10 years

10 years ago today, I married my best friend, the man of my dream, a hunk a hunk of burnin' love. My Jim dear. So for todays post in honor of 10 years, I will list 10 things I love about my husband.

10. he's hot.

9. he is the most generous man I have EVER met. He will literally give you the shirt off his back.

8. He lets me stay home with the kids, and be a mom and a wife, and doesn't complain if dinner isn't made and on the table when he gets home...instead, he feels my pain, and orders pizza.

7. he is funny. Not just funny ha ha, but funny make you pee your pants funny.

6. God is his priority. We come a pretty close second, but God is first, I love that.

5. he is hot...I know I already said it, but have you seen him? Its worth 2 points....

4. he works hard, very hard. He works hard, so I can be the best mom I can be at home with my munchkins.

3. He is a great dad, the kids love him, and he loves them. His is the dad that all the kids want, you know the one who ~ahem~ buys really expensive RC cars for the boys for Christmas even though Christmas shopping is done....

2. He loves me completely, and fully. With all my faults, I am still the one he wants to come home to, and for that I am glad, because truth be told I am waiting for him with open arms!

1. When I look into his eyes at night after a long day, not only do I see our 4 amazing children, but I see Jesus in his eyes.

I love you honey, and can't wait to see what the next 10 holds...and the next 10...and the next 10...and the next 10...and the next 10...you get the point!

Great Week

Jim and I had an amazing time on vacation (so did the kids!), so I will show you just a few pictures (we took like 250 of them, so only a few!) to leave you green with envy! It was just beautiful, and belive me, pictures do not do it justice! Swimming with turtles, fishies, and hiking in the lush rain forest was just amazing! We had a great time ~not relaxing as we were busy the entire time~ but great time! Met new friends, and slept soundly all thru the night! What more can you ask for!

Jim and I hanging out on the beach after a long snorkle along the island "Kline Bonaire"
Jim snorkeling!

Fishies...did you know that each fish "poops" about 1 ton of white sand per year from eating coral? Just a little bit of useless information for you!

beautiful coral (that the fish eat to poop the beautiful white sand...)

We suffered thru this beach in Grenada! I know, it was just amazing!

Lush rain forests, with beautiful water falls in Domonica

one of the 365 water falls in Domonica (they have black sand beaches there from the volcanoes.)

What we woke up to in Grenada

Jim and I in St. Thomas right after we finished swimming with the sea turtles.

Amazing time! Next vacation....hopefully soon!

Vacation!

Well, its been a long week....
Tara was admitted to Huntington Memorial again this week (did I just talk about that!) for Retro-Cardiac Pneumonia...what that means...well, if I understand correctlly, its a pneumonia that "hides" behind the heart. A normal x-ray does not pick it up...however, our cardiologist is AMAZING, and he did pick it up. So after nearly 2 weeks of fevers, cough, and yuckies, we were admitted got some IV antibiotics on-board for a few days, and came home. First night they could not even get an IV in my poor girl (after 6 failed attempts) they finally got it the next am. They put LOTS of fluid in her, and started the antibiotics right away, and in 24 hours I had my girl back.
Well, becauase she rolls like that, Jim and I also left for vacation together on Saturday am. (Grandpa is staying with the kids til Friday, then Grandma is taking over) We flew to Puerto Rico, to then hop on a cruise ship to the Southern Caribbean. Can't stay we have enjoyed Puerto Rico at all, infact Jim and I keep joking that its a "Griswald" vacation! If anything has gone wrong, it has. I will blog more about it at a diffrent time (to vent:) but lets just say when we got on the ship I said "I am so glad we are on pricess because now we know that everything will be an excellent choice" and for anyone who has traveled on princess cruises before knows that in the dining room, you hear that about a million times: "I will just have tap water" "excellent choice" makes me feel good that no matter what, I have always made a good decision, wait not just a good decision, but an excellent decision! So while still in port in Puerto Rico, I am glad to be on the ship looking out at a beautiful city, but with a definate sour taste in my mouth about how they treated us. ~sad~.
We have booked out future cruise with them (well, at least put a deposit on one, so what ever you put down you get back in on board credit with your next one), so we will cruise again with Princess in the next 4 years! (knowing us proubably in the next 4 months!), booked our shore excursions (power snorkeling tomorrow) and looking forward to spending some time with my hubby over the next 7 days, and napping, and sleeping all night...yes lots of sleeping will be involved! Jim woke me up this am at 930 and I was startled...just out! So I told him I needed 5 more minutes!!
Pray for the kids (and Grandparents at home) that they have a good time, and everyone stays healthy. Tara is having a tuff time I think...when we skyped them earlier today Tara was excited to see us, but when it came time to say goodbye she was not happy. I think its just been a ruff day for her, poor girl, she was so used to mommy holding 24/7 the last week its hard. I am sure she will start to have fun soon, buts its still hard. So keep her in your prayers. I will blog again in a week, after all, I am on vacation!

Tara is admitted we are updating on carepages.

Conversations with Jake

well, since I did one on Tori, I will do one for Jake as well.
First leading up to the conversation.....
Yesturday (my birthday) Tara was having a really hard day. She was sick the day before, but still holding her on. After her billionth apnea the night before I new we would see the doctor first thing in the am. So I got ready, got all the kids ready, dropped Elijah off at school, dropped Jake and Tori off to school, and was first one breaking down the doctors office door! (so much for sleeping all day on my birthday which is what I asked for, Jim had to go into work early) The doctor (who normally doesn't see her..big mistake) said, "well, she has a virus, most likely she will get worse before she gets better". Awesome totally what I wanted to hear....So I put her in the car, and drove to the grocery store (we needed juice and cereal.) Tara fell asleep, sleep thru the grocery store, back home kept sleeping. Tryed to wake her to give her some juice, she took a sip, then had another sip, and fell asleep, juice in the mouth. Raspy breathing, harsh coughs...not waking up. Needless to say I took her in (did I mention its my birthday???) but not before I had to pick up Jake and Tori and school...Yup, 3 kids under 5 in the ER for 6 hours...fun. So with no further ado...here is the conversation:
As Tara is getting a line put in...
Jake: "mom can I have a spider man too" (a spider man is a iv to Jake)
mom: "no Jake, Tara is not feeling good bud, plus is hurts a bit thats why she is crying"
Jake: "well, it has to hurt a little to become spider man"
mom: "well, not this time, this time its just Tara"
Jake: "aaah man, Tara gets all the fun stuff!!"
Mom: "yes she does...."
*Tara is home now, still not feeling good, but we are working on it...hoping to stay home*

tori's picture

Mom "wow Tori, that is a beautiful picture you just painted what is it of"

Tori "its you on your cruise in a cristal dress"

mom "a cristal dress? did I buy that special for the cruise"

Tori "yup at Nordstroms"

*girl after her mamas heart*

mom "wow, I love my new dress, what is that that I am holding in my hand?"

Tori "a cocktail"

*thats my girl*

Happy Friday!

I love Fridays. I am not sure why, its not like I get the weekends off! But I just love everything about them! So I will try to do a weekly post on what I am happy about for this past week. I might have to add one bummer thing too, just because weeks arn't always just fun and games!
so with no further ado...

1. Starbucks...I just love a yummy cup of coffee in the am, and today I treated my self to one!

2. FREE babysitting date night! My father in law stayed here this past week to help Jim with some work (to get us cought up before our cruise), and watched our kids on Wed. so Jim and I could go out. Great dinner (Myabi our fav.), not so great movie (leap year) and fun times with the hubs.

3. My moms family came in from Canada this week. Always fun to see them even if its just for a a few days.

4. Tara started finally feeling better from her yucky thing this weekend. We were in the hospital on Sunday, and just was not right til Tuesday.

5. New books. I love getting new books for the kids, especially Sandra Boyton books. My fav. So here is a video of Tara "reading her new book" with mommy.

I know, the video is not the best, but I am so proud of how well she is talking recentlly. Saying "oh no" and "oop"! Cute little girl!

And now for the bummer....

We got Elijahs progress report. I didn't think we were going to get one, because after all, we are checking his agenda, and signing off on his homework every day. So when I recieved a progress report for 3 classes saying the reason he is falling behind is because of homework assignments not turned in, I flipped. Failing 3 classes because the homework he is doing he is not turning in to the teacher....his reason. "well, she never asks me for it". Your right Elijah, the blanket statement to the class saying "pass up your homework" (yes, I called the teachers this is what they do) is surely not meant for you, they need to call out your name speciafically....Lets just say you can lead a horse to water but you can't force them to drink....I feel like Jim and I should be getting an A for effort, we have done all we can...his homework at least is getting done...if only he would turn it in....I am threatening to walk him to each and every class next week...In my star and moon jammies, fuzzy slippers, and not brushing my teeth yet. Just to be sure that he turns it in...in each class....I told him to save me a spot at the lunch table and make a sandwhich for me. Upon walking him to his class yesterday I hope he knows I mean business! I will go back to Jr. High if thats what it takes!!