Friday, April 20, 2012

Behind...again!

I know that I promised pictures from the rest of Spring Break, and the kids birthdays...and I'm getting there, I promise! But I need to rewind and update a bit first.

If you'll remember, I posted about prayer back in March. I mentioned my good friend, Natalie, and how thrilled I was that she had gotten a good report regarding the leukemia/aplastic anemia. Well, unfortunately, that report ended up being incorrect. It was later discovered that she does indeed have aplastic anemia. Apparently, the first bone marrow sample was bad. So, I am still praying for Natalie, and I will ask anyone who reads my blog to do the same. She has been in and out of the hospital and visits the clinic everyday to have her counts checked. It's looking like there may need to be a bone marrow transplant. I'm not going to go into all of the details...but some good things have been happening lately. It seems as if her platelets have begun regenerating. Her counts have been going up on their own, and that is an awesome praise! She and her family are definitely walking through a storm right now, with this thing...but she has literally hundreds of people interceding for her. I'm expecting good things!

Still praying for V, too. We found out yesterday that her baby is a GIRL! Yay! I see tutus in her future! Hoping for a full term, healthy, uncomplicated duration of pregnancy.

Okay, so we did end up going to the zoo with my sister and niece at the end of spring break. We had a great time. I will devote a whole post to zoo pics.

The twins' birthday celebration, which honestly felt like it lasted a whole month, was wonderful. We got them a trampoline as their BIG gift and set it up the weekend before, since we'd be out of town their bday weekend. For their bday weekend, we went to Mimi's house to have a joint birthday celebration with Kylie. We had a blast playing together, partying, going to Leonardo's and seeing Kylie play soccer. I will devote a whole post to bday pics.

The actual day of their bday was a Wednesday. It was mostly a good day. I say mostly because I took them to Target to get some things for a care package for my friend, Natalie...and they both were not getting exactly what they wanted (Emma didn't want to sit in the cart, or stand without hopping off and messing with everything...Alec didn't want to leave Target when I decided we were leaving because Emma was being difficult) so they BOTH launched into the WORST knock down drag out kicking screaming flailing on the floor fits you have ever seen. I had to keep my composure and get them out to the car before having my own little tantrum. Holy cow. I will be scarred by this event for the REST OF MY LIFE. And I may never show my face in Target again. So, they actually spent a good portion of their day dealing with the punishment that I had doled out. What a bummer.

What else do I need to update on? Oh! Aaron was voted onto the elder board. Congratulations, babe. So, now I'm an elder's wife, and I've been informed that I must now wear a dress with hose everytime I set foot in the church. Just kidding. But I am really really proud of Aaron.

Okay, I think that just about does it for this post. Now I'll begin uploading pics.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Happy 4th Birthday, Alec & Emma!

Four years ago, I gave birth to two darling babies. I can't believe it's been FOUR years! Every year has been precious and special, and I know that this next year will be too. We celebrated with family last weekend in Enid, and had the big party then. But we also have a few special things planned for today. A more detailed post with pictures is forthcoming. Right now, I have to use this naptime to rehearse my Easter dance. So...keep your eyes peeled for the "real" birthday post!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Life Lately: Spring Break Edition

So, a few weeks back I was basically a Walmart Widow. That meaning that my husband was so swamped with a project at work that he literally ONLY came home to sleep a few hours and bathe. And even the sleeping part was iffy, because he was still getting calls in the wee hours of the morning to deal with stuff. Anyways, the week before last, he worked 90 hours. Yeah, you read that right...90 hours.

Obviously, that was a very trying week for him...and it was tiring for me too. But in all honesty, the kids (aside from a rough patch here and there) were pretty stellar. Especially considering that the Monday of that crazy week, that they were stuck in a conference room (a glorified large gray pod with a few windows to the other outside gray pods and a door, a cheap table or two and a lot of electronic devices; no frills at WMISD, folks...remember, they save money so you can live better!) for FOUR HOURS while their dad and his team worked. I had to teach, and had I known they'd be stuck there that long, I would've probably attempted to take them with me...but it worked out. Aaron said they were really good. I dropped them off with lunchboxes full of Chick-Fil-A and their Leapster Explorers, so apparently they were kept entertained and their bellies were full.

Thank the Lord, I think we are past the super crazy part of the project. The part where program issues are constantly popping up, and new fixes present new problems. I might as well just mention that they're working to install a new membership program for Sam's Club. This last week,  his schedule has been a little more normal. He's actually at work right now, 10:25pm on Wed. He came to church, and then went back to deal with some stuff.

Sure it stinks when he has to work that much, but I'm not going to complain about the job that provides for me and my kiddos.

Okay, so lets fast forward to this week! Spring Break! Now, my sister thought that she was going to have several days off in a row this week, and was planning to come with my neice to spend a few days with us...but that fell through. She ended up getting scheduled right in the middle of the week. So, that was a bummer, but we're still planning a little get together on Friday. Here's how our week has gone so far.

Monday: A nice slow cozy morning sleeping in. Kids joined me in bed as usual somewhere around 7:30. We snuggled, snoozed and watched Disney Jr. a while until we were too hungry to stay in bed anymore. Kids helped me clip coupons, and I sat debating whether or not to go to Walmart for a long time. For one, we were out of EVERYTHING. For two, it was going to be a full blown "list a mile long" shopping trip. For three, it was raining, and about to get worse and storm for several days. Aaron encouraged me to go while the rain wasn't too bad, before all the worse weather settled in.

Now, I always make sure to do my big shopping trips when the kids are either in KDO, or on the weekend when we can go as a family, and have two carts. I have friends with twins who use two carts or a cart and a stroller, pulling one and pushing the other...but that sounds like a pain in the rear to me. For a while for small trips, I've been putting one in the seat and one in the big part of the cart (when there aren't any double seaters). But lately, they don't want to be in the cart period. One wants to ride in front of me while I steer and one wants to ride on the back. My fear was that if we did that, they'd continually be disengaging themselves, grabbing everything on the shelf and throwing random stuff into the cart, thus causing our trip to last 5 hours.

Well, you know what? A little of that happened...but I was pretty chill about it. I managed to keep my cool, and they were actually really good little helpers. They really wanted to help me find the stuff on the list and put it in the basket. We managed to get done in an hour (which is good time for me alone ha!). While in the produce we found a wad of cash on the floor, so we ended up taking it to customer service and turning it in. It was a $5 and five $1s. Not a lot of money, but we were at the Springdale store, where many families shop with food stamps (I know they're not called that anymore,) and I just kept thinking, "this could mean a lot to someone," so we took it to the counter. Even though I'm pretty sure the lady I turned the money in to was stoked that she was going to pocket it, I kind of felt like I should use that as a teachable moment with the kids.

Then we went to McDonald's to eat and play. They earned it.

Tuesday: stormy all day. Didn't go anywhere. Just chilled at the house. Watched some movies, did some puzzles. I did manage to come up with a little activity/craft for us to do. I did some light cleaning and laundry. A low key day.

Wednesday: stormy again, but we had a playdate with the kids twin friends, Casey and Lundyn to go to Boingo Bounce. Its an indoor arena full of bounce houses, slides, etc. They love it there. It's the one thing the kids begged to do for Spring Break. The place was packed! Not surprising being that it's Spring Break and rainy. Had a blast and then went to Sonic to grab lunch before we ran to Sam's for the rest of the groceries we hadn't gotten Monday. Home. Nap. Church.

Just got a txt that it's gonna be a long night for Aaron. Poor guy. One of these days when you get a minute, you're going to read this post, honey. Thanks for working so hard! We really really appreciate you!

So, what's in store for Thurs/Fri? Well, if the weather changes, we'll try to hit the park. Gotta go to the library for sure. Friday, Aaron is taking the day off (which hopefully is still a possibility) and we're going to meet my sister and Kylie at the Tulsa Zoo. Weather is supposed to be nice by then.

Hopefully, I'll be back with some zoo pics! Well, this was a long one. Thanks for hanging with me on this one!






Thursday, March 8, 2012

Pray Without Ceasing

I hate that I have become a "once a month" poster. I write this blog for friends and family that don't live close enough to get the scoop on the "everyday stuff." But I also write it for us...to look back on and remember the "everyday stuff."

The week before last was a BIG week of prayer for me. We are doing a thing in our church where we are focusing on one scripture or passage of scripture weekly. They've made key fobs with the verses for us to have handy. The scripture for that week was 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. It was very appropriate.

The first big thing that I was praying for was in regard to my friend Natalie. She is a good friend from OU and a Bible-believing Christian and she has a daughter A&E's age and a son a little younger. Some bloodwork from a routine physical showed that her platelet count was very low, and long story short, the doctor thought that it was most likely leukemia or aplastic anemia. Both would require chemo. It took a long time to get results, and many people were interceding for her. I was praying that it would be neither...that it would be something they hadn't thought of, and just for the preservation of her life.

The second big thing I was praying for was in regard to my friend V. She is expecting and has been having a rough time with nausea and some other complications, and was put on bedrest for a little while. So, I've really been praying for Baby Cano...Honeybadger, as baby has affectionately been nicknamed...because baby doesn't really care how it makes Momma feel! And praying for V too...that the next trimester will bring relief!

The third big thing was for Aaron. A while back, he was asked to consider an eldership position in our church. We were both kinda like "huh, elder?!" Our board of elders is short, and so I believe the board has been looking to add one or two more men. Aside from the fact that at first we were both thinking that elders should be a bit more, well...elderly (or at least more seasoned, with more life experience, or something like that), we were also thinking "shouldn't we be waaaay more spiritual?" Yes, I said we. I said we because if he's to be an elder, and we are "one," then I, as the elder's wife, must also assume the charge and responsibility in some fashion as well. After talking to all of the elders and the pastor about the responsibility, etc...and after a LOT of prayer, examination of the scriptures regarding eldership, and realizing that he was asked for a reason...we've finally made a decision.

So, how do all of these stories unfold? Well, my friend Natalie got the results that we were hoping for...NOT CANCER! Doctor has no idea why her blood is the way it is, but it's not leukemia OR aplastic anemia. She will see a specialist to make a better determination.

My friend, V, is off of bedrest and I'm continuing to believe for a healthy, more enjoyable pregnancy.

Aaron decided that he is willing to be an elder, and I think we've both really felt confirmation from the Lord about it. When it comes down to it, we both care very much about our church, the vision God has for it, and its direction. We both care very much about our church family. And we both care very much about God's plan for spiritual growth for both of us. And I really feel this is another way that he can serve and use his giftings. He will have to be voted in by the membership at our next business meeting/election. So, we shall see how that turns out.

These obviously aren't the only things that I've been praying about. They just happen to be a few of the things that really received a timely answer and were pressing. I'm glad that God gave us prayer, a way to communicate with him, to thank him, to ask of him. So glad that he wants to have a relationship with me, and wants to hear what I have to say!

Monday, February 13, 2012

Superstars

Everyday at KDO, one child receives the coveted SUPERSTAR award. Alec earned this award the very first day of school. Then he earned another one before Christmas. Then he earned another one last Monday. Of course, this is fantastic, and I am so so  proud of his sweetness.

Now, it can also be a little tricky when there happens to be a twin sister that is in the same class and has watched brother earn the superstar award three times, and has yet to earn said award. Emma has asked me when she would be the superstar. And I would always say "one day you will, sweetie. You are my superstar everyday!" And we even made superstar necklaces for her just like brother's. (because she is often very sweet and helpful and does deserve a superstar award from me.)

Now this is not a rant about how all kids should win and all kids should get the trophy, award, treat or whatever. I fully believe that kids need to experience a little bit of a let down every now and again because that's just life. But I have to say that I felt for the girl. She was very nice about it when Alec won for the 3rd time. She encouraged him and said she was proud of him, and told me all about the sweet things he'd done...but I could see the sadness in her eyes. She really really wanted to be a superstar too.

So, I was THRILLED on Thursday to find out that Emma earned the SUPERSTAR award for the day. I was honestly over the moon, because I knew how bad she wanted it. And she was so proud to show me her star necklace and to give me her sweet list.

The sweet list is the list that the teacher gives the parent letting them know all of the sweet and helpful and kind things that the child did to earn the award. So, without further ado...here are Alec and Emma's sweet lists from last week.




In case you can't decipher:

Alec's Sweet List:
1. Alec helped clean up after craft time.
2. Helped his friends put their books away.
3. Helped with nap mats.

Emma's Sweet List:
1. Helped put nap mats away without being asked.
2. Helped clean up.
3. Was kind to her friends.

Friday, January 20, 2012

January Weather Wonders

So, you may recall from the last few years, that we have experienced some pretty brutal January and February weather. The ice storm of '09, the ice storm of '10, and the 2 ft snow dump of Feb 2011 were enough to drive me right back to South Texas! But for some reason...so far, our winter weather this year has been pretty mild. And yes, I realize that I'm totally jinxing it! I fully expect that we could end up with a few heaps of snow and ice anytime before April 15th. But I'm also enjoying totally basking in the fact that I've been outside with my kids with no coats for the last two days. And that is nothing short of miraculous for January. Here are some pictures of our adventures today.

We spent about an hour and a half in the backyard. We played frisbee, soccer, tee ball, and pretty much every imaginative thing that could be done with our playset (sans big slide- since it was broken by a neighbor...and we weren't going to replace it till the spring. You know cuz we figured we'd be stuck indoors for at least 6 months.)

Anyways, we had a blast. And I did cherish every minute with my children who have been angels the last two days. (Please refer to previous post if this is confusing.)





Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Parenting is hard.

Today I read an article that I really needed to read. I needed it because yesterday was HARD. I took the kids to dance class at 10:30 as per usual on Tuesday morning, and I was pretty much appalled by their wild behavior and inablility to control themselves and listen to the teacher. Most of the time, they behave pretty well in class, and love what they are doing, and have tons of fun. But they both just wanted to run around, do their own thing, and just generally not be attentive. I sat, watching the monitor, for 20 minutes before I couldn't take anymore. I went in, and called them out of class...to tell them that we were done with dance for the day because they couldn't behave. Well, then two wild fits ensued...which was pretty much aweseomely disruptive, and awesomely embarrassing in front of the other moms. Within a few minutes, the class was over and Miss Rachel came out. I made them apologize, and off we went.

When we got home, they were disciplined for the misbehavior and for the fits. And they spent the day without tv and without their handheld games.

As a parent it stinks when your kid misbehaves...for one because you want them to act better/know they can act better...and for two, because often you are surrounded by people who may or may not be judging you on your capabilities/inabilities as a parent. Training up a child in the way that they should go is kind of like training for a run. You have to be diligent and disciplined every day, or things start to slip. It is a fantastically wonderful challenge, but some days are just really hard.

So, today I was grateful to read this article that a friend had shared on fb. I appreciate the honesty and candor. I hate that as moms it's like an unwritten rule that you can't ever admit that you've lost a battle, or that you were flat out defeated...or you could be labeled as one who is doing it all wrong.

Here's the truth that I live. I have two amazing kids. For the great majority of the time, I am full of joy and gratitude to be doing what I am doing as a SAHM. But the reality is also that I have two 3 1/2 year olds. And some days that gets down right rough. And I'm doing the best I can, with what I get each day.

Here's the link to the article. I know some Mommies who might just appreciate it as much as I did!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glennon-melton/dont-carpe-diem_b_1206346.html

And just for the record...today has been a much better day. :-)