I think I'm in Love

No one to leave dirty socks and shoes scattered around the house.

No one to have work clothes washed and ready for.

No one to leave dirty cups out and all over the house.

No one to waste soda by only drinking half the can.

No one to leave their wet towel on the dry bed.

No one to leave their dirty work clothes in the bathroom after showering.

No one to hold dinner for.

No one to mow my lawn.

No one help me care for the dogs.

No one to help me feed the pets.

No one to help me find Patrick...our lost kitty.

No one to cheer me up when I get down.

No one to curl up with on the couch at the end of the day

No one to watch 'Big Brother' with.

No one to play on the computer while I watch my girly shows.

No one to welcome home at the end of the day.

No one to kiss me good night.

No one to sleep beside me.

No one to say, 'Goodnight baby...love you.'

No one to kiss me good bye in the morning.

There are days that some of these things annoy me to no end. There are days I don't appreciate the kiss goodbye or the 'goodnight...love you'. However, when I don't have all of these things I feel lost and alone. I think I'm in love:)

Happy Five Years Anniversary!

I can't believe its true! FIVE YEARS! I love this man so much. Honey, You are an awesome father and husband. You are my best friend. Thank you for sticking with me during hard times. Thank you for your super support! I hope we celebrate another 5 more in 2016! I love you, Stud! 

Hurricane Irene

Well, though Hurrican Irene shrunk down to a category 1, our family is still being greatly affected by its presence. My husband left this morning to go to NC with his work crew to help with releif wherever needed. I am hoping and praying that he is safe during this exciting journey as we cherish him more than ever as a husband and daddy. I am not looking forward to taking care of our family on my own. Last time Josh was out of town, JJ came down with a horrible sickness that left me scarred for life:) (Ok...thats a  bit dramatic but if you know me---you know its true!) I know that we have God as our number one protector and that He has a plan in all of this. I am trusting that He will keep Josh in His hands as he serves where needed most. I also know that this is a great opportunity for my husband to create a strong relationship with his employer. God knows we can truly us the extra money that he will be earning. I have a million questions in my head as to how the next few weeks will go, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that everything will be ok. God is on our side. As long as we are running this race, we have the greatest team captain on our side! Praise God for that!

Just a little like momma?

I know JJ looks just like his daddy. However, I ran across some old pictures today and found hope....don't you think he resembles momma just a little bit?!?!?!

Selfishly missing the moments...

The reason for this post is obvious from the title...this momma has been way over stressed and missing some of the best moments in life that cannot be redone. Thank goodness the Lord allowed us to get a decent camera so that I can capture those moments on my camera so that at least I can go back in time through memories!

Basically, I have allowed my being unemployed to dim what is most important to me...my family. My husband says I have been crabby for 3+ months...no surprise there. My poor husband. My kids have been troopers....though mommy is stressed to the max, they carry on with happiness. There are so many unanswered questions that I keep aiming at the Lord, but I am determined to step back from my selfishness and remember the two greatest blessings that God has given me. They keep me going. Needing to force myself out of bed to be a mother has kept me from giving into the horrible arms of depression that threaten to overtake me. I realize fully that God has a plan for this family. Once again, my heart and my head are in turmoil against one another. My heart knows the truth, but my head goes on with its negative knowledge of what can really happen to us if I don't get a job soon. Giving it all to God is such a relief...unfortunately my head takes it all back at least 24 times a day....

Ok moving on to my special blessings!

Build a Bear for Miracle's 7th birthday

I had no idea what to get my beautiful girl for her birthday. She wanted 'another doll McDonald's toy and silly bands'. Wow. She is super easy to please, but I wanted to get something a little more meaningful than that. The next morning we saw a build a bear commercial, and I was excited. I knew she would love doing the workshop and wouldn't even mind if her brother had to come along. I knew the bear she would choose as soon as we walked in the door. Hello Kitty is an old time favorite of hers! She  named her kitty Maggie...and JJ named his new rabbit Thumper, 'fumper' if you ask him! We had so much fun! I did not have any trouble getting them to leave the store because we were headed to the hospital to see their favorite new cousin that was only one day old!

A few weeks later, we were swimming with my sister in law when JJ got his first bee sting! I almost forgot to even write that down. I know it's silly...but I want to remember that kind of stuff. He got his second bee sting a few days later. Thank goodness we now know that he is NOT allergic to bee stings!

A few weeks later, we enjoyed a great day at the park. My kids love to play even in the 100 degree weather. We took our water bottles and settled in for some fun. The kids had a blast. Mommy had ulterior motives. The next day we had to go to the dentist...I wanted to distract them because they were both a bit worried!

JJ was a champ about the whole ordeal. He was nervous but showed his bravery quite well. Thankfully, he got a great review---Healthy Teeth!  Miracle was not so lucky. I did not get a picture because they shooed me out of the room to watch through the window. Poor kid! She is super brave though. She ended up needing some pretty scary dental work. I hate the first few years of her life (starting in the womb) that gave her a definite disadvantage as far as her young teeth are concerned. We brush, brush, brush with no success. Thankfully, she is my super brave girl! She hardly flinched. She had to get a treat afterwards. She was so brave, but mommy had an urge to cry the entire time. When people say kids are just your heart walking around outside your body...they are so correct!

Overall, we have had a great summer...or at least my kids have. They even find a way to have fun when we are stuck at home. They have super enjoyed a week getting to see Nana and Papa alot....I have too! We got our entire family's pictures done last night...I should have some to post soon!

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer! Don't be like me and almost miss the moments. They are such blessings if you only take the time to notice them!

Where has summer gone?

Well it seems that summer is quickly coming to an end. We went to Hobby Lobby today and were disgusted to see Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations are already out! CRAZY! I don't know about you, but I am not wishing away these last few weeks of sunshine and freedom. Neither are my kids. Life being unemployed has definitely been interesting. Funny how after learning how to be a successful working mom, I have had to really work at learning to be a successful stay at home mom. Every day is a new day with new struggles. What do I do to keep myself busy? All of a sudden, I am struggling to figure out my meaning in life. How do I learn to 'not work?' I have been employed in some sort of position since I was 16 years old. I am really working on putting my job as a mother into practice. Trying to work with my kids all that I can now that I am home more and trying to give them some good memories with mommy that I could not have done before. It is eye opening for sure. I long for another teaching position to work out, but God has a plan and has not given me a new job yet. Waiting is hard, but I am learning to choose contentment. Thankfully, I have something I can hope in besides this world. What would I do without the Lord to turn to? I'd be lost (and crazy by now) for sure! Each day is a blessing in itself. I remind myself of that often. This new phase in life is going to take some figuring out...but every moment will be worth it! Helping my kids to turn into responsible adults will be my reward!

The Lord is so good!

Meet my beautiful new neice...

Proud Uncle Josh, Miracle, and JJ holding Cynthia on the day she was born

Cynthia Anne McClimon, 7/11/2011, 8lbs 6 oz

Our family was blessed in great ways on Monday when Cynthia entered the world at 3:01pm. She was prayed for for several years, and the Lord finally chose to bless my sister Stephanie with a beautiful child! I am so happy for her because I know how badly she longed to be a mother. I cried with her on several occasions over her struggle to conceive. Stephanie and her husband waited 2 years before finally beginning the IVF process. The doctors had basically told her she would not be able to conceive naturally. God had other plans. I remember the phone call that brought immediate tears to my eyes. She had finally gotten the positive sign on one of the several pregnancy tests she had taken. God allowed them to naturally conceive only weeks before they would start  the long process of IVF. What an eye opening experience to be a part of. God is in control. He knows the cry of our hearts and provides perfectly above and beyond what we ask. His timing is not our timing, but my sisters story is a perfect example of the blessings He has for us!

I am anxiously awaiting the phone call that will tell me whether or not I will get the job I have been interviewing for. Meeting Cynthia for the first time and remembering how God worked in their lives gives me a wonderful peace that He is working in our lives too! He is in control. The waiting is hard but the end result will be a blessing. Whether or not I get the job, God is working something out! I will keep you all posted!