Where Have We Been For So Long

Busy Life, Busy World., BUSY. That, and I couldn't upload pics for a while for some reason and I know that most of the people who read my blog want to see pics. I have no idea what happened or why but this morning I am able to load pics and of course the only one I could find was this one. I will try to do better.

We have finished the first grade. We had a really great and fast year. Her teacher was the best. Emma has blossomed so much this year. She continues to struggle with reading. She doesn't blend her sounds well when she sounds out letters and that is a big source of frustration. She wants to be the best at everything she does and she gets very frustrated that she isn't as good at reading. So our summer is going to include a lot of reading, plus tutoring and trying to really stay focused on increasing her reading skills.

We are finished with soccer for a few months. It was a great season and she scored one goal, which of course I wasn't there to see. Her team finished first place, winning their championship game. She continues to love sports and will be attending a couple of basketball camps this summer. She's very excited about that.

Emma's new favorite thing is My Little Pony. That came as a big shock because it's actually a girl thing! She still loves her Power Rangers and The Avengers. Wild Kratts is still her favorite show and she has also decided that she likes "Rock and Roll". I've caught her playing the drums and her guitar up in her room and just singing away. Pretty comical to watch.

The boys are.....well, the boys. Brady finished up another semester at school and has decided that he doesn't really think college is for him. Bless him, it has only taken 3 years to figure that out. I have no idea what his plans are. He thinks he wants to cook. He plans on working at a firework stand for a month this summer. Yes, that is a lofty goal. He's just very uncertain about his future right now and I continue to pray that he finds his way. There isn't a sweeter young man in the world. He is so good with Emma. I love watching him and listening to him talk to her.

Ashton finished up a semester at a local community college. He plans on going away in the fall to school and our discussion right now is related to his living situation when he gets there. Ashton has struggled so much the last 2 years and I won't share those details here, but just let me say that I have learned a lot as well. You never know what life is going to hand you or how you are going to handle it. Right now, I'm handling it pretty well. I have learned that I have no control over other people's decisions and as the Serenity Prayer states, I have learned to accept the things I cannot change. I don't always do a great job at it, but I have come a long way. He is a great kid, and I know that God has plans for him. I hope I live long enough to see what those plans are.

Life is full and crazy and I am thankful for those days. I'm looking forward to summer and have decided that my goal is to keep the activities to a minimum so that we can actually have time to enjoy the summer. We were so entwined with Ashton and his issues last summer that I feel like our summer was just a total bust. This summer I am hoping for so much more and having time to really take it all in. I want to lay around the pool and watch my girl play and read books. I want to spend time with friends and have time to work around my house. I want to just have some much needed downtime and appreciate it. So that is my goal, but only time will tell.

It's nice to be able to blog again. I have missed it. I will try to do better. But in the spirit of taking care of me and not stressing as much, I make no promises.

Enjoy Summer!!!!

Christmas Thoughts and Pics

 

 

It's hard to believe that there are only 2 more days until Christmas. But I know this for sure because Emma has asked me every morning how many more days and I'm 100% certain that we are on the home stretch.

 

We have managed to have some type of crud bug at our house causing Emma to miss her Christmas party on Friday. She ran a fever of 102 during the night and had zero appetite, but thankfully it passed as quickly as it came and she has been fine since then. I on the other hand have been coughing my head off and managed to completely lose my voice for 2 days. I think I'm on the mend. I blame it on the fact that I was off work for 5 weeks after surgery and then had to enter back into the germ force during flu season. Hopefully my immunity will be back strong after this.

 

Emma is completely smitten with the Power Rangers and has asked for a silver ranger costume and mask for Christmas. The requirements for the mask is that it have no eye slits so that no one can see her eyes. This has proven hard to find but thanks to Mr. Amazon you too can own one and have it by Christmas for an extra $20 for shipping. I am almost done with my wrapping and at this moment am trying to get up my strength to go finish a little shopping. I just can't seem to get the energy.

 

Both of my boys are home right now. Brady had a few days off from his work and was glad to get away from his roommates and come home for a few days. I will say that having them both here has increased the work load a bit. More dishes, more food prep, more laundry. It has made Emma very happy to have them around. I'm not sure why exactly because they pick on her nonstop. I think she secretly likes it but if I have heard "Mom, he's pushing me" ....(or insert any other annoying big brother habit) once I have heard it a hundred times!!!

 

 



 Emma had her picture made at work with one of Santa's helpers. Thank you Mr. Darryl.


We celebrated Christmas at my mother's house on Saturday evening and I am pretty sure that we were surrounded by the most adorable kiddos.

                                                            Emma and Sophie

 If this girls eyes were any bluer I don't think we could stand it. Aubree has the prettiest eyes I have ever seen. And I think her Papa might agree.

Little Miss Ella and her baby doll. I have not seen her since June and she is still tiny! She managed to dance and put on a show for everyone. She is the mirror image of her father when he was little.

 I can't believe that I have two great nieces. My great aunts were OLD. I'm not old....right?

 Why yes, my girl is very happy about her Power Ranger cycle that she got. And she does have on her basketball uniform because she had a game that night. There is very little chance that you will see her in a pretty Christmas dress. And very little chance that I'm gonna push the issue!!

So maybe I am getting old because that man in the picture should still be little. Where did the time go?

                                                                Maddox and Ella

                                Nanny and Aubree are practically twins in their Christmas clothes.

 I made several attempts to get a decent picture of these little munchkins loving on each other. It just wasn't happening.

We celebrated Christmas last weekend with my mother's side of of the family and my Uncle Junior and Emma had lots of fun playing. He has always been the Uncle that kids loved playing with.


It has been a very stressful year for so many people. So many people are hurting right now. Physical problems, financial struggles, mental health and substance abuse problems. The list goes on and on. We have certainly found ourselves experiencing some things that we never expected this year. I've met people that I would never had met and learned things I never would have learned had it not been for some of those experiences. I don't particularly want a repeat in 2015 but we just never know. Our mantra this year has been that we are "CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC"  and I suppose that will be the same in 2015. We can't control other people's decisions and so therefore I can only hope and pray for the best.

Above my computer I have several things posted. The Serenity Prayer has become very important to me this year. We Do Not Know What to Do, BUT our EYES are upon YOU....2 Chronicles 20:126 has also been an important verse for me this year. It's not always easy to know what to do in life's situations. I have certainly struggled this year. And I have made numerous mistakes and will again. Everyday is journey. But I am thankful for the opportunity to continue on the journey and I hope that somewhere along the way I can help someone else.

Catching Up - AGAIN

Emma's soccer season is finally over and now basketball is upon us. The games haven't started yet but she can hardly wait. We ended soccer on a very cold November 1 and our team decked out as zombies. They all looked cute and didn't seem to be bothered too much by the horribly cold day.


The adorable little flower in the Halloween pictures is my great niece Aubrey and she just might have the bluest eyes that have ever been. Simply a little cutie pie if there ever was one.


Emma is doing pretty well in first grade. She struggles with reading and I believe if she ever gets more confidence in herself that will improve. She just doesn't hear a lot of the sounds and has a difficult time with ending sounds. However, her new favorite excuse is that "I'm from China and I can't help it." Not sure where that came from. However I remind her that her Chinese ethnicity has nothing to do with her reading and spelling abilities and she needs to let that excuse go. As you may recall in a previous post, she believes that spelling words are a waste of her time. She is a little hot mess!!


Brady is doing well and about to start another job tomorrow. He should be back in school in January and I think he may have seen enough of the light to realize that he needs to take it seriously this time around. Despite the fact that he is a total goofball, I believe he might just be growing up a little. He has shared a lot with me lately and it's ironic just how much a mom might know after all.

Ashton is working part time and has plans to start school in January as well. This has been a very trying year from him and certainly for us so I am very hopeful that he is making some positive choices. I have learned a lot over the last year and the one thing I know for sure is that I can't make my kids choices for them. It's so hard to see them struggle and knowing that if they would just do things differently it would be better for everyone. I believe that you learn a lot more from your mistakes than you do from your successes, so I have just tried to back off and let them find out some things on their own. I also know that having the Serenity Prayer posted above my computer and various other places reminds me that I can't change other people. It's not my job.


Well, I have become one of "those" women. The ones that sweat so much a night that they feel like they might catch on fire at any moment. I had been having some health issues and had a hysterectomy and my gallbladder removed on November 6. I had some complications afterwards and had to spend a few nights in the hospital after I came home. Long story short, I'm really hoping that I'm on the mend. It's hard to be the patient when you are so used to being the nurse. But I have had the most amazing care provided by a 7 year old little munchin who has been the most doting caretaker you could ask for. Knock on wood, the night sweats have improved the last couple of nights, but I can totally connect with people now who suffer from those periods that I like to refer to as HELL.


So I'm trying really hard to take it easy and get my strength built up. I think the stress of this past year coupled with my health issues has taken a toll on my body. I don't really "rest" well. It's hard for me not to be doing something but I'm trying really hard to be a good patient and actually put some focus on taking care of me.

Perhaps while I'm off  I'll do better about blogging but we all know that's highly unlikely.

Tying My Shoes

A Quick Update

I know that I have been out of the blogging loop for months and my apologies to the few followers that I have. I can only say that time hasn't allowed for very much of anything and neither has life and it's circumstances. I hope to do better but I make no promises.

 

I love the next few pics of my Ashton. I can't describe what these pictures mean to me and my heart right now. This was part of a freshman trip to UT. Although we decided to hold off a semester, he still has his heart and mind set on Big Orange.

 

 

 

My baby boy is way up there isn't he? That just scares my nerves as my nephew said many years ago.

 



 And my precious oldest son has not had a hair cut in over a year now. Yes, the bandana is  a good choice for that hair of his. At first it made me crazy and now all I can say is that it's just hair and I really don't care one way or the other. If he's happy, well so am I. And yes, he is riding in the shopping cart with his sister.

Now this face screams precious doesn't it. She is the most adorable creature...most of the time. She has developed into such a talker and she has the most amazing personality and imagination. She just never ceases to amaze me. She is ok with first grade, but isn't particularly crazy about spelling words because in her words "it just wastes my time." Oh yes, her time is valuable and needs to be spent playing super hero and busy watching the IPad.

Look at those eyes looking at that tiny fish. She was very excited about her catch, but wasn't too sure she wanted to get very close to it.

Just a little catnap in the car. I love that sweet picture. She seriously slept for maybe 5 minutes and was like a new kid.

 

 

I will do my best to update more frequently. The last few months have been some of the most challenging in my life and blogging has been way down on the list. On an up side, I have learned many lessons over the last few months. I can't say I wanted to learn them but that wasn't my choice. Life hands everyone challenges and difficult situations and how we adapt to them and learn from them is our choice. I am choosing to do the best I can and take it a day at a time, a moment at a time. I am not always good at that, but I'm trying.

 



Basketball Awards

 

Emma was impressed with her trophy that she received for basketball awards. She hopped up when they called her name and marched up like she owned the place. I am so proud of her and I have to say, she is a great little ball player. She dribbles constantly in the house and Ashton has taught her some plays. She is constantly yelling "PBJ" when she is playing. I dont' exactly no what that play is and I don't think she does either but she looks adorable doing it.

 



Last Friday was transportation day at school. Last year Emma was a hot air balloon and poor Bo worked tirelessly on it. This year, he happened upon a really good deal at Toys R US and she was a horse and carriage for $2.50. Maybe not as creative but less time consuming and let's face, we are old parents and our goal is survival.

Go Big Orange!!

 

 

Well, I think the look on my boy's face says it all. He will be heading to orange country in the fall! GO VOLS!!

 



Basketball season has come and gone and it was a hit with this girl. They didn't have a particularly stellar season, but she had a blast and is already talking about playing next year. So now it's on to soccer, our first game is Saturday.

This is spring break week for us and I guess you could say we are having a "staycation". I know, it would be nice to be at the beach or Disney or anywhere at all, but it's also nice to be at home. Today Emma has 2 friends over and is enjoying the pretty day playing outside. The best thing, that doesn't cost a thing! Considering that in August we will have 2 children in college, then cheap is a really good thing!!!