what is chipping away at my cool and collected-ness. Ron has been off work these past three days, but returns tomorrow. I kind of like having the extra set of hands around during the day, but it's not like I can't handle it.

To add to chaos 'round here, is that it is "Reading Appreciation" Week at school for the kids. They have theme days...like today was color your thumb green. Yeah, that was fun. Brilliant me wanted my kids to have the best, most greenest thumbs that lasted all day so we used food coloring. I think their thumbs will be green forever. That stuff ain't budging! Cierra isn't too happy about it. With it being said appreciation week, Dylan's homework has been different. Last night we spent an hour pouring over the local newspaper and internet reading articles and answering questions. Tonight he had the most obnoxious crossword. It was about different literary terms and different authors and awards. I hope it's ok we used the internet. I mean, the teachers have to know that I really don't have a clue who won a Caldecott for what book. Heck, I didn't even know what a Caldecott was until tonight (an award for illustrators of children's books). We were stuck on two until Dylan's dad came to the rescue.

And I have some major allergies going on. Looks like it is going to be one heck of an allergy season for me! Bleh!

Oh..and Happy St. Patricks Day!!!

St. Patty's Day...here we come!

These boys love their helmets. Ty especially. Ty even uses the restroom with it on. Darn, didn't get a picture of that.

Decorating our cookies for St. Patty's. We didn't have a shamrock.....

...but we had lips!! Kiss me, I'm Irish!!!!!!

See you tomorrow....

Seven Kids: Day 2

2010-03-16T21:49:00.004-05:00

Day 2

Stress Level - low(ish)

I posted last night before bed time routine....that is why an (ish) is added to low for today. That is when it becomes a little crazy. Trying to smoothly guide the kids through showers, pjs and teeth brushing is such fun! *note:sarcasm

Highlights - Josh and Dylan were overheard at dinner discussing the fact that Ron and I have not been sealed in the Temple yet. We then discussed that we hope to be sealed within the next couple years. They then tried to decide on a percentage of time that they get to see each other. I think it was 25%. Not very good they thought. These boys are definitely thinkers. Growing up way too fast.

We got a grow stick!!!! Finally!!! I have been meaning to get one for a couple years. I am real slow on follow through apparently. But all that matters is that we have one now and all 7 kids's heights are now documented. Can't wait to see how much they grow!

Pictures from our day....

Zach and Ron fixing Landon's bike. He was so happy!

Reading time! We even got the little boys to join in!

Seven Kids: Day 1

2010-03-15T20:57:00.010-05:00

So, I am going to give a daily update of the next two weeks. I mean there has to be a lot of material for blogging having 7 kids around. I am sure at the end of it I will be too tired to blog it so I will do it day by day.

So here goes!

Day 1

Stress level - Low

Activities - Lunch out, trip to Walmart, outdoor play, Guitar Hero, homework (we still have three kids in school) and dinner.

Josh and his shiner. I SWEAR he came to us this way. The story goes that he jumped off a couch and his head hit his knee. Poor kid. Looks pretty bad and it hurts him. Lots of stares from concerned citizens at Walmart.

Zach in a tree

Lots of Guitar Hero happening 'round here.

The "big kids" got to go to the skate park here on base. Pays to be the oldest;)

Jonah and Zach practicing their skateboarding skills.

Helmets and wristguards...oh yes safety first!!!

Oh and we are saving the planet too...recycling cups! (And saving me from doing lots of dishes)

Dinner time!

Table for two

Summary:

All in all a good day. Kids are still getting along....novelty has not worn off....yet. We kept pretty busy so not a whole lot of idle time.

Check back tomorrow......

Projects and a few random pictures

2010-03-13T22:26:00.013-06:00

I love to decorate...a lot. It makes me happy. I enjoy making our "house" a "home". So I have been really enjoying doing some new projects for our house. Nothing fancy and nothing big. My mom pointed out that I have a lot of knick-knacks. I in fact do. I decorate with a lot of little things.

So, here are a few pictures of some of the stuff I have been doing. I have been blog-surfing and have come across a lot of wonderful craft blogs. Check out the buttons on the side of my blog if you want to check some of them out.

But first...a couple pictures I love....

My Cierra. She. Just. Makes. Me. Happy.

Ty and Landon PASSED out!! Landon looks dead even.

OK, Cierra's balloon valance. My first ever. Not what I had originally pictured in my mind, but it turned out ok I think. Oh and 100% no sew!

This one...I just did today and I loved it! So much fun. I got the idea here.

You take old hardback books and just mod podge them with your desired color palette. I am going to do a set for Cierra's room next. Can't wait!

This is in Ty and Landon's room. I got the idea from a girl in San Antonio. It is just scrapbook paper glued on styrofoam which I then mod podged. Takes up a lot of wall for a little money.

Wall art for Cierra. Handmade with love. All for about $6. The design matches her bedding.

Family room curtains. No sew also. All you need is some Heat and Bond tape and an iron. So easy. My mom actually did these, but I was in the room;)

Our name sign. My sister has a Cricut (soooo awesome), so I just had to get the vinyl sheet. I got a picture frame, glued the glass into the frame and rubbed the vinyl onto it.

And, my wall. This is in my kitchen. You can't see it very well in the picture, dang it....but I love this wall. I stenciled with my trusty Min Wax stain, then rubbed it out before it dried all the way.

Like I said, nothing fancy, but I have enjoyed being crafty. I wish I could come up with great ideas on my own, but I am so happy that there are other creative people out there willing to share their ideas so I can copy them!

It just occured to me....

2010-03-10T15:13:00.002-06:00

...that I have A LOT of kids! I mean I have always known this, but recently have come to really KNOW this. My new mental acuity may in part be due to the fact that we are in a 1400 sqft, one story home. Gone is our 2400 sqft 2-story home that seemed to absorb a lot of the noise that 5 children playing (and fighting) can generate.

Needless to say, it can be LOUD here!

Every night as I am trying to go to sleep I do my daily inventory in my mind. And I always fall short in the expectations I have for myself as a mother and wife. This morning before the kids had to get up I was on the computer and came across an article that talked about how mom's are always trying to be perfect, but how children actually learn from our faults. Yikes!! Guess my kids will learn a lot. Phew!

Really though I hope that watching me struggle with my shortcomings is not the only thing my children will take away from their childhood experience.

All I know that is by teaching my children to be respectful, loving, kind and generous I am helping myself too. Not only will I feel good as a mother, but I will also be respectful, loving, kind and generous.

I am so grateful for my gazillion children and the lessons they teach ME about ME on a daily basis.

Sidenote: As I write this, the boys are wrestling and calling each other "booger brains." That, I can say with absolute certainty they did NOT learn from me!

Series of Unfortunate Events...Howard style.

2010-02-07T21:37:00.003-06:00

I can't be the only one who has felt cursed with bad luck. I mean everyone runs into the unwanted beast every now and then. But we have been hit left and right the past month and I am about to lose my mind. It is at the point that we are just like "Bring it on!". Ok so here is my list. Some of these might sound stupid, but when you are a family of 7 on a single income (and a meager military income at that) these all are very HUGE!

1. We bought what we thought was a great little commuter car for Ron when we got here. A 1990 Honda Accord. It looked very nice and taken care of, the owner had a folder full of paperwork of all the things he had replaced, and it was CHEAP. Yeah, well...that was too good to be true! A week after we got it, it stopped starting. So it sat until we could get some money. Ron's brother is a mechanic and bless his heart, spent hours on the phone trying to diagnose the problem. Ron replaced something in the distributor and it seemed to work. So he took it into the shop to get some other work done on the wheels or something which was not cheap and guess what...it didn't start again. Turns out it is the fuel pump which is not cheap...see a pattern here?
So the moral of the story?? You get what you pay for!!! Ka-ching!

2. Our van. Our only means of transportation right now and the only means of transportation for our whole family. It's only a 2007 but man we have put some miles on her. All the trips to Idaho/Utah and to Van Horn, Texas add up. Well it has started making a nasty whining noise when it first starts up and then also it creaks when you turn left. Really? Not only do I have to drive a minivan, but a noisy minivan?? Give me a break! So before our only car breaks we have to get it into the shop. Oh and the best part...our heater isn't working in it. Yeah, it just stopped one day. Ka-ching!

3. With the sale of the house we had to settle with our bank for a big chunk of change. They had originally told us we would be able to make payments, but they have since told us that they need it all at once. Hahahaha! Yeah, if we had that kind of money people, we wouldn't have the problems we have! So it will be interesting to see where we pull that one out of. Ka-ching!

4. I had bought a cute little mouse for my laptop...it was pink:) I had thought I had some weird disease or was having a heart attack because my arm would go numb and I wouldn't be able to use my thumb...turns out it was carpal tunnel. So a mouse is a necessity. Those wireless cuties are $30 a pop. Did I mention mine was pink? Well, I am not sure what happened but I walked into the room to find my mom and Ron trying to fix the USB adapter. It fell or something and broke. So sad. But, I have to have one so I bought another one. THE NEXT DAY I open up the new mouse and not even a couple hours later Tyler steps on and breaks the new adapter. Really? Am I in the Twilight Zone? So I just can't bring myself to throw the cute little pink mouses (?) mice (?) away. Nor can I bring myself to spend another $30 on a new one. No problem, I can live with a numb thumb. Haha that was funny. Ka-ching!

5. Dylan's bike....the tube has a hole and the chain keeps falling off. Oh and we broke our tire pump. Lovely. Ka-ching!

6. My flat iron...my Chi!! It fizzled out last night. I was seriously distraught. It worked one minute and not the next. How can you buy a Target flat iron when you've been using a Chi? That's like buying the nasty cat food kind of tuna when you have been used to the lovely white albacore tuna. (Although it has been proven the cat food nasty one is better for you...side note)
And it was PINK!! Ka-ching!

Ok, that is enough. I may sound like I am whining, but really we are at the incredulous stage. We are kind of laughing now. I know that for every "bad luck" there are a million blessings that are received. It is just so crazy when you feel slammed with burden. And financial burden is the worst. Everyone is struggling right now. It is a scary time. And even though I don't know how we are going to fix all of these things, I know in my heart that we will get it done and that it will all be ok. I was having a mini panic attack about it all today and I said to Ron, "Is it going to be ok?" And he said, "Better than ok." And I believed him.

One degree of seperation to Kevin Bacon, Tom Hanks, Mel Gibson and many more!

2010-02-06T12:25:00.004-06:00

Thursday night Ron and I were able to go to a concert at the Mirage. It was the Lt. Dan Band with Gary Sinise. He and his band tour and perform for military members. It was a good concert and they even bussed us downtown. All FREE which is my favorite word! I wish we would have taken the kids, but it was a school night. Cierra would have loved it because they called all the kids on stage to dance.

Things I learned at the concert:

Ron enjoys concerts WAAAAY more than I do. We have gone to John Mayer before and all I wanted to do was sit and enjoy the concert, but everyone was up and "dancing". You know...the tap your foot and snap your fingers kind of dance. I love to dance as much as the next girl but really...I just want to sit and enjoy it. Same thing at this concert. Come on people! Sit down every now and then! Geez! I had gone to the bathroom and when I came back, there was Ron dancing all by himself. Hahaha. So, yeah, I think he likes it a little more than me.

People LOOOOVE an open bar! Halfway through the concert they announced that it was open bar. You should have seen the stampede. I was happy too though because I didn't have to pay $5 for a Diet Coke.

Ladies can get craaaazy when there is an open bar! One girl jumped on stage to booty dance on Gary Sinise to "Sweet Home Alabama". A guard swiftly escorted her off stage. Gotta give the girl some credit though...it ain't easy booty dancing to that song.

And last but not least....I learned that I am getting old. The concert started at 8. At 9:30 I was ready to go. All I could think of was how early I had to get up the next morning...I was missing "King of Queens"....time was ticking away on the babysitter meter...

All in all...a good night. And Gary Sinise even walked around and was right in front of me. Does that make me famous???

Who's kid is that?

2009-12-28T17:23:00.003-06:00

Tyler, Tyler, Tyler. What would I do without him. Certainly life would be a bit less entertaining. I often look at him and wonder - where did you come from??? His vocabulary has increased dramatically in recent weeks. However some of his new words leave this mother of his *blushing*.

His new phrases:

Kiss my butt

You hit my weina (weiner)

Ridiculous

Yes I can (imagine in a defiant voice)

Not quite sure where he got the first two. I am still doing some detective work on that one. So I act appalled and gasp when I hear him say it...then turn my face and chuckle to myself. What's a mom to do.

JML Detective Agency

2009-12-11T21:37:00.017-06:00

Six years ago on the 12th of December, Jonah was born. He came into the world wailing and didn't stop for at least six months. He had the most hair of all my babies until then. It was a wheat color in the hospital but quickly turned red which matched his little personality. He was a colicky baby. He didn't sleep very well. I had a hard time adjusting from two to three children. I would often cry at the overwhelmed feeling I felt.

Well, that little baby grew. He grew and he grew and now he is going to be six years old!!!!

That little baby turned into the sweetest and most lovable little boy. He brings so much joy to my life. I can not imagine one day without him in it. I love all my children deeply and equally, but there is something about Jonah that is special. Maybe it's the fact that he has the cutest little face, maybe it's his red hair or the spray of freckles on his cheeks. Maybe it's the fact that most days he brings me a "treasure" home from school. It is usually a sparkly that fell off some little girls shirt, a ring missing the plastic rhinestone he found on the floor, a rock that looks "cool" he found at recess, or a bracelet he chose out of the treasure box for me. Maybe it's that he calls me "Mama" or still gets upset if he has to leave me. I look at him sometimes and cry at the overwhelmed feeling I feel....LOVE for this little man!

Happy Birthday Jonah boy!

For Jonah's birthday this year we had a detective themed party.

When the kids arrived they had to pass a physical training test to see if they would qualify to earn their "Secret Agent" badge. The test consisted of jumping jacks, sit-ups and push-ups. Good thing they all passed:)

After the test they are fingerprinted and given their official "Secret Agent" badge.

Some of our new "Secret Agents"

They are happy they passed:)

Now that they were official, they had a mission. There were black bombs (balloons) that they had to detonate before we were all blown away!

The cake and the crew.

Stinking blue frosting...going to be stained for days.

Wow. Yeah even Ron's mouth looked like that.

Our favorite baby Brylie. The goody bags had fake mustaches and of course we had to try one on her.

Who is that?

Off to solve a mystery. Maybe they can find the dang missing sippy cup.

Dream

2009-12-04T13:27:00.003-06:00

Last night I had a dream. In this dream was a beautiful baby girl. I didn't know who she belonged to. All I know is that I wanted to take care of her. I can still see her face now, she was so precious. She had dark hair. I woke up with a painful longing for her. This has not left my mind all day. I keep seeing her face.

So, what does this mean? Is she my daughter? Is she reminding me that I promised to bring her to this earth? Because, well, as we all know I have plenty of kids as it is and we really aren't planning on having anymore. The question of whether or not we are planning on having more kids is usually met with a "Heck to the NO!!!". Sometimes a less convincing "no". I have felt before that there is someone missing, but shrug that aside remembering how many mouths we have to feed and telling myself that I have more than done my share of "multiplying and replenishing the earth."

Even entertaining the thought of having another child makes me nervous and makes my heart race. It is a lot of work having a baby..do I really want to do it again? The sleepless nights, the sore EVERYTHING from pregnancy and childbirth. Plus I am over 30 now...would that affect my pregnancy? I have five beautiful and healthy children...would I be tempting fate?

All of these thoughts are running through my mind, but are being pushed out by the face of a baby girl with brown hair. I told Ron about my dream and the longing it has left in my heart. He said, "Yeah some dreams can do that." Ha. He tried to change the subject real quick. I told him we need to pray about it. He reminded me our car will not fit another person and how we won't be getting a new car anytime soon. This is true....

So, where does this leave us? I am not entirely sure. I have faith that if I am supposed to have another child that we will be able to make it work car-wise, financially, and sanity-wise. So all I can say is "We'll see".

Stay tuned...

All year long

2009-11-17T16:37:00.004-06:00

Halloween costumes are a good investment for this family. We wear them all year long. The boys love dressing up and of course Cierra does also.

Here are just a few pictures.

Landon, Jonah and Tyler

Tyler

Tyler again getting creative with the cowboy boots and mixing up Star Wars and Transformers.

I love that they love to dress up and use their imaginations. Cierra is always the damsel in distress. So perfect:)

The girl lives with four brothers...she deserves a party.

2009-11-07T22:07:00.007-06:00

Cierra puts up with a lot. I mean with four brothers, who wouldn't? The poor sweet girl even has a list of rules on her bedroom door.

They read:

No burping

No farting

No picking your nose.

Said boys do not obey these rules within the walls of her room. She puts up with it because she wants company....not happy about the lack of obedience though!

So, we planned a fairy party for her. No boys allowed...although they did make an entrance on the stairs halfway through...dressed up as Spiderman and Darth Vader no less.

The decor. Very pink. Very girly.

The wands. Each girl got one. My friend helped me make them. It was very tedious but they turned out really cute.

Cierra ready for the party.

The girls getting faces and nails painted.

Painting toes.

Pretty fairies!

Zoe Hunt, Isabel McNeil, Alyssa Seymour, Kailey Seymour, Cierra and Karli Reyes

Watching Tinkerbell...love all the fairy wings!

Two doctors, a Transformer, a GI Joe and an angel.

2009-11-01T10:38:00.010-06:00

This year our Halloween was pretty mild compared to last year's. Recap on last year here.

We missed our Ward's Trunk or Treat because we were trying to exchange Dylan's costume at the last minute. The same costume that I had exchanged THREE different times. The kid is in between sizes for sure. So after spending an hour plus there we were too late for the Trunk or Treat.

We had a fun Halloween night though. We went with some friends to the Fall Festival on base and then trick or treating on base. The kids didn't get very much candy this year, which I was annoyed about at first, then thankful for because I stay home all day with that candy.

They had a great time and that's all it's about!

The pictures are out of order!

Jonah, er I mean MegaTron balancing a pumpkin on a spoon.

Tyler aka Dr. Love

Landon aka Dr. Death:)

A Seek and Find at the festival. I think he found a MOUSE!!!

The kids at Seaworld with our friends Karli and Kaden.

These two are the bestest buds. I love it so much.

Cierra was an angel...is an angel:)

The clan!
Hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween!!

I've got a feeling...

2009-10-17T20:23:00.005-05:00

...that this weekend is going to be a good weekend....

Cierra had a sleepover with her friend and they went to Chickfila for a "Super Hero's" breakfast...turns out it was the wrong Saturday, but they still had fun. She also got to go see "Where the Wild Things Are."

She looks so cute as an Incredible:)

Dylan was finally able to have his sleepover for his birthday. Here he is with his friend Sheldon and Jonus.

At Skateland...I love that skating is still "in".

Motherhood: A reflection

2009-10-10T15:45:00.006-05:00

October is a busy month for us. We celebrated Dylan's 9th birthday and Tyler and Landon's 3rd birthday.

It's a bit strange to have a 9 year old. I of course feel like it was just yesterday that Dylan entered this world after 3 1/2 hours of pushing ( had to throw that in ). He has brought nothing but joy and he began my journey of motherhood. Being a new mom I was armed with tons of "I will nevers". Such as: I will never feed my child formula (Dylan had formula starting at 6 weeks because breastfeeding proved to really hard.) I will never say "no" to my child. (Yeah right.) I remember napping with him on the couch..him snuggled under my arm perfectly. It was pure bliss to me. I knew him so well. The first time he got hurt I cried more than he did. He was the smartest baby EVER... his dad and I were convinced that at 3 months he was saying "I love you". I miss those days. The simple state of feeling capable. I felt so capable of being a mother to this one little boy. I was good at doting on him, smothering him with love and spoiling him with kisses.

As life goes on and more children have joined our family I have been amazed at the capacity of love you are given as a mother. There is always more room in your heart for the next child...To love them just as you do the ones before. Feelings of inadequacy come when I feel that I can't possibly give each child the individual attention they need and deserve. I don't think there is a night that I don't lie in bed and do a "time inventory" in my head. Did I spend enough time with each child? Did I make them feel like an important individual? With a lot of kids in our family it can be easy to group them...meaning I focus on the group of them and not on them individually. But then I see them interact with each other and how they cheer each other on, defend each other, love each other, and then I think I may be doing something right.

Tyler and Landon...what can I say....it has been really....interesting.....and wonderful! The early days were a bit hairy. I look back now and wonder how I survived. Two colicky babies, no sleep, crying ALLLL day long. It is no wonder I have a few gray hairs and some fine lines. (Absolutely has nothing to do with the fact that I am in my 30's now;))

I can not picture my life without them. They are a blessing in ways they will never know. They are so loved by us all. They bring laughter and happiness to our home. They are our little entertainers. Landon is my cleaner...always cleaning something up. And Tyler is my little love. He loves to cuddle and give hugs.

I think of the future and how wonderful it will be. All of these kids, all of these personalities, interests and dreams and goals.

My house is loud....and I LOVE it!!

It's official...

2009-09-26T13:26:00.007-05:00

I have lost my mind!

We stopped to get ice cream for the kids on our way home last night. I thought I grabbed the ice cream bag.....

but nope, I grabbed my new boots from Ross instead and stuck them in the freezer.

The saddest part is that today (yes they were in there overnight) when I went to get something out of the freezer I saw the Ross bag and I thought to myself, "Why is there a Ross bag in my freezer? Is this a surprise from Ron?"
Hahahahaha!
Nothing yells "Woman in need of a looong break" more than a pair of frozen knee-high boots!

Man, I LOVE these kids!

2009-09-25T15:02:00.004-05:00

The kids got a hold of the camera. Dylan must have been doing a photo shoot.

Little Miss Princess with her "Do not disturb" mask, which comes in handy when the tooth fairy is sneaking in:)

Don't even ask...they are insane:)

Passed out on the couch after church.

Tyler is such a good sport. Cierra and Jonah dressed him all up. He loved every minute of it.

Nice hair and muff!

Cierra...the camera loves her.

Heading out the door to school! Happy Friday everyone!

Brothers who pee together.....

2009-09-11T10:01:00.002-05:00

I really hope no one reports me for putting this picture up

So the dreaded potty training began about a week ago. I put it off and put if off knowing it would be quite the undertaking..and well, I was right. The only thing that has been consistant is that they keep having accidents. Ok, Tyler did really well yesterday and I don't think he had an accident, but it could be a fluke. Landon is taking his sweet time catching on. He will go potty when I remind him but won't go on his own. If I wait 11 minutes instead of ten minutes to remind him, it is too late...he has already taken care of it in his pull-up. That boy pees A LOT!

We spend a good part of the day in the bathroom and running around without any pull-ups on. It is quite crazy. It's also been kind of crazy because I have been sick all week, so to be on potty patrol on top of feeling like crud is not real fun.

So far I would say that Tyler is about 80% potty trained and Landon about 48.5%. They have graduated to standing up when going #1..on their tiptoes mind you. Sooo cute. It is kind of sad to think that this marks another milestone and says that they aren't babies anymore. *Sniff Sniff*

Adoption

2009-09-09T18:13:00.002-05:00

I have the absolute pleasure of knowing a really special peson and her family. My friend Audrey is one of the sweetest, most Christ-like people I have ever met and probably will ever meet. Her husband is our home teacher, her daughter and Cierra are best friends. She has helped me in more ways than she will ever know. I cherish the talks I have had with her, the advice she has given and the outlook she has helped me to adopt. I LOVE her!

So, why am I telling you this?? Well, her and her family are wanting to adopt a child. They have started a blog and I wanted to put the link up so you can go there. Maybe you know someone who knows someone who is looking for a loving home for their baby. I with absolute certainty say that any child that is adopted by them will be so blessed and loved. Heck, I wish they could adopt me;)

So, take the time to check out their story. Tell your family and friends. It would be so wonderful to have a hand in placing a child into a loving home.

http://bryantandaudrey.blogspot.com/

RIP...Football widow

2009-09-03T18:31:00.002-05:00

So, I am sure I am not alone in the fact that I am a football widow for a few months. Between Fantasy Football, NFL, College football and coaching a football team for work, I rarely hear about much else from my husband. Phone calls...long phone calls about his fantasy stuff, practices and games, flipping back and forth between three games at a time...any of this sound familiar?

I don't get it, probably never will. I have tried watching games but I just really can't get into them. I know the saying "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" but this one is real hard.

So, I guess the only thing to do is accept my fate for the season. I will even make sure he has his "football snacks" and probably have friends over to watch at our house just so I can still see him.

So here is a letter to my dear husband:

Dear Ron, I know you love football. I know you love me and the kids. Do your thing and enjoy this football season. The kids and I will still be here when you emerge. My hair might be a different color, but that will just make our reunion that more exciting. The only thing I ask of you is when we got out in public to please wear your blue Bronco jersey, not the BRIGHT orange one that makes you look like a hunter. Hope you picked a good line-up for your Fantasy team...and good luck.

Love, your wife

My deal with Dyl

2009-08-31T17:18:00.003-05:00

Today in a casual conversation with Dylan I mentioned that there are a lot of things I still want to do in my life. "Like what?" he asked as if the idea that his "old" mom would have any dreams or aspirations was ridiculous.

I said the first thing that came to my mind, "Like skydiving."

Let it be known that I really had no desire to ever skydive.

"Whatever Mom, you wouldn't do it," my sweet son says.

So began the deal.

The deal is that when Dylan returns from his mission he and I will go skydiving together as a welcome home and job well done.

He asked how we would remember "the deal". We came up with the idea to put it on our blog so now everyone knows and it is forever written somewhere in cyberspace.

So it looks like I will be skydiving in 13 years. And it will probably take me that long to get the nerve up;)

Toasting in the new school year

2009-08-25T19:23:00.007-05:00

Wow, Summer flew by, thankfully. The kids are with their dad for the summer so I am grateful that it went quickly. It was a good summer, lots of swimming, Seaworld, the beach, kids eat free at Chickfila, great friends, and even snuck in a little 4 day vacation. I think I would have to say this Summer has been one of the best ones I have had in a long time. I am grateful for the return of routine. I think I thrive on routine as much as the kids do.

I can't believe that Jonah is a Kindergartener, Cierra a 2nd grader and Dylan a 3rd grader. Time has flown by so quickly. It seems that in a blink of an eye I will be writing about them going to High School...

So here is us toasting in the new school year (and also celebrating a promotion for Ron to Staff Sgt...which is not to be overlooked)

First day of school.

Breakfast with the boys.

2009-08-05T17:17:00.004-05:00

These are my cute and crazy boys. They never disappoint in the entertainment category of life. Their newest obsession ( and I mean it when I say obsession) is to carry backpacks EVERYWHERE. We even sleep in them. Uh huh. They stuff these backpacks (leftovers courtesy of Dylan and Cierra..and yes that is a pink Dora one for Landon) with anything and everything, but mostly their beloved blankets and leo's. A leo is any lovey thing they have. For Tyler is a ratty little cat that he hijacked from Cierra, and Landon's is a lion who's name is Leo...hence leo's. One day I couldn't find their sippy cups...which I hate...and a day later I thought to look in Ty's backpack. Low and behold there they were, curdled milk and all . He says to me, "yucky milk mommy." Yeah ya think!

I love these little boys so much. They have made life so fun and crazy. I am grateful to be their mom and see them interact with each other. They definitely have a special relationship.

So here is a picture of them at breakfast with all their gear because Heaven forbid we should leave it on the floor...there is hardly any room for their breakfast!

Leaving San Antonio

2009-08-01T10:02:00.005-05:00

Exciting things are happening for our family. We will be moving to Nellis AFB in Nevada..right by Las Vegas. After many years of wishing and hoping and praying we have been blessed to be moving closer to family. We won't be escaping the heat in the summer but it won't be so humid. My children are going to know what the mountains are like! We can go home for the Holidays, the kids will get to see their dad, Kim and baby sister so much more and we will get to see Josh and Zach so much more! I am so excited to share St. George with them. I have so many good memories there and it is such a beautiful place. So many adventures await us! We can not wait!

Hehehehehehehehe!

2009-07-26T22:08:00.001-05:00

I saw this on my cousin's blog..thanks Sarah..I did LOL!

So of course I had to share...it would be rude not to;)

http://www.pampers.co.uk/en_GB/video/babyseyes.jsp

Go ahead..click on it...your turn to laugh.

Someone is going to be six...

2009-07-26T10:31:00.007-05:00

Since we aren't ever with either of the boys on their birthdays we celebrated Zach's birthday which is August 20th early with him while he is here.

"I only got two dollars". Nice...it is a five dollar bill buddy!

Dad and boys

Interpretations...

2009-07-20T19:54:00.006-05:00

For snack tonight I gave the kids graham crackers and milk. I told the little boys to eat them at the table...this is what I found:

Cute, crazy boys. I guess they like eating UNDER the table a little better.

Daddy's shoes, swimming pools, and fixing cars...nuff said!

2009-07-15T21:32:00.006-05:00

Summer 2009

2009-07-13T16:19:00.013-05:00

At Seaworld with Ron's family

Zach doing the dead man's float...I swear he is not dead! ;)

Tyler and big brother Josh

Ron and his little brother Tom

Josh

Playing some Rock Band

Playing some Pass the Pigs

Cheesey boy and a PPP

2009-07-08T09:34:00.005-05:00

Well, it has been FOREVER since I blogged. I took this picture of Tyler and thought it HILARIOUS so I had to SHARE! He is a super cheesy boy. We were putting groceries away and he was loading up his shopping cart with stuff we had just got at the store..too funny.

So as you can see from the contents of his basket we have a pesky pest problem...a PPP;)

I HATE bugs..I know I know...who doesn't really, but I think I hate them more than most people. I have such a fear that in the first house I lived in here in San Antonio I refused to sleep in the bedroom because we kept finding cockroaches in there. Talk about bad sleep for a year...I couched it. I know I know....CrAzY LaDy!!!!!

Back to the Beach!

2009-05-24T19:24:00.018-05:00

For Memorial Day weekend we went with two other families down to Corpus Christi and Port Aransis. It was such a fun weekend. We left early Saturday morning and went to Port Aransis. We spent a good part of the day there and then drove back to Corpus Christi to go to our hotel. Once we got there we went swimming in their swimming pool. Then we got cleaned up and went to dinner and ice cream. We were all sooo tired. I thought for sure the kids would sleep in...WRONG! 7:00 am rolls around and they start popping up one by one. So, off to free breakfast we went.

After breakfast and cleaning up we went to Corpus Christi Beach. It is the beach right by the USS Lexington. It is a man made beach. Yeah, not so nice. Nasty bathrooms and it just stunk. Still fun though. The water was shallow with no wake so the kids could swim easier. Dylan had fun swimming around with his snorkel on and actually found some really cool shells that way. After spending the morning and afternoon there I think we were all ready to go. So, home we are. Not too burnt, but very tired. Oh, and I am sure the kids won't sleep in tomorrow either!

On the ferry going over to Port Aransis!

Dylan loves that I make him stop for a picture;)

Jonah always is ready for a picture!

Oh man, how did that get on here? Ha, I really am trying to be better about pictures of myself.

Oh and who is that white boy holding onto me deflecting my sun?

Becky Dold, Jennifer Whitaker and I. Such great friends! I love you girls forever!

Oh my, there is my beautiful Cierra. Man I love that girl!

There is the Ty Guy! He loves the water and has no fear!

Now Landon on the other hand has a little phobia going on. Poor guy. He prefers to stick to land. Oh hey....I just got it...Land....LANDon! hahahahaha!!!!

Dylan dug a really deep hole.

We buried the boys!

Then the other boys....

Then our pretty girl.

In our hotel room at last.

Twilight Funny

2009-04-14T21:52:00.003-05:00

Here is a funny Twilight thingy. I thought I would share.

Life's a beach...then you are in pain for days because you are FRIED!

2009-04-10T20:25:00.015-05:00

A couple friends and I took our kids to Padre Island in Corpus Christi for the day yesterday.

It was sooo much fun. I woke up today wishing we could go back, but we are all to sun-burnt to be in the sun again so soon. It is only a 2 1/2 hour drive...well worth it. The weather was perfect. Not to hot, kinda windy and overcast...hence the sun burn.

Cierra Baywatch moment #1

Tyler posing

Yes, I bleached Dylan's hair, and yes it is YELLOW!! We are going to work on fixing it today. And apparently 8 year old boys can't just smile for a picture, they have to "throw" some kind of sign.

Cierra Baywatch moment #2

Cierra catching a wave on a boogie board

Someone else has a husband named Ron that wrote this in the sand? What are the odds? Ha just kidding. It was me baby!!

Dylan, the stud.

Dylan and Landon getting ready for me to pull skim them on the boogie board.

K, so this picture shows how unevenly I put sunblock on the kids's faces. I had one of those sticks that look like chapstick...you know? Yeah, I will be lotioning them the rest of the summer. All of the kids look like they have a skin disease because of the red splotchiness.

Cute sun burnt girl after the shower. I think we are going to be finding sand for days and days and days......

I agree Martha (Stewart) it's a good thing!

2009-04-08T16:16:00.003-05:00

Well, today Ron and I celebrate our third year of marriage. I was telling him this morning that it seems that we have been married muuuuuchhh longer. Neither of us know if that is a good thing or a bad thing...hmmm.
Normally I would have made a list of all the great things I love about my husband...but I just did that Monday and the list hasn't refreshed yet...so if you want some mushy stuff see here.
If I really think about it I realize we really are still newlyweds...but with 7 kids. I took a quiz on Facebook to see what TV personality my husband was and guess who it ended up being....Mike Brady! Yep! And to coin my friend Brittany, "We are the freakin Brady bunch!" I thought that was hilarious. We are still learning things about each other every day and like Tim McGraw says..."It just gets better all the time."
Happy Anniversary to us!

Tell your friends!!!!!

2009-04-07T17:29:00.005-05:00

So, I want to be famous. That is why I have decided to monetize my blog. How is this going to lead to fame you ask? Got me, but maybe Oprah will have me on her show like the lady the other day. Hey I have kids that do crazy things. I have funny stories about marriage. So....you are going to be blessed to hear a lot more of those stories. And if I am funny enough maybe, just maybe I will be famous! So seriously, read my blog, then tell your friends about how I inspired you and then they tell a friend and so on and so forth.
I promise you that every tale I tell will bring you joy....either because it was inspiring...or because it is so crazy and you are "joyful" that it is NOT your life!!!

So, tell your friends. Go now! Now Go!!!!!!

Yeah, my fame will be contrived, but I will NEVER forget the little people!!

Here's looking at you baby! Happy Birthday my love!

2009-04-06T18:21:00.009-05:00

Today is Ron's birthday....his 32nd birthday. Those dang cruise tickets I bought didn't make it in the mail yet so we settled for a lazy day at home. He had the day off work. Unfortunately I have not been feeling well so we didn't do much, but sometimes those days are the best. He got to go out to lunch with some friends from work to his favorite place. It is a BBQ joint here called Rudy's and I definitely do not "heart" it so I suggested he go with his friends.

This evening we had some carrot cake and are attempting to play Rock Band as we speak, but it is a little crazy to say the least.

So, Ron, how do I love thee, let me count the ways......

1. I love that you are pretty hot. Yes this is shallow, but I like this mucho about you!

2. I love that you are a great dad/step-dad. You don't even get depressed that the twins call you Ron. Now that is one well-adjusted human-being!

3. I love that you like to make me happy....because it makes you happy.

4. I love that you work really hard to make me happy because we all know...if mommy ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!

5. I love that you get in moods to watch movies....ie...out of the blue...whether it be a western, action flick, chick flick, or comedy you definitely know what you are in the mood to watch!

6. I love that you are the most random person I know. It has rubbed off on me and now my friends tease me about it. You will be telling me something and I will have no idea what the heck you are talking about. I love that. You make me laugh.

7. I love that I know what snack foods need to be in the house for you at all times. Pretzels, beef jerkey or beef sticks (yuck) and string cheese. Now I know these are pretty typical man foods but I love that I know you prefer your pretzels to be twists rather than sticks;)

8. I love how predictable you can be...like when you are sick you ALWAYS want to take a hot bath.

9. I love that EVERY night without fail or without prompting you give me a foot rub or massage of some kind. You are so giving that way.

10. I love that every morning before work while the rest of the house is still sleeping you empty the dishwasher. I never even have to ask you.

11. I love that you have given the little boys about 60% of their baths. Again, you just do it and I never have to ask.

12. I love that on Sundays we work together perfectly to get ready for church. Each of us knows what we need to do to get everyone ready and to church (somewhat) on time.

13. I love that you feel like a rockstar when you play Rock Band. It is so cute...like a glimpse into an unrealized dream of yours!

14. I love that your night time routine is way longer than mine. I am the one waiting for you in bed.

15. I love that you don't stink.(Talking about body odor...other things are another story)

16. I love that you don't leave in the morning until you have given me a kiss goodbye..even if I am still half asleep.

17. I love how you sing (or can't). It is a very endearing thing to hear you belt out songs you love and not care that you are actually kind of tone-deaf.

18. I love that I know your mannerisms and can tell when you are nervous, happy, sad, mad or other things;)

19. I love how you let me just be me sometimes. You give me freedom to do things that make me happy and support me.

20. I love that I set out to write ten nice things about you and found that I had more to say.

Happy Birthday baby! Can't wait to see what the rest of this year has in store for us;)

Look at that smoke..I didn't even put all 32 candles on!

Blast from the past...Ron's 29th birthday..our first one together. Look at my little Dylan. Also Ron is looking quite young too. I guess being married to me ages one;)

Birthday Archive

Who Forted? Hahahahah!!!!

2009-04-04T22:41:00.010-05:00

We have had a great weekend so far. Tonight for the kids's sleepover we made a fort for them in Cierra's room. I love how excited the simplest things make them. They thought we were the coolest parents for building them a fort to sleep in. Hey, I will take it. It won't be like that forever..am I right?

It looks cooler under the blankets.

Sooo excited!

The little boys are not content to not participate anymore. They are too young though to be able to sleep with the other kids, so we set them up in their tents in their room. They were pretty excited too. When I checked in on them an hour or so after we put them down, they were fast asleep in their tents...too cute.

We are looking forward to conference tomorrow. The kids are all armed with their conference packets. Hope you all have a wonderful Sabbath day!

Landon's Favorite Things

2009-03-29T10:04:00.008-05:00

Landon has a few obsessions...these are his favorite things that he will be seen with any given time in any given day.

1. A sippie cup of milk

2. These shoes. He LOVES them. He SLEEPS in them...no lie. He will not take them off except to shower. And yes...they STINK!!!

4. Leo the Lion and his blanket. Leo goes with us wherever we go. He is well loved and you can tell by looking at his ratty little self. He loves his blanket too...I have to sneak it to wash it because if he sees me take it he will cry by the laundry room door waiting for it.

5. Umm...a power cord. Yeah I have no idea either. It goes to a power wheel that doesn't work anymore so don't worry he can't plug it into a wall and electrocute himself. And another disclaimer-I do not let him sleep with it at any time. He just really likes carrying it around.

6. A drill. He is a man's man, my little boy. Well minus the attachment to a stuffed lion and his blankie..and a sippie cup;)

So, there you have it...Landon's favorite things. These are not passing fancies...he is pretty loyal to these things. He is so funny. What a fun little boy...we love you Landon!

I do still take pictures of my kids!

2009-03-29T09:52:00.008-05:00

We had scouts here one night and they played Rock Band.

Tyler is Dylan's shadow so he must do what his big bro does!

Trying to impress.

Somebody needs a haircut...

Such a sweetie!

Cierra LOVES taking care of her little brothers!

I haven't been posting pictures very often, so here is a recap again...

Seriously...

2009-03-23T20:41:00.003-05:00

you need to read this blog! I know I just posted about it, but I really think everyone needs to read her blog and like vote for her for something;) She needs to be on Oprah. She needs free money, she needs her house paid off, her care paid for. If octo-mom can have it all then I am pretty sure Stephanie Nielson deserves some of the pie.
Ok, I am being kinda loony about it, but like I said before, reading her posts inspire me.
Take today for instance...I am moping around because I hate how my carpet looks and we will NEVER have the money to put in new flooring. Then I get on to read if she has posted anything today and I feel the size of a speck of dirt after I read what is on HER mind. Again, tears fill my eyes as I realize how truly blessed I am.
Sorry to be repetitive..........but go read it!! Seriously!

Happy Day!

2009-03-05T20:16:00.003-06:00

Today Landon got his cast off. As you can see from the picture it wasn't the most pleasant experience for him. Poor little guy was TERRIFIED of the saw. It was so sad that I took the time to take a picture. Good thing Daddy was there to comfort him....and Leo the Lion. After the tech took it off, he asked us if we wanted to keep it. Um...no thanks..really?

In the bed next to us was a guy who had blown off half of his foot while hunting. Poor guy. He was kind enough to keep it covered until we left as to not scare the boys....thanks man.

So, other than a very scaly leg and callused foot, Landon is done with broken bones...for now.

Wild Hairs and Cotton Pickers

2009-02-26T18:06:00.015-06:00

Ty loves dressing up! Here he is in Dylan's cowboy boots and Jonah's hat.

On our "trip". I think he looks so cute asleep.

Landon...spitting image of his dad.

The kids making a wish at a fountain in San Marcus.

A bridge....seriously they were really excited about it.

Jonah Boy the cotton picker.

Jonah and a fellow cotton picker...looking cool with a bandana...wish I'd thought of that. And notice that while Jonah has a ladies hat...the other kid had a Japanese rice picking hat...neither one quite authentic;)

During the skit..picking his cotton...he was very diligent;)

So a quick run down of events in our FANTASTIC life;)

1. We are kind of dorks and decided one day that we needed a mini vacation...so we drove to San Marcus...which is about oh, 45 minutes away. Yeah, that was our wild hair...a 45 minute drive. They have a bunch of outlet stores. We looked in maybe four stores and decided it was way to crowded and the stroller hardly fit in the aisles so we went to "linner" and went home. (Dylan calls a cross between lunch and dinner-linner.)

2. So with February being Black American Appreciation Month, Jonah got to be in a skit for school. It was called, "Then and Now". He was a cotton picker and had to wear overalls and a straw hat...neither of which we own, so thanks Liz for letting us borrow the overalls. Luckily I found a (ladies) straw hat at Walmart on clearance for a buck. He did a great job picking his cotton;)

I guess that is really the highlights. I guess we aren't THAT busy....but still FANTASTIC!!

My pursuit of happiness

2009-02-12T09:52:00.006-06:00

I have been on a pursuit of happiness. It is a heartfelt desire to enjoy my life NOW, not if this happens, or that happens.

A few months ago I was on a blog that had a link to this blog. What an amazing woman. Her and her husband were in a private plane crash last August and both suffered major burns. She just barely got out of the hospital. She now is blogging about her recovery. I love to go back into her archives and read about her family before the accident. What a beautiful family. When I am reading her posts I find myself wishing I could jump right into the picture with them. I wish I could meet her and just be around her. You can see from the pictures and tell from her words what an amazing person she is. She is definitely a woman who enjoys life and all it has to offer. She treasures being a wife and a mother.
I really hope you will check it out. This blog has inspired me and I hope it will inspire you too.

I really do believe that the secret to happiness is that there is no secret. And the cliche is true...life is what you make it.

Oh and for those of you who didn't know...Landon broke his leg a couple weeks ago. As I am writing this post he has started walking. He has a cast on and hasn't been able to move other than crawl. So this is great news!! YAY!!

P.S. I am sorry blogspot. I have been neglecting you and spending too much time with facebook;)

Spinlash Mascara

2009-01-18T11:39:00.003-06:00

Cierra- Mom, do you want Spinlash Mascara?
Me- Sure, that would be great.
Cierra- It is really cool because it has two rotating brushes that lift and curl your eyelashes (no joke, she is telling me this).
Me- Really? That sounds pretty good.
Cierra- Yeah, and it comes with a mirror. And if you hurry you will get two Spinlashes but only one mirror.
Me- Oh, well how much is it?
Cierra- $19.95

Really, my daughter is trying to sell me something she saw on an infomercial? There is no hope. However, I find peace in knowing that she knows a good deal when she sees one;)

Hi Grandma Gilbride!

2009-01-17T16:05:00.001-06:00

Hi Grandma. I hear you read my blog and just wanted to say hi and tell you that I am glad you get on here to see the kids grow, seeing as how I am TERRIBLE at sending pictures.
Hope you are doing well!! Love you tons.

Has this ever happened to you?

2009-01-13T21:06:00.003-06:00

I am nervous to read my book.......A couple weeks ago I was at the store looking for a new book and picked up one called "The Shack" by Wm. Paul Young. The subtitle says, "Where tragedy confronts eternity". I like a book with substance...something that makes me feel something so the subtitle grabbed my attention. I had no idea it was a Christian fiction book, which is fine.
Turns out it is about a family whose daughter is abducted and then killed. I am sure I am not alone in that I have a hard time reading or watching anything that has anything to do with a child being hurt or abused. So I am to the chapter where the daughter goes missing and I am TERRIFIED to continue, even though it has been a great book and I can tell it is going to be awesome. Ron noticed I was reading it and said that people at his work have been talking about it and that is a great book. I really should pick it back up, but not tonight...Biggest Loser is on!

Family pictures minus two

2009-01-12T09:40:00.013-06:00

My friend Christy is an awesome photographer and is always so nice to take our pictures. We went out Saturday evening to her property and besides a major allergy attack the pictures turned out great I think. Thanks Christy!!!

We are sad that Josh and Zach aren't in them, but when they come next we will do it again!

Happy New Years!!!

2008-12-31T22:07:00.007-06:00

Well, here is Landon, climbing on the counter and getting into the cupboard. He knows he is in trouble..can you tell.

The kids and I...with Landon MIA. He didn't want to be in the picture.

Cierra and I

Yes, I actually let the camera aim at me today and got some pictures with the kids. I just really don't want them to look back and wonder why mom isn't in any of the pictures and for me to have to explain it was because I was having a bad hair/fat day. So a new year's goal is to let go and smile pretty for the camera;)

Christmas

2008-12-26T18:22:00.008-06:00

Merry Christmas to you all. We had a great time here...well if you consider being sick as a dog a great time. Yes, for the 4th week in a row someone was sick in our home, and that someone was me. When our house gets sick, we get SICK!! Luckily I was able to pull myself together for Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas dinner. We had friends coming over for both and I would have felt horrible to have to cancel. I literally was death warmed over before each dinner, luke warm death during dinner, and then death warmed over twice after dinner. I think it is a case of strep. You see, I self diagnose and then self medicate. Whenever I am prescribed an antibiotic I only take half and then save the other half for cases such as this. Yep, there's a little tip for ya;)

Anyway, we really did have a great Christmas. I was very blessed to have my wonderful husband help me out so much and let me rest so much. He and the kids have played lots of games while I have slept. Thanks babe for helping me get better!

The fam on Christmas Eve..with Landon and Tyler looking so thrilled.

Writing the letter to Santa.

The letter, the cookies, the milk, the crew!

Christmas morning attacking the stockings. That was always my favorite part as a kid. And note to self...a 99 cent whoopie cushion and dollar marker board from Target are apparently ALL you need to get your kids for Christmas. A day later those are the things they haven't put down yet...go figure.

Tyler and Landon playing in their tent from Grandma.

Josh's Baptism

2008-12-26T18:17:00.003-06:00

Ron Sr., Ron Jr., Josh, and Rich (Ron's brother)

Ron and the boys

Josh was baptized on December 6th. Ron had the opportunity to travel to Idaho to baptize his son. I wish we all could go, but it wasn't possible.

Congratulations Joshua. We are so proud of you!

Good News/Bad News

2008-12-18T15:12:00.003-06:00

The GOOD news: Santa visited me today...what a jolly old man...and gave me the gift of napping toddlers. You read me right...they finally took a nap after two and a half weeks of not napping.

The BAD news: Tyler discovered the top bunk. Oh yes, we are in a whole new ball game now. I don't know what we were thinking when we thought they wouldn't figure it out. Did we not realize who we were dealing with...Tyler and Landon the most precocious two years old's I have ever encountered.

So my new Christmas wish is for an ingenious plan to make it impossible for them to climb up...one of you and a bright idea may make my wish come true;) So if you have an idea please share.

The organ in my stomach....

2008-12-15T18:23:00.001-06:00

We have been sick at our house this weekend, so tonight when the kids were talking to their dad, I overheard Cierra telling him, "I had appendicitis last night. Yeah, the organ in my stomach was really hurting me."
Ha I had to laugh at that.

Happenings....

2008-12-12T16:40:00.012-06:00

Like I previously posted, Tyler and Landon have graduated to a big boy bed. Ever since they have, they do not take naps. I put them in their room for a nap everyday, but they play instead. I have been trying to figure out how to get them to take a nap...so if anyone has any ideas, please share. Today Ron found Tyler asleep in this bottom drawer of a set of drawers they had disassembled. Who needs a bed when you have a nice plastic container??

Landon fell asleep close by. Why sleep on a comfy bed when you can sleep on the floor?

Dylan started basketball. Here he is on his first day of practice. He loves it so far and Ron is his coach again.

Cierra is such a sweetie!! Always so positive and cheering everyone up!

This morning I had to perform surgery on Tyler's ear. I was looking in his ear and it looked like he had a big ball of earwax so I tried to pick it out and I noticed it felt hard. I looked closer and discovered it was not earwax, but a bead. He has a habit of sticking foreign objects in his orifices...see popcorn kernel up the nose. I had Ron hold his head really still so I could try to get it out with tweezers. It wasn't working...so I got a toothpick and stuck it right through the hole of the bead and voila....success!! Really Tyler?

And last but certainly not least...our Jonah boy's 5th birthday. He woke up not feeling so well. He had a slight fever, but with some Tylenol it seemed to let up. We were going to go to Chuck E Cheese tonight to celebrate but we decided to go tomorrow to make sure he feels his best.

I took cupcakes into his class to celebrate. I know for sure he wasn't feeling well because he didn't eat his lunch or the cupcake. Poor kid. It's the worst to be sick on your birthday.

Happy Birthday Jonah.

Jonah is such a wonderful part of our family. He is the cutest kid. He is so sweet, considerate, helpful and caring. He loves to draw pictures. He loves playing with his brothers and sister. His favorite movie is still Polar Express. He loves the music on it. He can watch it over and over again. He always compliments his mom and sister. His latest favorite saying is "I'm livin the life!" I have no idea where he got it. I can not believe his is 5 already. Time has flown.

We love you sweet boy. Happy Birthday!

Giving credit where credit is due...

2008-12-08T19:39:00.002-06:00

Thank you Heather for my cute blog headers that you have been making for me. I have received many compliments and just want to give you the credit for your cute creations!!

Don't tell Ron, but.....

2008-12-06T14:09:00.002-06:00

We are having fun even though he is gone. Yeah we miss him, but the kids and I are having a mini-vacation ourselves. We have watched movies, movies and more movies....and have eaten too much candy.
We had some friends over last night for a very mini Christmas party that didn't consist of anything Christmas except the Christmas tree and ate and watched movies and ate again.
With all this candy eating there is a lot of teeth brushing and sugar overload...but hey it's the holidays.
Also I had a friend's husband volunteer to watch the kids so she and I could go to dinner tonight...not so bad eh?

Note: Ron is in Idaho visiting with Josh and Zach and baptizing Josh. So if he can have fun...so can we!

We are big boys now!!

2008-11-30T19:17:00.005-06:00

Tyler and Landon graduated to a "big boy" bed this weekend.

Our home teacher and his wife were so kind and gave us a set of bunk beds that they didn't need anymore. They are so perfect for the boys!

Tyler and Landon "helped" Ron and I put them together.

Testing it out after we were done.

We had hyped it up to them all day and they were so excited. We put them to bed and closed the door and before we could get downstairs the crying started. It was just Tyler. He likes to rock himself to sleep and had his routine down in his crib. When we went back in he was standing and crying. We told him to get back in bed and he just said "NO!" over and over. Great...there goes any sleep tonight! I went and got pillows from the couch and showed him that he could rock against it. Once he figured it out he was fine. They are both on the bottom. They haven't figured out to climb to the top yet and -fingers crossed- they won't for a while.

Thank you so much Brother and Sister VanDeventer!!!!

Dylan's Baptism

2008-11-30T19:08:00.006-06:00

My future missionary

Before the baptism

Dylan and Dad

Dylan, Dad, and Grandpa

Dylan's baptism was awesome. Dylan was the only one to be baptized that day so it was nice to have it all about him. I gave the talk on baptism and his Grandpa Lamont gave the talk on the Holy Ghost. We had a nice luncheon afterwards at our house with everyone. It was a very special day.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2008-11-26T18:54:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to wish ya'll a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Dylan is getting baptized!

2008-11-18T15:45:00.005-06:00

I know some of you live far away and obviously can't make it, but just wanted to share the wonderful announcement of Dylan's baptism. If you do live close it would be great if you could come!

You are cordially invited to attend the baptism of Dylan Christian Lamont

Saturday November 22nd, 2008 Noon

Adams Hill Chapel, San Antonio, TX

Light luncheon will follow at the Howard residence

Family

2008-11-17T10:26:00.006-06:00

Thanks Desi for introducing me to this cute website. It is way fun. I think I am going to do a big one for my family room.

If you haven't already, check out. The website is wordle.net.

a href="http://www.wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/319975/Family" title="Wordle: Family">

Getting our Ghetto on!

2008-11-10T17:29:00.005-06:00

We painted our bedroom this weekend....FINALLY. While we were doing one of the walls, Ron started writing the kids' names in paint. They thought it was the coolest thing ever and wanted us to keep it that way. I told them that we will always know that their names are on the wall...that seemed to suffice.

Things I learn from my kids....

2008-11-08T07:59:00.002-06:00

Anyone that knows Dylan knows that he LOVES to play video games. From the age of probably 1 he would sit with his dad on the couch and just hold a controller while his dad was playing. Then he of course graduated to playing himself. He has tons of games and on most days would come home from school, do homework, eat a snack and then disappear to play his games.
Well, Dylan has had a goal the past two weeks that he would not play his video games at all. As of tomorrow he will have met his goal. He made his goal all by himself, and stuck to it all by himself. I never once had to remind him of his goal. I don't even know why he made the goal, but he did and he followed through.
What a lesson for me. I have made countless goals, countless times and have failed to follow through. Seeing Dylan set and accomplish his goal has shown me that if my eight year old can do it, so can I. Thanks Dylan for teaching your mom a little something...I am sure it won't be the last time;)

Halloween for days!

2008-11-01T18:45:00.010-05:00

Ty and Landon at the squadron party

Tyler at playgroup

Ty being silly

Cierra won best costume at the squadron party

Bobbing for apples

The apple

The bobbing (out of order I know)

Beautiful Sleeping Beauty

Dylan as a Clone Trooper, Landon aka Superman, Tyler looking like an evil Bat Man, Jonah as Darth, and Cierra the princess of course.

Does anyone else feel like Halloween lasted for weeks? I sure do. Between work parties, playgroups, school festivals, trunk or treats, and THEN official Halloween I am Halloweened out.

The kids have definitely gotten use out of their costumes this year.

Primary Program

2008-10-20T17:50:00.001-05:00

The kids had their Primary program on Sunday. They did very well. Luckily I sat in the front so I could keep an eye on them. I am sure the adults on the stage got a kick out of the "the look" I kept giving the kids when they weren't being reverent. I think I have perfected "the look" and am proud to have reached that milestone as a parent;) The kids all said their lines well...with a little giggle episode with Dylan and the boy in front of him.
Dylan: I can help strengthen my family by being kind.
Cierra: Heavenly Father knew we would make mistakes when we came to this earth. Our sins would make us unworthy to return to him.
Jonah: The parable of the Good Samaritan teaches me to love my neighbor.

Awwww!!!

2008-10-20T13:52:00.003-05:00

I have to say that these kind of moments make it all worth while!
I love these crazy little boys!!

Note: This moment passed quickly. They were fighting again when this post went to press;)

Picture Recap

2008-10-14T18:29:00.014-05:00

Cierra loves her baby brothers.

Aww...Daddy and Landon .

Poor Jonah. For some reason I think sick kids are so cute. Can you tell he was throwing up...towels everywhere!

Big Sister, little brothers!

Yes, he is a crazy man!

Sticker attack, compliments of Cierra!

Landon playing on Dylan's bike.

Pumpkin patch on Dylan's birthday.

Nice picture!

Silly Picture

Dylan on his birthday morning.

Landon and Tyler

Seems like I really haven't put up any pictures lately...so I am going to shower you now with pictures!

Happy Happy Birthday Birthday

2008-10-13T19:03:00.003-05:00

Today was Tyler and Landon's 2nd birthday. What a day it was. First it started with AT&T calling at the crack of dawn to tell me that they were coming at 8:00 to change our phone service. That was fine because we have been waiting a few weeks for it and also our DVR is broken and they were going to fix that too. So, we all got up and got ready. In the meantime the AT&T guy is here. He fiddles for a few minutes and then says that he is just waiting for the order to process all the way........4 hours later he is still here and we are all ready and waiting to start our day. It wasn't even like we could watch TV or anything. He finally says that he will just go and then call us when the order is through and all we have to do is turn on the box.

What??? Are you serious??? That is all we were waiting for??

Nice.

We finally load up the kids in the car, go to turn it on and get a click-click-click. Ron and I just stared at each other and had to laugh because, seriously??? Was this happening. Of course I freak, because that is all we need, a broken car. How will we get the kids to school??

Ron calls his brother because he is a mechanic and he says that it should just be the battery. Phew!! We can handle that. Unload kids from car.

Me: K....so get the cables and let's jump it.

Ron: Uh...we don't have any cables.

Me: Of course we don't.

So off to Auto Zone Ron goes. He comes back, jumps the car, load up kids and off we go.

We decide to go to Chili's since that is Tyler and Landon's favorite place (ha, not really but we all like it) and eat. We get back in the car to go to Target and actually buy them a present and we hear click-click-click again!

Dylan from the backseat: We're all gonna die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ron finds a good Samaritan to jump us and off to Walmart we go to buy a new battery.

The End

Whew...what day. We did have time for a photo-op with a cupcake for the boys.

So...HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOU LITTLE STINKERS!!!

WE LOVE YOU!!

Twilight Quiz

2008-10-12T19:53:00.001-05:00

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

Who else can't wait?

2008-10-10T09:13:00.002-05:00

Twilight comes out November 21st!! I can not wait!! Who is going with me?

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=44287812

Learning Curve

2008-10-09T10:57:00.002-05:00

So, as you saw, yesterday was Dylan's birthday. I took a treat into his class to celebrate. He doesn't like cupcakes so he requested Rice Krispy Treats.
Well, here is a note to self (and everyone else).....DO NOT PUT STICKY GOOEY RICE KRISPY TREATS ON NAPKINS TO PASS OUT.
Yeah, I did it. And yeah, they all stuck. The poor kids couldn't get the paper off. There was nothing I could do, so I think they at least got to eat the tops. I was so embarrased. Hopefully I will get it right next year;)

My baby is 8 years old!

2008-10-08T09:00:00.005-05:00

Eight years ago this sweet boy made me a mother and changed my life forever.
He has been a light in my life ever since. I am so grateful that I get to be his mom.

Dylan is an excellent student, loves to play sports, loves to play video games, loves his brothers and sister, loves to ride his bike and play with friends.

Dylan is a very responsible young man. He helps me so much with so many things. He is so excited to be baptized next month. He is such an example to all of us.

I love you my boy. You are such a blessing to me and our family.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Confessions

2008-09-30T14:18:00.004-05:00

I read on a couple of your quirk tags about the need to load the dishwasher just right. That got me thinking...thinking that I am HORRIBLE at loading the dishwasher. Ron has told me before to load it better so they will wash better. I decided to really throw myself under the bus and show you pictures. It is really bad. Sometimes I will barely even open the door and just throw a plate in. What the heck is wrong with me??? Lessons please.

Oh but please note the shiny countertop.....Windex;)

Mommy the carpet cleaning semi-hero

2008-09-29T10:31:00.004-05:00

I borrowed my friends carpet cleaner (thanks Abbey) and went to town this morning. I must pat myself on the back (cuz no one else will) and say that I did so with a very sore throat and pounding head. How happy I am that I did it. For some reason having clean carpet makes me feel better.
Oh and really who in their right mind would buy a house with light cream colored carpet with five kids....oh that would be me. Seriously what were we thinking. I could not believe how black the water was after I cleaned....although I secretly was fascinated by it(I guess the secret is out). How do we get the carpet that dirty? We take our shoes off in the house. Are our feet really that dirty....sick.
And all the while I was cleaning the carpet and smugly thinking of all that I was accomplishing the cries of poor Landon went unheard. Luckily I stopped to empty out the water tray and heard a sad cry and also a "whack, whack, whack". I look up the stairs and Tyler is banging Landon on the head with a toy car. Poor Landon has his little hands over his face trying to ward off the beating. Tyler saw me and high-tailed it into his bedroom and closed his door. I swooped Landon up and he held on so tight and started patting me on the back. Aww...sweet boy. Mommy to the rescue...the same mommy that was ignoring them for the satisfaction of clean carpet. All in a days work.

Unspectacular Quirky me

2008-09-27T16:46:00.004-05:00

Call me silly, but I get excited when I see that someone tagged me so thank you Kathy...Love ya.

DunDunDun....Here are the rules:
1 - List the person(s) who tagged you
2 - Mention the rules on your blog
3 - Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4 - Tag 6 fellow bloggers

Unspectacular quirk #1. I have a horrible habit of picking my split ends. I think that is why I have let my hair grow so much...so it is less of an eye strain;) Seriously it is terrible but I can't seem to quit. As a matter of fact I was doing it while thinking about what I was going to write on this post. I need help, I know.

Unspectacular quirk #2. I Windex my counter tops at least 6 or more times a day. It is pointless because number one, they are blackish, and number two, I have kids. I also Windex and shine my sink numerous times a day and am a little upset that others (i.e. kids and husband) don't respect my shiny sink and don't wipe it out after each use too.

Unspectacular quirk #3. I sleep with my head at the foot of the bed. For some reason it is more comfortable to me, although I am pretty sure it isn't any different than the head of the bed. It feels cooler to me too. So I guess you could say that Ron gets a good cuddle with my feet and vice versa;)

Unspectacular quirk #4. I love getting the mail....ya know...the good old fashioned in-your-mailbox kind of mail. It makes me happy...even though it is almost always bills. For some reason I have it in my head that one day I will go to get the mail and there will be an envelope with a ton of money in it. I have read that this has happened in like Japan and I figure "Hey why not..it could happen."

Unspectacular quirk #5. I get a little crazy when I don't know where both sippie cups for the boys are. I am talking a little anxiety here. In my mind I see them finding it days later with curdled milk and that just makes me sick to think about...so we have many cup-finding "parties" a day.

Unspectacular quirk #6. Let's just say I owe y'all one. I can not think of another. I am just so normal.....

So I tag, Lindsey, Heather Dickens, Carolyn, Desi, Liz, Melissa, Jenny, Ruth, Kim, Rocky.

Can I get a "Halelujah!"

2008-09-24T19:31:00.003-05:00

Ron graduated from Airmen Leadership School last night.

It is very time consuming so we are very glad it is over!!
Congrats Ron on getting through that 6 weeks. It was not easy, but it is DONE!!!
I love you and am proud of you...and very glad to have you back again;)

Warning....Heavy subject matter...seriously.

2008-09-19T12:29:00.003-05:00

This is a really personal subject, but I have to have an outlet.
This past week I have found out some hard things. As stated before on a previous post I made some really bad choices a few years ago. I will not go into detail, but I know most of you know and those who don't know for sure certainly can guess.
I have worked REALLY hard on changing, repenting and moving forward. It is still a rocky road because of the reality I must face on a daily basis, as I know it is for the others involved. I have experienced the joys of the Atonement and can with absolute certainty say that I know I completed my repentance. I have enjoyed receiving Church callings again, taking the sacrament and even visiting teaching;)
So...this is what is killing me. I have made new friends since it all happened. People who did not know me or my family then. People who did not even live in San Antonio at the time. Some of these people have been told by me because I trusted them and others have been told by third-parties who had nothing to do with it. Some of these people have then taken it upon themselves to use this as a butt of a joke, a cliche, and just plain gossip. I found out that a trusted friend and her husband have been perpetuating it and joking about it behind our backs. They were not involved, did not know me, did not live here, did not know any parties involved. What gives them the right? They have taken it upon themselves to tell other friends, and so the grapevine goes.
So, am I wrong in thinking that they are 100% out of line? Am I wrong to be so hurt that I want to crawl back into my hole and not emerge until I can get out of here? I spent the past two and a half years crawling out of that hole. How do I know who I can trust? Will this follow me the rest of my life?
I honestly want to know what you all think. Even if it is brutal.
Also, what do I do about this friend? I am so hurt that I don't want to see either her or her husband right now, but is that right of me?
Lesson learned: don't get caught up in gossip. I know it is easy to pass things on, especially when they are really juicy, but what does this accomplish? You never know who you are pushing into a hole.