How to Tell if You are a MoM (Mother of Many)

(#14 doesn't really apply to me since we will be done for sure after this one.)

You know you are a MoM (Mother of Many) when:

1. You know where the bathroom is in any major store you visit.

2. Your car has more seatbelts than windows.

3. Your grocery budget is higher than your house payment.

4. You do most of your thinking and praying in the bathroom.

5. Creative decorating means lots of bookshelves and bunkbeds.

6. You no longer carry a purse, but use the diaper bag instead.

7. Your idea of good commercial building design means a comfy mother's lounge.

8. You constantly find yourself marveling how short the time is between birth and toddling, birth and schoolage, birth and graduation, etc.

9. Even your two year old knows that they must hold someone's hand in the grocery store.

10. You have a routine for stopping pacifiers, toilet training, cup training, and every childhood “phase”.

11. You have at least three witty replies to "Are they all yours?"

12. You just really wish people would not think they were clever for saying, "Don't you know what causes that?"

13. You have forgotten how many times you have been asked, "Are you Mormon or Catholic?"

14. You are still afraid to tell your husband how many more kids you want!


15. Your food storage takes up more room than your entire kitchen... And that is just for this week!

16. You have so much laundry that when you finally get to the bottom of the pile, it's actually stuck to the floor!

17. You spend a lot of time at church in the foyer or mother’s lounge, wondering why you can’t just stay home and listen to the baby fuss there!

18. You spend more money on diapers each month than you do on entertainment!

19. You instantly sympathize with any woman who is obviously pregnant in the middle of summer.

20. You are up to double digits in years that you have spent with a baby attached to you in one way or another!

21. Taking the kids grocery shopping with you makes you feel like a mother duck.

22. You hate carpools because you know who is going to get stuck doing the driving.

23. When you see photos of castles and grand mansions, all you can think is how many bedrooms it has (YES!), and how much space all those other rooms provide for the kids to mess up (NO WAY!).

24. You know that every time you move the couch or couch cushions, you will find Cheerios under them.... Even if you have not had Cheerios in the house!

25. You know the “law of crumbs”. “Any food item that will crumble will produce twice its own weight in crumbs.”

26. You know by experience that paint NEVER dries until it has been spread around in all the places you did NOT want it to be.

27. You know what to use to remove lipstick, shortening, and indelible marker from any surface.

28. You know how to get smashed raisins out of a carpet, and how to get bubblegum out of hair, and so do all your older kids.

29. You are certain one of your kids is sneaking rolls of toilet paper out of the house and selling them because you know there is no way they could be using that much of it, even if there ARE a lot of bottoms in your house.

30. When you go to order fast food, you order 6 hamburgers, one with ketchup only, one plain, one with no pickles or onions, two with no pickles, onions or mustard, and one with nothing but cheese, plus one fish sandwich, one chicken sandwich, one large hamburger, and one large hamburger with bacon. You then have to repeat yourself three times so the person at the window can get it right.

31. When your kids are learning a foreign language, you wonder how it is that they can find the words to insult each other faster than they can find the words to say “I'm sorry.”

32. If two kids bring home identical toys from their kid's meal, you know you have to put names on them first thing, or they will fight over whose is whose, even if both of them have one in their hand.

33. You spend a lot of time looking at the little kids, urging them on to the next step, while still wishing they could stay little just a bit longer.

34. You have a full baby book for your first two children, half of one for the next one, and nearly empty baby books or none at all for the later ones.

35. When the many-times-handed down clothing is finally too worn out to hand down again, you still have a hard time letting it go because it has so many good memories attached.

36. You don't have a wardrobe of “fat clothes” and “skinny clothes”. You have "regular clothes”, “pregnant clothes”, and “nursing clothes”.

37. When a child outgrows something, you put it away in a box in the closet or garage, even if you don't have a younger child of that gender, because you just know you are going to need it eventually!

38. Your idea of a great dining set is one that has lots of expansion leaves. When you see a corporate boardroom on TV, all you can think is what a great dining table the conference table would make.

39. You can list at least three different technological advances in diaper design which you, personally, have used on your kids.

40. You have at least one specialized medical skill because at least one of your kids has some kind of potentially risky condition which you deal with.

41. You sometimes wonder how it is that other moms get really nice gifts for holidays, and you end up with 6 pieces of cardboard with “I love you Mom your the best.” written on it in crooked writing. And you have a box in your closet that you put them in.

42. You cook dinner in pots large enough to bathe a baby in, and frequently lament over the insufficient size of convenience appliances like mixers, waffle irons, and crock pots – and you compromise by owning two of each.

43. Your car is large enough to hold the entire family, but if you go camping, you have to rent a trailer just to hold all the camping equipment.

44. You can't believe with the size of the larger RVs out there that they couldn't fit more beds into at least ONE of them, and you really wish they'd design one with two bathrooms!

45. If you see a home design with a Master Retreat room, you think what a great nursery it would make.

46. You can quote entire pages from Dr. Seuss without having to pause to think about it, and can sing any number of Raffi or Disney songs from memory.

47. You can think of more than three great Christmas gifts for a child of any age... Because you always have a child close to the age in question!

48. You have at least one story stored up for each of your kids which is guaranteed to embarrass them if you recount it in public.

49. You know, and are thankful, that when they get too old to send to their rooms, that possession of the car keys gives you the ultimate power!

50. When the first two kids move out, you can't believe how much smaller your family feels.

51. You think that a mini-van is just too small to be a practical family car - but you wish they'd make a shopping cart about that size!

52. Getting the whole family to fit into the Wal-Mart photo booth, and then getting a picture when nobody is crying, making bunny ears, blinking, or sticking their finger in their nose is a major triumph!

53. Your stretchmarks might better be described as "pleats".

54. Your kids don't need as many toys, because they always have someone to play with.

55. Other people dream of buying a Porche or other sports car, but all you can think is that it wouldn't be good for anything because it is not cheap enough for your husband to commute in, and it doesn't have enough seats for the family, and there's no WAY you are going to let your teenager drive that!

56. You have to take off your shoes to count all the kids.

Written by Laura Wheeler

Co-Owner of Firelight Business Enterprises, Inc, and Firelight Web Studio – Laura writes instructional materials, produces infosites, and builds affordable websites for her business startup clients. Her varied experience allows her to give exceptional service, and to produce instructions on a surprising range of topics. Laura is a busy mom of eight, homeschooler, and home business owner.

This article may be reprinted if it is unaltered, and if the signature line is included with the article..

I love this time of year :-)

What a wonderfully blessed holiday season we have had! Thanksgiving was a lovely time of gathering with our family and thinking about everything that we are thankful for. And Christmas... Christmas was just... Uh-ma-zing! This was our first Christmas in our home here in Fort Worth and I couldn't have asked for a better time of celebration! Oh, and the food. Don't get me started on the abundance of food at our house! In fact I am just now getting to the pumpkin pie. We had so much food that I didn't have room for the pumpkin pie. But hey, at least it's now cooling on the stove :-)





On another note, I have some big news that I just can't wait to share. (I learned last time how important it is that friends and family are in the loop from the beginning...)

This morning we found out that we are expecting again! After last month's problems I am a little paranoid but since I have given birth to 2 healthy children, I'm thinking that things should go well this time. This baby should be due around the end of July or beginning of August :-)

Christmas Message :-)

It's that time of year

Tomorrow is the first of December so to get into the Christmas spirit here is my favorite Christmas song sung by my favorite singer :-)

Powerful Stuff

It's amazing how God speaks to me. I can't fully explain it because I don't fully understand it myself but I know that he does speak to me in different ways, like through music or a devotion that pertains to something I am dealing with at the moment. When I realize what is going on a wave of emotion envelops me because I am amazed that the Creator of the Universe is speaking to little 'ole me! I know that people that do not know God or Jesus have no clue what I am talking about and probably think I'm nuts and that's okay. I have an awesome God and Savior and that's what matters!

You Must Believe

This evening I was going through an old box of things that I had collected since I was little and found this poem.

"You Must Believe"

When faith grows dim in the darkest night,
you must believe God makes things right.
When belief is strong and joy surrounds,
you must believe God’s goodness abounds.
When prayers go up to heaven above,
you must believe God responds with love.
When it may seem He doesn’t hear,
you must believe God's always near.
You must believe God has a plan
of which we’re a part but don’t understand.
You must believe your prayers are heard…
you must believe and accept God’s word.

Hello holidays!

As I sit here with a house full of children (school is out until Monday) I can't help but be amazed that the holidays are now upon us and we are getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving. Luckily we have most of our Christmas shopping done so it won't be so bad. I can't stand the busy holiday shopping season. It brings out the worst in most people. (Who goes to a sale at midnight? I'll pay the couple extra cents/dollars, thank you.) We also have most of the tree up. We went with a traditional red, green, and gold theme which is turning out nicely so far. Now we're deciding whether we want a bow or a star on top. When it's finished I'll post a photo of it.

Speaking of the holidays. Here's a little video that I found from 2006 that may help get you in the Christmas spirit a little early. Samara was 7, Andrea was 6, and Myranda was only 3 when they did this :-)

To try or not to try?

Tom and I discussed recently whether or not we want to try again, considering the events that recently took place. We decided that we will go ahead when we are ready. So yes, we hope to have one more in the future. We aren't going to stress over things though. If it happens, great; if not, no worries. Besides, I truly believe that God is in control and if he wants us to have one more then we will, regardless if we are trying or not :-)

I love my husband

This morning he came home from work with these beautiful flowers:

I am so lucky to have a man who loves me as much as he does. Love like that is rare. He knows I am hurting right now and although he can't help me much he does try his best and for that I am so thankful.

Goodbye

It's official. The baby I would have had in early July is gone.

Goodbye, my angel. Mommy will see you in heaven someday.

Waiting

Why did they have to give me progesterone? I'm so ready for this nightmare to be over..... Instead I have to sit here and wait longer for the inevitable. If they hadn't jumped the gun maybe I would be getting through this sooner. Sadly, until things finally take their course, I am still sitting here with some small glimmer of hope that a miracle might happen and I don't lose this baby but the numbers don't lie. I actually did research to see if there has ever been a pregnancy survive dropping HCG levels and found one or two. In those cases the levels dropped but then rose back up and things were fine. Unfortunately that rarely happens. I just have a feeling that I will be an emotional wreck when I finally miscarry :-(

Sorry but I have to vent and my blog seems like my best way get this frustration out.

What I needed to hear

We sang this song today in church. It was just what I needed to hear. I almost fell apart in the middle of singing but held it together. How amazing God is to speak to us especially when we need him!



Joy Comes In the Morning

If you've knelt beside the rubble of an aching, broken heart,
When the things you gave your life to fell apart;
You're not the first to be acquainted with sorrow, grief or pain,
But the Master promised sunshine after the rain.

Hold on my child, joy comes in the morning,
Weeping only lasts for the night;
Hold on my child, joy comes in the morning,
The darkest hour means dawn is just in sight.

To invest your seed of trust in God in mountains you can't move,
You have risked your life on things you cannot prove;
But to give the things you cannot keep for what you cannot lose,
Is the way to find the joy God has for you.

Hold on my child, joy comes in the morning,
Weeping only lasts for the night;
Hold on my child, joy comes in the morning,
The darkest hour means dawn is just in sight.

Bill and Gloria Gaither

So much for good news :-(

For just those few weeks
I had you to myself.
And that seems too short a time
to be changed so profoundly.
In those few weeks,
I came to know you...
and to love you.
You came to trust me with your life.
Oh what a life I had planned for you!
Just those few weeks...
when I lost you,
I lost a lifetime of hopes,
plans, dreams and aspirations.
A slice of my future simply vanished overnight.
Just those few weeks...
It wasn't enough time to convince others
how special and important you were.
How odd, a truly unique person has recently died
and no one is mourning the passing.
Just a mere few weeks..
And no "normal" person would cry all night
Over a tiny unfinished baby,
or get depressed and withdraw day after endless day.
No one would, so why am I??
You were just those few weeks, my little one.
You darted in and out of my life too quickly.
But it seems that's all the time you needed
to make my life richer
and to give me a small glimpse of eternity.

~S Erling

I was going to have good news because I found out that I was expecting a week ago but today I found out that the baby will not make it. Now I'm just waiting for the inevitable. I feel like the joy was ripped out of the very core of me today.

What's up --->

This past week has been fun... I called my mama and made plans with her for Thanksgiving. She and my stepdad are going to come over with my stepsister and possibly my younger brother. My mother-in-law and father-in-law may possibly come over too if they get the chance. It will be a noisy, crowded home on Thanksgiving but that's okay. I like my home lively :-)

Samara, Andrea, and Myranda are doing UIL this year. Myranda is going for Storytelling. She had her first practice on Wednesday and it ran late. It was supposed to end at 3:45 and didn't end until almost 4:00. That made things interesting because Andrea has honor choir practice on the same day. She got out at 3:55 and she goes to a different school a couple miles away so I was late picking her up. Luckily she had her phone so I could explain what happened. Hopefully Myranda's practice won't run that late anymore. Andrea is going to do Music Memory for UIL this year. She did that before a couple of years ago and learned quick that you have to study and practice to do well so hopefully she does great this year. Samara is going to do Art Appreciation I think. It's the one where she has to memorize the titles of famous artwork. She did that a couple years ago too and won first place so I'm sure she will do well again as long as she prepares.

I really need to get Alex and Jaina scheduled for their yearly well child visit. I've been putting that off because there's been so much going on. I also need to get their yearly photos done but I may wait until we get our family portraits done.

Just for future reference, I *may* have a big announcement soon...

Tom and I received some very interesting information that, once we have validated, we will share with everyone.

That is the only hint I will provide ;-)

Beautiful the mess we are...

I love this song...

God loves a lullaby
In a mothers tears in the dead of night
Better than a Hallelujah sometimes.
God loves a drunkards cry,
The soldiers plea not to let him die
Better than a Hallelujah sometimes.

We pour out our miseries
God just hears a melody
Beautiful the mess we are
The honest cries of breaking hearts
Are better than a Hallelujah

The woman holding on for life,
The dying man giving up the fight
Are better than a Hallelujah sometimes
The tears of shame for what's been done,
The silence when the words won't come
Are better than a Hallelujah sometimes.

We pour out our miseries
God just hears a melody
Beautiful the mess we are
The honest cries of breaking hearts
Are better than a Hallelujah

Better than a church bell ringing,
Better than a choir singing out, singing out.

We pour out our miseries
God just hears a melody
Beautiful the mess we are
The honest cries of breaking hearts
Are better than a Hallelujah

Happy November!

Whoops! I blinked and there went a decent sized chunk of the year!!! I really need to get on here more often (I keep saying that, I know!) so why not now? I have way too much to update on so I will just touch on a few things.

Now where did I leave off? Oh yeah. We celebrated my 27th birthday and Samara's 11th birthday in May and Andrea's 10th birthday in June. Tom turned the big 3-2 in June as well. Just this past month Jaina turned 2 and Alex turned 3.

Samara accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior (YAY!) and later was baptised in July! I am also growing more in my faith and making some wonderful friends since I started taking the kids to Spring Valley Baptist Church after moving to Fort Worth. I could go on about my faith but that will have to be another blog post.

School has been keeping the kiddos busy especially since Andrea is in honor choir and Samara is in drama. Myranda is having a little trouble in school but we are working on that. Alex and Jaina are both currently working on potty training. Both of them are pretty close to being done. I became an Avon Rep on October 8th and last but not least, Tom and I celebrated 5 years of being together on October 20th :-)

So that's it in a tiny nutshell...

Fast and Slow

Thanks to my little ones watching Nick Jr., this song has been stuck in my head :-) At least it's not an annoying one lol.

As we celebrate Memorial Day...

Let us remember and honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we may still call our country the land of the free...



Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills, from the sky.
All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.

Fading light, dims the sight,
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.
From afar, drawing nigh, falls the night.

Thanks and praise, for our days,
'Neath the sun, 'neath the stars, neath the sky.
As we go, this we know, God is nigh.

Sun has set, shadows come,
Time has fled, we must go to our rest.
Always true to the promises we've made.

Fading light, dims the sight,
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.
From afar, drawing nigh,
Falls the night.

"Taps"

57% of Americans dont think women should breastfeed in public.

According to Babytalk Magazine, 57% of Americans dont think women should breastfeed in public.

Wow.

*headdesk*

I guess women who exclusively breastfeed should hide away for the remainder of the time that they nurse their children? Um, no. Those 57% should grow up and stop this crazy obsession that boobs are strictly sexual, indecent, etc. and be glad that those children are being given the best possible nutrition. Sorry but if breastfeeding women can't feed their babies in public then bottle feeding shouldn't be allowed in public. Sounds silly doesn't it? That's the same idea.

End rant.

Cafe Manager Berates Breastfeeding Mom
http://abcnews.go.com/WhatWouldYouDo/breastfeeding-mom-harrassed-restaurant/story?id=10627999

Can I have just FIVE minutes?

I stumbled upon the following letter at http://www.topbabypages.com/. I couldn't help but feel this author's pain. I cannot count the number of times I have been interrupted while attempting to take a shower. While it is frustrating, I wouldn't trade my life for anything in the world. I love every bit of it, good, bad, and downright ugly :-)



Dear Kids,

Don't be alarmed, the world isn't coming to an end. I am simply taking a bath. It will take about 30 minutes and will involve soap and water. Yes, I know how to swim. Even if I didn't, forcing myself to drown in a half-inch of lukewarm water is more work than I've got energy for. (Which reminds me, I'm all for science projects, but the next time you want to see if Play-Doh floats, use cold water.)

Don't panic if I'm not out right on time. I've heard that people don't dissolve in water and I'd like to test the theory. While I'm in the tub, I'd like you to remember a few things, the large slab of wood between us is called a door. Do not bang to hear my
voice. I promise that even though you can't see me, I am on the other side. I'm not digging an escape tunnel and running for the border, no matter what I said a while ago, I didn't mean it.

Honest.

There will be plenty of time later to tell me about your day. Later means at a time when I am no longer naked, wet, and contemplating bubble gum in the blow dryer. I know you have important things to tell me. Please let one of them be that you have invented a new way to blow bubbles, not a new way to add gum to your hair.

Believe it or not, shouting, "TELEPHONE!" through the closed bathroom door will not make the phone stop ringing. Answer it and take a message. Since Amazing Mind-Reading Mom has the day off, you'll need to write that message down. Use paper and a pencil. Do not use your brother and the laundry marker. We can't send him to school with telephone-number tattoos.

Water makes me wet, not deaf. I can still tell the difference between the sound of "nothing" and the sound of a child playing the piano with a basketball. I can also hear you tattling at the top of your lungs. I'm choosing not to answer you.

Don't call your dad at work and tell him I am unconscious in the
bathroom. He didn't appreciate it last time. He won't appreciate it this time. Trust me.

No matter how much I would like it, water does not make me forgetful. I remember who you are and why you are grounded. No, you can't go to Shelby's house to play. No, you can't go to Shelby's house to use the bathroom.

If someone is in our other bathroom, you will just have to think dry thoughts and wait. Unless you have four feet and a tail, do not think of going outside to "water" the lawn. I know the dog does it. The neighbors don't feel the need to call me when the dog does it.

Unless the house catches on fire, stay inside and keep the doors
locked. Do not go outside and throw rocks at the bathroom window to get my attention. I know it works in the movies. This is reality, the place where people don't like to sit in a tub while rocks and broken glass rain in on them.

Do not set the house on fire. Call me if there is an emergency.

Emergencies are:

1. Dad has fallen off the roof.
2. Your brother and/or sister is bleeding.
3. There's a red fire truck in front of our house.

Emergencies are not:

1. Dad has fallen asleep.
2. Someone on TV is bleeding.
3. There's a red pickup truck in front of our house.

One other thing: Being forced to use the last roll of toilet paper for a towel does not make me happy. It makes me sticky with little white polka dots. In the future, when anything in the bathroom overflows, use a mop to clean up the water instead of
every towel in the house. For my sanity's sake, let's pretend it was the tub, O.K.?
No, I don't want to hear the real story.

Ever.

Especially not while I'm standing in the pool of water you missed.

(P.S. All Play-Doh experiments are canceled.)

Be good. Entertain yourselves. Yes, you can do both at the same time. Try coloring, playing a game, or paying that stack of bills on the coffee table.

I'll be out soon. Maybe.

Love, Mom

I Can't Wait

When you reach the proper age
I will teach you to read and you can turn the pages
How to dress and tie your shoes
Your one plus ones, and your two times two's
And you'll teach me
Of hearts and dreams
And all the most important things
And all that i have lost along the way
And I can't wait

As you grow, I'll show you things
How to ride your bike and kick your legs out on the swings
To fold your hands and bow your head
How to say your prayers before you go to bed
And you'll teach me
Of hearts and dreams
And all the most important things
And all that I have lost along the way
And I can't wait

How do you sleep so peacefully?
How do you trust unflinchingly?
How do you love so faithfully?
How do you dance so joyfully?
Oh you'll teach me
Of hearts and dreams
And all the most important (essential) things
And all that i have lost along the way
And I can't
No I can't
Come teach me
Of love and dreams
And all the most essential thing
And all that I have lost along the way
Cause I can't wait


"I Can't Wait" by Sara Groves

A Post With No Name

Why is it as a child you feel as if time crawls, but as you get older it feels like somebody is slowly upping the tempo to your life's song until it moves so fast that one day you look in the mirror and realize that the person staring back at you is not the one who did 10, 5, or even 3 years ago? I mean, it's not always a bad thing, it's just a little alarming at how fast time goes by. I'm sitting here pondering the things that need done in my life and while I subtract the hours required to do these things, I realize that I am in some serious debt, time-wise! There are so many things that need done but no time to do them. I almost feel guilty sitting here writing this because at this very moment I am thinking of those few dishes left in the sink that need to be added to the dishwasher or the remaining pile of dirty laundry that needs washed, or heck, the mountain of boxes in our garage that needs tackled. But you know what? Now that I have a few minutes to myself with the children asleep in their beds, I think I'm going to spend the last few minutes of my day to destress, wind down, and veg :-)

I honestly planned to post a detailed update with these few extra minutes (No, really!) but everyone will just have to wait. It's not like there's anything major to report at the moment anyway so I will just leave you all with my "mini-rant" :-)

My Valentine's Gift

My hubby is so romantic :-)

On another note, we have a big chunk of our stuff moved into the house. It only took two trips in a 26 foot Uhaul truck but we got it done. We will probably have to rent another truck in the future when we are ready to get the last bit of stuff but it can wait for now. Now I'm surrounded by boxes that haven't seen daylight in over 2 years. It's like Christmas and Halloween all wrapped into one because the majority of boxes have nice things in them that we need for the house, and then there are a couple of boxes that have unpleasant surprises from being in storage for so long lol. Well, I better get back to work while the house is quiet!

Snow Day!

This morning we woke up to a surprise- snow! This is the most I have ever seen it snow here in Texas, and I have lived here my entire life. We got at least 7 inches or so. We are really close to the record for here. The girls actually had to go to school today but luckily they got out an hour early. Tomorrow school is closed so we will have to see how we will spend the day :-) I know this doesn't even come close to the amount you folks up north see but for us it's pretty darn amazing...

.

.

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The view out our front door this afternoon.

The view out the back door this afternoon.

Our house around lunch time today.

Back on Track

Whew! I feel like I need to knock some cobwebs off of this blog, it's been so long since I've posted an update! Where should I begin? (I can be really corny and bust out into a very well known Sound of Music song here but I will refrain...)

Back in December we FINALLY sold our home in Abilene. We were really bummed to let it go but it was for a good cause. You see, we could not get a place of our own in DFW until we sold the one we owned in Abilene. We have actually been staying my husband's wonderfully AWESOME parents (Yes, I love them to pieces and am not being sarcastic, unlike so many out there who LOATH their inlaws, many times for good reasons.) since we moved from Del Rio so Tom could work in DFW.

While we all get along wonderfully and have helped each other out in so many ways, we knew it was time to focus on a new chapter in our life and get a place of our own. Up until now, Tom was driving 1 1/2 hours one way to and from work. When gas prices were sky high, that hurt. On top of that, he's not a fan of driving, so his stress level was pretty high. To top it off, while staying there, our family of 5 grew to be a family of 7, so things got pretty cramped. So, after selling our home, we immediately began the search for a place to rent close to Tom's work.

Now, many people ask us, "Why don't you buy instead of rent?"

I wish we could buy, but we can't right now. We really need to save up some money and take care of a few things. Well, we could buy SOMETHING. But we don't want to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on just SOMETHING. If we are going to invest our money in something that costs so much, it's going to be our dream house.

Unfortunately we had to take a break from looking for a couple weeks in January while Tom was in Chicago for work. When he got back though, we started our search again. While looking for homes, we came across a few hurdles, the biggest one being the amount of scams out there (There are one or two in particular that I will go into detail about but that will be another post some time later, I have a bone to pick with Quest Property Services.) so that took up a lot of our time. Luckily I worked with a wonderful agent, Debbie Holt, with Re/Max Masters in Grapevine. She helped us out with our search and we finally found a 4 bed 2 bath home in Fort Worth. Once I get a chance to take pics, I will upload them.

Another big change is we enrolled the girls in public school when we moved. I know that some may think that I'm crazy for having them in public school and others may think I was nuts for homeschooling but either way, we decided that this is what's best for them. We enjoyed our homeschooling adventure and may homeschool again in the future. I don't feel too bad about it because the schools that they go to now are excellent and so far the girls love it. They come home every day and tell me all about their day and look forward to going. I'm sure it is just the excitement of a new school but I will enjoy it while it lasts :-)

Well, I guess that's the majority of what's happening right now. Once things settle down a bit I hope to post a little more.