The Big Day and the Escape

Well, tomorrow is my big day! Yup! I am starting my new job fighting crime and sending bad guys to jail! Woo Hoo! Justice will be served! I am so excited. It's like Christmas Eve. I am looking forward to this new journey. It will be so rewarding.

Also, I start teaching my first class on 5 October. The first class i am going to teach is Criminal Law and Procedure. Should be interesting. I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge with my students.

So, I went shopping yesterday with my mom for work clothes (thanks mom). I am down six sizes from when I had Kaci! Yay! Go me! I will continue my exercise regimen! Got some super cute outfits from New York and Company and Ann Taylor Loft. next on the shopping list is shoes! I love shoes and I will be on the hunt for some cute comfortable heels!

We have a spectacular yard. The front courtyard is gated with a white gate. once inside there is a gate on the side of the house that leads to the backyard. Well, KeiKei learned how to fit herself through the gate from the backyard and now she does the Great Escape. Two days ago she was across the street. UGH! Darn dog! So...she has been sneaking to the front yard and barking when she is ready to come in. Silly dog!

Nothing else to report really. Looking forward to my person coming to visit in 38 days! YAY! I can't wait. Then my friend and her husband are coming to visit for Thanksgiving. I love having guests! Should be a lot of fun!

I am off to clean some house and RELAX! I'll let you know how fabulous my first day at work was.

Kaci in her FrayBaby outfits! Thanks Liz!

Just when...

Just when I sit down to blog my cell phone rings. Of course, it is not the call I was waiting for, it was LIFELOCK. Our "safety and security" is about to lapse. Ugh. Whatever. Before that I was doing some light picking up and all of a sudden as I walked through the hall I felt home. I don't feel as at home without Rick but this feeling will do for now. In the 7 days that we have lived here I have managed (with Courtney's help) to get the house in order and the garage rearranged complete with a workout area. I feel accomplished today. My house is in order and I got my van repaired. (That was $300 I wasn't really excited about spending.) I suppose in the end fixing the van later could have ended n disaster. All in all I am glad that everything is as it should be.

Have you ever just walked into a room and felt something come over you. A sense of peace, stability, and confidence. That is how I felt as I walked through the house today. No, this is not exactly my ideal house, but that day will come. For now, it's home and I feel blessed to have what I have. I love my life and I love the (my) husband that provides all of this for me. I really owe him a lot. If it wasn't for him (although he will NEVER take credit) I probably wouldn't be in the awesome place that I am. Through my faith in the Lord and the support and love of my husband I really do have it all. Sure, I could wish for more or be envious of what someone else has but here's the thing: God brings us to this world knowing exactly what is in store for us. Everyone walks a different journey and for us, the journey is the reward.

I truly feel blessed and I hope to be able to continue to pay it forward...

Until next time...

Good Parents

What makes a good parent?  Is it a parent that simply loves their children?  A parent whose child sleeps soundly all night?  A parent that can get their child to sleep in his or her own crib?  I don't know exactly what makes a good parent. I love all my kids but this blog is about Kaci. We have moved again. A new house, new smells, new everything and again I am having trouble with Kaci in her crib. I'm trying to be patient but I am exhausted. We have been in the house for a little over a month and I have had her crib for a week now. Every night...well. Ok, first, just laying her in the crib doesn't work. She screams her head off, bangs on the rail, and yells mommmmmaaaaaaa. One night I let her cry for 40 minutes and I swear I thought the police were going to show up. I finally went in a got her. Every night I have to pat her back or rub her back for her to go to sleep. That would be fine too if she STAYED asleep.

Let me back track for a second. When we were in the Melia house in Hawaii she had NO problems going to bed. She knew after bath it was bedtime and she would point to her crib, I'd lay her down, and she would go right to sleep. She didn't wake in the middle of the night at all.

Now, I can't do that routine. It doesn't work. I don't understand what is going on with her. I am no child psychologist and the pediatricians all say the same thing: let her cry it out. Well, if you are a parent then you know that or at least understand what that means. It means that you are supposed to put your child in their crib and let them scream and cry and carry on until they finally fall asleep. Well, with Kaci she doesn't just cry. She screams, makes herself gag, and acts like she is going to throw up. Now, if I lay her down and pat her back until she falls asleep then the above doesn't happen. However, if she wakes in the middle of the night and I don't go in within a few minutes once I hear her crying then she...screams my name and bangs on the rail and cries so hard that she makes herself gag. UGH. I am tired. I am frustrated. I love her so much and I don't like seeing her all upset. I don't want to let her cry for 3 hours until she falls asleep. That cannot be good for her. It's not good for me either. It is really stressful to listen to her go through all of that.

I am really hoping that this will pass and she will go back to her "old" routine that she had when we were in Hawaii. I just wonder how long this will take. We could both use a good night's sleep.

So does this mean I am a bad parent? Am I a bad parent because my child hates going to bed? Am I a bad parent because I didn't put her in her crib from the start? (From the start I mean 4 weeks old.) I don't think this MAKES me a bad parent. It means that I probably should have made better choices. If I had to do it all over again and knew then what I know now I would have put her in the crib from the very beginning. I will never know if it really would have made a difference or not. I am doing the best I can. I just wish she was more comfortable. I wish she would get a good night's sleep. I'm trying to be strong. I'm trying not to show or let her feel my frustration. I just want her to sleep in her crib. I will just keep at it and hopefully that will pay off.

I am off to bed. I will probably be up at midnight trying to console her. Goodnight.

Until next time...dream big- dreams DO come true!

Just a lot of stuff

I have been meaning to blog for a couple of days and then by the time I sit down to do it I am too tired.  I have been thinking about a lot lately, but on to new joys first...

Joys
1. New Face wash: Garnier Nutritioniste I absolutely love it. It smells good, feels good going on, and feels clean when off! There is some kind of something that just makes your face say, "WOW!"
2. Don Francisco Hawaiian Hazlenut Coffee - A new coffee introduced to me by my AT!
3. Watermelon - I have always loved watermelon, but lately I have been buying it every few days! YUM!
4. Last on this particular list, but not at all least...Kaci's laugh and smile. Her laugh and her smile never get old. I love that kid. She is my ultimate joy.

It's 11:27PM. I have been sitting here staring at the screem for about 30 minutes.  I always forget what I want to talk about.  I think I am tired.  I think I need some sleep.  I really hope Kaci sleeps all night.  I think she is getting used to sleeping in her crib all over again. The last 2 nights have not exactly been desireable.  I just want my baby to get some good sound sleep.

Tomorrow will be another busy day.  Geek Squad, Time Warner, Grandma's Birthday dinner...just a few things I have to do tomorrow.  I also need to get started on the garage now that the house is done.  Actually pretty amazing that Courtney and I got the house unpacked and put away in just 3 days!!!  All I know is that I have one solid week to get that stinkin garage in order.

I made a mistake today.  I made the mistake of going to get my nails done at a place that was close to my house. DISASTER.  I then had to go to my original nail place to have my girl fix my nails.  Heh.  She is awesome.  Now my nails are perfect.  I told her that she could never quit and she said she wouldn't as long as I continued to pay her.  LOL.  Mai- you are awesome!

I was happy to finally get to catch up with my friend HP.  She is awesome.  She always makes me laugh.  I wish she lived closer. Like 5 hours closer.  LOL I also got to talk to my good friend MM today.  She is the type that is just plain ole funny.  She always has a quick witted comeback for everything.  She lives in CT.  I miss her.  And I got to talk to my person.  She is that...my person.  Everyone should have one.

I have been thinking about the Bowman's today.  What an awesome family!!  I hope to be able to hang out with them some day!

I have also had a lot on my mind about God.  Just the way that things work out.  How those things have a domino affect and how those things change the lives or circumstances for others.  We have a GREAT God!  Well, with that said...I am going to kick back, watch a little TV, and hit the sack...

Until next time...dream BIG

Kate plus 8

My dog is snoring as we watch Kate Plus 8. Haha. I have never heard a mother complain quite like she does. She is such a spaz! Eeek! (The kids are cute though!)

Today our household goods arrived! What an awesome day!!! Our friend R was here to help me. It was so wonderful to have him here. He was such a big help (and of course we had a nice visit). Courtney's room is just about complete. Kaci's room is almost complete. Hopefully we can be done with the entire house by Thursday. I can't wait to kick back this weekend and watch a movie in the living room and lay on the couch. :o)

Courtney had her first soccer practice today! She had so much fun!

I'm enjoying watching TV in our BED! Yes, I said bed...not air mattress! I can feel my body slowing down and I think I might be sore tomorrow. I'm sure it won't be too awful. Off to dreamland I go.

I hope all of you had a wonderful and blessed day!

Until next time...dream big!!!!

CHRISTmas in August

Again, I am blogging from my phone! UGH! But tomorrow and forever after I can blog from an actual computer. Tomorrow our household goods are finally being delivered! Yipee! It will be so nice to have our things. My bedroom is finished (painting that is) and the living room will get done eventually. Courtney's room turned out really cute. She loves her room and her new bike. I will get a picture up here of her on her new bike. I can't wait to start unpacking, do some laundry, and bake some banana nut muffins! The house is gonna smell so good! I'm really excited! Can you tell?! LOL.

I am also excited that my friends are coming to visit! 50 days and they will be here! Then I have another friend visiting in November for Thanksgiving and HOPEFULLY my HI peeps will be out to visit! Disney...here we come!

I am only 14 days away from starting my new job! I know who my boss is and what division I will be working in. I'm so excited...I just can't hide it...LOL it's gonna be awesome!

Courtney's first soccer practice is tomorrow at 4:30. I really hope her coach is awesome and that she makes some friends! She is excited about starting the 5th grade! She is gonna do great!

I think that's all for now.

Until next time...dream big

Yours, Mine, & Ours

Your kids. My kids. Our kids. Oh how I love my children. They get the love of three parents. Well, Kyle and Courtney do anyway. :o) Since we are a blended family love comes from all over, all over the country! I am glad that I have a lot of support from various friends and family and I know there is a lot of love for all the kids. I always see on Facebook how people are posting son's week and daughter's week, but can't every week we be proud of our kids and what they accomplish? Someone did post once though that sometimes it is not US as parents that made them who they are, but they are who they are because of the choices THEY have made and the things THEY have accomplished. And we should be proud of that. Parents can't always take the credit. We build up our children to be the best they can be and let them run with it. Although we have guided them sometimes it is not our direct doing that made them successful. Each child is unique. Each child has different desires. Each child wants to be something different when they grow up. We should cherish our days with our children. Life doesn't last forever. We need to savor these moments given to us by God and appreciate the fact that we were chosen to be their parents. We have a lot of work to do raising our children. All we can do is love them, guide them, and give them hope.

Not chores...blessings

I am trying to look at life in a new light. I'm trying to think of everything as a blessing and not a chore. Even the little things. Doing nice things for others even though it may not be convenient (for example). I want to feel love and life every single day. I want to see others smile and pray for their happiness. I just want to live my life as God intended without feeling one ounce of regret. I never want to live in His eternity wishing I had changed my ways. I want to make those changes now and make the world a better place for others. I want to be remembered by the impact I have made in the lives of others. I hope you want to do the same.

Until next time...dream big

Following along and paying it forward...

A while back I got hooked on this blog that a freind of mine sent to me. I don't think I have mentioned them in my blog before. They are the Bowman's. I think of them often and my heart and prayers are always with their family. It is through them that my faith in the Lord is continuously restored. They have suffered a tragedy with their 44 day old baby. God hold him and keep him safe as he is no longer with us. For every time I get annoyed or start to get angry I think of them. I think of all they have endured and I realize that life is short and we have to be thankful and grateful to the Lord for every day he lets us live. Here is their story.. Think: Bowman's

Today is another new beginning for all of us. It is one more day that we get to spend with our familes. We get to hug our kids, see them smile, hear them laugh, and love our families. We need to begin to appreciate all that the Lord has blessed us with and ensure that we don't forget. We need to instill in our faith in our children.

I sat here thinking today after a conversation with my friend that if I won the lottery I would set up a foundation. A foundation for people who need a little bit of assistance and a little bit of hope. Operation Hope (my foundation) would provide assistance for families in need. I know there are government programs for this type of thing but sometimes it just isn't enough. The requirements would be that one, they need to send me a letter requesting assistance. They would need to fill out a standardized form that told me how much money they have coming in and how much money they have going out (exactly). There are plenty of parents who could get a $0.10 raise and then not receive child care benefits. Then because they can't afford child care they lose their job(s). My foundation would provide that assistance. I wouldn't give cash directly to the families, but I could (let's say) write a check to the child care center for one year's worth of child care. Then it wouldn't matter so much about the $0.10 raise. They children would still be cared for while they were at work. I could purchase $100 gift cards to local grocery stores and send them out if needed. I could pay off people's car notes. I could ensure that the families had reliable transportation buy purchasing service center gift certificates. There are so many things I could do for this not-for-profit foundation if I won the lottery. I would love to be able to start something like this and give back to the community. God has blessed our family over and over again and I feel in my heart this is a good way to pay it forward. For those who have endured tragedy (i.e. the loss of a family member, a natural disaster, loss of a job) I could provide assistance for headstones, shelter, clothing, food, water.

I think about this often and I wish I could win the BIG CA lottery. This is what I would do with the money. Maybe someday...

Until next time...dream big

Smooth Sailing

Everything is magnificant here in SoCal! We absolutely love it here. We love being able to get in the car and go somewhere other than the BX or NEX! One thing I do miss is the commissary. There is one here but it would take foever to get to and everything wold be warm by the time we got home. YUCK. Let's see. Our household goods have not arrived yet, but I am hoping that they show up very soon! Over the weekend we got to see our friends that are stationed back East. I finally got to me their daughter who was born the day we left for Hawaii in 2006! I also got to see their son who has really grown up and their new baby who is just a few weeks old.

Kaci really thought he was adorable for about the first 2 hours then she was ready for me to stop holding him. See her face in the picture below...heehee

We are headed to AZ on Thursday morning for a quick trip. It will be great to see my AT and UP again. Yippee! Hopefully I can go back and visit before I start work. Gotta have lunch with my Tiff!

In 56 days I get to see my person and her family! Woo Hoo! I am totally looking forward to their arrival. We have a fun Disney trip planned. YAY!

I discovered I have enough miles to buy an airline ticket. LOL It only took me about a million trips to get one free ticket. Geesh! Where shall I go? Any suggestions? Somewhere within the 50 states....

I know I mentioned that my hubby got me an awesome GPS system for my birthday. I picked him up today. His name is Mr. Tom Tom. He is currently uploading new maps and then I shall customize him to my liking. He might turn pink..or red...I don't know. Maybe I will bedazzle him. HeeHee

I am very much looking forward to startingmy new job. I miss my HI peeps from work and the great leaders I had there. Definitely set high expectations for the new BOSS! Criminal Division here I come. Look out!

Everyone here is doing well. Not too much else going on. Same ole same ole.

Until next time...dream BIG

There are almost 2 weeks old already! My how time flies! I heart you guys!

Connor (right) Declan (left) (small correction here..Sorry Ang!)

Happy Hump Day

I can't believe it is already August 4th! My birthday was on the first and it was great. My mom made homemade pizza on the grill (Courtney helped). My hubby got me GPS for my birthday! YAY! Im very excited about that. I got wonderful gifts. I love birthday's!

Kaci started day care on Monday. Of course she cried when I dropped her off and of course she has cried every morning since. The great news is that when I pick her up in the afternoon I can tell she had such a great time. She is always in a great mood and that makes me happy. They have so many books and so many toys inside and out! I get a progress report every day that says exactly what she does all day long. It's awesome. They also have a preschool right on campus!

I think it's time to start potty training. Kaci doesn't like be in a wet or poopy diaper and always tries to pull it off before I can get one from the closet. I think I will buy her a potty seat and a step stool so she can get used to the idea. :o) We will see how it goes. LOL

Kaci has been learning new words every day. She loves to talk. She also loves to wave bye bye to the airplanes and YELL "BYE BYE" when she sees them fly over head. HA HA. She has also learned to cheese for the camera!

Courtney has read every Diary of a Wimpy Kid book. We are waiting for the last one to be released. We did preorder it so we should get it right away when it comes out. She said they are great books. Now that she is done with those what else can she read? I have been getting her all ready to start the 5th grade! HOLY COW 5th grade!!! She has been practicing her math with a 5th grade workbook as well as word problems. She did tell me that math was NOT her favorite subject. I told her she better get used to it because she has a long way to go! Her room has been freshly painted (thanks to grandma Marian), got new wall decals, and she got all new bedding and curtains so we are patiently waiting for those to arrive. She has been such a good girl and such a big help. She deserved something new. Maybe a PSP for Christmas. We'll see. She has been asking for one. She is all registered for soccer for the fall season. We are going to be busy!

The animals are adjusting to their new home. They seem to be adjusting very well. The cat continues to explore every nook and cranny and the dog, well, she is herself. :o) I have to say though that I will be soooooo excited when our household goods arrive. I'm grateful, but sick of sleeping on an air mattress. I miss my couch and my dishes and my pots and pans. The good news is they should be here any time.

My friend Angie had the twins!!! YIPPEEEE! They are so wee tiny and so adorable. Declan Arthur and Connor Andrew. The wee ones are still in the hospital gaining a little bit of weight. They should be able to come home in September! (Although we are hoping for sooner!) Mommy and daddy are doing great!!!Welcome boys! I am so bummed that I don't get to see them right away, but I am hoping in another couple of months I can fly out for the weekend to meet them! What an exciting journey!

Let's see...I can't think of anythng else..Oh wait!!! Only 63 more days until my person and her family arrive!!!!! WOO HOO! Okay, not I don't think there is anything else. Happy Hump Day!

Until Next Time..