We got our Christmas lights up this weekend.

Poor Cameron was so terrified on the roof. He lasted for about 10 minutes of pure agony on his behalf, pure entertainment on mine! See he couldn't even smile for the camera! LOL

With cousins on Thanksgiving. Ali and Kayla are getting so grown up, it really makes me feel old. Ali was like 2 when I met her!

I found this picture today of Turner at the same age as Austin is now. He was getting in to mischief even then! lol

(for comparison purposes)

Yesterday we went shopping for our tree, got the lights on it, but then I had to leave for work. We will put ornaments on tonight. Our house smells so wonderful now. This is going to be a busy week with working, working, Aaron's parents coming in to town, and Aaron's Christmas party - but all good things, so it should be a good one. We get to have another Thanksgiving dinner this week - yum yum. And we get to celebrate Christmas. Oh how I love the holiday season!!! This truly is the best time of the year.

We had a visitor!!!

Who was it you may ask....let's see if these pictures help out any...Yeap, good ole Frosty The Snowman appeared today for the first time this year!!!! We love playing with Frosty!

Everyone was in their pjs under the snowsuits. We just couldn't contain the excitement to get out first thing this morning. We've been waiting for the first snow, and Turner excitedly announced snow on the ground first thing this morning with the enthusiasm of it being Christmas morning!!! Once he looked out and saw the snow, there was no more laying in bed this morning.

So Many Things...

So many things today to be Thankful for, were do you even begin.....

1. Thankful that we had family close by to welcome us in to their home
2. Thankful for the whole day off to spend with my family
3. Thankful for the health of my whole family
4. Thankful for the boys falling asleep on the way home so that we had special time with Mackenzie tonight.
5. Thankful that Aaron still has a job to go to tomorrow
6. Thankful for this blog to keep a diary of my life
7. Thankful that daddy just asked Mackenzie to snuggle on the couch next to him and she said yes, but that she wanted to snuggle with me when I lay down
8. Thankful that we can all sit here and watch the Incredibles and all enjoy it
9. Thankful that Austin fell asleep on me tonight in bed while I was trying to get him to go to sleep for a nap
10. Thankful that my daddy just called me to say "Happy Thanksgiving" because I'm still his little baby
11. Thankful that Turner still thinks I can fix anything in the world
12. Thankful for a husband that I'd marry all over again
13. Thankful that we have such a happy family
14. Thankful that I've never really had to deal with a tragedy in my life
15. Did I say thankful for the health of my family, I can't say that one enough
16. Thankful for the holidays to make you remember all the wonderful things to be thankful for.

Hope that each one of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving day. Thank you for sharing my life with me on this blog.

Birthday Wrap-up

What a fun and busy weekend we had. Friday night I worked then had to do Wal-mart grocery shopping afterwards and didn't get home till about 11, Saturday went to work from 10-2, then had to do my shopping at NY&Co. to get my extra discount, got home about 4. My dad and grandma were already there, they had showed up earlier in the day and taken the kids to Monkey Joe's with Aaron while I was at work. Other guests started arriving by 4:15, last ones left at about 8:30 - and I was pooped. Yesterday worked all day long, got home, ate dinner (a wonderful dinner my honey had all ready for me), did showers for the kiddos, cleaned, laundry, kids to bed, mommy to bed. And now it is Monday again and I'm back at the other work. But it was all good. I really like working at NY&Co. I've never done retail before, but I really do like it. And if I must say so myself - I'm pretty darn good at it too.

So here are some adorable pics of Turner's b-day party. He had so much fun. Got lots of dinosaurs and dragons, some games, a puzzle, and a cool alphabet learning thing. He has been playing with his new toys non stop. Thank you so much to all of our friends who came and brought such wonderful gifts. You guys are great.

Sporting his new hat and gloves - this was his first present to open in the morning.

Happy Birthday buddy boy (Austin was sleeping during cake time)

Wow mom, I didn't know there were flying dinosaurs!

Me torturing my little guy to get a pic of the birthday boy with his momma!

And I couldn't leave out the other two!

And to top it all off...Turner blowing out his candles, well at least attempting too!

Ha Ha buddy -GOTCHA! Sorry but I just had to!

The beginning of a new start

So tonight is my official start at NY&co. I'm really looking forward to it. Just something new and different. Yes it will be challenging and difficult at times to keep managing everything, but I think it is a good choice for us right now. Last night I didn't have anything to do, didn't have to be anywhere, laundry was caught up, house was clean....so the kids and I just had a nice relaxing night. I made a good dinner, we did some crafts, read some books, and watched Land Before Time III (gosh I love those movies!). I am very conscious of the fact that now that my hours with the kids will be on the decline, I really need to make the most of each moment I do have and really make it quality time. So my house will probably be a wreck, and the laundry may not be as caught up on, but oh well...I'll have to let it go. I don't have any other choice. Things like that will just have to be reserved for after the kids go to bed. No more lazy nights on the couch, I've got to buck up and make it happen. And of course I know my wonderful husband is going to step up to the challenge too, but you know how guys are - nothing personal against you honey - but they just don't see things the way we do. Guys think it is time to do laundry when they go in to their drawer and they don't have any boxers left and have to make due for a day - women see laundry to do when there is laundry in the basket (which of course is barely ever truly empty). Or maybe that is just me!!! I am a little pyscho about it all - I know honey, I'm sure you are yelling out a "Oh you guys don't know the half of it" right about now! lol So good news is that this also means my shopping spree is right around the corner! Yes, I'll be getting somewhere between a 40-55% discount so WhoooHooo for me! Hey, I can be selfish this one time and put my first 2 paychecks right back into myself right?!
On a little bit of a down note, well a big one, we know that there is a possibility that Aaron may loose his job, and it would be right before Christmas :( Now that would suck. But I know that he will take care of his family no matter what it takes, and I TRULY do believe that he will make it happen. So keep us in your prayers that LOTS of people start needing Finance and Accounting temps around here and order them from him! Let me tell ya, he is really putting in a lot of hours and hard work at this job and it is a really good fit for him, so I'd hate for us to be back to square one. But I also have to keep reminding myself that we will not get handed more than we can handle and that everything happens for a reason. Hey, maybe it would open the door to an even better opportunity. My worst fear though is that with my job not exactly being rock solid these days, that we could find ourselves in a few months both out of work....but positive thoughts, positive thoughts!! Anyways, like I said, just keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
And tomorrow my little guy Turner is going to be 3 years old. Oh my gosh I can't believe it. (Grandma and Pop, we did get your card and gift in the mail!) We are having a party for him tomorrow night. He is so excited. Of course he keeps saying it is going to be his half-birthday and I keep trying to tell him, no this is the big one. Funny thing I want to remember from last night....so this last weekend the kids watched the Wizard of Oz, and afterwards the kids played dress up - Mackenzie was Dorothy and Turner was the whicked witch chasing after her and Toto, so in on of the books we were reading last night there was a picture of a witch, and Turner grabs my face to turn towards him and tell me that he wants to be "the Wicked Witch when he grow up!" Ohhh gosh, I have to say, hope not, but isn't it just adorable how kids believe they can be ANYTHING they want when they grow up - even a wicked witch....gotta love it.

The thoughts of a mom

So I was just looking through all of my blog updates on other sites, got me thinking about the reality of things and how crazy life is.
First I read up on Tuesday - who is doing great - maybe all of our prayers are working! Her mom did a great post today. Very real. And I realize that not only does she have the complicated job of taking care of a 2 year old, we all know how testing that can be at times, but she has twins - so double the trouble (and joys too, I know). And she has 2 older boys, and I've heard the warnings of how brothers are together (one word - destruction?!) and on top of all that normal stuff, they are back and forth to the hospital battling cancer. I can't imagine. Where do you find the energy, the patience, the will power, the time.... I know the love just comes naturally - spills out of us without even trying, but that doesn't mean we aren't still tested with the day to day.
Next I was on to check in on the McNulty quads . So these quads are 2 1/2, times 4! She mentioned the mood swings of mom's...man can I relate. Turner will be three on Saturday, and don't get me wrong, I love the boy to pieces, but he can push me sooo far. I've really been thinking lately about auctioning him off online to the highest bidder - any takers? - ok, not really, well maybe the thought has crossed my mind, but I wouldn't actually go through with it! Lately he is in to his crying stage - gosh that doesn't do it justice - i mean the "I'm going to have a major meltdown basically because no matter what you tell me I will turn you telling me what I want into what I don't want" stage. Everything that doesn't go his way turns in to major meltdown. Last night Mackenzie had gymnastics and so I had to take the boys with me. Needless to say, trying to keep them happy, in a confined space, close to bedtime, trying to keep them quiet, and mommy running since 4:30 (AM that is), and no dinner for mommy yet (I can hear my mom "Uhh Ohh" from here!)- not any easy task right now. I should have prepared better and brought a suitcase full of stuff to keep Turner entertained, so a lot of it was my fault, but whew did he test me. I think that one of the ladies realized that I was about to go out and hook him to the harness and leave him hanging at the ceiling, because she came over and started talking to Turner to distract him from his crying and meltdowns about the fact that when i threw his paper plane (my best attempt to keep him occupied after his 5 minute focus on drawing) "fell apart" (opened a little). But to him mom had destroyed the plane - just one of the MANY ways I was personally trying to sabotage him last night. But then i after I got home, ate a little, and told myself "Patience this is just a stage, this too shall pass", I went in to read them a book in bed and the little guy melts me. Maybe he melts my heart so much because he sets me on fire so often!!
Finally I check up on the other quads and she has written them a birthday message because they are one now...and it is so true how you wouldn't want life to be any other way. How they are such a blessing and make you be the person you want to be, and can in the exact same moment bring out the side of me I'm ashamed of. How each child can be so different and unique. How I can't pick a favorite, but each is a favorite for different reasons. My my......and these are the thoughts and inner battles of mothers each and every waking moment of my life since I was first pregnant (I want to be pregnant and have this baby vs. what is the alien inside of me making me absolutely miserable! LOL). Guess I should have see what was ahead then.
So do dad's have this same inner turmoil or is solely saved for mothers? Honey?????

Fun with baby

Last night I got to babysit our neighbor's little 4 month old girl. She was so sweet...a perfect angel. It felt good to have a little baby around, thanks for sharing Dany!

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