Riggs Tribe

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

2010-09-08T16:31:00.002-05:00

This past weekend was our annual family reunion in Eva, TN and we had so much fun. The kids and I left Friday after school and Jeremy surprised us by coming over on Saturday night. Jeremy was not feeling well and was going to stay home the entire weekend, but decided to join us. The seasonal allergies hit us pretty hard last week and Jeremy, Sam, and Emma were coughing and sounded horrible. They were not running a fever so we just treated it like allergies and they seem to be better. I am enjoying our short week of school but it does make things a little bit crazier trying to get everything done that needs to be done. On the subject of my craziness, I learned a great lesson this afternoon. We have been trying to sell our house for a while now. At first my house was spic and span all the time and especially when I knew we would not be home. Well, we have had a grand total of TWO people come to look at our house. Each time I worked myself silly scrubbing and cleaning until every inch of the house sparkled. Each visit the people said they liked the house but one couple thought we lived too far out and the other couple liked our house the best out of the 12 that they saw but we never heard anything. The reason we want to sell the house is because we want to get out of debt. We want to rent something cheaper and get out from under a mortgage. Well as the months have dragged on I have become very discouraged and my zeal to keep my house clean with three small kids has greatly wavered. I usually give the house a good cleaning on Friday night or Saturday and hope it does not fall apart during the week. If I can be honest I have been feeling a little sorry for myself and freaking out over the things that I have no control over. I have also fallen in the trap of looking around at those around me and wondering why things seem to be working out for them. Last night I found myself reflecting back to five and half years ago when I felt the exact same way and I read something that changed my thinking. God is writing MY story and He is writing everyone's story and each persons story is unique to the plans that God has for that person. I have got to stop trying to compare my story to someone else's because God has a different plan for my life. Even when I do not like the chapter He is writing I need to hang on and trust Him because He is the only one that knows what happens next. OK, sorry, back to how I learned my lesson. We got back home on Sunday. Monday was a lazy day of going out to breakfast and taking long naps. Tuesday was back to school and a few loads of laundry done. Today was a crazy morning and then off to school. I get home this afternoon and I noticed that the light was on in my bedroom. I was sure I had turned it off. My phone rings and it is Jeremy. "I have some bad news," he says, in which my heart drops. He then says "Someone came to look at the house today." Horror does not even begin to describe the feeling that washed over me. I went from room to room to discover what I already knew, EVERY ROOM WAS A DISASTER! There was not one bed made. All suitcases with clothes spilling out were in my bedroom floor. All the kids jammies (along with their underwear) were covering the bathroom floor. Lunch stuff was on the counter and dishes piled high in the sink. Laundry room covered with unwashed clothes and a basket full of clean clothes ready to greet them as they walked in the front door. Oh, I could go on but I will stop before I cry. Jeremy calls our real estate agent and come to find out it was a single guy and he did not even notice the mess. He saw several houses today and ours and another are on his list of favorites. He is a cash buyer and that would help with selling. When Jeremy called me back to tell me I laughed and cried because it was another reminder that I am NOT the one in control. God can sell my house even if it is an absolute mess! I am going to ask that you would pray that this man would buy our house. I will keep you posted if he makes an offer!

Monday, August 30, 2010

2010-08-30T16:27:00.002-05:00

WOW! I knew it had been awhile since I blogged, but I had no idea it had been since the beginning of July. I am not sure if I should mention everything that has been going on or skip to what is going on right now. I guess I will just hit the highlights. When we got back from Illinois Emma had the tubes put in her ears. She did great for the procedure and we have been earache free since the tubes went in the ears. We made a trip to Oklahoma City on a charter bus and the kids had so much fun. I was a little nervous because I did not realize that there were not any seat belts and that meant there would not be any car seats for the kids. We spent the week in OKC at our National convention. We saw family and friends and had a great time. We came home and had to do one of the hardest things we have ever done, say good-bye to our precious Good Springs Youth. We had a our last Sunday and last Wednesday night and the heart ache was much worse then we ever imagined. I think that is one of the reasons I have not blogged. I know sometimes it is good to write things out and express how you are feeling, but the truth is I did not know how to express the sense of loss I felt. I had to report to school the first week of school and that has been my life since. There is so much to get ready for those first few weeks of school. I welcomed the busyness and it helped me take my place in my next ministry. School is going good and despite my complete exhaustion I am enjoying my class of 16. I have a few boys who keep me on my toes but they are all just precious and my prayer is that I can make an everlasting impact on their lives. Samuel is loving first grade and the girls could not be happier (well, other than being home). Chloe is doing great on the potty and has actually started to talk a little more. She kinda skipped over one word at a time and jumped right to phrases. They all have seemed to adjusted nicely to our new insane schedule. We have been church hunting the past four weeks and that has not been fun. It is so much harder than I expected! We visited a church in Franklin (Jeremy's cousin is the pastor) and we really liked it but we do not like the hour drive. We went there are first Sunday and then we went a few weeks ago because we were coming back from a visit with friends in Huntsville. We went to a new church in Clarksville on Sunday and we liked it. We will probably go there a few more times before we make a decision. The kids liked that church too, so we will see. This weekend is our Family Reunion and I am getting excited. It is so much fun and a nice treat to get away and laugh with family members. Well, I only posted one picture because my connection is horrible. I also figured that most of you that read this our my friends on Facebook and have seen the all the pictures I have taken the past few months. This picture was taken at the Space and Rocket Museum in Huntsville. We went last weekend and spent some time with some friends that we had not seen in awhile, We laughed and took many trips down memory lane and made some new memories. It was a much needed weekend! Well, I am not going to promise that I will post every day but I will try to do better than two months:)

Thursday, July 8, 2010 Happy Birthday Chloe!

2010-07-08T19:50:00.003-05:00

Today my sweet baby turned 3 years old. It seemed like for so long I had these three little babies and now they are all becoming so independent and are just growing up so fast. Chloe is almost completely potty trained and she is becoming her own little person. She is our smily little sweetheart and we are so thankful that she is in our family. She had a fun day at 123 Jump and lots of cake and presents. I think Sam and Emma were more excited that today was Chloe's birthday than Chloe.
Well we are finally heading home tomorrow. Our family should all be back together tomorrow night. The kids have had a great time of being with Grandma and Grandpa. They have gone fishing several times and went to a fun children's museum. They are coming home with so much more then I brought with them to Grandma's house and it will probably takes weeks to get them back to our house rules, but I am glad they had the chance to spend some time together.
Well before I get going I have a funny story about Sam. In June when we were at the beach I was holding our 4 month old nephew and Sam was talking to the baby and making him smile. Sam then turned to me and whispered 'Mom, I think we need another baby." Well, last night I was holding a little baby at my parents church and Sam came over to me and whispered again, "Mom, I think it is time we got another baby." We all had a good laugh. Well last night while Sam was praying before bed he asked God to bring him a baby brother. After he go done praying he said "Mom, I am going to pray that every night!" We laid there for a few minutes and Sam said "Mom, I sure hope Jesus answers my prayer for a baby brother." I guess we will all have to see what happens.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

2010-07-06T13:43:00.003-05:00

Jeremy and I and the teenagers got back Friday night from Orange Beach. It was a wonderful week of being encouraged and refreshed. The weather was horrible while we were down there and the oil on the beach was such a sad sight, but we still had a wonderful week. I left at 6:00 Saturday morning and headed to Illinois. The kids and I are staying here at my parent's house this whole week. Jeremy is in Virginia taking a class at Liberty. He is only 8 classes away from his doctorate in administration and I am so proud of him. The kids have had fun at Grandma's house but I think they are ready to go home. When I got here Saturday Sam said to me "Mom, I am ready to go home." I kind of laughed and told him that we were not going home for 6 more days. He then looked at me with the most serious expression and said "Seriously mom, I am ready to go home." We had a fun 4th of July. We went to a cookout and the kids had a blast doing bubbles and watching the fireworks.

Well, I know that my blogging has been lacking the past few weeks but the truth is that we are going through a bit of transition in our family. Last Sunday Jeremy announced that he would be resigning as the youth pastor at our church and that we would be leaving. Six years ago when we moved back to TN we did not know that God was going to give us the amazing blessing of being the youth leaders for our church. We really have loved every minute of our time with the youth group but we feel like God has something else for us. Jeremy is not going to another church to be on staff but we will be looking for another church. I have been very sad and heartbroken over this decision but we have peace about it. We have poured our lives into these young people. I love them like my children and they are actually my social life, so that will be a big adjustment. I will still be teaching in the area and most of the teens go the the school I will be teaching at but I realize that some things will be different. We do have our house up for sale and we are hoping to move into Nashville. We know God has another assignment for us but it is a bit frightening not knowing what is next. Our last Sunday will be July 26th and I know it will not be an easy day.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

2010-06-29T22:51:00.003-05:00

Here are the pictures I said I would post last week. There is a picture of Jeremy and I at the Cubs game. One of the kids before watching Toy Story 3 and then one of Emma. Jeremy and I are at Orange Beach with four of our teen girls. It has been rainy and their is oil on the beach, but the worship services has been amazing!!! I really miss the kids and I cannot believe that I will not see them until Saturday!! I also have some other things I need to post but it is late and I need to get some sleep.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

2010-06-24T18:05:00.009-05:00

There have been several reasons I have not posted since last week but the bottom line is that we have been super busy. Jeremy and I had a great time in Chicago. We spent a day at Lincoln Park Zoo and then went to a Chicago Cubs game, We thought the game was going to get rained out but it started almost two hours late. We ended up leaving the game in the 7th inning because it was already 11:00 at night and we had an hour and half drive back to my parents house. We headed home on Wednesday. On Friday I took Emma to the Ear, Nose, Throat doctor to look at her ears. They did a hearing test on her and it came back that she is hearing just fine but there is fluid on both ear drums. We made an appointment to get tubes in both ears on July 12th. After the doctor we came home and got the rest of the family and headed out to see Toy Story 3 in 3D. It was just a great movie! I have to admit that I was crying at the end! The kids also loved it and did a great job watching the movie. It was Chloe's first movie experience and I was not sure how she would do with the dark and the glasses. Sunday for Father's Day we had all of Jeremy's family over to our house for lunch. On Tuesday I did the GO10 Walk and I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was for me to walk 10 miles. Well, maybe easy is not quite the right word, but I thought I would have a hard time finishing. I was hot and I have two blisters on my one foot, but when I finished I felt pretty good. Well, that is what has been going on in the Riggs' household. I am taking the kids to meet my parents on Saturday. We are taking four girls from the youth group to Student Life at the Beach on MOnday so the kids are staying with Grandma and Grandpa next week. I am having the worst luck getting pictures to post so I will try again later.

Monday, June 14, 2010- HAPPY GOTCHA DAY!

2010-06-14T07:19:00.002-05:00

HAPPY GOTCHA DAY, SAMUEL JAE!!! Five years ago (YES, I SAID FIVE YEARS) Jeremy and I woke up early and boarded a plane headed for Detroit to pick up our son. We were scared to death! There were so many questions and concerns going through our heads, "What if he does not like us?" "What if I do not know what he wants?" What if I do not FEEL like a mom?" and the list could go on. We were greeted in Detroit by my parents and my uncle and cousin (who live near Detroit) and we all waited patiently, or not so patiently, for Samuel to arrive. We waited what seemed like forever and the plane finally landed. We waited with several other families who were also picking up their children as one by one the Korean escorts came through customs toting our precious children. Samuel's escort was the only male and he had Samuel strapped in a carrier on his chest. The moment I saw his little head looking around I knew it was my baby (yes, another question, "what if I do not recognize him from the picture?") I was very cautious going up to him because I did not want to scare him and if I did not have so many witnesses I would not of believed what happened next, but Samuel saw me and reached for me. I took that little baby and my heart that had been broken and aching for so long was finally healed. Samuel was a delightful baby and so far has been a delightful boy. We knew this little boy would change our lives but we would never guess how many lives this little boy would touch in just five years. I know I may be a bit partial, but Samuel is a very special boy and I look forward to seeing what God has planned for him.

Well we are in Illinois. We are going to take Sam out for lunch and then Jeremy and I are headed to Chicago for the night and tomorrow. The kids are staying with my parents and I know they will have a blast. I have posted two pictures from Sam's referral, the first pictures we saw of him, and a pictures taken the other day.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

2010-06-12T16:32:00.006-05:00

I know it has seemed like forever since I posted but we got back from the beach Friday night and hit the ground running. Friday night we got everything unloaded and the fun of putting everything away started (insert sarcasm). Saturday morning the kids and I headed out to Mt. Juliet for my nephews graduation party. I got there early so I could help my brother get things set up. It is always good to see them but it also hurts my heart so much. Many do not share my feelings, but I hurt for all the people who have been effected by the current circumstances, even the ones who made the decisions to do the hurting. Sunday was church and then Monday started our mission trip for our youth group. We usually go to another state for our trips but ended up staying in Nashville. We had contacted several pastor about coming to do a trip and they all did not work out. It was amazing that we had already planned to stay in Nashville before the flooding and there were many organizations that needed our help. I only worked Wednesday because I did not have anyone to watch the kids. My friend went to the trip on Monday and Tuesday so she offered to keep my kids on Wednesday so I could go. After we were done we came back to the church and made supper for the teens and then had church. Thursday and Friday we just stayed home. The kids and I have been home a lot this week. One reason we were home so much is because I started potty training Chloe on Monday. She is actually doing really well. She still in not talking much so I thought that would be a big concern. She has not worn a diaper since Wednesday (other then bedtime) and has had very few accidents. We have had a lot of fun this week at home. We have played dress up and have played in their little pool outside. We have baked cookies and all kinds if goodies and have had just a good time together. We have been outside most of today and we are packing for our next trip. We are leaving tomorrow after church and heading to Illinois. For my anniversary Jeremy is taking me to a Chicago Cubs game. The game is Tuesday night but we are going to Chicago Monday evening and staying the night and then spending the day in Chicago on Tuesday and then go to the game. I am so EXCITED!!! Well I better get supper going the kids are starving , well that is how they are acting:)

Thursday, June 3, 2010

2010-06-03T21:29:00.004-05:00

It is hard to believe that 10 years ago today Jeremy and I were married. Where did the past 10 years go? I was thinking this morning that in another 10 years Sam will almost be 16 and I will have two 13 year olds. HOw scary is that?! I was also thinking about all the things that have gone on the past ten years. We have lived in 6 different houses and two states. Our marriage has survived infertility problems and cancer. We have said good-bye and three Grandparents and two very dear friends. We welcomed three beautiful children in our hearts in a period of three years. We have experienced great joy and great sorrow together. I am very thankful that the Lord has given me a wonderful husband and I am looking forward to what is waiting for us over the next ten years!

BEACH

2010-05-31T19:17:00.000-05:00

We are at the Beach

2010-05-31T16:15:00.003-05:00

We awake to a very rainy and dreary day. Thankfully the skies cleared up and we were able to spend the day outside at the beach and at the pool. I do not have time to write much because it is my night to make supper. Here are a few pictures from our day.

2010-05-31T15:58:00.001-05:00

Sunday, May 30, 2010

2010-05-30T09:12:00.002-05:00

Well we are on our way to Gulf Shores. We were planning on leaving early this morning from home and traveling all day today, but totally unlike us we decided to be spontaneous and leave last night. The kids were (are) about to burst with excitement so we decided to drive half way and spend the night. We are in Birmingham and are about to leave to for the beach. There has been a lot of drama surrounding this trip but thankfully it has all been worked out and it should be a very relaxing trip. All (yes, all 15) of Jeremy's family will be spending the week together at the beach. Jeremy's parents got a condo from some friends but we just found out last Monday the it was only a TWO BEDROOM condo. We (the daughter-in-laws) went into panic mode and started trying to figure this out. A very long and stressful story later we were able to also get the condo next door to the one they already had, so we are good now. Well, I better get going we are about to pack up. I did want to share some VERY exciting news. I got a call on Friday from the Christian school and was asked to teach 2nd Grade next year. I was thrilled!!! I never taught 2nd grade but I will figure it out. Last year when I was subbing over there I was in 2nd Grade most of the time and I loved it. This news has made my summer so much better.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

2010-05-26T09:02:00.003-05:00

Last night was my nephew, Kaleb's, graduation. I was actually more emotional then I thought I would be. Kaleb was my first love. I was 14 years old when Kaleb was born. I thought it was so cool to be in Junior High and being an Aunt. That little boy changed our families life. My brother and his family lived across the street from us and we were always with Kaleb. At the age of 14 there are not many things that are important to you but Kaleb Scott Douglas was the most important thing in my life. When I was a junior in high school they moved back to TN and it crushed all of us. Two years later I left home and came to college in TN and was able to once again be apart of Kaleb's life. I have watched this little boy grow into a fine young man. He has struggled with many things in his life and his life is pretty turned upside down right now, but I see a strong young man who really wants to do what is right. I love him so much and I am thankful that he is in my life. He is a bit of a jokester and we were a little nervous that he would pull some kind of prank last night. The worse he did was he and some friends got some fake mustaches and wore them to get their diploma. Sam thought it was funny and tried it on after graduation. We had a late night because we did not go eat until after the ceremony. We went to the yummy pizza place and I am looking forward to eating some of the leftovers. Well, today is the last day of school and I am excited! I am going to work on Friday because they will be short staffed but I do not mind the extra money. Well, here are some pictures from last night. I love the ones of the kids and I think it is crazy that Molly looked at the camera as soon as I snapped the picture. She was not supposed to be in the picture but it turned out cute.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

2010-05-25T09:31:00.002-05:00

We had a wonderful weekend! Here are a few pictures. The lighting was terrible in the church so all the baptism pictures turned out dark. We also had someone else taking the pictures and was not quite sure how to fix the camera to make the pictures lighter. ANyway, it was a sweet time and I am so proud of Samuel. Tonight we have my nephew's graduation and then tomorrow is the last day of school YEAH!!!

Kindergarten Graduation

2010-05-18T10:51:00.002-05:00

This morning was Sam's Kindergarten program. It was so sweet and of course I cried for most of it! I love all my kids. I also love all my kids equally but I hope this does not make me sound like a bad mother, I love them differently. Each child came into my life at different stages in my life. Each of my kids are blessing to me and each are a special gift. Samuel was my personal lifesaver. I know that sounds dramatic, but he was. After my cancer I was in a very bad place. I had so many doubts and I was a bitter and angry person. I was so good at hiding it but when I was home or by myself, the true feelings would surface. Samuel saved my life, my emotional, spiritual and maybe my physical life. From the moment I saw his picture he was knitted into my heart and life and I knew that life would never be the same. He brings so much joy and happiness to others and I love watching him grow into this amazing little guy. Well, I am on my lunch break so I better stop before I totally lose control of my emotions. I have a few videos of this morning but they are not super great. They sang a few songs and they were really cute. They sang the song "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah" but they changed to the words to say "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, Zip-a-dee-yah, watch out 1st grade we are on our way". It was adorable. After the program Sam went home with Gran to spend the rest of the day.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

2010-05-18T10:38:00.003-05:00

We had a great weekend. By Saturday I was finally feeling better so that made just about everything better. I was not completely pain free because it seemed like the pain that was all over my body decided to join forces and settle at the back of my neck. I am not kidding, I had a knot at the base of my neck that hurt so bad but I did not have any pain any where else. By Sunday night the knot was going down and I have been sleeping so much better. We had an amazing youth service on Sunday and I am not sure if I have ever seen a better bunch of sincere teenagers. I love them all so much and could not be more proud of the young men and women they are becoming. Yesterday was back to work and then last night I got my house so clean that I almost cried! I stayed up an extra hour last night just to enjoy the cleanliness. I knew I could enjoy it while the kids were asleep. We have a very busy week and weekend so I probably will not be posting. My parents are coming in tonight. Sunday is my parents' 40th wedding anniversary and Sam is getting baptized on Sunday. My nephew is graduating from High School Tuesday night and then we have graduations on Thursday and Friday. I will try to post pictures of the baptism. Here are some pictures I got this weekend.

Friday, May 14, 2010

2010-05-14T10:19:00.002-05:00

Thank you all for your prayers concerning Sam and his ear. He is feeling so much better and is acting like himself again. I on the other hand have had a pretty rough week. It is mostly my own fault because I have been stressed out and because of my stress I have been in a lot of pain. My back and neck and most of my body has been hurting me all week, Last night was the first night all week that I actually slept through the night. I had to take some form of sleep aid every night but I still would wake up a few hours after finally falling asleep and would be hurting so bad I could not get back to sleep. I would use ice and heat. I would get in the floor and lay down but nothing was working. I actually found a couple of tennis balls and slept on them to take some of the pressure off the knots that had formed in my back. Jeremy thinks I should see a doctor because this happens quite often. I feel fine for a few weeks and then I can barely move from the pain. I can usually tell what triggers the stress but I am actually not sure this time. I guess some of it has to do with the recent sickness of myself and the kids. I think some of has to do with the fact that the school year is ending and I am not sure what I will be doing next year for employment. I think some of it has to do with the fact that seven of our teenagers from church are graduating and Jeremy and I are really going to miss them. The teenagers graduating were the 7th graders when Jeremy and I started working with the youth group. This Sunday is graduate Sunday and it will be very emotional for us. There is so much going on these days and it seems time is just flying by. I hesitated in saying this, but I will. Have you ever felt like something is about to change in a major way in your life? I cannot explain it but I just feel like the winds of change are about to blow. Obviously these feelings may just be from all the other things that are going on in our lives. Sorry for going into that little rant.

We have another busy weekend ahead of us. Tomorrow morning Jeremy and I are doing a 5K (I am walking) for his school district. Tomorrow night we have our special dinner for our Seniors. Sunday we have our Youth Service/Graduation service. It is going to be amazing and I cannot wait!! We have two seniors that will be baptized and it just thrills my heart to think about of these two teens have grown so much in the Lord the past year. After church we have a spaghetti supper to help raise funds for our trip to Oklahoma City this summer. After the lunch my tic tac toe team is coming over the house so we can work on our questions and then back to church Sunday night. Well here are two pictures of the kids taken at church Wednesday night. When we got to church some of the teens were practicing for Sunday and my kids were awestruck of the teenagers.

Playing Baseball in the house

2010-05-14T09:38:00.004-05:00

I got this video of the kids the other day. Sam loves pretending to play baseball and of course he is sporting our favorite teams the Chicago Cubs!

Update on Kids

2010-05-10T17:59:00.000-05:00

Well I thought we were going to have major issues with Emma's tooth but come to find out her tooth is bruised. I had no idea a tooth could be bruised. She must of hit her tooth on something but I cannot think of a time she hit her mouth hard enough to bruise her tooth. The good news is that the tooth is in good shape and does not need to be pulled. The bad news is that the tooth will stay discolored until it falls out. After the dentist we went across the street to the doctor. Sam started crying at my work and the teacher came over to tell me that he was complaining of his ear and that he was running a fever. I called the doctor and got him an appointment. The doctor came into the room and looked in his ear. There was a piece of wax in the way so he had to dig it out. When he got the waxed removed he was surprised to see that his ear drum had ruptured. I stared crying because I could not believe it. I thought he just had another ear infection. He prescribed him a strong antibiotic and some ear drops that are also an antibiotic. I have to take him back next week to make sure his ear is healing. He looks so pitiful! He is fast asleep on the couch and will probably stay there the rest of the night. Please say a prayer for him and that he ear heals quickly.

Monday, May 10, 2010

2010-05-10T08:51:00.002-05:00

We had a pretty good weekend. Jeremy and about 25 people from our church went to help some of the flood victims. There was a certain street in the Donelson area that was destroyed. We know 5 or 6 of the families personally and I was happy so many people showed up to help. I could not find someone to watch the kids so I had to stay home. Sam woke up Saturday morning with a fever and an earache. I gave him a dose of medicine and Tylenol and he seemed to be better by Saturday night. I will keep watching it. He was fine yesterday but was complaining again this morning. Jeremy was trying to help so he gave him some pain meds that were prescribed to Sam when he was having his tooth issue. Well, it happen to be codeine so my poor child will probably be so sleepy all day. He does not go back to school until Wednesday so at least he does not have to sit in class. He is with me at work so the teacher said she would let him lay down if he needs to rest. Well, back to the weekend. I got some things organized at the house on Saturday and then we went out to eat for Mother's Day. Sunday was church and then we went to Jacob and Lindsey's house for lunch with Jeremy's family. We did not get home until 3:00 so the kids and I did not go to church last night because the kids were still sleeping when it was time to go. Today I am taking Emma back to the dentist to get her front tooth checked out. A few weeks ago her front tooth started turning black. I am not sure what is going on because she did not have a problem with the tooth until the one next to it was pulled. I will be leaving work at 11:00 to take her. I am going to take Sam with me but will leave Chloe here to rest. After the dentist I am planning on coming back to work. Well, my class will be back in a minute so I better go. I only got two pictures yesterday and none of them are of the girls.

Thursday, May 06, 2010

2010-05-06T09:12:00.003-05:00

We are having a pretty slow week. Jeremy had to report back to school today but the students did not report. I think they had the teachers come in today to get an idea of how many teachers could actually get to school. Sam is still out of school and last night on the news they said that our county may not go back to school at all this school year. Thankfully Sam can come with me to work. Every one in our house seems to be healthy at the moment and I am hoping it stays that way. I finally got my camera out and got some pictures of the kids last night. We took the kids for ice cream at Sonic before church last night so I took a few pictures. I took some of Emma but she was looking crazy in all of them. Before I go I have a quick story about this morning. Sam is getting baptized in a few weeks but he has been getting a little scared. We have been talking to him about it more the past few days. Well last night Emma said she wanted to be baptized too. She then followed it by saying "What does baptize mean?" Well this morning Sam was playing and he was talking to his cars about being baptized and Emma started whining that she wanted to be baptized. Sam jumped up and ran over to her and put his arm around her and said, 'OK, Emma copy me. Jesus, come into my heart." Emma just looked at him like he was crazy. Sam then begin to pray "Jesus, help Emma get things straightened out in her life. Help her be good and listen to mommy, daddy and her teachers." It was so sweet!!! It also made me laugh when he said the first line about getting her life straightened out. Obviously he has heard someone say that before.

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

2010-05-04T08:13:00.002-05:00

To say it has been crazy around MIddle TN would be an understatement. It started raining her last Friday/early Saturday morning and continued to rain until Sunday afternoon. I was near Opryland Saturday for that workshop and I was starting to get scared as reports started to come in that the Interstates were flooding and being closed. Several of the ladies at the workshop had to reserve a room because they would not be able to get home. The instructor of the workshop let the ones who could still get home leave early. The Opryland area is not flooded. I made it home safe but could not believe all the water. Sunday morning the road in front of our house was closed but we were able to get out and get to church. There were several times we thought we may have to turn around and go back home. After church we had to go to Clarksville. I had a severe reaction to the medicine I was on and the doctor had to call some different medicine in to the pharmacy. I had not gotten a chance to go pick it up and by Sunday morning the strep was back in full swing and I had to get some medicine. We were able to get home safe but was in shock by all the water and damage. I have seen so many floods on TV but it is so much harder when you actually know so many people that have been affected. Jeremy and some people from church are headed to Nashville this morning to see where they can help. Sam is out of school for the rest of the week and Jeremy is not sure when he will be returning. Please pray for all that have been affected by this flooding. It really is an unbelievable sight here in Middle TN. I got a video of the kids the other day and thought I would post it.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

2010-04-29T12:12:00.003-05:00

This week has been a rough one and it is not over yet. Last Friday Chloe got sick again so I did not go into work. I went with my youth group team to our Bible competition and they did so good that we were at the Bible College until 10:00 that night. I have four teens that are part of a Bible Tic Tac Toe team. They lost the first game but came back and won 5 in a row. They made it to the championship game and the team they were playing had not lost so we had to play them twice to win the whole thing. We won the first match and it came down to one square to determine the winner. Unfortunately, the question that was asked our team did not know. They did awesome and I was so proud of them. We then found out that the first and second place teams go on to the Nationals which will be held in Oklahoma City in July. They were so excited. I got home at about 11:00 and collapsed into bed. Saturday the kids all seemed to be feeling fine and I tried to get some work done around the house. Jeremy was gone all day with the rest of the youth group. The kids were restless all night and we were up with them several times in the night. Sunday was church and then back to school on Monday. Monday afternoon I was not feeling well and I was at work until 5:00 because I had parent/teacher conferences. Tuesday when I woke up my throat was hurting. I had some more conferences that afternoon so I had a long lunch break. I called the doctor and decided to get checked for strep. Sure enough that is what it was. They gave me a shot and some medicine to take for the next five days. They also referred me to a ears, nose and throat doctor. They think I should get my tonsils out. I am not too sure about that. I have heard so many horror stories and I may just live with my sore throat. I came back to work on Wednesday and at about 10:30 Emma's teacher found me and told me that Emma was crying of an ear ache and that she had a fever. I called her doctor and got her in for an appointment. She has another ear infection. This is the fifth one since December. The doctor prescribed some stronger meds but told me that she needed to prepare me that this was the last round of meds they will give her and then we will need to have the TUBES talk. I went to Wal-Mart to get her medicine and they could only fill half the prescription and the other half would be ready today. I am still not feeling 100% but tonight is the Book Fair at Sam's school and we promised we would go. Tomorrow I have a training day here at work and then have another teacher's conference in Nashville from 2-5 and then 8-5 on Saturday. WHEW, I am more exhausted just listed all the things going on! In all the craziness I only managed to take one picture this week of Sam.

Friday, April 23, 2010

2010-04-23T09:37:00.003-05:00

Yesterday morning was Sam's award program and I am pretty sure I was about to bust with pride. As we walked into the school and toward the gym we were stopped by every teacher/staff and they would tell me what a sweet son I had. They told me he was their helper and that he was such a great reader and they went on and on. It is just amazing to me the impact this little boy has had on the people he is around in his 5 years of life. The whole school was in the gym and the principal came out with the certificates. There were about 20 kids are so that got a certificate. When Sam's name was called he became so shy and did not want to go get his certificate. The kids were supposed to walk up to the stage and go in this door and stand on the stage. I knew he would not do this on his own. I walk some of the way with him and then his teacher came out and walked him up on the stage. I am just so proud of him and I pray that he will always have his servants heart and sweet spirit.
I have worked until 3:00 all this week so it has been crazy. Monday night was the only night I was home. This morning we all got up and got ready. I got the kids buckled in the van and I noticed that Chloe was looking weird. I thought she had the hick-ups but then I realized what was about to happen. She threw up all over the place. She was covered. Her car seat was covered. It was on the floor and on the seat. The poor baby did not know what was happening and she started crying. I was not quite sure what to do. I got her out of the van and we all headed back into the house. I called work and I was so mad. They wanted me to find someone to watch her! Well I could not find someone. The poor baby was crying and clinging on to me for dear life. I could tell she was in pain. I got her cleaned up and then she laid down on the couch and that is were she has been staying since. I am a little worried that her throat may be hurting because she makes a weird face every time she swallows and I am having a hard time getting her to drink. I got a call a little while ago from work and they wanted to know if I could come in for a few hours this afternoon!! If Chloe does not throw up again I am going to work for two hours just so they will leave me alone. Sam is also home today because I knew he would be really late getting to school and I had to get the van cleaned up before I could put them all back into the van. So, I found someone to watch the kids for a few hours. Tonight is our Bible competition or our church. I will be going with the teenagers and Jeremy will be staying with the kids. Tomorrow is the Music and Arts competition so Jeremy will be going and I will be staying home with the kids. It is supposed to storm tomorrow but I am praying it does not get too severe. I do not do storms very well:( Well I guess I better get going. I have to get everybody ready to leave again.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

2010-04-21T11:01:00.003-05:00

I do not have a lot of time to post but I am one proud momma and wanted to share. Yesterday when Sam got home from school there was a letter in his folder from the principal. The letter stated that on Thursday morning Samuel would be receiving an award for his Exemplary Character Traits he displays at school. I just cried as I read the letter because I am just so proud of him. Jeremy has testing this week at school so he is not able to attend but Sam's first teacher (at Jeremy's school) asked if she could come to the ceremony. I think it is sweet that she wants to come and Sam will love to see her again.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

2010-04-20T10:33:00.002-05:00

Once again I see that I have not posted in a week. Life really is crazy right now and I cannot wait until Summer. We will be busy but as least we will be together as a family. Last week passed pretty quickly. I got two projects for my class out of the way and I only have one more left to get done. Friday night I got my house cleaned and Jeremy had a softball tournament that he was playing in. He had a game Friday night and all day Saturday. On Saturday the kids played in yard and then we headed over to one of Jeremy's games. Sunday was church yesterday was school and work and tonight is class again. The rest of our week is packed full with church activities and I am exhausted just thinking about it! On a positive side, I only have 27 more days of teaching until Summer break, so I press on:) Sam is staying healthy. Emma has another rotten tooth. Chloe has finally started to say some more words. He new (and cutest) word she says is "ME". If anybody asks who wants something or another question she raises her hand and says "ME".

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

2010-04-13T17:56:00.003-05:00

I know it has been a whole week since I posted but we have been pretty busy around the Riggs house. Between Jeremy and I both going to school and working and us both trying to get our homework done, we have not had time for anything else. Saturday I had a little bit if down time but my definition of down time is getting the house cleaned up. We had our Saturday Night Worship service at church and the kids looked so cute I got a few pictures of them. I also cut Emma's hair a little bit and she looks so cute. You may not be able to tell from the pictures but it looks cute. Saturday night at church Emma started coughing and feeling a little feverish. Sunday morning she seemed to OK but Sunday afternoon she woke up from her nap and was burning up. Her fever was at 103! We quickly got some medicine in her and some cool rags on her head. The fever went down but stayed around 100 and then would spike back up. She slept with me Sunday night but I did not sleep well because she was burning up most of the night. I called into work Monday and took Emma to the doctor. She has an ear infection, possible strep (they did not check because she would be on antibiotics) and a viral infection. She seemed to be feeling better but the fever returned last night. I went to work today but Emma stayed the day with Gran and Papa. I am actually in class right now (we have not started yet) and I thought I would take advantage of the WiFi.

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

2010-04-06T08:05:00.002-05:00

I have a few minutes this morning so I thought I would post a few pictures. Jeremy gave Sam a haircut last night. I was worried it would be too short but he looks cute. Sam did not have school yesterday so he went with me. We took Emma to her room and this little girl saw Samuel and said to Emma "Who is that?' pointing at Sam. Her teacher said "that is Emma's brother". The little girl replied "Wow, he sure is handsome!" The teacher and I cracked up. He is handsome but he needed a haircut. I have posted a before and after picture. This morning when Sam woke up he came running in our room and said "Look, I still have my haircut!" It was cute. Well I better get to work. My class will be back in here in a few minutes. I have class tonight and I am hoping I can make it until 10:00 tonight! Have a great day!

Monday, April 05, 2010

2010-04-05T09:00:00.002-05:00

We had a great day yesterday. The kids looked so cute in their Easter outfits. We had a wonderful service at church and I was so happy that my brother and nephews came to church with us. I had invited them but was not sure if they would come out. After Sunday School they were already in the church. After church we had lunch and a good time of catching up on everybody's life. After lunch we came home and the kids took a nap and Jeremy and I worked on our classes. This new class I am taking is really frustrating me. It is a technology class and it confuses me a little bit. Well I better get going. Here are a few pictures from yesterday.

Saturday, April 03, 2010

2010-04-03T19:17:00.002-05:00

I have been meaning to post all week but we have had so much to do this week. Tuesday I get to work and find out that the mom's of my students conspired and talked the director into having 1st Grade at my school next year. They started making all these plans and I was stressing out. I am hoping that I do not have to go back there next year. I get on the phone and drag a friend into my craziness and try to get some answers. I was a complete mess! I do not want to tell my work that I am hoping to find something else because if the other does not work out then I need to keep my job.I also feel like I am not being fair with my current job. I was in a complete frenzy and my dear husband made it hit home why I was so upset. It is all about control with me. I NEED to know what is going to happen. I am always in planning mode and it is so hard for me to let go of that control and let God be the ONE leading. After all that worrying I got to school Wednesday morning and it may not work out to have the 1st grade after all. It still is not definite but it was a reminder that God is taking care of it. Wherever I am in the next few months, God will take care of us. This is always an issue with me but at least it only took me a day to hand it over to Him. Wednesday I was sent home at noon (After I had returned from lunch) and they forgot to tell me before I left. The girls were sound asleep for nap and I had to wake them up. I was not a happy camper and my feeling bad for maybe leaving was not there anymore:) The girls and I went to a few stores to keep busy before picking Sam up. I never did find that missing shoe so I was on a mission to find Sam some new dress shoes. I guess they only make two types of boy's dress shoes in my son's size and they want to charge you a million dollars to buy them. I did end up getting some but they are not as nice as the ones he had. Thursday morning I woke up feeling terrible. I was so stuffy and could not breath. It was a long day at work and then my new class started that night. I got home about 9:00 Thursday night and I was so thankful I had the day off Friday. Friday I got some things done around the house and then took the kids to a friend's house and Jeremy and I went on a date. We went out to eat and then we went to play miniature golf. We had not done that in such a long time and it was so much fun. We actually went to the golf place that we has our first date! We picked up the girls and Sam stayed the night at our friend's house because he was going to Chuck E Cheese for a special treat. The girls slept in this morning so I was able to sleep in until almost 10:00. I could not believe it! I cannot remember the last time I slept that long. I have been feeling kinda crummy the past few days so the rest was much needed. Jeremy had a paper due so the girls and I went out for lunch and then picked up Sam. I attempted to go to the store but I only got a few things because it was so crazy. We got home and planted some flowers. We have some teens over tonight but I am in the room with the kids. They are watching "The Passion of the Christ" so I am keeping the kids out of the living room. We did color some eggs and then we have just read some books and watched a little TV. We are all looking forward to a great day tomorrow. After church we are having an egg hunt and then we are going to Jeremy's parents for lunch. My brother and the boys will also be joining us so I am excited. Today is actually Kraig's 16th birthday so I am glad I will get to see him tomorrow. Well I have posted two pictures and will be posting the rest in Facebook.

Monday, March 29, 2010

2010-03-29T10:34:00.003-05:00

We had a nice weekend. Saturday morning I went to grocery store all by myself and then came home and got some cleaning done. I did not get as much done has I had planned because I decided to get our Spring clothes out of the garage and go through some closets. I ended up making a bigger mess and was completely worn out by the time I got everything put away. Saturday night was District competition for our church. We had 18 entries covering several categories such as singing, Bible, and drama. I am actually a coach for one of the Bible competitions. My team did not have any competition so we only had to answer a few questions. It was a late night but my kids did great sitting through everything. They wanted a corn dog from Sonic so I got them one and then we headed home to get to bed. Sunday we had church. Sunday morning we were getting ready to go and Sam could not find one of his black dress shoes. It is so crazy because he had the shoes on the night before and I told him to change into his tennis shoes. So before we left Saturday night to go to competition he sat down in the living room and changed his shoes. I tore the house apart Sunday morning and could not find that shoe. Jeremy had a nursing home service with the teens so when the kids and I got home I looked again, but the shoe has yet to be found. It really was driving me crazy! How does a shoe disappear over night. I am hoping it turns up but I do not know where else to look. After I had looked everywhere I decided to take a nap. Last night was the kids Easter program at church. Samuel was in it and he did such a great job. I think I cried most of the program. It is sometimes overwhelming to think about how blessed we are that Samuel Jae came into our lives. It was so sweet hearing him sing "Tell me the story of Jesus". I am so thankful that he has been placed into out family and that he has been told about Jesus and that he has accepted Jesus. Well I better stop before I start crying again. Here are a few pictures from this weekend.

Friday, March 26, 2010

2010-03-26T11:17:00.003-05:00

Friday has finally arrived! This has been a very tiring week. I guess it just has to do with getting back in the swing of things. I had class last night and when I got home I could not sleep. I ended up cleaning the kitchen and put some laundry away. I think I caught the Spring cleaning bug and I am hoping to get some major cleaning done this weekend. I really need to get rid of a bunch of kids clothes. Most of the items hanging in the kids closet no longer fits them. They are all just growing up so fast! Chloe is starting to show interest in using the potty. She has gone a few times at school and she has gone twice at home. We have been putting her on the potty every time she has a diaper change. It will be nice for her to be potty trained but it also makes me a little sad. It is hard to believe that Chloe will be three this summer. Emma is growing like a weed (well, a little weed). Every day this week when I got her dressed her pants are like high waters on her. She learning so much and keeps us laughing with the silly things she says. Chloe is also doing so much better with her talking. She is saying many new words and she is actually trying to say new words. We will say something and she will repeat what we said with the same syllables. Most people still thinks she is not progressing but those of us that are around her all the time can see a major improvement. I do not want to think about how noising my house and my van will be when all three of them are talking:) Sam is still just doing great in school. He is reading so well and his report card was amazing. The teacher was very pleased with how he is doing. He brings some kind of reward home weekly for meeting some standard in reading. Today his class went on a field trip to the Nashville Children's Theater. He was so excited! They were riding a bus and everything. I was disappointed because they said they did not need parents to come on this trip with them. I got a picture of Sam this morning wearing his school t-shirt. I am just so blessed to have three amazing children. I am still struggling some with my job and I am thankful that May 27th is getting closer. I may have an opportunity to get a new job in the Fall but I am trying to not get my hopes up that it will work out. I am praying that the opportunity will happen and it does seem hopeful, but I do not know. The past few weeks I have heard of so many people, so many friends that are hurting. My heart has been so burdened for so many people that I love, but today I want to give a few things that make me happy.
1, I love that Samuel skips into school every morning.
2. Every morning when Emma wakes up she finds me in the house and wraps her arms around my legs and says "Mommy I love you".
3. I love when I pick up Chloe after school she always claps her hands together and starts squealing "My momma, my momma".
Well here are the last of our Illinois trip. I had about a million but I just picked a few to post. Most of them are on Facebook so I figured you may have already seen them. Have a great weekend!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

2010-03-25T07:51:00.002-05:00

Well we have been home since Saturday. We had a wonderful trip. I have been playing catch up since we got home so that is why I have not posted anything. My laundry was out of control and it was tough getting back into the swing of things. Well I need to get to work but I wanted to post a few pictures from our trip to 123 Jump when we were in Illinois.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

2010-03-17T13:21:00.003-05:00

We have made it safely to Illinois. The trip actually went pretty fast until we were able 2 hours away. There is a stretch of road that all looks exactly the same and it feels like you are on that stretch forever. It was a beautiful day and so I got a few pictures of the clouds (well, actually Kraig took the pictures). Kraig and I got to talk and it was just a wonderful time. The kids were great all the way up here. Chloe started to get a little restless a out an hour away but nothing too major. We got to my parents at about 5:30 but nobody was here. My niece Isabel is also here because my sister is on Chicago for a teacher's conference. My mom took Isabel to get a haircut and my dad was still at work. The door was open for us so we came in and unloaded the van. The kids and I went outside to play while we waited for everyone to get back. It is just a sweet feeling to see my kids run and play in the same backyard that I used to run and play in when I was a kid. Everyone got here at about 6:30 and all the craziness erupted. The kids were so excited! We ate supper and then we went up to my dad's business to see my mom's cats. She is keeping the cats up at work while we are here this week. The kids played with the cats and Kraig and I headed to the third floor of my dad's work. The building is not like a brick building with three distinct floors but it is a metal building that has been build to have a bottom floor then some stairs that goes up to a second floor and then the some more stairs in the middle that goes up to an attic type floor. Over the past 5-7 years my mom has been packing up all the things we left behind at home and has been storing them up on the third floor. It is pretty crazy up there but Kraig and I decided to take a look around. The first container I opened had my Fievel doll (The "American Tail" character) in it. I took it out and Sam thought it was the coolest thing ever. We were only up there for a few minutes because it was kind of dark and creepy, but it was neat to see some of the things that I had forgotten about. It was also weird how just one look at some of those items caused many memories and emotions to come back like they happened yesterday. I plan on going back up there tomorrow or Friday and look for a few things that I would not mind my kids having. After our adventure we came home and tried to get everyone settled for bed. They all slept pretty good. The kids are all resting right now because we are leaving in about an hour. We are taking the kids to this place called "Just Jump". We will do that for an few hours and then we are going to eat at mine and Kraig's favorite place, Taco John's. It is nothing fancy but they have these amazing things called potato oles and they are delicious. We have to eat there every time we come home. After that we have church and then back home.

Monday, March 15, 2010

2010-03-15T08:14:00.003-05:00

Day one of Spring Break and my kids decide to wake up at 6:00 this morning. I was able to get them to lay back down for a little while but Emma kept talking and she does not know the meaning of talking quietly. I got up at about 7:00 and started getting things done around the house. When Jeremy gets up I am going to run a few errands by myself and then we are all going this afternoon to pick up my nephew Kraig. Tomorrow morning I have to do some observation and then the kids and I and Kraig are heading to Illinois. I am excited to spend this time with Kraig. He is almost 16 and I am honored that he wanted to spend his Spring Break with us. It has been a rough few months and I pray that I will be an encouragement to him.
I posted the other day about taking our van in to be serviced and I am so thankful we did. I had bad brakes and rotors.It was a little expensive but I am thankful we got them fixed before the gave out entirely. We picked he van up on Friday and then we stayed home most of the weekend. Jeremy had a huge paper due and he thought it was due on Sunday (that is when everything else is due) but it was actually due Friday night. He did not discover this until Saturday afternoon so he was holed up most of the day working. He was able to finish it Saturday afternoon and is hoping the professor will not take much off for being a day late. It was the final project due so he does not have a class this week. Well I better get going. Everywhere I cleaned this morning is getting destroyed by the kids. Samuel is so excited about the trip he is acting a wee bit hyper. When he gets like this he just gets into everything and makes a mess. Before I go I have a cute story about Sam. I bought him the movie "An American Tail" the other day. It is the movie about Fivel the mouse and his family coming to America to get away from the cats. On the journey to America Fivel gets separated from his family. Samuel was glued to the movie. He cheered and was concerned during different scenes in the movie. At the end of the movie Fivel finally finds his mom and dad. The movie ended and Sam came over to me tell me Fivel found his parents and I noticed that his eyes were red and watery. I thought maybe he was sleepy because he had been up since 5:30 that morning. So I asked him if he was tired and he said "No mom. I am crying a little bit". Me "WHy are you crying?" Sam- "I am just so happy Fivel found his parents!" I just thought it was sweet. I have never known him to cry over a movie.

Thursday, March 11, 2010 Zombie Cat?

2010-03-11T10:54:00.002-06:00

Zombie cat? I am sure you are wondering if I have lost my mind and I am kinda of wondering myself. I know there is no such thing as zombies and no such thing as a cat being a zombie but I have had a weird week concerning one of my cats. Our cat, Sally, went missing back in November. We had not seen her since the first weekend it turned really cold here. I though it was strange because Sally never wonders too far from our yard. She is actually the cat that I tried to give away to a family about 12 miles up the road last year when I was turning into the "cat lady". I say try because two days after I gave her away she showed back up at the back door. We decided just to keep her. Ok back to her disappearing. What was so weird is that a three of our cats were no where to be found for several weeks. Boots, my favorite, came back right in January but Sally never returned. I searched the yard several times and there is a big tree that is fallen in a field behind our house that the cats would sometimes go. Well, on Saturday I am pulling up into the driveway and I see something laying in the yard. I could tell it was an animal and I could tell that it was dead. It was laying toward the back of our back yard. I got out of the van and sure enough it was our cat Sally. She was dead and it was not a pretty sight. I had all the kids with me so I quickly got them in the house. Sunday morning we are leaving for church and I notice that the dead cat is closer to the house then it was the day before. Monday when I got home from work the cat was even closer to the house. Well Monday afternoon it was so nice outside and the kids wanted to play so I got a shovel and I finally got the cat out of the yard. I threw it into a bunch of leaves and branches and it was pretty much buried under a bunch of stuff. I will have you know that I got home Tuesday and that dead cat was in my front yard right up by the sidewalk to get in the front door. It was so strange! So I know the cat did not bring itself up to my front porch but it made me wonder. Molly had been inside the garage all day so I know it was not her that drug the cat back to the yard. The cat now has been buried in the ground and I am hoping to never see it again. Well that is my crazy story for the week.
We all have one more day of school and then we will have a much needed break. I do not have class tonight so I am super excited. We are taking my van in tonight to get serviced before our trip next week, It has been making a weird noise so I am praying it is nothing major.
Well my break is almost over so I better be going. Before I go I would ask that you pray for the family of a dear friend of ours. SOme of you may read the blogs from my blog list, so my friend Brooke Atwood Turnbough is one of the blogs that I follow and her father passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday. Her and her husband are missionaries to Spain and I know this is a very difficult time for them. Jeremy and I went to Bible College with her and her husband and her brother is a friend of ours. They are a wonderful family and if you get a chance please say a prayer of comfort and peace to the Atwood Family.

Tuesday. March 09, 2010

2010-03-09T11:41:00.003-06:00

Well I am on lunch break at work and I brought my computer today so I thought I would post a few pictures. Yesterday was so beautiful so the kids and I played outside when we got home from school. I also wanted to post a picture of Sam's sign that he made for his play house. We are having a pretty good week but I am feeling pretty unmotivated to get things done that need to be done. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that Spring Break starts on Monday and I am just ready for a break, The kids and I are actually going to make a trip to Illinois for a few days. Well I better get going. I hope you all are having a great week so far.

Friday, March 5, 2010

2010-03-05T16:57:00.002-06:00

Well yesterday was extremely long for me. The teacher's conference was good and I learned so much but it was a lot of information to take in so my brain was hurting when I left. I had class last night so I just stayed in Nashville until class time. Class was fine and I actually finished a project and turned it in even though it is not due for a few weeks. I also get the next two weeks off of class because of Spring Break and then I only have one more class left. Unfortunately, my second class starts the next week.I got home about 9:30 and it was great to see my new washing machine and to hear it running. The washing tub is bigger than my old machine so I think I am really going to like it. So I guess you can guess what I will be doing tonight and most of tomorrow. Jeremy has a lock-in tonight that I will not be attempting to attend. My work is having an open house tomorrow and I am supposed to be there for a few hours to meet any parents of that are interested in the Kindergarten program for next year. I am going but I am not 100% sure that I will be returning to work there next school year. Well, I better get supper going. I am sure Jeremy will want to take a nap! I have not taken any video of the kids lately so I got a little clip from this afternoon. Sam made a solar system today and he is very proud of it. Chloe has been saying "Buzz, buzz, bee" the past few days and we are so excited to hear her actually say anything that that has been the phrase around our house (you will see from the clip why I just said that). Before I get going here are a few things that have been said around our house the past few weeks.

Jeremy was throwing Emma up in the air and then catching her. Emma goes flying because she is so light. Sam says, "Dad you better be careful you might throw her so high Jesus will catch her and eat her for breakfast." We spent the next 30 minutes adjusting his theology that Jesus does not eat people.

The other day in the van I looked back and Emma was holding up two fingers. She say me looking at her and she said, "Mom, I have two more numbers until I am five. Then I will be six and be a grown up. Right mom?" I was really impressed that she was basically doing math.

When we got home this afternoon I made the kids a play house out of the washing machine box. Sam watched the Little Rascals the other day so he made a sign for the pay house. It said "NO GIRLS! Except four moms." It was too cute.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

2010-03-03T16:13:00.003-06:00

Today is a day of celebration but honestly I usually feel kind of down when March 3rd rolls around. It was six years ago today that I had my surgery. I am very thankful that I am and have been cancer free. I am thankful that through my great loss I have gained three beautiful and sweet children. I know that what happened six years ago was for a purpose. I know the events of March 3, 2004 have made me a better person and I am so thankful that God turns "beauty into ashes". I am thankful for so many other things but I also grieve a little on this day. I still feel the loss. I guess I feel a little crazy for feeling this way but I know that each year it does get a little easier. Well I guess I better get going. I have to get Sam out of the bath. Today was "wild hair" day at school so he needed his head washed. I need to get everyone fed and changed before church. I also have a busy day tomorrow. I have to go to a teacher's clinic from 8:30-3:30. Since I have class tomorrow night I am just going to stay in Nashville. Well here is a picture of Chloe from this weekend and one of Sam taken this morning.

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

2010-03-02T18:07:00.002-06:00

So I totally jinxed myself in Saturday's post when I said Sam had not had an ear infection in a long time. Samuel came home from the party crying that his ear was hurting. He was running a little fever and you could tell that he was not feeling well. I did not want to go through the weekend with him being in pain. I was also a little concerned about the chiropractor saying Emma's ear was still infected. So I called our after hours doctor's clinic and got both kids an appointment and took them in Saturday afternoon. They both had an ear infection. They both needed medicine so we made a trip to crazy Wal-Mart. I stayed home with Emma and Sam on Sunday and then Jeremy and a guy in our youth group took a look at our washing machine but could not figure out what was wrong with it. We were hoping for an easy fix but that did not happen. Jeremy ordered a washing machine on-line and he thought it said the item was in stock at the store. I called Monday afternoon and was informed that the washing machine would not be arriving until Wednesday afternoon! I dread getting the laundry caught up once I have a washing machine again. It is actually is weird not hearing the washing machine running because it is always running at this house. Well I need to get the kids in the bath and get the girls in bed. I have been putting Chloe to bed about 6:45 and Emma by 7:00. They are just so tired by the end of the day. I wish I could get to bed that early:)

Saturday, February 27, 2010

2010-02-27T10:48:00.002-06:00

This week has flown by! I did sit down several times during the week and was going to blog but something would come up or the pictures would not post. Emma has fully recovered from her dentist experience but she is still complaining of her ear hurting. She has not been running a fever so I made an appointment with our chiropractor and took hr yesterday afternoon. He said she had a few swollen lymph nodes and it looked like she was fighting an infection. She got an adjustment and did great. Some of you may think I am crazy for taking her to a chiropractor but when Sam came home he kept an ear infection. Our friend told us about taking her daughter for ear aches and it cleared right up. I was skeptical at first but we took Sam and he has not had an ear infection since. We are hoping that this helps. We had a pretty uneventful week until this morning. My washing machine broke this morning and that is a serious problem with this household. I am pretty upset. There is not a whole lot of wiggle room in our budget to purchase a new washing machine but I think we will go tonight and get one. I am already a few days behind on the laundry and the dirty clothes will take over the house if I wait a few more days. Well the big event today is that Sam is going to his first birthday party for someone at school. He got the invitation on Thursday and has just been beaming since. He said "Mom I have never been to a birthday party before!" It turns out that the little boy lives on the next road over from our house. He lives with his dad and sister. They just moved to the area back in the summer and I am not sure where the mom is in this situation. Jeremy is actually going to take Sam to the party and we are praying that it will be a good contact for our family. Well I better get Sam ready for his party before he drives me crazy. After the party I am taking the kids to the grocery store so Jeremy can work on his class. Here are a few pictures from last Sunday.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

2010-02-17T17:07:00.003-06:00

Last night we took Emma to Logan's to eat for her Gotcha Day. We had so much fun. The kids are so good when we are at a restaurant and we are very thankful. After we ate we went to get Emma's present. She wanted a harmonica just like Sam. We went to Cracker Barrel to get it because we knew they would have one in the store. We pulled in the parking lot and Sam says "Um guys, we already ate". I knew he would say something like that. We got home and then got everyone to bed. Sam finally went back to school today but they started an hour late. I took all the kids with me to work and then they drove Sam and the other kids over to school when it started. I was only at work for about an hour and a half because Emma had a dentist appointment this morning. The appointment was made back in August when I took her for a check-up. This was the earliest they could get her in to get her tooth fixed. When we got Emma she had almost all of her teeth in and I noticed that first night we had her in Korea that something was weird about one of her teeth. It has continued to get worse over the past two years and the dentist was going to try and cap it. She also had a small cavity between her two front teeth. Well, when they got her back in the room this morning that determined that the tooth was just too bad to try to save. I had noticed the past few weeks that it really was looking bad so I was not surprised that they decided to just pull the tooth. I did however start to prepare myself for the drama that would follow this event. They fixed the cavity and then they came out to get me in the waiting room to tell me that Emma was in the bathroom and needed my help. I got to the bathroom and the child was in hysterics. She was hyperventilating and she was so upset she was coughing and gagging. I was actually not surprised by the break down, but it was upsetting to see her in such a mess. The nurses kept offering things to her to calm her down but the deal with Emma is that she cannot be bribed into feeling different then she is feeling at that moment. They told me it would be best if I was not in the room while they finished because she would not get back in the chair. I agreed and reluctantly went back to the waiting room. A nurse held her for a few minutes and then she calmed down. Chloe and I were in the waiting room about 2 hours and Chloe did great. Emma was finally done and the child looked like she had been in a fight and lost. Her mouth was still a little bloody, her bottom lip was swollen and she her face was red and her hair was wet from sweat. And of course she was just beside herself because of the things she just experienced. The nurse gave me some instructions and what she should do the rest of the day and then she said what I was dreading "PLEASE KEEP EMMA FROM SUCKING HER THUMB FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS". The dentist was trying to be helpful when she said that Emma would probably sleep the rest of the day so that should help but it was the opposite of helpful because only sucks her thumb when she is sleepy or sleeping. I am pretty sure she sucks her thumb all night. She has done pretty good. When we got home she was laying down and in went the thumb. I told her to take it out and she did. I walk out of the room and when I walked back in she somehow had her blanket over her thumb (which was in her mouth) and I could not tell she was sucking her thumb. I think she was trying to fool me into thinking she was not sucking it. I guess she will be sleeping with me tonight so I can monitor her thumb sucking. It is really loud when she does it so I will be able to tell. Well that has been our day. Here a picture of Emma and Daddy at the restaurant and one of Emma missing her tooth.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010 Happy Gotcha Day Emma!!

2010-02-16T19:37:00.005-06:00

Two years ago today our journey to bring Emma home finally came to an end. We left Seoul, Korea on Saturday, February 16th and got into Nashville on Saturday, February 16th. It was actually a pretty good trip with Emma. She slept most of the trip and was pretty pleasant. We flew from Seoul to Chicago without any problems. From Chicago to Memphis our seats were not next to each other and nobody would switch seats so Jeremy and I could sit by each other. Emma started getting fussy and by the time we landed in Memphis Emma was no longer pleasant and neither were we to be honest. Emma was throwing a fit the whole time we were at the Memphis airport. We finally boarded our last leg of the journey and landed in Nashville. The welcome we received was almost overwhelming. There were so many people who had come along to share our journey with bringing Emma home and we will forever be grateful for all their support. We were relieved that Emma was home but then came the hard part. The day Emma came home was indeed filled with joy and thankfulness but it was also filled with screaming and crying. The first night Sam came home he laid on my chest and slept most of the night. When he would wake up he would be sweet and cuddly, so this is what I was expecting. WOW was I ever wrong. Emma clung to me for dear life she would not let anybody else hold her or look at her. That first night home is probably one of the roughest nights I have ever had. She screamed most of the night and nothing would calm her down. Thankfully my parents had taken Sam with them that night because it was bad. It was actually bad for the next two weeks. Sam was very sick the weeks following Emma's arrival and Emma still would not let me out of her sight. She was opposite to Samuel in every way and it was a hard transition for everyone. To be honest there were many nights that I wondered what I had gotten myself into. She was something else and I was not sure how to parent her because she would be so difficult sometimes. As I think back to those first few weeks with Emma I still see them as rough weeks but I would not change them for the world. The day Emma arrived I have changed and have become a better person because of this little girl. She is so full of life and joy and words cannot express what a blessing she is to our family. She still has her moments, but that makes her who she is and we love her with all our heart. It is wonderful to watch her grow and to see her bold personality come out. I wish I could share all the things that make Emma wonderful and special but there is not enough room on this blog to do that.

Monday, February 15, 2010

2010-02-15T08:57:00.003-06:00

We have another snowy day here. So that means we are stuck in the house again. We bought the kids The Chipmunks movie CD and the love it but I am rethinking my decision in buying it. They want to listen to it all day and it gets a little annoying. Well I was not going to post since I posted last night but I keep forgetting to share a story. I get asked many times about the kids and "if they are mine" or "are they adopted?" and other various questions and statements. Well last week when I took Emma to the doctor I had the weirdest conversation. The nurse that took us back was an older lady and from my first impression she seemed like she was new because she acted like she was unsure about what she was supposed to be doing. We got to the room and this is how the conversation went:

Nurse: Your children are beautiful. How old are they?
Me: Thanks. They are five, three, and two.
Nurse: So, what nationality are you?
Me: Huh, I am American.
Nurse: But your children look Asian
Me: They are Asian
Nurse: So, your husband is Asian?
Me: (a little chuckle) No, they are adopted from Korea
Nurse: What does your husband do for a living?
Me: (confused) He is a teacher
Nurse: Are you a teacher? You look like a teacher too.
Me: Yes I am a teacher
Nurse; Your hair sure is pretty
Me: (WHAT???) Um, thanks

It was so weird. I do not know if she was embarrassed because she thought I was Asian or what so she just started asking random questions. I am glad she was not giving any shots or anything important to my kids because I would have been scared. Anyway, I hope you all have a good day!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

2010-02-14T19:35:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!! We are having a pretty good weekend. Yesterday the kids and I went to the grocery store and then we just stayed home all day and played. Today was church and then we came home and we all took a nap. Samuel is running a low grade fever and complaining that his ear is hurting so I am not sure what is going on with him. I was up several times last night with him and a couple of times with Chloe. So, Sam and I were pretty tired today. We actually slept almost three hours today. They are calling for more snow tonight and tomorrow but thankfully we are all out of school. My plan is to get the laundry caught up and get my house cleaned again. Well here are a few pictures taken this morning.

Friday, February 12, 2010

2010-02-12T16:46:00.003-06:00

February 12th is forever apart of my life. When February 12th rolls around I start to become filled with a variety of emotions. February 12, 2004 after 11 months of cancer treatments I sat at my doctor's office in Columbia, SC and was told there were no other treatments for me. The only way to get rid of the cancer was to have a complete hysterectomy. I was devastated. I remember being angry and was pleading with the doctor to try something else. With tears in his eyes he said he had already done more then most doctors would have done. We left the office and I remember crying harder then I ever had in my life. We got in our car and drove back the hour to our house and could not believe that this was happening. I was so upset and I needed to be with my family. My parents were going to be in St. Louis for the weekend at my sister's house so Jeremy and I bought our plane tickets and headed to St. Louis. You know the rest of that story. February 12, 2008 we boarded a plane and finally headed to Korea to pick up our sweet little Emma. It is actually crazy that it has only been 2 years since we left for Korea. It is weird how when you are going through the adoption you focus on all the things you are missing while your child is not home and you think you will always dwell on those moments, but I promise you once you hold your child you really do not think much about all the things you missed. Emma is three years old and I feel like she has been home for three years. Every day we are making new memories and we are so blessed to have her in our lives. Well Jeremy and I are going on a date tonight. Janna should be here any minute so we can go. Here is a picture of my three Sweeties.

Tuesday, February 09, 2010 ANother Snow Day

2010-02-09T07:58:00.003-06:00

We had quite a weekend. Samuel's fever continued to stay around all day on Saturday. We were having a worship service at church Saturday night and I was pretty bummed that I could not go. I decided to keep the kids home that night and it is a good thing I did. Jeremy left about 4:00 to get things set up. Sam had been laying on the couch most of the day and had only eaten a few things. About 5:00 Sam stood up and started crying and then grabbed his throat saying it hurt. It took me about a second to figure out what was about to happen. I grabbed his blanket off the couch just in time to catch most of what he was throwing up. Unfortunately all of it did not make it on the blanket and there were two big spots on my living room carpet where Sam had thrown up. As I said, Sam had not eaten much but he had eaten some Valentine cookies that had red food coloring in them and we had given him orange Tylenol for his fever so I had two big RED stains on my carpet. I felt so bad for Sam but I was also in a panic about my carpet. He got sick two more times Saturday night but this time he hit the sink and the toilet. After I knew he was feeling better I started to really work on the carpet. I found some laundry stain spray but that was not making a difference. I pleaded to my Facebook friends and one of my friends told me to try to use baking soda, vinegar, and hot water. I sprinkled baking soda on the spots and then poured the water and vinegar on the baking soda. It made a really cool bubbling effect that the kids thought was neat and I was just praying it worked. It sat over night and thankfully it has faded and can barely tell where it happened. Sunday morning I stayed home with Sam and Emma but thankfully Sam's fever stayed gone most of the day. Sunday night I went to church and Jeremy stayed home. We then had about 15 teenagers over to watch the Super Bowl. We debated about having people over because of the sickies, but I had already purchased all the stuff for party. So I sanitized everything and thought it would be OK as long as Sam did not get in any body's face. Sam's fever came back Sunday night so we kept him home from school yesterday. Most of our teenagers were out if school yesterday so one of the girls stayed the night Sunday and stayed with Sam Monday. I went to work and then the sent me home at noon because they did not need me for the afternoon. I was pretty aggravated. I got a babysitter because I knew I could not call in and then I was only there for 4 hours. I came home and put the kids down for a nap. After they woke up I had to go to the bank. Yesterday afternoon it started snowing again here and has continued to snow all night and is still snowing. Jeremy and Sam's school district closed but my work was STILL open. Well I was not going to drive in this mess and Jeremy did not want to get all the kids out when they would probably send me home early anyway. I feel horrible about calling in but I know I have a legitimate reason. It is just crazy that they are open. I am trying not to worry about it but I still feel bad. I just figured that the $40 I made today was not worth risking my life:) So, we are all home today. I am going to finish my project that is due Thursday and maybe do some reading just for fun. Since I started my class I have not been able to read the books I have been wanting to read. Well here are a few pictures I took this morning of the snow and then one of Sam with his hair spiked up.

Saturday, February 06, 2010

2010-02-06T16:43:00.002-06:00

I took Emma to the doctor yesterday and she ended up having an ear infection and possible strep. The doctor did not do a strep test because she would be treating her with antibiotics anyway. She said her throat looked red but it was her ear that was making her hurt so much. I had to take a three kids with me and I am just amazed sometimes how behaved my kids are in public. They were so good. They did get a little restless toward the end because the doctor kept us waiting in the room for over 45 minutes! Our regular doctor was not in yesterday so we had to see someone new and I do not know if it was a situation where they were just working us in. We got out of the doctor a about 5:00 and then we headed to Wal-Mart to get Emma's medicine. I put her prescription in and then Jeremy met us and we went and got something to eat. We are trying to do better about eating out but I had no idea what time I would get home and it was nice that he could take the girls home and then I could get somethings that I needed to get done at the store. Emma seems to be feeling better today but Sam woke up this morning with a fever. It has been running as high as 102.5. He says his stomach hurts but nothing else. Other then the fever he seems to be fine. So I am praying that what ever he has is just a little virus or something. Ok well I said yesterday that I had a funny story about Sam. The more I think about the story I think it is more sweet then funny. Ok here it goes. The first of January Sam had a snow day and he had to come to my work for the first time. He had only been at his new school for two days and he happen to become good buddies with a boy that is in the after school program at my work that happens to be in his class at school. Well Sam talks about this little boy all the time and they are good friends at school. On Wednesday Sam had to go to work with me and on the way home we were talking about his day. I asked him if his friend was there. I am usually gone by the time the school kids get there so I am not familiar with the kids. Sam said he was there and asked me if I saw him. I then told him that I did not know what his friend looked like and if he would describe him to me. This is how the conversation went:
Sam; "well mom you see his left leg is hard"
Me- "What do you mean his leg is hard"
Sam-" Mom you know how Jesus made me and he made my skin different from you and dad. Well Jesus made (friend) with a
hard leg"
Me- "Sam does he have a fake leg?"
Sam- "What?"
Me- "How do you know his leg is hard? DId he show you his leg"
Sam- "No, mom. One day his pant leg was up and I saw that his leg was hard and shiny"

Sam is at the age where sometimes he adds things to stories or maybe he does not quite know what is going. It was quite an interesting conversation. The next day when I got to work I asked the office about this little boy, I did state that I had a crazy question just in case Sam had totally made this up. Well indeed this little boy has a prosthetic leg. We had a laugh about my conversation about and how observant Sam was and then I started thinking. It made me so proud that Sam did not even think about the fact that his friend was different. He has talked about this boy for weeks and never once mentioned his leg. I pray that Sam always keeps that sweet attitude and I realized how much I fail at accepting people for who they are.

Friday, February 5, 2010

2010-02-05T13:13:00.005-06:00

Well I was going to post yesterday but things got really crazy so I am sorry that this post may be all over the place. Yesterday Sam finally went back to school so our morning was a little rocky. I got to work and found out that I had to work until 3 so I had to call Sam's school and let them know that he needed to come over with the other kids that come to my work. I do not like having to do that because I like to be able to tell Sam before hand if there is a change. I also did not like that I had to work later because I needed to study for my class last night and it just makes getting home and getting back out the door so much harder. So I was in the two year old room and I was told that the girl I was covering from would be a few minutes late. Well the few minutes ended up being 40 minutes. So I got home about 4:00 and I had to rush around. The kids needed a bath and I needed to get Sam's clothes together for Homecoming. I did have Jeremy stop at Wendy's and get some chicken nuggets. I just felt exhausted and I was starting to question my decision to go back to school. I left at 5:00 in the pouring rain and I ended up getting stuck in traffic and was 15 minutes late to class.I was so sad that I missed Sam last night but he did great and you can see from the pictures he looked so cute. I got home about 9:00 and got to bed about 10:00. At about 12:00 Emma wakes up screaming. She actually did this the night before too. She said her ear was hurting. I gave her some medicine and she went back to sleep. I, however, could not get back to sleep for the second night in a row. Both nights I was so sound asleep when she woke me up screaming that I guess the sudden jolt of waking up messed up my sleeping. Emma seemed to be a little better but she is still not feeling well. This morning when I dropped her off at her class she just cried and cried, something she never does. I went to the office and told them that I was going to try to get Emma into the doctor. I called but they could not get her in until 4:00 today. My work did let me leave at noon since she was not feeling well. I then decided to go ahead and pick Sam up early so I did not have to go back that way before the doctor. The girls are napping right now and then we will be heading out in a few hours.
Well there was something that I have been thinking about and I was going to share yesterday so I will share it today. I have started walking a few miles a day trying to get prepared for the Go 10 Walk in June. There is a setting on my Wii that I can just walk and it tracks how far I have gone. I have been listening to my Ipod and just walking in the living room. Back in December I purchased Steven Curtis Chapmans new album called Beauty Will Rise. Many of you know about the tragic accident involving his son and their 5 year old daughter. This album is about his daughter and the pain and confusion they have been dealing with over the death of their daughter. It is an album of questions but also an album about hope and God's faithfulness. It is almost difficult for me to listen to the songs because the sorrow is almost too much. Their daughter was adopted from China and there are many songs that I cannot help but picture the faces of my sweet children. There is a song on the album where one of the lines says "I can't wait to see you smile again, The one where your eyes disappear along with all my troubles". So you can see why the songs are a little difficult to keep from crying. Well there is a song on the album that has been a great encouragement to me and I keep singing it to remind me. The song is called "He is Faithful". Part of the lyrics that have really gotten to me are the following:

I am waiting for the rescue
that I know is sure to come,
cuz You are faithful.
Yes You are faithful.
I've dropped anchor in Your promises,
and I am holding on,
cuz You are faithful.
God You are faithful.

When I hear this song my mind goes back to two periods in my life where my foundations were shaken, The first one is the two year period of having cancer and waiting for Samuel to come home. The second was when we were waiting for Emma to come home. This past year some things have happened that truthfully I still cannot believe they are happening. There have been times this past year that I almost pretend that nothing is wrong because facing the problems is just too painful. This past year things have not been specifically directed at me or physically happening to me, but the reality that my core foundation of who I am and the people that have been in my life since the beginning of my life has been shaken. I think the past few weeks I have started to feel the effects of certain situations and it has wounded my heart and spirit more then I was admitting. Yes, I know, maybe that is a little to heavy. I say all of that to say this. God was faithful when I had cancer. God was faithful and brought me the sweetest little guy. Maybe my situation is not as severe as the Chapman family but God feels are pain and our hurt whatever we are facing. I was really thinking about this yesterday because it was two years ago yesterday that we finally got the call that Emma was ready to come home. I am so thankful that God takes hopeless situations and gives hope.

Well I hope you did not mind me sharing that. I have a really funny story about Sam but I will share it tomorrow since I have already filled this entire page.

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

2010-02-02T18:18:00.003-06:00

Is anybody else in complete shock that we are already in the month of February?? We have had quite a week and weekend. We were snowed in all weekend. Jeremy, Sam and Emma did venture out Saturday afternoon to Jeremy's parents house. His parents have an enormous hill in their backyard just perfect for sledding. They made plans to just stay the night over there Saturday night. I know everyone wanted me to join them but I just wanted to stay home and rest or do whatever. I did get some work done on my class and Chloe and I had some one on one time. Jeremy and the other two kids got back Sunday afternoon and and found out they would be out of school on Monday. I, however, had to go into work yesterday. Jeremy drove me because our roads were still HORRIBLE. On the way home from taking me to work Jeremy's truck actually swerved off the road and he and the kids were stuck in a ditch for a few minutes. Thankfully he was able to get unstuck on his own and without any damage. He, Sam, and Emma were pretty shaken up but Chloe just laughed the entire time. She thought the ride was fun. The roads had cleared some by the time they had to come back and pick me up from work. After work we all came home and took a nap and it felt great. Emma has not been sleeping well the past two nights, translated, we have not slept great. Last night she got in our bed at 12:30 so Jeremy got on the couch and left me with a very restless child. Oh, and Jeremy and Sam had another snow day today while I went to work. It was actually a pretty good day and I am thankful that I seem to out of my foul mood that I had been in for a while. After work today we all went to the grocery store and then grabbed some Chinese food for supper tonight. While we were in the grocery store I got a call from the county saying that Sam would not have school again tomorrow. So far Jeremy has school so I will be taking all the kids with me to work tomorrow. I am not sure why Sam is out of school tomorrow, but oh well. Sam is actually excited about going with me tomorrow. Well here is a picture of Sam playing in the snow this weekend and one of Chloe just being sweet. I guess you will notice her poor little mouth. Her lips chap so easy and her lips have been splitting at the corners. We have been putting medicine on them but every time she laughs or screams:) they bust open.

Friday, January 29, 2010

2010-01-29T19:15:00.002-06:00

I wish I could say that I had a wonderful week but it was actually pretty miserable. I have been struggling some about my job. It seems like they expect so much from me and want me to do all of these things but my pay checks have been horrible. They have not scheduled me for the hours they said and have decided a few afternoons that they did not need me to cover for someone so that takes hours away. Technically I am teaching but I am getting paid like I work at the daycare. I mentioned in my last post that my throat had been hurting and I have been extremely irritable the past few weeks. Well Monday I continued to feel worse. I went to work and then Sam and I went on a few errands. One errand was a much needed hair cut for Sam. After the hair cut we went to the store to find something for Sam to wear to Homecoming at the Christian school, which was supposed to be tonight. Sam is the escort for a girl in our youth group who made Homecoming Court. On Tuesday I felt even worse but I continued to go about my daily business. I got to work and tried to teach and do what I needed to do, but I just felt horrible. On top of feeling bad one of the directors came to my room and asked me to help (I mean do EVERYTHING) for another teacher that needed some help with nothing extra for me. Maybe that sounds selfish but my life is so consumed lately and I do not have the extra time to do my job and somebody else's job. Anyway, I had to work until 2 and then I went to Sam's school to wait for him to get out of school. This time is actually pretty nice because I get a chance to study and do things for my Thursday night class. Well, I was waiting in the car-rider line and the longer I sat there the worse I felt. I could tell that I was getting a fever and I was really worried that I was not in any state to drive. I got Sam picked up and headed home. We got home and I got everyone to sit down and watch some cartoons and then I hit the bed. I checked my temperature when I first got home and it was at 100. Ten minutes later when I got into bed it had already climbed to 102.4. I stayed in the bed the rest of the evening and I woke up at 1:30 Wednesday morning and I could not even swallow. I had to sit up and try to sleep because I thought I would choke if I laid down. I got up at about 5:30 that morning and got a bottle of water (sorry I am about to be gross) and every time I tried to take a drink I would throw it back up. It would not go down my throat so I was throwing up the junk in my throat. I had already called into work the night before so I started getting ready so I could head to the doctor once they opened. I could not find someone to keep the girls so I had to take them with me. They were really good at the doctor's office so I was glad. Well those of you that know me can probably guess what the diagnoses was, that's right STREP THROAT. I have strep so many times but I cannot remember the last time it was this bad.The doctor said my throat was very swollen and that is why I could not get anything down. He came me a prescription for antibiotics and some steroids to help with the swelling. The girls and I headed to Wal-Mart to get my meds and then I got the the first Alvin and the Chipmunks movie for them to watch so I could rest. Well I finally make it home and we have no power. Someone is building some new houses across the street from us so they were running new lines and cut our power off. I really thought I was going to lose it! It was freezing cold in the house and now I had no movie for the girls to watch. I made Emma lay in the couch and I left Chloe to just fuss in her room until she went to sleep. I was able to rest for a little bit and then had to head out again to pick up Sam. I did have some medicine in me so I was feeling a wee bit better. We got back home and then I stayed in the bed. I slept great Wednesday night and I felt so much better Thursday. I ended up going to my Thursday night class because it is almost impossible for me to miss since it is only once a week. It went OK. I did get to prepare as much as I would have liked since I was sick, but at least I was in class. Well, I guess the big news of our week is this snow storm that we got today. All of our schools called off today and I was beginning to think they missed the mark again because the snow did not start coming until about 1:30 this afternoon. It has continued to snow the rest of the day and I think it is going to snow through the night. I think they are calling for 6-10 inches. The kids and I got out there for a few minutes today and plan on playing in it tomorrow. I am a little disappointed because the Homecoming got rescheduled for Thursday night so I will not be able to see my little guy looking so handsome because I will be in class. Well I am sorry this post is so long. I guess that is what happens when I do not post all week. I will end with this story. Tonight the kids and I made some chocolate chip cookies. I actually got all the ingredients out and we sat at their little table and let them put all the ingredients in the bowl. After we made the dough I got two little spoons and I let the kids have bite of the cookie dough. Well, Emma was being silly and she spit the cookie dough back into the bowel. Well it was totally gross but then Sam turns to Emma and says, "Emma that is not what a chef does!!"

Sunday, January 24, 2010

2010-01-24T16:31:00.002-06:00

I did not realize that it has been over a week since I posted so I will try to give a quick recap of our week. We had a great time last weekend with the youth group. We have some amazing teenagers and it is so exciting to see God working in their lives. We are very blessed to have them in our life. The kids had a great time at Gran and Papa's even though Chloe had an upset stomach all weekend, I think it must be an anxiety issue with her because she does that every time we are away from her, She has not any problems since we picked her up. We got back Monday afternoon and Jeremy had an eye doctors appointment and them a meeting with some local youth pastors. The kids and I came home and tried to get everything put away. It was back to work on Tuesday and it was hard getting back in the swing of things. Wednesday I was only at work for about an hour and then I had to go to Nashville for a teacher training. I was a little aggrevated because I found out Tuesday afternoon that my work had signed me up for this training. I would not have minded except it was a non-paid training and I had already missed a day on Monday. So, Wednesday I drove to Nashville in the pouring rain and I had no idea where I was going. I finally found the church where the session was being held and then was there for a few hours. Thursday was a regular day and then I had class that night. Class is going pretty good. It is a little hard to study for the tests that we have each week, but I am working in studying whenever I have a free minute. I have been getting off work at 2:00 so I have been studying while waiting to pick up Sam. Friday was work and school and then we went to the grocery store Friday night. We also went to Sam's Club for a cheap but fun supper. We then came home and read the book "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" and then we watched the movie. Sam and I camped out in the living room and had a fun time. We slept in a little bit but Jeremy and I both woke up not feeling well, My throat has been hurting the past few days and I feel pretty sluggish. I took a few hour nap and then felt a little better. We had a Life Group get together at some friend's house last night and it was so much fun. I was up several times last night with my throat hurting and Jeremy woke up this morning at about 5 and had a 102 temperature. He has been feeling horrible all day and his fever will not break. He has already called in for tomorrow. I am still not feeling great but I do not have a fever so we will see. One more thing before I go. Today at church we a had special speaker who is heading up something to raise money for Free Will Baptist Foreign Missions. Our denomination is doing something called Go 10 Walk. It basically is a retracing the steps of our first missionary, so the walk starts in GA and then goes up to New York and then back through Nashville and then through MO an into Oklahoma City. They are asking people to walk 10 miles and asking that each person try to raise $500. They have a donor who is going to match up to a half of million dollars so it is really exciting to think of what this would do to help our missionaries. Well, the road that this walk is following goes right through our town so I have decided to sign up and walk 10 miles of the walk. So I said all of this to say that I would ask that you pray for me about this. I like to walk but I have never walked 10 miles at a time. I would also ask that you pray about donating to my account. You can go to www.go10walk.com/kimriggs to learn more.

Friday, January 15, 2010

2010-01-15T19:45:00.002-06:00

Class went great last night. I will need to stay on top of the work but I feel pretty comfortable with all the projects and things that we are covering. It was also a WONDERFUL surprise when the teacher told us that there was a misprint in the times and the class is only from 6-8:45 on Thursday not 10:00. That makes things so much better. I got home about 9:15 and Jeremy and I watched the show Bones, which he recorded for me. Today was then another exciting day. We all got ready and got out the door this morning and things were going as normal. It was about 10:30 and the director of our center came into my room to tell me that Emma had fallen outside and hurt her wrist. I went to the office to see her and she was crying and holding her wrist. It was swelling a little and I was not sure what to do. We put an ice pack on it and the ladies in the office suggested that I go ahead and take her to the doctor just to be sure it was OK. I called the doctor and they told me to bring her in. By the time we got to the doctor it was looking better but she was still saying it was hurting. Thankfully there was nothing broken but it was sprained and bruised. She has a bandage on it and I am giving her Tylenol for the pain. She is supposed to be keeping it up as much as she can, but I am lucky to keep her still for more then 5 minutes. I am praying that it does not hurt her too bad during the night. It id funny because Chloe keeps trying to ask for a bandage on her arm and gets upset when I tell her she does not need one. Well, after the doctor I took Emma to McDonalds and we just had a sweet time together. I then went back to work and picked up Chloe, came home for a few hours and then headed back to get Sam. I have been trying to get the laundry caught up and packed for our trip tomorrow. I think I am almost packed but I am pretty sure I am forgetting something, Well I better get going. I hope you have a great weekend. We will be back on Monday. Here is Emma and a rare moment of her smiling today.

Thursday, January 14, 2010- Happy Birthday to me!

2010-01-14T14:38:00.002-06:00

Today had been quite a day and I still have a long time left of this day. My day started out 10 minutes behind schedule when Jeremy decide to get up earlier and was still in the shower when my alarm went off. I know you may be thinking that I was glad to get the extra 10 minutes but that is not how I think when it comes to staying on my schedule. I hate being late. There are times that I would rather not show up at all if I am going to be late. Jeremy gets so aggrivated at me because I get beside myself if we are running late. I am not sure where this obsession with being on time (actually at least 5 minutes early) came from, but I am thinking it has to do with my Dad. My Dad is all about having a schedule and I am all about staying on time with that schedule. Ok, sorry back to my day. So I continue to get ready and make sure the kids get going a little quicker this morning to make up for the lost time. Jeremy left at about 6:30 because he was taking a day off to spend the day with a family in our church whose daughter (who is in our youth group) was having some tests done today at Vanderbilt and needed to get something together for his sub. At about 7:00 he calls and says he is on his way back home. I asked him if he forgot something and he has indeed forgotten something,he has all THREE car seats. He is in Nashville and we are supposed to be leaving in 15 minutes! Yes I realize in the large scheme of things this was a minor problem, but I was in a panic because I knew we would all be late this morning. Sam has to be at school at 7:45 and I have to be at work at 7:45 so I knew that one of us was not going to be on time. Well Jeremy made it back home at 7:30, he kept all the seats and took Sam to school and then dropped the girls off at my work. So we were all on time and I could settle down. Jeremy was in a hurry to get to the hospital so the plan was for him to pick us up when I got off at 2:30. Well at about 11:00 the lady in the office came to my room and said that they did not need me to stay this afternoon so I could leave at 11:30. That sounded great! Then I remembered that I did not have the car seats. So I text Jeremy's mom and ask if they could bring me the seats they have. Well Jeremy's dad was also at the hospital with this family so he had their car. She suggested that I leave the girls at the daycare and come to their house and get them. So I leave and go to Jeremy's parent's house and his mom is standing outside in her pajamas. She comes to the car and she has been locked out of the house with our her phone. She brought the seats outside for me to grab and the door locked behind her. To make matters worse my phone was flashing red that my battery was about to die and Jeremy's dad was not answering his phone to let him know that he needed to come home. I ended up taking her to a friend's house and Jeremy's dad could pick her up there. We had a good laugh. I finally got the girls and came home for about an hour so I could charge my phone. I was almost out of diapers and I needed to get some things for this weekend. We are going to Gatlinburg this weekend with our youth group. It is always a fun weekend with them. The kids are staying with Gran and Papa and will have a blast. Well I am not sure if I mentioned this, but I decided a few months ago that I was going to go back to school. So registered for a couple of classes this semester and unfortunetly the first one starts tonight. My class will be every Thursday night from 6-10 until April. I am pretty excited because I loved school and I love learning but I am also nervous and hope I can handle the load added. Well I better get going. Thanks so much for all the Birthday Wishes!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

2010-01-12T16:36:00.002-06:00

Well we survived our weekend of being stuck in the house. I did not think I was going to make it Saturday. The kids and I had been stuck in the house since Wednesday afternoon and we were going CRAZY! We had church Sunday and then we went to Jeremy's parents for lunch for mine and Jacob's birthday lunch. Sunday night on the news they were saying that Sam's school was opening an hour late. Jeremy brought Sam to his parents and Papa was going to take Sam to school when it started since I had to be a work an hour before he needed to be there. So I get to work and a lady in the office comes to my room to see how my weekend was and then she asked me if I brought my son with me today. I told her that I worked something out for his grandparents to bring him to school. She then replies by telling me that the county CANCELLED school for Monday. I did not even think about checking the news that morning because I thought it was crazy that they were starting an hour late since the roads had cleared up on Sunday. So I had Jeremy's dad bring Sam to me at work since they had a school-age class for those out of school. I thought it would be a good idea for Sam to get used to being at my work and get to know the people that he may be with on days he might have to come when I work later. He was all weird when he got to my work and started crying when I left him even though my room was right next to his room. He had a fun day and actually became buddies with a boy that is in his class at school that was also there. Well I was going to post more tonight but we are about to go watch some of the girls in our youth group play basketball.

Friday, January 08, 2010

2010-01-08T07:41:00.003-06:00

We are all home again today. Jeremy and Sam's school was cancelled last night and my school was still opening at 8:00 this morning. I was still very confused as to whether I was supposed to go in today, so I got up this morning and got ready just like yesterday morning. I did shower and fix my hair last night before bed so I slept in a little later and only had to get dressed and curl my hair. I did not mind going in today because if I do not go in I do not get paid. I was however a little concerned about the road conditions. There is still snow and some ice on the roads and those of you who have been to my house know that the two roads I need to take to get to the main road is not easy to drive on when the weather is beautiful. So, I decided to call work before I actually went outside to see if I needed to come in today. They told me that I could just stay in because their numbers would probably be down today. So I went back in my room and put my pajamas back on:) My plan for today is to finally get caught up on all the stuff that has been left undone since Christmas. I have a mound of clean clothes that I just cannot get motivated to put away. I need to go through the kids clothes and box up all the clothes they cannot wear. They have so many clothes in their closet and drawers that they do not wear and I think the lack of space adds to my lack of motivation of not getting the clothes put away. I feel like it is a constant fight trying to find a place to put them. So I am really hoping to be productive to day. Well I got waffles going for the kids so I better go. Here are some pictures of the kids playing outside yesterday. I thought it was so funny when the kids laid down on the deck to make snow angels. Poor TN kids, the most snow we get accumulates on our deck. Stay warm and have a great weekend.

Happy Birthday to my Dad and Isabel

2010-01-07T13:37:00.006-06:00

I was so upset this morning that I forgot to wish my Dad and my niece Isabel a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Well I guess if you are reading this you already know that I have set my blog to private. I had been thinking about doing it for a few weeks now because I actually got some guy that has commented on some of my pictures and I have no idea who he is. I also have a follower that I have no idea who she is and it kind of creeps me out. So this mornings comment just confirmed that I needed to change the setting to private.If you know someone that reads my blog but maybe I do not know them you can forward me their e-mail and I will add them. Well believe it or not it is still snowing lightly here. Sam, Emma and myself went out about an hour ago and played for a few minutes in the little bit of snow that had fallen. They had so much fun and I was able to get a few pictures and will post them tomorrow. Well I have posted a picture of my dad and Chloe taken after Chloe's court date and one of Sam and Isabel from last week.

Thursday, January, 07, 2010

2010-01-07T09:52:00.008-06:00

OK, so I was going to just post about our day but before I do I have something to vent. When I logged on I had a comment from someone anonymous stating that they liked my new postings because my old ones were not very good and now I was showing more originality and creativity. Well I am sorry to whoever left that comment that I have not been enough entertaining for you. If you do not like my blog do not read it. My purpose for this blog is to be very candid about my life and the ins and outs of our days for those who know my kids and my family. I am not sure what was meant by originality, but I do not have a blog for people to think it is great or creative I just do it to share our lives. Most days I post I have at least one child climbing on me, running laundry, and tending to someone who needs help, so I am lucking to even write a coherent thought. I guess what upsets me the most about the comment is that the person that left it obviously does not know me because they did not even bother to leave their name and they would know that I need encouragement right now not a critic. When I start getting paid for doing this then that person can leave their two cents worth. OK, sorry that may have been harsh, but it really upset me. So with that said, here is a recap of the past few days. Yesterday was day two at Sam's new school and he did great. He woke up excited and we did not have any melt downs once we got to school. I decided to let him buy hot lunch at school this week and he thought it was the coolest thing ever. I picked him up at about 2:45 and he was all smiles. We came home and the kids played the Wii and settled in for the night. They have been calling for snow all week so before bed last night Jeremy and Sam's school had been cancelled. My school was only opening 2 hours later so I made plans to go to work today. I woke up to absolutely so snow on the ground. I got up and got ready and even headed out the door. I was on the phone with my dad and was backing out of the driveway when worked called and said I did not have to come in today. It started lighting snowing at about 7:30 but it is not much to mention. We just have a light dusting. So we are all staying home today and just enjoying each other.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

2010-01-05T19:24:00.002-06:00

I do not have any pictures to post but I thought I would get caught up on what has been going on around here. We had a pretty emotional Christmas break, but it was also good for my family to be together for a few days. It was especially nice to spend a week with my sister. Jeremy was gone all last week so it was nice to have some family with me to help with the kids. Jeremy was taking a class at Liberty University in Virginia. Yes, Jeremy is still going to school. He is working toward his doctoral degree in administration. He is doing most of it online but he is required to take several classes on campus. I want to thank those of you that prayed for him while he was gone and while he was sick. Monday night while he was away he got a migraine that lasted 14 hours and was miserable. He went to the ER and got some meds and was able to get back into his class. He finished the week strong and got back Saturday evening. Sunday was church and then we went to eat lunch with a dear family and then came home and got a nap. Yesterday was back to work for Jeremy and myself. Jeremy did not have students but he had a work day. The girls and I adjusted nicely to getting back to a routine. Today was the BIG day for Samuel and started his new school. He was really excited this morning but became a little unsure once we got to the school. The lady in the office took us to his classroom and on the way we met a girl who was laying on the floor SCREAMING that she did not want to go to class. Another lady pointed out that Samuel was going to be in her class and I think it freaked Sam out and he started acting weird. We got to his class and he clammed up. He would not talk to the teacher and his little eyes started to water and turn red. I was trying so hard to keep it together because I knew if I started crying it would be over. It was also crazy because I had both girls and Chloe was being crazy and Emma kept taking her coat off and trying to stay in the classroom. I finally got Sam to sit down and I just had to walk out of the room. I was so worried about him all day. It was finally time to pick him up and he was smiling and started to warm up after a few activities. His teacher met me at the door and said he had a good day. They did some kind of writing activity and she was blown away by what he had written and could not believe how much he already knew. After I picked Sam up I needed to make a Wal-Mart trip to get the rest of school supplies for Sam. I did not want to go with all three kids but I needed to go. We got to the store and I took Emma to the potty. She did not want to go but she sat down but I am not sure she went. She has been doing this thing were she should be going to the potty but she gets too busy doing something else. She has started trying to flush the toilet when she goes into the bathroom or finds something else and ends up going in the floor. OK, back to my story. I get her back in the buggy and we go back to the front of the store and she says she has to go potty. Sam was doing something and I was trying to get off the phone and get back to the bathroom when I see a puddle forming under the buggy! SO I her cleaned up and made it out alive and with all three kids still alive. Oh, I forgot to mention Chloe's little issue today. She hit another child in her class so the child bit her in the stomach. The other kid got a pretty good grip on her and actually drew some blood. I knew sooner or later she would start acting like she does at home:) I know you all that know her thinks she is the sweetest thing ever but she can be quite a brute sometimes. I think the lady in the office was shocked that I did not seem upset that she had gotten bit but I am hoping this teaches her not to hit anymore and I knew she would be OK. Well I am watching The Biggest Loser and trying to get some clothes put away. Thanks again to everyone that has been praying for our family and thanks for your prayers for Sam today.

Christmas Pictures

2009-12-29T09:57:00.003-06:00

We had some great days this past week but we have also had a few rough days. In fact, today we are doing something that we were hoping we would not have to do. We are helping my brother and his boys pack up their house so they can put it on the market. They are going through a rough time right now and I would ask that you would pray for them. I will post more about our week later but I do not have time right now. Here are just a few of the pictures from our three Christmas'.

Christmas Pictures

2009-12-29T09:39:00.001-06:00

Christmas Pictures

2009-12-29T09:25:00.001-06:00

Goodbye To Maggie

2009-12-23T12:19:00.002-06:00

Well yesterday was a very sad day for our family. Yesterday afternoon we had to make the decision to put down our beloved dog Maggie. I have been posting the past few months that we have been having several episodes with her and we were not sure what was going on. We were not super concerned because she would feel bad for a day and then be back to normal. I took her to the vet a month ago for that itching problem but there was not any other problems that we knew about. Well a few days ago she started acting sick again but this time she was a lot worse. She was vomiting and had blood in her urine. Her belly was swollen and she could barely walk or breath. Monday night she looked so back that I was sure that she would be dead when I woke up Tuesday morning. So I actually told her goodbye before I went to bed. Tuesday morning I got up and she was sitting up on her blanket wagging her tail when she saw me but I could tell that she was not any better. Jeremy took her to the vet because I knew that it was not going to be good. The vet looked at her and could tell that whatever was wrong with her was not going to be an easy fix. She wanted to run a bunch of tests but we did not want to spend the money when we knew it probably would only end in the same outcome. We did agree to have some blood work done on her. When the blood results came back it showed that her blood count was so low that she would need a blood transfusion if we had decided to treat her. The vet concluded that she either had cushings disease or a mass in her stomach. The vet believed that Maggie was probably bleeding internally. SO with a very heavy heart we decided to end her suffering. The vet assured us that she would have done the same thing. Jeremy was going to come back and get me but I could not go and see Maggie. I do not think I could bear to see her that way. So Jeremy came home yesterday afternoon without our sweet dog. I know she was a dog and I know some people think that I am taking this too serious, but she was more than a dog to me. I have lived with Maggie almost as long as I have lived with Jeremy. We got her a year after we were married. She has made every move with us. She was my baby when my chances to have a baby was taken from me. She was a bright spot in my life during all those months of cancer treatments and waiting on Sam. Every day for 8 years she has been a creature that I have taken care of and loved. Today has been very hard especially while I am in the kitchen. The past few years she has stayed in one of the rooms sleeping most of the day but when I was in the kitchen cooking she was right there at my feet waiting for something to fall. I have not picked up food off the floor in 8 years because I knew Maggie would be right there to clean it up. I know this will get easier but wow I had no idea it would hurt this much.

Well on a happier note, we had our Christmas this morning with the kids. I will try to post some pictures and more details tomorrow.

Pictures with Santa

2009-12-21T20:16:00.002-06:00

OK so I have 3G coverage tonight so I thought I would go ahead and post the pictures with Santa. This man in our church plays Santa all the time at Christmas and he is pretty amazing. He almost makes me believe there is a Santa Claus:) Those of you that know Jeremy know that he is a pretty straight talker and that also applies to Samuel and the issue of Santa being real or not. Our take on the Santa issue is that we tell our kids that he is not a real person but it is OK to have fun and pretend that there is a Santa but I do not think Sam believes Jeremy when he tells him Santa is not real. So last night we left right behind "Santa" and Sam saw him going into the church. 'Santa" took off his hat and Sam said, "mom, why did Santa just take off his hat? I am starting to think that he is not really Santa or maybe Santa actually dresses up like a man." He then was convinced that he saw Santa's sleigh parked on the roof of the church. His imagination is amazing and whether people think the whole Santa thing is good or bad I love seeing the twinkle in my little boy's eyes.

Monday, December 21, 2009

2009-12-21T17:34:00.002-06:00

Christmas is near and you can feel it at our house. The kids have been bouncing off the walls and every few hours we hear the question, "Can we open a present now?"Yesterday the kids wore their Christmas outfits to church and I am not sure they could get any more cuter. My mom found the girls' dresses and it came with a matching dress for their baby dolls. They thought it was the neatest thing and Chloe said "baby" about 500 times yesterday morning as she carried her doll around. Last night was our Christmas program at church and then we had a fellowship time at church. The kids had fun and loved that Santa made an appearance after we ate. Emma and Chloe were scared the last time they saw Santa, but they were not scared last night. I had to work today and I have to work tomorrow but then I am off until the first of the year. We are having our Christmas at the house either Wednesday night or Thursday morning and then we are going to Jeremy's parents house Thursday night and Christmas day. My parents and sister will come in Saturday night and then we will be having Christmas with my family. So as you can see we have a busy week ahead but I know we will have such a fun time.

Well before I get going I just wanted to say "Thank You" to everyone that has been praying for my family. Most of you that read my blog do not know all the details of the things that I have been posting concerning my family but I know many of you have been praying anyway. This past week something happened that tore my heart out and some of the people I love were hurting so bad that I could barley stand it. In a 24 hour period the Lord worked a miracle in someone's heart and forgiveness was asked and forgiveness was received. I am sorry that it seems very vague but it was a situation that I do not want to share all the details, but I could not end this post without sharing what the Lord did in our family and I am very thankful.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

2009-12-16T15:47:00.002-06:00

Can you believe that I am posting two days in a row?? Well I know that many of you have been praying for us and our decision about Sam's school so I wanted to share something that happened today. I went on my lunch break to the elementary school to register Sam at his new school. I was pretty anxious and was really seeking God's peace about this decision. I was at the counter filling out some papers when I heard someone come into the office and call my name. I turned around and there was a lady that I have known for many years standing there. She teaches music at the school and was so excited that Samuel would be going to their school and that she would have him in class. As we stood talking I felt the peace of God come over me and I knew that this was the right decision. It was nice to know someone that teaches at the school who will be looking out for Sam. I am sure once school starts I will realize that I know a lot of people that are connected with the school and I am excited about being more apart of our community. It is also wonderful to know that all three of my children will be close by me all day. I feel like I barely see Sam during the week since they get home so late and he is usually sound asleep when they do get home, so I am excited to be able to spend more time with him. I just see God's Hands and timing in the situations that have been taking place in our lives the past few weeks. It has been a rough year for my extended family and though I have not forgotten how good God is, the recent events have been a reminder of just how good He is to us. Well I have posted a few pictures. We got Sam's school pictures last week and he is such a handsome fella.

Sam's Kindergarten Picture

Christmas Program at church

Pigtails for Chloe

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

2009-12-15T15:38:00.002-06:00

Our week has been a little crazy all ready. Sunday night was the children's program at our church and my little guy Sam did so good. I was so proud of him. Yesterday was work and then I had a dentist appointment after work. I had a little piece of tooth that broke off because of a small cavity so I had to get that fixed. Work is finally starting to click a little bit better. After lunch I am going to some of the younger classes to fill in for those teachers who take their break. It is during nap time so it has not been too bad except for yesterday and today. They put me in the younger two room and it was like having 10 Chloe's running around. They were out of control! There was another person in the room with me but it was still a little unnerving. I think the person that usually comes in that room during that time has been out sick so I am hoping that she is back tomorrow. We also have a big change that is going to take place in the Riggs' household after Christmas that I am a little anxious about. We have decided to send Sam to our local elementary school instead of him going to school with Jeremy. We have been discussing this for a few weeks because it is really starting to take a toll on Sam. They leave at 6:45 in the morning and school does not get out until 3:45 so they do not get home until almost 5:00. We were going to try to hold out until next year but something happened yesterday that just sent me over the edge. Those of you that know me know that what I am about to say it not at all me trying to be ugly, so please do not take it that way. One of my fears about Sam going to school with Jeremy is that it is kind of a rough school. The kids are rough and the faculty (for the most part) have to be rough with the kids. I was very worried about Sam's tender heart and how he would respond to the people that worked at the school. Well yesterday at school Jeremy went to lunch and walked into the cafeteria to see Sam sitting at a table by himself just sobbing. He had not eaten any of his lunch and was so so upset he was making himself sick. Jeremy asked around to see what had happened and it turned out that one of the lunch people saw Sam with his foot on the seat next to him saving it for a friend and she jumped all over him and sent him to silent lunch. She did not ask him to move his foot because he would have moved it and then she gives him one of the highest punishments that can be given out by a teacher. Come to find out the lady was upset with Jeremy about something so I guess she took it out on my child. Some of you may be reading this and think that I am overreacting and maybe I am, but this just confirmed that we need to send him to school closer to home. The school that he will go to is actually right behind where I work. I can see the school from the back door and I could probably walk there in about 3 minutes. The place I work at also has a shuttle that picks up kids from his school for their after school program, so the days I work later he will be brought to me. I know this is a BIG decision so I ask that you will pray for us and Sam as we make this transition after Christmas.

Well I got a few pictures posted. We are LOVING our Wii and I am glad we opened it early. I also opened my Wii Fit that I got from my parents and I really like it too. Well the boys should be home soon so I better try to figure out what to make for supper.

Friday, December 11, 2009

2009-12-11T21:08:00.005-06:00

I guess you can tell that I have not had a lot of time to post this week. I have tried several times to post a few pictures from this week but our connection is so slow and is having a hard time posting. I will try and give a recap of our week. My parents came in Sunday night and the kids were so excited. Monday was Chloe's court date to finalize her adoption so she is officially a Riggs now. Our court appearance was scheduled for 9:00 AM Monday but when we got to the courthouse we noticed that there were a bunch of people in the courtroom at about 8:50. It turned out they were picking jurors and it was going to take a while. At about 9:30 we were told that the jury selection was almost over and that they would open the court with the adoption procedures (there were two other families also finalizing). We got in the court room and the kids were already pretty tired from waiting in the hallway for almost an hour and then the judge called a lawyer up and they opened the court with a divorce situation that seemed to go on forever. So about 10:15 we were finally standing in front of the judge. Because of the judge's schedule we were not allowed to take pictures in the courtroom but did get some afterward in front of the courthouse. We then headed to Cracker Barrel for a late breakfast/early lunch. We then came home and rested and then mom and I (and the girls) went to a few stores Monday night. Tuesday morning I worked until noon. It was pouring down rain but after work I came home and mom and I headed back to Clarksville. I had to get fingerprinted for my new job so I went Tuesday to get that done. We went to Wal-Mart and then headed to Nashville to get Sam from school. Jeremy had a meeting after school so I went to get him. He was excited for my mom to see his school. We also let Sam open one of his Christmas presents from my parents while they were here. He opened his Wii and he LOVES it. We let him open it so he could go ahead and play it and so he would enjoy his other presents at Christmas. He wants to play every morning before he goes to school so he gets up and gets ready without any fight. Wednesday was my first full day at work and then I worked Thursday and today until 2:00. Things are going pretty good. I am finally getting in a routine and the girls seem to be enjoying themselves. Chloe is probably not doing as well as Emma is with this new adjustment. He has not been napping well at school so she is such a bear when we get home, so I hoping that gets better. Well I guess that is about it. I will try to post some more of the pictures sometime this weekend.

Sunday, December 06, 2009

2009-12-06T14:56:00.003-06:00

WOW it has been a busy week. I have tried to post these pictures the past few days but they would not post. I will try to give a quick recap of the week. Wednesday morning the girls and I started our new adventure at my new job. The girls did pretty good going to their new class. Chloe was a little hesitant do I stayed with her for a few minutes while she got used to the room. They brought me to my classroom and it was a little overwhelming. The class was pretty much a big mess. All the bulletin boards needed to be switched and the room needed a good cleaning. So I spent most of the morning getting the class room together. It turns out that I only have two boys in the KIndergarten class. I only had them for about an hour on Wednesday. I stayed until about 2:00 finishing up the room. Thursday I taught at PVCS and had another great day. I loved teaching at that school but I needed something more consistent. Friday I went back to the new job and had the boys all morning. I think I am going to like working there but it is still a little overwhelming. I am hoping the girls continue to do well. Yesterday we took the kids to Chic-Fil-A for lunch and then we did a little Christmas shopping. This morning was church and I am about to take Sam to play practice. My parents are coming in tonight and staying for a few days so I am also getting ready for their arrival. Well here are a few pictures of the kids from last weekend.

Funny story: Last night it got REALLY cold here so I put our dog cage outside on the deck and put a bunch of old blankets and towels in the cage and on top of the cage to give the cats some shelter from the cold. This morning both cats were in the cage snuggling up with each other and Sam looks out the door and says, "Look at the cats mom. Are they trying to get some kittens?" He is so funny.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

2009-12-01T20:48:00.002-06:00

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

2009-11-30T21:41:00.010-06:00

Well I made a HUGE decision yesterday. I have decided to go back to work. I have been struggling for a few months now and have called several places looking for something that would fit me and the girls and be worth my time. I saw an add in our local paper this weekend for a part time position that a local childcare center. I called yesterday morning and found out that the hours were from 8-12 and it was for a new Kindergarten program that they started this year. I was really excited about that because I love teaching Kindergarten, but I did not think that those hours would work for me because I knew I would have to pay so much for childcare for the girls. The director/owner of the center called me yesterday afternoon and said that she would really like to meet with me and could work out something for me to bring the girls with me. I did not want to get my hopes up because I have heard several places say that they would give me a great deal for the girls and I had actually applied at this center a few years ago when I only had Sam and the deal was not so great. So I agreed to meet with her and I could not believe the deal she gave me for the girls to come with me every day. I was really impressed with the center and I think I will like working there. I am actually going in the morning for my first official day but I am not starting my regular schedule until next Wednesday. I already had some things going on this week and we have Chloe's court date next Monday, so I only working in the mornings tomorrow, Friday, and Tuesday. I actually taught today at the Christian school and I am teaching Thursday at the Christian school. So, I guess yesterday was my final day of not being employed. I am struggling back and forth with guilt of not staying home but I really feel like the Lord has opened this opportunity for me. I would ask that you pray for the girls and I as we make this transition.

Thanksgiving Pictures

2009-11-30T08:39:00.002-06:00

We do not have much going on today. The girls and I are going to stay home and I am trying to get motivated to get the house cleaned up again. I finally got the pictures taken at Thanksgiving to post.

2009-11-30T08:27:00.001-06:00

Sunday, November 29, 2009

2009-11-29T12:56:00.007-06:00

We had a great Thanksgiving. My parents came into town on Tuesday. Sam was supposed to go to school Tuesday but woke up complaining that his stomach hurt. I got him some breakfast but he still said his stomach hurt. He was whining and carrying on that Jeremy told him to stay home. Sam got in bed with me and slept for a little while longer. He got up and was just running and acting wild. I told him that I thought he said his tummy hurt and that he should have gone to school because obviously his tummy did not hurt. He then responded, "Well mom, I just did not think it was fair that I had to wait to wait to see Grandma and Grandpa, and besides I already know my ABC's, lower and upper case." I wonder how many times he is going to use that to try to get out of school. Wednesday Jeremy and I went to the chiropractor and Sam kept asking us how things went at "choir practice" when we got back. We all went to my brother's house Wednesday evening and stayed the night. Mom and I made Thanksgiving supper and had a great time with my brother and nephews. We played the Wii most of the day Thursday and Sam beat all of us at the bowling game. I put the kids down for a nap Thursday afternoon and they were so cute. I got a picture of Sam and Chloe holding hands. Well the sweetness wore off when after about an hour and a half my nephew Kaleb brought Chloe to me upstairs and she had gotten into a ink pen. I guess she woke up before the other two and decided to climb unto the desk and get the pen. She ruined her shirt and pants and got ink all over her blanket. After that incident I decided it was time for us to go home. Friday mom and I went shopping but we did not get up early. We went in about 8:30 Friday morning. Jeremy kept the kids so I was able to get most of their Christmas shopping done. Friday night we all went over to Jeremy's parents to spend time with all his siblings and their family. His brother and his family were in from North Carolina. My parents left yesterday and then we put our Christmas tree and decorations up. I think I am going to have a harder time keeping Chloe out of the tree this year. She is just into everything and wants the one thing she is not supposed to have. Yesterday she tore the pages out of two books and I caught her hanging on the dresser drawer after she had taken all the clothes out and threw them on the floor. Anyway, this morning was church and now the kids are taking a nap. Sam has Christmas play practice at 4 but I think I ma going to try and rest for a little bit, but before I do that I have a couple funny things that Sam did this weekend.

* We have this CD with Bible verse songs and there is a song that says "and the peace of God that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus" well Sam sings "and the pizza God..." It is so cute.

* Friday night Samuel was reading a Bible story book and he saw there was a story about Samuel. He was so excited that his name was in the Bible. He brought me the book and asked me if I knew that his name was in the Bible. I told him that I did know and that I named him after the Samuel in the Bible. I asked him if he wanted me to tell him the story and he said yes. So I put him in my lap and I said that Samuel's mommy, whose name was Hannah, could not have a baby so she prayed to God and asked Him to give her a baby. God answered her prayer so she named her baby Samuel because he was a gift from God. So I continued to tell him that I could not have a baby so I prayed to God and he sent me him. I told him this sweet story and I was teary eyed and my sweet child looks me in the eyes and says, "His mommy's name was Hannah. You mean like Hannah Montana". I just had to laugh.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

2009-11-24T08:15:00.003-06:00

Busy, busy weekend and busy, busy week. Friday I subbed for first grade. I wish I could say it was fun but it was actually kind of stressful. Friday happen to be Character Dress-up day at school and it was the last day before their Thanksgiving break. SO, the kids were completely CRAZY!! I made it through the day but determined I did not get paid enough on Friday to handle another day like that!! Friday night was the lock-in. I made it until 2:00 and I probably would have stayed later if I had not had a little incident at the first house. The first house we went to was way off the road Their driveway was gravel and muddy and a series of several hills. Well when we were leaving I started up the hill and my tires were just peeling out and I could not get up the hill. The van started rolling back and I thought we were going to end up in their pond. The more I tried to get up the hill the more the tires peeled out and the van was going all over the place. I finally got rolled back into a safe place but I was in a bunch of wet leaved and mud. The dad at the house had to get his tractor and pull me out. I was so upset that I decided to call it a night. I know most would not get so upset (I do not mean mad, just shaken up) but I really do not like to drive and I went into panic mode when I did not know what do to. So I got home at 2:30 and went to bed. I woke up Saturday about 11:30 and discovered I had two huge fever blisters on my lower lip. They are finally getting better today but they have hurt all weekend. I got the kids from Gran and Papa's and when I got home I noticed that Molly was not in the yard. She was way down the road with another dog. There was a place in the wire fencing that had been cut. The thing probably has been cut for over a week and when I started thinking about it there were several times the past week that I thought she came from somewhere outside her underground fencing. So I ran up the road to get her. She came to me but would not follow me back to the house. She wanted to follow the other dog. So I had to pick her up and carry her home. I was about to pass out when I finally got her in the house. We had some extra wires so Jeremy was able to fix the fence. Saturday night some girls and I went to see a movie and had sooo much fun. Sunday was church and then our Thanksgiving meal at church Sunday night. Yesterday was trying to catch up on things at home. I had a dentist appointment yesterday morning. I had one little cavity so I have to go back next Friday. The girls and I then made a quick trip to the grocery store and then back home to clean some more. Today my parents are coming in so we are getting ready for them. Sam woke up this morning saying his stomach hurt and so Jeremy let him stay home. I do not mind that he is home but he is so hyper today. He was whining about something he could not get to do and I told him that he should be at school. He then says, "Well mom it is just not fair that I have to wait and see Grandma and Grandpa, and besides I already know all my ABC's"

Thanksgiving Dinner at school

Thursday, November 19, 2009

2009-11-19T09:08:00.003-06:00

Well I do not have much time to post because I have so much to do around the house and some errands to run after lunch. Yesterday was a pretty good day. The girls and I went to Sam's school for their Thanksgiving dinner (lunch). The dinner was not very good but it was worth the trip to see Sam's smile when he saw us waiting for him in the hallway. After lunch I brought sam home with us and I was able to spend a little time with him playing games and coloring. Last night was church so the kids got to bed later than usual and the girls actually slept in past 7:00 this morning. Today I am getting the house cleaned and trying to make a dent in my laundry. Since I started subbing one to two days a week I have gotten behind on the laundry, so today I am going to try and catch up. I am subbing again tomorrow and then we have a lock-in tomorrow night for the youth group. I am going to attempt to stay all night but I am not sure. The kids are staying at Gran and Papa's tomorrow night. I think it will be a lot of fun. We are actually doing a progressive lock-in in which we are going to several different houses throughout the night to do different activities. Saturday I will probably be sleeping most of the day and then some girls and I are going to see the "New Moon' movie that is coming out this weekend. Well here are a few pictures of the kids "camping" out last weekend.

Monday, November 16, 2009

2009-11-16T17:31:00.001-06:00

2009-11-16T16:59:00.000-06:00

Monday, November 16, 2009

2009-11-16T16:23:00.002-06:00

I have been trying most of the day to upload the pictures from Emma's party but they will not post. I thought I would go ahead and give a recap of the past few days and try again later to post the pictures, so here we go.

Thursday- Emma had her three year old check-up. She did just a great job at the doctor. She weighs a whole 25 pounds and is 35 1/2 inches long. She is tiny but she is growing right on track. She had to get one shot (2nd dose of Hep A, I think) and she got the flu vaccine. They were out of he H1N1 vaccine for her age so we did not get that one. She also had to get her finger pricked to make sure she is not anemic. Chloe also got a seasonal flu shot and the H1N1 shot. After the doctor we picked up a $5 pizza fro Little Caesars and then came home.

Friday- The girls and I stayed home all day. I got my house mostly cleaned and worked on the laundry. When Jeremy and Sam got home we had supper and then headed out to Pleasant View Christian School's Tip-Off. They were having a Father/Daughter basketball game and Jeremy was playing as the father for one of our girl's in youth group. The kids (and Jeremy) had fun. Jeremy was asked to play in another game against the Varsity boys. He asked me if he could and I said yes not realizing that they were going to be playing a 30 minute game. Chloe was getting fussy and after I ran out of all the food I had she was really in a foul mood. We got home later and was hoping the kids would sleep in a little on Saturday but that did not happen.

Saturday- Jeremy worked on a 15 page paper that he had due on Sunday. He actually went somewhere else Saturday night to work on the paper. I can't imagine why he thought he could not get it done at home:) So the kids and I went to Wal-Mart to get Emma's cake for her party and pick up a few groceries. While we were out we rented the movie "UP" for the kids to watch. Saturday night the kids camped out in the living room and watched the movie. Chloe went to bed and Sam and Emma continued the camp out in Sam's bedroom floor. Well Saturday evening my back started hurting a little bit but not too terrible. I went to bed about 10:00 and the pain in my back started to become unbearable. I tried every thing and it would not quit hurting. I laid in the floor, I got on the couch, I piled pillows all around me but I could not get to sleep. At 3:30 Sunday morning I got into Sam's bed and finally fell asleep. At 6:30 the kids woke up and were ready to go. I was feeling a little better but then when I got up and started moving around it started hurting again.

Sunday-Well I did not go to Sunday School because I was still hurting and I was so tired I could barely stand up. I got ready and made it to the church service but I felt like someone was punching me in the back and then they would stab me. I somehow made through the service and then came home to get ready for Emma's birthday party. I was so exhausted but Emma had a wonderful time. Some of our family and friends came over and she got some very cute presents. Uncle Jacob and Aunt Lynsey got her this cute Tinkerbell night gown. I think I am going to have a hard time getting her to change when she wears it. She actually got it a little wet last night right before bed and she had a complete melt down when I made her take it off and change. I was tired but it was a nice evening. Everybody left about 4:00 and I got things cleaned up and then just laid on the couch. I took 2 Tylenol PM's and got to bed at 8:00 last night. I slept until 7:00 this morning but when I woke up Jeremy was still asleep.

Today- OK so Jeremy and Sam usually are leaving the house at 6:50 so it was a complete panic that Jeremy had over slept. Sam, however, was awake and playing in his room. He said he woke up at 633 but he did not come in our room in hopes that he did not have to go to school. We all scrambled and they got out the door at 7:15. The girls and I went to the bank and to the grocery store this morning. I also went to three different Redbox things to return our movie and all of them said that the machine was too full to accept any movies. I was pretty aggravated. We came home and the girls had lunch and then went down for a nap. After their nap I had an eye doctors appointed and then I drove 20 minutes away to another Redbox just for it to say that it was also too full to accept movies. So I called Redbox and they are not going to charge me and gave me vouchers for two free rentals. We are now home waiting for the boys to get home. Tomorrow I am subbing 4th grade so Emma will enjoy a day at school. Wow sorry for such a long post by that has been our life the pat few days. My back is feeling better but not 100%. I have been doing some stretches and hoping that that will help. I will keep trying to get the pictures posted.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

2009-11-12T08:23:00.003-06:00

We have been up around here since early this morning. Samuel fell asleep on the way home from school yesterday and stayed asleep until 4 o'clock this morning. He usually falls asleep and sleeps for an hour or so when he gets home and then wakes up, but last night he did not want to wake up. We tried several times to wake him up but he was so tired. We put him in his bed (which usually wakes him right up) but he continued to sleep. So at 4:00 this morning Sam was at our bed needing something to eat. So he ate a bowl of cereal and then got in bed with us. At some point he got out of our bed and got the girls up. At 6:00 all three kids were roaming around the house. I put Chloe back in the the bed and put Emma in our bed. Neither girl went back to sleep so we finally all got up. Well after the girls nap we are going to a few stores and the Emma has her 3 year old check-up this afternoon. Well Gran got the girls these play hair accessories and the girls love them. There were some plastic hair rollers with the toys and when I came in the room the other day Emma had managed to roll Chloe's hair up in them. She just grinned and thought she was the queen. I was surprised that Emma was able to get them in her hair. Well I am still working on my laundry so I better go so I can get it done before I have to go.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

2009-11-11T08:31:00.003-06:00

Emma seemed to have a great birthday. She went to lunch with Gran yesterday and then we went out to Logan's for supper last night. We were going to go somewhere else but she wanted to go to the "peanuts" place. She opened her presents from us and my parents when Jeremy and Sam got home. She got a Dora scooter from my parents and we got her a Tinkerbell doll. I got her a little cake that we brought to Logan's with us to eat. Today we are just staying home until church tonight. Well the kids slept good again last night so I think me switching their rooms is going to work out fine. There was one little situation with Chloe last night. It was about 10:00 and Jeremy and I had just gone to bed when we heard this thud and then Chloe crying. I ran into her room but I could not find her. I could hear her but it was really muffled. She has fallen head first in between the wall and the bed. I could not tell where she was because only her little feet where sticking up. I felt bad but the only way to get her out is to pull her up by her feet. I guess Jeremy had moved the bed away from the wall yesterday to get something and it was not pushed back against the wall. She cried for a little bit but she finally went back to sleep. Well here are a few pictures from last night.

Emma then and Emma now

2009-11-10T10:34:00.001-06:00

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMMA!

2009-11-10T09:06:00.003-06:00

Today my sweet Emma turned 3 years old. It is hard to believe that she is already 3! She has grown so much the past few months and it is becoming clear that she is not my little baby anymore. Sometimes I will be holding her in my lap and it is still hard to believe that she finally made it home. One of the hardest things I have ever had to do was wait for Emma to come home. There were times in our journey with her that felt hopeless and the heartache was too much to take at times. Emma finally made it home and I was not sure what I had gotten into! She was so stubborn and was so different from Sam that our parenting skills were really put to the test. Now all that waiting and all those difficult days seem like they never happened when Emma smiles at us or we hear her laugh. She really has become a sweet little girl and we can not imagine our life without her. I am not sure if I have ever mentioned this but Emma has a biological brother that was adopted about 2 years before she was born. The other family was contacted and whatever the situation they chose not to adopt her. It is amazing to me that God has chosen our children for us and He works through all the details to bring them home to our arms. Emma is a very special girl and we love her so much.

Well we do not have much planned for today. Gran is coming in a few hours to take Emma to lunch. I am going to finish getting my house back together. Yesterday I decided to give Samuel back his room. He is getting old enough now that he needs his own space. Emma and Chloe are back to sharing a room and Sam has his own room again. I am a little nervous about how they are going to sleep with the new arrangements, but they all slept good last night and the girls are napping together right now. So, I worked all afternoon getting the rooms switched and it was so much work. We are going out tonight for Emma's birthday. We are having her party on Sunday. Well the girls are waking up so I better go.

Friday, November 6, 2009

2009-11-06T20:05:00.007-06:00

We all had a good day but I am beat. I taught 4th grade today and I once again enjoyed it. It was a different class then I had last week so I was able to teach some more of my kids that I had in Kindergarten. It just makes my heart happy to see them growing into sweet young girls and boys. It also makes me happy that they still love me and are happy to see me. Emma had another great day at school and Chloe spent the day getting spoiled by Gran and Papa. Samuel also had a big day. They had an award assembly today and he made Honor Roll. He got a certificate and he was beaming all evening. After we all got home from school we went to Sam's Club for some items for our youth room and we got a pizza while we were there. Sam has been eating sooo much the past few weeks. I think he is hitting a growth spurt and he never seems to be full. Anyway, tonight he only ate one piece of pizza and Jeremy asked if he wanted more and he said that he was full. Jeremy and I laughed and said that was something that we have not heard in awhile. Sam then responds, "I am just full of surprises these days". We just laughed some more. Well here are a few pictures that I took Wednesday night at church.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

2009-11-05T13:58:00.003-06:00

Not much to post today. The girls and I went to the grocery store today and then came home. Emma picked out her plates and napkins for her birthday. She wanted a Tinkerbell party so that is what we got. She is so excited about her birthday but is confused about when it is going to be her actual birthday. She keeps asking "what time is it?". Well I have been working on the laundry all day. Tomorrow I am going to sub so that should be fun. Well here are a few pictures. The first one is from our trip to the vet with Maggie (sorry it is a little blurry). The other three were taken at Chloe's Gotcha Day supper at Logan's.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

2009-11-04T11:21:00.003-06:00

I had planned on staying home today to finish getting the house cleaned, but Maggie had other plans for us. I mentioned the other week that Maggie had an episode. Well since that night she has been itchy and her tail and skin has been looking red and infected. I have tried to medicate her myself with different lotions and such but she was getting worse. She has been scratching so much that she has been scratching the hair off her body. I love my dog but I was worried to taker her to the vet because I was afraid that something was really wrong with her. I kept checking her for fleas or ticks but never found any. Well yesterday it was horrible and she was miserable so the girls and I took her to the vet this morning. It turns out she was bitten by a flea and she is allergic to them. I use flea medication on her but the flea must have bitten her before it died. The vet found a few dead fleas on her. So I was totally grossed out to think that there might be fleas in my house. The vet gave me medicine for Maggie and some carpet cleaner for our house. So I have been cleaning like a maniac since we got home. We have not seen any fleas but I am not taking any chances. Well the girls are down for a nap so I better get some more things done while they are asleep. Here are a few pictures from Sunday.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

2009-11-03T13:28:00.003-06:00

We had a great weekend. Saturday night we went to several houses for the kids to Trick or Treat and then we went to a church that was having Trunk or Treat. After the stop at the church the girls were done for the night but Sam was still ready for some more. We went to another neighborhood and Sam and I got out and walked to some more houses while Jeremy and the girls stayed in the car. Sam had so much fun and I could not believe how much candy the kids got from the few places we went. We got home about 7:30 and Sam was so hyper I did not think he would ever go to sleep. He actually told me that he was going to be awake for a LONG time. I finally got him settled down and got all of them to bed. Sunday we had church and then we had planned to eat lunch at home but when we got home my crock pot knob was turned to warm instead of high so the roast was no where to being cooked. We changed clothes and then headed out to lunch. Jeremy stayed at a local cafe and worked on his school work and the kids and I came home. I got the kids down for a nap and then I started cooking for our fellowship at church Sunday night. We had something called Autumn's Praise and we had a chili cook off, hay-ride, bon-fire, and many other activities. The kids had so much fun. I got some pictures of Sam and Emma making caramel apples. We came home and got the kids to bed and got ready to start the week. Yesterday I had to sub for 2nd grade so I did not get much done around the house. Today I have been working on laundry and getting everything cleaned up from the weekend.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009- HAPPY GOTCHA DAY CHLOE!

2009-11-03T08:32:00.001-06:00

I will post more about our weekend later today after I get the pictures posted, but I did want to post that one year ago today Jeremy, Samuel, Emma and I went to Detroit to complete our family and pick up our little Chloe Bear. I cannot believe that it has already been a year since she came home. She is a little stinker sometimes but we are so thankful that we were able to make her part of our family. We love you Chloe!

A Cowboy, Cowgirl and their puppy

2009-10-31T14:03:00.001-05:00

Saturday, October 31, 2009

2009-10-31T11:06:00.007-05:00

I cannot post much because we have so much going on today, but I did want to post a few pictures and give a quick update on Sam's conference. The teacher is very pleased with Sam's progress. He is excelling in every subject and is great with the other kids in the class. He actually has met almost all the benchmarks required for the whole year. I was not worried about him academically but I did want to ask about how he was doing socially. He tends to be a little withdrawn when he is around a big group of kids. She said he plays well with others and is sought after from the other kids to play with them. She said he tends to be around the kids that are exploring or trying to figure things out rather then the kids that are running around and being rough. After the conference Sam and I went to lunch. Sam wanted to go to the Pleasant View Diner. They sell this delicious Fried Oreo Sundae, so he actually said he wanted to go to "the oreo place". Last night we had our youth group party at Frank and Jennifer's house and we had so much fun. We did a scavenger hunt with teens. It was pouring down rain but they had a blast. We did not get home until after 10:30 so the kids slept until 8:30 this morning. We are about to get around and take the kids to eat and then we will start making our rounds to people we know to load the kids up on candy:) This is Chloe's first Halloween and I am guessing she is going to love tonight. What could be better then people giving her yummy things to eat? Well I will try to get pictures of the kids in their costumes tonight or tomorrow

Sam eating his Fried Oreo Sundae

Halloween Cards from Grandma

Thursday, October 29, 2009

2009-10-29T12:55:00.003-05:00

We are having a pretty good week. Monday and Tuesday the girls and I stayed home. I was going to get out Tuesday but it was rainy all day. We were out of almost everything and I was running serious low on diapers for Chloe. I was able to dig around the closet and find some diapers so I decided to wait and go to the store on Wednesday. Well I got a call Tuesday evening and was asked to sub 4th grade on Wednesday. So the girls and I got out today and went to the store. Emma went to school with me yesterday and Chloe went to Gran and Papa's house. I was kind of nervous about teaching 4th grade but it went great. It was weird because some of the kids in the 4th grade class were the same kids that I taught in Kindergarten. It was nice to see them and see how much they have grown. It was a nice day and it really makes me want to get back into teaching. Last night we went to church for the final night of revival and then came home and got the kids to bed. As I said the girls and I went to the store this morning and I have to take Molly back to the vet when Jeremy gets home. We had her spayed last week and so I have to take her back and get the stitches removed. I was not going to take her with the girls so I will be heading back to Clarksville later. Tomorrow Sam has a half day of school for Parent/Teacher Conference so I will be meeting with his teacher soon after I pick him up. I am not worried about his progress because I know he is doing good but I still am going to meet with her. The girls and going to stay at Gran and Papa's house while I am there and then Sam and I are going to go out to lunch. Well I only took one picture this week. We were in our pj's most of the week so the camera did not come out. I did get this picture of Emma with her new favorite stuffed animal. My mom got her this elephant last summer from Build-A-Bear but she has not played with it until she found it in her closet the other day. Now she has her blanket and elephant in her arms most of the day.

Monday, October 26, 2009

2009-10-26T14:33:00.003-05:00

We are home and trying to settle back into the routine of things. We got back Friday night and then spent the day Saturday cleaning and getting all the laundry done. We are starting Life Groups at our church so we were having our first meeting Saturday night at our house. I had to get Molly from the vet Saturday morning and then came home and cleaned like a crazy lady. Yesterday was church and then Jeremy spent the day working on some school work. The kids and I came home and rested and then headed back out for choir practice and church. We are having revival this week and I am hoping to go each night but I need to see how Sam is after he gets home from school. It was back to school for the boys today and Sam was a bear this morning trying to get him up and out the door. The girls and I have just stayed home today and relaxed a little. Well here are some pictures from yesterday.

More pictures- Water Ways

2009-10-23T09:03:00.002-05:00

OK so I know I just posted that I would be posting these pictures tomorrow but I decided to post them while I had faster internet connection. I had so many pictures to chose from this sight at the museum but I refrained from posting them all. This was the kids favorite place at the museum.

I asked Chloe to smile and this is what she did. This is classic Chloe.

Friday, October 23, 2009

2009-10-23T08:26:00.003-05:00

We have had a great week here at my parent's house but it is time for us to go back home. We are all packing up and will be leaving in an hour or so. I have posted several pictures from the museum but I have a lot more I am going to post. I will post the rest tomorrow.

Indoor Nature Trails

2009-10-23T08:18:00.002-05:00

Dinosaur Expedition

2009-10-23T08:09:00.003-05:00

Building a skyscraper

2009-10-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

Chicago Children's Museum

2009-10-23T07:51:00.003-05:00

Building Forts

Thursday, October 22, 2009

2009-10-22T16:11:00.002-05:00

Jeremy and I are about to leave on a date while the kids stay with Grandma and Grandpa. Here are a few more pictures from yesterday. These were taken on the boat ride and right before we got on the boat. I will post the pictures from the museum tonight or tomorrow.