Rules, Rules, Rules

As I sit here and sort through all the rules that Southwest Airlines has and Carnival Cruise Lines has, it is making me kind of crazy.

I knew things had changed, but to actually sit down and read exactly what you can and can't have or do, could make a person nuts.

I know it is going to take a lot of stuff to make a suitcase go over 50 pounds and I also know that the dimensions our suitcase can't exceed, really is probably big!

So why am I worrying about it???? Probably b/c I can't find a stinkin' tape measure around this house full of boys to measure my suitcases, just so I can sleep better! GRRRR.

Then I want to see about excursions.....

i would like to swim with the dolphins,
i would LOVE to snorkle,
i want to lay on a white sandy beach and see the crystal clear, beautiful ocean at my feet
i want to shop,
i want to do it all!!!!

I am pretty sure that I am going to snorkle. Not sure if I can talk Jared into it or not, but I am going to work on him. Guess I will just have to do it by myself!

I have most of our clothes "together" in the closest.
I have our shoes in a bag.
I have my jewelry together.
But other than that, I haven't done anything!
I can't wait until next weekend to get everything out and start packing:)

I am going to miss our boys like crazy, but I seriously can't wait to just get away and relax!

I'm Clothed and Accessorized

If you know me at all you know:

... i hate to shop, especially for myself

... i am a pretty plain jane

... i like solid colors

... i don't accessorize

But guess what...... I have broken out of that sterotype as of yesterday!

Michelle and I went shopping to get clothes for our cruise. We had a great day and I got lots of new stuff.

Shopping is way more fun when you have money to spend, you have a reason to buy clothes and when you are 23 pounds lighter.

Sorry to bore you with all the pictures but, I do know some of you will appreciate all my new clothes especially when you see what I bought!

~These were all my bags when I got home~

~Dress #1, my fun dress for Valentine's Night~
Jared is going to wear black pants and a red shirt that night

~Check it out! A necklace, earrings, a bracelet(on the top part of my little purse), a purse and RED shoes!~ Love it!

~Dress #2, Probably Friday nights dress. Got this dress for $7.99 at the Gap! ~
~Check it out again... bracelet, necklace, earrings and purse!~

~This is what Jared will be wearing on Sat night, he just doesn't know it yet:)
it will match my outfit~


~Dress #3, Saturday nights dress. This dress looks fantastic on!~

~Once again, my accessories. The necklace and earrings have the color of Jared's shirt in them~

~Shirt ($1.97 @ Gap) & Khaki Bermuda shorts~

~Love this shirt with the chocolate colored capris. Notice the bracelet.... it also matches the above shirt~

~The shirt that I kicked myself for not buying the first time. But got a second chance:)~

~Love this shirt too. A little dressy,but super cute to wear with denim capris.~

~yellow shirt WITH a scarf~

~my plain jane shirt,but I dressed it up with a scarf!~

~another plain jane~

did you really think I would go all day and not get myself a plain jane shirt??

~this is another shirt that looks sexy with denim jeans and high heels! yes, I did just say "high heels"~

~my super awesome 'jacket in a packet'! I thought this would be handy to have to put in my purse when we were at the ports in case it started to rain. it folds up in the pocket and makes a little bag~

~new beach towels (didn't think I really wanted to take a shrek one), my $5 Tommy Hilfiger flip flops, water camera for snorkeling, and my purse!~

~Jared's new belt, a shirt and new swimming trunks~

~Jared's shirt and khaki shorts~

~notice the print, it is fish. right up Jared's alley~

~palm tree printed shirt and chocolate brown shorts~

And there you have it folks, most of the clothes that we will be taking with us.

I still have some things I need to get before we leave in a couple of weeks. I got some new luggage tags. I am not in love with them, but I didn't think I need to splurge after buying all of these clothes on something as silly as luggage tags!

15 days and counting baby!!!!

I'm Addicted to.........

The new Super Mario Brothers game on the Wii!!!

These guys are my new friends! Mario and Luigi!

I am a little more partial to Luigi though. Him and I have gotten pretty close in the last few weeks.When I saw that this new game had come out for the Wii, I wanted it immediately. I looked, and looked, and looked and every place was sold out. So I whined and threw a little fit:) Then I find out that Andrea has it, soooooo we went over there for supper one night (work night) and Andrea and I played some Mario until 2:00 in the morning. I was addicted from the start! Then finally I was able to get my own copy. New Year's Eve we went to the Buford's and Matt and I stayed up until 3 in the morning playing. Needless to say, I got Matt hooked.

When we first got the Wii we told the kids that they weren't going to play it ALL the time that they were still going to go outside and play and such. Well then here I am addicted, looking at the tv almost every night trying to conquer this stinkin' game! I even hollered at Braxton the other day when he was outside playing and asked him if he wanted to come in and play Mario. Is that considered contradicting myself??

So some of the things I have learned while trying to conquer Mario...

1) The Bowser is not your friend!

2) Princess Peach is who you are after

3) There are lots and lots of worlds

4) You need to get all 3 of the Big coins in order to get world 9 to open up

5) You get a calloused thumb from hours of playing it

6) You tend to have a temper when someone else makes you die

7) It is a lot like the old Super Mario Brothers that I used to play on my Nintendo

8) A is for Bubble

9) The more you play the better you get

10) That not only am I a

but I am also a Super Mario brother addict!

So I am sorry if you are a loyal follower of my blog. I haven't been ignoring you. I have been hanging out with Mario and Luigi. We have gotten to World 9 so once we go back and get all the big coins in all the worlds that we have already been in and I get World 9 conquered, I will be back.

Luggage tags

I am getting super excited about my cruise in February. I have been looking for some really fun luggage tags so I will be able to spot MY luggage right away. You know how lots of people put something around the handle of their luggage? Well I had planned on doing that too along with a fun luggage tag. Now, after some investigating I found exactly what I want!

Simply wrap them around the handle of your luggage and off you go!

Aren't those just the coolest things ever???? I know you aren't as excited about it as I am:)

They are a little pricey if I am planning on doing all 4 bags, but I only have to do this ONCE and that's it!

Do you think I should get one of these too?

I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this SITE! They have all kinds of fun stuff. I think I will be getting several things from here in the future.

We've been busy

We have been super busy!!!!

We have been to the Great Wolf Lodge, had Christmas parties, Christmas programs, shopped and had some family time.

Enjoy the show of pictures to follow:

braylon feeding the fish at cabelas

getting to see santa at the great wolf lodge

braylon sliding down the slide ALL.BY.HIMSELF. he was so proud of himself.

doesn't he just look ornery?

the 3 B's

and again

love this picture of jared and bronson

bronson and tinley at the christmas program. this little girl thinks bronson is HOT~

playing the bells together

rubbin his belly for some song action

his christmas party at school. i didn't get to take very many pictures because i was running back and forth between his and braxton's rooms. i didn't even get any of braxton's party.

i also didn't get any pictures of them at the great wolf lodge b/c they were too busy running around while i was chasing after braylon.

we had a great time at the great wolf lodge. it was so nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of things and just relax.

11 years ago today.....

i was holding my first born son, Braxton! WOW, where have the years gone? It seems like it was just yesterday when I found out I was prego with him.

Jared and I had only been dating for a few months when I found out I was pregnant. It was a big shock. I had some disappointed parents, but things have worked out for us. God had his plan....

Braxton was due on December 24th. I started having contractions on the 17th. I went to the hospital on the 18th and they sent me home and told me to walk. It was a beautiful winter. My father in law and I walked outside with no coats on for what seemed like hours... nothing! On the 20th my contractions returned that night. Jared woke me up around 2ish and told me it was time to go to the hospital. He had been timing my conractions while I slept and told me they were getting harder... he could just tell. So we loaded up and went to the hospital about 3. They broke my water at 7 and I was in labor all day long!!!! It was a great labor and I didn't get my epidural until I was a 7. After I got that the contractions started coming faster. I pushed for a very long time. Once the dr. got there and I pushed a few times for him he called for the surgeon and the emergency c-section crew. This scared me to death. Things started getting crazy then! People drawing blood, geting Jared dressed, taking my jewelry off and on and on and on. I guess when I was pushing Braxton's heartrate would drop. Come to find out he was a stargazer and his head was turned 180 degrees. When the Doctors said it was a boy, I had never seen Jared so proud. Braxton entered this world at 6:02 pm, weighing in at 8lbs and was 21 inches long. He had lots of dark hair. He was a fantastic baby and got spoiled by lots of people.

He has grown into quite the young man in the last 11 years. He is a very tender hearted person, talented, soft hearted, and very genuine. I have no idea what I would do without him. So Happy Birthday Big Man! Hope you have several more birthdays to come.

Love,
Mom

Here is a recap from tonights festivites.......

brotherly love!


and again!

acting like a hillbilly!

we are quite the crew!

reinacting blowing out the candles.

Braxton got new camo boots, underarmour shirts, socks, a new cardinal chair, money, money and more money! He was one lucky boy!

First Snow of 2009

What a great night tonight was!!!

First we had our first Awana Christmas Program. The kids did great. (pictures to come soon)

Then Jared went coon hunting so the boys and I headed home for some mommy/son time.

We watched The Christmas Shoes and I cried like a baby.

Then the boys wanted to know if they could open "just" ONE present. So.... I let them. They opened the one that was for all of them, a dvd player for the van.

Then they were so excited that it was still snowing and that it was all over the ground that they wanted to go out and play in it.

I looked at the clock and it was after 10:00, on a school night.

I thought "what the heck?" we only live once.

So I yelled "get your stuff on, we are going out to play in the snow!"

They couldn't believe it!!!!

So we all ran around and yelled and laughed, we made snow angels and they tackled me and we laughed until we cried.

They kept saying..... "this is so much fun"! even after we came in I heard them say how much fun it was!

AND it was so much fun!! I am so glad that we did it.

I hope it is something they remember forever!

Can't you just see the excitement:)

Our snow angels!!!!
L to R... Bronson, Braylon, Me and Braxton