How about a night off of the diet? Maybe 2?

Dinner tonight is likely going to be at OLIVE GARDEN. Yum... I'm looking forward to a little bit of this...


Nathan's going to be out of town for my birthday on Wednesday and we're going to the game tomorrow so why not start the food fest early? right?

SuperLiga!!

Yes, that's our current obsession. We're attending tomorrow's game, FC Dallas vs LA Galaxy. And, for the record, we don't CARE that Beckham isn't playing. We're just hoping for a bloody good thrashing against LA.

My Wonderful Companion

I often take my husband for granted. The more I talk to other women the more I realize what a gift he is. He loves me. I know that in itself isn't uncommon but it's priceless nonetheless. He respects me as an equal. He realizes (unlike many men) that a marriage is an equal partnership. He loves his kids and wants to spend time with them. He knows what is important.

Sharing in the housework is not a question. We both do our part. I can't believe how many women are shocked that Nathan does the laundry or cleans the floors. It seems pretty natural for us to simply do what needs to be done. Neither of us takes ownership in a household chore. If it needs to be done, we do it. Simple.

He works hard but puts his family first. This year I have been somewhat high maintenance for various reasons and he's really stepped up. Yesterday I took Morgan to a gymnastics event and he took the day off to be with the 2 littles. He took them to a play place with inflatables and he didn't just sit and watch them. He was right in the middle of things, going down the slide, jumping and being silly along with them.

Every year there is a daddy daughter dance at the community center and he looks forward to it. He orders corsages. He loves his girls. How attractive is that?





It doesn't hurt that he's pretty darn hot either! I am glad that we've had a wonderful 10 years together and I'm looking forward to the next 10 and beyond.

What a difference 2 years makes!

When I think about what I was doing a little less than 2 years ago, an image comes to mind. It looks somewhat like this.



My mother used to harass me because before Melody was born we called her "Oopsie". Most of my friends and family know that Maya was my 5th pregnancy and the result of quite a few visits to the Reproductive Endocrinologist. She was (and still is) a miracle. Just when I thought all of my miracles were used up and that our family was very much complete we were shocked with the news that we were going to have another baby. I doubted it for the longest time. I hadn't carried a pregnancy to term without intervention since Morgan and thought that this time would be the same. I was about 8 weeks along when I found out and my numbers were sky high. We couldn't believe it. I was in shock for most of my pregnancy. To be completely honest, I was so frightened and unsure how I would handle two kids so close together along with the demands of one in school/extra activites.
I will not lie. The first year was a doozie. But when all is going badly, it helped to have this to look at...



Melody has been the easiest, most outgoing baby/toddler. I think it's out of necessity. Her one issue is that she is very attached to her mom. Her mom complains sometimes, but she wouldn't trade her little "Oopsie" for anything.

The Money Pit

We got a list of fees tonight for the begining of competitive season for gymnastics. With about a dozen meets, monthly fees, leotard, warmup, etc... we're looking at incredible amounts of money. We're even at a gym that's considered reasonable. My kid is still SEVEN, right??? Holy cow. Remember the soccer days? 40 dollars for the entire SEASON??? Tell me it will be worth it. The kid is in love with her sport and doesn't ever complain.
Want to see a cool video? This is from March. She's so much better now. Mom bragging over.... for this post.

The age old question

Why do children KNOW your plans for the day and organize their sleep patterns to completely destroy it? I have a specific block of time today that requires a nap from both little kiddos and it's not looking good. Another question that needs answered is why my husband always travels on Tuesday, the day that is always the most busy for me? I'm a generally positive person but these two things continue to irk me. Now I'm going to say a little prayer that I can make things work today with 2 kids who don't like to stick with MY schedule. Of course, now I need to post pictures of them. Here they are in all their dancing glory. Oh yeah we know how to groove. Just for reference, they get all of their dancing skills from their father.

Who needs furniture when you have laundry baskets?

I have shared this picture with some people already but it's fast becoming a favorite of mine. They do this frequently. The get a pillow off the couch, hop in and cover themselves with a blanket to watch a movie. Melody sometimes throws in a few toys. My next house will have a bunch of laundry baskets and no couches.

Super-Maya

This is Maya's new favorite game. "Not now, Mom. I'm dead."


Then Morgan has to 'bury her'. She's totally limp, completely dead weight. (Morgan gets a kick out of this step of the game.)


Maya is one of the most amazing miracles that has ever graced this earth. She took her time getting here and it was a heck of a rollercoaster ride. I love that kid with all of my heart and soul. When she is in her element and is happy she is a joy. She entertains us constantly but I'll be darned if she isn't going to put me in an early grave. Bedtime is especially precious these days. Now if she would only stay in her bed and SLEEP.

Looks innocent doesn't she? Don't let her fool you!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

3:05 pm. Finished Reading. Wow. Thank you JK Rowling for entertaining me and wowing me with such an amazing, complex imagination. It's weird, not having a book to look forward to.

Early to bed, Early to rise

There are three reasons I wake up early. Here they are.



I decided after I had Melody that I was fed up with my weight and could either be fat or tired. I chose tired. Now I am in the habit of getting up at 5 - 5:30 am and going to the gym almost every morning. The only downside to this habit is that you are awake at this time on the weekends too! This would be ok but the gym doesn't open until 8am on Saturdays. I have actually looked into changing gyms for this very reason but the cheapness of my current gym keeps me where I am at. So here I am this morning, waiting for LA Fitness to open its doors. Only 1.5 hours more to go. Today will be an hour of elliptical and upper body weights.

Sports Fan

I don't know how it happened and I don't like ALL of them... but I have become very partial to a few sports. I've always had an affinity for basketball... Can I interject a "GO SPURS!!" here for a moment? Thanks.



I even own this..



Of course, the soccer fan in me was brought out by this man.


Finally, a growing love for gymnastics is being fostered by this budding olympian. Could I be any prouder?

Once a Nerd, Always a Nerd

Yes, it's true. Once you are a nerd, it's very hard to get out of nerd-dom. I am a nerd. I play the trumpet. I was in the marching band. I loved it. I miss playing my trumpet regularly.

This weekend I am mostly looking forward to the launch of the new Harry Potter book. It will most likely be read by Sunday night. My children will feel like they are being raised solely by their dad.

Last year's family picture was taken in FC Dallas fan-gear (see above picture). For those who are uneducated with the world's most popular sport, FC Dallas is our MLS (major league soccer) team. My most exciting event this week was running into Kenny Cooper at the local grocery store. For those who are unimpressed... here's Kenny. He's also played for the USA national team. I happened to be wearing my FC Dallas shirt at the time. How cool is that? For me, very cool!



And for good measure, here's a another year old picture of me in said shirt.

Shiela told me to.

I don't have time to post right now, but Shiela told me to so I did. I'll post more this weekend hopefully. (((Shiela)))

Looking forward to a new year

I have a feeling that 2007 will be a great year. My kids are getting a little older. They sleep well (when they aren't sick). I only have one in diapers. She'll most likely potty train this year. They all eat 'big people' food. Family dinners are actually enjoyable and we can all sit together. They still argue. They still have their moments... don't get me wrong! They are far from perfect kids but I can honestly say that I am enjoying them so much.

I love to watch Morgan 'teach' her sisters how to do gymnastics. Even Melody tries to do a forward roll... she just bends over, puts her hands on the ground and sticks her cute little bootie in the air. Maya flails her arms around and proceeds to roll forward with pomp and circumstance, culminating in the ever present "ta-da"!

I'm feeling the fittest I have ever felt. I'm at my lowest weight I have been in my adult life (ok, so there are a few holiday pounds but I can take them off no problem). Working out is routine for me. I'm up every morning. 5am. No question. Mom will be home by 7. I make better food choices even when i'm not on program. I get to have my surgery in less that two weeks. Physically I have never felt better.

Nathan's going through another buyout with his company but this time we already know that his job is going to be there. He's received an offer letter already. What a blessing!! He's such a good worker and I am so proud of him. I watched him as he left the house to take Melody to a doctor's appointment the other day. (I had another appointment and he jumped right in to take her.) I thought to myself how wonderful he is and how I am fortunate to have married such a great man who loves his family so much.

2007 is going to be a great year. I just have this feeling.

Blessings, a lesson from Peter

I have so many blessings. Truly. Next time I complain about something trivial like a stomach bug or the stress of having three kids just remind me about Peter. Peter is a little boy who is Morgan's age. We used to car pool to preschool. He went to Morgan's school. He was the sweetest little red headed boy and that's saying a lot because I have a HUGE preference for girls. I don't know why. I just do. That's that. Peter won me over. He is funny, quirky, polite and well mannered. His mother reminds me a little of Bree on Desperate Housewives, down to the red hair and home-made gift baskets.

Peter's battling a brain tumor. They can't even biopsy it because of the location of it on his brain stem. He has to endure chemotherapy for the next six weeks before they can even determine what they can do with it. I can't get this little angel of a boy out of my head. What would I do if this were my child? How is his mother surviving? I'm not that strong. I feel helpless. All I can do is fall to my knees and pray constantly that he will pull through this and continue with the strength that I know he has. He's a special kid... surely his mission on this earth isn't over yet. If you're reading this, please remember little 7 year old Peter in your prayers.

I was never good at journaling either

All of my journal entries on paper begin with "it's been a long time" or "so many things have happened since..". I really need to motivate myself to record things better. Thanks Gretchen for the nudge in the right direction.

Actually now seems a really good time for a blog entry. I've been going through somewhat of a rough patch where parenting is concerned. It started with Nathan's travel picking up and then with a long bout of sicknesses in our house and I am just stuck in a funk. I'm not being a good mother. I have a short fuse and low level of tolerance. My friends notice it. I feel like I would love to have someone to talk to about it but not sure who that would be. I talk to Nathan and, bless his heart, his feedback is 'I'm sorry'. I don't think my kids deserve the kind of mother they have right now. If I didn't have such strong feelings about being home with them, I'd look for a part time job just to get out of here for a while.

Taking the girls out is a challenge lately. Melody is wanting to use her new found walking skills and Maya is just in the whiney 2-3 year old stage. Morgan tries to 'help' and Maya gets ticked off even more. And what is it with the crabby elderly ladies lately?? I am getting parenting advice and dirty looks EVERYWHERE! Don't they remember that they were there once?? Infuriating! I have held my toungue for the last time. I swear the next person is going to get an earful.

My exercising is keeping me somewhat sane. I am at the gym every morning, 6 days a week for an hour on the elliptical and a shower by myself. It's not even really for the exercise anymore but for the alone time. That's how I get myself out of bed at 5am. My diet is OK but I'm hanging out around 144lbs so i've gained about 5 back. I would like to lose it before my surgery in January but still can't stop shoving holiday food in my face.

The kids are doing well. Morgan's still super-enthusiastic about gymnastics and the other two are keeping me busy at home. I hope that I can get out of this funk and enjoy them more while they are still little.

Melody Melody Melody....

It's so unfair that I haven't blogged about my little blessing yet. What a miracle. Boy does God know what he is doing. I have had my faith strengthened a million times over. I always believed that you were never given more than you can handle. I have a serious testimony of that now. Having our third baby has been HARD. It's been the hardest work I have ever done. But do you know what? The Lord provided me with help. He gave me amazing friends who are there for me. He gave me an amazing husband and beautiful, healthy children.

Melody is amazing. She is the happiest, most contented baby. She is the completion of our family. I am so glad that the decision to have her was not mine. There are greater plans. I wouldn't trade her for anything.

Where did this month go?

It's already almost July??!! We're having the baby around the end of September.. can someone please slow down the clock? (Ok, remind me of this during my last 6 weeks) Last night we had a major milestone. Maya slept on a mattress on the floor of Morgan's room. It went really well for a first night out of the crib. My two girls are adorable. Nathan took over the night time routine. He dealt with Maya getting used to her new surroundings, read her a few extra books. She fell asleep about 9:00 and only woke up once at 3 am. I stayed with her for about 30 mins and she was up again at 6:30 which is a record for her. She's been getting up earlier and earlier. Morgan walked her into our room at about 6:30 and was raving about how they had a good night and could Maya please stay in there all the time now. She said she didn't mind if we had to turn off the nightlight, etc.. I don't know if the excitement will last, but I love the sweet relationship my littlest baby and her little "mother" have. Maya adores Morgan. She always has. Morgan got the first smiles and laughs when Maya was tiny. When we were watching Morgan at soccer camp this week Maya wanted to be with her. As soon as Morgan was done, she jumped into her arms. It's so amazing to watch two little beings love each other so much. What did I do to deserve such amazing blessings? I'm in awe of my Father in Heaven.

Neglectful Blogger

News News News!! There is so much. First and foremost.. we are almost SURE we are having girl #3!!!!!!!! Melody Rebekah will be her name. We're having a 3D sono done on July 1st so we can get some good pictures of her and make sure she is who she says she is LOL. My mother is coming up so she will be able to be there. I am thrilled since she hasn't been able to visit for a little while. This week was a good week. Morgan did her gymnastics camp and really enjoyed herself. She is lucky to have a soccer camp next week too. I hope it will go as well. She really seems to have thrown herself into gymnastics. She's a little rubber band.

Maya's doing really well. She's saying a new word just about every day and it's adorable. Some favorites are "duck, kitty, shoes, baby..." just to name a few. Her little voice is priceless.

This week is father's day.. this is what I got for Nathan..



He has one from a few years ago with Morgan. I suppose we'll have a line of three of them next year :) .

Once a worrier.. always a worrier..

All of my life i've worried about things. I've worried that I have offended someone.. I've worried about little things like exams or presentations in school. I've worried about the weather, the health or well being of family members. But WOW.. being a mother.. is the biggest worry of them all. The Lord has blessed me with 2 very amazing children and has seen fit to give me another. Some days I feel like I am failing him. My Morgan is incredible. I know I say it a lot, but I get so many compliments about her. "She's so intelligent!" "She's so compassionate!" "We love to have Morgan over!" "Do you rehearse music with her? She's always on pitch!" "Wow - look at her play soccer! What a go-getter!" I BEAM with pride every time I hear those things. She's invited to a million birthday parties.. She's popular with her group of friends. She is well liked. Why is it that she is so hard on herself? What could I have done to make her feel like she isn't good enough? She is so much more than good enough! I worry that I am going to do the same thing with my next two kids.

Maya is so precious. She hates it when Daddy leaves for work in the morning. She cries at the door for a little bit. She clings to him in the morning. She gets so excited when he walks in the door after work. She is amazed at any form of animal, but seems to REALLY love dogs. She makes a "woof" sound through her pacifier when she sees one. She dances to ANY music... shakes her little tushie. Her smile will melt your heart and when she cuddles me I just want it to last forever. I really don't want to mess her up. I pray every night that I can do better. Tonight I feel like I really should be doing better, ya know?