BIG Time.

Friday the 13th: The one where my son may never forgive me.

2012-01-22T07:44:00.000-08:00

I'm not a really superstitious person. I've stepped on numerous cracks and my mom has never suffered a broken back because of it. I don't even really believe in luck so much, because I believe more in a plan cooked up by my God. However, yesterday was clearly Friday the 13th. I should have known when I made the turn to go to Claire's school and somehow whacked my head into my window! I have no idea how it happened or why my head was even close to the window...but it happened and we laughed...hard. I dropped Cohen off, ran to the grocery store and headed home. We have a window in the living room that won't lock and there is a draft coming through. I decided to try and pull it shut by inserting a screwdriver into the hole where the lock goes and pull it towards me. It was actually working until the screwdriver slipped. It was not good. I stabbed myself IN THE FACE! I grabbed my eye and shouted a bad word or two. I calmed down once I realized, I stabbed my cheek and NOT my eye...and there wasn't THAT much blood. Then I thought about how refreshing a cool breeze can be. Maybe that window should just stay the way it is. Of course I could lean out the other window and push it shut....no, better not.

Soon after that, Cohen's teacher called and said he had an accident and wouldn't let anyone come in the bathroom to help. I rushed up to the school. He had indeed had an accident and even covered in poo poo, he is probably the sweetest thing on the entire planet. As I was helping him I asked, "What happened buddy?" He responded, "Oh Momma, I didn't even trust a toot I just tried to hold it until I got home!!" I am so glad he is retaining all of the valuable information we give him. (Never trust a toot, you may get more than you bargained for!)

I had some of my girls over for dinner while Big Daddy went and had dinner with his cousin. I enjoyed great dinner and conversation with the girls and by 10:30 was in bed bawling my eyes out while watching the Extreme Home Makeover: Joplin Edition. Much later, Big Daddy came rolling in and asked for chapstick because, "MY LIPS HURT REAL BAD." I directed him to my cosmetics drawer and went back to sleep. The next morning I rolled over and shot out of bed. "WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE?!" I thought he had been in a fight until I remembered him asking for chapstick. Then I realized...Big Daddy had slathered on a huge amount of 24 hour lipstain. I laughed until I was literally sobbing. Then I took a picture and sent it to about 20 people. I would LOVE to post it on here...but I value my marriage and my life too much to take that risk!!

My People.

2012-01-22T07:37:00.000-08:00

There have been A LOT of things changing around here. Things that, 10 years ago, may have sent me into a full blown panic attack. However, through the trials and tribulations we have faced in the past 5 years, I have come to know the peace that comes when you TRULY put your life in the Lord's hands. I have watched my mom do that for years. When I was in the 5th grade and my brother was in the 2nd, my dad suffered a heart attack at the age of 40. He had open heart surgery. He survived the widow maker. I remember my mom being tired, but she held it together for us as she prayed for God to spare my dad. As a daughter and a 5th grader, I didn't truly understand the severity of the situation even as it was plastered all over my teacher's face when I told her my dad had a heart attack. I remember thinking, "What? It's no big deal. He will be home soon." Now, as a mother and a wife...I understand. When I look back at the way my mom handled everything when I was a child, I am so thankful. Without speaking a word, she showed me how to have faith. She showed me how to trust in a God that will never forsake me. In the last 5 years, I have been given several opportunities to show my children what that looks like. I hope I managed. I think I did.

This is NOT to say that I haven't given in to worry and anxiety a little. Trust me, I have had some restless nights. But God has continued to show Himself to me. He shows Himself everyday in the blessing of my husband and kids. I feel so complete when I think about "my people" who are there for me no matter what. I am seriously surrounded by AMAZING family and friends. My prayer is that everyone can experience this kind of fullness. However, I have discovered that finding these amazing people usually doesn't happen unless you put yourself out there. Sometimes you get burned...but trust me...it's totally worth it. I LOVE my people.

Food for Thought

2012-01-03T12:58:00.000-08:00

Since I haven't blogged regularly there have been many things that have slipped through without being mentioned. Instead of trying to play catch up, I will just go from here. One thing that did happen will affect our everyday life from here on out, so I thought I would share. Sometime in the fall, my mommy radar began to detect that something was amiss. Claire was starting to develop the same symptoms I noticed when she was 2. Just after she turned 5, she was diagnosed with Insulin Resistance. She was on medication for a year and got really thin. I asked if we could try to take her off of it. I was told that in some cases, the medicine will reverse the problem. However, we knew this was a long shot. We tried. It didn't work. So now we are back on medication. She is basically a type 2 diabetic. She has also decided that eating meat is mean, so cooking for a 7 year old vegetarian diabetic should be super easy.

The good news is she really is a healthy eater, and always has been. I just have to put it in front of her. I am learning what she needs and discovering that it will be very good for all of us to eat this way. I have also discovered it is much like my friend Laci cooks for her family and I have really enjoyed reading her blog Picket Fence Paleo. This is my number one goal for 2012. Feeding my family good nutritious food...and hopefully making it taste good! This sounds a lot like a resolution, but it really can't be. I NEVER keep resolutions so I quit making them. I can't fail at this, because my daughter's health is hanging in the balance.

Completely self serving rant...

2012-01-02T08:58:00.000-08:00

There is a CHANCE this blog entry may come across to some as a little rant. I honestly wouldn't take the time to rant on here if I didn't feel it may help someone out a little. By someone...I mean me. We ended the year in a bit of a funk. It seemed like every time we turned around, someone was being mean and hurtful. If you are reading this, and think this blog pertains to you...it probably does. If you think it applies ONLY to you, it doesn't. There has been plenty of ugliness to go around. It left me with a very bitter taste in my mouth.

I am not saying that I am perfect. I am not saying that my family is perfect. The good Lord KNOWS that we are not perfect. But I do know that we are trying our best to be good. The way I was raised, you wake up and live your life searching for ways to make someones day brighter.

I have watched my mom live her life for her family. Make no mistake, she is NOT a martyr. She lived for us and loved every minute of it. Just as she had us out of the house and on our own, tragedy struck and she knew she was being called by God to do what HE had planned. She is now helping to raise two little boys, and let me tell you, she wouldn't have it any other way.

I grew up watching my Dad. A man who has never met a stranger and would do anything for anyone. I knew every year at Christmas, there would be two brand new bikes purchased. I also knew, no matter how shiny and awesome they were...they weren't ours. They belonged to two children who were less fortunate than us. I could write an entire post on all of the amazing things he has done for others, but I simply don't have a month to devote to such a post. Sadly, I could also write a post almost as long about people who were just flat rotten in return.

Over the past six months, I have cried numerous times out of sheer disappointment and disbelief. When you are doing things for people out of the kindness of your heart, how does it turn so ugly? So here is what I have come up with.

We are Christians. We are doing God's work. The more work we do for HIM, the more the devil wants to see us fall on our faces. The more work we do for HIM, the more we are persecuted. I'd rather spend a lifetime on earth doing HIS work and being persecuted for every bit of it than be enticed for ONE STINKING SECOND by the devil to rest on my laurels and not share my love with other people. PERIOD. However, I also know I have to protect my heart and my family. So my new philosophy in life is this.

Hurt me once....shame on you.
Hurt me twice...really? Again? OK, one more chance.
Hurt me three times...done. Even Jesus had his limits, so unless you want me to come into your temple and start turning over tables, we must bid farewell. BUT, you are more than welcome to come back when you are ready to play nice.

Whew. I feel better. Now I am ready to take on 2012. Well...maybe tomorrow. Today I am going to piddle in my house, play on Pinterest, drink coffee and eat Nutella stuffed crescent rolls. Maybe squeeze in a game of UNO or Sorry...maybe Cranium Jr. if things get really wild!!

A New Year.

2011-12-31T11:21:00.000-08:00

If I may direct your attention to the title of my blog. It has changed. A Little Bit of Life, just seemed like a misrepresentation. There is nothing little going on around here. With Big Daddy standing at 6 foot 9 and our youngest (5 years old) topping the charts at 4 foot 4...our size is anything but little. Then add in our 130 pound dog and we are huge. However, the amount of space we take up on this earth isn't the only thing I'm referring to when I say BIG time. I am also talking about the LOVE and BLESSINGS in our world.

I am incredibly blessed to be a part of a pretty large family. By birth...we really aren't that large. By choice, my family is huge. I am blessed with some pretty great in-laws that came with the deal I sealed with a kiss on June 22, 2002. We have also "adopted" so many people into our family. I'm sure you know about the girl I call my sister. Because of her, my adopted family has become GINORMOUS!! I believe that what we do is actually not that normal. To some it may seem weird. Personally, my heart is so full of love and trust that when I make a new friend (and I feel they are TRUE) they become like family. Because of the way I was raised, I am loyal if nothing else.Trust me friends when I say, this does not always feel like a positive trait to possess. There are days when I want to pack up my stuff and the people who I KNOW would never hurt me and move to Hawaii. "Thank you for joining us on Chrissy's Ark of Trust, the beverage cart will be around soon!" You might be surprised at how seriously Big Daddy and I were considering selling everything and moving. I was even looking at real estate on the beach. In an effort to disprove Big Daddy's theory that we could "totally move to the beach," I found myself...wanting to do that very thing!!! However, I didn't see anything under 1.2 million that I liked, so I think maybe we have just settled on a vacation back to our honeymoon spot to celebrate our 10 year anniversary!

I also feel BIG things happening. I feel God has been working in our lives and has big plans for us. I am excited to see what 2012 holds for us. Here's to a new year of BIGness. (and let's hope that has nothing to do with my buns.)

Disney!!!

2011-11-19T07:33:00.001-08:00

We took a FEW pictures on our trip to Disney...here are my favorites!!

Cohen is ready to GO!!!

Indeed.

Cohen loved "The Palace"

The castle changes colors...this was my favorite!

It was REALLY hard to catch Claire in a picture!

Cohen at Epcot. He couldn't wait to walk under the big golf ball!

Breakfast at our hotel

Mickey waffles reminded us of Miss Robbie!!

Claire waiting for the Safari...her favorite part of our trip!

The kids decided it was a message from Heaven.

He LOVED the parade at Animal Kingdom!

So did she....I promise!

Tree of Life

Where I almost lost a really nice dinner.

Waiting for Fantasmic.

Watching Fantasmic...amazing!!!!

THE Highlight of Cohen's trip! "Captain Jack Spawow!"

At the risk of sounding super cheesy...this was truly a magical vacation. The feeling I got when walking up to the Magic Kingdom while it was all decorated for Christmas was seriously magic. As silly as it may sound, I was a little emotional. The fact that I was getting to take my kids on a vacation like this, was just such a blessing. I will never take it for granted. I loved seeing the looks on their faces. They were both so taken by the castle....and so was I. It was just beautiful. I can't possibly share all of our stories in a blog, but this melted my heart...While on Peter Pan's Flight, Cohen hugged me tight and said, "Oh momma, I'm thinking only all my happy thoughts!"

10 Years Ago...

2011-09-10T21:51:00.000-07:00

10 years ago, I don't remember exactly what I was doing. It is strange but I remember that my house was clean. I lived with my brother and a clean house was not something that happened on a regular basis. Chances are I went to sleep while watching either The Wedding Planner or My Best Friend's Wedding because I was newly engaged and had wedding on the brain. I went to sleep that night with absolutely no idea that I would wake up in the morning to a world that would never be the same.

Shortly after 8 a.m. on September 11, 2001 my brother ran into my room and woke me up yelling, "WE ARE BEING ATTACKED!!!" I, naturally, asked where the dog was and ran to the living room. We sat on my red flowered couch on the black cordless phone with my mom and watched in terror as the first tower collapsed. As news trickled in about the flight in Pennsylvania and the plane that hit the pentagon....I was stunned. I was not exactly shocked that something like this was happening, but the scope was incomprehensible. If they were going to hit the pentagon....what is stopping them from taking everyone out? Were we the safest because we are in the middle of the country? Where do I want to be if something like that happens here? The only answer I was sure of was the answer to the last question. I knew I didn't want to be at school. I skipped my IDS 110 class and took lunch to my dad's office. We sat and watched the coverage as we tried to eat our sandwiches. (Bacon Turkey Bravo from Panera) Luckily I had filled up with gas on the way because by the time I left his office, people had panicked and gas stations resembled Black Friday at Best Buy. Not good.

I reported for duty at 4:00 for my shift at a drug and alcohol recovery center and it was like visiting a parallel universe. With the exception of a few women who were "upset" (read, "I'm going to freak out so I can milk this situation for an extra smoke break) most of them were not concerned. I heard things like, "Yeah, it sucks but it's not my problem." Someone actually said, "It doesn't affect me so I don't care." I could not believe they could be so flip about one of the biggest and most deadly events in history. The world around me began to make less and less sense. It stayed that way for months.

I called friends that I hadn't talked to in a while. I prayed with my parents at a local church that we had never attended. I watched the footage. I turned the footage off. I tried to be okay with planning a wedding. I tried to make sense of it all.

Ten years later...I still watch the footage and it is just as terrifying as it was the first time. I pray. I read the stories about the children who never met their fathers because they were born AFTER the attacks. I pray. I read the stories about the widows and widowers who have found true love again. I pray. I sit and wait for my husband's plane to land in Springfield tonight...and I pray. I pray to God and thank Him because I know, there is a place waiting for us where this kind of loss and pain will seize to exist.

Batter Up!

2011-07-12T07:50:00.000-07:00

Last night, as I was headed up the stairs to go to bed, something caught my eye. I stopped in my tracks and waited. I saw it again and BOLTED upstairs. "BIG DADDY...THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE HOUSE." He was not terribly concerned at first because I have a tendency to blow things out of proportion from time to time. "BABE. I'm serious...there is something flying around." That got his attention, because we have A LOT of bats out here in The Hills. If you want to freak Big Daddy's freak...talk about bats. He tried to keep it cool and told me, "Well...go look and see." I peeked out of our room and flipped on the lights just in time to see our little nocturnal friend buzz by again.

I ran back in our room and did the heebie geebie dance and informed him that it was indeed a bat. His eyes got huge and he froze. "Babe, you know I don't do bats." That's when I knew...I was on my own.

I did what any girl would do. I called my mommy and daddy of course! They tried, through their whooping laughter to guide me through this little adventure. I decided I would shoot it. I got my pellet gun and put the rents on speaker phone. I found our little buddy hanging out on our rock fire place. Here is the conversation that took place.

Me: "I'm just going to shoot it."
Dad: "Just reach up there and grab it and throw the D!#$ thing out the door."
Me: "Um....no. I'm gonna shoot it."
Mom: "YOU'LL SHOOT YOUR EYE OUT!"
Me: "No I won't...but maybe I will put on some glasses."
(Found Big Daddy's shades. Put them on)
Dad: "make sure you are straight on."
Me: "Wouldn't it be better at a 45 degree angle?"
Dad: "No."
Me: "Ok."
Dad: "If you're gonna shoot it, steady your gun on a chair."
Me: "Got it."
Me: "You should see me. Sunglasses, greasy hair, pellet gun...hot."
Dad: "Where is Brian?"
Me: "UPSTAIRS!!!"
Dad: (laughing hysterically)
Mom: "Don't shoot! I'm googling!"
Mom: "It says, 'you should not have bats flying in your house!'"
Me: "NO $&#@ MOM!"
Me: "I can't see with these glasses on."
Dad: "Take them off."
Me: "I'm shooting." (Fires a shot) PING!
Mom and Dad: (laughing hysterically) "Did you get it?"
Me: "I don't think so."
Mom: "DON'T SHOOT IT!!! IT IS ILLEGAL!!!"
Me: "whoops."
Mom and Dad: (more laughing)

Big Daddy comes down at some point...wearing his superhero tighties. Awesome.
Big Daddy (from the staircase): "JUST KEEP SHOOTING!"
Me: PING! PING! PING!
Mom: "I WAS BEING SERIOUS!! IT'S ILLEGAL!!!"
Me: "Okay, fine."

Either I'm a bad shot (which I highly doubt), bats have really thick skin or the most likely of all...I couldn't bring myself to get close enough to do any real damage. At any rate, plan A was a major fail. Which is good because I don't look good in orange.

Dad: "Open all the windows and doors, go get Brian's ball retriever from his golf bag and smack it so it will fly out."
Big Daddy: "I will get the ball retriever."
**MY HEEEEERRRRROOOOO!**

Mom: "It says you should cover your skin in case the bat has rabies. Has it been in contact with your dog?"
Me: "No, Queen Google...not as far as I know."

Windows are open, and the house is now a cool 90 degrees. I grab a fleece blanket to cover myself and grab the ball retriever. I have started to sweat profusely...super sexy. I approach the bat....

Me: "I'm going to set the phone down...and I'm probably gonna scream."
Mom and Dad: "Okay."

I poke at the bat...it flies directly at my face. I collapse to the floor, covered in my blanket and scream my ever lovin' head off. I peek out of my blanket only to see that sucker flying straight for my face! I retreat back to my blanket fort and scream my ever lovin' head off again.

Mom: "ARE YOU OKAY?"
Me: "I'm FINE!"
Dad: "Is it out??"
Me: "I don't know! Brian! Is it out? Brian???? Babe?"

*Big Daddy had retreated to our bedroom...door shut.*

I peeked out and didn't see our furry friend. I checked the house and found no trace. I closed the windows back up and puffed my chest out. HMPF! I did it...and I didn't even break the law...that much.

My Smarty

2011-05-16T15:18:00.000-07:00

Today I was explaining to Cohen the purpose of Relay for Life. Here is our conversation.

Cohen- "What is Relay for Life?"
Mommy-"It's to raise money for cancer research."

Cohen-"What's cancer research?"
Mommy-"It means that someone really smart is going to find a cure for cancer, but they need money to help them."

Cohen-"Oh, I see. I'm smart!"
Mommy-"You most certainly are, are you going to find a cure for cancer?"

Cohen-"YUP....what's a cure?"

My Favorite DJ is DJ Tanner.

2011-05-01T09:49:00.000-07:00

Friday night I had dinner with a group of wonderful ladies. Beautiful ladies who love the Lord. After our bellies were full, we headed north to fill our hearts with the word of God. You see Friday was the Women's Rally at James River Assembly. Pastor John's wife Debbie was able to secure a special speaker for this rally, and when I heard who it was...I could not pass it up!! Trust me, after a week preparing for our giant garage sale and all day with a garage FULL of people...a nap sounded really good. But missing CANDACE CAMERON BURE speak at our church, in person, was NOT an option!!

As we walked in, clips from Full House were playing on the screens in the sanctuary. I was immediately taken back to a time that my children cannot fathom. A time when we waited for Friday night at 7:00 so we could watch Full House. If you weren't home, you didn't see it. We found an entire row just for us and settled in. Little did I know, my world was about to be rocked.

She came out and was just adorable! She was rocking white pants (which made me regret not wearing my cute outfit that included a white dress for fear that I would violate the "white before Memorial Day" rule!) and was beautiful. She shared her testimony which you can read or listen to HERE. Her story really hit close to home. I could relate so well because she was a "good kid" too. Just like myself, a good kid for the most part. I did the same thing she did in college. "I'm a good person. I'm kind to people. I'm good to my parents. So I go to a few parties, use a few curse words and don't go to church regularly...it could be a lot worse. PLUS, I pray to God and He forgives me! So I'm good." Then she gave us an analogy that made SO much sense!

Picture a fluffy white sheep grazing in a pasture of green grass. He looks SO white and clean! Now picture a beautiful blanket of pure white snow all around that sheep. Against that backdrop, he now looks filthy dirty!!

I am SO very guilty of putting my sins up against the world. Compared to a lot of really bad sins, my sins don't look so bad. However, when I put my sins against the backdrop of a perfect son....not so great anymore!! I don't want this to sound like I think I am better than the next person just because I don't cheat on my husband or have a drug addiction. A sin is a sin and mine aren't any better than the next. The truth is, I have things that I know I need to work on. Things that deep down, I know I need to change but it's just easier to ask for forgiveness than to actually change them. I loved when she talked about the difference in diving into your sin and falling into it. God understands that we will mess up and He forgives us for those mess ups, but it's different when you dive right into sin KNOWING you are not doing the right thing.

I am looking forward to making some changes. One of my goals is to make quiet/prayer time my #1 goal. I have some soul searching to do and have been putting it off because I don't make time. To my family and friends, don't worry...I'm not in trouble or making some earth shattering, life changing decisions. Just "little" things that are going to make a huge difference in my family. I am so excited!

Father Daughter Dance

2011-04-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

Last night was Claire's second Father Daughter Dance at school. I just LOVE this event. All the girls get dressed up and everyone makes a huge fuss over them. I love it. Here are just a few pics from the night.

I cropped this one because my blog is public, and I wasn't sure where everyone stood on having their child's picture on here!! Claire looked so precious, but was still comfortable which is key at our house. This was actually the picture with all eight of the dads standing behind all of their girls! I have to say, it was such a special moment. I just looked at all those proud dads and felt so blessed. I am so thankful for Big Daddy and what he means to our family.

Right before I snapped this picture, Big Daddy had a sweet little moment with Claire. He is SO sweet with her and there is NO denying she is a daddy's girl!

Like I said, there aren't many photos without the other girls in them! Claire would NOT let me take pictures of her for some reason! I had to get most of mine when the whole group was posing! It was a great night and all the girls had a wonderful time!

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Turd Purse

2011-04-02T19:14:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I was in a local designer discount facility when I came across this treasure.

If you follow me on Facebook, or we are friends IRL...you know that I have affectionately named this beauty, The Turd Purse. I picked the name based, not only on the creamy brown color, but also because of the lovely "rosettes" that adorn the front.

I'm sure the designer had every intention of making these look like flowers. But let's just call a spade a spade...it looks like a purse decorated with turds. I can honestly say this MIGHT be my favorite post ever because I love the word turd. Turd is the word.

I decided to purchase The Turd Purse today for a few reasons.

A. She looked sad still hanging in the same spot she was hanging a few weeks ago.

2. I enjoy making people laugh, and THIS my friends is comedy.

D. I was on the phone with my BFF Monica, BOTH times I encountered The Turd Purse and if that ain't destiny I don't know what is. (And yes, I said ain't because she's from Arkansas and I'm from the Ozarks...so it works.)

7. We had a great idea about what we could do with The Turd Purse. We immediately named that plan, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Turd Purse.

It is going to be amazing. If you want in on this action, e-mail me your name and address with TURD PURSE in the subject line at cgeorge1980@gmail.com. Like I said on Facebook, this is your chance to be a part of something amazing, with absolutely no benefit to society. I will post the rules as soon as I get the specifics in order. Stay tuned!!!

Best St. Patrick's Day...EVER!

2011-03-28T07:34:00.000-07:00

I remember the days when I was....oh, say...21 years old when the best St. Patrick's day ever would NOT involve a day at the hospital! But March 17, 2011 will go down in our family history as the best St. Patrick's Day ever.

We received a precious gift from God at 10:14 when sweet baby Elise Susanne came into this world weighing in at 7 pounds 10 ounces and measuring 20 & 1/2 inches long.

Here she is just minutes after her arrival...and yes, that is my sister-in-love who actually birthed her!! And now I will share the story that this little girl will hear every year on the day of her birth.

Her birthday had been on the calendar for about a week. Thanks to modern medicine we knew she would be a St. Patrick's day baby. We also knew that the Pitocin (used to start labor) would be the only modern day medicine used because my girl Ashley, is Super Momma. I woke up with a spring in my step and a song in my heart because I KNEW it was going to be a beautiful day! It was in fact a GORGEOUS day. The sun was shining and the warm wind was blowing...a great day for a baby. We dressed in our green and headed to school. Claire was on Spring Break but our amazing Pre-school family insisted that she stay and help in class with the littles. She was thrilled and LOVED every second she was there. As we left the school we told everyone we saw, "We have to go!!! We are getting a baby today!!!" My mom went on to the hospital and I ran up to grab a special lunch to take back to Claire and Cohen. (Special lunch means, mommy didn't have time to make lunches before we left the house.) I dropped them off and kissed all the kids one more time. I thought about stopping to grab an iced tea on the way to the hospital, but decided to wait. THANK GOODNESS!!!

I arrived at the hospital and walked in with Nee Nee and Pa (Ashley's parents) and we strolled into labor and delivery. The receptionist pointed us in the right direction and told us to knock before we went in. Assuming my mom and dad were in the birthing suite just chatting up the soon to be parents of two, we knocked and waited. To my surprise, a nurse poked her head out and said, "Sorry, she is actually getting ready to push!" WWHHHAAAATTT????? Just then my parents returned from grabbing a snack and we all did a little happy dance in the hallway! They hooked Ashley up at 7:00 and just 3 hours later she was pushing....then 14 minutes later, she delivered a perfect baby girl.

I heard her first cry and was overcome with emotion. I was there for the birth of my nephew Hunter, Drew, Levi, Alivia and of course my own children...but this emotion was different. With the older kids, I remember my main emotions were excitement and pure love that I could hardly contain. This time was different. I was flooded with gratitude. As I made my way into the room and the grandparents snatched up that sweet girl, my focus was on my brother and sister-in-law. I closed my eyes and thanked God for these two people....for so many reasons. I looked at Jarad, and couldn't keep the tears at bay. I am so proud of him and the man he has become. I am so thankful for our friendship...and for his flawless wife picking abilities.

When it was finally my turn to hold the baby, I remember silence....and then a song started playing on the ipod.

I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay.
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say.

Word of God speak.
Would You pour down like rain.
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty.
To be still and know
That You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness,
Word of God speak.

I'm finding myself in the midst of You.
Beyond the music, beyond the noise
All that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet hear Your voice.

Word of God speak.
Would You pour down like rain.
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty.
To be still and know
That You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness,
Word of God speak.

I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay

-Mercy Me
Word of God Speak

The tears could not be stopped. As I cried I looked at this precious girl and was overwhelmed with gratitude. Our God is so good. He is SO, so good.

As the song ended, I heard whistles in the background and turned to see the NCAA tournament just starting....and I knew Steph was watching.

PoopTastic!

2011-03-03T20:16:00.001-08:00

This post comes with a disclaimer. If you don't want to hear a story about dog poo....stop reading now.

This is Major. He's a good boy. He is also a BIG boy. Weighing in at approximately 145 pounds, nothing he does is small. We rescued him at the end of the summer and he has fit perfectly into our family. When we got him he was already house trained and he is wonderful with the kids.

This morning, I had just gotten up and was returning to my bedroom after picking out the kids clothes for the day. I was walking across the landing between our bedrooms and heard something spill. I whipped around because I seriously thought one of the kids had dumped a giant cup of water on the rug in the middle of the landing. To my dismay, a dump certainly had occurred. Unfortunately, the dump came from Mr. Major. His name has never been more fitting. As I tried to guide him AWAY from the rug and to the nearest door, I realized that maybe we should just stay put....I will spare you the details, but man...it was BAD.

I led the poor guy out the door onto our deck that is off our bedroom. (This would be the first time I went outside. This will be important to another part of this story.) I went back in and began securing the scene. The children were instructed to stay in their rooms, which really wasn't a problem. They were both gagging. I was trying to only breathe through my mouth. I also have allergies, which causes a runny nose, which I could not sniff for fear I may lose it...so I was looking SUPER SEXY with that going on. I started mopping and disinfecting. I scrubbed a little on the rug, but realized I would not have time if I was going to get Claire to school on time. I made the decision to take the rug out and hang it on the deck. As I was flipping it over the rail, I felt quite a breeze only to realize...I was still in my pajamas. My pajamas were a short t-shirt....and that's about it. I quickly took a survey of my surroundings and prayed there were no golfers that might have been subjected to my morning glory. I thought I was off the hook until I looked to my left where the maintenance shed for the course is located. OH. MY. GOODNESS. There stood an entire crew of workers. There I stood in a t-shirt and my scoobies.

As I hung my head in shame and cowered back to the safety of my bedroom I thought to myself, "The good news about starting a day like this...It really can only get better from here."

The Facebook.

2011-02-26T18:30:00.000-08:00

I have a few addictions that I am walking a fine line with. One is caffeine, the other is Facebook. It doesn't seem like the end of either addiction is near...not even close. I love Facebook for so many reasons. I have reconnected with some seriously awesome people and many of them helped me through a VERY hard time in my life. I enjoy posting funny little quips about my silly little life, because let's face it...I'm a crack up. People comment, tell me I'm a crack up, I get my daily affirmations and I don't even have to call Stewart Smalley. I love to check in with my friends who moved away and watch their children grow up album by album. Every once in a while, someone will throw in a video of their kid doing something awesome so I watch, love it and comment on what a treasure that child is. (AND mean it with all my heart!) I get to read about medical issues this person is having, what people are having for dinner, how many days until that persons vacation, who has a teething child, what movies people are seeing and what sporting events are on the schedule. All this is fine. POSSIBLY a time suck...but harmless. The stalker in me LOVES it.

THEN, there is the other side of Facebook (and the Internet for that matter) that I fear is going to be the demise of a technology dependent generation. The negativity is sometimes stifling. From complaining about the weather to griping about the state of the union. People get behind their keyboards and seem to lose all sense of what is polite. I have honestly considered deleting my page, but I would miss keeping up with some of the seriously awesome people on my friends list. I would also be depriving the Facebook world of my hilarity...and I know you would all just hate that. Any suggestions? Thoughts on the matter?

Pancakes With Pop!

2011-02-24T20:11:00.000-08:00

Today was "Pancakes With Pop" at the preschool. Due to a scheduling conflict (and a MAJOR lack of communication on my part) Big Daddy was not able to attend. However, in our family...no need to worry!! There's always extra love to go around! Scot and Uncle came and had breakfast with our littles. They loved it and we weren't the least bit surprised to find Scot cleaning up after everyone when they were done!!

Cohen-isms.

2011-02-18T20:02:00.000-08:00

I MUST document some stories from our sweet Coco. He is in that stage that just cracks me up on a daily. I remember Claire going through the same phase. I have to document these stories, because I know I will forget them next month! If you follow me on facebook, you've already heard these, so bear with me!

After the Blizzard of 2011, we went out to play in the snow. We had been sledding, digging, sliding and crunching away in the snow for about 30 minutes. Cohen came around the corner and said, "HOLY COW MOMMA! Those icicles are WILLY SAWTY!" (Cohen speak for "really salty") Wondering where on earth he was able to reach an icicle I asked, "What icicles?" He looked and me and so sweetly said, "The ones from your twuck." Um gross.

Last weekend, we were dropping Levi, Drew and Nanny off at Nanny and Papa's house. Cohen started to unbuckle and I told him to stay buckled in, we were not going in. He said, "But MOMMA! I have to go talk to a man about a horse!" I asked him what he was talking about and he replied, "I have to PEEEE!"

He couldn't wait for our "Lumber" party tonight with the Phillips boys.

He calls the Power Ranger's weapons, their "webbins."

He tips his cowboy hat and says, "Howdy Ma'am" when I walk into the room.

He calls me his best mommy.

He has me wrapped around his finger.

First Game.

2011-02-16T17:08:00.000-08:00

The torch has been passed. Cohen started playing basketball. And let me say, he started with a bang!! The first play of the game, he took off and scored the first basket of the season...and of his life!

By complete chance, his jersey (the only size medium) was number 34. This number is special because 34 was Big Daddy's number in high school and college. Cohen was SO EXCITED!!!

Our littles...Levi (31), Cohen (34) and Livi (33), were very excited to be in a real live huddle!

This was such a fun morning. A little emotional at times because Levi's momma should have been there to watch his very first game. However, I'm sure she was watching from Heaven and I know she was so thankful to Coach Melody and Coach Lori for taking the time to coach their team.

I was so proud of my guy. The best part, he is actually EXCITED about basketball. We are trying to be very careful about burning the kids out at a young age, but it doesn't look like that will be a problem for Mr. Coco!! We were ALL proud of him...but I don't think anyone was as proud as Big Daddy.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2011-02-14T14:38:00.000-08:00

From Levi, Cohen, Drew, Alivia and Claire!

(Drew decided that the boys would all strike that pose...they all did it, and looked at the camera so we weren't asking questions.)

Organized Chaos.

2011-02-09T11:34:00.000-08:00

It has to be obvious that we are snowed in again. Two blog posts in one day has not been happening around here lately. I am suddenly ready to jump back into the blogosphere. I am currently in the middle of a HUGE overhaul of my house. I have decided that "things" are slowly becoming my demise. Since moving into our new house over a year ago, our space nearly tripled. Being the one that is responsible for cleaning and maintaining the inside of the house...I was nervous about the transition. My instincts were spot on and I have become a slave to my house. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining because I LOVE our house and almost everything about it. I am just drowning in housework. It had gotten to the point where I became physically ill when I started thinking about all of the chores that I were still left at the end of the day. After hours of brainstorming with my momma, I knew what I had to do.

Each thing brought into my house (be it live or inanimate), creates work. I must decide as I walk through the door with anything, "Is this worth the work it will cause me?" I used to be a little bit of a pack rat. No need to call "Hoarders: Buried Alive" just yet. I wasn't THAT bad, but I often kept things that I thought I would use someday. Well, someday is here. If I am not using it TODAY, then it's going out. I'm serious about this. You can't even imagine the pile of garage sale stuff that has piled up in the basement. (Our neighborhood garage sale is the last Saturday in April and I can't wait!) I haven't had a problem getting rid of stuff because I KNOW it will be worth letting go. Hopefully the husband, kids and dog can prove themselves worthy. ;-)

As I chug along, leaving a path of organization in my wake, I am thankful. Thankful that I have a mom who will listen to my frustrations and offer such great ideas. I'm also thankful for a husband who doesn't tell me I'm crazy when I tell him I already want to repaint our bedroom and bathroom. I think he knows that after almost two weeks being snowed in with the kiddos, I am bound to come up with all kinds of "creative" ideas. Now I must go...I have some trash bags to fill!

Artist in Training

2011-02-09T10:54:00.000-08:00

Claire loves to draw. She comes straight home from school and picks up her "sketch journal" and gets to work. I LOVE finding her little drawings all over the house because sometimes it allows me a look into her little head. She can be a very private little person!! I wanted to share some of her latest work. I can't keep every piece of artwork so I thought I would start taking pictures of it so I can store it in a folder on my computer. I think it will be a great way to watch her progress!

She is VERY into Sonic the Hedgehog and Pokemon right now. The first drawing is Sonic the Werehog....I guess this is what happens to Sonic after dark....or before his morning coffee.

Next is Pikachu. He is a character on Pokemon.

And this...this is my favorite. A Claire original.
"Me and Drew at the Weting."

Grace.

2011-02-06T13:53:00.000-08:00

I started this post before Christmas and finally finished my complete thought.

Yesterday didn't start off very well. My Cohen was sick and it was later revealed he had strep throat. My Claire was having tummy troubles. I was feeling like I had been hit by a dump truck for a few reasons. I have tons to do and ZERO motivation to do any of it. This Christmas has been harder than I imagined it could be. BUT I still look for the joy.

One of the THINGS in my home that I love is a crystal candy dish. It was given to me by Brian's grandma when we were newlyweds. I love it. In February, it's filled with conversation hearts. In March and April, pastel M&Ms. During the summer months, I keep it exciting! As soon as fall rolls around, it's a mix of candy corn, M&Ms and peanuts. At Christmas, I LOVE to fill it with Brach's Holiday Mix. It always looks so pretty and I love to sneak a piece whenever I get the chance. I really love this candy dish. Now, to the point...

Cohen was sneaking a piece...when the lid slipped from his cute little hands. I knew when I heard it what had just taken place. Before I even saw it I was sad. I went into the living room and he was flashing me his million dollar smile. I informed him that this was not funny. He instantly broke down into a sobbing mess. I felt horrible but still wanted him to know that this was exactly why I had told him not to get into the dish himself. As he cried, "Momma...I'm so SOOOOWWWWWWEEEEEEE," I told him that I forgave him. And of course I did, wholeheartedly.

I then thought about this for the rest of the day. Am I too attached to THINGS? Was this what God is trying to tell me? This has happened before. The ONLY things that get broken are things I love. But honestly...I don't think so. I really don't get terribly attached to THINGS. Sure I'm sad when they get broken, but it's not the end of the world. So here's what I came up with.....GRACE. He is teaching me GRACE. My instinct was to be mad. However, when I looked in the eyes of my baby boy and saw the sadness, I was reminded of how I must disappoint my Lord on a daily. We are all sinners by nature, but he forgives us. Whether it is living in fear, making snap judgements about people instead of looking at them through Christ-like eyes or not being able to let go of my raging caffeine addiction....I sin. And HE forgives me and grants me another day to do better.

That night, I cuddled my little guy before bed and thanked the Lord for this precious gift....of grace. I still have the dish as well as the piece that broke off. My plan is to super glue it back together and fill it with candies. I pray that each day it serves as a reminder of brokenness, forgiveness, grace and a little sweetness.

Christmas in pictures.

2011-01-09T19:30:00.000-08:00

Christmas usually starts like this....
We drag out the Christmas decor.

Once the decorations were up we headed to the tree farm and picked our tree. This was our first year to do this and we decided it will be a new tradition for us! We decided on this one and gave her a special name based on the INSANE wind that day.
We tied her to the top and headed home!
We decorated her...using Big Daddy to reach the top of the 8 foot tree!

Introducing WENDY the Christmas Tree!!!!

This guy never gets too excited.
Picked the perfect day to go to SDC with Grandma.

My parents surprised my nephew Hunter with a new (to him) TRUCK!!!

Claire lost her front teeth!
The littles had their Christmas program at school and sang their little hearts out!
We made cookies for Santa....
and a gingerbread house, with a ladder....well at least half of one.
Santa came....
the kids were excited!

And a few days after Christmas, we met this handsome guy for the first time!!! Cohen LOVED holding him and he was SUCH a sweetie pie!! Visiting with his parents was pretty fun too!!

I think I did a good job of keeping things normal for the kids. We decorated and continued on with all of our traditions...but my heart was not in it. I know Steph would be TICKED at me for letting her absence affect my holiday the way it did, but I just could NOT snap out of it. It was hard, but we made it and now we are on to a new year. 2011 is going to be better. It just has to be!

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-25T13:06:00.000-08:00

Shutterfly Here I Come!!!

2010-11-28T10:43:00.000-08:00

This morning I was greeted with a disk full of adorable pictures that Auntie Karen took yesterday! So you KNOW the next place I went was to the kitchen to get coffee and get the kids breakfast, then straight to the couch with my laptop!! I have spent the better part of the day looking at Christmas card designs! I ventured out and tried some different sites, but ended up right back where I usually go...SHUTTERFLY!!!! I love their designs and have NEVER been disappointed in the quality of anything I have ordered. On the off chance something has been wrong, they fix it and usually do a little extra something for my troubles!!! Here is one of my favorite pics of the day!!
More to come...stay tuned!!!!

A Little Late.

2010-11-13T11:49:00.001-08:00

Here is a little video I put together for my Coco. We love you buddy...more than you could ever imagine!

Cohen's 4th Birthday Video from Chrissy George on Vimeo.

Photos by Claire

2010-11-04T18:34:00.000-07:00

I am going through my memory card and blogging what I find. I HAD to include some of Claire's best shots. I LOVE when I find these little treasures. They crack me up and offer a little glimpse into the world of a child. Enjoy!

Special Visitors!

2010-11-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

This summer we had some special visitors at Nanny and Papa's house! My name sake Christine, her husband Doug and their beautiful girls Grace and Hope came for a few days. We had so much fun catching up and the kids had a blast together!

Unblogged.

2010-11-03T10:51:00.001-07:00

A LOT of things have gone unblogged over the past few months. I'm going to play catch up. Not because I think anyone REALLY wants to know...but because I refuse for there to be a giant hole in our story when my kids look back on the summer of 2010. Life has gone on, sad as it may be, and I want my kids to know that we didn't just give up on it. So the next few posts will be recaps with pictures that have been stuck on my memory card for months!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-01T14:21:00.000-07:00

This year was our first to trick-or-treat without Steph. I wasn't sure I was up for it. Scot made the decision that he would dress up with the boys so the rest of us decided to play along. I was glad we did. It was a great distraction. Here are some pics from our Super Day of Halloween Fun!

From Steph Won.

From A Little Bit of Life

Are you serious?

2010-10-17T12:12:00.000-07:00

Last night, Big Daddy and I found ourselves child free for the evening thanks to Grandma Connie! We decided to catch a movie. We got our popcorn, giant sodas and Mike & Ikes and headed into the theater. We settled into the very back row, just in case we got the urge to make out. After a few minutes we decided that the back row isn't as comfortable as the other seats because they don't lean back. Brian asked me if I wanted to move to the row in front of us. I hesitated because there was only 4 seats and there was two people already sitting there. I am a fan of the "buffer seat" if possible. He said I could sit on the end so I obliged. So we decided to switch before the movie started. He leaned down and politely said to the lady who had her purse in one of the empty seats, "Excuse me ma'am, we are going to move down here because the seats in the back aren't very comfortable." She gave him a dirty look and said, "Jesus Christ!" I thought maybe she was having a spiritual experience....apparently not. Brian was stunned and asked, "are you serious?" She responded, "YES I'm serious!!! There are 50 empty seats in this theater I don't know WHY you have to sit RIGHT next to me!" Without missing a beat, Big Daddy responded (very loudly), "Oh I'm sorry do you OWN these two?" She continued to yell at him, he suggested some therapy of some sort and we moved down a few rows. All the while, you KNOW her husband was about to have a heart attack thinking about the fact that his wife picked a fight with the ONLY dude in the building who is almost 7 foot tall! We took our seats and were blown away that someone could be SO rude! I feel bad for her. I can't imagine being that unhappy. I kinda wish we would have stayed and cuddled up with her.

A little getaway.

2010-10-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

On labor day weekend, we took a little weekend trip to Kansas City. Grandma Connie had been talking about taking us to Great Wolf Lodge for a while but this was the first chance we had to run away! We had a wonderful time! It was so nice to get away and just play with the kids. We also did a little shopping and A LOT of eating!

The kids got these wands and used them to find treasure throughout the hotel.....

We listened to a story by the giant clock....
We made crafts....

We met this wolf...I forgot her name....
We had snacks at this place....
We had a GREAT time!!!

Swirling.

2010-09-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

I haven't had much bloggyness in me lately. Yes bloggyness is a word. I have a lot swirling around in my head right now but my main focus has been on my kids, my husband and my home. You see, my home has been tossed to the wayside. When you are watching someone you love so dearly live out the last days of her life...clean windows don't matter. So as the dust settled (literally) I looked around at what all had accumulated and became overwhelmed. My floors were terrible, there were piles everywhere, bills were going unpaid simply because I had not even opened them, I had not cooked a meal in months and our routine was shot. And guess what. I didn't care. The piles weren't going anywhere. The dust would just move around until I got to it. The bills...even the people calling about those, knew our story and were quick to offer a prayer and tell me to take my time. That's right...I said the person calling about my unpaid medical bills said she would be praying for us!!!!! My family didn't starve thanks to Godfather's pizza, McAllister's, the clubhouse, meals brought to my parent's house and Scot with his mile high stack of gift cards!! We survived. She didn't. I will NEVER regret the days I spent by her side. I will NEVER remember the messy house that sat empty all summer. I would not trade my days with her for the world. I also recognized that it was time, for my children and husband's sake, to pull in the reigns. So I've been doing my best, which some days isn't really very good, to get this house running in the right direction. Not because I feel pressure from the world or other people....but because my family is happier when the house is running smoothly...because I'm happier.

I also have been thinking a lot about and researching the topic of "Publishing Your Own Book." You know...just because I find it interesting. I also missed a phone call from someone that works in a place where they publish books.....so there's that.

I also began talking with a sweet mother of a girl in Claire's class. I knew her last year but she approached me at the beginning of the year about our situation. She said she had heard about our summer and said she understood completely how I felt. Her best friend passed away 10 years ago of a brain tumor leaving behind a nine year old little girl. A few days later, I asked her a little more about it. I worked up the nerve to ask, "Does it ever get any easier?" Her tears told me all I needed to know. I just miss her so much. Halloween will be hard. She has always been a part of our Fall Fun Day. We used to carve pumpkins (before we had kids) but now we do crafts, make cookies and our famous brownie that we decorate like a pumpkin. We have dinner and take the kids begging for candy. This will be the first year we have trick-or-treated without her. I will never forget this moment. 2 years ago. She was sick from chemo, but was carrying my child through the neighborhood. She was so amazing. Little did we know,two years later, we would be carrying her...in our hearts.

Butterfly Catcher

2010-08-26T07:46:00.000-07:00

The night before Steph's funeral, my mom was in the pool and she was starting to get stressed about a detail that was not working out like we had thought. She said, "OK, I'm starting to stress." As SOON as the words left her mouth, a butterfly landed on her head then flew away. (a brown and gold butterfly to be exact!) That butterfly just flew around all evening. The next day, as the limo was pulling up to the graveside service, a butterfly flew right up to the window and then fluttered away. Mom and I were looking at a catalogue talking about decor, and a butterfly landed on the corner of the page and just sat for the longest time. Since Steph passed, we have been visited at LEAST once a day by butterflies. Just last week, mom was in the pool with Drew and Levi when they got their daily visit. This butterfly landed on Levi, Drew then my mom. They decided then and there, that Mommy must be sending these butterflies to let us all know that she is watching over us. With all that said, I wanted to share this video that Greta took yesterday. It speaks for itself.

First Grade

2010-08-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday our sweet girl started FIRST grade! I still can't believe I have a first grader! She did great and LOVES her new teacher! Nanny came to pick up Cohen and keep him for the day so I could stay and volunteer at the school all day. Drew insisted on walking Claire to her class and it was absolutely precious! Here are a few pics we snapped!

Claire's Six Pix

2010-08-09T08:21:00.000-07:00

Photos by the one and only Auntie Karen @ ByGeorge Photography! What a blessing she is to our family!!

For my girl.

2010-07-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

Dreaming With a Broken Heart

2010-07-13T07:20:00.001-07:00

Last night, all of my dreams were about Steph. One dream she was accepting an award for something in an outfit that obviously neither my mom or I had approved! It was actually pretty funny now that I think about it. To honor her, my friend Kim and I did a dance on stage wearing flesh colored leotards. Stop...picture that....take it all in folks.

There was a different dream that took me back to my old room. I was holding her and telling her it was okay to go. The sad thing is...I did that...in real life. I woke up in tears. Thankful that I had that time with her when she was more than just a dream. Thankful that she isn't in that state anymore. Thankful that of the millions of memories I have in that bedroom, the most important are the ones I have of her. Even more thankful that most of those memories DON'T involve her laying in that bed. But still...my heart is broken.

"When you're dreaming with a broken heart,

the waking up is the hardest part.

You roll outta bed and down on your knees,

and for the moment you can hardly breathe.

Wondering was she really here?

Is she standing in my room?

No she's not...'cause she's gone gone gone gone gone....."

-John Mayer

Stephanie Phillips

2010-07-11T08:04:00.001-07:00

March 8, 1974-July 10, 2010

You're in a better place, I know this. And each time I think of the pain you endured, I praise God for taking you home. I've been so caught up in your fight. I've been so busy taking care of the boys. I've worried so much about Scot. It wasn't until yesterday when I leaned over to kiss your face. As I pressed my face to yours and listened to your short breaths, I knew this would be the last time. All of the sudden, something came over me. I suddenly realized, "I have never stopped to think about how this is going to change things for ME." I never stopped to think about how much I am going to just miss you. I will miss calling you at work to tell you a funny story about the boys. I will miss our girls trips. I will miss the moments where you let your silly side show...my favorites. I will miss telling you stories, you always told me I was funny. I will miss watching you coach. I will miss you my friend, more than you can imagine. I thank you for bringing Scot and the boys into our lives. I love those children like they are my own. I am thankful you trusted me with them and I was able to form an unbreakable bond with them. Your spirit lives in them. Levi has your determination. Drew has your sense of loyalty. I miss you...so much it hurts.

Organized Thoughts....

2010-06-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

are not happening. So here are some UN organized thoughts.

I wake up each day feeling as though I have been run over by a bus, or at the very least a conversion van. As soon as that feeling passes, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I get sad. I stop and think about God's mercy and his amazing blessings. I am peaceful. I hate cancer. My kids are sweet. My husband is sweet...and hot. My house is messy. I learned that it is almost impossible to decrease your caloric intake when kind people from our amazing community are delivering meals accompanied by amazing baked goods. If I lived at my parents house, I would be in real trouble. My 3 year old just asked for cafe Au lait in his sippy cup. I gave it to him. 4 kids is a lot of work. I want another baby. I think Scot Phillips, my mom and my dad are amazing. They have been working around the clock together (and I mean AROUND THE CLOCK) to make sure Steph is comfortable and well cared for. Drew and Levi are precious. I miss my mom. Not as much as I miss Steph. I want to go back to the beach with them. Bad. I want to get up each morning and have coffee by the ocean. Heck, I would settle for coffee poolside in my parents backyard. I love summer. I trust God. That's all I know.

Please Forgive Me.

2010-06-10T17:51:00.001-07:00

As you know, we are struggling through a very rough time right now. You can read a little about it HERE. I just thought I knew what a broken heart felt like. Well, I DO know now...and it sucks. I am writing tonight to forewarn you all. I am all over the place right now. My mind is going 90 to nothing. My heart hurts. My body is doing fine because my mom, our friend Shelley and I have devoted ourselves to at least 3 workouts a week with an awesome trainer. I have two goals right now. First, I am determined to keep my kids lives as normal as possible. Second, I will be serving the Phillips family when they need me. I usually get the fun part, I get those sweet boys. That is pretty much all I can do right now. So here is my disclaimer.

If you call, I may not answer. Leave a voicemail and I will get it. (For example, Sheila, I got your voicemail and smiled with your "Pretty Woman" reference.) If it's an emergency keep calling. Text me. I love texting.

I will most likely become a very terrible friend/family member. Please forgive me.

Feel free to stop by anytime...just don't be surprised if you find me and my children still in our pajamas, crumbs on the floor, toys and shoes ALL over.

I forget stuff all the time. Just remember that.

Most importantly...please pray for our family. Pray for a miracle. Thank you a million times.

Worst Fear.

2010-05-15T17:57:00.001-07:00

There are a few things in this world that I fear. I have decided that I am afraid of snakes and heights. But I have a FEAR of a few things. I once watched an episode of ER when Cynthia Nixon guest starred as a patient who had suffered a stroke. I remember watching and being completely claustrophobic because she was thinking very clearly, but could NOT say the words she needed to say. The scene gripped me and I have never forgotten it. I made up my mind, THAT would have to be one of the WORST feelings in the world.

Rewind to Wednesday. There was a front moving through so I was not surprised to feel a migraine headache coming on. I usually get tunnel vision and little squiggly lines followed by numbness and tingling in my hands and face...and then the headache. Some days it's no big deal and some days it's debilitating. Wednesday morning didn't seem to be too bad. However, as soon as it passed, it started all over...only with puking this time. Great. Brian got home, I went upstairs to take lots of medicine and pass out. After about 20 minutes, I could tell something was NOT right. I yelled for Brian and he found me in BAD shape. He knew that if the meds could just kick in, I could sleep it off. So as I started to calm down, he thought that was exactly what was happening. Unfortunately, that was not the case. True, I was still and quiet. BUT, it wasn't because I was feeling better. It was because my entire body was paralyzed and I couldn't speak. It was the worst feeling I've ever had. I couldn't see but I managed to say 911, so Brian called an ambulance. They came and took me to the hospital. All the while, I was unable to move or speak much. They drugged me up, scanned my brain and did a spinal tap. They ruled that it was just a VERY serious migraine. I will spare you a lot of the details because it was really VERY traumatizing. I thought for sure that I was having a stroke or an aneurysm. I remember saying (in my head of course), "GOD I don't want to die." I am still recovering from the spinal tap. They say if I keep the fluids coming it should replenish my spinal fluid so I can avoid another needle in my spine.

On the bright side...my brain was free of anything that would be cause for concern, my spinal fluid was crystal clear and I faced one of my biggest fears head on. The adults in my family are still recovering from seeing me like that. Sorry guys.

The Mother Hood.

2010-05-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

This little girl made me a mom. She is my little smartie and she purrs when she is happy.

This little guy made me a mommy of two. I'm almost sure he is made of sugar cubes.

This is mine....all mine.

They are brother and sister....

and MOST of the time, great buddies.

These two women made me the mommy I am today.

She raised my husband and molded him into the amazing man he is today.

This beautiful girl is raising my beautiful niece, keeping my brother in line and is one of my very best friends in the world!
I guess what I'm trying to say....is HOORAY for MOTHERHOOD!!!! Thank you God for trusting me with the lives of these little people. Thank you for these wonderful mothers who love and support me.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

The Secret Mission.

2010-05-04T21:35:00.000-07:00

In my previous post, I mentioned a secret mission. Here it is.

Yes, that is my wrist. Yes, it IS real. No, I still can't believe I did it. But here's how it came about.

A few years ago Big Daddy took me out for our 5th anniversary. We talked at dinner about getting tattoos to commemorate the occasion. Well, we couldn't decide what we wanted and in the end...it was getting late and none of the reputable shops were open. Over the next few years, we would joke about getting tattoos but I could never think of anything that I really wanted. UNTIL...my 30th birthday! We were eating dinner and Big Daddy asked me what I wanted to do afterwards. I mentioned the tattoo thing again and he suggested that we both get Matthew 19:6. After consulting my Bible app on my phone, I agreed that it was EXACTLY what I wanted! I decided that my wrist will probably be the last place on my body to get fat and/or wrinkly so the tat should go there. It's also super easy to hide if need be. So off we went. It didn't hurt too bad, but it totally freaked me out. The thought of something so permanent on my person, was a lot to take in. But after the shock wore off...I was happy with it. I did panic a little because I was SO afraid that my phone app and the 5 websites I checked were wrong and I would have a Bible verse quoting lineage permanently stamped on my wrist. I even went so far as to ask Wayne, the tattoo artist, if they had a Bible there in the tattoo shop. He chuckled and said they didn't have one in house but he would be happy to check Bible.com for me!

So there you have it! Cat's out of the bag!

Thirty.

2010-04-25T08:58:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official. I am 30. I never really gave it much thought until about a month ago. I will admit the thought of saying goodbye to my twenties did cause a small instant of panic. My twenties were good to me. I got engaged and married my high school sweetheart and man of my dreams, I graduated from college, got accepted into graduate school, survived one semester of grad school, made a huge choice to drop out and make babies (hands down BEST decision I ever made), sold MY first house, purchased OUR first house, made two perfect babies, started a blog, moved to the neighborhood we always dreamed of living, made our new house a home, walked our first born into Kindergarten....and now here we are.

That's not to say that my twenties were all sunshine and rainbows. We also watched our little Drew be airlifted to St. Louis when he was just hours old, said goodbye to our sweet friend Jeff Wester, we watched Jeff Melton succumb to melanoma, we were handed the devastating blow of a stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis of our precious Steph, we cried out to Jesus as he took my uncle sooner than we had planned.

But here's the deal. I am excited. God has blessed me with 30 years on this planet. Some moments were definitely better than others. Some moments were so good I could hardly believe I wasn't in Heaven. I know for certain, that God's will has been and is being done in my life. You really can't get any better than that. I don't know what He has in store for me during the next decade of my life, but I am excited to find out.

As for my birthday celebration...it was WONDERFUL!! I spent the day with my sister-in-law having the MOTHER of all garage sales!! My mother-in-law brought birthday donuts and made sure the kids were well supervised so Big Daddy could help keep the crowd outside under control. Really, he just wanted to make sure that I didn't sell Rexy the dino for anything less than $10. He gave me LOTS of cute stuff for my birthday then took me out on a hot date. We saw a movie (The Backup Plan...LAME-O), then went to eat crab legs at Flame (our favorite), then we went on a secret mission. More on that later.
This was on the way downtown. That handsome guy in the driver's seat...that's my boy toy. He's in his 20's. Does that make me a cougar? Oooooh I hope so.

Giveaway

2010-04-17T08:06:00.000-07:00

I am linking to THIS giveaway because I REALLY want to win THIS necklace. Not for me, but for a sweet mommy across town who is mourning the loss of her sweet baby. So go. Enter. If you don't want a necklace for yourself...and you should happen to win...contact me because I know someone who would love it.

Sign of the Times

2010-04-14T14:43:00.000-07:00

We were getting out of the car a few weeks ago at our favorite pizza place. Claire looked up and said, "What's THAT???"

"It," was one of these.

Fearless

2010-04-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

Last month, I had a REALLY bad week. It's really hard for me to even post that on here because my "bad" doesn't look near as bad as another person's "bad," but it was still hard. Big Daddy was out of town for the week. I woke up Monday with a migraine. I was bummed because my mom was coming over to spend the day. Instead of hanging out and decorating, I was sleeping it off. However, I was thankful that my mom was here to hang with Cohen while I slept. That night I went to bed with a "migraine hangover" but was sure I would be fine. Uh...no. I woke up in the middle of the night and was SICK! I finally had to call my mom and ask if she could come get the kids ready and take them to school. I then proceeded to puke for days. I had to stay with my parents because I could not get out of bed!

**My mother is a saint. On the two days that Cohen and Levi had school she would get all FOUR kids ready, take them ALL into Drew's school to drop him off. She would put three back in the car and make the 20 minute drive to drop Claire off then back to Springfield to take the little boys to school!

So, during this time I was also having an emotional melt down. My faith was shaky at best. I couldn't believe how weak I felt physically and mentally. As I lay there I beat myself up. How on earth can I feel so bad when one of my best friends in the world is fighting for her life with such strength and courage?? Why can't I just suck it up? I became almost disabled by fear. I feared the outcome of Steph's fight with cancer. I feared the sickness that was raging in my body. I hated the fact that I added more to my mom's plate. (Make no mistake, my mom is happy to help and was thrilled to have so much time with my kids. She LOVED every second of it, so I'm not sure why I was worried about that!) I missed my husband and was terrified that he would get stuck in New York due to the pending snow storm projected to hit the east coast.

The week went on and don't you know it...God prevailed. I still felt pretty bad but Brian was on one of the VERY FEW flights that got out of NYC before the snow storm hit. He made it home and the weekend came. I went to the doctor on Monday (Yes, I waited until Monday because I seriously could not get out of bed!) and found that I had an ear infection that was causing all kinds of problems. My doctor actually asked if she could look at my ear again because she had never seen anything like it! (P.S. my ear NEVER hurt!) On Tuesday we went to Lifeway and I found a great book that I am still trying to finish. Fearless but Max Lucado. It was as if the book jumped off the shelf into my arms. Hmmm, I wonder how that happened?? I am convinced that God didn't hear my prayers. He heard my mom's prayers. I know she was praying for me. I know she was praying that I could find peace. And I did.

I know God wants me to be a lot of things, but afraid is not one of them. By being full of fear, I am being disobedient to Him. By focusing on the things that terrify me, I am ignoring the things that should be filling my soul with joy. I have done A LOT of praying and soul searching. I have come to some conclusions and I will share them when the time is right. As hard as life has been in the past few years...it's getting harder. I don't know exactly what the future holds but I DO know one thing. I know that I will not survive with the attitude I had last month. Worrying, feeling guilty and being afraid is not going to make Steph's cancer go away. If it could, I'm pretty sure my dad and I could have cured her about a year ago. I don't have all the answers, and never will, but I trust in God's plan. I am thankful for His promise to me. I am also thankful for His decision to put me in this amazing family. Because of these things, I am determined to be fearless.

Work At Home Mom

2010-03-24T07:46:00.000-07:00

Becoming a mom changes everything. EVERYTHING. When you welcome a little one into your world, you and your needs automatically take a backseat. It becomes impossible to make a decision based on ONLY what you want. You always stop to consider how or if your decision is going to affect your offspring. I once read something that said, becoming a mother is learning to live with your heart walking around outside of your body.

I always knew I wanted to be a stay at home mom. Of course for years, I fought it. I was in college, getting a degree and I was determined to have a career. Then the discussions started happening between me and Big Daddy. The time was drawing near. It was almost time to start trying for a baby. My whole outlook changed. Logistics played a huge part. I was going to school to become an educator of the deaf and hard of hearing. When I really stopped to think about it...it just didn't add up. How on earth could I justify working outside the home when I would be spending the majority of my income on childcare. I would be making a VERY small amount of money and in return....someone else would raise my children. That was a deal I was not willing to take.

So it was decided. I would stay at home. I had it all worked out in my head. I would be gently awakened each morning as the sun streamed in and kissed my cheeks. I would tip toe in and check on my little cherub as she was still peacefully sleeping in her perfect crib in her perfect room. I would shower and get myself ready for the day then get her up to nurse her. I would dress her in one of her beautiful outfits and we would head into town for lunch or maybe some shopping. I would get home in time to have dinner on the table. We would have dinner and then play with our little sweet and she would be completely engaged in whatever educational game or toy we were using. Bath time would be next followed by a story and then bed. We would lay her in her crib and she would slowly drift into dreamland.

HA!

Here is how it really went. After being up every two hours ALL night long, I would stagger to her room because she was screaming bloody murder. I would be welcomed by a smell that could only mean that the diaper she was wearing had not done its job. I would give HER a bath and forgo my own....again. I would feed her a bottle because after all it had been 2 hours since her last bottle. (I gave up the dream of nursing about 12 hours into the whole deal...enter the first complication of insulin problems) She was always dressed cute...I will give myself that. The kid had more clothes than I care to admit. I would try to make it through the day without crying (which rarely happened...thank you post-partum depression.) and when Big Daddy finally got home after what seemed like years....we would order pizza, eat a sandwich or a bowl of cereal. Big Daddy would play with her for a bit and then one of us would rock her to sleep. After laying her in her crib (if she didn't wake up right away which meant you had to start all over again.) you had to creep EVER so quietly out of the room taking extra care not to step on the squeaky part of the floor. However, the squeak was located right in front of her bedroom door...so it was pretty much impossible to avoid. If her little head popped up...you failed and had to start all over. The first seven months of Claire's life were a blur. I wish I could go back and do them again....I really do. I have learned so much since then.

We finally got into a better routine. My lifeline was my job at the bookstore. It helped me to get out of the house and interact with others. I worked with a great group of ladies and had so much fun. The best part was our little nursery we had set up in my mom's office. Claire came with me and everyone adored her. I did the same thing when Cohen was born. I remember strapping him to my chest and working away! I sure do miss that place!

I still fought the stay at home mom thing. I felt repressed. I felt the life being sucked out of me. I felt like there was so much more out there than strained peas, baby Einstein and a daily incident with poop. It wasn't until I had Cohen that I really started to get it. There IS more out there....but maybe, just maybe, I don't really want any part of it! I began to see my job in the home as exactly that. A JOB. I imagined getting a performance review from my boss. I can say without a doubt, I would have been fired. I thought about my jobs that I had in the past. I gave nothing but 100% to my past employers. Why is it okay that I was giving my family less than that? It wasn't. When I was finally honest with myself, I knew it was time for a change. I began a Bible study that changed my marriage. I started blogging which has been the best thing I have ever started and one of the only things I didn't quit 10 days into. I began to focus on the positive. Out with the bad...in with the good.

You see, I spent so much time focusing on what I WASN'T getting to do that I completely lost sight of the things I DO get to do. I got to be there. I have yet to miss a first. I was there for her first smile and his first giggle. I watched them and cheered when they rolled over for the first time. I heard the first words they uttered and beamed with pride as they pulled up to our ottoman in the living room. I watched nervously as they toddled along taking their first steps. And this morning, I sit here and continue to count my blessings for new reasons. I get to listen to their conversations when they don't know I'm listening. I get to hear them say things like, "Good try" and "Good game" when playing games together and get to take credit for their good sportsmanship. I am spending a lazy spring break with my kids! We don't have to be anywhere! We have been getting up and being totally lazy. I get to sit and drink coffee while blogging and watching the kids play. LOVE IT. I've said it before and I'll say it again....THANK YOU Big Daddy for working so hard so I can stay....um....WORK at home!!!

Rotten Egg

2010-03-23T20:10:00.000-07:00

My kids have been complaining a lot lately. A LOT. About pretty much EVERY little thing. For some reason they think I should carry them upstairs. Uh...no. So in order to make them more excited about getting up the stairs to bed, I have adopted the "LAST ONE UP IS A ROTTEN EGG!!" approach. And it is working. I am perfectly content with my rotten egg status. Why? Because there is nothing cuter than Cohen turning around, pointing his little finger at me and yelling, "WOTTEN EGG!" I am already sad for the day that he will learn to say his R's wight.

Everybody Cut Footloose

2010-03-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

I was in preschool so my brother, Jarad, was about 2. Footloose was the hit movie. We had seen it a time or two and loved it. Of course we didn't really "get" it, but it was fun to watch them dance. One of Jarad's favorite parts was when Kevin Bacon was throwing a fit in an abandoned warehouse. He's mad about something so he does what any normal teenager in the early 1980's would do...he dances around and throws bottles while doing his high bar routine. You know...the usual. Jarad was so inspired by this scene that he decided to reenact part of it in our long driveway. He found some empty bottles and went to town. After breaking several, he realized that mom and dad may not be so happy about all of the glass in the driveway, so he swept it all into the grass.

Fast forward to later that day. We had set out with our Big Wheels so we could cruise down our long driveway that was PERFECT for picking up just the right amount of speed. We would get about 3/4 of the way down and turn into the grass sliding our feet to stop. I was making my first pass and I was FLYING! I got to the "turnoff" and headed left. And then it happened. I put my BARE feet in the grass to slide to a stop. I felt something sharp graze my cute little baby toe. As I rolled to a stop I saw A LOT of blood and my sweet little baby toe hanging on for dear life.

Of course, Jarad panicked and ran...away. NOT to the house to get mom and inform her that I may or may not be bleeding to death. NOT to get me a band-aid or a tourniquet. Nope, he ran and hid. Left me there to fend for myself. I crawled up the driveway leaving a trail of blood in my wake. Is it strange that I remember very distinctly (at the age of 4) which towel my mom wrapped my foot in??? It was one that had been hand embroidered with a potato on it and possibly the day of the week. I don't remember which day, but that's neither here nor there. I remember the car ride to the hospital and making some lame joke about how I wish it would have been the stupid dog across the street that had been hurt instead of my sweet little baby toe. (That dog had it comin' I promise. He ate my Slip N Slide...jerk.) I remember getting a shot in my sweet little baby toe and I remember what the stitches looked like. What I don't remember is what ever happened to my brother! I truly do not remember him being there. Maybe we just left HIM home alone to fend for HIMSELF...but I doubt it. My mom was good like that.

Still to this day, my sweet little baby toe tingles when I hear that song. I once told my sad story to my friend Kari at the bank. We decided that maybe "Toeloose" would be a more appropriate title.

Over the Mississippi and Through St. Louis....

2010-03-11T12:28:00.000-08:00

to grandmother's house we go! Our big boys (Big Daddy, Uncle and Papa) headed west to hunt wild hog so we went east to visit my Grammy and Papa Tom! Here is our trip in pictures!

Poor Nanny was shoved in the back with all the littles. I'm sure if you asked her, she would tell you that she enjoyed every second...except maybe the stop at Steak & Shake on the way home. That was a little much thanks to Claire's stinky feet and stinkier attitude.

Little Coco watching a movie.

Livi Loo playing with her baby. Just so you know, this child RAN the whole way. All six hours her little feet NEVER stopped!!

Cohen...just the opposite.

Wide awake.....

not so much.

We got to Grammy's and played for a bit. Mom decided that she would stay with Grammy and the rest of us would stay at a hotel (there was just too many of us!). Friday night she kept Claire with her and Saturday night she kept Cohen so that I only had one kiddo to wrangle! Friday night when she took us back to the hotel, Claire wanted to stay behind with Grammy. When mom returned, she found the girls playing with the "city" they had built in the office!

Cohen, Papa Tom and Tasha (Grammy's little dog)

Haircuts ALL AROUND!

We stopped by the nursing home to visit MY Great-Grandma. (My Papa Melvin's mom)

We met up with Aunt Marylin and Uncle Jerry (Papa Melvin's sister and her husband)

I see orderly in his future.

Alivia with her momma and her Great-great-Grandma!

Grammy with Cohen, Alivia, Claire and Claire's attitude.

Cohen and his beautiful Great-Grammy.

3 Generations!

**Not pictured...our visit with my namesake Chris, her husband Doug and her girls Grace and Hope! We left the camera at Grammy's shop!**

Thank you Grammy for having us! It was such a special weekend!

Cleaning Up the Kitchen

2010-03-07T12:19:00.000-08:00

We have all heard the phrase, "Desperate times call for desperate measures." If you read my other blog, you know that we have been teetering on the edge of desperate and faithful. We are faithful and serve a God who is so amazing. We trust in His plan. But we have learned during this journey that everyone has a story. People want to share their stories and we want to hear them. They give us hope. Everyone seems to have a cure. It's hard to know what to act on for fear that it may turn out to be the wrong choice in the end. Steph has spent hours upon hours in prayer regarding her treatment. She has researched nutrition and the effects it has on cancer. God has led her to put serious thought into what she puts into her body. In turn it has made me think...a dangerous pastime I know. I have the luxury of considering my nutrition in order to enhance my life. My friend HAS to consider nutrition in order to save hers. We also have a little girl who struggles with Insulin Resistance. I DETEST the fact that she is dependant on medication twice a day. Worse, the doctors think that hers is the rare case where it is NOT caused by poor diet and lack of exercise (because she falls into NEITHER category), therefore cannot be reversed with medication. This means, she could be on medication for the rest of her life. I hate that! If that is the case, we'll take it because I know it could be so much worse.

In light of ALL of this, I have decided to check into "Clean Eating" and have found that it's not horrible. I tried a little experiment this weekend. Last night we had sandwiches..."cleaned up" sandwiches. I have always given the kids all-natural peanut butter. They don't really know the difference so they don't complain. (I wish I would have done this with SO many other things!) Instead of jelly with their peanut butter, we used bananas and strawberries.

I put a little honey on Big Daddy's sandwich to sweeten the deal. THEY LOVED IT!!!! So much that they didn't even complain about the wheat bread! Claire even ate her crust! Today for lunch, she ate not one, but TWO sandwiches. (Which was great because the child NEVER eats anymore!) I realize, this was just a VERY small step and really nothing major but it was such a boost to my confidence. I am looking forward to trying some of the recipes in my new book.

Father Daughter Dance 2010

2010-03-03T20:01:00.000-08:00

Claire's school has a Father Daughter dance every year. While it serves as a great fundraiser for our PTA, that night I saw that the benefits go FAR beyond just money. When I came home after school with my girl we saw these....

I saw the look in her eyes...

I saw the smiles on their faces.

I saw beautiful decorations....

made just for these beautiful girls.

Most of all, I saw a room full of dads...showing their little ladies how women should be treated. They ushered them in proudly through the front doors. They took their coats and pinned their flowers on their sweet little dresses. They danced the night away with them and brought them plates full of goodies! I loved watching every second of it. (This is a perk of being a volunteer because moms weren't invited!) I am so thankful that Claire has such an amazing Daddy. After all, I know from experience how important the relationship is between a girl and her daddy.

Lovin'

2010-03-03T19:44:00.000-08:00

Better late than never!!! Here are the Valentine's pictures Aunt Karen took of the kids!

Morning Sports Report

2010-02-10T08:21:00.000-08:00

Morning Sports Report

A Lighter Fare

2010-02-08T19:10:00.001-08:00

Tonight, with Big Daddy at a meeting, I took my little lovelies to eat Chinese food. First, you should know that this little joint is quite small. In other words, you hear pretty much everything everyone says. We sat down and the kids started sipping away at their drinks. (Yes, soda.) Our food arrived via the waiter with black and red hair. Cohen asked me if that boy rubbed his hand on his red shirt and then wiped it in his hair. Oh dear. I was cutting up Cohen's chicken when all of the sudden this GIANT noise came bellowing out my sweet boy's face. He was just as shocked as I was. He said, "Excuse me!" We all cracked up...meaning me and every other person in the restaurant! Usually, I would not encourage such behavior (in public anyway) but it was just so obvious that the poor kid had NO control over that one! We settled ourselves and then Claire noticed something out of the corner of her eye. "Look mom! It's a doodoo statue!" What on earth is a doodoo statue?? I looked over to see a BUDDAH statue! Again...lost it! I turned to the door just in time to see a man walking in with a very interesting looking beard. Before I could whip back around Cohen yells, "WHOOOOAAAAA MOMMA!!!! LOOK at that LONG beard!" Oh dear. "Yes honey, that is a very neat looking beard but let's use our quiet voices please!" I don't think for a second that he was being mean or making fun, in fact he really liked this man and his beard, but you can imagine how tempting it was to crawl under the table. Not ten seconds later, Cohen's eyes lit up like the fourth of July. A smile spread across his face that could melt your heart in two seconds flat. I turned and could NOT believe my eyes. Cohen started bouncing up and down in his seat. I tried to settle him down and gain his full attention. That didn't happen. At least not until AFTER he squealed, "MOMMMA!!!! He's like the doodoo statue!!!!" In Cohen's defense, the man did like very similar to the statue. Again, he was NOT being rude. He was genuinely excited that he was seeing a real life Buddah statue! I think every mom has at least ONE of these stories. Why am I not surprised that I got 4 in one short meal? What's your story???

Angels in Leather.

2010-02-02T18:03:00.000-08:00

It was October. I was 16. We had just placed 2nd in a volleyball tournament after a loss to Willard. The second place finish stung even worse because they beat us on our home court...in our own tournament. We were all pretty upset. This would be a night that I would learn a life lesson about perspective.

My best friend Kim and I were inseparable. Her parents were out of town and we were going to be hanging out there with two of our other friends. We were totally honest with my parents about this and they trusted us. (So that isn't where this story is going!) When I left my house, I left a note to my mom and dad that I signed, "Love, Chrissy....PS I love you too Jarad!" I ran out the door and had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I chalked it up to being scared of the dark on the way out to my car, and sped to Kim's house. We had heard of a little party that we were going to stop by and I wanted to change before we went because the yellow warm up pants were not doing it for me. It was a little after 9:00 pm. We were driving down a road that was known for being dangerous, but was pretty much impossible to avoid. Many times we would speed down that road not thinking twice about it. But not that night. For some reason, we were going the speed limit. As we belted out the words to "Last Dance With Mary Jane" a car turned in front of us. I had just enough time to think, "What an idiot!" I thought for one second that someone had turned into a driveway that I knew was there somewhere. In the next second, as we smashed into the back of the car, I knew that something was very wrong.

Kim pulled into the driveway just feet from where the accident occurred. She grabbed her cell phone and we jumped out of her truck. As she was dialing for help, I ran to the car. I placed my hand on the drivers side door and froze. I couldn't see much, but what I saw told me that I would be of no help to these girls. I turned and threw up. I was starting to lose it when a man approached us. I don't remember his face, but I remember he was wearing a black leather jacket. He offered it to me because I was shaking uncontrollably. I declined for fear that I would get sick again. He crouched down with us and prayed. For just one moment, I was able to get it together and realize...my life had just been spared. The next hours were a blur. Emergency vehicles, reporters and news cameras were everywhere.

Meanwhile, my parents were out to dinner with a group of friends. My dad had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. They were in separate cars and he told my mom that he was going to go the back way which would take him right past Kim's street. As he approached the bottom of the hill, he saw it. The road was blocked quite a ways each direction. He threw his truck into park and jumped out. He grabbed a reporter and yelled, "IS IT A FIRE??" She told him no. "IS IT KIDS?" He demanded. She nodded. He sprinted up the hill to find two wrecked vehicles, one being Kim's, and someone lying in the road covered in a white sheet. I turned as I heard my name and ran to my Dad. I remember this moment so distinctly and others may too...they showed it on the news for days. My poor mother and brother had just returned home to a message that said, "Mom...Dad..it's me. There was an accident. It's bad." Imagine the panic. Someone finally called and told them where we were and they were there in minutes.

As the details came in here is what we learned. There were three girls. Two of the girls were freshmen at our school and the other was the 17 year old sister of one of the younger girls. The 17 year old was still alive. One was pronounced dead at the scene and the other died on the way to the hospital. They struck the tree going approximately 80 miles per hour. They bounced off and that is when we hit the back of their car. We later learned the accident happened when the young driver turned to the backseat. She lost control and that was that.

As the months went by, I became very depressed and lost A LOT of weight. My 6'0 frame only carrying 115 pounds was not a pretty sight. I didn't sleep and was terrified to leave my family. My friendships changed....a LOT changed. But as I emerged from this dark time in my life, I could see clearly, I was never alone. God was with us the whole way. From the note to my brother to the slow rate of speed we were traveling at. From my dad taking the back way to the kindness of a stranger who stopped to pray. Which brings me to the brightest part of my story.

Months later, my mom ran into someone she knew who asked her, "How is Chrissy doing after the accident?" My mom assured her that I was fine. "Well, my ex-husband was the first one there and didn't realize until later who the girls were." My mom was gasped, "OH! He was the sweet man who stopped to pray with the girls!" She looked at my mom as if she had grown a second head! "Um, no. My ex-husband does not pray...and he said he never even spoke to the girls." And this is when I discovered, my guardian angel wears leather.

Searching.

2010-01-26T20:32:00.000-08:00

Today has been one of those days that has left me searching. Searching my brain for answers that I don't have. Searching my heart for my purpose. Searching my house for things I haven't been able to find since August. This world is full of things I don't understand. Why are there children who have been neglected or abandoned? Why does cancer rip families limb from limb? Why the hate? Why the sickness? Why the sadness? So I search for answers. I search for ways to help. I search...sometimes to no avail.

The one place I find solace is in the Word of God. The TRUTH. His promise is what keeps me going.

I have had discussions with people who are non-believers. It used to make me uncomfortable because I never felt I had the right words. I was not very familiar with scripture and I don't think I will ever be able to spout off Bible verses for as long as I live. But one day, the following "came to me" which I later discovered, this is how God speaks to us. Without my faith, I would crumble under the pressure of the world. God gave me a very soft heart. Ask my parents. I've always been the "fragile" one. Over the past few years I have learned that this is not a bad thing as long as I remember His promise. He gave me a soft heart and often asks me to put it on the line. It's uncomfortable, sometimes downright painful. I will do it, because He asks me to. I could very well avoid a lot of heartache by keeping my distance, but tragically that would mean I would miss out on so much joy. The joy of new relationships. The joy of making someone's day brighter. The joy of doing God's work.

I have found that searching isn't really doing me any favors. Maybe I will just be still and listen.

But I will keep searching for my kitchen utensils.

Baby Bot.

2010-01-25T15:03:00.000-08:00

It looks as though these aching arms will have to wait longer than expected to hold the baby bot. We know Uncle Gary is holding him or her in Heaven. Rest little sweet pea. We will see you someday.

This is my confession.

2010-01-17T14:43:00.001-08:00

If you have read either one of my blogs over the last several months you've probably noticed, there has been a lot going on. Moving, school, holidays, crafts, cooking, cleaning, laundry, parties, deaths, a pregnancy announcement and A LOT of praying. What you may or may not have noticed is a mention of the George family attending church. It may not be completely out of the ordinary because I don't really broadcast each and every service we attend. But the truth is...we haven't been going. It was never because we were "backsliding" or revolting against organized religion. It wasn't because we don't LOVE going. It was for a few reasons, which are not even remotely acceptable when I look at what all God has done for me. Thankfully I serve a God who knows I'm not perfect and He will forgive me for my brief hiatus.

God sent me a sign in the form of TWO children who asked a few times in one week, "Momma, when are we going to go back to church?" Ouch. Talk about a humbling experience. Claire was VERY excited about trying out "medium church" and Cohen was excited about going to the "big boy play land!" I was thankful for our "guy" who has been Cohen's teacher since birth. (And that is really saying something in a church the size of ours...he is truly a blessing!)

So after a few months of lazy Sunday mornings, we are back. And let me tell you...it felt great.

Stream of Consciousness

2010-01-13T21:00:00.000-08:00

Taking a cue from MckMama I decided to try my hand at this. Just my thoughts...unorganized as they may be.

Life is hard. I'm thankful that I am a Christian and can cling tight to my faith knowing there will be a day...when we will live with no pain. No tears. No cancer. I love my family. They are God's gift to me on this earth. My kids...oh my kids. They make life worth living and some days are THE reason I get out of bed. As much as I love them, I lose my patience with them. I need to work on that...staying calm. I often feel like I am walking around with the weight of the world on my shoulders. My husband is my rock. I hope he knows how much I adore him. Sometimes my actions might be quite contrary. I need to get that in check. I can make or break the mood in my home. If momma ain't happy...ain't nobody happy. What power...what responsibility. I use these....too much. I feel judged by people I don't know. Why do I care? It must be my people pleasing ways. I worry too much, which apparently means I need to pray more. I am blessed with so many people in my life who I know are praying for us. I'm scared. I miss Bible study. Being a grownup is hard, but the reward of raising a family is so much greater than anything I could imagine.

So there you have it...my thoughts. Interesting I know.

This kid...

2010-01-12T20:04:00.000-08:00

melts my heart into a big puddle of mushy goodness...pretty much daily.

On Saturday, Grandma Connie watched the kids so Big Daddy and I could have a little date. We went to see The Blind Side and it was a GREAT movie. But nothing compared to the story I heard when I picked up my little lovelies.

Claire had decided to make up a game for her, Grandma and Cohen to play. She wrote names on note cards and stacked them up. Each person was to draw a card and say something nice about the person on the card. Here are some of Cohen's answers:

Nanny: "She has a clean house and she is a very good Nanny."

Papa: "He is a very good fisherman and I love him."

Aunt Sandy: "She is nice to me, she makes good soup and I love her dog Mulligan."

And the best one....

Uncle Gary: "I am sorry that he died but he is in Heaven with Jesus and I love him...so does Jesus."

There it goes again....a big puddle of mushy goodness.

Since Christmas....

2010-01-07T09:37:00.001-08:00

I have taken the first picture with my new camera.

Celebrated New Year's Eve with some pretty great people.

Let my son creep in on a family picture.

Freaked the kids out. (Dancing Santa is always good for that...especially sans head.)

Danced with my boy to "Big Green Tractor" (A FEW times.)

Woke up to a winter wonderland.

Let my husband take my picture without makeup.

Played in the snow.

Chased Claire in the snow.

Watched Claire slide down the hill "like a penguin."

Kissed this face often.

...and that was just AFTER Christmas. Maybe if you're lucky, I'll let you in on what I did BEFORE and DURING Christmas!

I Am...

2010-01-04T12:31:00.000-08:00

in LOVE with The Vintage Pearl! It's too bad there isn't anything like Valentine's Day...or a 30th birthday just around the corner. I'm just saying.

And THIS one couldn't be more perfect! I remember reading "Guess How Much I Love You" to Claire as a baby. I would tell her, "I love you to the moon and back!" As she got older, she said it back and tried with all her might to find a way to "top" me. She would also mix up the name of the main characters Big and Little "Nutbrown Hare" and it was HILARIOUS. Sick and wrong....but hilarious.

Treat from Heaven

2010-01-03T16:21:00.000-08:00

Remember THIS post, where I mentioned something had happened that I would share about later? Well, it's later.

I mentioned in that post that it was my Uncle Gary's birthday. I was sitting at my computer that evening and I received a message from my cousin Amy, Gary's oldest daughter. It said, "So, I'm with Angela and I just took a pregnancy test...the line is really light but it's there. What does that mean?" I started crying/borderline sobbing. I think my response was something along the lines of, "IT MEANS YOUR EGGO IS PREGO!!! CALL ME!!!"

That's right. On what would have been my Uncle Gary's 49th birthday...his daughter finds out she is with child. I prayed that night and thanked God for His faithfulness. He never forgets us...His children. He knew that December 10, 2009 was going to be so hard for Uncle Gary's family. He also knew that would be the day Amy would learn that her life was going to change in an incredible way.

I can't wait to watch Amy blossom into motherhood. I am thrilled for Chad to have the chance to be the amazing daddy we all know he will be. My arms ache to hold the "baby bot." I think it will be a boy. Most of all, I am thankful that this baby will be welcomed by a mother and father who love the Lord with all their hearts! Amy and Chad, we love you and pray every night for your growing family!

Priceless.

2009-12-29T07:26:00.000-08:00

Cost of a "Black Friday" shopping trip in Branson= $UNdisclosed.
Nutcracker=$14.99
The perfect place to hang your "Scoobs"=PRICELESS

Mary Did You Know?

2009-12-26T21:11:00.000-08:00

Let me start by saying, I LOVE CHRISTMAS! I love the smells, the beautiful lights, the music, the excitement and the spirit that surrounds us. One of my most favorite things is the music. I love it all. Music always touches my heart and takes me back to certain times in my life, be they good or bad. The Alabama Christmas album and Dolly Parton's "Hard Candy Christmas" always makes me think of my Oklahoma family. Silent night always reminds me of my ballet recitals. The Elvis Christmas album reminds me of Christmas morning at my mom and dad's. But one of my MOST favorite Christmas songs has to be, "Mary Did You Know?"

I will be honest when I say I didn't used to love it. It just wasn't one that caught my attention...until I was holding my infant son. I find myself thinking about Mary so often, especially during the Christmas season. Traveling on blind faith as her aching body was most likely pleading with her to stop. Giving birth to a son in conditions fit for a farm animal. Laying her sweet babe in a manger filled with hay. Did she know? Did she truly understand what this little baby was going going to do and how He would impact the world FOREVER???

I look at my children and am overwhelmed. I have no idea what they will become. But someone does...and I trust in Him.

A White Christmas!!!

2009-12-25T11:10:00.000-08:00

Claire couldn't even wait to put a coat on...so I, mother of the year 2009, just let her go out in the 16 degree weather. I thought that since it felt like -2 degrees that she would come in very quickly. Apparently I was wrong. Apparently she is part polar bear and I had to drag her in! Cohen joined the fun for a little bit too! Hope everyone is having a very Merry Christmas...especially you GRAMMY!!! We miss you!

A Little Tradition

2009-12-24T07:48:00.000-08:00

Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without a good ol' Christmas toot. I don't think this video EVER gets old. I realized today...Claire is going to kill me for putting this on the web. But it's so stinkin' funny...pun intended.

Now I must go and wrap some presents and prepare for a WHITE Christmas!!! (We hope!)

Decorating the Christmas Tree

2009-12-16T21:33:00.000-08:00

Have I ever told you...

2009-12-12T12:05:00.000-08:00

how much I love the Care to Learn Foundation??? Click on the link and read all about it. I recently found myself in charge of the Care to Learn project at Claire's school. It really is a VERY small time commitment with a HUGE reward. One of my responsibilities is to pick up our food and hygiene items for the month and bring it back to the elementary. I then stock our shelves so that the backpacks may be sent home each weekend with children who only receive meals at school so that they will have something to eat while school is not in session. Thursday was my first day. Thursday was also emotional because it was my Uncle Gary's birthday. Thankfully I was upstairs in the food pantry alone...because I was having a hard time keeping it all together. I got weepy when I unpacked the canned pastas and soups. I was misty eyed as I stacked the juice boxes and fruit cups. It was the moment I picked up two sticks of deodorant that I just broke down. Don't ask me why. Maybe it's the thought of those children who might be made fun of because they don't come to school clean. But really I think it's the fact that there are parents who can't provide the basics so that their children can go to school and learn without being worried about their empty stomachs, the way they look or even smell. Worse....there are parents who probably could, but choose not to. It seriously breaks my heart that there are so many children who are sustaining themselves all weekend on the stuff I was stacking on those shelves. So this holiday season...or any season for that matter...please remember the Care to Learn Foundation if you have some spare change. At the very least, please pray for the children in our area who go without. I pray that God will touch your heart and lead you to help somewhere this holiday season. Just to help you out...here are a few more links you could visit.

Toys For Tots
The Salvation Army
Least of These Food Pantry

OR go to the Charity Vault and find a worthy cause in your area!

There was something else that happened on Thursday...and I will share very soon. But until then, I challenge you to be a blessing to someone today!

Makes me think of Big Daddy....

2009-12-02T19:05:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year!

2009-11-28T09:38:00.000-08:00

It's time for me to overload you with pictures!!! We shall start with our family pictures taken last weekend by our Aunt Karen. (If you are on Facebook...you've already seen these!) Enjoy!

We like to keep it real.

ThankFULL

2009-11-25T07:06:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful that our sweet Auntie Karen is celebrating her 48th birthday. I remember this past spring very vividly. I got news that Karen had received a diagnosis of breast cancer. I sobbed for a short while because I didn't want her to have to go through this. But then I stopped and prayed. God reminded me of HIS power and of Karen's faith in HIM. She did her chemo, dealt with the sickness and all the other lovely side effects, rang the survivor bell and is currently growing some new hair! All the while taking pictures for people and creating memories they will treasure for a lifetime!

In the words of Cohen, "OH I just love that Auntie Karen!"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIRL!

ThankFULL

2009-11-23T20:39:00.000-08:00

Today I am SO thankful that my kids still mess up the words to Christmas songs. We were listening to "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" today in the car. All of the sudden, Claire busts up laughing. "MOM!!! That guy just said TIGHTIES!"

"Ohhhh TIGHTIES of comfort and joy!!"

If I sold underwear, that would totally be in my jingle.

ThankFULL

2009-11-22T19:48:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful that my formal living room is decorated for Christmas! It's so shiny and bright!

(Pay no attention to the bottom of the tree. I won't buy a new tree skirt until after Christmas and I forgot to shove a blanket under there!)

ThankFULL

2009-11-18T20:50:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful to have my husband home. He's been gone for five nights and it was COLD without him here. It wasn't too lonely because I have two little yahoos running around and a host of family to keep me company. Which brings me to my next thankFULL. I am so thankful for my momma who came over to help me drag all my Christmas stuff upstairs. My house is starting to look a LOT like Christmas. YES, it is the week before Thanksgiving, but I LOVE to decorate for Christmas and I want to be able to enjoy it for as long as possible. Which reminds me, I am also thankful that I got two beautiful strands of garland from Sam's last year! PERFECT for my new banister!

ThankFULL

2009-11-17T20:31:00.000-08:00

Okay...so I am a few days behind. BUT I have a good excuse and it goes by the name of migraine headache! I got one Sunday and was just not into looking at a computer screen!

On Sunday, I was thankful that I have finally found a medicine that works on my migraines. But most of all, I was SO thankful to wake up with my mom milling around in my kitchen! She made me a cup of coffee and we had the best day! She had spent the night because it was opening weekend 'round these parts! I vote that this is a new tradition...we loved it so much!

On Monday, I was SO thankful when I picked up my girl at school and she had the best day! She was also VERY excited to get to the eye doctor. She will continue to wear her glasses and she picked out a new pair that are ADORABLE! I am thankful that I do not have to choose between glasses for my child and food on the table. I am amazed everyday at the goodness of our Lord.

Today, I am thankful for my cousin Amy. I have mentioned her before in THIS post and I adore her. My kids adore her. We spent the evening drinking cream soda, eating ham and cheese croissants off of Mickey Mouse plates and coloring Shrinky Dinks. We managed to have a few meaningful conversations about life and God. The evening was wonderful. Thank you Jesus for surrounding me with so many wonderful people!

ThankFULL

2009-11-14T11:19:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for my home. I never imagined it would feel SO much like "home" so quickly. When I drive into our neighborhood, I still shake my head and pinch myself. I can't believe this is my life. I love it here so much. Whether it be entertaining for holidays, hosting parties to raise money or collect items for children and families in need or simply having out of town guests (hint hint!!!) I can't wait to share this amazing space that God has blessed us with!!! For this...even ALL the hardwood floors...I am thankful!

ThankFULL.

2009-11-13T19:58:00.000-08:00

Today I'm thankful for this...

If you can't tell, this is a roaring fire in front of two of my 3 favorite men. It's my little brother and my husband and the picture was taken by my dad...the other favorite man in my life. I'm thankful that I was (and still am) daddy's girl. I am thankful that I had a brother just 26 months younger than me to grow up with. I am thankful to have the love of a man who is good for so many reasons. MOST of all, I am thankful that they love each other enough that I'm not the least bit worried about them being in the woods together...with guns.

ThankFULL.

2009-11-12T19:31:00.000-08:00

Today, I am thankful for THIS.

ThankFULL

2009-11-11T06:05:00.001-08:00

Until Thanksgiving I will be posting one thing each day that I am thankful for.

Today, on Veteran's Day, I am thankful for the brave men and women who have fought or are fighting for our country. Without them, I may not have the freedom to post my opinions here for all to see. I am also extremely thankful for their families and friends at home who are taking care of business at home. There are SO many out there who are raising children, celebrating holidays, giving birth, witnessing baby's firsts without their spouses by their side. I am thankful that they are strong enough to do this. It amazes me. Jana M., Kristen S., Lori W....you are my heroes. You are 3 of the strongest women I know. Thank YOU for your service to our country! I guess Bryce, Montana and Michael are pretty awesome too!!

HE MADE IT!!!

2009-11-09T18:00:00.000-08:00

The sweet baby mentioned in the previous post just beat the odds. His mommy and daddy are beside themselves and giving God all the glory! YAY!!!!!

Praying for Stellan!

2009-11-09T05:46:00.001-08:00

www.mycharmingkids.net

Won't you pray with me?

Beyond Measure.

2009-11-07T06:03:00.000-08:00

Something happens when I look at pictures like these. HOW did THIS

Turn into THIS???

It seems like just yesterday that we were turning out the lights so he would open his eyes for this picture at the tender age of 2 weeks.

And now...oh those eyes.

One day, we were dedicating this sweet babe to our Lord....

And now he tucks his little hands under his chin and says his prayers by himself.

He was turning one and barely walking....

and now this.

Turning two with his baby fine curls....

now this.

How did he grow up right before my eyes? It makes my heart ache. Seriously, I hurt when I look at baby pictures of him. But then....

I kiss that sweet face and he says something sweet or hilarious...and I am thankful that he is growing, learning and thriving. I am blessed beyond measure.

School Pictures!

2009-11-05T14:41:00.000-08:00

Here are Cohen's school pictures! This would have been the day that we walked into preschool and I said, "Oh Cohen, all of your friends look soo...nice....OH NO!!!" That is when I realized it was picture day. The under armour shirt and tear away warm up pants were NOT gonna do! So I ran at breakneck speed to Kohl's and purchased a new outfit. I returned 17 minutes later and only had to spend $23!!! It was worth it. Heather Robbins always does a great job!

A few of Cohen's 3 year pics!

2009-11-03T14:11:00.000-08:00

And I love her.

2009-11-02T06:52:00.000-08:00

There she goes. My girl. She is sweet and sassy. Quiet but strong. She works hard at school. Can't wait to learn to read. Loves animals. Has her own sense of style that I hope never goes away. The boy that talks all the time sits next to her and she tells him to be quiet. (I witnessed it myself) She is VERY careful with library books. She loves Spanish, art and P.E. She loves her teacher. She wants a bunny. She wants to name her bunny Brian. She is generous. I. LOVE. HER.

I'll Let the Pictures Do MOST of the Talking!

2009-11-01T15:45:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we kicked off October with an 80's themed 30th birthday party for Brian's cousin Cory. Did we have fun? I'll let you be the judge.

Big Daddy.

Me.

Jenny. Doesn't get anymore 80's than this.

Cory. (He and Big Daddy had NO idea they got the same pants...a treat for everyone!)

Janel. Me. Hair.

My Karaoke performance.

Costume Parade at Pre-School.

Claire's Fall Party

Halloween at our house!

Lunch: Super Sweet Snake Sandwich

Claire, Drew, Cohen, Chandler, Levi and Livi. (Not pictured:Carston)

Cohen decided that this was the haunted mansion.

We had a great month and I CAN'T WAIT for November and December! So much to look forward to and be SO thankful for!

:Mr. Holland

2009-10-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

One of my most favorite movies of all times is Mr. Holland's Opus starring Richard Dreyfus. One of my most favorite people just happens to be my namesake, Mary Christine. (a.k.a Chris) And check this out.

There they are. Both in the same place. Sweet.

This morning.

2009-10-24T08:49:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting on my couch. in a clean house...well, the parts we live in are clean. I'm looking at this.

Big Daddy is playing golf.

The kids are with Grandma headed to the pumpkin patch.

It is silent except for the buzzing of the neighbor's weed eater, the ticking of the clock and the tapping of my fingers on the keys.

I am enjoying a very peaceful moment drinking my coffee before I head downstairs to tackle a heap of laundry that is, NO KIDDING, chest high. But I found myself thinking about the day when mornings like this will be the norm. My children will be grown and I will have a lot of mornings like this. And I know, when that day comes, I will miss the sounds of my kids running through screaming wildly as they play together. I will miss mornings like that far more than I long for the quiet ones now. But today, I really needed this!!! Happy Saturday!

Our Little Animal lover.

2009-10-23T18:18:00.000-07:00

Claire is on fall break for the next few days but Cohen still had preschool today so I used the opportunity to do something special with my girl. My coach from high school was kind enough to show us around the education building at the zoo. We looked at all the animals and then got to get a few out! I took a few pictures that I had to share!

Claire petting the Chinchilla. He was SO soft!

The Bearded Dragon.

I don't remember the name of this one...but it pooped on the table.

This is Alberta the Screech Owl. SO COOL!

NOW, brace yourselves. Remember this post? If you know me, you know that I have an irrational fear of snakes. When I see a snake (on T.V., in a book or Heaven forbid...in person) I get this weird sensation in my ears, my breathing picks up and my armpits start to sweat a little. Too much info? Well, I just want you to understand what I did today just to see my girl smile!

This is Claire and a Speckled King Snake named Sir Cumference.

She loved this thing!!!!

The only thing I liked about the snakes were their clever names. My favorite...Julius Squeezer. Ha!!

This is Monty a Ball Python. Can you believe HOW close that thing is to the camera which has MY hand on it? There was no zoom. He. Was. RIGHT. THERE!!!!!

Claire and I had a great morning together. Then my mom came over with the boys and we had a fun and VERY LOUD afternoon playing and working around the house. Then Big Daddy came home. I wish this pic wasn't blurry! Check out these two cuties and my big strong man!! Keep in mind, the one on your left weighs 55 pounds!!!

Who needs a gym?

Fundraiser!

2009-10-22T16:05:00.001-07:00

On Monday October 26th, we will be having a fundraiser to benefit Ozark's Care to Learn program. I have mentioned before how important this cause is to me. Care To Learn provides immediate funding and action to meet any emergent health, hunger or hygiene issue a child might have; addressing a physical need, restoring respect, and getting that child back in the classroom. We also are participating in the backpack program which will send home backpacks stocked with snacks and easy to prepare meals for children who may not get meals outside of school.

So please join us at McAllisters in Nixa Monday October 26th from 5-9!!

On the mend.

2009-10-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

My sweet babes are on the mend. The rest of my family...not so. We managed to infect at least five other people with this nasty virus and I can't for the life of me figure out how my mom and I escaped. Me. The one who was spit on, sneezed on, puked on and breathed on for days! At one point the following sentence ACTUALLY came out of my mouth. "Cohen, honey, would you please not talk directly into my mouth...your HOT breath is creeping me out."

I'm not sure if Big Daddy was feeling sorry for me, or if it's because he wants to golf tomorrow, but he was SUCH a sweetheart and took the kids to Incredible Pizza. I called my mom and we headed out for lunch, shopping and THEN dinner!!! Thanks Big Daddy!!!

Looking forward to a busy week filled with the Book Fair, parent/teacher conferences and the food drive for "Care to Learn" at school. SO glad my little people are feeling much better! Thank you ALL for your prayers and concern!!!

A Letter of Gratitude

2009-10-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

Dear ,

I would like to thank you sincerely for making such delicious coffee. Furthermore, I would like to thank you for making it available to purchase at my local grocery establishment and make in my own home! You see, with two children infected with the nasty H1N1 virus, the days were less than exciting. But let me tell you Mr. Donuts, when the smell of your delicious coffee filled my nose...all was right with the world. It was YOU Mr. Donuts that got me through 3 & 1/2 days with two very sick children and NO Big Daddy in sight. Now I must go and write another thank you letter.

Sincerely,

Chrissy

Dear ......Well, you get the picture.

Swine Country.

2009-10-15T09:19:00.001-07:00

Just a little update on my little ones. Claire actually ran fever all night. BOO. I thought we were on the mend with her but she has been coughing and laying around all morning. She got up and 8:00 and was coughing her head off so I brought her downstairs in an effort to let Cohen sleep in.

Cohen took about half a dose of Tamiflu last night after spitting most of it out at me. I think it made him sick to his stomach because he threw up twice. He had a restless night but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be! This morning he came down and seemed to be in pretty good spirits. He turned the corner and said, "Momma LOOK!" He pointed to his arm which was covered in blood. As I gasped and tried to keep it cool, I realized he had NO clue that his entire face was also covered in blood! Apparently they poked him pretty good when they checked him for the flu and now he has a pretty constant nose bleed. I wasn't even thinking when I sat him on the sink and he looked over at the mirror. He FREAKED OUT!!! Poor kid! So, I have a call into the doctor just to see if I should be concerned. He insists on wiping his nose himself, so here is what he looks like. I PROMISE I am trying to keep his face clean, but he just gets so upset and I'm trying to pick my battles here.

Oink.

2009-10-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

I took Claire and Coco to the doctor today. Claire has had a fever since Saturday but no other major symptoms. She developed a cough yesterday and Cohen went down in the middle of the night with fever, chills, body aches and a cough. Each one of them got a Q-Tip jammed up their nose and then tested positive for the H1N1 virus...aka..Swine Flu. Yuck. Unfortunately I think our friend Drew has it too. I am hoping that God sent my "Mommy Bubble" in order to protect me! It's a lot easier to take care of my babes when I don't feel as lousy as they do, but I'd trade places with them in a heartbeat!

Mr. Cohen is really sad and he misses his Daddy who will be home in just a few hours!

This is Drew. I watched him for a while yesterday since he was home sick too!

Singing For His Supper...

2009-10-10T19:39:00.000-07:00

Here are two videos I got today of Mr. Coco. He found his microphone and wanted me to record him singing. Watch it and try not to fall in love with our little crooner.

In the first one you get to hear a little bit of his southern "twang" that he picked up his sweet teacher who is from Tennessee. Also, he sings "little ones to BE HIM LONG, they are weak.." It's too cute!

Here's a song from the secular charts.

It's raining, it's pouring!!

2009-10-08T12:40:00.001-07:00

I took a little video of Cohen playing on the cart path so you could truly understand how hard it was raining! I was afraid to let him go by the little bridge, because I think the current could have swept him away!! (Even if he is 55 pounds!!)

My neighbors probably thought I was crazy letting my child play in the rain when it was a little chilly...but I guess we are even. I thought they were crazy when I saw a giant truck in front of their house that said, "Puffy Paws...a moblie pet stylist." I'm just saying.