Not me Monday...4th of July edition

I don't have time for pictures right now but here is my first attempt at Not Me Monday...Pictures will come later :)

I did not drink Dr. Pepper and iced tea all evening at work on Thursday evening knowing that caffine that late would keep me up and I most certainly did not finally fall asleep at 7 am on Friday morning due to all that caffine I had.

I also did not use that time through the night when I should have been sleeping in order to make both of the girls a dress to wear for the 4th of July. ( pictures coming soon, remember)

And I also most certainly did not sleep till 2 in the afternoon on Friday, good thing DH had the day off just in case I would have done something so crazy that day.

I did not nievely assume since I had kids that I would not be scheduled to work on the 4th of July even though I didn't put in a request to have the day off.

I did not pout around all day on the 4th knowing I had to go into work that night.

I did not cheer up when it started pouring down rain and continue to rain for hours.

I did not jump for joy and give out a big ol' YEA!! right on the front line at work when I heard the fire works had indeed been cancelled and rescheduled for the 5th...in which I was OFF work.

And I did not keep a smile on my face ALL day on Sunday during church, a dinner and special service at church, and a birthday party/cookout, knowing I was going to get to take the girls to the fireworks after all on such a BEAUTIFUL night...and keep the long time tradition going :)

Now go visit MckMama and share what you did not do this week!

Me and my girls :)

This week we are having Bible school at our church. Tonight started off with a bit of Chaos! We arrived at the church a bit early to find a crew there re-sealing the parking lot, you know with hot stinky TAR! What in the world, who would have ever arranged for something like that to be done the week of bible school, hmmm, apparently someone who didn't think it would matter since....THEY WERE AT THE WRONG CHURCH!!!!! So here we are less than an hour before bible school is to start and the parking lot is blocked off and cannot be walked on. Luckily we have a gravel drive way beside the parking lot where the dumpster sits and it was big enough that everyone could pull in there. But then what to do about getting to the building? They put card board, tarp, and rugs down that led to the little building then from there to the main church. We had to catch each person as they arrived so that they wouldn't walk on it and ruin their shoes and track it into the church. It was a bit crazy but it all worked out in the end, and the church agreed to pay 1/2 price what they would have charged, for them to go ahead and complete the job (we were planning to get it done soon anyways, it was just bad timing). So after our crafts tonight we did face painting. A few of the adults painted the kids faces. Some of the kids kept asking to paint someones face so after all the kids faces were done, we let them paint the adults faces. Then when we got home Bethanie was complaining that her tooth hurt, it was loose, she tried to pull it first then she told me to do it, I barely touched it and it was out and she was crying, then laughing, then crying again. I started laughing at her which made her start laughing again, it was so funny. Then i got my camera out so I could take a picture of her, what was suppose to be a picture or 2 of Bethanie's new checkerboard mouth turned into a complete photo shoot that had me and the girls cracking up! Here are some of the results....

Bethanie showing off her checkered board mouth, she is now missing 4 teeth!

Showing off her lady bug! I think this is the first time Bethanie has ever had her face painted, usually she refuses to have it done!

Elianna showing off her butterfly.

Cheesy girl!

And here's mine (please don't mind how I am dressed, I was trying to look like a camper/hiker but could only find a plaid shirt of DH's to where), Elianna painted the left cheek it's a heart (made of different colors) with a yellow circle around it. Bethanie painted the other cheek, it's a flower.

Bethanie and I, Elianna took this picture.

Bethanie was taking mine and Elianna's picture together, I have no idea where she learned it but she gave me bunny ears!! Then since I was laughing and my eyes were nearly closed, I told her to take another one in which....

...Elianna gave me "MOOSE EARS" (better known as moose antlers to most) I think she must of come up with this on her own because I have never seen anyone do this before, lol.

This picture is horrible but I LOVE it! It captured Bethanie laughing so hard her eyes are closed and Elianna is being her goof ball self and acting crazy!

Giving each other bunny ears. Just look at that pride on Elianna's face that she was giving Bethanie bunny ears, I'm telling you, she thought this was the funniest thing ever.

Me and my calm, quiet, and toothless Bethanie who is growing up WAY to fast

And finally I gave Elianna "moose ears" to which she cracked up when she saw the picture.

We laughed SO much and had such a good time...and we weren't even doing anything but acting silly and taking pictures...I love times like these!

I'm gonna miss this...Girl Scout Day Camp

This week me and the girls went to girl scout day camp. It rained, and rained, and stormed, and rained some more and lot, and lots, and LOTS of mud was made! In fact our nice, shady, up on the hill spot that we chose to get away from the heat...was over taken the last day by a stream that ran right through it, lol. But you know what??? WE STILL HAD FUN and you know what else, I am going to REALLY miss this!! I am going to miss getting to a leader for our troop and taking the girls to camp. I am going to miss all the giggles that come from the back seats as we drive that long way to and from camp everyday.

(The girls from our troop that got to go plus Elianna)

I'll miss getting to be a unit leader at camp and enjoying having the girls we have had both years (even if some of them drive me to the verge of insanity, lol) and finding stuff to keep them entertained and busy during our free time while trying to help them earn some badges.

(our unit, I blurred the girls faces, the other blurry spots...rain drops, you guessed it, it was raining while we had group pictures)

I'll miss the creativity of the girls

I'll miss the joy they had in getting to make a fire they get to eat all while learning all about camp fire safety.

I'll miss their bravery and the fun they have at creaking, I am sure soon enough none of them will want to do this anymore.

(although it looks like we are trying to escape a flood, we really were only creaking)

I'll miss seeing the fun they have with water games.

And yes, even though I feel I have had to tramp through enough mud to last me a life time, I will miss the extreme joy they all experienced in getting to jump right in, lol.

I am so glad I get to be there for my girls during fun times like these. I sorta dread the day when Elianna is old enough to be in her own group instead of tagging along with Bethanie's because then I will only get to be with one group and not get to enjoy the fun that they both experience. I will definitely miss the day that I am no longer needed as a leader!

For more you're gonna miss this, please go visit Pam's site, and join in if you want to!

Summer, summer... SUMMER!!

Well it is now summer vacation, WOO HOO!! I've been out for 3 weeks now, Elianna for 2, and Bethanie just finished up last week. I got a job, working at Wendy's (where I worked from the time I graduated high school till Bethanie was born). I will be working nights, mostly going in at or after 7pm. So for the first time in 3 years....I will have all day, all summer to spend just me and my girls :D I am so excited!!!! I've got so much stuff I want to get done around the house and so much fun stuff for me and the girls to do.

With the girls my plan is to come up with a list of chores for them to do (simple things that don't take but a few minutes) each day. Then when they complete their chores they will get to pick from the "FUN jar". The FUN jar is going to have a lot of activities for us to do, they will get to pick one thing each day that they complete their chores. I am getting my list of activities to put in the jar from here, here, here, and my old time favorite here!! We are taking part in a summer reading project that Bethanie's school is doing. Although Elianna doesn't yet go to the same school, the teacher over the project is also including her and has lessons and activities for her to do as well. We will do our yearly summer reading program at the local library and will likely attend many of the fun things they plan there. We will also be going to Girl Scout Day Camp one week and having Bible School at our church the following week.

As for the house stuff, first I want to get it cleaned up and organized. I am going to get my kitchen walls and cabinets painted and hang wall paper boarder (I've had the paint and boarder for a year and a half now, don't you agree it's about time I get it done, lol). I want to rearrange my living room and make an "entrance area" by our back door. I've got lots of other goals for the house as well. My goal is to work about 2 hours each day on the house then enjoy the rest of the days with the girls.

So in order to be able to do all this stuff I am going to have to cut something out of my days...and that something is going to be my internet time. Oprah had a show last week about a challenge where all electronic stuff was taken away from these families to see how they did. Then today as I was looking around, went to this blog I had never seen before and the first thing I saw was this entry and could SO relate to what it was saying! Sooooo, no more internet for me through the week. Monday through Friday the computer and the tv will be kept off (I am sure DH will not go along with this so his laptop will still be getting use). So look on the weekends for lots of pictures of all the fun and productive stuff I have accomplished each week!

Please stand by....

my blog is under construction, lol.

Can't wait till gets done, I am loving the new back ground. A good online friend and fellow PE sister offered to make me a new header :) Thanks again Lori! I'm so excited!!!

Can anyone help me?

I am wanting to change my blog layout/background/header! I love, Love, LOVE my blog the way it is now but I am just ready to change it, it has been over a year of the same thing. So where do I go for FREE stuff. I have looked on Cutest Blog on the Block, they have some REALLY cute stuff but I can't find a header to go with the backgrounds I like. I want it to be americana like, red, white, and blue, maybe some stars and or stripes, I want to use this picture

Even though it's almost a year old now, it's still my favorite for now.

Oh, and while I am at it...does anyone know if you can change the name of the blog without starting a new one...ok, maybe I could just not put the title up there?

Anyone got any suggestions?

Thanks!

It's days like these....

...that make me realize how blessed I am, how far we have come, how special Bethanie truly is, and what a miracle we experienced.

A couple weeks ago this little girl, Maddie, passed away suddenly from what I believe was a respiratory infection. Maddie was a preemie, born 11 weeks early. At 17 months old she was catching up and thriving, but because of her lungs still being weak due to being born so early, her little body could not handle this respiratory illness.

Then just this week, I read of this little girl, Kayleigh. Kayleigh was also a preemie, born 12 weeks early (Due to Preeclampsia, the same as my self). She was 11 months old, she went through 7 major surgeries and had never been able to go home. This week she lost her hard fought battle and passed away.

My Bethanie, as most of you probably remember, was also a preemie. She was born 13 weeks early (she was earlier than either of the 2 babies I just mentioned) and weighed 1 pound 12 ounces.

She spent 84 days in the NICU. Of those 84 days we eagerly waited 21 days before we got to hold her for the first time....

It took 5 long weeks before she could successfully be weaned off the ventilator....

She came home still requiring oxygen....

Then finally 1 month after bringing her home, we got to see her beautiful little face with no tubes or wires attached....

We had been warned of how serious it could be if she were to catch a cold or something worse, so for the first 5 months of being home, we kept her isolated in hopes of keeping her free of any illnesses. It was SUCCESSFUL! We took her out for the first time (to anywhere other than the doctor) at 8 months, she got to go to church on her first Easter. She did not get sick for the first time till she was 18 months old and that was a stomach virus, which resulted in her getting badly dehydrated. That has thankfully been her one and only return stay in the hospital. From then on she thrived....

Her first birthday....she weighed a hefty 13 pounds then!

Her second birthday....looking much more like a 1 year old, she was now up to 18 pounds.

Then her third...

Fourth....

Fifth...she was now up to 31 pounds and had just started school.

6th....

Seven.....

Eighth....

and here we are today....

A VERY smart, loving, beautiful little girl who now weighs 48 pounds who I love with all my heart and am more proud of than words can ever say. She has overcome so much and for that I am eternally thankful to the Lord above for letting her survive and giving me the privilege of being her mom. I Love you Bethanie Ann!!!!! XOXOXOX

(Mother's Day 2009 Alyvia, Bailey (my nieces), Bethanie, and Elianna)

I don't, and probably never will, know why Bethanie is so perfect and alive and these other families had to give their babies back to our Heavenly Father but I do know that I will hug and cherish my girls even more knowing what could have been. My heart and prayers go out to the 2 families who have lost their precious little girls. I can not even begin to imagine the pain they are going through.

One more thing I need to share...When I was dismissed from the hospital after having Bethanie. Matt and I went to Kroger's to get my prescriptions filled before going home. As we went through the card section, I noticed an Anne Geddie's card with this picture

I had a feeling of peace when I saw it, it's hard to explain, but I knew I had to get it. I felt like God wanted me to see that picture as if He was telling me "She's going to be fine, I'm holding her in my hands". My MIL took that card and had it framed for me and it still to this day hangs in my bedroom.

Recently my girls have discovered a little picture album that I had made for Bethanie when she was a baby, to keep in the diaper bag to take with us when we would be out. In it I have a few pictures of Bethanie when she was in the NICU. One of those pictures she is wearing a dress that was REALLY tiny and my girls now use it for a doll dress. I think Elianna (who is only 4) has realized, to a point, that Bethanie was really tiny as a baby. Tonight she was getting ready for bed in my room and she yelled for me to come in there. When I walked in the room, she pointed to that Anne Gedde's picture and asked me if it was Bethanie when she was a baby. I told her no and then about how I had gotten it when Bethanie was still in the hospital and how it made me think that God was holding Bethanie in his hands. She got such a peaceful, happy smile on her face, tipped her head to the side and nodded almost like "Yea, you are right mom".