Making it up as I go along

2010-10-11T21:01:00.000-07:00

I never imagined I would have a teenage daughter that resembled myself in so many different aspects not only physically but emotionally as well but also is so different in many aspects. gemma is 13 as of June 11th. I remember feeling very angry and feeling like I didn't fit in at that age. Gemma--on the other hand has more friends then she can count and has demostrated amazing self confidence with trying volleyball, track, basketball, art classes, and photography. I had no self confidence as a teenager and am not sure how or where gemma got this amazing quality. On the other hand she is addicted to facebook and her cell phone, she has moods like you wouldn't believe, and academically she does what she needs to do to make a's and b's and nothing above and beyond.
I want to be the best mom I can and direct my children the way they need to go but sometimes I feel so inadequate and tired--and the most I can do is not going to suffice. I hope that the love and support i can give my children will be a strong foundation for their future.

2010-09-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

sadie told dan on the third day of kindergarten--"I don't want to learn spanish daddy"--poor thing broke my heart. I know as time goes on it will get better but as of the first week of school she is not understanding anything. how frustrating would that be??? now--I hear her muttering spanish in the bath and around the house. but if she isn't in class she would rather not be talked to in spanish. I have to remember it is called spanish immersion for a reason.

lately I feel like I have to go onto facebook to see what is going on with gemma--she is so moody lately. It is my first time dealing with a teenage girl and come to find out it is really hard. I guess I just need to put my seatbelt on and get ready for the ride.

my cis class is done--I got an A. I haven't signed up for a fall class yet b/c I am just so tired.

2010-08-22T22:03:00.000-07:00

My hubby is in wisconsin for work training and my mom is here visiting me from iowa. We have eaten out and shopped at every store in bend. It is nice to have my mom here--even though we have our differences--we still have fun together. I have two cis classes left. This last week we have learned about power point presentations. Quite a foreign concept for this nurse but I am doing the best I can.
discouraging school news--I need to take all of my A & P classes all over again plus my chemistry class. this will take at least another year or more. I can't seem to catch any luck when it comes to getting my rn. I will just keep whittling away at it and try to keep positive.

fun at the fair

2010-08-15T22:35:00.000-07:00

2010-08-15T22:10:00.000-07:00

this week in computer class bought more microsoft excel with the addition of charts--pie, columns, bars ect. I told my husband I think I could actually be helpful to someone or to myself with this newfound knowledge. unfortunately as a lpn in the pulmonary department I will quietly practice microsoft excel/charting in the comfort of my own home.
on a side note--I had to have my wedding ring cut off of my finger today. I wear three rings--on saturday night I was fidgeting with all of my rings and placed my wedding ring on my left hand index finger where it remained all night. In the morning when I attempted to take my ring off my finger swelled to three times its normal size. I tried windex, soap, lotion to no avail. today when my finger looked as if it may need to be amputated I went to a jewelry store. Two young women helped my husband saw the ring off of my finger ensuring us that it could still be welded back together. what relief when the ring finally came off--all due to my ridiculous stupidity.

2010-08-09T19:16:00.000-07:00

I am now on a nine day course of prednisone for the numbness and tingling in my left arm and the pain in my neck. The plan is to decrease the inflammation and therefore decrease pressure being put on my nerve. If this doesn't work I will get to have a mri--The prednisone has affected me --I haven't been able to sleep in two nights and am a walking zombie and still no relief from the arm. I am going to request an ergonomics review of my work station this week and see if I can make changes there for the better.
on a side note--I did cis 120 homework all weekend--b4 camping, after camping, watching the book of eli, on my bed, in my comfy chair.........
thank you julia for all of you help:)

homework?????

2010-08-06T22:12:00.000-07:00

camping or homework?? that is the ultimate question. My husband left today with the littles for wickiup camping for mil's birthday. As for me--I work full-time and am taking a class as well so decided that a little home time as well as homework time would be the way for me to go. I am loving CIS 120 from the perspective that I can use this stuff---for budgeting, budgeting, and maybe some more budgeting. Excel rocks and the more proficient I can become with it the better. I do miss my family but...you gotta do what you gotta do.

2010-08-05T21:38:00.000-07:00

I saw a physician today and my chiropractor. My physician recommended that I start on prednisone for 9 days to decrease the inflammation in my neck--and what do you know my chiropractor agreed. I am still unsure what I am going to do--I just want to feel better. My chiropractor also gave me a newfangled device to wear on my neck for traction. right now I feel like 2 days of sleep with a few bubble baths and some me time might just make everything better but I am not sure. I sure have enjoyed my massages at the chiropractors office--it's the little things!!

bend elks baseball game

2010-08-05T21:31:00.000-07:00

went to a bend elks baseball game tuesday night--wasn't so enthused to stand in line for 30 minutes in the hot sun but acutally enjoyed myself. two dollars to get in, two dollar hot dogs and soda. and two dollar beers--rock on!! brecken also got a foul ball which made his day.

cis 120

2010-07-26T18:29:00.000-07:00

I started a computer class june 21st--easy right? an intro to computers class. How difficult could it be? I seriously feel like I am in a foreign land while I am in class. bits, bytes, tcp, urls are all terms I have come across in the strange computer land. The teacher is wonderful and allows us to email at all hours of the night to ask stupid, inane questions. The last computer class I took was in 1991 when computers were ridiculously large and someone here at cocc decided that class was outdated. that is why I am here..

2010-07-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

camping at wickiup
dan often says he wished I would have gone camping as a child so I could handle the "roughing it" a little better:)

2010-07-19T21:47:00.000-07:00

I have had major stress at work lately. my whole spine, neck, back, and left arm are out of alignment. the two have nothing to do with each other. the doctor that hired me one year ago august got let go last thursday for reasons unknown. work is chaotic and stressful. I'm sure things will get better. I went to the chiropractor last week for the reasons I mentioned earlier--just not sure what is going on and the symptoms I am having are freaking me out and just very bothersome. tomorrow I have another appt and and I so need to feel better.

2010-07-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

dan and I took the kids to juniper swim and fitness yesterday and decided that everybody in bend is in better shape then we are. dan said we would have to stop eating and drinking in order to look like some of these parents--ha ha
not going to happen

toothless

2010-06-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

after many hours of agonizing over her loose bloody tooth, sadie managed to get it out. now she can't stop smiling.

gemma

2010-06-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

I took the afternoon off yesterday to spend with gemma. It reminded me of the days when my mom would take my sister and I shopping and out to eat. I loved those time even though at the time they weren't the most exciting...

I picked her up from school--she has 2 days left now. we went to Olive Garden for lunch followed by shopping at Ross (her favorite store), and then to get her hair cut and styled. she has such poofy thick hair--not sure where that comes from--and we don't get her regular cuts as it is just not a priority. gemma is such a extraordinar girl--but thinks she is average AT EVERYTHING--if only she could see herself as I do. today was her birthday party--she had 3 boys and 8 girls over. they had so much fun--it was fun to watch the interactions of them all- one of the boys who has a big crush on gemma bought her the dress she was wearing in the picture. --wow --the times have changed since i was 13:)

Happy Birthday Laken!!

2010-06-01T19:01:00.000-07:00

We had an excellent day today--I'm so glad I took today off to spend with Laken on his 4th birthday--although I don't think he fully realized it is his birthday as his party is saturday. I took the kids swimming at juniper swim and fitness--we haven't been there in soooo long.
Mcdonalds was next on the agenda. It was so unbelievably nice to spend all day with my kids and not working.
We watched the Toothfairy tonight --what a wonderful day

2010-05-28T22:05:00.000-07:00

have you ever rented a movie you don't think you've seen and halfway through you realize you've wasted 1 hour of your life watching the same bad movie you seen before? welcome to my friday night

2010-05-28T22:02:00.000-07:00

2010-05-28T21:43:00.000-07:00

I have been crazy luck lately. I happened to call a radio station and win tickets to see sex and the city 2 and go to a fashion show. the other day I entered online to win tickets to the portland rose festival which included travel there, hotel, dinner...ect....but I put my home phone number with my entry. needless to say I was at work when they called--but I have never won so many things in my life... not complaining--just wish I could use some of my winnings

2010-05-28T21:33:00.000-07:00

sadie graduated from preschool last night, and will start kindergarten this fall. I can't believe how fast time has gone by--only 4 years ago I was at brecken's graduation. we applied to put sadie in a program at school that combine spanish speaking students with the english speaking ones. it will be an all day kindergarten and I worry that will be too much for her.

2010-04-04T17:18:00.000-07:00

my new "grand babies" were born the night we got back from the coast--she waited until we got home and then had them in bed with dan and I while we were sleeping---ewww

2010-04-04T17:17:00.000-07:00

2010-03-17T21:25:00.001-07:00

MENACE our female kitty is preggos--and none of the neighborhood alley cats are admitting to being the father. time will only tell--or 60 something days in a cats gestation period. the kids are so excited.

eeeeek

2010-03-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

sometimes I cannot fathom how the patients we tend to everyday will come in with a spot or mass on their lungs and they are still smoking and smell like chimneys. also, wondering if the stink I breathe in everyday is good for my own health. contemplating putting vicks under my nose at times or buying a costco size bottle of febreze and just spraying everybody and everything that reeks.
I am so thankful to have come from a smokefree childhood--thanks mom!--after working in a pulmonary dept.

Norman

2010-03-15T19:01:00.001-07:00

dan brought Norman home yesterday--not quite where he is going to go but I've noticed dan talks to him a lot????

he is the elk dan shot about two years ago

2010-03-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

2010-03-06T20:54:00.000-08:00

Jay--grandma and grandpa's sweet dog of 14 years passed yesterday. he wouldn't sleep, sit, or lay down because he couldn't get back up off of the floor. Jay was an amazing dog--australian shepard. I only knew him for about half of his life but I loved him like he was my own. Jo and Tom took Jay into to be put down as it was the right thing to do. we will miss him

2010-02-23T20:22:00.000-08:00

I forgot about my blog for a few days---I just have to say gemma won her first basketball game this season!!! whoo hooo--well not just gemma by herself but you know what I mean. 32-8
The one game I missed darn it.
It started to snow a little bit today but then it just turned to rain--blech
The littles came downstairs around 8:30 and both said they were hungry---one of those nights--and you can't just send them to bed hungry......

my 4 valentines

2010-02-16T19:24:00.000-08:00

2010-02-14T21:53:00.000-08:00

Laken woke up friday morning with a painful earache and very out of sorts. I hate going to work when my babies are sick but thankfully dan was home to take him to the doctor, pick up his prescription, and take good care of him. it's amazing what a couple doses of amoxicillin can do to improve my little guys attitude.
I went to a sleep conference on friday that was way beyond my scope of knowledge. most of the attendees were sleep study techs who spend their nights in a sleep lab monitoring people sleeping. I think I may have gained a tad bit of knowledge on the concepts of sleep apnea--central vs obstructive
I can't believe how complicated and indepth the study of sleep is..

laken

2010-02-10T22:32:00.000-08:00

laken loves to cheese it up for the camera

my roses

2010-02-10T22:14:00.000-08:00

dan bought me beautiful roses for my birthday and they lasted almost 2 weeks.

2010-02-10T22:09:00.000-08:00

I got sent home from work today with a 100.3 degree temp. went home watched a movie, took a nap, and just did absolutely nothing. I feel a little better tonight. I absolutely hate missing work--( some kind of crazy work ethic instilled in me at an early age)
my sweet neighbor and her daughter came over for a while tonight. laken and her daughter gracie are like an old married couple. they argue, fight, and absolutely love each other. we tried to watch the charlie brown valentine special but our tv antenna was not allowing for it --so we went next door. I love snoopy--

my birthday pedicure

2010-02-09T21:19:00.000-08:00

I have gotten maybe 3 pedicures in my life--my neighbor convinced me to indulge for my birthday soooo

2010-02-09T19:47:00.000-08:00

Laken has had a cold for about 3-4 days and has been extra needy at times. he can't seem to stay in his bed at night and truthfully dan and I are too tired to resist. Last night was no different--laken ended up in our bed about 10pm but was having episodes of crying in his sleep and kicking, tossing, turning.....
dan ended up on the couch, I slept in the chair, and our three year old son had a california king bed all to himself--ironic eh?

winter hike

2010-02-08T20:56:00.000-08:00

5 and pierced

2010-02-08T20:51:00.000-08:00

sadie has been insisting on having her ears pierced lately--ever since her friend down the street who is 7 got hers done. so, dan took her today and voila --my little girl has beautiful crystal flower earrings in her ears. no crying or changing her mind...
she is such a little independent, assertive go getter
she keeps telling me she doesn't feel her earrings in her ears and asks me to see if they're still there.

2010-02-08T20:40:00.000-08:00

dirtbiking at our friend tony's house--he has a track in his backyard--sadie in leading the pack with daddy right on her heels

2010-02-04T21:38:00.001-08:00

gemma started playing basketball last week. What a blessing to be able to go to her games and watch her improve everytime. She scored her first basket at her third game--she gets so excited to get the ball sometimes she travels with the ball or double dribbles. I am so proud of her for trying something new.

snowshoeing

2010-01-24T20:30:00.000-08:00

dan and I had the opportunity to go snowshoeing at mt bachelor saturday. The forest service puts on a free program for anyone who is interested in the hx of the forests surrounding bachelor. it was beautiful!! Snoeshoeing is like wearing big flip flops over your shoes and you can go anywhere in the snow.

as you can tell from the picture dan was quite freaked out:)

the guide was quite informational

the hemlock trees that we saw mainly on our tour can hold up to 200 lbs of snow!!!

2010-01-17T21:10:00.000-08:00

gemma babysat and dan and I were able to catch the 5:30 pm showing of 2012 at Mcmenamins--soooo nice--a big glass of merlot and some hummis while we watched the movie.

excellent special effects

cheers

2010-01-17T21:07:00.000-08:00

menace

2010-01-15T21:34:00.001-08:00

her name says it all

2010-01-15T21:31:00.000-08:00

laken tells me that I am his best friend in the whole wide world all of the time. I don't know how long this phase will last but it is so sweet.

2010-01-15T21:26:00.001-08:00

tonight was date night with sadie gray. grandma kept Laken overnight so dan and I could spend some quality time with our 5 year old princess. she decided she wanted to see the alvin and the chipmunk squequel and eat cheeseburgers.
sadie is a little fireball--and never stops going--lately dan and I have felt like we haven't been connecting with her well and came up with this date night. it was really nice to be able to focus on one child all night and devote all of our attention to her and she seemed to enjoy it as well. she is a real blessing!!

2010-01-02T22:13:00.000-08:00

New Years eve consisted of stuffed mushrooms, crab puffs, homemade butterscotch cookies, and staying in. I don't think dan and I have ever gone out on a new years eve in the 7 years we have known each other. our good friend Tony came over for an hour or so -and brought over a wondeful bottle of red wine he had bottled himself. yummy
dan and I watched the movie Extract after the kiddos went to sleep--a comedy with jason bateman (my hubby bears an uncanny resemblance to him)

we have a lot to look forward to in 2010--!!!!

2009-12-28T19:53:00.000-08:00

I tend to stay away from my blog in stressful periods of my life and almost have an aversion to it at times.--like it is a chore that needs to get done and is another procrastination in my life. I do enjoy it most of the time--it is dumping my problems and parts of my life into the computer and releasing my feeling and emotions onto a blank screen.
we are in financial woes--we haven't been able to make the payments on our house in central point in two months and it doesn't look much better anytime soon. I don't think we can dig ourselves out of this hole.
on another note--I am a car accident magnet--I ran into another jetta tonight after work--such a small tap on the rearend driven by a teenager who had recently just gotten three appraisals for the car accident he had been in last week. He told me he would look at the car in the morning and see if there was any damage but wouldn't file a claim if it was minor. third accident in under a year--all my fault--not paying attention and always in a hurry. must slow down my life somehow.

i'm back

2009-12-26T22:24:00.000-08:00

My mom told me today that I needed to update my blog sooo here I am. Now that Christmas is over I can take a breath and focus on things other then christmas cards, shopping, baking, and wrapping. Sadie and Laken finally went to bed--and Dan and I have a couple minutes to unwind and eat pie--hee hee.

we didn't have any snow but everything was iced over this am when we woke up so it looked like it had snowed. dan and I took the kids to cloudy with a chance of meatballs at mcmenamins--can't beat a movie for a dollar.

we also dechristmatized today--not exactly sure if that is a word

here are a few christmas pics

2009-11-01T09:22:00.000-08:00

my husband is in dire need of his own dirt bike

2009-10-15T19:50:00.001-07:00

wow--time has flown since I last blogged--and I am not sure where it went. Life in bend is better then I ever could imagined--school conferences, soccer games, homework, art shows--I feel so blessed to be back here---just mundane everyday life is a million times better.

working full time is hard--enough said

we went to a pumpkin patch last weekend that was excellent fun for the kids--hayrides, pony rides, carnival games, and yummy food. there is nothing quite like warm caramel corn fresh out of the popper:0

sadies birthday cake

2009-09-18T19:00:00.000-07:00

ahh some quiet time

2009-09-18T16:57:00.000-07:00

we have had a rough go of it this week--Laken has been sick with a cough/fever for the majority of the week a "viral illness" as the pediatrician told us on wednesday. dan has stayed home with him until this morning --he needed to work a little bit this week and we thought he was on the mend. this morning he was warm again and I could tell he didn't fell like himself but I had no place to take him and as my job is brand new I can't really call in. poor guy--I bribed him to go to school by telling him he could play with legos--which there is a big lego table. I felt horrible because I know I should be home with my baby when he is not feeling well. I was able to take off at lunch and pick him up ( he did great). now--he is working on a three hour nap and I can rediscover the computer. dan and I have gotten no sleep this week as laken has been up and down at night. there are no groceries, the house is a disaster,--I don't think I brushed my hair today. I can't wait until Laken feels better and things are back to normal ( for a minute).

2009-09-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

Sadie Gray Hollingsworth is 5 today---9/9/09
she was born at 7:50 am via planned c-section. I remember walking into the hospital for my appointment to have a baby:) the morning sprinklers were going off and it wasn't quite light. Sadie was 7 lbs 10 0z and 20 inches long and had a ton of brown hair. from the minute she came out she had daddy wrapped around her little finger and still does!!!
Happy Birthday Sadie--my little puppy wannabe

2009-09-01T21:10:00.000-07:00

My dear friend robin and her little girl simone came to visit me this past weekend --they were staying in sunriver with friends. Laken and Simone did well for their first playdate. Simone loves her babies and laken is all boy but they managed to mesh pretty well. Simone is so cute!!

2009-08-26T20:45:00.000-07:00

My mom came to visit and help me out with babysitting this past week. dan was doing his training in wisconsin) I think she played candyland with laken more in one week then she has in her entire life:) what a huge help she was--THANKS MOM!!
whenever I get to spend time with my mom and sister it makes me appreciate how valuable family is--we are hoping to go spend a week in Iowa this fall if everything falls into place--the whole family traveling together via airplace will be a new experience--laken has only flown once as a baby--and sadie only a few times but not in a very long time. gem and brecken are seasoned travelers--I think gemma flew 4-5 times just in her first year.

2009-08-19T22:02:00.000-07:00

dan and I managed to semi butcher little mans hair--he thinks we are killing him when we give him a haircut--and always freaks out. he has the coolest hair tho---reddish blonde with really cool highlights--

dan always says if he would have had laken's hair he would have been somebody--:)

2009-08-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

My mom is here visiting for a week--she just happened to arrive when we are having a 2 day heat wave--it was 100 today and of course we happened to rent the only house in town that doesn't have ac.
Dan is in Wisconsin for training until monday and mom is here to help out with the kiddos while I continue to adjust to working fulltime...
thanks mom

2009-08-16T21:23:00.000-07:00

laken saw his shadow yesterday and said "that's my laken mommy"
awwwww--how sweet

hike at tumalo falls

2009-08-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

we went on a GORGEOUS hike today at tumalo falls. unfortunately the kids seemed less then enthusiastic about getting along with each other--there was constant bickering and fighting for most of the hike--dan and i can't understand why the kids can't enjoy the surroundings and get along for our outings. the picture here is quite deceiving--don't they look sweet?

2009-08-11T21:41:00.000-07:00

more camping photos

2009-08-11T21:30:00.000-07:00

gemma and her dad

can you say haircut?

2009-08-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

we went camping this weekend--actually just friday night as the littles became overtired and cried most of the way from jodi and nathans to our house. we actually went in style as our new friends lent us their motorhome--all I can say is whoo hoo--no tent camping. the area we camped at was beautiful--we fished, kayaked (thanks to jodi's dad). ate lots of camp food, and just had an excellent time

2009-08-05T15:22:00.000-07:00

gem had her hair done at our local beauty school yesterday--color, straighten, and cut. she was so excited!!!!

relaxing

2009-08-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

2009-08-04T22:18:00.000-07:00

dan and I at the washougal motocycle race--the whole weekend was like a sweet treat for me. Unfortunately dan had to work the entire time. I went swimming, read two books, took a nap, and sat in the park drinking a coffee and people watching. the races weren't too exciting but all in all a terrific weekend.

2009-08-03T22:54:00.000-07:00

tumalo state park is 5 minutes from our house. We went to the river today and had so much fun floating down and just hanging out in the water. bend is wonderful!!!!

2009-08-03T22:20:00.000-07:00

we had a magnificent thunderstorm last night--lighting that knocked our power out about three times and thunder that sounded like gunfire. Needless to say all of the kids were a tad bit freaked out. they ended up all sleeping in gemma's room which meant laken inevitably ended up in dan and my bed. I truly didn't mind--in a blink of an eye he will be 13 and will want nothing to do with me.

2009-07-31T22:13:00.000-07:00

one of the truest, sweetest people I know---my ex-husband's wife jodi. I gave a baby shower for her this past sunday--amidst the move and everything--I know I know--what was I thinking? just that I wanted to be there for her.... she is due September 14th with a little girl--Seneca. Nathan (my ex) reversed his vasectomy almost 21 mos ago to conceive this little blessing. I am truly happy for her. Doesn't she look great?

2009-07-28T22:59:00.000-07:00

gemma and her step-sister kaydrie--they are 8 days apart and always posing for the camera

2009-07-28T22:18:00.000-07:00

I got a job---unfortunately it is so much sooner then I wanted to start back to work. My goal was to ride out my unemployment until late fall. I didn't know how much I enjoy my time at home with the kids until I know I will be missing that time. It really makes me sad--I will be working fulltime (40 hours a week)--and I haven't done that in over 10 years. It is a financial necessity for us as dan's income hasn't and won't be what is has been in the past years...
I am really torn--my kids are soo important to me. Obviously I have no choice--I just hope this has a positive outcome for our family in every aspect of our lives.

2009-07-28T22:05:00.000-07:00

we have river access walking distance from our house--it really isn't a place you can swim but it is so beautiful--I see myself coming here in the future in the early evening and watching the fish jump out of the water.

2009-07-26T22:08:00.000-07:00

Grandma had Sadie and Laken for the weekend while Dan and i were in Washougal, Wa for motorcross races. sadie got a haircut like her cousin Keira--it is really cute and so much easier to take care of.

menace

2009-07-23T22:38:00.000-07:00

our kitten has definitely adapted to her new environment and is queen of the castle.--she has the loudest rumbly purr I have ever heard in a kitten--she loves to sleep with me at night.

2009-07-23T22:36:00.000-07:00

sadie loves her sponge bob fishing pole and she and laken will spend hours casting plankton out into the grass and reeling him back in.--the kitten loves this game also

2009-07-23T22:32:00.000-07:00

I decided to apply for a couple jobs early this week--just to put my feelers out--I got two calls on tuesday to set up interviews.--One is working in a pulmonary department at one of the bigger clinics in bend. the other was actually an medical assistant job working with orthopedic and neurological patients--neither is what I am really looking for but how do you turn down a really good job if you are offered one?
I also visited my old place of employment--central oregon pediatrics and they might have an opening in a few weeks.--pediatrics is truly one of my passions
luckily I am not in a position right now where I need a job--that time will come in a few months and I definitely want to be picky and choose something that works for me and my family......

on a side note--I have the worst blister from wearing ridiculous shoes to a job interview---the stupid things I do!!!!!

we moved

2009-07-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

we are here in bend--after months of thinking about it, dreaming about it--we finally did it. No words can express how it feels to finally be here. It all happened so fast. Our house rented on sunday night--we came to bend and looked for houses to rent on tuesday and moved out on friday. On a side note I feel a little down and I am not sure why--I have everything I need and want--I guess the mind is a crazy thing. I am going to post a few pictures of the house we are renting--it is blissfully amazing:)

2009-07-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

Laken got his first bee sting a couple of days ago--you know when you hear your child crying and it is 10 octaves higher and louder then usual--you know something is really wrong--so it stung his thumb and laken has no pain tolerance--he basically cried until his lips started swelling from not breathing well and then he passed out on dan--I was able to get this photo

2009-06-29T20:30:00.000-07:00

my husband is married to his iphone----not really but he really really really likes it---he can never be found without it--this picture was at the train park and I just happened to catch him in action

guineas

2009-06-28T20:08:00.000-07:00

dan gave away my guinea pigs--belle and ruby
no one seems to be bothered or care except me
probaly because I took care of them--I guess I should be relieved that they are gone--but I really didn't mind them--I guess they helped fulfill my nurturing side?????
anyway--I hope they are well taken care of
and ....when jen came over with her male guinea pigs--I pretended not to notice that milly or moodle was humping belle--I think there might be baby belles in the new owners future......

2009-06-28T13:15:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my daughter is of the babysitting age. She had her first offical babysitting job friday night watching my neighbors kids--a 6 month old and a 2 year old. I thought I would stay close if she needed me which I thought for sure she would need me--dan and his dad took the kids to a movie in the park---journey to the center of the earth
she didn't call me once--and said the kids were total angels----what??????? and she made twenty bucks!!!
gemma said the neighbor's kids were better behaved then mine!!!--meaning sadie and laken of course

2009-06-21T20:18:00.000-07:00

2009-06-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

we went swimming at my friend jen's house. she and her husband and 4 kids are renting a house with a good sized swimming pool with a slide and diving board. It is an awesome backyard. well, it was at least 90 degrees and sunny - I have two fair skinned kiddos plus keira who is extremely fair. I applied sunscreen but didn't reapply and brecken and keira got sunburned.

2009-06-19T22:14:00.000-07:00

I have so much going on right now I don't even know what to talk about. My grandma passed away this week. She was 91 and had recently moved to Arizona so my aunt could help take care of her. My mom was very close to grandma and it has been really hard on her. I wish I could be more of a support and help but I am so far away....
we put our house up for rent officially on Monday and have already had three families look at it. we found a rental house in bend that we LOVE but it is a no go until we have rented our house out. It is a huge 4 bedroom house in a great neighborhood. I hope our house rents soon.
we have our neice for 2 weeks--she is 10 1/2 and has been living with dan's dad and step-mom for about a year. dan's sister april has a lot of emotional and mental problems and cannot safely take care of keira at this time.
there is nothing like multiple stressful situations to kick the summer off!!
OH and I made an A in Microbiology!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

laken's party

2009-06-08T22:08:00.000-07:00

Laken had an excellent third birthday party--even though he wasn't quite sure what was going on. when we would say happy birthday laken he would reply happy birthday mommy!!

we went to stewart park which has an amazing park with a water feature and sand volleyball courts which the kids love to play in.

2009-06-08T21:57:00.000-07:00

Sadie has been sick with vomiting since early Saturday morning--she finally felt better today after vomiting one more time this morning around 5:30 am. she is a little fireball and when she is sick she is truly a different little girl.

We took her to Laken's birthday party at the park and she laid in the grass with her blanket and pillow half the time and was in the truck for the rest of the time.

my 2nd favorite photography subject

2009-06-05T22:16:00.000-07:00

2009-06-05T22:10:00.000-07:00

we have had a fair share of really hot days--so mommy invested in a sprinkler and a slip n slide. there can never be enough fun water toys in the back yard in my opinion.

Happy birthday Laken

2009-06-01T13:22:00.001-07:00

I can't believe he is three--three years ago I almost died from my anesthesia while having a c-section. I remember feeling really wierd--my legs started hurting and I couldn't breathe--they kicked dan out while my blood pressure dropped to almost nothing. apparently Laken hated every minute of it because they doctor told us he was kicking and moving like crazy. Laken was born with red hair and long fingers and toes. He spent 4 or 5 hours in the nicu because he came out grunting--he also needed an echo because the doctor heard a murmur at birth. I think he just needed to cook in my uterus a few more days. He was 8 lbs 7 oz and 21 inches long. talk about a colicy baby. I don't think he was truly happy until about 3 months old. Now he is goofy and pretty happy all of the time..

2009-05-31T14:43:00.000-07:00

laken picks his nose a lot

just had to capture one picture of it for future blackmail

2009-05-31T14:42:00.001-07:00

sadie--my bathing beauty

in trouble

2009-05-31T14:21:00.001-07:00

my husband is going to kill me--this I am pretty sure of

I went to super walmart today to look at stuff--you know a time waster kind of trip. two little kids were giving away a litter of kittens as I walked in. I am such a sucker but yes I brought one home. she pooped on sadie on the way home......dan is in sacramento for the weekend and will be home anytime now. I promise I will get rid of the guinea pigs--cross my heart

2009-05-28T21:30:00.000-07:00

this past weekend--sadie went to grandmas for a weekend of lavish spoilage --I think she comes back with twice as much "stuff" as she left with. this time she brought a new barbie scooter and a pair of roller skates home. it's nice that she is able to spend that time with papa and grandma

it certainly does create a different dynamic at home without sadie. she is our little ball of energy and things seem to be a little calmer. Laken thinks he is the boss when gemma and brecken are around--probaly because they haven't been around very often lately. he was constantly telling brecken to get off of the trampoline. what a little hitler!

look at our new toy

2009-05-22T22:54:00.001-07:00

yes it is a trampoline--a death trap and bone breaker. but hey--it was free. The kids have had so much fun with it already and it's only been a day. Laken screams if someone bounces him too high and we can see into the neighbors yard and swimming pool really well---which I don't think the neighbor appreciated today.

2009-05-22T22:49:00.001-07:00

my grandma fell this week and broke her hip--either having a heart attack after the fall or before. she is 91 and very high risk for having hip surgery so she is now in hospice care. my mom left to be with her and I am hopeful for a recovery. I have not seen my grandma in many years and really wish I would have taken the time just to go visit her. Why is it these sort of events have to happen in order for me to have these thoughts. I want to thank all of my friends for their thoughts and prayer for grandma sarver.

2009-05-22T22:36:00.001-07:00

I realized this week that I cannot physically make a better score then 80.5 on a microbiology test, that I am not 22 anymore, and my daughter is going to outgrow me in the next year.
I took my second micro test this week--feeling like I did way better then on my first one. I knew more questions and it just felt good. I got the same score!!!! not complaining but I really just wanted to kick some booty in this class to show I still have all of my mental capacities:)
I also started playing volleyball twice a week with an amazing bunch of women who I met through my friend jen. LOVE it--I am super addicted--don't nobody mess with me on volleyball days...between all of us there are about 20 kids running around in the gym--they all know not to come on the court. anyway I tweaked my arm somehow and it hurts. as i write this it is feeling much better but still way more aches and pains here then 10 years ago. or even 3 years ago
gemma is 5'4" and growing super fast. she is going to pass me by in the next year and then I will get to look up to my 12 year old. hip hip hooray. she knows it too. I think it is now her personal goal--to outgrow her mom. I think I will start buying her coffees to stunt her growth....

2009-05-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

we took the kids on a hike last saturday--we hiked up what is called table rock in medford. http://www.oregon.com/hiking/tablerocks.cfm

the hike is 2.8 miles and all of the kids did pretty well. Laken kept falling on the loose gravel about every 10-15 minutes or so--his knee got pretty bloody by the end of the hike. the hike was beautiful and at the top you can look down at all of beautiful southern oregon. I took a bunch of pictures as this is my favorite type of thing to photograph--nature and my family in nature...talk about cheap entertainment!!!!!

2009-05-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

I am truly blessed as a mommy--my four children are the loves of my life and I am so thankful to have them in my life

2009-05-08T21:48:00.000-07:00

I went to bend today to pick up gemma and brecken--I am so happy to finally see them again--I think they both grew an inch while they were away. we are so close to moving back to bend--I can almost taste it. It is really pending on my finishing micobiology and finding renters for our house. I will be the happiest woman alive when I move back to bend. microbiology is kicking my booty for the time being. I did make an 80.5 percent on my first exam which I am thrilled with but the content is not sinking in--it feels so alien and foreign to me--incomprehendible. therefore I am just going to study, study, and study some more...It has been 12 years since I took a college class and it never is going to get easier i guess....

2009-04-29T22:36:00.000-07:00

gemma and brecken are in maui with their dad and stepmom having an amazing time--gemma sends me emails and has called 2 or 3 times. They have gone to the ocean everyday, to a luau, and spent time with their cousins. I am so glad they had this opportunity to see hawaii but am a little sad it wasn't with me..
We will have our own experiences together I know....I am still bummed

2009-04-29T22:34:00.000-07:00