I am an RRT!

I am so excited because I am now an RRT! What does that mean? I basically got more credentials behind my name. In some places it means more money, but most importantly it gives me the opportunity to specialize and test in other areas such as neonates. I love working with the babies in our neonate nursery and I've always wanted to take the test. Not all respiratory therapist are eligible for it and it depends on your degree in respiratory. I've been eligible to take the test since I graduated from college but then came marriage, baby, then oops! another baby, then homeschooling and soon I found myself with no time to invest in studying. I finally decided last year to take it. It's a six hour test and it will send you over the edge for sure! I was able to pass the first portion and had to retake the last section only. I took that part yesterday and passed with flying colors. It was a huge accomplishment for me and it opens lots of doors. The future is just a little brighter!!

Happy 5th Alana Bug!

My niece is now 5! It's so hard to believe. She is such a special little girl to the Light party and I'm proud to say she loves being at Aunt Jen's house. Alana lives in the city and she doesn't have a big yard so when she's with us we can not keep her inside. She chases the dog, cat, and loves to go see the cows. She was here in the winter last year and she wanted to know if we were going to bring the cows in since it was so cold. The country life is a moment she takes in and enjoys to the fullest. She always comes in the summer to spend at least a week with us and we usually see her once or twice a month throughout the year. We will get to go up next weekend to her birthday party and we can't wait.

We love you Alana and will see you very soon!!

Feeling Good!

I am happy to say that I am in my second week of 6:30 a.m. workouts at the gym Monday-Friday and I'm feeling good and a whole lot less tired. I also decided to fast fast food. That means no more vanilla flavored iced coffee from McDonald's. Of coarse my head has been screaming for caffeine because my coffee from home isn't near as loaded!!! I have to say though that starting my morning at 6:00 a.m going full blast is a HUGE change. At that time I was normally getting ready to drive home from work or ironing Jeff's work clothes and heading back to bed until 7:30. The first few days of my workout were absolutely terrible. I mean I hurt everywhere and even in places I didn't know existed. I also had to watch a woman much older than me go faster and longer on the elliptical and she smiled while she did it as though it was such a joyful thing. Not only that, the gym is wall to wall with mirrors so every morning I get to look at myself and see everything jiggle (how pretty!-NOT). At first I was thinking that there is nothing about this that feels good emotionally or physically, but then I realized that if I want to be healthier I should let the older and probably wiser one be my motivator. So, now I'm really enjoying my workouts and the ME time.

Maw Williams

I hope you enjoy these pictures Grandmama. I just love them. I had so many of all of us through out the years that it was really hard to choose.

On christmas eve my great grandmother went to bed with a new piece of fabric to start a new quilt and intentions of being with family on christmas day. Instead she woke up sitting at the feet of Jesus on His birthday. I can only imagine what she felt when she opened her eyes and saw her baby girl she'd been waiting to meet for all these years. She also got to reunite with her husband who she'd been separated from for 6 years, but most importantly she found herself with the one who gave her life and loved her with an everlasting love.

She was a wonderful person and she loved the Lord with all of her heart. She loved all those around her and she treated everyone as though they were her own. She made me laugh, made me feel loved, and she gave me hope that we can survive this life and that it is possible to trust the Lord and love Him through all the challenges of life. I don't really remember a time in my life that she wasn't there and I think about her everyday. The next time I go back home I know it will not be the same because she won't be sitting at my mother's table with her cup of coffee and my grandmother waiting for our entry. My kids won't be able to run to her with open arms and yell at the top of their lungs Maw.....................(that's what we called her). I also know that she is loving her new life and new home and I'm so happy for her because she has won and she has reached the goal that we are all aiming for..............a place of no more pain, no more sorrow, no more suffering, and no more tears. There is only peace and love and I know that there is tons of laughing because she is hysterically funny!

LET'S PLAY BALL!

It's that time again. That is t-ball time. We are so excited. I had no idea how much fun it would be when we signed Trever up and then Jeff got asked to coach. We had such a blast last year watching Trever play and making relationships with the kids and their family. I could not get enough of being dug-out mom. Jeff had an experience like no other coaching 4, 5, and 6 year olds. This was his first experience of that. He had only coached high school. By game 2 of the season the kids were giving him hugs and high fives . Jeff will have a lot of the same kids he coached last year on his team with a few other newcomers. A lot of Trever's friends from his pre-k class are playing this year as well so he is so excited. Abbie will have two of her friends playing along with her, Chloe Russ and RaeLynn Moses so she is also excited. T-ball is just a family fun event for us and we are ready to play ball!! There is nothing like the joy of watching 4, 5, and 6 year olds run around the field. Hopefully we will see some of you there.

I'm going for it!

I've decided to take the plunge and get this blogging on the go. I've been telling my family that I would start it so that they can keep up with the children, but I'm so addicted to reading everyone else's blogs that I haven't made time for my own. I hope that I will be as addicted to posting as I am reading everyone else's post-ha.

We are so enjoying this weather right now. We've used our fire place all week and it has been wonderful to cuddle up in front of it with the kids. Trever loves to sit in "daddy's chair" with daddy and of coarse Abbie likes to sit right on top of me. It's the life after a long day of school, work, and all the other bussiness throughout the day. I don't want this weather to end just yet, but I know it will be gone in a blink of an eye. Who knows, next week we might be in shorts and my children will be begging their daddy to put up the hose on the trampoline. For right now, I plan to enjoy the chill bumps and see my breath as I walk out the door.

I want to share one last thing and then I think I'll call it quits for now. Today Trever wanted me to read him a story (he wants that everyday, at least three times) and I just could not do it right then. So, Abbie volunteered herself to read Trever a story and he actually agreed to it. So, she read his favorite, Cat in the Hat, and she did a wonderful job. After every page Trever would say "great job, sissy" or "wow, that was great, sissy." She would smile everytime he said something and I know it was making her heart feel so proud and boosting her confidence. I just loved watching them in that moment. I hope that was just a little glimpse of what kind of little brother he will be to her in the future. He tells us all the time that he wants to marry Abbie, and she giggles and tells him that he can not marry his sister. He pops back with "oh yes I can and I'm going to marry mommy too." It just makes my heart melt to know he loves me that much. God help that future daughter-in-law. That is unless it's Maddie Grace Symonds. She stole mine and Jeff's heart a long time ago and I know I'd be willing to share Trever with her-ha,ha.

I hope to get pictures posted tomorrow.............hopefully very soon Christy will be coming out to the house to take family pictures out on our property then I'll definately have some great pics. to post.