I know, I know

I know it's been awhile already but I have an excuse - I got a new job. It happened really fast. For the last month or so I have been very unhappy with my job at the vet clinic for a couple reasons. Reasons that I won't go into on a public forum because I'm way too nice. Anyway, there was a job advertised in the newspaper that I was really interested in and was more in my field of finance. So I applied for it and was offered the job less than 24 hours after interviewing and they wanted me to start ASAP. I have already been there for three days and I love it. Now, the funny part - what my job is....

I am a foreclosure counselor. Yes I know, I know - incredibly ironic but hey I have knowledge in the field. What I am doing is working for a non profit organization that helps people when they are struggling financially. My specific area is for people who fear that they are going into foreclosure. It is a really rewarding job and so far I have done a ton of marketing - it's a fairly new program and so I have to get the word out there that it's being offered.

In two weeks I get to travel to St. Paul for three days for training. I am excited because I will get to travel with this job quite a bit. Anyways...that's my excuse for not blogging.

The kids are doing great - Jackson is a busy, busy boy and seems to have the energy of the energizer bunny. It must be a boy thing because he never stops and has to climb everything. Plus, he wants to be outside all day long!! He will scream if you bring him in. He also eats constantly - remember how Olivia never ate - well he is the opposite. He often eats his meal and finishes hers.

Olivia is also doing well - she has her dance recital on Tuesday and is very excited. She is confident and knows the dance inside and out. She is making new friends and growing up so darn fast - sometimes I look at her and think she's more like six rather than four.

Trevor is busy with work and he's been putting in a new transmission in one of our cars - that's two cars and two transmissions. Then, last week something happened to his 4 wheeler's transmission too. I swear we have the worst luck with those things.

Anway - I think I am off to bed but just wanted to check in and let you all know (if anyone reads this) that we are doing great. Oh and I have another thing to say:

GO DETROIT!! 1 more game and we win the Stanley Cup!! Whoo Hoo!

My Baby Girl is 4 Today!!

HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY OLIVIA NICOLE!!

On May 14th at 3:26 am Olivia Nicole came into the world. She was just the cutest little bald baby. She weighed 7 pounds exactly and was 21.5 inches long.

Olivia is a great kid - she's very smart (a little too smart) and knows what she wants. She has beautiful blue eyes and long blonde hair (who knew she'd ever get hair??) She is a total girlie girl yet loves to ride the Ranger and loves her new pink helmet.

I just can't even describe how wonderful she is so I'm going to do a little photo trip down memory lane to show you how much she's grown.

This is Olivia in the hospital after coming out of the NICU oxygen bubble:

And this is Olivia around the time of her first Christmas - She was about 6 or 7 months old and this was also the first picture of her sitting up on her own!

This is around the time of her 1st birthday - we flew back to Michigan and had a big party for her there - shortly after she ended up in the hospital with Rotovirus. Luckily since then she hasn't been all that sick.

Here is Olivia's second Christmas - It was a lot of fun because she was starting to understand it and kind of liked opening her presents:

And finally - we have some hair - this is right after her 2nd birthday!

This picture is when she was about 2 1/2. She loves to color and would spend hours coloring and drawing pictures:

This next one is one of my favorites of her - she really started to look like a little lady in this. It was right before Jackson was born:

And this one is pretty self explainatory - it's Olivia on her 3 year birthday:

Jackson's Appt With the Dr.

Well Jackson had his appt with the dr today - he was very reassuring that I wasn't overreacting and that he is sick more than the "average" child.

He thinks he has asthma. I have asthma so there is a strong possibility that is what it is - his gut is telling him that so far it's nothing to be concerned about too much. He put him on a neb treatment 1 time a day, singular and then zyrtec or claritin as needed.If he continues to be sick now that the winter and spring are getting over with then we will do more meaning tubes in the ears and then testing his immune system and doing allergy testing. He doesn't think he's allergic to the cats (which is what I was worried about). He showed me the chart as to where they start worrying and doing the testing and Jackson falls right in between the two categories of unlucky (LOL) and starting to do the testing.

So, we will see what happens...

Jackson

I have decided to finally take Jackson and his records in to a pediatrician to see what he thinks. He has been sick so much this past year that it's unreal. We have an appt today at 2:30.

So I went and got Jack's records from both the hospital and the clinic here and made a little cheat sheet for the dr so he doesn't have to spend an hour reading thru before addressing the problem. Get this....This is how many times Jack has been to the dr...

2 Weeks old - One Time
1 Month Old - One Time
2 Months Old - Twice
3 Months Old - Twice
4 Months old - One Time
6 Months Old - Twice
7 Months Old - One Time
8 Months Old - One Time
9 Months Old - One Time
11 Months Old - One Time
12 Months Old - Twice
13 Months Old - Twice

He has had rashes three times, Bronchitis 7 Times, Double or 1 Ear Infections at least 6 Times that I can see and Sinus Inf 5 Times....

Happy Mother's Day!!

I just wanted to take the time out to wish everyone a happy mother's day - being a mother is a tough job but such a wonderful thing. I never imagined how wonderful having kids could be - there is the constant unconditional love and affection. It is the best thing ever!!

So, if you are a mother, give yourself a pat on the back for a tough job well done. If you aren't a mother, please take the time to tell your mother just how much you love her and thank her for everything that she's done for you.

Fun Times

This week has gone by fast - they all are lately. Trevor has been in Colorado Springs all week so it's just been me and the kids. I have had a bad cold and have been miserable and now Jackson is running a fever of 102.

Last weekend we went to Grand Forks for the night and stayed at the Hilton because Trevor was flying out early Monday. The kids had a great time!! Olivia was so excited to be at a hotel and go swimming in the pool. Jackson was just excited but didn't care for the water his first time in which surprised me, he loves baths! We also got Jackson's fourth haircut while we were there - he was starting to look like a shaggy beast. His hair grows so fast, Debby just cut it in March before his birthday party in Michigan.

Anyway, here are a few pictures from the hotel:

This one is Olivia coloring on the hotel paper with her hotel pen - it was so exciting to her - I have to add, is she really only almost 4?? She looks so grown up in this picture!

In this one, she is modeling her swimsuit, which she is growing out of fast.

And here is the boy in his cute swimtrunks - he's got quite a belly on him!!

This is Olivia in the pool - she was perfectly content just hanging out on the pool stairs the whole time:

My Ebay Store

I have opened up an ebay store. I sell so much stuff on ebay that I think it's going to be worth it. Check out and please bookmark my store - pass it on. I specialize in Kids Clothing - Brand New and Excellent, Used from mostly brand names. http://stores.ebay.com/Kidz-Stylz-For-Less

Change

I don't like change. I never have and probably never will. I am not the kind of person to rearrange my furniture (that is my mother's job anyway - love you mom!) and when I find colors that I like, I will repaint a room the same color. I am the same way with food - I always order a specific thing depending on the restaurant we are at and almost always cook the same meals.

What made me think of this is Trevor left for Colorado Springs this morning so I took the kids grocery shopping. I always make the same things when he is gone - penne pasta bake, pasta salad and cheesy chicken and rice casserole.

This is just a completely random thought but I wonder why I am like this.....

Our Circus Adventure

Last weekend we had plans to go to the Shrine Circus in Grand Forks on Saturday. Well those plans were ruined because Friday night it decided to snow - when I say snow, I don't mean a few inches, I mean at least a foot. Isn't winter over?

Sunday was much nicer so we took the kids to Grand Forks to see the circus and do some shopping. Last year, the circus wasn't that great but we thought we'd give it another go. We pay our $24.00 to get in and find some seats. Then, of course Olivia wants cotton candy so her and I are off to find an ATM. The only ATM is outside of the ticket area so I ask a shriner if we can go out to the ATM and he smiled and said "I wish you would" which I found amusing...of course he does.

I bought her cotton candy and a little wand toy along with one for Jackson. We sat down and the show started. The show opened with acrobats which I admit were pretty good. Jackson was even watching them intently. Then, it slowly got worse. About 20 minutes into it, Jack was done - Trevor took him out in the hall of the arena to run around. I forgot to mention, they said at the beginning of the show that no elephants would be there this year (which of course is what Olivia wanted to see the most). The next act came on and I kid you not, it was a fat guy jumping on a trampoline - it was BAD.

Olivia finally looks at me and says "Mom, I like the circus and it's really fun but I'm just a little bored, can we go to the mall??" So off we went, 1/2 hour into the circus and about $50 later, off to the mall.