Snow Storm

Had a lovely winter storm go through beginning of this week. It was SOOOOOOO pretty outside. Definitely not something fun to drive around in. But I had to do it. While others were enjoying their Snow Day at work. I had to be at work. WHY? Because some people feel they need to have 24hour technical support for their Internet and have NO sympathy for the people that fought to get there to help them with their Internet troubles.


The boys and I did enjoy some snow time while we could, before it got too bad. The snow was so light and fluffy so we couldn't even make a snow ball. Jackson was so wore out he passed out on the chair in some awkward upside down position. Right when we got inside. Unfortunately I had to wake him because it was only 5:00pm.



Shortly after these pictures it slowly got worse. When awoke the next morning my van was burried in a snow drift. I am lucky and was able to take John's 4x4 Truck in to work. She handled those snow drifts like a pro. I had no issues at all getting into work. Makes this Mama want to get her own 4x4 vehicle. SHHHH don't tell John that.

BUMP?

For those who don't pry into my life enough probably don't know I'm expecting #3 now. Yeah that's what we call "it".

ME and my Doctor have a difference of opinion when it comes to my Due date for this new little one. He seems to think I'm due July 11th and I feel I am due July 17th....we shall see Christmas Eve. I will have an ultrasound done at 8:30am on Christmas eve to check the lil guy out and get a good due date. Of course I had an earlier doctor's appointment but had to re-schedule because he felt it was a good time to go out of town. O well I guess I can wait another week. All though I have enough going on that day. On a good note I get to take in a DVD+RW to record the whole thing of the lil bean. I keep having these horrible dreams I am having TWINS. I think that's why I can't wait to see.....more for reassurance that it's not Twins. It may be too early to find out the sex depending on what the Due date ends up being. Soonest you can find out is 15 or 16 weeks. We are excited for whatever it may be but would be COMPLETELY happy with another boy. I am of course already showing. Already have had a few comments on the pooch. Part of me loves the pregnancy shape I am taking and the other feels it's too early. I am only 7weeks at most 8weeks. How will I look at 39weeks?! Only time will tell.

For all my fans (yeah right) I will try to BLOG more now that I have this new life growing inside of me.

It's the Holiday Season.

My FAVORITE time of year. I love when Fall hits because it the prelude of the holidays to come. It starts with Halloween which is MORE fun when you have the little ones who get excited about running door to door. Then it goes into Thanksgiving where you can eat till you pass out. Then for the Finale! CHRISTMAS!

I think my love for Christmas comes from my Grandma. She ALWAYS loved Christmas and made sure everyone got something they really wanted. I can always remember not being able to reach the Christmas Tree because she packed the room with presents. There was almost always no room to sit too. She always had the sweet smile and a twinkle in her eye watching us open our gifts. I miss those Christmas' with Grandma very much.

Now she has passed on that love to me. I can't get enough of Christmas. I start listening to Christmas music as soon as I can. in fact I'm listening to it now. I enjoy making the sugar cookies and having my boys help me make them. I always find crafts we can do together. I take the boys out with a bag of popcorn and cruise the streets as we look at Christmas lights around town. The Christmas parade is COLD but so worth watching. Not because it is the BEST but because it only brings that Christmas spirit closer. I think my decorations for Christmas out way all other seasons by a landslide. I have to stop the urge to put up the Tree too early. Good thing john is here to tame me a bit.

And for your fun I have a few fun links for you to enjoy.

CHRISTMAS CRAFTS
http://www.recipezaar.com/Ornament-and-Handprint-Clay-155960
http://www.christmascarnivals.com/crafts/christmas-arts-crafts-ideas.html
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/glittery-window-clings-674868/
Simple Cinnamon Ornaments

Here is a great recipe for homemade ornaments! They do require some time in the oven, but otherwise it's a pretty simple process and the result is worth the time.

6 T. applesauce
10 T. cinnamon

Mix ingredients to form a ball- if sticky or wet add more cinnamon- sprinkle cutting board with cinnamon- roll dough to 1/2"- use cookie cutters to make shapes- poke hole in top for hanging. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hrs. then turn oven off and continue to bake for 2-3 hrs. more. Use as ornaments or gift toppers.
Bernadette

SANTA'S LETTER
http://www.freelettersfromsantaclaus.com/ecard_1.asp

GIFTS ON A BUDGET:
http://www.betterbudgeting.com/articles/money/63giftsunder10dollars.htm

REMEMBER to take in EVERY moment this Holiday Season. Love you Family and enjoy the time with them.

Boom Boom....aint't it great to be...CRAAAZY

Loved that song when I was kid. Remember singing it in elementary school music class, LOL.

Anywho the blog is about our big Boom Boom celebration. Independence day, 4th of July....whatever you wanna call it. Our celebration started with me getting up to the alarm at 8am. This was my day off and here I am getting up to the ALARM! GRRR...it was worth it. I woke up to a very wet outside and kind of chilly too. Chilly as in 60 degree weather in July while in Iowa...that's chilly for us this time of year.

I quickly turned on the news to catch a glimpse of the weather. Apparently it was perfect timing. Got to watch the whole forecast. From the weather it said it would tapper off so I figured we'd make a go of it. Newton wouldn't cancel the parade for a little rain. So I got dressed and dragged the boys out of bed. They wouldn't budge. Finally I mentioned the parade and I have NEVER , and I mean never, seen Jake shoot up so fast. He looks over at me and goes " we go to the Parade today ?!". I got the boys ready and in the van without a problem, while John slept. he had to work the night before so he probably had just gotten to bed a few hours ago.

Now I am not sure what I was thinking when I got the bright idea to take the dog, my dog Jingle. But I plopped in the van with us. We managed to meet up with family, my sister-in-law and her family. The parade was cold but the kids enjoyed every minute of it and got a good loot on candy too. Mommy also got a few freebies to enjoy too.

After the parade is was back to the house to spend some quality time with John. We didn't do much but hang out in the house because I frankly thought it to be chilly outside. Once John was ready to leave for work and after I changed the boys and I into pants and a sweatshirt we headed off to the BBQ/ Bonfire that Jaime was at. The boys were on their best behavior. (proud mother right now) We got to enjoy some fireworks and a bonfire in the country with no bother. We ended the forth in bed my 11:30pm, yes the boys were still up.

The next morning it was another day of fun. I tried my hardest to sleep in, no alarm this time. But NOOOO I was up at 8am without the alarm. We headed over to John's Mom's (Tammy) House for some BBQ and family fun. All 4 kids enjoyed them selves fully. They were covered in dirt to prove it. After the BBQ we headed home to re coop and then headed over to Jaime's to enjoy some time there. We played ladder golf and badminton. Now for those who don't know I played Badminton as a sport in high school, granted it's been almost 10 years I still got it...he he. We enjoyed some time together then ended the night with sparklers and city fireworks at the park.

I enjoyed my VERY busy weekend with the family. It seems that my holidays are just more enjoyable when you spend them with family. I know one day those boys are gonna gripe at me because they "have to" go, but I will make them, LOL. Sorry if this was a long boring who cares blog for ya but I figured some people might enjoy it.

Auntie Me!

I am a new Auntie!!! As of 2:22pm 5/29/09 my sister, Teresa, gave birth to her first son, Osiris. He is absolutely beautiful. He has a lot of dark hair, not a ton but definitely enough. I can't wait to see more pictures of him. I am so excited, anxious, sad, sentimental, jealous, you name I am feeling it, LOL.

I wish I could be there for her. Be there to give her that great big pat on the back that she deserves. She did awesome! I know she will be a great mother. It's going to be a great big life changing experience but she is ready to man up to the plate. I just wish I could of been there to see her finally meeting the man of her dreams. To hold him the first time and kiss him and stroke his soft beautiful skin. I remember how those moments felt for me and I would love to relive them through her.

My sister is my Best Friend. The one I know I can count on. We have bonded so much closer since she found out she was pregnant. I did not think that possible because we are already close. We can now share the same great title that comes with a child, MOMMY. To me I have been very successful in life because I have this title. I am content where I am. Being the Mom to 2 wonderful boys, with very different personalities and great characteristics. I know Teresa will enjoy this too. I just wish I could see her face everyday she experiences these new joys.

I just wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS Teresa you did awesome and you deserve your pedestal. LOVE YOU!!!!!

Have no Fear Underdog is here!

Jake and I were outside while Daddy and Jackson were napping. He was laying out on my lawn chair looking at the sky. He then sees a plane it's "cloud trail" and says "Mom Mom! It's Unner Dog" I laugh and said "o really". Jake then goes " I wanna be a Unner Dog when I get bigger like you!" I reply with "Your not a dog? Do you wanna fly like Under Dog then?" He then goes, very excitedly with a gleem in his eye "I wan fly to space!!!!" I explained that he can do whatever he wants. So now I have an aspiring Astrnaut in the works. You can imagine Daddy's excitement. He's got a litte guy who tells him he's a soldier and now they soldier wants to be a pilot.

Werkin' Hard

Today was my day off from work. I mean the usual 8 business hour job where I sit on my ARS and talk to stupid people.

On the other hand I had to work hard on my house for my little Sis-in-laws Grad Party that will be held at our house. I am not sure what I was thinking when I said sure, but I'm in too deep now, LOL.

I got the basement all cleared out, swept and mopped (in case it rains). Then outside is where the real work needs to be done. After it all sitting there for the months and months of winter it needed a scrub. We (as in John and I) pulled weeds, mowed the lawn, picked up trash, threw away broken toys, pulled together our junk pile that needs to go to the dump, pulled the toys off the patio and behind the garage. Got the tables cleared off and set up nicely, took the weed eater to the trim, and took the leaf blower to the rest. It looks real nice now...and that will change in with a few days of rain or boys playing out there.

John and I did this while the boys played happily outside for hours. Don't worry they got sunblock on. I even put some on but I still managed to get burned...sigh. The never ending saga of Cozette and her sunburns. I just need a protective suit to wear outside and I won't have to worry about it, LOL. I remember being a kid and burning to the point of blisters. I use baby block not the normal pretty smelling sunblock for women, LOL.

Even though I worked my butt off today it still was a good day. I feel very productive today.

I am a Mother?

Sometimes it's so unreal that I am actually a Mother to 2 wonderful Boys. They are the sweetest blessings.

Mother's Day is always when it seems more unreal. I am being celebrated for doing my job. Doing my best to make sure my kids turn into well rounded individuals that can coop in society.

I always feel like being on a pedestool is where I belong, he he, so I do enjoy the pampering but at the same time I feel like I don't need to be on that pedestool for this day. Being a Mother is the greatest gift I could get out of this.

Birthday What?

Some of you may know that it was my Birthday just recently. I enjoyed a wonderful dinner and movie with my dear husband, John, the night before. We decided to do it the night before because John had the night off and we both worked my Birthday. It was nice to talk to John with out interruption and to be able to enjoy him.

The next day was not so nice. I had to work and as usual I am the first up so I always let the dogs out. On a normal basis Cash , John's Dog, heads straight for the backyard while I watch at the door for him to do his business. Well this particular day would be the day that Cash makes straight bolt for freedom. I ran after him in my Jammie's and barefooted but could not catch the dumb dog (obviously he is younger then I and has an extra set of legs). After looking for him for an hour I woke up John and told him the dog was loose. I took this opportunity to get ready for work. After doing so I went and helped John look for Cash, he never answered. It was getting late and I had to get to work so I said goodbye to John, he then replies in a condescending tone as if the dog taking off is my fault. This lovely incident ruined my whole day. John was not very nice to me the rest of the day acting as if he were a child. This is no way to treat a woman on her birthday. Isn't this my day! Aren't I supposed to be on this pedestal for the whole day. Just goes to show ya the older you get the less important your Birthday is and often times it gets passed by others as just another day. All in all this year had to of been one of the worst Birthdays I have ever had. Thanks John!

goooooaaaaalllllll!!!!!

Today was Jake's first soccer game. He was all excited about the whole idea. He even made sure he was getting an audience and Grandma Tammy was coming. He got his team shirt, Bright orange "TIGERS". He had to wait his turn to play, they only put in 3 at a time. He waited patiently his turn, while the other to boys waiting were playing around. He looked so serious watching intently, observing every move on the field. I thought "Great he'll know what to do when it's his turn". Right! He got out there and waited for his coach to tell him something. He was a little lost and had a great time still watching intently as the other kids played. It was adorable, we had to remind him several times that he was there to "play" the game. Towards the end he got the idea and almost got one goal but too many kids tripped in front of him. It was adorable watching these 4 foot kiddos chasing a ball around not really knowing what they are doing, just knowing they need to kick that ball. Jake has a good team who obviously has older brothers and sisters that play soccer, 'cause they knew what to do. It's such a joy to watch your children grow and experience these new things. I am so grateful I am able to give this to him and in the future, his brother Jackson.

Give me money!

Here recently Jacob has become more aware of toys he wants. I think it started around last year, just before Christmas. He would see something on TV or at the store, I would just tell him to ask Santa. It seemed to work. I take that back, it started around Garage Sale season last year. I would take him to every Garage Sale with me, he was easy to take with. He started asking for too much. So I started making him work it off. I kept getting him to do little things for me like, grab the wipes, feed the cat, etc. I would give him a quarter for every favor if he had already earned his last Garage Sale gift. He would earn money to buy stuff he liked at garage sales. I got things done around the house and he got to buy what he wanted with out me questioning it. I would just remind him, "you have to use your money" and most of the time he did , others he would pass.

Now that he's older he has more expensive taste, I tell him to save his money. The debate stops and he automatically wants to do a chore. Yay me! His helping hands have gone on to bigger and better. He now like to help take the trash out, load the dishwasher, feed the pets, do the litter, and pick up dog poop. Works for me, I get stuff done around the house and he learns about hard work and earning money.

Today he was watching me load and unload the washer and dryer. We were talking about nothing in particular when he starts scooping the litter. I was like, "hey works for me." Well he finished his scooping and he walks up to me and says "Hey Mommy I'm done give me my money". I had to laugh. I walked back into the laundry and he cleaned that litter box out, so I gave him his dollar. He told me he's saving money for a Batman.

GROW SOME BALLS AND DEAL!

The press is really pushing my last nerve! First they post crap about the war that is only bad, there is so much going on that we don't see that is good. We are blinded by ignorance and they just feed it. We hold our opinions based on what they say/print/broadcast and they don't get their story straight or hold out on the truth. A few examples that have set me over the edge today...

Our troops in IRAQ. Hello! They are every else too, not just in IRAQ! Also it is not as bad as everyone thinks, just certain areas. You know Chicago is probably more dangerous then over there. I am not gonna say much else to this, because I may cry.

I get to work today and the media is making a big deal about a worm that is being, well an Internet worm. http://www.kcci.com/news/19050244/detail.html Worms, viruses and Malware are on the Internet everyday, the media doesn't have to make my job harder by scaring 90 year old Edith that her computer is no longer safe to play her Texas hold em online. So then she has to call me and ask what to do about and the truth is if she has an Anti- Virus program on her computer she is as safe as she can be.

While reading our local paper I came across an article about an Army soldier who was called back to Active Duty from IRR, Individual Ready Reserve. http://www.newtondailynews.com/articles/2009/03/31/news/local1.txt So I thought I would read and see what it was about. She is b*&^%ing because she got called back and has a 3year old and 1 year old and doesn't want them to feel abandoned. So what does she do, she tries to fight it. The article is a sob story for her, what they fail to mention is when she signed that contract it clearly states they will do IRR for 6 years and the government can call them as needed. On a side note, her children will not feel abandoned. I should know John left for AD deployment when Jake was 2.5 years old and Jackson 11months old. They did not feel abandoned, in fact Jackson's relationship with Daddy are so strong now. There are so many troops who have been put in her position and "man'd up" to it and did their duty. I am sorry but it pisses me off that this person puts a bad name to troops who do what they can to support their family and the country they live in.

Hey you hurt my "grown-up" feelings

Sometimes you bend over backwards to help someone out, putting yourself out there without expecting much in return. That same thing has happened to me often, but hey I still do it. I get a joy in seeing someone smile and knowing they really do enjoy knowing someone cares. Even if it is just the door that needs held open for the lady juggling her groceries and the toddler screaming. The only thing I ask for is at least appreciate my time I have set aside to help them. I wonder if anyone ever feels like I do. That some people are just takers and never the givers. I just wish that that we all could look beyond the "me, me me" and think about "you". It's kind of like the movie Pay It Forward with Haley Joel Osment. I truly believe that if everyone thought like that, then maybe we wouldn't all be such selfish A-Holes.

Family Bed?

At first I enjoyed sleeping with my babies, they were small, sweet and didn't move around much. 4 years , and a King Size bed later... I am so ready for them to stay out of bed, but too tired to do anything about it. I constantly get feet, knees, elbows in my ribs, back or face. I wake up sore because the pretzel sleeping position is not one my body feels is the most comfortable. My 2 boys do go to sleep in their own bed but sometime in the night ( I sleep through this) they climb into bed with us. I guess I shouldn't complain too much, pretty soon they won't want to even hug me sweetly.

Saving Money

I have been trying so hard to find ways to cut corners and save the "Fam" some money. We paid off our Van with our taxes to give us more to work with monthly. So far it's working out. Lately I have been surfing through the internet to get coupons and watching adds, as well as comparison shopping. It's working in my favor, just not in the way I have seen some others doing. I am still learning but I think this will be very beneficial for us. Don't get me wrong, this is NOT easy. It takes a lot of research to do this. I am still working the research part. I know it will come in time. I may even invest in the Sunday paper now....also need to find a place that does double coupons day. That would be neat! Today we went to Target (wish they had one in town) and I used a ton of their store coupons and mixed 'em with our manufacturer's coupons, knocked off $30 from our total bill. I am feeling so accomplished right now! Wish us luck on this adventure, and hey if you got any tips I am welcome to take them.