Christmas Recap

Hello! I'm back :-)

This year for Christmas was the first year "our family" (meaning me, hubby, kids) have actually started our own traditions. See every year since I was born I have spent Christmas Eve night with my parents. I would wake everyone up at the butt crack of dawn and make sure everyone got their stockings. Then we would open presents. Even when I was married. Even when L & L were born.

But this year? Was different. We needed to start playing Santa. So that is what we did. On Christmas Eve we went to Leons sisters house and spent time with his family. The boys got spoiled.

After that we came home. My cousin/BFF Karissa over with her man and little princess Ava. We exchanged gifts and let the little ones play. Hubby brought home pizza and we just hung out.

After they left, Leon read the boys "Twas the night before Christmas" which is a tradition that Leon started last year. We tucked them into bed and then played Santa.

Christmas morning Leon woke up pretty early. We let him look at the presents & wake up Logan. When both boys were up, we started opening presents. I think I anticipated them being more excited and happy to open their presents. They were more interested in daddys stocking stuffers and their favorite toys they play with every day. Maybe next year :)

After presents and showers we headed over to my moms house where we got spoiled some more. The day was kinda chill. Well except that Logan was crazy. He does not like being around a lot of people. He was Mr.Cranky Pants.

All in all we had a great Christmas. We love making new memories. And holding on to these memories for a lifetime.

Thankful Challenge

On the 14th day of November I was thankful for a nap! I love naps. While the kids were sleeping I neglected all household chores & my DVR for one. It felt lovely. That is all.


So, let’s move on.

I have seen some things that make me crazy! I have done some things that make me think I am going crazy. I wanted to touch base on a few of those things.

Okay, Leon and I were at.. (can you guess?) Walmart the other day. We were just picking up a few quick things for dinner and such when I ran into a lady I knew from work. She was pregnant when I saw her last, and when I saw her at Wally world there was a baby carrier on the cart. She says, “I had him!” So of course scurry over and wanna see the baby. I say, “Oh my GOD! He is so tiny!” Guess what she says? “Yeah, he’s only 3 days old.”

SCUSE ME?! You have a 3 day old baby out in the cold weather? FLU & COLD SEASON!? I just wanted to slap the stupid out of her.

You know what else makes me crazy? When I have to wait on hold for 80 million hours to speak to a customer service rep.

I also can’t stand when I find out may-jah news on Facebook.

It realllly bugs me when I text someone and they don’t text me back. Like, really? It’s that hard.

I was leaving Walgreens and do you know what I saw that made me crazy?! I saw a little boy (maybe 4) run across the parking lot! His dad was behind him not doing anything. He didn’t even run up to the kid when he saw my car coming. Jerk.

It’s cold out. Not freezing though. Just cold. So WHY THE HELL do runners run with short shorts and a tank top on? I know people get hot when they run. But let’s sweat a little, run in the cold and then catch pneumonia while we are at it? Huh?

Wanna know what I do that makes me think I am going crazy. The other day when I was packing hubbys lunch for work I put the box of mini tacos in the cabinet instead of the freezer and put the Tupperware in the freezer instead of his lunchbox.

I found a sippy cup in the cabinet FULL OF MILK. It was missing for 3 days. How did I miss it?

I also may have left a load of laundry in the washer for 2 days before I realized I forgot to switch them.



P.S. Sorry about the lack of pictures. I will do a whole post of pics as soon as I do an upload!

On the 13th day of November I was thankful for Scentsy! I held a party for my cousin. I ended up selling a lot of product and getting so much stuff for so cheap! I have a feeling Scentsy is going to change my life a little. (A little over the top?)


I decided to sign up and start my own Scentsy business. We can always use extra money around here. Two babies can get pretty expensive.

Scentsy is wickless candles! You get a warmer. And wax. And wa-lah! Your house will smell amazing. They offer so much more. I will go into more detail in another post. Also, I’ll post a link to my website when I get it up and started. I really feel like I can grow my business and be successful. Of course I will need the help of family & friends to get me started.

I hope I can count on you.

Thankful Challenge

I am such a slacker again. I fell behind in my Thankful Challenge. I am still so thankful for a lot of things though. That will never change. So, I am on the 12th day of thanks.


On the 12th, I was thankful for “me time”. It wasn’t a whole day away by any means. I went to work, I was home for a bit, then I went to my aunts, then I went to see my parents while they bowled. After the hospital stay and both kids being sick I needed to get away. So, I was thankful that Leon stayed home with the babes and let me go. I just liked holding a conversation without a kid biting my leg, spilling something, pulling something off the table, etc.. you get my drift?

I sure do love those boys though.



I know I keep saying I am gonna blog about Logan’s hospital stay. I will. I have pictures though that tell the story a little better. So, stay tuned!

Do you ever wonder if God is testing you?

I do.

Today I saw an old man on the side of the road carrying a ton of bags. He looked lost. Tired. A little scared maybe. Do you know what I did? (I’m ashamed)

I kept going.

Why didn’t I stop?

I don’t know. Maybe because I was on my lunch break and I was in a hurry to get back to work. Maybe because it was a busy road with a shit ton of construction and I couldn’t. Maybe because I watch to much Criminal Minds. Hell, I have no clue. I just know at the very moment I made the decision to keep going I felt instantly bad. Like I should have stopped. I hope he is okay.

If God was testing me today, I failed miserably.

Post 100! Thankful Challenge, Day 11!

Today is 11/11/11.

Veterans Day.

So, what might I be thankful for today?? ALL of the past, present, future Armed Forces of this FREE Country.

I can sleep at night because of the brave soliders out there fighting for my freedom.

I am SO very proud to be apart of this country. Also, I have some pretty amazing family & friends out there serving our country.

Thanks to all.

A whole lotta thanks.

So since I haven't been able to blog or anything I am gonna roll a bunch of thanks into one post. Lots of details coming up of our latest ER trip and hospital stay. (Maybe today)

Day 7
I was thankful for good TV. I know, I know. Why good TV? Well it's simple. I'm a lover of all things TV. I love watching shows that intrigue me, make me happy, realtiy shows, shows that make me laugh, etc.

Day 8
I was thankful for having a realiable car. See I was at work when I got "the call" that Logan was gasping for air and needed to go to the ER. I left work quickly, scooped Logan up, and jetted to the ER. Thanks, Norman. (My car)

Day 9
I was thankful for the doctors and nurses at St.Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor. From the moment we walked in and they saw my little guy struggling to breathe, they didn't waste time. (Like most places do) They took action first, asked questions later. So for them, I am thankful. They took care of my little guys on numerous occassions, took care of my daddy when he was in there for 12 days, and they took care of me when I had pneoumnia.

TODAY! Day 10.
I am thankful for Mickey Mouse and Yo Gabba Gabba.
Yeah, I said it. If it wasn't for them my little guys wouldn't have coped so well the last couple days. Logan being in the hospital. Leon at Grandmas without his brother.

:-)

Thankful Challenge, Day 6

I fell a little behind on my Thankful Challenge! Crap.

I have been so so busy.

On the 6th day of November.. I was thankful for friends.

I have some amazing friends. Some of us have lost contact, some of us have grown closer, some of us speak like once a month, some every day.

But no matter what?

I know I can always count on them. I love my friends.

 This is Amanda & Kelly (above and below).. I have known these girls since I was a freshman in High School. I just love them. Even though we don't see eachother every day or even talk everyday.. (Hell, Amanda lives outta state) I do know I will always be there for them when they need me (Ahem.. when they get married!!) and I know I can always count on them. I love you, girls. xoxo

 This picture was when we were going to Vegas before my wedding.

 My 26 year life long friendship is with Caitlin. We were friends before we even knew how to walk or talk. She's another friend I don't see or talk to on a regular basis but when we do see eachother, we pick up right we left off. She's like a sister to me. I love her. BTW, this picture was taken in 2007! Holy crap.

 This guy right here. My buddy. Dave. I have also known him since I was a freshman in High School. He is and will always be one of my very best friends. I can't say enough good things about him. Again, no matter what happens in our lives I know I can count on him. I know my kids will be able to count on him too. I hope he knows I will always be there for him as well. Love you, buddy.

I met Nancy the same day I met my husband. She was dating my cousin at the time. We instantly clicked and have been friends ever since. We tell eachother everything. I was able to share her wedding day with her & now my husband & I are good friends with her husband. I hope to always have her as my friend. Love you girl!

 Kristi is one of my best girls. She is so much fun to be around. I love so much about her. I wish her nothing but the best in her relationship with Matt! Leon and I feel so happy that we were able to introduce Kristi & Matt and they are as happy as can be. Oh and Kristi is also a Veteran.. so I am so proud to call her my friend. Love you.

I wrote a "I'm thankful" post about my coworkers. So read that. :-)
This is Barb, Megan, LaDerrick, Jaclyn, & Candice. (Amy & Dave not pictured) I love them. Derrick makes me laugh every day, Megan is so good to go to for advice, Jaclyn and I can gossip all day long and talk about everything, Candice is everything rolled into one! (I have known her the longest!)

You guys, if you are not on my list it doesn't mean you are not my friend. It doesn't mean I am not thankful for you. I love all of my friends.

So what are you thankful for?

Thankful Challenge, Day 5

Today I am thankful for awesome co-workers! I talk to so many people that complain about the people at their jobs and gossip. Some people say their bosses are mean and what not. I can honestly say that I have great co-workers and friends. We all get along great. We do things together outside of work. We give advice to each other. I’m very lucky.


Next.

So at the beginning of October I wrote about my baby dog Maxine passing away. I miss her so much. I miss her sleeping next to me at night. I just miss everything about her. And about having a dog. I mean I don’t miss getting up in the middle of the night letting a dog outside. I’m scared of the dark. I hate being outside at night by myself. Anyways, the reason for this post.. I am thinking of getting another dog. NOT because I want to replace Maxi, but because I miss having a pet. Now some might argue that I don’t really need to get a dog.. you know.. since having two babies to take care of and all.

I don’t care really. I want a dog.

That is all.

P.S. Congratulations to my beautiful cousin Nicole on her wedding today!

EDIT: I wrote this on November 5th, just forgot to post it.
What are you thankful for?

Thankful Challenge, Day 4

Happy November 4th! On this 4th of my Thankful challenge I will say I am thankful for my husband. He works so hard for us. He sometimes works 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. His job isn’t some “sit at a desk and work on a computer” type of job either. He is continually on his feet, walking, working hard, getting dirty. So, thank you honey for all the hard work you do for our family.


It doesn’t seem fitting to write about my “Friday Frustrations” when I am doing this challenge of being Thankful. So instead I’ll write about something different. I wanted to share with you a “typical” day around my house. I wanted to use pictures but I don’t have the time (or patience) to hold a camera all day and snap pictures. Now I do work 3 days a week so this schedule is mostly for the days we are home. Anyways,our day goes a little something like this.

7:00-7:30 a.m.- Leon and Logan wake up. If it’s closer to 7, I go in their room and put on some Mickey Mouse and they will lay there and watch it for about a half hour.

Get up, change dipes, get some milk, destroy the living room with toys. This is when I usually sign on the computer and read Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, etc…

8:15-8:45 a.m.- Breakfast. It’s a pretty sore subject around our house right now.. food. It’s pretty much impossible to get these children to eat. Unless it’s fruit.

After breakfast, I get the boys dressed (most days it’s just in new clean jammies). I will get a shower and get dressed (most days it’s just new clean jammies). If we have something to do (like shopping, bank, etc..) this the time we go.

Play. Drive mommy crazy. Snack.

11:30-12:00- Lunch.

We read books. Play. Watch some cartoons. Destroy the house some more.

2:00 p.m.- NAP!

This is the time of day when I clean up, do laundry, catch up on some shows. On a good day, the boys will sleep 2 hours. Sometimes not though.

After nap they get up, have a snack, and are usually pretty whiney and clingy until dinner time.

5:00- Dinner. This is the worst meal. Everything usually gets thrown on the floor. Everything. I am still trying to cook dinner for Leon & I during their meal, clean up, do dishes, etc.

After dinner, the boys spend a little time with daddy before he goes to work.

At 7:00 we do baths if it’s a bath night. I do not bathe my kids every day. Not until they need it. We do baths every other day. Lotion. Jammies. Story. Milk. Also, before bed I am starting to get them in the habit of helping mommy pick up their toys and putting them in the toy box.

8:00 p.m.- BED TIME!

That’s our day. Of course, it gets tweaked a little here and there. I love being home with my guys 4 days a week.

So, what are you thankful for?

Thankful Challenge, Day 3

Today I am thankful for my parents. :-)

My mom went shopping with me & the boys today. She goes to help "entertain" them so to speak while I try clothes on and such.

My dad always helps with fix it type things, advice & being a great Papa to my little guys.

I LOVE them so so much.

I look forward to this weekend. We are going to a wedding and it should be lots of fun.

Now.

Why is there only ONE entry to the Shutterfly giveaway?! If someone was offering me 25 FREE photocards I would jump all over it.

So, go here and enter the giveaway!

Some randoms..

I mentioned a little bit ago that we have a wedding to go to this weekend. I went shopping today to see if I could find a new outfit. I don't know why. I have enough clothes.(Yeah, right.)

BONES comes back on tonight! YAY! I am so excited.

Leon & Logan are learning so much these days. Leon is talking so much and learning a new word every day. Logan is not talking as much but he is still learning new things. I love them.

I no longer block off the kitchen from our living room. I was doing it because there is a step there and I didn't want the kids getting hurt on it. Well, now.. they figure out how to get around it or climb over it. Logan fell over the chair that was blocking it and got a nice boo boo on his forehead. Now it's wide open and they feel so freeeee! :-)

Since my husband hasn't installed the locks on the cabinets like he's said he was gonna do for months I will do it tonight. I got a drill. I will learn how to use it.

Winter is almost here.

Anyways,
I have a lot of cleaning to do so..

What are you thankful for?

Thankful Challenge, Day! & Giveaway!

Welcome to Day 2 of my “I’m thankful” challenge. I say challenge because it’s going to be quite a challenge for me to blog everyday.

Today I am thankful for our jobs. Mine & Leons. Granted, I only work 3 days a week. But not only does that give us extra money, it pays for our insurance and keeps me sane. I could be a stay at a home mom.. but I would probably be paying a shrink because I would for sure lose my mind. I am also thankful for my husbands job because without his job we wouldn’t be able to have the things we have. I wouldn’t be able to stay home with my kids 4 days a week. Unemployment is something that is very high in our state (& nation!) and it is NOT something we want to have to deal with. So for that my friends? I am thankful!

What are you thankful for today?

Next topic.

Who wants 25 FREE Photocards from Shutterfly?! Have you heard of Shutterfly? I got the twins first Birthday invites from there. See?

They turned out so good. I have some photobooks from them. They ship fast and their work is awesome! I want to give my readers a chance to use Shutterfly. So, all I ask is you either sign in using your Google Friend Connect or if you have a blog using Blogger and follow me! Then leave me a comment and tell me which occassion you will use the 25 FREE cards on! (hello, Christmas?!)


Find me on Facebook if you are having trouble leaving a comment and I will help.

Also, there will be a shipping charge. You have til next Wednesday (the 9th) to enter! I will choose a winner (randomly of course) on the 10th!

Good luck!

And..

What are you thankful for?

Happy Tuesday ya’ll! Oh, and Happy November!

I usually have so many things that I want to write about while I doing stuff through the day then when I sit down and open Blogger, I can NEVER remember.

Sucks.

I am going to TRY (I reallllly am) to blog every single day in November. Since Thanksgiving is in November and it is afterall a day for giving thanks, I am going to write about something I am thankful for. Of course, I will have other topics thrown in because for some reason I can never stay on topic.

So, today? I am Thankful (yes, I capitalized it) (yes, I know it shouldn’t be) for my two healthy baby boys. Since becoming apart of the blogging world, I have read many (MANY!) stories. I follow peoples lives. (A little weird, yes?) There are many moms out there just like me. There are some moms out there that blog because it helps them to cope. Some moms whos babies/children have gotten their angel wings much to soon. You get drawn in. Your heart feels heavy. You wish there was something you could for them. And that, folks? Is why I am thankful for Leon & Logan and their health.

When I open my Internet in the morning I sign on to Facebook. (Who doesn’t?) Then? Blogger. I have a long list of blogs I read. Some of them are just moms like me who like to document their children and growing up, some are telling their journeys through trying to conceive and being pregnant, some (like I said earlier) just wanna write about their feelings for losing their child, and some are just artsy blogs. They are all good. 

Next..

Halloween. Everyone knows (no? well…) I hate Halloween. It’s a sour topic for me. I wasn’t going to even take the boys out, I wasn’t gonna buy them a costume… My cousin (their Godmother) decided to buy them costumes. I am so happy she did. They rocked those costumes for 3 days straight. Leon was a Blue Crayon and Logan was a Red Crayon. They were so cute. My decision to take them out was solely based on the fact that they would love being outside, love seeing the other kids, love being in the wagon & it would get me out of the house too. Oh, and free candy! (Duh)

Anyways, my cousin brought her little girl over who is 6 months older then L & L. We loaded them up in the wagon and started walking around. Before long, they were all out of the wagon begging for candy with the best of them. They picked up on the whole concept pretty quick. Leon was running for the next house. Funny thing is, I don’t ever give my kids candy. Like MAYBE they get a sucker when they are getting their hair cut. So for the life of me I can’t figure out how they know that candy is the good stuff. Anyways, before long Logan was throwing a fit. He didn’t wanna walk, he didn’t wanna be held, he didn’t wanna be in the stroller.. until I gave him a sucker that is. He was all stretched out in the wagon, feet kicked back, arm hanging over the edge, lollipop in his mouth.. yelling “GO!” everytime Jordan stopped the wagon. Towards the end, both kids were laying in the wagon all bundled in blankets. They wanted to be home, and so did I!

The night ended with a little cuddling on the couch with my 2 favorite guys. We watched some Mickey. Drank some milk. Maybe shared a little Reeses Cup.

Their second Halloween was pretty good.

OH! Come back tomorrow for the deets on my giveaway!! 25 FREE photocards from Shutterfly! :-)

 (They did NOT want to stand still for a picture, can't you tell?!)

 (Yes, we rock red jammie pants under a blue suit- what of it!?)

 (Leon eating a tootsie pop)

 (All 3 babies)

(A little closer)

What are you thankful for?

blurbettes

What's up people?

Warning: This is so RANDOM, yo.

I have two sick toddlers right now. Guurrr.

Leon has been at the docs (ER once) for his asthma. And now Logan is having breathing troubles. Poor kids. I can hear them wheezing from another room. They are both on breathing treatments every.4.hours. OMG.

Remember that Halloween party I said I wasn't sure if I wanted to go to or not? Well, we went. I went to Halloween City and bought Leon a costume. It was pretty funny. I just bought a cat mask and wore it like 2.5 seconds for 2 pictures and then took it off. I couldn't see without my glasses and I couldn't wear them with the mask.

On Sunday, I took the boys to my aunts house and we visited for awhile. :-) That was nice. She hasn't seen the twins in quite some time. After that visit we had to go to my cousins baby shower. We laughed a lot. I love seeing the girls in my family! We are a hoot. :-)

I am going to be doing a giveaway around here for 25 free photocards from Shutterfly. I LOVE Shutterfly. I am in no way affiliated with them. They didn't ask me to do this. I am not quite sure how I will do it yet, but look around next week for more details!

I reallllly wanna go to the pumpkin patch this weekend. I hope its nice out so we can go.. and at least get a couple pumpkins.

WHY oh WHY do people keep asking me when the boys are "gonna have a little sister?!" Um, scuse me? My plate is plenty full right now with 2 TODDLERS running around here and pushing every.single.button. this mommy has. IF I decide to have another baby(ies) I will let you know. k? thankyouverymuch.

Ooh I am hosting an online Scentsy party! PLEASE help a sista out and go here and order something. Scentsy is sooooo awesome. I just love it and can't wait to fill my house with all of the yummy scents. :-)

Who are you roitng for on DWTS? I just love love love Rob & Cheryl.. I have a feeling JR or Ricki is (are?) gonna win. I was bummed when Carson went home. He was so funny.

Here are some pictures:

 (The twins with Karissa & I)

 (Thw twins with their cousins C & C)

 (Karissa, Ava & myself at the babyshower)

 (The boys at Aunt Hopes)

 (Leon taking his breathing treatments.. he usually screams bloody murder, but today he held it.)

So what's new with you guys?

Would you be up for a giveaway??!

Halloween

I am not a big fan of Halloween. I never have been. When I was little my uncle used to take me trick-or-treating and I was always bashful & never wanted to go to the door. I would go up in a group of kids and just hold my bag out. I couldn't bring myself to ask for candy from a stranger. So anyways, my point.

I have been getting asked like every day what I am dressing the boys as. Truth is? I am not dressing them up. I didn't dress them up last year either. I have 2 main reasons why I am not dressing them up. One- I am not spending a small fortune on something they will wear for 2-3 hours and probably hate. Two- They aren't going trick-or-treating. I mean yeah, I could load them up in the stroller and take them trick-or-treating but why would I? They can't eat candy and they aren't going to be doing the work. I am. I will be the one asking for the candy.. when if you remember I said- I don't do that! :-)

When the twins are older they can decide if they want to go trick-or-treating. I will not take them before they are ready and know what Halloween is all about.

(Disclaimer: If you take your little babies out and dress them up I am not bashing or saying it is wrong in any way! I promise. It's just not for us.)
I dressed up a couple years for Halloween. That was the first time since I can't even remember. I bought some $20 wizard costume from Walmart. Leon got a mask and a cape and was the Scream guy. We only did that because we had a party to go to where costumes were mandatory..

And now? We are in the same coat. We have 2 parties to go to within the next two weekends where we have to dress up. Do I just bail on the parties because I don't want to buy costumes or do I suck it up because L wants to go and he wants to dress up.

Okay so now for the REAL reason I hate Halloween.

MichaelFreakingMyers.

Ok, I might be a little embarrassed to admit that the sole reason I hate Halloween is because of a stupid movie killer but really? The guy FREAKS ME OUT!! And the music? Please God no. And not just him. Freddy, Jason, Chainsaw guy, etc.. I am not a scary movie person by any means. I hate being scared. I hate when things jump out at me. I hate being chased. I can't even put my windsheild wipers on full blast without my heart racing.

(Theres my confesstion I am not proud of...)

So... I have been to a few haunted houses in my day. Not because I wanted to go. But because some friends were going and asked me to go. And here's how those times went.

The first time I went with 2 girlfriends (Tam are you reading!?) Since this was my first time (A haunted house virgin?) I didn't know that if you acted like you were afraid the monsters (yes, monsters) would keep coming after you and getting in your face. Well..the second I saw *Ahem* *HIM* I freaked out. I couldn't breathe! I marched my sassy little self to the apple & cider table and waited for my friends to be done. HE stalked me the whole night. When we got back to a friends house she made it known to her family that I was so freaked. We got back and they all plotted to scare me SOME MORE. They succedded. I stomped my feet like a little baby and left. I regret that now because I know they were only joking and trying to have some fun.. but still!

I went back to that Haunted House place the next year. I went with some guy friends from work. I think I scratched some people, ripped some shirts, and even choked someone?

I went with those same guys to another HH in Pontiac Mi that is the largest and scariest HH in the state. You guys, it was 4 freaking floors of monsters. One monster heard a friend of mine and myself talking and he heard me say that I hated Michael. I think at one point my friend mentioned my name because all the monsters were screaming for Michael to get "Cheryl".. it was humiliating and so scary. THEN they locked me and another in a room full of monsters and told us to find our way out. That sucked.

I also went to Halloweekends at Cedar Point once. I was okay with this place because I could avoid the scary places. My husband had to literally pick up my cousin Karissa and carry her away when she saw Freddy.

So..

Those are all the reasons why I hate Halloween. Now that I have written an essay, do you like Halloween? Why or Why not? Here is a pic from last Halloween when the lil ones were still.. little.

I'm bacccck.

Ok, so really I haven't been gone that long. My laptop battery and powercord went to crap so I didn't have these things for several days. I have finally caught up on my blog readings and will start posting again. First though, I do have to say that something very unfortunate happened in my family on October 8th. My cousin, Kenny, only 34 years old, went to be with Jesus. It was unexpected.

Due to this unfortunate event we took the twins on their first long trip overnight. I'll talk more about that in a bit. We also stayed in a hotel. This is not the first time they have spend the night in a hotel but kind of is? If that makes sense. When they were like 1 month old we had to stay in a hotel because it was 8000 degrees and we had no power from the storms. BUT this time was a little different. They were in a unfamiliar place that didn't have much room for two toddlers & waaayyy to much stuff.

However, they did awesome on the drive there and back.

So, here's how our trip played out.

Saturday morning (10/15) we woke up at 5:30 to get showered and load the car. At 6:30 I woke Leon and Logan up. I changed their dipes, put clean jammies (so they would be comfy), fed them some grub and put them in the car. With some unplaned stops and such, we got there about 11:40. Thankfully our hotel was able to get us checked in early. We got in, unpacked, changed and left again. We had to meet at my aunts house at 1:00 so we could follow my parents to the memorial.

Leon & Logan cried. And they cried. A LOT. There were a lot of people that they didn't know at the memorial service. People wanted to hold them. They were just not used to that. The memorial service for my cousin was beautiful. Thankfully there was a nursery at the Church so hubby stayed in there with the boys. There was a monitor on the whole time so he could hear the service. We weren't able to stay for the lunch because the boys were ready to go and nap.

We went back to the hotel and changed. Then we went and got some dinner. There was a bunch of family at my aunts house that I don't see very often so we went to see them. Actually, some that haven't even met Leon and Logan. When we got there the boys were in a better mood thankfully! They played a lot. :-)

After that, we took the boys swimming in the indoor pool at the hotel. That was nice.

Then!! Get this. The twins actually slept all night. I thought we would have issues being in a hotel, them both sleeping in pack and plays, the long day, etc.. but they did great.

Okay, so Sunday.

I had plans (since I knew we were going north) that we would go walk the dock on the water and go to the beach. I knew it would be cold but we were only gonna be out there for a minute. I wanted to get some pics. But when we got there... that wind was something fierce. So instead we just walked around the playground near the beach and let the boys (and us) play for a little bit. I got some good pics there.

Right before the drive home we stopped by my uncles house. He had never met the kiddos either so since we were there we stopped.

That was our weekend. It was busy, sad, nice, happy.. everything.

I have some more posts I've been thinking of writing so I'll probably be here everyday for the next week or so writing! :-)

Here are some pics :-)

 (Daddy and boys)

 (Mommy and Leon)

 (Mommy and Logan)

 (The boys & I)

(The boys and I again...)

Thursdays Top 10

I am going to start something new today. Thursday Top 10 can be any topic I feel like writing about. I usually always write Top 10's when the year is coming to an end. On Myspace I used to do it every week. I got a lot of comments on them, so here we go.

Top 10 favorite things about TODAY:

10.  The TIGERS are playing right now against the Yankees in the Playoffs! Let's go Tigers, eat em up!

(The twins have on their Tiger gear here! My future ball players!)

9. Today I bought some new (different) things for the boys to eat. They are so picky so I am trying to new things.

8. The Ellen Show was so funny today! Derrick & Ricki from DWTS were on. Love them.

7. Oh, I got my hair cut today. It's really short. I love it though!

6. As I was taking a shower, baby Leon came walking in with his rubber ducky & fish. He thought he was going to take a shower with me lol

5. I got more followers on Twitter (What can I say? Today was not eventful and pretty much sucked besides these things lol)

4. Last night (yes, it's considered today because it was after midnight) Leon and Logan slept all night. FINALLY. We have been having mad issues with this.

3. My chicken I had for lunch was yummy.

2. My house has been somewhat clean today :-)

1. KELLY! I had lunch with Kelly today! I've missed her. It was so nice to catch up. And she did the nicest thing. Not one person has ever did this. She said..

She wants to come get the twins on Sunday and spend time with them. And give me time to myself! I mean, if I ask my mom to, she usually watches them... but for someone to offer. Blows my mind. I am so grateful for friends like her.

That is all. See you soon.

Friday Frustrations

Happy Friday..?

Well, today was an okay day. Work is hella busy. It made the day go by pretty quick though. I was thankful for that. So, on to my frustrations for today.. and this week.

Some idiot next door is jamming to oldies in his car and 9:20 at night.. jerk.

When someone sits their 12-16 month old little baby on the toilet and they are "potty trained!!" it really annoys me. Because you know what? YOU GOT LUCKY. Your child happend to pee when he/she sat on the damn thing and you witnessed it. Let's face it, as smart as our kids are.. they just don't know at that young age what going "pee pee" is. AND another thing.. if your kid is potty trained at 16 months old and can tell you he/she has to pee, then.. I apologize. And good for you.

My bills this week are outta control. I'm over it. I need more money. Like NA-OW.

I talked to an old friend this week. It was weird. And nice to catch up. (Don't ask me why this is in this post.)

Hubs is sick. When he's sick, I'm crabby. Why are men such babies? Like, I can have pneoumnia (sp?) and can't breathe at all but still take care of my babies and work 10 hours. (Then go to the ER)

I've been watching Bridezillas this week and MAN those girls are bitches.

Well, not to much to complain about today :-)

How about some cute as hell pictures? Sorry if you've already seen these posted on Facebook. I just can't resist.

 (Leon in the car)

 (Leon is walking.. and climbing-see below.)

 (Logan in the car)

(Logan eating his new shoes!)

What are your frustrations from this week?

Has anyone seen my mojo?

I feel like I've lost my mojo.

I usually have snappy comebacks. Usually can make up a pretty witty Facebook status. I'm usually the girl that everyone can count on for a laugh. Or two. But lately? It seems like I struggle with these things.

Why?

Is it because I don't get out as much as I used to? Or maybe because I hold about 75% of my conversations with 2 toddlers?

I told myself before the babies were born that I wouldn't let the routine of being a mommy affect me. I would still flat iron my hair on a regular basis, make sure my outfits were cute.. I would NOT get the "mom" hair cut. I would take care of myself as well as my little babies.

Well, as I sit here in pajamas I put on YESTERDAY because I wasn't able to take a shower I feel pretty defeated. Having 2 toddlers to take care of is not an easy task. Getting dolled up is a luxury around here. The norm is walking out of the house and making sure you don't have smushed banana on your shirt or syrup in your hair. My flat iron hasn't been pulled out in weeks.

I just went and bought a pack of 50 ponytails. My 2nd one in 2 months. That's more then I've bought in 2 years!

This girl is a hot mess. (My kids look supre cute though.)

So, how do I get my mojo back?

Randoms.

Hi all

Last night the boys had the worst night of sleep EVER. I was so annoyed. I am actually mad at myself for being upset with them. I am their mother. I shouldn't have complained. But on another note...

Toddlers are so fricken picky! Not only with what they eat, but with their sleeping patterns, their toys, one day like they shoes the next? Don't even try it!

I'm still really sleepy from last night.

We took the boys to the Hands on Museum on Sunday. They had so much fun! They laughed, played, ran around, fell down, shared, and cried. I love seeing them explore new environments.

Oh, now when someone asks me if "they are running all over the place!?!" I can, "Yes, THEY are." You guys, Leon is officially a walker! I'm such a proud mama.

I don't remember if I blogged about this before or not, but you know how Logan had severe eczema last year? After months of it, I finally narrowed it down to bananas.. I thought that's what it was. He didn't have any more breakouts... (Except for 2 spots on the back of his calves) Well, yesterday I gave Logan a piece of a banana.. and so far so good. :-)

Does anyone watch Ringer? It's the new show on the CW with Sarah Michelle Gellar. I.freaking.love.it. It's on tonight. I can't wait to watch it!

I've been slacking again on blogging. I just don't know what to write about.

I still miss my girl. Maxi. I almost when to an adoption clinic Petsmart had and adopted a dog. I decided I'm not ready.

I won some tickets on the radio to see Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull. I don't even know why I called really. I just heard, be caller 95 right now.. lol The concert is this Friday. We aren't going to go. I'm thinking of going to get the tickets and giving them away to someone.

:-)

Well, what's new!?

Friday Frustrations

Time for some Friday Frustrations?

- I HATE the way people drive. I prolly dropped 8 F bombs going to pick up the boys from the sitters. Like really? Don't ride my ass in 25 MPH residential area, asshole! What's so hard about flipping your pinky on the little handle for your blinker?! Oh, that's right, you're probably to busy texting.! Grr..

- Why doesn't Comcast let me record more then 2 things at once? I hate that. With fall TV starting back up, it's really hard to get everything recorded.

- Why don't little 15 month old boys listen to the word NO!?

- The new Facebook? Don't even get me started.

- The rain we've been getting lately is depressing.

- My parents are going on vacay tomorrow.. I'm kinda jealous.

- When will people stop telling you how to raise YOUR OWN kid. It get's pretty annoying.

I think that's all I have for today.

What's poppin on your hand?

IF..

I've been seeing this on blogs lately and I think it's pretty fun. I've yet to do the accent VLOG because I can't figure out how to do my webcam. I really need to figure it out because we wanna start skyping with our bestie Amanda. Oh.. back to the game. We are supposed to fill in the blanks :-) Here we go!

**
If I were to get pregnant again I would be freaked the EFF out, then thank God for another blessing (or two?), then do nothing different. I had a great first time pregnancy with the twins..

If I could have any job in the world I'd be a planner of some sort. Wedding, party, etc.

If I had a day to myself I would probably sleep & watch movies.

If I could get married all over again I would probably not change anything. OR, I would just get married in Vegas and come back and throw one hell of a party.
If I could live anywhere in the US I would probably stay here. In MI. I like the seasons.

If Leon & Logan would have been girls or boy/girl twins, they would've been called Leah/Olivia or Leon/Leah (Leon would've been a given because daddy wanted him to be the third.)

If I could have any talent in the world I would like to be more creative and artistic.

If you met me in real life you'd be shocked that I can have a bit of a potty mouth.

If I could go back to school I'd be more determined to finish!

If money were not an object I'd live in a big house, have fancy cars, be debt free, and shop. A lot.

If I could meet one celebrity I think I would wanna meet.. the cast of Friends. I know it says one, but I can't choose one!

If I could only shop at one store for the rest of my life it'd probably be Target.

If we get another pet, I would have to be ready.. I still miss Maxi.

If I could go on a trip, RIGHT NOW, I'd want go to Cancun!

If I had to chose between a house cleaner and a personal chef, I'd pick the house cleaner. I hate cleaning.

If I had the option of plastic surgery I'd get lypo and a tummy tuck - carrying twins is ROUGH on a body!!!

Well? Your turn!

15 months!

Leon and Logan just turned 15 months! Wow-za! I just love them so much. And they are so stinkin' cute. Today we had their check ups. Here are their stats

Leon: 22 lbs, 30"

Doc said she was not worried that Leon isn't walking yet. (I never was..) She said she would only be worried if like he wasn't pulling up on things, walking with holding our hands, etc. Plus, he walked across the room the other day unassisted. :-) That's my boy! Leon says words like ball, bath, dog, more, mom, mom-mom, Papa, book. He can point to his piggies, belly, nose & hair. Leon still has 8 teeth and so far? He's gotten 2 hair cuts!

(Leon with his lil fangs! lol)

Logan: 21 lbs, 30"

Logan is walking & now running! He is a climber. (help me!) Logan was running a fever for 3 days and then yesterday he broke out in a rash. The doctor said today he has roseola. Thankfully it's no a bad virus, but a virus none the less. He's getting all better. Logan isn't much of a "I can say a million words" talker but he TALKS. We just don't know what he's saying. Mostly we hear things like "I did it" or "I see it" hehe! Logan has 7 teeth and has gotten 1 hair cut! :-)

(Logan with strawberries all over his face! lol)

You know that twin language everyone asks about? Well, I think L & L have it! It's so cute. I am so blessed. The last 15 months have been so fun. This age is just amazing! I love watching them learn new things. And knowing I taught them it? Makes my heart happy. Today my mom & I were driving and talking (loud apparently) because Leon was in the backseat with hs finger over his mouth saying "shhhh!!" LOL- cutest thing ever. My mom just kept saying that she taught him that!

Here they are at dinner today..

It is SO hard to get them both in a picture anymore. Well, when they are actually looking at the camera. So some fun facts:

12 mths clothes

Size 4 Pampers

Size 4 shoe

LOVE fruit (especially blueberries)

Logan loves peas & carrots

Leon hates all veggies

Love baths

They don't like meat (well, except chicken)

Love people (even strangers...)

I usually write letters to the boys on here, but I am phsyically writing them letters for their boxes.

Happy Thursday!

10 years ago

Everyone remembers where they were "on that day".. September 11, 2001.. I was a junior in High School.

I? Was in my 3rd hour math class with Mrs.Kelly. By the time we found out about it, the 2nd plane had already hit the Tower. I honestly had no idea what the heck the WTC was. I always thought of the "trade center" on Mr.Dress-Up when I heard it. Silly, I know.

Anyways,
I just saw the shock and sadness on my teachers & classmates faces. I do remember going to the Media Center to watch the News. I just kept hearing that all airplanes & the bridge from Canada to Detroit were going to be on lockdown. My mom was supposed to be in Canada that day. I was so scared she was going to get stuck over there. (She ended up not going...)

I seriously? Had no clue what was happening. Not until my dad picked me up from school. I asked him what happened for real and if we were under attack. He told me what the WTC was and about the other planes. He was so sad. I cried for days. All of the news coverage? I couldn't stop watching. I just cried.

Today? I cried some more. When my kids are older I will explain to them what happened. I will tell them about the evil we witnessed that day. But more importantly, I will tell them how our Country (THIS COUNTRY!) stood together and over came. I am SO proud to live here and SO thankful for our troops for fighting for this country so I can be FREE!

So? In another 10 years, I will cry some more. BUT, I'll never, ever forget.

God Bless America.

Our weekend (a few days late)

A few days ago I mentioned that Leon & I had a pretty cool weekend planned for our anniversary and his birthday. Well- we did!
You know that on Friday my puppy passed away. I didn't think I would even want to continue on my weekend. I couldn't disappoint my husband though. So, here we go.

Saturday- we went to the Big & Rich w/ Gretchen Wilson concert. We are huge country music fans. We've went to a GW concert before but because of poor timing and cold weather, we left before she was even on stage. Big & Rich sang our wedding song, "Lost in this moment" so we thought that was kind of cool. Anyways, the concert was the the Pontiac Silver Dome and it was HOT in there. The doors opened at 5 and we got there at like 6:30ish. Well a bunch of bands were up first and that took forever. I was irritated because there was a dumb guy next to me, it was hot, husband was tired and I really wanted to see the headliners! So at like 10:00 they finally came on. We were tired. We saw about 45 minutes of the show and then we left. I don't regret that at all. We missed all of the traffic and still got home at a pretty decent time.

Sunday- my mom & dad bought Leon and I a room at the Greektown Casino/Hotel. My mom was going to keep the boys for us and we were gonna have a night away. I was very excited. Not only do I love the casino but I love hotels. I don't know why. (My mom ended up not keeping the boys because the stupid storm the night before knocked out the power- mother in law watched them.) Our room was beautiful! We were on the 21st floor with a view of the Renaissance Center and the Detroit River. I also saw fireworks over the river just sitting on my bed. OH and I saw into Comerica Park during the Tigers game. It was nice. We had a nice dinner in greektown, gambled & just enjoyed eachothers company. The next morning, I woke up before husband and went to the casino to try and win our money back. And I did.

Monday- I picked up my boys! I was SO excited to see them. I missed them so much. We went to my parents and had a BBQ for Labor Day.

That was my weekend.

Today I started a mission. My laundry room. It is outrgeous. I really need to get that in order. Anyways, how is everyone?

Still sad

Leon and I had a good weekend celebrating our anniversary and his birthday. However... I am still really sad about Maxi so I am going to update another day.

:-(

Happy Labor Day, hope everyone had a good weekend!''

It's a sad day

Today while I was at work, Leon called me. He told me that Maxi's (my dog!) left side was limp and wasn't working. QUE: Sob Fest. I told him that I couldn't leave work to come home and take her so Leon called my dad. My dad came and picked them up and took them to the Animal Hospital. The doc said he thinks Maxi had a stroke. So, Leon texted me this:

L: "Theres nothing we can do, I'm sorry babe."

Me: "Are you sure?"

L: "Yes."

Me: "Will you stay with her?"

L: "It's done. And we did."

Me: Crying Face\

L: "Your mom and dad are picking her up tomorrow to bury her at Aunt Debs."

And that was that. This morning when we woke up she was fine. Everything was fine. I wanted SO badly to be there with her but I knew it was for the best if I wasn't. I'm a mess anyways and if I was there with her, I wouldn't have left. Maxi has been in our family since she was 6 weeks old. I was 10 years old. 16 YEARS people. Matter of fact, her 16th Birthday is tomorrow. We were going to have a sweet 16 party for her next week. I think I still might.

I will miss her forever. She has been with me through SO much. My brothers death. Moving. Changing schools & jobs. She handled the twins being here like a trooper.

I don't know how I will ever feel about getting another animal because this pain?? Is awful.

Here are some pictures of my girl.

Maxine Renee Douglas

September 3, 1996- September 2, 2011

 Maxi's eyes were always weird in pics!

 Wearing her State jersey!

 Maxi loved to sleep with us!

 And she loved being outside! :-)

 Maxi was very protective of her boys. And they loved her. When we got home today, Leon went to the door and kept saying "Dog"... he loves her.

This was when we had Jasper. I miss them both SO much.

I love you, Maxi.



My confessions..

I confess this:

I want my husband to SO BADLY be on day shift at work. I want to be a normal family. You know.. the kind where your kids get to have their mommy & daddy tuck them in at night, not just mommy 6 days a week. You know.. the kind that has dinner together as a family. Not the kind that has mommy & kids having dinner then packing daddies up for lunch at work. You know.. the kind that can sleep at night and wake up in the morning together. Not the kind that has mommy & kids wake up, daddy gets home from work then sleeps all day. Yeah.. THAT kind.

I want sometimes to be a stay at home mom. I want sometimes to be a full time employee. I'm torn.

I confess that I hate housework with a passion. So much that I haven't dusted everything in weeks. I haven't mopped the kitchen floor in GOD knows how long. Swiffer wet jet anyone? My laundry room? It's a hot mess. Clothes EVERYWHERE. On top of the dryer. In the dryer. On the floor. Hanging up. Hanging over the dresser. Everywhere. I don't always have time to keep the house in tip top shape... and when I do? I don't want to do it. I want to do other things. Other things that don't always consist of cleaning.

I confess that as much as I don't want to just "give in" and let the boys have something they aren't suppose to have.. I do. If Logan cries because he wants my cell phone, it's his. If Leon cries because he wants the remote control, he can have it. Because? I like to see my kids happy and not crying.

I confess that I have a calander of all of my favorite TV shows because I don't want to miss any. Also, we need to make sure we have them all recorded on the DVR. With all of the shows coming back in September, I need this calander. Oh, and if hubby has a show that interferes with mine? I stop his recording. I feel bad about it, but...?

I confess that I really do enjoy some of the cartoons we watch around here. They are limited though, I'll tell you. We are Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Yo Gabba Gabba, The Backyardigans, Go Diego Go!, and Dora the Explorer fans over here. However, there are some things I HATE about all of these shows. Specifically? That bia, Uniquoa, from the Backyardigans. She's mean. And bossy.

I confess that I have seriously thought about getting rid of my Facebook. I post a lot. I do. BUT? Some people post WAY to much and honestly.. it's about dumb stuff. Get Twitter if you want to do that. Then follow me.

I confess that as much as I say it doesn't bother me that my "friends" no longer think to call me to the latest gathering, it does. Just because I have kids now doesn't mean I can't hang out. But when I think about it more? My kids are way cooler then most of them anyways. I know who my true friends are!

Those are my confessions for today.. I have more. What are yours?

Thanks Katie for the idea of confessions!

Happy Anniversary!

3 years ago today I married my best friend! Leon & I have had our ups & downs, but what marriage hasn't? In the end it has only made us stronger. He is such a caring father, friend, companion. He works so hard for our family. We cares about us more then anything. I am so blessed to have him. Here's a look back on our wedding day. I made this slideshow shortly after our wedding. Also? I got is from myspace. Remember that place?!
Anyways, Happy 3 years, baby! I love you!

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Right place, right time.

Hi! Happy Monday!

So, today the boys & I went to pick up my mom to go do some shopping. However, I looked at the time and saw it was time for the babies to eat lunch. We went into my moms house and I fed them. After lunch we left (A half hour later then planned..) As we were driving out of my moms community I saw a dog on leash. No person though. A couple feet away was a man lying on the ground. He was shaking and jerking. He was having a seizure. I immediately stopped the car and got my cell phone out and called 911. I ran over to the guy.. (And I got his dogs leash, so he didn't run away.) I got on the ground next to the guy and sat with him. I was talking to him and trying to keep him awake because by now he was not seizing but just gasping to breathe. So by now a couple other neighbors came over and one of them knew him. (Kinda..) She said his name was Jody and she left to go get her kid (to come get the dog.) and Jodys cousin. The EMT's arrived. (Felt like FOREVER!) Jody was still out of it when they came. He had a big bump on his head and was bleeding. His arm looked awkward and bruised as well. I'm so sad for him. I just pray that he will be okay. So, please join me in saying a prayer for this man. Jody. I was so glad to have been there when I was. Who knows how long he was lying there before someone finally saw him.

In other blurbs.

Today is my husbands 30th birthday! Happy Birthday, husband. I baked him some cupcakes. We aren't actually celebrating til next weekend though. I'll make a post after we celebrate to tell all about it! Here's what he saw when he woke up from his nap.

Yesterday, my friend, Nancy, got MARRIED! See?

 Mr.& Mrs. Grabinski

 Before the wedding @ my moms. The boys weren't going.

Hubs and I!

Before the wedding though- there was a bachelorette party! It was a ton of fun! I was able to get out of the house for a night and have some girl time. My mom kept the boys for me. We went to a bar near my house called The Diamondback Saloon. It's more or less a country bar that plays all types of music for some of the time. We danced! We laughed! We had a blast. Here are some pics!

Other then that, things around here have been pretty calm & normal. Tomorrow, my husband and I will be married for 3 years.

Until then,