This and That

We had a good Christmas. The kids were spoiled and got nearly everything on their lists this year. Mike got a tshirt and PS2 game off his list as well as the ATV. And I got my one hour back massage (professional!!) and a wireless keyboard and mouse. I didn't ask for the keyboard and mouse, but MAN it's so nice to not have the dog sleeping on the wires!

I am sooo ready to take the tree down! Usually, I like to wait until the first week of January, but this year, I'm just tired of looking at it.

We are on the countdown until Mike leaves for Korea. He flies out on Feb 8. Too soon. I am hoping for a weekend away, just the two of us, before he leaves. It will interesting to see how the kids take it. They were way to young last time to understand. I think the boys will be fine, it's Lauren who will have the hardest time. The boys will get to email Daddy, and I think that will be pretty cool for them. I'm looking forward to this time next year, because we will be that much closer to him coming back home.

I am on break from school. I don't know how I pulled two As out of last semester! And countless quilts completed (not to mention the 3 I didn't quite finish yet). I'm really not looking forward to classes starting again. But only a little over a year left until I finish my degree. I can do this..

The visit with Mom was nice. I was suprised things flowed so smoothly with seven extra people here. The kids were in heaven with 3 cousins to play with. Mom looks pretty good. Very tired. She cracked another rib last week. Coughing. It saddens me to see how this disease has progressed. And it scares me that it could be genetic. I look at all the cancer on her Dad's side the family, and the diabetes on her Mom's side the family, and I wonder what chance do I have?!

I'm looking forward to next year. I know alot of things will be different, but I am up for the challenges (I hope). Watching the kids grow and change is so amazing. I love the people they are becoming. It makes me so proud to see how independant they are. Man, I've got it so good.

It's About Time...

So, I've wanted to have a family picture taken for about 5 years now. But something always happens, and we don't get the family picture. Usually, it's 5 days before Christmas, I plop the kids in front of the tree, snap some pictures, run to WalMart with the better one, print off cards and call it done. This year, when Mike asked what I wanted for my birthday, my reply was a family picture. And clothes for me. Well, my birthday was in September. I went shopping and got myself some clothes. And I mentioned the family picture again, and again, and again. I finally called in Oct to get an appt. I really wanted the do them in the fall with the leaves. The place by the house here was booked. Solid. Until December. A new place opened up here in 'town', and I had seen some of her work and was pleased. So, I called and made an appointment. We finally took a family picture last week. So, I guess it will be five more years until we take another one! Anyway, here is the one we fell in love with. Actually, all the pictures turned out well. This is the one we are using in our family Christmas cards this year.

Mommy's Coming

My Mom is going to be here in a couple of hours. Along with my brother, his wife, their two daughters, my sister and her daughter. Should make for an interesting weekend!!

Oh, and Matthew will be testing for his orange belt tonight!!

What does it Matter?

I asked Mike to take the boys to Karate tonight, so I could work on the 7 quilts I need to complete by this weekend. He said he would, but I could tell he was annoyed. When I got home, he was in a rare mood... I asked what was wrong. Evidently, he doesn't mind taking the kids, but was upset that I waited so long to do these quilts, and now it's the last minute, and I am rushing. First off, what does it matter what I do with that time while he is gone? And does he not see that I am also a full time student, mother to three children and person trying to hold it all together?! I just don't understand what the deal was... wonder what he will say when I ask if he will take them again on Wednesday (so I can do the quilts, because tomorrow, I am finishing my classwork for this semester)?!

Stage Sick

Lauren was in her first dance performance tonight. Her dance school did 'The Nutcracker'. At rehersal last night, she did great! She really liked being on stage, so I thought she would be fine tonight. For the first song, she was ok. She hid her face at first, but once the music came on she was fine. When her class came out for their second performance, she wasn't with them. I was shocked, and wondered where my baby girl was?! A couple minutes later, she comes on stage, with a teacher, hiding her face in her hands. She did dance, but hid her face the entire time she was on stage!! She said she was 'stage sick'. Here is a picture of my ballerina from tonight! Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Matthew!!!

I can not believe that my oldest child is NINE today!!
He had a great birthday celebration weekend. He had 3 friends sleep over Friday night. They hung out in the family room and took turns playing the playstation, the arcade and the game boys. (I should charge admission to my family room!) Saturday, we got up and headed down to Arkansas to pick up some quilts I had sent out. I called Matthew BEST friend to see if they could meet us, they moved 2 hours south of where we were going. They couldn't meet us, but invited us to come down to spend the night!! SO WE DID! Matthew was THRILLED to see his buddy Ryan, and we all had a great time!!! Here is a picture of Matthew from his party on Friday night.. he was opening a Star Wars game for his PS2, and he was totally suprised!!



Happy Birthday Matthew, you make me proud son!

Night Out

Mike and I went out last night. He had a banquet for work, and we got to get all dressed up!! Here's a picture of us before we left!! Gotta love the star growing out of his head...

I love being an adult sometimes!

Merry Christmas to Me!

I got pulled over on the way to karate Monday night. Jacob and Lauren were sleeping. The officer came up to my window, asked for my license and went back to his car. Matthew turns to me and asks what I would do if he gave me a ticket. I told him that since I was speeding, I would just have to take it, and suffer the consequences. The officer came back, handing me my license, and a ticket. He set my court date for Jan 20. My fine is $100. I was doing 73 in a 55.. oops. As soon as Jacob and Lauren woke up, Matthew told them, "Guys, Mom got pulled over by a COP, and he gave her a ticket, and she has to pay up $100."

Procrastinator

Yes, I procrastinate. I have homework due by 10 tonight. I will work on it at 8ish. Why do I always wait until the last minute?! I have about 15 quilts I need to finish by the 16th of December. I am starting them now. Because that's about a quilt a day!! HOLY CRAP! I think I work better under pressure. I get so easily distracted otherwise. I am sitting here thinking that I need to go put the last two pieces of border on my neice's quilt. And I need to switch out the laundry. And mop the floors. And clean the bathrooms. And take out something for dinner. And do I really have only 2 hours left until I need to go pick up the kids?! Wow.

Ok, I'll go finish that quilt. But not before I load the dishwasher!

Lucy is HOME!!!

She came back Friday morning around 9am. She just strolled up to the door like nothing... what a stinker!! I was sooo excited to see her. I really thought she was gone for good.
Now if we could just get Princess to do her business when we take her out instead of 5 minutes after we get back in, we will be golden in the pet department!

Here is a picture of our doggies!

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a wonderful day full of friends, family and more food than you could possibly eat! We had a good day. We went to our friend's house and had a great meal and some good socialization! Best of all, we were all there.

Since it's a day to give thanks, here are five things I am thankful for:

1. My husband and children. I don't know where I would be in my life without them. I appreciate all the joy they bring into my life.

2. My extended family. With all their quirks and crap, I love them all. it's easy to get frustrated with them, but I know they all have helped to shape me into who I am.

3. Our home. We have been in this house for almost a year and a half. I am so thankful that we were able to buy a house, and make it a home. We have wonderful neighbors and a great community.

4. All the luxuries in my life. I realize just how much I have. I don't think I ever imagined I would be this blessed in life.

5. Health. My health, my kids health, Mike's health. The fact that my Mother isn't as sick as they thought. The fact that my Mother in Law is doing much better.

And on a sad note, my dog Lucy is missing. I let her out last night when I took our puppy out. She didn't come back in. Usually, she would be waiting at the door in the morning. It's been 21 hours and we haven't seen any sign of her. I am sick with worry... I pray she comes back.. I miss her.

Saturday was Jacob's 7th birthday!! I can't believe it's been 7 years since I gave birth to him. We had cake and ice cream with a few friends on Friday night, and he had two friends spend the night. On Saturday we got up and I took Jacob, his two friends, Matthew and his friend to see the new Harry Potter movie. Yes, I took FIVE boys ages 6-8 to the movies. It wasn't too bad. The 6 year old got scared at some points as did one of the 8 year olds. The kids really enjoyed the movie although Matthew kept whispering questions to me throughout! My only peeve with the movie is that Dumbledore's character is being butchered!!
All in all, he had a great birthday. He even raked in some cash! He said it wasn't his best because last year he got more presents! Oh well!

Here are a couple of pictures of the birthday boy!


I've included this one because of the boys... They coordinated at school that day so that they would all wear cammo jammied that night!! And I thought only girls were like that! hehe


I love this one of Mike and Jacob building with the erector set!


Only 14 days until we get to do it all again for Matthew's birthday!

Makin' Me Look Bad...

Progress reports came out today. I was reading over Matthew's and noticed he had a C+ in Art... I asked him about it, and he said
"Mom, they said they messed up those grades. They are makin' me look bad."

Livin' the Bad Life

So what dictates a 'good life' versus a 'bad life'?
We have all heard people say they are livin' the good life or that someone has had a hard life. Haven't we all experienced hardships? How much of our idea of a 'good life' is based on perspective? I do understand that some people experience hardship after hardship. I also see people who, despite those hardships, walk with their heads held high and they keep going. Others, just lay down and quit.
I've had my share of hardships. I was molested. I had a miscarriage. My exhusband left me when I was four months pregnant with a child we tried to have. I have been divorced. I have filed bankrupcy. If you asked me how I would classify my life, I would tell you, without hesitation, that I've lead a good life. I'm happy with where I am, and mostly happy with who I am. I can't imagine that I would be happier if those things hadn't happened to me. I don't think I would appreciate where I am without those things that ground me.
I wonder if people's ideas of the kind of life they have lead matches what kind of life people think they have had. I mean some people may look at the things I have been through and say, Man, that bites... and someone else may say that's not too bad, it could be much worst. Perspective is an amazing thing.

My Little Artist

Matthew loves to draw. He has even drawn his own Comic Book Character! Mike and I found his latest "trading card" on the kitchen island the other night... Behold! It's Captain Wegy Pants!



Mike was especially impressed by Matthew's proper use of 'ies' in the place of 'y' for the plural wedgies!


UPDATE: I have been informed that the above drawing was NOT done by Matthew. Jacob is the wedgie genius! Matthew only helped with the spelling part!

The Rifle Tower

Jacob just came running in here..

"Hey Mom, with Imaginext Extreme, you can make the Rifle Tower."

"No bud, it's the EIFFEL Tower"

"Rifle Tower!"

"No, it's EIFFEL Tower"

"Not rifle tower"

"Eiffe Tower"

"Oh"

Dancerinna

Lauren had a dance performance today. There was a huge expo at the civic center and both dance schools performed. I was taken aback by how provocative the girls from the other school danced. Not just the older girls either. It really made me appreciate the school we are at for dance.
It was fun to watch them all perform. The girls were super cute! Lauren really got into the dance, especially the part where she got to shake her tush at us! I am really looking forward to their Nutcracker performance next month.
Of course when Lauren wasn't performing, she was sitting on the sidelines. BORED.



It was funny watching her. She kept asking me how much longer until she could get up. I finally went over to sit with her...
Doesn't that girl standing look bossy?! She was telling the girls they needed to back up so they didnt' get trampled by the next routine.

Update on Mom

She called the drs office to see if they had any news. The "spot" is on her lung, not her rib. And it's the only spot. On Monday, she will call to get her appt time to proceed. They are going to do a biopsy to find out what it is.

We went through something simular in May with my step-dad. They found a spot on his lung, and told us it was either cancer, TB or an infection. Turns out it was an infection. He has been on meds since. Of the three, infection was the most treatable, therefore best "option" if we had to choose one.

Can you guess which one I would choose if given a choice? It hasn't been easy to treat my step-dad and it took over a month to get a diagnosis on him and get the right treatment. They said he had to be on the meds for 6 months. At 4 months, his liver enzymes when through the roof. They took him off the meds and waited for his counts to level off again. One more week on the meds, and his liver went crazy again. So now, where does that leave him? We are waiting for answers now.

Each of the things that can be wrong have serious implications. I just have to remain positive and pray that she is getting the best possible care in her unique situation. The news we received today is far better than I dared hope for. And I only pray that it gets better.

Thankful for...

I'm sitting here wondering what the doctors are going to tell my Mom today. A few weeks ago, I was so content with my life. And now, I feel so much turmoil because of the illness of my Mother, my Mother-in-law and my Step-dad. They say things come in threes. Well, my plate is full, so any other emergencies can just go away, right? I sure hope so.

Here are some things I am extremely grateful for, in no particular order:

1. My Mom... the fact that I have gotten to have this much time with her. Her autoimmune disease could have taken her 5 years ago when she was 'diagnosed'. I'm thankful that I get to talk to her on the phone numerous times a day. I can pick up the phone at any time and just call to say hello or get an update on my siblings.

2. My kids... the fact that I have three healthy, beautiful and smart kids just amazes me. I look around at all the things that my kids 'could' have. All the diagnosis the doctors are making in kids today, and I thank God that my children are 'normal'.

3. My husband... he is the most caring, selfless person I know. That man would sacrifice his own happiness to ensure that my needs are met. And while I really hope he wouldn't, I am grateful knowing that he loves me THAT much. Because of him, I know the meaning of a wonderful marriage.

Some things that I am so blessed to have:
1. a wonderful home
2. great neighbors
3. a wonderful network of women I can lean on whenever I need them
4. enough money to get us all the things we need and a lot of stuff we don't need, but enjoy just the same

Count your blessing everyone. Especially when things look gloomy. Right now it would be so easy for me to just sit and wallow in self pity because of all the stressful things in my life. Instead, I am chosing to be positive, see the good in whatever comes, and just live my life to the fullest. Because without the hard times, I probably wouldn't even think twice about those things that make my life so good.

Martial Arts

So, the boys are taking karate. Or Martial Arts. Whatever. They are really enjoying it. Matthew earned his first stripe last night, and he was pretty proud. I'm pretty proud of him. He has picked up the moves very fast, and he executes them really well. Jacob is doing well too. He is not quite as coordinated as Matthew, but he is learning fast.

I hope this is something they will continue to do for a while. I think it will help them to learn disipline and respect. They are really big on being responible for your belongings and keeping your uniform neat and tidy. The boys can't blame me if they lose something. They have to take responsiblity for their own things. I think this is a great concept for them to be learning.

What I want to know is when did my boys get big enough, old enough, to be out there going to karate. When did they learn to read for that matter. I can clearly remember rocking them. And changing their diapers. And holding their hands as they walked beside me. And now they are these two independant people. People who make choices for themselves. People who still need Mom, but don't really need Mommy. And it's heartbreaking. When they were babies, I remember people would tell me that they would grow so fast. And man, I couldn't wait for them to walk, to talk, to potty train. And now, I look back, and I can't believe that I wished all that stuff away. Don't get me wrong, I want them to be independant and responsible. And I think they are well on their way. But I can't help but miss the little people they were.

Happy Halloween!

Here are the kids in their costumes. We won't be trick-or-treating tonight. The boys have karate. It's just as well though, because they really don't need all that candy.

Our Halloween party was fun. Only about half of the people showed up, but it was nice and relaxing. We sat my the fire roasting marshmallows, making s'mores and just chatting while the kids played inside and ate lots and lots of sugar. My kids promply passed out as soon as their heads hit the pillows. They really enjoyed wacking the pinata.. see the joy on Lauren's face here... and the evil glint in her eyes!

Halloween Party Tomorrow...

I don't even know who is coming. I've invited EVERYONE. I guess it will be a suprise to see who actually shows up. The kids are pretty excited. I got a pinata and they helped to stuff it yesterday. I think the kids are going to bob for apples, and the kids said they want to do a "Pin the Broom on the Witch" game.. should be fun.

I've hired a sitter to watch the kids in the house. We will set up in the workshop/garage like last year. I think it's colder this year though. We will light a fire in the pit, and make s'mores. I am looking forward to it. I love having people over.

Mike said he is going to dress up as a scarecrow.. I still don't know what I'm dress up as.. I'll have to see what costumes Wal-Mart has left tomorrow.
I don't think we will be taking the kids trick-or-treating this year. The boys have Karate Monday night, and I don't think we will be home in time... who knows. They are pretty excited that they get to wear their costumes tomorrow night. We will have one Darth Vader, one Army soldier, and one Oh so pink princess!

They said...

They said about 4 years ago that my Mom has an autoimmune disease. It is in the Lupus/Schleraderma family, but they can't really pinpoint what it is. It affects her lungs. She is losing elasticity in her lungs and the pressure in her lungs is really high. She can't take a shower or take clothes out of the dryer without getting winded.

They said that the chemo would help to slow the progress of the disease. She did chemo for 18 months and has been on steriods ever since. She is also diabetic, so she is very slow to heal.

They said last week that she had pleurisy. She was in alot of pain. Last Wendsday she sounded better. Thursday morning I called and she had just gotten out of the shower. She could hardly breathe and she just broke down. She was in a lot of pain, and was afraid she would become hooked on the pain meds. Friday she went to the doctor. They scheduled a bone scan for Monday because they thought that maybe she had cracked a rib.

They said it's not a cracked rib. And it wasn't pleurisy.

They said it's probably cancer.

They said they should be able to treat it with radiation.

They said they are going to do more test to see if it's anywhere else.

First Attempt

Here's goes... My first attempt at blogging. I have been reading blogs for almost a year now and figured I should try my hand at it. My husband is going to be stationed in Korea for a year and I thought this might be a good way for him to keep up with what we are doing. He can probably read here and gage my mood as to wheter it's a good time to call home or not as well!!

My name is Misty. I am happily married to a wonderful man. We have three children and we are currently stationed in Missouri. I am a 'stay at home mom' who is usually anywhere except home. I am involved in my children's school as well as being a full time student myself. I am also involved in a local group for Moms of Preschoolers. In my "spare" time, I enjoy reading and quilting.

That's all for now... more to come later.