Wizard of Oz

Dorothy's conscience

Future Eagle

Soccer First Season

Last Week Was Awesome ;)

Which of the following are true about my week?
1- Second car broke down and is out of commission
2- Shower is clogged (again) and decided to spring a leak downstairs into the living room (again)
3- Sick child sent home from school
4- Eating five thousand pounds of junk food
5- Getting hives from stress
6- Gaining ten pounds
7- Eating Blue Bell Ice Cream
8- All of the above
9- All of the above but #7
10- #9 but will tonight! Then, make #6 15 pounds wink emoticon Yeah!!!

Also, same day as car & shower: 

Student of the Month

Best Birthday Yet

My birthday was my favorite. I felt very loved all day. My kids made it extra special. Brae sent a package with an adorable card, which Bentley later added his own remarks to, and an A&M t-shirt. <3

Kensington, the girls, and Bent gave me gift cards to my favorite places (Saltgrass & Starbucks). What made the giftcards remarkable was that a week and a half earlier Kensy volunteered to do 'Family Night' and she orchestrated a "Get to know you" game. The purpose behind it, which I did not know at the time, was to find out some of my favorite things. I was impressed that she put that much time and thought into all of it.

My other gift was "twin" rings from Kensy for both of us. She looked up rings online then found them at James Avery. She went to the local JA store and asked them if they had them in stock. I have never been in a JA store, didn't realize what it was. She had saved up money from two babysitting jobs, one being an all day job (6am-9pm) so she could pay for my presents. <3 My heart was so touched with all the thoughtfulness of the kids this year on my special day. 

First Date

Kensy called me early this morning to share good news with me: she was asked out on her first real date. Makes my heart happy that she was happy & excited. <3

My Lard Road

I was counseling with my Bishop a couple weeks ago about my situation and how hard it is and he agreed with me that I have a "long, hard" road ahead but when he said it it came out "Lard" road.

I liked it. I am on a lard road.

Learning to Write

Bentley has been soaring at school this year. He is learning to read and write like a champ! I find notes all over the house. This one says "Bentley is a cool man". lol

My New Motto

This year has been a year of "acceptance". 

Things aren't what they were & that's ok. There's beauty in what it is now. 

Outcome

This photo is the outcome of a "selfie", taken off my phone which was stuck in the side pocket of my purse sitting on my car. The camera was on a 10 second delay. The big "cheeser" smile was because a lady walked by & asked if I needed help with anything. Lol "No, just taking a selfie!" 

Coach Bull

Yesterday, Bentley played in his second soccer game. We lost "ugly to 0". The other team had a militant coach and it was like kindergarteners on steroids. We lost 12-0. The PERFECT scene from a childhood movie depicts the scenario on the field perfectly but as I reviewed the clip on YouTube I was astonished how inappropriate the movie really was! haha 

The scene in the movie was with Coach Bull. I probably shouldn't have been as worked up as I was but  my competitive nature couldn't help it. 

3-7 is the new 8

School started back in August. We have been in session about seven weeks. It's been tough. I started a nearly full time job that day, too. I have been working out of the home, trying to keep my vinyl business going, and going to college full time still, too.

Bentley started kindergarten and that's been a tough road. He cried every morning for the first three weeks straight. The fourth week clicked and he started walking from the car into the school on his own. Fifth week regression occurred and there were more tears. However, the sixth week was amazing and we even started dropping off at the big entrance near the cafeteria! All is well there.

He started playing soccer too this fall. The first two solid weeks he & I watched from the sidelines. Then, the coach got him out on the field during third week practice and that was the end (… or the beginning). He has played every game and practice since then & loves it!!

I haven't had enough time and mental capacity to blog since school started. It has been a really tough transition. I LOVE my new job. I love doing vinyl, too (and I need the money still), and I love school! The problem is that I am not capable of doing it all. I am getting up at 4-4:45 every morning and going to bed usually by 10 but sometimes as late at 1am. I have had several 3 hour nights of sleep. Hence the title of my post: 3-7 (hours of sleep) is the new 8!

This is a really dark time for me. I absolutely HATE my situation right now. I strive to find happiness and that seems to come more easily during the week when I'm in a strict routine and working as hard as I can. Weekends are killing me. I have suffered depression a lot on the weekends. I hate it. The situation is so heavy. I have pondered what can be dropped from the 3 main responsibilities: work, work, school. Nothing can go. I need more time. I hate that I have to keep moving "through" this. I want it to go away. I want to just work my vinyl company and do school, even though I love my new job and the people I work with.

 First practice he participated in. No shoes on! :o 

 First game. This was right as he scored a goal! 

Broken but Who Cares!

Our five year old scooper didn't stand a chance against the hard-packed perfectly frozen goodness of Blue Bell. 

Bring Back Blue Bell

It has been a very dark year. Blue Bell was taken off the shelves this past spring and we have suffered for so long without it. Today, it returned. It has been glorious. I ran into people I knew at 6am at HEB getting their ice cream. <3 

It's that good! My heart is seriously happy!

Grandma

Post to come...

Nauvoo: Nothing Else Like It

Photos to come...

Reunion

We were blessed with the opportunity to go to Indiana for our family reunion in June to spend time with this sweet grandma. 

(Momma, Grandma, & Me)

This was our eternal car ride to Evansville!

Bentley being very cooperative for Reunion Family Photogs

She's the coolest! 

(I adore this lady).

<3

The kids made memories of their own. 

Ugh. Messy ones!!

Joe took the girls mud-bogging.

The second night in a row of doing this I told them they must shower outside. 

Hose time...

Our last night there we went down to Kasey & Zach's in the country. We rode horses and experienced country life for awhile. 

<3 

Haha

Sisters

It will never be country livin' at grandma's without catching lightning bugs. 

<3

We had horrible thunder storms for our entire drive home. We stopped in Dallas at Bueno for dinner and watched a really bad storm roll in. When we left the wind was cray. We had to pose for a family selfie before finishing the drive. We thought this would have turned into a tornado.

...Second Verse... Same As The First...

You all know the song... right??

I just started my second year in college. I am technically a couple credits away from being a sophomore but I still classify myself as one anyway. So far, so good. I am taking four challenging classes this semester. Originally I was planning on only doing my vinyl business as well as taking classes on campus. Plans changed though and I am all online again. My courses currently are:

College Algebra
Biology Nutrition
Social Psychology
Texas Government

I will need all the help I can get! :0

Back to School

There have been a lot of changes in our family since May. 

Bentley started kindergarten! 

Bella turned 12 and entered into Young Women's in church. 

Cali started high school! 

Ken started driving.

Braelyn moved out and is starting college.

I started a par-ull time job (between part time & full time) M-F! 

Too many changes and my world is flipped upside down. Well, actually it's been flipped upside down for years so maybe now I am back up on my feet!??! 

Here are some first day school pics:

 

His first week has been met with many tears, both from him and from me. I knew this transition would be rough on him but he's handled it very well so far. The first day was really sad and Bell and I cried in the hallway around the corner after dropping him off. However, this was him (all smiles and excitement) when I picked him up. His teacher is a huge blessing to our family and deserves LOTS of gifts throughout the year. <3

Kindergarten Escape

As I prepared to send Bentley to kindergarten last week a memory came to my mind of the day Braelyn walked out of kindergarten and attempted to walk home. What a horrific event and incredible display of protection over my small child at that time.