I'm Back!

Hey Guys-

I am back, and feel like I should apologize for not writing for so long. I don't really know why I feel like I need to apologize for not writing on my personal blog, but I do. So here I am. Sorry.

So we are married! We are now a legal family, and it feels great. The kids really seem to be affected by it, which is so surprising, because it will be 4 years in August that we have been living together. The kids are saying stuff like "You're my dad now" (like he wasn't before). Interesting.

The kids are all doing well, on summer vacation, and in good health.

The wedding was great, with some interesting stories that I may get to soon. The kids were all "junior brides" and "junior grooms" complete with their own "junior maid-of-honors" and even a "junior best-man" They were so excited to be able to bring their best friends on such a wonderful vacation, to such a beautiful place.

Our beautiful wedding chapel in the mountains


A view of the incredible cabins we stayed in


The Wedding Party



My Guys



My Gals


Husband and Wife at last!




And some more of my favorites I thought I'd throw in:
Me and Rick

Brooke and Dad

Bride

Our Sand Ceremony Container


In addition to doing a sand ceremony to include our children, we also said vows to them and gave them rings. It was beautiful!

Conversations with Josh

Brooke and I went on a shopping trip. We were not home in time for dinner, and stopped to get fast-food at this awesome place, which is my downfall:



She didn't finish her chicken strips, and had put them in the fridge, saying "Rainia can have those for her after school snack tomorrow." So tomorrow came, and was actually yesterday. Is that confusing? Anyway, I pick up elementary school first, which is Rainia, Jake and Josh.

Rainia: What can I eat when I get home?

The girl has an obsession with food. she cannot get enough. I think that because of her extremely hyper-nature, and metabolism, she really is always hungry. She burns it as soon as she eats it.

Me: Actually, Brooke saved her dinner from last night for you. Wasn't that nice?

Rainia: Yay! What is it?

Me: Chicken strips.

Josh: But I wuv chicken stwips too. Did she give me some?

Me: Sorry bud. You're going to have to eat normal snack.

Josh: Why did she give it to Wainia?

Rainia: Everyone knows I am the eater in this family.

Josh: (Is very upset, his face turns red, and he yells) "You awe NOT my leader!"



And on the same trip, the highlight of my day:

They are having a book fair. We always buy books at the school book fairs, and they sent home a catalogue for the kids to look through.



Rainia: Look at the book I want Mommy.



(Rainia's other obsession)

Josh: And wook at the book I want Mommy, Andwew weads these books.



Josh: It's called Diawea of a Wimpy Kid. It's about a kid that poops all the time!

Rainia's 15 minutes

Oh. My. God. I just saw my daughter on E!news. I have to find it on the internet. The Jonas Brothers Theater Invasion. Wow.

I won the coolest mom of the year award

Now I really AM mother of the year. Well, at least according to Rainia. This is us yesterday:



Yeah, right there on the right hand side, Rainia and Jazmynn (her best friend), Sajar (Jazzy's step-mom), and myself.

And this is why:



And this picture is the one they actually used on the front page of The Charlotte Observer:



In this picture, we are closer to the left hand side, you can see Rainia's little head kind of poking out.

Yes, The Jonas Brother's made a secret trip to Charlotte, and we were there. They actually went into the 3:00 showing of their 3-D movie, and we went to the 1:00 showing. They were only in the theater for a minute though, and when they came out, they were mobbed by screaming, crying girls. Rainia was one of them. She cried. A lot. Here she was, less than 7 feet from the boys who's posters adorn her walls. This was a HUGE deal. And I have to say it was a complete stroke of good luck, as the movie wasn't playing in little town. It was playing in a bunch of theaters in Charlotte, and we happened to be at the right one, at the right time. So now Rainia's little life is complete!

eta: All photos courtesy of The Charlotte Observer

Just saying

Leesa wrote:
Getting married is scary business. But there are scarier things . . . yeah, I know there are. Does this make you feel better? How about going off to Iraq instead of getting married? Yeah, getting married seems to be okay, after all.

HHhhhhmmmm....Did you read any of my blog?

1st of all, no, the thought of going to Iraq does not make me feel better. What kind of question is that? Secondly, had you clicked on any other pages in my blog, you would know that I experience all levels of fear on a regular basis. Your comment implies that fear is only valid if the cause of the fear is a calamity. I have experienced these, my whole life. Fear is fear. It provokes the same physical and emotional symptoms whether the root of the fear is marriage or the knowledge that my stepson has a 50% chance of being alive at 18.

On the day that I wrote that post, my fear was based on entering myself and my children into a lifelong commitment, not only legal, but as a promise to God, that only 50% of couples succeed at. That is a good fear. Healthy. And I have a right to be afraid. I have seen first hand the devastation that divorce can have on the soul, the very being of those who have to experience it. And I thank God that my life is in a place that I am writing about that fear right now. Not about losing my house, as so many people are facing, or the probable loss of a child, as I have had to face in my past. But, it's FEAR, and it's MINE. Don't come to MY blog and leave a condescending comment, as if my fear is not good enough.

Guess What? I AM alive!

My computer is down, and work is crazier right now than it has ever been. Ever. But, I'm alive. I am so blessed with my bloggy community. Thank-you EVERYBODY who was worried about me. I love you guys. I will hopefully get my computer up and running this week.

Spankings and Incest (I am not great at this parenting thing)

Jake: Can I spank Rainia?

Me: No.

Jake: Can I spank Josh then?

Me: No.

Jake: When can I spank someone?

Me: Well, you have to wait until you have kids. But first you have to go to college. And then you have to get a really good job and make lots of money. Then you can get a wife. And THEN you can have a kid. Then you can spank it whenever you want to.

Jake: Why do I have to have money to get a wife.

Me: Well, because honey, that's just the way it is. You have to have money, and then you can have a really great wife. What kind of wife do you want?

Jake: Britney.

Me: You want a wife that looks like Britney?

Jake: No. I want Britney.

Me: You can't marry your sister.

Jake: Is it against the law?

Hhhmmmm....You really can't blame the boy, she's gorgeous: