Thursday, May 19, 2011

Ella is a Star!!!







Ella was honored by the City of Queen Creek as a Star Student last month. She got a certificate from the Mayor and dinner!!!!
We are so proud of her!!!!

Picture catch up time!!!!





Luke is 11. holy crap.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Late and Random

Well...this week was much more uneventful than last....no swearing crazy people yelling at my kid....and almost beating me up. ( I could have taken her!)
...just a regular week...but a good one...the LAST week of Tax Season!!!! woo hoo!
We are looking forward to our annual getaway....camping this time. I think it is going to be fun.
I want to update this more often...but I am so tired at night...I can only think of dumb random things to write about. like right now.
I can't stop thinking about how bad I want the Bare NAked LAdies to get back together. It just isn't right. cocaine or no cocaine...just get back together!
I had the same nightmare over and over last night. What is wrong with my brain? I would get up, go pee..come back and again...same dumb scary dream about me losing my luggage that had important things in it.
That better not happen again tonight.
If TIm Riggins is my boyfriend..does that mean I am unfaithful to my husband in my thoughts?
Good talks at Church today....one about marriage...and the faithful stuff.
Sadie hates being away from me. My fault..I hate it and kinda love it.
My best friend is 3. Does that make me a loser?
I wonder where we will live...it grosses me out to move into a rental knowing other people lived life in there. It is like a giant public bathroom. I get over it though. with lots of bleach.
My Dad is coming to visit. Hasn't been here in almost 6 yrs. Scared and excited. Glad he is alive.
I think we overwhelm people.
Hope tried out for Annie....she fell apart and cried with fear. She had to sing a solo....Seth took her. ( I kinda knew this would happen) Maybe this will get easier...maybe she won't want to do it anymore...not sure.
Luke is enjoying baseball....not liking the fact that his team is really small and probably won't win too many games. HE has great coaches that teach him....I am so grateful for that.
I hate when people spell grateful....greatful. I saw that three times today.
Ella and Sadie are obsessed with being babies right now...they even got out the old play pen and begged to sleep in it tonight, They asked if I would feed them apple sauce in it tomorrow. I said SURE!
Seth is wanting me off the computer.
See, I told you I should not blog at night!

peace!

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

smackdown in the Villages....almost!

Wow. Today was so weird.
Started it off normal....got the kids to school, got Ella to kindergarten....etc. Sadie and I did some shopping, and came home ready to make a delicious dinner.
Luke and his friend came into the kitchen as I was making the salad, saying there was a lady...the mother of another boy...who had been yelling at them..and had gotten into Luke's face and told him he didn't know who the F#$% he was dealing with. He said the real word. Then the friend says...And she got into her car and followed us calling us little SH#$S...and she is calling the F ING police.
??????
I was stunned. First... that an adult would say those things...and that my kid just said F#@$. twice. So....being the momma bear that I am...I got in my car and drove over there.
"If she hits me , call 911"
Really, Mom?
Yes. really.

Before I am even around my car, she is coming at me. yelling, accusing, swearing, telling me my kid is a bully, she is calling the cops, etc.
I was so calm. ( yes...ME!!!!)
I told her I was over there to find out what happened. She didn't need to talk to me like that.
She didn't like that....she is an f ing adult, and I better get off her property....etc. ( by now, she is in my face...like 2 inches from my face)
I looked down at the sidewalk that my feet were on and said. "I am not on your property , and you are welcome to call the police." When there is a incident with my kid...I get involved...I am trying to figure out what happened...which is what you should have done before chasing down kids in your car, swearing at that them. Seriously!????
It went in circles for awhile...I remained calm. ( I know...crazy!!!!)
She and her husband apologized for the language and the craziness.. just before the mother of the other boy shows up and it started all over again.
We got back around to apologies, and I asked if she could get her boy to come out for an apology. ( I really wanted to see the scuff marks all over him that the Mom said he had, that Luke swore could not have happened)
He had none.
I had Luke apologize for upsetting the boy in a football game. and told the boys I thought they were all good boys, none of them were bullys...and that they play at our house anytime. ( 5 mins after she told me that if she saw Luke anywhere near their house, she would call the police.) ( told you I was calm!!!!!)

Over all, it was so weird. Weird is not the right word. It was sad...it was kinda funny.....it was scary....and it was peaceful. That is how I know for sure Heavenly Father had a hand in how it all went down. I felt a calmness and an empathy for the family that I know was not from me alone.
I honestly think that my prayer this morning for good health and safety was answered. She was certainly capable of grabbing me by the hair and smashing my head against the curb..... just sayin.

The evidence of a Loving God is sometimes found in the strangest of places.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

I suck at blogging

Man! I am just too busy to have a blog. My list of things I never quite get to is getting very long these days...but I am trying not to let it get me down...there is something to be said for surviving.,..right?!!

We just got back from the Regional Spelling Bee. A little background.....Luke won his class bee, then was in the top 5 for his school....which got him to the District Bee. There he faced 4 - 8 grades!!!!! HE was the runner up!!! This qualified him for the Regional Bee today. We studied a bit....you know Luke...sports first, playing second, studies third....chores 80 bizillionish. :)
There were some hard core spellers there...whoa...I could not even have spelled half of their names! Luke ended up in the middle of about 30 kids. We are so proud of him....He was not so happy. He is so hard on himself. Poinsettia got him. I have always hated those ugly plants!

Seth finished up basketball season at McClintock...and we heard that the nasty coach from Higley that Seth did not want to work with was fired! Sounds mean....but I am happy for all of our friends headed to Higley High!
If is was a possiblity for Seth to love basketball more...he just might, after this season. He really enjoyed it and hopes for a head coach position next year. Can't say I am looking forward to the kids all by myself every night, but we survived.
Now it is tax season....soon to be renamed debt paying off season!!!! Lookign forward to our April 15th getaway!!!!

The girls are all great...Ella is loving kindergarten...she started dance and is loving it! Sadie is now going to dance class and one day a week of preschool. She can be found most days rockin' a tutu and ugg boots. ( panties optional)
She also goes to Sunbeams all by herself! ( I honestly thought I may be sitting in primary until she was 12!!!) ( with panties...most of the time...we keep a spare pair in the glove box of the car...just in case..... one time of discovering that Sadie's commando in the chapel, teaches you a valuable lesson )
Hope is busy with school, activity days and being my right hand! She is striving to get straight A's....as Grandma promises a lap top for anyone who gets straight A'a in the 4th grade! She is so helpful and fun to hang out with. She has been taking a ton of pictures with her camera she got for Christmas..and she is quite good!

Luke is about to start another season of baseball. We were unsure about this season until we got a call from our coach from last year.....Coach Contreras...who is coaching again and wanting Luke! We are all excited!
HE and I got to go to a Coyotes hockey game last week...courtesy of our awesome neighbor Kat! They were amazing seats..and hands down the best live game ever!!!! Our first shoot out...and the yotes got the win! We howled till we almost lost our voices!

I am in the process of starting my own little side business. I am taking care for Canadian's vacation homes for them while they are away. Stuff I can do with the kids or at night....I am really excited and hoping it grows!!!
I am still recovering from teh Winter Carnival that the PTO did at the kids school last week. IT was a lot of work...but a huge success and we made a lot of money!
There is an offer in on the house that may allow us to remain here are renters....we are waiting to see how it goes down! No more showings though!

All in all we are all healthly and well...and very blessed. I feel very blessed to be the Mom of these kids. Sadie is getting bigger every day and I am realizing that I may never have another one this small. It is sad and happy at the same time....independence is nice....but there really isn't anything better than the love these little ones give us, is there? At WalMArt the other day, a lady and her daughter dumped out a huge grocery bag of coins onto the road in front of the entrance. I had no kids with me...which is rare...so I stopped and helped them pick the coins up. We got to chatting on the ground...and she said she had 5 kids...I told her I had 4...and she practically yelled " WELL...STOP NOW......NO MORE!!!!!...really...NO MORE!!!!! ( in front of her kid)
I walked away from that feeling sad. Sad she would say that in front of her daughter...sad that she feels that way in the first place...and sad that she would offer that to me...in a yelling voice even!
After thinking about it on and off all day....I was reminded ( or in other words beaten over the head for the millionth time) that joy in motherhood...and life in general is something we have to choose....at least I do. I have no idea what brought that lady to those feelings..and I am no one to judge......but I know somedays really suck and being a mother can be a thankless job at times. I can look back on the last month and see little times when I think Heavenly Father has seen my struggles and has rooted me on...showing me that my hard work is paying off....in ways I can't always see on a daily basis. Seeing your child be compassionate...being a good sport....choosing to be unselfish...those kinds of things are the best gifts.

Kids rule. They teach me more than I teach them.



by the way...I had a birthday, turned 36 and am getting wrinkles and gray hair.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Tis the Season

It is that crazy time of year again! Hard to believe we had no idea where we were going to live and our lives were so up in the air this time last year. Unfortunately, the owners of the house we rent are short selling....so we will have to move again in 6 months. I am glad we don't have to move again around the holidays and the kids are able to finish out the school year. A perfect scenario would be that an investor buys the house and keeps us as renters....we have taken good care of the house....it looks better now than it did when we first got it.
Bad news is we have to show it......but it isn't too bad....we will deal!

Goodness...there is alot to update about.
My Dad is back in the hospital...with another surgery planned for Monday. The first on was a success....but took many hours longer than expected. I am worried to say the least. IT is hard to be so far away at times like this...when you really just want o be there and help out any way you can. Thank goodness for his wife Barb....he could not ask for a better nurse!

Luke: Let's see....he is leading his school in Battle of the Books....a little comptetion. HE won his class spelling bee and advanced to the school one. HE was 5th out fo everyone! I was very impressed....he was not happy. HE is so hard on himself. Luke looks forward to every Friday...when he attends ELP...the gifted program at his school. His teacher there is Mr. D. WE love him. Luke talks about him constantly and I can tell Luke has a role model to look up to. WE are so grateful that he gets Luke excited about learning...and cares for him...and treats him with respect. Great teachers change lives!!!!

Hope: Hope continues to grow up too fast. Already nine years old! She is very into clothes and jewelry and her hair....which sounds kinda self absorbed...which is the opposite of Hope. She is jut changing from a little girl.....eeeek!!!! I tell her she is going to make a fortune as a future babysitter...she is looking forward to that.

Ella: Ella is turning 6 on Monday. Time flies! I got a letter today from her teacher saying that Ella is being award the Student of the Month at her school tomorrow. We are keeping it a secret.....it will be fun to see her get that! She loves school and her teacher. She will be starting dance class in January...she is really looking forward to it. Our Ward split a couple of weeks ago....and she was devastated. She did not want to lose her teacher Sister Lee. She was an amazing teacher and friend to Ella! Ella even invited her to her birthday party! So cute!

Sadie: Said and I had the best day shopping and hanging out at the mall. She was just walking along, holding my hand saying the cutest things! She kept saying "Mom...I just love this place!" That's my girl! She also told me she liked how tall I was getting! ( maybe she meant fat!?)
It was one of those days where they make up for being so rotten sometimes. She is excited about Christmas...every time we see decorations she yells.."That's because Christmas is almost here!!" It is going to be a fun season with her this year!

Seth : He is still busy coaching at McClintock...I believe they just lost their first game of the season..only by a few. Seth thinks they will get better. HE is wrapping up his latest University of Phoenix class...and getting ready for busy season. He recently went into Luke's ELP class to dissect a SQUID!!!! They had a good time! I would have barfed for sure.

Me: Urgh...I don't feel like updating me. I am busy as usual....planning Ella's birthday, Christmas shopping, PTO, cleaning, komodo dragon projects, and trying to squeeze in some craftiness. Kinda digging Christmas so far. Tis the season!

Monday, November 1, 2010

a new adventure

Today marks the beginning of a new adventure for our family. Seth passed on a Higley High School basketball coaching position. IT was not a good fit for him as a person ...coach.....as a human being....don't get me started. He was sad about it....but it did not put out his desire to coach basketball. He recently signed on to coach at McClintock High School in Tempe. The coaching staff seem to really be there to make a difference in the lives of young boys and be role models for the rising generation. That compiled with his love of the game....Seth found the right fit. Tonight, he is at his first night of tryouts!
This adventure comes with a daily 3 hour time commitment, plus the drive to and from Tempe....on top of games, tournaments, etc. So....basically...no Seth in the evenings for the next 3 months. Tonight is our first night...and we are off to a good start. I think it won't be too bad...because Seth works from home 4 days a week...so we see him during the day. It would be an even bigger sacrifice if we were to not see him all day and night!
So.....fingers crossed this is everything Seth wants it to be!!!!! IT is s dream of his!

So other than that....I feel like if I were to update you all on the last week
I would depress the life out of all of you!!! I have one word for you: STREP. YUCK! We barely survived.

I will update later with pics of the Canada trip and the San Diego getaway...and maybe some Halloween!