Houston, we have a vacation planned!!!

Here is how it is gonna go: we are leaving here on the 13th of May, and heading south to San Antonio. We are going to see the Natural Caverns on our way down. Then, on the 14th we're gonna do Sea World. Michaela is going to swim with the Beluga Whales and we're all going to eat lunch with Shamu. On the 15th we will do the San Antonio Zoo and after we are done, head south to South Padre Island. On the 16th, Chris will head out early on a guided fishing trip and when he returns, Michaela and I will go horseback riding on the beach. On the 17th we will go on a dolphin watching tour, and then on a Pirateship Cruise complete with Pirates, water gun fights, and the like. (It's a family cruise, meaning, it's geared towards kids.) On the 18th we'll head home. :D

I am so excited, I was on a very strict budget and came in below it. :D

Back that RV'ing down to PT again, lol

In light of the current RV drama, we have decided to stay in our home awhile longer and just RV when Chris is off. I am at peace with that decision and we'll just take it a little at a time.

On the hunt for another RV (that was quick, lol)

Well, not going into too much detail but the phrase "if it's too good to be true, it usually is" comes to mind. We had the 5th wheel here, and I had been cleaning on it big time. See, it was left in storage with 2 bags of shrimp, 2 cans OJ, one pkg hamburger, and two pkg steak in the freezer. Eggs and various other foods in the fridge. Let me tell you how nasty the stench in there was!!! I have scrubbed and bleached and scrubbed and cleaned and done everything possible and finally after a week of that, along with charcoal in there, it is smelling nice. I have scrubbed the tile back white again and vacuumed. I still need to steam clean the carpets as you can smell that a dog was there. I have cleaned it from top to bottom, including inside the cabinets.

So, we were amazed at our unbelievable deal on this RV. Yesterday he calls and says he decided he wants to sell it for more money. 

We went and picked it up out of storage for him, paid the back storage on it, took 3 days off to do it all, got it set up and CLEANED, and now he says he has another buyer and he'll give us $1,000 for all our trouble. (We are not gullible or dumb..this is someone we have known for years and never would have thought he'd squelch on a deal.)

That being said, we are on the hunt.  We are also on a tight budget, so that is another issue. We want to just pay cash, but are limited on that so much that what I am finding, I'm not willing to live in. I bet we'll end up putting a chunk down and making payments. We'll just see. 

I'm just hacked. Everything was all set (I thought) and this has put a snag in my chain. 

The joys of being a mother...

Are sometimes more than I can stand...see this cute little face? Yeah, that one. Remember those beautiful blue eyes as I tell this story...

I was sitting here at the computer as he walks by and I smell the distinct smell of poo. Yeah, repulsive stinch known by many different things, but we'll just call it "poo" to keep this G rated.

I asked him "Troy, did you poop your pants" he kept walking and told me "no". I said "Troy, I smell poop, what did you do". He was standing looking at me like a deer in the headlights with his little sweet innocent eyelashes batting at me. So, he turns to go back on his way into the bathroom and I see it...his hands are full of, well, poo. I guess he took it literally when he overheard Daddy tell Sissy "put want in one hand and poo in the other and see which one fills up first". Seriously. Gaggarific. I asked him WHAT happened, and he couldn't answer me. I mean, DUH MOM!!! Obviously he didn't make it to the potty and decided to bring it himself. So, he had an impromptu shower and scrub down. GROSS!

What possesses a 3 year old to do half the things they do I'll never know. He kept telling me "I'm so sorry Momma, I am so sorry". How can I be angry?

He was so funny earlier too..he told me "Momma, you're in a heap of trouble missy!". 

RV anyone?

Not going into too much detail, because if you know me, you know the details already. Due to changes in the economy (most notably our pocketbook), we will be downsizing to RV living come May. You already know if you read this daily (yes, I know you are out there...the ones who don't follow...ahem, family!) that I already have decided to homeschool Michaela again, as the public school thing has surely not worked in our favor. We are so excited. We will be staying at a beautiful RV Resort and I think we will all love it. Since Chris is still working (THANK YOU JESUS) we will not be able to travel except for weekends, vacations, and holidays. 

I think we'll love it. I know some of you have expressed concerns of our sanity, but I assure you we are fine. Yes, I also know of the bet on how long it takes us to crack and get into a house again. I'll see you on that and even raise the bet!!!

So, that is my update. I have so much to do in the month of April. I have TWO classes I am taking, I will return to work every other weekend, all that along with preparing this journey to begin. 

Goodbye Blue

We lost our precious Blue last night. She was snake bitten (multiple times the vet thinks) and had to be put down. We are all very sad. She was a good dog, and so very beautiful. So, we still have Gus, 2 pregnant cats (Ginger and Spot), and one cranky male cat (he's fixed, wasn't him). Blue is so sorely missed and will be. She was our doll baby. 

It is so pretty outside!

I got up this morning with thoughts of taking the kids to the park and getting lots of stuff done around the house first. Well...after brunch (we slept in, so it was too late for breakfast, too early for lunch) I cleaned out the fridge and then I re-organized the pantry (scary what was lost in there!). I switched out the laundry (threw the clean on my bed) and fed/watered the animals. Well, I was on my way to the laundry room to do more, and I decided it was to pretty outside to sit inside. So, I grabbed the kids and we hopped on the four wheeler. We rode all over, all the way to the tall hills at the back of the property. We checked all the stock tanks and even found a new baby calf. We rode for over two hours and it felt great. It smells like sun tan lotion out in the trees back there. It was so nice and rejuvenating.

Have I told you how much I love spring? It's an amazing time of year that just makes me smile from the inside out!

That up there is our latest addition. You can't tell by the picture, but he was still wet. :D

It's Sunday

And we had planned on going to church today ALL WEEK. So, last night, we're deciding which one to try this time, and we both realize, we don't have church appropriate clothing. Very sad realization that we have both gained so much weight that we can't find semi dressy clothes to wear. Sad but true. So, we will look this week and find some so we can try out a new church NEXT weekend.

Michaela had a little friend spend the night last night. She is really sweet and well behaved. That is nice.

I hope this finds everyone well.

God Bless!

It is cold and wet

This weather is not something that  impresses me. Yeah, we NEED the rain. Lots more as a matter of fact, but come on now, we did NOT need the cold. It was getting so pretty and I already planted my seeds to start my growings for my garden. Now they are sprouting (inside) and I can't put them out until it gets warmer again. Then let's not talk about the ones I sat outside that now I am afraid are not going to sprout!

So, I have errands to run that have to be run. Pretty much an all day affair (with Troy in tow). Oh well, such is the breaks. It can't always be lollipops and gum drops, right?

Have I mentioned that one of my tires is EXTREMELY low? So, I have to put air in the muddy things and probably go by discount tire and get it fixed. Fun fun. 

Hope everyone has a wonderful Friday. Mine is just gonna be...yuck.

I am sleepy

I feel really good, but just sleepy. I think I'll nap with Troy today. 

Michaela is at Science camp with the school. It is a 3-day sleepover camp. She is having a blast. She gets to call home every night. Troy is upset with her for not coming home from school. LOL

I am reading a book called "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" by Joshua Harris. It is about following God's plan for romantic life and not dating. We have decided that we are going to teach our children "courtship" in lieu of dating and this book makes me even feel stronger on the subject. Not only for following God, but for our children's personal life. I feel it is much better mentally and I wish I would have been taught this and practiced it.

Will

Will I ever adjust to this new time change? It's killing my energy. Took my Acai berry today and it helped some, but I am still so tired.

Oh well, I'll live. Last night we planted 216 seeds in our little starter pots for our garden. In those we planted: Cucumbers, Jalepenos, Okra, Lettuce, Sunflowers, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Cauliflower, and Tomatoes. Last week we planted strawberries and several herbs. I have never been known to have a "green thumb", but I am certainly trying to develop one.

Anyhow, where is all this rain we are supposed to get? UGH! I want (and we NEED) rain.

Allis well with the kids and the family. My tailbone is killing me, I need to go see my lovely mother in law who is the only one who can make it go away. She is the best massage therapist in the universe!!! I hate having periformis syndrome. 

I am so truly happy

It is hard to explain it and my "confessions" post may have you thinking otherwise. See, I am so happy in life right now that I am not craving anything else to "complete" me. Sometimes (like the day I posted that) i think deeply and reflect over things way too much. 

I have a real sense of contentment that is so grounding. 

I just wanted to share. :D

The time change

I HATE when the time changes, but I love this one once I get adjusted. However, can we just leave it please? I hate the adjustment period.

I worked all weekend and I am overly tired today. Seriously. Feel like I could sleep another few hours, but I won't. 

Troy's little friend Ghavin is in the hospital with pneumonia. They just decided to transfer him out to Cooks. That is not good. That means he is getting worse. Poor little guy, and poor his parents. That is so scary. We need to pray for him. If you have seen my MySpace pictures, you see many of Ghavin there, all the way from when they were 1 until now. Actually, before they were one. Ghavin's dad calls them "Poncho & Lefty" because Ghavin's Dad is hispanic and Troy is white. It's so cute. He's really the only friend Troy has his age.

Well, I have homework to get done and things to sell on Ebay. Talk at y'all later. :D

Today my baby girl is ELEVEN

I can't believe it has been 11 years already. She is gonna be grown before I know it. I am so blessed to have her. She is such a joy (if a challenge sometimes). 

Happy Birthday baby girl, you are loved more than you know!!!

So, not much to update you on

But I'll write anyhow. Michaela took the TAKS yesterday and feels really good about it. I hate how that is ALL the school worries about. They teach them to pass this test, not for the love or potential of their learning. 

Still no news on the job in Longview, I am about to give up too. Chris already gave up, but me being the optimist, I tend to hold out longer on everything.

So, now he is looking back in West Texas where he grew up. Found out the oil field is there too. His buddy called last night and told us he knows of TWO houses out on ranches that the owners want lived in (for free) so they don't deteriorate. That would be cool. 

I am just knowing that wherever God wants us, he'll take us, when he is ready for us to be there. My gut tells me "this" is not the place.

Confessions:

• I am a food stasher. I stash food so my family will leave it alone and it will be 'there" when I want it.
• I have become a home-body. I don't really enjoy going places very much unless it is with Chris. I find myself dreading a trip to the store, to the school, or anything else of the sort. Especially at night. I just wanna relax and get ready to sleep.
• I have become a light music lover. I mean instrumental music. I can listen to it while I study and anything else. I downloaded the piano version of "Bella's Lullabye" yesterday and have listened to it 19 times (iTunes keeps count).
• However, I still love my Texas country the most and still listen to it 99% of the time.
• I find myself cold all the time lately. I am getting sick of it, and Chris is getting sick of our heating bill.
• I am procrastinating getting my lumbar puncture because I know it will hurt and I am just not up for it.
• I ate shrimp the other night and broke into hives...this after already knowing I reacted like that before. It was only ONE shrimp. Guess I need to leave them suckers alone.
• I still listen to my 80's hard rock hair bands I was so fond of as a teenager.
• I think I am like that Nadia Sulman chick, I am addicted to having kids. However, that is where my brain kicks in and knows when enough is enough. Sure, I'd LOVE to have 13 kids, but I can't afford them nor could I care for them (or have enough patience for them).
• That being said, I am holding out for grandbabies WAY down the road (though I wouldn't turn down another adoption if it came out way).
• I would love to do an internship with the Duggars and learn how the heck they do it. If they can do it with so many, surely I could learn a better way to do it with so few.
• I will stay in my jammies all day if I have no where to go. Then, at bedtime I bathe and change into a clean pair. LOL
• I miss my Poppa Lloyd so much that everytime I think of him I cry. It seems to be more often lately. I just wish I could have said goodbye.
• I miss my Brody too and still cry over losing him. I think of him so many times daily. It seems like I just lost him yesterday, but feels like it was ages ago at the same time.
• The older I get the more I realize family means. I find myself wanting to get to know ALL my family and be in close contact with them. I wonder about siblings out there my bio father claimed to have fathered...are they out there? Who are they? Do they wonder if I am out there?
• I have an addiction to the internet, and spend way too much time on here daily.
• I love the outdoors but do not want to be out there if it's cold. Give me heat please.
• Spring is my favorite time of year and I always feel a renewed energy at that time.

I guess that is all for now...hasta la vista

Monday Morning, no moaning

I am actually in a really good mood today. I think weekdays are different for me as I don't work during the week, I work weekends. So, I am on the countdown to my working weekend, weekdays don't bother me too much. I relish them. Michaela is at school, Troy calm because it's just he and I (no stimulation), and the house is clean. I finished one class last night, waiting on my final grade. Started a new one today. Let me tell you, this month will be one of pure torture because this class does not interest me in the LEAST! It is "How computers (and the internet) work. Ugh...I got the basics in my last class and that is all I really want to know. I guess I'll be better for the learning, but one more time *ugh*.

Still no news on the job. Waiting ever so un-patiently!

I think T and I will take us a nice nap in a bit. :D

The dinner last night

Was disappointing to say the least. We got there to be told "we are not taking any more names for our wait list tonight, sorry". I realized soon that it was a tactic to get people to go somewhere else. So, I just stood there. And stood there. 45 minutes of standing there looking at the door keeper and he says "oh, I didn't realize you had a baby (Troy), go ahead and come in. Once we were in, we got on the wait list. Another 30 minutes and we got a table. It was on the patio (it's 32 degrees outside) and although they had canvas walls & heat,  the walls ended about an inch from the floor and the air blew in...it was still COLD. But that is okay, at least we were in there. So, our waitress comes over and she throws out a few insults, but that was it, took our drink order and gone. We saw her 3 times. That was it. She brought Mac a hat towards the end of dinner. We had to hunt her down for our check. 

Michaela said she enjoyed it, but I think we could have done something a lot more fun for less. I am going to write the head dogs a letter telling them what we thought, and see if we can right the wrong.