Seems that so far my resolutions are going well.
I have switched to Truvia instead of sugar for my hot tea.
I have not had a drop of soda since before new years.
I figure if I spent $.86 a day on a big gulp that was roughly $6 a week, $24 a month, $310 a year... yay me.
I have not had fast food since the New Year either.
I have not seen a drastic change in my weight, but I have noticed I am sleeping better and I have more energy throughout the day.
This may not seem very significant, but I think over the long term, I will see some positive differences.

We are trying to night wean Julianna.. who by nature is a very determined and LOUD little girl when she is both un happy and happy.
Chris has taken to dealing with her through the night in the guest room, so that she doesn't wake Owen, since they share a room, and me since no matter what effort I take, she roots for the boob like nuts when I try to rock her back to sleep if she wakes up.
Last night she only woke twice. She is eating more table food throughout the day, and napping a bit better too.

Owen now sleeps in hig big boy bed, no more crib, and the binky is gone for good...
We finally got the Yo Gabba Gabba bedding we ordered on like Dec 17..took FOR EVER to get here, but he loves it.
Today at preschool, he didn't cry, ate all his lunch, napped AND took his nap without a pullup and stayed DRY.. these are all huge...making good time...on this trip, yes we are.

Donovan can kind of get in a funk when he gets back from visiting Dirk( his OGD, or Dad) and it seems he has finally come around from his Christmas trip out there.
We went to Cub Scouts last night, and they played this game. "Harbor Master"..the boys all spread out around the room, then the leader blindfolded one scout outside of the room, then brought him back in to be directed by the chosen Harbor Master...go straight, go left 2 steps, right one inch.. so they don't bump into anything and make it safely across the Harbor/back of the room.
Quite fun to watch and to hear how a young boy gives directions.
He had a really good night, then we headed over to Misty's house, one of my mommy friends, and took off her hands a computer desk she no longer needed so Donovan could have on in his room for doing homework. He was amazingly thankful and gracious.
Again, making good time.
Chris and I have been on the same page, (so to speak) for the longest time, and boy can I tell you how good that feels? We don't often quarrel or argue..but when we get along for long periods of time, like the same wave length kind of thinking,gotta love that!!!
So, on all fronts right now, in Casa de Mallow, all is well, and on the trip of life, we are indeed making good time.

This is my 3rd post in a week....if I can continue this trend, woot woot for me!!
Anyway, today is Dec 31 2009..at midnight, a new year and a new decade will begin.
I am really ready for the 00's to be over.
While there has been a lot of wonderful happenings, it has been a rough 10 years.
I have made a few resolutions...to lose weight..a big part of that is giving up all fast food, and soda.. I used to have a Dr.Pepper big gulp every day.. can't imagine the calories that packed on.
I want to get back to about 135...won't really set a time frame for it, but walking more, exercising and just being more active will make a huge difference.
I already said how I want to blog more, and I am going to read the bible everyday.
My in laws gave me an awesome bible.
Might make it easier for me to reconnect with my faith.
I am also going to try to floss everyday..I know, I know, that's a silly one. but I watched this movie once, Prelude to a Kiss.. with Meg Ryan ( excellent ) and Alec Baldwin, ( sub par) but this old man in it said if he had anything to do over, he would floss more.. kind of stuck with me.
So that's what I am doing to bring in the 20-teens...what are you doing?

Chris can use my insurance money to get one of these "fembots"

Though it doesn't say if she is really 'fully' functional, if you know what I mean. Perhaps in the not so distant future, they will make a funny blonde haired blue eyed one who will roll her eyes at all of my husbands corny jokes.. oh Baby, you know I love you Chris!! There is no substitute for the real deal, right?

I think about the blog a lot..about coming here to tell you what is going on..but then I face book.. and forget..
So here we are again, with an update..But I am making a goal for myself to post a minimum of 3 times a week..even if it's just a picture..
anyway.. so what's been up, hmm
we just got through Christmas..
I made presents for 3 of my 5 kids..I was not sure what if anything to make for my step kids, so I made them each a personalized tile...they seemed to like them.
They are moving to California with their mom in a few days.. we will only see them in the summer and once or twice over the year..I don't think I should talk much more about this. I love those kids, but think that they really got messed up..ok, shutting up now.
I made an OU "Snuggie" for Donovan. It was my plan to make it OU/Broncos/Bears, but just went with the OU.. he loves it. it's perfect for when he is playing XBOX.
For Owen, I hand crafted a Super Hero Cape featuring his favorite show Yo Gabba Gabba and his favorite character from..Brobee..This is who he was for Halloween, too.
He loves to carry it around. I think he likes to see the friends, rather than wear them, but the look on his face and his reaction. "it my favorite" was worth it.
It was Julianna's 1st Christmas. she caught on the the ripping of paper very quick, not so much the joy of what was inside, but, she was adorable.
She is crawling all over, but not ready for standing just yet.
I noticed just before Christmas that she is about the cut her 2 front teeth, but while we were at my in laws, I noticed that she is cutting all 4 of her top front teeth...this would explain he mood the past week, and lack of appetite.
Once they come in or break through, it will be much nicer for all of us.
I made her some Rag Quilt letters, thanks Jenny, www.eagerlittlemind.com and Jessica www.ohsohappytogether.blogspot.com/2009/07/rag-quilt-letters-tutorial.html
She isn't that into them yet, other than throwing them about, but she will, I can tell she likes them.
I made Chris a gift too...a book about the 10 things I love about him. He said, and I quote " the single most thoughtful gift he has ever received"..that's all I have to say about that.
I am posting a few shots. I did manage to take some pictures.. enjoy. I hope fingers crossed to be back 2ce this week.

with a little curl..
right in the middle of her forehead.
And when she was good, she was very good,
and when she was bad...
she was horrid..




I would never say Julianna is horrid, but she is showing signs of having the temperament associated with redheads.
Loving that she is getting curls tho.

Bet you thought I died or something, huh?
Nope, just been busy...I still facebook, and tweet..
but I have a lot going on these days.
Donovan is in football,
Owen is talking like crazy and copying EVERYONE.. and every thing..
Julianna is a mere days from crawling, she rolls all over the house, and can scoot backwards, so as soon as she figures it out, I will not be sitting around much longer.
She also is sporting her first tooth:


I took up knitting, and have been engrossed in the Twilight series.
Chris is doing some side work as a football referee and the temperatures here just took on a chilly attitude.
I vow from time to time to post more here, but it's been crazy.
I hope someday to get back to posting on a more regular and frequent basis.
My first goal is to talk about the costumes I am fabricating for Halloween.
I will give you a hint..
"Can we dance?
Break it down"...

Hope whoever is reading this is still doing super and enjoying the fall that is here already.

My father in law said that.. life is long.
Isn't it funny to think about a year ago, or 5 or 10?
Where you were, how you looked at life, how you tolerated society, how you made choices.
And here you are now, looking back.
Was it really so bad? Was it good?
I sit here today and think about where I was 5 years ago.
I had been divorced for a while and was sort of settling into the single mom groove. I was involved in the online dating scene and man oh man, I was ready to give up on men totally. Then I met Chris, he was my last chance, my final straw...if it didn't work with him, I was swearing off men.
And look at me now, married to him, 2 more kids, and I am so happy.
I wasn't unhappy then, but I had no idea how happy I could be. Or how happy I would be.
If I could change certain things, oh heck yeah, I would, lots of them. But why would I? What would that accomplish aside from changing where I am today, and thus changing where I will be next year and 5 years from now. You get the point.
I try very hard to accept things the way the are. For the way they played out and never look back with regret.
Everything happens for a reason. It happens to bring us to where we are today.

Things are rough right now for me with Katie, my stepdaughter.
She is a 14 year old girl, which in and of itself is a sucky time...I have been there.
But she has also spent the last 5 years of her life watching her parents split, then divorce, then one of them remarry, have 2 more children, and then move away.
She fought very hard for some time to bring them back together, to keep things "the way they were"
Then she got mad, she refused to accept the change, and now well, who knows what she really feels.
I am glad that life is long, when I first met her, she was friendly, and sweet.. no, she isn't snotty and sour, not all the time,
BUT she is very opinionated. She is always right, and she doesn't like me one lick.
Maybe in a year, or 2, or maybe when she is older, married, or even has children of her own, things will be different and I will look back on this time, and wonder...was it really so bad? or was it good?

Hmmmmm...

I feel like I never have enough of it.
I mostly come here to my blog to update...
I do honestly have many ideas of other real topics which I would love to blog about, but I am often doing other things, like spending time with my kids, dishes, laundry, or sleeping...ahhhh sleep...
anyway...
The last time I posted, it was during Spring, which felt like Summer, boy howdy..
now it's Summer and it feels like Hell...literally, it's like Brimstone and Fire outside...
this week we are reaching temperatures over 100 every day.
I posted on my facebook page just yesterday that I am thankful for many things, but mostly that we have a/c on these hot hot days.
I find it difficult to get motivated to go out anywhere.. but go out I must.
The groceries won't deliver themselves, and the library books won't take a taxi to get them selves turned in on time.. are there even taxi's in Oklahoma??
Well, let's see, what have we done...?
I drove to Hays to meet my sister so she and Donovan could go to California for the Sea World trip and their cruise around Mexico. They had an awesome time, from seeing Shamu to witnessing the naturally occurring blowhole at La Bufadora. He ate ice cream and played mini golf pretty much the 'hole' time, (get it? haha)
Then he spent a few days in Colorado with my Mom and Dad. They made home made Ice Cream, and even made a real volcano complete with Dinosaurs.
On the way out, we blew the hose to the a/c in the van, and on the way back I sat on the side of the highway just past the border of Oklahoma with a blown tire while Chris brought our 2 small children out to rescue me at 2 in the a.m.
Car trouble SUCKS.
While Donovan was gone, we took the LO's ( little ones) to The Little River Zoo. It's not your typical zoo. They have capuchin monkeys, ring tailed leumrs, red pandas and cotton topped tamarins, just to name a few of the unique animals that live there. They are all rescued animals, so you get a tour and an up close look at all of them. It was fascinating.
Owen loved to zoo, even though it was unbelievable hot. The funniest part was when he wanted to get in the cage with all the animals. Not that he was really all that interested in them, he was mostly fascinated by the bugs. That kids LOVES the bugs. Now if I can just get him to stop smashing them. Baby steps.
We have gone to my in laws house in Tulsa to swim, boy that pool is nice ..someday maybe Chris and I can have one for our kids and grand kids to enjoy.
This coming weekend, we are gone again to Dallas for my annual family reunion for my mom's family. Lots of new babies, my Julianna, and my cousin Andrea had triplets in Dec, plus the 2 babies that were born last summer and Owen the year before that. It's like our own little baby boom.
Then we are home again but going to Tulsa for the 4th of July to celebrate it with my in laws.. after that, I think we can relax.,., oh wait!!! Connor and Katie come out the 9th, and Connor will stay till the middle of August, and Katie will spend a week with us, she has her own stuff going on this summer, so we can visit with her for about a week.
Donovan went to Illinois last Sat. to spend the summertime with his dad. Boy, I miss that kid, but he sounds like he is having a great time. He comes back at the end of July.
School starts out here the week of Aug 12, so it's a short summer.
I will try to post some pictures here before too long, I first need to get them off of my camera.
But in the mean time, duty calls and the groceries need to be picked up..
enjoy the summer and if you're where it is hot, do everything you can to stay cool...

So Memorial Day has come and gone. I hope everyone took a moment to remember our fallen soldiers and all they have done for us as Americans.
It was a nice weekend, not too hot, not cold and aside from that LOUD storm that we had last night, is was perfect.
Usually we do something, as do many Americans, but yesterday, we just took the day off. Saturday we went to Wiley Post Park in OKC and let the boys run around. It was hot, but not unbearable.



Sunday we spent time trying to manage our yard. We finally put sand in the sandbox that has been holding standing water in our backyard, and that is Owen's new place to be.. I bet if we let him, he would play out there all day.




Chris trimmed back the hedges in our front yard.. which are holly bushes, yes holly bushes,, the prickly pokey kind, complete with berries, DO NOT REACH INSIDE FOR YOUR BALL...it WILL draw blood. Who puts holly bushes in their yard?
We also welcomed some gorgeous tiger lilies in the front. One has bloomed every day since Friday. I got pictures!!



We rent our house, so we just manage the lawn which is just clover and weeds, and not grass...we have considered buying this house, but until we know if we will or not, no sense in investing money into the yard unless it will be our yard for keeps.
So in the meantime, we just mow down the weeds so it doesn't look like we live in the rainforest.


I am hosting a playdate this week for my mommies group, so I thought it might be nice to have some outside activities...we have the climber Owen got for his 2nd birthday, the sandbox, the water squirting contraption and the wading pool that Owen got from Great Grandma Owens for his birthday. As well as sidewalk chalk and riding toys...you think that will be enough?
Those and all the toys we have that over run our house, I hope that there will be plenty for the 7 or so kids that will be here that day.


I have been to Oklahoma in the summer before, this will be of course my first experience living here. I know it's hot, I know it's humid, and I am ready.
My in laws have a pool and I have no issue using it. Maybe I don't have the hotbod I want, No; I am not back to my pre Julianna body yet, but hey I wasn't back to my pre Owen body before I got pregnant with her. My goal for 'someday' is to be back to my post Donovan body, not my pre Donovan body, I was still very skinny then. I don't think I would ever like to be that thin again. Regardless, it won't keep me out of the pool.
I would be fine hosing my self down with the garden hose too, at least at this house we have a fenced yard.
In 2 weeks, my sister is taking Donovan on a three day cruise, then he will finish out a week long visit with my parents. I used to love spending time with my grandparents. My sister and I used to spend time with my mom's youngest sister and my cousins, that was always fun too. I hope Donovan has a good time.
In a few short weeks he will go to spend 5 weeks with his dad and we should be getting Connor and maybe Katie for some time over the summer. That whole situation is as always difficult and trying but we have done what we can, and have not given up. Connor turns 10 on Monday and Katie turned 14 in the beginning of the month. As time has gone on, I am missing both of those kids more and more. I feel like I will have to really get to know them all over again when they are here for the summer. We saw them in March and already they had changed so much...heavy sigh.
Moving right along...
Julianna is days away from rolling over, she has the shoulders down, but her hips are holding her back some.




Owen is really talking..I told Chris months ago when he just said a few words, that once he felt confident in his speech, it would explode, and boy howdy...he has a vocabulary of about 200 words already. It grows a lot every day, as he repeats EVERYTHING he hears.. I am not kidding, if someone sneezes, he copies it, if you knock on the door, he shouts HELLO?
He is singing the theme song to Yo Gabba Gabba, our favorite show.. I am so very proud of him.


Donovan is officially a 4th grader now...man the time goes so fast.I feel as if I can remember every detail of his life, but yet here he is 9 years old and sometimes I feel like I don't even know him...my whiz kid, burnout paradise driving, guitar hero rocking young man....wink wink



Summer is going to be a blast.

Heidi

Baby Faith went to Heaven today. She lived 93 days. I fell in love with her the same way I fell in love with my own daughter. She was born with chubby pink cheeks and she was diagnosed and born with Anencephaly.


She lived and thrived for 3 months of her life and she had a place in the hearts of many.
You can find her story at the top of my page, or just click here.

I don't have many followers of my blog, so it might be hard trying to get awareness out of the need for women of childbearing age to include Folic acid in their diets to help reduce the number of children who are diagnosed and are born with Anencephaly.
If you do happen to read my blog regularly, or you have just stumbled across it,please click here to read more abut Folic acid awareness.

And please pray for Baby Faith Hope, her Mama Myah and their family. Lift them up in your arms, God and give them strength.