A View From My Window

I've started a new hobby as of late. Cross-stitching. I find it strangely therapeutic. I may look like a 70 year-old woman sitting in my chair with the hoop held up as close I can get it to my eyes so I can see my stitches to count. Also, I can't really find any cross-stitch things that I would actually hang in my home. I found something for the bathroom but I still need to get the bathroom painted and decorated the way I want but I think this will go well when it actually happens. I'll post some pics when I get a chance of the progress made on my first one.

I got a sewing machine (Singer Advance) for Christmas this year. I was so excited until I took it out of the box and realized that I had no idea where to begin as far as using it. I watched some online tutorials including a class that I'm taking called homeeconline.blogspot.com. It's pretty amazing. Got really excited and then realized that my foot pedal does not work. So, I have been waiting since Dec. 28th for a new foot pedal. I'm getting a little impatient.

Cody and I are trying to  plan a trip. We were going to go on a cruise but when we got to thinking about it I think we both wanted to spend more than six hours or so in a place so we decided against it (unless we pick the Alaskan cruise.) I found a place I want to stay in Puerto Vallerta that is all-inclusive so I'm thinking that might be the place. I don't know. Comments? Please? This is kind of our make-up honeymoon since we never really had one. I mean, I loved our weekend elopement to Eureka Springs, but I'm ready for white beaches and warm water (the free umbrella drinks won't hurt either.)Not sure what we'll do with the Monsters yet, but I'm sure there are grandparents lurking around somewhere that would like them. There never really seems to be a shortage of them.

So the silly quote of the week: "I don't think that's a good idea...silly goose." - Monster #1 to Monster #2

It's been a while. Epic fail on the blogging everyday goal I had. Oh well.

So, I am now a stay-at-home mom...again. Being a SAHM hasn't been so bad this week. On Monday we stayed around the house and I got a lot done actually. Tuesday and Thursday they go to Mother's Day Out and I was actually lucky enough to find a part time gig at my old job so I don't have to leave a company that I really enjoy working for. Wednesday...oh Wednesday...we went to Wal-Mart but on the way there I took them to the big McDonald's to play. We don't really eat McDonald's very much but Monster #1 does when he's with other family members and so he refers to it as "Old McDonald's." Well, this McDonald's has a HUGE indoor playground. This is the first time, to my knowledge, that he has actually been in one. He loved it but after an hour, I decided that we needed to get going to Wal-Mart. Well, Monster #1 wouldn't come down. He wasn't scared. He was being so incredibly defiant. I literally had to crawl to the top of the playground to get him. Needless to say, he was in a little bit of trouble. Got some Christmas shopping done. We have a little boy that we're sponsoring (more later). Today, I got bills caught up, dishes cleaned and the kids fed. I'm hoping to get a shower at some point today. That might be nice.

I have a young family. I've got two very young children that I want to raise to be kind and giving. I want them to really understand what Christmas is about. So this year I chose a Salvation Army Angel to buy Christmas presents for. I know that Monster #2 is too young to understand but I really think that Monster #1 got it. I chose a little boy around his age with similar interest. Little Sebastian (I love that name.) He's 3 years old. Loves Cars, Transformers and RC stuff. He wears the same size clothes as Monster #1. I tried to explain that while the Monsters will receive so much for Christmas not every little Monster would. Monster #1 looked at me and said "You're sad." I told him I was and that it was so much more important to give than to get during Christmas. He picked out some wonderful toys and when he saw me put them on the belt to check out, he told the cashier, "Those are not mine. They're for Sebastian." I'm very proud of him. Next year Monster #2 might be old enough to get it so we may have two angels to buy for. Now we don't make a lot of money. We have to watch our budget pretty closely but I think this is an important tradition to start and I'm sure we will have many more angels over the years to provide Christmas presents to.

I've made some great recipes lately and I'll have to share some soon, but for now, I must go. The children are calling.

I have real monsters that live in my house.

Here they are:

Do not let them fool you. They are MONSTERS!!!! Fun ones, but terrifyingly real ones. They even growl when you get them riled up.

I don't get to spend enough time with them right now. I see them for maybe two hours a night and for 30 minutes in the mornings. I can't stand not being able to see them more than that.

But....

I am TERRIFIED to become a stay-at-home mom again. The first time we tried it, well, it didn't go so great. Monster 2 was a newborn and Monster 1 was just over a year and a half old. I did not deal with it very well. Both of them needed me every minute of everyday and I just couldn't deal with it. I think it will be better this time around. They're in Mother's Day Out every Tuesday and Thursday and I'm going to try to get involved in a MOPS group and maybe look into some volunteer opportunities around town. But even more than all of those things is the fact that they're older now and can kind of tell me what they need and keep themselves a little more entertained than before. I think we'll be fine. ...just fine.

There are a lot of other really great things going on with my family that I'm very excited about. I'll blog more about those later. I might even include some awesome recipes!!!! If you're lucky.

I have been horrible at blogging for the last week. I'm sorry. It has been so incredibly crazy around here!

1 - My little sister got married last weekend! Robyn and Roxanne are actually my step-sisters but they've been a part of my life for so long I just usually drop the "step". Robyn was absolutely stunning! And Will seems like such a great guy. It had been over a year since I had seen my dad, Brenda (step-mom), Ty and Robyn. It had been almost 6 years since I'd seen Roxanne. It was awesome to get to see everyone. And it was great to just take Monster 2. Got some quality time with her while Daddy had to stay here for work and Monster 1 had tickets to the OSU Homecoming game. I really wish I got to see everyone more though. I really miss them.

2 - A lot of really crappy stuff happened this week. Some of it I can't mention on here but I'm sure it will end up okay.

3 - I had to put in my two weeks at my job so my last day will be Nov. 23rd. I'm not really happy about it but I'm not heartbroken either. Our childcare situation was not working out so well anymore and to put them both in daycare would take EVERYTHING I make. It just wasn't worth it. I'm somewhat looking forward to it though. I like hanging out with my kiddos. They're kind of fun sometimes.

4 - I sang at Enid's first Cigar and Scotch night at Crappy's Warehouse last night. It was a blast. I got to bust out some Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, etc... It was so much fun and I think that everyone involved was very pleased with the turn out.

5 - I just made AWESOME Vegan Spicy Potato Curry. It is amazing!!!! Recipe to come soon, but for now my incredibly hot husband is waiting for me to watch some shows with him!

Work has been crazy and then Shi and I went to my sister's wedding in Texas this past weekend. As soon as I have a minute I promise I will post!

You know when you're a little kid and you dream of all the things you want for your life? Most little girls dream of being a princess, ballerina or a singer. Most little boys want to be a firefighter, astronaut or a train engineer. Now no good parent, grandparent, etc. ever tells that child that it's not possible. They may not necessarily push their child in that direction but you get my point.


There have been several paths in the course of my life that I have wanted to travel. None of them are the one that I'm on right now. Would I change that? Absolutely not! I love my life! So I'm not in London performing every night. So I'm living in my hometown of Enid. So I'm not at a party every weekend. So I've got two kids when I never wanted kids to begin with. So I'm not the size 2 I was when I started college. Not even close. I'm happy. Happier than I ever thought I could be. I have the most amazing God. The most handsome husband. The most beautiful children.

Is my life perfect? Not even close! We have money issues (who doesn't?). I don't have the best behaved children in the world. Cody and I don't always see eye-to-eye. I'm not able to stay home with my kids like I want to (yet, anyway.) We're not perfect and things don't always work out in our favor but somehow we always manage. God provides for us, provided we have faith.

I guess the main thing I have learned is this:
This may not be the life I'd imagined for myself. But this is the life I have made. It's a good one. I can choose to dream of one that doesn't exist or I can wake up and live the new one. The one that has proven to be better than any of my dreams. The path where God shines his light. Where Cody is there to hold my hand. And where my childrens' foot steps will grow. There are many rocks and cracks that I have already overcome on this path and there will be more to come but I have people to steady me over the rough parts. They're my family and friends. People who I'd never had met if I hadn't taken the path and I can't imagine my life without them.

• 64  pack of Crayola (they're the best!!!) Crayons. I picked out all the brown and black ones. The gold really didn't work out well but the silver looked cool up against the blue. 
• Hot glue gun. Watch your fingers!
• Blank canvas. Just pick one that all your colors will fit on.
• Blow dryer

1. I grouped all of mine in the same color families. I don't think it really matters what order you put them in on the canvas but it looks cool when the same colors are next to each other.