Class of 2002

Ten years ago I was 19.  I had just recently graduated from high school, gotten engaged, and started college.  I was living at home with the parents still.  I was so excited to finally be out of school and start my life. 

Brent and I had been dating for three years already at this point and a wedding was in the works.  I was going to school to become a teacher and Brent was going into accounting. 

We were so young, but ready to be grown ups.

Ten years later we've been married for 9 years.  We have 3 kids.  I am a fifth grade math teacher.  Brent is NOT in accounting, but he's happy with his job.  I'd say we have had a pretty busy 10 years.

I'm not going to lie and tell you that I wouldn't change a thing, because I most definitely would.  We have made some major mistakes, as all young people do, and if I could redo some things I would.

(mostly financial things)

That being said, I really couldn't be more happy with my husband, even after 9 years married and 12 years together.  Sheesh that's a long time!!

I think my greatest accomplishment in these past ten years are the three little people that Brent and I brought into this world.  My kids are my life, and I can't even remember what it was like ten years ago without them. 

So many things have changed in ten years, but I would say mostly for the better. 

I'm hoping the next ten years doesn't go by quite as fast and that we make fewer mistakes. 



Class of 2002 float in the homecoming parade.  I'm on there sitting between the two orange balloons. 



Kelsie and Grant did me a huge favor and took my kids to the parade so that I could ride on our class float. 

Aunt and Uncle of the year awards!! 

Brent was bummed because he had to work and couldn't make it. 

I didn't take these pictures so I'm not quite sure what's going on here.

Jack Jack sippin on his juice.

It was HOT!

Halloween buckets for parade candy and necklaces!

Grant, Austin, and Chelsea

Chelsea is Grant's sister and my kids occasional babysitter.

I think Kelsie forgot I was a blogger when she took this lovely picture of herself!  She might think twice next time! LOL

My boys!

here it comes

Friday night after the parade we went to the high school football game, but it didn't last long.  It started pouring down rain on us before the end of the first quarter.

Brent and Jack

Austin with his new favorite person, Chelsea.

It is so rare that me and Brent take a picture together, so even though I don't really like the angle of the shot I had to keep it.

Saturday afternoon the class of 2002 met at the park for a family day.  It rained the entire time, but the kids had fun playing in the puddles.  I didn't take pictures.

Saturday night we had our adults only social/party.  I wish more of our classmates had shown up, but it was fun.  It was so funny to see how much people had changed in ten years.  Some for the better and some for the worse.  A few lucky people looked exactly the same. 

I think it's so bizarre how I saw most of these people practically everyday from third grade to Graduation and then suddenly it's been ten years since I've seen many of them.

We are the only high school sweethearts!!

Brent LOVES to do his thing on the dance floor!! 

He really does have pretty good rhythm.

Well here's to another 10 years!!

3 great days

Last week my parents went to Philedelphia and so my babysitter was MIA. 

Usually my back up is Kelsie, but she has school and just started a new job so she could only help out on Friday.

So that meant I had to dip into my personal days.  I paid a babysitter on Monday to watch all three kids because we had an inservice at school.  Then I took off three days to stay home with my baby boy.

I LOVED IT!!

Spending so much one on one time with him was such a blessing.  He was so good for me all 3 days.  We played, went on bike rides, went to walmart,  he even let me clean the house and do laundry. 

 Sometimes I wonder if working is really worth missing out on so much precious time with my baby.  Actually, I wonder that all the time. 

I'm not saying the three days were nothing but rainbows and sunshine, because it wasn't.  I pretty much worked more at home than I would have at work, but I guess those moments with Jack Jack make it all worth it. 

How could I not wish I got to stay home every day with this sweet little guy??

OOOooh I love him!!!

I feel like I'm fallin for fall

Remember Moose and Z?  They used to be a staple in our family.  Do they still have Moose and Z on Nick Jr.? 

Our older kids have graduated on to Disney Channel shows, which is very sad.  Jackson has shown absolutely no interest in watching TV.  I'm pretty sure Abigail and Austin were addicted by his age. #badmommy

So I put out my Fall and Halloween Decorations and all I can say is pathetic.  I'm no good at decorating.  It sort of overwhelms me, so then I just barely do anything or buy anything. 

 But Ill show you just in case you think I'm being modest. 

 I'm not. 



This is a door hang that I bought somewhere.  It's been so long I can't remember.  I'm too scared to change it up or spend the money on something that might look bad, or I should say worse.




Here is my fall candy bowl and my Halloween candle holders.  I've moved the candle holders about 6 times since this picture.  I just can't find a place for them.



Halloween nightlight in the kids room.  I think I got this at Kohl's a few years ago. 

The kids enjoy it.

My witch, ghost, and pumpkin outdoor hangs.  I bought these at the Dollar Store a few years ago and the kids look forward to me putting them up every year.  They are in pretty bad shape, so this might be there last Halloween.

I actually just bought these last year, but I can't really figure out what to do with them either. 
They look so boring in this picture.  I need some color or something. 



One thing I do know, is that I LOVE me some chicken and sausage gumbo with potato salad.


The BEST part about fall is the food!!
gumbo, chili, and soups oh my

We've had a few little cool fronts come through, but nothing major and as of right now it's in the 80's outside. 

Maybe someday I'll live somewhere with four seasons, but for now I just have to pretend it's fall outside!!



baby vampire

Look how sweet and innocent!!

Umm no



He bit me!!

It hurt a lot!

Then he did it again near the same spot, but not as bad.

What is this???  Neither of my other kids bit me. 

Here we go.

How do discipline a 13 month old?

lukewarm

Sup y'all?

Yeah, I think it's time for some change. 

You know that season in your life where you just feel like you need a change.  I'm there right now.

I'm tired of feeling like a hamster in a wheel.  Stuck!

I've been praying for a while now about some major changes I would like to happen in my life.  I realize that sometimes what I want is not what God wants for me, but I know for a fact he doesn't want me to continue feeling stuck and lukewarm anymore. 

“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth."

Revelation 3:15-16

I know God wants more from me, but I need to make some changes and some sacrifices to get where I believe He is leading me.  I feel like I've got a lot of balls in the air and at any moment I'm going to drop one and then they will all come tumbling down.

I'm tired of being your average working mom, wife, and christian.

I would greatly appreciate your prayers while I try to navigate these changes. 

I was recently inspired by an awesome blogger who is using her blog in such a great way.  Megan at Just a Small Town Girl is selling ornaments for adoption.  Please go over to her blog and see how you can help.  You might also notice in my sidebar I've got her Ornaments for Adoption button to help spread the word.  You can help too.

So now on to a few superficial changes:

Weight loss is a thorn in my side.  It's always on my mind.  I'm so tired of trying to lose weight.  I'm not going to tell you how motivated I am and how I'm not going to stop until I lose fifty pounds, because I've said those things before and then nada. 



One of the ways I'm trying to drop a few lbs. Look at that cute little face under that helmet!



I really want to be rid of this extra weight, but I've also got to stop letting it consume my every thought.  I've never thought about praying about weight loss, but why not? 

Haircut--I've already made this change.  I really don't like putting pictures of myself on here, but I really like my new hair and wanted to share. 

 In the process of trying to take a semi-normal looking picture with my cell phone by myself, I realized that it's just about impossible.  People who can do this successfully are truly talented in my book.  Here are all my outtakes.

I really just can't take myself seriously, so I had to throw in a few goofball shots.

Abigail got her hair cut too and donated to locks of love.  We weren't originally going that short, but then decided that donating would be a great life lesson for Abigail. 

Before

 After

Doesn't she look sweet??!!

So these are some ch-ch-changes happening around here.
 
What changes are you thinking about making in your life?

29 for the first time

Yes, I am officially 29 years old.  Only one year away from 30!

But I really don't care, in fact I'm ready to be in my thirties.  I feel like the best is yet to come for me. 

I'm finished having babies, in other words I'm done being fat.  Well, almost done being fat.  I still have about 50 pounds to lose. 

My kids are getting out of the baby stage, except for Jackson, but in another year he will be more of a toddler than a baby. 

Brent finally has a good job, where we might be able to get our finances worked out. 

So yes, I'm excited about my thirties.  Not that my twenties were horrible, they were just stressful. 

I don't like to make a big deal about my birthday.  My mom sent me a text the day before my birthday and told me she wanted to make me a birthday supper and a cake. 

Brent didn't have to lift a finger, which in his defense he has been very busy and working really hard at his new job. 

Brent bought me a bicycle!  We put a baby seat on the back for Jackson. 

I LOVE IT!!

I know, I know a good blogger would have pictures galour of myself and Jack on the new bike, but hey I never claimed to be that good of a blogger. 

We go on a bike ride almost everyday!  Fun and good exercise!

It was a good birthday!

suzie homemaker

 

This post is embarrassing, but I'm keeping things real here on this little blog.

It's basically just one big confession.  As much as a I wish I was the perfect wife, mother, chef, and career woman, it just aint so!!

This was the cake I attempted to make for Jackson birthday in early August. 

This was the best the cake ever looked.

For some reason it just started breaking in half.  It looked rather like the beginnings of a canyon.

And very slowly both sides of the cake continued to slide off the sides. 

Pretty, I know!

At this point Brent and I broke out the forks and dug in.  I knew there was no salvaging it. 

Needless to say, I had to go buy a cake for Jack Jack's birthday. 

So call me Suzie Homemaker if you like. 

I know I've impressed you with my baking talent.