Total awesomeness

I don't know about you all, but we had a GREAT 4th of July. Seriously, the best holiday we've had in a long time (IDK if you've noticed but holidays don't really like us/me too much).

Saturday Josh didn't have to work! Yes folks, that's right we got an actual weekend Memorial day weekend AND 4th of July weekend. It was soooo nice. We literally did nothing. It feels like we or Josh always have something to do, so it was really nice to spend the day doing nothing. Then that night the kids and I came in to relax and Josh went up to the farm to help them out baling hay.

Sunday we went over to Joshs moms house and had a really relaxing picnic with all of that side of the family. I got some good info on his grandparents so I can finally start on their side of the genealogy. I've got a really good starting point and they told me I could come over this week and get some pictures and apparantly they have a book with a bunch of info in it. Anyway, we just spent the afternoon hanging out and talking. Then we left there and went to the park we always go to for fireworks and stuff. We got sooo incredibly lucky and actually got a parking spot near where we sat. Granted, we had to drive around 3 times and I had to stand in the spot while Josh came back around, which got some nasty looks, but IDK what we would have done otherwise.

The girls played on the playground

and got their faces painted (I think Sophia's going to be in the paper getting hers done).

and went in the bouncy house and DIDN'T get to ride on a pony because they were only there for 2 hours and they packed up at the speed of light (7:03...."we packed them up at 7"...). Anyway, once they got over that disappointment (and I decided not to be too mad about it) we went and played on another playground and just hung out until the fireworks started. OH and the best part...the people watching. Going to an event like this (where the hoopies come out in full force) really makes us feel better about ourselves. It's times like those when we see how incredibly smart and pretty and classy we really are. Oh and our kids are quite possibly the best in the world (at least it felt that way) LOL. We left with so much self confidence we were almost full of ourselves. Hopefully it'll last until next year...or at least until the fair. ;-)

The fireworks were AH-MAZING as they always are. (however, impossible to get a picture of)

I was soooo incredibly happy listening to the girls giggling and Jack ohh-ing while we watched them. It was a perfect moment in life that I'll always remember. And about 10 minutes into it Sophia stops giggling and she looks at me with a serious look on her face, puts her hand on my arm and says....."mommy...can I have another twizzler". :D It was perfect. It was just so, Pia to be thinking about food at that moment. It was great. And the funniest thing was the end when we were literally throwing everything in the car (including the kids) trying to get out before the crowd starts leaving, because at that point it's just a lost cause and we would just wait until it's all over (like last year). So we finally get in the car after all that and we're sweating and out of breath and laughing so hard and we pull out and Maria says "Mommy, what is wrong with you guys! Why you running all around and being so silly with Daddy!". I said "because, it is a little known fact, that I am, in fact, a silly mommy". She says "No Mommy, I already know you silly".

getting back in the game

OK, I'm quite sure you've all noticed my horrid blogging practices lately. I mean 3 posts in a month? Totally unacceptable! I'm ashamed of myself. Ok, not quite, but I do feel like I need to get back in the game a little bit here. So I'll be trying my hardest to blog 3 times a week, even if it's just something short and sweet, it'll be something.

Fathers day came and went without major event. We moved Josh's mom into her new house that weekend, then we went back over there to help her with some stuff. Then we visited with his dad for a little while. It was difficult because he had to work until about 9:00 so as soon as he got home we got the girls shoes on and headed over. As we were walking over we saw that Josh's brothers wife pulled in with her kids so we had to turn around and go back home. We sat there waiting (keeping the kids up waaaaay past their bedtimes) for them to leave. After a half an hour we finally just decided to go over and completely ignore her. After a little while, she finally got the hint and left. But still, it was almost 10 o'clock so the girls didn't get to bed until after 10:30, which I don't think they've ever done. We were sitting there trying to talk and they were begging to go home and go to bed. So that night Josh and I talked about how maybe we should sit down and talk with them (Travis and Candy) to try to make up. I mean after the things she has said and done, we wont ever be best friends, but the least we could do is try to work through some of it to try to make up. I emailed Josh's brother the next day and 2 days later he sent me an email back that said they have no intention of EVER making up with us. nice. So needless to say when I read the email to Josh he was beyond disappointed in his brother and what he has become since being with that woman.

However, in spite of that, it was still a relaxing weekend and it was great to see a REAL father in action. We are soooo lucky to have Josh. I can't tell him that enough. I'm sure my friends on facebook get sick of hearing it, but I really don't care. We are blessed to have each other and have such love in our home that so many other people don't have. We have chosen to raise our kids differently than I was raised. We shower our kids with love and compliments. We will try to build the bonds between them, instead of forcing them to take sides. And he would never dream of going a year without seeing them. I am so happy to have Josh as my partner in this life. And the kids will grow up knowing how lucky they are to have him as their father.

Last weekend Josh went over and offered to cut down a dead tree in his dads yard because he was worried about someone getting hurt. Branches kept just randomly falling down (and when I say branches, I mean HUGE tree limbs). So that was quite a sight. Every time he would cut a limb down, it would come crashing to the ground into little pieces and the kids would yell over there from our deck "ooooooohh!" lol. It was really cute. They didn't get all the way finished, but probably halfway.

Yes, I know it's Wednesday

I know it's not Friday, but I feel like I need to post since I've slacked for the last couple weeks and I don't have enough for a full post. So here are my leftovers.

• Jackson has started getting a little...ok, a LOT possessive of me. I'm obviously happy that all my kids love me so much, but the boy is starting some UFC-type battles over who gets to sit on my lap/hold my hand/lay their head on my leg. It's cute and scary all at the same time. The girls are used to getting my full affection, and they aren't too keen on the competition. LOL
• Ummm what the hell is up with this gulf coast oil spill crap? I mean, come on people! They should have had this stuff cleaned up right after it happened. There were about 50 different GREAT ideas, but they were "too expensive". Well, I bet those options are looking pretty good right about now, aren't they. And where the heck is Obama during this. He wants to stick his nose in every business in the country, but the ONE time it's needed, he wimps out.
• The girls were cracking us up tonight digging for and playing with worms in their dresses. They just HAD to wear these dresses (and of course bows). But they're out there for 2 minutes and they're covered in dirt and playing with the worms like a couple of boys. It was great. It's just so...them. They can be very girly girls and they can be the biggest tom-boys at the same time. We heart them.
• I watched a couple episodes of Bridezillas the other day, and the same thought kept going through my head...what kind of man would marry these women!? Planning my wedding was the easiest thing I've ever done. Josh and I never had a single fight over anything. And if I had treated him or my family or friends the way these women, do I would EXPECT for the guy to leave me. I always wonder how many of these marriages make it through the first two years.
• I received the official e-mail from my step-dad today. They don't want anything to do with us anymore. I told him that all I need is an apology from my mom about the way she treated me my whole life (and on Mothers Day) and he said "you had a great childhood, I don't know what you're talking about". Ooooookay then. There's nothing I can say back to that steaming pile of crap, so I said "I'm done" and he said "well have a nice life then". Of course that was after he threatened to beat the shit out of Josh. ya. really nice. IDK. I'm emotionally drained from the situation and I don't know what to say anymore. I know the truth and they can continue to believe what they want to believe. I can't change them. I'm "giving it to God" as my friend would say.
• Josh is contemplating selling his truck and his car (hot rods, not everyday vehicles) and putting all the money towards something more "practical" (something with a back seat for the kids so we don't have to drive seperately to car shows and stuff). He had some issues with his truck on Sunday on the way out the driveway to a car show. He finally (after an hour...or more) got it running and made it to the gas station, but ran into some...uh problems when he tried to start it up again. He ended up having to have the thing towed back home by some of his friends. We'll see what, if anything, ends up happening with that.

a couple things...

So, Daddy built them a swing set last weekend and it's been the cause for lots and lots of giggles all week...from everyone in the house. It's 10ft tall. No joke. Because Josh thought 8ft wouldn't be quite tall enough for our 3ft tall children lol. We've both been making jokes about it ever since it went up. He came in the house and goes "uhhh hey, could you call Labron James to come hang up these swings for me". I go out there and see it with my own eyes. I say "hunny, you know the kids are ours right?" (he's 5'5" and I'm 5'2"...and Maria has a medical condition literally called "short stature"). He hung up the swings with the original chain that they came with and they came up to the girls heads...cue jokes, and jokes, and jokes... Anyway, after 8ft of extra chain, it's great and I can't wait until next year when we build the tower and slide part.

Me and Pia pants hanging out outside. (no, I wont cut her bangs, I'm trying to grow them out, they're just in an awkward phase right now)

This picture cracks me up. I love the teeth and the squinty eyes. Precious.

Maria had her last day of school on Wed. Yes, I cried...I sobbed in fact. Hey, they played the song "let them be little" and read a poem entitled "we give them back to you". Trust me, they wanted some tears...and they got them. She has grown sooooo much since the first day of school. She has really come a long way in the last 9 months.

Maria on the first day...

and on the last.

The girls on the first day...

and on the last day.

big tear...

My favorites

I got this idea from Danifred (though, if I remember correctly she got it from someone else).

In honor of my birthday, I'm going to do a list of my favorite things.

Hearing "you're the best Mommy in the whooooole world" every day This one's self explanatory. Who wouldn't love that?! However a close second is when they tell me "I will miss yoooou" 15 times in a row, every time I walk out the door. It's precious.
Moose Tracks Ice cream I used to eat it all the time in high school, with my friends at lunch time, and it still brings back memories when I eat it now.
Pawn Stars This show is awesome. It's all my favorite things rolled into one. I'm always drooling over all of the historical stuff people bring in there and I'm always yelling at the TV when they sell it too cheap...or at all (I'm talking about YOU, guy who sold his revolutionary war bond made by Paul Revere for a couple grand and a guitar!!).
Falling in Love by Philosophy. It's my signature scent. Honestly, It's the only perfume I've worn in years...I'm actually running low in case anyone's looking to get me a belated B-Day gift ;-)
History ANY kind of history. I'm always reading, researching, googling, watching documentaries, any way I can get my brain around some good history is good with me. It just really fascinates me how different and yet how similar we are to the people that lived hundreds or even thousands of years ago. I always tell Josh that if we win the lottery, our new house will be like a little mini-museum with all kinds of cool artifacts and antiques.
Jeopardy I know it's corny, but I love watching to see how many answers I know in a show. Everyone's always telling me to try out, which IS on my bucket list, but I've got at least another decade of learning to do before I'd feel really comfortable going for it.
Edward S. Curtis. He's my all-time favorite photographer. Even though he really only photographed one particular genre (Native Americans) he did it so incredibly well, that I can't help but cry when I look at some of his photographs.
***side note*** my birthday gift this year was 2 of his books, a book about our founding fathers and a travel book about Europe...and I couldn't be happier :D

Mothers day gifts, big and small

When Maria came home from school on Wednesday, she was sooo excited to give me her gifts. I told her that she could wait until Sunday, but she insisted. What I got was BEAUTIFUL and perfect.

This is my mother (and there is a picture she drew of me). Her name is Mom. She is about old, old, old years old (gee thanks). She has green eyes and black hair. She weighs 2 pounds (ok seriously thank you for that one). Her favorite food is mac & cheese (no, that's YOUR favorite food lol). She's smart and she knows all about saving me from Pia because she hits me. (I LOL'ed so hard at that). When she's not with me, she spends her time cleaning up. Best of all, mother likes to turn off the TV. Mother takes care of me by giving me good food and hugs. I think my mother is best in the world because I love her. If I could wish for anything in the world for my mother, it would be flowers. Love Maria

And this one made me bawl my eyes out...which then upset Maria because she thought I didn't like it...epic "mommy" fail. I then spent the day explaining to her that sometimes we cry because we are soooo happy and love someone soooo much.

Sometimes you get discouraged because I am so small
And always leave my fingerprints on furniture and walls

But everyday I am growing up and soon I'll be so tall
That all those little hand prints will be hard to recall.

So here's a final hand print just so you can say
This is how my fingers looked on this Mother's Day!

I'll have pics of Mother's Day and a recap of the day, tomorrow.

leftovers and wordless wednesday...all on the wrong days

This is really just a hodge podge because I haven't really had anything interesting to say in the last week that would constitute an entire blog.

• How cute is this picture of Jack? Seriously, I love it. It's definitely worthy of WW status.

• Speaking of pictures, yes, this is in fact a strawberry shaped like...uhh...well, a rack...I'm sorry, I know it's juvenile, but it has been cracking Josh and I up for two days. that's just the immature sense of humor we have, and I LOVE it.

• We had to reschedule our family pictures because they were supposed to be Sunday, but because of the storms, obviously that didn't happen. We are actually doing them at my moms house with all 10 of us for her 50th birthday gift. She's been talking about having family pics taken for years and just hasn't done it, so we thought we'd do it for her. lol. Of course I have no room to talk since I wanted to get them since last year for my birthday, but Josh didn't want to spend $700 on pics. (tangent: this I THINK, is what my EPSIL (evil psychotic sister in law) was referring to one time when she said that I "forced Josh to buy $700 patio furniture"????, when in actuality that furniture was cheapo stuff that Josh wanted and got from big lots. I guess since she wins every argument in her house, she thinks I do too. It must be unusual for someone like her to understand a couple making decisions TOGETHER. lol. ok tangent over.)


• Sophia has been calling Maria "Somia". I think this is what's going on in her head...if Pia=Sophia then Mia should=Somia. Pretty good logic if you think about it.
• It's officially 100 days until our vacation!! And if ANYONE deserves a vacation, it's us! We've spent the last 5 1/2 years having babies, taking care of them, paying our bills, working hard & doing the right thing. So now that we are practically debt free (obviously we still owe on our mortgage and car) we can finally go on a vacation the RIGHT way. Without having other bills we can't pay or paying for it with a credit card. We are so excited and now our kids will appreciate it so much more. Hopefully they will grow up to be responsible like us and not grow up feeling entitled to things like that.
• Josh got all of our plants for our garden yesterday. Last year was just a trial run to see what we liked/used so this year will HOPEFULLY be totally used. We got 24 tomato plants, 2 peppers, 1 cucumber & 2 strawberry. Also, I got the seeds the other day for corn, pickling cucumbers, pie pumpkins & carrots. I'm hoping to get a little more spaghetti sauce out of this years. We just ran out a couple weeks ago and I had to get store-bought. Once you've had homemade, the store stuff is like eating plain tomato sauce out of a can. LOL. For some reason, my green beans from last year all have a funny...like pasty? kind of taste, so I don't think we'll do them this year, however I did get some seeds. It'll really depend on if we have the space.
• When we went to pick up the plants last night, we stopped at the place where we used to go get ice cream after Maria was born. We'd walk up there every night, and it was just really nice. However, they closed it down a while back, so Josh was all excited when he came home from work last night and said "they opened it up again, we have to go tonight!". It was so cute. The problem now becomes that we sold the double stroller and IDK about having the kids walk the mile on a rural road with no sidewalks. But it would be stupid to drive a mile, ya know?