juMBLe XI

*Our new favorite grocery store is Glazier's Food Marketplace.  It's right down the street and it took me months to finally go inside.  Now that we have, we now shop there and Costco, and very little anywhere else.  They have the best pizza place and ice cream bar inside.  We have grown addicted to the New York style pizza and the chocolate covered bananas.  So if you live in the Southwest and haven't made it there yet, I highly recommend it.
*Father's Day was all weekend long.  I thought he deserved it and I finally figured out a few things to do for him.  1) I took the kids Saturday morning and let him sleep in 2) I got his car washed inside and out along with an oil change 3) We went to Chicago Brewing Company, which I loved but Gabrielle didn't cooperate so we had to leave early. 4) Crab for Dinner on Sunday and a nice relaxing night. 5) Ethan wanted to decorate a cake for him at Glaziers, and of course Gabrielle got to help too!

*I have a growing list of projects around the house that I'm working on.  They include: painting the kids rooms, moving my desk into my room and making an office area, moving Jared's desk downstairs and giving him his "man-cave" area in the garage with his equipment and books, cleaning out the garage, finishing my garden and start planting stuff, some misc deep cleaning, and a whole bunch of others I can't remember right now.

(Imagine it painted with dirt and plants, I'm really hope it looks better too, cause it was a b*tch to put together.)







*Jared is loving his job and I'm loving his schedule.  I've got four days a week to get what I need done and I've got three days to spend with him.  And on Friday's we get to hang out and have good quality time together.

*I wish I could make the "SLOW" button work on Ethan.  Everything he does is at full speed and he forgets to think first.  So far that hasn't worked out the best for him.  One of these days he'll get it and think first.
*I've been toying with the idea of switching phone companies and just haven't done it yet.  Right now it'll cost me $85 extra to break the contract w/ AT&T and I just don't want to pay that yet.
*We finally got a new computer, but I refuse to set it up until I get the rooms painted and arranged properly.
*I'm really working on loving my house.  It's not exactly what we wanted but; 1) we can afford it right now 2) it's ours 3) it's clean and in a good neighborhood 4) if I work hard then I can make it feel more homey 5) I feel greatfull for all of the above because we weren't in this position a few months ago.
*Things always have a strange way of working themselves out.  Sometimes I think of what it would have been like to move and start fresh some where other than Vegas.  But like Jared tells me regret is a wasted emotion and solves nothing.  So I just remind myself that we are where we are suppose to be.
*And because she is just too cute not to post....

JumBle X

It's been a while since I've rambled about what is new with us.

*Life with Gabrielle has been great. The adjustment from a family of 3 to 4 has been easy. Ethan is in love with her and we couldn't be more happy. She sleeps well and only fusses when she needs something.
*Jared got a job in Huntsville, AL so we are moving. We are still waiting on the final details but we are fairly sure that we are leaving the last week of February. I've started working with a Lender and Realtor so we can move into a house instead of renting for a year. So far everything is working out. We should be able to close on a new house the first part of April. The only bad thing is that we will have to stay in a temporary housing for a month when we get there. We will have to work out what to do with Ethan and school, since they let out May 22 for summer and he is on a track school here. I think that will be the hardest thing to work out.
*We got our relocation packet from the Realtor, and I have to say that I'm excited. I love museums and seeing history. Studying history was boring to me and I didn't care for it, but when you get to see how things were it really puts how we do things into perspective.
*The boys are excited to go fishing and hunting for snakes...(eeeewww gross!) I can help with the fishing but the snakes are off limits and NEVER allowed in or around our house. I've had to put up a fight for this one, because both boys are fascinated with them and they both try to tell me how harmless they are. Needless to say, it hasn't worked and I'm still terrified of them.
*We took Dina yesterday to get bathed and she looks beautiful. So shinny and pretty. They said that she didn't like the blow dryer so it took them an extra hour to kennel dry her. When we went to pick her up she was prancing out of the groomers! And of course the one day we took her to get cleaned up it rains, she hates wet spots on the ground and will walk around them. So just imagine how ucky it was for her to walk on the wet floor with her newly clipped toes and shinny clean coat. She was hilarious to watch!

JuMBlE IX

*10/29/09....34 weeks and 3 days: I measured 35 weeks and have done very well on my weight. Or at least I think so anyway, but I'll keep the numbers for myself for now on ;) My scheduled time for delivery is at 5:30 for now and will more than likely change to be earlier in the day by the time it comes. But that all depends on if this bun decides to stay in the oven that long. And after months of talking about getting my tubes tied at the time of surgery I signed the papers to have it done. Then I get home and tell Jared about it and he doesn't think I should have it done. Silly boy, I thought we were both on the same page. But I don't have a problem with changing it next week when I go.

*10/30/09...NV day and the beginning of Ethan's track break. I'm hoping that I can keep him occupied here at home since I can't really go anywhere. We've got goodies to make for the holidays and cleaning before the end of the month.

*11/1/09...After about 2 months of eyeballing our checking / savings accounts I've finally started up our registers again. I figured out that you can upload past statements into Excel. So I did that and continued on w/ current info. I've kept a budget in there for years and have neglected that as well. Now that I am caught up we'll see how I do to keep up with these.

*11/2/09...Chili was made, eaten and frozen! I borrowed a Paula Dean recipe for Spicy Chili w/ Cornmeal Waffles. I added 1 can of petite diced tomatoes and a jalapeno cause I like the tomatoes and Jared likes it spicy. I also cooked it for about 1 1/2 hrs and to get the yummies out of the jalapeno. Jared still needed a little red pepper for his but I thought it was just right. None of us cared for the waffle combo. We will have our left overs over white rice, and we will toast the waffles with syrup for breakfast tomorrow!


*11/4/09...Red Beans and Rice were made, eaten, and frozen! I only have one more dish that I feel like making. Ham and Bean soup! It was a hit last year when I made it, I used the left over ham from Christmas. This year I bought ham steaks to use; I didn't care for the sweetness of the honey glaze on the ham in the soup. The boys didn't complain but I noticed it. My Red Beans and Rice is an updated version of my grandmas recipe. If you want the recipes I can post them for you, just let me know ;) I also have Snickerdoodle dough frozen so I can be ahead of the game for our holiday goodie bags. We are broke this year, so we are going to pass out treats instead of gifts. Your tummy will love us for it...just not your waist line!

jumBle VIII

This past month has flown by. It's crazy how easy it is to loose track of time. With so many things to do and to try and not forget what they all are I've really tried hard to keep everyone in line.

*I've started getting dinners frozen for Jared and Ethan so when I'm down and out all they have to do is warm it up and make some simple side dishes. So far I've got gumbo and shredded pork. Next on my list are red beans and rice, ham and bean soup, chicken enchiladas, white chili, and spicy chili with cornmeal waffles.

*This next week when Ethan is out on break I'm going to start making cookies, muffins, and candy for the holidays so we have something to pass out to friends and family. I plan on making the cookie dough and muffins and then freezing them till next month so they will be yummy and fresh.

*I have most of our holiday shopping done and wrapped. I need to get a few more things for extended family and one more gift for Ethan and then that is complete.



Here is the run down of things that have happened this month:

*All of my doctors appointments have gone well. Everything is normal and on track. I think now I will start going weekly.

*He/She feels huge. The butt or head is stuck in my ribs and the rest is all over the place. My hips are getting worse and it feels impossible to roll over in bed or get up from sitting too long. Sometimes it hurts so bad I want to cry, but I know it's almost over.

*We went for our hospital tour and I was very pleased. It looks like all of the things I missed out with Ethan I will be able to do for this one. Due to the hospital procedure I will be able to follow my mini birth plan which included: 1) spending time alone w/ Jared and baby for the first 15 minutes or so. 2) announcing the sex / name together. 3) I wanted to do the first feeding.

*I had a job interview, which I'm still waiting to hear back on. They said that it would be 2-3 weeks before I do. The pay was great and I start out with getting 3 wks PTO and good benefits. I would only have to work 4 days / week so I would have long weekends every week. The only down fall would be the hours, they are long and the drive is as well. But there is always good and bad....we can't have it all. So I'm hoping that either I get this job, or when Jared graduates he will get his job back because he would have all of the perks I mentioned. One way or another we need a joby-job!

*My Mom's ticket is purchased so she will be here for the first two weeks to help out and meet her grandbaby. I'm so excited for this. She is like me with her boys, she HATES leaving them so I know what she is sacrificing for me. But she didn't get to meet Ethan till he was about 4 years old. So this will be nice, and it will give me a chance to recover as well.

*Ethan pulled out his 9th tooth (I think) all by himself. Around here we use dental floss and yank until it comes out. I had to tie it on for him 3 times before he got it out. But it was a major accomplishment for him. We told him about the tooth fairy when his last tooth came out so the cat is out of the bag. But when she did come she left a $5 bill under his pillow. This year he got an ice cream-cookie sandwich and a book. At almost $10 later, we should have stuck with the $5.

*Jared only has about 6 weeks left and he's done with school. His Senior Design project is nearing the final stages and he has a really good chance of winning the competition this year. They will have the competition on Dec 3rd and last year the students got local news coverage. I can't wait to see him show off. He has worked so hard and how ever it ends he did an amazing job.

*Ethan has done a great job as well. His grades are coming up and I'm holding out for AB honor roll for his first report card. Last year didn't end so well and I know he is working hard. He and some other boys are on a program with the principal to help motivate them in the right direction. If he continues to do well then he will get to go on the 2 night-away from home-in California-school trip in April! Lucky Duck!!!

It has started

*So far both Ethan and Jared are enjoying school. Ethan has done a wonderful job with very few mess ups. His teacher sees potential in him and we are all working together to make sure that his 4th grade year is excellent. Jared, as usual is loving his classes and is as busy as ever. We originally signed him up for undergrad classes and then his professors talked him into taking graduate level courses. So at the end of this semester he will have his BS out of the way and one semester of his Masters done. Which in the big picture is a great thing but grad courses are friggin expensive. So we roll with it and in the end it will all work out for the better.

*My unemployment is finally suppose to start coming in this next week so that little bit of money will help so we won't deplete our savings so fast.

*Now that Ethan is back in school and I'm home all by myself I'm freakin BORED!!! I miss working....I never thought I'd say that!! I start babysitting this week too...I can't wait. I love babies :)


*I had my 7 month appt and everything went well. All of the measurements were normal and sounding good. I had my glucose test done and will get the results when I go back on my birthday for my next appt. He/She is moving around A LOT and keeps me up at night already. 2 - 3 am is the new play time, it's about the time Jared comes to bed and then the baby goes nuts. Jared got to feel it the other night and thought it was amusing. For now all of the activity is a welcome feeling. It's the beginning of the little moments that I get to savor for myself. But again there are the moments that it kicks/punches super low and it hurts. I am ready for those ones to be over!

*I've started applying Jared for jobs now and will start again in November before he graduates. My hope is that these places will get irritated with me sending his resume out multiple times and will call him in. I've sent them to everywhere I can think of locally and started sending them to other states as well. Something has got to come through for us; I really don't want to move anytime soon so cross your fingers that someone locally calls.

Summer Break...

Is officially over. The boys are down stairs playing Guitar Hero and I'm in the office getting Ethan's' backpack ready for his first day of fourth grade. **HOLY CRAP** I remember fourth grade! Seriously, he has got to stop growing up so fast!!!!

I've been out of work since July 10th and really thought I would be bored out of my mind by now and it hasn't happened yet. But I have a feeling with both of them gone for hours a day it won't take long. I have a few weeks left before I start babysitting and I can't wait. So these next few weeks will be my test.

Over the break Ethan and I have kept busy. While Lani was in the hospital we spent most of our days with her so she wouldn't be by herself. We had a million errands to run and then we did a few projects around the house:

*We built shelves for my garage, and we only have half of it left. I've got a decent pile of stuff for Goodwill.

*We washed and cleaned up old baby stuff. So everything is sorted by age.

*And we've cleaned.cleaned.cleaned! That is one thing I'm hugely proud of. I love a clean house and I love that I can actually keep it that way (for now that is).

Soapbox!

I just got off the phone w/ my credit card company and apparently because we have been such a good customer they raised out interest rate 7.9%. We had the option to cancel our card back in May and then we could have avoided the hike. Gee...how nice of them..I get the "You haven't done anything wrong but with the economy being the way it is, this is what we had to do. We sent the notice to everyone and your account is not the only one affected." So because they suck and the credit companies and banks screwed up they are making the 'good' customers pay for it!

JumbLe VII

-I think I finally got my unemployment figured out. What a pain in the rear! I'm hoping that from now on all I have to do is file on Sundays and not worry about it. I tried to file on this past Sunday and it told me that I had to reopen the claim not once but twice. Then on Monday when I go to reopen my claim it tells me that I already have one and all I need to do is file my weekly claim!

-I really thought that staying at home would give me more time to relax. So far all I've done is run. With Lani being in and out of the hospital and trying to get house work done I haven't quite gotten there yet.

-My goal for the rest of this week is to finish my garage and have some of our old stuff removed. So technically I've got today and tomorrow, because Jared is off on Friday and not much gets done.

-I found a shelf for my down stairs bathroom. I've been looking for about a month and found it at Ross on Monday. I absolutely love it.

-My belly is starting to get big now. The baby is moving around like a mini kung fu person! I think he/she got the hiccups early this morning I forgot what that was like.

-Now that I am home I'm hoping that I don't gain to much weight. I am a snacker so I'm trying to keep it down to one snack a day and so far I think it's working. I've never been the skinny-tiny kinda girl, but after loosing 25 pounds last year I really don't want to battle that again. It's still embarrassing that I actually had 25 pounds to loose. It took me way to long to loose the extra baby weight from Ethan that I would love to be back to myself by New Years!

Our first week out!

Time to PLAY!!!
Or so I thought...I had way more errands to run that I had planned. Every. single. day. this week we have done something that lasted the better part of the day.
Monday = Costco & lunch with Ian.
Tuesday = Lowes, work to see PR so I could finish processing out, & visited with Rebecca (who was nice enough to buy us lunch).
Wednesday = Dr's appt, get Ethans glasses fixed, lunch with Jared, & ice cream.
then.....
Thursday = stay home to clean and relax
Friday = Harry Potter and kettle corn here we come!

I had my 5 month appointment today and Ethan got to hear the heartbeat. Everything was normal. They think I may have another mild bladder infection...yuck, I hate antibiotics! But as long as the baby and I are safe that is all that matters. He/She is moving and kicking like crazy. Ethan is in love with the idea of baby, he read on week 19 the baby can hear when you are talking so when we were shopping at Kohls he kept making me stop so he could talk to the baby. "Hey buddy...Hey dude...Hey baby...How are you doing in there" Pretty cute stuff! I've only gained like 8-10 lbs, so I think that is okay.

Ethan and I had our first treat at Leatherby's and filled up on ice cream while we waited for them to finish his glasses. He got two scoops 1 Banana nut and 1 Rocky Road. I had the same but my old time fav's Chocolate Chip and Mint Chocolate Chip. It was very yummy and better than that it was COLD. I hate the summer time already and we are only half way into it.

**The only good reason for summer = it's to hot to eat full meals or anything heavy = no pigging out on account of baby!

I LOVE long weekends

It's been such a long time since all three of us have had any amount of time off together that this weekend was especially nice. Jared and I had Friday off, I shopped and had lunch with my girlfriend at Famous Daves...YUMM...and Jared had to go to school to work on his project with his partners. Saturday I BBQ'd for everyone (us + Lani & Ian) for his late birthday gift and some family time. Everything turned out perfect. I made Jared's Black and White cookie/cake, and it was delish, not to cookie hard and not to cakey soft; and the icing / fudge frosting came out just like they do in the stores.
The rest of the weekend was for lounging around and playing Rock Band. We are a part of the in crowd now baby!!!
And the best part is I get another 3 day weekend this next week. This 3 day week of work better fly by cause I can't wait for next weekend :)

JUMBLE vi

*Jared and I got a sneak peak ultrasound last week. It was so tiny and squirmy. You could make out the feet, hands and face. With Ethan we didn't have an ultrasound this late so it was really cool. I go for a real one on Wednesday and I can't wait to see our tiny baby then.
*Jared starts his job today. It's been a long time since he has worked. We went shopping for some business casual clothes on Saturday. So I hope my idea of business casual is the same as theirs. He had to be there at 7 and it's about an hour drive from our house. My poor baby had to get up at 5 this morning. It's been even longer since he's had to wake up that early.
*Since my company is going out of business and I'm soon to be jobless, our hope is that his job will be full time permanent. I've seriously considered going back to school this next year and trying for my RN license. So keep your fingers crossed for us and maybe with in a few years I'll have a new career and not just some job.
*We finally have our big HD TV fixed, and let me say...it's NICE!! I forgot how much I missed watching it. Jared and I played Tetris all weekend....so much fun!!
*I found plane tickets for my Mom at $250. Round trip...I couldn't believe it. I told her that I would love for her to be here for the first week or so after the baby is born. I'll need help with Ethan out of school too, so it would be perfect. Now I just have to talk her into flying by herself.

The best & The worst!

Why is the best news always followed by something bad? Why can't it just be good news and that's the end of it? It's kinda like; do you want the good news first or the bad news? And don't we always go for the bad news first so the good news will cheer us up?

The best: Jared got a job and he will start May 18!!!! It's doing something that he has gone to school for and I know he will love.
The worst: I'm losing my job. My company will close it's doors July 8th. I've been there for 10 years and not that it was a shock, but when it's final and no longer gossip it's always a little harder to take. At least it's not right away so I do have some time to plan what the best move for us will be.

Wish us luck on our new venture :)

JUMble V

*Let me say OFFICIALLY for the record, that the first half of April sucked big time!!! The second half definitely made up for it :) And I'm SO glad May is here!
*First...Jared's Grandma ended up in the hospital with a collapsed lung and a mass in each. She was there a week before she passed away. It was hard for everyone, she was the rock that everyone gravitated towards. We all miss her immensely.
*Second...I took an at home pregnancy test and it came out positive!!!! At my first ultrasound I had what looked to be two blood clots. One intrauterine and the other in the tube, and no heartbeat in either. It was a week of hell thinking that it was ectopic and I had to wait until the 8 week mark to have it removed, and having all of the pregnancy symptoms to go along with the wait. Why eight weeks...there is to much of a risk trying to remove it early and missing it, so 8 weeks was very important. After my doctor went back in my chart from the beginning (over a years worth of info to tripple check everything) he said there may be a slight chance an embryo will show up within the next couple of days. We kept all of my pre-op appointments scheduled just in case and when I went, there in fact was a faint heartbeat!!!! Apparently the tubal blood clot was a cyst caused by hormones and will dissolve on it's own, and the second intrauterine was the embryo. So my dates being all jacked up and the cyst it was very deceiving. But THANK GOODNESS we have a baby :)
*As of today I'm 9 weeks and all of my sickies are pretty much gone. I only feel like crap when I'm hungry or when I eat a full meal. I have headaches like I did with Ethan but they are manageable.
*We had Jared's Grandmas funeral service / reception. Lani and her younger brother planed the entire thing and they both did an amazing job. I had never been to a funeral or reception for before, but it was perfect. Very nice and memorible.
*Amee was able to make it home for a week so she could spend some time w/ her Grandma before she passed. She stayed a few nights with us and a few with Lani. It was a very nice visit. Her and Ethan played video games and on the computer. She is due to come back in August!

jUMblE IV

*Wow...a month already! Time flies too fast sometimes. Everyone has those periods where everything takes forever and we wish that it would be the next month...things will get better in a few months...Gosh, I can't wait till Friday!! That's a big one for me.
*Rush, Rush, Rush!
*When do we actually take the time to slow down and enjoy what is happening right now?
*This is my goal. Although it is easier to follow at home rather than work. I love my job and wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now but I can never wait till the weekend so I can spend it at home with my boys.
*This past Tuesday the company that I've worked for, for nearly the past 10 years has closed. Luckily enough they have kept me and now I work for a sister company. I'm still learning my new duties as they pile them on me, and I'll still do a lot of the things I did before. So really not much has changed. I'm excited to learn new things; it keeps the job from getting boring. My theory is that it's always more to put on a resume for the future.
*Jared had one interview this past week and I'm crossing my fingers that they call him back. He said it went very well and he felt he left a very good impact. I know that there are thousands of people out there looking for a job. I just hope that with this one particular company it works out. They tried really hard through phone and email this past fall semester to get him and they came back around this spring. So I'm staying positive and thinking that since they hunted him down two semesters in a row that they really want him.
*Jared's Grandma is in the hospital right now. She went in on Wednesday morning for chest and back pains. She had pneumonia, a collapsed lung, and left overs from her cold that started this mess. They believe they found a mass in one lung and a tumor in the other. They were able to re inflate her lung yesterday and they have drains in now to keep the fluids off of them. I went to see her last night and it was honestly better than I thought it would be. She is delusional because she is out of her comfort zone and the dementia gets worse when she isn't in her familiar surroundings. But in my heart I think she is on the road to mend. She is strong and has her fighting spirit. She can spell perfectly....although some things she shouldn't be saying aloud! We love her and want her home soon.

OOPS part I

Here is a list of the little things I've left out or forgot to add over the past few months:

-When my grandparents came down we went to the Silverton and there was a mermaid in the fish tank. I love the way the rays always look like they are smiling.

-I lost a total of 26 lbs. Which kinda disappoints me that I had that much to loose in the first place. I can't tell the difference in pictures but I can in my pant size!

-I love my Winder delivery. I never run out of milk, eggs, juice, toasting bread for breakfast.

-Their juices are the best I've ever had.

-Winder milk has no smell. It only smells when it's bad. I love that!

-We went to the San Gennaro feast a few months ago and it was crowded, but the food was yummy and we had coupons to get in. Ethan had a ball on the rides and we pigged out on cheese steak sandwiches, garlic knots, and funnel cakes.

-Jared will be done with school this coming December!!

-Ethan grew a few inches and is now past my chin.

-I love shopping at Costco. The pre-made salads and take and bake pizzas are excellent.

As I remember the other things I know I've left out I'll do a "OOPS part II" :)

Holy Cow!

Another month of missed posting...shame on me. I've got snow, Christmas, family, New Year, and all kinds of misc goodies to write about. So my first personal goal for this new year is to post about all of them very soon :)

I did it!!

I got to my goal weight...nener nener nener!!! The last pound took FOREVER, but I did it!!!

The right thing

How many of you have gone to the store and forgot something in your cart and realized it after you got to your car? Ok, now how many of you have made the long walk back into the store to pay for it?
Ethan and I went to Ghetto-Mart and behind my two 5 gallon water bottles was the can of mousse that I intended to purchase. He noticed it when we were putting the bags in our car and started panicking. "Mom, we have to go back and pay for this. We don't want to go to jail, cause if we don't pay for it, it's stealing."
I was exhausted, this was our last errand of the day and DID NOT want to go back in, but what do you tell a kid who is telling you the right thing to do??? You walk your lazy ass back into the store to pay for the $4 can of freaking mousse!
I thanked him on the way out of the store and told him that not many people would have done that; and that I probably wouldn't have done it either cause I was being lazy, but again thanked him for making me do the right thing. He told me "Your welcome!" and we went on our way home.

New Store

I'm going out on a limb and trying a new grocery store. We only have a certain amount budgeted for groceries each week so trying something new is a big deal to me. It takes me out of my comfort zone. I made a list of all of the stores I go to and what I typically buy from them so I can see where we can fit everything in and my ultimate goal of not overspending on the little extras.
I've heard tons of good things about this place from a few different people. When we went to Ethan's open house they had a sales rep there and I got my fliers to research. Then when another sales rep called me on Monday I figured I'd give them a try. They are (suppose to be)either all natural / organic, farm fresh, delicious food, and they deliver. It's called Winder Farms. I get my first delivery next Tuesday and I'll give my reviews. Wish me luck!

Part of the club 3

I have passed the 20 lbs mark and am so close to my goal I can taste it. 4 more lbs to go and then I will be a happy girl.