Happy Birthday...

My littlest sis is now officially a teenager. Happy Birthday Sis!

Pssst... Cub1 is to follow 3 months from now.

Hubby comes home today after his quick trip!! Yippee!

Play Ball!!!

Ya know, I actually signed Cub1 up for Jr. High on Monday. Yes, Jr. High *faint* She is finally going to be in a school with real after school sports, you know the kind where they compete with other schools and such? She was really excited over the volleyball and not so much over the fastpitch softball and absolutely no mention of girls basketball which surprised me. Anyway, she has been playing baseball with the boys for quite a few years now. She is the only girl in her league this year. We asked when we signed her up whether there was going to be any problem with her continuing for a couple more years with the boys. Honestly we thought this was going to be the last year, but apparently she will be in the same league next year too. The president of the county leaugue said there was no issues with her playing with the boys as long as she wants. Of course they are trying to restart their girls softball league and asked if she was interested, that was the quickest no from all three of us (hubby, cub1 and myself) She has made it crystal clear she was not interested in playing with the girls or that huge ball until absolutely necessary LOL I love that about her.

Anyhow, she was approached by a mother of a boy who was on her team a few years back. She wanted to know if Kayla would try out for the Jr. High Fastpitch team. She said they were accepting 7th graders for tryouts too. So even though she doesn't go to that school yet and she was going to try it out next year, she may be able to try it now!?!? How cool is that? We need to contact her to get more information. That's great they thought of her in any case! She's really making quite an impression on everyone. :o)

Everyone else jumped off the bridge, why not me?

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Welcome Little One!!!

Isn't he sweet? This little man is the newest member to our growing family. My cousin just had her second son, yesterday at 3:40pm, this was taken maybe 2 hours later. You forget how tiny they are.

On a different note. Hubby is on the waiting list for law school. We just put in his application for his second choice today. :( All that waiting and we still have to wait some more.

Here's hoping for good news!

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

It's amazing when you think how fast time goes in the whole scheme of things. Yet when you are waiting for something it seems to take forever. We are awaiting a letter from law school. Hubby received an email last week stating that his app was going before the final admission committee this week. They hoped to have the letters sent out by the 23rd. Yikes. that's today. We are going crazy just waiting, checking the mail, checking his email and let's just hope it's worth the wait! Beautiful things come to those who wait, please grant us patience.

Home safely...

We made it home safely. The girls were ambitious enough to go to school even after getting home at 10pm. Their reward? A half day of school! They forgot it was only a half day due to conferences this week. Good thing though, they are both caught up already. It kind of makes me wonder how they can be gone from school for 4 days and make up all the work in less than a 1/2 day of school. Hmmm... what a strange system.

The pic to the left was taken by Cub2, complete manual mode. Isn't that awesome?!?!?

Once upon a time...

Almost time to go home. It's been quite a trip. I've had loads of fun, so have the girls. We couldn't have asked for a better time. I am so ready to get back to the boys though. We are so bringing them next time. They would absolutely love it here.

Another thing that's different...

I'm not at home looking at the time. I was walking down the street today and was stopped by a man asking if anyone in our group knew the time. Needless to say, I'm walking with four "lil people" who aren't quite so little but still they are 10-14 years old, just because they stand about 5 foot doesn't make them big ;) and my mom. We honestly didn't know.

What a strange feeling. It seems I always know what time it is when I'm home. There is no rush for time here, at least for today and tomorrow. It's been so relaxing.

My feet, ankles and heck my toes are all killing me but I'm having the time of my life. I am so bringing cub3&4 next time.

FYI it was 10 to 8. My mom was quick to grab her cell for the time :o) I was a little less quick to the draw.

Third Place isn't half bad...

Well the girls got third. They had some pretty rockin' competition and they did an awesome job at their routine. What more can you ask for?!?!? Go Cats! ;)

We sure don't have these at home...

These things are so cool looking. Hubby came to CA last year around this time and told me about these cool flowers and showed me pics but in person, wow! I was totally amazed. We are definately not at home right now, these are on the side of the street LOL

Girls are doing great in their competition, we made it through to the semi-finals. YAHOO!!! If all goes well they we be performing 2 more times :) I'd love for them to make it into the finals but there will only be 5 teams who make it to Sunday. Good luck Girlies! I know you can do it!

So this is what happens...

to the other cub's hair after competition. Her hair was in a high pony and curled, this is after her hair is taken down out of the ponytail and brushed. LOL Doesn't she look pleased with her new hairdo?

It's funny because she normally takes it out and washes it quickly, I never get to see this part of the process :)

We just had our second of 3 nationals cheer competitions placing first in both of them and first in State competition too! YAY! Go girls! Our third and final competition is this weekend. Hopefully they can keep up the streak!!!

Okay, so it's worth it...

LOL The girls had cheerleading competition today. 53 minutes. I finally timed how long it takes to do Cub1's hair. I couldn't believe it took 53 minutes and 29 curlers. This pic just cracked me up, this is Cub1 mid cheer. I love how I caught her hair in the air. This is just a crop of a full picture so there is grain galore, but it's too cool not to document :)





Oh here's the before ;)

Make a wish...

After finally uploading the pictures off of my camera, I ran across this picture. It's mid-blow out of the candles. Look at that, there is only 2 candles. 2. They will only multiply in the years to come and he will only get bigger and bigger. It was wonderful to witness the wonder and joy of his day through his eyes. I really need to be better at taking those pics of the camera earlier.

In the blink of an eye...

Time marches on and my baby is going to be 2. Yes, 2. How on earth did the time fly? It goes by so quickly and you just sit back and wonder what on earth you have done with it. I wander back to this blog quite a few times, just at a loss for words to type. There is so much to say, so much to share, and I know I will be very disappointed in myself for not keeping better track.

This little boy has added so much wonder and so much joy to this house. He is such a blessing, such a sweetheart, so kind, so gentle, so loving, so smart, so perfect. He was the absolute perfect addition to our already seemingly perfect family. I feel so fortunate to have these wonderful children. Sure they can be handfuls and a half at times but for the most part they are absolutely, positively wonderful. I am thankful to have them in my life =)

New York and the Holidays

New York went wonderfully. It is a gorgeous city in December. I will definately be going back sometime, it is just a city you couldn't see in its entirety if you tried.

After spending almost 2 months straight trying to get ready for that show it is finally over only to be just in time for the holidays. That has been a job in itself trying to get everything just so. It's so much funner as the cubs get older. They are growing so much quicker than you ever realize. It's an awesome adventure that only grows more exciting as time passes. The girls have begun cheer competition season. One competition down and who knows how many left :o)

The boys are getting along so well, cub4 copies everything cub3 does and it just reminds me so much of the girls at that age. It's amazing the similarities you can see in them.

Hubby is busy writing his personal statement for law school and that is such a nerve racking process. It's such a huge step but a necessary one we knew was inevitable to achieve the goals we have set forth. It's just actually going through with the whole process is bringing the nerves right to the surface. I will feel so much better once his packet is turned in, actually scratch that, when he gets his acceptance letter ;)

Lots of luck to him!

Soooo...

it's been one year. I wrote myself an email and blogged about it last year. Today I woke up to that same email in my inbox. It was nice to read about last year's happenings. It only makes me realize how quickly time flies and how quickly everything changes. Life is good.

Just thought I'd write a bit...

Not much to say but man oh man... Cub3 is just such a little artist. I think it's such a joy especially since we named our art business after the little guy. He is drawing up everything and is even beginning to cut out and tape, yes tape not glue little figures together. He's just such a fun little guy. I'll have to take some pics and post them later. I just wanted to say that so there is a date above this. :o)

Insanely giddy...

Yesterday seemed like such a roller coaster. I know it doesn't really matter in the whole scheme of things, but seriously at the moment, it mattered. It mattered so much I was about puking mattered.

Things have been slowing down with the business which I suspected would happen when hubby went back to school. We just received our final payment from one of the artists and one last buyout from one of our series. Will that happen again? I don't know. It's hard to know. It could but it also perhaps could be it.

Anyway, we get the bright idea... Let's buy futon covers! Hey ours are really gross and it will really brighten up the room, let's go for it!!! YAY! Okay that is one thing hubby and I agreed on, let's do it. We had tossed the idea around about saving for my 5d or buying me a laptop or another computer tower, all of these business decisions. They make sense. Yes?

Okay, so we go and look at the futon place and are greeted by such a polite, nice and witty lady. I wanted to buy right on the spot. LOL Hubby was convinced we had a full mattress, while I just KNOW it's a queen. She got a kick out of that and heck it was closing time. She halfway sides with me and gives us a black queen futon cover for free to try. If it fits, great, we have an extra cover and we will know it's a queen and come back tomorrow and buy from her. If not then, well we know it's a full and we still come back and buy from her.

So woohoo, we are on our way, still no decision on our next purchase. We get home, I look at the tag of our existing matress. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! I was actually wrong!?!?! Omgosh, I wanted to melt into a puddle, but I didn't. I told hubby and he was not gloating or anything, gotta love that guy. Skip ahead, we go back to buy our FULL size futon covers. The lady is not there. Crap. It's her daughter, she owns the joint. Okay, well at least we're back, we kept our word :o)

Hubby was interested in buying a new frame because our old one cracked right after we bought it and they never replaced it for us (jerks, whole other rant though) The mother quoted us 229 for the frame alone. Okay, almost we may just do that but how to get it home, nah we better not. We don't have a truck anymore, hubby gave it to his brother. Okay so no, how about just the covers. The mother, had we known our futon size was going to sell the covers for half off. Dangit, why did I argue??? Okay so we're thinking the daughter probably won't give us that good deal too.

She does offer up the same deal but we have to buy the futon to get the half off covers. Okay, not so good since we don't have a truck. We try to pass on the futon frame. She tells us okay the total is 289 ahem what? You just said a minute before with the frame the total would be 339 so for 50 bucks we'd get a frame?!!? Okay, so we say no, we'll take the frame. This whole time the boys are running and jumping and running and jumping and just being terrors allllll over. Crap. The lady then decides we can upgrade to a better model for the same price. okay whoopee so we do. Breathe deep it's only 50 bucks.

We get the van ready and hubby gets his debit card out. Total 419. sHit... tax, wth? That is double what I thought. No laptop now, no tower, big hit to the savings towards my 5d. Okay not that huge, but still. We're only getting new covers and a frame that looks almost identical to the one we already had :(

We drive out of there and I'm about sick. I have a broken laptop and we bought house stuff. Wthell is the house ever done to earn us money??? LOL I am about puking and I look at hubby, he's not looking so well himself. I ask if he's ok with the purchase, he says well yeah I guess. Great, I think we were both feeling obligated to buy even after feeling pressured into the frame. We talk about it and he's convinced we should just take it back. Um no, you heard them, no returns only for store credit, so what the heck good would that do? ARG!

Nope, we decide just live with it, we got a frame, a good one for 200 bucks. Okay that's a positive spin. But I still don't get anything new. wahhhh... :( Skip ahead. I'm tired. I'm thinking early night. Nope, my sis is at the casino and wants me to join her, besides I need some stuff from the store anyway. So off I go to meet her there.

I walk in to the casino and talk with her for a few. She can't play in the actual casino portion, just the class 2 section so I take off into the real games. I play around on my $20 and I'm doing pretty well. I don't normally play quarters but today I was. I get a little bold and switch to the dollars, nope bad idea. Back to the quarters, couple spins and I should go check on my sis. Couple more spins, she's okay, I'm sure of it :P HOLY! Meltdown, Meltdown, Meltdown. I'm thinking YAHOO, $600 that covers our futon crap. Then it randomly spins again. $1200 and again... what is that now??? I look at the total amount of credits and it is growing like mad. Then it spins again, and yet again. I just hit $3000. *faint* There's my freakin' 5d all in one push of the button.

Anyway, in an hour I will go pick up my camera. WOOHOO! To think 24 hours ago I was about puking over the thought of never saving enough.

THEN!!! the next awesome news! Hubby was accepted as one of the artists in an art show in New York City. He got the word today. WOW. I'm so proud of him. :o)

Sometimes...

you just feel to busy to function.
you just don't accomplish anything because you're busy feeling overwhelmed.
you just don't return your netflix for months and keep paying the fee for movies you can't even remember.
you order some damn sweatsuits from cheerleading and have regret because they will be changing uniforms next year.
you just don't feel like working out.
you just don't blog.
you just don't care.
you just exist.

Here's to existing :o) Go me! LOL

BACK!

A whole week gone and a whole lot changed. Life has a way of moving along when you're not looking. We visited hubby's family and my gosh... they are grown up. Hubby and I were talking about it and when we got together they were nearly Cub 1&2's age. It makes me think how quickly they are growing and how pretty soon before I know it they will be grown. My how the time flies.

While we were gone, one of my mom's very good friends lost her husband. Again, another thing that makes me realize time passes even when you aren't there to witness. She knew her husband was dying, but does that really make it any easier?? A loss is a loss, and it still sucks.