Cherry Picking at Gramma's house

Today we went Cherry Picking at Gramma and Grandpa Golson's

house! We got roughly 13lbs of cherries to bring home and tonight

the kids and I are going to make some yummy cherry cobbler!! Yay!Jared started off in the tree but eventually Cecilia and I got a turn! It was alot of fun moving all those branches around trying to get all those cherries! Of course, the girls were eating about 15% of the cherries as we picked them... here's hoping we don't have upset bellies tonight!

Cadince was a bit bummed that she couldnt reach up into the big tree to get cherries and wasnt allowed to climb like Cici, so Uncle Josh stuffed her in his backpack and climbed up the ladder so she could at least look around high up in the trees! lol. Ciara got a turn too but I was a bit busy trying to get the cherries so I didnt get a picture of her in his pack.

Because I want to look back at this one day...

First, just let me say I stole this from Laura... then I emailed the questions to my Mom and had them answered by her.... She suggested I answer them as well and save them to look back on later.... So' here we go. Honesty at it's best, kinda lol
Now, before I answer them i do want to point out that some of them are intended to be used referring to the past, as asked by an adult child to their mother.... but I am going to improvise a bit and predict some and 20 years from now, we'll see how I did! lol

1. What's the on thing you would have done differently as a Mom?
In some ways I wish I would have spaced you kids out a little more so that each of you could enjoy being the baby for awhile. On the other hand, doing so would mean I wouldn't have the precious kiddos I have so I don't think I could do it. I WILL try to interact with each of you more everyday personally and singularly.
2. Why did you choose to be with my father?
Simple really, God chose him for me and me for him. There is no other way to look at that one. I met him when he was already a father, an amazing one at that who completely loved and devoted himself to Cecilia, and that was a large factor in my choosing... but mostly, it was a match put together by the Lord... he knew what he was doing, and I am very thankful for that everyday
3. In what ways do you think (your children) are like you? Not like you?
Right now?? Well, you girls have such big personalities and they are so different. I have always thought I have a big personality with alot of different aspects, and I think each of you got a few of them. Chase, you are still a bit young right now for me to tell.... but I think you'll be the same as your rowdy sisters!
4. Which one of us kids did you like better?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Let's see.... when it comes to cuddling, I love you all the same! When it comes to helping me do things, Ciara is an excellent helper! Cadince is my groupie, into everything and anything I enjoy. Cecilia is my creative mind and I love doing one on one time with her! Chase is my little buddy, and I plan on it staying that way. Overall, I love/like you all the same!
5. Is there anything you have always wanted to tell us better never have?
I hope there never is... I hope everyday I tell you how much I love you and how proud I am to be your Mama as much as possible. I hope that I tell you how perfect you are and how I will ALWAYS be there for you.
6. Do you think it is easier/harder now to raise a family then when you raised our family?
I think, as my Mom put it, that times may change, but parenting is the same... it just depends on the people involved. They affect the outcome. As for your Dad and I, times are hard alot more than we would like them to be and we can't always provide you with the things we wish we could... but the amount of love we have never changes no matter what the economy and we love you all everyday with all we have inside!
7. Is there anything you regret not having asked your parents?
If I turned out the way they planned and if not, what had they invisioned for my life as an adult? Every parent, I think, has a outline in their mind of where they think their kids will end up. Personally, I think Cecilia will go into the field of research in some way whether it be animal, medical, or whatever. Ciara, I think, we venture towards performing arts or maybe a news caster or journalist. Cadince, a tough one because you are still young, may enjoy something quaint and personal, like owning a small book store or a nursery. Chase, well there is no telling with you son... I will have to come back to evaluate that one :)
8. What's the best thing (your children) can do for you right now?
Be true to themselves and grow according to that which the Lord has instructed... and sometimes, give Mommy deep tissue massages and allow me long hot soaky bubble baths! lol
9. Is there anything you wish had been different between us--or that you would still like to change?
I just have to hope and pray that I grind into your hard heads that I am here for you and your friend, your best friend when you need one. I hope 20 years from now we are all a close family who can spend holidays together and who call and visit each other just because. I hope we are a family with no bad blood, no judgements, and no hostilities among us.
10. When did you realize you were no longer a child?
I don't know that I am not still a child in many ways. Childhood isn't about an age bracket I don't think, it's about a mentality and I don't just mean when we call people "children" because they don't think things through or what not. I mean an understanding of the simplicity of life. I am grown, and I understand and have many responsibilities, but I hope I never lose the "Child like Empress" inside of me that allows me to remain sane when the grow up world is just too grown up!

Well, there's that... I hope one day I can look back at this with my kids and feel confident that I made the right decisions for them and that I was the best Mother I could be.... I know my Mom was and is!

The Bib

I can't remember ever using a bib on the girls. They hardly ever had any drool, even when they were teething. I only had bibs before because they had cute sayings on them and so I felt the need to spend money on them though I saw them as pointless.... but things change!


My son needs a bib EVERYDAY! He drools so much! He has been chewing on his fists for about a month now and the drool just spews out from his mouth! If I wasn't so enthralled with the sheer fact that one ity bity baby can produce that much saliva, I may even be slightly grossed out at times... Good thing he look so darn cute in a bib! lol

oops, not again!

Well, here I go again, neglecting my blogging duties! gah!
Here is a quick update, pictures to come later...

Jared got promoted to E-4!! Yay! What a blessing that was! And I got to go to Smyrna for the promotion and physically promote him myself (so much fun...like proof I outranked him! lol)! We discovered that Smyrna is a BEAUTIFUL area and, since most the full time guard jobs are there, we are settling things here and planning on moving there by the end of summer!
School is over for me. YAY again! I aced my course and now I can sit back and relax for a few months, until its back to the grindstone again!
Cecilia is almost finished with school and she will be 8 on Saturday. Where did that come from??!! She is growing so fast and she is so smart... It's like I already live with a teenager!
Ciara is super excited about starting kindergarten this year and I just finished all the paperwork for her registration. Even though we plan on moving we arent 100% sure yet so I went ahead and registered her for the school Cecilia attends now, that way I am covered.
Cadince did not get into Pre-K and I am kinda bummed about that. Honestly I think all kids should be allowed to attend Pre-K but she didnt make the cut off. The slots went to kids with needs and speech problems. I guess its a blessing for us because we are very lucky that none of the kids seem to have any learning disabilities. Of course, it would have been nice to only have Chase everyday next school year! How much easier life would be! Oh well, more time with my Cadie bug... not like I am ready for her to be grown up to!
Chase.... well, did anyone know I had a BOY? What happened there? I know how to do the girl thing, and all my girls were such great babies! Not that Chase isnt the picture of perfection as well, but he is much fussier than the girls were and the strangest eater! I dont sleep at night lately because he just screams and cries unless I walk around holding him! He is picky! The girls slept through the night almost right away after they came home, Chase still wakes up once or twice a night! The girls hardly ever cried... about anything! Chase cries all day! I feel like I am dong something terribly wrong with him, like I dont feed him enough or too much or I dont give him enough attention... but truthfully I barely ever put him down anymore because he is always fussing! Thats why I havent been on lately. When I do get a free moment, I usually dont wanna have to sit at the computer for hours messing with things!
Speaking of the baby, there he goes again! lol! Gotta love motherhood! Better tend to Mr. Fussy-buckets!
Until my next brief pause....

Continuation....

Ciara, my little girl, turned 5 this month! She was so cute in her princess get up! Thanks for all who came and for all the great gifts! It's so hard to believe she starts Kindergarten this year!

I got those trick candles that keep relighting! Hahaha! It was fun because all the other kids enjoyed helping her finally blow them out!

Daddy bought her pink roses for her big girl birthday present! She looked like a little Jr. Miss America!

The weather has been so nice lately! The temperature is up there but there is a nice cool breeze that makes being outside feel incredible! We have been out of the house at the park or wherever almost everyday!

Cecilia was baptized Sunday, April 11th on Ciara's birthday! She was baptized with her best friend Emma so it was an extra special day for her! We are just so proud, She wrote out her testimony and I read it aloud for the church. I was crying the whole time!

My sister and her fiance were here this past week for his R&R from Afghanistan. It was nice to get to meet him and we had a big family BBQ to welcome him. He spent most the time we were around just holding Chase and playing with him. We're glad to have you in the family Brian and stay safe!

The Lord knows how much I love and need my husband. Sunday, after Cecilia's baptism, Jared decided to test drive my Dad's motorcycle (an 1100- big bike) in the church parking lot. Dad had drove it there for the ceremony but wasnt feeling up to taking it back home. After a few starts that immediately stalled, Jared finally got the bike to go... and it went, right into the brick Church building. Scariest moment of my life let me tell ya! By the Grace of God he was wearing all the appropriate safety gear and was only going about 25 mph when he hit. No broken bones, don't know how he managed that one, and no surgeries needed. When the ambulance got us to the hospital we discovered that he had a nice size chunk missing from his left calf. It split open real wide and was a little more than an inch deep. 14 stitches later, Jared is in one piece and recovering just fine... to say nothing of my nerves! I don't think I have slept more than 6-8 hours total in the last 3 days. I am SOOOO blessed! The Lord really did watch out for us that day because I was there, I saw it all, and Jared should not have rolled away from it the way he did. He is lucky to be alive and in one piece and I am VERY lucky to have a wonderful merciful God who let me keep my husband.

Take stock in what you have... Love and Live like there is no tomorrow! I'm telling you, it's the scariest thing in the world to think there might not be another second with the one you love.

Guess that's my update for now. I will try to stay more up to date now :)

Super Duper Late Posts...

In the past few months alot has happened and I am very much behind on blogging about it all!! In summary, My first born (biologically speaking of course) turned 5, My oldest (overall) was baptized, my littlest girl was signed up for Pre-K this fall, my son, now 3 months old, has grown too fast already and he warms my heart everyday, and my husband nearly left this world in a crazy motorcycle accident that he is still recovering from physically and I am mentally but that also just reaffirmed my great faith in the Lord and his many blessings. I will post a bunch of pics with some addlibs.

My little man. This is a month ago at age 2 months. He looks so much like his Daddy, so handsome!

This was his first really big smile... that immediately turned into a big laugh/coo!!! Oh how precious it is when they do that!

Now that the weather has gotten warmer, we have been outside much more. This was Chase's 1st day outside other than going to and from a vehicle. It was the first nice warm day we had in March.

Easter was so much fun this year! We got the kids all dressed up and had a giant hunt at our church! The sun was really bright so all our pictures were of the girls making the most contorted faces! lol!

Chase on Easter watching Ciara and Cadie in their egg hunt. I love his little sweater vest! lol

Family Photos 2010

My little Chase man, in his one month photos looking so handsome and preppy!

My girls, so beautiful and fun!!

This is my absolute favorite, so much so that I ordered a 22x24 canvas of it to hang up!!

Being craaazzzzyyyy as usual!!



My little women, so big and so gorgeous!!

Chase's one month collage... He is such an adorable little guy!
Jared's favorite picture because, at least in this one, he still looks like a little bitty baby!

All in all they turned out pretty good, but you can see what I mean about how incredible the kids' pictures all turned out, especially the one with all four of them!! I don't think, overall, that these are necessarily better than the last ones we took last spring, but I think they are definitely a close second~!

Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!

Craziness, as it relates to me lately

Well, the past month has been an adventure if we've ever experienced one on the shores of island Golson...
Chase is growing at an incredibly fast rate, or at least I think so because he looks too big already to me =)! He is very healthy and very energetic, is awake much more frequently then before and loves to look around.... and smile! He is right under 6 weeks old right now, and that sounds so old! He has been a little colic lately, and we have had many a night with no sleep and my poor little baby scrunched up and screaming so hard he is bright red... but when he doesnt have these episodes, he is the perfect little baby and sleeps most of the night only waking up 2-3 times!!
Having a new baby in the house has led to some rivalry and jealousy...but mostly my girls fight over who gets to HOLD Chase and who gets to HELP with him! lol! My big helpers... they are such amazing sisters!
Jared can't seem to stop taking pictures of Chase. He is constantly snapping pictures with the camera, or his phone if the camera is not near by. I love it, but it does make me regret not getting as many pictures of Cadince when she was a baby, and negelcting to take pictures practically at all the past year or so because we didn't have a working camera. We have a bazillion of Ciara as a baby, there are very little of Cecilia as a tiny baby but a decent amount of her from age 1 on... but Cadie missed out on the photo obsession, and we have little of her besides her first days of life when she was in the hospital and first home....
We went and got family pictures taken, and I will post them in the next blog. They ended up ok. I really really really love the kids pictures, but I was less pleased with the overall family pictures.

Now for the craziness....
Yesterday was the day from Hades, hand delivered to me by a horrible messenger straight from that "southern" location I swear!! I ended up at Walmart when everyone else and their brother opted to visit the store as well. After a very stressful, for lack of a better term, day at the store, I was stuck at the checkout in a hurry to get home to Cecilia who would be getting off the bus at any moment. The cashier took her time, and I almost punched her, but lucky for her I refrained from doing so. When I finally made it out to the van, towing all three younger munchkins and a cart full of groceries, I loaded everyone up and was just finishing buckling Chase in when it happened... some woman whipped into the space beside me wayyyyy to close to my van, and HIT ME! Not the van , mind you, ME! She slammed on the brakes, but no before her SUV bumped right into my right hip and pushed me into the van! I looked at the woman right in the eyes and she paniced and drove off without a trace!!! I was so stressed, running late, and now in pain so I circled the parking lot looking for my hit and run friend, could not find her, and so I left to get home. I was hit BY A CAR! What a day! lol! Then to top it all off, when I got home, I spent 2 hours working my butt off on an English paper that, was due Wednesday (a fact I did not know until after I did all that work and sumbitted the paper) and so, I received no credit for it and, because there were only 3 papers and thus 3 grades for the class and I missed one, I failed!!! Well, I have to withdraw anyway... what a day!!
Well, now that I have made sure to document the worst day ever so that I can enter it into the Guiness Book of World Records, I will get to posting the pictures... that's what everyone actually wants to see anyway! lol

Why I have been away soooo long...

Well, 2010 has been quite eventful so far for us!

First things first, Chase Everett Wayne Golson was born January 11 (his Aunt Jacky's birthday) at 10:19pm. He weighed 7 lbs even and was 20 inches long. He came out with a head full of dark hair and dark dark eyes! He is, by far, the most precious little baby boy I have ever seen... but I MIGHT be biast!

We came home after only one full day at the hospital and we have been settling in as best as we can. The girls LOVE having a baby around and everyday they are doing everything they can to help, asking to pick out his clothes and even help change diapers! I can't seem to find the desire to put him down ever myself! I did, however, realize I had forgotten what the sleep deprivation was like! I had not been sleeping well the last few weeks of the pregnancy, but at least when I slept it was for 3 or 4 heavy hours. The past few weeks, finding even one hour of good sleep time has been hard! I am in school full time and my work-load is extensive some days. The days I have to leave for school are the hardest for me and, admittedly, this is the first time I have been so down afterwards. I am debating on seeing my doctor about PPD, because my emotions are more high strung than normal, I cry for long periods of time doubting my abilities as a mother and whether I am a good one or not, and sleep deprivation has left me with a strange appetite change.

Other than my insane meltdowns, however, I am SO happy to have Chase home! He is a blessing and everyday he does so many incredibly adorable little things I couldn't possibly list them all!

Here are some pictures of our newest family member:

He is definitely a welcomed addition to this Golson bunch! I was so scared to have a boy, but I am head over heels in love with this little guy!! I am so blessed!

Fatty McFatso... or Fat Fat as my Sister calls me! =)

This is me... bored, playing with my food which I was soooo taught NOT to do...at 35 weeks!







Jared and I went out on a date, FINALLY, in an attempt to "bowl the baby out" as Jared put it... I am 37 weeks in these pictures! Oh goodness it is going to be a challenge to get back down to my ideal weight... 140!












Well, I am 38 weeks and still pregnant. I have decided, if my little bundle of joy (law requires I see him as that, though somedays I view him more as pain in my butt, and back, and hips...etc! lol) has not come on his own yet, we will induce on the 22nd. The 19th was what the Dr. told me was the earliest and, as much as I want to be pain free, that is a Tuesday and I have classes Monday-Thursday so...the 22nd is a Friday and that gives me the whole weekend to recover, bring my baby home, and minimal time for Jared to have to take leave from work! Wish us luck and a healthy baby!