Goodbye 2007...

Well its the end of the year....

I am happy to see the year end because there has been so much hectic turmoil in it, but sad to see it go because there have been so many beautiful memories attached to it too. Its wierd, I have been hopped up on seeing 2007 walk out of here, but now I feel like stalling time to soak up every last minute. I guess 2007 was a year about growing, and learning, and changing, and adapting.

We grew our family by having Laci in march, we learned how different life can be with two kids instead of one, we changed so many times, and we adapted to losing family.

Its been a long hard year that seemed to go by in a blink.

I guess 2007 has been a total contradiction to itself! Playing both sides of the spectrum.

I hope that 2008 brings a little less heartache and a lot more smiles and happy memories. Already I know we will be having a happy celebration in january for the marriage of my mom and steve. (whom i like very much and am glad will be related to), and in March we have that bittersweet first birthday celebration of Laci's to look foward to. We have a huge week long family vacation planned for July and christopher starts pre-k in the fall. We also will be celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and many other things this year, as well as selling our house!

So 2008 here we come, 2007 I thank you for all you taught me, but I think this year it is time for some fun!!!

a very busy weekend!

Its been a very busy weekend. We got rain today which kinda killed the day but was very nice at the same time. We took down the christmas tree and all our indoor decorations and got them all boxed up neatly. We had a birthday party for steve at Taco Mac and Laci amazed us all by doing WONDERFUL! She ate tortilla strips, macaroni and cheese and drank her fair share of cola and sweet tea, lol. Then she did pretty well on the way home. We met steve's parents for the first time and they seem very nice. :) Christopher got his hair cut again, now its dad's turn, and he did really good there too! Me and Brian are trying to decide on a theme for our next bedroom and we think its going to be a "Playboy" theme which will be super fun to decorate for!! I can't believe tomorrow is the last day of 2007, and its funny b/c I havent watched ANY of the special shows that usually come one for that occasion for the first time like the "Last laugh of '07" or the best of shows....how odd...i guess its because I am sooooooo busy that in the evenings I spend my time catching up on here. I started a second blog last night for my new makeover journey....if you are interested in keeping up you can click on my profile to get access to it. But know that there may eventually be some not so flattering pictures and some fowl language at times!! ;)

Well I am positively wore out tonight so I think I am gonna veg out and wait for 10pm for the new episode of the "Girls next door" to come on and then its beddy bye for mommy!!

Until tomorrow...

My future hair cut...

This is how I would look without doing much work to it...

This is Jenny cut glammed up...

The bunny suit shot was the original to make me want this cut so bad...her hair seems pretty thick like mine so I am praying mine will turn out that good!!

woohoooooo

So my mom calls me and tells me that on the 12th (her wedding day) we are going to my favorite salon together and she is paying for me to have my hair cut!!! YAY!!!! So I have been dying to get my hair cut short forever and now she is getting it done for me!!! So I am going with the Jenny McCarthy cut..maybe an inch or two longer, and as light as it will go without having to do the 2 day custom blonding!!! I am so so so so excited I cant even tell you! I have included a pic of the haircut so you know what to expect!! :)

I am so stoked! Now I just need to start getting more things in order for my "Get back to Robin" quest....

First I need my hair cut and colored, then I need to work on a tan, get an exercise bike, and start doing things for me and not spend every waking moment doing for everyone else!

So that is my exciting news of the day! YAY!

Oh the blah days of the end of the year...

It is the last few days of the year and as always i feel blah and moody and restless. Its like when you plan and plan for your wedding and when its over its like "wow...now what?". Well its like that every year after christmas. You end up working all year to get to a common goal, to get through Christmas, with your finances still in tact and your mind only slightly battered. But after all the anticipation of waiting, and shopping, and planning you *finally* get to the big day (which always seems to fly by) just to be left wondering "what next" afterwards. So here it is, I dont know maybe the 27th?, and I am bored out of my mind, lonely after getting used to having my husband home day in and day out, and honestly wishing *someone* had gotten me that friggin' exercise bike. But what are ya going to do? So I am trying to get through the dragging end of this year and get into the new year with new resolutions and a new game plan for *next* christmas! LOL (and secretly pining away for that exrcise bike) I think we are going to start the new year off at Chuck E Cheese with the kids to break into our resolutions of spending more quality time as a family and not 4 people doing our own thing. And to top it all off, I think my milk is drying up. I was sick for 5 days and started feeding laci less and less b/c i was on the couch all night and most of the day, and now the last two nights I have run dry very fast putting her down (tonight I actually had to bring a bottle in with us). So I am very sad to think that my days of nursing my baby are numbered. I mean don't get me wrong, I am still ecstatic I nursed for over 9 months, but I didnt plan on starting to wean til at least February. So now, here I am drying up with my very last baby at 9 months post. And thats it, no more babies....I think its safe to say that Brian is officially sterile. :(

Oh well, enough jabbering, I am off to bed....I need a new quilt idea to keep my mind busy!

Until tomorrow...

Some Random Christmas pictures

Whew, am I tired!

It was nice to have a day to sit in my PJs all day and just enjoy playing with the kids. Topher has a spotty fever today though and he threw up last night so we have been keeping it lowkey with him especially today. Laci is enjoying all her stuff and Christopher was happy to finish his "project" with dad tonight. (a little faux wooden tool case he had to "build" with his tool bench) This weekend the tree comes down and all the Christmas stuff gets organized and packed away and put in storage for the next house! Then its on to January and packing up the house! EEK! I am still sick but getting better and tonight I am moving back into the bedroom! 5 nights on the couch is quite enough thank you very much! Hope everyone has a nice end of the work week! :)

What a day!

Wow, what a day! The kids slept pretty good and were up at 7:28 this morning. Laci was less interested than even I thought she would be but Christopher was ready to go! He was so into his tool bench that was hid big unwrapped gift that at first he wasnt interested in opening anything else!! Laci also wanted to play more with the tool bench than HER big toy (the 2 in 1 laugh and learn kitchen) that was set up. We finally had to take the big toys upstairs to the newly dubbed "play room" (laci's old bedroom) just so we could get his interest again, LOL. After a while we took a break and I started breakfast, we had coffee, orange juice, cinnamon rolls, grits, eggs, and bacon. My mom, steve, and the boys got here almost right on time. The house was so full of happiness it was wonderful! My mom helped me with the bacon and when it was done we lit the candles on the table (thank you brian) and all sat down to a nice big family breakfast, which was only really broken up by Christopher throwing his fake vomit and fake dog poo on the floor and cracking up about it.
After breakfast we started the gifts and that took about 30 minutes to comeplete...maybe an hour...and it was so fun! The boys liked their gifts and my mom and steve really seemed to love the cake serving set and champagne glasses that me and brian bought for them. They are beautiful if you ask me! After gifts Laci layed down for a nap and my mom and them went home. Me and brian and topher cleaned up the livingroom and kitchen and started putting toys away and getting ready to go to his grandparents house. We took off after Laci woke up and oddly enough the ride wasnt all that bad even though it was raining and cold and nasty outside.
We got there and had a nice lunch and visited and then did gifts too. Man, my kids have gotten everything a child could want this year. It truly touched me to see all the wonderful gifts everyone got for them. As a mom its doubly exciting to see your little boy or girl going crazy over a toy they have been eyeing for months! I got in some good laughs with Lauren, Breanna, Chase, Kelli, and Mark, and really enjoyed seeing everyone for something so happy spirited. I was worried that Michael and Ann and Lauren may not come up so I was happy and excited to get to spend some quiet one on one with them today for Christmas. I know this was very hard for Debra Bre and Chase too....but for whatever reason God chose to take Mike and Adam from us I am glad it happened in the same year....I say that becasue it forced us to console each other and move on from one heartache to the next, and we stood together tattered and bruised as a family, and a whole, and we survived this first sad christmas without two prominent figures. It wasnt easy, and there was time I felt that sudden pang of heartbreak when I looked up or had a thought and was hit with that sad reality all over again. But here we are, Christmas is almost over, and we made it. We did it! We survived and we lived on to another day. I think Debra said it best, I am thankful for my sadness.....It only proves the depth in which I love...and for that, for my family I say, Merry Christmas....bring on 2008!!!

It Is Time!

To wish you all a very merry christmas and to start putting our kids big toys together! We finally have silence coming from christopher's room after 4 times getting back up (my guess was 3 times so i lost). I am still very sick but I plan on getting to bed soon enough and having a great day tomorrow!!

Merry Christmas To You All!!!

We Love You!!!


Robin, Brian, Christopher, and Laci!!!

We are so weak....

Shame shame on us! We let the kids each have one christmas present tonight!! I know I know its not even christmas eve yet!!! LOL tomorrow night they also get a gift (a joint present) too, but little do they know, its their new pajamas!! Bwahahahahaha! Christopher is gonna be so mad when he sees its not toys! LOL.

Tomorrow morning I start baking and we have Christmas Eve dinner at my mom's at 4pm. Then we are going to come home and make cookies and get ready for santa and I suppose we will just pass the Nyquil around so we can all get some sleep! Hahahahaha!

The picture on top is the gingerbread house that me and christopher put together tonight, it was a first for us both and we enjoyed it tremendously! :)

Almost Santa Time!

Well, its almost time for the big guy in red to come to Osmanthus way and leave the wonder of the magic of christmas behind. Although our hearts are heavy with the loss of so many wonderful lives here on Earth...especially so close to the holidays...we are determined to lift our spirits and not let any death be a waste. We are going to move foward and thank God for each day he has given us and enjoy the moments we have with one another on earth while we have them...because, as we have learned, they could almways be our last. So tonight we are using a giftcard we have and getting dinner out at Longhorn, watching Elf and the National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and enjoying our christmas tree. Tomorrow we are finishing everything up for christmas, monday we are spending the day at my mom's house and having a nice diner with her, steve, and the boys. Then its christmas cookies and carrots for Santa and the Riendeer and then CHRISTMAS!!

Today I am greatful I got to tickle my kids, laugh with my husband and think fondly of those who passed. I look foward to tomorrow.

We love you all!
Four Ps

Fun Fun

How fun is this????

I woke up sick this morning, wooptie flippin' doo!

Seriously though ,i feel awful. Thank GOD its friday so brian can be home to help with the kids so i can relax and try to get better before christmas morning!!!

Happy Friday! Wow, its friday before christmas! I remember just yesterday it seemed like i had a rediculous number on my chalk board for the countdown of like 135 or something and now its 3 days away! Wierd. This year is FLYING by!!

I also see my 2 nuts in a shell had a delivery yesterday....i sure hope they arent being naughty and opening gifts before christmas day!! LOL

Is it 2008 yet?

I am so ready for 2008!!!

2007 had some of my most beautiful memories and some of my saddest to date.

Today we are determined to keep chugging along. The kids are excited for christmas and yes, we still are too. We just need to get things going for more positive things to occur. We are looking foward to selling our house and our big week long family vacation in july.

Rest In Peace...

We went to the funeral today. I can't explain how sad it was. But it is done, and the kids did pretty good. It was hard to see everyone hurting so so bad. Christopher let me know he also was sad and didnt want to be there, but he was happy to see everyone still.

Now comes the healing process...

I know it will take a long time and some will never heal completely, but we will all heal to an extent in due time.

As I have said over and over, Ann, Michael, Lauren....if you guys need anything, we are only a call away. We love you guys.

Viewing today...

I wont be attending the viewing tonight with Brian. To me, growing up, I learned that a viewing is no place for children. Its not that i am worried about how they will act as Laci would likely be asleep on me and Topher is very well behaved,but children should not be exposed to that unless absolutly neccessary. Also, I guess in a way I like the last memory I have of Adam...hugging him goodbye at Thanksgiving dinner at Debra's house. I know it sounds bad but I am selfish with those last memories. My last one of Mike was him here at our house dropping off some stuff with Debra and even though he didnt feel well, he came inside, hugged me and told me happy birthday. I wouldnt sell that memory for a million dollars. So tonight Brian will be going to the viewing and I will stay home and take care of the kids and get them in bed and try not to spend another night sobbing. I guess its been too many really bad blows but I just can't shake the sadness this time. I mean I expected to be very sad....but I am a wreck. :(

Thanks to everyone who has tried to comfort me right now as I dont feel like I should be the one getting comforted, but I do need it. And I am thankful for it.

Tomorrow is the funeral, we all will be going, but I will be taking the kids home afterwards as it is too cold to have the baby (who is sick) at the cemetary for the burial. I cannot believe this is happening....and this close to Christmas...its times like this I question my faith. I just dont understand.

Not feeling very christmassy....

just not as excited for christmas now....

but we will make the best of it for the kids...

its was gonna be hard enough being away from my family, and having a christmas without Mike...now with Adam...

this sucks. :(

A Tragic ending to the weekend...

Today we found out the terrible loss of a very dear family member, Adam Bingham. This is a horrific shock to us all, as Adam was a healthy happy teenager. He was found this morning by his mom and step-dad in his bed, he had passed overnight.

At the moment we are just in shock with not a lot of information. Just a terrible deep sadness with this loss. We will update as we know more, but for now prayers are much needed for the family and friends of this amazing kid.

Ann, Michael, and Lauren....our hearts are with you.

Soooooo TIRED!!

Ever have one of those days where you are just so tired you have a pounding headache and feel like throwing a full blown 18 month old temper tantrum?!?!?

well, thats me today. :(

Laci is sick with allergies or something (I am assumming its allergies because everyone else is fine...AND it was 80 flippin degrees this week) and she wants to be attached to mom....literally...all night long. Mommy can't sleep like that! Dad keeps taking her but even last night she wasnt having any of that either. So here it is only 4:33 and i STILL have 2 hours and 15 mins or more before Brian is home with a whiney 3 year old and a miserable 8 month old and all I wanna do is crawl in bed and sleep until tomorrow.

:::yawn:::

well, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. I have to go to walmart after dinner and get some stuff for my very special projects and try to finish my part on saturday, then renee is comming over sunday and ***crosses fingers*** HOPEFULLY my special projects will get shipped out on monday or tuesday!!

See you later!

update on kid's list at Toys R Us

Just wanted to let everyone know that I have been taking things off the list as we, or anyone we know buys them from the kids' list online. At this point feel free to buy anything you'd like as always but be aware that if it is gone from the list it is already bought :)

as before if you are interested in other ideas

topher really wants a "cars" comforter for his bed (twin)
he loves power rangers still
and thats about all I can think of this morning :) LOL

much love...

to my ~~~~~~~~~~~>

Thanks for all you do to make me happy. I love you guys!

The pic you all will be getting!!

ta-da!

Happy Monday...

Happy monday....boy it has been one heck of a weekend!!! Thursday worked out and I went out with Rochelle to the mall...but I got zero done, lol, because I was more interested in laughing and having a good reunion. Friday was a blur...seriously at the moment I couldnt tell you what I did....its still early...Saturday I did not go shopping with my friend, my friend Renee came over and we worked on a project we have going and then after that i was so sleepy and tired I just wanted to sleep and relax. We ended up watching christmas shows all night and getting to bed. Yesterday was a crazy day! Early in the morning I went to get the weeks groceries and was done before 8am and then I went to get some pictures for my mom printed at Wal-greens. After that we got the house ready and ordered pizza and my mom, steve, david and joey came over here for my moms "surprise" bday party. We had gifts and ate pizza and ice cream cake and me and the boys play fought and they played a LOT with christopher who loved every second. Then they left and me and brian and the kids went to the mall to see santa!! We stood for almost 2 hours before seeing him...but it was worth it to christopher....not so much for laci! Ha!! Then we walked around and did a little shopping. Came home got the kids in bed and then me and brian finished our list for shopping and relaxed together. Today my friend renee is coming back over I think...although I dont need her for my project today...and wednesday I am going out to finish the kids up! :)

Can you tell my kids were tired?

Oh the busy busy busy weekends begin!

Probably wont be on too much this weekend. Tonight I am getting together at the mall with my friend Rochelle. We are meeting at 8pm for caramel macchiatos at starbucks, then shopping! Tomorrow night I am going shopping with david for stuff, and then Saturday night I am shopping with my friend Brad. Then Sunday night we are taking the kids to the Lights and Life (a HUGE light display) but I am sure Laci will be asleep for it! ha! Saturday during the day my friend Renee is coming over for a few hours and Sunday during the day is my mom's Birthday party. Needless to say Monday will come WAY too fast and I won't feel like I rested!! Fun Fun! :)

WOW!

My friend Brad won 750,000.00 on a scratch off ticket across the street from my house a few days ago!!! Can't say I am not jealous, but I am glad it happened to such a nice guy!!

I hate target....

Ok well maybe I dont hate Target...but I "DO" hate the photo center...

We have a 12:20 appt, i get there at 11:40, they are running an hour and a half behind. So after almost 2 hours i FINALLY get in there, Laci does about 2 shots and thats it, she is done. Luckily out of the two shots (one they both look like deers in headlights) they are both half-smiling. So I took it, I was NOT walking away empty today.

WHY do people take over tired or hungry kids to get pics and think that if they hold them til they stop crying its all going to be ok when the picture taking resumes??? All it means is everyone ELSE has to wait longer outside, while THEIR kids get more tired and/or hungry listening to their kids screaming inside!! UGH!

But the pictures are done, pick up is the 14th...hope you all enjoy them...i worked VERY hard for them!!

Tomorrow...

Should be fun....lol....I am taking the kids to get their pictures done professionally for Christmas at Target for the 1. First time alone for me, 2. The first time EVER for Laci, and 3. The first time as a pair...did I mention...ALONE?!?!?!? EEK! anyways, that is as long as Laci feels better. She was up last night with a 102* temp. and feeling crappy, but she seems ok today, so we will see....if she feels like crap tomorrow, then I guess everyone is getting Christmas card pictures late, ha!!

Wish me luck!!

We got our tree today!!

Today we got our tree!! Its so pretty!! Its not the usual 9+ footer, but she's a beauty! Laci enjoyed her first tree shopping, and Christopher has been running around like crazy since we picked it out. We really enjoyed putting all the decorations up and even thought I got weepy looking through them all, it was a very happy time!

Happy December!!!!

HAPPY DECEMBER !!!!

Happy December everyone!!! Wow! December is here! The last of 2007! It has flown by with all the events of the year!