Changing Me

First off, I cannot believe that this is my 100th post!! Seems like just yesterday I was giving in to a friends request to start a blog so she could keep up with me. And as hit and miss as I've been, I have enjoyed blogging =)

This post is more for me than for anything else. And as the title says, it's all about changing me. Aaron is working second shift right now. That means Monday-Friday he leaves for work before the kids get home from school and doesn't get home until after 11pm. He can usually change one day a week so he's home in the evening. That still leaves 4 days a week when it's just me and the kids. I know what kind of mom I want to be. What kind of mom I dream to be. However, when one is tired and feels like a single parent most of the week and the kids fight and are disobedient, it's really hard to be that mom. So, Monday(it's now Thursday) I dropped the kids off at school. It was raining and I was in a fantastic mood. On the way home from the school I had a conversation with the Lord. I made sure he knew what my goals were for the evenings to come. How I didn't want to get irritated with my kids and to find a positive way to handle their fighting. Monday evening went GREAT! I stayed calm and didn't raise my voice at all. I told the kids what I was working toward and asked them to help by behaving and getting along. They seemed to understand that it's hard for me with their dad gone. Tuesday was also really good. We played cards and had a great time until bed time. Yesterday....Still ok, but not what I wanted. I could feel myself getting irritated and fighting my feelings. I've learned that if I turn up my praise and worship music and pray in the moment it really helps. I don't want to be that mom that yells because her kids are being loud, or jumping around the house. I want to be loud and jump with them. Something happened at the end of last year, a tragedy in Connecticut, that has helped me deal with my kids. I just remind myself that there are parents out there who would love the noise and fighting and a reason to discipline their child. But they can't. I have the opportunity to change myself and be the mom I know I can be. To live in the moment and let my kids be kids. To have fun with them now because they're growing up so fast. To have a calm and gentle spirit because I don't want them to remember a mom that was always telling them to stop and be quiet and "what were you thinking". I am learning about self-control and to think before I speak. I'm in a study right now and one of the things that keeps coming up is that the mom is the center of the home. Who do my kids go to to tattle even if dad is right next to them? Me. When they get hurt? Me. When they do something they're proud of? Me. Not to say they WON'T go to their dad, but they come to me most. It's in our nature to nurture and I need to nurture ALL THE TIME. God is teaching me through some very special people that I am not alone in this struggle. But If we're going to homeschool next year then I need to get a handle on my attitude NOW. I mean, look at these faces...

Don't they deserve the best from a mom that loves them the most? I never want them to have reason to doubt that they are getting that. My best.

'Her children rise up and call her blessed'   Psa. 31:28

So Much....

Seems like so much has happened since Sept. For starters, Ethan had a bike wreck and broke a finger. Also had 4 stitches in that same finger. This brought about ortho appt's.

I also became an aunt again in Sept. Caleb Janzen Knox was born to Matt and Megan on the 11th.

Oct. started out with Aaron having a bike wreck and breaking his collar bone. He hit a pothole and 'superman'-ed over his handle bars hitting the pavement with the back of his shoulder and head(his helmet cracked). He was out of work for 6 weeks. This brought about ortho appt's.

The top pic is the road rash on the back of the shoulder he landed on. The other is his broken helmet. He hadn't been wearing one until about 2 weeks before this.

Nov. started with Katie having her second set of tubes put in. And Dec. started with her mouth connecting with Evan's head and losing a tooth that wasn't loose.

 Aaron's g-ma died in Jan. and Ethan turned 9.

We're also making some improvement's to our house. We've had a new roof put on and a new privacy fence put up just last week. Next on the list is painting the siding.

OH! And we've decided to homeschool next year and we're ALL excited =)

My "baby' turned 3!!

That's right! Evan had a birthday yesterday. My youngest is now 3 years old. It feels a little strange to be so excited that all my kids are getting older and no more are going to be added(unless the Lord tells us to adopt at some point). As the kids get older they get to be more and more fun =) Evan is no different. Oh, wait, he's a lot different! He is the most inquisitive kid we have. Bugs make him stop where he is, even if they're dead. He has to check them out and look them over. He's adventurous, curious, playful and loving. He shares well and is so sweet. We've been diaper free in this house since January and loving it. He knows his colors and can count to 12. And he rids Levi's scooter just as good as Levi. He's a little too coordinated for his own good and that scares me a bit =) He loves books and wrestling with the boys. He's still on the small side(can wear 12 month shorts) but makes up for his size with attitude. He's an awesome kid...and he's mine!

I have Dashed and I have Conquered!

Ok, I know it's been a long time since my last post. And quite a bit has happened. But I'm going to focus on 2 things for now.

In June I ran the Warrior Dash with my brother, Matt. It's a 3 mile run with 8-12 obstacles(I think we had 10). My goal was to do my best, have fun and not kill myself. I finished that run in 50.47 minutes. I was beyond proud of myself. I climbed walls, walked planks suspended over muddy water, ran though hanging tires, crawled under barbed wire and leaped over fire. It was more fun than I expected and such a rush.

Matt and I before the run. Still clean and smelling nice =)

                                                           
                                                              Leaping over fire!

Yes, that is muddy water I'm sludging through while trying not to get caught on the barbed wire above my head.

My sister-in-law, Megan(Matt's wife), was kind enough to snap some photo's of us at the end. This is my finish.  

                             Me and Matt along with one of his buddies, Tanner. We rocked it!

                                     After the run. We're gross and we stink. But we had fun!


So, the very next day Matt talked me into signing up for a run called Conquer the Gauntlet. It's a brand new race put together by folks here in the great state of Oklahoma. The difference between the Dash and the Gauntlet is this...The Gauntlet is a 4 mile run with 30 obstacles. Sounded like a run only crazy people or those with something to prove would sign up for. But I was still on a high from the Dash so I paid my money and locked myself in for the run in August. I ran more in the heat of the day to prep my body for the hot August temps. It was rough and I was not enjoying myself. But I had a goal...To run the Gauntlet in 1 hour and 10 minutes. The day before the run I changed my goal. I just wanted to do my best and have fun. Matt is a faster runner than me so I picked out another chick and stayed with her. Matt ran on ahead as my new friend, Tracy, and I trudged through mud, climbed over cargo nets, tried to climb over some very high walls, attempted to cross monkey bars that were angled, crawled through tunnels that were nasty and about 3 obstacles that included barbed wire. But, I crossed that finish line with a time of 49.45 minutes. I bested myself =) And the weather was AWESOME! It even rained on us. I have bruised legs, sore muscles and a touch of poison ivy and I'm looking forward to next year. I might even run it twice.

                                                                    The before

                                                       Let's get this party started!!

                                      Running through the vat of mud heading for the finish line...

                                                             ....So glad to be done

                                      Our shoes. Believe it or not, mine washed up  pretty good.

                                                                       The after

After all was said and done, I'm proud of myself and looking forward to my next crazy run. What an adventure!

The Run

Last year I ran my first ever organized run. The 2011 St. Patty 5k. I ran with my brother, Andy. I had 2 goals last year. First, to run the entire 3.2 miles without stopping. Second, to do it in 30 minutes or less. Well, I scored on both goals. I ran the entire thing in 27.54. I was beyond proud of myself. So, when it came time to do the run this year I was all excited to beat my time from last year. I didn't take pics from last year so this is Andy and me before this years race...

I did my best. Really, I did. I ran my first mile in 9.2o minutes and my second mile was done in 9.02. However, it was at that point the 24 ounces of water I had consumed prior to the run decided to hit my bladder. I tried to make it to the end but after 4 kids it was not going to happen. And I was not about to wet me pants for the sake of making good time. So, at the 3rd business I located a bathroom and found relief =) I finished the race in 30.20 with a pee break.
If you look closely you can tell Andy is laughing at me for opting to take that pee break. He thinks I should have just kept going. HA! I am too much of a lady to do that. Which is why I will never run a marathon. Next year I will remember to find a restroom BEFORE the run starts. All in all I had a really great time and I'm looking forward to the next one. Warrior Dash 2012, here I come!!

HELLO??

So, it's been a few months. I have a hard time blogging if I feel like I have nothing to say :/ And that's where I am right now. The kids are in school and doing great. We had a fantastic Christmas with both side of the family. My nephew, Judah, had a scare with a form of bacterial meningitis over Christmas but was healed and home in 3 days, PTL! Now it's getting back to life and trying to focus on getting fit before my contract at my gym runs out in March. I won't be going back. Evan would be potty trained if he would just sit on the potty. He tells me when he pees and he goes to another room and closes the door when he needs to poop. I bought him undies for Christmas and he looks so cute in them. I'm hoping he gets the hang of this potty thing so I can stop buying diapers. Ethan will be 8 on the 24th. He turning into a responsible young man. I have to remind myself sometime that he's only 8 because he's so big and smart I treat him like he's 10. Our break was so good I'm now looking forward to the summer. It was nice having the kids home but I know they love school. They all have amazing teachers. So, in a nutshell , that's where we are. Nothing new...just life.

He's 2!!

My baby boy turns 2 today. And he is a mess! He's little for his age...still wears size 12 month shorts =) But makes up for it in attitude. He thinks he's big enough to do everything the big kids do and that sometimes gets him in trouble or hurt. He has a few sentences he says. My favorite, just because it's the funniest, is"Oh my gosh". He loves bugs. If a door is open he thinks it needs to be closed. He likes going for bike rides(he sits in a bike trailer), and walks. He's not afraid of much. He thinks he's too big for a sippy. He also thinks he's big enough to sit on the potty. He loves bath time, especially if he sneaks into the shower with Ethan. He loves dogs/cats. And best of all is that his siblings LOVE him! He has rocked my world these past 2 years. And sometimes it was not the best. But God knew what He was doing when he placed Evan in our lives. I don't know what I would do without him. He's super lovey and so stinkin cute! If he gets in trouble or I'm comforting him after he's gotten hurt he'll pat MY back. Just like I do to him. What else can I say except he's awesome =) Happy Birthday, Evan!!