Happy Birthday My Love...

Ok so this post is a lil late...about a week...but atleast i finally got to it! Last Saturday was Tom's birthday and we decided to have lunch and cake with our little princesses then we went out with a group of friend for dinner and drinks. The girls stayed with Nana and Papaw, of course they were totally spoiled!

We went to Texas Roadhouse...and after them seating us about 45 minutes later than our "call ahead time"...and had a blast! Our GREAT friend Steve (watch for him in the World Series of Poker this year!!) surprised us all by buying dinner...which was a huge bill! He even got "his girls" (Zoe and Zada) some balloon art that was shaped into flowers. Dinner was wonderful and tons of fun.

We then headed to one dive bar...but once we got there we found out they didn't have a pool table and there were kids singing so we ditched it to go to a different bar. The Wild Hare was also a ton of fun...even tho i think we stayed a little too long! Us girls had a great time while the boys played pool.

I hope everyone had fun...and i hope we can all do it again...next year!

March 3, 2007

Happy March! It is so nice to see that spring is right around the corner. My mom and the girls have been going on wagon rides almost everyday because the weather has been great! Zoe just got over a cold...then Zada got it...and now she is almost over it (thank God!). This is Tom's weekend to work so most of the weekend will be spent relaxing at home and cleaning. My little sister called me today to let me know she is going to get her nose pierced...i think it will be cute but i wouldn't do it. I have decided to post a few things that i am thankful for...got this idea from another blog that i read!

1. My health as good as it is.
2. Having a hard working husband.
3. Great doctors in AZ for Zoe.
4. The love that engulfs our home
5. Our jobs
6. Our great family and friends

Do you ever think about what you are grateful for?....

until next time....

Arizona Living...

One of the great things about Arizona living is the fact that you can have fresh flowers inside and outside your house all year around! Of course these flowers are on the kitchen table but they were freshly cut at the florist.

Things around here have been a little busy...but nothing new about that. Zada is on the go nonstop and eating us out of house and home. We have noticed just here recently that she is starting to talk in her sleep...very cute! Zoe is growing like a weed! She seems to be standing up straighter which is a step towards walking! It also seems that she is trying to say more words...we think we have heard and few.

Tom is working his toosh off like always. We love his off weekends cause we just get to hang out and be lazy all week (which this past weekend was one of those...the main reason my blog is a day late!) We took a little time to ourselves with the help of my great friend Brandy who had the girls come over to play with her little boy. We just went to Golfland, rode gocarts, played games, had a pizza and just spent some "us" time. Of course i got in trouble cause i called to check on the girls after only 2 hours! They didn't want to leave Brandy's when we got there...but i promised them a trip to Walmart!

I have just been working my 8-4 shift and enjoying the beautiful evenings at home with the girls ( and Tom when he makes it home early). We are making our NASCAR plans with my parents and a ton of friends. Most of us are just going to tailgate but that is the funnest part!

Well not much more to update...hope everyone has a great week!

Feb. 18, 2007

this is the first quiet sunday i have had in a long time. tom got called out to work, snowball is sleeping, and the girls are both naping in their room. the only noise i heard right now is the clicking of the keyboard and the breeze outside in the palm trees. the past few days have been beautiful. the end of winter in arizona is the best. it is 78, sunny and breezy today...can we all say PERFECT! we started to get the pool in running order cause in about 2 months we will be in the pool daily again. i am excited to see what zada will do this year since she loves water now...where as last year she hated it! a bath was the worst thing you could do to her...now she never wants to get out of the tub (even if you drain it!) this past week has been very busy in our house. monday...a woman hit tom (instead of hitting a small car she thought she wanted to take on his tow truck...MORON!). tuesday...tom passed his class A cdl test (go baby!) wednesday...tom worked late and i started getting sick. thursday...i was sick and tom had worked late all week so we are going on day 4 of the girls not seeing daddy. zoe went to bed upset and throwing a fit...zada refused to go to bed. daddy came home...she played about 2 minutes then was ready for bed. friday...daddy worked late again (we will be glad when the new guy gets trained!). us 3 girls went shopping. saturday...daddy worked all day, us girls cleaned and made daddy his favorite dinner (meatloaf, fried taters, greenbeans and chocolate chip cheese cake). today is the race...go david stremme! we are going to grill out and kick back today! hope everyone has a great week!

Feb. 12, 2007

well...things around here are still completely crazy! with 2 full time jobs, a part time business starting up, 2 animals and 2 kids under the age of 3...there is never a minute without something to be done. Tom is going to get his Class A CDL...which means he gets a bigger truck...i will post pictures. Today was going good until my husband (who which remind you has the worst luck on earth!) called to let me know that his new tow truck just got hit by a woman "who was avoiding an accident". I am sorry but anyone with a little bit of sence would rather hit a car than a heavy duty tow truck that can haul a SEMI!! I guess she wasn't the brightest bulb in the bunch... To make it even better...lol...he had to tow the car to the woman's house! Idiots i am telling you...complete idiots!! Work for me has been very busy. But when it is busy it makes the days go by quicker. Tom has also been slowly starting up a computer company. "Double Z Computer Repair" Right now he is mostly getting his name out and working on computers on his days off. So...he is not getting much time to relax and unwind but he says it is all going to be worth it in the end...and i only trust him on that. The weather was starting to warm up then...someone thought that we needed another cold front! BLAH! It is only suppose to be in the 60's the rest of this week...guess the 80's were good while they lasted. I am ready for the warm weather...and to get the pool ready for swimming! Hope everyone has a great monday night...

The Zoo

Last weekend we finally made it to the Phoenix Zoo. It is far smaller than most zoo's but that is due to the fact that they change out the animals due to the fact that some of them can not be outside in the extreme Arizona heat! We got to attend the first birthday party of the baby orangutan! She is getting big and learning lots from her mommy.

Some animals were not on display yet due to the cold weather we have had this year. But we still spend 6 hours walking around. The girls did great in the wagon all day and didn't fall asleep until we got in the truck. We found that Zoe loves POPCORN! Who would have known that the pickiest kid on earth would eat popcorn from the zoo! Zada got her first "big girl cup" (regular plastic cup with a straw). She did pretty good...only turned it upside down a few times. Tom and I had a little taste of home for lunch...they had a chicago hotdog stand!

I am thinking that we are going to have to buy a membership because it is only about 12 miles from the house...and open all year around! I love living in the sunny southwest!




Today the weather is beautiful also! We played outside for a few hours this morning and now the girls are laying down for a nap. It is Tom's weekend to work so most of the fun has to be homebound. I think this afternoon we might run to get some flowers for the planter and just enjoy the day at home.

Cold Weather...

I woke up to snow on the mountains that you can see from our back door! This has been the coldest winter in 3 decades! It has been nice to curl up on the couch with Tom and a blanket to watch football...but the rain has to end! Tom works outside all day long and this rain is NOT good for him or any other person out in it. The girls have just enough "winter clothing" to go from laundry day to laundry day...and i refuse to buy anymore since our "winter" only lasts about 2 months. Jan. and Feb.! The end of this week we are suppose to be back in the 70's (normal daytime temps for this time of the year). I can hardly wait. I want to take the girls on a wagon ride, i want to drive to work with the windows down, i want to leave the office door open for fresh air, i want to open the windows at home during the day, i want to shut off the furnace for the year...i know i want alot but it would only take one thing for that to all happen...NORMAL ARIZONA WEATHER!!
Tom is out taking care of an accident right now and it is pouring...i have him dry clothing out and the Bears game on waiting for him to get home. The girls and i haven't gotten out of pajamas all weekend except to shower and put on clean jammies! This weather sucks...i moved out here for nice weather and sunshine...so give it to me!! ok...enough ranting about the weather!
Now an update on the kiddos...
Zoe is growing like crazy! Her clinic called to start the botox process...i am totally excited about this! I think she is trying to talk...i hope she is! The only word we have been able to make out has been "DAD" and she says that plain as day! Zada...she is our handfull! She is eating us out of house and home...she will eat anything that won't eat her first! She is a total chatter box like me, constantly on the move, and always into stuff that she shouldn't be. She is the typical 1 year old that knows everything!

Hope all is well for everyone...cause it is here.

THE BEST SISTER IN LAW...

OK...SO I HAVE THIS GREAT SISTER IN LAW. NO MATTER WHAT TIME OF DAY OR WHAT SHE IS DOING SHE ALWAYS HAS TIME TO LISTEN TO ME. WHEN I MARRIED INTO TOM'S FAMILY I MARRIED IN TO HER'S ALSO. HER DAD, HER BROTHERS, HER SISTER, NEICE, SOON TO BE SISTER IN LAW...THEY ARE ALL GREAT...OH AND NICOLE TOO! THEY ARE PEOPLE THAT KNOW ABOUT FAMILY VALUES...THEY KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TO GIVE A LITTLE TO HELP THOSE THAT YOU LOVE (AND WE AREN'T TALKING MONEY!). I ALMOST HATE GOING HOME TO VISIT ANYMORE CAUSE IT IS JUST HARDER TO COME HOME. WHEN WE AREN'T THERE WE KNOW THAT WE CAN'T SEE EACH OTHER EVERYDAY...BUT WHEN WE ARE THERE AND IT IS TIME TO COME IT IS A HARD THING TO ADJUST TO. ALOT OF PEOPLE TRIED TO DO EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO MAKE US HATE EACH OTHER...FOR THE FIRST YEAR THOSE PEOPLE GOT THEIR WAY AND WON THAT BATTLE...THEN WE TALKED AND LEARNED THAT IT WASN'T US THAT HATED EACH OTHER...SO THEREFORE WE WON THE WAR. I WAS HER MATRON OF HONOR...I WISH I COULD HAVE DONE MORE BUT LIVING 1800 MILES AWAY IT WAS HARD. I HAD BIG SHOES TO FILL...AND I HOPE I DID JUST THAT FOR HER. NOW HER HUBBY...THAT IS A WHOLE NEW SUBJECT. HE IS THE BEST BROTHER I COULD EVER ASK FOR. YEAH WE FIGHT JUST LIKE A BROTHER AND SISTER BUT I KNOW I CAN TALK TO HIM ANY TIME THAT I NEED TO ALSO. BUT OF COURSE HE JUST MAKES ME FEEL BAD ABOUT MOVING HIS "BABY GIRLS" CLEAR ACROSS THE COUNTRY. NOW WE JUST NEED TO FINISH WORKING ON GETTING THEM OUT HERE WITH US. I WOULD BE IN HEAVEN! ANYWAYS THIS IS TO LET LISA KNOW THAT I LOVE HER TO DEATH AND TO THANK HER FOR EVERYTHING WHEN THE GOING WAS TOUGH AND I WAS READY TO GIVE UP!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL! TOMORROW WE WILL LOAD UP THE FAMILY AND START THE 1776 MILE TRIP BACK TO TOM'S MOM'S HOUSE. I AM EXCITED TO SEE HOW THE GIRLS DO ON THE TRIP. THEY LOVE TO GO ON CAR RIDES BUT WE WILL SEE HOW MUCH THEY LOVE A JOURNEY IN THE TRUCK! SANTA CAME EARLY TO OUR HOUSE. WE HAD TO CALL HIM TO LET HIM KNOW THAT WE WOULD NOT BE HERE! WE OF COURSE DIDN'T WANT HIM TO FORGET! SO HE BROUGHT THE GIRLS DVD PLAYERS FOR THE TRUCK, DVD'S, TOYS AND TONS OF CLOTHING. THEY MUST HAVE BEEN REALLY GOOD THIS YEAR! DADDY GOT TOOLS, NEW BOOTS, SOME COMFY PANTS, TOOL BOX, CREEPER, AND A HAT. MOMMY GOT AN OPAL RING AND NECKLACE, NEW SHOES AND CLOTHING. I KNOW THE TRIP BACK HOME IS GOING TO BE COMPLETELY FULL OF VISITING WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE EVERYONE!
THE WEATHER HERE HAS NOT BEEN AS GOOD AS LAST YEAR SO I THINK GOOD OLE MOTHER NATURE WAS TRYING TO PREPARE US FOR THE COLD WEATHER. ZADA HAS NEVER SEEN SNOW AND ZOE WON'T REMEMBER IT.
WE WELCOMED 9 NEW PUPPIES INTO OUR HOME ON MONDAY. NANA WILL BE DOG SITTING WHILE WE ARE GONE. SNOWBALL HAS BEEN GOOD SO FAR ABOUT THE GIRLS BEING AROUND (EVEN WHEN ZADA IS A LIL ROUGH WITH THE BABIES).

WE WILL UPDATE ABOUT OUR JOURNEY WHEN WE RETURN HOME TO THE SUNNY SOUTHWEST.

A friend from school....

ok just to get you up to date...myspace has been the greatest thing for keeping up with people that i went to school with. Just about 2 months ago i found a friend on myspace that i have not seen since June 1999 (graduation day). I was totally saddened from what i read...she has cancer and it is bad...but she is fighting the battle. I don't know her husband but from what i read she COULD NOT ask for anyone better. She is still pretty as ever! I just read an update and it wasn't good news...i sit here in the house with only the noise from the tv and think about life. I think about the little things that i used to take for granted until i had a child that needed alot of medical attention along with alot of attention from Tom and I. I thank God everyday for mine and Tom's health so we have the power to fight on for Zoe...i know how my friend feels and i just wish i could hold her right now. We weren't close in school but coming from a small town it all hits home. I think of how lucky i am to be able to put my two little girls to bed everynight and then go to bed wore out but knowing it is from taking care of my family. It just isn't fair that some people don't lift a finger all day and they still go to bed wore out...i honestly wish everyone was as lucky as us with our health.

sorry i know that was alot of rambling but it was just my thoughts at the time....i have to work tomorrow so i need to finish making thanksgiving dishes and get my butt to bed!

~~until next time~~

Happy 1st Birthday Zada!

Our baby girl turned one on November 7th! We celebrated with family and friends on saturday. She opened lots of cool presents, ate a big lunch, smashed lots of cake and got 3 baths all in one day! oh and a nap of course! We want to thank everyone that was here to help us celebrate this milestone!

We went trick or treating in Gold Canyon and got a ton of candy and other goodies! It was very nice about...about 70 degrees when we started and 60 degrees when we loaded back in the truck for the beautiful ride home. This was of course Zada first Halloween and she loved dressing up. She made sure everyone saw her when they passed on the street. The picture isn't the greatest but how well of a picture can you really get with an 11 month old and a 2 year old...."Thank you Nana for getting us ready to go out and Thank you to Steve and Cheri for letting us come to their extra special neighborhood to trick or treat"

work...

well today at work i did a little thinking...why don't people just suck it up and help others out that have alot to do? i work mostly with good people but there are a few that think they are wayyy too good to help others out. I usually have my work done by 10 or 11am...so then i do deposits, spreadsheets, invoices...what ever needs to be caught up on...i go look for stuff to do cause i respect the company i work for and if they are paying me to be here then i need to be doing something. i couldn't ask for a better company to work for...yeah i get the short end of the stick at times but that happens no matter where you work. one girl is always putting calls into voicemail so she can eat...what kinda crap is that!! ok enough venting about work....

My uncle John got to my parents house last night. I went over and visited for a few then of course i had my duties at home to take care of so i went home but home to spend a little time with him this evening after work. He has to leave back out Thursday morning to head back home with a new load of travel trailers. oh and....he brought me some homemade peach jelly!! i am excited...i think i will have toast for dinner!

hope everyone is having a great day!

My husband....

ok...i have the greatest husband in the world! he has always put up with alot of crap from alot of people and still to this day won't turn his back on any of them. Last night we went to the drive in...they are open year around out here...and watched the Marine with John Cena. (great movie!) But it seems like everytime we go to the drive in to get away from work he ends up working!! Everytime we go someone asks us for a jumpstart!! And of course he is not going to tell them no so he does it for free each and everytime.

He is also wonderful to me and the girls. Of course he has made his mistakes...he is far from perfect in most eyes...but in mine he is perfect. I couldn't ask for a better life partner!

Anyways i guess i am done bragging on my hubby...sounds like the girls are starting to wake up from their nap and it will soon to be time to carve the pumpkins!!

The start...

Thing are going crazy around here...but what is new about that in our house! The weather is starting to cool off, work is going crazy and the kids are growing like weeds. Another birthday party is being planned, a trip back to Indiana is in the works, christmas shopping must get started soon...and yet i decide to start a blog! After reading a girl from high school's blog the other day...and i read it from beginning to end in one day...i thought it would be a good idea to start this because everyone changes so much.

So far our lives are plugging along like every other american family with two small children. There is work, breakfast, lunch, dinner, doctor appointments, bath time, play time, bedtime, naptime...it is never ending...

I will try to update this regularly but with two little ones and a fulltime job i am not sure how often that will be!

Lots of Love to everyone!