The Month of August

It has been a very busy month and summer to say the least. My first news is that I FINISHED SCHOOL!!! For me, this is huge because I can now say I can live a normal life with knowing I don't have to go to class 2 nights a week or that I have a huge paper or presentation for class coming up. It is a great accomplishment but also a huge relief for me. When I do something, I give it my all and I dedicate a lot, if not most, of my energy to it. Now I am able to focus on the kids, my family, my friends and my home life. I guess work fits in there somewhere but that is a given.

 

I actually finished school on July 31st and we left for a family cruise on August 4th, hence the reason I am very behind on blogging. I needed a break from everything since I am on a computer 8 hours a day for work, then usually a few hours a night for school. So now I can say that when I get on the computer it is to do a fun project for the kids or the house or to blog about the happenings for the day.

 

The cruise was amazing. Grandmom and Grandpa Roger came up and kept the kids at the house which was a life saver. We skyped with them most nights which helped me. I know they were very well taken care of and had a great week getting spoiled. Hopefully the kids didn't wear them out too much. I know I was happy to see them when we got home! Below are some pictures that Roger took of their week together.

 

 

Our cruise was so nice. I hated to leave the kids but it was nice to spend some time with Aaron. My whole family went minus all of the kiddos - Mom, Dad, my sister and her husband, my brother and his girlfriend and my youngest brother. We stayed two nights in New Orleans (which I had never been before) and then 5 nights on the cruise. We were supposed to have 2 stops in Mexico, Progreso and Cozumel, but because of Hurricane Ernesto, we only stopped in Cozumel. I was fine with this since that just meant we had another day at sea laying out. In Cozumel we went to an all-inclusive deal and hung out on the beach with a very nice pool all day. It was probably the best day of the trip. We only took a few pictures the whole trip but we had a great time.

 

 

 

Oh and I got to celebrate my 31st birthday on the cruise! It was such a great week.

 

In other exciting news, my brother and his girlfriend Laura got engaged!!! It happened on her birthday when we got back and I am so happy for them. She will be leaving for one more year of Law School at Georgetown University this weekend so they have a lot of changes going on in their life right now. They both took the bar right before we left for vacation so the relaxing week was much needed for them as well. No word yet on wedding plans but I cannot wait for them to get hitched. They are so good together and I can't wait to get another sister!

 

 

Well that is all for now. I have so much more that has happened this month so I will update shortly!

One Year Later

One year ago today our lives changed forever. Someone very special to us left us here on Earth to be with Jesus. It’s still so surreal. Seems like it happened yesterday, yet still feels like a bad dream that I am going to wake up from and everything will be back to normal.

If you are reading my blog for the first time, HERE is my post from last year after my mother-in-law Paula passed away suddenly of a pulmonary embolism.

You hear it all the time – Only the good die young or God takes those who he needs with him in Heaven. But it still doesn’t seem fair…we needed her here. Blake, Kylie and John need their Grammy.

I keep thinking about all of the things that she has missed over the last year.

-         The birth of her 3rd grandbaby, John

-         Kylie’s 2nd birthday

-         Blake’s 4th birthday

-         Aaron graduated from Graduate school

With everything that Emma and Nathan had to go through for that little baby – preterm labor, preterm birth, many, many nights in the hospital – I am a firm believer that she was with them the entire time, just not in person. It is amazing what that little 3lb, 4oz little boy has grown to be.

Paula is missed by so many every single day. I know that my father-in-law Roger misses her so much as well as her mom, Grandmom. I can't even image losing my husband or my daughter. And Aaron and Nathan lost one of the most important people in their lives, their mom.

Paula was a very important part of my life and I miss her very much. I do know for certain that I have a guardian angel watching over my family and I every single day.

A Sad Week

It has been a very sad week. My Papaw Clay passed away last week at the age of 80. Our hearts are broken here on Earth but what puts me at peace is to know that he is in Heaven with my Mamaw. He missed her so much and was so sad after she passed away. It has only been 7 months since she passed away and honestly it feels like it has been only 7 days.

It has been absolutely amazing to hear all of the stories from people at the funeral home. My papaw touched so many lives because of all of his involvement in the community as a civic leader and also because he was just a good person. There were two articles in the paper that made me realize how fortunate I was just to be his granddaughter.

http://newsandtribune.com/clarkcounty/x471604335/Former-Charlestown-mayor-Clay-Hall-dies-at-80

http://newsandtribune.com/columns/x1236702093/DODD-Remembering-a-friend-of-the-group

My Aunt read this poem at my Mamaw's funeral and was also read at my Papaw's funeral.

Do not stand at my grave and weep,

I am not there; I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow,

I am the diamond glints on snow,

I am the sun on ripened grain,

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circling flight.

I am the soft star-shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,

I am not there; I did not die.

As I reflect on the past year of my life, I am not really sure how I have made it through as a sane person. I have lost three very important people in my life. It is hard enough to deal with one death, but three within 11 months has been very emotional. It really makes me want to stop time and cherish every single second I have with my family and friends, especially Blake and Kylie.

So to end this post, I will ask you to go and give your kids, family or anyone special to you a hug and a kiss and tell them how much you love them. You never know when that privilege will be taken away.

The Mothers in My Life

This is a hard post to write. I have been putting it off not only because I have had no time to sit down and write it, but also because I lost two very important woman in my life this year.

We lost my mother-in-law on August 4, 2011. It feels like it was yesterday but it has been more than 10 months ago. I still think about her every single day. She was an amazing mother, grammy, daughter and wife. Aaron and I were talking about her tonight and Aaron said that as he put Kylie to bed, he was talking about going to see Grandpa and Grandmom tomorrow and she mentioned Grammy. She then said that she wouldn't get to see her because she was in heaven and then started crying. Not sure if I could have held it together if she told me this since I am crying just writing it. She is only 2 and has had to process the death of a grandparent already in her short life. I know I miss her more and more and I am sure Grandmom, Roger, Nathan, Aaron and the kids do as well.

This picture is one of the last pictures I took of her and Roger with the kids. I will always love it because she loved being with the kids.

We also lost my grandmother on December 29, 2011. She suffered from Alzheimer's disease and it only really got bad the last six months. I know she would have hated to see herself like she was in the end because she was always very put together and such a beautiful woman. I miss her so much and it still hurts my heart to even see a picture of her.

This picture is from my college graduation. We were all so happy!

Now I would like to talk about a few influential women in my life. First is my mom. She is my best friend and has always been there for me no matter what. Growing up we didn't always see eye to eye but I think it was because we were so much alike and I was a know-it-all teenager. Now that I have a little girl of my own who is 2 going on 13, I completely understand. I am so thankful to have her as my mom and do not know what I would do without her. Thank you mom for everything you do for me and my little family. You have taught me so much and I love you so much!

Another very important woman in my life is Aaron's Grandmom. She is one of the strongest women I know and has been through so much this past year. She treats me like her own granddaughter and I love that. The kids love her so much and we always look forward to visiting with her. I just wish we lived closer so we could see each other more often. I am so grateful to have her in my life and I thank God everyday that she is. Thank you Grandmom for everything you do for us! We love you!

There are many other women in my life that I look up to and love so much. I am fortunate to have all of the amazing Aunts, Great-Aunts, a sister and sister-in-law and friends in my life. Last year's Mother's Day Post highlighted my maternal grandma and great-grandma who I lost many years ago who also meant so much to me.

Happy (belated) Mother's Day to all of the women out there!

Mommy and Kylie Day

Last week I took a vacation day so that I could go on a field trip with Kylie and her class. The field trip was too a water park and unfortunately it rained all day. However I still wanted to make the most of our day so we got up and first had breakfast together.

We then decided to go and get a pedicure. This was her first pedicure at a salon so I wanted to go to the place where they had little chairs. I think she was very unsure at first but soon realized how great this was going to be after she picked out her pink polish and sparkles to go on top. They even massaged her legs!

We then met daddy for lunch and went to TJ Maxx and did a little shopping. We went back home so Kylie could take her nap and mommy could rest.

After our naps we got up and cleaned up the house and got ready to leave to pick up Blake from daycare. I think Kylie had a good day because I know I did. I wish we could do this more often!

Blake's 4 Year Check-Up

Last week Blake has his 4 year check-up at the doctor. Amazing that he is 4 YEARS OLD! Before we know it, he is going to be a teenager and it makes me so sad how fast he is growing up. This past year he has grown up so much. He doesn't even look like a baby anymore. He is so smart and his speech has gotten so much better since he has started preschool. He is so full of love and is very an emotional little boy. I will say he is a momma's boy, too!

He is growing like a weed!

His stats were:
41.8 lbs (87th percentile)
3 feet 6.5 inches (90th percentile)

He still isn't potty trained. I think he is the most stubborn 4 year old around when it comes to using the potty. He straight up refuses to use it...even when I bribe him with Spiderman toys, candy, stickers and many more things. Nothing seems to work! I am really hoping this summer it will just click, somehow, someway. Everyone says that it will happen and to not push it. However it NEEDS to happen soon! I am open to any and all suggestions...please :)

Other than the potty issues, Blake is a happy and healthy boy. I thank God everyday for this amazing little boy.

Spiderman Party!

A couple of weekends ago we celebrated Blake's birthday with a Spiderman party. This was actually the first year that he got to choose what theme he wanted for his party. I will admit that I narrowed it down for him but he made the final decision. The options I gave him were based on what he loves right now so his options were: Pirate Party, Spiderman Party or Cars/Trucks Party. There was no question - he chose Spiderman right away. I was kind of looking forward to a Pirate Party but maybe next year.
I previously posted that we got him (and Kylie) a small trampoline for his birthday so I knew the other kids would like it at his party. We also had the blow-up and the playset ready to go.

It was so cute this year when Blake was opening his presents. I was curious how he would react with opening presents because at all of his other birthday parties, I have had to pretty much open the presents and show him. This year he was such a big boy. He picked up the present and ripped the paper off or threw out the tissue paper. He wanted to stop opening presents and play with each toy so I had to remind him about his other presents.

Happy Birthday, Blake! Mommy and Daddy love you!

 

Spiderman Cape: AsYouWish via Etsy

Cupcake Toppers: TopItCupcakes via Etsy