Our Thanksgiving Trip!

So, I come back from our annual Thanksgiving camping trip looking something like this:



There is no exciting, dramatic story behind this new me...just the same old, same old. Ever since having had Haley-girl my back is very fickle. It will be fine one minute and I'm flopping on the floor like a darn fish the next. The thing is, I'm not one to be a "damsel in distress". I prefer (even if it's sometimes martyr-ish) to do things myself. I don't want to have to depend on others-I'd much prefer to do things myself and do it when and how I think it should be done. It saves me much agitation in the long run. Except, with this issue I have no choice but to give in to it. There is no powering through this one. I am literally bent at the waist when I walk right now. Not fun.

And, all I did was get the (small, umbrella) stroller out of the back of the van to take a walk at the campground. I guess the twist in something I did killed it for me. Because we never did get to take that walk. Darn. The kids did get to go (thank you Patrick and Kimberly) to the Snake presentation that the State Park was having as well as to play at the park and make some paper snakes later in the day. They had fun and made some cute little snakes and stuff...(except Jared had a fit of perfectionism-which is par for his course-and tore up his "really cute" snake-told to me by Kimberly). I hope they still had fun. I think they did. I did too, all back issues aside.






The weather was great-warm Thursday and Friday until a cold front blew in late Friday night with some major rain-no biggie though, it all dried out the next morning. We had some great camp fires, even better food and nice friends. Oh, and no kids played in the fire. **eyes roll** In my book that makes it a great camping trip! I hope we can continue to do this every year at Thanksgiving. Minus the back incident.








Undoubtedly there would be more pictures but I, the photographer, was incapacitated...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Comments & Myspace layouts

So, since we all know I'm not that original when blogging and often end up copying others ideas in my posting...why disappoint? I just read Meredith's Thanksgiving post and she listed (beautifully) all of the things she was thankful for right now...And I thought I might take a stab at the same kind of thing! :)

I am thankful for:
1. An awesome God-and that I live in a country where I am free to worship Him!
2. My family and their love-through my whole life. My mom, dad, grandpa and grandma have given me so much my whole life!
3. My husband that loves me and shows me in the little ways every day.
4. My healthy children. When I hear stories of little ones that are so sick and the heartbreak of their parents...I am so blessed that my children are healthy! And to think there were days when I wondered if I'd ever be a mom.
5. A home to live in-that keeps me warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
6. My husband has a job, and one that allows me to stay at home with my kiddos and home school them.
7. Christmas bonus! Takes much of the stress out of the Season!
8. Friends that support me (online and in real life) through it all. Good, bad and ugly. (the situations, not the friends ;) )
9. Plentiful food. Otherwise how could I gripe about being "fat"???
10.Loving and kind mother and father-in-law. Not everyone has that...
11.That I am healthy! I try to remember that one when I'm killing myself exercising-telling myself it's a blessing that I can do that ;)

Again, thanks Meredith for the idea and I hope it catches on and I see lots of these kinds of posts-in a world where there is so much focus on the negative...

This describes this week!

MySpace Graphics & Free Myspace Layouts

Is that horrible to say when you're as blessed as I am??? It's been a rough week, and it's only Tuesday!

My Favorite Moment

We've had a rough week in our house-and it's only Monday. Oy! I've been really off for a while due to a switch in medications I'm trying to make and I haven't been very good at seeing the favorites. But last night at dinner Jared and Haley were sitting next to each other and Jared's tooth hurt (it's loose) and he kind of cried out "Ouch!" So Haley leaned over and (w/o words, because she's my wordless child for the most part)indicated that she wanted to kiss his cheek. And she did.

Of course this was such a fleeting moment that even if I'd had my camera sitting next to me I'd have missed it, so you'll have to just picture it because it didn't get the Kodak moment status this time. :)

Yesterday-well, Saturday!

So, yesterday was great! As part of my b'day "stuff" my mom watched all 3 kiddos so that Harold and I could go eat, find me some jeans for my fat-ness (ugh!) and get my hair cut. It was so nice to eat lunch w/ no one telling me "this isn't want I ordered" and when I answer "Oh yes it is" "But I didn't think it would be like this..." and then Haley climbing out of the high chair and trying to climb all over me-you get the picture right? Eating out with 3 kids is not a relaxing, enjoyable experience. I love my kids, don't get me wrong...it's just not relaxing. I always leave feeling like "Why did I waste my money eating out" NE ways, I digress...

We went shopping and talked (no kids hollering about how long do they have to stay in the store, can they go look at toys, can they go look at their size clothes, can we just go home? and no Haley trying to kill herself climbing out of the basket-again, I digress, this is supposed to be about what did happen, not what didn't!) and I found an outfit that will fit me and I like it! Just jeans and a t-shirt, but it's cute.

Then! We went to get my hair cut where luck was on my side! The lady that has cut my hair since 1995 (and I trust and love!) was there early!! Yay! And had no one waiting! Yay! That is so unusual...she works at Costcutters (which is a "discount" place-and most of her customers are requests, so she's usually backed up before she arrives!) We went a little shorter this time, and I THINK I LOVE IT!!!! :D


So, we had a couple minutes to "spare" and went to Petco to look around for a minute. I have been wanting a dog for quite some time (we are petless save for the one remaining hermit crab-out of 3!) but just haven't felt "ready" to take the plunge. When we get my dog I want it to truly be a part of our family-inside as well as going with us when we go somewhere like camping...so, I pick up this very calm little ball of fluff from one of the local shelters (and this calm was so miraculous in light of the chaos of the other dogs barking all around it) This dog was adorable. A mix of some kind of shepherd (Australian???) and Lab...perfect for what I want!!! Then I watch his brother pee all over himself in his sleep! I put the little guy back-still loving him though, then he squats and poops. Ok, it's over. I remember why I'm not ready. We are still petless-save for that one darn crab that keeps holding on.

Why are 67% of Americans Unhappy?

A. Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 Days a week?

B. Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?

C. Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?

D. Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

E. Maybe it is the ability to drive our cars and trucks from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state.

F. Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter

G. I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough either.

H. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

I. Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home.

J. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family, and your belongings.

K. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.

L. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90% of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

M. How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world?

Maybe that is what has 67% of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?

Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad? Think about it......are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the 'Media' told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.

Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an "other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable" discharge after a few days i the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans?

Say what you want, but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their actions by "justifying" them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way......Insane!

This is a portion of an email quoting David Letterman. He hit the nail on the head!!!
We as a nation are like a spoiled rotten child! We don't think about the things we do have, but we complain about the things we don't have.

Birthday Blues

Ok, so after being a real grump alllll day yesterday (sorry to my kids who were in the way of my grumpiness) and not being able to figure out why, I figured it out. Nope, it's not necessarily that my new meds (anti-depressants) are not working. Nope, it's not because I have awful children (they're good kids-even though they sometimes don't know what day it is). It's not because I perpetually fail at my diet... None of the other reasons I could come up with made sense either. But boy was I cranky!

That was me all day! Well, at the end of the day I finally figured it out! (As I was ranting around mad at everyone) It's because yesterday was the day before today-my birthday! For whatever reason, ever since my 18th birthday I get very moody leading up to it. It's not because I'm getting "older", I really don't care about that-at least not at this point. But every year I just feel so moody about the whole thing. So, hopefully today it's over...since it's the day, the lead-up is done.

to me

They're Gone

Well, my "little" brother and his little family have gone back home to Florida. It's really hard when you only see a baby twice a year to get to know them. We feel like we were just starting to get to know who Josh is, and then they had to leave. :( And who knows when we'll see them again. But, we had a fun time with them while they were here! I have (as promised) some more pics of everyone! :) Well, except me, because who would be behind the camera?? :p







And just a few pictures of my handsome little baseball player! :)

Baby Shower and some thoughts on it

I remember when a baby shower invitation could bring me to tears. Tears of sadness, frustration and wondering if it'd ever be my baby shower. I'm not necessarily proud of those feelings but infertility is a tricky thing. It hurts in an area where we (as women particularly) have a God-given desire. It's from the heart. No, it's not a physical need (as food, water, etc) but it is a longing and an emotional need.
I have now had my turn (several times over!) and happily go to other women's showers. It's a blessing to get to participate in the whole process! A girl at our Bible Study ("girl" because she's younger than me ;) ) is having her first baby and we had her shower last night. I volunteered to make the cake-as I have a desire to A. decorate cakes and 2. Over-schedule myself. I did enjoy it though, and it's such an ego-booster when people tell me how cute the cake is! :) Of course I see all of it's imperfections, but I'm glad others are not focused on that!

The other thing about this Baby Shower is I found out that a dear lady that belongs to our Bible Study-and hosts it at her house weekly-has dealt with the inability to have children. She has such a grace about it and you can feel her contentment. I admire this greatly. She says that her biggest issue is that she doesn't want people to leave her out of "women" things because she doesn't have children (discussions as well as baby showers and children's parties). She has made peace with the fact that she cannot and will not have children and I think that is such an admirable thing. To accept the blessings God has given you and to accept the ones that you are not meant to have. I see no bitterness in her or any envy...What a true lady! :)

"Seasonal" Friends

I know, at this time of the year we automatically think "Seasonal" means Christmas. That isn't what I'm referring to at all. I have learned over my life that certain friends are for a reason, certain friends are for a season. I've learned to let them go when the season or reason is over. Don't get me wrong, it's not a "using" situation, just a fact of life that in this day and age friendships do NOT last forever. Not only do people tend to move a lot, people are extremely busy and we just phase in and out of people's lives. It's sad, and at first I had a very difficult time with it...I don't know if it's more sad that I've gotten used to it, or if that's a good thing.
I guess the main thing I'm referring to right now is the friendships I cultivated online while pregnant with Haley and then we all stayed very close after the babies were born. It was such a sweet thing to know that you could go to this site and feel so comfortable letting it all out. These women knew exactly what you were going through. They were all going through it too (from morning sickness-all day, to sleepless nights, to toddlers driving us nuts-in the best way!) and we were all so close. But then the claws came out-is that inevitable in a group of women? No matter how close emotionally and no matter how far geographically? I'm sad to think that this is the norm.
Once the kid-gloves came off it was all over. Now there is ugliness about political views, SAHM vs. Working moms, and thoughts of someone w/in our group trolling for attention.
Last year at this time we were getting ready to celebrate our babies' first Christmases and exchanging addresses to do our Christmas ornament exchange. Now, there is animosity and ugliness...
The funny thing is, all this drama began right after we switched to a newly created (just for us) website called...of all things..."No Drama Mamas". Maybe we got too self-righteous about our peacefulness and lack of drama, maybe our season was just over. Good-bye February Mama group...it was great while it lasted. :*(

The Surprise is Out Now!

I've been dying to tell about this, but since it was a surprise for my mom (and she occasionally reads this-Hi Mom!) I couldn't write about it.
My brother (Jordan) and SIL (Kat) and nephew Josh have come to visit us! All the way from Florida. Josh is only about 3 mos older than Haley-girl and yet, they've only met once! At Christmas last year:



They are now 11 months older!

We are only on day 3 of them being here so I hope to get some better pictures...but, here are some observations I've made:
1. Boys and girls are VERY different. They are both wild ones, but his brand of wild is different than hers.
2. Haley is willing to share her toys, her food, her home and everything else, but she's not sure why that little boy is being held by "her" nana and papa! He got quite a disgusted look when nana was holding him.
3. It's a good thing we weren't planning on having any more babies...our house is definitely too small for 2 toddlers and 2 children all running amok together! :) But when it's temporary it's not an inconvenience.
There may be more observations to come with the pictures...but that's what I have so far.

The Trials of Reservations

We want to start a new tradition of camping on Thanksgiving weekend. So, keeping in mind that in South Texas late fall is a very popular time for camping-when we all at least hope the intense heat and humidity is gone-I called a few weeks ago to make a reservation at our favorite (so far) grounds for winter camping. We like Lake Texana...but so does everyone else! So, it was booked for that weekend-except for water only sites-ugh, who wants to camp w/o electricity? (Hey, I didn't say we like to rough it...) Anyways, so I make the reservation for Lake Corpus Christi. Meh. Well, that was everyone else in our group's reaction too. So, now what?
Call and cancel that reservation...go to Choke Canyon. Everyone is (while not excited exactly) okay with that one until I get my confirmation email and it tells me (unlike the reservation specialist...) that there is a burn ban in effect. Ok, I can camp in July without a campfire, but in November??? Nah.
We all decide we'd rather have a fire than electricity. So, I call and make the reservation (remember, this is the 3rd time) for Lake Texana. Where we can have a fire, right? Not so much. I find out AFTER making this reservation that there is a fire ban there too! What?
All we can hope is that the rain that has been in most of South Texas has allowed the ban to be lifted. Here are some pictures of other trips to Lake Texana:






It's great fun and keeps you from sitting around wallowing in your fat from all the wonderful holiday food. At least that's the idea!

A Link for those Conservatively Minded

Below is a link to join in on a petition to stop some things that are in the works for when Obama takes office. Don't wait until he's already there...Join in on the petition now.

http://www.grassfire.org/1111/offer.asp?petition=1&CID=111&Ref_ID=1931&rid=18662697

If you don't, I won't know...and everyone has a free choice in this country, so do what is right for you and your beliefs. Also, on this petition you can click on the things you want to petition against and those you don't feel convicted about just leave unchecked!

Some Presidential Ramblings

Well, to say the least I am not pleased by the outcome of the election. I am disappointed in our choice and the gullibility we have as a whole-to think that Barack Hussein Obama can lead our great country in a manner that is consistent with what our forefathers had in mind when they founded this nation. But, we wanted change. So, hold on for the ride. Change is not always good-when you don't know what you're going to get.

I have had a lot of anxiety about this political race from the very beginning-which is funny since I'm not overly political by nature but during my Bible study we read this verse: Daniel 1:22. It reminds us that God sets up kings and deposes them. Aha! So, He has a purpose for whomever is victorious in this race. And no matter who is in power...God is ultimately in CONTROL. And we can rest easy knowing how fleeting this life is. This is such a short time in the scheme of eternity.

Now, I have said my peace. For better or worse Barack Obama is our president-elected by the people. I will pray for him and I will respect him. That does not mean I have to like him or be glad to call him president. But I will do it nonetheless. And I have told my children the same thing.