Vegas, here I come!

Well, tomorrow's the big day! I am very excited to be going on a trip but am kind of mad because it has the underlying fear of this stupid flu that is running rampant. I considered not going when I found out there was a confirmed case in Nevada, but then I started doing some serious soul searching. There may be cases here in Washington that just haven't been found yet and by the looks of things, it is inching it's way up toward us anyway. All of the states below us (except Oregon-so far) have had an outbreak and it's only a matter of time until it's in our safe little state as well. Why miss a perfectly good vacation? So, I've decided that I'm just making myself sick by dwelling on it and watching all of the news casts, that I need to just calm down a bit. I'm going to try not to obsess over it and leave my television off tonight and tomorrow morning :-) Easier said than done of course. The only positive thing I can say regarding this mess is that it's kept me from thinking about my fear of flying!

I am happy that I will be enjoying very nice weather tomorrow at this time though so I will run with that. Most of my packing is done so I don't have to worry about cramming that in tonight after middle school registration and a baseball game. I haven't packed so many shorts and tank tops in a long time! I did feel bad for Alyssa last night though...she thought we were leaving next week, not tomorrow. She started to cry because she didn't realize it was so soon. Poor girl. Hopefully it will go quickly for them because I know it certainly will for me.

Well, for anyone reading this, I will post pictures when I get back and tell you about the great time had by all. :-) Until then!!

Blah Monday

I am having a really hard time trying to come up with something to write about today. Usually, I probably drive people crazy with all of my ramblings but today I'm kind of at a loss for words. I woke up this morning, after not sleeping very well last night because of a sore throat (and a flailing child in my bed), having horrible anxiety. I tried to figure out what may have caused this feeling of dread when I finally tuned into the background noise in my bedroom: The morning news. Now normally, I try not to watch too much news because it's 1) depressing, 2) scary sometimes, and 3) gives me anxiety. The most I usually watch is bright and early while I'm trying to decide what to wear~the weather. I find out if it's going to be rainy or sunny, warm or cold, and what the roads look like and then I turn it off. Besides, my husband watches enough for both of us so if I ever need to know anything important, he will tell me. This morning, however, I woke up to the newscasters talking about the Swine Flu. After 9/11 and all of the Anthrax scares, I couldn't watch TV for months because it would send me into a cold sweat. Now we're on the brink of another possible pandemic and I'm a little freaky. Seriously, for a tightly strung person such as myself, this is a little obsessive for me. :-) Now I'm wondering if my sore throat and flu-like symptoms are so innocent. Just kidding, I really don't think I have it but what a scary thing!! People are going to be running to the doctor for every little symptom now. Better safe than sorry though, right?

So now that I've figured out the reason for my anxiety attack, I can move on to more exciting things. I'm leaving for Vegas in 3 days!!! I'm so excited to get away with my hubby, my sister and brother-in-law, with no kids! I love them to death but it will be nice to just have adult conversations for a couple of days. I swear, we haven't had a "date" since before our anniversary almost a year ago. Grandma is coming to stay at our house so I am very happy that they will be comfortable in their own surroundings. This will be Mike's first time flying so that's pretty exciting! He is tired of everyone offering their own advice on flying and how it will be. He said he's heard "Don't be scared!" so many times in the last month that he never wants to hear it again...LOL. Poor guy. Our first day there, the weather is supposed to be 87 degrees. I am so ready for that! Look out jean and sweatshirts, here come shorts and tank tops!!

I was thinking back through some of my favorite scriptures in my bible and I have to say that in times such as this morning's panic session, this has to be one that helps calm my fears the most:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

On an up-beat note, I found this picture of the girls from several years back. We took our camper down to Ilwaco, WA and then drove down the Oregon coast. This is somewhere down by Cannon Beach. They were so small!! (and they fought much less then)

Busy Busy Weekend

(Butterfly in flight)

Well, we survived the weekend! It was quite hectic but I am alive to speak of it today. I would have written prior to this but it took me two days just to recover! We started the week off again with games. Alyssa played in Tumwater on Monday, which was also Bobbi's birthday (thank goodness for DQ) and McKenzie played last night at MCRA. Alyssa and Ambrosia make quite a duo with Brosia in the pitcher spot and Alyssa at 1st base. They can get just about every batter out! McKenzie's game last night was awesome! They were on fire and with an ending score of 10-0, it really showed! She hit a double and playing first base, she got every single batter out! The girls were very excited and were so loud in the dug-out that other teams couldn't hear their ump's calls. I just smiled :-)

So back to our crazy weekend, it started out with practice at 9 am and then Connor's party at the pool at 10. For some reason, Rylee is terrified of swimming. She will cling to the side of a pool or hang out on the first step, but she will NOT venture out into the actual water. The pool party was no exception. If I try to get her to let me hold onto her life jacket and put her into the water, she turns into a monkey and is worse than trying to get a cat into a bucket of water...you know the funny videos of them clinging for dear life to anything in reach! That's her. This time however, I pointed out that Colton cannot swim either and the only reason he was staying afloat was because of his trusty life jacket. For some reason, unbeknownst (it's a word!) to myself, she listened to me!! I was able to hold her out away from the edge and she kicked and paddled back all by herself. She was very excited to point that out too..."LOOK MOMMY, NO HANDS AND I'M DOING IT ALL BY MYSELF!!!!" I was so proud of her that I almost jumped in...ok not quite that far but I did have tears in my eyes. Who is this little independent girl and where is my baby?

Look at the swimming pro!

After the pool party, we had just about 40 minutes to grab some lunch and then head back to MCRA for Alyssa's game where, by the way, they kicked butt! Luckily the weather was very nice so we were able to work on our non-existent tans for a couple of hours. After the game, we headed back home for Rylee/Matthew/Karrissa's triple birthday party. Grandma Linda, Shelly, and Tausha broke into my house and had the house decorated when we got home and were working on the above pictured cupcakes. It was supposed to be a soccer theme since Matthew is playing soccer, Rylee will be in June, and Karrissa is always playing...but for some silly reason, soccer decorations are either unearthly expensive or just not in stock. I thought that Walmart of all places would have at least soccer ball plates or black streamers....NOPE! No biggie though, we just kind of settled for lots of colors and it all went together perfectly.

As soon as we walked through the door, Rylee insisted on putting her party dress on, along with a clean face and a Princess birthday button. She walked out of the bedroom with a smile on her face for everyone!



Could she be any more of a ham?

It was a good party and all of the kids had fun. My husband, however, did end up in the dog house right along with the new puppy that he decided to bring home without consulting me. Oh yes, the dreaded "Mommy! Look at what daddy said we can have!! Can we keep her pretty please??" What was I supposed to say? It was followed up by "But you said we could get another puppy since Charlie (our chocolate lab) died and then we had to give Capone (the Doberman we had for a couple short months but had to give back because he kept biting) back. You promised!!" Ok, I don't know about anybody else, but how could this not pull at my heart strings? Yes I hate dogs and would rather eat dirt than have another one, but on the other hand, my girls love them. How can I deny a cute little girl giggle with a puppy on her belly?? I grudgingly agreed and Auntie Kelly has nicely agreed to keep this little bundle of fur named Alice (from Twilight of course) occasionally since she's the one that told Mike about the free puppies... Love you Kelly!! :-)

We then headed out for Bobbi's birthday beginning with dinner at the Ram (yummy!) and then drinks back in Shelton. It was fun but I was so tired that I was almost falling asleep in the booth. By the time Jen dropped me off at home, I could barely see straight. Going out just doesn't have the same appeal that it used to. I'd rather stay at home and go to bed early...man I am old!

Sunday was pretty much a laid back day, enough that I sat out in the sun and painted my nails. Ahhhhh....sunshine on your back, slight breeze blowing, the smell of fingernail polish... Kids laughing with the dog in the background. Baseball pictures were scheduled for 5 and 5:30 pm. We didn't actually get out of there until almost 6:30 and then did some quick grocery shopping for a small dinner with friends that we haven't seen in several months. Thanks for coming over Debbie and family!! It's getting to that time of year that BBQ's are calling our name and we start migrating out of the house and getting together again with friends and family. I'm very excited for the summer to begin!

Random Friday Ramblings

This week has been so crazy that I can't catch my breath! Monday through Thursday, we had baseball games every night. Additionally, Wednesday was Rylee's birthday and Thursday was Connor's birthday so we went out to dinner each of those nights AFTER the games. Our regular 8:30 bedtime was moved up to almost 10:00 both nights....talk about tough to get up the next mornings! I'm thinking ok we've at least got Friday night free so that we can clean up our tornado of a house before the triple birthday party tomorrow afternoon....Wrong again! I receive a message this morning that Alyssa has a make-up game tonight from 6-7:30(8) ish.. I'm not entirely sure I can hack this extra game. We've got two practices tomorrow along with a birthday party from 10-noon and another 3-person birthday party at 3:30. Following that busy schedule, we are also going out to celebrate my sister's birthday as well. Sunday is baseball pictures for both girls and then we get to start it all over again on Monday. Where's my weekend?? LOL...I do love it but it sure gets hectic sometimes and my poor house will never be the same!

Rylee (thankfully) was happy enough to go to Denny's for dinner on her birthday. The staff, however, are not top on my list of favorite people. It was mostly empty but do you think that a little birthday girl got any better service?? NO! She didn't even get a "Happy Birthday" said to her nor any goodies. I thought that Denny's, of all family restaurants, would do something. When we went to El Sarape the next evening for Connor's birthday, we got a special room, he got to wear the sombrero, they sang to him, and he got a huge free dessert. Poor Ry got the short end of the stick! LOL

We brought her presents into the restaurant so she went in plain and came out a movie star (Hannah Montana eat your heart out!)~thanks Aunt Bobbi! I included a little video to show off her talent:

She cracks me up so much! I bought her some little green high heels from the dollar store and I thought for sure they'd fit but unfortunately, her little feet were just a tad too wide. I was surprised though because she is so small and I always have to worry about things being too big, not too small. She was not discouraged however, she proudly sported them during dinner and out to the car. She walked out with her sunglasses, fake hair, earrings, bracelet, and high heels on, holding her microphone and her gift bag, all the while singing Hannah Montana songs. She also added her "I love my mommy" song in there a couple of times so I figured she was happy with her loot and her day in general. Just a couple photos of her enjoying her presents~

She wants to save and take her flowers to Hawaii with her when we go next year!!

Wish you could see the shoes...

Maybe I should go to trusty Walmart after work in my spare time and get some Calgon. Maybe it will find a place to take me away to....for a few minutes anyway.

My Baby is Turning 4 Today!

Birthdays are a time of excitement and expectations....when you're a kid. When you're a parent, it's a whole different story. Of course we look forward to their first birthday even though it marks that very important milestone... a barrier between baby and toddler. We then think that maybe their disposition will change as they continue to grow, but each age seems to add something new. I don't know about anyone else, but I think that it's very bittersweet to watch our babies grow. No longer do we look forward to our own birthdays, knowing that they bring new aches and pains and sags and bags; nevertheless, we celebrate right along with our kids and their birthdays. I, however, am not feeling all that great this day.

Rylee decided that she was coming out about 20 minutes after I got into my hospital room 4 years ago today. I can't believe that it's all ready been that long...and so many other babies have been born since her (none being mine of course). Alyssa was this age when I decided that I was ready to get pregnant again so her turning 4 and getting ready for kindergarten the next year really wasn't THAT big of a heartache. I knew I would soon have another little baby to nurture and spend time with that would take much longer to grow up.....RIGHT!!! She has grown just as quickly and is now talking about going to school and I don't know where I stand.... What do I do now? We've decided that we are not having any more kids and 3 is a good round number, but I find myself stuck in an emotional rut. I know that the decision we have made is good for our future but it's the present that I'm having a hard time convincing.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think that we should have another baby and I certainly don't think that I could mentally survive 4 children but it's the combination of turning 32 and my baby turning 4 that's got me thinking "Holy moly, I'm at the age of almost being too old to have any more." That magic age of 35 is right around the corner which brings all of the wonderful "cautions" regarding having kids. I'M OLD!!! LOL. I'm just being dramatic now, but it certainly gives me something to think about. McKenzie and Alyssa say that they want a little brother but I told them that I haven't had that much luck in the past regarding that "Y" chromosome so they'd probably end up with another sister. Like we don't have enough estrogen in the house all ready...poor Mike! Even our pets are usually girls :-) As the girls were discussing this, Rylee pipes up with "Mommy, I don't want you to have another baby....I want to be your only baby." Awww... like that didn't pull at my heart strings. She also told me that the only thing she could think of that she wants for her birthday is for mommy not to have to work anymore so that I can stay home with her. That really didn't help my emotional pull of not wanting to work anymore either. If only I could find some way to get paid for staying home...

Anyway, enough of this melancholy...my baby turned 4 today! Alyssa has a baseball game tonight so we are going to dinner afterward. Uncle Jerry is meeting us, as well as Aunt Bobbi and family so we'll wreak havoc at Denny's! We are having a triple birthday party on Saturday for Rylee, Matthew, and Karrissa so I will hopefully get some good pictures to post. Hey, come to think of it, this is the first post I've done without a picture...weird!

Off to baseball!

Sunny Days...Could This Be For Real??

I can't believe I haven't posted anything in almost two weeks. I was hoping to keep it a little more up to date but we've just been so busy! We have baseball Monday through Thursday every week and some Saturdays as well. That's on top of everything else of course...but I'm not complaining, just sharing. On the weekend of the 4th, McKenzie and Alyssa had a baseball Jamboree and both played two games each. Alyssa's age doesn't keep score but if they did, I know they would have won because the girls kicked butt! Alyssa, Ambrosia, and Isabella played their little hearts out both games. McKenzie's team won their first game 8 to 1 and the second game 7 to 5. She was catcher and did so great!! She was nervous as we walked onto the ball field at 8 am Saturday morning but by the time we left at 3 pm (such a long day!) she was a pro. Here are some pictures from the Jamboree:

~~The Starz~~

McKenzie taking her base after getting hit by the ball..

Look at that catcher!

~~The Cougars~~

I think she's flying to 3rd base..

Working 1st base...she's not letting anyone past!

After the jamboree, Mike left for the Desert 100 over in Odessa, so the girls and I were on our own. Luckily, Aunt Bobbi was cool enough to hang out with us and make pizza and dessert on Saturday night so we weren't completely alone. The next day was completely ours and it was SUNNY!! We decided to take advantage of this summer-like weather and took a 2-mile walk down to the park by the clubhouse. We walked around the golf course where we stopped to take a few pictures and then continued on down by the lake. When we got to the clubhouse, Rylee took one look at the lake and said, "Oh darn it...I forgot my baving suit!!" She just couldn't understand why we weren't going swimming when it was so warm and sunny..lol. I guess we haven't had 70 degree weather in a long time so it would be confusing. Of course, since I'm a camera freak, I brought it with me for a few candids....and a few poses.

We had a really great weekend even though it was jam packed. Mike didn't win the motorcycle race but he sure had fun riding in it anyway. He didn't get home until 11 pm Sunday nightThankfully for him, he had Monday off. Wish I was so lucky!

Happy First Birthday Chance James!!

I can hardly believe it's been a whole year since this little guy was born! I still remember it like it was yesterday, calling Bob at 3ish in the morning on April Fool's Day, and him asking me if this was an April Fool's joke! I asked him, "Do you really think I would get up this early just to play a joke on you?? Give me a break!" My dear sister had so many false labors that we didn't know if this was real or not but we weren't taking any chances. Turns out, he was ready to greet the world! By the time we got into the labor room, Bobbi could hardly think straight. She refused to do what the nurse was telling her to do and said a few choice words to her when asked a second and third time...LOL. She finally got dressed and very slowly got up onto the bed and prepared for her final birth. After the ordeal with the stupid stupid anesthesiologist, she was ready! Poor Travis, however, was not.... I saw his color change and watched as he almost hit the floor. He was a trooper though and eventually regained his composure and helped bring his son into this world.

I can't believe how quickly this past year has passed with several first birthdays within months and days of each other. Jimmy Johnson Jr., my great nephew, and Savannah Jorgensen, my niece, both celebrated their firsts in February. How quickly these little monsters grow....It makes me have baby fever for a few days....then I'm back to normal thank goodness!!

We celebrated Chance's party at his house, which happens to be right next door to me, so it's a very short walk. Bobbi made yummy spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad...which Chance thoroughly enjoyed. He also, of course, had his very own cake. He dug right in and entertained us with his excitement, giggling most of the time. Until the terrible two's, Happy Birthday baby boy!!