What a difference 10 years makes!

At this exact moment 10 years ago I was laying in a hospital bed marveling at the fact that something so tiny and perfect could come from me. I was in total awe of the fact that I could have a part in making such a beautiful little person. I was holding this amazing baby girl and I finally knew what it ment to be totally and completely in love with another person. I was still tring to wrap my brain around the fact that this precious little thing would be dependant on me, to some degree, for the rest of my life. It's amazing how instantly becomming a mother can change a person. Nothing in the world mattered beyond that baby girl sleeping my arms. This morning I woke up to a 10 year old! I don't know where the time went. She is growing up so fast. And still I feel all those things for her that I felt the day she was born. The tenth birthday is bittersweet for me. Actually every birthday is bittersweet to me because it just reminds me how fast my babies are growing up. Now Cheyenne is big enough that she doesn't set in my lab very often anymore. She is not totally dependant on me anymore. She has the attitude of a 13 year old much of the time. She already thinks she knows everything and that her parents are idiots. That is until she need help with her homework. She has to be told a million times to clean her room before she actually does it. She stomps and cries and talks back. I think her favorite phrase is "That's not fair!" And still every time I look at that beautiful, perfect girl i know what it is to be totally and completely in love with another person. Happy birthday baby girl! I love you bigger then the sky!

The Payoff

Jeremy gave me these before he left. Looked kinda like a payoff to me! :) Aren't they gorgeous? They are actually an early birthday present. Or so he says. ;)

Minnasota

Jeremy left Abilene at 5:40 am on Sunday headed to Missasota for 2 whole months. He will be back home Friday Nov 17th. In that time he will miss Cheyenne's birthday (she will be 10 on Thursday!), a skating party for said birthday, my birthday, halloween and Alissa's 4th birthday. That's a lot of stuff to miss out on. Then add to that the fact that we have two kids playing soccer till the end of the October and Jeremy's sister's baby is due at the end of October and you have a lot of missed moments. I know it must be hard for him being away from his family for that long and missing out on so many things but I'm on the other end of that. I am the one who is still here holding down the fort alone with four kids. I still have to cook and clean and get the kids to those pratices and games and pay the bills and bake the cake and host the party, ect, ect, ect....The list goes on forever! It's only been two days and I'm already exhausted.

Fundraiser

Of course it's that time of year. The kids all brought home their exciting fundraiser forms. Mind you that's 3 kids with fundraisers. All hoping to sell 15 items becasue if they do they get to make their very own stuffed animal. Of course we can't afford to buy 45 things and the only people we know here are from the school so their own children are selling. Yes, this is where I appeal to all my kind hearted friends and family members. If you can find it in your hearts to order from my poor, deprived children you can go here www.gafundraising.com. The school code to shop is 435107. Any contributions would be greatly appreciated. :)

How do you explain?

The kids all made banners at school to honor the fallen hero's of 9/11 and the local hero's. The will be walking in front of the school with those banners in a little parade. They wore red, white and blue in a show of patriotism. Cheyenne remembers 9/11/01 with an uncanny memory for a then 5 yr old. Dylan and Cass were too young. Dylan woke up today full of questions about what happened and why. He wanted to know all about it. I tried my best to explain something I don't even really understand. I surfed the news channels for footage from that day. MSNBC was very obliging. I talked to my Mom this morning and said "I'm not watching any of it. It's been 5 years we all need to move on." I agree that you shouldn't dwell on it but I also believe we should remember. Then you consider the fact that I have children who are too young to remember for themselves what happened. They are depending on me to teach them about the things that went on that day and the days and weeks that followed. The things that the teachers and history books aren't going to teach them...

Crazy time of year

For us things always get crazy when school starts. First, we have the homework to deal with. Then we have Chey and Dyl both in soccer. That means practices every Monday, Thursday and Friday and two games on Saturday starting this weekend. As sson as we get back on track financially I have to get Cass into gymnastics on one of our free days, Tuesday or Wednesday. Then you factor in the fact that we are waiting for Jeremy to hear how soon he will be going to Minnesota to work for an indefinite amount of time and you get CRAZY. And we also have 4 birthdays in the next 3 months. Starting with Chey on the 21st of this month. We are trying to schedule a party for her before Jeremy leaves. That's difficult since we have no idea when he will be leaving and we have to work around 2 soccer games on Saturday.... Anyone wanna come stay with me a while and help out...lol :)

Rain, rain and more rain!

We have had a nice labor day weekend. It has been raining off and on, more on really, since friday night. It has been nice and cool, too. We definantly needed the rain too. We have been in a drought scince I don't know when. Today we are under a flood advisary. What a huge change. Lucky for us we all love the rain!