Travel

In just 3 days we are making the long drive back to NC to pack up our house.  The challenge . . . get the whole house packed up and loaded in only 2 days!!  I am NOT looking forward to this trip, except that we get to see friends and family.  I have no idea where we will keep half the stuff we're bringing once we get back here, but I will be really glad to have it all with me.  We are bringing the girls with us to see the family/friends but Dylan will be here alone with my parents.  He is very excited to finally have some alone time with my parents.   We couldn't bring him with us, since there would be nowhere for him to stay.  I know he would want to be with me, so this works out best.  We are trying to make him excited to get to stay here alone.  And as a back-up, there is always my brother-in-law that could take him and play video games with him all day to make him feel better Hehehe :)  I hope and pray we have enough room in the trailer for everything, I am horribly overwhelmed, but I know we need to get the important stuff first and all that.  Well, off to clean out the garage and make some room!!

Bad week/good week

Wow, I can't believe this was all in the same week, but:
The Bad:
Called Bank of America 3x with no results
I missed my Bible Study (not just missed, totally forgot!!)
Realized that when we get to NC we only have 2 days to pack
Got locked out of Mother-in-laws house 
Found out a good family friend's cancer spread


The Good:
Bank of America FINALLY called me back with some progress!!!!
Rescheduled Bible Study
Got lots of boxes for moving and booked U-Haul
Brother-in-law brought the key to open MIL house
Realized that in the whole scheme of things, our house not selling, or having to rush to pack everything is nothing in comparison to losing a loved one or suffering physical pain, and it's really not something to stress over.

Weight Loss

I really don't like exercising.  In fact, it's probably one of my least favorite things.  Walking . . . BORING!!  Lifting weights is OK, but still not really my thing.  BUT. . . one of my favorite things to do is swim.  We have been trying to swim at least 2x a week, and I make it a point to swim a few laps while we are there.  Since at my heaviest, I have lost 13 lbs!!!  I am actually almost ashamed to admit it!!  I still have a ways to go.  My goal is getting down to my wedding weight, which is about 6 more lbs left.  I have not been working very hard at it, honestly.  I want to be happy with whatever weight I am, and just try to eat better and swim.  My goal is to get healthier and to not have seizures anymore.  If I lose weight, then that is great, but I am not obsessed about it.  I do feel a lot healthier now and I feel like I have more energy.  I still have been having seizures, and I'm glad we are going back to NC next week, and I can get my Pilates DVD.  That seems to help me with stretching and relaxing.  Which helps me not to have the seizures.  I have been trying to not stress about the house, but that is getting harder as time goes by.  I just try to remember God's plan is best!!!  His timing is not our timing.  I am glad to be losing some weight, and getting energy.  I wish I was motivated to work harder at it, but like I said, I don't want to be obsessed with how I look.  Slow and steady will be the way to go for me :)  It would be nice to be back to my wedding weight by our anniversary, but if not, I'm ok with that!!

What a week!

This week we were house sitting for my brother-in-law.  Boy was that an interesting week!!  When we got there the first day, for some reason (I think I didn't hit one of the buttons all the way) the alarm did not deactivate.  I'm not kidding, this thing was screeching in my ear so loud!!  The kids were running around, the dogs were running around, the alarm would NOT shut off!!  I finally got it to stop after going temporarily deaf, and when the police showed up the kids thought that was exciting!!  What a way to spend the first night there!  The next day we stayed at the house while Nathan went to work.  Oh, did I mention my BIL is a bachelor?  Needless to say, there was no food in the house.  My poor kids claimed starvation for hours until Nathan got back (one of our cars was in the shop).  They are very dramatic, because there was food in the fridge.  Soda, milk, and brussel sprouts :)  They survived starvation and the next day we went to the store and got some food.  They loved taking care of the dogs.  The dogs slept with the girls, and one of them (the dog, not the girl) stole their pillows and the other would only sleep if he was under the covers.  LOL That was a funny sight!  My BIL also has Netflix which I have never used before, so that was a lot of fun!  The kids had a lot of fun vegging out and watching shows they haven't seen in years since we don't have cable.  It was actually a really nice relaxing time.  The dogs were very well behaved.  The cat didn't make Ashley sneeze too much :)  It was nice to give my parents a little break from all our chaos too.  I hope we didn't leave his house too much in disarray, but we did drink all of his soda . . .

Bank of America

I don't hate a lot of things, but I truly hate Bank of America.  This is by far the WORST bank ever on this planet.  They are nice to talk to but get you nowhere.  They refuse to help people and give them answers.  I am sick to death to be associated with them.  I cannot wait until that is over and I will NEVER use them again.  Whoever decided to give them a huge bailout was not smart at all.  This is the worst bank, they do not care about people, they only care about money.  Getting it and holding onto it.  I hope they go under, and soon.

Busy week

This past week has been really busy here!  My mom and Ashley tiled the ENTIRE back porch by themselves!!  (We offered, and helped a little, but they had a whole system going).  I will take pics when it's all complete with furniture and everything :)  We also went to Nathan's brother's house to get ready to watch it next week.  The girls and I took his dogs for a walk.  We only went 1 1/2 blocks, and on the way home his old dog started breathing hard, like he was having some sort of asthma attack or something.  So Ashley picked him up and he immediately stopped.  Stinker!!  I have heard that he also fakes broken legs too LOL I guess we won't be going for many walks this week :)  We went swimming only 1 day, since it rained hard and the pool was FREEZING!  I am sure next week it will be much better.  I was really bummed, because I love to swim!!  Not much else is going on.  I got new school books for the little ones "Sing, spell, read and write" and I LOVE IT!  I would only use it again.  It's wonderful.  Don't waste money on anything else, really!  They have a set of K and 1st grade set.  I got it at Amazon for a little over $200.  It was worth it!!  I am so excited!!  Thank you Lord for giving me the curriculum I was looking for :)

Easter Sunday

I love my film camera because it takes instant pictures and the pictures are usually very clear.  I don't like that if I run out of film, I don't get anymore pictures, and also that sometimes I don't develop them and years later I will finally get around to it, but who knows when the pictures were taken :(  Luckily, I got some pictures from this Easter, but I ran out of film before they got their baskets and all that.  Oh well, I got some good shots of the kids (Nate was working in the morning).  I need to get some of the two of us, but for now, here are the kids pictures from Easter 2011!

Ashley doesn't like to dress up so much, like the other kids, but is still beautiful in her favorite jacket :)

Marissa, my little princess

Dylan my handsome boy

I love my kids, what a blessing they are!!

Date night

One thing I love that we get to do here, is that every Sunday night is our date night.  I also love the endless supply of restaurants that we can choose from :)  We have our favorites, of course, but we also get to try new ones once in awhile when we are feeling adventurous.  What I really love about date night though, is that Nathan and I get to spend some time alone together.  Just talking, and reconnecting on a weekly basis is so wonderful!  The kids also love the time alone with their grandparents as well.  I really feel blessed to be here with them.  It's not been a burden at all, but really has been a blessing.  I only hope my parents don't get too lonely when we move out!  It has been so wonderful to anticipate date night, pick where we are going to go, get all dressed up . . . it feels like we're young again LOL :)  Tonight we are going to one of our favorite restaurants since they give you a free dinner on your birthday (I'm all about the coupons!!).  Arigato is the BEST hibachi grill ever!!  I love the show but I love the company more!!

Trusting God

Whenever I am having a bad day, I try to think about other people around the world and how their trials are so much more intense than the ones I face.  The only real stress we have right now is our home in NC.  We have decided to go up in June and get all of our stuff.  That way, it will be a little less stressful having everything here.  When I start to worry about my insignificant problem, I always hear news of people that fare far worse, and are handling their own situations well.  My house not selling is not something to be stressed about.  We don't have any physical health issues or any tragedy striking.  I should be rejoicing in how good God is to us, rather than complaining about the negative.  I am really trying to keep things in perspective and trust that God's timing is best.  He knows my whole life and He knows the best path for us.  I am so thankful to have God's guidance in my life.  I can't imagine how lonely it would feel to plan things for myself and to not have Christ to rely on for strength.  I am so thankful for my family and for the life that we share living for God.  There is really no other purpose in life than to raise loving, godly children.  That is where my focus should be and when I think of all the blessings God has given us, it really helps the anxiety of the unknown to melt away. 

Love drawer

I don't know how many of you are Dave Ramsey fans, but he has a wonderful idea.  He said that everyone should have a love drawer in case of an untimely death.  The drawer would have all of your important information, like a copy of your will/living will, life insurance policies, all of your bills (like who you owe and the account numbers and all that).  It really is a good thing to have even if you are single.  From my personal experience with an untimely death, I know how important it is to make sure all of your affairs are in order.  You can't do it after you are gone so you really need to have it all taken care of before hand.  That way your loved ones don't have one more thing to stress about!

Happy Mother's Day!

I never really thought much about holiday's that aren't focused on God, but this year, Mother's Day really brought on a new meaning for me.  I realized, that being a mother is truly a high calling.  You put yourself last after your husband and children, you try to meet the needs of your family, train up your children for the Lord, and live godly to be a good example for them.  They watch you constantly, and really see the truth in your actions.  If I tell them not to do something, but they see me do it myself, I am nothing but a hypocrite.  Mother's Day honors Mother's, but really the honor is all God's.  If it was not for Him, none of us would be Mother's at all, since He is the Creator of life.  It is not just a blessing to be a mother, but God wants us to be married before we have children, which teaches them stability.  I am so thankful to God for bringing me to Nathan.  He really has blessed my life with him.  For my birthday, Nathan wrote the verse Proverbs 18:22 "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the Lord."  I love that verse because it  proves to me that God wants people to be married.  He wants a man to marry a woman, so they can raise godly children that live for Him!  To me, Mother's Day is honoring God in that we are to be fruitful, multiply and raise soldiers for Christ!  I am honored to be a mother, but more honored to be a Christian!

Tired of buying junk

I am having a really hard time with teaching Marissa how to read.  I have bought numerous books that really don't teach her much at all.  Finally, last night I was at dinner with my Aunt who has been a teacher for years.  She told me to get the "Sing, spell, read and write" program.  I really hope this works for her (and Dylan), and that I can just sell all my other books that I wasted money on.  One thing about homeschooling, I feel like I waste a lot until I find the books that work the best.  I really hope these work, but then. . . the challenge of finding the curriculum for 2nd grade!!!

Busy day

Today was a REALLY fun day!  First we celebrated Mother's Day at one of my favorite restaurants near the beach.  We ate outside and it was really nice weather!  Then tonight we met my Aunt and cousins and went to one of our other cousin's high school play.  We laughed so hard, all the kids did a great job!  It was a lot of fun, and it really made this day end well :)  Of course, I didn't bring a camera, but we did get his autograph ;)

Glasses

Today Ashley got her glasses :)  She was so excited!  Partly because she needs them and partly because almost all of her friends wear them LOL!  They look so good on her and I'm glad she will be able to see much better now.  Dylan was very sad that he could not get a case for his (sun)glasses so they won't get broken.  I thought that was cute. 

Today is also my birthday but we already celebrated last night and we are celebrating Mother's Day tomorrow by all going out to our (my mom's, Bec's, and my) favorite restaurant!  Then we are going to my cousins high school play in the evening.  Oh, and we are doing a Walk for Life in the morning!  It will be a very busy day!


Also, today my 3 year old nephew is having surgery.  So far everything is going well, but we are praying for quick healing!!

MOSI

For those of you not in the Tampa Bay area, MOSI stands for the Museum of Science and Industry.  For the price of one day, we could get an annual pass for the family as well as for my mom and Nathan's brother.  It also gives you free days at other places throughout the year.  So that worked out pretty well for us :)  There is so much to do there, we didn't even have time to do it all.  I tried to remember to take pictures, but there was so much to do, I forgot to take a lot.  I did take some though.  The one of Dylan and Aaron on the bed of nails is a funny story.  Dylan didn't want to lie on the nails because he thought it would hurt, so he came up with the brilliant idea that Aaron could lie down on the nails, and then Dylan would lay on top of him.  After they were done, Dylan said "Wow, that didn't hurt at all" LOL  The picture is really cute.  I love Nathan's look in the corner of the picture.  Also, they had this thing where you can take your own picture and it will show you what you will look like when you are old.  Well, since Dylan is missing teeth, and he stuck his tongue out for the picture, his looked SOOOO funny!!  It was great :)  We had a blast!  On top of having a great time at the museum, my family and friends surprised me with a birthday party when we got home!!  I was "mostly" surprised, because Ashley sort of gave it away on the way home, but regardless, we had a blast and it was great to spend my birthday (or the day before) with the people I love!!   It was a wonderful day and I was sad to see it end, but I know this year will definitely have a lot of surprises in store!!

Butterfly Garden (one landed on Dylan's head!)

Say Cheese!

Nathan on the high wire.

Marissa had to pose with all the "headless" people

Dylan at 70 LOL

For those of us that are "old" they had their version of Hollywood Squares!

Ashley did the bed of nails WOO HOO!

Dylan has great ideas :)  Look at Nathan LOL!

Good news and bad news

So much has happened in just 24 hours!!  First, we found out the neighborhood kids have been jumping on our trampoline every day since we left.  Like 10-12 kids at a time.  They also have been trying to break into the house.  As if moving isn't stressful enough, now to deal with this!!  The police are going to do extra patrols to the house and the neighbor will call them if she sees them in our yard again.  The police will "arrest" the kids and that will hopefully deter any more mischief.  We can't really arrest them unless they are at least 16, which some may very well be.  I am sure the police will take care of it, but I wish it wasn't an issue. 

The good news is that we found out what has been going on with Ashley's vision.  She has astigmatism in both eyes, but it's worse in her right eye.  So now she is getting glasses to use while reading/watching TV.  She is happy about that since it's been bothering her for awhile.  I really like this eye doctor, and since the other one I took her too didn't find this out, I am REALLY glad for some answers!!  She will have her glasses in a week, they look so cute on her . . . I'm sorry, so "sophisticated" ;) I will post pictures when she gets them. 

What a day it has been!!  I hope to hear no more news today, good or bad!!

Booklet now available!

I just wanted you all to know that my sister's booklet is now available!!  I have some signed copies left if you are interested.  The booklet is $3.50 and I will mail to you free shipping if you are not local.  This booklet is amazing and really can pertain to any sin in our lives.  How to put off the sin and replace it with godly thoughts.  Rachel is truly a gifted author and I am honored to have a copy of her booklet for myself!  It is very small in size, so it can easily be hidden in a Bible cover or drawer if you want to be discreet about it.  The booklet is called "HELP She's struggling with pornography".  It's a 63 page easy read, you will not regret getting this booklet.  So much insight into what we think and how to keep our thoughts and actions pure.  Email me if you want a copy: precious2200@yahoo.com

Webkinz Roadtrip

Webkinz Van

Ashley Plinko

Ashley Wheel of Wow

Dylan Plinko

Dylan Wheel of Wow

Marissa Plinko

Marissa Wheel of Wow

Some of their goodies

Looks like rain, but NOPE, bug guts!!!!

What a day we had!!  It was a 4 hour trip (round trip) to spend 1 hour at the Webkinz thing.  Oh what we do for our children :)  We hit a huge area full of love bugs.  We actually had to pull over at a gas station to scrape off the dead bugs, it was nasty!  I took a picture when we got home LOL.  Seriously though, we had a blast!  They gave the kids so many free things, it was probably worth well over 100 dollars worth of stuff!!  They had a jelly bean guessing game (we didn't win), 'mazin hampsters plinko game (they won lots of little webkinz toys/animal carriers/silly bands), the wheel of wow (they won clothes, figurines, trading cards), Marissa won a code for a free pet, and we got TONS of codes for the free webkinz van for your pets.  So if you want a code for your kids, email me.  You have to already have a Webkinz account to use it. The event was in the store, so they didn't have the hula hoop and outdoor games, but they gave everyone CD's and codes for the vans, and the kids played games and won prizes.  The staff was SO nice and friendly!  It really made it enjoyable.  I hope they come closer next time though :)