My husband pulled up in the drive. Exhausted from his extra long week at work he drug himself into the door. He walked across the room and kissed me, said Hi to all three of our children who came out of the woodwork to greet their daddy, and he disappeared into our bedroom. I watched from the other room as he searched through his closet for the perfect outfit. He dressed, combed his hair and spritzed some cologne I could smell as he once again kissed me goodbye. He was off on his date! My heart was about to burst!
Last night my husband took our two daughters on their first ever father/daughter dance! To love your children is one thing, to love your husband is another thing, to watch your husband love your children is the best thing! I know he was exhausted! I know he had a very busy stressful week at work, but there was nothing that was going to stop him from making these memories that will last a lifetime with his two girls! My husband and I have been together for over twenty years and I continue to fall in love with him over and over again daily!
Now we are expecting our fourth child, which I must admit was not planned. Am I scared? A little. Am I worried? Some. Do I know it's all going to be O.K, Absolutely!! I know this because there are some good men still left out there! Ones who will do anything for their families no matter how tired they are. Who go above and beyond what is expected of them to insure a happy family. I know these men exist because I have one! I am not bragging, I am counting my blessings! I am truly blessed!
It is not always a bad thing for your husband to go on a dinner and dancing date with two girls! Life is short. Children are little for only a short time. Spend time with them. Make memories with them, and Love them. Have a blessed day!
The Best Times Are Always Found Where Friends And Family Gather 'Round! A Family Lifestyle Blog :)
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Saturday, March 29, 2014
Friday, March 14, 2014
Life has a funny way of doing things...
Well I guess it all starts out with your parents taking a liking to one another and here you come! You are born into this big wide world with so many opportunities and the possibilities are endless! You go through childhood playing in the dirt and throwing rocks. As a young girl I loved to play house! My favorite cousin whom was a boy would be the dad and I would be the mom. He would go to work and I would cook on my chalk drawn stove and take care of the baby dolls. We would sit on some chairs and pretend to go to the grocery store, collecting acorns and pine needles along the way to throw together some soup. As a young child, this was life! As a young child our family lost everything to a house fire. We moved into a tiny travel trailer, then a truck camper shell, then an 8x10 shack, yet I never felt under privileged or poor...this was life as I knew it and it was great! In school you start to learn about politics, math, and economics, and realize there will be bills you have to pay and you start thinking about what you want to be when you grow up. Most kids want to be a teacher or a doctor or maybe even a fire fighter. You start to envision having a job, being married with your two kids living in that house with the white picket fence with a little mailbox to get your mail. This is what life is, all planned out and perfect!
I believe my first huge life lesson happened when I was eighteen. This is when I realized maybe we don't always have a say. Maybe there are plans for us that we don't always want. My favorite cousin I mentioned before had gone missing and three days later was found in a ravine, he had suffered a fatal car accident. This was not in my plan and surely wasn't in his plan! I remember carrying his casket to his final resting place and thinking "what am I suppose to do now?" We were going to have families and meet each other for holidays and stuff when we were older. How will my life ever be the same? I had just started my first semester of college at ITT technical institute when the accident happened. I had just moved into my first place to live closer to school, I had a job to pay my rent. I fell into a depression. I had missed some days of school to attend the funeral, which then put me on attendance probation. They wanted me to come in on Saturdays to make up the hours lost. I could not, I worked weekends to pay my rent. I ended up dropping out of school. Life has a funny way of doing things!
A year later I was going through a dramatic teenager sad break up with a boy and decided to go to Mexico of all places on a Thursday night to go dancing at the clubs. Fate put me there! The clubs and streets were empty. We danced all night in an empty club and were ready to go home when in walked a boy. Twenty one years later I am married to that "boy"! Not how I had envisioned meeting my husband. But that's how my life was planned for me!
A couple years into my relationship with whom is now my husband, my dad became diagnosed with prostate cancer. We watched my dad suffer for four years in great pain with this disease. My dad loved kids! He always hoped for grand babies, unfortunately this was not what was planned for him. He passed away from difficulties with the cancer. He never got to walk his daughters down the aisle or meet any of his grand children. This breaks my heart! Again, Life has a funny way of doing things!
My boyfriend and I were together for seven years and decided we wanted to have a family together. No we were not married! We began trying month after month to conceive a baby. I was not getting pregnant. We began seeing infertility specialist, taking fertility classes, and running all types of tests. We decided if we were trying to have a family maybe we should get married. My husband asked me to marry him and two weeks later I found out we were pregnant!! Our wedding day came, i was four months pregnant, sick with morning sickness and already too big for my first choice dress. Again not what I had envisioned my wedding day to be, but life has a funny way of doing things!
We had a daughter! We had a house and a white picket fence and even a mailbox! I remember this was somewhere in my plan. I thought, "boy we really have it together!" My husband went to work, I stayed and took care of the baby's and drove to the grocery store and cooked soup. A couple years passed and it was time to give our daughter a sibling. We began trying to conceive and sure enough like magic, poof there she was! We had our second daughter. Hmmmm, now our tiny little duplex with an add on was closing in around us! The housing market was booming and there was no way we could afford a bigger home in California. We began looking into other avenues and came across some jobs in my husbands line of work in phoenix, AZ. The homes were dirt cheap compared to California and we decided we would go check it out.
Our second trip to Arizona we put in an offer on a home. We were moving from everything we knew and everyone we loved to make a future for our growing family. We were in our home a couple years and decided it was time to try for a baby boy! We needed a boy to carry on the family name, because my husband was the last boy in the family. I read all kinds of books on how to pick the sex of your baby, and I followed it to a T! It worked! We had our son and our family felt complete!! We had the sense of accomplishment once again! We had the perfect little family, a beautiful house with a pool. Life was going great! A year later my mom was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. She fought hard! She lived for her grand babies! She would travel out to Arizona at the drop of a hat to babysit for us if something came up! Nothing gave her more joy then holding and spoiling those babies!
I believe my first huge life lesson happened when I was eighteen. This is when I realized maybe we don't always have a say. Maybe there are plans for us that we don't always want. My favorite cousin I mentioned before had gone missing and three days later was found in a ravine, he had suffered a fatal car accident. This was not in my plan and surely wasn't in his plan! I remember carrying his casket to his final resting place and thinking "what am I suppose to do now?" We were going to have families and meet each other for holidays and stuff when we were older. How will my life ever be the same? I had just started my first semester of college at ITT technical institute when the accident happened. I had just moved into my first place to live closer to school, I had a job to pay my rent. I fell into a depression. I had missed some days of school to attend the funeral, which then put me on attendance probation. They wanted me to come in on Saturdays to make up the hours lost. I could not, I worked weekends to pay my rent. I ended up dropping out of school. Life has a funny way of doing things!
A year later I was going through a dramatic teenager sad break up with a boy and decided to go to Mexico of all places on a Thursday night to go dancing at the clubs. Fate put me there! The clubs and streets were empty. We danced all night in an empty club and were ready to go home when in walked a boy. Twenty one years later I am married to that "boy"! Not how I had envisioned meeting my husband. But that's how my life was planned for me!
A couple years into my relationship with whom is now my husband, my dad became diagnosed with prostate cancer. We watched my dad suffer for four years in great pain with this disease. My dad loved kids! He always hoped for grand babies, unfortunately this was not what was planned for him. He passed away from difficulties with the cancer. He never got to walk his daughters down the aisle or meet any of his grand children. This breaks my heart! Again, Life has a funny way of doing things!
My boyfriend and I were together for seven years and decided we wanted to have a family together. No we were not married! We began trying month after month to conceive a baby. I was not getting pregnant. We began seeing infertility specialist, taking fertility classes, and running all types of tests. We decided if we were trying to have a family maybe we should get married. My husband asked me to marry him and two weeks later I found out we were pregnant!! Our wedding day came, i was four months pregnant, sick with morning sickness and already too big for my first choice dress. Again not what I had envisioned my wedding day to be, but life has a funny way of doing things!
We had a daughter! We had a house and a white picket fence and even a mailbox! I remember this was somewhere in my plan. I thought, "boy we really have it together!" My husband went to work, I stayed and took care of the baby's and drove to the grocery store and cooked soup. A couple years passed and it was time to give our daughter a sibling. We began trying to conceive and sure enough like magic, poof there she was! We had our second daughter. Hmmmm, now our tiny little duplex with an add on was closing in around us! The housing market was booming and there was no way we could afford a bigger home in California. We began looking into other avenues and came across some jobs in my husbands line of work in phoenix, AZ. The homes were dirt cheap compared to California and we decided we would go check it out.
Our second trip to Arizona we put in an offer on a home. We were moving from everything we knew and everyone we loved to make a future for our growing family. We were in our home a couple years and decided it was time to try for a baby boy! We needed a boy to carry on the family name, because my husband was the last boy in the family. I read all kinds of books on how to pick the sex of your baby, and I followed it to a T! It worked! We had our son and our family felt complete!! We had the sense of accomplishment once again! We had the perfect little family, a beautiful house with a pool. Life was going great! A year later my mom was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. She fought hard! She lived for her grand babies! She would travel out to Arizona at the drop of a hat to babysit for us if something came up! Nothing gave her more joy then holding and spoiling those babies!
I remember we had just went on a family vacation to San Felipe Mexico. We stayed in my aunt and uncles casita right on the beach. My Aunt who is a nurse was there and my Uncle who is a pastor. My mom was not doing well on this trip. Her legs were no longer working, we had to lift her in and out of the van and wheel her around in her wheel chair, but she absolutely loved being on this vacation with her grand babies! She got her short chemo fried hair braided with all the girls, and was just being the best sport! We returned home and about a month later I received a call that my mom was in the hospital, her kidneys were failing and she had 72 hours to live. I worked for walmart at the time and after receiving the call I went to my managers office, sat down, and began crying hysterically! They honestly didn't know what to do with me! I was released on a medical leave of absence indefinitely. My mother in law drove out to Arizona to be with the babies while I said my goodbyes to my mom. I was in California for about a month with my mom on her death bed. I lived on no sleep, barely any food, a lot of prayer, and pure love for my mom. My mom was suppose to be around forever! Who was I going to call when I had a problem or question? What if my babies don't remember her? When mom is gone where will home be? I left my moms bed side to go home and get refreshed, grab some clean clothes, meet with my work, and hug my husband and babies. I told my mama I would see her in three days and that I loved her! Two days home I received the call that mom had taken her final breath. I was 34 years old and felt like an orphan! How come some people have their parents into their nineties, or eighties, or even seventies? Why were both my parents taken in their fifties? It was not fair! But....life has a funny way of doing things!
Shortly after my mom passed away, life's struggles just became ridiculous! We were forced to short sale our home. We moved into a rental, it seemed life had the best of us! About a year later we came across this cute little pink house with a circular driveway, lots of grass and palm trees. It was 1600 sq feet, but there was acute little add on to one of the rooms making it a perfect sister suite with two additional bedrooms! The house was on an acre with no HOA and we thought it would be perfect for our family of five! A little tight, but homey and humble! With the help from my in laws we were able to purchase the home and we named her Ol'Pinky! Once again we were settled! We had our humble home, my husband had a good job and was promoted to manager. I began working at the elementary school. Our kids are all growing into nice respectable people, all in school and becoming more independent by the day! Life is good!
In January of this year I had a health scare that sent me to the emergency room. My blood pressure was at a dangerously low level! After lots of blood work and EKG they found my heart was ticking properly, but my potassium levels were low! I began trying to eat better, quit drinking any beer or wine during the week, taking my vitamins, and just trying to get my over all health top notch! I was feeling the best I had felt for a long time! I had lots of energy, I was focusing on my kids and getting them into extra curricular activities. We went out to eat one night and the food was delicious! My husband was shocked at how quickly I cleared my plate! The next day I felt horrible! I thought it had to be my chicken I ate was not cooked properly! Days went on and I still felt ill!? Others around me were also coming down with the stomach flu so I figured it just must be some sorta bug! Now it was two weeks and I still didn't feel great! It was the week I typically have my menstrual cycle so I thought maybe there was some PMS mixed with food poisoning! My menstrual cycle didn't start so I started looking up pre menopause symptoms...they didn't really match. I googled all my symptoms and pregnancy kept coming up.
I stopped by A local Walgreen's on my way to work one morning and purchased a pregnancy test. You know 39 years old three kids later I was completely embarrassed walking up to that check stand! I got home later that day and went straight to the restroom. Life socked it to me this time...I am pregnant!! 39 years old, my youngest will be 8! In our humble little home, none of our vehicles able to hold more than five. We have already moved on from Duplos to choking hazard Legos...time to start over! Wish me luck! Life has a funny way of doing things....
Thursday, March 13, 2014
#Baby Comfy Nose - How to Clear Baby's Congested Nose
Product received...
If you've ever used a bulb or battery-type aspirator to clear the mucus out of your little one's nose, you've probably said to yourself: "There has to be a better way!" Well, we just found a better way and it's called the BabyComfyNose Nasal Aspirator. Here's the secret: It works so much better because it uses your own suction. Think about it: your own lungs are a strong, natural vacuum cleaner - much more powerful than a tiny bulb or battery-powered motor. And the result is just a more effective method of clearing your baby's sinuses.
If your first thought was like mine, "how do I ensure the proper suction as to not be a booger eater?" Have no fear; you won't suck those little boogies into your mouth because of the design of the receptacle and the tissue filter that you insert into the body of the aspirator. This is why pediatricians are recommending BabyComfyNose to moms and dads. Recently, Dr. Sears of The Doctors TV Show recommended the BabyComfyNose as the best way to clear babies' noses. Take a look at the video 'How to Use the BabyComfyNose' here www.babycomfycare.com to see how well it works. Enter USFAMILY at checkout for a 20% discount. Or get the best retail pricing at Walgreens stores and save the shipping!
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If your first thought was like mine, "how do I ensure the proper suction as to not be a booger eater?" Have no fear; you won't suck those little boogies into your mouth because of the design of the receptacle and the tissue filter that you insert into the body of the aspirator. This is why pediatricians are recommending BabyComfyNose to moms and dads. Recently, Dr. Sears of The Doctors TV Show recommended the BabyComfyNose as the best way to clear babies' noses. Take a look at the video 'How to Use the BabyComfyNose' here www.babycomfycare.com to see how well it works. Enter USFAMILY at checkout for a 20% discount. Or get the best retail pricing at Walgreens stores and save the shipping!
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Friday, March 7, 2014
Tambo's Bag of Crafts and Traveling Crafts and Creations!!!
Disclosure: Product received. All opinions are my own!
I recently received a Tambo's bag of crafts to try out with my children. In the small canvas bag We received enough products to do a few crafts. We got to paint and decorate a wooden snake, a ceramic flower pot, and the bag itself! We received paint with brushes, glitter glue, and a small bag full of all kinds of embellishments to use in decorating our crafts! We also received an extra little surprise as promised just for fun! We would like to thank Tambo's bag of crafts for a fun afternoon of crafts and memories! I think this is a fun idea to bring to any afternoon or children's party! Two thumbs up for Tambo's bags of crafts!!
Spend some quality time with your kiddos with Tambo's Traveling crafts and creations!!! Put down the I-pads and video games. Turn off the television and begin to create some wonderful crafts and memories
Tambo's Traveling Crafts and Creations is an all inclusive, on location mobile arts and crafts party/event provider, including set up (tables and chairs on request), all arts and crafts supplies, instruction as needed, clean up and everything in between. Tambo's brings the craft party to you! We travel here, there and everywhere to service birthday parties, play dates, fund raisers, sports events, school carnivals...where there's a space, Tambo's will be at your place! Decorate and embellish t-shirts, flip flops, silly socks, birdhouses, picture frames, baseball caps, wood snakes, the list goes on and on....Book your next event today for a funtastic artistic time creating your own personalized piece of art!TAMBO'S BAG OF CRAFTS: We Send The Crafts To You!
Tambo's Bag of Crafts is filled with hours of messy creative fun for ages 3 and up
Tambo's sends here, there and everywhere right to your door
http://www.tambostravelingcrafts.com/Tambo_s_Bag_of_Crafts.html
Each canvas bag can be personalized with child's name (upon request)
All bags include 2 items, craft materials; glue, paint, paint brushes, markers, embellishments; stickers, pipe cleaners, rhinestones, ribbon, etc...
Each bag includes an extra surprise from Tambo's Treasure Chest!
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Find Serenity now at Glen Eden Resort!!
Spring Break vacationers who want to be off the beaten path but still close to a major ski resort look no further than Glen Eden Resort!
Glen Eden Resort is a small resort just north of Steamboat Springs on the Elk River, in a ranching community where the cows outnumber the people. The resort has two and three bedroom accommodations, with fully equipped kitchens, living and dining areas. The main lodge hosts a restaurant and tavern, two hot tubs, and wifi. Once you walk out the door there is a wide variety of winter recreational opportunities such as snowmobiling, horseback riding, ice fishing, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing.
Last minute Spring Break Deals! Good until April 30th! Save 15% on two or three nights and 25% on four plus nights at Glen Eden Resort call 800-882-0854 for personalized service.
Glen Eden Resort is a small resort just north of Steamboat Springs on the Elk River, in a ranching community where the cows outnumber the people. The resort has two and three bedroom accommodations, with fully equipped kitchens, living and dining areas. The main lodge hosts a restaurant and tavern, two hot tubs, and wifi. Once you walk out the door there is a wide variety of winter recreational opportunities such as snowmobiling, horseback riding, ice fishing, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing.
Last minute Spring Break Deals! Good until April 30th! Save 15% on two or three nights and 25% on four plus nights at Glen Eden Resort call 800-882-0854 for personalized service.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Will you be pinched??....
People all over the world celebrate on the 17th day of March in honor of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Some cities have parades, most revelers wear green, and a few families will celebrate with traditional Irish fare for their meal. However, not everyone may know who St. Patrick is.
St. Patrick was Born in Britain during the 4th century, St. Patrick was kidnapped and enslaved by Irish raiders when he was a teenager. Although he was able to escape after six years and become a priest in Britain. St. Partick later chose to return to Ireland as a missionary, in order to help spread the teachings of Christianity to pagans. According to Irish folklore, he also used a shamrock to explain the Christian concept of Trinity to the Irish. In spite of continuous opposition from pagan leaders, he continued to evangelize for thirty years while baptizing newly converted Christians and establishing monasteries, churches, and schools. St. Patrick died on March 17th and was canonized by the local church.
St. Patrick's Day was first publicly celebrated in Boston in 1737 where a large population of Irish immigrants resided. Nearly 200 years later, the first St. Patrick's Day parade in the Irish Free State was held in Dublin in 1931. During the mid 90's, the Irish government also began a campaign to promote tourism in Ireland on March 17th.
While many Catholics still quietly celebrate this day of religious observance by going to mass, St. Patrick's Day slowly evolved to become a celebration of Irish heritage. Through the years, along with legendary shamrocks, many symbols were included in festivities that are reflective of Ireland's folklore, culture, and national identity (think leprechauns, ethnic cuisine, and wearing green). Other places that join in on this celebration include Japan, New Zealand, Argentina, and Canada, along with many cities across the United States.
St. Patrick was Born in Britain during the 4th century, St. Patrick was kidnapped and enslaved by Irish raiders when he was a teenager. Although he was able to escape after six years and become a priest in Britain. St. Partick later chose to return to Ireland as a missionary, in order to help spread the teachings of Christianity to pagans. According to Irish folklore, he also used a shamrock to explain the Christian concept of Trinity to the Irish. In spite of continuous opposition from pagan leaders, he continued to evangelize for thirty years while baptizing newly converted Christians and establishing monasteries, churches, and schools. St. Patrick died on March 17th and was canonized by the local church.
St. Patrick's Day was first publicly celebrated in Boston in 1737 where a large population of Irish immigrants resided. Nearly 200 years later, the first St. Patrick's Day parade in the Irish Free State was held in Dublin in 1931. During the mid 90's, the Irish government also began a campaign to promote tourism in Ireland on March 17th.
While many Catholics still quietly celebrate this day of religious observance by going to mass, St. Patrick's Day slowly evolved to become a celebration of Irish heritage. Through the years, along with legendary shamrocks, many symbols were included in festivities that are reflective of Ireland's folklore, culture, and national identity (think leprechauns, ethnic cuisine, and wearing green). Other places that join in on this celebration include Japan, New Zealand, Argentina, and Canada, along with many cities across the United States.
- Wearing green: Tradition holds that if you don’t wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, a leprechaun will sneak up and pinch you. Green represents Ireland, otherwise known as the Emerald Isle because of the country’s lush, green scenery. Green is also one of the three colors on the flag of Ireland, which was adopted in 1919. Green represents the native people of Ireland. Orange stands for the British supporters of William of Orange, who settled in Northern Ireland in the 17th century. The white in the center of the flag represents peace between these two groups of people. Wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day is a tradition that was popularized by Irish immigrants in the United States. By wearing green, a person becomes invisible to sneaky leprechauns. Today, nearly one-half of all Americans wear green on St. Patty’s Day to show their commitment to Ireland.
- Shamrocks and lucky four-leaf clovers: According to St. Patrick’s Day lore, Patrick used the three leaves of a shamrock to explain the holy trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Today, people use shamrocks to symbolize the annual holiday. The folklore for four-leaf clovers differs from that of the shamrock due to the fact that it has no religious allusions associated with it. It is believed that each leaf of a four-leaf clover represents something different: first is hope, the second is faith, the third is love, and the fourth is happiness. Although clovers are most often found in nature with three leaves, rare four-leaf clovers do exist. Legend says that if you find one, good luck will come your way.
- Leprechauns and pots of gold: According to legend, fairies gave leprechauns golden coins as payment for their hard work. The pint-sized leprechauns stored their coins in large pots – the famous “pots of gold” often associated with St. Patrick’s Day. Follow a leprechaun and you could discover where he’s hidden his treasure.Shop St. Patrick's Day Gear
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Where would you be?
Would I be an infant with the warm embrace of my mothers arms? Would I be a small child without a care in the world? Would I be a teenager, with proms and homecomings? Would I be in college with dorms and parties? Would I be a young new mom again? Would I be a successful buisness women with all the money I could ever need. Would I be with my loved ones in Heaven living for eternity and getting to have those hugs and conversations I sometimes long for? No! I would be right where I am at! Life is a journey, not a destination! Life can be indeed a struggle some days, but I have all the faith I'm right where I'm suppose to be and I'll take it! If I could be anywhere, my answer is...right here, in the middle of my journey!
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