Bright and Shiny New Year...2010

Wow, another bright and shiny new year! Wait...I haven't even sent out my 2009 Christmas cards. Oh my! Here I sit snuggling into 2010 and I am peacefully and quietly in awe of how rapidly one year ends and the simplicity of how easily things begin again...and yet there is a chattering lil' girl hiding in me that has a million things to share!
I have been quiet for too long. Where do I begin? My family of course! Wes is still a handsome and amazing husband. I am so very blessed that he loves me for me, just as I am, even on the days I look in the mirror and can't seem to love myself. I have never in my life known a man who worked harder for his family and I am so very honored to be his wife.
The kids are growing like weeds...wild and crazy weeds! Hunter is so tall and good looking. He is still doing great in school. He still has a heart for sports and spending time with his adorable sweetheart.Morgan is still a cute little mess! She makes us laugh and Lord knows with her hitting her terrible two's there are days she makes me cry. She is all over the place dancing, tripping, running, falling, climbing, and screaming, yelling, crying, and laughing the whole time. Unless she is sleeping there is never a quiet moment. As I rocked her to sleep tonight I thanked God that he is so healthy and beautiful.
As the new year begins I have many blessings to be thankful for: My Husband, Children, Family, Friends, Home, & Health. I am also thankful for all the new things I will learn or discover this year.


I have so much to say but I am afraid of boring you so I will end this here. I look forward to sharing new recipes, crafts, rants & raves, and of course stories and updates on my family. My resolution this year was to drink more water and learn how to sew. I will let you know how that goes.

A Boooootiful Evening!

Halloween was so much fun. This was the 1st year for Morgan Grace to be able to trick or treat. It was truly a treat watching Hunter and Morgan W. take her from house to house.

I made Morgan Grace a tutu and paired it with a pair of wings so that she could be an adorable little Pumpkin Fairy. Hunter and his girlfriend Morgan were 50's Car Hop/Grease style characters. They looked so cute and classy! I was shocked this year at how little some of the girls were wearing! They made me so proud walking the neighborhood together taking Morgan Grace door to door and pushing her along the side walk. We have great kids!

More than a mustard seed...

With my dear Husband Wes, still looking for steady employment. I keep thinking about my devotional and the verse about the mustard seed...

"He said to them, 'Because of the littleness of your faith [that is, your lack of firmly relying trust]. For truly I say to you, if you have faith [that is living] like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to yonder place, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.'" Matthew 17:20 (AMP)

Did I read that correctly? NOTHING will be impossible to me? Why then doesn't Wes have work after all these months of waiting? Why is my house a mess? Why, why, why? I have more faith than that little seed. So I have to rely on this again, For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13.

So it is not about faith, it is about seeking Him with all my heart full of faith. I pray that I don't get so busy in my everyday world where it is so common to be surrounded with inappropriate language and behaviour that I don't spend nearly enough time seeking Him. There are so many distractions, so much to do, be here, go there, clean this, sort that, and all the hours I spend driving in that car! But He is bigger than all of those chores and deserves so much more of me. This morning, hours before my family will wake, I sat on my patio and prayed I could always have strong faith, that I would be a better wife, mother, daughter, and friend. That God's love and forgiveness would shine through me. That I could be better at forgiving and receiving forgiveness. That I could show others His love through me. The rest of it, is all small stuff in the grand scheme of things. I believe that God knows our needs and will provide for us just in time and I am so humbled by His forgiveness.

I borrowed the picture from Wikipedia. Take note of the tiny size of those lil' seeds. If faith that small can move mountains, imagine what we can do with our faith.

Always growing and changing...

It seems that Hunter and Morgan are having a race to see who can grow and change the most at the same time.

With Hunter, I come home and feel like a total stranger is standing in my house. He is so tall and handsome. His tan skin is the most beautiful color I have ever seen and it draws out the green in his eyes. When he talks I catch myself staring at him as if he were an alien! What happened to the cute cracking voice of my little boy!? Now he sounds so grown up and well...kinda rude!!! I was not ready for all this. My sweet thoughtful, helpful, brilliant Hunter Bear has turned into a hormonal know-it-all teenager. It leaves me sitting here wish for a whole pitcher of margaritas and asking what happened? Is there a cure for this? Maybe an instruction manual? HELP! Again, I am not ready for this!!!

My little Bear started 7th grade last week. He was so anxious and nervous it was kinda sweet. He is in all four available pre-ap classes again this year. He just took a placement test for math Friday and we received an e-mail that he did really well. We were relieved as it is his least favorite class and I was second guessing my decision to keep him in the advanced class. Now I have to giggle because as a 7th grader he is in a higher level class than his father and I took as a senior in high school. That is just sad! This will be his first year to play football for his school and is thrilled. He hasn't complained once about getting up early to be at practice at 7:15 a.m. He likes to be there early too. We can't wait to find out which team he made so we can see his schedule. He weighed himself the other day and was 175lbs, he is about 5'8-9, and wearing a size 13 Nike (with a little room to grow)!

On to smaller problems, I mean children...Miss Morgan. Let me tell you, this girl is a mess. I know I have said this before, but the mess got bigger! Much like her big brother, she is beautiful and brilliant, and much like him she is hardheaded and well...rude. Seriously? Did I just say that my 15 month old angel is rude? I sure did! She goes from lovingly doting me with kisses to slapping or hitting or just ripping through a room like a lil' Texas tornado. She hates the word "no" and boy does she let us know it. You would think that hearing it a million times a day she would understand the meaning. Apparently not. Actually, that is not true. She has no problem telling me "no" when I am about to discipline her, take something away, or attempt a time out.

Her vocabulary seems to grow everyday and keeps us laughing as she mimics us. She has started calling Wes Da more than Daddy. Sometimes when I call out his name you will hear this sweet whisper of her saying, "Wes" behind me. When Wes was peeling her banana (her favorite breakfast) she said, "me, me,me, me, me, me" while motioning her hands as if to say give it to me! The week before last, she clearly said, "bye" as she hung up her play phone. We have been trying to get her to say Grammy forever and on Thursday she Finally called out to her plain as day with Gram! I think it made Grammy's day. I am sure I will have to come back and add to this list but here is a list of words and phrases she now says: Momma, Daddy, Da, Bubba, Me, dog, dog sit, I did that, it did that, whats that, shoes (shoosh), Gram, Papa, Nana (was nana for banana but she quit calling it anything at all), love, and today she said, "thank you" as she handed me the dirty laundry over and over. She can sign more but not as often as I would like. I will ask Wes and Hunter to remind me of the words I have forgotten in the morning.

As for me and Wes, we are still praying that he finds a job soon. The financial strain puts such a heavy weight on all of our emotions lately. Whenever I want to feel sorry for myself I am reminded of how blessed we are to all be healthy and for our beautiful children. There are so many worse pains and burdens so many families struggle through. This is hard, but we will recover. We still have faith that God has a beautiful plan for our family.

If you can't stand the heat, get out of my kitchen...

Desperate times call for desperate measures and I have been trying to find ways to be more thrifty with my time and our money. One of the things I have been doing is preparing all of Wes's meals for the week on Sunday. This way I just divide up the food and we both have a weeks worth of meals without a ton of dishes or two grocery bills. So many people have asked for the recipes each week I thought I would post a few of them here.
On top of my normal routine to cook all day and night on Sunday, I was treated to a fun surprise when we opened the deep freezer on Saturday and found that it was not working!!! HORROR!!! Most of the food was still good and some was even still frozen. God must have sent an angel to keep it cool in there. Seems like it had been 103 plus temperatures outside all week and yet, my food was spared. We had a smorgasbord of food Saturday cooking the thawed frozen dinners. What we couldn't refreeze we cooked, and cooked, and grilled, and cooked. Wes grilled steaks & pork chops. We made homemade BBQ chicken in the crock pot. I am trying to satisfy Wes's request for "cool" foods to help him beat the heat so I prepared Honey Mustard Chicken Pasta Salad, Italian Pasta Salad, Chicken and Grape Salad, Fresh Salsa, and a bushel of fresh fruits for him. I had to rescue the frozen hashbrowns so he also ended up with a Hashbrown Casserole and my variation of a Breakfast Pizza. You can click on the meals above to view the recipes.

BREAKFAST PIZZA

1 lb. bulk pork sausage
1 refrigerated pizza crust
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese, Swiss or Monterey Jack
2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
5 eggs
1/4 c. milk
1 small onion
1 bell pepper (I used yellow but red would have been better)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Brown sausage and drain. Roll pizza doe out on cookie sheet. Press over bottom and up sides to form crust. Sprinkle with sausage. Cover sausage with chopped onion and bell pepper. Top with cheese. In bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt, pepper and sauce. Pour over sausage. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake in 375 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Supposedly great for that holiday breakfast.
****I was originally going to use a bag of frozen hashbrowns (thawed and patted dry) but ruined them and had to improvise...it was delish!!!

Let me know what you think of the recipes. Smooches y'all!

It is toooo HOT!!!

,

If you are anywhere near Texas or the South in general you know that it has been just too darn hot to do much of anything outside. We have ventured out a little in the mornings to the park and zoo, but were miserable and tired at the end of the day. It is all I can do to get the yard mowed without having a heat stroke. As you can see, Morgan is happy cooling off in a pool!

Poor Wesley. I simply don't know how he works outside in the heat all day. While he is building this school he is completely exposed with nothing but his little hard hat to keep him cool. I don't even want to think about how hot he gets while welding with the hood and heavy long sleeves on...yuck! Just another reason for me to be so proud of him and how hard he works for our family.

On a cooler note...

A few weeks ago I started keeping two little girls A-7 and L-9. I have them about two weeks of the month. They are a treat! Morgan is having a great time and looks forward to them getting here in the mornings. She greets them with a huge smile and claps because they are here. We have a few indoor field trips I would like to take them on to get out of the house but still escape the heat. Maybe the OMNI, a museum, the movies, who knows. We had a great time making glass bead magnets together and have more crafts lined up. I will post pictures if we ever get to complete them.

Other than Morgan growing like a weed, nothing around here has changed. House is still a wreck, I miss Hunter more then I thought was possible, Wes is still looking for permanent employment, and God is still good.

Scott Family Updates...

Since so many of you are praying for us, I thought I would give some updates. First, thank you for your prayers and encouragement. Please keep it coming and please know that we are praying for you too.
As you know, Wes has been looking for steady work since late April, when he completed the power plant in Colorado. Until now, nothing promising has been offered. Bless his heart, he has applied for well over 300-400 jobs in the past few months. As a wife, this has been one of the hardest things to watch. He prides himself in providing for our family. Those of you, who know us well, know that he has climbed unimaginable obstacles to get where he is. God obviously has big plans for him and I couldn’t be more proud of him. We heard promising news that the Boilermaker Union that Wes works for is hoping to have more work by September…that is wonderful, but we will starve and be homeless by then! We are so grateful for the odd jobs my Mom, Dad, and friends have had for us to help us get by. More than anything we are holding tight to our faith that God will provide for us. He always has. Wes has taken a job welding in Tyler, TX. The pay is horrible, but is more than we would earn on unemployment so it is a blessing. They do pay for his hotel and his food allowance will help with fuel. Also, Tyler is a whole lot closer than Colorado so that is a HUGE plus for me.
I cooked all day yesterday so that he would have a weeks worth of food without it costing us anything more. I sent him with a cooler full of my meatloaf meatballs, crock pot chicken, rice, summer squash casserole, buttermilk chicken, watermelon, cantaloupe, oranges, yogurt, sandwich fixings and baked him some butter crunch cookies. So now that I have finally gotten used to having him home for meals as a family, he is gone again...but with good food. I hope that when he is having his home cooked dinner, he can see a little of how much I love him.

After many years of long commutes and being mentally and emotionally consumed with work, I have been incredibly blessed this past year in being able to be home with my children. I love taking Hunter to and from school and getting him off to practice on time. I know that it isn’t enough to make up for all the years he spent in after school care, but he knows that I was working hard to take care of him. Being home with Morgan has been equally enjoyable. Being here to watch her learn and grown is so awesome. The two of them make me feel as if I have done something wonderful everyday. With that said, I couldn’t let Wes work so hard to find a job and not try to help more, so I updated my resume and applied for work too. Who knew that taking just a year off would cause me to feel so out of touch with the rest of the working world? This was a practical, but difficult decision for me. I truly believe that I serve my family better being home, but I have to try. Just the cost of childcare and fuel alone makes the job search a daunting task. So far no bites, but as we all know, God is good. After the 4th of July holiday, I will be taking care of two adorable little girls, ages 6 & 10, every other week. I also have a house lined up to clean every other week where I can take Morgan with me! My Mom has a list of things I can do for her to help her get caught up and organized too. This isn’t what I was looking for at all and will need to find a few more houses to clean or drop in’s to make it profitable, but what a blessing!!! I am so excited!!! They are so well behaved I don't worry about bringing them with me to MTM play dates!!! I miss you girls!!! Maybe I can offer a Mother’s Day Out to my friends a few days a week and see how that goes. I am just happy to be able to help Wes and still be here for my children.

As for the kids, Hunter is having a blast with his Dad and Charity in Houston. They took a long weekend and went to the river. He is like me, happy anywhere there is water and family. Morgan is learning and changing every day. She grabs on to our legs and coos oooohs and ahhhhs. It is adorable and melts your heart. Of course, it is usually after she has touched a million no no’s, pulled the outlet covers out, turned off my computer, drooled on my phone, and pulled my clothes out of my drawers and thrown them all over the house. She is going through a stage of separation anxiety. Even people that she normally goes right too are causing her to grab on to us tight and cry. She too, loves the water.

I need to end this here. Nap time is almost over and as you know, I could go on and on all day about my children…can’t we all? Again, please keep praying. I hate that we have been so out of touch. We have been trying to save money and stay focused on the job search. We would love to hear updates from you too!

Desperate

I try not to vent to often on here, not because things are always hunky dory for me, but because I think it is just horrible to complain all the time. Seriously. When I look at the big beautiful picture, how can I complain? God loves me, provides for and forgives me. My children are both happy, healthy and simply beautiful. I have a handsome, smart, hardworking husband that loves me unconditionally. No matter what we are going through right now, worried about finding jobs and how we will make ends meet, we know that we will make it together. This is temporary. There are people so much worse off all over the world. Sooooo...when I want to vent and cry and scream and yell about how unfair life is right now, it is hard for me to come here and do it like I desperately want to. Before my fingers can type the ugly, God reminds me about the beautiful. My intentions tonight were to use my blog as a healthy place to vent (so that I didn't take it out on Wes). Here I sit with this wonderful blank screen in front of me and all I can think about is the song that just suck in my head...Lord, I'm desperate for you.

This is the air I breathe
Your holly presence, living in me This is my daily bread Your very word, spoken to me And I........I'm desperate for you And I ........ I'm lost without you...
from "Breathe" by Michael W Smith

Hello Summer...We missed you old friend!

Summer is FINALLY here. I am so excited and motivated to begin a new season as a family. Hunter's first day of freedom was awesome! We met Wes on his lunch break at Trinity Park for a little picnic and swinging time. After we deposited Daddy back at the shop we headed to the Botanical Gardens for a walk. Just me and my children, soaking in the tidbits of sun peaking through the enormous trees above us. I enjoyed talking to Hunter while Morgan gazed at everything. Eventually we took her out to walk with her big brother and she was so amazed that she was wearing shoes! She stopped every three steps to bend over and look at them. Up until then, she always pulled them off as soon as I could get them fastened. We then ventured to Central Market and had so much fun tasting the fresh veggies and fruit. I heart Central Market! We ended our day at Mason's Birthday party. It was fun in the pool for Hunter and good time with our friends just hanging out. What a great life!

Happy 1st Birthday Sweet Morgan!!!

Our beautiful lil' Princess turned one this week. It amazes me that we have shared our world with her for a whole year already. We all love her so much more than our hearts could imagine. Everyday my children amaze me in different ways. We are so blessed with the two of them.

Between Hunter's school events and baseball games, it has been a crazy couple of weeks leading up to her Birthday. We weren't even sure if we were going to be able to have a party as our schedule was so tight. At the very last minute we were able to pull a great party with wonderful friends and Grammy too! Friends came from near and far to celebrate with us. I made dips, Wesley grilled and the kids ran around playing and trying to act like the big boys. Morgan relished in the glow of all the attention and even put one a show for us when opening her presents. She loved her cake and had to have a bath after the mess she made with the icing. At some point during the party I looked down and Hunter was fallen asleep with her sitting on his back playing with new toys and kids crawling all over him. He is such a great big brother! I guess she does share...only with her Hunna!

I think she is thinking, "Seriously Mom! Pictures while I am eating...again?"

I am always telling myself to write things down as the kids do them so I don't forget when a milestone happens. I know I am forgetting to list a few things but this is a good start to a list of where she is at. Morgan started walking pretty well about a week before she turned one. She was cruising with her toys and the furniture for about four months before she went more than ten steps alone. She is saying, Dada, Momma, Bubba, Hunna (Hunter), Dog, Yes, No, That, Banana, Nana, Good, Love, and I am sure I am forgetting some. While she can wear 18 month clothes and is healthy looking, she can still wear 6-9 months clothes. She loves to splash and swim in the garden tub and even likes the shower. She is still nursing in the early morning and at bed time and sleeps throughout he night most nights. She will eat so many things that we eat but her favorites are cheese, bananas, bread, pasta, Nilla wafers, cheerios, green beans, apple sauce, flour tortillas, guacamole and beans. She has a HUGE appetite. I have never seen a baby eat as much as she does.

Still Given' it to God...

Wes completed his job at the power plant in Colorado and has been home for a month, so it is no surprise that I have gotten behind on my blogging. I am totally fine with it though. The past month has been awesome having my Hubby home. It has also been emotional, restful, stressful, fun, and a whole lot more all rolled up into a big ball called family. Wes has been helping with everything here. He let me sleep in for weeks taking Hunter to school and tending to Morgan when she woke up. He has been trying so hard to make up for time lost with the kids. I am so proud of him. I know that some husbands don't do the domestic thing, but he is really trying. Both kids (and Mommy) have enjoyed him being here. Hunter loves having Wes here to attend and coach his baseball games and practice. I think he also likes to pawn some of his chores off on Wes. Morgan has been a little bundle of laughter and tears. All of us had to readjust a little to having him home when we are used to him being gone. It is a good adjustment! Now we are just praying and trying to give our worries to God while we wait for Wes to find a new job. I have more peace than normal and am trusting God that he will provide for us. He always has...

Hunter is doing so well in school. He has been able to pull off almost straight A's all year in his Pre-Ap classes. Only twice has he come home with a B on his report card. It amazes me that he is such a natural athlete and is still able to do so well in school while being so girl crazy! He is now taller than I am standing about 5'8 and 175 lbs. He is still between a 12 and 13 shoe. He looks like a giant next to his 12 year old friends. I am going to miss him so much this summer and am already dreading saying goodbye. Morgan already idolizes him and he just beams with pride when she calls him by name. She yells, "Hunna? Hunna? Hunna!!!" and he come running with the biggest smile on his face. I never imagined they could be so close with such a big gap in age. We are so blessed.

Morgan is still a mess. Our little Princess is a tad bit spoiled...I wonder why. I tell her no and I am firm, but she still wants her way and cries when she doesn't get what she wants or if we tell her no. She has also taken to hitting us when I won't let her nurse. She has four teeth and more on the way. Obviously, this is not comfortable for me. It is like having a little razor gnawing at me when she eats! She hasn't taken more than 2-6 steps at a time but is still walking (running) behind her push toys and stands without assistance all the time. I know she will do it in her own time. We have giggled so Hunter pushing Morgan in her wagon. She loves it and brings it to him begging for more! I have several meals waiting to be cooked and frozen so I have to run. Ciao!

Happy 2nd Anniversary Wesley

Happy Anniversary Wesley. I love you more than you will ever know. Two years down, a lifetime to go. I look forward to the adventure with you. I am so glad you were here for at least a little while to celebrate with me. Thank you for my beautiful roses and delicious lunch. They were perfect!

XOXOXOXO,
Love Always and Forever,
Heather

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

Everyday this week while I watered my plants, I wished it would rain. I have always loved rainy days. A good rain can wash away a lot of things and makes the world look clean and new again. Thank you Lord for the rain. We needed it so badly. My heart breaks for other the families that lose sleep at night afraid that a drought induced fire will burn their homes and ranches. I feel more at peace today knowing my parents can rest a little tonight not having to worry about the dry conditions. I am going to enjoy this wet weekend resting with my family and praying for Wes to hurry home safe and sound. Maybe I see just how many songs about rain I can find for us to listen to...
Morgan and I had a great time playing on the porch while it stormed this morning. This was her first puddle to play in. Correction...this was the first puddle she didn't create to play in. She ended up really dirty and wet but it was so worth it watching her try to catch the rain drops with out stepping on the grass...that is still uncharted territory...for now anyway.

Happy Birthday Baby!!!!

Happy Birthday Wesley!
I am just so glad for the day you were born. I am so blessed to be your wife and have you in my life as my very best friend and so much more. Sometimes I wonder if we would have turned left somewhere when we turned right, would we have found each other sooner. It seems that God had been trying to help us find each other for a long time. I love you and I am so blessed by your big heart and soft eyes. I am so blessed that you are such a loving Daddy. I am so blessed that you love me so wonderfully. Again, Happy Birthday Baby...You rock!

I LOVE YOU MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY!!!

Clearing the air....

Wes and I both quit smoking two years ago today (at 4pm on the way to the airport to be exact!). I don't recall Wes ever struggling with it & I don't allow myself to voice it often, but it is still one of the hardest things I have ever done. I smoked exactly a pack a day for twelve years almost to the minute starting with my drive to work as soon as I dropped Hunter off at school. I haven't touched a cigarette at all since that day. It was a horrible time to quit too...three weeks before my wedding! What was I thinking? I need to get on my knees and thank God that Wes still wanted to marry me after three weeks without a cigarette. For those of you who smoke or have quit, I understand. For those of you who have never been addicted to those evil things, I hope you never go through something that hard. Never ever judge or criticize...it only makes a smoker go for another cigarette when ya do. Wes's Momma was wonderful about it. She didn't want me to smoke, but being an ex-smoker herself, she understood and was kind about it. Now here I am two years later and I don't want to even be near someone smoking. I guess I am afraid I may want one...and then there is the horrible smell. Ironically, being around smoke gives me a headache now. The weight gain alone is enough to make a gal start back up. However, I figure I can lose the weight a heck of a lot easier than I can replace a lung. There are times I completely come unwound and can't figure what is wrong and realize, ahhhhh this is when I would have stepped out for cigarette....what do I do now? I loved my little breaks. I would dead head the flowers on the porch, sweep the drive way, water the lawn, talk on the phone and watch the sun set from my porch all while smoking away. With that said, when I am cranky and you are thinking Geeeezzzzzz! please know that I did this for you & your Daddy, because I love you more than words can express. I have had to watch my Dad's struggle with related health issues and don't want to put my family through the hurt of watching me go through the same thing. I want to be healthy as long as possible so that I can run around and play with you, your children, and maybe even my great-grandchildren. You are worth you. I am worth it. I love you!Speaking of airing it out....here are a few shots of Morgan airing her business on the way to the tub after turning cookie monster. Her bum was a little red so we were letting her get some fresh air and she loves it! Yes, she is actually drinking her bath water. It is her new thing. She will fill up the colander (she thinks it is a bowl) and bend over and drink right out of the tub. As usual, she is a HOT MESS!
Here is Hunter showing off his guns after he fixed the busted kitchen pipe that I couldn't get to budge. He was so determined and patient with it. There are so many times I want to wring his ever lovin' teenage neck and then he turns around and amazes me. Hunter, you were definitely my hero today! Thank you for a job very well done. YOU ROCK!!!!

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

Well we all made it back safe and sound from our Spring Break vacations. Morgan did great on the plane coming home and made everyone around us laugh at her "knee surfing". When there was strong crosswinds or turbulence, she would stand on my knees with her arms out like a surfer bouncing all over the place while laughing and squealing with this look that said, "what a great ride Mommy!"

I think I miss Wes more now than I did before I got there to see him. It was so wonderful watching him play with Morgan and seeing her just light up when he smiled at her. It is hard watching the man you love be so tired from working so hard to give you security. It was so easy for me to selfishly get my feelings hurt when he fell asleep before the movie was over or when he promised to play cards with me. I read my devotional and realized I needed to change my attitude. God would not be pleased at how I was behaving towards my husband and realized that all it would take was some venting and a few ugly critical words to blow everything I hold so dear out of reach. Wesley, I am so amazed by you. Yes, like all marriages, there are times you frustrate or irritate me, but you are wonderful man and I am so honored to be your wife and the mother of your children. If I haven't told you enough, thank you and I fall in love with you more every day.

Being on a budget, I just stayed in the 28 foot toaster oven, I mean RV most of the time in Colorado with the exception of our daily walk at the pond and going to Wes's softball practice and game. Who'd a thought it (yes I said it that way) that a RV could be so DANGEROUS for a toddling baby. Morgan was bent on scaring me to death. She snuck up to the bed to hide from me while she ate a cookie and then "threw" herself down the stairs (all 3 of them) backwards hitting the back of her head and face. I was only a few feet from her but I stepped in her car seat and tripped and fell onto the floor right on top of her screaming the whole way down. I should have just yelled "TIMBER"! Of course it all happened in slow motion to me and all I could think about was the actress who just hit her head and died skiing and OMG my baby just hit her head, with a mouth full of cookie none the less!!! THEN she stood up on the couch (I had it folded out into a bed) and took a nose dive, on purpose, landing flat on her face... I saw her do it...from the bathroom, while I was being sick if you know what I mean. THEN she crawled over the wall and would have flopped all the way over...but I did catch her that time. Needless to say I cried a lot, checked her over and over for bumps, dents, bruises, changes, broken bones, wouldn't let her nap for fear of a concussion, and told myself I was a horrible mother for not holding her safely in my arms the entire time I was there. THEN she tried to attack Wes and jumped on him while he was laying face down on the bed...(apparently he is bouncy...I never noticed before) the first time she landed on her head, feet sticking up in the air out of the laundry basket he panicked and I yelled at him...the second time she landed safely on her back in the laundry basket...AND LAUGHED!!!! Hunter was not like this. He was cautious and examined EVERYTHING before acting. Morgan is a DAREDEVIL! I am doomed to a life of grimacing when I hear "hey Ma, watch this, no hands"! I know I was a good kid growing up so I blame this on Wes. I am suffering because he is getting paid back for being such a rotten child I just know it! What luck! I am so glad to be home...with flat, level floors.

You may now unfasten you seatbelts...

Morgan and I made it safe and sound to Colorado! We were both so happy to see Wes and good golly was he a handsome sight for sore eyes. The only thing that would make this better would be Hunter coming with us. I am sure he will have a great time in Florida though.

I am so grateful to Celeste and her kids for taking us all to the airport and making our adventure so much more fun! I am so blessed to have a worry free week knowing our friends are taking care of our home and pets. Thank you to Deidra and her family too!

Morgan did better than I expected on the flight here. There were lots of screaming babies but she wasn't one of them. She was too entertained my flipping the lap tray up and down and laughing at the little girl sitting behind us. I packed WAY to heavy and was the annoying person boarding the plane bumping everyone along the way with my bags saying, "oops sorry, I am so sorry, oh excuse me" How embarrassing!!! Maybe I should mail some of my stuff home or just pay to check more bags??? I just think that $15 for the 1st bag and $25 for each following is skyway robbery!

Pueblo West isn't much different in the spring as the summer. Cool nights, lots of wind, and warm days. At least it isn't as hot as it was during the summer. It reached 104 during our visit and made living in the RV a lot like living in a toaster oven. The mountain views around us are still beautiful. You can see snow on the far off peaks.

We enjoyed being lazy with Wes on Sunday. It was his only day off while we are here visiting so no sight seeing for us this trip. Monday we went for a walk in the park to wait for him to get off work and meet us at softball practice...you would think that I could get away from ball practice and game schedules just for a week during vacation....no such luck with my family. I have added a lap to our walk each day. Today my walk will be two full miles. The pond is still full of life and entertains us while we walk. Morgan sits up and watches all the geese and ducks chase each other across the water.

Being here and being able to watch Morgan and Wes interact and play has been so good for me. He taught her to nod her head "yes" last night. He thinks it is so funny when she doesn't want me to do something and tell me "no, no, no, no mamamama!" Hilarious I tell you. At meal times we have notices that she first picks up or pinches off a piece of her food and hold it in her left hand while she shovels the rest in her mouth with her right hand....like she is saving it for later.

The pictures are of the pond we walk at, the RV and area we stay in, and of Wes and Morgan playing. She sure is a Daddy's Girl! I have more but have to go clean up before she wakes from her nap. Hunter if you are reading this I miss you terribly and hope you are having a blast!

Sweet Nibblits!!! Has it been two weeks already?

As usual, I have a million and one things to catch up on. I think I had more free time when I was a single Momma working full time! HA! Just kidding. I am so thankful to be home with my children now but I miss Wesley so much. He was able to come home for Valentine's Day weekend and spend time with us. It was a little frustrating getting him here. That week a flight had gone down and killed everyone on board in New York. That scared me a little. Wes and Hunter both fly pretty regularly. This visit, his flight was delayed for four and a half hours because of fog. It caused us to miss Hunter at baseball practice but better safe than sorry. I was happy to see his smiling face. We were able to make most of Hunter's basketball game and he played really well. There is no better feeling than having all of my family at home. I slept better than I have in months being there in the crook of his arm all safe and sound. As you can tell from the pictures, Morgan enjoyed playing with Daddy too. We all had a great Valentine's weekend. Dinner with friends, sports, just goofing off, seeing some family, and best of all just hanging out together. I wish I had taken a picture of my beautiful tulips with my regular camera so that I could post them on here.

More random updates, this Saturday 2/21, I noticed little tiny white spots on Morgan's red gums! She has just a little of her bottom teeth coming through. It seems that they are going up and down. The one on the bottom right has been here to stay since Monday morning. He is happy for me to rub Ora gel on her little swollen gums. She is a speedy little girl on all fours and loves to play frogger with Hunter. She waits in the hall for him to come walking through and then scrambles across in front of him as fast as she can squealing the whole way. The two of them have a bond that is so beautiful. Hunter is doing great in school. He has been working hard and brought his B in Pre-Ap math back up to an A. We are really proud of him for the effort he is putting into his school work. This week is busy for him. He has been practicing for both baseball and basketball, has his last basketball game, football banquet, TCU basketball game with his team, and hopefully we will be able to go to church too on Sunday. He keeps me hopping, but watching him grow as a young man is worth it. I need to find a youth group he feels comfortable in. One that moves him and touches his heart. I am watching him and see the struggles he has growing into a young man. Trying to find his own self and his own passions and dreams, trying to balance those ideas with God, school, friends, sports, girls, parents, chores, and all the random questions that run through his head. I know it is my job as a Mother to guide him. I also know that it is that same maternal love that knows I have to step back and pray that I have properly equipped him as we know that he also has to find some things and learn some lessons I on his own.

Lord, Please be with my son. Help him to see and feel you with his own heart. Let him know your unconditional love and have the desire to follow you Lord...even when his parents aren't watching. Help my family to find security and physical roots in a place we can all be together while Wes is supporting us. You have never let me down, help me not to worry. I know you have this. I love you Lord. Help me to honor you in my words and actions as a Mother, Wife, Daughter, and Friend...Amen.

To blog or not to blog...

Hmmmm. Should I write or go to bed and rest. I need both! Oh how I long for the days when Morgan took two hour naps, when I could sit here and IM my friends and blog about my random thoughts, prayers and ideas. Morgan is a blast but she can be quite demanding of my time. Did I say quite? Let me rephrase that EXTREMELY demanding. I had to stop and remind myself just this week that she is only a baby once. When the day of drooling, gassy teething fits seems like it will never end, I need to remember that it goes by way to fast. I had a rough beginning to my week. My sweet baby girl was being anything but sweet. I am guilty of letting the everyday worries weigh me down more than need be. This week I made that dreaded choice to look at the big picture and what a mess it seemed. My reaction was much like Morgans in the above picture. This is not cool for a gal like me that likes to have order in all things home and family. I love to be spontaneous and go on adventures...outside of my home. Home, where the four of us come together to live, this is my safe haven, my nest, that place we all come and know that we are blessed and loved. Wes's job will be ending soon and we have no idea where he will work next. I don't just mean, what company, I mean what state will he move to! For us at home this is hard, and even though he doesn't say it, for Wes I think it is harder. Like most we worry about income, bills, insurance, health, family...all the normal things that families all over America stress over. Add to that not knowing if he can find work that pays well enough in Texas, we need to be together as a family, should we move to where Wes is (???) in order to be together, how long will that job last, Hunter needing a good school and sports program, Morgan needing to know her Grandparents, my Dad's health, the ex, leaving our friends and family, our home being totally unorganized, feeling under appreciated, hormones, everyone trying to put their two cents in, trying to loose weight, the guilt of the cookies I baked and then ate, feeling cooped up because it was cold outside, missing Wes like crazy....well you can only imagine that well, I WAS A HOT MESS!!! I got a little blue, vented like crazy, and then was totally blessed with a man that loved me right through my "moment", a baby that has been all smiles for the past few days, a son that knows just when I really need a hug, those that walk with me and build me up, and great friends that really do pray for us and believe in us as a family and the one who reminded me to sing and praise God. Audrey, you have no idea how much you enrich my life by being so positive and reminding me to always look to God's word. Sharing so many verses that change my heart as I read them. Thank you so much my dear friend! Thank you most of all for reminding me to miss Wes without putting any additional burden on him. I needed to hear that.

New Years Resolutions

I have a few New Years Resolutions for 2009. I borrowed a few I found a was inspired by:
To grow and become healthier spiritually, emotionally, and physically
To read God's word in some form daily
Turn off the TV more often
Go for walks as often as possible
To be a better wife, mother, daughter and friend
To continue to let go of the past and forgive
To clean out my closets and help those less fortunate than me
To become more organized
To learn to sew
To learn to cook healthier (and like it)
To be more like me than ever before!!!
To make a difference somehow, some way, to someone....

NEW YEAR CHEER

At the sound of the tolling midnight bell
a brand new year will begin.
Let's raise our hopes in a

confidant toast,
to the promise it ushers in.

May your battles be few, your pleasure many,
your wishes and dreams

fulfilled.
May your confidence stand in the face of loss

and give you the strength to rebuild.

May peace of heart fill all your days
may serenity grace your soul.

May tranquil moments bless your life
and keep your spirit whole.

May God walk with You in the coming Year,

bring Joy, Happiness, Health and Wealth.

For with Him there is no Fear.

God Bless You and Your Family.