I got tagged! All things John...

Tagged!!
Erica tagged me, yay! I haven't posted in the past couple of days, because it's actually been pretty busy. Between shopping, running, making a gingerbread house and eating, it was hard to find the time to sit down and write. Anywho, this is so fun, and I hope I can remember the answers to some of these questions... This quiz is about John :-D

1. Where did you meet? We met at a tanning salon that I worked at in college. Our stories differ a tad about what actually "caught his eye", but the outcome was the same. He brought me beer on Halloween, because I had to work, and he gave me his number on a Post-it, that I still have to this day.

2. How long did you date? Our "dating" anniversary was 11/10/02, and we got married on 08/02/08, so nearly six years.

3. How long have you been married? Approximately four months, and we JUST got our DVD of pictures back this weekend. I'm a little miffed at the photog, needless to say..

4. What does he say that surprises you? His open-mindedness is always a pleasent surprise. Surprisingly, he used to be pretty judgmental, and I've really tried to get him to think of what "the other guy" might be having to deal with... He is getting much better in his old age ;-)

5. What is your favorite feature of his? Oddly-enough, I think I like his shoulders the most. His shoulders are massive really, and it makes me feel like he could crush anything. It must be some sort of primal cavewoman has a caveman that can protect her thing... who knows. I love his eyes, because they are beautiful, and his arms. His heart is pretty durn cool, too.

6. What is your favorite quality of his? Someone told me once that God only gives little girls to special men. That sentiment certainly applies to him. He is such a wonderful Daddy.

7. Does he have a nickname for you? Babe, Steph, Mommy

8. What is his favorite color? Probably Real Tree Camo or blue.. not really positive..

9. What is his favorite food? Chips and hot sauce. I think if he were able to live on chips and hot sauce, he would do it.

10. What is his favorite sport? Baseball to watch, football to play fantasy leagues with and hunting

11. When and where did you first kiss? At his house in Stephenville the first night that we had gone out

12. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? We like to work in the yard together, work out, play with the girls

13. Do you have any children? Yes, two. Kayden is 4 and Kylee is 19 months.

14. Does he have a hidden talent? He can cook really well, and he loves to do it. In fact, when I come home from work and want to cook, he never lets me!

15. How old is he? 29

16. Who said "I love you" first? I hinted at it but he actually said it first, suprisingly, again.

17. What is his favorite type of music? Anything that has a good "beat", and that is how he describes it, whether it be rap (which is usually the case), country or rock.

18. What do you most admire about him? I, of course, admire how much he loves his girls. He is very organized, though, and it borders OCD. Everyone in this world could learn a thing or two from him in that respect.

19. Do you think he will read this? I don't even know if he has the link to "our" blog. Lord knows I've sent it tons of times.

20. Where did you go on your first date? He made back strap at his house, and I punched the wall, because I bit into a habanero.

Ok, Allison and Lynda, you're IT!

Words, words words...

I was stopped dead in my tracks this morning. It takes a lot to do that to me. I am the Mother of two little girls under 5, so I am pretty bomb-proof.

Kayden ended up on the floor next to the couch last night, so she was bundled up and trying to wake up, as I went to go get Kylee out of her crib. I microwave little frozen blueberry pancakes every morning for them, just because of time. Kylee must've heard the timer, because as soon as I picked her up, she said, "Pan-keeks!" We were walking back through the living room (where Kayden was rolling around trying to wake up), and Kylee then said, "Hi, Kaynan!"

I stopped.

I looked at both of them and burst into giggles.

Kayden had the "wow" face, but I decided to keep Kylee moving. I dressed her, and starting thinking that I probably should note all of the things that she is learning and starting to do.

So here is my list:



1. She started walking backwards about a week ago. She's terribly proud of her new skill. It usually comes with a sideways glace, as if to say "do you seeee what I am do-eeeeeng"..

2. She is a parrot, of course, but using words on her own and in the correct context she has just started to develop as a new "skill".

3. She says "Hi, Kaynan"

4. Pan-keeks = Pancakes

5. Jack-eet = Jacket

6. Staw cryeee = Stop crying

7. All done = All done (sounds perfect to me)

8. Down

9. She can answer either "NO!" or "Yeah!" to just about any question posed to her.. and she answers with gusto

10. She runs to the bathroom, when you tell her it's time for a bath.

11. She says "buck-ooh", when she is getting in her seat in the Tahoe, or she is getting in her chair at the dinner table.

Thinking...

I know she is much more miraculous than this, but my brain is on temporary respite today. I can't seem to think past the fact that the holidays are coming up, and it is time to go into holiday vacation-mode... even though I don't get one....

Part II will come later, if I can remember to think of remembering to do it...

I need phantoms, people...

So most people know that I figure skated. It's old news. I had doubles and triples, and I loved it. I have been wanting to take Kayden skating since she was born, but there is the small issue of sharpened steel with the intentional toepick at the end. Quite a scary looking knife, if you ask me.

I took to Craigslist, eBay, Google, just about every resource I could think of to try and find a pair of wider-than-heck boots. And, it wasn't o.k. if they were just any boots. I wanted my "old" make of boots. They are about $650 retail. Yeah, I didn't think it was wise to spend that much, nor did I want to. I prayed about it. I pray about everything these days.

A couple of days later I was looking at Craigslist, and I found a pair of 7 1/2 Ds, and they were the make that I wanted. Like I said, I needed wider-than-heck. I emailed the poster as fast as my fingers would go, and I waited. She wanted $75 for the skates, and I almost couldn't believe it. The blades on them weren't the best, but they would do for the moment. After waiting an eternity, she finally sent them...

I put them on last night, and miraculously, they fit. Honestly... if I could have slept in them without thinking I would either stab my babies or poke a hole in something, I would have. I don't have guards, yet, but I will... OH, I will. John will never realize how much it meant to me, when I walked around in them for about 20 minutes, and he didn't ask me why... I just had to. I wrapped bubble wrap around the blades, and secured it with tape. She didn't send guards, obviously... I think I said that already. Anyway, the blades are basically a coach's blade, and "my" blades aren't. I want MK Phantom blades. It's the only thing that I am used to, and years and years of skating on them just can't be changed. It's like riding a bike.

As soon as I get a good sharpening, I'm going to take Kayden. If she hates it, I really don't mind. I just have to let her see what Mommy did when she was little. She already knows what Daddy did. This is Texas, after all, so it's a little harder to show her...

Anyway, here they are. I'm excited.

I cannot stop weeping...

I have been praying that God help me to be a better Mommy...

I didn't know how it would happen or what would happen, but I knew it would come.

Every night I check the blogs of friends and celebrity gossip sites and then I go to CNN, MSN, MSNBC, etc. Tonight was different. I was reading a friend of mine's blog, and I started going through her blog links to see if I could find any funny stories of encouragement from other Moms.

I did.

It wasn't funny. It was life-changing.

I have been sitting here in the middle of my bed weeping for the past hour and a half. Let me be clear... I do not think that I am even close to a bad Mom, but I do pray that God will give me the words to teach my girls about Him. I will spend the rest of my life praying for the strength to surrender to Him and the stillness to hear His whispers... I hugged Kayden (she was still up watching Spongebob) with arms that were weak from disappointment in myself that I had ever taken this little curly haired gift for granted. With tears streaming down my face, I told her that I loved her and I was sorry that I had ever yelled at her or made her sad. With a calmness beyond even my years, she brushed my hair out of my face and said it was ok. She squeezed me, and she went back to watching cartoons.

In His infinite grace... He showed me.

http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com/

Let's all be festive, shall we?

I plugged in my Christmas tree at work. It's time, folks. I am feeling the season.

I ran in the pouring rain on Monday, and it seemed to awaken my psyche. I think everyone should do it. On the last mile or so it started to pelt me in the face. Honest to God, I started smiling. Passing motorists must have thought I was losing my mind and anything else along with that, because I just enjoyed the moment. I thought of those in this world that would give anything to run like that. So, I just smiled for them. I was soaked to the skin, and it was about 65 outside. I have run in 110 degree weather, so what was a little water? Actually, it is sort of a wash when you run in the rain (ignore the literal), because the rain cools your body temperature. I felt refreshed, cold and fortunate.

The first lightning strike in our vicinity happened as soon as I got in my Tahoe and shut the door. It ended up being a great thunderstorm.

Really. If you haven't played in the rain, do it.

2044.

"Mommy..."

Yes, Kayden.

"Next time will you say I can be president?"

Absolutely.

Do you want to be the president?

"Yes."

I think you would make a fantastic president.

You could tell everyone what to do!

"Even Mrs. Bev?"

Even Mrs. Bev.

"... and Daddy?"

And Daddy.

"... and you?"

And Me.

"... and Kylee?"

And Kylee.

".... ....."

"I want to be the president."