Friday, October 31, 2008

awhhh... thanks Susan!


Thank you Susan! :)
from Life is Sweet in Kerrville
The way this works is I answer the following questions with single word responses, and pass the award on to 5 other bloggers:

1. Where is your cell phone? Charging
2. Where is your significant other? Hunting
3. Your hair color? Blonde-ish
4. Your mother? Nancy
5. Your father? Bruce
6. Your favorite thing? Kids
7. Your dream last night? None
8. Your dream/goal? Lakehouse.
9. The room you're in? Office
10. Your hobby? Writing
11. Your fear? loss
12. Where do you want to be in six years? Houston
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. What you're not? lonely
15. One of your wish list items? Skinny
16. Where you grew up? allover
17. The last thing you did? rocked
18. What are you wearing? Jammies
19. Your T.V.? Noise
20. Your pet? loved
21. Your computer? mac
22. Your mood? content
23. Missing someone? Yes
24. Your car? charcoal
25. Something you're not wearing? socks
26. Favorite store? target
27. Your Summer? lightening
28. Love someone? Yes
29. Your favorite color? yellow
30. When is the last time you laughed? Today
31. Last time you cried? yesterday


Here are five blogs I love!

The Ingram Gang
Josh and Kati
Toadally Talking
The Davenport House
Melell Photography

I hope you get a chance to look at those blogs. they are great reads. :)

Hand, foot and mouth disease.... Halloween and Hunting

Now there is a bunch of things that just don't go together.

Lets start with Monday of last week... I go and pick up Joey and he is up where they change their diapers... and as I enter the room, I notice that the teacher, Ms. Hill, is taking his temperature. And he's just letting her...???.... so, when they are done, it's 99.6 under arm which means about 100.6... oye!

I get him home and he's snuggly... but okay. I give him some tylenol and he is in bed by 6:30.

The next day, he has no temp, so I take him to school. I had a meeting at nine but fully intended to get him afterwards in case he wasn't feeling well. As I talk to Ms. Hill, she informs me that "hand foot and mouth disease" is going around. WHAT the heck is that? Turns out, that it's highly contagious amongst little ones, especially toddlers and involves little sores in the mouth and what looks like ant bites on their hands. NUTS.

I call the school and he's okay. SOOO, I leave him there. I get there to pick him up and walk in and he is zoned in the corner on one of their toys. I pick him up and he's burning up!

Nuts!

I get him home, give him his tylenol and he wants nothing to eat... he's sleepy and snuggly and grumpy and just plain sick. Nuts.

I take him to the doctor the next day and... as we are sitting there... ant bites pop up on his hands and he is drooling like he's cutting his first tooth. ugh. The doc confirms the hand, foot and mouth disease. Tells me that I can't do anything about it and he can't go back to school until he is at least 24 hours without a fever. SOOOO...

Jason was supposed to leave for Rockport on Thursday night. He now had to leave on Friday after work. I was supposed to do Trunk or Treat for daycare... that couldn't happen. I was supposed to be hosting a group of ladies for a foodie get together and had to cancel that. And... this stay at home mom thing is HARD. And it's just so helpless... He was hurting and there was nothing I could do. :(

Needless to say, today was much better than yesterday though and he slept better and he even ate a tiny bit more. And unfortunately, tonight was halloween... so, I dressed him in his best halloween pajama's and he helped me hand out candy! :) he was so cute... saying BYEEEE to everyone. Jason doesn't believe me, but I assure you... he would say it. Late, but there. Ha!

Jason is almost to Rockport and me... I finally got him to bed in his OWN bed for awhile... and I am *finally* getting some online time. :)

Life is busy, ya know?

You might notice a new link on the right hand side. I have found a cool site called www.coolmompicks.com and they put out a safer toy guide. There are tons of good ideas on there. :)

anyway... Happy Halloween!

Friday, October 24, 2008

Dear Joey...

So, tonight I was giving Sir cranky pants, aka, you... a bath after dinner and I sat there and watched you while you played in the bathwater. Oh how you love taking a bath... you play, make good boy sounds, you splash mommy and anyone within striking range and your infectious giggle just warms my heart.

So, tonight I just watched you for awhile. I looked into your beautiful gray eyes and watched your little pudgy hands and your kissable feet and I thought to myself... "I wonder what things you will see in your lifetime. I wonder what *things* you will touch and where you will walk to. What greatness are you in store for and what average things will you make extraordinary just because they are yours?"

And I know that you know how much you are loved (as evidenced by your mournful cry when I put you to bed that always makes me come back to you). I know that you are secure in your world and you are excited by every new thing that you discover (climbing in a chair anyone?). I hope you know that I fully believe in you and know that you will do whatever it is that you want to do.

My parents have always taught us that we could do anything... and growing up knowing that makes all the difference... how many children out there grow up wondering why their *all* just isn't enough? Those stories break my heart. Every child deserves to be loved. Every child deserves a chance, and unfortunately... some are just born behind the eight ball just because of who they are born to.

Now, I do want to tell you that you will go through hard times. Because those hard times are going to make you into the man you will become. If your daddy hadn't gone through some of his *adventures*.... he would never be the man that you and I love so dearly today. If I hadn't had my own adventures and trials and tribulations... now, how could I teach you that you can make it through? But, please oh please, even through adversity... know that you are believed in and you are loved above all else!

You can do anything you set your mind to Joe... as can be evidenced already by your strong will and your strong desire to overcome even the smallest obstacle.

Your daddy and I love you very very much.

Mommy!

Tag I am it. :-D

Lisa at The Gotte's X 3 tagged me.












Below are the rules.

1. Link to the person that tagged you
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
6. Let your tagger know when your entry is UP

Huh... six non important things/habits and quirks, huh? :)

1. I have some strange food tendencies. I like Creme de menthe on my pineapple. I like ice cream in my oatmeal and I LOVE the ooglies at the bottom of the popcorn bag... ya know, the half popped ones. I also hate tapioca pudding, ricotta cheese and anything with that kind of texture yet LOVE bubble tea which has tapiocas in the bottom. :)

2. I have to sleep with my feet outside the covers... hate having them covered and apparently, I gave that same affliction to my son.

3. I broke my arm when I was in second grade roller skating. There was this rolly hill that you skated down to the next part and I always started at the second hill... well I got brave (it was my birthday party ya know) and started at the top... and at the bottom I fell over and hit my arm braking it. Oh yeah, I was also wearing this horrendous pink plaid floofy dress get up, I think there was tulle involved.... eegads! princess much?

4. I have lived in Akron, Ohio... Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania... Baltimore, Maryland... Philadelphia, Pennsylvania... Stockton, New Jersey... Newark, Delaware.... back to philly... Houston, Texas and now Fort Worth, Texas. Add in working on cruise ships for five years and you have one gypsy girl which is where I got my name.

5. I was in show choir in high school... and no one in my family knew I could even sing... when all of a sudden my parents went on a trip and came home and I had auditioned for the choir and got in. My sister had always been the singer so it came as a complete shock that I would be a performer. :) I had always been the REALLY shy one! HA!

6. I had NEVER camped until about three years ago. My idea of roughing it had always been a motor inn... one without a swimming pool! GASP! ;) So, when my husband suggested it... eegads... I agreed. AND there was the BIGGEST thunderstorm that night and I braved it out... :-D All the other ladies had said that they would have bailed. I was so proud.

Ok... my six tags.
1. Viula at The Torgerson Family
2. Megan at The Peck Family Blog
3. Susan at Life is Sweet in Kerr-ville
4. Delia at Because you have to eat
5. Amber at Pregnant between the Lines
6. Duchess at Confections of a Foodie Bride

Thanks Lisa, for thinking of me. The girls that I have tagged are blogs that I read regularly... I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. :)

Jess

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Life just keeps rolling along

I haven't had a ton to say lately... certainly nothing profound or enlightening really... but I really wanted to write something. So... I got to thinking that I have a whole lot of nothing going on... and how wonderful that is. Life just keeps rolling along, we wake up, we work, we spend time as a family... we coexist and it's a wonderful thing. :)

This has been a particularly busy month and I don't see it slowing down until 2009 but that's alright... we have been to Lufkin two weekends in a row for our nephews birthday and then we went to celebrate our anniversary at the lake at Toledo Bend.

Both weekends were spectacular. :) Jackson has turned three, I can't believe it. He is such a big boy and so smart! And boy, does he love his cousin. He takes care of him and makes sure that he is always taken care of. It's adorable to see Joey following behind Jackson and doing everything his older cousin is doing! Too cute!
















Peekaboo!







And we were lucky enough for Jason's parents to want to watch BOTH boys for our anniversary weekend. I think they had a blast and I know it was nice for us to relax and reconnect and remember all that transpired three years ago. :)





Three years ago, on October 15th, I married my best friend. What a wonderful day it was and what a ride it has been since. Luckily... it's been great fun! And our weekend at the lake was nice and relaxing and just plain wonderful!












This upcoming weekend, Jason is going fishing with his dad in Matagorda and they are so excited. This is their birthday presents to each other and they have been planning it for two month's. It has changed from Galveston to Matagorda to Galveston to Matagorda. They finally decided on Matagorda and Jason is leaving early on Friday to go. I hope they have a wonderful time and really get to celebrate the bond of father son that is so special!

Next weekend then, he is going hunting for opening weekend of duck season... so, I am alone again and I am really okay with it. No offense honey... but a weekend alone every now and again is nice. :) And payback is coming the following weekend when I get to go on a girls weekend with my best friend, Nicole and some of her other friends. I cannot wait... a whole weekend of spa bliss! Massages.... facials... more massages... scrubs... It will be fabulous and I fully plan on being a big pile of goo at the end of this. And, I will probably need it as another trip to Lufkin will be short thereafter for my Sister in law is due on the 5th with our new nephew, Davis Peyton Hudson... aka Peyton.

Oh and my gorgeous mom, sister and niece came into town and we played hookie. We went to the stockyards and then onto the zoo. What a blast we had! :) The kids had such fun together and it was just great to get the chance to spend that time with them.

So.... as you can see, life is a bit crazy right now. Throw in Boot camp for me twice a week and boot camp for Jason seperately three times a week... work full time and the holidays... and you have one very busy but happy family! Oh yeah and I am filling my house with fabulous friends for a foodie get together the day after halloween, and I cannot wait!!! :)

Anyway... what is life like for ya'll? Anything exciting planned?

I am adding some pictures too... because I just can't handle not posting some of the cuteness. :)
Although, my blogger is slow tonight so pictures of my gorgeous niece to come. Have a great night!


Wednesday, October 8, 2008

"I did the thing I feared the most"

"I did the thing I feared the most
forgive me while I chear.
For now I stand here a stronger soul
and all I have lost is fear!"  

So, I had this quote framed and on my wall when I was working on ships.  I had always wanted to work on ships, way before college but found myself in love IN college and decided to put aside my dream and get married.  I married for all of the right reasons but I married the wrong guy.  He is not a bad guy (although if you had asked me about ten years ago, I would have had a different answer)... he was just the WRONG guy for me.  The more he would try to control me the naggier I got.  

When we decided to split, I had no idea what I was going to do with my future.  I was single for the first time in what felt like forever.  I had no plans.  I was not the same person in body or in spirit that I had been before him and I went through somewhat of a transformation.  

I moved down to Texas and lived with my parents.  I sent out all of my resume's and head shots to the cruise lines and worked for a restaurant that's big in South Texas.  I was shy, somewhat meek and totally not the Jessica I am now or the one that I was although I started to come out of my shell.  

I got news from Holland America that I had been hired to work as children's staff.  I had literally two weeks to prepare all of my wordly belongings and to get my tuckus to Vancouver.  Now, all of a sudden, I was faced with the reality of my dream coming true and I was terrified.  I wanted to say that the act of getting hired was enough.  I didn't want to do it.  I wanted to stay home in my own little cocoon with my parents and work in a restaurant or manage one.  I wanted to pretend like I could handle it but at the time, I really didn't think I could.  But I did.  

With the support of my friends and family, I got it all done.  I boarded that plane bound for Vancouver.  I wandered around all by myself for the whole day (might have gotten through with a glass or two of wine)...  had a nice dinner and the next morning, got myself to the ship.  I boarded that ship, met my boss and roommate and got fitted for my uniforms.  And then I began.  And I loved it.  

I loved every single part of it.  I loved the sea.  I loved the ship.  I loved who I worked with.  I loved the passengers.  Every worry that I had had slipped away.  I took pictures. I wrote emails. I made friends and I had the realization one day that.... I was happy.  I could laugh.  I could smile and mean it.  That achieving one's dreams is not only important but paramount to who we are and who we are supposed to become.  

I lived this dream for five years.  And finally I decided that it was time to move on, lest I become what they called a lifer.  I didn't want to wake up one day and then say... I should have been a wife and mother.  I wanted a life beyond the sea.  

Within another year, I had met my husband and then again, reinvented myself.  And now, I am a wife AND mother.  And there are still moments when I am afraid...  but now, the fear extends to my husband and mostly, my son.  (sorry honey).  I worry every single second that he is out of my sight.  I worry when he's asleep that he won't wake up.  I worry when he's awake that he'll hurt himself.  I worry that when he does hurt himself he won't recover easily.  But, I think that mostly... I am afraid that I won't be able to give him the tools he will need to make his own dreams come true.  

But that, I think, is the lesson most important for me.  HE needs to learn what needs to be done to achieve his own dreams.  As my husband says, "I'm not driving this chicken, I'm just holding onto the legs."  

Yee haw!