Ain't Nothin' Keeping Me Down This Week....

Maybe I've mentioned this before, but I'm a church secretary and have been for 5.5 years now. I absolutley adore my job although it can be quite stressful at times....but what job isn't? Well, the reason I mention this is because this week is THE busiest week for me of the entire year! Well, that and Christmas week. I normally only have 1 (one) bulletin for each week to complete.....well, this week I have FOUR!!!! AND, we have Friday off (yeah) work so I only have 4 days to get it all done. At this point.....I'm almost done, just waiting on some music information from the choir director to finalize something for Easter BUT then I've got to input that information, print, fold, and have it ready by 1 PM tomorrow for the ladies to put together..all 450 of them!!!!! The bulletins to be done are: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and 2 services for Easter Sunday.

Good Friday....Jesus' Crucifixion

Easter Sunday.....He is ALIVE!!

Pretty Lily!

He is not here......

This is what I woke up with this morning.....PINK EYE!

Can you believe it? I've been sick as a dog since last Thursday, and finally went to the Dr. yesterday to get an antibiotic and now this! Are you serious!!?? During the busiest week of my year!? I couldn't be sick and I certainly can't have Pink Eye and be contagious! I HAD to work...This royally stunk!

Well, I'm off to try to rest my weary body and eyes. It is my deepest hope that ya'll have a glorious Easter and enjoy your time with those you love.



~Tina

Fav photos of DH!!

My husband....Tony....my love, my life......my everything. He makes me laugh, makes me cry, and all things inbetween. He's the most amazing daddy one could ever ask for!! The most amazing husband, well, not always....teehee.....but I'm sure I'm not always THAT amazing myself...lol. I could never be without him and cry at even the thought of it. I'm so proud of the man he is, his kindness, his gentleness, his terrific way of telling me things I don't want to hear but need to anyways....oh, wait, maybe I don't like that...lol.

BABY......You're amazing!!!!!!! Don't ever change!!!!! I love you so very very much!!!!!

Tony is an amazing daddy and how in the world Joshua can sleep DURING the race is beyond me!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE this peek-a-boo, I see you picture!!

At Indianapolis Motorspeedway with yet another sleeping Joshua!! LOL!!

Bristol, TN NASCAR race this year....It was GORGEOUS out!! Couldn't ask for better in March!

Along the roadside on a trip in TN.

All of us....me, Tony and Joshua. We're at the top of a tower we climbed on a hike.

They are the silliest things eva!!

Hey, how did "MY CAR" get in here? No, it is my dream car!!

This is truly my fav pic of Tony ever.....shows his pure silliness! Love that about him!!

Always willing to help...not only us...but strangers, too. He'd give the shirt off his back if needed!!

Another fav...They are a crazy, funny two!!

My two fav guys in the whole world!!

Mowing part of our 33 acres.

Camping.....and playing around!!

My guy!! Love this man so much!!

Joshua ALWAYS sits like that when we stop....lol.

More silliness from daddy while camping!!

hey mommy, ya comin' or what!?

This is the best......my life is so blessed!!!!! Love you guys!!

~Tina



What a Gorgeous Day with my Fav lil Guatemalan man!

Poor dh has been working so much OT because the Ohio River is up and that effects his job whereas they have to be on site 24 hrs each day (they normally only work day shift, M-F + alternating weekends) in case something is necessary. He's been working about 30 hrs OT each week. We miss him terribly!

Aside from missing daddy, Joshua and I had a great weekend. We played outside today ALL day. I cannot believe I took so many pics....I truly thought Joshua was exaggerating when he said, "Mommy, you've taken enough pictures today." and "This pose is too hard." I'll share that one with ya, it's so stinkin' funny how he interpreted what I was trying to get him to do...lol. Oh, btw, I took 147 pics or something like that......just today. LOL!!

Joshua, at one point, said, "Mommy, you're so fun and I love you so much!" aaawww....words a mama will cherish and longs to hear from her children. We played so much, I took tons of pictures and we played some more. I always give him a break (insert laughter here after saying how MANY pics I took today) from the pics....but remember, we were outside ALL day!

Well, our fun came to an abrupt ending when Joshua slipped on the rocks on the side of the driveway and got a  boo boo on his elbow. He was fine until I said the word....you know, the dreaded word every kiddo hates to hear...."blood." Then the freaking out ensued. He didn't want me....he wanted daddy immediately. But daddy was at work and he had to deal with what was there.....lil 'ole me. Once I started to comfort him, he was ok with it being "mama".....which mind you was immediately but he was screaming so loud I don't think he could hear me. Now, this was a small scratch....just the thought of it bleeding....was too much for him. Then, in his infinite unique ability to say the funniest things, said, "I've 'never' bleeded before when I got hurt," which is totally untrue.

We went inside, nursed his wound, put on the bandaide, and dried the tears and he was all better. It was time for dinner......oh my was this part gonna be up in the air because we were trying something "new" in our house for Joshua...sloppy joes. I know what you're thinking. Is she serious? This is something "new"?? Well, I have the pickiest eater this side of the Ohio, the Mississippi and all the lakes in between!! Dinner is always a difficult time for us....unless we're making the very few things he eats without a fuss. I've resorted to making what he'll eat....am I wrong? Should I MAKE him eat what we eat? and go hungry for days because he's got that temperment where he refuses to eat no matter how hungry he is if he thinks it looks funny in ANY sort of way.

Well, I was right. He REFUSED to eat the sloppy joes even though HE was the one who asked me to make them tonight. He said, and I quote, "They aren't the ones I eat at XXX House" (the place where he goes to preschool), "I only like the ones there...not yours!" Oh my word.....I'd had enough of the not eating at dinner and got more upset than I should've. I threw his food away after he refused to eat it after an acceptable amt. of time......and wow the crying and screaming ensued. But I get lost in what I'm supposed to do. Just let him sit there crying about how he won't eat it and only will eat the chips on his plate (No way) OR throw it away and let him learn that he needs to not act like this. I know I most likely chose wrong.....but I can't go back.

Ok....let's see some pictures of our day.......

We started out our day inside making "silly faces"

Serious picture finally after all that silliness.....but boys are silly lil things aren't they!?

Where will these feet lead you? Let the Lord lead your paths and you follow them, my son!

What will these hands accomplish? For now, I just love holding them!!

This is the one I spoke of earlier where the pose was "too hard" he said....LOL!

That's better!! You got it!

My favorite picture of the day!! I love his peeking through the bubble wands!

I need to learn how to stop the picture better to see each bubble? ho hum.

More bubble fun!

A boy and his dump truck....this is pre-boo-boo!!

Funny, but he despises getting dirty and kept telling me how dirty he was!! LOL!

Loving the Paper Jamz he got for his birthday!!

I'm off to bed for about the last 1/2 hour of my night.....haha....shouldn't even try. I'll try to be better about posting more often so ya'll can see my gorgeousness of a son.....Oh, tried to get ready for church this am, lol...got taking pictures and lost track of time.....oooppppsss. Missed church. Sorry, God. I'll not do that again. Peace to each of you.........

~Tina



Heartbroken and Momma's at a Loss

Where oh where do I begin? Well, since I've last written, Joshua turned FOUR years old!! That was on the first day of Spring! I asked him, on video mind you, if he was excited about turning 4 years old the next day, he said that he wasn't. Now, what 3 year old doesn't want to have a birthday that you know of? None that I've ever encountered, until now.

Concerned, naturally, I asked why Joshua didn't want to turn 4 the next day. He said, "When I turn 4, I'll lose mommy and daddy." and he started to cry. Of course I turned off the video right away to comfort my lil man.

Whatever I could do to fix that sweet & innocent lil guy's heart, I'd do it in a heartbeat! But this time, I couldn't. All I could do was hold him, try my hardest to comfort him and tell him repeatedly how much he won't lose mommy and daddy when he turned 4 or any time at all!

I do believe this all started quite a few weeks ago when I was talking to the FM (Foster Mother)'s daughter on Facebook and she stated that they'd LOVE to speak with Joshua via phone to hear his sweet voice once again. I spoke with Joshua about this and he stated that yes, he'd like to speak with the FM as well. I honestly think that once lil man started to process the whole thing, he thought he'd have to go back to Guatemala forever. I don't know what ever made him think that, but kids get wild things in their heads sometimes.

If you remember, in a post a bit ago, I spoke of how Joshua is VERY CLINGY to me, especially when I drop him off for preschool. I literally have to have someone pry him off of me to leave to go to work. I hate doing that to him but financially speaking, we need for me to work right now. I SO wish I could stay home with the lil guy and get him through this......but it just isn't feasible. Too many bills. Dang it. BUT, I will say this, I'm seriously considering taking him to see a counselor soon, very soon. Poor kiddo. I just gotta get dh on track too. I think he's getting there after this last comment about losing us though.

Well, keep lil man in your prayers.....he needs them. We do, too. I'm doing a lot of reading to find out what I can do to help. But there has to be something more......I feel like there is a missing piece to this puzzle. I won't ever give up hope or trying. Not on that lil man.....ever.

~Tina