Benn a ahile since I have held my head up high, it's been while since...e

Okay So really no quotes here it has been awhile. There has been a lot of recent developments. I am now staying at home full-time with Jenna and Jackson ( who is off to pr-k in the fall) and I added 2 more kids M-F, Brooke who is 3 and Shayla who will be nine tomorrow! Justin is majorly stressed about work and unfortunately it has affected us. I HATE the word hate but I have had strong hate towards him, he is so angry and sarcastic and scared. I understand his stress level, for crying out loud I know our finances, I pay the bills, I take care of the household and extra expenses.
He gets angry because he has no time! And when he does there are things he has to do, like the brakes, change the oil, cut the grass, and he expects me to cart the 2 children wherever in whatever weather at whatever time to watch him before these tasks, when I could be cleaning, or making lunch. However we will push pat that we will be ok! With faith and love and forgiveness, mine mostly.....

Appreciation

So lately things have been insanely busy, but good busy. I have MOPS and I started a new p/t job ( well I technically got hired and have not yet worked a day...) Andee, Michelle O. and the kids and I visited the Science and Industry Museum, and we had a "family" picnic ( well it was a church reunion!) I have had so much fun lately, that sometimes I forget how hard we ( in particular) my husband works and sacrifices so that a few months a year we can really enjoy ourselves. He works ridiculous hours and we do NOTHING from fall to Spring, so that we can go camping, baseball games, and enjoy lazy days. I love him so much and sometimes I am selfish and do not show my appreciation. I am so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so BLESSED!

My day as an almost hero...

So yesterday began as any ordinary day, chaos. I was running late, I got turned around, things weren't cooperating. So I was meeting up with Andee to find something special for my almost brother-law, Bruce, for his birthday. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Joliet, on the west side of Larking there used to be a Christian book store( who knows how long ago they closed, but they did), so I was turning around to go east on Jefferson to the Family Christian Book Store, when I did a man started waving at me. If you are unfamiliar with this part of town it's a tad shady. I did not respond the first time but he kept waving at me and saying I accessed he was far enough away from the car it was safe to unroll the window so I could hear him. He says " There is a woman on the ground around the corner..." and by this statement he walks away. I look to where he has pointed and I am unsure as to "pile on the ground" if it is actually a person. I pull my van to the side of the road, and identify that it is a person who is laying crumbled in a pile in the middle of the day off a busy street. I dial 911, and roll up my windows and lock my doors ( as Jenna and Jackson are inside(and who knows what is about to unfold)) I shove my keys down the front of my pants, hey no one was going to steal my van with my 2 children inside it without a fight. I approach the person that I can clearly identify as a woman. I am talking to the 911 dispatcher who I think was amazed that I knew what I was doing (kind of you, I mean you train for these things but you hardly think that you may have to use them, in the back of my head I was locating my respirator which I carry to help preform safe CPR). I do locate a pulse and the woman starts talking saying thank you sister. At this point I tell the dispatcher that I believe the woman is intoxicated, that's right I could small it from ten city blocks away as soon as she open her mouthed. I asked her name, and asked if she knew where she was. She correctly stated both. Here is the kicker, she then tells me she is an officer! That's right ladies and gentleman and officer. I won't blog this ladies name, but I will always remember it. When the ambulance arrives, they say "Julie( that's what I'll call her) you missed court this morning", I was in shock and stumbled off something about my 2 kids in my car and asked politely was there anything else they needed the EMT ( I assume ) shook his head no. I was back in my van and off to the book store.
I have to ask would you have been the man who passed the lady on as someone else's problem or would you have been the person whose only thoughts we to her children and this women? Sorry to be so quizzical but I can hardly believe this man who walked away from someone who he saw unconscious on the side of the road!

Missing some things...

So I have been busy the last couple weeks, ok super busy and really since I no longer work full-time, I am still super busy, just with other things. But I realized I have totally neglected some things, my yoga time and church. Neither intentionally but...I have not done my yoga in a week! My back totally feels a difference...and so does my spirit so this mornings blog will be short but sweet. No matter how busy we get we need to remeber to do the things that make us feel good! So I am off to livingroom yoga and some time reading my devotional.

Your kids are so cute, if I had a gun I'd kidnap them!

So explanation, I was at a grocery store in IN getting some last minute stuff, and this lady comes up to me in the parking lot commenting on how cute Jackson was, and then she sees Jenna and gushes on how gorgeous she is. I love when people compliment my children and all, however she follows her gush by saying "Your kids are so cute, if I had a gun I'd kidnap them", and I actually think she said a gun with her, which is even scarier. People really need to think before they speak.
Did she not think "wow that lady is going to think I am a nut bag!"?
I think that often times as a culture ( I am now referring to those of us who blog and update our status on Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace), that we often don't think of the way our "status" or words affect they way people look at us. I shared an in depth conversation with Andee ( one of my closest friends and steerting team members for our MOPS chapter), about another mother( I know gosip is bad, we were giving in to temptation) . We were however concerned that this mommies's words could affect the way people look at us.
I never want any of my friends or family to ever worry about this so I m adding to my "Chore Chart"
6. To edit myself( ok this may be hard for me becuase I like to share when I am upset) to make sure when I read my words that not only do the words represent me well, but also words that would make those who are my friends and family proud of me.


To the lady at the Strak and VonTill gorcery store please think about what you say before you say it, would your family want to brag that you are their sister, mother, cousin, wife, ect, with words like "Your kids are so cute, if I had a gun with me I'd kidnap them."

And the Winner for Catchy Blog Title is ....

Alright I won't ruin the surprise I will tell you further down. Plus you must know wonder why you were not invited to participate in the contest and who came up with the title "Your kids are so cute, if I had a gun I'd kidnap them!"(Alright, that is the winner explanation still necessary...)
My family and some friends went camping this weekend ( me and the children were gone Wednesday until today, hence the missing days on my bog) . My husband is a great guy very outdoorsy and manly and I LOVE him, but he and I don't get each other. The fact is I like reality TV shows, I love to blog, read others blogs, run social events or organize functions. He hates reality TV ( unless it has to do with knives, guns, trucks, or blowing things up( I do realize while typing this he sounds like a redneck fool(he isn't)), I don't think he really even knows what a blog is, and he is not anti social but he will not go out of his way to say hi to anyone. Anyways( I am sure by this point you may indeed think I may be including to much back story). He jokingly made reference to the fact that I may have had a blogging withdrawal. It may have been in fact true, but I am too tired to argue and really I just needed to put down concretely the next title to my next official blog, the one I will type when I don't have 5 days of laundry waiting for me, have taken a shower, finished unpacking the van and truck. Now I know you must still want an explanation for the title that will come soon.....

The beginning and end of chaos....

So yesterday my baby girl had her very first birthday party! The party throwing, planning and executing were all every time consuming and stressing. However, this is now over and an new adventure awaits us! That's right because we are having another celebration on her physical birthday tomorrow, it's not to much just a couple friends and their kids. But I have an interview first thing in the morning and then after the celebration I need to head back home and pack up clothes for a romantic evening with my husband, to which he is oblivious to ( it is our 8 year wedding anniversary and last year well you can imagine how we spent our day and the year before I was the Matron of Honor in a wedding in Minnesota( so I was getting my hair done, attending to my bride's every need, sitting at her head table and stressing about the fact that I had spent 3 days away from my little boy who I had never left longer than 12 hours!)). So I am surprising him with a night alone in a hotel with a spa and pool....
However, the next morning I have a MOPS meeting at 9:30 when I am done, (which I am responsible for the craft and food!) I will rush back home if I have forgotten something ( I am sure I will have) before I leave for Indiana to spend Wednesday night with my best friend and get up the next morning to go reserve 3 sites for camping for the next 4 days!
So as you can imagine today was just the beginning....