Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!!!

We had a wonderful Easter! We were planning on going to Tulsa to visit family. And then my Dad's aunt died so he and Cricket came to town for her funeral. While that was sad it was a great suprise to get to see them and visit!

Hulk spent time coloring easter eggs with Aunt Phyllis and I. He thought that was pretty neat. Though he did want to eat them all! He also got lots of Easter goodies from Heather and I. And he got to have two easter egg hunts. One at our house that the neighbor kids set up for him. And another with my nieces. This is the first year he has really understood how to dye eggs or hunt eggs so it was a blast.

We also made our annual Easter visit out to mom's place. I love visiting her on Easter. It's always nice to take her new spring decorations. But Easter reminds me that I will see her again fills me with hope and excitement for that day!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter too!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

We sure hope your day is full of love and laughter!!!

Happy New Year

Another year has come and gone. They seem to go faster the older I get. Funny how that works. We were pretty wild on New Year's Eve! We played with play-doh, made about 3 packets of magic grow dinosaur capsules, and watched Toy Story. I also cleaned my office and did three loads of laundy. Yes wild we are!

I'm not making any resolutions this year. I'm not a fan of them. But with each new year I do make goals for the year. Goals for myself, goals for my business. It helps me stay on track. Nothing huge just a plan to help guide me.

Hope you all had a great New Year's Eve and I hope that 2011 brings all of us many blessings and lots of laughter!

A Gift... For Me???

Hulk did have a fabulous Christmas and scored big in the present department. But mama didn't do so bad either. My parents got me a gift certificate for a massage, and some awesome stationary. They also got me a web cam that I really wanted so we can now Skype with them. So much fun! Monte and Kathy got me a gift card to use anyway I want and Heather got me a gift card to one of my favorite clothing stores. Hulk got me a cool new shirt and a necklace. Yes I was thrilled with all of it!

This year I decided I was also going to get myself a gift. So I gifted myself a gym membership. According to the scales at the doctor's office since Hulk was born almost three years ago I have lost 72 pounds now. I knew I was losing some here and there but until he told me the amount I didn't realize how much it was. While I still need to lose about 50 more pounds I also need to do some serious toning. I'm not kidding when I tell you that when I wave to people I about knock myself out. My flabby arms look like chicken wings. I have to do some toning. So off to the gym I go. We will see if I can get the arm flab under control soon.

That would be a great gift!

Christmas

Our Christmas was pretty darn amazing this year. Since my mom died Christmas has been painful for me. In fact every Christmas since she died I have been sick. I think the sickness is brought on as a way for me to avoid the day. While I actually really have had physical symptoms I think it's just been my way to get out of dealing with the day. But not this year! I've been praying for weeks that I would be well and that we could have a fun day. And boy was that prayer answered! It was an amazingly fun weekend!!!

 

Hulk is just the perfect age! He really understood this year and was just so much fun. From making cookies, to baking Jesus a birthday cake, to opening gifts, to playing with new toys. He was just a blast! We got to spend the whole weekend with my sister too and got lots of time with my best friend Darby and her family. It was just a very relaxing laugh filled weekend! The best Christmas that I've had in years!

 

Hulk got some really wonderful gifts. I got him an indoor trampoline, a digital camera, and some other little things, my sister got him a kitchen, my dad and cricket got him a picnic table and movies, and Monte and Kathy got him a cute chair, a fun truck, and lots of clothes and pj's. What's crazy is he seemed so excited about all of it. He has spent so much time playing with everything and having a blast.

I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas too!

It's Cookie Time

When I was a kid my mom always made sugar cookies with me. So now that Hulk is big enough it was time to carry on the tradition. I'll be honest. I was dreading it a little. The mess, the hassle, the mess, did I mention the mess! Yeah I wasn't really looking forward to it. But I decided I had to suck it up and just do it.

 

And boy am I glad I did! We had SOOOO much fun. Seriously one of the most fun evenings we have ever had. We both laughed so hard. I was crying halfway thru from laughing at him. He kept rolling the dough so seriously and then he would just crack up and say "this is so funny mama." And it was so dang funny and fun and just wonderful!

 

There was once when I was laughing and started crying that I was a bit overwhelmed with missing my mom. The sad tears quickly turned to happy tears. This child heals my heart. Everytime we have moments like this I'm reminded of how magical the relationship is between a parent and their child. While yes I miss my mom I know she was with us tonight. Laughing a little bit too. And I hope and pray that some day in the very distant future Hulk will have a moment with his own children and know I'm still there too.

I could get a million dollars on Christmas morning and it wouldn't matter. Tonight was the best gift of all!

30 Rocks

Well 30 works for me! I had a wonderful birthday! Darby and I spent the day in the city doing some shopping, some eating, and a lot of laughing! Just what I needed. I can't imagine a more relaxing or fun filled 30th birthday. I'm so lucky to have such good friends and great family. It was a real treat to get so many phone calls, text messages, and cards. I'm blessed!

We were going to head to Tulsa for the holiday weekend but the boy is under the weather. Since he is sick we are going to stick around here. I'm hoping he will perk up some over the weekend so we can still do some fun things. There is a parade on Sunday that I figured we could go to and a fireworks show if he is up to it. While not the weekend I had planned I'm sure we will still have some fun.

29 Things

Tomorrow is my birthday! I'm going to be 30 years old. I'm excited about that. I love birthdays in fact. So here are 29 things I've learned in my 29 years....

1. Play nice with others. You never know if the person you bully in 7th grade will someday be the dentist working on your teeth!
2. The things you think are a big deal in your teens won't matter much when you're in your twenties.
3. Always keep an umbrella, jacket, and flashlight in your car.
4. No matter how good of a cook you become you can never make your food taste as good as your moms.
5. Travel as much as possible before you have kids!
6. Always keep $100 stashed away somewhere. You never know when that may be the last $100 you have.
7. Hugged your mama as much as you can. She won't be here forever.
8. No matter how old you are you still need your parents!
9. Being a mom is the most wonderful and most difficult job I've ever had.
10. What you own doesn't mean anything if you don't own yourself.
11. Take as many pictures as you can. Memories really do fade.
12. Hair grows back. Never cry over a bad haircut.
13. Get a yard boy!
14. Duct tape doesn't fix everything but it fixes a heck of a lot of things.
15. Life is much easier if I turn thing over to God and let go a little bit.
16. There are very few things in life that are permanent.
17. No matter how much money you make it is never enough.
18. Laughing about things is so much better than crying about it.
19. Manners really do matter. Being polite and graceful is an art that is fading fast.
20. Letting go is hard.... living on is harder...
21. Having a child was the best decision I ever made!
22. Never say never. Seriously NEVER say NEVER!
23. A man may be able to fix things around your house, but your girlfriends can fix things around your heart.
24. We all can make a difference in the world.
25. Sometimes even hard work doesn't get you what you want. But at least you have the satisfaction of trying.
26. Sleep must be a priority. Without it I feel like shit!
27. Asking for help can save a lot of time and embarrassment.
28. You can never have too many people to love you.
29. If you don't like yourself no one else will.

That's what I know folks. I'll post again when I'm 30.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day Dad. We sure miss you and love you. I hope you have a great day tomorrow.

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!!!!

I hope that all of you have had a Mother's Day as great as mine! It really has been a wonderful weekend. My dad and Cricket came home this weekend and has been great to see them! We went and visited my grandparents yesterday and all of our family was together for the first time in a long time. It was fun to play outside with the kids and visit with the adults. All the playing and outside time wore us out so Hulk and I both slept very well! In fact he even let me sleep in until 6:15 as a mother's day gift!

We had a lovely breakfast with Heather and then we all went out to mom's place to visit. We took a few new decorations and cleaned up a bit. But it was freezing out there and started raining while we were there so we didn't stay long at all. Every year I anticipate that it will get easier to be without her on mother's day. But it doesn't. Luckily I have Heather and she gets it. So we both had our moment of missing her and feeling sorry for ourselves and then moved on to try to enjoy the rest of the day.

We didn't have to try to hard. Hulk took a super long nap which means we both got a nap. YAHOO! And then Dad and Cricket came back to hang out with us. Hulk adores them. He thinks my dad is pretty darn cool and follows him everywhere. He has figured out that Cricket has a soft spot for him and tends to spoil. If he had much time with her I think he would have her wrapped around his little finger in no time.

I got several bouquets of flowers, a gift membership to a cool site I want to try, a pedicure and new outfit from Cricket and Dad, and some very sweet cards.

So super mother's day here! Hope yours was great too!

Happy Easter!

We have had a wonderful Easter and I hope you all have too! The weather is beautiful, the baskets were bountiful and our Lord is risen! We started the day off at church bright and early. Then we had brunch with Darby's family and an Easter Egg hunt for the little kids. And we finished off the day with my Grandparents and Aunt. So we crammed a lot of activity into one day. Hulk didn't get a nap and turned into a huge crab by 4 and was in bed at 5:30.

All the activity this weekend has worn me out too. I'm calling it an early night and getting to bed very early tonight. Busy week ahead!!!

Cake Smash

The cakes turned out wonderful! They were really cute and kinda funky. I was thrilled with them. And the petite cake was wonderful for smashing. In fact the cake smashing was a huge hit with the 2 year old! We had a great time yesterday and I am still worn out this morning. I'll share more pics soon but I must go get ready for work.

 

 

 

 

Tradition

My sister's birthday is today! She is 23 this year which is just crazy to me! But since it's here birthday I made her traditional birthday cake.

 

You know some people make cakes from scratch and others make elaborately decorated cakes. But around these parts we are all about Strawberry cakes straight out of a box. Call us simple if you wish but we love them. Well actually my sister loves them. They are her favorite. So that's what I make.

 

Usually I do try to fancy up this boxed cake by making it in layers with lots of yummy cream cheese frosting. But I couldn't find my round cake pans. I believe that some little boy used them for something and didn't return them. And because I was making the cake during that boy's nap time I didn't waste a moment looking for them. I baked the traditional strawberry cake out of box in a nice aluminum throw away pan. I'm so darn fancy. Your jealous aren't you?

So here's to tradition, simplicity, and a super 23rd birthday to my beautiful sister.

 

The Best Valentine's Day Ever!

This has by far been the best Valentine's Day I have ever had! I spent it with my two favorite people so how could it not be right!!! Hulk and I headed to the big city this morning to spend the day with my sister. And what a fabulous time we had! We went to lunch where Hulk was on his best behavior and had a great meal. And then we headed to a science center that was a ton of fun!!!

 

This place was so cool and so great for kids and adults. They had awesome water tables that Hulk loved. He thinks water is super cool and was pretty amazed by it. But if I had to be honest my sister and I thought it was pretty cool too.

 

They had an exhibit about the Wright brothers with lots of fun things all about planes and flying. We tried out a flight simulator, looked at some awesome model airplanes and Hulk even practiced doing a little flying himself.

 

Hey look at that. There are even two yes two pictures of Hulk and I together. He doesn't really go all over by himself. I am just usually the only person with the camera. But today I handed it off to my sister to actually get a couple of pics of me and the boy having a good time. He will always be my first Valentine!!!

 

One of the exhibits was all about Mr. Potato Head. I've never seen so many potato head parts. And there was an awesome archeology dig activity that Hulk loved. He didn't care much about finding the fake bones. He was really into the fake rocks and digging gear.

We so needed a fun day together doing something different. We have been stuck in the same routine for so long that it was such a great relief to get out and do something fun together. I wish we lived in a bigger city so we do these type of things more often. Maybe someday right. Until then it will just make our trips to the big city even more special.

Hope you all had a great Valentine's Day too!!!

Wrapping It Up

2009 is rapidly coming to a close. Only a few more hours left. I am so happy to wrap this year up. In fact I'd like to wrap it up in a nice little package and put it out of sight. While many good times have been had this year it's also been a rough one. So I'm hoping that wrapping up this year will allow us to unwrap a beautiful new year! I'm not making any resolutions this year. I'm just hoping for the best or better than this year. I'm hoping for health, laughter, and maybe some luck finding a better paying job. I did have a phone interview today for an out of state job. Kinda scary but also positive. We can't keep living like this. So here is to hoping that 2010 brings us more security and lots of love and laughter.

Happy New Year to you all!

Clickin Mama

Snowed In!

We have spent Christmas officially snowed in! We got a lot of snow. Right around 8 inches I believe. Which really that isn't so much but the high winds have caused horrible snow drifts. Some of the drifts come up to my waist. It's crazy. I haven't seen snow like this since I was a kid. The Hulk is quite mesmerized by it.

 

He runs to the backdoor and gazes out regularly and then comes to find Heather and I and takes us to view it also. I think everytime he sees it he is surprised. He was really shocked when we opened the door so he could see it up close and personal. The drift at the back door almost comes to his head which you can tell from the pics. Pretty intimidating for a little guy. We think he thought the snow was hard because he bent down to touch it and sunk right in up to his elbows. This was pretty upsetting to him so we saved him quickly and now if I go to open the door he tells me no no mama.

 

I did try to venture out today to get milk and bread. I got stuck three times going the mile to the store. So not worth the trip. Maybe tomorrow we can try again. Or we may wait till everything thaws. I love the snow but hate being stuck. YUCK! Luckily Heather has been here so I've had some adult interaction. We have enjoyed the company. The Hulk adores her so much. He follows "da da" around everywhere and mimicks the way she stands, leans against the counter, and holds her drink. I think the cuteness is wearing off and the cabin fever is kicking in. I'm sure she won't be really sad to leave us tomorrow and get back to her quiet and clean apartment. We will miss her though. Maybe I should put more snow around her car so she can't get out....

Clickin Mama

Christmas Eve

It's almost Christmas. Just a few more minutes and it actually will be Christmas. It's been a late night and a long day at our house but it's been wonderful. I had the day off work and Heather got off work early and made it home before the weather got to bad. So we have stayed inside and played with The Hulk and watched the snow fall and blow all day. We also kept one of Darby's twins today so we had plenty of time to love on Miss Ellison.

We were going to go to Christmas Eve service at church but did I mention the falling and blowing snow. There is tons of it. And the drifts in my drive way are huge. I haven't seen snow like this in years. It's amazing really but it caused church to actually be canceled. Our church hasn't had to cancel Christmas Eve service because of snow in 25 years! How crazy is that!

So after enjoying our dinner we read The Hulk the Christmas story and had our own little Christmas Eve service. Not the same thing but at least we tried. Better than nothing. After the babies fell asleep Heather and I watched a movie and just chilled out. All the presents are wrapped and ready to go under the tree. I'm so excited to see what The Hulk thinks in the morning when he sees his Elmo paper again. I'm hoping tomorrow is another nice relaxing day of fun. We will see.

Merry Christmas Eve to all of you!

Clickin Mama

Holiday Traditions

Every family has holiday traditions and I'm always fascinated by that. I am intrigued by the little things that become big traditions in families. For example as a kid it was always a holiday tradition that us kids got to pick out the wrapping paper we wanted for our gifts. Then all of our presents were wrapped in that paper. It saved mom a ton of time because she didn't have to put tags on all the packages. And it was cool for us kids to pick our own paper.

I knew that this was a tradition that I wanted to carry on with my own children. But I was anticipating starting it this year. I really didn't think The Hulk could pick his paper yet. But I was wrong! We were at the store and we weren't even there for wrapping paper. But he started screaming Melmo over and over. And I turned around and there on the shelf was a roll of Elmo Christmas paper. So the tradition has continued. The Hulk held his Melmo paper all through the store, the car ride home and played with it until nap time that day. When he fell asleep I hid it so it would survive to wrap the presents.

He is gonna be so thrilled to see his Melmo paper on Christmas morning!

 

 

Clickin Mama

Christmas Letters

Have you started getting the Christmas cards and letters at your house yet? They have started arriving at my house. And with each Christmas letter I open I feel a bit guilty that I never do such things. Maybe I should send a Christmas letter this year. But what would I say? Everyone else has Christmas letters filled with promotions, honor roll making children, adorable dogs, matching outfits, and perfection. Hmmm... But after spending quite a bit of time on it I think I got the perfect Christmas letter written.

Dear Family and Friends-

Happy Holidays to you all! What a year it has been! How can Christmas already be here?!? Time just flies by doesn't it.

This has been one wild year. I started off the year a single unemployed mother living off her family, quickly vanishing savings, and prayer. But luckily come February I was offered and accepted a job that I don't particularly like that doesn't even pay enough to cover my bills. It's great that I get to spend 40 hours a week there before coming home to work another 30 or so hours a week at my photography business. SUPER!!!

At least we have our health right! Oh or not. Now that I think about it I have crazy blood sugar that seems to go up and down faster than a roller coaster. The Hulk has asthma and seems to think that seizures are a cool new thing to try too. I don't have much feeling left in my feet and I think I'm getting carpel tunnel in my wrist. But the great news is that my mammogram while unpleasant revealed that I have really healthy breasts!

Most importantly The Hulk and I have one another. His amazing ability to run into everything in his path yet avoid broken bones and make animal sounds on command make this mama proud. He has a killer smile, gives great hugs, and picks up his own toys. He is convinced that his Aunt Heather is really his dad and I just pray everyday I'm not totally screwing him up. I can't imagine life without him and hope to adopt another kidlet sometime soon as long as I can avoid bankruptcy, foreclosure or the mental hospital.

So that about sums up our year. I did leave out the bad stuff like sewer water in the house, broken tiles, trucks driving through the yard, and the utilities getting shut off on occasion. I hate to be a downer.

Have A Real Merry Christmas!

Clickin Mama and The Hulk

Now if I could just afford the stamps I would send this out....

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!!!! It is our favorite holiday so we have a fun day of activities planned. My little duck and I are hoping it is a real Quacker of a day! Hope you get lots of treats!