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....