Neglected Again.....

I have once again neglected our blog but I wanted to atleast post some pics of the kids.

Marathon Runner

Just a little video of Bear "running"........

I know it is sideways but just turn your head and enjoy.......

Silence

Lake is almost never away from us overnight except when we are in Alabama.

We are only in AL twice a year. We love our kids. But, sometimes Mommy and Daddy need a break.

Everyday is filled with endless chatter, giggles, questions and a little whining. Which we could not live without..... except maybe the whining.

This is an actual photo of our sign in the kitchen above our sink. I can not stand whining. It applies to everyone in the house except Bear......... But his day is coming. And yes, it even applies to me.



So....as I have mentioned before, I have the most fabulous friend, Debi. Her niece is 5 years old. You know what that means....PLAY DATE! SLUMBER PARTY!!!!! ON VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

On Saturday, Debi came to pick up Lake around 1:30. For some reason my brain was only worried about a few hours of silence because I forgot about the slumber party. As they were getting ready to pull out of the driveway, Debi's husband said.......

" Have a good night!"

Wait a minute........A good NIGHT?!?!

I threw up my hand and shouted.......

" Is she spending the night?!?"

Her husband states.......

"Well yeah. It's a slumber party."

HOLY COW! How could I forget? The day just got better! I had only packed baby doll clothes in that Hello Kitty bag. No clothes for Lake. I started jumping for joy as I shouted.....

"Wait! I forgot she was spending the night. She needs clothes."

As I ran into the house I thanked Jesus and few times and Jason seemed confused. He asked me what was going on and I told him the good news. He got a smile on his face and helped me pack.

We got her things together and off she went to Debi's and to the store we headed. We planned to cook steaks and enjoy the peace. Yes, we still had Bear but it still seemed like we were alone.
Except for a few crying spells, dirty diapers, spit-up and a tummy ache.......


We returned from the store and Bear was sleeping in his car seat. We just brought it inside and left him strapped in while he slept. Jason and I looked at each other and smiled.........

IT WAS SILENT! The only thing we wanted to do was enjoy this moment of silence. We wanted to listen to NOTHING. And we did. Our neighbors came over after a while and we cooked with them. The nice thing was that all of their kids were away too. We ate dinner. They went back home and we were in a moment of silence once again. We even took a pic to remember the day.



At 9:15, I went to bed. After a quick good night call to Lake, I was out. I was exhausted! I slept harder than I have in months. Jason slept in Lake's bed because he said when he came into the bedroom I looked so comfortable and I was snoring so he did not want to wake me. So Sweet! Of course, his feet were hanging off of the little twin bed and the High School Musical sheets were not long enough. He said he slept well.

On Sunday morning I got a text from Debi that said Lake and Laney did not want to come home. I thought I was dreaming. This never happens. I gladly agreed to keep her out of school for this special occasion. Besides, it's only kindergarten. I spoke to Lake and she said she was having a great time. I was so glad she was enjoying herself with Laney. They are silly little girls that love to laugh and chit chat together. Debi said they were "working" in their office. In other words, cutting up pieces of paper as small as snow flakes and using up all of the gem clips to make a chain... ;)



They played in makeup and also made a movie. Thanks to Debi's daughter, Heather, for being a good sport... ;)

This morning Lake called to say good morning. She immediately started telling me that I did not pack her enough clothes. Typical girl. I did not know she was staying for 2 days so I only packed 3 outfits. Guess she needs more choices next time.

At 1:30 both girls will be here at our house. I really am ready to hear the giggles and chatter. We have enjoyed the silence but we have missed it too.

BIG "THANK YOU" to Debi for giving us this time to relax and remember what silence sounds like...........

Puke Patrol

Lakelyn and Bear have been sick ever since we got back from AL. Bear is now on a nebulizer. Lakelyn has a ruptured ear drum, both have had ear infections and sinus infections. It has been a never ending pool of snot.Luckily, besides the usual spit-up from Bear, there has been no "big girl" vomit. For those of you that don't know, I can not clean up chunks from the stomach! It makes me sick. I start to gag if I get too close.

Well, last night Lake was eating dinner and she said her stomach was hurting. Being the mean Mother Monster that I am, I made her eat 3 more bites of meat and drink her juice. I mean, standard procedure from parents is three more bites when the usual "Mommy, I'm full" starts ringing in our ears. Being the obedient girl she is (most of the time) she ate her food and headed to brush teeth, brush hair and then snuggle under the covers.

As Jason and I were getting ready for our nightly Guitar Hero gig, I heard a scream that I had not heard in a long time. I ran down the hall and I found a bed FULL of "big girl" vomit. At that point, I started screaming for Jason as I was trying to get out of the room. He came back there and shouted his normal quote..."Daddy can do it. Daddy can do anything!" ........He's so cute! She seemed to feel better because she was examining her up-chuck and giving me an updated report while I was contributing by getting sheets out of the linen closet in the hallway. I really could not say anything to her because it was pretty funny.

If I would have been here by myself, I am sure I would have thrown up, but I would have been able to take care of her. Although, my thoughts are, that if Daddy is here to help........let Daddy help. So Super Dad washed hair, changed sheets, washed mattress pads (thank goodness for those) changed to PJs, and settled her back into her little nest. I was sending my mama emails with the play by plays because she knows how I feel. My daddy always had to take over because the smell would always gag her....Maybe that's where I get it from..... ;)

Well about 30 minutes later, I saw Lake at the end of the hallway. Luckily our GH song was almost over..... :) She said it had happened again. Super Daddy to the rescue! Same scenario. Changing, washing, brushing.........

So..........after about 5 more times of this happening throughout the night, it was then 6 o'clock in the morning. Bear was wide eyed and bushy tailed. ready to eat, talk, and play. Lakelyn finally went to sleep and Jason is still sleeping too. Thanks goodness I did not have to be on Puke Patrol!

God Bless My Husband!

Driving Test????

We have lived here in TX since December 2006. Even though I had to move back to TN, blah, blah, blah I have still "lived" here. I still have a TN drivers license that does not list my married name. It is still a reminder of the past. I really need to rid myself of the last reminder of all of that mess.

So.......On my birthday, I looked at my license and I realized it expired that day. OK, no problem.
For some reason I was under the impression that you had until the end of the month to renew a drivers license. Like your car tag. I was under the wrong impression.

I have been telling Jason that I needed to go to the DMV. I called today to get the information. My last question was " Do I have until the end of the month to renew because my license expired on January 2, 2009?" All I heard was a giggle and I knew this was not going to be good.

Not only do I have to take the written test BUT I have to take the driving test too!!! I tried to explain to the lady that I was 30 years old and all I needed was to change to a TX license. I told her that I had not taken a test in YEARS! All she could say was "Well, you better start studying..." Great.

So, I am getting online to find the study book for the written test. I have Road Rage and I know there are no teachings on that in the book. That task is just learned as you drive around idiots. I have that part mastered. What I am not sure about is all of the rules of stopping, going, and whatever else you have to know when you are 15....... The driving test should be interesting, too. Jason said that at least I get to turn back time for a few days. I'll keep you updated on my studying and the test.

Hopefully I'll pass..........

Embracing Thirty

On January 2, 1979 I was born.

On January 2, 2009 I was thirty years old.

I decided to embrace thirty with a smile on my face and with much hope for the future. Let's face it, my twenties were filled with many ups and down. The ups were the births of my children and my marriage to Jason. No need to go into the downs.......they are water under the bridge and I learned from my mistakes which is the most important part.

When I turned 21, I was a new mom and I ate hot wings on my couch. When I turned 25, I was a new mom again and I felt stuck in the middle of nothing. At thirty, I am a new mom once again and I feel like a new woman. I feel like I have a lot of wisdom that I never dreamed I would have at this age. This is going to be a new chapter in my life and I plan on making it the best yet.

I was able to spend this birthday with my family and friends. I would not have had it any other way. I was asked many times if I "felt" 30........Well, not really.

I have glasses now and I think I have stiff joints and a little premature memory loss. It could also be selective.... :)

I keep having to remind myself that I am thirty. I am no longer in my twenties and I am a real adult. Not that I wasn't before, I just feel more grown up now. That's all. Not older just more grown up.

Jason will be thirty at the end of March and he does not let me forget that I am older than him. I hope he embraces thirty as I have. With a new attitude, new goals, hopes and dreams for the years to come.

ByPass Surgery

My mom and Terry were supposed to be able to join the family in Alabama for the holidays. Unfortunately Terry's heart had other plans for them. The day before his flight out of Texas, he was trotting around at the river bottom and began to have chest pains. He checked his blood pressure and it was Sky High! Like, 202 / 178 or something like that....Too High!

Luckily the River Bottoms aren't completely filled with frog-giggin' rednecks.




There is a neighbor that is a nurse. Terry made the call and told her that he thought he was having a "Panic Attack"...Yeah Right! He thought his blood pressure machine could have been messed up....WRONG! Off to the hospital they went and the news only got worse.

When they arrived at the hospital, many tests were ran. I soon found out the news from my mom via text message... Don't you just love texting........ Once I finally got my mom on the phone, I got more details and the number to the room. I talked to Terry and all he said was " I won't be on a plane tomorrow." Well, duh! I was only concerned about his health and anxiously awaited the results from the tests being ran the next day. My mom took the Red Eye out of GA and into TX. She arrived at the hospital to find out that he was going to have bypass surgery ASAP. Quadruple Bypass Surgery, that is.

My mom was a wreck. Her husband was on the verge of death and low and behold they lost her makeup bag at the airport. For those of you who know my mom, this was a TRAGEDY! Jason and I proceeded to AL to carry on with our plans for Christmas with the family. I must admit, it was not the same without them, but we have their presents so we can have Christmas in February if need be.

Terry was in Intensive Care for days and days. At one point the thought they were going to have to put the breathing tube back in, deflate his lung and repair the lymphnode they had punctured during the surgery....Great..... Apparantly Terry's anatomy inside is a bit different then the average human's....We always knew he was special! Luckily that procedure did not take place. My mom finally got some makeup from her friend so she could "have her face on" while she was at the hospital. So things seemed to be looking up for the both of them.Once Terry could finally talk he gave me some extensive details on his cuts and bruises. OUCH!

The plans were for my mom and Terry to attend my "Embracing Thirty" party in AL but of course duty called in TX with Terry and his health. I made sure I dedicated a song to him and my mom. We will have another bday party when he can function correctly again. New Year's Eve was spent in the hospital as well. Luke and David went to see Terry and as they entered the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital, they blasted him with Silly String........I'm sure the nurses were proud. No word on if they got in trouble or not but they did get together for a group picture. Not real sure if Terry even knew what was going on. Looked like there was noone home after that shot of Morphine.......



After recovery time in the hospital was over, mom took Terry home. Poor thing has to do what she says because he can't defend himself for awhile. I make regular calls to check in and make sure she is treating him right. He feels much better and says she is not being too mean... :) Mom spent $500 to replace her face and potions.


I think some of that was just pure retail therapy because she misses her little Nelson. She and that dog have a very un-natural relationship. She says he is just a baby. Trust me, that is a brand new blog. I'm not planning on going there......

Anyway....Good News! Mom got the call today saying the airline had found her makeup. It is in Atlanta. Sounds like to me she won't need makeup for a while.........

Where has the time gone???

Ok, so I have realized that it has been a few weeks since I have blogged about our life and kids. With the holidays, it has just been overwhelming with all of the tasks at hand......Here are a few things I will be blogging about soon

1. Quad By-Pass Surgery

2. Nightime Driving

3. The Holidays

4. My Birthday

5. Sick Kids

6. Back to Work

My goal is to have these topics addressed this week. Hopefully I will have time!

2 Years Ago......

On December 18, 2006 I married the greatest man I have ever encountered. Jason and I have known each other since we were 14 years old. After graduation, we only saw each other two times in 9 years. I was at my parent's house in July for Timberly's soccer party and I heard someone call my name. As I stood there with no make-up, my hair in a bun and a t-shirt covering my bathingsuit, I saw him looking over the privacy fence with that million dollar smile. We picked up right where we had left off several years before. Jason and I were always great friends but we had both changed in many ways. These ways brought us closer than ever.

He was stationed on a boat that patrolled the Caribbean. We planned to meet up when he came home before attending school in VA in November. On September 1, 2006 we had our first "date." Neither of us planned on what that night would lead to, but it lead to the greatest feeling I had ever felt in my soul. I had dated before and never thought twice about friendly dates but this one was different. I could not shake the boy that I once knew and the man he had become. He completely captured my heart and soul. I was puzzled by the feelings I had sooooo quickly.
Eventhough I had ben married twice for the wrong reasons, this feeling was different. It felt "real."
I returned to TN and finally he called. I was consumed with nerves and happiness. I took off work the following Friday and I drove to MS to see Jason for one night before he set sail into the ocean for his final tour on the Decisive. After a few weeks I found myself missing him more and more. My best friend Misti and I picked Jason up from the airport in Birmingham when he returned from the deep blue sea a few weeks later. I knew it was true love from that moment on.......

We spent as much time together over the next 2 weeks as possible. Jason left for VA to attend MST school. I felt like half of my heart was gone. Of course, I had my babies and family but he filled a part of me that had been empty for so long. We talked for hours at a time while he was gone and one night decided to make it official. We were going to get married. I was excited and nervous at the same time. What would his parents think? I knew my parents would not surprised because I had left no stone uncovered throughout the course of my 27 years. What if I did not know how to be a wife? I had failed twice before, but I quickly let those thoughts go.

Jason graduated on December 15, 2006 and officially became a MST in the United States Coast Guard. I attended the ceremony in VA and then we headed home to Bama. I quit my job and grasped the fact that I would be moving 10 hours away from my family. This was hard, but I wanted to be with the man I was truly in love with. On December 17 we had a "meet and greet" with our parents over dinner so they could atleast meet before we became husband and wife. On December 18, 2006 I became Mrs. Jason Screws. This was also my dad's birthday so there were 2 celebrations in one day.

It was then that I felt complete.

We left the next day traveling to Houston to find a home. We found what we thought was perfect for us. Within 3 days we found a home in Houston, traveled back to AL for Christmas and to move our things to TX. After 3 weeks of living here, I was forced to move back to TN due to circumstances beyond my control with Lakelyn's biological father. It was devestating for all of us. My baby was confused and Jason and I were at a loss for words. We knew this would be hard.

Over the course of the next ten, yes, ten months we were apart from one another. 750 miles or 10 hours. Either way we looked at it it was too far. We had many fights, concerns and misunderstandings! We saw each other only 4 times during these months. It was so hard being away from one another and trying to have a marriage over the phone was almost impossible. Jason had to move out of our house and move into an apartment. We almost gave up several times but when the end looked like the best solution for our heartache, we reminded each other that our love for one another was too strong and we refused to let this obsticle ruin the future we had planned.

FINALLY, in October 2007, I was granted permission through the court system to move back home and I was awarded FULL and COMPLETE custody of Lakelyn. We would only have to take her to attend a supervised visit one week of the month until she began school in the fall. Jason is truly a great man. He stepped right back into taking care of our family and being a positive male role model for Lakelyn which she had never had before. He traveled with concern and support for me and Lake. He missed her as much as I did while she was gone.Times were truly tough because we had to get re-aquainted in so many ways while dealing with these issues. Although we had been married for almost one year, we were like strangers in so many ways.

After a few long months of traveling for Lake's supervised visitations with her father, they were eliminated due to bad choices on his part. In many ways this has been and was the best thing for Lake. Jason quickly became Lakelyn's DADDY. Jason had been there for her and she loved him very much. They made the choice together to be daddy and daughter. Their bond is very special. As I watched them become closer I knew that I had married the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with.

Jason and I found a new home and we moved our things in March 2008. Once again we had created a home together and things were looking up. Not only did Lakelyn have a happy home to thrive in, but we were expecting a son in September. Throughout my entire pregnancy Jason was very attentive to my needs. I am a hand full most of the time and his patience was tested on a regular basis. He managed to survive the hormones and become a father again on August 31 :) He has always loved my girls like his own and this has not changed with the arrival of Bear.

Our first anniversary was not a big deal because we were trying to get reacquainted. Birthdays and other holidays have always been hard because we were away from each other could not celebrate. This year was different. Jason had planned something special for us.

It had been over a year since we had really had Mommy / Daddy time. It was long overdue. Jason arranged a sitter and the reservations to the restaurant. I had no idea what was in store for me, but I knew I was thrilled for it to be happening! After I changed clothes about 6 times we finally left the house. We arrived at the Aquarium for dinner. YAY! One of my favorite places!

As we sat at our table the waiter was teaching us about the different fish and a diver came down into the tank. I looked at him and he was holding a sign that said "Happy Anniversary Jamie..." I teared up and then I was presented with the most beautiful necklace. I cried tears of joy because after all we had been through we had made it another year and I knew there would be many more. We feasted on shrimp cocktail, brushetta, crab dip and calamari. We sat and talked which is something we have not been able to do without a baby crying or a little girl yelling "mommy" or "daddy" I truly felt like I had fell in love all over again. that night. It was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me. I am so smitten.

I look forward to raising our children together and continuing to become closer as we grow older. Jason is the only man for me. He provides for our family and he has the most loving and understanding heart I have ever known. I am so lucky to have him in my life and to be his wife.

I look forward to many more Anniversaries and memories with my loving husband!

He Speaks

I had to add this video, too. We swear Bear can say "Hey".... :)

We think he's a genius.......But then again we are a little bias :)

Neglect

I have been neglecting our blog so I wanted to atleast post a few new pics of the kids.

I am never in any pictures because I am always the photographer.

Guess that is the way it goes....

Snow in Texas

This may never happen again while we live here so I had to run in and let everyone know.....


IT'S SNOWING IN TEXAS!





Too bad Lake and Bear are sleeping but Jason and I ran out to enjoy a few snowflakes on our tongue!




Happy Holidays!

This Is My Family......

I have come to realize that every family has a bit of dysfunction. Whether it be seen by all or seen by few.....it's there.

This Thanksgiving we went to the Neches River Bottoms with my mom and Step-dad whom I adore.....He has to be the most patient man on Earth. He tolerates my mom and me at the same time and that is quite a chore. Not to take anything away from my charming and patient husband, but Terry gets most of the credit on these trips to the river......Jason pretty much sticks close to Terry and learns by watching :)

Lunch was to begin at noon but at 1:45 the dressing was still not there. While waiting for Terry's mom, we got a little worried so a few took off to look for her. Grandpa came in his own car so he was a little upset too. Not because she was not there, but because he wanted to eat. So we settled him by making him a plate. While the search party was out "searching", Jason had a flat tire on his truck.....Bless Him......

Little Mrs. Lamon finally made it but the dressing was not cooked when it arrived. I looked at my mom and she had that look in her eye. After a few drinks of Crown and Seven, I think she got over it........

After we finally ate, Jason and I slipped off upstairs with Bear and drifted into a Turkey Coma. When we woke, everyone was gone. We watched some of the ballgame and then went right back to bed. Overall we had a great trip. It is always fun to see everyone and to have stories to remember afterward.

We will be in Bama for 10 days during Christmas. Another holiday. Another Story.........