Count Down!

Yay! The countdown to summer has begun!
While I am looking forward to the summer and having some nice free time with my family, I am not looking forward to the income loss. And, although I have chosen not to renew my contract as a nanny, I will miss terribly the boys and Miss T.


Since today was an easy day and since my job ends in a week, Miss T. decided that it would be ok for me to take the boys on an outing! We decided to go to the splash pad at the Goodyear park and it couldn't have been better! We went early enough that it wasn't to hot, and grabbed something to eat along the way. Frankie's new behavior coach/mentor from YAP, Miss Tisha, met us there, and we sat in the shade and watched as the boys played.



There was minor drama with Frankie, as there always is and Miss Tisha was able to witness it and discuss with him some things that would make making friends easier for him.


After they tired of the water, it was off to the climbing wall, swings and playsets for a magical hour of being sorcerers, archers, and knights! I love to watch them play.

Yumyum Yummy Give Away!!

Not that anyone much reads my blog because I'm not so good at keeping up with it, but if you want to see the yummiest looking giveaway ever check this out!
http://inevergrewup.net/giveaway-55-cupcakes-for-mothers-day/#comment-18506
It looks sooooo good!

Choices...Choices

So, have you ever reached a crossroads in your life and not known which way to go? I'm there.
When we decided...and I use that phrase very loosely... to move to Arizona, it was because it seemed to be where Heavenly Father wanted us to be. After much prayer, on both my part and that of my branch president, the answer was stated very clearly, time and time again that this was where we were supposed to be. It wasn't the answer I wanted to get...and I tried very hard to find every reason that we would not be able to make the move...but Heavenly Father seemed to be working very hard to make all of those reasons go away. So, here we are. Now what?
The business that I intended to run just faded into nothing. The childcare that I was doing in my home fizzled out and died away...people just can't afford to pay for it anymore or were loosing their jobs. Erica moved to the other side of Phoenix...which may not be that far away, but it seems to be across the world sometimes. Our car stopped working. My son joined the marines, moved to Idaho, and got married. I took a job as a nanny but that job ends at the end of May. Our lease is up in June. Where do I go from here? My husband wants us to go back to Indiana, because we are floundering so much financially, but I, who was so against moving here, love Arizona now, and while I miss all my family and friends back in Indiana and Ohio, I am not sure I want to go back. At least here I am not as far away from Jed and Brit as I would be back there, or from my nieces and nephews.
I know that the cost of living is less there, and the summer is not as hot, but the winters are much colder and darker, and the summer is much more humid.
So, I find myself questioning what to do...where to go....? I have prayed about it, and this time there seems to be no answer whatsoever.
What to do? What to do?

Tagged!

Ok. I have been tagged by Erica, so here goes!
1.Typically, what time do you wake up? If I had my druthers, 10 a.m. But, since life doesn't tend to wait that long, usually between 6 and 7 now.
2. On a good night, what time are your kids in bed? 8:00pm (7:00 on a BAD day)
3. How long have you been a mommy? 20 years!
4. How old were you when you became a mom? 19
5. What is your favorite kids T.V show? Cailloo (spelling?) and Little Bill
6. What is your least favorite kids T.V. show? Just about anything shown on Cartoon Network! I can't stand some of the obnoxious stuff on that channel!
7. What is your favorite chore? Umm...Laundry
8. What is your favorite meal to cook? Do you mean what is my favorite meal my husband cooks? LOL Actually, I like to cook lasagna, (but don't tell my hubby)
9. What meal do you cook most often? Sandwiches (again my hubby is the cook in our home)
10. What is your kids favorite meal? Frankie's is Macaroni and Cheese with spam and pea salad. Jed's is BBQ ribs with potatoe salad. (I think)
11. What is your favorite thing your husband does with your kids? Sometimes he surprises us with an old Disney movie and a big bowl of popcorn for a family movie night. I also like to watch him help the boys build/paint models
12. What are 5 things that make you smile when you’re being a mom?
A. Jed's smile
B. Jed's imagination
C. Frankie's use of big words
D. The way their eyes sparkle when they are happy
E. Frankie's kisses and hugs
F. Seeing them play together
G. Seeing them accomplish something that is hard for them to do.
Ok...I could go on forever, but I digress.
13. If you could take your kids anywhere, where would it be? Umm...I don't think I can answer this question. One time I was so frustrated with our life and the constant struggle with finances, that I prayed that I would like just once to be able to take my kids somewhere fun, like Disney World. Then my 3 year old was diagnosed with brain cancer and our family ended up getting to go to Disney World for his make a wish trip...lesson learned "Be carefull what you ask for...you just might get it."
14. When was the last time you went out without your kids? I don't remember.
15. What is your favorite pastime/activity to do with your kids? Camping and anything that has to do with Medival times, such as the Ren Faire, or SCA events.
16. Name one thing you said you would never say as a mother? "because I said so!"
17. Name something you do, that your own mom did? Say "because I said so!"
18. What is your favorite quality your mom has? The way she tells me she loves me.
19. What is your favorite kids book? I'll Love You Forever
20. What is your favorite advice for new moms? Cherish the time you spend with them alone in the wee hours of the morning. Hold them, look into their eyes, stroke their little faces with your finger and sing softly to them. They won't let you do that when they are 20.
21. What is your most heartbreaking moment as a mom? When my 4 year old sat down on the curb after a chemotherapy treatment and said he was too tired to go there anymore, and when my 19 year old got into the car with his Marine recruiter and left for boot camp.
22. What is your most joyful moment being a mom? When my 9 year old, who really struggles with school, made the honor roll, and when my 19 year old got into the car with his Marine recruiter and left for boot camp. (Funny how that works)
23. When was the last time you told one of your kids, “I Love You”? About half an hour ago.
24. When was the last time you were told, “I love you” by one of your kids? About 1/2 an hour ago!
Ok. Now I tag Zippy!

So Much Going On!

Hi everyone! Well, once more I had a call yesterday evening from Sister Nelson. She called because Jed approached her at church and asked her if she would call me for him, wish me a happy Mother's Day, and tell me that he loves me. She said he is the sweetest boy there and she just loves him. The other thing that she told me was that he is definately going to graduate on May 23. LOL...there had been some concerns about that because he had called last week and let me know that they were taking him to the Naval Hospital because they thought maybe he had hairline fractures in both of his heels and that if he did they would be dropping him from his plattoon to the Medical Rehab thing again and that he wouldn't be able to graduate with this class. However, from what Sister Nelson said, they decided not to drop him and he is still graduating as planned. So, YAY Jed! Way to go, Buddy! I am so happy for him. This is what he has wanted to do all of his life. It is so great to know that he can accomplish his dreams!
Well, as much as I love my house, we have to give it up. We were already paying over $1,000 a month for rent and the landlord needs to raise it. We just can't afford to pay anymore, so we have to go, sniff! But, Heavenly Father has answered our prayers once more, and we got a call from a Brother in our ward who is a realtor and he had a house that is owned by the mother of one of our other ward members. They decided to go ahead and list it for rent so he called me. I love the house and it is right in our neighborhood and is much more affordable. Not only is the rent less but it is a single story that doesn't have huge vaulted ceilings so the utilities are going to be much more affordable. YAY! They are also not going to charge us a deposit and are allowing us to move our stuff in now so that we don't have to do it all at once at the end of the month and we can start deep cleaning the old house. It all worked out very well for us. After a year then we have the option to buy as well.
As far as my business goes, I am no longer doing any in home child care, well almost. I have one little boy that comes from about 6 in the morning to 7:30 when he goes to school, but that's it. I am not taking on anymore new children because my Granny Nanny business is really taking off now. I love it! All I had to do was post about it on some of my blogs!
Well, I need to get off of here. I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day!

A Lovely Sister.

A lovely lady, named Sister Nelson, called me last night. She was so sweet. She said that she and her husband are now serving their mission at the MCRD in San Diego and that she was calling me to share an experience that she had at church on Sunday. She wanted to let me know that she had spoken with Jed and that she and her husband had gotten to witness him being ordained to the office of an Elder and that the spirit was very strong. She let Jed know that she was going to call me and talk to me and she said that he got a little choked up and that he asked her to please tell me that he misses us and that he loves us. I so wish that I could have been there to see it, but I am so grateful that this lovely sister took the time out of her day to call me and share that experience with me. Once again, I am so grateful for the blessings that we recieve being members of our church.

Where Did the Time Go?!

My son, Jed, just turned 20 yesterday! How did that happen? I just turned 20, didn't I? And last time I looked he was turning 1! Then I blinked and now he's 20? Where did the time go?
Jed has always been my sunshine! I can't remember what I had for dinner yesterday, but the memory of his birth is as clear as a beautiful AZ spring day! My mom and both of my sisters were there with me. My sister, Shannon, was supposed to be my labor coach, and my sister Erica, who was 9 and very curious, was there for the show. Mom was there to keep Erica calm. Well, we got to the hospital at about 11 p.m. on the 22nd. Shannon walked the halls with me all night. Sounds pretty typical of a birth right? Oh, it gets better. On the morning of the 23rd, there we were, in my room, my mom and both sisters, the doctor and the nurse, and a bunch of medical students. The anesthesiologist came in and I asked through gritted teeth who he was. The doctor, trying to be funny, said "That's the guy that made this all possible!" To which I replied, "No, that son of a gun (using cleaner language than I did at that point) isn't here!"
As things really got going, I could hear several things happening all at once. Erica started yelling "It's a boy! It's a boy!" The doctor was saying, "You can't tell her that yet! It's just the head!" Shannon was standing up by my head with her hands over her face saying, "Breathe! Oh my gosh! Oh gross! Oh my gosh!" And my mom was wrestling with Erica, saying, "Move out of the way so that doctor can catch that baby!" Had I not been trying so hard to remember how to breathe and not to push, I would have found it quite hysterical!
Then the doctor put this squirming little bundle up on my belly and he lifted his head up, looked around at the room and then looked up at my face and smiled! Yep, he actually smiled at me! He came into this world with a smile, and has always brightened the world for me ever since!
LOL! Later, some friends and cousins came to visit me at the hospital. They came into the hospital room with a boom box playing "You Pushed It" by Salt and Peppa, doing a dance, that they called the "Missy dance" where they walked to the beat of the music, with their bellies stuck out in front, hands on their hips and waddling like ducks (or big pregnant girls)!
After I got out of the labor room, into a regular room, a student nurse came in to see me. I asked her when I could have him casterated. She looked at me, perplexed, and said "They don't do that." I insisted that they did, that I had talked it over with my doctor and that we both agreed that if I was going to have it done, I should do it right away, because it would be better for him to go through it now, rather than later down the line. The student nurse was visibly upset and insisted that they didn't castrate boys here. A nurse came in at that point and asked what the problem was. I told her that I wanted to have my son castrated and that this girl kept telling me that they didn't do that. The nurse choked back a laugh and said "Honey, do you mean circumcised?" To which I replied, "That's what I said! Isn't it?"
All in all, Jed's birth was a pleasant experience for me, but now it may be easier to understand why he is so crazy! LOL