Farewell, 2009...

Once again it's been a long time since I've updated here. Since last time I posted, I have finished my first semester of school (A and B+!), and will be starting my second in a few weeks. It seemed like the longest semester ever, but of course now that it's over that seems silly.

For Thanksgiving, Collin went to Colorado with Brandy and the girls to visit some of her family, and we went to Brian's dad's house with my mom and Neil. We always have a nice time over there, and this year was no exception. Christmas followed soon after, about which the best I can say is I'm glad it's over! The holidays are stressful, and that brought out some unpleasantries, but hopefully everyone is past it.

Jacob will be starting at a preschool/day care soon, which has been emotional for me and will hopefully be a good thing for him. I pray he will not have trouble adjusting those first few days. I am grateful he got to spend his baby days with his Nana and I didn't have to worry about putting him in daycare then.

Here's hoping 2009 is a better year for some of the people I care about, and that me and my family continue to be blessed in 2010. Happy New Year!

It's been a while

I guess life has been pretty busy, because I was surprised to check in here and see it's been like 6 weeks since I've said anything. So what's happened...let's see...

Well, school (actually just Statistics) is harder than I expected. The semester is over in 5 weeks, which is good because I am anxious to be done with my Stats class. I think I can pull off a B, which is what I need for it to count toward graduation. I don't study anywhere near as much as I should - it's hard to get into the habit after not being a student for so long!


Jacob is 2 years 7 months old now, and still not potty trained. My goal is still by Christmas, but it's clear this kid will do it when he's good and ready, and no sooner. He also will not stop climbing in our bed in the middle of every night, which leaves me exhausted every morning, because it is like sleeping with an octopus. No matter how many times I scoot him over, he always comes right back up next to me. Which I guess I should see as the sweet thing it is. I sure do love the little guy.


Halloween just passed and was fun for all. It was a busy day with Audrey's soccer game and three dance performances, but we made it through. Collin, Brandy, Madison, Brooke, Rich and his family went trick-or-treating with us. Us parents got off easy, it only took an hour to get them their fill of candy.


Most importantly ;), Friday is my last twenty-something birthday. For whatever reason, the thought makes me feel old. I think I will be one of those women who have a hard time turning 30. I am so fortunate and blessed, I have had opportunities to accomplish many things so far in life, and I am truly grateful. But I am still sad to be at the end of my 20's!

Happy Birthday Audrey!

Wow, another year gone by! Saying that 7 years has flown by is an understatement. You are still the same beautiful, smart, sweet girl that you were a year ago, and I am still so proud of you. At 7, you are still in ballet and will be starting soccer this fall. Although you are not in the same 1st grade class as your good friend Abbie, you still play at recess and talk on the phone. And you still love all things that include dolls and snacking :)
I love you so much and hope you have a wonderful day! Tonight we will go spend your birthday money on that Nintendo DS you want, and go to the State Fair.
Here are some photos to remind you of your birthday party at ABQ Jump:

Felt like the first day of school

The last time I had a real first day of school was the Fall of 1999 when I began my bachelor's degree program. Terese was two months old. It's hard for me to remember what life was like back then, really. So much has changed.

This first day comes two more kids and ten years later. But some things remain the same - for instance, I still have to park and ride the stupid shuttle bus because there is still nowhere to park on campus. I still walk the same path to class, the lecture halls still look the same. Textbooks still cost a fortune. At 28, am I among the oldest students in class, because apparently all the BBA grads just decided to stay in school this year instead of looking for a job. The MBA program at UNM admitted 23% more students this fall than last year.

As for my classes, which are all Mgt ___, I am taking Interpersonal and Team Dynamics and Statistcs for Management. The first class I think I am going to really like. The syllabus looks like a piece of cake for starters, and the professor is very laid-back and funny. My very favorite part was when he said we would have no out-of -class group work, score!! I used to hate that. As for Statistics, let's just say I need to remember caffeine. It's from 7-9:30pm, and the professor still has a lingering European accent from when he moved here 50-something years ago so he sounds like the priest from The Princess Bride on occasion.

And so it begins!

OH! I almost forgot, the girs started school too :) Terese is in 5th grade, her last year of Elementary school, I can't believe that. And Audrey is in 1st grade this year. They are both happy with their teachers and so far liking their classes. Here they are on their first day, 8/20.

So, I can quit complaining now

I am officially a UNM student again!! I've registered for my two classes this semester, gotten my ID and parking pass, all I need is my books! Now check back in a few weeks to see if I'm still so excited :)

Old Friends

This past weekend, Audrey and I flew to Kentucky to visit our friends Stacy and Kylee. Stacy and I worked together in the past, and our girls are close in age and became friends too. They moved away (and made me cry!) right after Jacob was born, and we've missed them! I kinda invited myself over for a visit, and Stacy graciously put us up for the weekend. We had a good time and it was so great to see them and catch up.

For whatever reason, I didn't get a whole lot of pics, and not one of Stacy and I. But here are a few:

Kylee's birthday was on 8/1, in this pic are (from left) Kaden (Kylee's brother), Audrey, Kylee and then a few kids from the neighborhood.

The kids just kept comin'!

Playing on the swingset after swimming

On another note, I STILL have not been admitted to UNM, even though classes start on the 24th. I have a feeling I will be registering at the last minute.

Brian and I are off to Washington state over Labor Day weekend to see DMB play at the Gorge, which is about two hours east of Seattle. We have to feed our addiction! Compared to all the traveling we've done in past years, one long weekend of concerts is pretty tame :) We can't wait, but I sure am gonna miss the kids! Being away from them this past weekend, especially Jacob, was hard. I'm hoping their grandparents can keep them busy and distracted!

So, I'm a pretty patient person

But waiting to hear from UNM is driving me nuts. It has been 4 weeks and 1 day (but who's counting) since I turned in my completed app. I am a planner! This whole "watch the classes you want fill up" thing is not working for me!

Ok so now that I got that out, I wanted to share this funny pic of Jacob and Audrey in the sprinkler. I love his face here, he's so funny. And I can't believe how tan Audrey gets in the summer while the rest of us just burn. Not fair!

Grad school, here I come...(hopefully)

I've applied to the UNM Anderson School of Business, where I got my Bachelor's, for their MBA program. I had to take my GMAT (graduate management admission test) on Wednesday, after only studying for 4 days (long story). I needed a 500 and got a 570. The highest you can get is 800, and over 700 is rare. So 570 isn't stellar, but I'll take it! It was pretty tough and I'm glad to have it done.

I say hopefully because my application was a little late, and so I'm not guaranteed to have it reviewed in time for the Fall semester. The admissions director was hopeful but made no promises. Worst case scenario, I have to wait until Spring '10, but that's 6+ months away still and I'd like to get the ball rolling! I'm looking at 3-31/2 years to finish going part-time as it is.

I'm getting excited about the idea of going back to school though, and at the same time wondering what I am getting myself into! I've got enough on my plate as it is, but this is a goal I can't leave unattained. I'll be taking two classes per semester, so at most 2 nights per week, and I'm going to try and work it out to one night whenever possible. That will make for a long day (work, then school 4-9:30pm), but hopefully will be easier on the kids and Brian.
Wish me luck!

Dear Terese,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

I am late in posting this here, but wanted to tell you how proud I am of you. The last 10 years has gone by so very quickly...it's hard for me to grasp. At 10:53pm on June 9, 1999 you made me a mother, and Brian a father. We have learned so much from you, about being parents, being responsible, being a good example. Only time will tell how we're doing, but based on what a smart, funny, kind and good person you are, I'd say you've toughed out our inadequacies pretty well :)

You are a wonderful kid, a great big sister, and an important part of our family. We love you so much and can't wait to see what the future brings you!

Your sleepover buddies!

Family

We're back from the beach! We had a great vacation. The gulf water was warm, the weather was good, and it was awesome to stay right on the beach. It was wonderful to see family that we haven't seen since 2001, and we even managed to get a few good group pics. All of the kids had a fabulous time too - we went to Schlitterbahn water park in Galveston one day and they played and swam till they dropped. We also went to the Rainforest Cafe, and Brian and I even got out alone for dinner one night. It was hard to leave the ocean and come home!

Here are some more pics from our trip. There are hundreds, so I'll just post the highlights here!

Our little dancers

The girls' dance recital was on the 23rd, they did wonderful! Terese was in two performances - one for the class she demonstrates for, and then her own class (both tap). This was Audrey's first time on stage and she handled it like a pro. Aren't they beautiful?!

What's new?

Let's see...It's been a while since I've updated but I guess that's because there's nothing much to report. We're looking forward to taking the girls to their first DMB concert on Tuesday! They haven't played in Albuquerque since 2005, and we promised the girls that the next time they came here we'd take them.

Brian and I will be celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary on the 12th, and 12 years together this summer. We've got a couples massage scheduled, I can't wait for that! Then a few weeks later we're headed to Galveston to spend some time at the beach and visit family on my mom's side. I haven't seen some of my cousins since my wedding and am looking forward to catching up with them.

Here are a few recent pics of the kiddos:

Jacob and Ayden

Dear Jacob,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
I’m sure you will hear me say this many times still… It seems like just last night I was tucking my tiny, newborn baby into bed between your dad and I, and thinking about how quickly this very day would come. I told myself to enjoy every moment you were a baby, because I knew it wouldn’t last long. But each day you replace any longing I have for that babyhood with pride and anticipation. The past two years has been full of so much joy, fun, and laughter. I cannot picture my life without you.


At two years old, you make the funniest faces, you LOVE motorcycles (or momo’s, specifically Daddy’s. Not feelin it son, sorry!!), and absolutely crack me up jumping on the trampoline. You have traded your pacifiers in for gum, which I anxiously await finding ground into the carpet or in someone’s hair. (You’d think experience would steer that decision, but you are already getting away with things as the baby of the family.) And you still let me call you poo-butt, so all is well.

I love you,
Mom

One step farther away from babyhood...

My little man slept in his big boy bed last night! We took down the crib :,( and stored it safely away, and put up his new Cars bed. It's super cool and he loves it! We have totally spoiled this kid by letting him either lay with us for a little bit before he gets in his bed, or fall asleep with us. Last night was no different, but Brian took him to his room awake, (he always goes in there willingly), and we only heard the cat meow at him in the hallway once! Brian went to check on him and he ran back in his room right away, lol, and jumped back in bed. Ten minutes later I went to check and he was fast asleep :)

Sooooo....

I've been thinking of something to report here, but not much is up!
Let's see...The girls are on spring break this week, just in time to break in their new trampoline. It's 15' in diameter - this thing is enormous. We have a pretty big backyard and it still looks seriously huge back there. The girls love it and are already flipping around like crazy.

Jacob was pretty leery of it until this morning, when he let me hold him and jump (which is crazy good exercise, as it turns out!). He kept saying "jump! jump!" By this afternoon he was jumping on his own.

Jakey-poo will be two in just two short weeks, can you believe that?? His birthday is on Good Friday and we'll be having a party at the house for relatives and close friends. He's getting a Cars bed, and I'll be putting the crib away one last time. :(
Brian's niece Crystal, who had twin boys at only 27 weeks on January 5th, is having a baby shower for them on Sunday. They are both thriving and almost ready to come home!! We also have two birthdays still this month - Brian's sister Grace on the 29th, and my brother Neil on the 31st. Will be a busy weekend!
What else...oh! We got our concert tickets to go see DMB at the Gorge in Washington state over Labor Day weekend! WOOT!! It's one of those venues you have to see them at at least once, and we are very excited. Will be a nice, sans-kids, vacation :)

My fav new pic

Isn't that sweet?!

Dear Mom and Papa,

H A P P Y

B I R T H D A Y!!!

I wish you both a wonderful day and an even better year to follow!

Worth every penny

That would be our new Canon Rebel XS SLR camera! I absolutely L O V E it! I didn't realize how terrible the pictures that our old digital camera took were until I saw what a nice camera can do. Here are some of the first pics taken with it!

Twilight - crack for teenage girls (ok, and grown women)

I wasn't gonna do it. I avoided all the hype about the Twilight series, convinced that books written to the teenage girl audience wouldn't live up to my idea of good reading. But, thanks to a group of BZ friends I read with, I gave it a try.
So, ok, I was mostly wrong. I just finished the last book Breaking Dawn, and I totally loved it! Out of the four books in the series, there was only one I didn't love (New Moon), but I realize now that it was necessary. I guess there's not really a point to this post, just looking for a way to stretch the subject out a little further, now that I'm done! Sigh.
Check out my "Recently Read" list for some other suggested reading...

Idolatry

Today marks a remarkable occasion - the inauguration of our first African-American president. I wholeheartedly hope that President Obama can live up to his promises, to what everyone in this country now holds their breath for him to do. Truly. For the sake of my future and that of my children, I do not want to watch him fail. So don't mistake what I am about to say as a lack of support for our new president, pessimism, or even bitterness or resentment for him winning the election. Those emotions are not there.

But I'll tell 'ya, the first thing that came to mind when I saw this picture was Exodus 20: 4-5 "You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them..."

I look at the footage of his ceremony, of the crowd of nearly 2 million people who are watching, chanting his name. The people who came from far and wide to witness this historic event, to share in the feeling of hope and show their support. Little dots as far as the eye can see. I am awe-struck. What does that feel like, I wonder, walking down that red-lined aisle to face them all? I can't imagine. I also can't imagine what he has done to deserve that. Has he earned that adoration? I mean, really? I don't think so, or that McCain would, or Hillary Clinton, or Sarah Palin, or even Dave Matthews (and you all know how I feel about him!), or anyone else at the beginning of their new job. He is only human. Obama has yet to do anything but play a good game and win the world's biggest popularity contest. He is a politician, after all, and the proof is in the pudding. 8 years from now, if this country is in a time of peace and our economy has recovered, I will be happy to stand in a croud of 2 million and give my appreciation. I hope I can. When he has earned it.

Resolutions

New Years resolutions are famous for being forgotten about by February, and my own resolutions in years past are no exception. I can't even remember what I resolved to do in 2008. As chiche' as it is, this year I really want to lose some weight - about 15 pounds to be specific. I know now that my days of the baby weight just falling off (as it did with the girls) are over, as are the "eat whatever I want" days. I had to work to lose the baby weight after Jacob was born, and even then I never lost that last little bit. (And, unfortunately, since then I've gained a little of it back). My goal going in to '09 is to lose 15 pounds by my wedding anniversary - May 12th. I'm hoping that by committing it to writing, I will be more likely to follow through. Wish me luck!