Caution - Busy Times Ahead

The whirlwind of our busy lives that typically begins after 5pm is about to start back up. We have enjoyed the nice break. Although, we have remained fairly busy with Tristen and all of his extra-cirricular activities.


Tristen's basketball season is coming to an end. He and his team have done AMAZINGLY well and we are so proud of Tristen. His team's record is 5-2!!!! They have 2 games left and I really think Tristen will miss basketball. 3 weeks ago he joined the Cross Country team, which surprised us b/c he really hasn't ever been a 'runner'. He just came home one day and said, I'm joining Cross Country. So, now he is at school at 7am for Cross Country practice. They have practice 5 days/week. Plus, he then has basketball practice after school. Mondays are his basketball games and Tuesdays are his cross country meets. He has had 2 meets so far. He placed 6th place in his first meet! He was SOOOO excited and we were so proud. They were running against 2 other schools. This last meet, I'm not sure what place he came in, but I know he was 2nd from his school. I think he was probably 11th or 12th to finish. Jason and I switch off who leaves early each day so we both aren't having to leave work early. Thankfully, we both have quite flexible jobs and employers who understand. While I appreciate the games starting early so that we aren't out until late on school nights, it is quite chaotic in getting to his games/meets on time. Basketball games start at 5:30 (actually they always end up starting early) and Cross Country meets start at 5pm. I work 26 miles from home/school and Jason works about 20 miles from home/school. Not to mention the games/meets are spread out across the school district, so that means even more travel time.Tristen is also in Student Council and often has to be at school early to participate in meetings and other things that Student Council is doing around the school. He is a busy, busy kid, but he has learned to manage is all so well and his grades have remained strong! Both Cross Country and Basketball wrap up in February and then it is on to Track, which he is required to participate in regardless. If you play football, which he did, you are required to run track, which is some school rule. We are glad that he has become so involved at school. He has come a LONG WAY since this time last year!!! We couldn't be more proud of him!

Colby's baseball is starting back up. They've been practicing twice a week since December and games and tournaments will start in February. He has tournaments the last 3 weekends in February and then 3 tournaments every month thereafter until July. HOLY MOLY! Goodbye weekends! Besides tournaments, his team will also be playing league play which will be during the week. So, we go from one busy schedule to the next. Next year it will been even more chaotic with both Tristen and Colby in athletics. 7th grade plays on one day and 8th grade plays on another day AND we'll have a newborn!!!!!!!!!

We are having Colby's 12th birthday party this weekend b/c all of our weekends in February are booked with baseball and our family trip to Shreveport. We'll be heading out to Shreveport on February 5th for our 4th annual Mardi Gras trip. Although I won't be participating in any of the drinking festivities that are usually occurring, it will be a fun trip. The boys look forward to this every year.

We have our next baby appt on Feb 9th, which won't entail much, but the appt after that which I'm assuming will be on March 9th will be the BIG sonogram. I CANNOT WAIT! I'm ready to start buying stuff!!! It will soon be time to start on the nursery. I've already been 'window' shopping on the internet. We plan on doing a few 'improvement' things to the house before the bebe comes too. Painting the nursery and the hall bathroom, changing out hardware to oil rubbed bronze pieces, replacing ceiling fan in living room, and a few other things. Next year, I'm planning on us rennovating the kitchen (Jason hasn't received this memo yet.....so shhhh!!!!) Although I say that I plan on rennovating the kitchen in 2011, my plans my change and us use our tax return for a nice family vacation instead. Jason is talking about a cruise, but I really want to go back to Mexico. We'll see though.....as that is still a LONG time away, well really...it isn't.....just a year from now.

Pregnancy and Stupid People

I swear either people have suddenly become more stupid or I have absolutely no tolerance for stupid people anymore. Maybe stupid isn't the correct/"PC" word, but it is the word I'm going to use for this blog. I'm 99% sure it is due to pregnancy hormones, but I seriously am ready to fly off the handle and be THAT "pregnant lady".

Specifically speaking, Colby's new baseball team. I'm so put out with the coach and his wife. I'm trying to plan the poor kid's birthday party and we don't have a finalized schedule for his tournaments yet. In some roundabout blunt words, I specifically told these people that. I am trying to plan, and you say we have tournaments scheduled, but you can't give me a schedule. I will say I'm less than impressed with their organizational and efficiency skills in running this 'business'. If I send you an email with a couple of questions (two to be exact), please be so kind to answer ALL of the questions. My list could go on and on. Colby's birthday is Feb 13th. We will be out of town the 1st weekend in February and then he has tournaments the following 3 weekends, so I have no clue when he'll actually get to have his party. Tournaments are so unpredictable that you can't plan for anything on Saturday or Sunday, EXCEPT to be at the baseball fields.

Another thing, I'm pretty sure every day I get behind the stupidest/slowest drivers. This didn't happen before I was pregnant. I mean do I have a sign on my car that I can't see that says, "This lady is pregnant. Make sure to piss her off?" I'm sure I could make $$$$$ if I had a camera installed in my car that recorded all of my antics of screaming at people. It really doesn't help that I have a 26 mile (one-way) commute to work. I think I'm ready to move back to Wink (my hometown) where there were absolutely NO stop lights and the only time there was 'traffic' was after a Friday night football game.

Contemplating...

I am contemplating make our blog private for various reasons. I have completely decided yet, but if you read our blog and want access to our blog, email me or message me on facebook to let me know so I can add you to the 'reader list'.

Family disclaimer - I already have all of you on the list.

1st Semester = OVER

I cannot believe the 1st Semester is over for the boys. This school year is flying by. They've had semester test all this week and then got out of school at 12:30 today and don't go back to school until Tuesday. Wish I had a break from work like that.

I just have to brag on them. They both made the A/B Honor Roll all three sets of 6-weeks for the 1st semester. Even after semester exams, which I always hated, they both made the A/B Honor Roll for the 1st Semester. Speaking of their semester exams, we told them that they both had to study for Social Studies, as they both had lower B's in that class this 6 weeks. The rest of their tests we told them that they knew what they were good at and what they needed to study for. We left it up to them to figure out what needed to be studied for. While, I'm not sure how well that really went, as they didn't study for any other tests, they both came out on top finishing the semester very well.

This school year seems to almost be night and day from years past, which is hard to believe since they are both in Middle School. It has been a relatively easy school year, thus far! We hope the trend continues!!!

Baby Update - 12 weeks

We had our 12 week appointment today and it was short and sweet. I'm actually 12 weeks 5 days today. I still don't have any belly pics to share, but I'm sure in due time I will. The Dr. appt went well. I've lost more weight since the last appt and I'm really not sure how that is possible. The morning sickness/all-day nausea has completely gone away and I'm eating 3 full meals + snacks throughout the day. The Dr. was not concerned at all; I think I'm actually more concerned than she is. The appt. was all of 10 minutes long. She asked me how I was feeling, have I had any problems, sickness, questions, etc. I have felt absolutely great the past 2 weeks. She got the doppler out to listen to the heartbeat and before she put the doppler on my stomach, she said, 'Now, it may take me a minute to find the heartbeat.' She put the doppler directly on my lower stomach and immediately you could hear the heartbeat. She said, 'Guess not, there it is beating very strong and it is moving around like crazy.' YAY!!!!!!!! Music to our ears. 8 weeks to go until we find out if we're having a little boy or little girl!

Allen’s 30th B-day party

Allen, Jason's BFF4EVR (lol), turned 30th recently, and we helped with his surprise birthday party. He surprised his wife 2 years ago (I think it was 2 years ago) with a surprise birthday party, so it was her turn to surprise him. She pulled it off with out a hitch. Kate should be an Event Planner instead of her current day job. She had custom t-shirts made for all of us, temporary tattoos, and sugar cookies with the same logo. The party was truly a success and glad to see Allen ring in the big 3-0 in true fashion. Excuse the 'excessive' (for lack of a better word) use of the middle finger in the pictures below. It is just something our mature husbands/friends can't seem to grow out of. Me being the pregnant lady at the party didn't get to enjoy the adult beverages, but got to sit back and laugh at everyone else. By the end of the party (10:30...as we were nonchalantly being kicked out of the restaurant), a cracker fight ensued. Actually, the cracker fight ensued long before that and finally a few of us tried but failed at getting the crackers away from the boys' table. We had an upstairs party room at a restaurant and for some reason the guys (Allen and his nephew) decided it would be funny to start throwing packages of crackers at people (all who were in are party) who were walking down/up the stairs (to and from the bathroom). Our poor waitress. I will say she was definitely tipped VERY well from the party of about 35-40 people. Yes, we had ONE waitress for the 40 of us, but she ROCKED and was ever so efficient. We finally got everyone out of the restaurant and the party continued at Allen/Kate's neighbor's house who literally has a bar in his backyard/barn, complete with shuffleboard, darts, a keg, Wii, and who knows what else. It has been awhile since I've been over there. Once again, me being the pregnant lady, I went home and sent Jason on his way with Allen/Kate. I think the party finally wrapped up around 3am when Jason sent me a text.

SURPRISE!!!!

Allen (B-day boy), Jose, and Jason

Me, Liz, Kate & Stacy – the last girls standing

J and I

The crackers….there were more at one point.

New Year's 2010

We celebrated New Year's Eve by going out with some friends to The Cheesecake Factory and then to Dave and Buster's. It was a low-key night, but it we had a blast. It honestly is all about the people you surround yourself with.


I know most people do New Year's Resolutions, but I don't. I refuse to. We have many exciting things coming up in 2010 and can't wait to experience them all.

• Birth of my niece in February


• Finding out the sex of Little Peanut in March - then preparing everything once we find out the sex


• Busy, busy baseball season (March - July)


• Birth of my other niece in April


• Boys finishing up school in June


• Little Peanut's arrival in July


• My 30th bday in August


• Experiencing life with a newborn and infant

Rewind - Christmas 2009

Christmas 2009 was a pretty low-key year for us this year. My family got together at Thanksgiving, and for various reasons we were unable to celebrate Christmas together this year. We were greeted with a white Christmas on Christmas Eve and it stuck around through Christmas Day. It was quite a pleasant surprise. On Christmas Day, we celebrated with just the 4 of us. We had a great time, and I always enjoy seeing the boys' faces light up when they open their presents. Jason and I didn't really exchange gifts this year, we more or less just bought for ourselves and then wrapped the gifts. LOL! We are both so hard to buy for and too often throughout the year we buy things that we need/want. We really need to get better at surprising each other.


We celebrated Christmas with Jason's dad on Saturday. Jeannean treated us with a nice pot roast dinner and some yummy banana pudding (that I had been craving). We aren't very traditional when it come to Holiday dinners.

Our New Bundle of Joy.....

will be arriving sometime in late July. We are expecting and could not be more thrilled. I'm feeling pretty well, thus far. Morning/All-Day Sickness kicked in at about week 6, but it has mainly be nausea. My appetite has gone to the wayside and I'm pretty picky about what I want to eat, which SUCKS when it comes to grocery shopping/cooking dinner. I use to always bring my lunch to work and now it is a bit more complicated since my mind changes hour by hour on what even remotely sounds good. I'm surviving though.


We had our first Dr appt on Tuesday, 12/15. We were able to hear the heartbeat and get a sonogram. It made it so much more surreal. I had lost weight since my last visit, much to my surprise, but is completely normal. I feel like I'm eating all the time, but obviously I'm not. My estimated due date is July 22nd. We are *HOPING* for a little girl, but will be happy with either one. Both of my brothers are having little girls, not to mention my older brother has a daughter, so I hope I can continue the trend. :-) (I need some pink and frilly things in my life! LOL!!!!)

This post was written on 12/18/2009, but I finally got around to posting it now after I scanned in a picture of the sonogram. I'm now 11 weeks 4 days. My next appointment is a week from tomorrow! Can't wait to hear that heartbeat again!

New Ride....

Jason recently wrecked his truck (hit a guardrail) and the insurance totaled his truck. While we were in the market for a new vehicle, I had planned on waiting a bit longer. I wanted a used mid-sized SUV, preferably red, with leather, captain's chairs in middle w/bench seat in back, and DVD player (wasn't a requirement b/c Jason can install them). Navigation wasn't necessary b/c we use our phones for directions to everything. There were a couple of vehicles out there that fit this description, but the only one I really liked was the GMC Acadia. I've known for pretty much the past 18 months what I wanted my next vehicle to be, even though I had never driven one nor rode in one. We wanted a bigger vehicle that would seat more than 5 people (what my Jetta can seat and the truck *could* seat).

So, fortunately, I was able find EXACTLY what I wanted, that was priced so reasonably well that we did not have to do any haggling over the price. We purchased a 2007 GMC Acadia SLT and I absolutely LOVE IT!!!!!!!! It has remote start (I'm sooo loving this right now with the cold weather!), home link (for the garage door opener), heated/leather seats, 2 sunroofs, backup sensors, XM radio, OnStar, etc. The boys are loving the DVD player, although we are rarely in the car long enough for them to watch very much. Colby asked when we could take a vacation so they could actually watch a full movie. I know it will come in handy though. I don't drive it on a daily basis b/c Jason carpools to work every other day. I drive 26 miles one-way to work, so I drive the Jetta on the days he doesn't drive. It is hard not to jump in the Acadia everyday, but it will be worth not driving it every single day.

Here is a stock photo. I'm too lazy to go take pictures of the car, itself.


12/11/09