The Threat--Is it really over?

Well, we survived the week. 

It was a tough week. On Monday when the kids got home we got a letter and a phone call saying there had been a threat recieved against an unspecified school in San Antonio. (read about that here...http://nisd.net/news/articles/53841) 

Well there are a lot of schools in San Antonio. The email was specific. Mass violence on Thursday. (read clips from the email in this article...http://www.ksat.com/news/school-threat-has-parents-worried/25604692)

It's unclear if it was just to Northside School District (this is the one we are in) or another one but all the the districts and schools were on high alert. But now it's Thursday and nothing happened. But did nothing happen? Is it really over?

One thing that happened is that the school lost money. I do feel guilty about that. But I just couldn't live with the regret of sending them and them having to live through something horrible. 
The police did say they didn't think it was "credible" and it was okay and safe to send your kids to school. So I trusted them all week, but I just couldn't do it today. 

But is that what he wanted (whoever sent this) the schools to loose money? Or now that it's "over" is he planning another attack now that the high security is not there? 
I am really scared to send them on Monday again now. But I have found some verses that I am going to be praying over myself, and our schools and the kids...

Philippians 4:6 
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your request to God.

Psalms 55:22
Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

Psalms 46:1 
God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.

And I'm going to trust God to ease my fear...But I really do believe it's not over!!
Please keep us in your prayers.

Exciting things!!

Here are some updates about our family!

Taylor got A-B honor roll her first 9 nine weeks! There are parts she likes about middle school but mostly she hates it :( middle school is hard.
But she did get picked to sing in a children's choir for The Story Tour!! She gets to hang out backstage and meet the artist and she's super excited!!  Jeremy and I get to go to so I need a babysitter for the boys and Daphne if any one is interested...

Will got A honor roll and he's reading on a third grade level! Drake is doing awesome in school too and has completed his goals in speech so I have to go on Friday to find out what happens next.

Will and Drake are busy practicing for Kid's Praise. It's on Dec 2nd at 6 pm! Come hear them! It's a Christmas program this year. :)

So that's all our exciting news for now...more later...;)

Going Back

The holidays are coming fast. Normally, I love the holidays, but this year I'm a little sad for them to come. I haven't even gone to see my grandma since the funeral. I feel like such a bad granddaughter, but the truth is she's not there anymore anyway. And I miss her. And I miss grandpa. And that's why I'm not looking forward to the holidays this year.

Pray!!

I love my little house. I don't really care for my neighborhood, but do you really know an area before you move to it?? (okay yes sometimes, we would be moving to an area that we have lived before).
Our neighborhood is newish so it is still learning. We are in the beginning stages of thinking about maybe it's time to move to a bigger house. We have and still do discuss how to fit everyone here. Luckily everyone is still little enough that being so close and on top of each other isn't that big of a deal. But Taylor is getting older.... So that being said, these opportunities keep just kinda "falling' in our lap. Coincidence??? Or is God telling us something....
So please pray. We are going to "try" this recent one that has come to our attention. We are going to look and then we will decide if we should move forward. So we will have to figure out what to do with this small house, and I know that if it is fated to happen then with prayer and trust in God it will all be figured out.

Lost!!

I lost Will in Walmart the other day. It was terrible. I lost Drake at Sea World, but that was only for like 1 min, and I found him going to the life guard to say he was lost as I was going to the life guard to say I lost him. That was a terrifing moment too, but losing Will was the longest 10 mins of my life....Here's the story, so Will sees a friend and wants to go say hi. I say no, stay with us. So we walk a little further, I turn a corner to look at something and turn around and Will is gone. He went to find his friend, and when he came back to where we were he started wondering in the opposite direction because he didn't know where we went. So I'm running up and down the aisle we turned off of (one of the main aisles) and calling him, and freaking out....I see a Walmart employee and tell them what has happened and they call Code Adam. I'm still freaking and running up and down the aisle. Then Taylor says mom, they're cancelling the Code Adam, and I'm freaking still... up and down pacing, when they come find me, and take me to Will (he was in the jewelry department) I can't say Thank you enough, I want to just hug all the Walmart people! But instead I'm bawling holding my bawling boy...He kept saying I thought you were going to leave without me. As we are finally walking/shopping again, he kept saying this. I stopped in the store and looked him in the eye and told him, I would camp out there before I ever left that store without you to make him understand. He got it.

I've been feeling lost lately. Lonely really. I don't get it. I guess it's the weather? I always wondered how someone could feel so lonely when so many people surround them. But now it happens to me more than it used to and well I really still don't get how I can feel so lonely/down when I have so many people surrounding me. I think it has to do with being liked and I feel really unliked right now. And left out. I know it's not true...But Max's sermons have really helped lately...I will get through this, it won't be easy, it won't be painless....and he brings me through these times for a reason...

Countdown

So Will lost his first tooth!! He's so excited. The tooth fairy left him a dollar and a dollar gold coin. He remembered that is 200 pennies so he keeps saying I have $200 dollars!!! Instead of cents. It's too cute.
So as fast as this year has started, I am already realizing Daphne is almost a year old!!!
In 7 weeks she will turn one.
In about 15 weeks I will have an first grader, second grader, and a SIXTH grader....oh my!!!
Life has started going at race car speed! I remember being 15 and wondering what it all would be like at this age. Then it felt like the years never ended. Now I wish they would slow down!! =)

Super Bowl Fun!!

We weren't planning on watching the Super Bowl. I had set the TIVO and we were just going to maybe start it late so we could fast forward though the game and just watch the commercials.  We aren't a big football family. Well, any sport really, but we do enjoy a good game. So Jeremy started cooking the chili and I was just going to watch a little bit and pause it, let some time run so I could click through the game to the next commercial set. Then Taylor started talking about how she was going to rout for the Patriots because PawPaw said they were favored to win. I wanted the Giants to win. Soo... Then we started betting, Jeremy joined in and that was that...we had to watch the game!! We started out with a $10 bet. Which turned into a clean the kitchen bet!! I'm so glad the Giants pulled back up there at the end!!! ;)
The halftime show was pretty awesome too!! Madonna's still got it!! A little slower and she lost her footing at one point, but she played it off very well. It was a fun halftime.
The commercials were great too. My favorites were M&M's, the yogurt one with John Stamos, Ferris Buller (Matthew Broderick playing hokey), the vampire party, Elton John Pepsi and The Voice with Betty White!
What were your favorites??

Somehow

I always think of the best blog whens I'm driving, and when I finally get home to the computer...I totally forget!!!
I still haven't figured out how to post my updates to facebook unless I actually copy and paste it. That sooo last year though. I did get my phone set up so I can text blog that should be interesting. So anyway my list of things I want to this year...A couple of weeks late. And resolutions...
actually post more blogs
clean out the house
more traveling
drink less soda
take more walks
experience san antonio
more lazy pj days (this won't happen til summer I suppose)
go out for sunday breakfasts
more "me" time

Okay that's all I can think of right now. Especially with a preteen whinning and complaining about chores in one ear and a five year old asking to play this or watch this or eat this in the other....;)

Test

Time to Update?

I think I need to start a new blog. Or maybe just get rid of this one since I never update. I mean to....I just get...busy....

Starting Over

I dislike starting over. I think change is good, but I don't like it. I like things my way and instead of asking for help I just do it all so it will be my way and I don't have to redo it. But I'm tired. I'm not supermom. I wish I was. I wish my house would just stay clean and organized without any effort.

I wish I had more time to blog. to read. to exercise! I know, I know I need to make time, but I don't like change. I want to just sit around and watch tv too much. Mostly I want to reorganize my house, but try do that when you have a nursing baby and 3 kids to take to the doctor, dentist, school, school functions, soccer, church, grandparents, the list just keeps going on and on....

But I am going to try. I am going to work harder. My energy level is coming back....slowly....and I'm trying to reorganize and catch up. I'm not making any promises but I want to blog about my kid's births. And I want to start scrapbooking, and I want to start a new bible study and I want to start a playgroup. Maybe just maybe I can do it all....if I just reorganize some things....

Trying

I'm trying to be positive I really am. I know the diet and the insulin makes me mean/grumpy. So I try to be positive/nice. But mornings like these are hard. The kids are being rude to each other, yelling, rude to me, and asking me to do things they can do themselves. I just want to go back to bed... which this morning I did. I hate having only one car and I'm mad at myself for not getting up and taking Jeremy to work this morning so we can get out!!

We've all had some sickness for the past three weeks and I'm so ready for it to be gone. Jeremy and I are still on antibiotics so I'm sure that's not helping things either. I hate that the only time I blog is to complain about what's going on around here. I can never think of anything interesting to blog about unless I'm super frustrated and need to vent.

I had to walk to the park in the drizzle to sign Taylor up for soccer. At least it stopped for the walk home.

So TIVO had a good deal going on, and we decided to save some money on cable and go for it. But I don't like it. I only used the cable for a few extra channels so I thought it wouldn't be so bad, but TIVO doesn't record as many shows at a time as the DVR did and so I don't always get my shows, and the ones that I still want to watch on the cable channel don't ever update their site with the latest episode. So annoying...And I can't watch anything in my room unless I watch on the cable, or XBOX which also limits my veiwing...But the TV in our was going out anyway. It just makes closing myself in here more boring is all. But I feel like I have to do that a lot these days to get away from the yelling and annoying questions.

And I can't figure out why I can't get my twitter and facebook pages reconnected.

I forgot to mention too that we had fraud on our account, which I still haven't seen that money back and I figured they would have given it back by now, not to mention I didn't really appreciate the way I was treated when I was telling them it was fraud and they weren't readily believing me when they could clearly see that we have had our account with them for 13 years and NEVER lived in Houston, which is what address was on the check! UGH!!! And the homeowners association here in the past year and half has decided to pick on us for whatever reason and I"M STINKING TIRED of it!!! Get a life and pick on some of the other neighbors!!! There are other people living here that need to leave worst than us, we are the quiet keep to ourselves ones...it just doesn't make any sense. And why after three years did you just now decide we need to take our basketball goal down, after driving by and telling us about our weeds, and your just now noticing and telling us to take it down??? What is the deal???

So as you can see it's hasn't been the best year, or the worst there has been some good, and hopefully it will get better...

So there I feel better now that I got that all out, now I'm going to try and be positive for a while...

Taylor's birthday is next week!!! I can't believe she's 10. She's getting a phone. I can't believe that either, but I'm kinda excited because now I can call or text and bother her when she's at her friend's house!

Only three weeks til Spring Break!! Then I don't have to work and I can "relax" (whatever that means) a bit before Daphne comes. Her official day is April 5th (but that is subject to change).

And the best part is getting that much closer to her coming and our annual trip to the coast!! Which is the best part of the year if you ask me (okay well, it's in the top ten).

Let's see what else is there to be positive about...Baby Shower is coming up, although I still don't know where in the world I'm going to put all the baby stuff!!
And my bestie from college is coming!! I'm pretty excited about that, so I better stop with this blog and get my house ready for company!!! (I really need to do that for Taylor's sleepover next weekend anyway...)

So I'm off to get some lunch and hopefully get some of my chores done.

Christmas 2

It was a very Lego filled Christmas this year!!Drake was super excited about getting this movie!!
Taylor and her snuggy
Lots of new PJs this christmas too!!
Buzz enjoying the chocolate fountian...


Will's Birthday Party at Inflatable Wonderland.

Christmas 1

Random Pictures from December...I had to break them into two so I could get them in the right order!!

At the Rackspace Christmas Party...


Taylor singing at church.
Will watching Bob Robert at church...
Waiting on Santa at the Bass Pro Shop

Santa!! The kids were convinced that he was the REAL Santa. He was a pretty cool Santa...


On the way to the Doctor one day, I saw this car and HAD to take a picture of it...
Outside ice skating rink at Fiesta Texas, yes you read that right....


Legos!!!
Pillow Pet!!
More Legos!!

Christmas Eve PJs

Baby

I had a hard time getting into the spirit this year. I don't know why. I love Christmas, and I wasn't all bah humbug, but I just haven't been as excited as in the past. Then my heart broke this week. One of my dearest friends lost her baby at 16 weeks. Everyone was so excited that we were pregnant at the same time. (Her mother and my mother especially since they are best friends). I was sitting here getting ready to start registaring for baby stuff. Now I can't feel happy about it and get back into that mood... I will, I will get there again but my heart is broken, hurting. Please pray for them. I'll try and post some happy next week (like our christmas morning, it's going to exciting....).

So Of Course....

These past few months have been crazy. I'm happy to have the job I have. It's just what I've been looking for. I had to give up my ladies bible class but oh well. And we are still just barely getting by, as far as money, but I think it's getting a bit better. Then I start feeling the feeling. The too tired feeling, the nauseated all the time feeling. I tried to deny it at first. Jeremy insisted on stopping on the way from work one day and brought home a test. Then bugged me all evening until I finally did. And it was true.

Now, I have always thought having 4 kids would be great. I even have an OCD where I have to make everything an even number. So being a family of five took a lot of getting used to. And I was used to it. I even had an appointment with the doctor and was going to set up a day when we could have a surgury so that this wouldn't happen. But God as always has other plans! ;)

A Summer in Review

I think my summer fun really started with the Beach trip. Taylor still had like three weeks of school left, but I was ready for vacation!! The pool took forever to open for the summer. I am pleased to say that for the month of June (even on the few rainy days there was) my kids were either in the water out back or at the pool or at the Fiesta Texas water park. I was pretty proud of that goal achievement. I wanted to do that last summer, but for some reason it wasn't attain able. (probably too hot). The boys had VBS at Oak Hills and Taylor and I had girl time which was alot of fun. We were also very excited to go see Toy Story 3. It was the best movie!! Great Ending for the movies.



Taylor also got to see one of her favorite book characters this summer....Junie B!!

Another highlight was someone at church had tickets to the Missions Baseball game for $1.75!!! So we got to enjoy a night out at the Baseball field!! It was HOT but oh so much fun!!

Then we went to Dallas and had a fun time at TJ and Vanessa's reception. It was TJ's grandmother's house (father's side) and she had a pool so the kids spent the majority of the afternoon there.

I forgot to pack the boys arm floaties...some one had some extra pink ones...the boys didn't mind one bit....


And they also had a pinata!!! And Taylor was the one that broke it!!



Then we had some fun at the lake with the cousins.



More fun at Granddaddy and Grandmommy's with the cousins. Jeremy even made an obstacle course for the kids. I didn't take pictures of the obstacle course just video. I put Drake's up on here!!


Granddaddy made this marble drop. The boys wanted to take it home so bad!!




Then we went to Six Flags Over Texas with Paul and Shawna. It was so awesome. It was much busier than I anticipated. But I should have known it was the middle of July. The kids had a blast. It was hot. And the park was much bigger than I remembered. We did most of everything we wanted to do but still only went to less than half of the rides in the park. It just makes me want to go back even more!!

Then we had Championship Village VBS at Oak Hills. It was so much fun...(I think I like it better than Bibletimes Marketplace... shhhh...) Ha! It's an olympic themed and a lot more action packed. That's why I liked it so much. Taylor wanted it to be longer than three days...I was pooped so I was glad it was only three days!! Oh Well...

The kids are really enjoying VBS at NorthWest CofC this week. All of them got to go this year. Drake didn't want to but now he's gotten the hang of it and loved it. Drop off was hard every morning but he endured!!

School starts in about 19 days. I'm not the one counting down. Will is. He is so excited to be a big boy and go to school like Taylor. If I get the job at the Mother's Day Out, Drake will get to go with me. I have kinda mentioned to him that he may go to school this year and he of course seems excited (a little anyway) but I know that drop off is not going to be easy...even with me in the other room. I think that is going to make it a bit more difficult. But I figure he will adjust well....I know he will just have to keep praying....=)

I'm very excited about the potential of this job but very sad about not getting to do my Tuesday morning class (and I still haven't heard that I have it yet)

We are going for one more trip to the coast before school starts. I can't wait. It can't get here soon enough!! I think it's just the boast I need.

Here are some more random pictures from the summer.