I know, I know

I'm pretty terrible at my blog, just when you think "oh, I'm going to blog today" the mommy ship crash lands. I mean this quite literally. There have been times where I feel like something *might* be wrong, things are going "too" smoothly. Then WHAM, life happens :) Well, my life anyways. These kids are BUSY, and they dont stop. Let me catch you up to date.

Martin, well he is finally done with football, but let me tell you, that leaves nothing but time for projects. Which apparently in Middle School is all the rave, not really, but he has projects out the whazoo! Which leads me to tell you that he has become QUITE the little student! Straight A's, and I mean HIGH A's (like 99s & 100's). We havent seen grades like that since like 3rd grade. Can not tell you how proud of him we are. In 8th grade, thats when boys meet girls, yada yada yada. But not him, that I know of. He doesnt speak of any girls. But they are all over his facebook, but thats another blog :)

Gabrielle, is hitting the gym at full speed ahead. Becoming a little gymnast, she is getting really good. I'm not just biased people :) She is struggling with bars, but that was my struggle as a gymnast. Its hard stuff. And lets face it, she is teeny tiny, the upper body isnt built like that! She is doing well in school. All A's, as usual :) Which makes me proud! It never ceases to amaze me at how well she picks up new information! She is multiplying and dividing, and reading at a 9th grade level! Slow down Gabby Girl!!! Another new thing for her is her frequent visits with her Dad. She is growing up, and he is becoming more involved. I prayed for that for YEARS, because she had this emptiness in her little eyes. Dont get me wrong, she is overwhelmed with love, lots of family, but there was the spark that had been missing. Its there now, and I pray it stays! Things arent always easy betwoeen us, but its getting there sloooooooowly but surely!

Gavin, completed his first season of T-ball, oh my goodness it was adorable! He is my biggest helper. He turned 4 in October, and he is a little man all of a sudden! Helps me cook, clean, do laundry. We do preschool at home. Trying to prepare him for maybe Pre-K next year! He is a smart cookie! People are always commenting on how "smart" he is. His Catechism teacher told me Sunday that he is "such a bright little guy". Beaming, on the inside right now :) I cant believe he is 4! Oh I love that little guy

Madelyn, well she is a turkey! BUSY, demanding, and all of the things a spoiled Princess, 2 year old, baby of the family should be. Yikes. I havent met a person she can bat her eyes at to get her way with yet! Her newest funny thing is if you ask "Madelyn why are you so cute", she puts her hands on her hips and says "Because. I'm the Baby and I'm the Princess". Ay. It amazes me how her and Gavin are like built in best friends. Love each other, but love to fight with each other too.

So anyways, I'm busy. REALLY busy. I dont like driving through fast food either. And I dont always have time to get up and cook dinner at 6 o'clock each night either. So whats a mom to do? All hail the almighty CROCK POT! I grew up eating meals my mom prepared in this thing. I natrually bought one as soon as I moved out. I used it for a few easy throw together meals a few times. But my mom bought me this book, the holy bible of crock pottery I tell you.

http://http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51568VK03AL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg
(they are like $11 on amazon.com GO GET ONE)

I decided to try something new. I made my weekly menu with one item from the crock pot cook book for each night of the week that was a crazy busy mess. Equals 4 nights a week. So out I went shopping for my 4 meals for the crockpot. I ended up getting a full week of crockpot meals (7 days people) plus all the other things I usually get and I spent approx $100! This was to take care of us for 2 weeks, we dont shun the left overs :)

So here we are into the second week, and I'm trying yet another recipe. I tell you what. Best. Idea. Ever. EVERYONE loves the meals, even my picky eater kids! The veggies are a huge hit, which my kids HATE, but you know what, after cooking in a crock pot all day long, they dont even notice them. Its wonderful! So I'm going to start taking pictures of the dinners each night, and I might post them on here. I tell you what, if I ever met the person who invented the crock pot, I would kiss their face! It truly is a life saver. And a wallet saver too! Thanks for reading
Love ya dearly

XOXO, Jess

Teen Mom

So, I have decided that I need to blog about this show. I have mixed emotions about it, to be quite honest. Part of me thinks MTV, what the HECK are you thinking broadcasting this show?! And the other part of me is like, Gabrielle & Lil Martin, come sit and watch this trainwreck of a show so that you will make better choices when you get to their ages. As a mom, of a 9 year old GIRL & a teenaged BOY, I pray every day that they make the right decisions. Lord knows that they both see how parenting can be dificult. But then again, so did I, and I am here now.

Let me first start by saying, I was a teen mom. If I had to compare myself to any one of these teen moms, I would say I was the Maci. While I think she is the most well put together, she also seems to have the most support, which was my case. I will say that she has a better head on her shoulders at 19 then I did. While she 'sees the importance' of letting her son, Bentley spend time with his dad, I did not. I was selfish. But our situations are different for a lot of reasons. I held onto Gabrielle like she was mine and only mine. Thankfully, I have grown up, and I see that it IS important to allow those relationships. She literally goes out of her way for Ryan, baby's father, to have a relationship with their son. She says it best when she says she wishes she could "keep Ryan away from Bentley, but not Bentlety from Ryan". She is still young and a teenager. Thinks the sun rises and sets for her, and now her son. I do think of the 4 girls, she has her mess together. She still makes decisions that I'm like "Oh no, not that, dont do it". But she seems like she cleans it up nicely.

So I watch this show, religiously every Tuesday. Most nights, I have to pause and close my eyes and think "Should I watch any further?". The Gary & Amber saga, wears me out. Its so sad. I'm sure I am with a large portion of America when I say I think that baby should be taken away. I would take her in a hot second, she needs a home with love, and positivity. I have friends who literally CAN NOT get pregnant, who I have experienced heartbreak and tears, and frustration with over infertility. I cant fathom why there are good people, with good hearts, and loving relationships with their spouses and with God, that can't bring a life into this world. But yet there are 16 year old psychopaths who are abusive, verbally, emotionally, & worst of all physically, that can crank out these children like a baby factory. I think its just gut wrenching. In a lot of ways I feel sorry for Amber. I think she is the statistic that America likes to avoid, to turn a blind eye on. Teenage pregnacy can be devasting, or in my case it can turn out wonderfully. I think in Ambers case, it was devasting. Shame on MTV for exploiting her and her child. But if the cameras werent there, what would become of their situation? And what will happen to their baby? Why oh WHY, does Gary's mother allow her Grandchild to be surrounded by such hatred? If I ever stepped out of line with my mom, she would turn, and walk away. And she would make sure that Gabrielle wasnt in that enviornment. I mean, I wasnt a 'bad' person, but I had my Farrah moments :) Pray for Leah, and Gary, and most importantly Amber.

Farrah. I have a love/hate relationship with this girl. First season, I couldnt STAND her. I thought she was ridiculous. But this season, she has opened up about the loss of Sophia's dad. And the complete lack of support and allowance for her to grieve his loss is just simply heartbreaking. I think she is a wonderful mother. She is always put in these horrific situations. I hope that Sophia's Daddys family steps in and takes an active role in that babies life. She needs to know where she comes from. So, to see where she is now, explains a lot about her from where she was then, in the first season. Dont you just want to reach out and hug her? Her mom needs to be smacked. Worst. Parenting. Advice. Ever. "Lets not tell him he is going to be a father". Then he dies, tragically. "Now the problem is out of the way". OMG, lady. Your daughter is distraught! She just lost the love of her life, not to mention your granddaughters FATHER!? She has a screw loose, for sure. Thank God, Farrah is able to be responisble and take care of herself and her baby, on her own. To me, she needs to be the biggest example to American teenagers. Not ALL parents are supportive of Teenagers having babies. Nor do they help out, like Farrahs mom. Farrah works, she goes to school, and she deals with the loss on her own, and she is a good mom. Love her, and I pray for her. Because I think she is wonderful, and I hope she finds herself a wonderful partner.

Caitlyn & Tyler. Wowsers. Strength and maturity are all that come to mind when I think of them. How difficult a choice they made. But what a wonderful choice. They have given their daughter the second most precious gift in life. They gave her a chance. That sweet little girl, is happy & thriving. I know that they both struggle with giving thier daughter to another couple, you see if on their faces episode after episode. But when you see how happy Carly is, and how she is thriving, you cant help but cry in happiness. I dont know any teenagers that would stop in the middle of chaos, and think about someone else over themselves. And that is what sets Caitlyn and Tyler apart. There is a special place in my heart for these kids. My biggest hope is that Caitlyn & Tyler are able to stay together, grow up, mature, and accomplish many goals. So that they can truly be an inspiration to struggling teenagers. Poor Caitlyn, her mother is evil. And she is if anything, reassurance that these two made the best decision in giving Carly a better life. God Bless this family :)

Okay, so I got it all off my chest. I feel better. I think this show is educational. I dont let Gabrielle watch it because quite frankly i think some parts are inappropriate. I think they glamourize teen pregnancy in away. I want my kids to know that I was a teen mother, I struggled at times, and that life changed for me. I didnt live out a normal college life, I worked, went to school, and raised a toddler. And dealt with a whole lot of drama along the way. I want more for my kids.

Thanks for reading :)
Love ya bunches XOXO

Happy 9th Birthday Gabrielle!

Yes, my baby girl is 9 years old. Wednesday was her Birthday. I woke up and saw her come down the stairs and it just was strange. I remember when she was one, she would stand at the gate at the top of the stairs and say "Mommy, cooooooooome get me, I'm awaaaaaaaaake". How is she 9? She has become such a wonderful young girl, very talented and smart. I always get emotional as she gets older. I guess I thought she would stay small forever. Gabrielle is a lot of things to me. She came into my life and changed me forever.

In a lot of ways, she is my hero. I was a young mom, like what you see on MTV's Teen Mom, but I wasnt crazy like them LOL. I remember finding out I was pregnant with her, and I got a lot of mixed opinions and emotions from others. My friend Courtney, met me at the high school, in the parking lot at like 5 am. And we drove to her Sunday School teachers house, she was a nurse. I remember when she put the test down in front of me, and I didnt know what to think or do. I felt strange. My friend was crying. I waited 8 whole weeks to tell anyone. But I grew up, and Gabrielle helped me grow up. I remember the first opportunity I had to make a decision, 'right or wrong' and instead of the little devil or angel on your shoulder, I saw Gabrielles sweet little face. In that moment, I knew what I needed to do. And it has been that way ever since. There were times in Nursing School where I just wanted to give up, but I would come home to Gabrielle and she would be there with her books to help me 'study'. She pushed me like no one has ever been able to. I graduated, and at my Pinning Ceremony, she was there on the stage with me, and she had the biggest smile on her face. I knew then that I would live for that smile. I think we have always had a special closeness. She truly is my best friend. We fight like friends too :) But she has and always will be my partner, my best friend, and my saving Grace.

Gabrielle is very special to a lot of people. We are all very blessed to have her in our lives. For however you know her, you are truly blessed. I dont think I know a more sweet, well balanced, thoughtful, big hearted, intelligent 9 year old girl. Thanks for being you Gabrielle, and thank you for calling me your Mommy. I love you always and forever :)

Bzzzzzzzzzzz.....

Yep, thats all I hear out of my right ear. I never knew how much I loved my right ear until now.

I suffer from hereditary sensorineural hearing loss, and I get this from my Dad. He has it too, only his is much worse. So yesterday was plain miserable. All I heard was RING RING RING. For the medical folks, that would be Tinnitis. I thought I was going to go crazy. I always have it, off and on, no biggie. I have learned to "deal with it". But yesterday it had me in tears. It was the closest to schizophrenic I would ever like to become. I had to drown it out while I took care of the kids, and put on a fake smile while I wanted to ram a pencil into my ear. I kid you not. Then this morning I woke up to a faint ringing, off and on. But I can hear probably at 25% out of this ear. Nada. I hear Charlie Brown fuzz, so if you are talking to me, and I put my finger in my ear and stare extra hard at your face, that is why. Not because I'm crazy or anything, but we all know that I am crazy ;) So I am getting phone calls, that I cant hear. I'm in a depressive place. I want to cry because I cant hear. People who know me best, know this is the my one insecurity that I deal with on a day to day basis. I catch a lot of grief for my disability, yes I'll admit it, its a disability. At work, at home, at church, in my marriage, with my kids, friendships, and phone conversations with random people. Why not get a beltone? I'm not sure. I guess I will when I am good and ready. I just dont want to wear a hearing aid, but I dont want to not hear either. So, I'm putting this out there, in writing. I'm deaf and stubborn :) Still wanna be my friend LOL

Alas, the mom must go on. I'm going to work out, because there I can do something other than rely on communication. This WILL get me into a better mood.

Its also my Best Friend Julie's birthday! She is 28! Her Golden Birthday 28 on the 28th :) We are going to our water aerobics, then to grab lunch. If the work out doesnt get me out of my deaf funk, she most definately will. Love this girl. We have such a strange story the two of us. God pushed us back into each others lives for a reason, after a lot of hardships, and loss. Because when one of us is at our breaking point, its the other one who brings us back. I'm lost without her, My Fast Taco Bandit friend :) So Happy Birthday JULIE!!!!!

And if you havent heard the latest news......
My husband is joining the Air Force Reserves. As a nurse. And ultimately a flight nurse after certain training. We are a ball of emotion about this decision. Happy, excited, scared, sad, worried, and proud. I am asking for all of your prayers and support as we make this journey. And when he deploys, notice I say when because it is a definate possibility, I will need you to hold me together. This is another blog in itself, as I get more information I will post it, and share my experience.

Well I'm going to go swim, work out, and get some positive vibes going!
Thanks for reading!
Love ya'll

Water Boot Camp anyone??

This summer, the BRiCk opened up in Burleson. (Recreation Center). Our family decided to get a family membership. We figured it would be cheap entertainment for the kids :) So in June we started going, we would take the kids swimming in the awesome splash pad/natatorium. Then Martin & I would go workout off and on. We introduced the Kid Zone (daycare) slowly. Because Madelyn wasnt having it, like at ALL! Gavin on the other hand wakes up asking when he can go back. Crazy, I guess I bore him that much ;) Now Madelyn has fun, the play-doh & painting probably had something to do with her change of heart. So I conned my neighbor into getting her membership, and started to drag her to hour long workouts. Now, she & I are the best workout partners around :) I really learned to love the elliptical machine, especially since I can get on, turn the TV to the kid zone channel and watch the lil ones, make sure the dont have the teacher crying LOL. After a few weeks of our routine, I was starting to get bored. Not good when you are wanting to lose weight. I happened to con my neighbor into trying a "water aerobics" class! I thought, it might be fun, we can play in the water without the kids :) Riiiiiiiiiiight! We opted for the free class for members. Its called the "Lunch Crunch Aerobics" only 30 minutes. CRAZIEST 30 min of my day, I assure you!

Let me start by saying, we showed up for our first class on a Tuesday. We were by far the youngest in our class. We kinda giggled and cut up, but after stretches we were working LOL. She "took it easy on us" the first day she said. BWAHAHAHA! We swam 200m, which in my lingo is 8 there and backs, she wanted the "American Crawl". She was going to critique our forms, good lord. I honestly didnt want to know, I was lucky to make it without drowning! Then after we completed our laps, me - hardly, she had us fill our weights up with water and do the over our head pumps. WHILE we swam the lazy river THREE laps! Okay, my arms were mush by the end. THEN we had to reverse and go against the current of the lazy river. Yeah, about this time I was watching the lifeguard to make sure she would be able to pull my big behind off the bottom of the pool, tee hee. Oh and to end this class, we do a lot of crazy ab workouts, on noodles of course. I left there thinking, OMG I almost drowned! Little did I know it was literally the BEST workout I have probably ever gotten in 30 min! I was WAY too sore to return the next day, then a sick kiddo kept me gone the next day. The poor instructor probably thought she scared me off! I mean, I could NOT believe how sore I was!

Dont worry, after playing hookie the first week, Julie (my dear sweet accountability partner) urged me to GO back. So we have been hitting it steadily for going on our third week now!

This is the Natatorium @ The BRiCk, see the swirly river over here on the bottom right? That is the lazy river, that friggin' current is STRONG!

And this is the lap pool, where all the "there & backs" take place

So, todays class was FUN and HARD all the same. I cant believe how sore I get doing this class, these older women are BRAVE! Its called Lunch Crunch aerobics, so its only a 30 min class. But it is packed full of cardio. I'm not a "couch potato" by any means, but I am not a work-out-a-holic either. I can keep up with P90X, so I'm not that outta shape. This class I would compare to P90X, I kid you NOT! So today she had us swim 350m (14 friggin there and backs) WHAT?! I did remember my goggles this time, so I attempted it professional style and I actually impressed myself. Atleast this time we could freestyle. This is ridiculous cardio, I am not kidding! My heart wanted to leap out of my mouth :) Ok so that sounded nasty. Then when we were done, she put us into pairs with a kickboard. We were water kickboxing! FUN FUN! I think this might be my favorite part :) A lot of kicking & punching. Then a lot of abs to finish up. I am already sore and its only been 2 hours since the class. If that isnt any indication as to how hard we work, I dont know what is peeps!

I think this class is quite possibly the best stress relief/therapy ever. I get to swim laps, burn off some stress & calories! Talk about whats bothering me with my friend. I mean, I literally walk out of this place feeling like a million bucks. I mean, I smell like a bleach bucket, but whatever I take what I can get!

I can definately feel a difference in my body! I see more definition in my arms & my legs. My belly seems flatter, and my waist feels smaller! My JEANS FIT! And not only do they fit, but they are kinda loose :) And my swim suits, well lets just say going against the current of the lazy river isnt a wise idea in my two piece. I have almost lost the bottoms TWICE!!

I would like to challenge anyone out there looking for a new workout regimen to try this! Sure I get a lot laughs out of people when I say I'm taking "water aerobics", they dont take me serious. Heck, I didnt either at first ;) But if I can see results and feel emotionally, mentally, & physically refreshed, then why the heck not! Right? Julie and I are on a mission to make water aerobics cool! We are trying to pull in a younger crowd. But who knows, maybe this will be my little secret ;)

Thanks for reading!

Lots of LOVE

Jess

Hello out there...

So I know, bad blogger. I've been busy. Its been crazy in my parts. I know, full of excuses :)

Lets see.......

The summer came and went, always too fast for me. In July Madelyn had her 2nd Birthday! It was a grand time. Yo Gabba Gabba themed of course!

This is a picture from the aftermath of her 2nd Birthday party. She fell asleep so no presents were opened until conveniently, all the guests left. Party Pooper! She got this awesome Foofa pillowcase dress from my friend from work. She loves it. So now Madelyn is 2, and oh my gosh does she act it. If you call her Princess, she will correctly snap at you "Im NOT a princess, I'm a baby", dont get it twisted people! We are still working on potty training, wowsers I dont remember it being so trying, maybe thats why God has you spread out your kids, so once you have forgotten all the trials of parenting a toddler or baby, you get a second (or in my case third) heaping ;) Ahhhh

We also went to Cozumel! We took the ENTIRE crew for this adventure. It was a blast. 8 days of beautiful beach, suns, and sands. And my kids enjoyed the fact that all the food was "free" or in Gabrielles mind never ending. It went off without a hitch. It was hardly crowded since the hurricane blew through the DAY before we got there. Everyone else was scared. But not us, we needed a vacation! We snorkeled, built castles, conch shell dived, laid out, jet skiied, iguana watched, ate, drank, and slept. That my friends, is perfect! We already want to go back. And why not, it was so much fun. We had very little fighting, which is worth every penny in my book :) Here is a picture from the snorkel trip we took (if your wondering why I am holding so many bottles of beer, its not because I was going 'Girls Gone Wild', Martin always hands me stuff then forgets I have it)

August came around, and we celebrated Martins 37th Birthday :) We went to see a good friend of ours band play, The Joey Green Band, they are a good time! Check them out on itunes, you will not be disappointed! We also sent Martin & Gabrielle off to school! Gabrielle started the 3rd grade this year! And Little Martin started 8th grade! Wow. Gabrielle is still doing her gymnastics, and doing really well I might add. Martin is doing 8th grade athletics, and started off the school year playing football. I'm really wanting him to try track, but with baseball we are not sure. First Day back pics: In September, a very busy month for us, we had many things happen. First and foremost I turned the dreaded 28. Why is it dreaded, because its almost 30! I remember being a little girl, thinking "God, 30 is OLD, I dont want to live to 30", now its here, and I'm thinking "Oh crap". I cant tell you how much grey hair has sprung loose this past year. Enough to keep my hair lady busy ;)

Also, my baby sister got married! Such a fun trip. My older sister came in, I havent seen her since MY wedding! We road tripped with mom & dad to Louisiana. Martin stayed home with the kiddos, since it was in a bed and breakfast, not really child friendly. We met up with my Great Aunt Sis, if you ask me, she is my Grandma and always will be. And we met Rosemary there as well, I dont think I can tell you how long its been since I have seen her, but it was wonderful. I cant tell you now nice it was to see them. I feel like I dont ever see my Aunt Sis, but when I do, its such a wonderful experience. I see so much of my Grandpa in her, and I just cant convey the importance she holds in my family's life. This trip really has made me appreciate the value of family. When we got all unpacked and situated, we met Mikes family. Awesome people. Erica chose an amazing family to join. His mother was simply the most adorable woman I've ever met, so sweet, and charming. His dad, stole my heart upon first meeting. Great people, he should be proud to come from such warm friendly people! His sister, well I honestly think my family scared her a bit LOL. She kept to herself for the most part :) His brother, great guy. He offered to let me come gator hunting with him, I'm gonna cash in that offer one day Kyle!

I was super sad to see my sister get married, I dont know why, I dont suppose you can put it into words. I just feel like she grew up all too fast. She will always be the "little sister", and now she is the little sister who is married! I think that I was an emotional wreck. I knew she would grow up and get married, but then it happened and I felt like the ground came out from under me. The wedding was beautiful, interesting. The JP was a crazy Brett Micheals girlfriend type. I mean she looked like Gem, you ladies know who I speak of ;) Erica's huge brouch, was glimmering specks of light all over Mikes face, he resembled Edward Cullen :) I KNEW Erica would some how tie in Twilight :) :) I made some great friends, and we made some incredible memories. I cant put into words the beauty of seeing a garden full of servicemen at the wedding. Men in their dress blues, and a Navy boy in his, well waiter get up ;) It made me proud to know that Erica & Mike are a part of that world. There are several pictures from the wedding posted on my facebook, but here is my most favorite three from the entire weekend:

If you read this far, THANK YOU :) Love you

I'll be better at this, I promise! Too much excitement to stay quiet ;)

Day as a "Stay at Home Mom"

Let me tell you, those of you who think this is a glamorous job. I have one thing to say to you....HA! Dont get me wrong, I LOVE being home with my kids, love to see everything FIRST hand and not a report from cousins, aunts, grandma, daycare, or neighbors. You get the gist. Sometimes I have to step back and appreciate that my kids can run, scream, cry, & destroy my house. The alternative is a depressing thought. I live it at my "other job".

Yesterday I got a phone call, a reminder that me, Martin, & Lil Martin ALL have a dentist appointment at 7:45.! (I must have been CRAZY to schedule an appointment that early). Well, thats simply NOT gonna work. Martin had to go to work, shocking I know. So I tell them that it might not work out, they then proceed to tell me that "they dont have another appointment available till January". WHAT?! So I had to cancel both mine and Martins, and kept Lil Martins. Who knows if I will ever get to go get my teeth cleaned. I mean sitting in the waiting room this morning for Lil Martins appointment was HELL. Madelyn and Gavin I think woke the ENTIRE neighborhood. Like I could have gotten my teeth cleaned at that time. Geeeez.
So my job is to keep the house clean for my husband to come home and throw his stuff around in disarray, and make sure the kids are fed, clean, & well adjusted. I'm lucky to have them fed some days. I'm not kidding! Oh yes, and the grocery store, add that in there too :) I dropped Lil Martin off at school, which was a fun task. Both babies want to go in, run the halls, and scream to hear their voices echo. Ah, to me this is cute, to the neurotic receptionist, this is unacceptable and she looks like she is about to BURST into flames :) So Martin makes it to school, only 15 minutes tardy, I'm impressed! Him, not so much :) Then off to Walmart. I'm convinced this is the most fabulous store, its cheap & big. I waltz in there with my two hyper active toddlers, fighting over who gets to sit where in the cart and who gets to pick the cereal and bananas, and not one person thinks Im crazy :) Well, I havent seen myself on People of Walmart to date :)
One hour later, groceries for two weeks for a whopping $75! I impress myself. I remember as a kid going shopping with my parents for one week (for 4 people) and watching my parents drop $200! I would be living in a cardboard box, for sure. We make due. My kids are never starving, and lets just say I'm not starved :) LOL, dont agree please! Anyways, everyone is happy! Gavin got his Spongebob yogurt & Madelyn got her bananas. Gold Stars all around!
By the time we get home, both Madelyn & Gavin are hungry for their second round of breakfast. The first one burned off in Walmart I think. Then after everyone has eaten, and been cleaned. Its P90X time. Dont be fooled, this is NOT an everyday occurance. Only when my kids allow me the 1 hour to work out. Today I did the Yoga. I feel so stretched and revived. I love doing the Yoga because I think its stinkin adorable to see Madelyn and Gavin doing downward dog. They are too cute for words some days. So, now here I sit. Listening to Yo Gabba Gabba run in the background, type out this blog, and run over my to do list. Which consists of lots of things that are boring to you, but seem like mission impossible to me.
I did want to take a minute to talk about Gabrielle. She is excelling at her gymnastics, she is making me so proud. I'm happy to announce that I let her move up. I will let her see how she does this summer. I KNOW she will be great. I have no doubt. The only worries I have for her are the catty moms & kids. Everyone thinks they are better than everyone else. I try to humble Gabrielle and at the end of the day, she appreciates her hard work, and she doesnt compare herself to others. I have friends though that will talk about how their kids are the "bomb" and how perfect they are. Not so much, but whatever. Reminds me of a show I heard on Kidd Kraddick, about parents who over inflate their kids. Tell them they are the best and they are sooooo good at something. When they are at best, average. Its a downfall to the kids. It sheilds them from the "real world". They grow up thinking they are AMAZING and untouchable, only to be sadly dissappointed later in life. But whatever, it is what it is. I'm proud of my daughter. When I do want to gloat, and share my pride. I get shut down. For instance, the owner of the gym called me and told me that they picked a certain song and dance for Gabrielle because she has some of the best dance skills and talent, so her song is a dramatic tango, which will be a more mature routine. When I was talking about this, I got "Thats weird, Gabrielle cant tumble like that". Well poo to you. I think she can, and you cant bring her down.
I have decided that the Negative Nancy's of my life can get to stepping.
Anyways, my neighbor is walking across the street now, I guess I better get off this blog. Because YOU KNOW I can talk all day! Thanks for reading this, I LOVE YA (whoever you are)

Yes, I'm THAT neighbor.......

So yesterday was a good day, I got up, went to skills fair at work. I got to play with the new similator dummy! His name was Hal, he is a 5 year old boy and is pretty much like a real kid! Cost about $50,000! He was super cool! He would tell you "Dont touch me", "I want my mommmmmy", and all kinds of cute little things :) Makes doing mock codes pretty interesting. It always amazes me the way a pretend code flows so smoothly. When in a real life situation, its chaotic like nobodies buisness! Code Blues are not interesting, in fact its what I dread each time I go to work. I say a little prayer, "please dont let any of the patients where I am working code". Its not something I think any of my nurse friends enjoy about our job. This may suprise you about me, because my husband is Mr. Advanced Life Support. He walks, talks, eats, & breathes the stuff. BLECH!
Best of all, this week is nurses week! They had a massage table for the nurses. I got myself a NICE long full body massage! The lady was like "You have ridiculous knots in your back" to which I replied, "Yeah I have 4 kids". I think she about flipped out. So I left there feeling like Gumby. I've never had a massage before in my life. So, I'm thinking this might have to go on my Mothers Day wish list, along with a babysitter so I can go get one :) Ugh, well the nice relaxed mom came home to the horror of all horrors.
If you know me, you know that I am the most paranoid over protective mom in the world. I am a pedi nurse that sees horrible things ALL the time, so I tend to bubble my kids to avoid the things I see at work, yeah yeah you can stop judging me now :) Well, Gabrielle asked if she could take the babies outside to play, I let her because I had to get dinner started. Then I hear blood curdling screams and Gabrielle comes running in! I think OH CRAP which baby took a nose dive from the playhouse?! Apparently two of the neighborhood boys were being little animal sacrificers in my side yard! We live in a new housing development, so we see random rabbits & coyotes, foxes and whatnot. I love it as do my kids, I do think its sad that they have no where to go because of all the houses taking over where they live :( Anyways, its always a big production when my kids see a rabbit in our yard. We watch it until it goes away, we have a little family that frequents our backyard, so so so cute. Well back to my origial horror story.
These two boys (10 & 6ish) were PICKING up these teeny tiny baby rabbits (think the size of a hamster) & slamming them on the ground, sending the girls of my neighborhood screaming and wailing. One girl scooped up a few and ran them home to protect them, good girl! But in the midst of this, the older boy picked up a huge rock and began smashing them down on the rabbits. All thats left is blood, guts, & fur. And my kids witnessed this from my backyard. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Gavin had nightmares about it, he woke up this morning asking me "why?," and "are the bunnies in heaven." Sick. What does that say about parents of kids who murder sweet, cute, helpless rabbits? Apparently a lot. Because they just stood in their front yards and watched me direct other kids away from the crime scene. I'm like your satanic kids just killed animals by my house, and all you can do is stand there like the white trash garbage you are and watch. There is a special place in hell for people like that. Not knowing what to do, I called the Police. Two officers came out. They said they could go down and talk to the parents and kids, but other than that, nothing. No laws were broken. Well, they did say if it had been night time or someones pet, then charges would be filed. Are you kidding? Night time? So if they had decided to murder these rabbits an hour later they would get in trouble. Wrong on so many levels. I hope these boys got in trouble. I hope they learned their lesson. I hope the parents are embarrassed beyond all get out. I will tell you, after school I will stand in my yard and I will tell those boys to stay away from my house. Can someone tell these parents that their kids are out of control?! And if the parents are going to let the kids run a muck and cause neighborhood trauma to do it on the opposite side of the street? Not where me & my kids are affected. I tell you what, those boys better stay away from my house.
The one thing I did take away from the talk with the police officers: "Thats sick, I wonder if the parents know thats how SERIAL KILLERS start out".
You have got to be kidding me!

There is no crying in baseball.......

Unless, you are me. Then you cry when your husband plays baseball and grasps a new injury EACH time! My gosh, its like a weekly thing! So Sunday I got home from my trip to Georgia, and Martin wanted to go play in his baseball game, he plays in a 30 & up league. Against my better judgement, I let him go. My last words to him were "Be careful and DONT GET HURT".

I got a phone call, his coach had to drive him home. Why you ask? Because he hit a foul tip ball off the end of his bat, into his EYE! He couldnt drive. He is lucky he can see, thats for sure.

I cried when I first saw him, it was AWFUL! He has the most perfect nose, Madelyn, Gavin, & Lil Martin all have his nose. But his was smushed and crooked. His eye was swollen shut, and nose was bloody. He had blood stains on his uniform, yuck. We took a picture, and I begged him and begged him to go to the dr. But as you have probably heard, nurses are the WORST patients. He refused to go :( UGH



We settled, or I won :) Because he went to the dr on Monday, the did 8 xrays and his nose is broken, no kidding? I was worried about his brow bone being broken and causing permanent damage to his eye or vision. Thank God. Now its

become a game to the kids, each morning when he wakes up its a differnt color and shape. It being Tuesday, its changed so much. The swelling has shifted to a new area and the color is AWFUL. It looks like Madelyn colored his eye with purple marker while he was sleeping. Which if I might add, is something she would totally do.


So because he asked me not to post a picture on facebook, I decided I would post a picture here on my blog, for private eyes :) Look at your own risk, that is my own warning to you, my fellow blog followers :)
Can I go ahead and say, No I did NOT do this to him. I cant tell you how many people ask me (joking or not), "Did you punch him", "Did he step outta line", "Dang Jess, you showed him". Right, because physical abuse is so funny, geeeeeeez
Its getting better. I suggested that he not go to work until it looks a little better. He looks scary, cant be scaring patients and families now can we?

So who votes that he stop playing sports? :) He is a handful. I love him, but he is a big kid!

Georgia on my mind.....

I just got home from a visit to Georgia, a trip I'm not so sure I was quite ready to make. Dont get me wrong, I am glad I went. But I had to say good bye to my last living grandparent, blood line grandparent (we have several step Grandparents). I wasnt particularly close to my Grandpa, he lived in Georgia, we visited a couple of times. The last time was 10 years ago, that sounds AWFUL to even type, but it is true. This was only the 4th time I had ever seen him, in person. I felt a huge burning in my stomach when I saw him at the viewing. He wasnt anything like I remembered him, he had aged, he had lost weight, and he just wasnt himself. What I remember of him, was a beaming personality. A funny man. Very impatient. A mirror image of my own Dad, only years older. I caught me off guard to see him, lying there, peacefully. But with no movement. He was always tapping his foot, and rocking. My sister and I also had a hard time seeing "Franklin Andrews" written on everything. Thats my DAD's name! So my dad had to bury his father, it was emotional to watch & experience. How my dad will go day to day knowing he cant call his dad, its beyond me. I think my parents are my lifeline! I cant remember going a day without calling or emailing them! My Grandma (step Grandmother), Margie, was very sweet, welcoming. And made me feel welcome and a part of the funeral. I felt my heart breaking for her, she had to come home to a house she shared with my Grandpa for 30 years alone. She said "it doesn't feel like he is gone". That breaks my heart, who will be there when it does feel like he is gone?! To me, his absence was screaming from the house. And mind you, this was only the 3rd time I had ever been there. His chair was empty, the calender wasnt marked with a red 'X' past his birthday (he died two days after his birthday), his clothes were still layed out in his bedroom, his shoes still on the floor, his razor and aftershave still on the sink counter, his medicine bottles still visible. It seemed gut wrenching to have it all still there, so fresh. Yikes, I cant even imagine, and I dont want to.

We arrived to Georgia Friday afternoon, hopped a rental car and drove from Atlanta, to Griffin, where we stayed in a hotel. I havent shared a hotel room with my mom, dad, and Erica in FOREVER! Fun times! Just like our old road trips :) We changed quickly and drove to Barnesville, where Grandpa & Margie lived, to the funeral home. We were expecting to not view him right off the bat, I wasnt mentally prepared for that yet. But as soon as you walked in, there he was. He had picked out his casket himself. It was a beautiful silver US Navy casket. It had a crisp American flag draped across the bottom. And flowers were surrounding. From family, friends, and my dads co-workers. What a nice gesture. We met TONS of people! People who had stories of my Grandpa I hadnt heard before. I honestly enjoyed hearing all the memories people had of him. My memories are of when I was a little girl, and I was shy & timid around him. I wonder what he had remembered of me? After we left the funeral home, we went to his house. It looked the exact same as I remembered it. Margie had fed us, lots and lots of food. Let me tell you, the food in Georgia is something straight out of a Southern movie. Best pecan pie & sweet tea I've ever had! When we left Margie's house, we went back to the hotel. I had a hard time falling asleep that night, because I didnt have my kids with me. They are as instrumental to my schedule as I am to theirs. Gavin plays with my hair, and holds my hand, and Madelyn lays on me and talks till she falls asleep. So I played Words with Friends till I passed out. We woke up Saturday morning, had pancakes for breakfast and then headed to Barnesville for the funeral. It rained and rained and rained some more. The little church was cute. Tiny, little Pentacostal church. Where the occasional "Amen" & "Praise God" is shouted out. I found myself watching all the other people crying, and found it odd that I hadnt cried. Until I looked down at Margie, and she was clapping, singing, and crying. The pastor was telling about how God was ready for him, and how Margie didnt have to watch him suffer any more. When I looked at my dad, I lost it. Would I be clapping & singing at his funeral? Nope. Dont want to even imagine it.
At the grave yard, I looked around to see the many service men there. There were three sailors standing behind the casket which was fully covered by the flag now. There was another sailor standing in the middle of the cemetary in the POURING rain, without so much as a flinch. A little further back were three soldiers wearing dress blues with guns. After the Pastor finished his speech, the gun salute took place (that was neat), then the sailor played "Taps" which was really emotional. When the sailors folded the flag and handed it to Margie, I was emotional. Symoblic. The way Margie hugged that flag. It was beautiful. I know it was exactly as he had wanted it to be. Driving away, I just watched the green trees pass by. So pretty. Georgia is beautiful. The tall green trees. You never truly appreciate trees when you are from Texas, well from Burleson anyways.
So I am back, and reflecting on my trip. So many things I wish I could have done. Regret is my worst enemy. Could I have known him better? I bet. Should I have tried harder? Absolutely. I wont live wondering what if. I will just take all of the stories I gathered this weekend, store them, & thank God that he touched so many lives.
82 years, what a life :)

Franklin Andrews 4/20/1928 - 4/22/2010

TAPS
Day is done, gone the sun
From the hills, from the sky
All is well, safely rest
Safely rest
All is well.
Fading light, dims the sight
And a star gems the sky
Gleaming bright
from afar, drawing nigh
Falls the night.
Dear on rest!

check check, is this thing on?

So for a number of reasons, I have taken to this blog thing again. Mainly for my sanity. I need an outlet. This time I am not going to promise pictures a day for a flipping year. Thats a lot of pictures folks. And lets face it, I am a little busy. For those of you who know me, and I hope that you do since you are reading this. I have a house full of people. Three of them call me mommy, and well the other two call me Jess. Lets see, where do we begin?

There is Martin, who is my darling hubby, or you may see me talk about him as DH (interpret it as you wish ;) ) He is a great father, loves the kids, handy man, the whole 9. He works his behind off at work, so I can stay home with the other people that control my life :) For that I am greatful, depending on what day you ask!

Then there is Lil Martin, who is not so little anymore, but for the simple fact that he is smaller than his dad, he is Lil Martin. He is 13, in middle school, plays baseball, and is a NICE kid. I fear what life will entail as he tip toes into the teenage years. Ugh, is this where the pay back my dad threatened begins? He is the best built in baby sitter a girl could ask for. We all know life hasnt always been peaches & cream with him or his mother, *sigh*. But that my friends is an entire other story, or blog topic. Wait on it.......

Ah yes, then there is the Diva of the castle. Gabrielle :) Or as Madelyn calls her "Gab-wee-ell". She is a mess to put it nicely. Very sweet, and then WHAM unleashes the attitude, all the attitude an 8 year old can muster up. I love her with all of my heart, as she is quite literally the glue of me sometimes. When I was 19, and lost & heartbroken, she was my glue. She was the little being that held me together when I was falling apart. She is my everything. Busy and smart, and talented beyond all get out.

Then there is the life of the party, Gavin. Or as we call him, "the Gavinator". He is the sweetest 3 1/2 lovey boy in the entire world. I am convinced he is quite possibly the sweetest kid alive period. He is always "You are my best buddy friend", "I love you so much it hurts", the list goes on and on and on. The master of flattery! A mother could never get tired of hearing these things. He is special, and people are drawn to him. Oh yes, and he can sleep through ANYTHING, ANYWHERE! Just like his daddy :) People are constantly asking me if I drug him, honestly I dont.

And finally, the tiny princess, Madelyn. She is the boss, the head honcho if you will. Very sweet, and very loving. But things are just on her terms. Kinda early for a 2 year old, I know. And there is this person, she has him wrapped around her fingers, his name is Daddy. Yikes. It is crazy. So this is what a Daddy-Daughter relationship looks like. Oh boy is he screwed. She is precious, lively, and well she loves to sing.

See, I told you my house was busy and full. I am thankful and very blessed. But when I say I'm busy, trust me, you have no idea :) So whats new you ask? Lots.

I have temporarily taken a break from work as most people know it. I am still a nurse. I still work at Cooks on the Hem/Onc floor, and I still love it. But at this time in my life, I am choosing to work more at home, which is a nice way of saying, I wanted to be home with my kids. I work one or two days a month at Cooks, and I work 24 hours a day at home. I am forever struggling with my love/hate relationship with Tony Horton (the freak who made P90X). I love the workouts, but his voice drives me to drink. Seriously, hear him say "Goooooooooorgeous" and you'll want to punch him. I was doing so well, I lost 15 pounds. Then nada. I'm trying to talk myself into doing it again, maybe muting him? In time, I will lose this weight. I mean heck. I cant keep up with all the skinny people in the world. A sister has to eat!

Gabrielle keeps me jam packed busy with gymnastics. That is like work too. I am at that gym so much its crazy. I could probably rent an apartment in Mansfield. Or name a road after myself. She is really good, so I dont complain.....often :) I am learning, slowly, that I need to distance myself from the drama of being a mom in competitive sports. Yikes! Not for the faint hearted.

Well thats really it for now, thanks for checking in.

XOXO

jess