Brown Eyed Girl

Stained Glass Cross Cake

2010-04-06T14:21:00.000-07:00

I liked the way the colors turned out. There are a few things I'd do different next time. But I think it looks pretty. I'm going to take this cake to class tomorrow night. Our church friends will like it.

Easter Cupcakes

2010-04-03T23:15:00.001-07:00

Easter Cupcakes for tomorrow. They are Vanilla Bean from Fresh & Easy. I saw it and thought that would be yummy. It was fun and pretty easy with the new tip. Hope they taste good too.

Hamburger Cake

2010-03-29T11:08:00.001-07:00

Chris and I were having a BBQ for some friends and I thought it would be funny to make a Hamburger cake. I think it turned out pretty good.. I just copied one off the internet. The cheese and pickles are fondant, so everything was edible. And there are real sesame seeds on top.

At tomorrows class we are suppose to make a football, but I'm going to see if I can do and Easter Egg.. Same shape.. We'll see. :)

Clown Cake 3-23-10

2010-03-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

So here is todays cake.. I was a little worried when I heard we were doing clowns, but they turned out really cute. All climbing all over the cake.. it's fun. I plan on taking it to FPU class tomorrow night. Hope they like it. The inside is Confetti cake.

St. Patty's Day Cake-Totally Un-edible!

2010-03-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

So it's a long story, but one I saved for the blog and not facebook.

I forgot my icing that I made last night at 11pm (argh!) and had to buy some at class. My teacher gave me what I needed, I had a terrible time with it (cursing, the whole bit) and finally finished the cake. I HAD planned on taking the cake to Lighspeed to be consumed but at the checkout counter the other lady discovered why I was having such a hard time. I wasn't using regular icing, I was using icing concentrate. So needless to say, Lightspeed won't be getting this cake, nor will anyone but the trash can.. Too bad, it is very cute.

So tech learned today was tracing with an edible marker onto rice paper and then transferring it on to the cake and coloring it in with colored piping gel. Never done any of that before, so that was really fun.. and we learned some other stuff to smooth out spatula lines, etc.

A couple of Cakes

2010-03-14T21:42:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted here in awhile, so here are a couple of cakes I've made. Susie graduated from Surgical Tech school and Lauren had a birthday. I'm learning as I go and my writing isn't so great, but practice makes perfect.

My New Hobby

2010-01-27T23:05:00.000-08:00

I signed up for a Cake decorating class today. I'm so excited about it. Finally something for me to do that's creative and cute at the time of year when my kids get older. I've always wanted to take a class, but never really wanted to do the Michael's class.. I want to take it where it feels serious, not like I have to hurry up and get out because there's going to be a scrapbooking class or sewing class in 30 minutes. Anyway, so it's a Cake Crafters, but doesn't start until March. Also, to achieve this, Mrs. Vikki (Alex's daycare) has an opening 2 days a week for Lauren to start attending. I think it's time for her. She's been going to a friend, but it's on the opposite side of town and makes my round trip of dropping off and entire hour in the car. .. Not fuel efficient at all. So, although I will miss Tina and she will miss Lauren "Bejourin" (or "Sister Sludge" or "Sister Sue") it will be better for my gas tank.

It's a new Chapter for all of us.

In other news: I booked 3 weddings in a week. I have a good feeling about 2010.. I hope it keeps up.. I have another meeting tomorrow night and I got a call today who just booked me right over the phone. She was referred by a bride's mom and knew she wanted us, so that was that. It was great! I also booked a wedding on my next anniversary. A little different for us, but it's 11 years and we are going to be at the beach the weekend before shooting another wedding, so we'll spend some time at the beach alone and call it good. The couple is super nice and I'm honored to share my anniversary with them. Their boy is super cute too. Clayton. What a cute name!!

I'll post pics of my cakes as time goes by. And we started Financial Peace University again tonight. It's going to be refreshing to do it again.

Facebook

2010-01-10T21:45:00.000-08:00

...has ruin my blogging.. Sorry family. It's very hard to blog here when facebook is so easy.. Post pictures is also easier. I'll try to be better. Besides, my blog is how I remember what I do all year so I can write my Xmas letter. Ugh.

Story relating to Rachel's FB

2010-01-05T12:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we (me & the kids) were driving in a parking lot going to the party store. Alex say, "that's a big truck mama". I say, "that's a money truck" (brinks) then I say. "Alex the men that drive that truck carry guns." (knowing that he loves guns) He say, "wow".

Two minutes later, we park in front of Party City and are going to get out, but Alex won't get out because the Brinks truck also pulled up to Party City and he was now afraid that we would all be shot. :) too funny. So I said, stay here, I'll get a basket, get Lauren and then come back for you... No, this was not flying. He wanted me to stand right there in his doorway til the big money truck drove away. It was very cute. We all went in the store and never got shot. Got ripped off, but not shot..

So, other Party City news. Lauren fell out of the basket and hit the floor. Considering that I've been fighting her strong will for about a month about not standing in the basket, I'm sort of glad it finally happened. ...and that she didn't get hurt.. I hope she will learn from that and stay sitting down. Luckily she fell in such a way that she barely cried. When Alex fell out at Wal-Mart, he hit in a very different way that was pretty scary. But he did learn.

But other news about Alex.... Ever since he came home from being gone for 3 days, we're having such trouble with him. He's trying to run the show, talking back to us (and with a nasty tone) and we're just about done with it. I know that there's an adjustment period any time kids go away for a bit and then come home to the rules they all hate, but Lord help me!!! So, I guess our readjustment period will just take a bit longer than we had hoped. I have to remind myself to stay calm. Not so easy when you're tired.

Our room is coming along (slower than I would like). I'm putting what furniture I can back by myself, but will need Chris for the larger pieces (hopefully tonight). I like the color and the carpet didn't get as clean as we would have liked, but it feels cleaner. Maybe next year we'll just take out the carpet. who knows?

Have a good day friends and family.

Xmas Presents

2009-12-28T07:02:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who gave us presents. I wasn't sure who gave Alex the Thomas the Train blanket, but that was really cute and he loves watching TV with it. And.. so fitting cause I'm going to do his bday party in Thomas.

I don't know about you all, but I'm glad that Xmas is over. We had a wonderful time, but the preparation is just so much and our house always gets destroyed in the process.. And... we don't eat properly through the whole thing, which gets expensive. So, now begins the cleaning of the house, organizing all the stuff, putting the xmas stuff back in the garage, etc.

We have some other projects planned for this week that Chris is off. Today is a fun day. No work yet.. I'm having breakfast with a friend I haven't seen in a long time and when I get home, Chris is going golfing (in the fog) and then to hang with co-workers for happy hour courtesy of one of the bosses. I think while he does that, I'll take the kids to have the car aligned. the alignment is so off that if I let go of the wheel for 1 second, the car will change lanes (not exaggerating). It made for a very tiring trip to Fresno and Hanford. My left arm is sore. So, even though we are broke, it has to be fixed.

We are also going to move everything out of our bedroom and paint the walls and clean the carpets. Next weekend. We're going to take the kids to my moms and hopefully get the project done fast. We'll see how it goes. We don't even know what color we want. All we know is that we want to go lighter.

well, I'm rambling, so I'm going to go get ready for my breakfast. Have a wonderful day, family. I put pictures on Fb, but I can put some here later.

Alex is Funny

2009-12-19T23:28:00.001-08:00

Two stories:

Today we were cleaning the backyard of dead leaves, etc. I found a worm and we were looking at it. (I had gloves of course and alex wouldn't touch it)

Me: Alex, where does the worm live?

Alex: In the dirt.

Me: What does the worm eat?

Alex (With a very cute smile and adorable eyes...says)

"Not Roni Mac Cheese."

Chris and I died laughing.

Story two:

I was putting some left over food away and Alex said, "mama, put tape on it"

It took me a minute but he wanted me to put plastic wrap on it. :) That's funny!

More Funny Quotes

2009-12-03T22:24:00.000-08:00

Scene set up:

Alex is in bed "talking" to Chris before bedtime. He wants to "talk" now because "praying" means he has to go to sleep. I'm in the living room on the couch.

Chris: Lacey, Alex has a question for you.

Lacey: What's up Alex?

Alex: Mama, you have a weenie?

Lacey: No, I don't have a weenie. :)

Alex: Mama, you have a butt?

Lacey: Yes, Alex mama have a butt.

Alex: Mama, I have weenie. I have a butt too.. ... Mama!, dada have a BIG weenie!

Lacey (Giggling): Yes, Alex, dada have a big weenie. Now, good night. I love you.

Chris: Just grinning.

toooooo funny!

Funny Quote From Alex

2009-11-20T11:14:00.000-08:00

so Alex and Lauren are in the tub last night and Alex says with lots of pointing, "mama have little nose, baby runnin have little nose, alex have little nose, dada have big nose!"

LOL gotta love it!

Mother Bear

2009-11-09T09:27:00.000-08:00

I wasn't sure if I should put this on Outrage or my own blog, but here it is.

I had my first official "Mother Bear" moment Sat. night in the parking lot going to a free (lightspeed) Condor Game. In short, an elderly man and woman (yes, elderly) decided that they would park their car right next to us while we were tying to unload sleeping children. Mind you there were about 100 other parking spaces on that level. But it wasn't really their decision to park there that made me mad; it was that she got out of the car, yelled at me to hurry up all the while he continued to back into the space where my stroller was laying in the spot and thus almost running over my stroller because he wanted me to hurry.. Let's just say they picked the wrong day and the wrong mommy to mess with.

Let me say first in my defense I didn't know they wanted to park there cause they were backing in and I wasn't sure WHAT they were doing. At the moment that she yelled at me to hurry up with my kids something inside me SNAPPED and I was not Lacey, mostly sweet :), always leveled headed, always considerate of others, will do anything for anyone, Lacey.... I turned into, if I had a gun I would shoot you, if I was in my car I'd run you over, get out of my way, don't speak to me that way (even if you have white hair), don't rush me and my kids, lunatic!

I think the first thing I yelled (and I mean yelled, the whole 2nd floor of parking, turned to watch the scene), "there are 100 other f**king other parking spots!". she then called me a b***h and I responded, still yelling, "wouldn't you be a b***h if someone was trying to run your children over?" She at some point also said I was being out of control and I responded (in a low, loud, devilish roar), "you don't know what out of control is!". Followed be, "lady you need to walk away from me right now!" and they finally did.

Now you may be wondering where the kids and Chris are at this point. Chris had Alex and wasn't saying a word and Lauren was in my arms where I was trying to put her sweater on, but shaking so hard from anger that I almost dropped her. Chris finally said, "honey, you are in the right, but you need to stop." Which was probably the smartest thing he could have said to me. Because had he not chosen his words very carefully, I could have very quickly turned on him. The LAST thing in the world he could have done was taken their side.

So I then had him to move our car away from them and we tried to gather ourselves and proceeded to the game where we tried to have a good time and then we left just before it was over because the kids were at their tired limit.

I felt compelled to leave an apology note and did so saying, "I'm sorry for yelling at you. It was not my intention to hurt you. Please forgive me, Lacey"

Then talking to Chris finally about the situation, his take was that "yes they were terribly rude to the point of being dangerous. They were crowding you so they could get to the game." Now with his take, I wanted to take my note back. They didn't deserve it, AT ALL. but he wouldn't go back, so that's were it ends with them.

The next morning at Church, of course the topic has to be all about God's Mercy and how Mercy is not Mercy at all until it is granted towards someone completely UNDESERVING. My reaction is, "UGH! ARE YOU KIDDING ME GOD????" Which of course, He is not. So, I listen to the message, I completely understand that God is speaking directly to me and I have to take a bid sigh and forgive those two completely undeserving people who were so rude to me and almost hurt my children. I will not apologize for defending my kids safety but I will try to handle it differently next time. I do feel terrible about f-bombing her twice (chris was counting :) and I never talk to people that way, but when it comes to your kids, there's just something inside of you that comes out that causes you do anything to protect them.

I also am not happy that they (Alex in particular) witnessed me tearing into this woman. I don't want him to think that behavior is okay, so for that, I will also have to really think next time about the words I use and the way I handle things.

What a crazy weekend we had..

And in other news. I have a job interview with Costco today at 2:30 pm.. If I thought our life was crazy now..... just wait.. He'll work days and I'll work nights. It's going to be tough. but it's what we have to do to get out of debt and then get ahead. Pray for me that we get it. :)

Here we Go!

2009-10-12T06:09:00.000-07:00

I know that today isn't our anniversary, but we're leaving and I wanted to post some pictures before we left. So, here we are 10 years ago (almost) on our wedding day. We're leaving for New Orleans in about 30 minutes (Chris still asleep) and we're hoping for a most wonderful trip.

We are very fortunate to even have this change to go. Somehow God brought us just enough money (we're budgeted down to the estimated penny), we have great sets of parents willing to help keep the kids for a week and we have somehow made it 10 ye

ars without killing each other. It's a good day.

I've always thought it was God was crazy to take two completely different people and stick them together and then say, here, be married, be on the same page, get along, make kids, pay bills, live together under the same roof, oh, and be happy. It's a crazy concept that it could work. Does He have a crazy sense of humor or does He really h

ave that much faith in us? I guess that where He comes in and where we rely on Him. Well, my point is that Chris and I are very opposite and have been down a long road (that went very fast by the way) and have somehow made it to ten years. And as a result we know, trust, rely on and love each other more than anyone else. We balance each other out in so many way. Like I think more than most couples.

I really love that God chose to wait so long to give us kids. We had 7 crazy years to figure out our relationship, to get jobs secured, to make fun memories and to grow close. Now we're into a new chapter with our children and loving every minute of it. (except the tantrums) :)

I guess long blog short, I feel very blessed to have married Chris and know that a million years ago God thought we would be a good idea.

Thank you family for helping us have time together. Please kiss our kids a 1000 times each day for us and make sure they know even though we're "working" we

love love love them.

We're off. Pray for safe fights and a safe & fun trip.

Wow

2009-10-08T00:28:00.000-07:00

Ever since I started keeping up with Facebook, I've totally neglected my blog.. Sorry blog, sorry family.

There's not much to say other than I'm completely going crazy with stuff to do before our trip.. The problem is that the second we return we have a bridal show to do. I'm "re-inventing" myself and my business and that it taking sooooo much work, money I don't have and time which I also don't have with two kids that don't understand the logic of work. Not to mention Chris had to go to Chicago, we cut up all of our credit cards (bad timing) and the s**t is hitting the fan as far as money goes. The details are exhausting, so I'll spare the details, but I believe that God is saying, "you don't need credit cards, you need an imagination, get creative and have faith". I know He provides, He always does. Like for instance. Larry (my gardener-soon to be ex-gardener) pulled up and said I owed him for last month. I TOTALLY forgot. Probably cause I didn't have his $50. Just then the mailman walked up and handed me my mail. I saw a card for my bday. I said, "well, Larry, you might just get paid today after-all". It was a check for $50 from Grannie. Thanks Grannie for paying for my yard for a month. Larry is going to now get laid off.. :( It's not good. I know he's struggling too. We all are.

Unrelated note: Sally's stomach is making so many noises I can't concentrate on what I'm trying to complain about. Kind of worries me that she's going to have bowel issues all over my house or something. UGH.

Anyway, enough madness. I have to get back to work and it's almost 1 am.. more ugh!

Chris' Cheerleaders

2009-09-21T22:35:00.000-07:00

Chris has a new softball team this year called "Grindhouse" which I think is a type of Movie Genre like that movie Sin City, maybe the Kill Bill movies.. We're not really sure, but also we don't really care. Misty designed some very cute shirts. I got the art work from her and made shirts for the kids.. VERY CUTE!!! So here is Chris' cheerleading squad. :) Please note that there are stitch lines on the skull to look like a baseball and the bones are actually baseball bats.. Very witty Misty (Chris' co-worker).

Memorial Guest Book

2009-09-07T23:09:00.000-07:00

My good friends dad died two days ago. She had asked me to help her make a book to give to him that had photos that she had taken of his land new Lone Pine. It was to be a gift, but with his sudden passing, she decided to turn the book into a Memorial Guest Book. I thought it was a great idea. To showcase the land that he loved so much and to show those attending the Memorial a large part of what he thought was special and beautiful. She did a great job on the photography end of it and I designed the book. Here it is. http://www.laceysphotography.com/albumshowcase/zuccogb/

I have Twins

2009-09-05T09:22:00.001-07:00

Lauren has a friend that she talks to every once in a while. (usually when I'm folding clothes) :)

Chuck E Cheese

2009-09-04T15:51:00.001-07:00

Well, just in case you didn't see these on Facebook, I put them here also. There aren't as many here though. Facebook has more cuz it's easier and faster to upload them there. but anyhow. We had a fun play date with McKenna and my bride/friend, Davina. This is her niece who is also 2 years old.

I ran into my old manager which was funny. Yes, I worked at Chuck E Cheese about 15 years ago for 2 months.. The longest two months of my life.. I painfully recall: ding ding ding, the smell of stinky feet, kids puking pizza almost every shift, and driving home at 1 am to Teh. barely remembering the drive I was so tired. And now Alex knows about Chuck E Cheese and will now be asking to go there every time we drive by. What was I thinking??? :) Anyway, we did have fun. Alex LOVES air hockey. But who doesn't? It's my favorite. But really I like to play Chris and get down and dirty. Then comes the shoulder pain for 3 days. Good times!

Kid Fun

2009-08-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

Here are the kids taking a bath. Very cute.

We've started getting these magazines in the mail advertising Halloween costumes for kids. Alex could seriously look at them for an hour. They are great! He also decided to climb into Lauren's toy to read his book while we sat on the grass.

Alex Alex Alex

2009-08-25T11:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder how stubborn can he really be? We had two very terrible episodes yesterday and then him again with Chris last night. He's got to be the most stubborn child I've ever known. I know that most reading this will not believe me because on the whole "out in the world" he's pretty good and delightful to be around. But at home with us, he has these moments where there's nothing that will get through to him. I feel like I'm fighting with a teenagers. He's beyond the terrible twos.

Chris and I are both so tired today. My only saving grace is that he's at day care today. and probably being really good.. We'll see how tonight goes... and Please don't say this is normal, it really won't make me feel any better. and then there's Lauren and her teething.. that's all I have to say about that.. TEETHING I hate it..

I'm happy and thankful to God to have my children, but I'm also happy to have had my tubes tied at two.

Lake Casitas or Bust

2009-08-16T22:16:00.001-07:00

So, the plan was to go to Gita's, visit, sleep, wake up and go to the Water Park at Lake Casitas. I've been trying to go to a water park for 3 years now. I've tried everyone. No on wants to go, there's always some excuse as to why they can't go. Usually it's money. Fine... Maybe it's just me and I have some sort of strange obsession with water parks, but any hoo.. SO, Alex got sick with a fever and he slept on Gita's couch all day watching Finding Nemo, baseball, the PGA and various other things while dozing off and trying to feel better.

When he finally felt well enough for us to go home he demanded that we go to the beach. So when we were in Oak View the weather was a beautiful guessing 85 degrees. When we got to Ventura it was like 55 degrees. Seriously crazy cold. We told him it was cold, even rolled down the windows to prove that it was cold. He wasn't having any of it. So, hence the photos... the lack of preparation in clothing attire for the children and the very cold poses. End the car when we left, he said he was happy. So, yeah, our sick boy was happy. Good enough for us. :)

Reservations

2009-08-12T23:29:00.000-07:00

yeah! We got reservations for New Orleans. We may have paid more for our plane tickets, but we got 5 nights for FREE.. Yes, I said FREE... With Chris' points from all of his traveling, we were able to cash in. Yeah!!

My cute 6 Month Old and a crazy boy.

2009-08-07T00:01:00.001-07:00

Lauren just looked really cute today, is all.. But she started the morning out with a ton of green poop that was completely stuck to her. So off for a quick bath in the sink. Alex liked the bubbles. who doesn't? She's very cute in the sink too.. and yes, he has no bottoms on. We are potty training and he's doing great as long as he has nothing on.. The second he puts on under ware or a pull up, it's all over. And he has also pooped in the back yard twice this week. (and once on the living room floor). But 3 other times in the bathroom, in the toilet.. so there's progress. My goal is to have him pretty much done by the time Miss Vikki is done with her vacation and he goes back to day care.

A day in the neighborhood

2009-08-03T08:27:00.001-07:00

We went for a bike ride to water park for a free day of entertainment. We're very poor these days. So on the bikes and off we went. Lunch packed and sun-block.

Lauren is very cute in her ladybug bathing suit. And Ales LOVES his turtle shorts.

Daddy's Finally Home!

2009-08-01T17:44:00.001-07:00

Here is the very nice sign that Alex and I colored. Lauren was too sleepy for the home coming. But asleep or not, people still want to touch her in the airport. :) Welcome Home DADA!! "airplane done dada? big airplane done dada? work done dada?" over and over again. very sad!

He had to wear the necklace that he made at Mrs. Vikki's. He's been saving it all week.

so now begins my new status of chopped liver.. or in reality, more than chopped liver.. Chopped liver covered in dog pee and covered with bugs.. I'm not allowed to hold his hand crossing the street, change his diapers, get his juice, buckle his sea tbelt, and pretty much anything else that daddy can do that I've been doing for the last 2 weeks. It's like an unwanted vacation from mommy hood. It's okay for some things, and not okay for others. Oh well. I asked for a break and well, here it is.

Welcome home dada!

Catching Up The Blog

2009-07-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

We got to swim at the Marty's yesterday. That was fun. Thanks guys. Lauren did soooo good and loved being in the water. The pics of them in the grass are in our front yard with their new kiddy pool which they loved and had a great time just hanging out in the yard. Lauren is sitting up now and doing a great job at it.

Here's more of Alex's black eye. Each day it gets a little worse and now it's in the getting better stage. He gets really shy when people ask him about it. It's cute.

He's not really sad right here.. His mouth is full of food and so he looks sad, but is just being silly.

We are all missing daddy and are just trying to pass the time until he comes home. Yeah for Friday. :) I hope he doesn't miss his flight because I plan to take the kids to the airport at 9:30 at night to get him.. Alex loves seeing him get off the airplane. Hurry home, daddy.!!!

Poor Alex

2009-07-27T09:32:00.001-07:00

So you know when there's that moment when you should have left somewhere and you left 30 seconds too late? :) Yeah, that's what happened. We left 30 seconds too late. Alex was playing with Grandpa and fell off the couch and hit his eye on the edge of the coffee table. HARD.. Poor Alex. And poor grandma & grandpa. They feel bad, but really they don't have to. These things happen and are going to happen again.. But yeah, Alex was crying and it swelled very quickly and this is what it looks like this morning. So, he gets to stay home today from day care and we're going to do something fun with water. Like a kid pool or something.

I love the way he turns his head for the picture. :) I asked him this morning, "what happened to your eye?" he said, "quying, grandpas house".. right now he's saying, "oh no, alex quying last night" .. when did he learn "last night"??? He's vocab. is getting out of control.. :)

Lord Help Me and Children Photography

2009-07-24T23:52:00.001-07:00

So I went to the park tonight to take pictures of my children and my friends children.. Something I truly don't enjoy doing.. (no one really understands this). I promise you. I don't hate taking pictures of my kids, I hate taking professional pictures of my kids.. There's a HUGE difference. So, while I'm taking this photo of Lauren, Vicki is taking this picture of ME-Trying to Work!!! NO THANKS TO ALEX.. Really, this is no joke.. With his money business, I must have taken 20 bad shots thanks to him pulling my arms and jumping on my lower back.. He's straight out crazy! Alex is no longer allowed to go to work with mommy. I said, 'Vicki, please tell me you're getting this?" as she cracking up and snapping away..

For the full photo shoot: go to: http://laceysphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/9033310_Q5H34#601068656_hgAKS

You can also see Bennie & Joey's pictures too:

http://laceysphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/9033204_MHReS#601065684_5uKA3

Anyway, it was very cute. Lauren did a really good job sitting up for quite a while and she has started rolling over, which is very cute.

7 more days til Chris comes home. I hope I make it. I'm tired. And I suppose, now going to bed.

Michelle & Uriah

2009-07-24T00:06:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to editing these photos. The entire set is on my regular website under the proof section.

"Ben & Joey's" (Jerry's) Ice Cream B-day Party

2009-07-23T21:31:00.000-07:00

So let me brag about my friend Vicki for a minute.. She is SO TALENTED. She came up with this really cute idea to have an ice cream party for her sons. Their birthdays are very close together. Two days apart. Well and 4 years. Anyway, their names are Bennie and Joey.. So it was perfect.. She drew these ice cream cups.. Can you believe it? She's so good..

Even Lauren participated in the very boy birthday party.

Skype and Funny Alex

2009-07-21T22:38:00.001-07:00

So here we are Skyping with Daddy who is in Mississippi. It's been fun trying to teach Alex how to say "mis a cip pee" he kind of says it. So these may be hard to see, but it's Chris on the web cam and Alex (or us) down in the bottom left of Chris in our camera. Either way, it works and worked out well for Alex to see Chris and to hear him talk. It however was a little delayed. We chose not to do this tonight cause was sitting quietly on the couch and was almost ready for bed. Instead, we put Chris on Speaker phone and they prayed together and then he went to bed. It's amazing what he'll do for his day.

Funny story: Today the baby was fussing and Alex said, "du sumting" "What Alex? Did you say, do something? As in do something to fix the baby?" Alex nodded his head and said, "uh, huh." all the while chewing his fingernails. (I hate that!) I bought some "no bite" but haven't had the heart to use it yet. I'm afraid he'll get it in his eyes.

Anyway, do something. That's funny.

Who Sleeps Like This?

2009-07-13T11:57:00.000-07:00

Who sleeps like this??? I'll come in and find her completely covered. The one with the open face is only open cause I moved the blanket.. she's be cold as ice and her face is covered.. Crazy girl!

Silence

2009-07-10T10:21:00.000-07:00

Alex is at daycare and Lauren is at Linda's for the day. It is completely quiet in my house. Even the dogs are asleep. It's amazing that I can actually think.

The plan is to finish an entire album for Alisha & Mike. I mean I am paying collectively $35 today to have them gone so I can work. I better get this album done. I think I can. I started the process late last night.

so, on to work.

Poor Sally Mae!

2009-07-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

Before: After:

My POOR Sally Mae.. She went to the groomers today and came back a changed woman.. and not for the good.. They offered to keep her overnight and fix her tomorrow, but I'm just going to take her back. I had to bring her home and take photos.. I can't believe how stupid she looks.. The first photo is how she normally looks.. Now she looks like an overgrown... well, I don't know what???

Chris' Destination

2009-07-05T05:56:00.000-07:00

This is where Chris is going this morning for a week. Blackfoot, Id. Now I wish we were going. Oh, well.. Have a good trip honey.

"I See You!!!" Prepare for cuteness!

2009-06-30T17:15:00.000-07:00

Alex loves to make Lauren Laugh! He's got an Otter Pop package over his eyes and keeps saying "I see you" over and over and she loves it.. SOOOOOOO CUTE!!!

Santa Cruz & Sunnyvale

2009-06-29T14:39:00.000-07:00

We went to Santa Cruz and Sunnyvale for the weekend to visit with Bay Photo and Grannie, Aunt Rae and Kendall. It was a great weekend. Chris had never been to the boardwalk and man o man was it packed.. too packed.. Alex started the trip by puking EVERYWHERE the moment we pulled into the hotel parking lot.. The of course had no laundry service (dry cleaning only) so Chris had to find a laundry mat and do it himself. All the while our friend from Bay was waiting on us.. Sorry Sarah! We still managed to have a fun dinner with her at Woodstock Pizza in Santa Cruz.

We spent the next morning at Roaring Camp Railroad where my parents took me and my sister a million years ago. I think I was about 6-8 years old. It was fun. We road an old steam engine up into the redwood forest, which Alex loved. When we got to the top, some actors staged a robbery that scared Alex to death.. Too funny.. Worth the ticket price for me & Chris. :)

Alex is giving his train ticket to the scary man.

This is the funniest picture in the whole world and quiet possibly our Xmas card for next year.. Believe it or not, but I am hold Lauren to the side and trying to still stay in the hole, hence why she is crying.. Too funny..
Too bad Alex was looking.. Usually people don't know how to zoom in.. Unfortunately this man did. So he got us but cut out the train behind us.. Oh, well.

Not for everyone

2009-06-17T15:48:00.000-07:00

So Lauren's been coughing for weeks. I think we're finally to the bottom of the problem. Chronic Asthmatic Bronchitis. I know millions of people have had to do breathing treatments on the kids, but it's always hard to see your kids cry. and to be the one MAKING them cry. It was like Chinese torture. Poor Lauren. Poor Mommy. This is just a small clip of a very long 20 minutes!

Photo Restoration

2009-06-15T15:10:00.001-07:00

I did this for a friend. My friend is the grand daughter of the baby sitting in the mans lap.. It’s very old and as soon as she gets back to me on how old, I’ll update this info.As for the photo, it was quite a challenge to restore. There are completely missing sections, lots of scratches and spots everywhere. It’s a nice feeling of accomplishment when you can bring back something like this for a family.

La La La La, La La La, Elmo's World!!!

2009-06-03T20:54:00.000-07:00

So today was the day we went to see Elmo and Friends in concert at the Civic.. It was fun, but there were TONS of kids.. I kept thinking, "why didn't I get one of those kid leashes?" oh, because he would have to a complete nightmare on it. But yeah, he didn't get lost despite me yelling constantly to stay by my side, hold my hand, someone's going to take you.. All the while flinging Lauren about whose strapped to my chest and getting dizzy. It wasn't easy doing it alone. Have I already said I need Chris to come home? He's in Indiana and coming home Friday. not soon enough.

They were selling balloons at the intermission.. Highway Robbery!!! $10 a balloon.. So we opted for an actual doll that won't deflate in 1 day, but it was $25.. Ugh. The things we do for our kids.. I told him he had to forget about the $8 program and the various other things. he better take this Elmo doll with him to college!

tickets: $33

stupid parking: $5

Elmo doll: $25

nap afterwards: Priceless!

I'm so sad

2009-05-29T00:42:00.000-07:00

Just a few minutes ago I walked past my answering machine and noticed it said "1".. I thought, "what the hell happened???" You see, my grandpa left a message for me a few years ago before he died and I've been saving it all this time. Sometimes I listen to it just to hear his voice.. It's gone. Someone must of hit "erase all". I'll never know, but I feel as though he's died all over again. Days go by and you stop thinking of people who have moved on. But I always knew that I could just go to my answering machine and hear, "Lacey, this is your grandpa, thank you for making that thing for my friend. K, bye" I've listened to it a hundred times. I'm not sure why I'm crying so hard other than that I loved him so much. I'm glad I gave Alex his name.

Alex "Thomas" Newkirk.

Alex (still in womb) and I were with him when he passed and I took this pic of him the Feb. before he died.

Many years ago, I interviewed my grandpa about his days during the Korean War. Now I really need to find those tapes. If I have to tear this house apart, I'll find them. There was always something about his voice.

I guess I'll go to bed. There's not much else to do at 1 am and everyone asleep. Sorry, Grandpa. :(

Our Glorious Weekend

2009-05-26T00:22:00.000-07:00

We all (except Lauren) spent the entire weekend sick with the flu. Does it always work out that way, when you finally have a moments peace with nothing in the Palm, no obligations, no plans... you always get sick... I guess I'll just have to start planning something for every waking minute of our lives. Then we'll be too busy to be sick.

Aside from being irritated that our weekend was ruined, we were sick.. I mean, puking, diarrhea the whole bit. Remember we still live in the same house.. You know the small one with only 1 bathroom.. Yeah, life is fun here in ole' Bako...

On the other hand we did buy Slumdog Millionaire on pay-preview. It was a good movie and makes me want to save starving little Indian children so they don't have to live on trash. Makes you happy your at home sick with the flu and you have "a" toilet to puke in instead of just to the side of where you're sitting..

Scary

2009-05-18T23:32:00.000-07:00

Tonight while at the softball game, Alex disappeared from us. It was only a matter of seconds and he was gone. We were all standing there watching the game. Almost every person from Lightspeed scattered running, yelling his name. I ran for the toys, screaming "alex, alex". I finally found him on the toy getting ready to slide down the slide.. My heart was pounding. Chris and I were both shaken up.. Of all days, today was already a tough day. A couple from Teh. had a funeral for their 2 year old daughter today. I've been an emotional wreck since last Wed. (the day of the accident) and to loose him so quickly was just more fuel added to the fire..

Sally Mae

2009-05-07T21:21:00.001-07:00

Today I Sally Mae proved herself to truly be part of our family. While Alex was taking a nap she decided to join him. It was soooo sweet. Awhile later I walked by and he said " hiiii maaa maaa" and he was facing the other direction with his head on Sally. She didn't mind. She loves him.. Like I said, it's cute..

Old Video, Still Hilarious!!!

2009-04-29T22:48:00.000-07:00

My friend was looking for this video on line the other day, but You Tube took it off cause of copy rights on the song. So here it is again. Still hilarious!!!!

A Day In Fresno

2009-04-25T22:27:00.000-07:00

We spent the day in Fresno with family at this park that had and old restored house and a river study/museum. It was hot but fun and the kids had a great time. They got to pet horses, run all around, play T-ball and we had lunch. We also took a walk around the pond.

Here's a shot of the house from the far side of the pond.

Alex Thomas

Finn Wilson

Reed Jackson

Lauren Catherine Joy

Salt and Pepper (version 2)

Justin Cade

Cayden Darrell

My Sweet Girl

2009-04-24T06:00:00.001-07:00

My little girl is soooo cute.. That's it.. :)

and here she is talking at the bottom of the post. So cute!

The bows: I had a client that owed $100 and knowing that times are tough and they've been married for a bit, I let it slide. Well, she sent me home with about 15 bows for Lauren. Thanks Amy. Very cute. Especially when she got accused of being a boy the other day. The Horror!!!

My new Blog

2009-04-22T13:04:00.001-07:00

I started a new blog today about my diabetes. If your interested in reading it or following along, here it is.

http://lnewkirk.blogspot.com/

Lightspeed Softball

2009-04-20T23:53:00.000-07:00

I'm so proud of my honey. He hit his first homerun for the season with the Lightspeed "Control Freaks" softball team.

Here is also a shot of him having to retrieve it from beyond the fence.

Here are some other photos from tonight. They won by the way. 6-3 Yeah, Lightspeed! Yeah, Chris!

Alex is eating a chicken leg. Yum, his favorite.

Potty Training

2009-04-16T23:00:00.000-07:00

We started asking Alex if he wanted to pee on the potty a couple of days ago and he has peed almost every time. Tonight he wanted to wear "choo choo pant's" which are Thomas underwear. He had two accidents. So we took them off and he wore nothing but little black socks. What a sight! so cute! Anyway, about 20 minutes later he came running holding is peenie and saying "pee, pee" and so we ran and he peed.. We are also using stickers and a sticker box to put the stickers on.. So, it looks like we are making progress and we're very excited. Good Job Alex!! :)

Ladybug Rocks

2009-04-15T17:38:00.000-07:00

so recently I went to CALM with Alex and saw a ladybug rock that I wanted to buy. But not for $4... Outrageous!!! So, yesterday, we made our own.. Very fun, very cute. Very ladybug...

Lauren

2009-04-13T16:06:00.000-07:00

Here's my baby girl about 10 minutes ago... and then she fell asleep.. She's so cute!

Pre-Easter in Bakersfield-Teh. Family

2009-04-13T10:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from our pre-Easter at our house. As always, the weather cleared for a moment to have a great day. I never know what nature's going to do.

Easter In Hanford

2009-04-12T23:02:00.001-07:00

We went to Hanford for Easter. Here is Alex hunting for eggs and cousin Aaron was teasing him into putting this very large egg into his basket. Poor Alex doesn't quite understand Stanton humor.. :)

Jordyn looking for eggs.

My beautiful boy.

Jen's beautiful Girl.

Friends and Cousins

Poor Lauren

2009-04-09T15:03:00.001-07:00

So when I walked back into the room, Lauren had fallen asleep with her bow down around her eyes.. Wow, she's already learning to put up with the hassles of being beautiful. :)

CALM

2009-04-07T16:44:00.001-07:00

The kids and I met Rachel, Mayra and the kids at CALM today. I swear I did take pictures of the kids(photos to come later), but for now, I'm just putting up the artsy ones that make me photographically happy. :) I love taking my camera when there's no pressure and I don't feel like I have to "work".. It's so freeing.. Anyway, here are some very special animals. The second owls eyes are damaged due to head trauma. Poor thing.

Date Night

2009-03-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

Chris and I haven't been out on a real date in almost 3 years.

So, last night we had a good friend come over, Shawna, and she stayed with the kids. They got off to a good start. Being in his own environment really helped Alex be okay with us leaving. For those of you who don't know, when Alex gets upset about something (ie. us leaving him somewhere) he cries hysterically until he pukes... everywhere... So as you can see, it makes it hard for us. Considering that we only have 1 family member in town and the "young" friends we have are too busy being "young" and or can't handle Alex in his present state. Not to mention, they can't drive. So, now that Shawna (25+?) has offered to babysit, I think we'll be having more of a social life. Yeah, for Shawna!

So, we went to see "I love you, Man" It was really funny and what a treat to sit with Chris, not be interrupted by crying, eat popcorn and share a cherry coke. Afterwards we called to see how things were going and Alex was screaming in the background. Not to worry, Shawna said they were have a very calm conversation about how when daddy came home he would help him to bed and kiss him good night. I told her it was fine to let him stay on the couch and that did the trick. So we proceeded to stupidly try and find a place to eat at 10pm on a Sunday night and ended up at Denny's.. Whatever, as long as we were together. Actually my grilled turkey sandwich was very good.

We arrived home to find a very sleepy buy awake little boy and Chris put him down after a round of kisses and thank yous. We ended the night with Chris asleep and me and Lauren sitting on the couch (not sleeping) til almost 2 am. Ugh.

All in all, we had a wonderful time. We held hands and reconnected. It's important, ya know?

Jen: I didn't turn off the phone, but I did forget it in the car.. Just a good. :)

Saturday Mornings

2009-03-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

So all this week Alex has been sleeping in the twin bed. Since he's been sick he's not gotten out of bed until we went to get him. Well, now that's he's finally feeling better, he got up on his own this morning. UGH!!! Not really the way I wanted to wake up this morning. But I'm glad he's feeling better. :)

Best Brownies Ever & Hawaii

2009-03-27T08:11:00.000-07:00

Ahhh Man.. We were desperate last night for something chocolatey. So I got on line and looked for a brownie recipe.. I had never made homemade brownies before.. These were the best we've ever had.. and they were even better this morning (if you can believe that)..

so, here's the link. cause i like sharing.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Brownies/Detail.aspx

Hawaii: We should be there right now.. I'm so sad.. Oh, Well, i guess paying bills are important, even if that one could have been avoided by drinking lots of water. Stupid Kidney Stones!!

Still Sick

2009-03-25T15:21:00.001-07:00

Alex is still sick.. He hasn't thrown up in two days, but still has a fever and won't eat. My mom suggested Ensure the meal replacement. I'll get some when Chris gets home from work. He's been drinking small amounts of apple juice, some water and milk (when he wants his blankie ie, milk) but he won't even eat goldfish, which are his most favorite thing.. Poor guy.. But I called the Dr. and if he's not better by tomorrow, I'll take him in. I don't think there's really anything they can do, but I don't want him to end up with kidney problems due to the lack of fluid.. ie, me last year with kidney stones from 2 bouts of food poisoning..

Anyway, prayers are welcomed.. I'll update through comments later tonight.

Alex feels like crap!

2009-03-22T18:55:00.001-07:00

So our attempt at a weekend getaway started out pretty good. We got Lauren's first smashed penny and penny book. Then we had lunch at Mo's. The food was great, BUT, they changed the fries.. Not a good idea!! The new ones are terrible. But whatever. Then we walked on the pier while running into the Lambkins (very fun) and Ray & Michelle (a bride and groom on their 5th anniversary).. wow, 5 years!

A nice couple took our family photo. It's a little hard to see Lauren, but they got a good shot of town.
This photo below of Chris and Alex is special to me. I have this same shot of just Chris 12 1/2 years ago on the day we started dating. We were so young then. No babies, no mortgage, just us finding each other. Simple. :) I'll have to find it and repost it.

When we got back to Emelie's and later that night, Alex started getting sick. He threw up. We thought it was just dehydration and too much sun until he continued to throw up this morning. We thought he was doing better but then he fell asleep on the dog bed and then was sick again when he woke. So we packed up and came home. It was very sad. He slept for most of the trip, but at one point for about 40 minutes, he just stared blankly out the window not saying a word. It breaks my heart. He asked for bed the second we got home and after a 3 hour nap seems to be doing a little better. He's always better when he's on the couch with daddy.

Chris called in sick tomorrow and plans on staying home with him. I have to go to Pasadena for a trade show. I image that chris and alex will spend the entire day watching TV together. It's a good way to recover... and chris a chance to catch up on his Good Eats. :)

Message to Jen

2009-03-20T05:28:00.000-07:00

Kids are great. Funny stories.

I don't know why. I'll have Chris check it out. I'm up with L. She has a cold and sounds terrible. I thought she may have a hernia from all the constipation but the dr. said no. I thought so cause she had a bulge on her tummy on one side. Thank goodness. We don't need anymore surgeries around here.

We're going to Pismo for the weekend and staying with Emelie. Matt broke his arm in two places and had to have surgery last week. He was standing on a chair looking over a fence.

Have a good weekend.. Love Us.

Pump It Up

2009-03-17T14:54:00.001-07:00

So Alex and I went to a new place this morning and had a blast. We went to a place called Pump It Up. It's an indoor Bounce House place. On Tues & Fri, they have Pre-K open day where you can go for 1 1/2 hours and jump jump jump.. $7

http://www.pupmitupparty.com

Here are some pics of our fun. I say 'our' cause I ended up having to get in too and show him that he could in fact go down the big slide by himself.. He also got into

a fist fight (too funny) with a boy that he tried to have patience with but finally let him

have it. I mean really, wouldn't you fight someone that wouldn't stop head butting you in the chest? I'm not sure who won, I intervened before there

was blood. But to see 4 little arms flying in the air was quite the sight. The only part that wasn't funny, was where was his stupid mother to tell her son to stop being mean? I think she was too busy talking trash with another mom. whatever, back to the fun pics.

Something I've Never Had Before

2009-03-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

The other day I went to Lowe's to get something for the house and came back with a lot more than Chris would have liked.. So, I called to buffer before I got home and said, " I got my V-day present from you for you". I got herbs for and herb garden. My plan worked and he wasn't mad, besides, it's for him too. I got Rosemary, Chives, Cilantro, Sweet Basil, Thyme, Parsley and Chocolate Mint. :)

Time Change

2009-03-09T21:24:00.000-07:00

It's got us all screwed up.. It's 9:30 and Alex is still not in bed yet.. Lord help us adjust.. I'm tired!!!

Empty Nest

2009-03-05T17:55:00.000-08:00

My puppies are all gone.. I've got the empty next syndrome. I'm glad they all went to good homes but I miss them. I've become attached. How could I not? To be able to muster up the strength to do what we've been doing for the last 2 months, it had to come from love. and now they are gone.

Colic & Puppy update

2009-03-05T08:42:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's what I said. COLIC For the past week or more Lauren has been crying / screaming from 9 pm til 1-2 am. I think in the beginning we didn't know what was wrong with her but now that we've started giving her colic tablets, she doing much better. Those things are amazing.. Anyway, it's getting better and we are trying to catch up on our sleep. Last night Chris got 3 and 3 hours and I got well, I guess about the same. It makes working hard for him and for me, my patience runs thin with Alex during the day. It's funny, everyone says take a nap. It's actually harder than you think. They don't sleep at the same time and when I finally do lay down, the phone rings, the mail arrives (thus making Libby freak out), etc.. We'll figure this out and someday she's sleep through the night and we'll all survive. I hope.

Puppy news: I went to the feed store to buy shots so my friend could vaccinate them for me. They offered to keep the puppies during the day until they all found homes. Very nice of them. So, I took them yesterday, we got them all set up and when I went back at night, there were 2 gone. I CRIED.. I'm glad they are gone, but I'm soosoooo sad.. So all that's left this morning is Victor (black) and Bailey (Blonde with green eyes).. I'm hoping they find homes today. We would like to try and shampoo the carpet in Lauren's room this Sat. and move on with our lives.. It's been really tough have 6 puppies, a newborn and a crazy 2 year old that wants to help with EVERYTHING.. UGH!!! I need a vacation from my life..

Employment

2009-03-02T21:55:00.000-08:00

I got a job.. Well, a part time job. 8 hours a week or so. It's doing photo retouching for my friends photography business. Silvia. She does Alex's pictures and now Lauren's pictures.

I'm kind of excited about it. It's a great way for me to work when I can, when she needs me and it gets me out of the house and away from all this clutter.

So, thanks Silvia! :) You are just what the Dr. ordered.

American Idol

2009-02-25T22:02:00.001-08:00

is buggin!!! What's with all the song choices this week and the sucky people last week.... ?

I like Adam.. and I liked Megan, but she needed to hold the mic at the same distance the whole time, which she didn't.. It kept getting louder and softer.. Drove me crazy..

I was most disappointed in Matt but Nick cracked me up!! Allison was pretty good.. Heart is hard to sing. Kris is really cute, but hated the song choice. Matt (welder)- didn't like it. Jesse also chose the wrong song.. Kai killed me with that old fogy song.. I'm sure his mom liked it.. not me.. Mishavonna - I thought she did a great job, the judges didn't like the song, but I did. Adam has a crazy vocal range.. Reminds me of Matthew Ward's range.

Okay, I'm done venting. But before I go. If I had 3 wishes.

Wish 1: to win the lotto and pay our debt.

Wish 2: to be an amazing singer

Wish 3: to be skinny..

by the by: when I went to my grandmas house over the weekend she said the sweetest thing to me. She looked at me, giggled and said, "you look skinny".. Yes, I just had a baby and lost 25 pounds in 2 weeks but am by no means skinny yet.. But working on it.. Thanks Grandma!!! love you..

Alex Has HIs Own Blog

2009-02-23T08:05:00.000-08:00

Last night Chris and I created a blog for Alex. Here it is:

http://throughalexseyes.blogspot.com/

My cute Kid and cute Puppies

2009-02-21T22:12:00.001-08:00

I've got a cute Kid.

and cute puppies!!!

Lauren's Announcement

2009-02-21T11:23:00.000-08:00

Here is Lauren's Birth Announcement. I made it but my very good friend Silvia took the pictures.

Libby

2009-02-20T21:25:00.000-08:00

So Libby has had this lump on her right cheek bone.. I thought at first it was a tooth abscess and sure enough I was.. today is got larger and so I took her in... I hadn't taken her earlier because we are terribly broke. But, now our worst fears came true. $450 estimate. Today was $200 for the visit, drugs, blood tests etc.. Next monday I have to take her back to have her teeth cleaned and have that tooth pulled. $250 more. She has a really high temp and is now on antibiotics and pain meds and is sleeping.. :( poor Libby.

I should have this tattooed on my body somewhere..

"If it's not one thing, it's another."

And then there were 4

2009-02-19T15:52:00.000-08:00

Michelle from Lightspeed just came by and took 2 (yes, I said TWO) puppies.. Charlie (Chris' favorite, brown and light brown) and Sissy (the runt).. I guess their dog (6 months old) got hit by a car 2 weeks ago and they were very sad.. They have a 3 year old son Adrian and we're happy to know they are going to a good home and someone we know..

I will admit that I cried when they left. Chris on the other hand cheered. Mean Chris.. But I am glad. We're that much closer to having Lauren's room back and being puppy-less.

But we still have 4 left, so spread the word. :)

The Puppies Must Go

2009-02-17T20:52:00.000-08:00

Going from left to right: Randy (Boy), Charlotte (Girl), Sissy (Girl), Charlie (Girl-Blue Eyes), Victor (Boy), Bailey (Boy-Blue Eyes)

Don't get me wrong, but it is time to start looking for home for my sweet babies. If anyone knows someone looking for a new addition to their family, please call us. Please share this picture. If you click on the photo and make it large, you can drag it off and then email it to who ever. Thanks for your help. they should be ready to go in about a week.

Namesake

2009-02-14T20:42:00.000-08:00

So I've been asked where I got Lauren's name. Well, here it is.

Lauren= Because I've loved that name my whole life. I did however envision her with red hair. But that's okay. It's perfectly fine that she has my hair.

Catherine= Is my mom, mom's favorite Aunt, and her late grandmother.

Joy= There is a lot of Joy in our lives. Aside from all the Joy Alex has brought us, there are human Joys. Susie Joy, My cousin Joy, Leah Joy, and then there is our own Libby Joy. So, what more fitting for our last baby, then a little more Joy.

Newkirk= Well, it is after all our last name. :)

So there it is.. Lauren Catherine Joy Newkirk

Lauren: Crowned With Laurel

Catherine: Pure

Joy: Joy

Newkirk: New Church

Aunt Lesa & Cousins

2009-02-09T22:02:00.000-08:00

We had a visit today from my sister and her two oldest. They completely spoiled us with dinners for the week, chocolate covered strawberries and gifts for all. It was very sweet.. And we even left the house for about 2 hours to run (aka.. walk very slowly) errands. Thank you sooooo much for driving in the rain and visiting us. It was great. Here are some Pics. By the by, Alex loved playing with Chase and Mason. It makes him feel like a big boy. :) I love the last pic of Alex holding Lauren. I was so nervous. He's trying. :)

Hanging with Daddy

2009-02-08T21:09:00.000-08:00

Just hanging out. She so cute when she has her eyes open.

Lauren Catherine Joy Newkirk

2009-02-07T21:26:00.001-08:00

The wonderful Dr. Todd Andrews.

Lauren Catherine Joy Newkirk

Born: February 5, 2009

Time: 8:20 AM

Weight: 9 lbs. 19 Inches long

Here is the future Dr. Alex Newkirk. He did such a wonderful job transitioning into big brotherhood..

Coming home all dressed in pink.

I'll say more things tomorrow about our experience. For now, we're exhausted and must sleep as much as we can. Thanks to everyone who came to see us, prayed for us, and wished us well.

We are very very very blessed.. and tired. :)

Anticipation!! & Puppies

2009-02-04T16:43:00.000-08:00

Okay, so we've got about 12 hours til we leave the house and go to the hospital.. Can't wait. Won't be able to sleep.. A million things to remember, even though everything is already in the car..

And our last night with JUST Alex.. So weird... I had him all day and he's been great. He got his hair cut and looks like a different person. He looks like a big brother. :(

If I DO sleep tonight, I won't have any trouble waking at 4am.. The puppies have woken me up every night this week at 4 am.. Here's a picture since from here on out the pictures will probably be only of babies.

Aren't they cute????

Baby Delivery Plans

2009-02-02T16:04:00.000-08:00

Well, here's the situation. Since I haven't had the baby yet, it's looks pretty sure that I will be having her by c-section this Thursday morning at 7:30 am.. so if anyone is interested in being there to see her in the window when she comes out, we will be at Mercy Southwest on the corner of Stockdale Hwy and Calloway/Old River Rd. The phone number to the Birth Center is 661-663-6050

The surgery is set for 7:30 and it will only be moments later that Chris should show up in the window.. I think we'll be pretty on time cause Dr. Andrews has other surgeries to do that morning before he goes in for his regular work.

So, that's it. I'll be in recovery for about an hour or two, and then should be fine to hopefully see people and the baby. Last time, I had Alex at 9:25 am and had visitors at 12 noon.

Well I look forward to seeing who ever wants to be there. If you want to wait a day, that's fine too.. I'll probably be there til Sat. afternoon..

Love to all.. Lacey :)

Super Bowl

2009-02-01T21:23:00.000-08:00

WHAT A GAME!!! That's all I have to say..

Well, also, that when I finally stopped screaming and jumping up and down, I went back to having contractions.. But still no baby.. Man I just can't win..

But we had a great time and I'm glad we got out of the house. Sara and Bobby did a good job on the party. Thanks. :)

Sickness

2009-01-29T07:58:00.000-08:00

Last night was interesting. About 9:00pm I had already had about 5 contractions from 8-9 so I started writing them down.. From 9-10 about 6 more. From 3 minutes apart to 20 minutes, so we decided to go to bed..

I must of gotten what Alex is getting over... Head cold, bronchitis you name it.. I was in so much paint and still am.. Coughing up gross stuff, couldn't breath, all of it. I'm going to see what I can take while I'm pregnant.. I think I need antibiotics. I went through the same thing when delivering Alex.. Major bronchitis.. I'm tired.. Going back to bed.

Susie: sorry about Matthew.

Jen: love the ice crystals and lunch was fun. thanks.

Yay for Ladybugs!

2009-01-28T14:43:00.001-08:00

I found this yesterday and Chris put it up for me today. Thanks honey.. It's too cute.. As for the pink, I suppose it's okay.. I really think pink is way overdone for girls, but oh, well.. This is all I could find. There's a little pink in her room, but I really am trying to avoid it.. It just all looks the same, a big sea of pink.. Makes me crazy. One of these days I'll post a picture of Lauren's room. When I get the puppies out of there.. For now we have ladybugs.. :)

New Background

2009-01-27T16:30:00.000-08:00

I figured that since I'm sick of the other background and haven't found anything new, I'd just switch to pink since I'm have a girl..

Anyway, I have yet to find something that I really like. If anyone has any EASY websites to suggest, I'd be grateful.. Since it's all about ladybugs with the new baby, that would be nice.

Thanks and hope this color is not tooooo painful on the eyes.. It is on mine..

Puppies

2009-01-27T16:15:00.000-08:00

They are finally opening their eyes today.. Yeah!! They are sooo cute..

Stupid Stores

2009-01-27T11:56:00.000-08:00

I waited for 30 minutes in my car this morning for this "gently used" children's store to open.

Strike One: She was late..

I inquired about the double stroller and if they would come down from $89.99.. In a very nasty tone (not exaggerating, Kelli was on the phone and heard her) she said, "WE DON'T CHANGE PRICES HERE" .

Strike Two!

So I talk to Chris on the phone and we decide that we really don't need it cause Alex won't get in a stroller anymore anyway, now that he knows he can walk and get into stuff..

So I go to leave but have to pee terribly.. Being 9 months pregnant and already having to wait on her. I say, "where is your restroom?" She says (again nasty) "WE DON'T HAVE PUBLIC RESTROOMS!"

Strike Three! Bitch!!

So now that's I've calmed down a bit, I'm deciding what action to take.. I mean, seriously.. Like me, a very pregnant pregnant person is going TAG or mess up or what ever to her stupid bathroom.. I should have just peed there on her floor. Like Jen said on behalf of Ian as a little boy. "go ahead and pee on the floor Ian" when the store wouldn't let him use the restroom..

For sure I'm going to put a nasty comment on her yellow pages site where you can comment about businesses.. I think I'll call and speak to the owner and I guess if she's the owner then I'll just have to tell her that I'll never shop at her stupid store..

Frustration

2009-01-23T15:12:00.000-08:00

I really get that everyone is having money problems. But their money problems make me have money problems.. AS if I don't have enough to worry about already.. Running around town trying to collect on people has made me very tired.. After this baby is born (and maybe a couple of months) I think I'll go get a night job.. Chris really can't right now cause he has to travel.. Maybe I'll start selling drugs.. :) People always have money when it comes to drugs. (Just kidding mom & dad), but seriously, it's getting pretty ridiculous.. I really hope our new president can make some changes and quickly. If my biz doesn't pick, I'm thinking about quitting all together. I only have 4 weddings booked for next year. Who knows.. Maybe I should just pray, lie down and sleep. You never know, everything could change when I wake up.. Someone could show up at my door and say I won a contest I didn't enter.. After all, I did get $100 in the mail from a friend who felt that God told her to send it to me. I love it when God does that. Thanks God and friend.

Last time I vented about money, someone said at least I have my health. But I don't really and all that does is cost me money too.. Well, I'll just keep having faith like I always do..

Dear God. If I promise not to start selling drugs, will you please help us? Huh, funny... I'm listening to Pandora internet music and the lyrics RIGHT NOW are (John Legend-Stay with you)

I'll stay with you through the ups and downs,
Oh I'll stay with you when no one else is around
And when the dark clouds arrive
I'll stay by your side
I know we'll be alright
I will stay with you

I suppose I should take that as my answer to my prayer.. Okay, I guess I'll stop venting sense God just talked to me through the internet...

The Terrible Two Switch Has Been Flipped!

2009-01-22T11:08:00.000-08:00

I guess I knew that he was leading up to his terrible twos, but wasn't really prepared for the complete transformation from my sweet child to demon with a vengeance. Last night was a night from Hell and someone almost didn't make it til morning. It's truly a miracle that we all survived. We decided that Alex came down with a serious touch of Ass-hole-itis.. Or more nicely put, the terrible twos. Whatever you call it, I hope its over soon. Nows just not a good time. Everyone says it's normal and it's normal to loose your temper, but it doesn't make it any easier. We also know that consistency is the best but it's a little hard when you're 9 months pregnant and it's 2, 3, 4, 5 AM and the hardest part is not giving in.. It only makes it worse for the next episode.

Anyway, that's it. One day at a time and I guess we all have to learn to be independent at sometime or another. Whoever said that parenting was the hardest job ever, couldn't say it loud enough.

Alex's 2nd Birthday Party

2009-01-19T14:37:00.001-08:00

The birthday party went really well. My mom took care of most everything and others helped as well.. Making it much more bearable for me. I had about 4-5 contractions through the whole thing and then when everyone was gone, I slept for 2 hours.. Yeah, it was great.

Here are some pics.

I always get so emotional when we sing him "Happy Birthday". Is that strange?

He's sooooo funny.. He blows the candles sooo softly.. It's cute.

The cupcakes came out cute, but didn't look nearly as cute as the

professional I stole the idea from.

Happy 2nd Birthday Alex!!!

2009-01-15T22:37:00.000-08:00

So, 2 years ago, this adorable little boy was born.. It's amazing how fast time flies..

This pic is of Alex at his daycare party. Vikki did a nice job taking photos of him and his friends. I couldn't be there. Dr. appts..

Here is a pic of all his friends. Raul is his best friend. To his right in the red. They are about the same age and have a ball together.

We decided at the last minute to go out to dinner after all.. We had lots of cleaning plans, but thought it was time for a break and after all, it is his birthday. You only turn 2 once. So we went to Famous Dave's where he LOVES their chicken.. and beans..

The server was very nice and brought him and icecream sundae.

Now we just have to get through the party without having the new baby. I really hope we make it.. I don't think I could handle having their birthdays on the same day. We'll see.. I have soooo much pressure. I feel like she is just going to fall out when I walk..

The shower is done and drying. It looks beautiful. The pantry shelves are in and working perfectly. I got everything back in the pantry today and it's wonderful to be able to actually see what I have. Can't wait for you all to see on Sat. And of course, there's the puppies.

Off to bed.. soooooo tired..

6 New Newkirks

2009-01-13T23:41:00.001-08:00

Well, seriously, I really didn't think anything was going to happen TODAY.. But I guess Sally had other plans.. I was making dinner and took a break when I hear crying, like from a kitten. I found the first puppy in my room in the dog bed covered by a pillow. I found 2 more in Alex's room still in the sacks and just lying there.. I had to break them open and revive them both. It took some time and I was a little worried.. The praying helped. Alex was freaking out, saying "eww, towel" over and over.. so cute.. Anyway, 3 more were to come and Sally finally turned into a sweet little mom.. More tomorrow.. I've had such a weird day, I know my blood sugar is very low and I need to eat and sleep..

Labor Watch

2009-01-13T13:24:00.000-08:00

NOT for me.. So, I thought we had more time with Sally and the puppies to come.. Today she started acting really weird.. No appetite, snapping and growling at Libby, shaking and sleeping.. She hasn't eaten all day.. So I call the vet to ask questions. They said check her temp. If it's below 101, then she's starting labor and they will come within 48 hours.. Well.... her temp was 98.6... I'm freaking out.. As if I couldn't get enough on my plate this week.. I just have to laugh about it though, this is just how my life is.. It's sunny or it's pouring.. Nothing in between.. So, not too much has happened yet, so I'll be keeping you posted. On the shower, the puppies, Alex's party and my labor.. It's a big week.. No wonder I'm not sleeping..

Construction

2009-01-13T04:12:00.000-08:00

Rick is a worker. That's all I have to say.. I think this project with the bathroom AND the kitchen will be done by Sat. I thought we'd just get the the bathroom done, but it looks like the plan is Demo monday, tile tuesday, grout wednesday, kitchen pantry drawer and shower door install on Thursday. Done.. Craziness.. I'm very excited.. The kitchen portion will make my life easier. And yes, it's 4 am and I can't sleep again..

Anyway, now all I need is 10,000 dollars to remodel my the rest of my kitchen.. Not sure it's going to happen any time soon, but I think I will buy a lottery ticket today. You just never know.....

Here is a pic of the progress of the bathroom from Monday. The good news is there was no water damage to the interior of the house and we don't have any added expenses of replacing the sub-floor. Now Chris can be at ease with the shower not leaking anymore and I have have a prettier shower. :)

Nesting

2009-01-09T16:55:00.000-08:00

I am and have been feeling the urge to nest.. I sense urgency to clean, put away, organize, decorate and sort. I think we're going to get a lot done this weekend. We don't plan to go to Teh. sunday, so that will help. We also have a new project beginning on Monday. Rick (who built my parents home) is coming to fix our shower. The plastic wall is cracked and has been leaking water down into the sub floor. Something that has been concerning Chris for some time now. So, I'm hoping it will be finished before Alex's birthday party next Sat. We'll see.

I tried to go to Costco today to get diapers for Alex and had 4 contractions while there. It took me 1 hour to gather and pay for 6 things.. I had to also have someone load my car. I think my days at Costco are done until after baby comes. I think a lot of my errands are coming to a halt. It's hard. Chris has been pulling so much weight, I hate to ask him to do more, but we're getting close and as much as I hate to rest, I have to. I've been doing a lot of crocheting. Anyone what new pot holders???? :)

MIss Sally Mae

2009-01-06T14:56:00.001-08:00

We think she may be pregnant.. Yesterday I noticed that her nipples were very swollen and seem to be filling with milk.. I made an appt. for her for the 13th, but really want to know now. They can't tell until 30 days and by then we would of had her for 26 days, so we should know something. The internet said she would be lazy and lovable, but how are we to know, we didn't know her before this, so it's hard to tell..

Problem: If she has her babies in 30 days (it takes 62 days) and I have my baby in 30 days, we're going to have some problems on our hands.. But even with the disaster at hand, I admit, I'm very excited to have puppies.. Especially hers.. Then the problem of finding homes.. Lord help us...

Sugar Update

2009-01-05T20:14:00.000-08:00

Well, it worked and I got scared straight.. My sugars have been very good for the last 3 days and Dr. Andrews is happy with me. Happy enough to allow me to stay home with my family (for the time being). He also checked my cervix today. Actually he was surprised to see that I was 2-3 cent. dilated. I was not surprised at all.. After all, I've been have tons of contractions (which I told him).. So now my soul purpose is eating right and resting for the next 4 weeks. I'm convinced she's coming early..

It's 4:30 and I'm...

2009-01-04T04:49:00.000-08:00

kicked out of my own bed.. Alex woke up and decided that he wanted to play. We convinced him to lay in bed with us, but there just wasn't the room. My big belly was hanging off the edge, he was kicking me in the back and I had to just get up..

So, I guess I'll blog about my hospital visit friday night. I don't really want to, but what else is there to do at 4:45 in the am? I went for and NST (stress test-routine). I do them twice a week now. Her heart rate was sometime 185 (not good) to 145 (fine).. There was lots of kicking (good) and some hick ups. :) The nurse was type 1 diabetic and we did a lot of talking. She called the dr. with my results and since I had have a VERY BUSY DAY, I hadn't checked my sugar like I should have. As a result, he said, "if she doesn't get her act together by Monday (tomorrow) I'm going to admit her to the hospital for the next 5 weeks".

I didn't really show emotion while I was there except to joke it off with the nurse, but I cried all the way home and then more at home when Alex came running saying, mama mama mama and jumping into my arms.. The thought of loosing my family for 5 weeks.. Not good.

So, I did really good Sat. on my eating and checking my sugars and I had really good results all day. Even right now I'm a 94 (good) and eating some almonds (also good).. But it's only been one day. I am completely convinced that most of the people around me don't know what it's like to be addicted to food. For them, the choice of having a healthy baby or eating whatever is not a question. They would all choose the healthy baby. I can't. I suppose this is what I needed. The saying is "one day at a time". For me it's one minute at a time..

One thing we did Sat. was plan out what we were going to make for dinner for the week. I would say, that's usually my downfall.. The not knowing what to make, having something convenient and that always being bad for me, followed up with something sweet. So hopefully this will be one step in the right direction. We also checked out the new Fresh & Easy Market.. A pre-made salad for $3.50 isn't bad.. They are big enough for 2 servings. I got 3 for the week..

Anyway, I'm going to try to go back to bed. Things sound pretty quiet in there and hopefully Alex is back to sleep..

I suppose we'll find out Monday if I'm going to be locked up in prison or not.. I'll let you know..

I guess, just pray for strength for me.. I really need it...