Thank you cards

I am sitting down to write the Christmas thank you cards and I got to wondering. Does anyone care if I send them? Does it mean something to people to get them? I know it is good to send for birthdays and baby showers and weddings. But what about just getting gifts or Christmas. Especially when I am the only one who does them. Sure the kids help a little but what it your thought and what is right? Thanks

Thanksgiving,Christmas and travels

I just read my last post. Yes, I laughed. I would be changing my background more. Hehe. Not at all. Well it is updated now for Christmas which is only a week away.
Our Thanksgiving was wonderful. It was so great having things normal with Jim here. We did the usual. He leaves for football and the kids and I watch the parade. Then we headed over to my parents house which was so fun. The kids played. There were lots of adults to visit with. At the end of the day Brayden started hanging out with my parents neighbor doing math. Yes you read that right. The boy LOVES learning. It is fun right now because he is learning to read.
The next day the craziness started. Mom and I did our annual black friday shopping. But with more of a mission. You see we are spending Christmas in Canada. Which means presents all had to be opened and done ahead of time. So the following weekend we did Christmas with my family, then all our Christmas parties. Oh yes and we spent an afternoon up in Portland with Jim's extended family which is one of those things. I love going. They are great people. But everytime we get together Jim's niece and the older cousin who is in 5th grade pick on Brayden. And when I say everytime this is everytime since he was two and they berated him for being a boy. Well this time we were in a 3 story house and you had to go to the basement and out to go outside. Well, the kids did and I watched from upstairs and Brayden and Cole. The only two boys were busy digging and having fun and who knew what the girls were doing. (Riley was in with me) Well, next thing I know the kids come running in and shut the bedroom door. Well, I went to open it and heard them say yay we locked him outside. Well, I of course knew who they were once again talking about. So, I flew down the stairs and found my sweet boy crying outside the door. Working so hard to get it opened. I opened the door and just hugged him so tight. He asked me why they did that. Was he just to slow. Oh my it was everything I could do not to just plummal those girls. I mean I get the whole kid thing and all that but seriously they crush him everytime. Jim's niece plays okay with Brayden when it is just them but she is mean to Riley then. So, Riley doesn't even like her.
Anyway, we haven't had to be around them again for sometime. I am glad. We have done the talking with the parents but that doesn't help. So, we think we may pull Jim's niece aside and tell her we know. Cause the rest of the day she was very quiet. She did hit her head but I also think it was the anticipation of what was to come. We will also keep the distance for awhile.
Which will be easy as we are heading to CANADA TODAY.
Yep we are packed and ready and just waiting until after basketball. We are so excited. Cousins, Aunts and Uncles, grandparents. So fun. Oh yeah and snow.
So, Merry Christmas to you all.

Figuring things out.

So I just figured out how to do the new background thing. It is so easy mine will be changing more often. Such a fun idea.

Jesus

The other day it was so cute. We were eating lunch and talking about Jesus living in our hearts and Brayden was explaining how it works to Riley. Like he is in there but he is really small and you know all those important thing. And I informed Brayden how Riley hadn't asked Jesus into her heart yet but that we needed to pray she did. I said that he asked Jesus into his heart when he was almost 4. So, he stops and prays. "Jesus, please go into Riley's heart" There now it is done.
Don't you wish it could be that easy. Just ask Jesus into whom ever you love and want to go to heaven with you. I love my kids and the great things they do. So much fun.

Facebook

So I am not sure how many of you have facebook but it sure sucks my time. Not all day just in the evenings. It is easy to look at pictures and see people and what is going on in there lives. Great idea and all. Mine hasn't been working right for a week and you know. I am not to sad. I am only able to get on every few days and I am enjoying that. I am enjoying checking all your blogs and seeing how those of you who we are kind of blogging aquaintances are doing.
I got to go on Brayden's first field trip yesterday. We went to the pumpkin patch. So fun. I know I have said it before but fall is so my favorite. I just love it. It is so perfect out. Cool enough for a sweatshirt and yet you can still be outside. I just love it. So of course the pumpkin patch is on my list of favorite things. I love it so much we are going again as a family. I will post some pictures later.
Glad to see what you are all up to.

Still here

I am still here. Life has been crazy for the last 5 weeks. Jim came home and school has started and just life. I will try and post pictures soon. I just didn't want you all to think I was done blogging. I am just in a funk and trying to figure out what to write and all that. I am in a writing funk not a personal funk. Although the last few days have had migraines and I don't do well with those at all. I am also tired. I am also trying to figure out when to write. with Kindergarten, time with Riley, helping Jim at the office and all that. Then at night trying to spend time with Jim and everything. It is just an adjustment.
So, I have not forgotten nor will I.

Canada

We have just gotten back from two weeks in Canada. We had a great time with Family. We enjoyed a couple of days in Carstairs with my dad's parents, where we fed baby goats, road quads and were pulled in a train that my grandpa built. We also swam and played with kittens at my uncles house. Then we headed to Edmonton for the majority of the trip. There we stayed in the country at my grandparents "cottage'. My mom stayed with them in the city. We rode the gator a LOT and fed the horses and played with the dogs and yep that's right rode the gator some more. Brayden got to go and have some fun on the tractor with my uncle hauling hay bales. Then after a bad storm he got to help with the clean up as well. There are lots of good times on the farm. Riley learned all about male horses and that as well. And Brayden got "hugged" a lot from the dog. They also had so much fun with my grandparents and cousins. There was wrestling and berry picking and golf ball picking up as well. We also spent some time at the park across the street from my grandparents condo and it was amazing. Every park that we saw was amazing. Then we headed back to Carstairs for a couple more days. That is where my children's lives were changed. You see Brayden has been saving for a four wheeler for almost 2 years. And he is doing pretty good as well. Now, he is still saving for a four wheeler but he has something else that he has decided he needs to. A Dirt bike. Yep that is right. My cousin Justin used to race motor cross and has just gotten back into it. So, he was practicing down the road and went to watch. Amazing. And then he took B for a ride. Well, we hear about Cousin Justin at least once a day. And not only is my son hooked. Riley is now saving for a pink dirt bike with a pink helmet. She wouldn't go on it because she didn't have a pink helmet. But, she can't wait. Justin also took B over the BIG jump. They stayed on the ground but not that it would matter because Justin said B was hanging on so tight he wouldn't have fallen off.
I know many of you are wondering how long of a trip that is and how did we do it. Well we drove. But we had my mom and sister on the way up and mom came home with us. (Jodi is staying due to her boyfriend living up there) My kids are troopers. The travel very well. (Correct me if I'm wrong mom) They had there moments but did well. We looked for wild animals but didn't see anything other than deer. I will add pictures. It was a great trip. Now the waiting for the hubby to come home has begun.
I will not be going to Colorado to meet the soldiers as was originally planned. But, he will be home soon.
Auntie Jodi's pretty toes after letting the kids paint them in the hotel.



A stop to stretch and cool off on the drive up.

Army Brief

Yesterday I was privillaged to give the Welcome home briefs for our families. (the ones in the army) I have such love and yet frustration at these people. I take my volunteer position very seriously and I work very hard to do what I can to help the transition be easier and all that. So the frustration part is when not many people come and yet they want me to "mail them something". Well that is hard to do and all that considering I just put a lot of time and energy into what I just did. Anyway, if I was able to help just one person than I did good right? We had several other people there as well who spoke and did a great job and are great people.
Well one of the men who came is a retired 2 star general. (big deal in the army) and his retired job is to make sure reservist and their families get what they need. He works with big wigs in the army, govenors, senators. all those people. Well, he is wonderful and he came up to me and gave me a coin. Now again coins in the army are a big deal. You only get them when you did something good and it is a way to say thank you and honor you. When he was giving this to me a father of one of our soldiers came up and said I am so glad to see this. You really deserve this.
He had come up to me earlier and said thank you. But that those two words didn't do justice to how he was feeling about what I had done. I of course choke up. I mean all I am doing is not in vain. The people do appriciate it and are thankful I am here doing this for them.
I really do love my military family. But, even with that I came home exhausted and ready for bed.

My 5 year old

I can't believe that 5 years ago at this time me and my little man were just getting aquainted. Oh how the time flies. He is a great kid. I never knew I could love someone so much until I had my kids. It is amazing that no matter how they behave or what they do you love them more and more.
He had a fun birthday today. He talked to his dad, went to VBS, and had his preschool friends over for a birthday party. They had such a fun time in the water, on the trampoline and hitting the pinata.
Happy Birthday Buddy. I love you so much.

New Fence

We have great neighbors and I feel so blessed to live where we live. We have always only had chain link fence on either side and haven't had a problem. But a new fence is something on the to do list. Well, we are doing it. But, right now I am wondering why. Jim is still away. I obviously can't do it and the neighbor is great but I don't expect him to do it all himself. I have some great friends who are going to come and make sure the posts get in right and all that. But that is really hard for me. I ordered the material and my WONDERFUL, AMAZING, FABULOUS dad came by when he was so tired and pulled the old posts out and so that made that easier. But, post holes have to be dug and concrete and boards and all that. And that is just between the two neighbors. Then I have to figure out gates. Oh well, my life could be so worse.

Catching up

It has once again been awhile since I wrote anything. We have been so busy. I thought with summer things were supposed to slow down. Oh well. This week is busy and yet not as much.
Brayden has been taking swimming lessons and they are everyday from 1-1:30. Which in thought was great. Eat lunch go to swimming and then home for naps. However, I never thought of the errand and whatnot that I do before lunch. So, everyday I had to take his swim suit and lunch in case errands or play took longer than expected. Lots of fun though. But, he has decided that he wants to wait to take more lessons until daddy comes home. Something I am totally fine with. Especially since he starts VBS this week. I am so excited about it. It is at the church where he went to preschool. It should be so fun. Then his birthday is this week. He is going to be five. Yep, I am so sad and yet so proud for my little guy. Such a fun boy he is. And he has requested a boy only party. Should be fun.
We went to the kids first Rodeo last night. That was so fun. It was SOOOO late. They did great and are now sleeping. Which is good because we have a parade today. They are going to be in the kid parade for the first time today. And we LOVE parades. Then home for some swimming and relaxing and just playing. We are bbqing tonight and doing fireworks with the neighbors. Oh the 4th of July. I just love it. It is one of my favorite holidays.
I will post pictures later.
Oh and a side note. Riley LOVES her swimsuit. She picked it out herself. It is princesses and the only way I got her out of it for the Rodeo was to tell her there were Rodeo princesses there. She did like the princesses and all the horses and cows.

Canoer???

So Brayden makes a big deal when ever we pass a dairy. He also remembers where they are so when we head that way again he asks repeatedly if we are almost to the dairy. Well, tonight on our way past the dairy, he was explaining to Riley about the "Canoer" (manure) that was spraying out of the sprinkler and yes it stinks way worse than mommy's poop.
I was dying. I couldn't stop laughing. Brayden chuckled and said well it's true.
Oh what children say.

Coveting

I REALLY love being in the country. I think it is from growing up going to my grandparents farm every summer. I love the quiet and the space and the ability to have animals and not have to worry about going out early in the morning and waking the neighbors. You also can go out in your swimsuit or pajamas and it is just more okay as an adult.
Well, lately I have been kind of in an attitude of coveting I would say. Then this weekend I helped out at my parents house.
(Now, a little disclaimer their house isn't finished and neither is there yard oh and they have 3/4 of an acre but have a field on one side and a power company on the other so they seem to have more.) So there is a lot of work to do outside. Anyway, I was looking for tadpoles with Brayden and in turn ended up finding a really great little spot for the kids to wade in the creek. Anyway so I started cutting bushes and blackberries back. Then today the guy who mows our grass came and also put some weed killer on the grass. I am very funny about that and don't like the kids to go on the grass until it is absorbed. So, we loaded up and went back to our wonderful snail finding, shade loving creek to hang out. Well, Riley has learned how to cross the bridge alone and it freaks me out because it is just a piece of wood. So there was no way I was going to be able to relax while she is crossing back and forth. I started raking leaves and limbs into the burn pile and I realized that maybe I don't want a big piece of property. I come home to my already finished yard that is mostly grass which I love!! My yard is fenced. (Not that that stops my daughter from getting out in her underwear.) I have great neighbors. My street and neighbors are quiet and the older kids come and play with my kids. I really have the best of both worlds. A great home in a great neighborhood for my kids and my parents place really close by with all the feelings of the country. Snakes and all :( Even though that is just up a little boys alley.
Here are some pictures of snail hunting this weekend with my sister and her boyfriend Landon whom we met for the first time this weekend. He was down from Canada. They have a great story and I will write about that soon.




This is Riley yesterday after another fun filled day outside playing. She fell asleep during dinner.

This is at 7:30 in the morning checking on the snails. They then proceeded to jump on the trampoline. This has been a favorite morning activity the last few mornings with our wonderful weather.

Pictures

These are some pictures from life lately. One is our first Backwards day, crazy day. Riley being crazy (or at least dressing crazy) And then us enjoying this wonderful weather we are having right now.

1 Corinthians for Moms

I just read this on someone's blog and I had to copy it. I love this.


If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place, but have not love, I am a housekeeper, not a homemaker.

If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements, but have not love, my children learn cleanliness- not godliness.

If I scream at my children for every infraction, and fault them for every mess they make, but have not love, my children become people-pleasers, not obedient children.

Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh. Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window. Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk. Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.

Love accepts the fact that I am the ever-present "mommy", the taxi-driver to every childhood event, the counselor when my children fail or are hurt.

Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, and runs with the child, then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.

Before I became a mother I took glory in my house of perfection. Now I glory in God's perfection of my child.

All the projects I had for my house and my children have faded away into insignificance, and what remain are the memories of my kids.

Now there abides in my home scratches on most of the furniture, dishes with missing place settings, and bedroom walls full of stickers, poster and markings, but the greatest of all is the Love that permeates my relationships with my children.

Ag Fest

I have never been to Ag Fest before. I didn't know what to expect. But, I was sure that the animals alone would be worth it for the kids. Oh MY. I had no idea how cool it was. With in a few minutes of being there we were looking for a bag for all the free stuff we got. (I am also a sucker for free) We got plants, food, seeds, rides on horses. The kids got to watch a sheep get sheared. Pet tons of animals. We were there for almost 4 hours. And we could have spent longer. But, I had a very tired 2 year old and I was so sleepy. I highly recommend it. It was amazing. I had my hands full by myself and so I wasn't able to get many pictures. But it is going to stay in my memory for a long time.

Gardening

I have been feeling guilty lately. I have to start off by saying I love my yard and all that it offers. Lots of grass, little amounts of flower beds and a side of just concrete which is flat and great for ball and riding bikes. Oh yeah and it is fenced. Lately though I have been feeling like I am letting the world down by not having a garden. I feel like I am somehow not contributing to "helping the earth" I mean my goodness even the white house is getting rid of some of there grass for a garden.
But, then I go out there to play with the kids or weed and I am so happy with the usefulness of my yard. It really serves it's purpose for us. Room for the swing set, trampoline and yet we still have room to play ball and all that. If I did put in a garden what would I have to give up to make room for it? The good places for it would be where the swing set is or right in front of the shed which means that balls would land on it all the time. I LOVE grass. It is soft to run on and fun to lay in and look at the sky. So my question to you all, is it bad that I don't garden and do my part to help out. If that is what I am truly doing.

What can you do?

I for the most part don't feel like I complain a lot about my situation. I mean it truly is what it is and me complaining only rubs off on the kids and really what does it change?
But, something always happen when my husband is gone. Something always goes wrong. So my husband was home for two weeks and the day he left the ants showed up. Now it really isn't a big deal. They come every year at this time. It was just kind of a coincidence. Then the next day the blind string came off so they won't open and close with the string. Again no big deal. At least I have blinds and can still close and open them. The thing that stinks it when the kids are sick. Like now. I am again so thankful for my family. Riley has had a goopy eye and then this morning she started vomiting. Now thankfully she hit the toliet and bucket most of the day. I took her to the doc. And sure enough another ear infection. 3rd one since January. And the vomiting stopped. Until tonight. We went to get the RX after nap and went to my parents. The doctor had said to wait until later in the day to give her the meds to make sure she could keep it down. We got to my parents at 5ish and she threw up right as we got there. Then she played for awhile and she still wasn't herself, but had more energy. Then she had a piece a of toast and then started whinning and wanting to go home. We get home and I set her on the counter and gave her the first part of her meds and she threw up. Yep, and this is when you want your husband. All over me, herself and the floor. I have to say gross. Not the first time but usually my husband is here and we head right for the shower. But, how do you do that by yourself. You can't bathe her and then hope she doesn't fall in the shower and you can't shower alone because what if she throws up again and you are in the shower. I mean Brayden is a huge help in grabbing towels for me and all that. He has been a trooper. Just a sweet, sweet boy. So, I had Brayden call my mom and ask if my dad, or siblings were home so she could come over and let me shower. But, she couldn't but once again they rescued me. My dad and sister stopped by so I could shower. So, while I waited I gave Riley a bath and got her situated. Now we just pray that Brayden and I don't get it. Thankfully, she is sleeping now and we shall see how the night goes. But, situations like this really make you wish you other half were here.

Thankfulness and stuff

I have realized that even though we had talked about it lots and I really felt good about it. That I am really not having any more kids. I have really felt this peace about it. Now don't get me wrong. The idea of getting rid of the crib still chokes me up and anytime I think of my kids growing up it makes me sad. I have been making our pile of sell stuff for a garage sale and wow, babies come with lots of stuff. So now I am in a get rid of stuff phase. I am glad that the garage sale won't be until June. That way I won't regret anything. But we really don't have that big of a house and as the kids get older they get more stuff and as I have said before stuff really messes with me.
On another note I am loving how well my kids play together. I am loving that they are both potty trained. We actually cheered today when we walked by the diaper aisle at costco. My kids are incredibly healthy, happy kids. I have a husband who loves me and respects me and is all the things a husband is supposed to be. I just couldn't ask for a better life.

So much

We have been really busy and I think of ideas to blog everyday and never get here to type them out. Or it is bedtime and I am just to tired to type.
Riley has potty trained herself, even before she turned two. Yes, I was shocked. How can one have 2 easy potty trainers? I think it has to do with the fun song and dance mommy and Brayden do. But she was ready. She was asking and I was putting her off. I have a hard time letting my kids grow up. Riley turned two.
I had a meltdown about Kindergarten. How do these kids grow up so stinkin fast. It just isn't right. I had to go through that without being able to talk to Jim. He was in route to come home on leave. But, that was all resolved when he came home. I spoke with God a lot and I spoke to his preschool teacher and she really made me feel better. And after a good chat with Jim about our options and what is best for Brayden we(I mean all of us, including Jim) went and toured the school and met his teacher. Then when we went to the library we met the librarian who when she said her name I remembered my mom knew her. I wasn't sure how but when I told her who my mom was she got down at Brayden's level and said we have something in common. I have Jesus in my heart to. Yep, you guessed it. I felt better and I almost cried. God is looking out for my little boy who is so sweet and loving. It was so great.
We were blessed to have Jim come home for 2 weeks. It was wonderful. It honestly felt like he never had left. He just came right back in and the kids were all over him and we just enjoyed our time. We went to the beach for a couple days and the weather was great. I mean when you can go to the Oregon coast in March and not fly a kite because there is no wind that is great weather. We went to the light house and bowling. Which Brayden is good at. We beat Jim which is hard for daddy to take. (He is a good bowler, just not with bumpers) Jim and I got a date night and a whole day. We painted our bedroom and put up Brayden's new bunkbeds. Yep it was romantic. We had a great movie and dinner the night before.
Now he is back in his big sand box. And we miss him again but will get through. We have so much to look forward to when he gets back for good.