Friday, May 30, 2008

The BEST dream!!

I had one of the best dreams this morning! I was waiting at an airport to see if I could spot the New Kids (yes they are on my mind more than I care to admit lately. I'm like that giddy teenager again!). Anyways I'm walking around and I think I see Joe walking towards a window to look outside. EEK! I say, "Joe??" and he turns around and it was definately him! I introduce myself and we start talking and I'm just beside myself but not acting like a dork (thank God). I had this pink tank top on an I go and grab a sharpie and he signs it. Then he takes my hand *GASP* and leads me onto a private plane where all the other guys were. I give Jordan a hug and then walk over and shake Danny's hand and I see Donnie beside me and Jon across the room in this plane. They turn on the tv and it shows that the airport is searching everywhere for me but too bad.. I'm on a private plane with the New Kids! lol. I do ask for a phone and make contact to tell everyone I'm fine. As I'm about to walk over to Donnie my eyes start to open in reality. NOOOOO! I force them shut. It's not time to wake up. Oh but it was. My happy dream had come to an end. WAAAHHH! Why is it when you have nightmares & you try your hardest to wake up, you just can't? And even if you do, most of the time (well in my case anyways) you close your eyes and the dream just picks up where you left off? Yet a dream like this, pure bliss gets cut short and try as I might, I could not get back to it! GAH! I was really debating the New Kids concert and going... but yeah Im getting some tickets. lol. Even if I can't go, I'll sell them.. but I know I'd kick myself in the butt hard if I didn't try.

I LOVE

this picture! It was a dark one and until I lightened it up I had no idea just what an amazing picture it actually was. I love her little face looking up at me. Oh it just melts my heart!


Two more of Emmalyn that were so dark I could hardly see them. She was so tiny! *sniff* Why oh why must they grow so fast? what is the hurry?

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

say what you will

about me having "internet friends" but I am so blessed to have found a group of girls that I talk to everyday and have constant support from. I've always considered them friends and valued them, but after meeting April over the weekend, I realized that there is more of a connection between me & these girls than I thought. There was no nervousness.. no awkwardness.. nothing. April & I went straight to talking and laughing just like we do online. April told me online when she got home that it was weird how when we met it felt like we had been best friends forever. It felt the same way for me too. I tell you what when these girls hurt, I hurt. When they're happy, I feel happy for them. They offer me a world of support and encourage me and lift me up when I'm having a bad day. I thank God for every one of you girls... and you know who you are!

Sunday, May 25, 2008

As Clarity says

"we're hooome". lol. We had a nice trip to Gatlinburg. Well....the drive there was insane. I had completely forgotten it was Memorial Day Weekend so I didn't expect what we ran into. We got into Gatlinburg around 3:30... made great time.. it didnt get bad until we actually got into Gatlinburg. We drive around for over a half hour looking for a place to park. We wanted to park at the Ripley's Aquarium but when we got to it the clearance was only like 6'10'' and because of Jesse's ladder racks, there was no way we could fit. So we drive around some more and either we couldnt fit or any place we could... there were no spaces. We decide to drive out of Gatlinburg and I see there's free parking at the visitor center with a trolley that picks you up and takes you to Gatlinburg. Sweet! So we get all the girls out and go wait at the trolley stop under the shade (did I mention it was steaming hot??). It says the trolley comes every half hour...but there was a scrolling banner that said it would be arriving in 5 minutes. Great timing! We wait and a trolley pulls up but it wasn't ours...it was unloading people and going back to Pigeon Forge. Okay. So I see that the trolley we need to be on has arrived... I walk out and this girl tells me that it's full. All the people jumped off the other one and onto the one going to Gatlinburg. I text April..I'm really beginning to worry that her and her husband are either getting angry or just going to give up and leave it's taking us so long (which thankfully they seemed okay with waiting). Well this sends Jesse into full on grumpy ass mode. We didnt want to wait another half hour for a trolley just to not be able to get on.. AGAIN. We are five mins to Gatlinburg and the traffic is so bad we are barely moving. I think it took us nearly 20 mins to get over there again. Jesse is complaining and I see smoke start to come out of his ears. Now one thing I've learned being married to him, this can go two ways. I can 1) get grumpy with him and have us both being mad and miserable or 2) I can let it roll off of me and instead figure out ways to make him laugh. Now most of the time I go with 1... lol. But since I was about to meet someone I've wanted to for a long time & I didnt want our meeting started off on a weird note with my husband & I being upset with eachother... I was smart and chose option 2. Which I should add is the option I'm trying more and more to use just because it's much less stress and irritation that way! So I start giggling at everything... at the traffic... how things have been going... at stupid things I see people walking by doing. I also giggle because I was texting April telling her I was about to kick Jesse in the head and he had no idea. My giggles were contagious.. I look over and see my sweet husband was back. We find a place to park and walk over and meet April, Eric & their four adorable kiddos. We have lunch at Pizza Hut & walk around afterwards a bit. April & I go do something we've both wanted to for a while (surprise.. I'll wait until she gets back to post about it) and then we spend most of the evening talking. Even though I was begging Jesse for us to just get a room and stay the night... he just said it would be insane for us to pay Memorial Day weekend prices for a room when we lived only an hour and a half away. Now I would have LOVED to have spent more time with April but now that we're home.. I'm glad Jesse made us get here. Clarity woke up several times going to the fridge & getting milk to drink. Well her, Emma, & I are laying in the bed (Ariel & Jesse crashed on the loveseat and the recliner. We didnt get home until after midnight). All of a sudden Clarity sits up and throws up milk all over the place. YUCK! Nothing like the smell of partially digested milk throw up! I strip the bed and pour cleaner all over it.. then we go to the couch. A bit later she wakes up and throws up all over the floor. Then she asks for something to drink. I give her water. She goes back to sleep and I wait for the next round. She never did get sick again (knock on wood). But it's 3 pm and all she's had is water, some ice drink Jesse made, and four cups of ice cream. Yeah not the best for her but I'll give her whatever she wants that she will hold down! Hopefully it's over. She didnt eat much for lunch.. but I dont blame her. I guess we'll see what happens later on today & tonight. I really pray it's out of her system because I do not want to deal with puke and watching three kids alone tomorrow when Jesse goes back to work! I'm thinking it was maybe from the heat yesterday. Gatlinburg was a hot, crowded mess... but we all had fun anyways!

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Getting Ready

to head out to Gatlinburg and meet up with April this afternoon! yay! So I'm going to go clean out the truck, finish my laundry, and start getting everyone to get a move on things and we'll be back this evening. I'll post pictures!

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Lori sent me these!

The two best behaved babies out there! Emmalyn & Brandon!

Have some of this fruit, Ariel!

Mama let go.. I promise I won't run off!

I am such a shorty! My hair was fixed.. I promise!

I ADORE this picture!!

Claire Bear waving down the aisle..lol

Hard at work with Flower Girl Duty! Clarity is ahead somewhere..lol

Daddies in Charge! Aren't the babies cute?!

I just love this peekaboo picture!

Ariel & Uncle Ricky gettin' down :o)

Speechless

is one of my favorite Steven Curtis Chapman songs and the way I'm feeling at this very moment. I love Steven Curtis... his song "Fingerprints of God" is my song for my babies. It is with great heartache that I make this post. Last night Steven Curtis Chapman's five year old daughter, Maria, passed away. Her teenage brother didnt see her in the driveway and accidentally ran her over. I can't imagine the pain that family is going through. Her poor brother... God knows it was an accident but I'm sure he's going through a ton of guilt and anger at himself. Everytime Ariel talks to me or I give her a hug tears start coming to my eyes. I cannot fathom her not being here (or any of my girls for that matter). I know God has a reason for everything but it is so hard for me to grasp why he takes children home. I guess when I get to Heaven, I'll find out the question that I always have to ask when I hear of something like this, "Why???" Tons of prayers going up for Steven Curtis and his family and for anyone in the world that has to deal with the grief of losing a baby (grown or not).

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Memory Lane (Ariel)






























































Say it's not so!

Little miss Emmalyn is 3 months old today! That can't be true. It just can't. Oh but it is! My baby is growing & growing & growing more and more everyday and there's nothing I can do to slow her down. I told Jesse before we know it, she's going to be crawling & scooting all over the floor. We're already watching everything and starting to babyproof again. I need to slow down & take some more pics of the girls. I just realized I havent since the wedding. Darn. I feel like a horrible mother for that! So it's a mission.. take tons of pics asap!



Tuesday, May 20, 2008

If something ever happens to me

will someone please show my computer illiterate husband how to pull up my blog & read it? He's always saying he doesnt understand my blogging fascination but I tell him he'd be so glad I did it if something ever happened to me and his response... "like I would know how to get on there". lol. I dont plan on going anywhere for a long, long time but if I do someone help the poor boy figure it out.

Well today I finally got everything all ready to send to the IRS. The letter, the copies of the schedule K-1 as well as the copies of all the checks Jesse got, etc. I know.. I should have had this done earlier but I had no idea it was so time consuming. Anyhow it's done and I'll have it mailed off tomorrow. They didnt ask for all of that stuff but I'm volunteering it. I want to show them we did our homework and we werent trying to pull one over on them when we filed our taxes. Now I just need to print up some stuff for the police report. Does the madness end here? why no! Jesse & I opened up a checking account with wachovia since we have one here in town and Macon is in Sylva. Our landlords always want cash so we figured we'd open an account with a bank closeby for cashing checks so we dont have to drive 20 minutes. It's really been a hassle. Anyways I was trying to transfer some money from our macon account to the wachovia one online and to do this it asks security questions to verify your identity. Well it was asking questions about constance schlueter. Hmmm. we didnt know this name so we kept clicking "I do not know this person". Well it locks us out and says it can't verify Jesse's identity (The wachovia account is in his name). The next day we try again..same thing. Then it hits me! Constance Schlueter was Connie's name before she married Ted. So obviously the clowns have used Jesse's social security number somewhere because their background is connected with Jesse's number. So we put a fraud alert on Jesse's credit reports and we are having his reports mailed to us so we can see what's going on. How can someone do that to their son? I will never understand. He tries to move on with his life and they still attack. Unbelievable. It was a horrible thing to say but I told Jesse I hope their minds go out on them and they spend their last days peeing on themselves with no one to take care of them and then go for a walk into their pond. Isn't that horrible of me? I know God wasnt pleased with that thought but I'm human & a sinner & I'm sure he understands that.

Time for some good news! HOPEFULLY we are going to Gatlinburg this weekend. April & her family (she's one of my friends from the message board) are coming in and we want to meet up. As long as it keeps raining on their farmland in Indiana, they'll get to come. We were texting back & forth last night and it was raining there so that's great news! I'm so excited to meet her and her family & going to Gatlinburg isn't too shabby of an idea either! I hope more of the girls follow suit and go vacationing there... I love being so close! lol.

Well I'm doing good.. I only have the office left to organize and clean! woohoo! My workaholic husband did sooooo much this past weekend. He painted my fence for me so now it's all pretty, he ripped up the "flowerbed" (which was nothing more than a dirtbox in the shade that we couldnt keep the girls out of) and planted me some grass seed, he cleaned all the junk the landlords had piled in front of the shed and planted more grass seed there, and he took care of all the mowing and weedeating. He's also been loving grilling for us and I have to say he is awesome at it!! I swear, I'd be lost without him (and he knows it). lol. So now I'll have him help me with the office and we'll be a bit more organized. Slowly but surely.

Monday, May 19, 2008

My hormones

are either trying to go back to normal or kicking up... one or the other cause I had some CRAZY dreams over the weekend. I like to type up the ones I remember that are really vivid.

The first one:
I took Emmalyn to the doctor and for some reason they did a blood test on both of us only to discover she wasnt really ours and she must've been switched with another baby in the nursery. They took her from me & went to figure out where our birth baby was. The thing is.. I didnt care. I was so upset and not because Emmalyn wasn't ours but because they took her from us and I only wanted her. I woke up so upset and it really made me think. I mean I KNOW she's ours, there's no doubt but I was just thinking how I would feel if the dream were true and I think I'd feel the same in reality as I did in the dream. I would want to keep Emmalyn and just leave things alone. Sure I would want to get in touch with the parents that had our birth baby to get pictures, make sure they are living a happy life and all that and eventually meet them and have a bond with them, but I wouldnt want to give Emmalyn back. I told Jesse about this as crazy as it sounds and he said he wouldnt want to give her back either.. he'd want both of them. lol.

Second dream:
My grandma, grandpa, & cousin Brittany were at my place. I'm not sure where Jesse was... he wasn't here. We find out we're under a tornado warning so we head to the hallway. Brittany has Clarity in her lap and I look over and Clarity is all smiles... her big smile that I love sooo much... and she waves at me and says "bye mama!" as we hear the house start to tear apart. Everything starts moving in super slow motion and I'm just praying we all make it out okay. Next thing I know I get up and I dont even recognize where I am. I'm calling for everyone but there's no answer & I am panicked. I realize the stupid tornado carried me God knows where but I'm not in Waynesville. Kind of like wizard of Oz only I was in the middle of nowhere with just a diner nearby. I walk around wondering what to do & how my family and girls are and then I woke up.

Yuck what a cruddy dream huh? Both of them! haha Chelle..I'm even Storm Chaser Frannie Poo in my dreams!!

It is so weird

Just how quickly things change. Emmalyn is almost three months old...staying awake long periods throughout the day (but she is an angel with sleeping through the night!!), giggling, fussing when she doesnt get her way (already! yikes!), and just loving up on us and her sisters and taking the world in.

Clarity is yappin all the time! lol. She really is getting better at talking and it's fun to listen to her but last night at around 11 pm I told her she has to go back to being quiet Clarity at bedtime. Jesse busted out laughing with that one. Just a few weeks ago she would constantly just walk around.. not saying anything.. not even making any noise. Now I hear her little voice constantly. She's blurting out sentences, copying everything we say, and starting to tell us things. She came in from outside crying the other day and I asked her what happened. She tells me, "I fall on my head". lol. She was up on her play boat like I'm always telling her not to be... telling her one of these days she's going to fall and bust her head... well I guess it finally happened. She was fine though.

And Ariel is ALWAYS growing & learning & becoming more and more of a little girl *sniff*. It's hard to look at pictures of her just two years ago. She looked like such a baby! Now she's heading into kindergarten. She's also staying in trouble with talking back. lol. But I know this is just the beginning of that road... even so we love her to pieces.

We love all three of them more than anything & thank God for them every single day.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Insert shrilly scream here!

Can we say excited? I had completely forgotten the New Kids were going to be performing on the Today Show so I didnt set the dvr (what a ditz I am) but I did manage to catch like the last say two to three minutes of it and you bet I recorded that. I got to see a snippet of "Please Dont Go Girl" and "The Right Stuff". They have still got it that's for sure. I'm kind of embarrassed to admit just watching that little bit gave me pure butterflies. And Jordan doing his signature hip thing..whooo.

Ariel has been rewinding what little we have, over & over & over again. She's as bad as me! lol. Her and Clarity are dancing all over the living room & Ariel keeps asking when we're going to see them. God I really do hope they come nearby! I'm sure if they do getting tickets is going to be insane. I read on a friend's blog that the Today Show audience was the biggest it's ever been & that people had camped out for days to see them. Hmmm seems like not much has changed even though it's been about 15 years or so!

So that's my excitement for the day! lol. Takes my mind off of the other crud that's been going on (that's a whole new post in itself.. I'll put up soon). Right now though I'm going to keep on my New Kids high and be happy :o)

Thursday, May 15, 2008

I promise

As soon as I have a faster computer (or this one is fixed) I'll edit those pics and crop them and repost so they look better. I know they are kind of dark & far away.

The girls looked cute, didn't they? The pic with Clarity running away.. that was her pretty much the whole time. On the go! Except during the reception. After I changed her out of her dress she cuddled in my lap and fell asleep. Ariel was a little dancing queen. Her and the other kids really got into that dance floor. I wish I would have had the camera (Ariel had it most of the night taking a million pics of the floor and stuff lol) because her and Uncle Ricky were really getting down and I thought that was so funny.

Lori looked absolutely gorgeous. I swear she should be put in a bridal magazine. She was so calm during the ceremony. I thought for sure she was going to be one of those that cry the whole time.. but she didn't. Everyone did really well keeping calm. I was afraid for myself when we were getting our hair done and I saw Lori in her vail... my eyes started tearing up then & there so I didnt know how I was going to be react during the wedding. But I had my little Claire Bear to keep track of and that probably saved me from being a crybaby!

The setting was gorgeous... the weather cooperated and it didnt start to rain until the photographer said she had taken the "last shot" (talk about timing) and even then it didnt rain hard. As stressed as we all were the day of the wedding it really did turn out wonderful.

The Wedding






















Wednesday, May 14, 2008

My computer

Is trying so hard to completely give up on me. It's had a hard life. lol. So anyways that's why it's been so long since my last update. I still keep getting it to try and hang on. Today is the first time I've tried turning it on since our power kept going out when we had severe storms the other night... I was terrified I'd find it wasn't going to work at all.. but alas I am here. Good computer! But we have to look into either getting another one or getting this one looked at. yuck. I mean I love computers... it's just the thought of having to spend money we dont have to spend.

As for Lori & David's wedding.. it was really beautiful. I'll "try" and post pics of it in my next post but we'll see if my computer cooperates. The girls did pretty good. Clarity was a handful! Instead of tossing her petals she waved all the way down the aisle then got to the end and realized she didnt toss any so she stood there and dropped some at her feet. lol. There was a boardwalk behind where the wedding party stood so she kept trying to run down it. I saw Lori's mom run after her once. I felt so bad.. the mother of the bride running after my child.. lol. Then my grandma went after her a second time. I tried holding her at one point and she started to say "noooo" and I didnt want a meltdown while vows were being said so I set her down. I kept her from going down the boardwalk by telling her there was probably a ghost down there (BAD MAMA!) and she occupied herself by standing behind me smashing ants. lol. So my girls didnt cause any major disasters.. Thank God. Ariel did really well. They were both so cute. Emmalyn slept in her daddy's arms the whole ceremony so no crying! Woohoo! A major change from the rehearsal where she screamed the entire time. That was my fault though.. I lost her binky. Will never do that again!

Lori and her dad danced to "My Little Girl" by Tim McGraw. I knew as soon as she told me that was the song she picked that I was going to cry. As soon as I heard it starting.. the tears came. My mind flash forward to the girls and them getting married and *gasp* leaving. Of course right now Ariel says she's never getting married because she wants to live with us forever. If I could only keep her mindset that way!

My parents came in to see the girls Monday and left yesterday afternoon. It was good to see them. My dad had a mustache which is something I havent seen on him in forever... and Ariel told me "Abu didn't shave!". lol. I like it on him though. I think it looks good. Mom took the girls out for a walk and of course they got goodies. They love when mom & dad come to visit. So do I of course.

The girls have been spending a ton of time outside since it's warming up. Jesse & I filled up their sandbox and that's a huge hit. I think they would live in it if they could. When it starts getting pretty hot, their pool will come out. They'll have their own mini beach. lol. We'll have to see if we can keep them from getting sand in the pool though. I can imagine I might have trouble with that one!

I did want to brag on Clarity a bit. After over 2 1/2 years the girl is finally learning to open her mouth and talk! Yesterday she was out in her play boat and Emiley's bus went by. I heard her say "Bye emiley! Good to see you again!". of course it wasnt as plain as that but I understood her perfectly and my mouth dropped open! She's starting to say more words (a new one she's really good at is Emmalyn) and putting sentences together. It's becoming a huge relief and I'm just so proud of her right now! It's been a long wait but so worth it. I just light up when I hear something new come out of her mouth!

Well I should get going.. I need to go cook lunch and I have a long to do list for the day. I'll try to get those pictures from that wedding up in a bit. Congratulations Lori & David.. hope you all had a great cruise (I'm so jealous!). lol.

Friday, May 2, 2008

Today is the day

we are leaving for Columbia, South carolina for Lori's wedding. Jesse was going to work a half day but there's so much to do around here to get ready and he's still sick (he didnt work yesterday.. I guess it was a bad cold and not allergies I had last week because he caught it) so we just decided he could stay home and help me clean the house and get ready to leave. When we come back, I just want to be able to relax, unpack, and enjoy the rest of Sunday. I dont want to have to clean and then get up early Monday morning to babysit. I need some unwinding time before I take those girls again. lol.

I'm excited and hope the weather stays nice and things go smoothly. I'm upset a bit because my face has started to break out! After being clear since getting pregnant with Emmalyn for the most part.. it picks this week to act up! gah! I bought some cream so hopefully I'll look better by Saturday evening. God I pray so. I can't wait to see how the girls do as flower girls... hopefully that will go smoothly too! I know Ariel will do great.. she's been practicing. Clarity... I'm not so sure! I guess we'll get a sneak peak at rehearsal tonight. Wow that feels weird saying that. I guess it's hard to believe the day has finally come!

I'll be sure to post lots of pics of the wedding and the girls when I get home. For now I better go clean up and make my list of things to pack. I'm so scared I'm gong to forget something... especially something important like the digital camera or God forbid a dress or pair of shoes! lol. That's why I'm going to make a list and check it off as it goes in the truck. Pray for us to have a safe trip there & back and for this to be a beautiful wedding (no rain! it's outside!) with no problems :o)

Thursday, May 1, 2008

My Sunshines!






















Kindergarten Here we come!

Oh my goodness was Ariel precious today! She let me fix her hair (shock) and looked so grown up as we went in for the registration meeting. They gave all the kindergarteners little name tags and took them to the classrooms and out to the playground while the parents sat in the gym for the meeting. They were even generous enough to take Clarity. lol. She was the only toddler that was wanting to go with their big sister. The meeting went fine.. I am feeling even more confident that this school is going to be awesome. I'm loving it more now than I have before. I heard it was a great school and it's gotten nothing but compliments from the people I've talked to.. now I understand why. It's a gorgeous school with caring teachers and I'm much more at ease with my baby leaving to go.

It didnt really hit me until they brought all the kids back in. Seeing my big girl in line with her soon to be classmates.. wow. I nearly cried. lol. Not sad tears.. but I was just so dang proud. And the doctor was right.. Ariel is on the tall side. I think she was the second or third tallest kid there. So now we just wait until the screening where we turn in all of our forms (that happens sometime in August.. I think the 12th or something like that). Then they will assign her a teacher. Get this.. the teacher comes to your house to have one on one time with the kids and parents before school starts! They said this is so they can make them feel more comfortable in their own space and when they go to school they'll already have a comfort level with their teacher. I think it's wonderful. They said the visits are only like 20 minutes.. just long enough to read to them, have them draw something that they will have hanging in the classroom the first day, and for any questions to be answered. I've never heard of a school doing this but I'm thrilled they do.

So anyways I'm very pleased with my decision to send her. I was so dead set on homeschooling and fought the arguments that they need social interaction but when I started babysitting, I realized just how important it is for them to get that especially at a young age. We will more than likely homeschool for middle school but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. For now I know that Ariel will be getting so much more than I could ever offer her at home and I know she'll have a ton of fun!

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

This song brings me to tears thinking of Jesse and his little girls

Music Video:MY LITTLE GIRL (by Tim McGraw)

Music Video Code provided by VideoCodeZone.Com

Gotta hold on easy as I let you go

Gonna tell you how much I love you, though you think you already know

I remember I thought you looked like an angel wrapped in pink so soft & warm

You've had me wrapped around your finger since the day you were born

You're beautiful baby from the outside in

Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again

Go on take on this whole world

But to me you know you'll always be... my little girl

When you were in trouble that crooked little smile could melt my heart of stone

Now look at you, I've turned around and you've almost grown

Sometimes you're asleep I whisper "I love you" in the moonlight at your door

As I walk away I hear you say "Daddy love you more!"

You're beautiful baby from the outside in

Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again

Go on take on this whole world

But to me you know you'll always be... my little girl

Someday some boy will come and ask me for your hand

But I wont say yes to him unless I know

He's the half that makes you whole, he has a poets soul. and the heart of a man's man

I know he'll say that he's in love

But between you and me.. he wont be good enough

You're beautiful baby from the outside in

Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again

Go on take on this whole world

But to me you know you'll always be... my little girl

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

BOO HOO!

After Emmalyn was born.. Jesse & I were thinking maybe in 5 years when the truck was paid off and our debt paid down... we may try for our boy. Well we've officially decided we're done. No more babies. We have been beyond blessed with three beautiful little girls and our family is now whole. I'm a bit sad.. it's hard to know that Emmalyn is it. Our last tiny one in the house and as she grows I'm sure it's going to be even harder thinking about this is the last first giggle... this is the last first tooth... the last first steps.. you know. But I can't look at it like that. There is so much more to their lives than the babyhood. Jesse and I look at it that there is so much we want to do in life that you just can't do when you have a baby. We want to take the girls on road trips, to different amusement parks, even to Hawaii. Yeah you can do all of those with a baby.. but everyone cant to things together... someone always has to hang back to keep the little one. So I guess our decision is somewhat selfish but I want the girls to have a fun filled childhood & as much time with mommy and daddy as possible. As much fun as babies are and as amazing as it is to have one around... the Moore family is a family of five. As I said on a message board I go to... I'm sad I'll never see what our little boy might have been...BUT there's also a chance he could end up looking like Jesse's ex dad or something and that would so not be a good thing since he's the most unattractive man on Earth *giggle*

Sunday, April 27, 2008

I'm not sure

If it's allergies or I have a cold, but I have felt pretty crummy all weekend starting on Friday. Stuffy/runny nose, head & neck aches, eyes feeling like they are just going to pop out of my head. Yuck! Ariel actually said she had a headache Friday night too and then started running a fever in the middle of the night but she was fine by yesterday morning (Thank God). Emmalyn and Clarity have been having runny noses.. but other than that are okay. So I'm just not sure if we picked up a bug or if something is blooming that all of our bodies just dont like. I do know there is pollen EVERYWHERE. The truck needs to be washed.. it has a yellow tint to it.

Yesterday we went to Asheville to do some shopping and get groceries. Jesse got an early birthday present. We ended up buying a Garmin Street Pilot GPS for the truck. The other day he got turned around in Asheville after trying to get home from a customer's house and ended up making a 15 mile detour or something like that. He convinced me that with gas prices shooting up by the day it might not be a bad thing to have. Plus he wanted it for our trip to Columbia this coming weekend. Boys and their toys, I swear! I was not thrilled with the cost.. but it's my fault we had to get one of the pricier ones. I told him I wanted him to have on that spoke so he wasnt having to constantly glance over at it...I didnt want him getting something that might cause an accident. The cheapest one that did that was $299. ouch. And that was on sale.. we shopped around and it was like $479 everywhere else. Circuit City was having a sale so we grabbed it. I was a bit upset over spending that for a while but once he pulled it out and I started messing with it.. it's worth it. There's his birthday present. I have been planning on getting him a Garmin for his birthday or Christmas... well he just got it early this year.

We also got some aluminum paint for the fence. This fence here is rusty and looks awful. I asked Jesse if there was a way to fix it and we found some paint made for fences at walmart. so we're going to do that sometime this week. We're trying to get the yard all set for trying to get more kids for me to watch during the summer. But it's not just for that.. the fence was just starting to look too ghetto for me! lol.

Other than the shopping and cleaning today.. we're just trying to get ready for this busy week ahead of us. Seems there's always so much to do and so little time! We did take the girls to the park Friday afternoon but there were games and ball practices everywhere which meant teenagers running around the park like monkeys so we only stayed like five minutes. Hopefully we can take them again soon when it's not so chaotic!

New pics of the girlies































































Thursday, April 24, 2008

A praise Report

God is awesome! A few weeks ago Jesse got a surprise check in the mail from the satellite place he was last working for (they took our reserve funds in case an employee had a chargeback or missing equipment.. whatever). Honestly it had been so long we didnt think much of it or even that we would see any of it again. I guess we had kind of forgotten about it. Anyways the check was for $144. I was thrilled.. I know that's not a lot but it sure helps! Well there's a letter with that check that said he was supposed to get $297 and another check month for $500 (Hallelujah). So he calls to find out why he only got $144 and they said there was missing equipment he didn't turn in. He knew he turned in everything but since it's all scanned in by computer.. he couldnt argue. What could we do right? Well he called me this morning & tells me he got a call from Rocking R and that they were clearing the missing equipment thing off and he was getting his full reserve back! YAY! We dont know if they found what was "missing" or what.. but we are so happy. So he's going to get another $653 from them in may. Praise God! Jesse has been laid off this past monday and then next week he has to take off half a day to take Ariel to kindergarten registration and another half day to head to South Carolina.. so this money will be greatly needed. I was just praying this morning for God to help us somehow. I wasn't sure how it was going to happen or how I was going to finish paying the bills since I used bill money to tithe... but God was faithful and he has provided! I'm so amazed by how he moves sometimes!

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Funny stuff!

I love youtube. It has some of the funniest stuff on it. This one totally had me cracking up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpn_B5cG-10

and even more greatness....these guys are HILARIOUS!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLnVl2wWpho

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58-daO6DlVU

Hope you enjoy and laugh as much as I have today! :oD

Monday, April 21, 2008

Life

Is just moving at a record pace for me right now. I'm not sure what it is.. but I have a feeling it's not going to slow down! We didnt get as much accomplished today as I had hoped. We went to Asheville and picked up my bridesmaids dress and then came back to Waynesville and found the park and let the girls play. Can I just say we are so lucky to live here?! I can't believe we've never found this park before.. but it's amazing. They have little "buildings" the kids can play in and it looks like downtown. It's hard to explain but it's just so cute. I'll have to take my camera next time and get plenty of pics! An ice cream truck actually came while we were there and Ariel was mesmerized. lol. We told her we'd get her a box of ice cream from the store...but I guess that's not as fun as getting it from a van that's playing music. She went right back to playing after looking at it for a few minutes. Next thing I know she has an ice cream. I asked Jesse where she got it from and some boy had gotten it for her. awww. lol. He was older and either Indian or mexican and had several brothers & sisters.. all with ice creams. I guess he saw Ariel playing with his little brother and got her one when he got his family one. We gave Ariel a dollar to go give him and she told him thank you for her ice cream. I'm sure the ice cream didn't cost a dollar.. or maybe it did.. but Jesse & I felt he should be rewarded for such a nice gesture.

Well Lori's wedding is less than two weeks away. Eek! Dress... check. Shoes... check. I'm glad I've gotten those and now feel less stressed about that. I still have to get the girls' shoes and get my nails done. I also found a hotel.. I just have to reserve it. Speaking of.. I better do that tonight. We plan on taking the girls to the zoo while we're there since they've never been & they are looking forward to it. So am I. I love seeing new places!

Registration for kindergarten is May 1st at 1 pm. I can't believe how fast this is sneaking up on me. Jesse has to take off work early that day so we can go see the school, pick up her kindergarten packet, and meet her teachers. I'm so nervous and excited. I just hope & pray she loves school, makes lots of friends, and learns a lot. She's such a social butterfly. So different from myself. I think she'll have a blast. We drove by the middle school today & it seems everytime we do, there are some punk looking kids walking around. I told Jesse she was so not going there. She pipes up, "I'm not going to school?! But I want to go to school! I wont miss you!". So I guess the notion of school has grown on her a bit. lol. This is so crazy.. how can she be starting school? She was just this tiny baby...and soon I'll be saying the same thing about Clarity & Emmalyn. Life just doesn't slow down once you have little ones I swear!

Well I did it... I tithed today. I went to this Charity website that rates charities by how much money actually goes to the cause versus advertisements and such and found this Christian sponsorship program like Feed the Children that got rated an A+. I sponsored a child for $30 a month. Since I still had to give $100 to meet the 10% of pay.. I just donated $100. I think we may sponsor another child or two next month. I told Jesse this will be a great lesson for Ariel. They give you options of if you want a boy or girl and let you choose the country.. but I just chose the child most in need option. We'll be getting a picture and information on the family & country and an address to write or send gifts. I think it will be great for Ariel to see how blessed we are and teach her that it's good to want to give and help others. Even though we are struggling so much and that money could have paid bills... it blessed me to do it.

Well I'm absolutely exhausted and should go do my dishes, clean up a bit, get some laundry done and then I'm going to be out! I didnt babysit today so naturally today is the day Emmalyn decided to wake me up before the sun came up. She wasn't hungry.. wasn't crying.. didn't want binky...she was just wiggling everywhere and making noises. She did this for hours even though I wouldnt play with her like she wanted and was hoping she'd fall back to sleep. She never did.. at 8:30 I gave up and my grumpy butt got out of bed. lol. She's so precious & I felt bad that I felt upset with her. I was just so tired and looking forward to getting to sleep in! Oh well. And even though I told Jesse I was going to keep her up when she tried to sleep... I dont have the heart to do it. Here she is snoozing away in my lap. I'm going to go join my other little princesses on the couch. I hear them giggling away at Spongebob. God I love these girls!

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Been a long week!

Well it's finally over! I have had Emiley everyday since last Monday. Alley was at her dad's Wednesday, Thursday (I watched her just a bit Friday) and then I had both girls all weekend. I tell you what.. watching 4 or 5 kids seven days straight can wear you out! But I've had help this week so it wasn't like I was on my own. My mother-in-law came out Wednesday and stayed until Friday afternoon. I thought the girls would drive her insane, but she actually was fine with them and helped me out. Then I had Jesse help me yesterday and today. So I've been able to manage without pulling my hair out. lol. Yesterday and today when the girls came in, I turned out all of the lights and turned off the tv and they both laid down on the couches and went to bed and slept in until after 9 both days! So Jesse & the girls still got to sleep in.. and I even got some extra sleep myself! sweet!

Beth's visit went great. I was nervous at first.. wondering if she would stress out and have a seizure.. but completely the opposite. She seemed to enjoy every minute of being here and seeing the girls. She told me she loved it here and how the whole time she was here she didnt have to take one of her stress pills like she does at home. We met Jerry in Sylva so he could take her home and she burst into tears telling the girls goodbye which not long after she left, Ariel burst into tears saying she was going to really miss her nanny because she doesnt get to see her much. Jesse & I havent called her to see how things have been going since she's gotten back.. but I'll have Jesse to that today. We need to check in on her more often. I'm very blessed to have a mother in law I dont fight with or dread seeing. She & I actually really enjoy each other's company.

I got my taxes done on the 14th.. I knew I'd push it to the limit. I did them after going on over 30 hours of no sleep (thank God for the alerts Tax Act makes you go through for errors). I didn't have any but I was feeling pretty loopy so I'm glad they check over your stuff for you before they send it in. I still have to write the IRS a fraud letter and mail the evidence. My plan is to get that done today or tonight and mail it tomorrow. We also need to call the Clay County Sheriff and see what we can do there. As much as Jesse's dragging his feet about having to drive out to Hayesville.. I'm so ready to do something if it can be done!

Oh another thing I got done this week.. and you wont believe it! The girls room is finished! Every box is unpacked or put away and that room is completely cleared out! Can you believe it?! lol. Beth actually had a room to stay in as will my mom & dad when they come if they please! woohoo! I'm so proud! Now all I have to do is clear out this office and my house will be a clean and in order home. And we were thinking of packing up and moving the other day? lmao. I think not!

Jesse has tomorrow off so I think he is going to explore getting a part time job on top of the one he has. Maybe working a Saturday or a couple of hours after work during the week. I dont know. We're just trying to come up with ways to catch up. The economy isn't making catching up any easier with the gas prices and everything else going up. Gas here is nearly $3.60. Unbelievable. I need to get another child or two to watch when I dont have the other girls. Things are tight but I'm still planning on tithing... I just have to keep trusting God!

Other than this week being non stop and hectic things are good. The girls are wonderful.. I'm so lucky to be their mama! Emmalyn is now two months old *gasp*. Say it isn't so! I need to take some more pics and get them up here. Seems Emmalyn changes daily. She's getting so big.. smiling so much.. and just beginning to have some major personality! She actually let out a first attempt to giggle the other day. It was loud sounding breaths with her big smile.. it was precious! Goodness why do they have to grow so fast?!



Thursday, April 17, 2008

Johnson city is a no

So Jesse calls and tells me his work gave him a job offer to work in a showroom they are opening up in Johnson City, Tennessee. He told his boss we would have to discuss it, but we only had a couple of days to figure out if we were going or not. The pay is somewhat better but all in all we decided against it. For one.. I love my house.. I love my yard.. I love the area we're in and Ariel's school will be just down the road. That was the biggie.. I feel okay with sending Ariel to this school. There was no way I could deal with moving to a new city and trying to figure out how their elementary school was. Plus we decided it was just too much trouble to move.. too much money... it just wasnt worth it to us. So our butts are parked in waynesville & I intend on it staying that way for a while.

I'll post more later.. my mother in law is here and I dont want to be rude. The visit is going great..she's gotten a taste of how annoying Emiley can be today ;o) lol. But that's the lastest news for now. More to come soon!



Tuesday, April 15, 2008

I have become

one of those women whose husbands drag them on a daytime tv show begging the host to give their wives a makeover. lol. Most days you can find me in an old tshirt (or worse.. one of Jesse's baggy ones), jammy pants, and bedroom slippers. My hair thrown up in a scrunci.. not even brushed most times... and make up? hardly. maybe a bit.. just some powder and lip gloss.. but that's usually saved for when we go out. It's not that I dont care about how I look... I do... I just dont have time to put effort into it like I used to. Not with three kids (or four or five if I'm babysitting). So now that I've typed this up and realized how pathetic I sound and what a lucky man Jesse must be to have this trophy of a wife.. I think I'll try to make more of an effort. The more I think about it, the I dont have time thing is just an excuse. I could find the time.. it would just mean dragging my rear out of bed earlier. So I may brush & fix my hair and put on make up more often but I guarantee you wont get me out of the old tshirts and jammy pants. The honest truth there is I spend my days cleaning up messes and being the target of projectile milk flying out of my baby girl's mouth. Would I trade it for something more glamourous? Not on your life!

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Very Nice Surprise!

My parents came up Thursday and spent the night and stayed until last night. I wasn't expecting it so it was a very nice surprise. I miss them. The girls were thrilled too. Of course they got spoiled rotten. They really miss getting to see their grandma & Abu every week. It was so nice having them here. Mom ordered us pizza Thursday night and then made dinner Friday night so I guess I got spoiled too :o) Thanks for everything mom!

Well the weekend is here and it's not going to be very eventful. I'm hoping Jesse & I will have the motivation to clear out the spare bedroom and clean the office since it will be cold and dreary all weekend. No warm sunshine to lure us outside. I also have to get the taxes done. I'm really pushing it down to the wire this year. lol. All I have to do is add up miles and expenses. I know it wont take me too long. Maybe an hour or two at the most. Then there's the weekly grocery shopping trip. Boy our weekend is just going to be one big adventure! oh well no matter how little excitement there is.. we're always glad for the weekend. It's just nice to have Jesse home to help out with the girls and give me a break! I guess we'll also make some flyers for babysitting and try to get some more kids for me to watch. Prayerfully with summer coming, it wont be too hard.

Well I guess I better go and get started on this house.. or maybe watch tv! lol. All three of the girls and Jesse are still asleep so this has been "me" time. Peace & Quiet! I should just relax and enjoy it. I can clean the house when they get up.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

wow







If the dates weren't on the pics... I'm not sure I could tell you who was who. lol. Ariel is in the first pic.. unfortunately I dont have any of her first smiles on the computer, that was the best one I have. Clarity is in pic 2 and Emmalyn in pic 3. They all resemble eachother so much. I was reading a friend's blog and she wrote about how much her newborn son and daughter look alike and that made me want to compare the girls' pictures. I knew they looked alike, but holy cow. Especially Clarity & Emmalyn. As Clarity was a baby and going into toddlerhood, I thought about how much she resembled Ariel. Now I'm thinking the same thing with Emmalyn & Clarity. There is no way you could deny the three of them are sisters.

Test of Faith

The title of my post is what my life feels like. One big test to trust in God and know that everything will turn out okay like it's supposed to.

We got the statements from the business bank account yesterday for the months Jesse was a partner. He was there longer than we thought..he was taken off as a signer on May 15th. Which was the day we found out the doors were locked and the junk hit the fan. Thank God they gave us copies of every check written. I was able to see all the checks written to Jesse. I figured he made about 4,500 or so from our bank statements but he really made 7,600 (I had forgotten we had to pay around $2,000 to get the subaru fixed and out of the shop. A lot of interesting things in those statements...checks written to a pain management doctor, debits for gemstones off of tv, a check to kerr drug for office supplies (office supplies my butt.. it was for that addict's painkillers), a $400 debit at a pharmacy (hmm was that for office supplies too?) and a ton of ATM debits for cash. This is going to be a huge mess with the IRS. Since Jesse was considered a 50/50 partner I'm worried the IRS will hold him accountable for the stuff that was going on as well. I'm praying not. We're trying to do the right thing..we're filing our taxes for every penny that was paid to Jesse. It just turns my stomach. Continued prayers for this situation are so appreciated!

Jesse told me yesterday he hopes our girls always trust him and will come to him for anything because he wants to be everything his dad isn't. He already is. He's a great dad to our girls and they adore him. Even Emmalyn is already daddy's little girl. Yesterday she wouldnt stop crying.. no matter what I did.. Jesse was out working in the yard. Well he came in and picked her up and she stopped crying instantly. He sat on the couch and she snuggled up to him and went to sleep. It was sooo cute but I must admit, I was a bit jealous. I'm the mama and I wasn't who she wanted! lol. I know that made Jesse feel amazing. These girls are his everything.

The other night Emmalyn wouldnt fall asleep (I had her in bed with me) and she was keeping me up..not by crying but just wiggling and making baby sounds. So I scooped her up, laid on the couch with her, & turned on the tv. It was on a christian channel and on there was a show about tithing. I usually turn on Malcom in the Middle or Ghost Hunters or something but I couldnt stop watching. I told Jesse yesterday about this and how I feel convicted to tithe even though we are barely making it. This is the main reason for my title "Test of Faith". I think we are struggling so bad because we don't tithe. God doesnt want you to tithe because he wants or needs the money.. it's all a test. This is what I think anyways. I think he wants to see if we will follow his will and trust that he will provide. So Jesse's next check.. we're taking 10% out first off and sending it to Feed the Children or St. Judes. I hope it still counts since we're not going to church and giving there. I'm sure God doesn't have rules of where it needs to go.. as long as it's helping someone and you're giving with a good heart. I'm also scared of doing this because we NEED every penny...but that's where faith comes in to play. God says he will provide and he never breaks a promise.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Guess who is back!!




That's right ladies and gentlemen.. the New Kids on The Block have officially reunited as a band! Who would've thought?! It's been 20 years since their single "Hangin' Tough". 20 years??? I was just a baby when I started loving them! It's surreal honestly to see this happen with me having a five year old daughter of my own. They haven't announced any tour dates as of yet but you better believe if they come to Asheville or close by.. I'm going! I'm still up in the air about taking Ariel.. I'll have to download some songs and let her listen and she if it's "her thing". But I think it would be so cool to have her go and experience what I loved when I was about her age. And Lori... you sure better go with me! :o) Flashback! They have a new album coming out soon.. I'm excited to hear how they've matured as musicians. Joe & Jordan I have to say are hilarious! I was reading an interview in People magazine and they had me cracking up! Talking about how instead of posters & buttons they're going to be selling walkers and Geritol. lmao. I had to look up what that was but appearently it's a vitamin supplement for old people.

Friday, April 4, 2008

I can't believe

I just had to call poison control on my six week old baby girl! I was in the kitchen making Ariel & Clarity a snack and walk out to find Clarity in front of the swing sticking her finger in Emmalyn's mouth with honey on it! *gasp* I guess Clarity got in the fridge, found a packet of honey from KFC, bit off a corner and ate some, & didnt want to leave her baby sister out. I called the pediatrician's office first and the nurse gave me the number to North Carolina's poison control. I called them & explained what happened and they told me it's a small chance she'll get botulism, but the chance is there and to watch her for any signs. I looked up a website on infant botulism and the signs dont usually appear for 18-36 hours so I'll be keeping a sharp eye on her all weekend. Thank God Jesse will be home. It's usually treatable if she does get it as long as we catch it early, but I was reading about how they have to put them in ICU and on a ventalator and all that stuff, and it freaks me out. So lots & lots & lots of prayers that she'll be fine. Lesson learned: dont keep packets of honey in the fridge.. Clarity can get them and she likes to share. lol. I did have to call Emmalyn's doctor back and let them know what poison control said so they can document it. These girls are going to give me a heart attack one of these days, I swear!