Living Life

The End is Nigh

2011-07-31T14:11:00.000-07:00

The end of the world as we know it is near! The end of summer, that is - oh, we will still have this heat I am sure, but the kids are going back to school, fall sports will be getting prepared for, and schedules will be much fuller. For the kids that is. I, for one, have a list of things that I am looking forward to getting done once school starts again! I will be able to get back to my poor, neglected sewing machine for one. I had plans of fitting it into my weekly summer routine, but then a certain baby started crawling 3 MONTHS before his siblings ever did so that idea flew out the window! That isn't the only thing that stopped me though, my work schedule has been nuts the past few weeks as well. I have talked to my boss (dad) and he has agreed that after I finish up this last project, that he will let me do the minimum that I can for a couple of weeks so that I can make sure the kids have a rockin' last 2 weeks of summer! I have really LOVED this summer - it is the first summer in 4 years that I have been at home and able to do fun things with the kids. Well, I was home last summer but was pregnant and sick all the time so don't really count that.... Also, this summer, we took our first family vacation without my parents - wow, I feel like a real adult now! I love vacationing with all of my family so much but it was a nice bonding time for me, Mike, David and Ally - especially with how much time and energy was devoted to Wyatt with me on bedrest the last couple of months of pregnancy and then the whole having a new baby - those kids really deserved the extra attention! Wyatt had his first sleepover at my parent's house so he was pretty happy as well. I will miss all the fun until next summer but boy am I looking forward to having the house to myself again (well, except for Wyatt, of course).

So, what am I going to do with all of my newfound free time? Number 1 - have more time with God. Then, sew, organize, and clean out! I also want to get more organized with my couponing and see if can can figure out a way to stop my desk from looking hurricane-hit within hours of cleaning it off! I am an orderly person - I have no idea what happens!!! Maybe I can sweet talk the hubby into putting some shelves up for me hmmm...

What about you? Are you sad or happy that summer is ending? Why?

Meal Plan Monday

2011-07-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

Last week's meal plan worked well - the only exception is that we ended up going out to eat on night so that night's meal got pushed to this week. Not bad! Here is what this week looks like:

Tuesday: dinner out, at Chili's (hoping to get an email coupon today for kid's eat free like I have the last 3 months)

Wednesday(Mike): Hamburger Casserole

Thursday: Steph's Southwestern Chicken and Rice Casserole, salad, chips and salsa

Friday: Breakfast for dinner! Pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, and fruit salad

Saturday (Mike): Turkey spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad

Sunday: Fajitas, refried beans, rice, salad

Monday: Chicken Lollipops, stir-fry veggies

On My Counter

2011-07-09T06:06:00.000-07:00

Italian Sausage Lasagna
From The Betty Crocker Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 lb bulk Italian pork sausage

1medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 clove garlic, crushed

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1 teaspoon sugar

2 cups Muir Glen® organic diced tomatoes (from 28-oz can), undrained

1 can (15 oz) Muir Glen® organic tomato sauce

12 uncooked lasagna noodles (12 oz)

1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese or small-curd cottage cheese (2 cups)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In 10-inch skillet, cook sausage, onion and garlic over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain.

2. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, sugar, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered about 45 minutes or until slightly thickened.

3. Heat oven to 350ºF. Cook and drain noodles as directed on package.

4. In medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and the oregano.

5. Spread 1 cup of the sauce mixture in ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Top with 4 noodles. Spread 1 cup of the cheese mixture over noodles; spread with 1 cup of the sauce mixture. Sprinkle with 2/3 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat with 4 noodles, the remaining cheese mixture, 1 cup of the sauce mixture and 2/3 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining noodles and sauce mixture. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

6. Cover; bake 30 minutes. Uncover; bake about 15 minutes longer or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.
Serves 8 - add salad and garlic bread and it is ready for everyone to enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-06T15:50:00.000-07:00

Meal Plan Monday

2011-07-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know it is Tuesday but yesterday was a holiday so I am counting today as Monday ;-) This week, I am starting meal planning and sticking to it! I will post my plans on Mondays as Tuesday is grocery day. This, in correllation with "On My Counter" will help me keep track of some of the meals that I have made in the past as well as help me not repeat too often, hopefully. I hope others will join me because I really don't have too many meal ideas :-)

Tuesday: small group, dinner provided
Wednesday: Pork chops, spinach, mac 'n' cheese
Thursday: lasagna, salad, garlic bread, apple pie
Friday: soft tacos, rice, beans, salad
Saturday: hamburger casserole
Sunday: eat out
Monday: homemade pizzas

On My Counter

2011-07-03T17:09:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! I am joing my cousin Krystal in her "On MY Counter" venture and hope that you will join me too! A couple of times a week, I will post what is on my counter, what we are having for dinner, along with the ingredients and directions to make it. Hopefully enough of us will get in on this that we will get some new dinner ideas going!

Tonight, we had steak and baked potatoes - easy, breezy.

I used GrillMates Marinade, with 1/4 cup vegetable oil and 1/4 cup water, put it in a large ziploc baggie with 3 ribeye steaks and shook them around until they were all covered. I cooked them on the stove and just cooked them on medium high for about 20 minutes flipping them over every few minutes.

The potatoes I covered in "I can't Believe It's Not Butter" and wrapped them in foil, then cooked them in a 400 degree oven for 1 hr 20 minutes.
And yes, this would have been healthier with a salad but the kids and I had been snacking on fruits and veggies all afternoon so I didn't :-)

The Monkeys are back!

2011-07-02T20:49:00.000-07:00

Finally, my two oldest monkeys are home and my zoo is complete, once again. I love how well my monkeys love each other - when we got to their grandparents to pick up David and Allison, the bypassed mommy and daddy to go straight to Wyatt to give him cuddles! It makes my heart glad that they are so bonded. Wyatt was jabbering at them most of the way home and giggling at their antics. Of course, Mike and I finally got our hugs and kisses after they greeted their brother :-)

Ally with her "baby"

David, looking so grown up

This was the first year that the kids made it the whole trip without getting sad every time they talked to me. It tugs on my heart a bit that they are growing up, but more so makes me proud of the fact that they are becoming more independent. That means that Mike and I are doing our jobs well, in my opinion. They did end up coming home a few days early but they were gone for 12 days and that is pretty long for a 5 and just barely 7 year old.

I am so grateful to Rosa, my ex-mother-in-law, for the love and attention she bestows on David and Ally, even though her son is no longer their (legal) dad. She is an amazing woman who has so much patience - she took 4 grandkids total to visit family in Brownsville and she was by herself the last week of it (Jim, her husband, and Mimi, the kids aunt, had to go back after a week for work)! It was a huge blessing to Mike and I to have the time alone together and with Wyatt and now it is wonderful to have all of my mokeys in one place.

My little monkeys

Things Learned Thursday

2011-06-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

This month, Wyatt has mastered creeping around like a grub worm! It is completely awkward looking but hey, whatever works!

Yesterday, our sweet boy surprised me by pulling the blanket off of his face all by himself during our daily peek-a-boo game. He has repeated it over and over since then and we both get such a kick out of it every time!

Today, he finally figured out how to put a piece of food in his mouth and let it go - the "let it go" part is new :-)

He has also mastered sitting up without leaning on his hands or any object! Here he is watching "So You Think You Can Dance"

Wordless Wednseday

2011-06-29T07:37:00.000-07:00

Children's Museum

2011-06-28T19:01:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, the kids, Gramma Bay and I went to College Station to meet up with my cousin Megan and her 2 year old, Cole. I can't believe that we haven't gone over to hang out before - naughty, naught Mandy.
The HEB "grocery store" was a big hit to the 3 older kids...

A little team work cam in handy at checkout time

They had a baby/toddler play area that Wyatt got to enjoy.

And a crafts area for the kids to paint a tie for Father's Day.

Upstairs was a gigantic chess board!

What do you think guys, was it fun??? (and again with no up close shots of David - that kid is constantly on the move!)

Yep, I would say so!

Blueberry picking

2011-06-28T18:37:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we went with some of our friends to King's Orchard to pick blueberries. It was hot but we had a lot of fun, ending the day with a picnic. Here are some of the pics from that day!

That's David in his "farmer gear" on the left and Ally in her soccer shirt in the front. This is the only picture I got of David that day - he was too busy playing in the blueberry bushes...

Ally took her blueberry picking job VERY seriously.

Even the babies got in on the action with the help of their (crazy) mommas.

By the end of the day, we had plenty of blueberries to eat as well as to make baby food with! I also picked up some squash, zucchini, and nectarines to make Wyatt some food with - here it is!

What mommy does while the older kids are gone....

2011-06-28T18:14:00.000-07:00

David and Allison have been gone with their grandma for a week now and the house is eerily quiet. I miss them SO much as do Mike and Wyatt, but I am taking advantage of this time to do some things I have been thinking about....

First, I made a blankie for Wyatt....

Then, I made a blankie for Ally. I also made her a pillow out of her old (WAY too small) pajamas that she didn't want to part with.

Then, I made David a blanket, per his request, and a pillow out of some extra fabric I had from making burp cloths.

Last, but not least, I made an apple pie from scratch, crust and all!

I am planning on continuing this streak of sewing and cooking when the kids get home, it is a lot of fun and very rewarding to me!

This has also been a great time for Wyatt to get some unheard of one-on-one time and for Michael and I to have great gobs of time together and it is just fantastic!

My baby boy...

2011-06-22T16:57:00.000-07:00

I guess that you aren't really such a baby anymore - you are growing into such a wonderful little man. It is hard to believe that you made me a mommy 7 years ago today! This year you declared Jesus as your savior and joined my family in yet another, awesome way through baptism! You are still cuddly and so full of love. You enjoy building and drawing and have quite the budding artistic talent. You are a great helper with Wyatt and are so patient and loving to him and (90% of the time) to Ally. You are so smart and funny and I am so proud that you are mine - I thank God for you all of the time! Here are some of my favorite pics of you from when you were 4 months old (mommy is sorry - I can't find the pics from before then right now - I will by next year!) until the week before your 7th birthday!!

6 Months Old!!!

2011-06-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I just realized that I didn't post for months 4 and 5 - let's pretend that I did it on purpose and am planning a quarterly update....not that I am just busy and not great at keeping up with my blog ;-)

So, in the past few months, Wyatt has gotten himself a girlfriend...who else but the girl next door!

Started solids...yes, it is always this messy

Started creeping and is doing a kind of half crawl...sometimes he gets himself stuck

Mastered the art of falling asleep wherever we are (poor third child)

He can also sit up for a little bit at a time, roll over both ways, and jabbers his little head off :-)

You've come a long way baby!

Wyatt Christopher - a couple of days old

6 months old - yes, he is ALWAYS this happy

Baby boy, you are LOVED!

Reprioritizing

2011-06-20T07:39:00.000-07:00

I love people. I love spending time with them doing things, talking, or just being. I have been blessed by a wonderful circle of friends in Brenham that loves spending time together so on any given day, I am likely be able to find someone to hang with. Since 95% of my friends have kiddos, it works very well because it gets entertainment for the kids as well.

However, I have been super cranky to those closest to me over the last couple of weeks. After a bit of thinking, I realized what I had been missing since school let out. Quality time with my first love. I haven't spent ANY time reading my Bible, talking to God, just being with Him in the last few weeks since school let out. I am so thankful for grace and that the problem was made clear sooner rather than later.

During the school year, I had a really good schedule - wake up an hour before the kids, spend that time having my coffee with God, then be a happy, patient mom and wife the rest of the day. Summertime came and I just let it go - not intentionally, but I didn't intentionally make time for it either so Fail. I have also not been terrific about keeping up with laundry or making dinner most nights for my family, spending time with friends and at the pool with the kids overshadowed it all so Fail there too.

I know I am a good mom and wife and that fun in the summer is important, BUT I am going to take the next couple of weeks to reprioritize my life. 1. God 2. Family (this includes feeding and clothing them) 3. Friends - everything else will fit in between. So friends, if I seem to be missing in action more often than not or if I actually happen to say no to an outing, know that I love you and will catch you soon. This momma has got to get things right!

Check In

2011-05-11T05:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry that I have been away the last couple of weeks, things have been hectic! I was sick and then ended up gaining a few pounds back because I wasn't successful at adjusting my eating when I stopped breastfeeding. However, I am back on track and here is my new update! I have reached (actually, surpassed) my 5% goal, hooray! I have lost 18 lbs. total and have 9.8 lbs. left until I reach my next goal, which is a 10% weight loss. Stioll have a long road ahead but am super happy about the way things are going!

The silver lining and thinking outside the box

2011-04-20T06:59:00.000-07:00

This week was busy before it even started. The plans where for me to go to Houston on a field trip with David's class on Tuesday, go to work in Houston all day Wednesday and Thursday (I normally work from home [very] part time but most everyone is out of the office this week for a trade show), Friday is a holiday which is fun but means that everyone is home so my routine and errands are blown out the window, plus we are meeting my brother and sister-in-law that afternoon halfway so the older two kids can have a sleepover (did I mention that my brother and his wife are AWESOME?). Saturday is going to be spent at my parents farm celebrating Easter with my parents, brother, sister-in-law, and us, Sunday David is getting baptized (WOOT!!!) and we are hosting Easter lunch at our house. So, I was planning on getting all of my shopping and Easter preparations done on Monday since that was basically the only day that I could do it. I was a little overwhelmed by the busyness (Is that a word? Let's say it is.) of the week but life just happens that way sometimes so I was going with it.
Well, Allison woke up on Monday morning and before even getting dressed she threw up. Crap. I can't get my errands done or Easter prep (baskets, eggs and such) with a sick girl at home! Plus, the only available doctor's appointment wasn't until 4:30 and I didn't want to take her anywhere until I knew if she was contagious or not. I was very frustrated and put out by the whole thing (selfish, aren't I?). I finally got in the shower around 9 and was just rambling in my head about how annoying it was that my plans had gotten screwed up when all of a sudden, it hit me - I was making it all about me. My poor, sweet daughter was hurting and not feeling well and I was so caught up in how it effected me that I wasn't doing my JOB as a mother. I wasn't loving her like I should or giving her the attention she deserved. Needless to say, I got dressed and spent the rest of the day focusing on my sweet girl. I laid down with her at nap time, watched PBS with her, played video games with her, read to her, and just VALUED her. By the end of the day, my frustrations were gone and I had the attitude that things would get done, they don't have to be on MY time table. I was filled with an even deeper love for my daughter and appreciation for the time we had together.
Then, David got home from school and wasn't feeling well. Luckily, I am a quick learner (sometimes) and didn't get aggravated at all (it shouldn't seem like an accomplishment, but trust me - it is). I just took it in stride and was able to treat him from the beginning like I needed to, with love and attention. Ally, after being diagnosed with a UTI and started on antibiotics, went back to school on Tuesday and David and I spent the day just the same as I had with Ally the day before. The results were the same too - an even deeper love for my son.
At some point on Tuesday, my mom and I brainstormed about how to get things to work best the rest of the week. Luckily, my home office is set up as a virtual replica of my office in Houston. After talking to my brother (also, co-worker), it was decided that I could work from home just as well as I can work in Houston, and even get extra time in since I wouldn't have the drive. My mom would still come over and sit with Wyatt and pretend like I am not here :-) I will go do my shopping at lunch today and can work with Mike on Easter prep tonight! I am so grateful that my kids where each home sick one day this week - I don't get that kind of individual bonding with them often enough. (Yes, Wyatt was here but you know, he doesn't *actually* count yet lol)

Weekly Weigh In

2011-04-20T04:41:00.000-07:00

Sweet! I am back on track - I lost over a pound this week, bringing me lower than before I fell off the wagon :-) I have now lost 11.3 lbs. - on1y 2.1 lbs. to go before reaching my 1st goal with Weight Watchers. Maybe I can do it this week?

I fell of the wagon...

2011-04-13T04:18:00.000-07:00

So, after 4 weeks of perfect tracking and staying within point range, I fell off the wagon. I blame it on my lack of self control...and birthday cake ;-) Unfortunately, instead of jumping back on the wagon on Sunday, I chose to give up for the week and didn't track at all through yesterday. Fail. I guess that I should consider myself lucky that I only gained 1 pound instead of more, but I am mostly just annoyed at myself for falling back into a lazy eating pattern so easily. Well, I am back on the wagon today and going to go full force! Stupid lack of self discipline...

Baby girl....

2011-04-12T09:18:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that you are 5! You have turned into such a beautiful little girl that is full of joy and love. You have a terrific sense of humor and love to help me organize. You are a wonderful big sister to Wyatt and a perfect playmate to David. You make my heart smile every day - I am glad God chose me to be your momma! Here are some of my favorite pics of you from day 2 until the day of your 5th birthday party!

Weekly Weigh In

2011-04-06T06:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I failed to walk or work out at ALL due to lots of different excuses - let's set the goal again for 2 of each this week. Luckily, I still lost almost a pound! Total weight lost = 10.8 lbs. in 4 weeks. I'll take it!

News

2011-04-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

This is how I feel right now.

Michael called me this morning with some news that is both good and bad. His company is transferring him to their Oklahoma location. This is good because it is a step up and we will be closer to his kids, but bad for the obvious reasons - family, friends, church, and having to sell the house with 3 young kids running around it. I am kind of in shock right now but am going to get started on making my to do list and hope that eases the stress. In the meantime here are some recent pics.

Okay, I'm just joking...I couldn't help myself!

April Fool's!!!!!

Busy baby!

2011-03-31T11:06:00.000-07:00

Wyatt turned 3 months about 11 days ago and boy has he been busy since then!!! Our little baby has learned how to roll from his belly to his back - this is fantastic except that he does it at night and then wants to eat. That is a big change for me because he has been sleeping 11-13 hrs since he was a month old! This morning he woke up after rolling over at 4:15 am (ugh) and after I fed him, he was wide awake. I put him in his pack 'n' play while I made coffee and he made a new sound! He was making a trilling noise - very cute indeed! Mike kept an eye on Wyatt while I got ready for the day and had my quiet time and then I took over to get some play time in. I was tickling him and he laughed! He has been working up to it for a couple of weeks and finally got it out today. I am happy that David and Ally have a holiday tomorrow so that we can help Wyatt practice his new sound!

Mommy killed Santa Claus

2011-03-31T10:56:00.000-07:00

Well, it finally happened - Santa Clause has been "outed" at our house. On Tuesday, Allison asked me if he was real and I just responded with my usual "What do you think?" and she answered with more questions about how Santa did his magic and how reindeer flew. My sweet, inquisitive daughter...I never had this issue with David, he was more accepting of things. Well, I just changed the subject and she let it go. That night, I got to thinking about how I learned that Santa wasn't real (through my brother's friend's mom telling him and him telling me) and, after talking to Mike, decided that the kids are getting to the age that they are going to either figure it out or hear it from a friend (very traumatic, trust me) so next time someone asked about it, we would just tell them the truth. Well, the very next morning, David asked if the Easter Bunny was real (for the first time ever) and I just looked at him and said no, not really. Surprisingly he said "Actually, I knew that." lol. I went ahead and killed Santa at the same time. There was a little sadness but no tears. Everyone perked up when I told them that one of the funnest parts of being a mom or a dad is being Santa and the Easter Bunny and that there would still be eggs on Easter morning and presents from Santa under the tree every year. Then, sadness turned to excitement when they realized that now THEY are in on this big secret and can help us keep it from Wyatt (and their friends!). So, Santa is gone for the older 2 but there is still one who will believe for a few more years, once he figures out what Santa is anyhow...

Weekly Weigh In

2011-03-30T04:11:00.000-07:00

Weight watchers is still going well. This week I lost 3.6 lbs. That is a total of 10 lbs! Exercise went a bit better this week but not as well as I wanted - I walked once and worked out once. This week I am setting the goal to walk twice and work out twice.

Weekly Weigh In

2011-03-23T04:17:00.000-07:00

I lost 1.4 lbs. this week, hooray! I completely failed on working out and walking. I did zip, zero, zilch of both of them. Let's try this again, shall we? This week's goals are to walk 3 times and work out twice. I will make this happen!

First week weigh-in

2011-03-16T06:07:00.000-07:00

Well, the first week is done and I lost 5 pounds - yay! Now for week two. Personal goals this week: work out 2 times and walk 2 miles at least 3 times.

Latest pictures

2011-03-15T13:23:00.000-07:00

Going to his first rodeo!

All dressed up for the rodeo

Ally is WAY too happy to be handcuffed

Spring Performance

2011-03-15T12:55:00.000-07:00

The kid's school had their Spring program last week and David's class was in it. The musical, "It Takes Two" was about Noah and the ark. It was super cute and well done by all of the kids. As some of you already know, David does NOT like the idea of performing. He does well when he does it but getting him to do it can be a challenge. Things started off smoothly for my little centipede (in the red).

He was dancing and singing and doing the choreography - so precious! Then...it happened. I am not sure what "it" is but "it" happened and he just shut down. Lucky for David, he was next to a friend that is taller than him and he chose behind her as his hiding place. The sweet girl kept TRYING to move out from in front of him but he kept following her. David's partner nicely tried to encourage him to keep on with the movements but David was having none of it. Here is a picture of David hiding...
With a few songs to go, David's class came off of the stage to surround the audience for a song....unfortunately David spotted his Jaja and jumped into his arms. Jaja had NO idea that David still had songs to participate in but I was already on my way to talk to David when it happened so I was able to get him back into position. His terrific teacher came over and talked to him and between her bribe of a GIANT chocolate bar and my bribe of a new Hexbug, David sucked it up and gave the performance of his life for the last few songs. He sang, he danced, he smiled - it was wonderful!

So, it took a little bit of effort, but for the first time, David got back up and finished the show after hitting his stopping point. I have great hopes that by this time next year, he will be able to make it through the whole show without breaking down!

So far, so good...

2011-03-10T14:28:00.000-08:00

I started walking this week on Monday and have walked every day so far. The first couple of days I did 1 mile and then realized that I could do a second just as easily and did 2 yesterday and today. Wyatt LOVES our walks - I think that he thinks that he is on a car ride, which is always a hit. I have 2 friends that I walk with so neither of them will get tired of me too fast ;-) as well as 2 different places to walk so I won't get bored too quickly :-) I am going to start back at Curves tomorrow thanks to my sweet grandma, Dede, who has volunteered to watch Wyatt on the days that her "helper" comes so that I can go work out. So my plan is to work out at Curves on Mondays and Fridays and to walk Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. I may end up walking on Mondays and Fridays sometimes as well since Allison wants to start walking with me and those would be easy days to get in a "lazy walk". Of course, she may surprise me and keep a good pace - you never know with that one!
I started Weight Watchers yesterday and they have changed things a little so my official first goal with WW and myself is -12.1 lbs. I actually like that the percentage is smaller now - it will give me a quicker reinforcement! I have already had my first temptation - I went to Denny's for breakfast with a friend this morning. I usually will order the Grand Slam with pancakes, bacon, hash browns, and eggs...and eat it all with amazing amounts of syrup (gee, I wonder why I need to lose weight...). I obviously couldn't order THAT and I know myself and my love for syrup so I couldn't order pancakes at all. So, I did a little research BEFORE going to the restaraunt and was able to have bacon, 2 eggs, and a cup of fruit - totally filling and delicious for waaaaay fewer points! We are going out to dinner tonight too, to celebrate David's Spring Program performance (cause I have faith that there WILL be cause to celebrate) so I am about to plan ahead for that too. Not as easy as going and ordering whatever I want, but much healthier and using my brain IS a good thing after all.

Here we go again

2011-03-08T04:56:00.001-08:00

I am finally feeling more like my normal self and it couldn't be more welcome. I actually have motivation to do things and care about what is going on around me. Being the other way just wasn't me and I am so glad to have me back! Now that I have gotten back on track emotionally/mentally, I am ready to get back on track physically. Before I got pregnant with Wyatt, I had been losing weight and getting healthy, working out regularly and such. I am within a few pounds of my pre-pregnancy weight (after hitting it and then gaining back a few - oops) but nothing fits how I want it to and I am nowhere near where my "goal weight" is. So, I am going to join Weight Watchers online because even though I KNOW how to eat properly, it helps to have set boundaries - otherwise "what is one more cookie". I am going to make Wednesdays my weigh in day, making tomorrow my official start date. This will give me today to plan my week, join WW online, and figure out when exactly I will be able to fit working out into my new life with baby. If any Brenham mom is willing to baby swap for working out purposes (of course, if you just want some child-free time while I watch your little one(s) and will watch Wyatt while I work out, that is fine too), please let me know! Another reason for starting Wednesday is that I am making 2 different types of cookies and a batch of brownies today for our small group and I can't pass up the brownie mix left in the bowl so why set myself up to fail on day one ;-) I am going to blog about my progress weekly so if I don't, please ask me how I am doing - I do well with accountability.

Here are my "before" pics, courtesy of Ally:

I have a total of 82 lbs. to lose to reach the top end of my ideal weight. I would prefer to lose at least 90. My first goal will be to lose 27 lbs. Wish me luck!

Respecting Sons

2011-03-07T04:52:00.000-08:00

I have been reading a book called "Praise Her in the Gates" by Nancy Wilson that a friend posted about here: http://stephcease.blogspot.com/2011/01/precious-wisdom-for-mom-with-ugly.html (how do you make the text say a different word than the url???). It was eye opening and I agreed with just about everything (if not everything) that the author had to say. One of the chapters is called "Respecting Sons" and I struggled with one thing that she said in it that is true and biblically based but hard to live out, for me anyhow. She stated that in order to respect our sons, we must NOT jump in every time they need protection. We must allow them to protect themselves and work things out themselves, not molly colly them and make them into mama's boys. I must confess that I have been doing a bang up job of creating my on little mama's boy...oops. It isn't like I actually set out to do this, but I have inadvertently taught David that I will fight his battles for him and he can come running to me to take care of every little thing. Is this the kind of man I want to raise or do I want to raise a man who will stand on his own two feet and be a provider and protector of his own family? Obviously, I want to raise the latter version of my son, so I am having to look at myself and make some changes...and it isn't easy! I still want David to know that if there is bullying going on or if he is in over his head, that he can come to me or Michael and we will help him, but he needs to try to work things out himself first. I want him to know that he can rely on me, but not to be dependent on me for everything. I have to figure out how to raise an independent, strong man....I am grateful that I have a husband who is a Godly provider and protector and will be a living example to this, but in the day to day, I am the one David is around more often so this falls to me. So, now I know WHAT I need to do, but how on Earth do I do it? Mothers of sons out there, do you have any advice?
My next post is going to be on a chapter in the book called "Loving Daughters" - not sure when I will post it but I got some good stuff out of it and, of course, questions as well.

Room change and big news

2011-02-28T08:34:00.000-08:00

David and Ally get along so well, we are blessed that way. Obviously there are moments that they are about a minute away from killing each other but they are siblings, after all. Watching them play, I eventually realized that they are ALWAYS playing in the same room as the other. It doesn't matter what they are playing (usually), as long as they are together. At night, our biggest problem is that the kids will take turns getting out of their own beds to sneak into the other one's room - to talk, play, or sleep. After rolling it around in my head for a little over a month (yes, I actually thought something through instead of impulsively doing it - crazy, right?), I mentioned the idea to Michael. We decided to give it a trial run - last week we let Ally sleep in David's room every night to see how things would go. It went swimmingly! We gave them the boundaries (no playing, no getting out of bed, and don't let us hear you) and the punishment (no t.v. the next day) and they followed all the rules, without any complaint!
On Saturday, my parents invited the kids for a sleepover and Mike and I went to work. Now, Ally's old room is the play room - her old closet is a wonderful place for many of the toys too! Ally now has the top bunk in David's room to sleep in (her old bed is now in Wyatt's room in case we ever have a guest!) Amazingly, all of their clothes fit into one closet - this is going to make putting laundry away less of a hassle too!
On Sunday, when the kids got home, they were SO excited! They loved having a playroom and when it was time to clean up, no one could balk saying "but it isn't my room" - mwahahahaha. I am really happy with how things turned out and am so grateful to my sweet husband for being willing to give up a date night to move furniture around. We also got the remainder of our pictures hung so I feel like we are "really" settled in the house.
Oh, I almost forgot the big news! David is sleeping in big boy underwear at night! I realized last week that he was waking up dry and then just being lazy-I noticed that he never ever had to pee when he woke up. I decided on Thursday night to give undies at night a try (since I was going to do sheets the next day anyhow) and he stayed dry!!! Every night since then, even when he was at my parents, he stayed dry - we are so proud and excited! Now we officially are only buying diapers for one!

Will it ever end?

2011-02-28T08:17:00.000-08:00

Ever feel sick and tired of being sick and tired? Well, I am SO sick of sickness it isn't even funny. Everyone in our house was hit by some form of the flu within the span 10 days, some of us got hit twice by different strains. Even I got sick this time!

By the time last Friday came around, I was SO happy to have everyone back in school and work that I could have done cartwheels! I had such big plans - I was going to have coffee with a friend, come home and decontaminate the house and do about 8 loads of laundry. So, I pop the laundry in the washer, grab Wyatt and head off to meet my friend and her baby at a local coffee house. We were having a grand old time just hanging out and talking about life with new babies when my friend looked at Wyatt and asked if he was okay. Nope, he had coughed and wasn't breathing - only for a few seconds but still scary. He did it again a little bit later and I decided to call the doctor. They didn't have ANY openings but could fit me in at 1:30 (this was a little after 10 a.m.). I took the appointment but over the next little bit, Wyatt started doing the same thing more and more so I decided to head on over to the doctor's office to see if I could get him looked at. They were SO full and running behind so there was no way Wyatt could get in. I headed home since there was nothing else I could do at that point, but I was really nervous about it. About 2 minutes after I left the parking lot, the nurse called and told me to take Wyatt to the ER. Come to find out, I would have been better off just waiting until 1:30....we got to the ER and got Dr. Quack - he didn't do his job well at all and when we left, I still felt like he didn't follow through enough. Case in point, they gave Wyatt a breathing treatment and it helped - when I asked if he could get us a prescription, he said sure and asked if I had a Nebulizer (breathing machine) at home. When I said no, he said "well, he should be okay" and didn't give me a prescription. Luckily, our awesome pediatrician was willing to write a prescription for the machine and medicine. It made a big difference and I am so glad that we had it. I will be calling the hospital to issue a formal complaint on Dr. Quack. You don't diagnose a baby before physically examing him and you DON'T tell the mom that if he turns blue, then I should come back - according to Dr. Quack, increments of not breathing aren't anything to worry about if there isn't a fever....

Thankfully, I was able to get the house aired out, scrubbed and all the laundry done on Saturday so I felt better and Wyatt stoped his episodes. This morning he has a nose full of green snot so we are going to the doctor....sigh. One day we will get a break from all this doctoring, right?

Christmas...told in pictures

2011-01-05T15:07:00.001-08:00

Decorated outside... and in.......

Christmas morning!

Following the string to the present Santa couldn't fit under the tree....

A trampoline!!!

All that beautiful wrapping....so quickly undone

What Wyatt did the whole time...even while his presents were opened by his older siblings

The pictures

2011-01-05T14:53:00.001-08:00

Santa Claus came early...

2011-01-05T14:44:00.000-08:00

Santa came early this year and he brought us a baby! Okay, maybe it happened slightly different than that but on December 20th, Wyatt Christopher Sieja joined our family at 9 lbs. 2.2 oz. and 20.25", bringing the total count of Sieja children to 5! Ally and David are thrilled, for different reasons, to have this little bundle in our home. Ally is a little mother, and such a helper with Wyatt. She adores her baby brother and is found by his side much of the time. David loves his baby brother as well and is enjoying the time alone that he gets now that Ally's attentions are elsewhere. We have adjusted to having a new baby in the house surprisingly quickly - it helps that Wyatt is a good baby. The only slight issue is that when he is awake, he wants held - I have tried to explain to him that as the 3rd child in the household, this is an unreasonable desire but there is no reasoning with him so I just got a couple of different baby carriers and he gets his way for now. I am feeling good these days and am ready to be allowed to drive and pick up over 25 lbs. so I can get completely back to normal. In the meantime, I am taking it relatively easy and focusing on taking care of Wyatt and the house during the day and enjoying Mike, David and Ally in the evenings. I am going to post the pics in a second post so I don't get frustrated with blogger.

Thanksgiving

2011-01-05T14:28:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! Okay, I think I have covered the holidays I missed...it has been quite busy at the Sieja household in recent days! I am going to cover the missed time over a period of posts. Here is the first! Over Thanksgiving, my stepson came to visit for 2 nights - David and Ally love their big brother and Ally just followed him around like a shadow the whole time he was here. Luckily, he is quite patient for a 9 year old and didn't mind his younger siblings hanging on him. Unfortunately, Katelyn is still too young for an overnight but the kids got a chance to spend some time with her while she was here. Here is a pic of the four of them.

We spent all of Thanksgiving day at my parents farm with family and the kids spent 90% of their time outside. We have so many things to be thankful for this year - Christ's love, a fantastic family, a beautiful new home, a pregnancy that resulted in a healthy baby boy, a terrific church family that provided so much for us during my bed rest the last couple of months of pregnancy, growing relationships with friends, and our first year of marriage out of the way ;-) So, even though it is now January, remember what you are grateful for yet again - it will bring a smile to your face.

Well hello again

2010-10-16T08:37:00.000-07:00

Hey there! Yeah, I know, it has been awhile...again - what can I say? I have good intentions but everything I want to blog about is always happening so I don't have time to blog about it :-) Now that I am on modified bed rest, I have a little more time for things like this so I am going to try to take advantage of it. Unfortunately, my camera is broken so until Mike gets his film developed (I know!!!) I won't have any pics to update with.
What has been happening since my last post? Well, a lot obviously since that was (ahem) 2 months ago...wow. Okay, well first and foremost, the kids have started back to school! (Don't say duh, it's rude *snicker*) Ally is in prekindergarten with the same teacher that David had and is doing quite wonderfully! She is writing her name and can write a few other words as well. This year I have seen a big change...well, maybe not cahnge..let's say enhancement for lack of a better word, in Ally's behavior. She has been strong willed since day 1 and that has just grown to teenage proportions this year - she is so darn cute about it too. Of course, being the good parents that we are, instead of acting like it is cute when she does it, she gets time out immediately..then later after she is asleep we will laugh about it. Seriously y'all - it is hard not to outright laugh until I think about how she will be as a teenager if we don't stop it now....then it isn't too funny (see for example: my teenage years). Ally does have the greatest sense of humor and is so full of love and cuddles that it totally counteracts her disobedient moments though. David is now in first grade! *sniffle* My baby is now reading so well it amazes me. He will tell me things that I forgot that I knew (or even things I never knew) and just shock me with his ability to retain information! The big change this year for him is that he started on meds for his ADD - all I can say is praise God that these exist! Even my dad who is anti-medication agrees that they have only had a positive effect on David. We still have listening issues (AKA - being disobedient) but I am pretty sure that is going to be a life long struggle for any parent. As long as the good outweighs the bad, I am okay with it...not that I won't keep trying to get him to listen the first time! (Seriously though, I certainly am not always the best example of immediate obedience so it is hard to get too upset).
The kids are both playing soccer this year! I am so thrilled because I love soccer - I loved playing and now I love watching them play. David and Ally both have great teams this year and are really enjoying it. I was able to make it to a few games but it is just too much at this point so I will have to rely on play by play reports from the kids, Mike, and my parents for the time being. Mike is coaching David's team and is really enjoying it! David's team is currently undefeated and at Ally's level they don't keep score (that is a good thing too because her team is, well, more enthusiastic than skilled at this point).
Mike got hired on full time at MIC effective October 1st - this was what we had been hoping and praying for and now I can totally relax about moving to PT work after the baby comes.
Speaking of the baby...well, we are having a boy! His name is Wyatt Christopher and he is currently in training to be an ultimate fighter. He is going to be a big one - at this point he is measuring about 3 lbs. 6 oz. versus the average of 1-1/2-2.2 lbs. I had to take the glucose test this past Friday to make sure I don't have gestational diabetes but I am not too worried - my family makes big boys, after all! I am now 6 months along and on modified bed rest for pregnancy-induced hypertension. This is old hat to me since I was in the exact same position with David at 6 months. The big difference this time is that I am able to work 100% from home (from my couch office that Mike set up) and we have so many friends that are supporting us in this time. Last time around, I was in a marriage to a guy who couldn't be bothered to help with stuff and had only my mom to rely on since I had no friends due to marital circumstances. This time, I have a husband who is willing to do everything and more for me and around the house, still have my terrific momma, and SO many friends who are helping with meals and the kids. You guys will never know how much a difference this makes in my heart *tear*. The kids have been surprisingly understanding about mommy's inability to do the things they want and are used too - hopefully that will last the duration. They are really excited about their new baby brother so that should help too.
The nursery is just about ready! Just waiting on a couple of more items for it to be complete..and they are on their way via UPS! Dede bought us a changing table and that is on it's way and Mike gave me the go ahead to buy the glider/ottoman combo that I have had my eye on and that is on its way too. My mom spent a million dollars at Target so we are set with clothes, at least to start ;-)
Okay, well my BP is heading up so I am going to lay down for a bit - I hope to be back soon!

Ally-isms

2010-08-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

Allison cracks me up. She says things incorrectly but heaven help the one trying to correct her. Here are some of the things that she is currently saying and won't take my word for it that they are incorrect...

Ally-ism Translation
"It sure is froggy out" - "It sure is foggy out"
"The road is grumpy" - "The road is bumpy"
"Today, in the next morning" -"Tomorrow"

She has been doing this since she was 2 and learning her colors. She would argue for hours that "yellow" was in fact "lellow".

I love her self-confidence and get a kick out of the mental images I get when she says it is froggy outside or that the road is grumpy so we will just let her continue on and I will share the tales when she has a daughter just as stubborn :-)

New House pics

2010-07-20T16:48:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes, these are greatly delayed, I know...but, here they are - better late than never, right?

Entry way

David's room (natural light is good to play in, but not so good for pics lol)

Ally's room

Nursery (haven't done much yet, obviously)

Kid's Bathroom

Living room

Living room, angle 2

Study (see, that's me updating my blog!)

Kitchen

Kitchen, angle 2

Master bedroom

Master bath

Master closet

The man cave, I mean garage

There you go, that's our house! We are loving it!!!

Family vacation

2010-07-20T16:19:00.001-07:00

This year, our family was blessed to travel to California with my parents, brother, and sister-in-law. While there, we went to Disney Land, Lego Land, and Universal Studios.

The kids with Gramma Bay and Jaja (my parents)

The kids with Uncle Chris and Aunt Kelly (whom they chose to hang on most of the time that we were together)

David at Lego Land Driving School

Princess Allison

David Lightyear

It was so much fun! The kids went on big roller coasters that even I couldn't go on because of being pregnant. David rode Splash Mountain and said it was "terrifying" and then turned around and he and Ally went on Thunder Railroad! Those kids are WAY braver than I thought they would be!

We stayed up late every night but the kids napped when they could, even if it was at dinner...

I am grateful that we all had the energy to maintain a fun pace and full schedule the entire time we were there, including swimming at the hotel on our "breaks". Everyone got along and no one (read: the pregnant lady) got hormonal at all!

I can hardly wait to go again in a few years!

My little boy

2010-06-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

I still want to call him my baby (and will always think of him that way), but my little boy is now 6! He is full of life and one of the most empathetic people I have ever known. He is smart and creative. He loves video games and drawing and swims like a fish. My favoritve part about him is that he calls me "mom" - Happy birthday my David! May this year be the best so far!

Then - 4 months old

Now

Trip to grandma's....

2010-05-21T06:15:00.000-07:00

A trip to grandma's house means time with family, and new experiences....this time we learned how to make mud pies...some took it farther than others....

Then, we learned new games that Aunt Krystal brought...here is one of the big hits...

After all the fun, the kids all had baths and received prizes their Aunt Krystal brought...

I love seeing my kids have just as much fun with my cousin's children as I had with my cousins growing up! We are blessed to have such a wonderful family!

For more pics from the day, check out my cousin's blog posts on the day:

http://garzagazette.blogspot.com/2010/05/minute-to-win-it.html

http://garzagazette.blogspot.com/2010/05/down-dirty.html

Easter and bluebonnet pics

2010-05-21T05:53:00.001-07:00

Ally's loot

David's loot

My guys

My girl

I'm back!!!

2010-05-13T16:52:00.001-07:00

So many things have gone on since my last post and I am really excited about all of them. We have had some great news and made some decisions and changed our minds again and made new ones. I promise pictures within the next week of Easter and other cute moments but am just too tired right now to bother walking across the house to get my camera :-)

First off, I am pregnant, YAY!!! There will be a new Sieja by the end of this year (or thereabouts). I am tired all the time and feeling nauseated most of the time but over everything else, I am joyous to be carrying this new life inside of me!

Secondly, our house is coming along so fast! The outside is done, the walls are sheetrocked, taped and floated, lower cabinets and trim are in, and they are building our back deck! All that is left is the rest of the cabinets, painting, floors, and fixtures (and landscaping, fo course)! I emailed the contractor today to see if I could nail down an exact date but as of a couple of weeks ago he was leaning towards the house being ready in the middle of June! That means that I am starting the great clean out process that occurs when you move. I have already gone through my closet and the kids closets and toys, all that is left is books, filing cabinet, linen closets and bathroom cabinets.

Thirdly, Mike and I had rached the decision a month or so ago that I would start homeschooling David and Ally this coming fall. However, since finding out I am pregnant, I have begun thinking that perhaps this isn't the best time to start that. I hate change, especially when I am so secure in a decision, but life happens sometimes and you have to adjsut - in this case for my own sanity and even more so for my kids. There is no way that I can teach them to the level I desire with a newborn around. The good news is that since we had already worked out with my dad/employer that I would go down to a lot fewer hours and only work at the office one day a week starting this fall, it was a really easy jump to go to only working from home. We are now planning on me continuing to work up until Thanksgiving at the full time load that I am now (still at home 3 days a week), mostly because I love my job and honestly, the extra money will come in handy considering we are having to start over in buying baby things!

Fourth and finally, my baby boy is so smart! Yes, I am braggin, but this is my blog and if you don't want to read about my awesome children, then leave :-) We took David in for testing due to some behavior problems in school and found out that while he has ADHD, he is also extremely smart! He is just about done with Kindergarten but on the IQ test, he rated at a 2nd grade level in just about everything and on the 2 things he didn't (spelling and something else), he was upper first grade! He also has a 131 IQ which is "very superior" - now don't tell him that cause he already knows that he is smart lol. The only struggle with keeping him in school is that he will have to be on some kind of medication :-( I am going to try to get a meeting with his next year's teacher to see if this is something that can be worked around. I want to avoid it if at all possible. If it isn't possible, I understand, but I am going to explore all avenues before just giving him meds.

Oh, and to brag about my Ally too - she can write her name now!!! She can write David's too! It is like it happened overnight but she is getting smarter everyday! Cuter too - she has some kickin' dance moves that come out ANY time she hears music...even on the elevator much to complete strangers entertainment...

This time I mean it, I will be back soon - and with pictures!

Easter walk

2010-04-03T13:46:00.001-07:00

David's class had an Easter bonnet walk this past Thursday. I am not too sure of my creative abilities so I freaked out a little bit when we got the note home saying that we needed to create an Easter bonnet. Plus, I had been sick so I couldn't ask my mom to come over and help :-) So, I get instructions on supplies from David and hit Wal-Mart. When David came home, we created the coolest Easter bonnet ever - see for yourself! I think he looks quite dapper in his fake grass, bluebonnet, and egg covered cowboy hat, don't you?
We didn't want to get any phone calls about David's behavior this time, so Michael volunteered to go on the walk with him (and take pics of course). Here is David's entire class:

My baby girl

2010-04-03T13:37:00.001-07:00

So, my baby girl is going to be 4 in 4 days *sniffle* She already knows who she wants to marry (now we all know that will change but how cute is that!) and that she wants to live with her brother after they move out of mommy and daddy's house. My daughter is a bundle of energy and love who just showers both wherever she goes. She is independent and very vocal about her opinions. She is trusting and loves to cuddle. She loves to sing and dance though her talent is "still developing" on the singing. She has lots of friends but still chooses her brother as her best friend (on most days). Here she is, my baby girl...

A weekend in pictures

2010-03-14T15:18:00.001-07:00

Friday was Rodeo Round-Up

Then we went to go meet Katy, my 2 year old step daughter...
And get a little bit of playtime with her...

While David and Brendan bonded over video games...

We took the kids to visit my grandparents...
Where there was ice cream...
Deep talks...

And a LOT of time outside!

Then we went to my parents house where we had SO much fun that I forgot to take pictures :-)

We got a friend to take a picture of our new family (minus Katy) today after church:

Our new home

2010-02-16T09:12:00.000-08:00

Today, we have our pre-construction meeting for our new home. The house is 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, with a formal dining room that will serve as our home office! Go here to see our floor plan. It is 1669.1680 - I can't figure out how to link you to the direct page, sorry :-)

We are so excited! It will be the first home Michael has ever bought and it will be the first home that we get together! They are set to start building the first week in March and since we only live about a block away, we will be stalking the progress just about daily :-)
Right now, the kids love to take scooter-walks *in case you are wondering, a scooter walk means that the adults walk and the kids rider their scooters until they get bored with them, then we carry the scooters home* to our "empty spot. Who knew that an empty lot would be so fascinating to them! I can hardly wait to watch them watch the house's progress! And, I may be repeating myself but oh well, David's good friend lives just 2 houses down from where we are building!

I will keep you updated!

Finally!!!

2010-02-10T17:45:00.000-08:00

All right - we have finally finished jumping through the necessary hoops for adoption!!!!! The social worker who came over tonight was very nice, and I am actually thinking of seeing if she wants to get together after all this is legalized :-) She was over here for about an hour in a half, had about 3 pages of questions, and talked to the kids a little bit. Luckily, the kids are friendly and were way excited to tell this new person about how awesome their mom and dad are :-) My parents came by with dinner towards the end of the meeting - they had originally planned on waiting until she was done, but my mom called and I told her to please come and distract the children from their new friend so that we could finish up. So, the woman was able to ask both of my parents how the felt about the adoption. My mom gave a short and sweet "We are very happy about it!" My dad, whom I take after, was more wordy :-) He almost made me cry, but in a good way, so it is all good - the summary of it was that yes, he is all for it. The only thing that the woman was unsure of is if there was some kind of waiting period - as in, we have to be married X amount of time before Mike can adopt the kids. I have looked online and cannot find anything about that, but am going to call my lawyer tomorrow. If we have to wait, we wait - God has been working on my patience in so many aspects so I think I should be able to handle it without too many issues. His timing is perfect, after all.

Close, but no cigar!!

2010-02-06T15:11:00.000-08:00

So the adoption should have gone through without a hitch, but it didn't. We were called the day after the court date and informed that there were a few more hurdles and hoops to jump through. First, I (Michael) needed to get a criminal background check done. Easy enough we thought...
I went to the Department of Public Safety to get the check done and out of our hair on my way back from work in Houston. They told me that I needed to call Austin and find out who they contract it out to and see them. So after calling Austin and talking to the contractors for the checks, I was scheduled for Monday evening in Bryan Texas. Done!! Took one week to get the results.

Save as Draft

Second, we need to have a sit down interview with Child Protective Services. Easy enough...
SO we go a few days without hearing from anyone there to set up an appointment. When we finally do get in touch with CPS we are informed that the visit will cost $1000!!! This is a minor hitch, but God is good all the time!! Funds were made available (thanks Bay!) and all we need to do now is wait for the visit.The visit is scheduled for February 10th at 5:00pm.

In other news, we will be going to College Station on February 10th before the visit with CPS to talk with contractors building our house to decide on carpets, floors, faucets, etc. That should be a lot of fun since this is my first home purchase. I am excited to go through the whole process. Even more excited about when it is done at the end of June. Mandy has said that I can install the crown molding which means I get to purchase the tools needed to do the job. Power Tools!!!! They are supposed to break ground in the first few days of March and finish by late June. I will be taking progress photos as they go.

Our church has been growing in numbers the last few weeks and will continue to do so over the next few months, but not because of evangelism, nope good old family growth. There are at least five families who have or will be giving birth in the next few months. What a strategic church growing plan that is!! Bring on Song of Solomon!! We have offered our home as a small group location for the next phase in our small groups. It is an opportunity for us to give back a little and to put our gifts to use. I am in need of getting all my training and reading a venue to share, minister, and help wherever I can. Our pastor reminded me of the passage in the gospels where Jesus says that if one holds on to ones life, he loses it, but he who gives of himself, gains his life. Wise words!! I am excited to see what God has in store for us in ministering to our community.

We have a trip to Disneyland this summer, I have started my training for certification in the secondary schools, and work with Esco and Allsize keeps me busy during the week. Life is good and we are blessed. Praying that I can get a handle on all I have to do with the certification and find a job for the fall, my certification area is History grades 8-12. I will begin networking next week. I would be lying if I said I am not a bit scared of the whole process, but I just remind myself that God is with us, and He is in control. I just need to remember to do my part and visit all open doors and windows I can find until God says go here.

So until next time...
May God bless you and keep you!!

It is official!

2010-01-21T16:07:00.001-08:00

Today was such a wonderful day! Up there in my Top Ten. Of course, I really only have a Top 3 at the moment, but that will change :-) First on my list is the day that I FINALLY understood the great redemption that is Christ. Second is my wedding day to my wonderful husband. Third is today. Today, a judge granted my ex-husband's petition for termination of parental rights and (here is the fun part) Michael's petition to adopt David and Allison! In the petition, we requested that David and Allison's last name from Kruse to Sieja. We also requested that David's full name be changed from Carl David to David Jonathon. For those of you who don't know, Carl is also my ex's first name. David came to Mike and I a few weeks ago and told us that he didn't want to have the name Carl anymore and honestly, who can blame him? Would YOU want to share a name with a man who not only was abusive, but also totally disowned you? Yeah, I didn't think so. Effective today, Mike is the kids father in all the ways that matter. We are now OFFICIALLY The Sieja's!

I have to brag on my sweet hubby for a second...When the judge asked him if he wanted to be the kid's father, be responsible for them emotionally, financially, and in every other way for the rest of their lives, he did not say yes. He said "Wholeheartedly" - I am not a happy crier, but I teared up right there. I am so grateful for our family and the man God made for me.

On another note, week 1 with no daycare went very well! Both kids and parents are loving it and no one has lost their mind yet :-)

NO MORE DAYCARE :-D

2010-01-17T07:02:00.000-08:00

Well, I am SO very excited!!! After an excruciatingly long period of negotiations (okay, so more like a week...), we have come to a wonderful conclusion! The kids no longer have to go to daycare!!! Thanks to my dad who is currently both dad and boos to Mike and me, we have worked out a schedule that is going to work for everyone involved. I will work at home Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, then go pick the kids up from school (PK3 for Ally and K for David) at 11:30. On Mondays, Mike will go to Bryan to work at the storage facility my dad is business manager for and on Wenesdays and Fridays he will go work in Houston at Esco from 7:30 - 4, allowing him to beat traffic. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Mike will work at home in the mornings, then go pick the kids up from school at 11:30. Those are the days that I get to go into work, same hours. This is the best of both worlds because it lets our kids be home and I also get the benefit of being around grown-ups in the real world 2 days a week. Fantastically enough, it works out great for the company too! I think that this is going to be so good for the kids who have had a really rough 18 months and a pretty volatile life before that. This will be the first time that they will really be able to have a consistent, stay at home parent routine and life and I am just full of joy and praise God for answering our prayers in an even greater way than we could have imagined, and so quickly too! Even though the kids are paid up for daycare through the end of the month, we are starting this schedule immediately - they are more important than any "lost money"...of course, that isn't going to stop me from asking for a partial refund but I truly don't expect to get it :-P

Thanks daddy for all that you did and all the time and number crunching involved to make this work - there is no better JaJa than you anywhere on this Earth!

Another awesome thing that is going on is that Mike has signed up for the Alternative Teacher Certification. He starts at the beginning of February and it is on-line! So, we are praying and expecting that he will be teaching history somewhere starting next fall!

God is GOOD!

Busy bees

2010-01-14T15:10:00.000-08:00

Well, I thought that I would be better at posting more often but it always drops to the bottom of my to-do list. The kids are watching a movie, the husband is making dinner, and the house is basically picked up so I am stealing a few moments to post.
Last week started off tough for little David. On Tuesday, he got sent to the principal's office by 10 a.m. - I remind you, he is 5 years old, so it takes a LOT to get to that point. This is actually the second time that he was sent to the office this year and we have had many notes home about his behavior. So, I bit the bullet and scheduled a conference with the teacher. Before I went in, I had all these thoughts in my head about how she would tell me that he is misbehaving because I am a bad mom, that he shouldn't be in school yet because he isn't mature enough, etc. Okay, so I have a bit of a worry problem, I am working on it! What actually happened when I got there is me bursting into tears when we started talking about David's issues in school. It is hard when one of your kids is having trouble, y'all! After we talked, we were able to come up with a plan of action - one that should have been obvious to both of us. The bottom line is consistency. David can be VERY vocal (aka throw a huge tantrum) when things don't go his way (yes mom, I know he gets it from me-shhhh), so it is sometimes just easier to give in. For the teacher because it disrupts the class and for me because I was just so tired for so long being a single mom. We decided that even if it is harder for awhile, we would be firm, loving, and consistent with our actions and always follow through on what we said. In addition, Mike and I started praying (even more) for David to learn obedience and respect and for all of the adults in his life to have patience and wisdom in helping him learn. I expected it to be a rough couple of weeks following, wouldn't you? Well, miracles still happen it seems because from last Wednesday all the way through yesterday, David stayed on green (meaning he had little or no problems behaving in class) EVERY DAY!!!! Today, he had a tantrum one time, but honestly I am okay with that - we all have bad days. The thing he has to learn is to not let it last all day.

On a fun note, art classes and gymnastics started up again!!! The kids are so happy about this. So am I because Ally loves her gymnastics and David loves his art classes so they kept asking "When are we going to go? Why are they still closed?" I started going back to my mom's Bible study yesterday now that my schedule is back to normal and am so happy about that.

What else... oh! my January goals! Well, I am doing pretty good on most of them! I have been going to Curves at least 2 times a week and am going to go 3 times a week starting this week. I am doing the Wii Fit 2 times a week - I have to get on that tonight, now that I am thinking about it...The boundaries are in the works but I think they are getting closer to where they should be. I have stayed faithful to putting God first and am on day 14 of 14 in my year-plan for reading the Bible! We have not had dinner out except for 1 time this month. We are cooking at home and I am making Mike and I lunches just about every day. I hope that my patience is getting better but Mike would be a better judge of that :-) I will have a weight update on Monday - that is the weigh-in day for my Curves weight loss class. I haven't invited anyone new over yet this month, but have invited a new friend for coffee tomorrow so I am counting that :-) AND.....I have quit smoking!!! No ciggies for me since last Thursday!!!

Well, I think that covers the biggies...I am off to explain to David why a popsicle can't come before dinner.

Another New Year, more resolutions

2010-01-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! I can hardly believe that it is 2010! Well, we are now "in the future" so where are all of the flying cars? Every year, people come up with resolutions and most of them don't last longer than it takes for the next week to come around. I am going to try something different this year and see if it works. I am going to make "new month" resolutions. This month, I resolve to:
1. Go to Curves and work out at least 2 times a week.
2. Work out on Wii Fit at least 2 times a week.
3. Take a walk with my family at least 4 times a week.
4. Lose 7 lbs. (okay, so I really want to lose 10 this month, but I don't want to fail my first month out now do I?)
5. Create and maintain boundaries in my life with my children, husband, parents, friends, and even strangers. Not all of these are equally needed, but every once in awhile should be taken a good look at.
6. Invite at least one new couple over to hang out at our house.
7. Put God first, even if it means I don't get to watch t.v. that night.
8. Be more patient with all those listed in #5 - I am thinking that #7 will help with this.
9. Eat meals at home, around the table, at least 4 nights a week, weekends are ever changing so I can't count them.
10. Quit smoking, this time for good. I am going to an acupuncturist on Tuesday to help with the withdrawal symptoms so now I just need to stick with it!

Okay, that seems like a good start, to say the least. I am going to give you all my total weight loss goal just so that I can be accountable to more than myself - I need to lose 75 lbs. I lost 60 over a year ago in about 9 months. I have stayed within 7 lbs. of this but still have a long way to go. I welcome any hints and especially recipes that are healthy and not terribly time consuming. I ask for prayer that I will be able to stay faithful to all of these resolutions because they are essential to me becoming a healthy woman.

What are your resolutions? How are you planning on keeping them?

My kids crack me up...

2009-12-30T18:21:00.000-08:00

I get such a kick out of some of the things that my kids say, I want to share some of them with y'all (and save the memories!).....

Last night I had some work to finish up after I got home and the kids were playing in the study. The play turned into LOUD play and the conversation that followed went like this:
Me: "David and Ally, I am trying to concentrate on work so if you want to stay in here with me you have to be quiet, okay?"
Both kids: "Okay mommy"
David starts playing quietly and Ally lasts about 5 seconds and then...
Ally: (very loudly) "I am being quiet mommy! See mommy, I am being quiet! Aren't I good at being quiet mommy?"
Me: "Ally, sweetie, if you are telling me that you are being quiet, then are you really being quiet?"
Ally: "Oh."

Last night at bedtime we hear Ally playing in her bed...
Me: "Ally, are you sleeping?"
Ally: "Yes ma'am."
Mike: "Can you sleep a little more quietly please?"
Ally - "Okay Daddy"

This past summer, Ally and I had a great miscommunication. I asked her if she wanted bubbles in the bathtub and she got all excited and said yes. So, I ran the bath, with bubbles and she was playing and looked at me and said, "Mommy, you forgot Bubbles." I told her no I didn't, and pointed to the bubbles in the tub. She stood up and said "No mommy, Bubbles is outside, go get him!"....She was talking about Bubbles, our dog.......

Today, David asked some of the oddest questions. Here are some of the questions that I had to figure out how to answer today:

"Mommy, what color is the devil?"
"Mommy, when I die, will I be in heaven with George (my grandpa) and my yellow balloon I let go of a long time ago?"
"Mommy, is my heartbeat the devil knocking on my heart trying to get in?"
"Mommy, why isn't my birthday more important than God's?"

One of my favorite's from a couple of week's ago is "How can Jesus fit into my heart if he is bigger than me? Wait, maybe it is the kid Jesus in my heart and when I grow up, I will have the grown up Jesus in my heart. Is that right mommy?"

Random fact of the day: If enough Legos go down the tub drain over time, it will stop working. Thanks Mike, for snaking them out of the drain!

A very merry Christmas

2009-12-28T14:27:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year, full of family...LOTS of family. We started on Christmas Eve at my parent's house and didn't finish up until yesterday! This included spending Saturday with my grandparents who were also celebrating 60 years of marriage! What a wonderful blessing to be part of.

We didn't get the kids back until the evening of the 25th, so Santa came to our house that night. Here is what it looked like after Santa got everything set up.

And here is some of the destruction, I mean opening of gifts...we have 16 bags of trash in the garage right now!

The kids got "Everything they always wanted" with their presents, including a fish tank and scooter and I got the best gift of all - my soul mate as my husband.

We have found places for just about everything and the kids are home for the next week to enjoy them! Well, of to see the Squeakuel :-) Merry Christmas everyone!

My baby boy's latest milestone

2009-12-21T19:23:00.001-08:00

Goodness me, I cannot believe that I forgot to mention little David's big news! He lost his first tooth!!! He was so excited,a s was the whole table (we were at lunch before the wedding). He got a big round of applause. Here is picture of my "baby's" new smile.

The Perfect Day and Beyond

2009-12-21T12:05:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all! Well, we are back from our honeymoon, but still "honeymooning" since the kids are gone until Friday - my fabulous husband is at the grocery store and I finished my jobs of unpacking and straightening the house so I am going to catch everyone up on the weekend!

Thursday, December 17th
Mike and I drove into Houston to work half a day (-ish) and enjoyed our company Christmas party. There was delicious food, tasty wine (and an overzealous waiter ready to refill after each sip), cool gifts, and terrific company! After the party, we drove to pick up my new sister, Isla (okay, officially she is Mike's sister but I am claiming her because she is awesome), my cute new niece, Lola, and Mike's best friend (and my good friend), Jeremy. We road-tripped to Brenham to pick up David and Ally and go to the rehearsal. We got the timing of everything agreed on while kids ran around like monkeys. After the rehearsal, the gang, along with my mom, went back to our place for pizza and hang out time. Then, the girls and the kids headed to Chappell Hill (at the farm, my parents place) for the night. The boys stayed back to hang and have some bromance time playing video games. The grown ups were all tired at the farm but the little monkeys were wired and stayed up until 10! My favorite line of the evening was when Ally wanted to go watch a movie with David and Lola in the loft, she said "Mommy, I am going to go watch a movie with the children"...someone may need to tell her she is a child too....

Friday, December 18th - The Big Day!
Little Miss Priss, AKA Ally, woke up at 5:00 a.m. for some reason! Thankfully my mom handled her and let me sleep until I woke up at around 7. I made the executive decision that Allison, who by this time was in the whiniest mood ever, would skip school and stay with me at the farm and rest for awhile (yes, I was very tempted to send her whiny self to school and keep my sanity but had to think ahead to no nap time this p.m.). I took the morning to just chill and my mom took David to school, and being the saint he is, brought Starbucks back for everyone (coffee for grown-upos, hot chocolate for the girls). We loaded up around 10 and headed to Brenham to get our hair done, which the girls completely loved and I wish I had pictures of! We met the guys for lunch (because I missed my honey and wanted to spend time with Jeremy while he was in town) and then split up again to get ready for the wedding. We went to the church about 45 minutes ahead of time and just hung out and tried to talk David into not being so hyper - I just knew that he was going to trip and get all muddy the way he was running around outside, but he never did (phew!!!). I got a little freaked out right before the ceremony because Mike's mom and stepdad got there just before 4 and I thought they would not make it, but again - it was worry for nothing. Unfortunately, my cool new brother, Daniel, got caught in traffic and missed the wedding but made it in time for the rehearsal so I got to get to know him a little.

I finally got David to walk down the aisle by tying my engagement ring to the ring pillow and he did the walk stoically.

Ally and Lola, the princesses, did a great job as flower girls.
Finally, I got to walk down the aisle to marry my own Prince Charming. I don't like being up in front of a lot of people, but once I reached him, everyone else disappeared.

Then, off to the rehearsal dinner where everything went wonderfully and tasted delicious! My new husband and I drove to Austin that night for our honeymoon.

Saturday, December 19 - Monday, December 21

We went and saw two movies, went shopping, and ate some yummy food. We tried to go to a couple of places but things were closed for some reason so we just drove around a little more. We did go to a romantic dinner at a place called "Romeo's" that my cousin Carly recommended and that was terrific! Basically, the honeymoon was relaxed and fun and we did whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted - how great is that!

So, now we are home and so rested and happy that I don't know what to do with myself! I think I will curl up with my honey and watch some t.v.

Here are a few more pics...

Our little family

The wedding party

The he-men...I mean...Mike, my bro, and Jeremy

Double Wedding?

2009-12-17T05:23:00.001-08:00

David and Allison are almost as excited as Mike and I are about the big day tomorrow - this is really good news because last time they were in a wedding (my brother's), they both balked at coming down the aisle and did not want anything to do with it from the get-go. At the reception, my brother told me that he had asked David what was wrong before the wedding and he answered "I don't wanna get married!" They ended up doing all right because my terrific sister-in-law let them hold hands with a bridesmaid as they walked down the aisle, but I was a bit nervous about how they would react to being in our wedding.

Well, apparently his feelings have changed because he told me this week that he wants to marry Ally when I marry Mike......ummm.....no, she is your sister David, you can't marry her. Ally inserts her voice into the argument stating "but I love him!". So, we try to explain that the way you love your sister or brother is different than the way you love the one you marry. It seemed like they understood until I heard David say, as they were walking away..."When we grow up, we won't be brother and sister anymore and then we can get married!" *sigh*

I am sure they will figure it out eventually, but at least I know that they love each other, even if they do ask to trade each other out for a new brother or sister weekly.

Tonight is the rehearsal and I finally get to met Mike's best friend (from Lubbock) who I have become friends with long distance. We will all have dinner together then, Isla (Mike's sis), Lola (the niece), David, Ally, and I are going to my parents house to hang out and sleep over and I won't see Mike until the wedding *sniffles*. Jeremy and Mike are going to stay at our house playing games and catching up. I will post when we get back from our Austin honeymoon!

The brother and sister in question :-)

"Dear One"

2009-12-14T16:49:00.001-08:00

David is taking art classes since he takes after my mom and grandma and already draws waaaay better than me. I took him last Wednesday and he appeared to be wrapped up in his drawing while the teacher was instructing another student. All of a sudden I hear his little voice...

David: "Excuse me, Miss Teacher"

Mrs. Parker (aka "Teacher"): "Yes David"

David: "I am 'dear one'."

(It seems that David overheard Mrs. Parker call another child "dear one" and was a bit possessive of the endearment.)

Mrs. Parker: "Yes, David, you are 'dear one'."

David: "But teacher, you called her 'dear one'. That's my name. You can't call her that!"

Mrs. Parker: "How about if I call her 'dear'? Is that okay dear one?"

David: "I guess that's okay"

He caught her 3 times that day slipping up and calling another student dear one and called her on it every time. Thankfully, she is a kind-hearted woman with a soft spot for my dear one.

Getting with the program

2009-12-14T10:43:00.000-08:00

I have been enjoying blog-stalking my friends and family so much that I am finally breaking down and joining the blog-madness. I hope that adding pictures isn't too complicated :-) So, welcome to our blog! Big news this week: Mike and I are getting married on Friday!!!
Last night, Mike's mom, sister, and niece came over to visit and have dinner. I am really happy to be getting such a great family along with my future husband. David, Ally, and my almost-niece, Lola, enjoyed each other a lot. The girls were fast friends and once Ally got tired, falling asleep on the couch at 6:30, David and Lola had a lot of fun too.
Tonight, we are opening up our own little Santa's Workshop after the kids are asleep to wrap all the gifts because I sure don't want to have to spend my first week of marriage staying up wrapping gifts!
In other news, we signed papers to start a new house in our current neighborhood! David got a little ahead of himself when telling his almost-grandma about who the bedrooms are for and stated "we are gonna get a baby and that's where it will sleep!" in regards to the 4th bedroom! We are NOT pregnant - we just want to get this started so when we DO decide to add to the family, we are ready...hopefully David will be as excited when the event actually happens.