I'm In School!

After much research, hemming and hawing, asking everyone and their dog their opinion, and getting financial things figured out, I decided to start a program at The National Laser Institute in Scottsdale Arizona. I will become certified to perform laser hair reduction, tattoo removal, spider vein treatment, photo facial, cellulite reduction, wrinkle reduction, and the list goes on. I have 5 solid days learning the physics of skin and then 9 days of hands on experience with live models. We even get to practice on each other. I'm hoping to land a job in a Doctor's office after I complete the course. Today was my first day and I had such a giddy excited feeling the whole day like I finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up. It feels great. Thank you to all of you who have helped me get here. You know who you are. Come and see me when I'm done and I'll make you look smokin hot. ;)

Andrea's Here

A while back my parents asked us kids if they moved to the Austin area would any of us move there too. Well I came first, then my parents, and now Andrea and her family is here. I know my sister and her husband really put a lot of thought and consideration into this move. Jordan being from Dallas, was very comfortable with his law firm and had tons of networking opportunities. It was a huge sacrifice for him to move to the Austin office so we could all be closer as a family. Thank you for that Jordan.
Andrea has been very busy unpacking and organizing her beautiful new home and hasn't posted any pictures of her home and adorable pregnant self, so I'm taking matters into my own hands. Here's their new home in Cedar Park only 12 minutes from me if you take the toll.Here are a couple of belly shots. I think Andrea looks amazing and there are two little girls swimming around in there. We're all so excited to meet them. I have to throw a picture of my little guy in just because he's so dang cute.
I'm so thankful for my family. We've already celebrated Jordan and Matthews birthdays since they've moved here. The kids are loving their cousin time together and I'm loving my mom and sister time. The other day my sister and I went and had pedicures together and then met Mom for lunch. I feel blessed to have them close.

My Little Beggers

The other day Rachel and Annie begged me to play out front. I usually don't let them without me for fear of kidnapping or a ball running in the street etc. They assured me they would stay in the driveway so I gave in and let them. I was busy in the kitchen and noticed that they kept coming in and out of the house. Both the girls had mismatched clothes on and had messed up their hair. They grabbed a sharpie marker and were in the garage disassembling a box and writing on it. That's when I knew they were up to something and this is what I found. My sweet little girls thought it would be a good idea to hold a sign and pretend they were poor so they could earn a buck. You see this kind of thing at different intersections in Austin quite a bit so I'm sure that's where they came up with this genius idea. Rachel told me that she wrote it really messy and spelled would wrong so they would think they were uneducated. After I lectured them for being disobedient and breaking the rules I went in the other room and laughed. Kids do the darnedest things.

My Truths

1. I know I love my kids. They bring me joy I didn’t know was humanly possible.
2. I know I love and adore my boyfriend. He is an unexpected gift.
3. I know I love my family. Mom, Dad, Wendy, Heather, Jared, Andrea, Sam, and Eli.
4. I know I love my extended family. I’ve had some of the best times with them.
5. I know I miss my Grandma Clavin a lot during the holidays. I loved talking with her about my Christmas menu.
6. I know my favorite color is blue.
7. I know there is something bigger than me in this life.
8. I know I love to cook.
9. I know I love to eat.
10. I know I have a sweet tooth.
11. I know I love to watch someone eat something I made for them.
12. I know I wish I could sing like a rock star.
13. I know I’m a perfectionist and it holds me back sometimes.
14. I know I love to kiss.
15. I know I’ve made mistakes.
16. I know that I’m sorry for them.
17. I know I love bubble baths.
18. I know I love sun dresses.
19. I know I feel frustrated when people tell me they pray for me to “come back”. I’d rather they just tell me they prayed for me because they love me. We all need extra prayers.
20. I know the grass is not always greener on the other side.
21. I know I have been blessed with the most amazing friends both near and far.
22. I know I’m happiest when all my bills are paid on time.
23. I know I find comfort in having all the ingredients to make chocolate chip cookies in my pantry.
24. I know I love diet coke with fresh lime and crushed ice from Sonic.
25. I know I still have a lot to learn.
26. I know I’m 33 and see a great future for myself.
27. I know I love to dance and wish I was really good at it.
28. I know I love music and it makes me tear up a lot.
29. I know that the dishes are my favorite chore.
30. I know that I love to hear from old friends.
31. I know that I’m a spiritual person.
32. I know that I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.
33. I know I’m a nice person by nature.
34. I know I’m too sensitive.
35. I know I’m a dreamer.
36. I know I love to run in the rain.
37. I know I love babies.
38. I know I love to sew. Not cutting it out, just the actual sewing part.
39. I know I’m hopelessly flawed.
40. I know I wish I was practically perfect in every way.

Happy Birthday To Me

Annie was crying last night when I put her to bed because she hadn't made me a birthday card yet. I told her it was ok and I'd love her to make me one the next day. At 6:30 this morning I heard banging around in the kitchen and Annie was coloring as fast as she could to come up with a birthday card for me. She came running in to me to wish me a Happy Birthday. Nothing beats being covered by kisses first thing in the morning. What a great way to start my birthday.
I've felt especially grateful for the friendships I've been blessed with in my life. I've moved so many places and have made wonderful friends along the way. Some have been my friend since I was 13. Thank you to all my dear friends and family who have made my day a happy one. I feel loved. Here are a couple pictures from my girls retreat in Alabama. Amy made a to die for cake and I'm wishing she was here to make me another one. It seriously is the best chocolate cake in the world. Life is good at 33.

Meta, Me, Amy, Sara, and Kim

Back To School

Today was the day...all the kiddos went back to school. My fire alarm went off at 12:30 last night and Annie hopped out of bed to get ready for school. She was that excited for Kindergarten. I think out of all the kids she was the most ready to go. Annie fell asleep at 4:30 this afternoon. It was a long day.
Rachel was pretty confidant this year. She knew a couple of the kids in her class and was excited for that. Rachel always has little admirers right away. There was a boy named Chase waiting at our house after school. I'm gonna have to lock that girl up when she turns 16.
Marcus was a little nervous this morning. He was worried because he didn't have his schedule yet and he thought I'd just drop him off to figure it out himself. We got to school and got him situated and I could tell he wanted us to leave right away. I was most anxious to hear how his day was. I mean middle school is a whole new world. Three more years and he'll be in High School. Am I that old? UGH!
Everyone seemed happy, hungry, and tired after their first day. Always a good sign to me. I got to clean the house and hang out with Christian today. It was nice to have my little buddy with me. He seemed to enjoy the quiet as well.
Rachel Annie
Marcus
Christian, Annie, Rachel, and Marcus
Me and the Kiddos

TAGGED!

My cousin Randa tagged me. Here are a few random things about me.


Rules Once Tagged:

1) Link to the person who tagged you.

2) Post the rules on your blog (copy and paste 1-6).

3) Write 6 random things about yourself (see below).

4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post.

5. Let them know they are tagged and leave a comment on their blog.

6) Let the tagger (who tagged you) know when your post is up.


Randomness about me:

1. I love Neil Diamond. Since I was a little girl I remember singing along to his songs and dancing with my mom. I get a bubbly excited feeling when I hear his song "America". I think it's an inspired song.

2. My second toe is much longer than my first. A friend asked me if it was my big toes body guard. LOL!

3. I enjoy hiding behind a door to scare someone occasionally. The weird part is when I'm waiting to jump out, I get so anxious that by the time the person gets there, their scream makes me scream.

4. I always carry nail clippers and floss.

5. I lay in bed and dream of being an amazing athlete or pop star and the whole croud goes wild for me. Hmmmm, do you think I need some attention. HA HA!

6. I gave birth to all my kids without any drugs. Of course my reasons were all good, like I didn't want the drugs to harm the baby and wanted to prove I could do it, but the main reason is because my friend told me she had an epidural and she pooped on the floor because she couldn't feel where she was pushing. I knew then and there that I'd rather feel the most ridiculous pain in the world than poop on the floor in front of everyone. All natural for me baby.

Ok so now I'm tagging Julie, Andrea, Toni, Elyse, Emily, and Jared. You better do it Jared.

Crazy Week

Guess how many kids I have this week?...8! I get to have my sweet nieces and nephews for six days while my sister and her hubby are off to the Bahamas. We're watching the news hoping tropical Storm Fay will cooperate for them. I spent last week getting prepared with snacks, juice boxes, an easy menu, and different activities we can do throughout the week. It's the kids last week of summer so we're going to live it up as much as Aunt Heidi can handle on her own. Wish me luck! :) I wonder if Andrea will have baby number 5 in stow after their cruise? HA HA!
My Mom and Dad are off on a cruise to Alaska with my Dads side of the family. It's a long awaited trip and much deserved as they've had a stressful summer. It took two months for their house to close in Utah, but it finally did and they're officially in the works to move to Texas. I can't wait for Grandma and Papa to get here. I know my kids are super excited too.
As I mentioned before we have the last week of summer. WOO HOO! I'm very ready for my darling children to go back to school. I still need to get their school supplies. That's the worst part of going back to school. Marcus will be in 6th grade, Rachel in 4th, and my little Annie bug in Kindergarten. I think Christian will miss them when they head back.
One of my best friends is flying in from Reno over Labor Day. I'm trying to find fun things to do with her while she visits. I can't wait for her to come.
Life is pretty good. Wish me luck with all these kiddos! Does anyone want to go on a cruise with me? I'm totally willing to go with you. :)

A Meme

My dear friend Amy http://mamanirvana.blogspot.com/ came up with a list of questions for her readers to answer. I thought it'd be fun to answer them.
1.Besides your family, what is your most prized possession?When My Grandma Clavin passed she left me her wedding ring. It's a classic beauty, but whats special to me about it is remembering how it looked on my Grandma's long slender fingers. It was loose on her finger and I remember her always moving it around with her thumb. I knew how much she loved Grandpa and what the ring meant to her. She made promise to always keep it.
2.If you were on death row, what would your last meal be?
I love food so this is a really hard question. Would it be too much to ask for a samplers platter? It would be a combination of Dads tacos, Moms cabbage rolls, my lasagna, and Andrea's Strogonoff.
3.At a party, would you be hiding in the corner or hanging out at the punch bowl talking it up? And, what food item would your bring to the party?
I'd definitely be at the punch bowl, but I know I'd walk over to the corner to see what y'all had to say. Lets get out on the floor and do the running man together. I'd probably bring a cheesecake.
4.What is the most "girly" thing about you?
I'd say the most girly thing about me is I love to wear pretty summer dresses and skirts.I feel very comfortable in them since they hide my big booty and show off my little waste.
5.What is your favorite piece of furniture in your home?
My armour. It's antique white and has a shabby chic look to it. I bought it at Dillard's for $500 dollars and have never regretted it.
6.What is most likely to be painted -- your toes or your fingers?
Definitely my toes. I like to put a pinkish red on my toes during the summer and a dark red during the winter. I keep clear polish on my nails, but color is too hard to keep up with four kids.
7.If I was going to buy you a bottle of Bath and Bodyworks lotion, what scent would you want?
I love Irresistible Apple. I put it on and want to lick my arm. Weird huh!
8.Do you like to nap? If so, how often do you get to during the week?
I love naps, but found if they're too long I get a headache and feel worse than I did before the nap. Cat naps are key at my house. I set up the train set for Christian and close my eyes for a few while he's busy.
9.Do you have a place in your house where you "hide"? A place where you can have a long phone conversation with a friend without interruption? Where is your quiet place?
I always hide in my closet. I go there to talk on the phone, to catch my breath, or for a good cry. My hiding place doesn't last long before I'm found by one of my darling children.
10.At this point in your life, are you living the life you imagined back when you were in high school/college?
Ummm NO! I definitely thought things would be different, but hey we can't always have what we want.
11.Would you ever get plastic surgery? What would you have done?
Heck ya! If you know me, you know what I'd have done. :)

12.What have you accomplished (besides having children) that you feel most proud of?
I can't say there is one particular thing I'm most proud of, but I feel most proud of myself that I'm a survivor. I've faced a lot of hard knocks and still manage to smile everyday and feel blessed in some way or another.
So now I get to tag someone else. Tag Toni and Marisa, you're it.