My kids

I love this picture so much. I just sent a letter off to some friends of ours a few days ago. So this post is mostly for them. This is kinda what our life is right now. Lots of "little things to be grateful for."

I recently just made a book about our family and the past 10 years. I put several photos in it and it made me want to post some of them here.

This was our kids almost 4 years ago. Aren't they adorable! Espically Mike holding back the other two while the baby is on their "running track."

Then there is this cutie. This is Rod when he was a baby. LOVE him!

This is Gav, when we first moved into our current home. He was waiting for dinner to be finished. I guess he was too tired.

These are my ice skating boys. Crazy and cute as ever. The last picture is Mikey playing in the fountains outside of the ice rink.

OK...I know this is out of order...but I LOVE this picture so much. This was when we lived in TX. The faces in this are just too adorable.

Halloween our first year in our current home. Oh yeah, we were vikings...and super awesome ones at that!

Story time with the big boys.

Olivia as a baby. So cute.

Playing in our front yard. G, R, O, and O

Ack! These boys are a disaster. G, & M

Date night with Mike.

Olivia....and corn starch...

Wearing clothes, whatever she can find. She will wear EVERYTHING.

Rocking horsey! These two love playing together.

Me and ALL my children for the first time.

This picture is a few months old but I still love it. Crazy kids at church.

R

X,M,O,G,

M,O

Our most recent family picture. Yeah...I was going to make super cute Christmas cards...and never did. But we did take a picture!

We just had the Blue and Gold Banquet for Cub Scouts. Mikey earned his wolf, his gold arrow point, 5 silver arrow points, and 9 various belt loops. I have some pictures from that night that I will be uploading by Saturday. Check back then!

Feel free to comment so I know you've been here!

Drawing to a Close

Closing on the house is getting nearer. As far as I know, we have all of the paperwork we need turned in. I'll know by tomorrow if they need anything else. Then all we need is an inspection and to get the house appraised. It's so close I can almost taste it. Mike is finally up here in MO to stay. And he hadn't seen the house yet and neither had the kids, so Friday, we all went to look at the house together. It felt so good to be in that house with my little family.

I was going to post the pictures that I have, but I think I'll wait a little longer until we have our stuff in the house, they're still cleaning out parts of the house. The extra carpet was still in the garage when we looked at it. But everything is updated, new lights, new sinks, new tile (the ENTIRE basement) and it's just awesome. I already know where I want everything to go. It's just a matter of closing on the house. It's getting very exciting! I promise I will post pictures...or most likely I'll just have you come over and see it! WOO!

Buying a House

Well, we've felt like it's time to buy a house for a while, but we didn't want to buy a house in TX. We've always wanted to move to MO and Mike was finally able to get a job here, so we moved back. Well, we haven't moved yet. We're kinda in a state of limbo. Staying at my moms house while I do my research and draw up the paperwork and Mike is doing his training in dallas. It's hard being away from eachother, but he's not in Afghanistan this time so I'm ok with it. We get to talk several times a day, and he said when he gets totally processed, he'll get to fly to MO to come see us. He's got 2 more weeks. Then he'll be working up here full time.

In the meantime, rental housing just never went though. So I decided to look at housing. I figured on looking at things in the 75,000 range...but everything was really tiny and not very nice looking. I found one that looked promising, so I called the realtor and he gave us the key to go look at it. Small but still not quite right. So I told the realtor nevermind on that one. We need a little more space. Then he told me about another house that he had some guys working on right then. He said, it'll cost more in the low 90,000 range, but it's more what we're looking for. Mom and I went to look at it. IT"S WONDERFUL! the bedrooms are a little small, but there is a good sized kitchen and livingroom, and a FINISHED basement!!!!! NO WAY! The basement is the same size as the rest of the house. Perfect! Game room/tv room down stairs and keep the actual house part totally clean! Monday we go in to draw up a contract! I love the house, I just wish buying a house didn't take so long.

It's hard to live in someone elses house. I'm grateful for my parents because they are willing to let us stay here, but I'm sure gonna be glad when closing time comes on that house. So keep us in your prayers. And hope for us that it goes by quickly.

the waiting game

Sigh... We were supposed to come to MO, find a house, and drive back to Greenville within a week...nope. Well I've found a house, but other people have found the same house. So the owners have decided to look at the applications and find the best renter. I wish I knew what to do to better our chances at getting this house. I want to call the guy and say, "hey, we're ready to move in now. And will do the carpet cleaning and painting on the inside for you" but I feel like my chances are better if I just wait and not push the subject. It has been almost a week since we put in the application. I'm SO ready to know if we're in this house or not. I've never wanted to be in a rental so bad in my life.

When Mike applied for the job we figured it'd be a month or two before he started. It's been 2 weeks after his application was sent in, he starts training tomorrow. I realized I had to do something. I took the kiddos and we piled in the van bound for MO to go house hunting. I had done some research before we left and knew there were plenty of rentals in Springfield, I figured we'd have to go look at them and then just decide which one we want. Not quite so, all the good rentals, other people are looking into. Mike seems to think they may be victims of the Joplin tornado. Getting into a 2 bedroom is no problem. But we have to have 3 bedrooms...and those are being taken right and left. A house in Willard I went to look at was on the market for a few weeks, and was leased out the day I went to look at it.

The one thing Michael told me when we came here was, don't settle. I could have already put in an application for a few places, but none of them were right. Too small, no garage, no fence, bad neighborhood, or various other things. I've come to the conclusion, tomorrow I'll either be headed home to pack my bags and move into the one house I've come to envision me and my family in, or I'll be out driving around looking at houses again. The thought of that is just really discouraging. I spent days looking at housing and NOTHING was seeming right until we looked at this farm house. I've been praying fervently that the lord would soften the heart of the owner towards us. But it is so hard to wait for an answer. Deep down I know that we will be taken care of. Even if we don't get into this house, there will be a good house for us elsewhere. But I also know, deep in my heart, that we would be totally happy in that house for a long time.

We've already lived in rentals that we didn't care for. This house was wonderful. It's out in the country, has enough space for growing boys. And has the right family feel/setting I want in a house. If they were selling it I would have bought it in a heartbeat. My heart aches every time I think about that house, knowing it could just slip away. Time has passed so slowly waiting to hear back from the owner. Until we hear back, we wait at my moms house. Because if we don't get it, we'll be staying longer to find a different home. I feel like we don't even have a home right now. We already know we're going to be in Missouri. So our greenville house feels kinda like a storage home while I go house hunting. Because when I go back, it'll be to pack my stuff and bring it home to MO.

Our Big Van

 Here it is. My dream come true! Not a mini and not a 15 passenger.

 I told the boys I needed pictures of the van.

 so naturally they wanted to come help.

 I guess in their minds they were helping....

 Xander trying his hardest to reach the pedals

 The van is very basic, as you can see...nothing but radio. Nothings electric. But it does have rear AC. That was a MUST

 view from the front passenger side. you can see all 4 car seats. And look how much room is left over!

 I went grocery shopping for the first time in this a few days ago and it was AWESOME. I have So much room back here!

 Just an idea on how big the van is. lol.

 Owen eating a Nutella sandwich. He caught me eating one, and I can't say no to that face.

 having a race. In our neighborhood we're the only house with a sidewalk...its the perfect track course.

On your mark! Wait Gavin I didn't say go yet!

 On your Mark.

 Get Set!

 Wait don't hit the baby!

 my poor Xander, scratching his feet again.

 Owen running away from mom.

and yes, Xander was sitting under the van for shade. It's big, but so perfect for our family. Love that van.

Still Sick

Oh yeah, it's been one of those weeks. It just keeps going around and around. It started off with Owen last week, then I got it....and still have it. Then Daddy got sick, now Owen is sick again, and Gavin and Xander are both coughing. YAY! It's a plus when we can't even drive our car to go get more cough syrup. (though mike did pick some up yesterday on his motorcycle. Everyone just lays around the house feeling sick. And lots of snot noses today too...keep the kleenex commin.

Getting Creative

 So as mentioned earlier...I have no access to a working car at the moment. And tonight I had an emergency....I wanted chocolate. Usually if I'm really needing chocolate I'll load up children and take a drive and get either ice cream or a chocolate bar. Tonight that wasn't an option. So I start scanning the kitchen. I found some semi sweet chips in the cupboard....but those just don't cut it when you really need a chocolate fix. Then, I found my salvation....ice cream fudge topping! I ate a spoonful right then, right out of the jar. (slightly stressful day. I forgot to mention in my last post that everyone is also Sick. WOO HOO!) And that helped...but I wanted a crunch with it...hum what to do. Cereal? Nope all we have is strawberry shredded wheat uh....I think I'll pass for now. Chocolate covered wheat thins? no thanks. Then I found popcorn...well it's worth a shot...it is buttery and salty...so I pop a bag....Guess what. NOT BAD! Not only not bad...it was kinda tasty!


either that or I'm just getting really desperate.

running out of seats quickly

So we've all been crowded in my little Olds Mobile for a few years now. It's been ok because it has just enough seatbelts for all of us. Well we decided daddy needed his own vehical so I could keep the car when he went to work. So we paid cash for a motorcycle for him. Then we paid a visit to our family in MO. Wonderful visit, then we drove home, found out that mikes hometown was destroyed, and had to stop 1 1/2 hours from home because of lightning and get a hotel. YAY! :S   Then I go to take my car to get some groceries after being in MO for a week....and the car wont start. As Mike is evaluating the situation, I get a call that the car we just sold my brother is having issues. Great...now I feel guilty for selling him a car that broke after a few months. Lovely. My mom said don't worry about it, its just what happens with all cars...but it's still annoying that I didn't sell him as reliable of a car as I thought. To top it off Mike has come to the conclusion that it's probably a cracked engine block...YAY! And it's supposed to be rainy all week. Mike gets to drive to work on his bike in the rain. SUPER! Guess who's stranded at home without a car again! ME! I'm so excited! Oy....ok time to pick option A instead of E.

When life throws you lemons...

A) Live in denial and ignore them
B) Imagine they're something exciting and will somehow miraculously make your life better.
C) Shoot them like clay pidgins
D) Eat them anyway and just suck it up and be a man.
E) Throw a fit and blog


bet you can't guess what I'm doing!

Bin Laden cont.

So after my intial skepticism I found various things that really put it over the edge for me that Bin Laden really is dead. I do think it was very convenient for Obama that they acted on their intell now. But in the comments on the previous post, I posted a link to a very interesting article. Apparently there is a man in Pakistan who unknowingly live blogged the U.S. Bin Laden raid as it happened. Actually very interesting to read and it's not very long either. The Government has said that they have photos postmortem of Bin Laden but are yet unsure if they will release them. I'm pretty sure I don't actually want to see graphic pictures of a dead guy, but it'd be nice if we could have some people verify that the photos do exist. I don't blame them for burying him at sea, but for how many times Bin Laden has been "dead" it's understandable that people are demanding more proof.

I do have to say that we have some amazing men and women who work for our freedom. Hats off to that group of Navy Seals who got the job done. I really would love to hear more about those who actually trained for this, but as an abc report stated, "These men have done all of this in anonymity. It is standard procedure never to identify members of Team Six."  And yes, it's good to keep the names of them secret, as much as I'd like to hear more about them and to be able to publicly thank them, I'd much rather they not become a target. Capt. Duncan Smith, a SEAL spokesman who spoke with ABC News stated, "A lot of those missions--the majority of those missions--are ones the public will never know about...and thats a good thing." I'm so grateful for these troops who deal with threats on our country constantly. These people are the ones who help us Americans feel safe. So, whoever you are, wherever you are. Thank you. Anyone who goes into service for our country, to secure our freedom deserves our gratitude and love. God bless America, my home sweet home.

Obama/Bin Laden

You know, I have to wonder. Yeah, Bin Laden is dead, but isn't that a little out of the blue... Taken from CNN's webiste "the president said he ordered an operation -- carried out by a handful of U.S. troops -- to kill bin Laden in Pakistan. They did so after a firefight, bringing out the al Qaeda leader's body with them after their mission was complete." Isn't that a little out of character? I mean, Obama has not (as much as many may disagree with me) been a man of action when it comes to our military. He has repeatedly stated that we should withdraw our troops. Yet the troops remain (I have other views about the USA's Big Brother attitude and commend out troops for the Job they are doing). He is pro cutting military funding. His reason for this? “We can no longer afford to spend as if deficits do not matter and waste is not our problem,” Mr. Obama said. (taken from here) The defense cuts send “a very clear signal that this administration is not going to be as forceful on national security issues as the previous administration. I think that’s pretty clear,” said Sen. Saxby Chambliss, Georgia Republican. (if you ask me I think budget cuts should come a little more off the top, if you get my drift. And cuts also should come from the abused food stamp program....but that subject is for another day)


So why would a man, who thinks that our national security is not as big of an issue as healthcare "reform," come out of the blue to announce that a man who has orchestrated terrorist attacks on the United States of America, that most of the USA has heard nothing of in 7 years, was taken out by a small operation he ordered to Pakistan? Don't get me wrong, if Bin Laden is dead that's a good move in my book. But why now? Why would this surface just now, after no leads from anywhere that this was going to happen anytime soon, or that the hunt for Bin Laden was still on?


Another thing that strikes me as odd, is they had him buried at sea. Here they stated that, "American officials say bin Laden's was handled according to Islamic practice and tradition which calls for a body to be buried within 24 hours. Pentagon officials say finding a country willing to accept the remains of the world's most wanted terrorist would have been difficult, so the US decided to bury him at sea." 


Is this a little convenient for Obama?

Old Toys

These are the same waffle blocks that I used to play with as a kid. And we used to do the same thing, can you tell Mikey is making a car noise by his face?

I've noticed something. The things I get for my kids, I really get for myself. I love watching them play with the toys that I had so much fun with when I was little. Look at that Owen boy just chillin. It was his idea to get inside the blocks...and Mike's idea to push it. Classic toys never go bad.

I've noticed though, that when they don't take care of their stuff I freak out. Which I have the right too. If they break it it's gone and that means no more fun with that toy.

One of our new favorite things are these masks, they were a little more than what I would have liked to pay (about $9 at target), but they're very high quality and I'm definatly going to buy the whole collection for our costume box. They LOVE these things. As soon as a mask is on, they don't need anymore toys. They're no longer my little boys, and they refuse to be called by anything but the name of the superhero mask they're wearing. Xander is especially adamant that he IS spider man. 

I found 2 transformers masks at toys r us, and they're about the same price as the others, eventually I'll add those and the Thor mask to the pile. Owen even likes putting the wolverine mask on. Cute little boys.

My First Best Friend

22 years ago today I got my first best friend. Marshall and I were always doing something or other that was weird. Mom didn't usually put us together in the kitchen to do dishes cause we'd always end up just laughing the whole time and never getting anything done. Marshall put up with a lot of older sibling abuse. I told him it was going to be fun to jump from one bed to another even though they were completely way to far apart. I'm sure a lot of his bruises were vicariously my fault (I didn't do it I swear! It was the bed.) But with his ingenuity he got back at me quite a few times. One instance he somehow tied my bike into the tree in the front yard, very high up. It's funny now, but then I really had no clue how I was going to get it down (I think that was the idea) I was pretty fumed. Marshall was always there to talk to. We always had some secret that no one knew about...or well we thought no one knew about. And for some reason, we loved to wrestle. When we were younger I had the upper hand...but as time wore on. Well lets just say he takes it easy on me.

Marshall has always been true to himself and to others around him. And he "knows" everything (whether he really knows it or not), He has a way of making you believe the most absurd things (ask him about where he was born, or what colors smell like). I've always loved being around him. Everything is an adventure to him. At Christmas time all the guys got marshmallow guns and his was broken. He said the best part about it (other than shooting everyone) was having to fix it first. He's a lot like both of our grandpas. One thing is for sure, growing up around marshall sure gave me a lot of time to laugh and smile. He gave me quite a few memorable moments, and helped me become the silly person I am. Marshall, I love you so much. Thanks for coming along when you did, life would sure be dull without you. Thanks for the bike rides around Willard, the walks in strange fields pretending we were runaways, the late nights of made up obscure songs & nursery rhymes, the tv shows we'd watch together and make fun of, and the sincerer brother who's always loved me for who I am, and a person I always could be myself with. You truly are one of a kind, and I couldn't be more proud to have you as my brother. 

puppy people

Xander and Gavin have decided they are eachothers puppies. They trade off. The thing they're eating in the video is Vienna sausages. I find them disgusting, but the boys think they're puppy chow. ick. The thing I love most about this video is the way gavin talks. I love it. He's almost three but still doesn't have his letters right. I keep thinking about Xander and how at 1 year he was already talking. After 4 kids I now realize that is actually really early. He was Owens age. Yeah...these are the words Owen can say; mama, daddy, hi, num, oooh! yeah...thats pretty much it. He recognizes lots of words, he just doesn't say them, but he does know what you're talking about when you talk to him. Mikey is the strong slent type. He's always trying to take apart something or another. If a toy has a moving part he moves it over and over to see how it works. All of them are so different but they're all best friends. I sure love my boys.

Spiderman Xan

 Just so you know, no matter how much red food coloring you put in white cool whip....it's gonna turn out pink. And the more color you put in it, the pinker you will be when it gets on your hands.

The boys eating cake....and Owen in front of my messy pantry that we forgot to close the door to.

Xander and his birthday presents. He loves his new spiderman friend. He's nice and soft. And the helicopter is a lego set with a lego guy spiderman. The lego guy is the bigger guys son.  When daddy left for work today, the big spiderman left for work and gave his lego man son a kiss and hug and said goodbye. it was really cute to watch.

Theres our little spiderman. And he will not stop wrestling that bop bag. It's his "rocket" as he calls it. Happy Birthday my little 4 year old!