Summertime In Full Effect

Yep, it's been almost a month since I last blogged. I was really hoping that with school out for all of us that I would blog more. Clearly this hasn't happened. 

As soon as school was out the boys began what I call the round of the camps. Baseball camp, basketball camp, grandparent camp, reading camp, well not reading camp but R2 has tutoring once a week to make sure he doesn't fall behind during summer due to his Dyslexia. R1 also had a few trips with the youth department at church not to mention he has summer work outs for football season every day. 

Then somewhere in all of that my sweet friend Beth lost her mother. She had been sick and it was to be expected but that still doesn't lessen the hurt from the loss. Beth had been running back and forth about the last two weeks of school to her childhood home, an hour away. And once school let out she pretty much stayed there for another 2 1/2 weeks. When her mother took a turn for the worst I began sending her daily text messages with bible verses about faith, love, healing, encouragement, hope and strength. More often than not the verse I had chosen for her that day was just what she needed to get her through. And while the passing of her mother has been hard we both know that she is with her Lord, Jesus Christ and she is healed and we will see her once again. Also her sister in law and I decided that she needed to just relax when she finally came home so we cleaned her house. Her husband was in on the secret and she had no idea. Beth text me the day she got home. She said she cried when she walked in the door and saw the house. 

There is a funny story that goes some where in that last paragraph but I'm going to make it a post all it's own. 

R1 was supposed to go on the first of two mission trips with our youth to Mission Arlington, but he came down with a viral infection and was running a 103.0 fever. The day before they were supposed to leave I took him to the doctor and when the doctor checked him out, he wasn't running a fever. However I still wasn't comfortable sending him five hours away in case he had a relapse. And thank goodness my mother's intuition kicked in because sure enough, around 9pm he began running fever again. No mission trip for him. He wasn't to happy with me but he got over it when he found out the room that boys group was staying in did not have any A/C. 

So as you can see we've been very busy with summer activities and I hope all of you are having a great summer too!

The best Friday of the school year

We made it! Finally the last day of the school year.

This week has been a crazy one filled with school parties, awards programs, talent shows, roof camp outs and field trips.

Speaking of roof camp outs, Hubs and Coach J always make a bet with their students if they score 95% or better on the science part of whatever name the state has chosen to call the stanardized test, this year it was STARR, they would sleep on the roof of the school for one night. So for the past four years during the last week of school Hubs and Coach J have camped out on the roof. So Wednesday I put this message on Facebook,

Those 5th graders did it again and rocked the STARR science test! So Coach K and Coach J are sleeping on the roof TONIGHT! Come by and say hello, take a picture, bring them a snack, or honk when you drive by. This will be the last year for Coach K to sleep on the roof as he is moving to the High School next year. So lets make this year a memorable one.

And was it ever memorable. Beginning at 6:30pm the coaches began their ascent to the roof to get set up for the night. The boys and I went to make sure they got up on the roof and didn't need anything. We stayed for about an hour because people kept coming by to visit and bring them snacks, drinks, and a few Dairy Queen Blizzards. I called Hubs around 10:00pm to tell him good night and he said that they had so much snack food they could stay up there for about three days. The students love it when these two camp out on the roof. There were so many pictures of them on Facebook from everyone that stopped by.  This was the best turn out by far.

Here they are going up.

Here they are setting up the tent and their chairs

 The redneck dumbwaiter.

This was much easier than climbing up and down the ladder.

When I brought the boys to school the next morning, they were still up there. They stay up there so the kids can see them and make a big deal about them coming down. Hubs said that people kept coming by until around 9:30 or so and that the police had stopped several times to check on them. The first time they stopped to see if wasn't senior high school students pulling a prank. Hubs told them they were almost seniors but of a different nature and that all of this was legit and everything was fine. Hubs said they also got a wake up honk at 2AM.

I love that my husband, other teachers, and even the entire school district do things like this all the time. It really shows they support the kids and really do care about them.

I guess it's safe to say I'm now the mother of an 8th grader, a 3rd grader, and the wife of the technology coordinator at the high school.

So here's to summer time!

What we did on Monday

Well really it's more like what we did all weekend. 

First let me say this, I'm missing baseball, however, I completely enjoyed our weekend of not having anything to do.

Saturday I treated myself to a pedicure because R2 woke my up at the butt crack of dawn on the first day of having nothing to do in I don't know how long. And for some reason he has been wanting to try it and I told him the next time I went he could go. I think I may have created a monster as the entire time he sat in the chair he kept saying, "oh this water feels good or awww I love the massage chair." I may have to start sneaking off to get my pedicures. 

After our feet were complete we went to pick up some lunch and then head off to HEB to buy a few staples because it would be hard to make lunches for the next week with out bread and lunch meat. Then we went back home to hang out. 

Sunday I decided to be a heathen and not go to church because I had been up and down most of the night and once again R2 decided it was time to rise and shine at 6:20AM. God I love that child but if doesn't start sleeping till at least 8:30AM on the weekends I might have to give him a night time dose of Benadryl. Just kidding, with my luck it would have the reverse affect and wire him up. 

I had also had the foresight when I was at HEB to pick up the ingredients for a few recipes I had been wanting to make again. According to the chefs on The Food Network each one should only take about 30 minutes. Liars. But I didn't mind because they were sooooo good. I made shaved parmesan chicken in a lemon cream sauce and crostini with sun dried tomato jam. The jam was really for the next day but I figured I was cooking so why in the heck in not. 

Monday morning I woke up all by myself at a glorious 8:00AM. I ended up sitting in the living room by myself until Hubs woke up shortly after. He and I sat in the livingroom for almost an hour when the boys came walking in stating they were starving and needed food. So R2 and I headed off to the kitchen to make rainbow pancakes. 

I had decided on Sunday that I was in need of a tan and I was going to make sure to layout for a few hours on Monday. So on Monday the boys played in the pool and I slathered my self up with low dose coconut smelling sun tan lotion. After about 2 hours the natives, aka the boys, were getting restless and decided it was time for a water gun/hose fight. I seriously don't know who had more fun me or the boys. 

Later in the day Hubs grilled steaks, potatoes, and mushrooms. Then we went to pick blackberries. Nothing tastes better than some fresh picked blackberries with sugar and cool whip. 

Oh and to top it off, R2 fell asleep on the couch Monday night at 6:45PM. And it won't matter if he gets up at 6:30 in the morning because I will already be awake getting ready for work.

Heartbroken

I have no words. My heart is broken for all of the mama's and daddy's who lost their babies on Monday in the tragedy in Moore, Oklahoma. Praying for everyone involved.

 

My Favorite Players

I figured I have posted any pictures of my two favorite baseball players since the season started. 

My favorite pitcher- R1

And my favorite short stop - R2

 

Mother's Day and an A

Hi y'all! I'm RRMama and I used to write here on a regular basis. But then I decided to go back to college and life with my family kinda took over. But school is out for the summer for me and baseball season is coming to a close. So it kinda looks like I might start this blogging thing back up.

I had a wonderful Mother's Day yesterday. It started with church and R2 singing with the children's choir during the service. It was so sweet to see my baby up front singing his heart out. Then we had a relaxing lunch and I ended up taking a nap, outside. It was the first and best nap I had had on a Sunday since school started back in January. 

Then later yesterday afternoon, Hubs grilled ribs, fresh corn on the cob and baked some potatoes. All I can say is YUM! 

Another thing that made yesterday so great was I logged into my college course account to see if my final grade had been posted and it was. I made an A! I was so excited, all my hard work this semester had paid off. And now it's time for some rest and relaxation! Until the Fall semester, which I am already planning for. Two classes instead of one and working full time, and baseball and oh my I need to stop talking about it or I might hyperventilate.

And with that, I hope to see y'all again on Tuesday. 

  

Yeah, I'm still here

I can't believe it's been a month since I've posted anything. What I had planned for just a few days turned into a few weeks. 

Things have been very busy around. The boys have less than 28 days of school left, I on the other hand have less than two weeks. Thank goodness because I think if I had to read one more chapter on anything related to politics I might explode. 

Baseball has kept us pretty busy too. Between games, practices, lessons, and the college games we go watch we seem to never have a free weekend. And it looks like this could go on until July. Oh and don't think I'm complaining because I'm not. I'm just stating the facts. 

Oh the new job is going great. The first week was rough but I'm getting the hang of it. I'm not used to all the meetings, I don't think I'll ever get used to that. 

So there than work, baseball, and school that's pretty much it around it. Nothing really new going on. 

Oh I did get to spend the day with the girls on Saturday. Alex had prom and of course we had to all go and get pedicures and she had to get a manicure, and her make up done, and her hair done. Seriously, I love this kid like she's my own. She was absolutely beautiful!

 

 

There's been a ton of stuff going on

Hi there, nice to see you. I used to write here once upon a time. But lately I've been busier than a one legged man in a butt kicking contest. 

And just to let you know how busy I've been here is what I did this weekend. Get ready it's gonna be a long one. Just kidding. Not really I'm making up for lost time.

R2 had a ball game at 9am on Saturday and we had to be at the ball park by 8:30. But before my alarm even went off, R2 came into my bedroom at 6:30 and said he was sticky. So all bleary eyed I told him to go wash his hands. He spent the next 5 minutes in the bathroom scrubbing his hands as I lay there trying to figure out how and why he is sticky. Then it hits me...GUM! Yep gum. He feel asleep with gum in his mouth. Which I didn't know he had. So it was all over his face, neck, hair, shirt, and his sheets. So he and I head off to the kitchen and I plop him down on the kitchen counter. I then proceed to put ice cubes on his shirt and his sheets. And while that is freezing, I'm slathering R2's face in peanut butter. Lets just say this, R2's skin has never been so shiny, my hands were frozen for about an hour, and all of the gum came out of the shirt and sheets.

So back to what I was doing this weekend. We made it to the ballpark and watched R2 and his team. They lost but it was a good game and R2 made two great plays that resulted in two outs. 

After the game we went out to eat because my dad came to watch and R1 didn't have to be there until 12:30 for his one o'clock game. We took my dad to this hamburger place that is set up like an old diner. The food is delicious and atmosphere is great. Not to mention the hamburgers are really really good!

We got back to the ballpark just as R1's team began to warm up. R1 had a good sold hit during his game. They won and are still undefeated. His game didn't end until 3:00. We had to rush home so I could change clothes, fix my hair and freshen up my makeup so I could go watch my niece dance. Only problem was the major interstate was under some construction and it was backed up for about 3 hours. So I was going to go the back way. But it was raining so heavy and I have never been the back way (small off the beaten path roads that were very curvy according to Hubs who has been down those roads) So I wasn't to comfortable and I ended up not going. So instead I went to the mall to find the boys their Easter shirts and me some new make up that I have been hearing about. So here is the make up I bought. Urban Decay, Naked Basics. It's awesome! I had to hardly use any on my brush for the desired effect. 

And here is the shirt I purchased.

 
We are all going to look great!

So I was on my way home and hubs called and said hey don't forget we need breakfast stuff because we are cooking for the youth at church in the morning. C-R-A-P! I had just turned into our neighborhood. So I go home and unload. Get my HEB list together and head back out. And since I figured I was going to HEB to get eggs, bacon, biscuits, and Sunny D, I might as well get some food for the week. And stuff from the Easter Bunny for the boys, and stuff for R2's class party, and stuff for the big Easter egg hunt at church on Saturday. So almost two hours later I was heading home. I think I ended up with more Sour Patch Jellybeans and hollow chocolate rabbits than I did real food, such as bread, milk, BLT chips, and oranges. By this time it was 8:30 at night and it didn't take long for me to fall asleep once the insomnia decided it was board by me counting Sour Patch Jellybeans. 

So fast forward to Sunday morning. Hubs gets up and heads up to church to cook breakfast. He did a great job!! My job was to clean up, which was fairly easy. After church we came home ate lunch, and then Hubs and I tagged teamed. R2 had a birthday party and R1 had a youth function at church that I was asked to help out with.  So once again we were hardly home. 

Finally got home around 7pm and decided I need to do some laundry because we were out of towels and jeans. I would say shirts and underwear but that will never happen as each child owns about 50 shirts and at least that many pairs of undergarments. I know, I know TMI. Sorry. So now we will all have clean clothes for a while. 

And that's pretty much my weekend. 

Oh and because I was so busy telling y'all everything I did this weekend I didn't get to mention this. Hubs got a new job! I'm so proud of him. when the new school years starts in August he will be the new technology coordinator at the high school for the district he currently works for. He signed his new contract Friday. I am over the top excited!!! Oh and I to have a new job too. I will be still be working for the University but in a different department. I on the other hand am a bit nervous but only because it's something new and I haven't done this type of job before, but everything in the job is stuff that I did when I worked at Texas Fire. 

So between that news for both of us this past week and then all of the stuff over the weekend, I am one tired mama.  

Y'all have a great Monday!

Yep it's strep

Well Saturday was opening day at the ballpark. Whoop!

We were there from 10:00am until around 7:00pm. And I will say this, while I love baseball and I enjoy being at the park, it was FREEZING COLD and SO DANG WINDY! I had on a jacket, gloves, a short slevee shirt, a long sleeve shirt, and a scarf and I was still cold. 

And because that's just how we roll in S.E. Texas, some of us even had our portable propane heaters out at the ballpark. I can honestly say I did not have a portable propane because I do not own one but if I did I would have had it out. Just sayin'.

Sunday morning we all got up and went to church and then afterwards went out to lunch with some friends. While we were waiting for our food, R2 came and climbed into my lap and just sat there. I knew it was going to go down hill from there. He never climbs into my lap just to sit. Maybe a hug or a kiss in split second he's gone but hardly ever does he just camp out in my lap. 

By time we got home I knew he was running fever. So I left the boys with Hubs and took off for HEB in search of all things related to being sick. Motrin, Tylenol, Sprite, crackers, bananas, Gatorade, Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup, oranges, and Sour Patch Kids. Please don't judge, just go with it. 

So I loaded R2 up on every over the counter sick medicine known to man and waited till Monday morning when I could call the pediatrician for a sick appointment. And by the time Monday morning rolled around R2's fever was at an all time high of 101.6. 

I called the office as soon as they opened and made said appointment for the first one available, 11:00am. RealIy??? I called as soon as they opened and they answered the phone and the first available appointment of the day was 11:00am. And by the look of the sick waiting room when we arrived some of those people must have a standing appointment. 

It wasn't long before we were called back and did the normal pre-visit routine. Weight, temperature, and exactly why are you here? Dr. H came in not to long after that and had the nurse come in with him to do a throat swab. R2 wasn't having any part of that and did his best to get out of it, but the nurse got the best of him and 3 minutes later we had our diagnoses...POSITIVE FOR STREP!

One thing I love about our pediatrician, they fax your prescription(s) into the pharmacy of your choice so you don't have to wait nearly as long as you would if you had to drop them off. R2 was hungry and we had sometime to kill before we went to pick up his prescriptions. So I drove us through McDonald's for two large french fries and two medium Sprites. Nothing will make you feel better when you're sick faster than some McDonald's french fries. 

When we got home R2 and I piled on the couch and watched movies and snuggled and he took several naps during the day. And even though he's was sick and I hate it when the boys are sick, I sure do enjoy a little snuggle time.


***update*** Wednesday morning: My apologies to anyone who read this before I had to correct all of my spelling and grammar mistakes. Guess that's what happens when you try to write a post when you are sleep deprived and you keep nodding off while typing. Oh and R2 is doing much better today. No fever so he went to school.

Redeemed

So there has been a song on the radio that has completely taken me over.


Redeemed by Big Daddy Weave.

I find myself singing the lyrics, mostly the chorus, several times a day at the oddest times.

“So I’ll shake off these heavy chains, wipe away every stain now, I’m not who I used to be, I am redeemed.”

Oh just those few short words have brought me to tears over the joy that God has enough grace to love me. Enough grace to forgive me and all of my faults and failures. Everything that has bound me has been removed by God. He has redeemed me. He has changed me and made me His own. And for that I am grateful.



 

Lamar Baseball

So we actually had a free weekend. Something that doesn't happen very often. So what do we do when we have a free weekend? Go watch some baseball, Lamar Cardinal baseball. 

 Here is where we spent our Saturday. 

One of hubs' childhood friend has season tickets, the first eight seats right behind home plate. 

Lamar played a double header Saturday against University of Washington. They games were great and the boys got plenty of foul ball souvenirs to get signed after the second game ended. 

I couldn't have asked for a more perfect way to spend our free Saturday. The weather beautiful, the seats were awesome, the company was fabulous, and the Cardinals won both games!

And next weekend is our opening weekend for baseball so I will be spending another full Saturday at the ball park. 

And those of you who have been around here for a while, know that's just how I like it. 

10 Compliments Your Kids Need To Hear

I saw this on a friends Facebook page. And it struck a cord with me. I tend to get so wrapped up in the day to day things I don't take time to always say or do some of these even if I am thinking about them. 

1. Compliment their character. We live in a world where integrity is neither consistently taught nor widely expected. When our children demonstrate honesty, kindness, trustworthiness and reliability, that’s a great time to take them aside and offer a sincere compliment.

2. Compliment obedience and respect. It’s too easy to fall into patterns of disapproval, where the only time we notice is when kids do wrong. Rather than waiting for disobedience or disrespect (then coming down like a ton of bricks) try noticing obedience and respect: “I don’t always remember to tell you, but you are an awesome young man, and I appreciate the way you treat your mother”.

3. Compliment them for simply being part of the family. “Every time I see you, I’m thankful that I’m your Mom.” Kids need to understand that they are valued simply because they are.

4. Compliment contributions to the family. “Clearing the table (sweeping the porch… putting out the trash) makes a real difference. I appreciate your contribution.” Kids need to understand that what they do makes a difference, that the adults notice, and that pitching in is a good part of family life.

5. Compliment the quality of their work. “This is one clean porch, mister!” “You mowed the lawn right up to the edge.  Way to go!  I’m so glad you take this job so seriously, it shows.” Doing a job at a high standard is always worth noting.

6. Compliment the effort, even when the result is not the best. “Your willingness to help makes me happy! Now we need to take a look at how you can get the trash to the curb without leaving a trail!” Compliments can be an important part of our role as teachers.

7. Compliment when they achieve something new. “Wow! That’s a huge leap forward for you there in math, pal.” “Awesome! I’m not at all surprised after you worked so hard.” A well-placed compliment can keep a positive ball rolling.

8. Compliment their sense of style even if we don’t exactly share their taste. We don’t want to force our kids into being clones of us. “When it comes to putting together an outfit, you certainly have some flair!” “I can tell that you put a lot of thought into the way you look.” “I’ve never seen a table set quite like that before – you have an amazing imagination!” It’s not useful to limit compliments to the narrow range of our own taste.

9. Compliment steps toward a long-term goal. “Son, the improvement you’re showing is commendable. Thanks for trying.” Waiting for perfection before we’re willing to dish out a compliment is inefficient, may dampen enthusiasm, and does little to help the process of growth.

10. Compliment their friends. But only do this when you can do it honestly! “Your friends are the greatest!” “That Jake is such a good kid.” “You know, it gives me a lot of confidence to know you use common sense in choosing your friends.”

The road less traveled

I have a friend who lost her husband sixteen months ago. They had been married just over one year before Wes passed away. She is now raising their son, and doing a fabulous job.

Stella is one of the strongest women I know. She has accomplished so must in her life since Wes' passing.

She bought a house. Purchased a brand new car. Gone back to graduate school. And like I said earlier she is raising their son Trent.

She started a blog a while back. Just somewhere to write down her thoughts and help her navigate through this new stage of life.

The Road Less Traveled

She wrote a post on February 12th that just touched my heart. I actually ripped right through it and brought me to the brink of tears. I as much as I hate for her to be in pain, I know this is a process for her and not an easy one. I know she has good days, bad days, and really terrible days.

So if y'all don't mind just say a quick prayer for her.

And Stella, I am in awe of your strength and your ability to continue to function on a daily basis. You are loved by so many. And we will continue to pray for you and Trent each and every day.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that

I didn't blog. Can we say epic fail? I my defense I didn't say I would, I said I might. I really had every intention of blogging but other stuff just kept getting in the way.

I would love to say that in my extended absence I have been on a fabulous adventure. Well actually motherhood is an adventure and it really depends on whether your kid is sick or not which translates into they are laying on the couch with a trash can by them just in case they feel need to throw up and the bathroom is to far away. Oh and no the boys are sick that random thought just popped in my head.

OK say a prayer they don't get sick.

Anyway, things have been moving right along here. We have begun baseball season. Insert BIG SMILE!! Right now we are still trying to schedule practices because all it has done for the past 2 weeks is RAIN, but I'm not bitter about it really. All this really translates into we get to eat good home cooked nutritious meals for a few days longer. But I'm sure the corn dogs, french fries, chicken strips, and popsicles will come in due time.

And school for me is going. I will be honest, I'm not really liking the class I am taking right now. I loved my last one and I know it's wrong to keep comparing them because hello we are talking about American Lit and Government. And Government and I are not meshing very well.

I was siting at the computer over the weekend working on my assignment and I went to post it to our discussion board and the the system told me to log in. Well I thought I was already logged in or how else would I be posting in my discussion board? But I clicked OK and proceeded to log in again. And then it happened. I lost EVERYTHING. I remember slamming the top of the laptop down, walking away and then the ensuing meltdown occurred. It took me almost an hour to formulate a coherent thought. How is the H-E- double hockey sticks was I going to type all that over again. So after much screaming and running around the house yelling at the computer again and then sending Hubs and the boys to Academy, which by the way I vaguely remember telling them to go there and then locking myself in the bedroom, I began to type away another post. I came out to ask Hubs a question and they were gone. I was like where did they go? Did the second coming happen and I was truly left behind. Then I remembered telling them to get out and they for once took me serious and left. So I ended up finishing my homework just as they were coming back home.

And that is what we have been up to. Oh and planning our vacation. It's never to early to start when there will be 10 of us going. I can't really tell y'all anything other than it's a place where dreams come true and some kind of magic happens when a cute mouse appears with his entourage to open the park for the day. But lets just say this...I'M EXCITED!! I think even more so than the kids.

Two words

Knock knock, is this thing on? Oh well.

I've got two words for you...BASEBALL SEASON!

Oh and maybe, just maybe I might be back tomorrow to blog again.

Happy 8th Birthday R2

Eight years ago today God blessed me with another little boy and my life has never been the same. He completed our family.

And in his honor here are eight things I love about him.

1. His sense of humor. He keeps me laughing.

2. How he loves to be outside. He would much rather be outside any day than sitting in the house.

3. He loves to help. Whether it's passing papers out or mopping the floors. He just likes to lend a hand.

4. His laugh. It's infectious. 

5. How curious he is about anything and everything. 

6. How competitive he is.  A game of Uno, baseball, or just being the first one dressed in the morning. 

7. How he likes to spend time with his grandpa fishing and hunting.

8.. How he loves God. He is always ready to go Sunday School and church.

Happy 8th Birthday R2! I love you!
 

WHOOP!

I think it's safe to say that I have been bitten by the football bug. 

This was Hubs' status on Facebook on Friday night:   Oh how the tables have turned. There is someone in this house screaming at the football game on TV and it isn't me.  

Yes that was me screaming at the TV. And for good reason I was watching the Cotton Bowl. An interception was just thrown and OU caught it in the end zone. Yeah, that's me using the term end zone and interception. I know I almost fainted too.

It was a great game. For those of you who were out of touch and couldn't watch The Cotton Bowl I'll just tell you this AGGIES WON!! They BTHO OU! Final score...A&M 41 OU 13. 

After seeing this how can you not like football?

     

Is it to early for this

I hope everyone had a safe and happy new years eve.

I would like to say we are the party people but we had a very laid back holiday. It was rainy and cold and to be honest I just didn't feel like getting out in that mess. But we all managed to make it past midnight which is a first in a very long time.

Anyway after the terrible display of football this past weekend from both pro and college teams I started wishing for this... is it to early?

Happy New Year 2013

Well another year has come and gone. So many people are thinking about the past year. I on the other hand have chosen to think of the year ahead. 

There are so many wonderful things in store for this new year. And while I would love to tell you about a few of them the superstitious girl inside me is a bit scared to. So as they come to be this year I will let you know. 

One thing I can tell you is this, God is in control. He is on His throne. He has guided me and my family this past year. He has been gracious, loving, and forgiving. 

We have seen his hand in so many situations this past year. How he closed a door to keep us safe but then opened another one later in the year. How he has provided for several circumstance and how we praised him during and after each storm no matter how big or small.

Prayers were prayed through out the year and the blessings that flowed these prayers has left me speechless. 

So as I look to the new year. I look towards God. I will keep my focus on him. 

Wishing each of you a wonderful 2013. And praying for His blessing upon you!


 

Merry Christmas 2012

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." ~ Isaiah 9:6

Reflections

I sat on the couch last night while Hubs was watching television and looked through some older posts around this time from years past. 

This time last year I had a taken a trip for 24 hours to New York. My cousin sent the boys bobble head dolls that look like them. Hubs' received his Masters degree. One year it seemed I couldn't get enough of watching A Year Without A Santa Claus. I guess I've always had a soft spot for Heat Miser and Snow Miser. I cried at the end of Toy Story 3. I missed Pam-Maw my heart felt like it was going to break into a million pieces. It snowed in Southeast Texas, twice. Beth and I put together several "Taste's of Christmas".

But my one of my favorite things about this time of year is our candle light service we have at church on Christmas even. Hubs and I have been attending this service since we have been together, and that was seventeen years ago. 

Another favorite tradition we started once we had kids was to go look at Christmas lights on Christmas eve. Last year we started something new. We all went over to Beth's house and made homemade pizzas and then went out in search of the best and biggest light display we could find. It was so much fun, we are doing it again this year. 

So if I don't get on here again, I wish each of you a Merry Christmas!

God's Love

My heart is still just so heavy right now. The events that took place in Newtown, CT. last week have really hit home for me.

I didn't want to admit to Hubs but Monday morning when he and the boys left for school I was a bit nervous. My whole world walked out the door at 7:20AM and headed off to school.

My heart is breaking for the families who kissed their loved ones and said have a good day, I'll see you later and later never came.

May God wrap his loving arms around each and everyone affected by this tragedy. May he give them the strength, peace, and comfort they need. 

 

Calvin & Hobbes

Yeah, I know I've been gone and haven't blog in a while. I'm sorry but please see my previous post.

School is over, and while all of the exams are graded and by the way my last exam...I made an A, I'm still waiting for my research paper to be graded. And if I don't totally bomb my research paper I should have a B for my final grade. WHOOP!

And speaking of... Congratulations to Johnny Manziel from Texas A&M on winning the Heisman Trophy on Saturday. He is also the first Freshman to ever to win this award. WHOOP!

So since my brain is still fried, obviously I just blogged about football and you all know how I feel about football, I thought I post a few of my favorite Calvin & Hobbes snow cartons. 

Life

Life, that is what's happening around here right. 

I don't usually write something profound. Heck I don't even write regularly anymore. What I am writing right now is a research paper that is due in three weeks. 

Since going back to school I'm also reading a ton of American literature. And that's OK, I'm enjoying it. 

Life has taken over.  

Not just the extra stuff such as football and basketball. The weekly tutoring sessions. Not the extra projects at work that have kept me busier than normal, and not the Black Friday Shopping but the every day stuff that happens.

The laundry and cleaning the house, which with four people seem to be never ending. The homework and cooking dinner. The going to the grocery store. All the things that happen to make sure our household runs smoothly. And then there are the little things thrown in here and there to just add to our life. Such as a last minute birthday party, someone gets sick, or a major appliance breaks. 

See life is happening over here. And with all of the everyday stuff going on when we get the chance to have some family time I jump on it. Although I don't know if the boys going to see Wreck It Ralph while I went to see Breaking Dawn Pt. 2 with the girls counts as family time. But we did ride to and from the movie theater together. 

Life is happening and I don't want to miss a thing. I feel like I'm already missing out on things because of school. I miss bedtime prayers with the boys. I miss night time snuggles with them. I miss sitting and talking to Hubs after the boys have gone to bed. I miss watching our favorite TV shows together.

I guess what I'm trying to say but also trying to avoid is this.

I mentioned when started school that this blog might be affected and quit frankly it's pretty much been put to the back burner. Don't get me wrong. While I love to write and read your posts. Along with reading your comments and me leaving you comments I just don't have the time. So if I disappear for longer than a week please don't be offended. 


Life is happening.

Happy Thanksgiving 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I hope each of you have a wonderful day with your family and friends.

 

I can do this!

Three more weeks. 

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.

If this next test and research paper don't kill me first! 

Y'all have a great day.

I love my #63!

R1 had a great football season. I'm so proud of him. He put forth a great effort, played hard, and gave it everything he had. 

I love you #63!

 

I'm at a loss here

I know you can here me say, I'm at a loss here in my best "the geek" voice from Sixteen Candles were they go to the party and the geek leans on the table stacked with beer cans and knocks them over. Then three big tough guys stand up and groan. 

I know now you are thinking...this person knows way to much about the movie Sixteen Candles. And yes you are correct. I could recite the entire movie. I watch it every time it comes on and I own it. It's one of my all time favorite movies. 

And now since I have gotten totally off the subject...

I just really need to vent here. In my class we had a group assignment. First I hate group assignments because you receive a grade based on something that other people had input on. I don't like or agree with that at all. Because lets be honest, what if their work is not on the same level as your work.

Here's what's going on.

My group consisted of me and two other people. One person has never even joined our group. The other person and I collaborated for a while and then she kinda dropped out. I emailed her several times and she finally responds last night at 8pm. Since I work on campus I emailed one of the professors and asked him what to do. He said if the one girl that has never joined our group contacts either of us to refer her to him. He also said that if the other person does post anything in our group board to just submit what I have.

Our project is due tonight by midnight. This leaves no time for corrections and trying to work out something together. It's a frustrating situation. I had my work submitted two weeks ago so we could work on it and now with less than 24 hours this person submits theirs. And it's just thrown together with not much organization. 

So now I have to submit what I would call sub-par work that will affect my grade. 

UGH!!

I know this makes me sound like a snob and I'm really not trying to be. I guess I just think that if I put forth my very best effort then I think the others in the group should too. 

OK, stepping off the soap box and going to watch Sixteen Candles. I know that will make me feel better. That and a few scoops of some Blue Bell Ice Cream.





 

The cleanest toilet on the block

A few weeks ago a friend on Facebook posted about a new punishment for her children and I thought it was brilliant and would give it a try. 

She said if her kids back talked her or argued with her or were just ugly to their siblings they would have to clean the toilet and maybe the entire bathroom. 

Well I jumped on this because I live with three boys. And three boys and the bathroom...lets just stop there you get the picture. 

So Hubs and I talked and agreed it sounded like a great punishment. We sat the boys down and told them of the new rule. To be honest, they were kinda shocked by what we just said. Basically a dirty mouth equals a clean bathroom. 

The boys did great for the first few days and then the niceness began to wear off. And lets just say I was reaping the benefits. It seemed that everyday for a while one of them was in there wiping down the toilet with the Clorox Wipes.

I know this doesn't say much for the boys and their dirty mouths. But what I really mean by dirty mouth is no backing talking to me or Hubs. No telling each other to "shut up" and no name calling. When asked to do something, do it with no lip.

The "fun" of cleaning the toilet only lasted about 8.7 seconds before the arguing started and then it turned into cleaning the bathroom. Lets just say that when we cleaned the house Saturday and the argue starting the boys thought they were scott free because I had just cleaned the bathrooms. 

Boy were they wrong. 

They then had to dust, sweep, mop, and vacuum. So not only do I now have the cleanest toilet on the block but I now have a clean house to go with it. 

As much as I want them to stop having a dirty mouth I sure am loving the cleanness.

I Voted!

This is the sticker I got after I voted. 

Two things have stood out in my mind during this election. 
 First, My mother in law said her preacher at church said this statement during a sermon a few Sunday mornings ago. "Who ever is elected is who God intended to be there." I have thought about this statement long and hard. My mind has gone from one end of the spectrum to the other. I'm still thinking about it.

Two, I saw this several times on Facebook...No matter who is president, Jesus is still Lord. And that is what I keep reminding my self. JESUS IS LORD!

Halloween 2012 And A Few Other Things

I can't believe I haven't blogged in almost a week. Guess I really meant it when I said this blog will probably take a back seat to school.

Well school and life in general. 

Last week was non-stop. My family in New York was one of my main concerns. We here in the South, especially the Gulf Coast of Texas know all about hurricanes and the damage they can do. I actually know about this first hand and to be honest, it still stinks to even think about all of the damage Ike did to my house. 

My family had made the decision to stay and not evacuate. They are OK and I have talked to them several times. Still no power but they have a gas stove so they have been able to cook. It has also been so cold they can put their food items on the fire escape and they stay cold. So overall a uncomfortable but doing OK. Praise God.

Also we had Halloween this past week. R1 is now officially "to old" to dress up. So he and several of others in our youth department from church manned the bounce houses and slides. R2 on the other hand was in full gangster mode. Pin striped suit, fedora hat and a shot gun. Don't judge. It was rather cute. But after going from trunk to trunk and playing games and receiving candy he couldn't wait to get out of his costume so he could jump in the bounce house and slide on the slide. Oh well looked cute for a while. 

Also last Friday R1 and a bunch of his friends decided it would fun to go out to eat and then to the Haunted Hotel. 

We had the best time. Here are a few pictures from our adventure...

This is my nephew in the blue with one of his friends.

W, K, and G. K is looking back to make sure the chainsaw guy isn't coming.

R1 and J. R1 looks relived and J still looks a little frightened.

Wheels, Me, Henry, and Laura. In the purple is Wheels' daughter and her boyfriend N. I was laughing so hard at all of them.

R, Sonya, Staci, M. They couldn't run out of there fast enough.

The gang. The guy in the skull mask is actually someone we all knew. But I think he still scared the crap out of us!