tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44848960489767048272024-02-07T20:52:16.663-06:00our life through my eyesone family's journey as told by momAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.comBlogger176125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-23799300720099555702013-02-10T00:19:00.002-06:002013-02-10T00:19:22.360-06:00goodnight kissesevery night i go upstairs and kiss the boys goodnight. most nights it's the same thing. kiss. hug. i love yous. sweet dreams. see ya in the morning. <br />
<br />
tonight was different. i did all those same things, but as i was walking out tayte stopped me and asked a question. then another. baylee had a couple too. 15 minutes later we had talked about playing basketball. i told tayte that each game you try something new and do something better. today in his game he tried stealing the ball by swatting at it when his guy was dribbling. so i told him that's your "do better" next game thing and try something new. we talked about jump balls and how it's decided who gets the ball and how they keep track of that.<br />
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i made the comment that being a mom is the only job i've done well. baylee replies, "i bet you did well as a teacher, you do well tutoring." that made me feel wonderful. i am so glad that my kids see that i'm not "just a stay at home mom." i'm glad they see that you can do many things and do them all well.<br />
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we also talked about how blessed they are that they are taught something and they understand. some kids don't always understand the first time. or they don't understand it the way it was said. i'm glad they realize that they have their strengths and what that can do for them.<br />
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i am really glad i do goodnight kisses.<br />
<br />
taraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-39980200911406881512012-09-21T21:23:00.001-05:002012-09-21T21:23:29.442-05:00payton is on a roll tonightpayton has been at it all night with rules and funny things he has said. so here is what i can remember:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>here's a good rule: pay attention.</li>
<li>oh and another one ride your bike</li>
<li>i took kayson's pacifier and he didn't cry but he started going uugghh so i gave it back. i'm so nice.</li>
<li>look kayson came and loved on me all by his self. it's cause i'm so nice.</li>
<li>you can't say butt, you can say the nice one though. for example "i wanted to get new toys but, i couldn't get any."</li>
<li>here's a rule: play outside.</li>
<li>oh, got a good one be nice.</li>
<li>can you print it because what if i forget the rules?</li>
</ul>
<div>
he is so full of comments tonight. these are just some of them. sometimes that kid listens so well but has a mind of his own. it is so frustrating because he repeats everything but doesn't follow the rules.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
tara</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-37624787812377362032012-08-27T22:33:00.000-05:002012-08-27T22:33:18.546-05:00first day of school<br /><br />regardless of whether we were ready or not the first day of school has arrived. luckily for us we were ready. well as ready as could be expected. every year lee and i tag team and make the boys breakfast. although i HATE mornings i am glad we start their first day of the new year off with a good breakfast. and that means i have to wake up super early. early enough to make bacon, scrambled eggs with sausage, pancakes and fruit, and to get myself ready to leave the house, and take first day of school pictures, and get to school on time. which this year since baylee is in junior high means a second campus we have to drop kids off at. honestly, that right there is what scares me. again i HATE mornings, am i going to be able to get all the kids to school on time at 2 different drop offs? and i know the campuses are side by side, but still....<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJaBLrndQ3_s3akDM4O61-UV0uICfELoHjLjjkZwi189WN2CE5wb2kSGe-7nNRbhSmGeW54tYgkEKsoV7j3nIw043W7AfMHOYPPagY0j_25DxfT7ST52iKA1bvGovwDndxkhXxTP01n8rV/s1600/x+627.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJaBLrndQ3_s3akDM4O61-UV0uICfELoHjLjjkZwi189WN2CE5wb2kSGe-7nNRbhSmGeW54tYgkEKsoV7j3nIw043W7AfMHOYPPagY0j_25DxfT7ST52iKA1bvGovwDndxkhXxTP01n8rV/s320/x+627.JPG" /></a><br />it makes me happy that lee sits down and eats with them too. even if i wasn't taking the picture i wouldn't sit down and eat. there is just something about eating right after i wake up. i've never really been able to do it. unless i was pregnant and then i would have to. i guess i should have taken that as a sign of how much my children would eat.<br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYI2qXnadn2y0AlWGgrN6A0c-ysSqMEgUKhPSU03F33DqahVDvnpFsQUBw8v-vavDq2gHtSofI3sJgg5Hnx5JNbbAi9ttp7atHBd7yXztiNRPwDfGcicEMtR1HxsFbGEgnfMRoRKuJBgba/s1600/x+633.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYI2qXnadn2y0AlWGgrN6A0c-ysSqMEgUKhPSU03F33DqahVDvnpFsQUBw8v-vavDq2gHtSofI3sJgg5Hnx5JNbbAi9ttp7atHBd7yXztiNRPwDfGcicEMtR1HxsFbGEgnfMRoRKuJBgba/s320/x+633.JPG" /></a><br />i love how may baylee has his arm around tayte. he did that all by himself. and since he did that tayte did that to payton. i am blessed because these boys REALLY love each other. it makes me happy! look how big these boys are!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1ccGQr-9kNrM2U4uIujcqku_wzyt4IpDyNEaaEsI_U970zQbfhENAnEnvm2bx09j01I1Ll_MMFUuN5J_UwtdBRcS46n0lwSEiBZXSXODHDTo0YqiQ_JW_KYikbiV01bpHYiQevWeXh9W/s1600/x+644.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1ccGQr-9kNrM2U4uIujcqku_wzyt4IpDyNEaaEsI_U970zQbfhENAnEnvm2bx09j01I1Ll_MMFUuN5J_UwtdBRcS46n0lwSEiBZXSXODHDTo0YqiQ_JW_KYikbiV01bpHYiQevWeXh9W/s320/x+644.JPG" /></a><br />notice in the pictures before kayson joined in that baylee wasn't smiling? yep. that did not make me happy. but, lee decided to take a bat thing we have and pretend he was about to hit me with it and then we get these pictures.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-e32XYt0cqVhbRGUUK6FnmBhoF6vxOsfZj6DBbap-0A_b8QnFAnDWai9c-2bZqbtwS9Oc5DQ6JcpWVpM4koknCM2Y8J2g_DOeAIy5lcG_WrPihVb0L1HSn0BuO0eDpyj-lmOjIEu4ZiBa/s1600/x+650.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-e32XYt0cqVhbRGUUK6FnmBhoF6vxOsfZj6DBbap-0A_b8QnFAnDWai9c-2bZqbtwS9Oc5DQ6JcpWVpM4koknCM2Y8J2g_DOeAIy5lcG_WrPihVb0L1HSn0BuO0eDpyj-lmOjIEu4ZiBa/s320/x+650.JPG" /></a><br />in the car on the way to school.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFWsAp4MBrZXiJQH92sD9g8Cj9ifnJVlX9Ry234PLWENv0WYJmLd1eh5LRioaraIq0C6lzVzfNgCUjiM2Uv6PJCZV16vFUU8fPQFZhiCKfFW9cpgSq4JyJRXhfY59ww7RapaLVRluHK9u/s1600/x+653.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFWsAp4MBrZXiJQH92sD9g8Cj9ifnJVlX9Ry234PLWENv0WYJmLd1eh5LRioaraIq0C6lzVzfNgCUjiM2Uv6PJCZV16vFUU8fPQFZhiCKfFW9cpgSq4JyJRXhfY59ww7RapaLVRluHK9u/s320/x+653.JPG" /></a><br />and there he goes into the junior high as a sixth grader all by himself. look how little he looks! i threaten to embarrass my kids for the way they behave, but truth be told i won't....or will i? i didn't want to start his junior high years off wrong. i HATED junior high. i would rather be water boarded than have to do that again. so, even though i don't cry at the first day of school, i was/am a bit nervous about this whole junior high thing. he's a smart kid, and the smart ones have it rough some times. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Ar1PhoNph6N83TGkjyuEZNl7U31aRIksDNZcIYTf08GpyhX6PBKXZhyphenhyphent3NSTVKz-Myz1A6yqVl17peeX42-ZzO43fBTCzn13PMrlXI_asmWRqKcZ_ESe74fPYrmkQPd9MQKkivqUocmo/s1600/x+662.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Ar1PhoNph6N83TGkjyuEZNl7U31aRIksDNZcIYTf08GpyhX6PBKXZhyphenhyphent3NSTVKz-Myz1A6yqVl17peeX42-ZzO43fBTCzn13PMrlXI_asmWRqKcZ_ESe74fPYrmkQPd9MQKkivqUocmo/s320/x+662.JPG" /></a><br />i LOVE shots like this. i LOVE that these boys are walking the same path as their daddy. he is a great man. a wonderful husband. and a superb father. he is showing them how to be a man. i think that's why we have so many boys.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vWc37Z79ltm8Q88nP0ofijF4_KuM4nXLeXDdD9kYTICU6UNkh6GtYH0ZVZnnY6TWLn7aZe4QvjlJC-Ia4D7fcJ2W0hXL2aRQngdvDBfgK79ETZ68YEXpwKEjvEg6Esd1XXJtUuOWaZzD/s1600/x+671.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vWc37Z79ltm8Q88nP0ofijF4_KuM4nXLeXDdD9kYTICU6UNkh6GtYH0ZVZnnY6TWLn7aZe4QvjlJC-Ia4D7fcJ2W0hXL2aRQngdvDBfgK79ETZ68YEXpwKEjvEg6Esd1XXJtUuOWaZzD/s320/x+671.JPG" /></a><br />tayte is in the third grade. he looks like a different kid with his glasses. this is a big year for him. lots of changes and by changes i mean standardized tests. thankfully, these boys are brilliant. i would say that about my kids anyway, but luckily for me i'm not lying when i say that. so the tests aren't what bother me. it's the stress of the test. and with tayte i don't want there to be any extra stress.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgra3H-b68Wz0Ik6nyWCxDjVx7pPHNDgnOQBegKrX7uGLprpzMFywoATsmVr5FCJ6C6lqtIA0N-q9dRfwY_Z9V8zYSChdNsgNFCk_LZYRMD_Ugzl7cxoGnkXY-Spgva9nQmcw5fGBIBiwNY/s1600/x+680.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgra3H-b68Wz0Ik6nyWCxDjVx7pPHNDgnOQBegKrX7uGLprpzMFywoATsmVr5FCJ6C6lqtIA0N-q9dRfwY_Z9V8zYSChdNsgNFCk_LZYRMD_Ugzl7cxoGnkXY-Spgva9nQmcw5fGBIBiwNY/s320/x+680.JPG" /></a><br />there's payton hard at work already. we held him back in kindergarten this year all because of where his birthday lands. last year on the first day of kindergarten he was FOUR, this year he is six. i feel better about sending a six year old to kindergarten. side note: every day since his birthday, all 2 of them, he has asked me if i am glad he is six. he's pretty excited about being six. so he sat down and started working, i bumped him, "uuugghhh, mom you messed me up." "sorry." i'm afraid he's going to get bored this year. but, that's not the part that makes me anxious, because quite frankly you do a lot of things in your life that could bore you, but you still do them. i'm afraid he's going to act up since he's bored. and his teacher, SHE IS FABULOUS!!! but, when we were trying to decide what to do with him she didn't want us to send him twice. so even though she is A WONDERFULLY, BRILLIANT, BEAUTIFUL teacher, i don't want the "i told you so." so payton may hate me by the end of the year, but that kid is going to be on his best behavior. always. oh and his teacher looks way to young to have a third grader herself. and payton was pretty happy that patrick, the kid in blue across from him, was in his class too. patrick and his family go to our church.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYkCDmjG4oeT4OSMzh6pAiPLf5XPWwMsvFUGIKx1l_ioieaoclFkjWWz86Za8ppidKznwxjKkP2gRgnt227ksPcyNPM7ZmRzPlW0cULSaAv7LIi7byBU9Cw9MmqEYJq0OLxWRv2TTskgc/s1600/x+683.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYkCDmjG4oeT4OSMzh6pAiPLf5XPWwMsvFUGIKx1l_ioieaoclFkjWWz86Za8ppidKznwxjKkP2gRgnt227ksPcyNPM7ZmRzPlW0cULSaAv7LIi7byBU9Cw9MmqEYJq0OLxWRv2TTskgc/s320/x+683.JPG" /></a><br />the good bye process: daddy hugs, kisses and says i love you. kayson kisses. momma kisses, hugs, says i love you and have a fabulous day. we did this in tayte's room too, i just didn't get proof.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSHiZ3Dfgw32Mj0JdLDieLpdxsZlBP5MWcO-cowy8362GNHOC-ea81IPF6Tl-IU2H930EP0TWCLUR3CKGAoPGorYNExkr8l3ODKXdlbW9w4elNruTbPhi2USJnHE5kwlj6ih-bTxvb8mF/s1600/x+689.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSHiZ3Dfgw32Mj0JdLDieLpdxsZlBP5MWcO-cowy8362GNHOC-ea81IPF6Tl-IU2H930EP0TWCLUR3CKGAoPGorYNExkr8l3ODKXdlbW9w4elNruTbPhi2USJnHE5kwlj6ih-bTxvb8mF/s320/x+689.JPG" /></a><br />and these two. this is ellie. neither of them know it yet but they have an arranged marriage. so it's really sweet that they are starting school together. and even sweeter that they are sitting right by each other. i don't think their teacher knows about the pending wedding so that makes it better. and, while payton is giving me "that look" i'm sure he will give it to ellie later in life. hehehe. oh, and when i rushed around to take this awesome picture i bumped payton again. "uuugggghhh, you messed me up AGAIN!!" i think he just wanted me to leave.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhT2cIYjyms5YsTpcWqH9Hermq45VnTcHrL_7v94meWBmNzEMMVPwJFC-bGhv09o-ZUKsK0QnUYShwmODOfn38Cgv1LVoa6ibEJX1swwkCobto8VkVU3PEvXHrQ30YajHTF5_E_1XewEw/s1600/x+699.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhT2cIYjyms5YsTpcWqH9Hermq45VnTcHrL_7v94meWBmNzEMMVPwJFC-bGhv09o-ZUKsK0QnUYShwmODOfn38Cgv1LVoa6ibEJX1swwkCobto8VkVU3PEvXHrQ30YajHTF5_E_1XewEw/s320/x+699.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdmSMx7xogSFA00Zu736j2bXWK_T9BDpJvxSqx2Nt7NeaR1HqN01lPLkPyO_gOqL0qzdeJUTniB_l-OE8A333l7cyEce2v1sGXL7jNkPr9j2QS9pi9SEOKNjOkMSpShq8j95JWY9kbItW/s1600/x+700.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdmSMx7xogSFA00Zu736j2bXWK_T9BDpJvxSqx2Nt7NeaR1HqN01lPLkPyO_gOqL0qzdeJUTniB_l-OE8A333l7cyEce2v1sGXL7jNkPr9j2QS9pi9SEOKNjOkMSpShq8j95JWY9kbItW/s320/x+700.JPG" /></a><br />and this little stinker. i was afraid he would have a horrible day without someone being at his every beck and call. but, he LOVED being home with momma all day. he loved on me. danced around the couch. sat on these steps over and over. talked a ton. laughed and smiled all day. but, the thing i think he enjoyed the most: if he had a toy it never got taken away from him. EVER!<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
it was a great way to start a new school year.</div>
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and after school we all loaded up and headed to amarillo for our tradition of getting ice cream on the first day of school. we tried out frazzleberries, which i know is frozen yogurt. but, really isn't it all the same? </div>
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as for me this school year. i have a list of things i want to do. and on that list is to get back in the habit of blogging. i look back at some of the posts i've made and i'm so grateful i did. and then i think about some of the things i've missed and i'm sad. so here's to a great year!!!</div>
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tara</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-31437325780534083772012-04-23T18:03:00.002-05:002012-04-23T18:03:52.281-05:00ready or not....for the first time in 5 years i am going to have a vegetable garden. and as lee told the couple down the street it's the first time in 5 years i've been outside. which is not true, because i have had the swimsuit tan lines to prove otherwise. but, anyway i am going to have a garden. i am not sure if i am ready or not. i keep telling myself i am, but just telling this story this far has the tears welling up in my eyes. nope, strike that... a couple of tears have already fallen. you see it has been 5 years since i've had a garden and 5 summers ago my dad was still here to help. and by help i mean DO IT ALL, but the planting, some of the picking, and some of the canning/freezing. those were my jobs. and doing this i have realized a few things: 1. my dad did a TON of the work before he told me it was time to come help. i like to think it was because he loved to do it. at least i hope that's the reason. and 2. i didn't ask enough questions. i am quickly realizing my gardening knowledge could fill the tip of my pinkie finger. maybe there is more in there i just haven't pulled it out yet. God, please let that be so!! <br />
<br />
so, there are a few things with this gardening deal that i hope do not have my dad rolling over in his grave. i mean even though we did it together, we did it his way. but, since it was at his house, used his tools, and his money i guess we could do it his way. so by that theory i can do some things my way since we are at my house with my money. and some of my (and when i say mine i mean, lee's) tools, we did borrow the expensive tools. i don't want to dive in, i mean what if i can't do this on my own. i don't want to invest lots of money in tools i may not use. right?!?!? i've talked to the guy down the street who loves to garden. and i've talked to his friend, who happens to be the husband of one of my new friends. i'm stressing about the lack of space i have. i am used to gardening in a space that some of my friends said was a small farm. so since i am confined to a smaller area and both these guys talked about going up i think i'm going to give it a try. difference number 1. oh, and my dad never would let us grow carrots ("never grow anything you can buy cheaper at the store"), but the boys wanted to grow carrots, sooooo.... difference number 2.<br />
<br />
so this is either going to be great and therapeutic for me or a giant disaster. only time will tell. i just hope that i don't scare off my new founts of gardening wisdom. i wonder if they know how much trouble they are going to be in this spring/summer. i'm coming in this with little knowledge and a lot of emotional baggage. so say a prayer for me. and maybe one for lee. and i guess add the muirs and the tows for their patience. and you should probably add my dad and my grandma to the list as well so i don't embarrass them too much with my lack of country knowledge. i'm sure both of them are somewhere getting ready for a good laugh at my expense. or maybe they are both in hiding so they don't have to hear about how they didn't pass on the gardening wisdom they both had. i'll let you know how this experience ends up. hopefully with jars and jars of canned goodness.<br />
<br />
taraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-48556639688537904072011-12-21T12:18:00.002-06:002011-12-21T12:18:43.652-06:00payton and the wiithe past couple of days payton has been playing the wii, and since i've been confined to the couch recovering i've really watched him. he has been cracking me up. it's come battling game on wii sports. he gets in his sumo wrestler stance, feet apart, knees bent, squatting down. then he takes the wii remote and swings it like it's a sword. swinging it wildly around like a crazy person. that is funny enough as it is, but the things he says are even better.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
i'm going to defeat you. (remember he's 5)</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
take that!</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
i don't care if i die, i care if i beat him.</blockquote>
then after he had played for a while and his face was red from the workout, he comes up to me and says, "my hair is wet. it's like i took a bath with all my clothes on." and he had worked out. maybe i should play that game.<br />
<br />
tara<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
</blockquote>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-22626411058272239922011-12-01T23:52:00.001-06:002011-12-01T23:58:23.580-06:00thankful: day 30i am thankful that i did the 30 days of thanksgiving. all though i was not good about getting things posted on their day i did spend several times thinking about what i was thankful for. it was a good exercise for me. i have many blessings and like so many others i get caught up in the "wish i had's" or the "everyone else gets to's". it was a valuable lesson for me to learn. to take time each day and think about what i was blessed with that day. the first days were gimme days: God, lee, the boys, friends..., but as the first week passed i thought maybe i can't do this. it was a struggle for me to think about something on some of those days. but, then one day came and i could come up with 2 things. it's like when you make a list of all the negative things about yourself, the list is a mile long. then, when asked to make a list of all the positive things it takes you longer to get going. but really once you get going you start to see the positive about yourself. this exercise was that same thing. i got to the point where i would think about things i was thankful for several times throughout the day. now, if i could just do this same exercise with other areas of my life.<br />
<br />
taraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-3314811953795308932011-12-01T23:47:00.001-06:002011-12-01T23:50:37.990-06:00thankful: day 29i am thankful that lee and i are on the same page parenting-wise. for all the big things we agree on how we want them done. we don't fight about which way to do things when it comes to our kids and how we want to raise them. it's funny how this has worked because we come from different places. some of the core is the same but for the most part our lives have been very different. it makes things run so smoothly when we both agree and i am thankful for our similar parenting styles.<br />
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taraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-46824221274425701612011-11-28T23:49:00.001-06:002011-11-28T23:55:53.970-06:00thankful: day 28i am thankful for my cub scout den. i have 19 second graders. and while at times it seems like there are 119 second graders, i wouldn't trade them for anything. they WANT to please me. some days i have to remind them of that and some times it seems like i have to do it every 5 minutes, but they refocus and we get to work. they work hard and are always eager to answer questions. they want to do the fun stuff, so they will do the not so fun stuff. this is my second year with them and i am thankful that all 12 from last year came back and my 7 new guys seem just as eager to come each week. i am thankful for their parents and that they bring them to me each week. it takes a community to raise a child and i am thankful that so many parents have entrusted me to be part of their community.<br />
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tara<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-46459665498363177042011-11-28T23:35:00.001-06:002011-11-28T23:48:51.820-06:00thankful: day 27i am thankful for my faith. there are some things that have happened in my life and i could not get through them without my faith. i lean on God for the strength that i don't have. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #f7f8fc; line-height: 24px;">“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” – Phil 4:13</span></blockquote>
my faith has kept me moving, not always forward, but at least i was moving. i read this once: i can't prove God exists, but you can't prove He doesn't. i am glad i believe in Him. i would hate to go through life and this be all there is. all the people you meet you will never see again. i am grateful He has given me peace knowing some of my biggest losses are not permanent. i believe in God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and i lean on all 3.<br />
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taraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-88192384136298921862011-11-28T23:31:00.001-06:002011-11-28T23:34:54.530-06:00thankful: day 26i am thankful for a family day. we spent the day in amarillo. we started at the movies and saw arthur christmas, which the boys and i loved. after that the boys wanted to go to barnes and noble. payton had earned five bucks and chose to get a book from barnes and noble. i am also thankful that my boys like to spend their own money on books. after barnes and noble we stopped at game stop to check things out for christmas lists. with our final stop at chili's for a wonderful dinner. i am thankful we enjoy spending time together.<br />
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taraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-73690153473527863622011-11-28T23:27:00.001-06:002011-11-28T23:30:51.764-06:00thankful: day 25i am thankful for breakfast in bed. lee cooked breakfast, so when i went into the kitchen payton looked at me and told me to go back to bed. lee told me no. payton said it again and wanted me to go back to bed. lee finally gave in so off to bed i went. payton came into the room and told me i had to go back to sleep so when he brought me my breakfast he would find a place to set it down and turn on the light. then he would set it in front of me after he woke me up. i am thankful that payton has such a wonderful imagination and that he has the whole scenario in his head a tries so hard to have it play out that way.<br />
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taraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-11989031847612127892011-11-24T20:05:00.001-06:002011-11-24T20:10:34.899-06:00thankful: day 24i am thankful for a day full of blessings. a loving Father, my freedom, spending time with lee's side of the family, great food, my husband, my children, watching my boys spend time with their cousins, having their cousins spend the night reminding me of the many times i did that as a child. the list could go on because i am one blessed girl. happy thanksgiving everyone!<br />
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taraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-25445573739774421072011-11-24T20:04:00.001-06:002011-11-24T20:04:38.237-06:00thankful: day 23i am thankful that the boys let me sleep in..... kinda. it was nice to not have to be any where at any specific time.<br />
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taraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-57590268194651213102011-11-22T19:31:00.001-06:002011-11-22T19:40:10.558-06:00thankful: day 22today i am thankful for all the tubs of clothes i have for the boys. right now i have a tub of clothes in all sizes 6 months to size 8-10. well for boys anyway. there is not telling how much money we have saved by keeping our tubs. i have clothes that baylee wore when he was an infant and those same clothes kayson is wearing. having a larger family means you make sacrifices. i wear clothes that i have had well over 5 years and the boys wear hand me downs. no one is any worse off for it. and the funny thing is when you have 4 boys everyone must feel sorry for the baby because you get one of two gifts: diapers or clothes. so kayson has had his fair share of new clothes. the only downside to my tubs is making sure there is something different worn for pictures. that way it doesn't seem like you dress your kids in the same things.<br />
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oh, and i'm also thankful that i am getting rid of my tubs. as soon as kayson outgrows them they are out of here.<br />
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taraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-20976352989153709642011-11-21T22:21:00.001-06:002011-11-21T22:44:42.051-06:00thankful: day 21today i am thankful for 2 things. <br />
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first, i am thankful that even though the volume on my phone was turned all the way down i still heard it vibrating on the table. how i don't know because i sleep through everything! and it was only going off for a minute before i woke up. it's a thanksgiving miracle. lee had to go to san antonio today and left around 4 this morning so i had to get up and get the boys to school, but usually i have lee moving around in the room as my warning that it's time to get up. so i am thankful that i heard that phone.<br />
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secondly, i am thankful for the muirs that live down the street. scouts is on mondays and with lee being gone i needed someone to watch kayson. i asked katie after school and she said she'd love to. when i dropped him off i surprised them with payton as well. katie wasn't there but the doug and casey were. they were just as excited to keep him as katie was. katie kept him several times during the summer when i took the other boys to the pool. doug has kept him once. and they all seem to come around when kayson is there. it is such a wonderful thing to be able to leave him somewhere and know that he is as loved there as he is at home. kayson is so blessed to have them in his short life. i am blessed they are around and want to keep my baby. i am glad they are part of the village raising my boys.<br />
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taraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-85648447456742436902011-11-20T14:21:00.001-06:002011-11-20T14:25:35.473-06:00thankful: day 20i am thankful that will all the changes to the mass, my kiddos are young. in fact, baylee really is the only one that has learned the existing mass to any extent. so i am grateful that i only have to change one of them, the rest will have to learn it as we all do. some of these changes are good and do make sense, others seem unnecessary. i'm sure they are changes for the better, but their purpose isn't crystal clear. but, change is good and being able to adapt to new situations is a wonderful characteristic to have.<br />
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taraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-64226921832619361652011-11-20T14:11:00.001-06:002011-11-20T14:20:31.472-06:00thankful: day 19i am thankful for the organizations the boys are involved in. baylee is in 4h and cub scouts, and tayte is in cub scouts. both organizations help teach the boys the value of being a positive part of society. i believe it takes a village to raise a child and i want to make sure that the village my boys are part of contains a range of positive influences. i want them to see there is more to life than sports. i was an athlete in school so i'm not bashing sports. sports are part of the extra things the boys do, i just want the to be well rounded and have lots of pieces to the puzzle that makes them, them. as an adult leader in scouts i now get to see it from a different perspective. i am seeing how the different things we do come together to show these boys to honor and respect God, their country, and themselves.<br />
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taraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-74022793242392408022011-11-20T14:03:00.001-06:002011-11-20T14:09:53.189-06:00thankful: day 18i am thankful that my children are not picky eaters. they will try almost anything i put in front of them. they rarely complain about what is cooked. plus they are really healthy eaters. they don't really care for a lot of fried greasy food. i am thankful that they will eat fruits and vegetables, and lately they don't have to be covered with ranch.<br />
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taraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-19810503508913331742011-11-17T22:09:00.001-06:002011-11-17T22:18:06.619-06:00thankful: day 17i am thankful for the great insurance we have had. i never really realized how great our insurance was until we had to look at the options for next year. there are major changes to the insurance lee has had at the bank for the last 11 years. our premiums are maybe high, i think, but i don't really have much to compare it too. we pay about $400 a month but that's for a family of 6 so to me it's not too bad. it starts day one paying 80% on all claims, 100% on preventative care visits. and after reaching a $5,000 deductible for the family (i'm not sure what the individual deductible is) it's covered 100%. well...i have had a baby by c-section: which leads to a higher service and longer hospital stay. tayte has had an overnight stay in the pedi-icu, 2 mris, 2 eegs, 1 cat scan, 1 mra, 1 emergency room visit, and 1 ambulance ride. plus we put tayte in speech and occupational therapy this summer. and we have YET to meet our deductible. and now i have to have an umbilical hernia repaired and probably still will not meet the deductible. so next year someone please remind me that i need to be thankful for any insurance that we have because not everyone has it.<br />
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taraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-42636724087102726112011-11-16T22:12:00.001-06:002011-11-16T22:22:41.319-06:00thankful: day 16i am thankful that we decided to pray each night as a family. i say each night, but it really ends up being most nights. we try hard to do it every night, but sometimes life gets in the way. i know it shouldn't but, that's a whole other subject. so i am thankful we pray as a family. it has taken a while to get the boys to open up and pray, but now that they do they ask God for some of the sweetest, most amazing things.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." matthew 7:7</span></blockquote>
the door has been opened for me and these prayers give me an insight into their thinking that few things do. to listen to them all thank God for their brothers, to ask Him to protect their brothers, shows the love they have for them. if it wasn't for those nightly prayers i wouldn't get to hear those things. and even though they are great kids, they don't always show just how much they love each other. God is doing wonderful things through them and i get to watch.<br />
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tara<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br /></blockquote>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-68211658678906699362011-11-15T22:04:00.001-06:002011-11-15T22:29:46.127-06:00thankful: day 15i am thankful for the home we have. even when we bought it, it wasn't the house i wanted. but, it was the first house that lee wanted and i could live with. we have been here for almost 10 years and we have made it a home. it isn't huge and the boys share rooms, in fact until just recently all the boys shared one room. it keeps us warm in the winter, cool in the summer and full of love. we have a table full of food every night. we have many things we are blessed with and much to be thankful for. i am thankful we have made this house a home.<br />
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taraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-77002601127345492482011-11-15T21:26:00.001-06:002011-11-15T21:58:14.278-06:00thankful: day 14i am thankful for the bible study group i'm in and for the renew group that just ended. i have been wanting to grow in my religious knowledge and these two groups have been a great way to do that. i have learned so much from both of these groups and am grateful. many times people ask me questions, especially my own children. it seems that for some of them if i knew the answer i have forgotten it. and, i guess because of my age i want to be able to answer them and know that i can't use the excuse that i didn't ever learn it for long. i have to take my education into my own hands. and with these two groups i am doing just that.<br />
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taraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-39099558463154774692011-11-13T22:16:00.001-06:002011-11-13T22:17:11.348-06:00thankful: day 13i am thankful for dr. pepper and the individual who invented it. i have one almost daily and need it some days to get my day going.<br />
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taraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-53454388526712659552011-11-13T22:10:00.001-06:002011-11-13T22:15:44.128-06:00thankful: day 12i'm thankful that my children truly love each other. i see other kids around their siblings and the way they fight or talk to each other. it really makes me sad. my boys do fuss with each other and have had their fair share of fights, but not like some of these kids. i am so blessed to have boys that love each other and don't mind hugging and kissing each other in front of other people. of all the things this is my proudest parenting achievement. <br />
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taraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484896048976704827.post-65802952987556530562011-11-11T17:13:00.001-06:002011-11-11T17:39:56.400-06:00thankful: day 11i am thankful today and everyday for our veterans. i will never comprehend their selflessness. i understand the desire to do anything to keep my loved ones safe, but i don't have that same feeling for complete strangers. to choose to be in harm's way so someone i don't know can go about their life and make any choice they wish is beyond my understanding. and for many of those people to only think about soldiers one day a year. veterans are AMAZING people. and for their sacrifices i am thankful.<br />
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i am also thankful for their families. they sacrifice so much too. to send a loved one away into harm's way and to then have to worry about them because they won't hear from them for periods of time.<br />
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i am also thankful that the boys go to school where they do. every year there is a program that honors our local veterans. kindergarten through fifth grade sing several songs. all of which are so danged good. junior high kids do a flag show and the high school band plays a couple songs. i love the song the band plays which is a medley of all branches songs. then when a veteran's song plays they stand and get an applause. names of all the veterans from the county that were killed in combat are called out. and all veterans who are present have their names called and the branch they served. i tear up at that part every time. i am glad this is done because it instills a sense of pride and teaches kids how to show honor to these individuals. i had a few friends who grew up here mention that they have the respect for veterans that they do because of the school doing this.<br />
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it seems so inadequate, but THANK YOU VETERANS!<br />
taraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16853205125287101084noreply@blogger.com0