It has been too long!

While "Inspiration" was a fairly good catch-up article, a few things have happened since then.  I got a job at Malta ISD.  This is a small school in a community called Malta.  It is about a 12 mile drive for me to get to work.  The kids go to work with me everyday.  I love that part.  I am in my 2nd year there as the 5th and 6th grade English teacher and History teacher.  I love my job!!!  The school has grades pre-k through 6th grade and only has 110 students.  I have 7 5th graders and 7 6th graders.  I have the fantastic opportunity to work with a veteran teacher of 30 years.  She quickly became my mentor and friend.  Not many teachers get the privilege to have such a fantastic opportunity such as that.  We work very well together.  To say I am blessed in my career would be the understatement of the year!

We finished our beautiful home!  We moved in just in time for the twin's 7th birthday party in early November 2008.  In fact, our first official night in the house was spent with 7 kids that slept over after the party.  We wanted to break it in real good!  The home building process began when we ordered the house plans in April of 2007.  Because of a weather delay (i.e.rain, rain, and, oh yeah, rain!)  we did not lay the foundation until December of 2007.  So it took us right at a year to build the house.  That was pretty amazing considering Donald was the general contractor on the job while building several businesses, I was working as a first year teacher, and we did all the finish work, on the inside and outside of the house, ourselves.  Did I mention, we lived in a one bedroom apartment, all the while.  Yes, that's right, we slept in the same room together for over a year!!!  It was all GOD.  It is the only explanation.  Without His provisions this would not have been possible.  I look back on that time with great wonder.  It was an impossible task for any family to endure.  There is only One who can perform impossible tasks.  We like to call those miracles, 'round here.

I will catch up more later, hungry kids are-a-callin'.

Inspiration

Inspiration can come from anywhere, anytime. Today? From a dear friend who revived her love for writing. And so, from this time of great change in my life, comes an inspiration to revive my love of writing, as well. Also, from a simple reminder to take care of yourself lately from many sources gives way to this post.

Since my last post we have moved back to Texas. This move was very welcomed and occurred at Christmas 2006. We had wanted to move back and buy a house. However, we have decided to build a house on our family's land in a small township called Dalby Springs. This is located just west of Texarkana. We are located half way between our families now, about 2-3 hours from each. It is a prime location for us, if we can make it work out.

Since we have ordered our house plans, the 3 year drought has ended in Texas and we have had more rain than ever. Anyone who has ever built a house knows that rain is the enemy. I jovially tell people that if Texas ever goes into a drought situation again, we will plan to begin building another house and end everyone's misery, only to begin our own. But we plug along with the hope that someday we will finish and live in our beautifully planned dream home.

For the first 3 months we were home we lived with my parents. Now we live in their hunting lodge they built on the same land we plan to build on. It is quite the small, yet it is a very conveniently located place to live to build our home just down the road. We are looking for jobs in the area now and the kids are registered at the local school (fifteen miles away...country miles, gotta love them).

By the way, next year they will all be in school. The twins in kindergarten and the older one in second grade. This time in my life (having all kids in school full-time) has seemed so far away for long it very hard to believe that it will be hear in just two short months. The twins have decided to go into separate classrooms next year for kindergarten. This will be the first time they will be in separate classes. CJ (my older one) will be in gifted and talented classes. The Boy Twin has been dismissed from special education and will be in regular classes. The Girl Twin will be testing for gifted and talented classes when she begins. I am very proud of all of them. My goodness, they have come so far so quickly. Just blink, and they are big.

D, my husband, has started his own business and has been very successful. We are both still smoke-free, going on a year and a half now. I have taken up mosaics to fill the void of giving up both smoking and biting my nails. We are now beginning a process to change our eating lifestyle that will hopefully result in the loss of the "quitting smoking weight" we both packed on in the three months following our quit date.

I hope to work now that the kids are in school in a local ISD or college. However, as soon as our income and savings reaches a predetermined amount and our home is finished, then I plan on opening a mosaic studio on Texarkana. The thought of doing what I love and making a living doing it is nothing short of thrilling. It is a prize that certainly drives me everyday to get those above mentioned predetermination's accomplished as soon as possible.

Our new life brings challenges and happiness that are nearly indescribable. The blessings that have come our way are incalculable. And with a life that is so exciting recently, I cannot wait to see what it will bring next.

Walk On Baby!

WARNING: This post is long, but I promise I made it as brief as I could. It was just a lot to get into one post.

Quick Summary: We finished 26 miles (instead of 39) of the walk. (Blessing 1) Just one of the ways the weekend ended up working out a little different than I planned. But in most cases, it was different for the better. Lots a blessings to account for over the course of the weekend. Here are a few:

People warned me that it would be an emotional weekend. I imagined that they meant Opening/Closing Ceremony, but it was more than just the "ceremonies". It was women walking in honor and memory of their daughters, women walking with bandanas and hats to cover their baldness, men walking for their wives (some in memory of), daughters walking in memory of moms who had passed away only weeks earlier and just the feeling of unity that everyone was there for a single purpose. It was heart wrenching and sad. It was difficult and emotional. It was beautiful and wonderful. It was just as it should have been. (Blessing 2)

A few days prior to the walk, my back acted like it wanted to go out on me again, but after some talks with the Guy Upstairs, I woke up Friday morning without even a twinge of pain. (Blessing 3)

Upon finishing packing and getting ready, JM (my BFF) arrives and we head for the train station. We decided to go into DC to catch the train, rather than King St. Station. We are still unsure if this was a wise choice or not because when we walked into Union Station, a voice over head announced that all trains were sold out until 6 PM. We needed to leave by 2 PM. SO ON TO PLAN B- We walked around the corner to the bus station, which was surprisingly, nearly empty, and got two tickets to NYC for the 2 PM bus. (Blessing 4)

We took the last two seats that were together in the very last row (yes next to the bathroom, but it was not bad at all). JM and I talked, read, slept, worked, made calls, etc. While the bus mainly sat still in I95 traffic. Here's the deal: it was raining and a holiday weekend and a Friday afternoon, all recipes for sitting in traffic on I95. Six hours later (should have been 3 1/2 hours) we arrive at the NYC bus station. Kudos to the driver who actually did a great job bypassing a lot of traffic with back roads. None the less, I needed to be at the hotel to check in for the walk by 8, about the time we were waiting for a cab. We make it to the hotel around 8:45. There was one computer still up and working, they got me checked in, I got my packet and we were off to meet our hosts for the weekend. (Blessing 5)

We hopped back into a cab and made our way to The Guys apartment. "The Guys" is how I will kindly refer to the four thoughtful young gentlemen who let us stay with them this weekend, even though they did not know me at all and only knew JM through her Sis. There hospitality saved us a ton of money in hotel costs. (Blessing 6) We met up with one of The Guys, we will call him Tennessee T. He was so sweet by helping us into the building and then took us across the street to a pub where we finally got to eat dinner. We had not eaten since noon and we were starving. SIDENOTE: I could not help but notice their apartment over looked Ground Zero. I knew that I could only handle one emotional event at a time. So I pushed that out of my head and concentrated on the reason I was there. I proceeded to make the shirts I would wear for the walk and went to bed.














We woke very early the next morning and hopped a cab to Opening Ceremony. We had breakfast, did some stretching, listened to the speakers and I choked by the tears (first time of many this weekend). Then the walk began. JM said, "I will just walk with you until they kick me off the route." (Blessing 7) They never kicked her off the route, nor did she leave my side. Clad only in jeans, a jacket and old sneakers, she braved the misting rain, cold wind and crowds right beside me. What a trooper! The first mile was tough. So many people, narrow sidewalks, stop lights, traffic, that first stop-n-go mile alone took an hour. But once we got on the Hudson River bank, we were home free. My back was feeling quite bad again when I woke that morning, so I was walking slow and stopping frequently to stretch. It was not fun having everyone pass us, but I just kept reminding myself that this was not a race (first of all) and those ladies whose names were on my shirt (plus many others) endured much more pain than I was going through at that time. So, I pressed on. JM was again a trooper and never once complained.

A few hours into it though, the pain subsided enough that I was able to move a little faster. On the flip side, the shoes were perfect, feet felt great, not rubbing, no blisters, that part was going better than I could have ever hoped for. (Blessing 8)

Fast forward to mile 13, I was feeling tired and my feet were beginning to burn. JM was not in her best shoes and we feeling it too. We decided that if we were going to walk at all on Day 2 we needed to not go 26 miles on Day 1. So we called it quits and got on the bus headed for the wellness village. She helped me set up my tent and then went on her way back to The Guys apartment. I got a hot shower in the portable showers, that was very different, but got the job done.














Next, I took an appointment with a chiropractor, just to give me a good stretch. After which I did some yoga, had a lovely dinner and was in my tent asleep by 5:30 pm. I did not wake until 4:50 am the next morning. (I might have been a little tired, ya think?) Amazingly, I was able to get that much needed sleep even with all the noise around me and with the sun still in the sky. (Blessing 9)

Day 2 took us through different parts of the city. Places in Manhattan (Chinatown, Little Vietnam) I had never been, then over the Manhattan Bridge. (Blessing 10) We had lunch in Brooklyn at a park under the bridge, walked through a sweet little neighborhood, then over the Brooklyn Bridge back into Manhattan, finally arriving back at Pier 17 where we started. All along the way, same as Day 1, their were cheering stations with some strangers, some crew, some friends/family of other walkers, some locals, all their cheering us on . It felt great and awkward at the same time.

I'm sorry I don't have any pictures of the finish line because I was so tired and my body was just relieved to be done, that I could not get the camera out. Those last few miles were brutal. I must admit, I almost gave up. I was very slow, but made it to the finish line. (Blessing 11)

And the finish was the best. It was the most touching of all. The welcome from strangers, friends of other walkers, the familiar faces of the crew, the hug from my "cow-boy" who cheered us all on the walk, a woman with a bandana on her head holding a sign that read, "Thanks for walking for me", I could not contain the tears any longer.

We got a shower at The Guys apartment and took the train back to DC. Once there, we were welcomed with open arms of D and the kids, bearing lovely gifts in the form of handmade "I am proud of you Mom" cards. (Blessing 12) Crying yet again, I ended the chapter of my Avon Walk Weekend with great appreciation to all those who supported me along the way, and thus supported all those who benefit from Avon as well, THANK YOU!!!

MAPOM Review

Well, the Mid-Atlantic Parents of Multiples convention on Solomons Island in Maryland has come to an end, but the memories and knowledge gained from those few precious days will last a lifetime.

For instance, being around so many others with 2@1ce was so fabulous as we traded birth stories, embarrassing moments and how we deal with the famous question to MOM's with boy/girl twins, "are they identical?". Not to mention wonderful experiences like staying up late drinking and talking with friends, sleeping late, showers every morning including doing hair and makeup, and some great seafood!

AND, all of this fabulousness was in addition to leaving a husband behind with three kids and a life in "my shoes" for a change in which I hope a clearer appreciation for my job was gained (and I believe it was).

::She says/writes in her best British accent:: Ahh yes, a great weekend indeed. And when great weekends are so few and far between, I strongly feel it to be most important that proper thanks and appreciation be promptly distributed with a most sincere heart.

So here goes,thank you Lord for making the trip possible and safe. Thanks to D for agreeing to the whole thing(taking off work, financially, support, etc). And thanks to L.B., M.G., and D.R. for making it all worth while, fun, fabulous and such a lovely weekend. It would not have been the same without ya'll (you know who you are, love ya ladies!).

If Goose-->Geese then Moose-->Meese?

I have once again temporarily deprived myself of the joys of blogging for other activities in life. My frequent absences are certainly the primary cause for so few readers of this blog.

Anyway, my absence was caused by my spending so much time getting ready for the Fairfax County Moms of Multiples clothing sale, which was a smashing success. It is one of the very few and far between opportunities for me to contribute a very small amount of income toward our suffering family budget. Therefore, I take full advantage of this rare time to make that miniscule contribution, plus I volunteer during the sale. Both tasks ARE wonderfully rewarding. And I get to do it twice a year, YAY ME!

Next, it was time for CJ's annual, 7-day trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming with his Memom and Grandpa. However, this year we ALL tagged along. That's right folks, SEVEN very different personalities on one trip! This combination makes for a week of UPS and DOWNS!!! This trip could best be described as exciting, interesting, challenging, fabulous, tedious, and unexpected to say the least! And I have a ton of pictures to prove it : ) Of course I will only post a few here.

HIGHLIGHTS:
--Caasmom's injury and ER visit.

--D learned to snowboard and bruised his coccyx. (Uhuh, uhum she said "cocks", huhh)

--CJ began paralleling in his ski moves and stops and thus was allowed to go the very TIP TOP of the Targhee slopes and ski down with mom and grandpa, WOW!














--BA went "weeee" down the mountain.














--BB slept on the snow for an ENTIRE day when he was sick, although the first day he did ski quite well.


















--Hot Heads, Hot Springs, and looking for MEESE!














--Baby snowmobiling and pulling a sled ALL DAY! (thanks Sachse girls)















--Caasmom dropping the ball on the whole "need for sunscreen on a snow covered mountain" thing and having the entire family suffer greatly for that with blistered faces, sorry ya'll. : (


--BB getting the brunt of snowmobile "turning-over accidents."















All in all, a fabulous trip and of course a great chance to spend some family time together in one of the most beautiful places God ever made.

2 of My Favorites

Two of my favorite girls in the whole wide world!!

This picture is compliments of a relaxing Sunday evening, just the way Sunday evenings should be. Hangin' with your favorite people.(Snoozing and snoring on couch, included by yours truly, hehe)

A New Thing 2 Try

This Monday on our free day off we went ice skating! It was the first time on the ice for the kids. And it had been way too many years since D and I had skated, so I was not sure how it would go. We discovered, however, that they really enjoyed it. CJ more so than the twins I think. (But then again, he excels in nearly every sport he tries, so no surprise there.) They were all troopers with trying something new and did much better than I had thought they might.

However they did fall...a lot. The poor things look like they have been abused. They have bruises in places I did not even know a human could bruise. CJ has one that covers his entire elbow and about an inch all the way around it. BA has one on her bum that is questionable at the very least. BB's knees and legs look like he has been pelted with small stones. Not pretty at all.

D and I, thankfully did not fall. But considering age, fitness, old injuries and holding ourselves and the kids steady, I have been feeling it pretty bad this week. I believe "hardly able to walk or move" would accurately describe my days following our "ice-capade" on Monday. D handled it much better than I and actually had to work from home one day because I questioned my ability to adequately take care of the little ones. Sad, so sad.

I believe that my lack of fitness and the extra weight has definitely exacerbated my symptoms. So I have vowed to return to my healthy lifestyle as of today. I know what to do, I have just for some idiotic reason decided to abandon it for the last YEAR! I am getting way to old to ignore my health, wellness and fitness needs. Not to mention the 3 pairs of eyes looking to me daily for guidance to their own health and wellness. Yep, I definitely must get back to my old, much healthier, ways.