Catching up Again!

Since our snow day back in January we have been quite busy. With Matthew's activities (school, soccer, and his marathon running) and my stuff, (work, school, marathon training, helping out with Matthew's school, and volunteering at church), life has been pretty crazy.

Matthew did the Music City kids Marathon, which is where from Feb-April they run 25 miles and then the night before the marathon run, the kids go up and run their last mile. I am so proud of him for completing this. He loved it. Friday night he got a medal for finishing, the whole PCA group really did a great job. I am so proud of Matthew, he wants to continue to run with me.

Then we took a trip during Spring break. We went to Connecticut for my nieces confirmation, so proud of her!!!! Then we decided to take a week and show Matthew you New York City and Boston. He loved it. Half way thru the day in Boston he looked at me and said "Mommy, can we live here". I almost cried. I love Boston and would move back in a heart beat but it is just too expensive. When we got back from our trip, it was like someone hit the fast forward button.

On April 1st, I celebrated my 1 year anniversary at work, I cannot believe it has been a year already. I am so thankful and blessed to have found such a great group of people to work with and for. The organization supports a cause I truly believe in and they have all become like family to me. I am truly blessed.

That being said, all 20 of them were here for Easter dinner. I was fantastic. It was like being with my own family. There are 8 kids between all the families so I stuffed a bunch of eggs and they had an egg hunt. They were hilarious running all over the yard.

On Good Friday Matthew had a friend come and spend the day and night with. We went to the zoo, then we hung out and had dinner. The boys played soccer with Joe and then we made smores. We were suppose to sleep in the tent but 10 minutes after we laid down to sleep, they decided the wanted to sleep in the house. They had a great time and they were both exhausted.

That brings us to this weekend. Matthew ran his last mile on Friday night, and I did the half marathon on Saturday. Today it is raining so we will just have a quiet day until we have to go to church tonight. Hopefully I will be able to keep this up, I have a feeling things are not going to slow down much.

Snow Day

It has been a while since I posted. I cannot believe it was August. Oh well, we got about 4-5 inches of snow last Sunday night and the kids were out of school. We ended up at some friends from school. We had a great time, which was good because Matthew and I ended up with the stomach flu for the rest of the week, and now the snow is gone.

Matthew with his friends from school.

Me thinking I am 18 again. My hips hurt for two days after I did this.

And the kids old and young, playing football in the snow.

I will hopefully do a better job this year of keep my blog updated. Happy New Year!!

Kayak

Well, I finally bought a kayak. Matthew has been asking if we can get one for a while. So yesterday after running a couple of other errands we went to Dicks and bought a kayak. Then the challenge was getting it home. I have never had to strap anything to the roof of my car, but the guy from Dick's ended up helping me get it tied down. Once we got it home and I realized that my husband was not going to divorce me for the purchase, we all piled in the car and headed to the lake.
We had a blast but man is it an upper body work out.

Matthew giving instructions on how to hold the paddle

Matthew has already asked about going back to the lake today. He had a really good time. I think next year we may buy him his own.

The weekend

We went to my in laws Friday as soon as I got off work. It was my mother in laws birthday so Matthew brought her three bouquets of flowers. Saturday my niece Rachel brought the baby down. He is so sweet. Nosy little boy. He eventually fell asleep in my arms and it was so sweet. Matthew got to hold him too. I is amazing how much Matthew loves babies.

Matthew and Easton

Easton is really doing well. And I am so proud of my niece, she has really surprised all of us. She has truly grown up and is doing a great job taking care of Easton. Easton goes back this week for another xray of his lungs so please pray they are clearing up.

School Begins

Well, Matthew started 1st grade last Wed. His first day of school was just a half day which was not big deal since he was there half day for kindergarten. The second day however, he had to stay in class until 3pm. I asked him that night how his first full day of school was and his response was "Mommy it felt like midnight". So I guess it was a little long. Since he started less than a week ago he has had home work twice, and we had to hand in a book report the first day of school. He gets to take art this year so he is really excited about that. I was hoping that this year would bring a little boy that would move a little faster than previous years, unfortunately that has not proven to be true. It is almost like the child has lead in his pants. Oh well, he will just get up earlier.
Matthew has his last baseball game tonight provided it doesnt rain. Then we start soccer in two weeks. Off to get the little man ready for school.

1st grade

I can not believe my little man is starting first grade in three days. Where has the time gone. It seems like just yesterday he was starting pre school and was only 3 years old.
He told me the other day that he was excited to start 1st grade because he gets to learn the presidents and all the states. I started laughing cuz I am pretty sure at age 38 I do not know all the presidents. Oh well, at least he is excited to start school. I should enjoy that while it lasts, because I am sure there is going to be a time in the not so distant future he will not want to go at all.

Its official

Well it's official. Our house went on the market today. Please pray that it sells quickly and that is sells for a good price.
We have already started looking for something in Murfreesboro so the faster it sells the faster we move. Matthew is ready to move closer to his school

Father's Day or 4th of July

We decided that since we are about to put our house on the market and buy a bigger one, that we would not do any gifts for father's day. So Matthew decided he wanted to make a cake for daddy. This is what he came up with.

I can not tell if it is suppose to be the 4th of July or Father's day. Anyway, he frosted and decorated it all by himself so I cannot complain. Matthew and I also made dinner. We had Mahi Mahi screwers with veggies and rice.


We pretty much hung out by the pool and laid around the house all day. It was really quite hot.

Catching up again

Well, we have had a couple of crazy months since I went back to work. First, I love my job. It is truly a blessing to be there.
Now to the running around we have done. Matthew played spring soccer again and he is such a defensive machine. He loves to play defense, which is good cuz he is not a very strong offensive player.
During the month of May Matthew graduated from Kindergarten. It was so cute to see him and all his friends in their cap and gowns.

My mom, dad, and stepmom all made the trip for his special day. I was so excited everyone was here for it.



I am really thankful that my parents get along with each other, and can sit in the same room with each other. Not many divorced parents can do that. The next night we all went to dinner at Maggiano's downtown and had a fantastic dinner to celebrate Matthew's graduation.
Matthew also lost his first and second tooth within two days of each other. So he now has no front teeth on the bottom.


I think he only has one missing in this picture, I guess I did not take any with both missing. Oh well, you get the picture. So now he is on break for the summer, and we have fantastic nanny who he really is having fun with. He did a golf clinic last week at Champions Run Golf Coarse and loved it. Then he got to go play at his friend Kendall's house and swim on Friday.
I am going to try to keep up with this blog now, but I can not promise anything. I will update again in the next few days.

How did we get here?

Back when Matthew was 6 months old I joined a playgroup, where I met 5 wonderful ladies with kids about the same age. For several years we pretty much did everything together. During that time we would all make if very clear that we would never go back to work, that we were stay at home mom's forever.
Well, last weekend I went to a birthday party of one the kids, and realized that all of us are now working again. And we are not just working for a little extra money, we all have responsibility and people who depend on us, almost like we have started new careers. How did we get here?

Oh well, I just thought is was funny cuz we all loved being home with our kids and promised we would never go back to work. I guess life just gets in the way sometimes.
Oh well, here is too the other 5 ladies who are now working again, you know who you are.

I write this because I have been home for the past four months unemployed and really got used to being a stay at home mom again. Now today I start a new season in my life with a great organization who mission I truly believe in. Wish me luck and pray for me.
Thanks

Really?!?!?!?!

On the way home from church tonight Joe decided he wanted a burger, so we stopped at Wendy's. We pull up to the drive through and he orders "a single no cheese and an order of fries". The single with no cheese was $3.19!!!!!!!!!!!!! What!!! I can buy a whole pound of burger meat for $3.19, and with that pound of meat I could make probably 10 burgers if I made them as thin as Wendy's does.
As I sit here and complain about the price of that burger, the real sad thing is I or Joe will be back there at some point, I am sure, buying the same $3.19 burger.

Edisto Beach, South Carolina

What a beautiful place. There were no chain restaurants on the island, the only grocery store was Piggly Wiggly, and it was not very big at all. They have a building height maximum of only 40 feet so there were no high rises and wont be. I was beautiful but cold the first part of the week. We went to the beach every day but had to dress in sweatshirts. Matthew is such a beach lover. He did not care how cold it was, he was playing in the water and the sand, and let me tell you the water was cold. It was so cold it made my toes hurt when I got them wet. Matthew did not seem to care at all. We went to Charleston one day, walked around the city and took Matthew to the aquarium, which he loved. The last two days were in the 70's and beautiful. We got some sun those two days and I actually went in the water up to my thighs, that is as far as I could force myself to go. We saw dolphins daily, feeding on the sand bars and playing and jumping. It was really cool.
Here are some pictures.

Matthew looking for shells and playing in the ice cold water!

This is a picture of the center of town. The Pig is in the background!

We took this cuz Matthew was being a crab that day!

And Matthew playing in the waves.

So that is our week wrapped up. We had a great time and will definatly go back. Next we will rent a house right on the ocean though. Having to drive to the beach was no fun, we have been spoiled at our place in Destin where you just walk across the street to the beach.

Bitter Sweet

Well, I got a job!! I am really excited and can't wait to start but I was sort of looking forward to being home with Matthew this summer. Oh well.
I accepted a bookkeeping positions with the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem (ICEJ).
No I am not moving. Their headquarters for the US is in Murfreesboro so that is where I will be working. I start April 1st and I am really nervous. I have my wonderful friend Kristen to thank for this since she is the one who recommended me for the job.

So that leads me to another challenge, What to do with Matthew this summer? I really would like to get someone who can come to the house and is able to take him places like the zoo, the park, the library, and someone who will get in the pool and swim with him. So if anyone knows of someone who would be interested in doing something like this please let me know.

Anyway, I will post about out vacation tomorrow.

Playing Catch up

OK, so much for having extra time since I was laid off. I think I have been doing more in a day not working then I did when I worked all day. Any way, going all the way back to Halloween but will do this quickly.


Matthew was a bat for Halloween. We went trick or treating with some friends of our in their neighborhood.



What a group. The kids had a great time.
Then we moved on to Thanksgiving and because Joe had to work the Friday after, we stayed home and did nothing but watch football.
A couple of weeks after Thanksgiving is Matthew's birthday. His birthday fell on Friday so he got cupcakes at school with his friends, then that night we had an ice cream cake with Nana and Ms Mary and he got to open all of his gifts from family. Then Saturday morning we had his friend party at The Jumpers Playhouse. He had all of his friends from school and they had a ball. Here are some pictures










Then we moved on to Christmas. I will not bore you with all the pictures of Matthew opening his presents. The child like every year got way too much, and plays with almost none of it. Anyway, we had a good couple of days. Christmas eve we did presents and then did santa on Christmas morning. We then packed the car and went to my in laws for a couple of days. We were all sick with really bad head colds and felt like we had been run over by a mac truck. My nephew came home with us for a couple of days and hung out. That was about it. Very uneventful.
We have had far more snow than we desired. And I think last week was the first week Matthew had a full 5 day school week since they had been back from Christmas break.
Oh, Matthew had his first sleep over at his friend Will's house. He had such a good time and really did much better than I expected him too.
Anyway that brings us to today. It is about 68 degrees out and I am off to pick up Matthew from school so we can come home and play outside. Friday is Matthew's last day of school for two weeks(spring break). We leave Saturday for Edisto Island, S.C. We are really looking forward to getting away for a couple days.
I will post pictures of our vacation when we return. Still looking for a job, and hoping something breaks before I run out of unemployment.

Hello

Well, I know if has been a while. This is just a quick update to let everyone know that I have been laid off. So since I have all this free time I will be catching you all up on what we have been up too.
Stay tuned. There will be more to come.

Matthew's recipe for Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin Meat

Mix together and add some more pumpkin seeds and then that is it!
Bake at 51 degrees for 40 minutes

Serves 5

Fall Break

I know this is really late since fall break was three weeks ago. Matthew gets two weeks off, so the first week we went to Gatlinburg for four days. Matthew wanted to go hiking so we did two, three mile hikes. It was awsome. We saw a momma bear and her two cubs on one of the hikes, Matthew thought that was so cool. We also saw a ton of deer out at Cades Cove. Matthew played in creeks and water falls, and just had a great time. We are going to start doing more hikes around here becuase Matthew loved it so much. Here are some pictures of the trip.

Laurel Falls



Climbing to Grotto Falls

Cholesterol Challenge

So, I found out last week that my cholesterol is way up from last year. Not good. My total cholesterol is 252 and my LDL's are higher than my HDL's. That is reversed from last year. So I have 6 months to lower my cholesterol to my goal number of 220. The doctor also told me I really need to concentrate on losing weight. So my goal for weight is 20 pounds. I am sure is six months I can make those changes. This is going to be difficult because as many of you know, I love food!!! Fattening food!!!!!!!!! Unfortunately with my family history that is not healthy at all.
So if anyone has good low fat, low cholesterol recipes please let me know. I am completely changing our life style. Pray for me as I embark on this life changing journey

New Car

Well, we finally did it. We broke down and decided to buy a new car. I am so excited. We got exactly what I want for the price we wanted. I am hear to tell you if you need to buy a new car, take my husband. We got them down $3500 and took 1.6% off our interest rate.
So now our chore is to sell the blazer, so if anyone know of anyone who wants a 1997 Chevy blazer let me know.
Here are some pictures of my new car. Oh I forgot, we got a 2006 Volvo V50 Wagon LOADED!





After 10 years with the blazer, it is time to retire her. I think I found I pretty good replacement.

Pre Algebra

Well, I got a 98 on my first test in pre-algebra. We had another test last night and I am really not sure how I did. Oh well, we will see next week. So far the class seems pretty easy, but I know that is going to change in the next couple of weeks. I will enjoy it while I can.