New Goals for 2014

So the biggest thing I would like to be as a GOAL this year is, plan on doing things more with the kids.  One big thing once a month and something little once a week.  Like going to the beach, or the Aquarium, or fishing.  And little things, could be have a game night or puzzles, movie, baking.  I want to have it planned before we start the month so we have something to look forward to and if it cost money try to budget that in.

The other is for the Hubs and I to diet.  I am actually a happy weight kind of gal and normal it takes me a year to recover from being pregnant to being in pre-preggo days.  BUT I am over being preggers since I was pregnant back to back and I am tired of not having a lot of selection of clothes.  I have a great amount in each size from XS-L but im not even there yet.  Mostly in my hips and below.  

I would also like to plan something like a date night with the Hubs something similar to the once a month thing as with the kids.  To maybe something little like playing games with him.

Now something big that is possible that it may not even happen.  But I would love to make/sew things and have a big lot of it and have a space rented for a one time thing to sell maybe likes once a month.  I know somethings arent the best quality and somethings I do probably could be done better.  But  I think there are some select people that dont want to take the time to do it and would rather just buy it, plus its original you wont find these things in stores.  And Just maybe I'll take an online class or maybe not haha.  

Well here is to hoping for a great 2014!

Christmas part 2

So the day after Christmas we pretty much had the day alone,  I need to catch up on sleep and the toys needed to be put together and boxes gather to the trash. Plus the very next day we were to go to Steve and Chaz Foy's house to celebrate Christmas with them!  I stayed up the night before making that yummo Carrot Cheese cake this way it would be in the fridge for several hours before we left.

The day always escapes me.  Getting 5 kids ready and me always last!  What usually happens is I do half the work on getting everyone ready and E finishes with who ever I have first while I start on the next one.  TEAM WORK!  Then when all is done he starts to load everyone up while I finish getting dressed.  We made it in perfect timing to Steve's and Chaz's house.  We just enjoyed the company sat talked and watched the kiddos for awhile until everyone was there and then it was present time!  I think my lil loves got the best Christmas this year.  I cant even begin to express the love I have felt from all.  The kids got some awesome stuff from our newly found family Steve and Chaz. Plus E and I too!  I am so grateful that they think of us and include us, I felt so loved and important!

After the presents dinner started on the grill and we all enjoyed yummy snacks, sides, and hamburgers/hot dogs!!  After we were all full they started to do the fishing!  I was so worried Ryu wouldnt catch any and be disappointed and not want to do it ever again...BUT my lil man caught 2 fishes!!  Hailey enjoyed singing and danging with the other girls there and watching them catch fish too.  It was a fabulous night.  

I can say that there are some people that E is friends with that im not comfortable around just yet.  I am ok with him in the room but without him I have a semi panic attack which im pretty positive that they cant tell, well other then the room is pretty much silence.  But  I felt totally at home and relaxed.  You know where you could just open the fridge and get whatever you wanted instead of feeling the need to ask permission first.  Or if I was tired I could totally crash out there in one of the extra rooms.  (I cant just do that anywhere!)  Plus I dont sit there and look at the clock wondering when we are going home, time just flew by us!

Such a great day! ( Pictures are coutesy of Sara Templeton!!)

Christmas fun

We have been so busy that anytime that I had I sat my happy but down to relax!  Today is the start of our slow day and I dont even know where to being with our Christmas adventures!!

Christmas Eve..well the day started out with Christmas shows in the morning, then we played in the kitchen, making cookies and decorating them.  Then we had our ham dinner!  After dinner we went to look at lights.  We got into some Christmas PJ's drank hot chocolate (made by GiGi) and I read to them the Polar Express. ( we had watched that movie during dinner).  Afterwards when we got home the kiddos went to bed and E and I began to set up Santa's gifts.  Just as we were done, E's mom and step dad came to keep an ear out for the kids while E and I went to the ER.  I was very surprised that we were there for such a short time.  I really didnt wanna go...but I am forever grateful that my Husband insisted.  I had a spider bite that didnt agree with my body.  Nothing serious just got a prescription fill!  We ended up getting home a few minutes to midnight.

As soon as I started to drift off to sleep I heard a little mouse sneak into see what all of his Santa stash was.  After about 15 minutes of being extra quiet he went to tell Hailey Santa had come. Hailey came in talking as loud as she could doing that ooo and aaah's.  I finally had to tell them go get some more sleep so we could open presents later.  

We all woke at 7am and started opening the gifts under our tree.  I can not tell you how blessed we felt to have all those gifts under our tree!  I am so grateful that my sisters sent all those gifts to the kids.  After opening all the presents it was time to clean up and get our breakfast gathering under way.  E was busy outside flying helicopters outside with Ryu and Hailey her fairy.  I was in the kitchen getting our Breakfast casseroles made.  E's family arrived in perfected timing.  

The kiddos then got to open gifts again.  Well not just the kids us adults have a few things to open too!!  I cant begin to tell you how awesome my gifts were they meant a lot to me and to be able to have in my home now.  Another surprise and so grateful that E's family did as much as they did for me and mine.  What awesome gifts that they got to open from his brothers/sister and mom.  I forgot to mention here is the fabulous work of my husband and my no help, since I have no talent; gifts we made the family.

After our second round of opening of gifts we all drifted in the kitchen and started our breakfast!  As soon as breakfast was in done and everyone left...I totally crashed out while the Hubs started to put Hailey's kitchen together.  

As soon as I got up from my nap it was time to get going to E's aunts house for dinner!  We got to eat an amazing dinner and enjoyed everyone that was there and time just flew by us!  Then we got to have something very special take place.  Lyle and Virginia gave us a live performance!  It was so awesome to hear them play  I loved it!  After that there was more gifts to open.  It was then, that E and I were given something that is such an honor to have.  Aunt Marty gave us her mother's and step dad's wedding bands.  Such a treasure!

Well this was just the beginning of our Christmas week.  More to come in the next few days!

First Year of Marriage

I know that my gift to my Husband isnt flashy and It didnt cost me any money.  
But here it is:

Open When you want to look forward to the future
Open when you need to remember how much I love you
Open when  you need to smile at a memory
Open when you need to remember why I love you
Open when you Miss me
Open when your faced with something difficult
Open when your a Grump Butt
Open when you forget and need to be reminded dont change
Open when things just arent going your way
Open when you cant sleep
Open when you need to hear the words: I love you
Open before bed

I wrote 12 letters to my husband one for each month until we celebrate our next Anniversary.  Now I did get the idea from someone off pinterest.  I only used some of her open when statements but most of them are my open me thoughts.  Plus whats inside are all my words to him.

My lovely gift from him is soo beautiful I love my new flowers!

I am so grateful for my loving Husband.  I have no idea what i'd do without him in my life, he takes care of me in so many ways and puts my needs first and I know how important I am to him.  I love the day we decided to be married on.  This day 3 years ago was the first time I saw him in years and now this day for the rest of our lives will always be spent with family.  I love my Prince Charming!

Rolling over babies!

I can officially say we have twins that roll over to there bellies!!  So proud and happy my girls have reached a milestone!

So here we are another holiday has creeped upon us.  And with that we tend to get to busy to blog or post status updates.  Lets see.  I picked up Ryu from school Friday, his teachers last day of school.  I worry who his new teacher will be for the rest of the year.  I am beyond upset that his teacher started out the year only to retire half way through.  So hopefully I will stay on top of doing a little worksheets of math and doing some reading while we are on Christmas break.  Here is my sweet Clara girl while we wait to get Ryu.

I also decided to try out making a fancy bow out of wrapping paper and here is the fancy work super easy!!  Its on a Apple Pie I made for my FIL dad.

The things they say...the things they do

I am trying to keep up with some of the cutest things my kids say to write in my blog at some point.  A couple weeks back Ryu and I were talking about some of the kids in his class.  I was then informed he had already had a girlfriend but they broke up.  She broke up with him because she would rather be friends.  And the way he told me was with a carefree attitude like thats ok because there is another girl I like haha.

Hailey told me today while I was doing laundry that Diesel doesnt know yet but there is a Santa and Diesel needs to learn so that he starts to be good before Santa gets here. --Hmmm I wonder if I need to get him a stocking from Santa now..

Clara  I am pretty sure we have a child that will love taking some type of dance class.  Anytime she hears music-tv, radio, even from our cell phones she starts to dance!

My twins.  Well lets see I now can tell you that since E claims Gemma to be my girl I have tried harder to give her attention.  Guess who started to be a cry baby...Skyler.  Ok well that may have been my fault.  Have you ever tried everything you could think of to calm your crying baby and feel like are a terrible mother because you cant seem to know why they are crying..well thats when you sit down and think of what it could be.  I think not wet diaper I dont think she is teething or sick and its only been 2 hours since she ate and they go 4...well DUH mama she is still hungry its time to up her formula by an ounce.  So now Skyler is back to being happy and now Gemma is less of a cry baby bc mama is giving her attention.  Skyler is happy to hear my voice.  Skyler is now an expert at grabbing things.  She grabs at whatever she see's, she holds on to my hands and holds tightly on to her bottle (she isnt coordinated enough to hold the bottle yet)  Gemma grabs at things too but she isnt as interested as Skyler.

Things to come

This coming week is the last week of school before the winter holidays!  I need to gear up and be ready for no school for my lil guy for 2 weeks!  I need to stay on top of doing some type of school work for the big kiddos.

This last weekend the Hubs went on a camping trip.  I wished I could have gone!  But we have 5 kids and the twins are just to much work to do with asking someone to watch the kiddos just for me to go too.  But I wanted to go.  I am a camp type gal.  I loved doing girls camp with the church.  That is one of my favorite memories growing up. But I know that we will have some camping trips to go on and I think Hailey and Ryu are at a good age to take them so it wouldnt be so hard on someone to keep 3 kiddos!  Something to think and plan on in the future. 

Something to think about.  I look forward to the start of the new and some goals to set for the year.  I shall write a blog on the first of the year of all my goals =)

So I have a lot of things that happen around this time of the year.  Well Christmas, Wedding Anniversary and then Hailey's Birthday!  So Christmas is done I have nothing left that needs to be done or worry about.  90% of the gifts are wrapped.  Just waiting on a few minor things that should be done today or tomorrow.  Then there is my first year Anniversary!  What to do what to do.  I havent thought about it and I need to start.  I LOVE PINTEREST.  Such an awesome site to help come up with crafts and ideas.  So I am lame and didnt really know about the first year gift is something paper.  So now I have something to work with!  I searched some more and found something else on pinterest that I am soo gonna do!  Now the idea is all from this girls blog on pinterest but whats gonna be inside will be all me!  I cant wait to start working on it.  Of course gals and guys I will definitely post the final product once I give them to him =)

Then there will be Hailey's 5th Birthday!  I cant believe she is going to be 5!  I cant wait to celebrate with everyone her birthday!  I need to start planning that after I finish up the Anniversary gift.  That way people can start planning to attend her party!

Just another day

Either I am getting old...or I have dryer skin here in Florida.  My mom told me to get some night of Olay.  I remember her using this when I was a little girl.  I loved the smell of it and always wanted to use it! Is it weird that im excited to start using this because I remember the smell growing up.

Here is a picture of my sweet lil guy during our nightly reads. Tonight he gets the privilege of reading a story off my kindle!

Yesterday we started to work on our craft skills for Ethan's families gifts.  Uh yeah I tried and its one of those you desperately want to do it but realize you just have no skill.  So yes this one is 99% Ethan making.  He is superior on this, but hey it was my idea and I did help paint the backing..lol will post pictures after it has been given!  But I am soo happy we started on it I love that Ethan and I do things together like this.

I forgot to mention in my last post about the twins!  They are sleeping through the night!  Well this is what I consider through the night.  Last feeding is at 10pm and the next is 6am.  I do have to get up a time or two to put a passy in there mouth or cover them.  But we have being sleeping through the night for a little over a week.  I swear I didnt think the girls would sleep through the night until much later since its difficult to entertain two at once.  Now to work on more tummy time.  I have been lacking on doing that with the "reflux" issue and time gets away from me so Im making a goal to try to do more.  I find it funny that when they were born I just automatically got closer to Skyler. The first time I saw her after having her (this was in NICU) when I spoke she opened her eyes and looked at me.  When I went to Gemma and spoke to her she cried.  But I guess that could have been a cry of love your finally here..lol  But I just couldnt help feel more from Skyler because of her responses.  The minute E looks and talks to Gemma she stops being quiet.  He has been able to get her to eat better and faster then I.  So I told E Gemma is his girl and Skyler is mine.  Boy has that changed.  Skyler looks so much more like Clara and so far seems to have a personality like Clara the happy smiles.  E now claims Skyler, why bc Gemma is our cry baby so she is now mine haha.  Aside from our cry baby I couldnt be happier to have a partner that loves our children. 

So far this month

One of the great things about having a tree is the twins love the lights!  Dad and I have decided that Skyler is going to be a lot like Clara.  Not just in looks but personality wise.  She is a happy baby.  My poor Gemma is a cry baby though.  Its harder to get a smile out of her.  Which my mom says I was just that as a baby.  But as of the last few days both girls are teething!  Can we say double YIKES!  The first tooth to pop are always the hardest on my babies.  I know it will be a few months before they get them.  But we are having a temp, diaper rash, and eating fist right now.

Some days more then others my sweet Clara is so loving.  She just wants to cuddle and be loved on.  I am grateful she is starting to listen and understand "No" when she gets into things that she shouldnt be. 

Well I decided this year that the big kids can get presents for each other.  This morning we took Hailey and she kept getting upset she couldnt buy herself something.  She just doesnt want to wait for Christmas.

I love Christmas time and I am just as excited for the rest of the gifts to come in the mail and I am like Hailey I want the kids to open them NOW!  But I also love the excitement for the kids to wake up Christmas morning to see what Santa and the Elves brought them. 

I love the Christmas traditions some new and old that we have started.  My mom, she would tell us to leave our shoes out for the Elves to leave chocolate golden coins.  With Ethan's family they have the pickle ordainment.  Then there is reading Christmas books Christmas Eve and going to look at the lights while drinking hot chocolate.  

Plus this year we are in a different house, a different state, and we will spend it with Ethan's family instead of mine.  (We hope that next year we will be spending it in Texas!)

December-Tis the season!

Tis the season!  So I have and try to resist the decorating and bringing the tree out until December 1st.  So we have our tree out.  However no decor on it yet.  I decided with Clara in a curious stage and the love to sticking things in her mouth that we would wait until about a week until Christmas to put up the decorations.  The hubs spent some time outside with our lovely decorations made by my brother in law.  We need to get more lights for him to hang on the house but its more then I have ever had on my own place.  The hubs repainted the fire place so its now time to get the kiddos stockings put out.  I still need to order Clara and the twin's stockings so they can be hung too.  We have a few cold days but none that I need my big puffy jacket scarf or gloves.  Some days are good enough to want some hot chocolate.  I cant wait until its the week of Christmas and getting to see the Christmas lights out and reading Christmas stories and snuggling up watching Christmas movies!  I love Christmas time.  I just hope that it turns out to feeling like the holidays since we are far from my family.

Date night to Turkey day

Its been awhile since I have had an update!  Well my charming and I actually got to have a "date night"!  Its been since our first visiting of seeing each other in years.  All possible because of his mom! We got to have a fancy dinner and go see the newest Hunger Games.  I have been procrastinating to read it, just because I wasnt really moved by the first one, but I really just want to read it just because they made it into a movie.

I told E this guy must be really bored only doing this for cooking and his arms must get tired!  It was interesting to see him cook and it tasted delicious.

Thanksgiving.  Well it wasnt the same, but it we were with family!  We had lots of yummy things, a lot of things we would never had with my mom and sisters.  Oh and my first time having fried turkey!  It was fun to watch and I loved seeing my Hubs getting his hands in the kitchen too. (altho this is nothing knew he and I always work in the kitchen together making our meals)

We ended up staying at his brothers a few extra days then we had planned.  E is helping set up Harolds Grooming shop.  I loved watching and so did the kids.  I think man I am so blessed to have a man that knows how to handle a hammer!  I cant wait to see it all finished up.  Wished I had snapped a few more pictures!

 

Weekly cooking adventures!

I decided that I better limit my cooking ventures to once a week or so or each post maybe of food!!  Last night we made another great meal!  As usually its me that starts it and the Hubs that finishes it. (sometimes the other way around)  We made pork chops some greens and Mac & Cheese noodles.  I have no found the only way I will make a Mac & Cheese.  If your a cream cheese lover you'd like it too.  Last nights meal was one of those nights that we looked around our kitchen and just threw something together.  I had a half a block of Velveeta and a block of cream cheese.  I cut those up threw them in with the  noodles with some heavy cream.  Man that was the bestest Mac!!  And of course the Hubs boiled the chops and it is the only way to make these.  They have so much flavor and are so juicy!  The seasoning part is one of those packets of Hidden Valley Ranch, I had a them marinating in the fridge for a hour or so before we actually cooked them.  They taste good even if you dont have a chance to have them soaking in the seasoning.

We love fresh french fries.  Its actually been a while since we have made some.  I have been going through some of my pinterest boards and wanted to try this out.  So I started it out 11/20.  You have to soak them for 3 days.  I cant wait to taste these babies!

We love fresh french fries.  Its actually been a while since we have made some.  I have been going through some of my pinterest boards and wanted to try this out.  So I started it out 11/20.  You have to soak them for 3 days.  I cant wait to taste these babies! So we tried out these fries today...I opened the jars and man it stunk! I rinsed these babies an d still fried them. So the anticipation was fun the fries not so good. very crunchie outside a little to crunch and not an over cooked type of crunch. oh well!

I have been wanting to make this Oatmeal cookie for several months now!  This week going to the store I made sure to get all I needed just for this baby!  OMG heavenly tasty.  Now I have finally found the it in this Oatmeal cookie.  Never will I ever make another oatmeal cookie any other way!  I wish my aunt was still here.  Oatmeal cookies were her favorite!  Every summer i'd come to see her we would make oatmeal cookies from the "JOY" book.  Here is the blog I got it from (off pinterest)

Oatmeal cookies 

(I also added raisins to it, I mean come on thats just weird to me not to have raisin in an oatmeal cookie! Ok I know there are the few that dont like them but I didnt put a lot in there to be a big noticeable thing)

Fun Night

We decided that the kids need more of a family night.  Mostly in honor of Ryu.  He works so hard at school all day and then has to come home to work hard on homework that he just had so much on his plate we were starting to see it take a toll on him.  So last night was our night!  We all ate in the living room and watched Monsters University!  It was such a cute movie.  I also have to say it was Clara's first tv attention ever, she even laughed at a few parts.  I now want to go and buy this!!  Afterwards we got the PJ's and baths done and ended the night with playing Go-Fish.  Daddy won...Ryu second place and Hailey and I last!!  It was a fun night for us.

I am starting to go down on my energy again!  Gah I started pushing myself with Iron again.  I am such a lacky on that one.  I have to tell myself not to want to curl up back in bed every morning.  I need me an energy pick me up!

Hailey is such a great sister to her baby sisters.  She loves to be a mother to them.  She helps me in so many ways with each of the girls.  This morning she insisted on getting her pillow pet for Gemma.  

Tomorrow Ryu's school is holding a Powwow for the kinder and first.  Then they are out for Thanksgiving for the week!  I am going to need to get in gear and print out a few math and writing fun for him to do all week so we do not fall back! 

All in a day for me!

Well not a lot of news to share as of lately.  I have been still doing my cooking thing just about everyday, trying new things and seeing what I like and knowing what to do different the next go arounds.  Yesterday my cousin posted a chocolate Banana bread.  Sure was tasty.  After slicing a piece I realized what it needed.  Next time ill put some walnuts in it!

I am trying to be better at providing my Hailey girl some "homework" everyday this week.  I have printed out a bunch of worksheets for her.  I need to order her a work book. She loves her homework.  

Clara had her 1 year check up this week (yes a whole month later lol)  She is 19lb and 30 inches.  She took her shots like a champ just making her faces at the lady.  She gets her toughness from her daddy and her expressions from me.  She is in a curious stage.  Every once in awhile you will see her go look at the baby twins.  As we speak she is bend over Gemma, she took Gemma's passy out and is now trying to put it back in her mouth. She knows a few more words now.  She says "Ryu" "Hailey" "ew" "look" "no" "daddy" "dada" "mama" I am sure ill remember a few more later after posting this..

I am ready to start up my craftness, sewing projects for Christmas gifts.  Although with what I have in mind I need some materials that I do not have!

Besides the baking craftiness I have a love for books.  I finished another one of my books last night.  It brought me to my very first books.  I remember having a love for books from when I was younger.  I loved the Beverly Clearly books and The American Girl series.  (to my sister I suggest you maybe get these books for Allison since she is an American girl fan, it may get her to love to read!  I think it would be her age level read (I think I was her age when I read them))I remember my Aunt feed my love for these books all the way up til she passed and a few of my trips to Barns and Nobles were with my other Auntie who still feeds my love for books.  But now as an Adult.  I have to tell you my all time favorite books.  I will never hesitate to tell anyone what it is.  If I could force you to read this series I would!  I have to tell you that I would never have read these series if it had not been for my sister Stacey.  Infact she has been the one to introduce a few great books.  DUm DuMm dum ok the book is Called Emeralds and Espionage by Lynn Gardner. In fact I think Ill just re-read this next for the millionth time!  

cooking

Its been months since I have actually gotten to bake or create in the kitchen.  I didnt realize how much I missed cooking until this last week.  Cooking is one of the things that make me ME.  I love to bake so much that if ANYONE wants me to bake then something fabulous I would do it.  If I could invite someone to dinner everyday just to have the excuse to cook a meal and bake a dessert I would.

I love pinterest.  Before pinterest days my sister would look in our fridge for brand names and look at there website for some recipes to try.  Thankfully for pinterest I have so many neat things I want to try out.  I have decided I want to try to make something new every week that I have already pinned (if not more then once a week!)

This week I have made a cabbage soup, potato soup, a roast, key lime pie, and pretzels!  Not a thing we didnt like!

I found it super suprising that my Ryu thought the Cabbage and Potato Soup was by far the best thing I have ever made.  My kid is picky!  Now he ate the Roast but I didnt hear any raving reviews from him this time lol.  And he definitely didnt want to try the pie Hailey took a bite and said its to sour.  Now one that wouldnt complain is Clara she ate that faster then a dog cobbles down steak!  So I need to keep note on what Ryu likes that I bake since he doesnt care for many meals but will eat anyways lol.

Just a few shots of what I made this week.  (the pic of the soup isnt the final product thats about half way done with it)

Life

Everyday I strive to be a better mom.  I wanna be that fun cool mom and that mom that has those fresh baked cookies to snack on when the kids walk in the door.  Although I dont do that cookie thing everyday and im sure im not as cool as I want to be.  

I never thought I'd have as many kids as I do now.  But I love each one of them.  I look forward to the twins getting bigger though.  I worry to much about there episodes and its hard to haul each of the kids to the store.  Well we havent tried to do that.  I hope we dont have to either!

I have to admit sometimes I hate living here and sometimes I love it.  Some of the down falls Ethan and I have I try my hardest not to think..if we still lived in Midland this wouldnt happen.  Point is I really dont know if it would or not and  I am happy to have left Midland.  But at the same time Midland holds so many memories its hard to start making new ones somewhere else.  And mostly the only reason I miss Midland is that is where my sister is.  Ok I miss the root beers there and the weather.  I envy the cold season Midland is having right now.  (even tho I hate the winter I stand tall loving my Texas heat no matter how hot and uncomfortable it gets)  Plus I think it will take me awhile to adjust to things that are different here. 

 Random fact..at gas stations here you cannot only get slurpee like you can just about any other gas station, you can also get a bag of peanuts (like all kinds boiled in different flavors) like bags like pop corn kinda bags...weird huh..haha

So I forgot to mention one of the things we did this last weekends was spending time at Virginia's (Ethan's mom) and I got to be apart of something I miss of my family.  Sharing stories of when we were younger.  I got to hear some of the stories of Ethan's dad.  I absolutely love hearing these stories.  It makes me feel like I am apart of this family and laugh together.  It also makes me miss his dad.  I wonder if that is far to say since we didnt get to know each other.  The only way I know him is from the days when he taught us during Sunday School.  I am extremely grateful that I at least have those memories of him.

Family is everything to me.  My best days here have been surrounded by family.

10 Weeks

The girls are now 10 weeks.  I cant believe time flying by us and feel so blessed we are surviving!  Yesterday they had there 2 mo check up.  Which means the girls got a round of shots!  The other kids have never had a reaction to shots but my poor Gemma sure did.  She would hardly eat and then at 2 am she refused to eat and actually threw up what she had four hours before.  I was so worried about my sweet girl.  Plus with a fever.  But here we are hours later and she is doing much better and eating again.  So the girls are 21 inches in length and Gemma weighs 8lb 11oz and Skyler weighs 9lb 15oz. My Sky she kept trying to turn over while the Dr was checking her eyes and ears out.  She is ready to roll baby!!

One thing I have gotten use to is there cries.  One tends to always be crying while Im feeding the other.  I sure wish there were two of me but maybe this will teach the girls patience early lol.  I dont think I  can say enough how much I love the girls smiles.  Moments like these I cant believe I have two babies at ones.  Such  a blessing I never thought I'd get the pleasure to experience.

Birthday

Today is my honey's birthday!  This is our 3 year together celebrating!!  We have had a fun few days celebrating with all the family.  This kids woke up him up this morning with the cards they worked very hard on.

My Prince charming.  I am so lucky to be spending this day with him and many more.  I love waking up at any time of the night knowing he is right beside me.  I have known E since we were in the 5th grade.  We were 10.  I wont forget the days of him getting on the bus.  Me already seated looking out the window.  Then I hear nothing but silence I look up and I already know why.  Ethan Huchton has just walked on the bus and every girl has stopped talking/holding there breathe to see who he will sit with.  Well I wasnt one of them I knew he'd never sit with me.  Although I thought he was the most mysterious attractive male I knew I'd never get the chance to date him.  I knew I wasnt on him radar of girls to date.  So I never day dreamed of the impossiblity.  I remember the first few real conversations with  him.  I was dating his friend Ray Henry.  Ray and Ethan would come up together to talk before school started.  One day Ethan came with out him and asked me why I didnt wear make up.  I told him I didnt really have an answer IDK I just never thought about it.  He then said you should you would look prettier with make up on and walked away.  Now I know most girls would have been totally crushed but I knew he was right.  So I started to wear make up.  After that conversation days/weeks later Ray calls me E is hanging out and E gets on the phone talks to me and then I hear him say "dude your right she sounds way hotter over the phone!" again Im sure most girls would have been crushed but I thought to myself he is right.

I remember when myspace was real big and I friended him.  He never chatted with me then.  But then he came into my life.  I asked him to be my friend on FB and I had no intentions of ever chatting with him.  I was sure I was a forgotten memory he'd prolly have no clue who I was.  But he messaged me and we instantly started to talk.  If you know me I am a text kind of person.  E would call I wouldnt answer.  Sometimes when I was bored and the kids were playing or sleeping I'd answer and for some reason hours would pass.  Before I knew it I loved him.  I didnt expect that.  I for the longest time saw him as just someone to talk too.  I wasnt going to let myself day dream he lived in FL I was in TX.  He came when I needed him the most he had so much patience to help me through such a hard time in my life.  He is my rock he never gave up on me.

Now here we are in FL with 5 kids and I cant picture our life without him.  We have such good memories together laughing and smiling.  He is the best father to all of our kids.  He is made for me and I am made for him.  So here is to one of the many birthdays we will get to celebrate. Happy Birthday to my prince charming.  I love you.

Dinner

Yesterday was such a fun day although by the time it at all took place I was so sleepy...I should have taken me a mini nap!

Well before the Hubs went to the store we searched pinterest for a dinner we wanted to make and a dessert.  We decided on a dinner my sister said she made and it came out fabulous.  A chicken fajita cooked in the over. And since we were doing a Mexican dinner charming wanted to make his mom's Pico de Gallo.
Hubs took the girls to the store and I cleaned up the house, swept, mopped, dishes, laundry and the what nots.  Once he got home we got right to chopping!  That night we'd have his mom, step dad, brother, and his husband over for dinner.  This took place because my lil man requested to eat dinner with GiGi.

After we were done chopping we but together the dinner and charming went to go get lil man from school while I feed the girls.  As soon as I was done with that Hailey and I went straight to baking the dessert we picked from pinterest as well!  And boy did it turn out super fabulous.  My picky boy even ate it up!  Carrot Cheese Cake

After all said and done we had great company and a good time together.  Kids got to enjoy there Uncles and GiGi and Poppy.  

My Girls

I am sure a few are wondering and a few already know.  I figured instead of repeating this over and over again its just easier to explain it on here.

As I have mentioned in one of my blogs, the girls have these episodes.  It can occur as little as 5 minutes after eating and as late as 3 hours (right before next feeding).  What happens is I hear a yelp and there face is red turning purple and there eyes start to bulge out, they arch there backs and cant get air into there lungs.

There pediatrician had us on some Med's and thicken feeds.  That didnt change these episodes so he sent us to a Gastrointestinal Specialist.  When we went to the appointment they wanted to run some tests on the girls that required them to be admitted.

The first test ran was a ph probe. It was to see how to determine the amount of acid reflux in there esophagus.  It takes 24 hours.  This test came out negative.  So they wanted to run another test.

This test was done with the Pulmonologist.  He did a sleep test.  Which is done at night.  They only had one machine available so Skyler did it the first night and Gemma the next night.  This test was to determine if the girls are holding there breathe or if there brain isnt telling them to breathe.

So after this test was done we were released.  We are to see this specialist within 3 weeks to go over the test results.  The results should be in this week.  If there is something of concern they will contact us sooner.  They also sent us home with apnea monitors.  These monitors track there breathing and heart rate.  They will be on this for a month (when we go to the Pulmonolgist we will see if they need to continue to be on them)

We still need to follow up with the Gastro Doctor as well in 2 weeks.

All the days blurred into one day for me there.  Honestly I wasnt stressed or scared while staying there with the girls.  I have dealt with these episodes for awhile now its just part of life now with them.  I was happy being there, knowing we would get something done and find some type of answer for these episodes.  I never left there room.

While there I got to see my girls give me smiles through all there testing.  I grabbed a picture of Sky smiling but I never could get to my phone fast enough to get one of Gemma.

 I had volunteers come to my room everyday that I was there.  They were so awesome.  One of the ladies brought two Halloween balloons.  And another lady come to play music (she played the harp).

 A few of the stinkers while there was there stinkin foot monitors these girls are such movers and kickers I eventually gave up trying to get them to stay on and just toned out the beeping.  The other thing I had a hard time watching was then taking there temp by sticking it in there booty.  OUCH.

the last few days

I know I am lucky I havent lost many loved ones in my life, but the ones I have were the most important people in my life.  I am glad I havent experienced many, which means I have grown up and still have many wonderful people through out my life.  SO I dont have many missing pieces that need to be filled.

Finally starting to feel better about the girls.  Its scary when they cant seem to get enough air in there lungs and they arch there backs and I cant get them to suck air in fast enough or comfort them enough and it wares them out!  Gemma was getting worse then Skyler. Athough it started to happen to Skyler first Gemma's spells were a lot worse.  She seems to be a Daddys girl already.  When Daddy is home he can comfort her when its just me the breathing issue last longer.  So Friday we had another Doctor visit.  We have medicine for both girls now and another doctor looking into there issue.  I am so thankful I have been alert and there for them when there are going through the cant breathing spell and not in another room or outside.  I am hoping I never have them both doing it at the same time and im without their Daddy.  They are growing soo quickly and I have to admit that Gemma is now starting to look more and more like her sister!

This last weekend.  Nothing was planned and I kept waiting to hear E tell me he was gonna go fishing or go hang with the guys.  Instead I woke up to him rearranging the house.  We spent most of the day cleaning and moving things to making the house seem more open and inviting.  We also had one of his brothers stop by.  First time they saw the girls.

Sunday we went to the Flea Market.  My very first time.  Some of the things there looked like a garage sell type and others looks like ppl went and bought things that were at the end of season and got it for very very cheap and try to sell in there.  Pretty cool and interesting.  We went with E other brother and his husband.  After the Market they took the kids to get a costume and E and I went home to fry up some squash to go with our pulled pork lunch that we enjoyed the company of Warren and Harold.  I however crashed out shortly when they went to find Ryu's costume.

Yesterday was just as fun!  We went to eat at E moms house for Pumpkin Meat loaf.  We actually had a lot of pumpkin to our meal.  We had a salad with pumpkin seeds and Harold brought over a delicious pumpkin cake!  We did the pumpkin meat loaf last year in Midland and its definitely something I wanna do every year!  (this tradition comes from E's family) after we had our awesome dinner, we carved pumpkins.  Such a fun night!! 
(altho I didnt grab a picture of the meat loaf this picture below is off google looks very similar to the one we had last night)

My Daddy

I am sad that I do not remember what it was like for my dad to live with us.  For me all I remember was our weekend visits. It was shortly after Heather was born that my mom and dad separated (so around age 3 for me)

My Dad was a truck driver.  We lived in Midland and he lived in Odessa.  My mom would either meet him at a truck stop or he would come get us from Midland.  We girls would always fight who got to sit in the front seat with him, we eventually took turns each weekend.  We had a routine.  On the weekends we spent with him each Friday we would go to Walmart.  My Dad had been gone from his house so he wouldnt have food.  So we would get food from the store.  Ever Friday we would eat the same meal.  He'd get a roasted chicken and french bread and we would watch X-files.  After watching our "show" we would stay up listening to our dad tell us stories that we all desperately tried to stay up to listen to, but would fall asleep to our dad's voice.  Now looking back sometimes I wonder if the stories were real or away to teach us life lessons.  One of the stories my daddy told us was that we were a pack of wolves and in the pack of wolves they stick together and how we all need to stick together.  Or he told me that I was the owl of the family.  That owls sit and observe and know all secrets and that I need to learn to keep others secrets.

Going to my dad's house on the weekends were such cherished memories and something we looked forward too.  I feel bad for my little sister because she doesnt remember any of those times.  We stopped getting to see our dad when we were around 8-9.  The reasoning behind that is a story I wont share.  But know that my dad and mom would have kept up the weekend visits.  We tried to go see our dad once a year on Thanksgiving if he wasnt out hauling pipe.  We would beg our mom to let us take a plate of our thanksgiving feast to him.  Sometimes not very often I am not even sure it was every year, my dad would call the house.  And he would talk to us girls like nothing had changed it was him giving us advise about things.  Sometimes it seemed like some how when he called it would be the right time when we needed to hear his voice or get the advise he gave.

The last memory of our dad was him taking us girls to dinner at the Olive Garden.  I think my dad was the owl on this visit.  He sat there and listen to all of our chatters.  I miss those nights where we would stay up just to listen to his stories.

The year my dad died.  I kept having dreams that we wouldnt know he had passed away and would find out in a newspaper.  One night I got a call from my Aunt.  I remember saying out loud something is wrong my aunt wouldnt call this late.  Thats when she told me she had been on the phone with my mom and that someone was beeping on her other line.  It had been my dad's sister.  My dad lived on his brothers property and he hadnt seen my dad in a few days and found him.  We dont know why or how he died.  Other then he looked to have been asleep.  By the time we found out that an autopsy wasnt going to be done by the city it was to late for us to have one done.  We thought it had been related to a fall.  My dad had been on workers comp due to a fall he had.  He was climbing his later up to his cab and slipped and hit his head.  He didnt have any life insurance and if we could have proved his death was from that fall, his work had life insurance but since the brain is the first to go all we would have gotten from an autopsy is "it could be but I cant say for certain" So it was up to his daughters and our mom to pull together funds for the funeral.  However his boss covered the funeral expenses for him  (one of the nicest things to have been blessed upon us girls)

My daddy.  One of the things I miss the most is sometimes to make us laugh.  He'd say rink a dink a doo and wiggling his finger to touch our noses.  

This is my daddy fast asleep while my twinky and I play right beside him.

I have to touch on my Husband's dad.  I met him but I didnt really know him.  He was one of my Sunday school teachers.  But he was the world to Ethan.  I have heard so many great stories and adventures he and Ethan had together.  From all the stories I have heard I wished I had had something close to that growing up.  He'd make something out of nothing. E misses the jokes and pranks he'd pull and his view on life and the world.  E says he misses his polish sandwiches and his nacho's. He misses working with him and going camping with him.  How he passed away is a story reserved just for E to tell. But one thing I can say is he hates the fact it was him that found him.  In a lot of ways it changed his whole life when his dad died.  The world lost someone amazing.  Below is a picture of E dad, his sister Kate and E wearing glasses like his dad. (already trying to be just like his daddy)

 

My Tia

My Aunt.  I am one of the few lucky people who can say I had the chance to have a special bond with my Aunt.  Her name...Ruthie.  Those that were close with her know her as fufi.  Ok well those of us that knew her as a baby couldnt say Ruthie we said fufi.  Even when we knew how to say her  name she was still fufi.  She was my second mother.  She was a grandma to my children.

I dont like talking on the phone.  I am a text type of person.  I can express myself in the written form so much better.  There are really only two people im good with having a conversation about nothing with. That is my sister Stacey and Ruthie.   See she lived 24 hours away from me.  I lived in Texas she lived in California.  So we had to call to talk to each other.  When we didnt have much money and there wasnt any specials on the whole long distant calling we had to limit our calls to once a week every Sunday.  But that all changed and I talked to her everyday hour or two would go by and we were still talking away.  Who knows really what are conversations were about we could easily talk to each other.  If I didnt know something she would.

She told me that my mom came to live with her when I was about 6 months old.  And that she would help my mom get me in the middle of the night.  Ever since then I would go see each every year every summer until she passed away.  There are soo many things that she taught me.  Part of my personality I got from her.  She had a room we all called the work room.  Its where we learned to make crafts and sew. She was the one who really got us to go to church.  During the summers we would make all sorts of crafts.  Anything you needed to make a craft with she had in her work room.

Honestly one post couldnt not be enough to tell the person she was to me.  I was going through such a hard emotion time in 2010.  Well towards the end.  Which was towards the end of her days.  We didnt know it.  I went to see her during an unusual time frame from Aug- Oct.  Towards the end of my stay there she started to lose her vision in one of her eyes.  I remember her worrying that if she lost her vision in one of her eyes she wouldnt be able to drive.  That thought was so depressing for her.  She went to the eye dr and they didnt know what was going on.  She started to go see the eye dr every week because it was so unusual she got second opinions and more opinions and they couldnt figure out what it was.  It got so bad that she ended up in the hospital.  But we still talked everyday.  I knew she was gonna be ok and they'd get her better.  I remember even talking to her in the hospital.  They thought it was the west nile at first. But in the end it was cancer that took her from us.  She had gotten her check ups to see if it had come back and the tests came back negative, they did spinal taps and still couldnt figure it out.  Some how they figured it out to late.  The cancer had gone to her brain.  I keep thinking how could I have not figured that out.  I mean her eye brain...well I wasnt the only one the Dr didnt know either and at the point of finding out she was so weak she couldnt take the treatment.  My mom had gone to be with her for a short time before she passed. She told my mom (her being so weak she was in and out of consciousness and sometimes talking in a daze or a dream state) but she had told my mom to tell the girls to pray for each other because each of us were dealing with something we had not told each other.

She was right.  I was dealing with something.  Something it took me awhile to tell my family.  My then Husband had asked me for a divorce.  I couldnt tell anyone.  I am the type of person that doesnt like to show my pain or much emotion.  I hate burdening people.  And it was the worst time to tell anyone.  Everyone was dealing with such a hardship of Ruthie in the hospital to her passing away that alone was devastating.  I do have to clearify this post isnt about Justin.  But I was in no way at fault.  He had been in training for the National Guards.  Lets just say he came home from christmas with another womens name tattoo to his arm.  I also just want to state that I still tried to keep our marriage together.  In the end it was out of my hands.  Back on track here..I find it amazing that through so much pain she still knew that we needed her and told my mom to tell us to pray for each other.  My mom told us all this after she had passed.  Just hearing that brought so much love to me after she was gone.

Those of us that she has touched have forever been changed.  Our life isnt whole anymore.  When I close my eyes the memories I have come flooding flooding back to me.  I see us as my children's age sleeping on her sleeper sofa and she is reading to us stories.  I see us asking her to build us a fort and she make this amazing fort in her living room for us.  I see us sneaking in her room and her opening her arm up for us to crawl in bed beside her, and my aunt Steffie come to bring us all breakfast in bed. I see us going outside to water her flowers and her garden we all loved.  I see her playing her bagpipes or the drum marching down the street.  I see her taking us to the county fair every summer.  I see us dancing in her house.  This is me hugging Ruthie and my sister singing into the broom (what u cant see is her pup is chasing the broom, he had his own broom too)

The people that are gone

Late at night I always go over the things that I did that day its away I fall asleep.  I thought of all the things I wanted to blog about and most times by morning I forget..lol  I also thought that this blog is for a lot of people to get to know who I am and for my family that isnt close to where I live.  Some of which do not know of the people who arent in my life anymore.  So I decided that the next few days I'd write about those people.

I do not have any grandparents.  I didnt get the privilege of knowing what it was like having me a Grandma and Papa.  When I talk about them I tend to say My mom's mom instead of Grandma.  I feel bad but I dont know her as a grandma.  My mom's mom passed away before I was born and my Grandpa died shortly after I was born.  Well I dunno how old I was but it was before Heather was born so before I was 3.  I have no memory of him but my mama happened to have a picture of us girls with him.  Below is a picture of my moms dad, Stacey, me, and Jamie

On my dads side of the family, his dad passed away before my mom and him even married.  His mom, I met once.  She didnt want to have anything to do with us girls since we have a Mexican background.

My children.  Well they have grandparents.  But my children never got the chance to meet my dad.  Or my Husband's dad.  But we both have step dads that get to be apart of their

life.  I am glad that they are getting the chance to know what its like to have a love for grandparents.  Its something I will never get the chance to have or even understand what its like to love a grandparent. This below is a picture of my daddy, me, Heather, Jamie and Stacey 

And this is my Husband his brothers his sister and his dad

I do have to touch that I did get a chance to start to love my ex husbands granny and papa.  I will forever cherish the days in Llano with them.  I learned a lot from them.  The kind of things that you would think you would learn from a grandparent. His granny taught me somethings I didnt know how to do with crocheting and she told me some recipes that I use a lot in my kitchen.  I learned a lot from Papa too.  I miss hearing him play on the guitar.  I miss sitting outside on the porch.  I will always consider them grandparents to myself as well as to the big kids even if im not married to this family anymore.  I hope one day I will get the chance to sit outside that porch again.

This is Granny and Papa.  (I stole this pic off granny profile, I dont have any picture of Papa on the computer all hard copies and this one is perfect since it has them both)