Time For An Update!

Once again it's been way too long since I've posted anything here.  I need to get back on track with that!  A lot has happened since my last post.  Some things I can mention, others aren't my place to say, but our lives have been on a roller coaster lately!  First, about a month ago, we had to put our baby girl, Cloz'r, down.  That was a terrible day.  She wasn't acting quite like herself so I took her to the vet.  They found she had a tumor on her spleen and that it had been bleeding into her belly.  With her being 13, there wasn't much they could do, that wouldn't have ended up being incredibly rough on her, and the odds of her survival were slim.  It was heartbreaking to have to make that decision.  She went peacefully in my arms.  Our house is so not the same without her.  Every day there is something that reminds me she is not here.  When the kids drop food, when someone comes to the door... it's just not the same without her.




In other news, the kids are enjoying their summer break!  We've gone camping a few times already and have had a great time.  They love it, but much like me, they are always ready to go home at the end.  :)  Each time we've gone with been with family and/or friends and it's been a blast.  We hope to go a lot more in the near future.  The kids are also both in the summer reading program at the library again.  This year, Lucas is really getting into it.  Lauryn loves being in the older group and getting to do more with it.

Lloyd and I are doing great!  We are coming up on 15 years of being together (11 years married, in October).  It's been the most wonderful 15 years and I know they wouldn't have been this way if it weren't for him.  I'm so incredibly lucky to have found someone so amazing

Things are getting pretty exciting with my Jamberry business!  In 8 days, Cheryl and I will be going to Texas for the International Conference.  I'm excited and nervous!  The only time I've really traveled like this was almost 11 years ago, with Lloyd on our honeymoon!  It's going to be great!  We're going to trainings, special events and hooking up on some major Jamberry Swag!!!  Being away from Lloyd and the kids for a few days will be tough but I think it will be beneficial to my business....not to mention Cheryl and I have a blast no matter what we do!  :)  We'll be staying at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center....look it up, it's insane!!!

I suppose that's all I have for now.  Hopefully I can get back on track with this.  Not only can I share with everyone, it's also a little therapeutic!

Catching Up

It's been a little bit since I've sat down and done a post.  We've had a busy couple of weeks and it's time to play catch up!  Two weekends ago, Lloyd and I decided to celebrate our 10th anniversary a little early by spending the weekend in Chicago.  We hadn't gone on a vacation, just the two of us, since our honeymoon!  His mom came early Friday morning and stayed until Saturday afternoon and my mom came Saturday afternoon and stayed until we got home on Sunday.  We had a wonderful time and it was a much needed getaway.  Some highlights of the weekend were the shopping, the Field Museum, The Emerald Loop restaurant, our fancy date night at Ruth's Chris, the dueling pianos bar, Howl at the Moon, and our hotel room, which had an awesome window seat hat was big enough for us both to lay in and look over the city.

Last week was busy with getting ready for Halloween, a costume party and Lauryn's birthday.  On Friday, Lucas and I went to Lauryns school and watched the costume parade.  It was a lot of fun and we loved seeing all of the different costumes.  Later that afternoon we had friends and family over for trick or treating and a get together/anniversary party.  It was a fantastic night!  Yummy food, tasty drinks and lots of laughs with great people.  Saturday night, we went to the costume party at Candlestone with our friends, Cheryl and Alan.  We were dressed as Flo from Progressive and Mayhem from Allstate and they were Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter.  It was another super fun night!  Those two are a blast to hang out with and there's never a dull moment! ;)  Sunday was Lauryn's 6th birthday.  We decided to keep it low-key this year and have dinner, presents, cake and ice cream with our moms and this coming Saturday the four of us are going to have lunch and play games at Chuck E. Cheese's.  Lauryn requested spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, strawberry cake with strawberry frosting and Neapolitan ice cream.  She got a lot of nice presents and it was a very special day for her.

I think sums up our last couple of weekends pretty well.  I'll add a couple of posts soon with the recipes for the seven layer dip, crock pot hot cocoa, and the caramel apple sangria we had on Halloween night.  They all were a hit! :)  I've been having trouble getting my pictures downloaded too so I'll post them once I get the kinks worked out. :)

Weekend In Review

To share your weekend, please visit Jodi at:

Friday ~ Happy Birthday, Lucas Elijah!  Today my baby boy is 2 years old!  We started the day with Lucas opening his presents.  After Lloyd went to work, we got ready and then met Cary and Abri at Silk City Saloon for lunch.  We all came back here and had such a nice visit.  There's something so special about hearing Lauryn and Abri giggling together, like Cary and I have done for years!  After our visit, the kids and I went to Greenville to get everything we needed for Lucas's party on Saturday.  The rest of the night was spent cleaning and preparing food.

[caption id="attachment_4919" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Opening Present[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4920" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Future ball player :)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4921" align="aligncenter" width="300"] When they're big, you gotta climb on them to get them open![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4922" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Checking it out.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4923" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Slam dunk![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4924" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Birthday Ice Cream at Silk City Saloon[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4925" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Hugs from Cary[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4926" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Abri, Cary, Lucas (who wanted more hugs) and Lauryn.[/caption]

Saturday ~ We spent the morning and early afternoon getting the yard and house ready for the party.  We had such a great time!  Our friend, Jessica, brought her bounce house and the kids loved jumping around in between games and food. :)  Our family and friends made Lucas's birthday so special and so much fun!  We are so thankful to have such awesome people in our lives!

[caption id="attachment_4927" align="aligncenter" width="224"] All dressed up for her brothers party.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4928" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Bounce house fun![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4929" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Daddy eating with the birthday boy.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4930" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Pin the Tail on the Donkey[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4931" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Balloon Pop[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4932" align="aligncenter" width="300"] "Tuptakes!"[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4933" align="aligncenter" width="300"] "More please, Mama!"[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4934" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Getting some help opening presents.[/caption]

Sunday ~ We had a completely lazy day!  Lloyd showed a house, the kids and I ran a couple of errands, and the rest of the day was spent hanging out and playing.  After dinner, Lauryn was eating an ice cream cone when her first tooth finally fell out!  She was so excited she kept doing little happy dances around the house (she is SO my child!).  After the kids went to bed, Lloyd and I watched a couple of episodes of "Orange is the New Black."  It was a fantastic weekend, spent with amazing people! 

It finally fell out!

(Monday morning)

The Tooth Fairy was here!

Love The Play Dates!

Seems like we've had a lot of play dates lately and I love it!  Not only do the kids get to run around, burn off some energy and play with their friends, but I get time to visit too!  Last Friday, we met up with Kristin, Ross, Jesse and Willow for a play date at Burger King.  That's always fun because the kids get to play in the play place, no one has to cook and the food is cheap enough.  We haven't been able to get together with them for quite some time so it was really nice to catch up.  Yesterday, we had a little impromptu park play date with Cheryl, Jessica and the kids.  It was so nice out!  The kids loved being able to run around outside, soak up a little sun and breathe that fresh air.  I spent most of that play date chasing Lucas.  :)  He wants to do all the things the bigger kids are doing but it's quite ready for all of that yet.  Today we had our friends, Cyndi and Ashten, over for a lunch play date.  We had mini pizzas and veggies and dip for lunch.  The boys took a little while to warm up to each other but once they did, they played together nicely.  It was nice for Lucas to have a play date all his own.  He tries to keep up with Lauryn and her buddies, and they try to include him, but sometimes he ends up hanging out with me and the moms or playing on his own.  Lucas and Ashten are only about four months apart and I think they both enjoyed having someone their own age to play with.  We have one more get play date this week, too!  We're all making new friends, and getting together with old friends, and I think it's great for all of us.  :)

 

Weekend In Review

To share your weekend, please visit Jodi at:

Friday ~ Another snow day for Lauryn so we stayed home, played games and I made a fun little lunch complete with carrot flowers and pb and j's in the shape stars.  We use my fancy dishes to eat, just to make it a little more special.  The kids got to play with their new kitchenette I put together the night before and they were making me tons of "meals."  Lloyd came home a little bit early, because I was hearing how terrible the roads were and I was getting nervous about his drive.    We had leftover chili and rice for dinner and I made honey corn bread to go with it. 

[caption id="attachment_4772" align="aligncenter" width="300"] All the pieces.[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_4773" align="aligncenter" width="300"] After about 6 hours...[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_4774" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Making meals for Mama[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_4775" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Lunch[/caption]

 

 

 

 Saturday ~ I did some laundry and a little cleaning while Lloyd did some work outside.  My mom came over in the evening so we could go out on our date night.  We started with a quick trip to Meijer, then went to Applebee's for a drink, then off to my friend Kathy's house for her princess birthday party.  We had such great time!  Lots of silly conversations and lots of great food.  

[caption id="attachment_4776" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Happy Birthday, Princess Kathryn! :)[/caption]

 Sunday ~ I didn't get much sleep because Lucas got up super early.  Shortly after Lloyd got up, I went back down for a nap.  Later, Lauryn and I ran a few errands, to pick up a few groceries and new winter coats for the kids.  Lloyd got the hardware up for our new curtains in the dining room and we put them up just before dinner.  We had crescent chicken with side salads for dinner.  Lauryn made the salads and she did a great job!  We spent the rest of the evening out together and watching a few "Sunday shows."

Happy Birthday, Lauryn Elaine!

Today is my sweet girls 5th birthday!  It blows my mind that it's been five whole years since she came into our world.  I remember every single detail about the day she was born, like it was yesterday.  I'm sure I won't get all the pictures downloaded tonight, so I'll do another post tomorrow.  I think it's safe to say Lauryn had a fantastic day!  She was surrounded by her favorite people, we had one of her favorite meals, she was spoiled by everyone, and she LOVED her special surprise from me and Lloyd, a face painter.  :)  Both kids went to bed without so much as a peep!  That's rare!  It makes me so happy to know she had such a great time on her special day!

Halloween

We had such a great day!  It started out with getting some things done around the house.  I got me and the kids ready and we made a few early rounds to friends' houses.  We got back home and Lloyd and Michelle and the boys were already here.  I had ordered pizza and made Caesar salad to have before we left for Trick -or- Treating.  Ed came a little while later and he, Lloyd and Lucas stayed here to pass out candy while Michelle and I took the kids around the neighborhood.  Even though it was misting out, we had a lot of fun!

 

[caption id="attachment_4471" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Cinderella Lauryn[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4472" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Zombie Lucas[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4474" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Lauryn, Me and Lucas[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4475" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Michael, Evan and Lauryn[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_4476" align="aligncenter" width="224"] The Hulk, Bill Clinton and Lucas[/caption]

 

 

Happy Little Things

Today was such a good day.  Nothing spectacular happened, it was just one of those days where a lot of cool little things happened and it makes the day great.  To start, I got some cleaning done, which isn't really part of the "great day" but anytime I get something done around here these days, it feels like an accomplishment. :P  Then I got some of the Halloween decorations out and Lauryn was thrilled when I let her put some in her room too.  Her costume was delivered today and she was so excited to see it and try it on.  It's a little long but I can take care of that pretty easily.  I love seeing her get so excited!  Kathy came over for a visit this afternoon and it's always a good time when we're together!  I did her make-up and hair and then Lauryn wanted make-up on too.  I've never really done anyone else's make-up before and I think it turned out nice.  While we were visiting, I was surprised when Kathy mentioned seeing the FedEx truck in the driveway, which meant my new vacuum, the one I've been wanting for quite some time now, was here.  It wasn't supposed to be here until at least tomorrow so that made me happy.  After Kathy left and we had dinner, I couldn't wait to try it out and I am very pleased with how well it works.  I vacuumed the whole house! :)  The rest of the evening has been spent getting the kids to bed and relaxing and talking with Lloyd.  Like I said, nothing spectacular, but still a really good day! :)

Weekend In Review

To share your weekend, please visit Jodi at:

Friday ~ Lloyd took the day off and helped with the kids while I canned more salsa.  It was great having him home an extra day :)  The kids loved it!  In the evening, Lauryn and I met up with Kristin, Ross, Jesse, Nikki and Willow, to watch the Twilight parade.  We had lots of snacks and Nikki brought glow necklaces, bracelets, wands and swords.  We got there early so we had fun with the kids, took pictures, and talked about looking for a raleigh house cleaning service.  It's fun to see everyone and everything all lit up through the parade.    Saturday ~ Lloyd made breakfast and then we got ready and headed down to the fair.  Lauryn was so excited and wanted to ride everything!  She and I went on the Ferris wheel, the Gravitron, the Tilt-A-Whirl, the swings, and the Scrambler.  She rode all of the kiddie rides and she, Lucas and I rode the carousel together.  We played a few games, bought some lemonade and before we left, we walked over to the arts and crafts at the park and Lauryn got her face painted.  Shortly after we got home, my Mom came over and she and I went to pick up my brother Jayson.  We had an easy dinner of ham and cheese sandwiches, chips and pickles and we visited for the rest of the evening.    Sunday ~ I made breakfast and we hung out around the house most of the day.  Lauryn and Lucas kept their Uncle Jay busy all day :)  In the evening, Mom came back over and we grilled burgers, hot dogs and brats.  After dinner, we went downtown and watched the fireworks.  Lucas did not have a good time :(  He was too tired and was upset through the whole show.  After we got the kids in bed, we sat out on the deck and visited for a few hours.    Monday ~ I had put breakfast in the crock pot the night before so it was ready when we got up.  I made some biscuits and we all ate before heading down to the parade.  Lauryn loved it and got tons of candy.  Lucas had a much better time and was clapping, waving and dancing to the music.  Aunt Dereka and Uncle Russell visited after we got back and then I took Jayson home.  When I got back, we had leftovers for dinner and relaxed in the evening.  It was a long, fun weekend :) 

It's Going To Be A Good Day

In a little bit the kids and I are going for a walk.  It's a nice cool morning and I'm glad we're getting back into the swing of things.  After not going for about three weeks, because a sweltering heat and then letting my tattoo heal, I'm getting my motivation back.  After we get back, it's off to the store to pick up a few things and when we get back home, there's lots of cleaning to be done.  Kathy is coming over to spend the day with us and I'm so excited!  I miss our visits and girl time!  I hope I can get everything done before she gets here, but if I don't, I know she won't mind.  :)  I'm making breakfast for dinner tonight.  Pancakes, fried potatoes, scrambled eggs and smoky links.  Yum!  Time to get this show on the road!

It's Going To Be A Fun Day

I am so looking forward to this afternoon!  My friend Kathy is coming to spend the day with me and the kids :)  Lloyd has a late night tonight because he's teaching a class and won't be home until around 11 pm.  Her husband works second shift and doesn't get home until around midnight, so it's the perfect time to get together and hang out.  I'm going to make lasagna rolls, salad and garlic toast for dinner.  I enjoy our visits so much!  We always have a lot to talk about and we laugh a ton!  She's a great friend!  She always humors Lauryn with her silly games and stories and once the kids are in bed, we get to hang out and have a couple of hours where we don't have to censor ourselves :)  Then our conversations get really fun!  :)   I can't wait for her to get here!

Play Date

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow afternoon.  We're having a play date with Kristin and her boys, Michelle and her boys, and possibly Nikki and Willow.  We're meeting up at Burger King for lunch and so the kids can play in the play area.  It's great because the kids will eat and play and us moms can watch them and visit.  Lauryn always gets a great nights sleep after a play date because she goes non-stop the whole time we're there, which really isn't different from when she's home, there's just more kids to run around with.  :)

We're Getting There

Last weekend my best friend and her sister came over to help me paint Lucas's room.  It turned out great!  Today, she came over again and helped me bring up the crib from the basement and get it put together.  Although I still have to wash all of the new bedding, we still made the bed to see what it was going to look like and it's adorable!  I can't wait to get the rest of the room put together and see the finished product!  Every thing we get done just makes me feel like we're that much closer to meeting our sweet little boy.  While getting everything prepared, I realized I really need to spend more time with my best friend and her sister!  We laughed our butts off while we were painting, talking about everything under the sun.  From the controversial Time magazine cover and our crazy kids to car title loans Massachusetts.  Those girls are fun and our kids have a great time playing together too.  I see more   get togethers in our near future!

Weekend In Review

 

To participate in this wonderful weekend meme, please visit Jodi at:


Friday ~ Very busy day!  After Lauryn and I got ready, we headed to the hardware store to get a key made for the camper, then to the grocery store to pick up a few things for camping.  On our way home, we stopped at B.C. Pizza and had the buffet for lunch.  When we got back, I had laundry to catch up on, a little light cleaning to do and then I had to finish packing the camper.  When Lloyd got home, we hooked the camper to the truck and headed out to Double R Ranch.  We pulled into our site and got everything unpacked and set up.  It was late when we finished so Lauryn and I had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips and pickles and later, Lloyd cooked a couple of hot dogs over the fire.  There was only one camper next to us and it turned out we knew of each other!  Lauryn had a difficult time getting to sleep, as she's only ever slept in her bed at home, but once she was down, Lloyd and I relaxed by the fire.

Saturday ~ We all slept in and it was great!  I made pancakes, fried potatoes with onions and bacon for breakfast.  After we cleaned up, we headed to the pool.  Lauryn hadn't been in a pool, other than her kiddie pool, and she wasn't too sure about it at first.  It took a few minutes but then she got used to it.  When we were done, my mom came out and had dinner with us.  We visited with the neighbors, my mom knew one of them from work.  For dinner, we had burgers, baked potatoes, macaroni and egg salad and grilling beans.  We sat around the fire for a little while and then mom headed home.  Lauryn went to bed much easier and Lloyd and I sat around the neighbors campfire and talked with them for hours.  It was fun!

Sunday ~ I woke up hearing the thud of Lauryn falling out of her bed.  Luckily, it's close the the floor so she didn't get hurt or upset.  We had breakfast, cleaned up and headed to the pool again.  Lauryn enjoyed it a lot more this time and even got a little braver.  When we got back, we packed up the camper and headed home.  It didn't take long to unpack, mostly just food and dirty clothes, because I had bought a lot of things that will stay in the camper.  Lauryn and I took long naps in the afternoon while Lloyd mowed the lawn.  We had an easy dinner of ham sandwiches, leftover macaroni salad, beans and chips.  We relaxed the rest of the evening, camping really takes it out of you :)