Big Boys DO Cry:)

And I mean that in the nicest, most sincere way ever. See, Juan is not an easy person to shop for. He is not a materialistic person at all and enjoys the simple things in life. For a person who loves clothes and decorating her house SO much, we have found a lovely balance amongst us. Father's day was coming up and I racked my brain. I have made him numerous photo albums. The kids have made him big posters of hand prints and their own special gifts. And they meant the world to him. But I wanted to do something else. Something that he could always have and would mean the world to him. And I didn't want to spend a lot of money. He isn't big on me splurging for him. See, great guy! Finally it hit me. Make him a slideshow of pictures with the song that reminds him of the kids. He loves the song by Creed, "Arms Wide Open". Great song. If you listen to the words, you will know why it is a great song to put with a slideshow of the kids. I started gathering pictures and got to work on the Mac. It took time, but so worth it. We also got him a new pair of swim shorts and a couple of work out shirts. And we took him to a baseball game. When he sat down to watch the movie, he was in tears. That means it was the perfect gift. Ever. And guess what I got for my birthday, the big 2-6? A new t.v. We decided to upgrade ours in the living room to something a little bigger and had the one in the living room mounted in our room. We love the results.

We have had an amazing summer and the kids have practically lived at the pool. They are so worn out by bedtime, they fall right to sleep and don't wake up until late morning. I love summertime!!!

And since this is all over the news I thought I would voice my opinion about the Casey Anthony case. I could probably write a book about how I feel. But instead I will just say it is completely ridiculous. Honestly, I can't believe it. It actually made me sick to my stomach when I heard she was found not guilty. She is so obviously guilty it makes you wonder who in the world these jurors were. So ridiculous. But I do know her Earthly punishment isn't what really matters in the end. (Even though I do not think this woman should ever be free and able to ever have more children) She will have to answer to God for what she did. And that might be a little more difficult than sitting in a Florida courtroom. I pray for her and the family. It is hard to pray for someone that is such a monster, but I know it is the right thing to do. And I will leave it at that.

John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

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It's Been A While

Merci's new summer haircut:)

Andrew had a reptile birthday party!

One of Sophia's skirts I made:)

We had a blast at the Marine Corps dinner:)

Oops, I did it again. It's not that I have forgotten about the lovely world of blogging, I have just been extremely busy. We had a ton of stuff going on with the end of school year parties, graduations, etc... and we have been doing a complete makeover on our bedroom. I can finally see the light at the end of the dang tunnel. Whew. It has been a hard project, but oh so worth it. Let me tell you about it. Pictures will come as soon as it is completely finished. I started with painting the entire room and bathroom. We have a huge master bedroom so this took a while. I did the ceilings, baseboards, doors, everything. It took me several weeks to pick a paint color and finally just closed my eyes and pointed to one. Not really, but kinda. I love the color. It is a soft tan, not dark at all and it makes the room look even bigger. I did a chocolate brown accent wall in the bathroom and it looks great against the bright white baseboards. Now for the most painful of the projects....But first I need to back up a tad. Juan bought brand new bedroom furniture a few weeks before I met him. When we got married we kept his since I didn't have an actual set. I didn't like his furniture but it was new and good quality. But the color was not my favorite and I just didn't like it. So I jumped online and researched. I had the perfect idea! I would strip the varnish and stain it. Easy, right? Ha! I.was.so.wrong. The original stuff I bought to strip the varnish was a waste of money. I poured the entire bottle on the top of the night stand and it did nothing to it. So my brilliant husband brings out the paint stripper we used on the banister(that's an even longer story!) It worked like a charm. He scraped, without effort, right down to the wood. I am excited at this point and get the stain out and start putting on the black stain I bought. It did not go on black, it just turned it the exact color we had just stripped off. I was so confused. I put more coats. Nothing worked. I let it sit in our garage for several weeks when I finally decided I would try something else. I had a can of black spray paint sitting in my paint collection, so I sprayed it down. And it looked good! I researched the best way to spray paint furniture, went to Lowe's and got the primer and spray paint. We sprayed our headboard, nightstand, and my dresser. I put Juan's dresser in the closet, I just didn't have it in me to go on any more with it! After several coats, we achieved the look we were going for. It is not in any way near perfect, but for about 100 bucks we have a brand new, (old) furniture set. Beats paying $5,000 for the one I wanted! We added some antique knobs and we are so happy with it. We also out in a new light and did some organizing in the closet. It is still a work in progress, but I am happy with how it is turning out.

I have also been doing a lot of sewing. Headbands and skirts are the main things I am working on, but I am determined to make Andrew his pajama shorts. I turn 26 tomorrow and I couldn't be happier. I am so blessed to have another year. My family is amazing. I have a beautiful home. I have a hard working, loyal husband. My kids rock. I have friends who I adore. Life is good.

I will post pictures from our room makeover as soon as it is all finished:)

He Is Risen!!

Every year the celebration of Easter touches me more and more. Maybe it is maturing in Christ, or maybe it is witnessing my kids learn about the amazing Lord we serve. Or maybe it is both. Today after church Andrew had a sincere tone in his voice and he proudly said, "mommy, Jesus died on the cross for our sins." The way he said it let me know he understood it. I am thankful we have found a church that has an amazing way of reaching children. Every Sunday Merci and Andrew come out with so much knowledge and can't wait to go back. Now if we could just get Sophia to enjoy it....

Yesterday we dyed eggs. I remember when Merci was younger she was convinced "dyeing" the eggs meant we had to kill them. We laugh about that every Easter. Andrew woke up from a nap in a grouchy mood so it took him a while to want to do his eggs. Sophia was so excited about getting messy and she mixed up some interesting colors!! Church was amazing this morning and I took so much away from it. I cannot say it enough how truly amazing the Lord is.

Sweet Girl

She was so excited!

Sweet guy

She was very proud of this egg!

Sophia's eggs

Merci

Sophia

Tired Boy

That's KrAzY!!

No, I am not talking about my kids. Even though they have their moments:) I am talking about couponing. It is my new found love. I found a website that is totally awesome. Two women, one being a military wife, give amazing tips and deals when it comes to shopping. They are also involved with the TLC show that shows how people use coupons with awesome results. I have only been doing this a week and after only three shopping trips, I saved over ninety bucks! And I am buying things we use and need, not things just because I have a coupon. Juan is amazed! I have a stack of coupons I spend hours sorting through and checking back on her website to see what deals she has found. It is so FUN!! I ordered the book and I have been waiting for the mail like a little kid waiting for a new toy. I walked into Walgreens the other night and with out coupons would have spent about 35 bucks but instead only spent 12!!! That is huge savings. I came home feeling like I had done my good deed. Everyone should learn how to coupon. I know I can improve and that is why I spend time really trying to learn all about it.

My sewing is going along well, I need to make a fabric run to Joanne's because I am running low on fabric. There are so many projects running around in my head, I get so excited and don't know where to start.

The kids are doing good. Their two week spring break has officially started and I have already asked 100 times WHY in the world they have TWO weeks off?!? That is WAY too long! But luckily Juan's mom is coming for a week so that will help!!

:)

Goodbyes STINK...With A Capital S!

Ugh. Before I married Juan I lived in my comfort zone. Texas. All of my family was there and we were all close. Then I met Juan and fell in love. The thought of being able to move around sounded great at the time, everyone who lives in College Station wanted out, if only for a little while. But for some reason they all ended up back there. So the idea of moving sounded great. Then I had Andrew and when it came time to head to Florida, that idea did not seem to great anymore. I wanted to be around my family. But we loaded up and headed out. We were in Florida for about eight months. I had to tell my very good friend bye which was hard but had the idea of being stationed in Corpus Christi to help me through. It was Texas!! Even though I hated that city because of the crime, I was able to have Sophia in Texas, which meant a lot to me. But it didn't last long. We were in Corpus for five months and got orders to California. By this point I do not find anything fun about moving so much. We loaded up, with a newborn baby, a three year old, and a seven year old and headed to California. The worst drive of my life. Seriously. And if it seems like I am griping a lot in this post, I can. Military wives earn that privilege:) Anyways, we made it to California. We lived in a hotel for a month, I could write a book about that experience, and finally to our house. While we were in our hotel one of Juan's friends from college sent me a message on face book. Well, actually his wife did. We had met before but they moved before us so we never got close. They had just got to Cali a few months before us and they asked us to dinner. That started a great friendship. Ashley became one of the best friends I have ever had. And she was from Texas! Over the last couple of years we have formed a wonderful friendship. She was just like family. The kids loved her and her husband. I knew the time would come when one of us would have to move but tried not to think about it. But sure enough, they got orders...to New York. My heart sank inside but they were so excited I tried to be happy for them. The selfish part of me did not want them to go. Ashley was that friend you could call any time night or day for whatever possible reason and she was there. How would I keep going without her? She was my rock when Juan was deployed and helped me out with the kids a lot. I dreaded the day I had to say goodbye. It brought back memories of hugging my family and telling them goodbye. I didn't like it and wanted to avoid it. But the day came. Me and Sophia went over to get some things and I promised myself I wouldn't cry. But I did. A lot. But I knew they would understand. And the big baby I am, I am crying as I write this. Ahhh!!! So, she is gone. But I know we will be life long friends and look forward to visiting New York!!

We bought land in Texas and are SUPER excited!! We will have a house built on it and have big plans for our future. I am so lucky to have such a determined, hard working man. I am excited about moving back to Texas in about six years but scared at the same time. The military life is what we do. Anything outside of that is scary to me. I am a Marine wife, and a very proud one. I see my husband wear his camis and combat boots to work everyday and know how much our country means to him. So much that he is willing to die for it, when so many are afraid to. I have seen him deploy and the heartache it caused my kids. I cry every time I hear our National Anthem and know how significant and meaningful it is. Everyday I have to wake up wondering if we will get orders to pack up and move or if he will be deployed again. It is a hard feeling to explain but their is pride that comes with being a Marine wife. It will take a while to get used to living the "civilian" life again. But I am sure when I am around family again, it will be easier to adjust.

The kids are doing great. They are constantly arguing with each other and we have learned to ignore the petty things. Like if Andrew looks at Merci wrong and she is on her way to tell and Sophia slaps Andrew and pushes Merci all within seconds of each other. Yeah, we tend to ignore those complaints. I have the sweetest kids but I will be honest, they tattle way too much. I mean about every little thing. We are trying to teach them when it is okay to tell and when it is not, but it hasn't sunk in yet. Maybe one day!!

Where Do I Begin?

That's a good question. Andrew had his first game. I get confused what to label his league as. We signed him up for t-ball but it is actually a coach pitch league, unless the kid can't hit the ball by the fourth swing, then they bring out the stand. So, we will call it the ball league? Juan gets mad when I say t-ball. Maybe because they made him the "pitcher" and he wants to be acknowledged. I don't know! Anyways, Andrew had his first "ball"game. He didn't get a hit so he had to hit off of the stand. Which is perfectly fine. (Remember, we did sign him up for t-ball) He ran so fast to the bases, it was absolutely precious to watch. The biggest mistake I made that day was walking over to him, as he was talking to his teammates, and gave him a kiss and said "good luck honey, mommy loves you." Oops...major embarrassment. My brother-in-law informed me I had just ruined his life. I think he was being a little extreme.... Even though they don't keep score at this age, his team won. Andrew yelled it loud and clear.

Merci started soccer practice last week. She loves it. Her coach is stern, which is good. He knows a lot about the game and keeps the girls on track. Their practices are strictly for practicing, he doesn't allow goofing around. She has her first game Saturday. Apparently the Spring league is much different from the Fall league. They do not stress winning at all and their aren't any play off games. The parents from both teams sit on the same side of the field and we are encouraged not to "yell" out at the girls. This is hard for me. I like to yell. A lot. I like to get out of my chair and cheer. I have never been negative at games and have always clapped when the other team scores. But if they don't want me opening my mouth at all, they better have some pretty strong duct tape.

Sophia is doing well. Sorta. She is battling allergies or a cold, not really sure which one. Monday night she woke up screaming and scratching her body like a mad woman. When I looked I saw she was red all over and covered in bumps. Of course this is the night Juan had duty. Being the panicky mother I am, I shook Merci and Andrew to wake up so I could take her to urgent care. It took me forever to wake Andrew up. Finally, by 10:30 we were on our way. Sophia was crying asking me if I would make it all better. I felt terrible because I had no idea what the bumps were. I get there and she sees a neat playhouse in the waiting room. She gets down and runs over to play. She made me look like I made this up! Finally, she was seen by the doctor. She said they were hives and we would probably never know why she got them. She gave her benadryl and a steroid medicine and we went home. I took her to the pediatrician the next day and she said hives can be normal. Yesterday she woke up with them again and benadrly took them away. Andrew stayed home today because his cough was so bad and Merci seems to be coughing a lot, too. I can't quit either. Man, we do everything as a family. Remember that stomach virus we all shared? I am hopeful the kids will be better by Saturday for their games!

There are some fun stories to tell from the past few weeks but I am tired! More to come soon (hopefully).

I love this verse....

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

With everything that is going on in the world, it is so easy to become discouraged. But I am glad I can find peace in it all. Goodnight:)

I Could Possibly Be The Luckiest Mommy In The World...

Really, I think I am. My kids are such a tremendous blessing to me. The other day I got Sophia dressed and she told me, "mommy, I a cutie pie". I told her she very much is and she told me to take a picture of her. So outside we went. Here are a few pictures I got of her. Words cannot ever describe how incredibly blessed I am and how thankful I am.