Getting Enough Z's

nada lada

2012-01-27T15:14:00.000-08:00

(random pictures of Rogue...sometimes mom's with cameras just go there ya know...we use our dogs as models...what can I say)

I have a head full of things to say right now but a house full of children that need my attention so I cant really blog today...and I did not have time yesterday, or the day before...or the day before that...and probably not tomorrow..(you know where Im going with this):) I just didn't want to ignore it...as if my blog is a person...Im getting crazier and crazier the older I get...but anyway, I wish I could write all day about the non sense in my head but today, like most days, I have zero time to so hopefully I can chat with you random readers late tomorrow night or Sunday...have a few things I'd like to share:) Here's some random pictures just because...

Guilty Pleasures

2012-01-20T11:03:00.000-08:00

The other day my 6 year old told me that I was too busy...that I clean the house too much and seem so busy all the time. Talk about a punch in the gut! She's telling the truth...I am constantly in "go mode" feeling that if I am not, then I am not doing my job. Wonder where that lie came from!? I can give you a few guesses;). Satan lies to me every day...I think we assume Satan only does the BIG stuff but even whispers of self doubt and misguided self worth is a very common strategy of his! Satan doesnt want me to not clean my counters off and sit down and play with my kids...he doesnt want me to put the vacuum down to paint a picture with my daughter...he wants me to be busy because family is a huge threat to him!

Ever since the day I first became a mother I go to bed with a load of guilt. It's something I fight every night. Did they get enough hugs today, was I sweet to my husband today, did the kids have too much sugar today, did they brush their teeth (oh gosh what if they have cavities and then the dentist think Im a horrible mom....) etc etc etc...it's a constant battle of self doubt. With Haley's blow that day though...I didn't even sleep that night...that was a heavy loader and I was feeling really yucky about myself that night! I just prayed for my role as a mother that night and prayed for my little ones...that I can give them the individual attention they each need and that I am capable of better time management.

With that said, I have tried to make a vital change in my day to day routine and it started with a trip to the zoo:)...left the house a mess, packed up the car and headed on for an adventure that I was not just going to observe from behind the stroller but that I would partake in with my kiddos! I used to be so good about being such a hands on mom...it was something I probably prided myself in...but having McKamy changed me in a way and it really didnt have to...it was by my own doing...guilty...g u i l t y! It's okay though...today's a new day and I am grateful for yet another opportunity to do it better than the day before...

worrier-warrior

2012-01-16T19:34:00.001-08:00

I was really dreading today. I woke up with a pit in my stomach knowing I was going back to visit a place that had caused me so much sadness the last time I went. I was about to make a 2 1/2 hour drive to go visit a little girl that I barely know, yet love her like she's my own? I have a weird bond with Annie (I'll have to share her story another day) and as much as I felt God calling me back to her...I really was almost afraid to go again.

The first time was so overwhelming and took so much out of me. Me, me, me....the whole stink'n "mission" ended up being about me...when I thought the whole time God was wanting it to be about her, it somehow ended up being the Allie show? I went there the first time with so much confidence, I was going to help this little girl somehow and God had picked me to do it...I walked in like a cocky superhero and walked out like beaten dog. God has revealed so much to me since then...he has taught me lessons I didn't even realize I needed to learn and showed me parts of myself that needed exposing. Annie changed my life forever in the 4 minutes I was able stand by her bed and yet nothing even physically exchanged between these two humans...nothing miraculous occurred...but something happened in the spiritual world that day and it crumbled my heart into pieces and I will be forever changed...forever grateful.

Today was visit number 2. My mom wanted to go with me. I was not 100 % okay with this. Out of all the people in the world to go with me, down this difficult road, I would not have chosen my mom. She loves children too much and well, ....well, I dont think I should have to be the one to pick her up off the ground when she is so devastated by what she sees. She's just too sweet to go somewhere like this...too sensitive...I need someone really tough to go with me...I mean, If I couldn't manage to even put the key in the ignition last visit to go head home then what will she be like?!?! No no...this is probably not a good idea...maybe I should tell her to stay home and I would rather go on my own.

I didnt say anything and went ahead as scheduled. And man, how wrong was I AGAIN...wrong, wrong, wrong!!!! Turns out...I don't know anything...nothing.

My mom is a unique creature that has a way of changing complete environments when she walks into a room. She can morph a complete strangers mood from one of defensiveness and hard pressed to one of gentleness and kindness...with just her compliment of wallpaper on a nursing home wall. People meet my mom and not only drop their guard, but they begin to open up to my mom and tell her things that they've probably never shared with anyone they just met 5 minutes before! Somehow even, I promise you...my mom made those hallways brighter today...she did...somehow these nurses who I swear were not even there last time were coming in Annie's room to visit with us and introduce us to all the other children that they would like us to meet! It was...it was just a completely different experience with my mom right beside me...she made what was supposed to be a heart wrenching experience, a joyful one! I laughed and heard stories about miracles and got hugs from staff today...my Annie's room was lit up with sunlight and I got to read to her and was allowed alone time with her (would NEVER had gotten that alone time had my mom not been there...take my word for it).

God gave me a miracle today...I had prayed for one...I had asked others to pray for one...and He gave me miracle today...He allowed me to see what an incredibly beautiful creature my mother is, and what hidden gifts He gave her to grow His Kingdom on this Earth! To be honest, I didn't even tell my mom of the the massive pit I had had in my stomach the whole drive there and she will probably never know just how healing her presence was for me today, but how amazing is it that today ended up being fun (miracle folks...total miracle)! Annie may not have been healed today but I am telling you, there was so much healing going on today that I cant do anything but praise our awesome creator!

This verse was spoken today from the head of the nursing facility as she began to warm up to my mom and mentioned it was her favorite verse, and was later repeated by my sister who said she just kept hearing this verse all day:
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ (Matt 25:40)
My mother has done this her entire life...her small gestures, her little compliments, her kind words, her compassion...so much about her has left fingerprints all over this world and so many times it has gone unnoticed...all these unseen things have warmed our Saviors heart regardless...what a gift that I have such a graceful warrior as a mom...

Thank you Lord for Annie...thank you Lord for my mama...thank you Lord for bringing them together today.

confessions

2012-01-07T19:48:00.000-08:00

I was so in the mood to sit in front of my computer when the kids went to bed and just start typing but I got here and realized I didn't have much to say (thats a first i assure you). So anyway, I started contemplating what I could share about my day and realized all of it would probably be too honest and then I thought...what the heck...let's just have a confessional tonight and bust it all out there...here we go-

1. I did not get of my pajamas until 2 o'clock because my husband was at the ranch and I wanted to be lazy

2. I tried to paint an old worn out wreath and be cool like all those other Pinterest people and when I was done it looked like my 6 year old had done it...horrible...just horrible.

3. since I got a new hair cut I have taken like 5 self portraits...gross...one of them was today when I decided to let my hair air dry and I was impressed how good it looked

4. I ate 3 organic oreos for breakfast and ate 2 more because I gave myself credit for eating organic

5. I watched the ending of An Affair To Remember (only knew the movie mainly because of Sleepless in Seattle) and when Carey Grant goes into her bedroom and sees the painting on her wall, I burst out crying! Im an official woman folks...it's official...forget baring three children dang it! :)

6. Haley and I made Valentine Cookies tonight (though we just celebrated the New Year like a few days ago) and when she went into the living room to watch Punky Brewster, I designed and frosted majority of the cookies and she was not happy about it!

7. I let her have ice cream before bed to give her my apologies for hogging the "best part of making cookies"!

8. I sometimes plug a microphone into the computer and garagband myself singing Miranda Lambert songs! Tonight I sang yet again "The House that Built Me" and thought I did it justice...I love sitting here pretending that I'm some recording artist...gay

9. I sent the recorded song to my husband to show him how lucky he was to be married to me...and then felt guilty because when I went on itunes I found out he had a "Justins playlist" with all my recorded songs...awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

10. I love him.

Did you feel that?

2012-01-04T11:57:00.000-08:00

There are so many times throughout my day where I really just want to ask a random question to a random stranger or begin a deep discussion about a super serious subject with a fellow "dogger" at the dog park. I love blogs because I feel this is my ground to explode all my weirdness. I am weird. Really weird. So here is my random topic for today that I pondered over in my car this morning...ready for it? Okay...today I want to ask people if they have ever had moments of/ glimpses of heaven! (dont laugh)

I am not talking about delivering your precious babies and the moment you said "I do" to your soul mate...that's all sweet and everything and I am sure very heaven like but I was just curious if any of you have experienced what I sometimes randomly experience...here's what happens...I'll be driving in my car say....and I dont know if its the music playing in the background or if the sunshine is just at a perfect light or if my estrogen skyrockets to a euphoric state for a mili second but I have moments of complete and utter perfection. It is really strange. It's just a second...maybe two but I feel complete peace, complete joy, complete perfection for just about 5 seconds or less and I swear I feel like it has something to do with heaven or eternity? Does anyone out there know those moments Im talking about? It has nothing to do with who I am with, nothing to do with where I am because it is always the the most random times in my life. The feeling is so fast and so abrupt that you even have to question if it really happened at all once it's gone.

Now, I am sure there could be a scientific way to explain this "glimpse of heaven" theory away, but I choose to believe it's spiritual so don't try and ruin it for me!;) I have had this happen to me many, countless times throughout my life but just today realized that I have never really mentioned it to anyone because I think I second guess myself every time it occurs. Am I alone in this? Does this happen to you?

That is my random tid bit for today. I feel like I could headline this post "Am I losing it?" but these are just things I have to begin admitting with the world. My brain is always spinning that you would not believe the things I think about daily...the most random of randoms have at some point or another floated through the thick haze of Allie's brain and there is just not a whole lot I can do to stop it!

I got out of my car excited for an eternity of those perfect mili seconds...just say'n

Wait? It's over?

2011-12-26T14:13:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas was a success...if you take away the fact that Haley was deathly sick with the flu, I did not sleep the entire Christmas Eve night due to crying baby and snoring husband, or the fact that we had to make trips back and forth because the dog we are sitting for has to be in kennel when we are gone! It was actually a really low key Christmas though there were many kinks. My sister and I had made a 4 present rule for each child...thinking they could get 4 things that they really really wanted rather than a ton of so-so stuff! This idea was not followed through...due to one person...can you imagine who that may be? Oh yes, their Nina! Nina knew our rule she admitted but had forgotten that she had already purchased ALL these toys before the "rule" was made. I guess rules are meant to be broken in some cases but seriously...next year mom...we are doing it my way!!! ;)

I still cant get over that Christmas has passed. There is always so much anticipation for the special day that when it's over it's almost like you wake up to "wah wah waaah"? I am glad it's over but a little sad too? Im so happy to say goodbye to our elf Easton and honestly...not too upset about no more Christmas tunes...love them at first then it just get's over done.

I got this Kinnect for our xbox and it really freaks me out! It is way too smart of a device...it knows your voice so it changes your avatar automatically when you step up...it takes pictures of you and saves them (who knows where). If I were a conspiracy theorist, I might just think the government was behind this with some Patriot Act agreement with the xbox creators! I even felt the need to go put on make up before playing...seriously invasive stuff right there...who puts on make up for a video game? Im weird. Anyway, the games are crazy cool though and I am oh so excited to get all the workout/dance games...oh yes...I did buy it for me secretly just for those games!

Anyway, hope your holidays were happy. I know I am thankful for the birth of my Savior and hopefully I can take this week to reflect on that because secular Christmas mojo really takes the true meaning out of Christmas for me...regardless of how hard I try to keep to truth I end up sweating over the small stuff and not spending much time on the fact that my Lord was born to save me but more time on what to buy people who already have too much?

Better luck next year:)

Christmas picture FAIL

2011-12-12T13:06:00.000-08:00

What is it about taking pictures for your Holiday cards? Holiday cards just stress me out...you feel like you have to send that ONE picture that just captures the family that you love and adore, so every child must be smiling and the parents (if in the picture) better be look'n gooood. And don't even get me started on the whole "what to wear" planning moms do weeks in advance of these pictures...yes men...it is a thought out process...we dont just go see what each child has in closet to work with...there is much effort involved! You know what Im saying. Every card I get, I know that the choice of picture was carefully thought out to represent each family, and that is just not that easy! I tried to do these pictures on my own this year...of just the kids...it did NOT work...duh

Little Jay is just AWKWARD in these and Haley looks like she is peeing?!?!

magic

2011-11-27T06:22:00.000-08:00

I always describe my mom as "there is no one else like her" and there just really isn't. She has a way of making you feel incredibly loved by little things like the smell of her fresh clean sheets when you sleep over there on Christmas Eve or the way she brews up some cinnamon roast coffee for you on a dark/dreary November afternoon just when you need it most. She would do just about anything to "make it special" for her children and grandchildren...whatever the occasion...it doesn't matter...she wants it to be special for the one she loves. Growing up, I always woke up to balloons and presents on the day of my birthday and the party was always over the top. Her gifts are ones she probably doesn't even know she's giving and the best part about my mom is that as you are feeling blessed by her, she shows complete enjoyment in it...as if that there is nothing else in the world she would rather be doing than making you happy! Her home during Christmas time is everything that sums up my mom... joyous, warm, cozy, loving, safe, lovely, happy, inviting, and completely one of a kind! I am so lucky to have a mom that emulates the happiest season of all. Her love is in the details...

cold as icing!

2011-11-16T08:39:00.000-08:00

This is so typical. McKamy does not do anything like her brother and sister so why in the world would she actually enjoy her first bit of a cupcake? Of course not! She hated it! Oh it made me laugh so hard...from the time I put it in front of her to the time I made her taste some of the frosting, the child was screaming her head off!!! I think the texture freaked her out? Not sure? Maybe the bright colors or the overwhelming first taste of sugary creamy stuff gave her the case of anxieties but it was pretty hilarious. I cannot believe my baby is going to be 1 tomorrow!!! ahhhh Where in the heck has the time gone!?!? I will write all about my doodle bug tomorrow when I get some time because right now at this very second I hear her going into the kitchen to eat the dogs food. :) Ahhhh gotta love that child...l o v e h e r!!!!! <3<3<3

because I cant stop taking pictures

2011-11-12T13:43:00.001-08:00

balloons

2011-11-10T10:40:00.000-08:00

We loved the balloon festival...the first night at least:)...second night was crowded and cold:(. I tried to get some pictures of the girls but I couldn't coordinate holding the camera, all our stuff and trying not to let McKamy fall so the pics turned out kind of blurry...sad:(

just what the doc ordered! yes

2011-11-09T10:43:00.000-08:00

Really just needed a laugh today so I wasted some of my life by going to awkwardfamilyphotos.com and it was well worth it! The captions are what really make these so funny but I didn't copy those so I guess just make them up yourself.:) Oh I bet if I looked into all of our old photos I would most definitely have one to add to this list! love it...enjoy...

my bubble just burst open

2011-11-08T06:45:00.000-08:00

I enjoy suburbia. I like my sweet, comfortable home with my loving family. I treasure it and thank God for it as often as I can. I guess I've always thought that if it wasn't something I took for granted then I'd be able to keep it forever...it would never have to be taken from me to show me what it meant to me in the first place. What kind of view do I really have of God if that's the way I think He works? All that to say, I have always felt so blessed and majority of my life just felt content. I feel so content...I love my life and am happy where I am at right now and probably felt the same way every year I've been alive...happy with where I am. God in His mercy has given me just a tiny spec of a glimpse into the real world and I have been humbled to say the least.

Recently I followed a "lead" from God if you will and it surprised me, broke my heart, and made me tremble to think of the years I have lavished in my contentment. I would love to give you all the specific details of the journey but it almost feels to fragile to throw it out there in the blogmosphere. I feel that by writing down the details of why my eyes are now open to life outside of the beloved bubble would somehow degrade the experience...maybe dampen the lesson that was learned. Sometimes experiences are so weighty that they were probably meant just for you to experience them, digest them, and move on...nothing more. I pridefully started last week off feeling like a superhero...I was on a mission for God...He chose me and it was going to be groundbreaking...it was nothing of the sort. All I can keep describing it at "eyes being opened". I no longer feel content with being content. I no longer want my life to be safe. If I am to wear the cross and follow the footprints of Christ then I should live as He did, outside of the safe box. Some people receive this calling and pack their things and run to Africa or China...graciously He has made my mission field but 2 1/2 hours away from home so I am grateful for that. I am still begging God to let me shine my light somewhere else...with another group of people...in another building...just if He could change my calling to something I am more comfortable with, but I know this is an argument I am going to lose and this path has already been chosen for me.

Maybe one day I can write in detail (when I actually have time to sit in front of this silly computer) about everything that is stirring in my heart and give you more specifics on how I know the Lord is preparing me for something but today is just not the day. I guess I just want to say, if you feel an urgency to move in a direction that the Lord is calling you...begin that journey as soon as you're called, but pray on it first...ask God for wisdom and strength...be prepared that it is most likely not going to look like anything you thought it might look like and go into the field with a humbled heart and mind. I started my journey off running with wailing arms screaming "I got this, I got this" with a huge smile, but the ball slammed right into my face because I wasn't meant to catch it the first pass...I was meant to drop it big time...and clumsily fall to the ground feeling like a fool...it was the only way I could have learned to make the catch the next time the ball was thrown to me because it taught me that my eyes weren't even on the ball.

trashy?

2011-11-01T13:06:00.000-07:00

In the past week, I have thrown away; my husbands wallet, a $300 gift certificate and all of our bills! There is something seriously wrong with me! My husband cant even get angry with me anymore...he just almost pities me. I am a total space cadet and the acknowledgement of my disability isn't making me any less flighty! I could continue to list example after example of my Allie moments but it's just sad...no need to write it all out. Anyway, I guess I need to do brain exercises or something...work my way back up to my pre-baby brain if at all possible? ;)

In other news...I have more pictures to share...shocker! lol! This camera hobby is getting out of control! :)

picturauma!

2011-10-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

So I realize I have been posting pictures galore lately and that I probably most likely have an obsession with my children but, this is only a little true. I love taking pictures lately with my fun camera and love sitting here at my computer at night after they've gone to bed and edit the good ones! It's become a fun hobby so Im not meaning to be one of "those" moms but they are my only subjects...they the only models I got! :) These are some fun ones I did with Haley the other day while the boys through the baseball and with MK the one day last week that it was actually cold! Jay is so busy and not a fan of the camera otherwise I'd probably have some good ones of him:)...oh boys!

friend finder

2011-10-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

Friendship is a really weird thing. I have sat here a few minutes to try and think of other words beside "weird" and "thing" but my brain is fried and I will just have to leave it to my elementary statement...its a weird thing.

In my younger years having friends was nothing to think about...it was done naturally and was quite easy. You would make a friend and keep that friend, unless a move, different school, or boy tore you apart. I loved having lots of friends...a bunch of close comrades that were there with you sharing in all your joys and hardships...easy,simple. The memories I made with these people, that I chose to share a majority of my childhood life with, could never be forgotten...they are etched in my heart and every once in awhile flash across my mind and makes me giggle.

I say all this because friendships for me have changed so drastically as an adult. Maybe I am the only one that thinks this but, it is no longer easy to keep a friendship a float and going strong? In the past few years, especially for me, I have lost friends that I thought would be life long and due to events in their life and mine it seems impossible to rekindle. Gone are the days where I can call up a girlfriend, they stop what they're doing, devote as much time to me as needed and vise versa. As an adult you barely have time for you let alone time for others outside of your family, so the investment you can put into any new friendships at this age is futile and weak.

Once you become a mother...especially when you become a mother....sometimes the obstacles in womens friendships are as minor as not having the same aged kids and as major as husbands having a strong preference on who your BFF should be! In the past few years I have really seen it all and realized that sometimes God filters people out of your life to protect you and puts people into your life to lift you back up. It is hard to lose people in your life that you have invested so much of yourself into but maybe that's the only reason you were put into their life to begin with...to give them what you gave them and move on?

I know now, as Im getting older, that a true friend is such a precious gift. As God continues to show me the importance of these relationships with the women in my life, it encourages me to be an even greater friend. It may not be as easy to "pour into" some of my friends lives right now because we are on either totally different life paths or we don't have a spare second to pee but I'm hoping our relationships endure because when those crucial times flare up in life...there is nothing better than a loving friend to walk through it with you. I'm praying that God continues to deepen the friendships I have now and will continue to bring women into my life that encourage me and love me for who I am. It sounds like a simple request...a small thought...but not until something is taken from you do realize the importance of it in your life.

punkin' patch

2011-10-17T11:53:00.001-07:00

my nephews

2011-10-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

Took some shots of my nephews at the park yesterday. They're such beautiful boys...inside and out.

woosh

2011-10-11T12:51:00.000-07:00

This video is really intense. Brings to light a lot of things people choose not to think about or ask themselves. I encourage you to watch it if you have the time...think it's about 20 min or so?

hm

2011-10-03T16:48:00.000-07:00

unedited

2011-10-03T15:18:00.000-07:00

they are much clearer unedited:)

lightroom

2011-10-02T17:50:00.000-07:00

These are some pictures I have been playing with on my thirty day free trial for the adobe light room. I have no idea what Im doing and Im pretty sure I need to do a tutorial because they look blurry close up...I think? I dunno..ever since I downloaded the program, my computer is acting super weird and my iphoto went away and my firefox internet doesnt work anymore? I need a photo friend and an IT friend here stat!

X FACTOR

2011-09-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

I have been keeping up with the British X Factor for a few years now on YouTube...I just recently decided to admit this with the show making it's debut in America tonight:). Anyway, I love singing...it s a passion of mine so any shows that have nobodies coming out to show off their vocal gifts is always a show I have to tune into! American Idol is great and all but when it lost Simon...it lost A LOT (for me at least). So when I found out X Factor was gonna start showing in USA I was ecstatic because again...I'm a loser. Anyway, this guy is one of my favorite first auditions on the show...he made it really far in the competition and I just love how the first auditions are not a Capella...makes it so much easier to see if they have "star potential" or the "x factor" when they have to try out on a stage like this with music, audience, and all! Love Simon's reaction to him too! Enjoy...(and watch tonight!!!)

p.s. I LOOOOOVE WHEN SIMONS NOSTRILS FLARE!!! LOVE IT!

other favorite b/c of her talking voice vs. her singing voice!

oh and this one...she's different...she changes up a lot of songs throughout the competition and it's pretty neat-o:)

Ant noth'n

2011-09-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

I may have possibly just swallowed a bug. Let me tell you the event that led up to this and maybe you will understand...

My day began good. I woke up...got the kids dressed and ready to go to school with 5 minutes to spare (that is good for us...seriously). That included:

waking them up, starting their breakfasts, starting making their lunches, waking them up a second time (GET UP) going back downstairs, continue making lunches, walking to t.v. to see if their was a natural disaster I missed during my slumber...world is in check (besides poor Greece)...keep going...okay, kids are downstairs, picky cereal eaters "get what they get and they don't throw a fit", I order teeth to be brushed, son panics because he cant find his shorts...I respond "we have 500 pairs of shorts what do you mean you don't have shorts?" ...he is still panicking, I stop making lunch, run upstairs...shorts spotted right when I walk into the child's closet...(I blame his chromosomes)...run back downstairs, get Haley dressed, start coffee, try to finish making lunches...baby begins to jabber on the monitor...it gets louder...make her wait, finish lunches, put them in bags....shit...forgot their snacks and water bottles...baby begins to cry/scream....one minute baby, one minute...fill water bottles, throw snacks in bag, run upstairs and get smiley baby out of her crib, run downstairs (baby thinks the panic is funny because she's giggling), I make her bottle, strap her in high chairs...make my first cup of coffee...nope...Haley needs her hair brush...go get the brush, begin to brush her hair..."haley...if you keep crying every time I brush you're hair, mommy's going to have to get it cut honey"..."noooo dont cut my hair mommy", "okay...let's be a big girl"....hair get combed, put up, bow in...check...time for kids to get in car...start to put their backpacks by the back door and realize I have no bra and am only wearing a shirt and underwear...cool..."hold on kids...mommy needs to go get decent"...run to my room where my husband says "aren't you running late again babe?"...I do not respond...get dressed, run back to the kitchen to get baby...she stinks!...crap (no pun intended)...."hold on one more sec kiddos...gotta change baby"...run to my room...begin to change McKamy...she is stronger than a sumo wrestler...makes 1000 attempts to get up during the 20 second diaper change (that child is s t r o n g)...she is defeated, changed and ready to go...run back to kitchen "okay kids hop in the car we're ready"...grab my coffee...take a sip...its...well, it's cold...awesome.

So morning was as usual. Hey, they weren't late okay...I'm doing good. The day proceeds as usual and I begin my chores after a lovely morning stroll with my sister. Seriously...where the heck did all this laundry come from? Who is wearing all this crap? Forget it...lets just get this stuff washed...begin to make beds, empty out dishwasher, load dishwasher, feed baby...food goes into her mouth (I swear it does...I saw it go in there??!?!) I get her out and clean her off and proceed to step on bananas, strawberries and crunchy organic cheerios? "What the heck? I thought these would be digesting in your stomach by now?"...oh well, clean that up later. I begin doing the seating list for our women's retreat this Friday...I need to color code this sucker...go to the art room to grab some...annnnd apparently a bomb went off in there while I was sleeping last night and the place is totally ransacked! I begin to clean it...and clean it...and clean it. McKamy is crying...she's tired...time for nap. I put her to sleep, get half of the seating done for church, and then proceed to find recipes for the week. I find some good ones and jot them on a notepad...do I have crushed red pepper???!?! Let's check...I go to check out my seasonings and realize how unorganized it is and how many freaking garlic granule jars I have...how many jars of mashed up garlic does one person needs? geez! Do we keep extra just in case vampires decide to invade? I mean...really?!? This process of organizing my seasonings apparently takes longer than I thought because before I'm even finished, baby is up and I didn't even get to makes myself lunch...that went fast! Get her up...play a few games of peek-a-boo and then she is fascinated with her new chew toy...put her on the ground...open my bills...annnnd try to not have the urge to go rob a bank! Afternoon proceeds as usual, get house semi-done, go pick up kids and the whole race begins again once I get them home. It's homework, then off to dance, grocery store, back to dance, back home, put groceries up, make dinner, (where the hell is Justin...I could really use him....where is my dog? whats going on?!?)
Forget about the dog, and husband...pace around the kitchen, feed baby, feed Haley, go over her sight words ("Haley...the word is "annnnd" we have been over it a thousand times" ...."I know mommy, I just thought it was BUT (hysterical laughing)) funny...okay...lets put up sight words for today...go get your pjs on...she protests as she makes her way up the stairs, dinner is not made but baby needs me....(again...where is my husband...and where the hell is Rogue?!?) forget about it...run upstairs while dinner is cooking to give baby a bath, about to put her in, take off her diaper and realize the explosion that is in there...she's flips out because she thinks I'm taking her away from her precious bath but I must wipe her off...her bottom is red so it hurts "oh baby, mommy's so sorry...I don't know how it got so red?!" (she doesn't care about my apologies...just put her in the bath)...I get her in...she is happy as a lark...wash her up...about to get her out of bath and realize I have poo on my shirt...cool...take my shirt off and get her out of bath...dry her off, lotion her up, oven goes off, doorbell rings...no shirt on...um...crap..."Haley dont answer the dooooooor!!!" Grab MK, run downstairs, (oh good it's just Justin...and...our dog)..."Hey baby...ewww ya...that's hot...I wish you'd always greet me like this when I come home!" (really!?!?!?) "Jus...where the heck have you been...I needed your help tonight?"...."sorry babe, you should have called (with all my free time and all) I was out at the field hit'n balls to Rogue"...our dog...who is now so exhausted lying on the floor that her tongue is drooling so much flip'n saliva I am going to have to mop when the kids go to bed...gross...dinner is ready, family eats, I get the clothes out of dryer because they have the rest of Jays precious pairs of shorts that must be ready for school tomorrow so I hang those clothes up immediately...stomach growling...baby's cries and is ready for bed time...I'm thinking...WINE WINE WINE...put her to bed...time for big kids to go to bed....they finish eating, brush their teeth, say their prayers and they are set, in bed...WINE WINE WINE...I go down stairs and finish cleaning up after dinner...these damn bugs keep popping up...every time after even I Clorox the counter tops...I begin to observe them...Justin is watching t.v. "babe...what are these stupid flying bugs that keep popping up everywhere?!?"..."uhhh I dunno babe"...awesome..thanks for all that help....I begin to go on a bug massacre...after enough observation I conclude that these are flying ants and I must call the pest control tomorrow morning....kitchen is cleaned, laundry is done...I am ready for my W I N E...yeah baby...Im ready to relax and sit down with my glass of red loveliness and I pop that baby open...go get my glass (way to excited for this glass) and as I go back to my precious bottle with my name on it...I see one of those mother f@#$#%! bugs fly into my bottle!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It's too late...the damn flying menace has already flown into my reward...my end of the day relaxation...it's probably floating around on it's back laughing at me...damn bug.
I get out the flash light...spend about 30 minutes trying to see if I can find it and make sure it has not flown into my first glass but my red wine is a little too red and I cant find the lil' bundle of bug a licious and finally...I just cross my finger and take a sip...a gulp...whatever. That stink'n thing may or may not have made its way down my throat but sometimes...sometimes your day goes without sitting and your so tired that you will refuse to compromise you're ONE THING for yourself that day...you were waiting for it...you did good...don't let a little flying ant or whatever the heck that is get in the way of your end of the day job well done reward...G U L P....done...so there you have it...I may or may not have just swallowed a bug...but you know what... it was a nice treat and now I can happily tell you I am going to bed to say goodnight to the world...going to crawl into bed...snug as a _____.;)

Party pleases and thank yous

2011-09-15T18:17:00.000-07:00

As a mom, you do mostly everything for your children out of love. You do things for them when they're baby's because they cant do it themselves (and they're just so darn cute) and as they grow you do things for them because you love them. You are there mother...the one that holds them when they're tired, heals every boo boo with a kiss, and has to teach them how to wipe their tooshies "properly";)...we have so many jobs and do so many things that being acknowledged for it is rare and most of the time not really needed. "eh-hum" (that's me clearing my throat)...all that to say...when you go over and beyond though as a mom...you know where Im going with this mothers out there...when you become "SUUUUUPEERRRR MOOOOOOOM" and go through the day singing praises to yourself for what a total bad ass mother you are...you end the day N E E D I N G to hear S O M E T H I N G!!! Maybe a little something from your husband "wow babe...you really out did yourself today!" or from one of your littles "mom...you are the best mom in the world!", you know...anything would really do on those days.
Anyway, Haley's birthday extravaganza was one of those days...from her adorable Dress up party at a local kids salon to her slumber party jam out...I just really went to town! Her actual birthday was yesterday (her party was last week) and her daddy and Nina had lunch with her at school, then mommy brought up delicious cupcakes to her class and read her favorite book to them, then we picked up her best friend from day care and ended the night with yummy food, great friends, more presents, and a pinata! Last night I was super tired...I haven't been feeling that well and I was just ready to hit the hay! We gathered around Haley's bed as a family and watched her put her pennies (one by one) in her new piggy bank as she counted and then read the Bible to the kids and said our prayers with them. Tucked our lil' boogers in tightly and made our way down the stairs to the pile of dishes I had awaiting me. As I was putting away a dish, I got a giant squeeze on my legs...I turned around and it was my Haley bear...she looked up and said "Thank you mom...for everything"...squeezed me again and ran upstairs. I really didn't need a "thank you" from Haley because she is worth any effort I make but I'm gonna be honest...I did the mommy dance when no one was looking. ;) It was like my gold sticker at the end of the day...my cookie...my pat on the back...something I didn't need in order to think the past few days activities were worth it but those simple little words were awesome to hear. Sometimes it's the smallest gestures that allow someone to feel accomplished and though we're talking about something super silly and not relevant in the hussel and bussel of this world we're living in today...it was relevant to me and deserved the "oh ya, Im goooood" mommy dance (moms...you know which dance Im talking about)!

The next morning she let a balloon go and made a wish (it was very dramatic;))

Middle child? No- Melt my heart!

2011-09-09T09:45:00.000-07:00

I really disagree with the whole "middle child syndrome" theory. I understand Haley has not been the middle child long with McKamy only being 10 months old now but so far I just do not see it. My first baby girl is turning 6 this week and she does and will forever steal my heart! Haley is an individual...she has her own personality, her own humor, her own character. Unlike my son and MK (who both remind me of myself in ways), Haley is someone I have never met before until she came around! She's quirky and unique...she's so much sweeter than I ever was as a child and she thinks way more deeper than any 6 year old I know. She asks questions that are impossible to answer and squeezes so tightly when she hugs you, you have to wonder where those muscles come from in that small little frame of hers. She finds things I would never notice...pointing out intricate details of things I would never have noticed except for Haley. She gives compliments all the time without even realizing how special it makes you feel because she's just being honest...not trying to boost your ego or think she's sweet...she just thinks you should know. Haley is the best sister and McKamy has no idea how lucky she is to have a sister that never struggles with jealousy or envy..she was never the kid that asked "why cant I have one too" or "that's not fair"...in fact...Haley will tell you without fail every time "fair is just a color":). Haley is such an awesome gift from God that I could never lose her in the order of her siblings. She will never be the middle child to me or the 2nd child...she's just Haley...and so easy to adore! Thank you Lord.

ADD

2011-09-08T10:32:00.001-07:00

I needed to post some randomness while the baby is napping...my head feels clogged.
bad.

worse.

worst.

every time I see one of these, I laugh...I dont know why...they're not funny and probably super economical...but I giggle and point every time? weird

Im a believer in this...I think it's working...and yes...I bought one...at Walmart...not proud of it

She bugs...but I liked her new song "You and I"...until...until I saw the video...it seriously weirded me out so much that I can no longer hear the song without cringing...

This goes for me...sorry...you know I am.

I saw this picture on Pinterest and cried...in carpool lanes...cried like a baby...never had that happen to me before from just a picture

This is something I deal with a lot.

Facebook Fo real

2011-08-24T15:46:00.000-07:00

Facebook is an odd thing. It's a place you go, but not really. It's a conversation you have, but not really. It's a list of your friends, but not really. It's a glimpse of your life...but not really.

It's a strange thing that we desire for people to know everything about our lives...well, not everything but the moments worth telling. I update my status because Haley has just said something so hilarious that the whole family cant quite laughing and instead of just enjoying the moment (which I do)..that's not enough...I now feel the impulse to let a bunch of people know how great that moment a few seconds ago actually was. Why do I feel that everyone should know that we just had a great family moment? I can assure you last week when Justin and I could not stop fighting about the stupidest things, I did not feel the intense desire to run off to my computer or grab my phone and let the world know about how much he was pissing me off?

Here's what I think. People need validation. We need kudos...applause...an audience of sorts for the lives that we live to make it feel just a tad more relative...or purposeful. Some might say "ohhh no...that's not me...Jesus is my savior...He's all I need...my only purpose is Him and validation from Him so that is not me you're describing"...um...probably it is. Even Christians find subconscious glee when conversing with other Christians and the conversation turns to them. Facebook is just a way of talking about yourself to a room full of people smiling and nodding their heads listening to whatever you feel like telling them. Listen, I'm not being critical because this is me I'm writing about. I've prided myself on how "real" I am around others yet I think if you were to take my facebook page from the past year one would think that I have it all together...my kids are cute, I love my husband, Im a Christian, I live in a nice area, blah blah blah. Can I be a good witness if 90 % of the time I'm sharing the good glimpses of my life? Is that honest? I don't know.

More importantly than this I think a good question to ask ourselves is what is with our fascination of following others lives...keeping up with people that are not even in your life? Is it the validation issue I brought up above that makes us feel the twinge of excitement when someone has commented on our recent status update? What makes us so interested in the Kardashian family that Kim feels the need to throw herself the most obnoxious wedding in history? Here is a family thats basic talent or "product" I should say is themselves...they literally are selling themselves and we follow it, watch it, and buy it? Why are we reality t.v. obsessed and social network dependent?

I guess these are all questions I need to ask myself...is there something missing in my life because daily I need a "following" to correspond with. Ultimately it's like we are all in our own reality show...spinning it whatever direction we want...editing it however we like...showing our reality in the light we want it to be shown and looking at others' like our daily programming.

Yahoo/Boohoo

2011-08-16T08:58:00.000-07:00

My little ones are BOTH at school today. I had a few days like this last year where they were both at school but this is REAL school...both now in the school system, 5 days a week...where I cant keep Haley home just because I want to! I was a little more sad leaving the school than I thought I would be...I guess you just get hit with the reality that your babies are growing up and the time you have been used to spending with them has now just been cut short immensely! I doubt any of you really care about how much I love my kids...it's obvious..Im their mother...but I love them so much...they bring me so much joy and Im so thankful to be their mom. I am so thankful also that God gave us a third baby...I would not have been okay being an "empty nester" yet...I am so thankful I have my little MK munchkin here...God knew more than I did because I would have told you 2 years ago that I was waiting for the days when both kids were at school and I had the house to myself...um...no...I am nowhere close to that and thank God He is control over my life and I am not! Here's to a new year...goodbye summer...it was fun!

And thats a wrap!

2011-08-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

Wings are up, wheels are down and we're descending folks...hope everyones enjoyed the flight as we are now coming in for our landing! Summer is drawing to an end. The days of playing in the water hoses, making crafts for 2 hours straight, nightly adventure walks with our flashlights, kids falling asleep in your bed watching a movie, carrying them up the stairs smelling their chlorine sun bleached hair and the enjoyment of knowing they will sleep in is now coming to an end. It has been FUN!

I will from now on always try to allow my children these summers. No camps, no sports, no nothing...just summer...days off from the hussel and mayhem life always throws at you. A few weeks out of their year where they can just be carefree kids with nothing to do! We even were able to fit in "homework" each day so that their little brains didnt get foggy over the break and managed to start a chore chart and stick with it! The summer was quite successful and I think we all feel ready and rested for the year to come. My baby boy is going to be in THIRD grade (I have a third grader for real?!?) and my sweet Haley will be starting KINDERGARTEN!!!! Awww...they grow so quickly friends...the time is so fleeting...enjoy your little munchkins...soak them in...smell their necks and kiss their faces while you can...paint your daughters toes and rub your sons back at night...do this all before the day that they are grown and want to do everything on their own or have plans with everyone but you!

I was a little hesitant at the beginning of the summer wondering if I had made the right decision to really having nothing planned and it was so worth it. The time spent with these little people taught me so much and more than anything made me realize how much I truly enjoy them...you forget that when your running from sport to sport and rushing them home to do homework before having a school event later...you forget that when you take everything out of the equation, your left with these little people that you adore...that are fun, hilarious and brilliantly entertaining! I. wouldnt. trade. it. for. anything.

'True heroes'

2011-08-07T11:27:00.000-07:00

With Justins wrist being broken, he had to do a lot of sitting around doing nothing so he watched this one show about Navy Seals almost daily the past week or so and I watched some with him because it's hard to believe some of the stuff these men are put through...you cant take your eyes off the screen! They are an elite Navy Seal Team called ST6 and they are just like the heroes from the movies you watch but even cooler...forget Vin Deisel and Dwayne Johnson...these guys are the real deal!

'True heroes' mourned after Taliban fighters down chopper, killing 30 US troops

After watching this I think to make it really clear who these soldiers are you should watch this...the song may be cheese ball but these guys do so much...risk their lives for you! Such a loss for our country.

blurry boogers

2011-08-02T19:57:00.001-07:00

These are the pictures I attempted to take that turned out to be super blurry and bummed me out because they could have been oh so cute!:(

And that would be my non groomed husband with his broken wrist (during a slide into home during a church softball game...hmph) the man needs a haircut!!!

water colors

2011-07-25T16:17:00.000-07:00

So I took this picture of MK today at the pool with my antique app camera and it was such a pretty picture of my baby but because it was the antique lens, her face looked dirty on the top and side:( So, I sent the photo to myself via email thinking I could photo shop it...um...that didnt work...instead she kept turning into a beautiful "Water Color McKamy"...like an oil painting or something...I attempted every which way to make this dang photo normal but nothing worked so I decided to just keep it outrageous. Very "Andy Warhol-ish";)

love those pucker lips...muah!

this sounds a bit cheese-y

2011-07-25T09:25:00.000-07:00

Im sure after reading any of my posts most would notice my failure of complete sentences, run-ons, and mis-used vocabulary...and my punctuation is an embarrassment! However, I have always wanted to be a writer? Blogs are not the best way for a person to show their talents in any writing capabilities because most bloggers are writing about their lives and short little snit bits of thoughts or ideas in their head in one particular moment. When one writes a book they can think long and hard about detail and be masterful in their creation! All this to say...I have started to write a book. (you can begin laughing now). I mean, I have no college education and only started my love affair with reading probably about 4 years ago but I do indeed want to write a novel! So, I figure rather than have these silly posts on my blog be what you read...I could start posting my first couple pages I've written in my story (it is now only a story so far because I have not gotten very far). What do you think? Would that be dumb? Would you be nice and give me helpful critique if I posted it:)? I would love for others to read what I have so far to even know if this is something I'm even good at or if it's a terrible idea! Comments would be good in this post (comments on my blog are so rare that I have a hard time believing anyone actually ever reads this thing)! I could just post my first page or two and y'all can let me know if this is an avenue worth pursuing or something that needs to have a second thought:)...let me know...

Screamer

2011-07-23T06:48:00.000-07:00

only could get one scream out of her this morning...well, more like I could only catch one scream on video...she's screamed all morning with joy...silly baby!

No need to scream there darling

2011-07-22T06:53:00.000-07:00

I will get this on video in the next day or two but my sweet, precious, just flat out adorable baby screams like a banchie! (dont know what a "banchie" is but my family has always used this term) Anyway, it's not a sad scream...it's not a mad scream...its a scream to get attention to her so she can give you a HUGE grin of hers. It's a little weird. Especially when you're at your playgroup and she get's so excited that she does her "happy scream" and makes the other babies cry out of complete fear! lol! It's a little funny. Actually, as Im writing this as fast as I can...she is screaming at her toy box...I swear she thinks by giving it her little "ditty", that it will magically come to her since she is not yet crawling (though very very close to crawling). So I will have to get this on video b/c it is not nearly as entertaining as Im describing it...it's so much more...and it makes me laugh! Post one later when she's napping:)

influence

2011-07-16T08:28:00.000-07:00

I hate to admit it but I love this song. Demi Lavato seems to have grown up a lot and this song is apparently about the addictions she's had to overcome with certain eating disorders. I think it's a pretty powerful song and I didnt know she could actually sing:). Glad she's being a good role model out there for all those young girls looking up to celebrities...GaGa...take note.
Here's her video:

song "Blessings"

2011-07-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

These arent usually the songs I go for but every time I hear the songs Blessings on the radio I cant help but be thankful for the reminder singing through my ears. We want an easy life...we want things to never go wrong and we want to die asleep in our beds one day when we're old and gray. Of course that's how we want our lives to go but of course we all know life isn't that simple. We have heartaches ranging from hurt feelings to lost loved ones. What makes this song so beautiful is not the arrangement or even the girls voice but the words that ring so true for all Gods children. What if going through that heartache was what ultimately saves us in the end? If we could have the life map layed out in front of us to see from birth to death...what if we could see that the detours were needed to get the best outcome? Maybe that turbulent chapter in your life is the only thing that could possibly have made you stop for a second and realize that you have a God who loves you and you can cling to...if not for that hard time and the nights of sobs, you wouldn't have raised your hands in surrender to God and put every last bit of your trust in him? I believe these words are so truthful in that, you wouldn't know joy without pain and you wouldn't know God without some of darkness in your life.

I've had a year of turbulence that didnt always feel too good. In comparison to most peoples heartaches in life, the year wasn't anything too terrible but a hard year none the less, and I feel through all of it I had to cling to God and look around and see where He's pushing me...asking myself what in my life would have gone unnoticed had the bumps not been thrown in my way? I can say with certainty that it has been made very clear to me that I was putting my hope, time and energy into things that are not guaranteed...that are not 100 % bulletproof and I guess I pridefully thought they were. I have had a lot of lessons come my way this year and Im learning from them...being humbled repeatedly. A friend reminded me today that ultimately God is my only audience and really the only one I should care about how Im perceived and I have been really bad at that ringing true in my life. I am not always going to be able to please God, I am going to fail over and over and over again but Im thankful today for the reminder that He is a gracious God and He is with me to the end...the good the bad and the ugly of me...He's not going anywhere. I can take comfort in that tonight at least...
Gnite

Warfare

2011-07-11T11:35:00.001-07:00

Spiritual that is. Spiritual warfare. I believe it is all around us. No...I am not a charismatic...I do not jump around and speak in gibberish each Sunday and I am not a part of a church dance squad but this is something that I have always believed in...or always "felt"... but until recently have truly seen.
The curiosity has always been in me...actually I think quite possibly it may be in everyone but anyways...it has most definitely always been within me! There have been little miracles all throughout my life that most people I think pass off as "chance" or "luck" but thankfully for me I had parents who called out a miracle when they saw one...big or small...they spoke of miracles often that I am accustomed to recognizing them now in my own life. I think spiritually I have grown deeper in my walk and the more I've gone down that road the more I am not only aware of God's messengers at work around me but I am also conscientiously aware of the enemy.
Lately I have experienced things and even quite frankly did a little bit of studying on the topic that for some reason I feel like I was once blind of this demonic arena and now my eyes are wide open even when I wish I could shut them. I am trying my hardest not to sound like a crazy...I know what the general population thinks of things like this but you know what...we live in America...where we are honestly probably blind to a lot more things than just spiritual warfare. We have so much here that it gets in our way...distracts us. We often only rely on what we're told...the 5 senses...but those are all physical...I believe that we are not physical creatures that occassionally experience spiritual elements in life, but we are indeed spiritual creatures that walk in the physical every day. I dont want to dig into this subject too much for a few reason but mainly...I am not wise enough right now for the reprocussions one could face if they go down too far on this road without being fully equiped...I am fully aware that I do not have enough armor on to dig any deeper in this subject than I already am because I know there is a lot of counterfeit out there in this world and I dont want to be taken on a wild goose chase and be laughed at by Satan himself. Listen, it is a very real world out there and one can go on living life holding on to that balance beam blissfully ignoring whats really out there or you can slowly dip your toes in the water and begin to lift the veil of what is right in front of you. I am choosing to get into the pool but I will not go all the way in until I feel 100 % confident to swim.
Im not sure why Im sharing this today but its been something that God has been putting on my heart recently and the Bibical knowledge on the subject is given to us, I believe, to protect Gods children from the great deciever and right now...soooooooooo many of us are being decieved!!!!
I remember watching this dance on the t.v. show So You Think You Can Dance a few years ago and just thought it was so fitting for what Satans true objective is when trying to devour Gods people. I think they interpreted the dance on the show about what an addiction looks like and that inner struggle and to me that inner addiction and demonic strongholds are one in the same. I think this is an eerie presentation of the battle we choose to not see.

News shmews

2011-07-08T14:40:00.000-07:00

So...I realize there is always going to be some bad news in the media but does it not seem that its is only bad news lately when you flip on the t.v.? I mean...I might have to start taking Xanex before deciding to press the on button on my remote control. It's ugly out there folks and for those who want to say "it's always been a little ugly"...true...but is is U G L Y it ain't got no alibi UGLY out there now.
ugh
ugh
ugh
So far we have a pathological liar,narcissist,MURDERER mother getting the "get out of jail free" card because REASONABLE DOUBT...a mother who googled poison, taped her baby's mouth shut, drove around in her car with her baby's body in the trunk and partied for the 31 days after wards, threw her BABY in the swamp to decompose for the next 6 months...that one...that's the one we let out freely because guess what guys...(sarcastic tone) "We have the best justice system in the world and we follow the constitution so good for the jury for doing what was needed"! Im sorry...WHAT?!?!?! WHAT IS WROOOOOOONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!?!? Hey news anchors that are praising this case because they didn't convict on her character...what if the murderer was on the stand for killing your baby? What then? If that case was personal to you, I guarantee you would be willing to throw out whatever fine print necessary in the constitution to get justice for the person you loved! I find it disheartening to know that we can be liberal about pretty much everything...heck...we can even change the entire definition of Marriage to "make it fair for everyone" but we cant convict someone as crazy at Casey Anthony because we don't have the actual evidence in our hands? You want to know why we didn't have an exact cause of death for sweet Kaylee? Because her mother hid her dead body for 6 months in a swamp! Disgusting and shame on you for anyone singing praises of our justice system...it may be the best system out there but it obviously has it's blunders and this blunder was just too big! ugh
so gross
I could go on and on...talk about the firefighter father who tried to catch a ball for his son at the Rangers game and fell to his death...or the fact that America is so poor that we are shutting down NASA space missions...or the man that went on a shooting spree including killing his own daughter and then himself...I mean...come on!!! sad sad saaaad
It bothers me when Christians tell other Christians not to be mad at the evil out there or the injustice because God is the ultimate judge...I understand that and believe that full heartily but I don't think God made us to be passive aggressive about EVERYTHING. I believe he made us passionate creatures to do His work and if we just sit by and twiddle our thumbs because 'evil will do what evil will do' then you're obviously not here for the fight... a fight by all means that we do win in the end because Christ defeated Satan when He died on the cross for mankind but it doesn't mean we don't speak up when certain battles are not in our favor! I think to be like Christ...who was very gentle and conquered evil without having to do very much kicking and screaming...is what we need to strive for every day but I can assure you when Christ comes back...our Messiah will be a lion folks and he will be coming down from Heaven FLAMES A BLAZING...come Lord Jesus come...

William

2011-07-04T09:16:00.000-07:00

No not Prince William...someone who has had a much greater influence on my life. William Morris. You probably have never heard of him...he is a quiet (very quiet) man of faith who came to the United States by winning the lottery in his country Liberia. This is not the lottery that you obviously think of...this is the lottery that they do in some countries that will allow special citizens that's names are picked out of a hat to get a free ride and visa to America. I find that today when we celebrate this land of the free we have to remember what it really means and what it really means for other people to be free. William was not a slave and was not a starving child on the side of the road like you see in those videos...he was a prominent helicopter pilot with a beautiful wife and adorable son William Jr. He was willing to sacrifice his life there to work on a new life here and is working very hard for that as we speak.
My relationship does not come close to my parents relationship with William. As our church began to grow you could not help but notice the dark black man that quietly stood in the corner after each service. He would be alone and just seemed to mind his own. My mom and dad began to talk to him more and more each Sunday and discovered that every week William was walking to church...in the scorching Texas heat or the freezing cold Texas winter! This was not okay with them. Before I knew it my mom was picking William up not only for church each Sunday but was also carpooling him to school to get a degree in nursing. She would take him each Sunday after church to the grocery store and Ill never forget when she called me in embarrassment and said she had taken William to his first trip the grocery store with her and she went a little over board to make sure he was properly fed (typical Inez) and when she got to his apartment realized that there was not enough room to store her amount of groceries! William is gracious and I could see his love for my parents grow stronger as their love for him did as well. My mom felt that God was calling her to his life and she obeyed. She has been working tiredly to get Williams family here and I am so proud of the steps forward she has made in this very long, difficult process. We are hoping to have them here by December of this year!!!!
William gave the news to my parents that he needed to move to Pennsylvania this week for better opportunities there that his friend had gotten him and for easier transportation (because let me just say that we tried to work with William on his driving and he is a TERRIBLE driver...like should never be allowed to get behind a wheel!!lol!!!:))
Mom cried because she was going to miss her sweet, soft spoken friend but she is confident God has him on a journey and she was just a side road to it. We will miss the man of little words that truly brought us so much wisdom about our Lord. He is quiet he says so He can hear our God speak. He was our little prayer warrior as well and we will never forget him. Pray for William and his success here in America...for a man that has only been here for such a short time but has more pride in this country than most. Pray for him and his family to be able to reunite soon. And pray for my sweet mama who is going to miss her dear, sweet friend.

true true

2011-06-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

How sad...but so true
<a href='http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/first-world-problems-rap/20qxhnmz?rel=msn&cpkey=0120334e-eb25-4c4a-bd05-465a01b1717f%7Cstupid+videos%7Cmsn%7C%7C&src=v5:embed::&from=sharepermalink-facebook&brand=MSN' target='_new' title='First World Problems Rap'>Video: First World Problems Rap</a>

Destin!

2011-06-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

just a preview of Destin...pictures can kind of speak for themselves since I have no time to write anything today...kids are needing their mama:)... it was an amazing vacation and I already miss the memories we made there...I already miss everything about it really...love my family, spending time with my adorable nephews, love the white sand, love the smell of the ocean, love cooking out, playing in the pool all while looking at the beautiful desolate beach in front of us! It was wonderful!

PACK ATTACK!

2011-06-09T15:03:00.001-07:00

Some how I ended up being the family packer. I mean, I can understand packing for my kids but I never realized how abnormal it is to also pack for ones husband! I've been doing it since we got married and after talking with some friends I realized that most husbands pack for themselves!!! Um...not Justin? I guess I just assumed that was normal since we did get married at 18 and I had no idea what the "rules" were for vacation time but I've been doing it for nine years now and now that I have 3 kids, I really really really dont want to mess with that! ugh! He is spoiled rotten...and you know what else...LORD FORBID I FORGET SOMETHING!!! One time I forgot enough of underwear for him and you would have thought I packed him thongs or something he was so mad at me! hmph! Anyway, I am beyond excited for this vacation with the family and some fun in the sun but knowing that tomorrow is my packing day makes me want to sit on the couch and drink a glass of wine... or two...or three. Oh well, once we get to the airport Justin has to carry all our suite cases;) and I dont pack light:)!
Now I have to go write down everything I need to remember or I'll forget it...
Destin Florida here I come!!!!!!
Did I mention its a private beach and our house is on the beach? WAHOOOO DOGGY!!!!

outside of USA

2011-06-01T06:28:00.000-07:00

For most of us we do little hear about the persecution of Christians. Christians? Well, it's 2011 and what would a Christian get persecuted for? It's happening folks...people who love Jesus are being thrown into jail and some even killed for it! We have to keep praying for our brothers and sisters all over this world!

she makes me laugh so hard!

2011-05-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

gonna have to turn off my music and watch these HILARIOUS SNL skits!!

random

2011-05-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

These are some recent pictures I took of the family. Arent my nephews just so stink'n cute or what? They came to support their big cousin at his baseball game the other day and I got to snap a few pics of their pretty faces:) Can you believe how big MK already is? My little Jay is such a stud...have I ever mentioned how much I adore that boy? And Haley...well, Haley is so pretty inside and out...so thankful for my babies...my family! I guess I should re title this blog "abundant blessings" or something like that:). Im just going to list my beloveds...just for the heck of it!
Lord I am so eternally grateful for:
my mom
my dad
Jeffie
Justin
Chris
Jay
Haley
Noah
Sam
Elijah
McKamy
Those are my people...I am so grateful for each of them

Recap of 2011 so far

2011-05-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

* Earthquake magnitude 6.9 Argentina-January 1

* Earthquake magnitude 5.2 - Southern XinJiang, China-January 1

* Earthquake 7.1 magnitude Chile-January 2

* More Than 1,000 Dead Birds Fall From Sky in Arkansas-January 2

* Dead fish cover 20-mile section of Arkansas River-January 2

* Uganda yellow fever outbreak kills more than 40-January 3

* Earthquake Near Japan Triggers Tsunami Warning-January 3

* Powerful earthquake hits south-east Iran-January 3

* Earthquake 7.0 magnitude hits northern Argentina-January 3

* Hundreds of dead blackbirds found in Louisiana-January 3

* 10,000s of Birds found dead in Manitoba-January 3

* Thousands of Birds fall from the sky in South America-January 3

* Major Flood in Rockhampto,Australia-January 3

* Dead Birds Found In Kentucky-January 4

* 100 tons of dead fish wash up on Brazil's shores-January 4

* Hundreds of dead birds found in East Texas-January 5

* Dead birds in Sweden, millions of dead fish in Maryland, Brazil and New Zealand-January 5

* Shift of Earth's magnetic north pole affects Tampa airport-January 5

* 40,000 crabs found dead on England beaches-January 6

* Heavy floods leave at least 35 dead in Brazil-January 6

* Earthquake 4.5 magnitude in California-January 12

* Huge Waves Destroy Homes in E. Indonesia-January 12

* Thousands of marine animals found dead in MATO GROSSO DO SUL/AMAZON Region-Febuary 4

*
Magnitude 6.3 earthquake- SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND-Febuary 21
*
Thousands of dead fish have washed up at Sebastian Inlet State Park Florida-Febuary

* Millions of small fish including anchovies, sardines and mackerel were found dead at King Harbour area at Redondo Beach, California-March

* Magnitude 8.9 earthquake and tsunami devastating Japan-March 11

* 40ft section of California Highway falls into Pacific Ocean-March 16

* Magnitude 3.5 earthquake - OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA-March 17

* Magnitude 6.5 earthquake- Vanuatu- March 17

* Magnitude 7.0 earthquake strikes northeastern Burma-March 23

* Magnitude 6.8 earthquake hits Myanmar, Thailand-March 23

* Magnitude 6.4 earthquake off the coast of Japan-March 25

* Thousands of dead fish wash up in Florida-March 25

* Hundreds of dead fish found in Midland,Texas-March 26

* Hundreds of dead fish and frogs in Marquette Lagoon-April 1

* Magnitude 5.4 earthquake in South Sandwich Islands Region-April 1

* Magnitude 6.4 earthquake Fiji-April 3

* Magnitude 6.7 earthquake in South of Java,Indonesia-April 3

* Magnitude 6.5 earthquake hits Veracruz,Mexico-April 7

* Dead birds fall into Kansas yard-April 8

* Magnitude 7.4 earthquake hits shore of Japan-April 7

* Dead fish found in Cedar Creek, Texas-April 10

* Magnitude 6.5 and 6.2 earthquakes hit eastern Japan-April 11

* Dead fish float up in 36 lakes in the state of Connecticut-April

* Deadly Tornadoes hit N. Carolina and Virginia, at least 47 dead-April 16

* Thousands of dead fish are hauled away in Lakeside,NY-April 27

*
A massive thunderstorm front spawned 137 tornadoes, killed at least 180 people, and mangled sections of Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Huntsville, Alabama-April

* Dead fish wash up in San Tan Heights pond-May

* Deadly Tornado hits Albany, New Zealand, at least 1 death-May 3

* Dead fish found in Valsad district of south Gujarat-May 3,4

* 6.5 Magnitude Earthquake hits Papua New Guinea, Tsunami warning-May 15

* Deadly Tornadoes hit Minneapolis and Missouri-May 22

those are called birth pains folks...

Amazing

2011-05-17T12:09:00.001-07:00

Now...Im only in the middle of this book but I just have to cheer about it for just one sec! I know there is another popular book out right now that sounds very similar to this one called "Heaven is for Real" but to be honest...that one (without even reading it) I can tell you is just not as life changing as compared to this one! Just from seeing the boy interviewed for the "Heaven is for Real" book I can tell you that A. he was 4 sooo a little less intriguing and B. the main points for the entire book are that he met his sister and saw his great granddad...hm. The book Im reading however...not to be a book snob is WONDERFUL in so many more ways than just the heaven description...its about the faith of this family and the love of God!!!! I am not sure how I came upon this book but it "fell in my lap" and now I cant put it down.
I think you pick a book like this one because of your secret, serious obsession with knowing what Heaven is really like but once your lost in the pages you realize that your focus is not on the little boys experience meeting God so much as it is of God being obviously visible throughout the entire scene of the accident and hospital run. From the random chance encounters this father had at the accident to the people who chose faith over medical prognosis. The Heaven part is super interesting and I don't want to give it away because I'd like for everyone to read it but it is just fascinating hearing the faith of these people and how hope just flies off the pages...hope...something we all need more of...this is a book of hope...not Heaven. Hope may sound like a boring read but I promise you friends, it is so refreshing...I know that this family experienced this miracle and wrote it down just so that one day I would find their story and be filled with what I did not even know was slowly dwindling.
God is good...and so is this book.;)

I should of thought of that

2011-05-14T11:18:00.001-07:00

So this past Mother's Day my husband decided to give me the BEST PRESENT EVER! Oh yes baby...the NOOK COLOR!!! I never considered myself a reader until a few years ago when I picked up a random Jodi Picoult book at the airport to save myself the boredom I was going to endure on the airplane and ended up finding something I really loved. I now have what looks to be the makings of a small library on the top shelves of my closet and now with my new "book store in a box" nook, I wont have all that clutter from my endless hours of my head in a book! Anyone out there that does not consider themselves a reader...I encourage you to keep trying until you find a book that you literally cannot put down and you will most likely find yourself enjoying it more and more!
All this to say, is that while I was in high school and we had to read things of an "older nature" like Macbeth and Odyssey I always thought the novels on the shelves were filled with brain busters and difficult analogies. In the past 5 years, every New York Times Bestseller or Oprah's Book Club choice or even the latest teenage phenomenon I am shocked with how easily written these huge novels are! I know this sounds weird...not such an epiphany to most but it really is exciting to me that it does not now seem so far fetched to come up with an interesting plot, create interesting characters and write it all down in detail! I sound cocky..."Oooh that's easy...I can do that" but that's not what Im trying to say at all...I just realize now that books can truly be written by almost anyone and it may not be so far out of my reach after all!
As I am reading The Hunger Game series, I just read it with joy thinking how fun it must have been for the author to have created these characters and this story line and be able to paint it however she wanted to...is that weird? It really just seem thrilling to me but maybe that's just me? Im weird...I'll admit...but having the ability to get someone else locked up in a story that you created and being able to feel for characters you made up just seems awesome to me! Anyways, I am going to do it...I am going to try and do...just say'n:)

Now let's have some fun

2011-05-08T19:22:00.000-07:00

Trying to stretch out my new youthful muscles, I decided to gather some friends together this weekend for a family/friends baseball game! The idea was sprouted from a few weeks ago when my sons baseball team decided to play a game of family baseball and when I showed up to it, not one mom was playing! It was only dads and sons. I was disappointed. I had fed the baby, brought the stroller, lathered up on sunscreen and made sure I had a secure sports bra on...I was ready to play some ball! I get there though and realize, like most scenarios, that the mothers are only yet spectators and the boys are having the fun. So family/friends baseball with the Zunigas was born! :)

It's fun to be competitive! To talk a big game and feel that you have something to prove. I did not of course fulfill all my sh*t talk...I ended up being terrible at batting but it was fun regardless of my humiliation:). I think nights like that...eating boxes of pizza, blankets in the grass, juice boxes and beer, with a fun/timeless game like baseball fill so many needs...for the kids, it gives them a sort of confidence playing with the adults and feeling loved by all the encouragements being shout out from the different bases...for the adults I think it gives them a sense of nostalgia and joy being able to be a kid with their kids. Overall the night was a success and we will do it a lot more often now..everyone has agreed that this will become a common occurrence from here on out...we have been missing out for sure! Sometimes I think you can just skip the therapy or the Zoloft and just play some ball!

On Mother's Day, rather than being pampered and/or putting my kids and husband to work cleaning house....I decided I wanted to have some fun...again! (not sure if this is just a phase or a legitimate change) but either way it is what I wanted to do! I wanted to play with my kids on Mother's Day...P L A Y! My house was a disaster and I can tell you...any recent years I would have said the best day would have been for my family to have cleaned it spotless while I bathe in the tub with a glass of wine but something about that normal plan just seemed too mundane and bland. I want to enjoy MY children on a day celebrating the fact that I have them! So what do we do? We prepare for battle...for water gushing, exhilarating water balloon fight with the addition of power forced NERF water guns that literally make you feel cooler with every pump! We had a BLAST! We had some random strangers join in on the fun and just giggled our booty's off! Rogue even got to partake in our adventure and it was just what a Mother's Day needed to be...fun family time...sounds simple and cliche' but fun family time in today America is really not the norm...sadly...so just like the game of baseball Friday night...this will also be a new common occurrence with the Zunis. My kids went to bed last night THANKING ME for their fun weekend...this rarely happens...I would take them to the movies, to their friends house, to the mall and always at the end ask them "ok kids...what do you say?" and they reply "thank you mommy" and putting them in bed last night...with the security of the family weekend behind them...their sweet little hearts were just grateful...it barely cost me a dime and I didnt have to go farther than our own hood to give my kids something that blessed them enough that their hugs were tighter and their prayers longer. I am grateful.

day dream'n

2011-05-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

Something occurred to me last night. I was in my room, alone listening to Priscilla Ahns "Dream" song and for some apparent reason just began to cry. Not the pretty kind of cry either...the sobbing in your pillow, need to catch my breath kind of cry. Honestly...I needed it...it felt really good to just let it out. As I was embracing this rare moment alone with my emotions my darling husband came in...oh dear. He immediately was concerned and wanted to know...demanded to know what in the heck was wrong with me. Um...at that time...couldn't really think of anything. I just kept telling him that it was the song...it struck a chord in me and the tears began to flow and just wouldn't stop. He did not except that preposterous answer (sigh...men). Every time I opened my mouth to let him know I was okay and I was just being a hormone crazed woman...only sobs came out...so I began to think...as my husband fearfully studied my face and held my hands I began to think...and I think I had an epiphany last night...here's my thought...

The lyrics of the song kept returning me to myself as a little girl. I remember it vividly. I remember the sun hitting my face and placing the magic rocks around my tree castle for protection from the invisible trolls lurking near the creek bed. I would close my eyes as I lay in the center of my trampoline and just dream...dream away...I was a dreamer. I had an imagination that could take me anywhere and I loved me...I loved who I was...adventurous with no apologies, silly without the fear of criticism, independent, creative, amused...I could go on. I miss her. Im sad because I feel like that little girl is gone and I guess in so many ways I wish I could find her again. Justin asked me if my dreams had not come true and honestly theyre better than I dreamed...I am not longing for the dream...I miss the dreamer.

I want to take this even bigger and go as far to say that most women...maybe even all women wake up at one point of their lives and wonder where she went. I have many friends that blame their husbands for creating a box that they feel they were slowly put in over the years then making it impossible to be who they once were...they say things like "he made me someone I never was" or "I realized I changed so much to fit him that I am unrecognizable". Personally, I believe that you are who you are...there is not a person out there powerful enough to change you...it is you that gives them the power...it is you that allows their words to slowly grow inside of you and become truth. I could not sit there last night with my sweet husband and blame him...it's not his fault that I say "no" more times than I say "yes"...it is not his fault that my aspirations in becoming an author one day has all but vanished...it was not him that found it inappropriate to roller blade with a the kids in the stroller (gasp). :)

I play with my kids...I do...I am a fun mom (most of the time). I can see their faces light up with joy when I do my silly dances and show them how to do the "Spider" on the swing set. Im silly still and never take life too seriously but I just remember those times as a girl and it may sound so silly but I think like her all the time but never speak it out loud or act on certain impulses. I can still drive down 4th Army street behind my house and look out in the wooded area and spot the perfect hiding spot or become secretly thrilled when I hear the ice cream truck coming towards us from the distance. I am still a little girl at heart...we all are...our circumstances just change...we become responsible and care givers but deep in our souls we are the same tiny people that wish for adventure and pray for happily ever afters.

I named my youngest daughter McKamy after my neighborhood I grew up in because of the everyday joys I remember there...but now looking back, it was not the place that made that season of my life so beautiful, so fun...it was the little girl.

bday boggle

2011-04-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

Well, this past week was the celebration of my 27th birthday and the celebration of our Lords death and Resurrection! Quite a week!
Just gonna talk about my birthday though...I have a theory on birthdays past the age of 18 and maybe its just me but for the most part I feel that a birthday is a day that you wake and expect to be different/better...a day that is allll about you and only you and then you go through the day with this singe of disappointment because the day seems just like any other...nothings really all too special about it. Is that just me or what? Maybe its because as children the day was a literal "all about you" day and you actually had birthday parties with balloons and cake? Who knows... but my birthday was just fine..it was nice...besides the part where the valet wrecked my car...oh ya...did I mention that for fun birthday memories? Geez! Luckily the valet company was insured and is paying for everything and Im kind of enjoying my rent-a-car right now...it's called a Rogue (shout out to my dog) it's cute and fun! Ohhh which reminds me...as I was at the Enterprise getting my fun new ride, I acted a fool!!!! Something weird came over me and I couldnt stop giggling...it was really strange...I had to pretend to be doing something on the phone b/c I could not contain the hysteria? How old am I? But that's not the most embarrassing part of the story...oh geez...it gets so much worse...so this cutie was taking me to my new car and as we were walking I told him that I had observed in waiting room the mentally challenged man that was working for their company and thought it was really cool that they hired someone with challenges...I didnt think anything about what I had told him...giving him props for hiring someone "special" because you usually dont see that at businesses like that...until he stops me...looks at me with confused eyes and says "that guy is not mentally handicap...he's not handicap at all...he's just a little loud sometimes?" (I could then feel the sweat perspiration making its way over my body and my face turning bright red)! What in the heck do you say after that? Why dont I have a filter? How could I have been so horribly wrong in my observations? I could have sworn? Needless to say...some words came out of my mouth after that but I really have no idea what I said because all I could think of was to get in that new car of mine and put the petal to the metal and NEVER RETURN!!! AHHH!

connection

2011-04-18T13:44:00.001-07:00

This is amazing! I just cannot imagine!

late

2011-04-12T13:27:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been late picking up your child from something? My mom used to tell me that the worst feeling ever was the feeling that you were going to be late picking up your babies. I thought she was being dramatic...nope. I for some unknown reason COMPLETELY lost track of the time this afternoon and in my head thought it was 1:45 when it was actually 2:45 but it was weird because I knew it was 2:30 when it was 2:30 so I dont know how all of a sudden my time fell back an hour but it did...I have to leave on Tuesdays and Thursdays early to pick up Jay and our little neighbor friend that goes to the school next to Jay's.
By the time I realized it was indeed 3:00, I couldnt find my keys!!!! I had my baby and Haley in the hot car and I was panic stricken looking for the dang keys! I decided to check in the house one last time and when I went to open the door, I realize that Rogue (my dog) had locked the door on accident when she jumped up on it in an effort to leave with us! *curse word* So I ran through the back and luckily my backyard door was open...ran in and praise the Lord above found those stupid keys! Jumped in the car and said a prayer to Jesus that there would be no cops, stray animals, or kids anywhere in my path to get the kids from school...my heart pounding....I begin to bite my nails (only do that when Im anxious...dont judge).
I hit the pedal to the metal and before I know it, Im at the light in front of the two schools...and then comes my Sophie's Choice moment. I ponder in 5 seconds which child I am okay with being sad and lonely left waiting on a curb side with a tear drop running down their face thinking they have been forgotten (that at least is a dramatic interpretation of how I imagined them being) and to my surprise I was on my way to my friends daughters school! Why not pick up your own child first you ask? I guess it was because A. I've never been late picking up my kids so one time wont hurt B. Our little friend does a day care after school program every M,W,F of the week :( C. Jay is a big boy...older than our neighbor D. he goes to a Christian school and I knew they would show me more grace for my lateness!
So I turn on two wheels into the car lines and low and behold SP (our little friend) is not the last one standing there...close but not the last...she gets in the car and I hold back the urge not to step on it while the teacher is still holding the door open and SP hasnt even sat down...I wait...teacher shuts door and Im OFF! I had to go through a school zone...K I L L E R! School zones + lateness = heart attack! I arrive at Jays school...jump out of the car...ruuuuun to the door...swing it open and there were about 30 kids playing and socializing in the forum having a grand ole' time. What? Jay sees me...hugs me and says thanks me for allowing him to stay longer after school with his friends that have older sibling and get picked up at 3:30!!!! He then hops in the car and asks if he can always stay late...and I didnt even have to answer to a teacher...they acted like it was perfectly normal that I swung in there like a lunatic thinking my child officially could vote me Worst Mom Ever award?! The teachers apparently did not mind at all that I was late because they had to stay there regardless with the other students...cool!
Anyway, I guess I write this to say that number 1. My mom was so right...it is a terrible feeling being late picking up your baby and number 2. Sometimes the things that we as moms absolutely lose sleep over and get hernias for end up not affecting the children at all...sometimes, if youre lucky...your shortfall will be much appreciated by your kids!

blog

2011-04-05T08:25:00.000-07:00

First let me say that AB's feedback comment from yesterdays post was HI larious! Ash, you are so freak'n funny!
I didnt mean for my quick jot of realization yesterday afternoon to turn into a compliment feast for me but I have to admit that the sweet feedback diiiiid make me feel good;)! I guess what it really came down to yesterday was going through other peoples blogs/lives that were seriously dramatic and really beautifully written out...and when you read things like that and go back to your blog about geckos, you just kind of feel stupid in a way. It's funny when you find yourself with some free time to actually even write a blog post and you're sitting in front of your computer thinking about what you can write? I just don't think that's the point Al...I think you are actually supposed to already have something in mind that you feel like sharing and then write it out to the world...not sit there and try to come up with something. Anyway, that's all...that's why I wondered if I should shut this puppy down...b/c Im not so original...I used to be I tell ya!!! I used to be super full of ideas and thoughts...I mean, if they did blogging back when I was in high school...I could have probably written one every hour of the day in those days...my mind was on full speed ahead but now with pregnancies and babies and cooking and cleaning my vivid imagination and thought provoking ideas have just ceased to exist. It would also be great if I was a photographer, a chef, a home school mom or a specialist in something but really Im a pretty average joe ...maaaybe I should re-title my blog something along those lines like "Jive'n with Joe" or "Keep'n it plain with Jane" haha...Im funny. Well, dont know but just wanted to say thanks for the encouragement here and on facebook...I got to go put on clothes for the day and actually go do something productive...my baby's sleeping and Haley is in the art room...both of whom are dressed...unlike their mom in p.j.'s writing a blog post about who know's what:)

confessions of the superficial

2011-04-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

Awhile ago a friend of mine told me that the only way to get a lot of followers on your blog is to have good pictures. She said if you didnt have good pictures than you better have a heck of a good story to tell. We concluded together that the only way to get a true following is to be out of your mind clever/hilarious or have a very sick kid that needs praying for or a spouse that passed away. I am not dogging those with tragic stories/amazing blogs because good for them...they found a way to get prayer from thousands of people and/or therapy after their tragedy!
I say this because ultimately my blog is a joke...Im not really sure why I have one? Im either bragging about how cute/talented my kids are or whining about not being able to lose weight. The funny part about this entire thing is that I always wanted to be a writer or a journalist of some sort! I loved coming up with clever things to say and writing it down but lately all I have time for is posting pictures of my beloveds and writing about the hectic day I had bouncing from one sporting event to the next.
Praise the Lord in Heaven above that I dont have a blog worth reading...you know what Im saying? I mean, really! Thank you Jesus that I dont need prayer for a child with cancer or the need to write out a heartbreak from the death of a loved one! I am not a superficial person (I have my moments though) yet my blog is just a surface look into who I am and I dont even know that if I decided to get super deep on here if it would be anything worth reading anyway? Thankfully things just arent that exciting in Zuniga land and Im hoping it stays that way...in fact...funny story...the other day my husband and I were watching the cheeseball musical they once called Grey's Anatomy and Addison (a character that left and started her own show called Private Practice) guest appeared on this particular episode and I looked over at Justin and was "Oh my gosh, so exciting!!" and he didnt even have to say anything I paused the show and sat there in disbelief that I literally had genuine excitement...that I became giddy because of a stupid guest appearance?!?! Now that is super=freakin=ficial! That is the best example I can come with of really how un cool my life is but I wouldnt trade it for the world obviously.
So...all this to say, I guess Im going to stop blogging. I just dont know if there is a point for me. Even if I did my darndest to make it "cooler" I really wouldnt be able to find the time to keep it up and really just writing this particular post is going to make me late to go grab Haley from school so I guess I'll figure this out but I just might have to stop with this silly ole' thing...it just is kind of mundane if you know what I mean. (that might not be the word Im looking for but Im in a hurry:))

video time!

2011-03-31T15:28:00.000-07:00

touchy touchy

2011-03-29T11:34:00.000-07:00

http://www.greatergoodmovie.org/

This should be controversial one for sure! Listen, I vaccinated my kids and the truth is, I thought the risk of not vaccinating them was higher (just my opinion...nothing concrete about it). Im wondering if a documentary like this one will make the knowledge better for parents out there or if it will just be an anti vaccine campaign hiding behind "we're just trying to get the facts out there" propaganda? Im hoping it will show both sides so each parent can make an informed choice. This subject goes down with religion and politics with mothers...its super touchy and can cause some crazy emotions with women so maybe something like this will be an easier conversation starter and everyone can show everyone else some grace when they make their decisions for their children! :)

sporty spice

2011-03-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

What is that you say? You want to make plans for Saturday? Ohhh that's funny...ain't never gonna happen unfortunately...why you ask? one word...SPORTS!!!!! I can't imagine if MK was also old enough to be involved with one! Somethings gotta give with these things...Mon we have dance, Tues we have soccer practice, Wed (free night), Thurs we have baseball, Friday (Free night) then Saturday games and Sunday baseball practice!!! We just go and go and go...we have good family time doing it though...we have fun cheering on our sweet babies every week and poor MK...I ended up getting McKamy out of her stroller at Haleys soccer game and putting her on the grass next to the stroller. :)

new friends

2011-03-23T17:11:00.000-07:00

Found these two little guys just hanging out on my house yesterday...they are the biggest geckos I've ever seen around here!

Happy Sunday

2011-03-21T05:56:00.000-07:00

Beautiful day yesterday!!! Even more beautiful because we had nothing planned!! I dont think you realize how hectic life really is with kids until you have a Sunday like ours yesterday where you have nothing to do but just enjoy the weather and play with your kids. Justin was out of town until last night so it was a good time for me and the kids to just play. I guess I realized yesterday that it's been a long time since I just got to play with my kiddos. With baby MK's debut I havent had a whole lot of time to just enjoy my kids and not have to think about schedules or cleaning, homework or what's for dinner. This morning reality set in and it made me miss yesterday a little.

funny

2011-03-16T07:03:00.000-07:00

This cracks me up! I love when babies just dont know what to do with some things:) so cuteness p.s. looking forward to the day MK can finally play in a saucer...love those things!

Phil is my FAV!

2011-03-10T06:05:00.000-08:00

Oh my love!

2011-03-03T08:22:00.000-08:00

(my voice is obnoxious...sorry)

MK is about the happiest baby ever and I'm not just saying that because she's mine...She laughs and smiles and coos so much and she has since she first came home from the hospital pretty much! I just know she's going to spread her joy her entire life...you cant help but smile when she smiles at you:)

Earlier today I read the SADDEST blog about a 4 month old baby dying of SIDS I just cant help but praise God for all He has given me. I beg for protection over my children daily and reading blogs like that just burdens me so much for that mother and the grieving she will have to go through. I really cant imagine being able to breathe after such a tragedy but I know our God is good and my hope is in Jesus and this life we are living doesn't compare to our eternal lives in Heaven. I have the sweetest, most beautiful children and the happiest baby ever and I am just trying to live in every moment I have with these precious angels...they grow fast and every day is not a guarantee so if you're a mama...love on your baby...whether they're 1 year old or 20 years old...

Girls insane

2011-02-23T15:37:00.002-08:00

A M A Z I N G...her voice is incredible and its an original song!!!
<a href="http://www.bing.com/videos/browse?mkt=en-us&from=en-us_msnhp&vid=7e5f5337-d0d0-4906-8592-754172eaeb20&from=en-us&fg=dest" target="_new" title="Soulful Girl Sings Original Piece">Video: Soulful Girl Sings Original Piece</a>

Sat in pics

2011-02-21T11:08:00.000-08:00

From soccer studs to selling works of art...we had an eventful Saturday...as usual:)

Everyone hush!

2011-02-19T07:21:00.000-08:00

As I was writing the title of this post, I had in mind to write a detailed blog entry about having to become a nazi "husher" now having a tiny baby and older children (with friends over especially)! I wanted to talk about how sleepovers and play dates now give me anxiety because I stress over the children being quiet enough for baby MK to get some sleepy time. However, I think I want to take my title and use it for something totally different. "Everyone Hush" is really what I've been wanting to scream aloud to the entire universe lately. Weather its the morning t.v. reporter talking about the latest celebrity going to rehab or the telecaller Indian man calling to ask if we want to change our insurance...I just need silence. Lately I feel that God is calling me to Him but I cant hear Him and tend to ignore Him because of the loud chaos I am allowing in my life. I stress "allowing" because I know that things can be shut off, turned off or turned down but I continue to go to the next www. or flip on my last tivo while I feed the baby. While I take the kids from here to there I turn on the radio, yell out different spelling words to test Justin, or get on my cell phone to catch up with friends! My life is loud and thats great sometimes but I really feel that the Lord is telling me to be quiet...quiet so I can hear Him. Nowadays when the baby is sleeping and the kids are at school, I think to myself...ok allie...you have just this little slip of time to yourself...what are you going to do with it? You know what I do? Clean, get on the computer or maybe if I have enough done with the house I will attempt to get on the treadmill. Im constantly thinking about the needs of my body and my emotional state but I rarely think about the health of my spiritual state. My spiritual needs are not being met because of me, I know it and Im calling myself out right here and now. I am going to take the next few days to not "hush up" my kids so the baby can sleep but do my best to turn the world off so I can turn to my God and rest in Him. He misses me, I miss Him and it's time I finally get quiet enough to listen.

learning

2011-02-17T17:21:00.000-08:00

Had fun playing with my camera today after getting some tutoring from a talented friend of mine!

3 months

2011-02-15T10:34:00.000-08:00

Baby McKamy is growing up so much. I know this is going to sound so cheese ball but when she naps I miss her...granted...Im thankful for some time to not have a baby needing me every second but I have just enjoyed her so much. I love making her laugh and coo...she smiles with her eyes and you cant help but smile with her.:) She's been such a joy...when Im fighting the funk I just go pick her up and things seem to get better. J and Haley think she's pretty fun too (not when she cries of course) and they give her a ton of attention which I was actually pretty surprised about...especially from J....he's a big 8 year old boy so I thought he wouldnt care too much for her but I see him go over to her and talk to her (even in baby talk) and it just makes my heart happy. I cant believe MK is three months this week...it really does go by so fast...sooo fast!

Heavenly

2011-02-08T13:29:00.000-08:00

I have been reading an amazing book about Heaven. The book is actually titled "Heaven" by Randy Alcorn. Who really wakes up every day and thinks "I wonder if I'll be in Heaven today?". The possibility is there really every second of your life...every breath you take could very well be your last one so really why not think about Heaven frequently and know as much as you can about it.
Its not that I've been pondering death lately but I have really been intrigued with what our Father has in store for us when our time comes. This book is so great because it uses Bibical references to give ideas of what the true heaven really will be like and to really debunk the misconceptions about the idea of heaven being this boring place with gold walls and ceilings where all we do all day long is sing and watch angels play with harps!:) Randy Alcorn describes a Heaven with adventures and beauty and nature that can only be imagined! The book explains that eventually when Christ does come back to make a new Heaven and a new Earth that it will be earth in its perfect form! The relationships and bodies and things that we experience here will be 100% perfected in Heaven because God will be here amongst us and we will live joyfully in on His new Earth in His perfect splendor.
"Everything will be glorified, even nature itself. And that seems to me to be the bibical teaching about the eternal state; that what we call heaven is life in this perfect world as God intended humanity to live it. When he put Adam in paradise at the beginning, Adam fell, and all fell with him, but men and women are meant to live in the body, and will live in a glorified body in a glorified world, and God will be with them." Martyn Lloyd-Jones
The book answers all sorts of questions: Is Heaven a physical place?, Will we know our loved ones in Heaven?, Will we have physical bodies?, Will all dogs go to Heaven? (not really in that form of a question just thought that'd be funny...more like "Will animals be in Heaven with us?) etc etc. He uses passages from the Bible to give his view and take on what the next life will really hold and it's just exciting to me...maybe Im weird but it gives me an overwhelming peace to know where I will be when my time comes:). I highly recommend it for all you believers out there...it really gets ya thinking!

Um..."burr" from Tejas

2011-01-31T17:09:00.000-08:00

As we sit inside on yet another day of absolute freeze, I am reminded of just how blessed I am. I have been struggling lately with some baby blues blunders and most people would not look it as a cure to stay inside a house full of bored kids for a week straight but it really has made me feel so much better. I have a husband who not only worked to make us money (self employed) on days where the streets were much too dangerous but a man that when the snow actually fell went outside with his kids for the entire day to have snowball fights, sledding races and then some hot chocolate by the fire when the kids needed a break! He went to the store, entertained pretty much the whole neighborhood and managed to get work done on top of it all! He's the best...he really is!

Reality

2011-01-20T11:34:00.001-08:00

Do you ever wish you had cameras following you around during your day so that there would at least be evidence of the obstacles you face daily as a woman? I think the reason we can make a reality show out of anything is because life is just not boring...no matter how much you'd like it to be at times. Take yesterday for example...when my husband got home and asked me how my day was my answer to him was it was "good, same ole' same ole'" but in reality it was not and if cameras indeed had been following me around yesterday I think the viewer would have been completely entertained!

From a disaster diaper, broke down car and a minor flood the day just kept making me question why I deserved such bad luck but honestly every day has those little dramas and I guess that's what makes it fun in a way. I mean, if I literally "Dear Diary-ed" everything I did every day I bet I would surprise even myself with how entertaining life can be. I will try to remember that next time Im stuck on the side of the road with a crying fussy baby or being flown in the air from a dog that does not know what "heel" means...just find joy in it Allie...if it wasnt this way life would be pretty boring!

On another note...I took some 2 month pictures of MK at my sisters house today:)

Dog gone it!

2011-01-18T15:20:00.000-08:00

I just looked like such an idiot. Taking my dog to the park is like a work out for me. I have NO control over my dog Rogue. She is such an angel but when it comes to her social behavior she is like a psychotic maniac! Just on our drive to the park she begins to start whimpering because of her excitement and before I can even park the car she is trying to literally jump out of the closed window. I cant even get the children out of the car before she jumps over them and begins to run through the big open field that's right there by the park. The other moms stare, some say something and I know I better get that leash on her before someone calls in reinforcements so then Im screaming and hollering trying to get my dog to "come" (that draws attention). Then as Im trying to hold the dog on her leash, push the stroller, and carry my coffee I am sweating before I even make to the actual park where the kids are because I am trying to restrain this HUGE German Shepard who doesnt care a flying hoot about who's alpha at this point. When the other mothers leave and my friends show up I finally let my annoying puppy go to roam around with the kids until I see my dog charge after another dog thats playing a game of catch with his owners. She begins to think that ball is hers and runs after and beats the dog to it and refuses to give it back. Then the dogs begin to quarrel. Then I try and bring her to the car b/c she's causing such a stink but she manages to get out of her collar. In the meantime, my sister is trying to console my crying baby and direct my kids to the car. My dog listens to me on so many other things but when it comes to social interaction with other dogs she is uncontrollable!!!! I seriously get anxiety when I take her because I know how she acts when other dogs come by...and she's sweet to them if she gets up to them but if I dont let her go and keep her on her leash she barks, get's a crazy mohawk and acts like she's the most vicious dog on Gods green earth!!! I just have to vent, there are worse problems I know but seriously...Im just trying to be a good owner and let the dog get some fresh air but Rogue is officially too hard to handle!!! The only way I will be able to take her in the future is if my husband is with me b/c folks I am telling you... I wanted to beat her!!!!

Kari Jobe Healer

2011-01-18T06:53:00.000-08:00

Confession

2011-01-14T16:51:00.000-08:00

I love this song. I love a lot of alternative songs...alternative bands. Some peeps dont know that about me but that's my confession for today...this music really gets me go'n!

CHUNKER!

2011-01-12T11:17:00.001-08:00

Baby MK is getting to be such a little chunky monkey!!! I love it! She is a little porker and getting so much more stable that its fun to just "eat her up" without feeling like you're going to break her:)
So anyway, I went my first "Mommy Fit" workout today (previously called Stroller Fit) and that was eventful! Geez...I am OUT OF SHAPE! I mean, I had a hard time make'n it up the stairs! I felt more than anything my huge nursing boobies were what was holding me back but I guess that just comes with these genes I have. Anyway, I felt so cheesy singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to my two month old as I sat propped up against a wall doing wall sits but eventually got over it and had fun with it. Its actually a super cute concept and was really a good workout! I am just glad it's before the mall opens because otherwise I would have been way to embarrassed to be "one of those" who workout at the mall (you know who Im talking about:))!

baby talk

2011-01-11T11:40:00.000-08:00

I know she's laying weird but I just really wanted to try out my new HD Flip video camera I got from Santa this year;)! She's laying on her portable changing table and for some reason it tilts that way so she looks like she's smooshed against the wall...oh well. Anyway, I thought itd be fun to post these videos of her as she grows and starts to "oo" more and and smile more...rather than pictures I thought videos might be fun so this is her big 1 MONTH video! :)

Not so Fat-tabulous

2010-12-30T07:18:00.000-08:00

So this weight is just not coming off...nope...it's made a home here on my body and doesnt seem to want to move an inch! I thought that at least with nursing that this month I'd have some of it just fall off but no...not really. Im eating better and nursing so the combination should have dropped some poundage but no...danget. So looks like mama bear is going to have to get strict...boo. I've never been on a diet before...and I guess Im not really planning on going on a real diet but starting today I am going to really watch my sugar intake. I think if I really cut out my sugar cravings and start my pre baby workouts up slowly again then it should help jump start the weight loss...or at least...it better! I just have never been a very insecure person...confidence has always been something that I've owned (in a good way) and now Im starting to feel super insecure and it's just the worst feeling possible! Ugh! There are days when I just dont even want to get out of my closet...I just want to sit in there and cry! Anyway, that's not going to work for me anymore so rather than make a New Years Resolution I am just going to take action and get this game plan moving along so I dont have any more sad dates with my closet. Time to get out of these ugly maternity clothes and slip into something actually cute! So...here's to day one of NO SUGAR! Bring it!

Whats under the tree?

2010-12-28T12:11:00.000-08:00

Christmas time is always so special over at my mom and dads house. Mom goes alllll out and makes it feel like a Christmas wonderland at her house! There is always that fear there that my kids will think being utterly spoiled every year for Christmas is normal and that is all they'll remember from our wonderful Christmas's together but we try very hard to remind them of Christs birth and how fortunate they are that they even get one present...that they have a big family that loves them and that they will always have too much and not to take any of it for granted. My hope is that when they get older they'll remember the magic of it all and they can then give that same magic to their kids! Anyway, I always want to write a whole lot but I never have enough time to write as much as I'd like to share...it was quite a week but we'll save that for another post. Until then, hope everyone is enjoying their holidays and it's spent remembering all the good in your life! :) Blessings!

sisterly love

2010-12-23T14:34:00.000-08:00

Haley loves her sister no doubt...cute...sometimes scary (like when she says she loves Mckamy sooooo much that she wants to just squeeze her to death)...ya...um...but overall the bond is wonderful and I am grateful! I am so excited to see their relationship bloom and grow over their lifetime knowing how blessed I have been to have my sister. There is just something so special about the relationship you have with your sister. My sister is my best friend in all the world and I would feel so alone in this world without her. She's a Godly, loving, feisty, sweet, sincere courageous woman and where I would be without her I do not know. I can only hope that my girls share that kind of bond that Jeffie and I have. There is nothing better in life than to go through it with a sister (well, a sister like mine at least;))!

Holiday chill

2010-12-14T13:42:00.000-08:00

So crazy to think Christmas is next week and before we know it the Holiday season will have come and gone and I'll be posting Easter pictures! I have really enjoyed this season so far because we have really just been taking it slow...no hussle and bussle running around with our heads cut off..just really enjoying each day and spending time in our family room with the Christmas tree on and watching all the Holiday movies we can think of...hot chocolate and cookie making etc etc. and it's been nice so here's some random pics to show you of us pretty much just low key'n it.
p.s. a random picture of our kitchen table got in there and the last picture is just to show just how incredibly OBSESSED our dog Rogue is with McKamy! I mean, she has to be wherever she is...it's annoying but super cute:)

Where my Z's at?

2010-12-09T13:39:00.000-08:00

There is noooo other tired like the tired you feel from a newborn baby. I mean it. I guess I forgot...I've had two other babies before and I just do not remember ever ever ever being this tired! Fatigue really does make a coward out of you...it turns you into a not-so-cute, hormones ablaze, crazy woman that cries at the drop of a hat! I thought for some craaaazy reason that I would be more normal once she was here but unfortunately Im even more pathetic now than ever (my blessed husband). I mean, he does have to deal with me but if he were going on as little sleep as I was, I am sure he'd feel like he got hit by a mac truck too. :( He's been helpful with the kids and thankfully work has been flexible enough for him that he's doing a lot of "mommy jobs" which in so many ways is helpful but in other ways I can see my job fading away...makes me feel lowesy and Im sort of feel like saying "hey, dont think you're better at this than I am... I will be back soon Mr. Substitute so dont get too comfortable"! Im so rude...I should be grateful but instead feel bitter that Im not better at this three children thing and just jumping right back on my horse like I predicted I would.
Oh well, I have a healthy baby girl...my kids are doing AWESOME with her...for real...they adore her and think she's adorable (which really surprised me with my 8 year old) so I am soooo grateful...just so damn tired:)... so tired that I cant even finish this post...zzzzz

whoops forgot these pics!

2010-11-30T08:28:00.000-08:00

1 of 4 Best Days

2010-11-29T14:01:00.000-08:00

The day I got married, the day we had our son Justin, the day we had Haley Beth and the day McKamy was born...nothing could top those moments of pure joy!

Baby baby

2010-11-27T14:05:00.000-08:00

So as I write this, Im itching my blood shot eyes and rocking the baby in her car seat with my foot as she coos and sucks on her pacifier. My husband has taken the kids to the movies and I am wrapped up tight in my robe because this mama just got a shower baby...yeah!!! (big accomplishment I tell ya) No but seriously, my eyes are killing me...I dont ever remember being this tired or at least remember looking like a vampire every time I look in the mirror but this too shall pass so Im not too bummed about it. I mean, when it comes to appearance my bright red eyes have nothing on my post baby physique...GEEZ...that's gonna take some work...a lot of work...but you know, hey, I got a healthy beautiful baby girl from this body so who's complaining, right?! ;)
Anyway, the kids are doing wonderful with her...Haley is obsessed and wants to hold her at all time...she's actually really good at it and Jay is showing more and more interest in her (who can blame him...he's an 8 year old boy)! Even Rogue is doing awesome with her and loves her...very protective over her and just goes to whatever room she is in:) (very cute). I was dreading getting out Christmas, I have to be honest. Its usually the holiday I go all out with and get super pumped about putting out my decor but honestly, going on no sleep and having just pushed a human being out of my body a week ago... I had about zero desire to go up to the attic and whip out my millions of Christmas boxes! Buuuuut, I did. I have two other children that deserve a fun festive Christmas so I sucked it up and went to town...maybe not as much as I usually do but hey, I did what I could and the kids were thrilled...that's all that matters to me anyway...the show must go on!:)
Anyway, still havent gotten the pictures from Jeffie and her extremely cool camera that I covet but I will post those as soon as I get them and hopefully Ash B over at Lilytoesphotography will be taking the kids pictures this week for our Christmas/baby announcement cards! yea! In one of the picture I just recently took I caught McKamy smiling in a dream..soo cute...but unfortunately it turned out super blurry but I want to show yall anyway!

She's here!

2010-11-23T10:28:00.000-08:00

Ok...so I am alive! I havent been on the computer since MK was born simply due to pure exhaustion and no time! Last Wed, November 17th was again one of the best days of my life...my baby girl McKamy Rae was born at 3:05 pm and the labor couldnt have gone better! (yes I did just say that) :)
I started having contractions that Tuesday night...they were bad but they were pretty far apart so I went to bed to give my body some time to see if it was the real thing or not...and was it ever! By 2 am I was up taking a bath, pacing the room, anything to get the pain of the contractions to simmer but of course that failed. The contractions were about 7 to 10 minutes apart so I knew if I could just hold out until the morning and labor naturally at home, then life would be easier on everyone...no need to drag my doc out of bed or get my kids to the babysitter or anything like that... I knew if I could just get through to the morning then we could get the ball rolling then...and that's exactly what happened. As I labored through the HORRIBLE PAINFUL contractions Justin got up, got the kids dressed for school, we all loaded in the car, took Jay to school, dropped Haley off with my sister and high tailed it to the hospital (at that point I was little nervous b/c they were 5 minutes apart at this point). We go into our labor and delivery room, I got hooked up to the IVs and baby monitors and from there it was just like a blink of an eye! I went through about as much pain as I could tolerate until my husband finally looked at me and was like "get the stink'n epideral"...I obliged ;) and rather than slowing down my labor, it SPED IT UP!!! The doctor said it was because my body finally relaxed after all those hours in labor and so sweet baby just started going doooown. I dilated to a 10 really soon after and then the baby (not me) began to push her way down (seriously...I didnt have to even push) she just went down with every contraction and then the pressure became so intense I knew it was time to get that baby out!!! :) The doctor came in, I pushed all of 3 times and she was OUT!!!! YEA!!!! SOOOOOOOOOOO AMAZING! There is just nothing better than being a part of this miracle that God has made and just playing such a vital role in it...it's a moment no one can probably even explain into words because it's just that amazing! They placed McKamy on my belly and just let me clean her off...she smelled like pancake syrup (my mom said I did too when I was born)...she cried...we cried...and they didnt just rush her away like in my past births...they let me hold her and clean her and waited until I was ready to have her weighed before they took her from me...it was awesome.
Sweet baby Mac was overdue they said...her hands and feet were so wrinkely and she had some red dots on her legs and belly which meant she was sort of "over cooked" yet she was only 6lbs 11 ounces?!?! I have small babies which I really have no problem with since I am pushing them out of my body:)
Anyway, the hospital stay was amazing...I say this with all seriousness...if you live in Frisco you must must must have your babies at Frisco Baylor...I really did not want to leave! I had the best nurses ever...I adored them and Justin and I were treated to a steak/lobster dinner the night before we left!!! It was insane!
My sister was there in through the whole thing and it wouldnt have been the same without her there cheering me on too. She brought her awesome camera and took beautiful pictures so I promise to post those very soon...she's making me a c.d. and then I'll get them up here so yall can see our newest addition but until then...

calculate this!

2010-11-15T06:38:00.001-08:00

So I realize my cute little baby o meter on the side of my blog reads that I am only 38 weeks but I am here to tell you my friends that I have been pregnant for 40 weeks now!!!! My due date is WRONG I tell ya! I have always thought my due date was wrong but my doctor seemed to think otherwise and what does your opinion matter when it comes to your doctor right;);). Anyway, I go in this morning and I am just hoping and praying that SOMETHING has changed since last week and maybe enough for her to say this to me "Oh Allie...you are ready to have this baby...TODAY" (WISHFUL THINKING):)
I never knew I was such an impatient person until sweet little Mckamy came into the picture. I didnt have a chance to be impatient when I was pregnant with my other two b/c they induced me so early due to medical complications with the others. I feel like a jack in the box and it makes me anxious....my family calls every 2 minutes wondering if I'm going to pop anytime soon...I almost feel like a let down everytime I tell them nothing has changed. lol
Anyway, I shall keep ya posted...though Im sure I will be back on here later saying Im still pregnant and will be for the next week:(
Come on baby come on!!!!!!

so far...

2010-11-11T12:03:00.000-08:00

So far today I have...
walked the dog (TWICE)
gone to an acupuncturist
I have gotten my nails done and paid extra for a longer foot massage
I have eaten pineapple

NO CHANGE! This baby is not ready to come out...I get that but mommy is ready for her to make that exit dangit! I believe my 40 week due date was yesterday the 10th..my doctor says not until the 20th but regardless I know that this pumpkin is done cook'n and Im ready to get the show on the road!!!

My feet look like sausages...my hands look like sponges! I had an oriental lady at the nail salon tell me I was swollen all over "even yo face is so puffy"...um ya. The other day a woman I didnt even know saw me and immediately said "awww bless your heart"...we all know what that means lady...thanks!

Anyway, I just thought I'd keep everyone posted...Im 2 cm dilated and contractions are coming just not regularly...hmph! Well, that's about it... I have to go do squats now:)

Nursery again...

2010-11-10T05:27:00.000-08:00

Im having computer difficulties when trying to post the pictures of the nursery? So I will try again but Im not really sure what the problem is? Anyway, here are just a few pics...and one of this oh so adorable diaper bag my mom bought me from this English designer that is just starting to show her stuff at things like Chi Omega Christmas and events around town like that so I was super thrilled about it! I still have to hang her name plates on the wall...they're just sort of sitting the Waines Coating if you can see and then a few frames and then I should be done for the time being:) yea! Now if she would only COME OUT! :)

Ready

2010-11-04T18:05:00.001-07:00

Yep... Im ready....that's really all I have to say. I am full term...baby is most likely fat and chunky by the looks of things (me) so let's just get her on out...I am ready to meet this sweet baby girl already! My impatience is totally out of whack...I think about it all day long just hoping and praying that "todays the day" but so far no such luck. I am just at the end now where everything is hard and everything you do just takes the life out of ya! So here's to hoping and praying that this lil princess graces us with her appearance a heck of a lot sooner than later!!!! PLEASE!!!! COME OUT!!!!

Boo!

2010-11-03T16:36:00.001-07:00

36 weeks

2010-10-28T07:38:00.000-07:00

Week 36

How Big is the Baby at 36 Weeks Pregnant?
By 36 weeks pregnant, your baby is now 5.9 pounds and about 18.6 inches or longer! Your little one will soon enter the ranks of heavyweight champs as you continue your pregnancy week by week and you approach delivery!

Your Baby's Growth and Development
Your baby is still working on putting on weight during pregnancy week 36. While that may not seem very exciting, keep in mind that this is his primary job from now until delivery. This is probably the one time in your baby's life where he they can put on pounds with wild abandon.

Did you know that some researchers believe your baby actually releases a signal to trigger labor? There are several theories. Some believe that when your baby's brain is completely mature, it sends a signal to the fetal adrenal glands. These glands then start to secrete the hormone cortisol, which may alter the metabolism of estrogen and progesterone, resulting in labor.

Other researchers have postulated that the fetal lungs secrete signals indicating they are mature, as well as enzymes that result in the release of prostaglandins, which help the cervix ripen and help the uterus to contract. This is highly likely as the body does release prostaglandins around the time of birth.

Your Growth and Development
You may think you simply can't get any bigger at 36 weeks, but don't forget you still have four weeks of growing left! Some women may even have a little bit more!

The capacity of the uterus and abdomen to stretch during pregnancy is truly a remarkable phenomenon. At no other time will the body transform at such a rapid rate than during pregnancy. Amazingly that, while it takes nine months for the uterus to stretch to many times its normal size (from the size of a small pear to beign able to hold a seven pound baby), by your six week checkup your uterus will already be back to its normal pre-pregnancy size already.

Changes in You You are probably getting more and more anxious for delivery by 36 weeks pregnant. You probably still have a good 4 weeks to go. Full term is defined as gestation between 37 and 42 weeks. That means your baby could come any time between those weeks.

While some women hope and pray that their baby will come early, the vast majority of babies actually come on or close to their due date.

By pregnancy week 36 the level of amniotic fluid in your belly is relatively constant. Your baby will actually swallow a certain volume of amniotic fluid each day during pregnancy. Typically, your baby will go on to excrete this fluid as urine. There is a balance between your baby swallowing and excreting the amniotic fluid that is maintained each and every day.

If this balance is not maintained, the amount of fluid in your womb will increase or decrease significantly, causing a condition called polyhydramnios or oligohydramnios respectfully. These conditions may affect up to 8 percent of pregnancies.

Abnormal amniotic fluid volume is more common in the third trimester, though it can occur at any time. Your healthcare provider will be able to measure your baby's amniotic levels via ultrasound during your pregnancy if he suspects abnormal amniotic fluid volume.

If you've been feeling a bit clumsy lately, you aren't alone. When was the last time you saw your toes? One of the best things you can do for yourself in the last few weeks of pregnancy is to go for a light swim. Swimming is wonderful during the last half of pregnancy, if for no other reason that it renders you practically weightless, which can relieve a lot of the pain and stiffness that you might experience in the last half of pregnancy.

Remember, to stay away from the hot tub until after delivery. You can, however, enjoy a warm bath as well during the last half of pregnancy. Many women actually climb into the tub during the early phase of labor to help relieve some of their discomfort.

Whether this is your first pregnancy or your last, take a few moments to savor the feeling of your baby moving about in your belly. There simply is nothing quite like it, and in the grand scheme of things, pregnancy is just nine short months of the long journey of life. Your newborn baby will eventually grow into a teenager and then into an adult. Before you know it, you will look back on these days of bloating, weight gain, and fatigue with awe and longing!

Baby Mk's shower!

2010-10-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

I have such wonderful family and friends and was reminded of just how wonderful they are this past week! I actually did not take any pictures at the shower seeing as how my BFF was hosting it who just happens to be a photographer...so I let her do her thing:) (www.lilytoesphotography.blogspot.com) I'll get pictures from her soon but until then...please see how blessed I was with bookoos of gifts for our lil' princess! Im soooo excited!!!

well, isnt this swell

2010-10-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

I realize that for the past 9 months I've been using this blog to bitch...it really does make me feel better...I realize how blessed I am and I truely am soooo excited to meet this little mama inside me but for some reason complaining on the computer makes me feel better? I dont know if it's because my dear, sweet husband doesnt give me the tiniest bit of sympathy (since in his mind women do this all the time) but because he doesnt "understand" I feel that crying (not literally) over my keyboard is in a way a type of therapy for me. So know that while you read the following, I have a fun bubbly lil baby girl in my belly that does not stop moving...she brings me so much joy just to watch my belly move like there is an alien overtaking my tummy! I am almost done with her room...everything is in there ready to go but nothing is totally put together yet...not much longer now so I'll have to post pictures soon! My baby shower is on Thursday and Im super pumped...just a fun girls night out with some yummy food and fellowship...can't wait to see everyone together and honestly...cant wait for the GIFTS! Love it! Anyway, so I am actually very happy and full of joy right now here at the end of this journey but that does not mean I dont have a list of "ughs" I need to vent out...so here they are...

Im swollen...not cute fluffy round face pregnant girl swollen...more like "did that fat lady over there get stung my a venomous snake and have a reaction?" kind of swollen. It's gross, not cute.

Sleep? Sleep you say? What's that...I have forgotten what a night of Z's actually feels like since I am up all night with raging back pain, peeing, or trying to situate my giant pregnancy pillow to contort to my body.

Where's my inhaler...someone give this woman air!!!! I cant have a conversation without people thinking they need to call the ambulance...I am winded within seconds yet when I continue to talk the breathing just gets harder and harder and eventually I just give up and tell the person Im talking to we'll just have to finish the conversation later... I need to sit down.

As Justin Beieber would sing "one less lonely girl"...lalalala....um...no...Im lonely...people dont really tell you this but when you're pregnant, you cant help but feel slightly isolated from the world. Even if you know people going through the exact same thing as you, you just feel sort of juan solo through the whole thing...it's kind of weird and towards the end of the pregnancy you get kind of "over it"....well, at least I am...Im ready to live amongst the living!

I could go on about the evilness of the scale and the zero energy 17 hour days but I'll save that for next time ;)

Big Tex

2010-10-14T11:46:00.000-07:00

We went to the Texas State Fair last night with Nina and Papa...it was the kids first time and it was just too much fun! We ate everything from corny dogs to cotton candy...the kids played about every game you could think of...and ended up riding lots of age appropriate rides. :) It was the best weather and we got to just enjoy watching the kids marvel at everything. As we walked my mom told us about memories she had as a child when her mother would take her and all her cousins to the fair and that began everyone thinking about their own fair memories. I love being a mom so much and there is nothing better than passing that torch on to your kids and letting them get to experience the childhood excursions that you yourself got to go on...so fun.

Costume Time

2010-10-11T09:13:00.001-07:00

Halloween is fast approaching and costumes are ordered! My kids adore this time of year and to be honest...so do I! We usually throw a huge Halloween bash every year but this year under these certain circumstances my sweet sister has offered to throw the party at her casa:)! So much stress off me so Im so appreciative!

Haley:

Justin:

Men in trees

2010-10-11T06:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Haley and I got a glimpse of what our future falls will entail. A weekend without boys. Yes...Haley, MK, and me will be solo most fall weekends with our boys out in the woods playing cowboys and indians from here on out. I actually sort of love it...them having that time together...me having that time with my girls. Now I'll just have to think of ways to go have dates with my big boy when the times comes:)
Justin sent me these pictures with utter JOY! He was so proud of Jay for doing everything so well and I think mostly he was just so thankful that his only son actually enjoyes waking up at the crack of dawn...painting his face and sitting in a tree blind for hours on end doing nothing but look for deer! So glad for them that they have these moments though...so thankful!

so style'n

2010-10-09T11:37:00.000-07:00

Personalized dance leotard....check!
Matching American girl doll p.j.s....check!

Im Falling

2010-10-02T06:37:00.000-07:00

FAll. I LOVE YOU.

Woke up this morning to a Pumpkin Spice Latte and Cinnamon Rolls.

I had just gotten out of bed with my babies both snuggled in tight next to me.

They now watch Saturday morning cartoons as I sip my coffee and light a Fall candle.
We decorated yesterday (the kids and I) so to say my house looks super "cute fall-y" is not technically true...it's already got some Halloween decor out but the kids got so excited when they saw the stuff in the attic I couldnt tell them no...so we already have fuzzy spiders crawling up our staircase and a skeleton pirate sitting in our game room:)