Christmas 2008

I know I am risking sounding like the Grinch but I am so glad it is over. I am ready for some downtime. I enjoy being together with the family (both sides) but I am always ready to see it go and for life to get back to normal. On Christmas eve my family always goes and sees a movie and then opens presents. That was fun but tiring. We went and saw Bolt in 3D. So stinking cute.! I saw it once already and cried anyway!!! Cutest movie! Then we went back to my sisters house for presents. With my 3 wild kids and my sisters 6 kids it was wild, as you can imagine. Our family is getting so big. I love it! It does fray my nerves just a bit at times but my kids have so much fun with all their cousins, and those are some of my happiest memories as a kid. Here is Mom and Dad and all of their grand babies, and my brother hasn't even started yet!

The kids opening their wii on Christmas morning: The babies in front of our tree:

This Friday is me and J's 10Th Anniversary!!! Can you believe it? It seems like we just got married. I remember on our honeymoon we kept joking that it felt like we were doing something wrong and how any minute our parents were going to bust in and take us out of that hotel room. I also remember how excited I was that I would get to sleep with him every night. Now ten years later I still love it when I get to crawl into bed with him. (One out of every three nights he is at the fire dept) Now of course on any given night we could have 2 Beagles in the bed and at least one baby. It been a good ten years, and just think that's only a drop in the bucket. Eternity is going to be awesome!

My Christmas present from Jason

Her name is Ruby. She joins her brother Sam, we rescued both of them. They are so sweet and were the perfect gift!! Thank You Jason

Hannah's big day

My sweet Hannah was Baptized on Saturday. It was a very sweet and special night. I never pushed her into it and never really even mentioned it to her. I wanted it to be all her idea. She came to me. She is such an amazing girl and seems to really grasp things in a way I am not sure I did. Jasons whole family came to support Hannah was was really cool of them since they are die hard Church of Christ. Afterwards we all went to eat. Hannah got a Quad from My mom, a Journal from Sis B and a locket from Jasons mom. She loved all three. She is carrying around her quad and Journal everwhere, and has already been writing in her journal. I saw her taping in the program from her baptisim and writing at the top " Best Day of my life". I am one proud Momma!!!

Pictures of the babies

Time out!

We had a wonderful time and it was just what I needed! I did call home every break to check on the situation but all in all I was able to relax some. I even got to meet Emily Watts who I adore! The pictures aren't the best because it was so dark in there, not to mention that the shirt I chose to wear made me look 6 months pregnant :(

Me and Emily Watts

Cammile Fronk Olson ( I loved this Lady)

Emily Watts

Momma, Me, and Jen Hillary Weeks ( I bought 2 of her Cd's while I was there)

Chris Stewart , Carolyn Rasmus, Kenneth Cope, Chieko Okazaki, and Jason Wright were also there. It was an awesome time!

By the way, we got Colin's diagnosis. ADHD with a Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Now I know what the enemy is, I am ready to battle.

Time Out for Women

We are headed to Time Out for Women tomorrow! Very exciting! Me, My Mom, and my sister are leaving tomorrow afternoon and staying in a hotel in Nashville. There is a musical number and one speaker Friday night and then Saturday several Speakers including Emily Watts who cracks me up! I definitely need this night out. Every time we take Colin back to the therapist the prognosis gets worse. Watching my son suffer is breaking my heart. Between Colin and Jason saying he doesn't think he believes the church is true and won't come back, my heart can't take much more. I have spent so much time on my knees just bawling and begging. I think I am starting to gain small insights into Colin which is a blessing and I know did not come from me at all. Now if I could just have some small insight into Jason... I know he knows the church is true. I'm not sure what he is afraid of, but I know him better then anyone else on this earth and I know that he knows. I think he just won't let himself feel it. Anyway, didn't mean to get off on a pity party. I just wanted to say that I need this conference to feed my soul and to help find some strength. Sometimes I think I don't have enough to make it through.... Love you Ladies!!!!

Just a picture of my baby when he was a baby. Man I wish it was that easy agian!!

Second place!

At work we did a health challange over the last several months, and my team got second place!!! I think we should have won but the other team counted disk golf.... but I can live with second!

Go Desert Dwellers!!!!!!!!!!!

Halloween 2008

Here are the babies on halloween! I hope Y'alls was good too!!

The babies!!!

Busy Busy Busy

Saturday was a busy day but a pretty good one. Colin had a Te Kwan Do class, Hannah had her awards program for Volleyball, we went to Jackson's Orchard and finally Jason and I had a night alone and went to a Halloween party.

Hannah's team was undefeated, and the Lady Topper Volleyball team from WKU gave out the awards. Hannah was so excited! I told her maybe that would be her one day. This is Hannah and one of the Toppers. Hannah really enjoyed volleyball and can't wait for next season! Now it's time for some Basketball!

Jackson's Orchard was fun. The kids really enjoyed the petting zoo and the hay play center. It was a fun family afternoon. We dropped the babies off and different Grandparents and Jason and I headed off for a night together with our friends! I have lots of pictures of this because my friends are camera Nazi's!! I was a firefighter and my costume had reflectors on it, so most of the pictures of me are all jacked up! :(

DeAnn and Kyle the newest couple of the group
The girls were trying to cover up my reflectors so we could get one good group photo of all the girls!

Me and Big Daddy ( Will in the corner)

Ben and Jill, The newlyweds. Also known as My Brother in law and my newest sister!!!!! Sarah and Will They are probably the couple we spend the most time with outside of Ben and Jill. Which is still only once ever 6 months or so.

We had a fun night. I have however since that night decided I was to old for all the shenanigans and had a long deep thought about drinking and I am done. Hippie, I've decided to go back to church, my first Sunday back was last Sunday, pray for me

Love you all!

Worst weekend ever!

I have never been so glad to come back to work in all of my life! We had a rough weekend.

It started out on Thursday, when I had parent teacher conferences for all of the kids. The girls were fine but then I had Colin's. It seems my son is a mess. He is having quite a few behaviors, and they want me to have him tested for ADHD. Now Hannah has ADD and I am very familiar with it all through work and Hannah. I guess I knew that Colin was exhibiting these behaviors but I was in major denial. So what do I do? I burst in to tears in front of the principle and teacher. I guess its one thing to think it in the back of your head and another to have it put in your face.

Friday I get to work to have the school call and Lily is crying and in pain. I take her to the doctor and sure enough, double ear infection :)

Saturday we went shopping for a new couch. Dragging 3 Thomas children through store after store was awful. Many a fit was thrown ( yes a few of those might have been mine)

SUNDAY was the worst. Hannah comes in asking about sex. After I recovered from my heart attack I start asking questions. It seems that the older boy across the street told my 8 year old how to have sex. That being said he is a good kid and I do believe he was just telling her about it and wasn't trying to do anything. So we got to have "the" talk with my 8 year old. While we are doing that Colin comes running in blood everywhere. He was climbing a tree in the yard and he jumped and I guess his finger tried to stay. I freak out and start saying we have to go to the hospital. Of Course Mr. Firefighter thinks he can fix Colin all up. Fast forward a couple of hours and Colin's finger in huge and the fat in his finger is trying to come out the gash. We take him to the hospital. I don't know if ER waits are as fun in Cali and Utah as they are here in KY but we were there for ever. We got quite a few dirty looks for waiting to bring him in and Colin got 6 stitches in his little finger, and he is on antibiotics. We didn't get in bed until late late late, and then I got to get up and get everyone ready for school because of course Jason was on shift today and that means I am alone.

Sorry for the rant, I just really need a nap and possibly another vacation :)

Hannah and Lily at a Halloween thing we froze through on Saturday night.

Fall In Kentucky

I love Kentucky! Fall in Kentucky is so beautiful. I just love staring at the hills while the trees are changing. I didn't take the picture above but it was taken at a lake here near by. I love that Kentucky has all 4 seasons. I have such happy memories of raking leaves and jumping in them and of Halloween's. When I was younger my grandmother would talk about how lucky we were to live here. As a child you think those things are cheesy. Now as an adult I am so thankful that my grandmother taught me to love this state so much. I left once and it was horrible. I'll never leave again, and I am so lucky to have married a man who loves it here as much as I do. (Even though I suspect that his reasons have something to do with the KY Wildcats)

Colin and Ben

At the beginning of the school year Colin had a terrible time adjusting. He missed his cousin and friends (whom he had spent every day with before at daycare). One night it all came to a head and he cried and I don’t just mean cry I mean his little heart was broke. I cried as I held my baby because I couldn't stop his hurt. He cried himself to sleep that night and I went to my room and fell to my knees and begged god to send my baby a friend. The next day at school a little boy named Ben started, and Mr. Pate (Colin’s teacher) said it was like they had known each other forever! We took Ben and Colin to a movie on Friday night. This picture is of them. I am so thankful for this little boy! Ben and his family have a very hard life these last few years. His mother died in a freak accident and his father is raising their six kids. He is doing such a wonderful job! They are such a wonderful family and I am so very thankful for them. I hope we can be a blessing to them as they have to us.