Here Fishy, Fishy!

One of Robert's favorite things to do while he is here is to go fishing. Last year was really the first time I had ever fished. But I loved it! It is definitely addicting!

So we took my parent's boat to Holiday Island on Sunday and fished up there. Robert caught a 15 inch small mouth bass... I caught nothing. :( In my defense, I think it is almost impossible to catch anything with a 3.5year old jumping around and screaming. Just saying... ;)

The next day, we took Thompson with us to Beaver Lake. This time I gave him my phone and said "Play games and be quiet". It worked for a while. Robert caught another bass. Still I caught nothing. Something is definitely wrong with this...

While we were out on the lake, we couldn't get the motor to turn over. So we had someone pull us to where we were parked and waited on my dad. While they worked on it, I sat there casting out. And what do you know... I caught a fish! It was a little small mouth bass, but it was a fish! I was pretty high on my horse and wanted to catch more. Thompson went home with his Papa so Robert and I fished for a little bit more. Let's put it this way, fishing at night + my lovely casting skills = running out of fishing line. So I gave up and we went home.

Today, we are going up to Table Rock Lake. It's the last fishing day and we have hopes of catching some fish. Positive thinking, people! ;) I will let you know how it goes!

We're Home!

Thank goodness!!

We had a trip, to say the least! We got to California Saturday afternoon. I was so relieved to see Robert! I have missed him so much. The next two years are going to suck. I hate that we aren't going to be there with him, but we have to keep our eyes on the prize.

We picked up our U-haul on Sunday and started packing. Let me tell you... we have a lot of crap. Not stuff. Crap. I cursed myself the whole time on why I am such a hoarder. I heard my mom say at least 100 times... "Just think, when you got married all you had was your car and a blow-up mattress." True story. We have definitely made up for all that we lacked in the beginning. ;)

After our neighbors came to make sure we weren't getting divorced (not kidding), we finally realized that one trailer was not going to be enough. Ugh. So Monday, we called U-haul to try and see if I could get a hitch put on my Murano. So we drove all the way down to Oceanside, picked up the hitch, drove back to San Clemente only for them to tell me that the electrical kit was a special order item. Great. They said they could have it in the next day. Since we needed to leave the next day, that was not possible. So after some figuring out, I decided to trade my car with my brother-in-law, so I could use his truck. He is going to bring my car to AR in a few weeks, so it all worked out. We finally got our trailer at 3 pm after going to Wal-Mart to get a part that U-haul didn't have. (Not very happy with U-haul, by the way). We packed until 10:00 that night then decided we better go get something for dinner and finish the cleaning the next morning. So Mom and I were at In-n-Out at 10:30 eating a burger and fries. I even had a coke... I definitely deserved it after my long day.

We got everything cleaned and we were out of the house the next morning by 10:30 and on the road by 11:30. Our first stop was at 5 Guys Burgers. Oh.My.Word. This was the BEST burger I have ever had in my life. Seriously. We then got going and Robert ended up having a blowout on his trailer in Flagstaff, AZ. Lovely. So we called U-haul and they had someone there within an hour or so. Not too bad. But the whole ordeal set us back 2 hours. It was already 9:00pm so we just got a room for the night. We got up early and ended up driving all the way to Oklahoma City. We got there at about 12:30am. I was exhausted. We needed to just rest for a few hours, so we pulled over at a Supercenter. I probably wouldn't have cared if we were in the middle of the ghetto, I rolled down the window and layed my pillow and my head out the door. Best sleep! My mom on the other hand, thought she needed to stand on "fire watch" and watch anything and everything that came by. Obviously, I couldn't have cared less if someone wanted to rob me. I was sleeping. :)

We finally made it home yesterday at 10:30am. So good to see the boys! They ran to Robert and I, which was the best. They were so happy to see him. We went and unloaded our stuff today and turned in the trailers. We are planning for a busy week. I want to make each day special for all of us. Robert went fishing this evening. Tomorrow, we are going to take the boys to watch Cars 2. I am excited for that!

This move was so hard. I think I cried the whole way home. It's not that I want to leave Robert in California by himself. We just feel it is necessary for us now. We are not getting divorced, we love each other more than anything. We just want to provide a future for our boys. I wouldn't feel comfortable coming back when he gets out hoping to find a job. Robert would be going to school and I don't want to take away that opportunity from him. I don't want him to feel there is no other option besides getting out and finding a random job that he didn't care about just to be able to support us. (Of course he would do that if we needed to.) But our hopes is for me to find a job and get settled, the boys in school, and us a house. I have decided to get my Non-Traditional Teacher Licensure. With that, I need to take 2 classes this fall, my Praxis 1 & 2, and then I would be able to find a teaching position next August. I am so excited! Of course, that takes time and I am glad I am getting started now.

Oh, and did you know that in CA if your child turns 5 before December, you have to send your child to kindergarten. I have always personally felt that kids need to be 5 before they go to school, especially boys who I think need that extra time for maturity. Thompson would still be 4 if we did that. So I am glad he is going to be going Arkansas schools.

Sorry this post went really long. I am glad to be home. I am glad to have my husband with me for a few days.

Life is good! :)

And... We're Off!!!

Mom and I are on the way to California to pack up the house. I am so thankful Robert is off to move all of the heavy stuff... and for him being able to drive back with us... and for hauling the trailer! :)

Mom and I will keep the IPhones going on the drive back. No telling what we will find! I am determined to beat Angry Birds Rio Edition. I bought the $.99 cent one because I beat both of the free ones. It is a love/hate relationship with that game. Oh, and I LOVE Words With Friends!! If you play, look me up... my name is lenorariedel (Original, huh?)

So we will be back around Wednesday evening, hopefully!! See y'all then!

Oh, and prayers for my sisters as they try to keep up with my wild kids! ;)

It's Finally Friday!!

I won't break out into song, but I sing it every single week! Even being a stay at home mom, I love my weekends!

Tomorrow we are leaving for California. We are entrusting the boys in the care of my sisters. Surely, between the 3 of them they can take care of them. ;) I have no doubt in my mind that they (boys too!) will be fine.

Thompson is SOOOO excited to see his dad! I am pretty darn excited too!! I am starting to get nervous and get all of those butterflies in my stomach like when I did when were dating. LOVE that feeling. :)

I am dreading, DREADING packing up the house. We just moved. Ugh. But, we will be saving money by not having the house. I am not too worried about the drive. Somehow, doing things minus the kiddos just seems so easy. (I wonder why???) 

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!! And just because I couldn't resist...

It's finally Friday, I'm free again

I got my motor running for a wild weekend

It's finally Friday, I'm out of control

Forget the working blues and let the good times roll!

Apps

I am a new owner of an IPhone. I have never had one, but so far I love it! It's actually pretty user friendly.

One of the main reason I wanted it was to be a cool kid like everyone else for the apps!

So far, the main ones I use are: Weight Watchers, Pandora (LOVE!!!), Words with Friends, Bank of America, and Map Quest.

So for all of you IPhone owners, what are some of your favorite apps???

I was reading Karen's blog this morning and she was telling about a Sherwin Williams app where you can take a picture of something and it will match the colors in the pictures to paint chips they have. That is just too cool!!

I have downloaded Instagram (April, I know you love this one!!) but really haven't used it too much... I need to work on that.

Oh, and my mother also got a new IPhone! For those who don't know her, this was probably the biggest decision of her life. She is a flip-phone fanatic, so this was big. We sat down last night and we played with them for about 2 hours. But she is so school-girl-giddy over it! Too funny!! :)

Kid's Clothes!!

We usually buy the boys' clothes from Target, Old Navy, and anywhere else that is having a good deal! I can sometimes find cheap clothes at Baby Gap, which I love!! My boys are notorious for their Polo shirts and my mom keeps them stocked up by getting those for usually half the price at TJ Maxx. (LOVE TJ Maxx!!!)
I usually buy clothes for the kids twice a year. With boys, they can get away with jeans and tons of graphic tee's. I also buy long sleeve under tops and pair those with normal t-shirts when it starts to get chilly outside. Definitely easier to dress than girls! ;)

Anyways, as keeping with my love for a good bargain... I will tell you about my newest purchases!

Have y'all heard of Crazy 8??? If you haven't, I am sure you have heard of Gymboree. Crazy 8 is their "sister brand". I first discovered this clothing company back when Thompson was a baby. I ordered some clothes that were on clearance and used them the next season when he was big enough and Brycen, in turn, used them too! They wash up great and are so cute!

Anyways, I have gotten some recent emails from them about current sales they have going on.

Let. Me. Tell. You.

I racked up... well Thompson racked up!

He got 4 pairs of jeans (6.99 a pair), 5 nice t-shirts (3 for 3.99, 2 for 5.99), a pair of shoes (7.99), and 6 pairs of knit shorts (3.99 a pair) all for $83.84!!

I got the package today and was so excited! So he is stocked up with some basics for this fall and this summer. We love knit shorts and he has a pair from there that I love. When I saw they were less than $4 a pair, I stocked up!

Like Gymboree, they do "Crazy Cash". For every $40 that you spend, you get $20 in Crazy Cash. Since I spent over $80, I ended up with $40. That means I can go back during a certain time and spend $80 or more and get $40 off!

So I definitely recommend that you check them out and score some awesome deals too! :)

Miscellaneous Monday!

We had a pretty low-key weekend. Friday night I went to dinner and a movie with one of my best friends, Becca. We saw Bridesmaids and it was hilarious!! We also had some Cherry Berry! It was delish!

{Bec and her fro-yo!}

Saturday, we went to my niece's dance recital. She did so good! I had the opportunity to wrestle two kids on the front row for 2 hours-- lucky me! We only managed to spill one Sonic drink and a bottle of water. ;)

Sunday, I took the boys to church. We went last week and I left Brycen with the big kids group. He did ok there, but I knew he would have to go to the nursery at some point. Well yesterday I dropped him off and he knew exactly what was going on. He latched onto me so tight and just started crying. I hate leaving him. I dread when I put him in daycare. Needless to say, during prayer at the beginning I heard the shrieking of my baby boy crying. :( I went back there and stayed with him the rest of the time. Don't know what we will do next time. I am not used to this, so it is all new to me.

Today, I have Jude plus my two boys. SOMEHOW I got them all to take a nap. Maybe a little bribery of a baseball game tonight had something to do with it... But I am enjoying the time! Then we are headed to eat at Marketplace Grill and watch the Naturals. Maybe even stop for some shaved ice afterwards! :)

I am getting SUPER EXCITED about my upcoming trip to CA this weekend!!! I can't wait to see Robert. I am wishing we had time to spend a few days together there just doing whatever, but we are on a strict schedule. We have 2 days to pack up the house and get on the road. Ugh. Makes me tired just thinking about it! But Robert will have about a week here in AR to visit and spend time with the boys. Can't wait!

Oh and I got these beautiful flowers for our anniversary from my sweet, sweet husband.

Happy Anniversary!

Today is Robert and I's anniversary. Of course I would love to be getting ready to go on a big date night (no kids) to a nice restaurant with maybe a movie afterwards... but that will have to wait to next week. :)

Words simply cannot explain how much I love this man. I didn't know what our future would hold when I married him 5 years ago. I just knew that I didn't want spend the rest of my life without him. We have had to make some hard decisions here lately. I don't want to live without him, but we knew that we needed to get prepared for life after the Marine Corps.

When researching to find that perfect gift, I looked under the 5-year theme-- wood. For the life of me, I could not think of anything "wood" to give him. But it did get me to thinking... when I think of wood I think of something strong and something that can withstand anything. That is the way I think of our relationship. We have been through so much in the past 5 years. But I know how strong we are as a couple and know that we can get through anything that comes our way. Today's marriages are a lot like today's furniture-- not built well at all. They are made out of cheap material to basically get a person by for a few years. They know when they go to the store they don't want to give a lot towards the furniture knowing that they will eventually want something new later on. I hate that marriage isn't what it used to be. I believe in the values. I believe in the sanctity. When I married Robert, I knew there was no "Plan B". I knew what forever meant and knew that I would be with him for the rest of my life. God knew that we both needed each other. I needed him. He needed me.

We are not perfect. We do not have a perfect marriage. But he loves me and the boys more than anything in this world and that is all I need to know. :)

Happy 5th Anniversary Robert! I love you more and more each day.

{June 10, 2006}

Wordless Wednesday

:)

Giving it all away

If you would have asked me a year ago... I would have told you that I was definitely wanting to try again for a little girl. It has been my dream to have a daughter. Growing up with 3 sisters and having 2 boys just didn't seem complete.

But over the past few months, I think I have had a change of heart.

When Thompson was Brycen's age, I got pregnant. I had no choice but to deal with the "terrible two's" knowing that we were already in for it again. It wasn't a big deal. To be honest, Thompson was an easy child. Of course he had his meltdowns and tantrums, but overall, he was just so sweet and easy. Brycen, on the other hand is a little more challenging. He still is my baby boy, but the child wears me out some days. ;) I might be crazy, but the newborn stage is the easiest for me. I enjoy the sweetness of a newborn baby. I love being attentive to their every need. A toddler is soooo different. And I honestly don't know if I want to go through this again.

Who is to even say I would have a girl?? I have always heard girls were very dramatic. Do I even want to deal with that?? Trust me... I was a teenage girl once... there was dra-ma!

As of right now, I am 95% sure I am done having kids. Who is to say I won't change my mind in a few years? But I am trying to enjoy my boys as much as possible and soak in this time.

That is why I have decided to give away a lot of the clothes, baby gear, etc. we have. Shanna is having a baby boy this fall and it would be a perfect time to gift all of the things that we won't need anymore.

But trust me, I will probably definitely cry the entire time I am going through the stuff. I will probably definitely feel guilty. I just hope I don't jinx myself in the end. I have always heard that as soon as you give everything away is when you get pregnant!! Haha!! Ohhhhh goodness! :)

Anybody have any advice?

This Week...

This week... I will make a conscientious effort to be 100% on counting my points, as I have failed miserably this past week.

This week... I will try not to nitpick my husband for every cent that he spends. I am terrible about this and probably should be harder on myself.

This week... I will have more patience with my children. I know that Brycen has serious separation anxiety and I need to have a little more understanding. It's hard on him, it's hard on me. :(

This week... I will think of the most AMAZING anniversary gift for my husband. Because he deserves it more than anything. I love him more than anything and am so blessed to have such a hardworking, loving husband.

This week... I will try not to stress about the future. Everything will work out the way it was planned. :)

I don't want this list to only be for "this week". Most of them are hard and it will definitely take time. I am just a small-goals-kinda-gal!  

Hope you have a great week!!

Summertime!!

To me, it is officially summer! The weather has peaked well over the 90's, the pools are open, and the sno cones are delicious!

Yesterday, I took the boys to my sister's house to swim. We layed Brycen down for a nap when we got there because I knew it would be a long day. Thompson ended up swimming for 6 hours! Funny thing is that he never made a peep. He just floated around playing with the other kids. He loved it! After Brycen woke up, we put his swim floaty on him and he splashed around on the steps. He didn't care too much for the swimming part, but loved throwing anything and everything he could into the pool. We ate hot dogs for lunch and I had 2 sno cones that were soooo good!

After we all were wore out from swimming, we got dressed and headed to a Mexican restaurant that I haven't been to in years. It's about 30 minutes away and it really hit the spot.

We had a really great day! Definitely a wonderful start to a hot summer! :)

{Thompson going down the slide!}

{Ready to hit the pool!}

{All the kids}

Show Us Your Life-- Appetizers!!

Today is another round of Show Us Your Life! This week it is appetizers!

I don't know about you, but I LOVE appetizers. I am a huge dip fan and found this recipe a while back. Rachael Ray made it on her show, and I knew I had to make it! :) It's Jalapeno Popper Dip!

Let the ooooh's and awwww's begin now. Yes. It is that good!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

8 jalapenos,halved and seeded

1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

2 8-ounce blocks of cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheese, divided

1 cup crushed tortilla chips

Toss the jalapenos in the olive oil. Put under the broiler for about 3 minutes or until softened and blackened. Let them cool enough until you are able to chop them up. Meanwhile, turn the oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, sour cream, 1/2 cup of cheese and chopped jalapeno peppers. Pour into baking dish and top with the rest of the shredded cheese and tortilla chips. Bake for about 15-18 minutes or until bubbly, golden brown. I serve mine with tortilla chips.

I am telling y'all-- this is so good!

Enjoy!!