So its been a Month and...

Mostly things havent changed.
Jared still hasnt found that job that the Lord has planned for him-- we are working on it. He did a few days of training this past week and completed them and passed so he is officially certified to do military funerals. This is quite a honor for him- he feels that way and I feel that way- because each of the fallen no matter how they passed served for our military and deserve these respectful funerals and to be able to participate in expressing that honor to their family is just an experience you can't get from anything else. He may/will have many a day that he has to fight back tears even though he claims he will never cry because he has no emotion- lol! He may be called to work a funeral on holidays, in the snow, in the rain, and on our anniversary.... but when my dad goes, when my mom goes, or when jared goes-- they deserve the honor of such a ceremony. Anyway- obviously I am very proud of him for doing this and the benefit will be a few days a week of work so that helps the pocket book. lol!
I am ABSOLUTELY loving my job. It has its moments- ups and downs- and there are some times when my love for kids can be tested a bit (smile) but its busy work and delightful work. Last week I had a little baby roll over for the first time ever in my room while we were doing a photo shoot-- her Mommy was so thrilled and LOVED the pictures I did to commemorate the moment! You dont get the opportunity to share in those moments with people in many other jobs! I am very much hoping to stay on after seasonal and one day get my own studio- it is definitely something I can see myself doing for a long time and loving. I just enjoy people and kids and photography and I feel so blessed to be able to get this opportunity to learn from great teachers and have a fun time doing it!
The kids are doing well in school. They have all been cycling through the colds already this season as the temps here have varied from 35 degrees to 70 somedays. I am hoping they get over them soon. We just got pictures done at the studio of them and I will hopefully get them on here soon for everyone to see. Dont worry family members- you will be getting pictures! lol!
Chase is so active these days. He pulls up on everything and tries to take a step and then laughs at himself and falls onhis butt...or face...or straight back on his head! lol! Its so cute to watch him. He eats so well- and loves all kinds of foods. His favorites include bread and honey butter, pancakes, OATMEAL!!!!!, fruits of all kinds, and rice and green beans together. He recognizes certain words like "eat", "drink", and "mama time"--- which means nursing before bed. I cant believe how much he grows everyday. He does the ADORABLE thing where he "stretches"! He holds his hands infront of him and then lifts them up above his head and stretches until we say "streeeetttcccchhhh"! Then he laughs and claps for himself. hahahahahaha. He is so cute!
Jared is gone at WLC for the next few weeks. Once again, I am so proud of him for making the list. Its not very often the guard sends it soldiers to WLC so to be chosen is a big deal around here. He is doing so well and he is hoping to graduate distinguished honor grad like he did from AIT! I know he can do it, he loves the leadership stuff and really enjoys being incharge and such so he will do great.
Thats about that for now. Tried to keep any yucky depressing news out of here because really why do I want to look back at that? lol!
Pics soon!

Kids & the Marshmallow Test

Watch this. It is too cute and goes along with the blog below this. lol. Hope it makes you laugh and think at the same time!!!

Friends, Marshmallows, and Opportunities

Well, some days are hard and others are harder... and then there are days (well in this case a whole week) where things really seem to be quite wonderful!
It all started Friday of last week when I finally got off my butt and went to Military Wives Bible Study-- a growth group I have been meaning to go to for like a year now! lol! It was just such an overwhelmingly wonderful experience. I was able to fellowship with some wonderful women who just touched my heart in so many ways. Women who could relate to what we are going through and women who might not be able to but offered wonderful advice and comfort. I was able to get out of the house and just take it easy for awhile without all the kiddos. it got my mind off of the unemployment we are dealing with and the insanity of everyday struggles we are beginning to face. For a day, life didnt feel like it just sucked!
Then, Saturday, I woke up well rested and made a big breakfast for everyone and started the day off much happier and calmer than other mornings. I felt rejuvenated and all in all like a different person.
That evening I was totally blessed to be given the opportunity to attend a baby shower of a woman who I am hoping will become a dear friend, but who I had only met once and hadnt seen in almost a year. We are mostly blog friends (see isnt blogging great) and our husbands have been friends for almost 15 years! I REALLY enjoyed myself and once again I was surrounded by some pretty wonderful women all of whom were very kind and fun to be around. I even made a new friend with whom I plan to have many fun play dates :)!
Sunday I had church and it was a great service. Pastor Tracy talked about temptation and how we all have a marshmallow (I cant figure out how to add the video to this blog so I will post it in the next one in just a second) in our lives that tempts us. He asked us to think about what our marshmallow is (again, watching the video will make this make more sense). I thought about it alot and I determined that my marshmallow is my faith right now in the sense that I can give up. My problem, my worry and fear, are right infront of me and I can explode and crash and burn and take them how they are right now--- with a weak faith, or I can wait and see what the Lord has planned for me and my family and not only end up with a better deal but also help strengthen my faith and build on my relationship with my Heavenly Father. While the first one seems much easier some days, just fall and bury myself in bitterness and defeat, obviously the second option, waiting for a bigger reward, is the better option. So, what is your marshmallow?

This weekend I also just found out that my sister and bestest best friend in the whole world is coming home for good by the end of the month! Words can not describe how amazing this is and how much it means to me. With everything going the way it has lately we both really need each other in a closer proximity and need good friends to help us through. Please pray that everything goes well and she gets back safely.

I suppose the second most exciting thing that happened was today's accomplishment... I got a job!!! YAY!! And not just any job, but one that I have been wanting for years. I start tomorrow at the Sears Portrait Studio in the mall as a photographer in training. It is a seasonal job right now- and I have been informed to expect to have no life starting now because after this weekend I will not have another weekend off until January! Photo studios are crazy during the holiday season so I should get plenty of experience and ALOT of hours. With Jared not knowing when or even if he is going to get a job, we have been so scared that we wont be able to meet out bill requirements after this month just off of his unemployment (we set aside as much as possible this last month of paychecks so starting this month when we werent making anymore we could still cover our bills and necessities but starting November we were gonna be REALLY struggling). This is such an awesome opportunity and a blessing for us and especially for me because it has long been a passion of mine to learn more about photography. My sister in law and brother in law are All Star photographers and I have admireed their work for awhile, but have never had the money to take any classes. Now I will get them for free and get tons of hands on everyday experience. Please pray that I handle the stress of the job well and that the Lord help me reach my full potential and then some in this environment. My biggest fear now is being away from my son. He is in that learning phase where he learns to talk and walk and eat big boy foods and I am so scared to miss it. But, I know that this is what is best for us all right now and I am VERY blessed to have my parents and soon my sister here to watchthe kids so I dont have to worry about my kids being safe with strangers.
Well, that is a heck of alot of stuff for just one week but what a great week it was. Please continue to pray that Jared find a job soon. He has applied for a position on post here that he is actually qualified for with experience and such and it would mean that we dont have to leave our family here and I can keep my job too.... fingers crossed and prayers a flyin.
Until next time...

..... different

My mother-in-law had little competitions for color challenges and Iwas going to try my hand at it but realized that, for challenges 10 and 11 I did not have all of any set of the colors.... so, I kinda combined them and made my own little card with the following colors.
-Garden Green
-Sahara Sand
-Daffodil Delight
-Chocolate Chip
-Very Vanilla
And, this was my final project.

Calendar Pages

I made a few other digital pages to put on a calendar I am working on for my Grandmother for Christmas. I want to do one for my Pampaw in Ohio too, especially since Mom has been working on genealogy and we have TONS of pictures of all my extended family on that side. Anyhoo, these pages dont have much in common with the month they represent, just fun pages to look at really.

Thanks Juanita!

My Mother-in-law recommended to me a way to do my scrapbooking without making a giant mess all over the room and worrying about my kids eating random scrap pieces! She has been asking me and Andrea to try this digital scrapbooking program called My Digital Studio for awhile now and for my anniversary last month my husband went ahead and bought me the program and a few extras to play with it. Of course, right after that my computer went down for awhile so it has taken me a bit to get around to doing some pages. I was very excited about this program because recently, in May,we had quite a bit of horrible rain here and some flooding. We had a box downstairs full of some books we had packed away and one of them was Ciara's baby calendar that I wrote EVERY little detail down in. Practically every day had something written on it. Well, we got quite a bit of damage in the basement and along with about 6 boxes of clothes, the box of books was ruined. Molded and destroyed. I could deal with all the other books not making it, but my heart broke when I saw Ciara's book. I copied down what I could from the pages saved, but pretty much everything was lost. With My Digital Studio, I can make all my pages, keep all my pictures and memories up to date and protcted from ruin, and make them fun too! So, here are my first few projects. I am learning so dont judge me too hard. lol.








On this one I actually took a few pieces (different sized and shaped stamps) and put them together to make the little hummer type truck. Very intermediate at best, but I thought it turned out quite cute.




I made the syringe on this one with the same concept as the truck.














My first few pages were all Chase pages because those were my most recent photos. More everybody-else pages to come. lol

I plan on doing a page like this for all the girls. I am starting a baby-book/calendar type scrapbook for each kid as a timeline type thing.






Well, that's what I got for my regular pages. I will post some from the calendar I am working on for my Grandmother soon too.

Still No Pictures

Wow. I am officially blog-grounded I think. I have posted sparingly and insufficiently these past few months and added like 3 pictures total! To quote the typical teenager these days "OMG!"
Sorry!!!! lol

And still, I post without ANY pictures to post. Well, not that I dont have any to post, just that I havent gotten them on the computer yet.... mostly bc I am lazy, but also bc I cant find the darn memory card reader to transfer all 4000 of my pictures onto the computer. Lame.

Well, Cadince just turned 4 last week. FOUR!!! How did that happen?! It hit me hard too. One day I turned around and my tiny little bug was 4! In case you are wondering though, she is still tiny. LOL! She has grown so much in this past year and is such an amazing big sister. It is nice to have the days while the big girls are gone at school to hang out with Cadie and Chase and watch them together. She and I do some school stuff every week for our "at-home" daycare and she is SO SMART. She catches on so fast and she really loves to learn. Chase absolutely adores her and when they play together he laughs so hard. She gets down on the ground and they crawl around together across the livingroom. Lovin it.

Ciara is loving Kindergarten and making tons of friends. She has had one minor incident (stepped on a girls foot when she cut in line at the slide) and we had a talk but other than that she has integrated quite well. Her teacher is quite lovely and I feel very blessed she feels comfortable in school and isnt scared without me.... but it kinda hurts sometimes. She doesnt even look back anymore when she gets on the bus or worry about what I am doing while she is gone. She had to stay home today because she was sick and she cried so hard because she loves Kindergarten and didnt want to miss her teacher anymore. lol. I guess I should just be glad she likes it while it lasts... pretty soon she will be faking illnesses just to stay away from school.

Cecilia has been off to a rough start in 3rd grade. Somedays she does excellent and enjoys it and other days she is so absent-minded about what she is suppose to remember to do and bring home and such. I fear she may have some ADD because she can not stay focused on anything... except art and reading. She can zone out on anything when she is reading and drawing. She had saved up money from her good grades last year and she finally bought herself a really nice art set and sketch pad. She is pretty good and Jared (my own personal artist who hides his talent but is really really good) has been teaching her some concepts and having her sketch different things different ways. I love watching her mind open up and her imaginaiton come out on paper.

Chase is 8 months old now and getting too big lol. He just moved into a big boy carseat, no longer in the infant carrier. He is a super picky eater, not with food but with WHEN he wants to eat and how much at a time. Fristrating but at least he eats... he gets like that with breastfeeding too. That one can be more painful than frustrating sometimes. lol. He is crawling (still more army crawl then hands and knees crawl) all over the place and it has become a necessity to baby proof the livingroom and surrounding areas now... and he still manages to find cords and shoe laces to chew on. He is adorable when he sits up and plays but he just doesnt like to sit up lately. He locks his knees so they stay straight and helays or crawls bu hates to sit. Boys will be stubborn boys.

Jared and I are still waiting.... waiting for a new job (his orders are up in 2 weeks), waiting to move into our own place again, and waiting for the other ball to drop so it seems. Everyday is a challenge with little to no friends around, no one to talk to, and with the thought of unemployment being our only income scaring the living daylights out of us. So, everyday I wake up I find a new blessing to dwell on. Something special the Lord has given me to help me smile that day and to keep the walls from falling down on me. Somedays all it will be is finding out that the toe I stubbed earlier that hurts like hades isnt actually broken-just painful. Thats nice. lol. But its a blessing.

I encourage any of you that actually read my ramblings to find a blessing, something besides the obvious fact that you are alive and you have a family bc thats cheating. lol. Its a challenge... and make a list of them for one week.... your list might surprise you. I am challenging my kids to do the same thing too.... a good habit I think :)
May God Bless you all and continue to bless me in all the insane and simple ways he does so everyday.

I blame the Herpes!

Before I embellish let me first say that NO I do not have a STD nor does anyone in my family. lol. My computer got a virus (hence the herpes remark) and has been under the weather for 2 months before we could finally afford to get it in the shop and fixed (expensive!). I have had ti up and running for the past two weeks but about the time we got it home the internet rounter started acting up and now it is nearly impossible to keep a signal on my laptop long enough to do anything really. Mostly I jump on to pay bills and check the bank and read what I can to catch oup on everyone else but I never have the time to really post. Have no fear, I am gathering pictures and information from the past 2 months to post on as soon as we can get the internet working better and when I can have a minute to sit and post my many many make-up posts.

Quick update-- things are becoming more depressing these days around here. We are living iwth my parents to try and save up money to get a place since Jared's orders are up at the end of this month, but even though he has been applying for jobs since April at least 3-4 interviews a month all over the state of Tennessee from point to point- we have no new job in sight. This is making it hard because even though we have been putting some money aside, its not near enough to live off of and we are getting anxious to have our own home again. I desperately ask for prayers that something decent pop up soon, we arent being picky!
Ciara started Kindergarten a few weeks ago so it is just Cadie, Chase and me (and Grammy and Pappy) at home everyday so we have been working on some preschool stuff for her. We cant afford actual preschool and she didnt qualify as "needy" to get into any of the local preschool programs at the elementary schools so we are home-schooling for preschool. She is loving it and I am very proud of her accomplishments so far. Ciara is loving Kindergarten and learning lots already and I will add more to that later. Cecilia is in 3rd grade now and just got fitted fro glasses the other day so she is handling alot of changes and she is doing so very well I have to say. Chase is growing as babies do and is as spunky as the girls were. He has started army crawling all over the place and I am reminded how insane life gets when kids go through the crawling stage!! lol

Guess that's all I can do for now, kids to feed and a husband due home any moment. More to come promise.

Let It Out

Okay so lately I have been building on an issue, well alot of issues related to the same general issue, and I ave found a great deal of anger is inside of me. I am typically not the kind to get angry and stay that way. I fume to my husband about whatever bothers me, and then I am over it and (especially when it involves another person) I tend to ignore the fact that it ever happened. When a "friend" or someone offends me or upsets me, I vent and then I forget... no real anger issues here. However, there is one issue, one group of problems that keep occuring and keep frustrating me and I recently discovered that I am really upset about them. No matter how much I talk to Jared about it, pray, read through some scripture, or try to ignore it, the anger just keeps building up inside and I feel almost a violent rage towards this issue. The thing is, it's mostly centered around someone else, not me. Yes there are problems within this issue that concern me and those are upsetting, but mostly the anger I have is centered around the areas where this issue affects/concerns my husband.
I think I have learned that I am quite defensive when it comes to my other half. Jared and I may have our squabbles and bad days here and there, but ultimately he is the most important person in my life save my kids and I don't take too kindly to people disrespecting and slandering him.
Because of the sensitivity of this issue and those involved I dont want to come right out and say who and what (actually I do but the christian in me is keeping it under wraps for now for the sake of maturity and that whole turn the other cheek clause) but I just need to know the best way to get rid of this anger. Since I am not shown respect by those concerned in this issue, approaching them is not a viable solution, but I am afraid if I continue down this path of rage that it is going to end badly.... I need prayers please and suggestions if you have any. Mostly i think having someone to help with guidance would be nice but I am afraid my search for guidance would be considered more gossiping then counseling from a friend so I remain mute for now.
Guess this is the outcome of what the mind thinks of at 12am. I wasnt planning on going into this that much at all...
Also, while I am already driving down this road, as a parent anyone reading this, If someone were to hit your child- not spank their butts in a disciplinary way but actually hit them- an adult that is realted to you or your spouse, what is the best way to handle that? My first instinct is to rip their head off but I am, and only the Lord knows why, trying to avoid hurting anyone's feelings and causing even more family drama... but I do not feel right stepping aside and acting as if nothing happened for the sake of keeping everyone from being upset with me. Not like they aren't already? Is it ok to sacrifice that type of outburts, keep things under wraps and ignore it in order to please everyone else, when someone has harmed your child whether it was with harmful intent or not? I just need to know that I am not violent and crazy.

Well, on a lighter note Jared has lined up a few more interviews and we are praying for a notice soon on one of these jobs!! Living with my Mom and Dad is proving to be slightly stressful but overall not a bad experience so far! I think the fact that we have alot of love between us and all have a great relationship with the Lord really helps! That and my folks just LOVE spending time with their grandbabies! lol

Regrets

Let me first say I am not one to regret. I believe that life happens as we and the Lord above allow it to and that we should take everyday and every moment as meaningful no matter how crappy it turns out to be. However, these past few months with Chase have shown me that I do have regrets...
I regret that I didn't soak every moment up with Cadince when she was a baby. Things were so hectic with her premature birth, and Ciara was barely a year and a half old at the time, and I just didn't do much. We moved 2 months after she was born and then I started school. Looking back, there are less pictures of Cadie and I remember fewer things about her first year of life. It makes me cry now thinking about how I can barely picture her as a baby, her distinct features, her eating style or playfulness... it's mostly a blur. I don't know why. I know alot of people say that the majority of people dont document as much with their second child as they did with their first, and technically Cadince was my "second" child... but Chase is my "third" and I write down everything and take pictures all the time. I spend hours playing and snuggling with him everyday no matter how crazy life gets. I just womder if it's going to be evident one day in Cadie's life. If she will ever feel different. I spend tons of time with her now, cuddling and playing and such, and we are best buddies... but I can't help regret being a cruddy Mom when she was a baby. Don't get me wrong I loved her ddearly and I far from ignored her as an infant, but I didn't spend the same time invested in every thing she did as I did for Ciara and do for Chase...
One of those things I wish I could do over I guess....

Oh My Goodnesssssss!

So this is just going to be short for now. The past few weeks have been so CRAAAAAAZY! We started moving two weeks ago, packing and cleaning and such... abnd we are still trying to finish up moving! We have temporarily moved in with my Mom and Dad, bless them, while we organize things and try and save up money so when Jared gets new orders we can build a house. We are hoping to only be here with them for July and maybe August. Jared has had a few interviews for new full time active jobs, so we are just waiting on hearing from at least one of them with an offer! We REALLY want to move to the Smyrna area, where he already drills anyway. There are 2 jobs he has interviewed for there and one in Tullahoma.
Because of how busy we have been we havent had the opportunity to spend hardly ANY time with Andrea and the cousins while they were here to visit. The few days we have been available they have had other plans with the other half of the family and when they are free we seem to be up to our ears in packing and such and really dont have the time to take a break. We are hoping to make a trip to see them in a few months and hopefully that will mean we get some time with them just the kids hanging out. I am SO glad the kids love their cousins so much, just wish we had more opportunities to get them together.
I will put up some pictures and such and post some more info in a few days hopefully, just dont have much time these days!
On a side note, Cecilia left for church camp today!!! This will be her first time away from me for more than two-three nights and that was only bc I was in the hospital having a baby!!! I already miss her but I know she is going to have so much fun! Dropping her off today brought back a million memories of my camp days as a kid!
Please pray for her and for Jared's job opportunities! More later!

My Big Boy

Chase is growing so fast! It is hard to believe he is 5 months old already! Where has the time gone? That is almost 1/2 a year! He is sitting up with help now... (He is still a little top heavy lol)

I love watching him play with his toys! He grabs and chews (or I guess I should say gums) everything he can get his hands on and he gets so excited when he latches on to something new! This giraffe is his new best friend Goober the Giraffe. He is half toy, half teether with a bit of a rattle! Since Chase is starting to cut his first tooth (up top) he has grown quite attached to his "cool" friend! I guess G-O-O-B-E-R spells RELIEF for Chase!

Chase has got a new toy! He is definitely NOT a fan of tummy time for more than 5-10 minutes so I am pretty sure he will end up walking before he crawls. He loves to try to stand up and kick out his legs way more than laying down! Jared and I have been looking for both a door jumper and a Bumbo for Chase so he can practice sitting around and stretch his legs out alot too! We went to the local consignment store and there was this jumper! It was only $10!! What a steal! We brought it home and Chase has barely been out of the thing he loves it so much! Perfect buy!
Of course, after a hour or two of fun time play... well he needed a little nap! How cute!! He was so out of it I had to snap a picture before I could get him out! I am very happy he is enjoying his new toy!

During this point in my life I am very unhappy with my physical condition. I have a hard time dealing with my More-To-Love-Figure as everyone calls it, LOL. However, it is hard to not be happy to pose with this handsome little guy! I love him so much! Even though I get a bit stressed out here and there taking care of all 4 of my crazy bunches of excitement and preparing for our move in a few weeks... Chase relaxes me and I can never be angry or down when he is in my arms!

I am so blessed to have my kids! When I go to the store or park and women and men both look at me like I am insane or trashy almost because of all my kiddos! I know that each time I have gotten pregnant it has been a bit of a surprise to each and every one I have told and people began to wonder how I can survive with all of them! I just have to say --- I can survive because with all those kids comes all that love!! No matter how I feel about myself any day of any week my kids coming up to me, hugging me, and telling me how I am their best friend and favorite person in the world... well it makes it all ok!

Physicals and Shots... OH NO!!!

Poor Ciara and Cadince had to get their shots updated this week. Plus, Ciara--my big girl--starts Kindergarten in 2 months! Oh my goodness!! Anyway, they were very brave at first... then they started to freak out once they had to change into these paper gowns and wait for the doctor! Cadie was first to get her shots and she got 4!!! She screamed and cried and turned red and it was all I could do not to pick her up and hold her after the first one! Then it was Ciara's turn and she bravely scooted to the end of the table ready for her shots. They told her she would be getting 2.... no biggie compared to what Cadie had just gone through... Until the doctor pinned her down and gave her SIX!!! She screamed so loud I am sure the whole doctors office heard her! She was in pain and she was in traumatic shock from being lied to and poked way more than she was promised! I wanted to rip the nurse's head off! How could she lie to my baby like that? I had to hold Ciara for over 15 minutes before she would even let go of me to get dressed and she was still traumatized the rest of the day! Thank the Lord that she doesnt need anymore shots till she is 11!

We Love the Summer!!!

Sometimes this blogger can be so crazy! No matter how I place these photos they come out crazy crooked! lol

Anyway... We have been looking forward to summer and now that it is here we are enjoying the wet-side of the season! We got little pools for the kids-- one for the girls and an inflatable shaded one for Chase and me. We set them up at Grammy and Pappy's house and had a blast!!! Even Chase enjoyed splashing in the water and playing with the beach ball. We have been going to the sprinkle park on post alot lately-- yet I never take pictures! Oops! Probably because I am wet from running around in the water with the kids! lol

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!