This is a list I found on another blog, the things in bold are things I've done or accomplished! :)
 1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing 

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

Not sleeping well.

I am a tired lady. I haven't been getting much sleep lately, and I don't know what to attribute it to. Whether it's the 10 months working on a night shift finally catching up to me, or school almost being over, or the kids running me ragged, I am TIRED. I can't figure out what to do to get to sleep at a reasonable time. I've tried leaving all the lights out and just doing something quiet, like writing, or reading, or just laying in the dark. Nothing seems to help, and my mind just races! Tonight, I'm laying in my bed, and hubs has already gone to sleep (very early!) Hopefully I'll finish this up and fall asleep soon after. We went to the Zoo yesterday, and the kids LOVED it. Hubs and I loved it too. It's nice sometimes to just drive out of town and be close to the beach. It was 94 degrees here yesterday and only 70 at the zoo, so it was a really nice day! Here are some pictures:

No Facebook, No TV

We decided to get rid of our television service completely (along with our home phone that we barely used) because of our looking at our budget and saying "EEK!", and noticed that would be a great and easy place to save some $$. The day that cable was cut off, (Tuesday April 24th, 2012) haha, I made a few more changes. I also deactivated my Facebook, and changed around our bedroom (again). (The bedroom was just something I was itching to switch around for a little while) I feel like I needed a fresh start. That's how I explained it to hubby. I feel like so much time is taken away from hubs, and the kids, and given to the tv, or facebook, and I don't like it anymore. I also wanted to have more time to read devotionals that I've started and quite honestly, forgot about. So now, that we no longer have cable tv, and I'm not in the FB world, I'm finding that I'm connecting with my family a lot more. Even in just these past few days! Although hubs was reluctant to shut down the TV, I think he's realizing there are other things to do around here besides watch TV.. and the first night, we lied in bed doing shadows on the ceiling with a flashlight for seriously about 45 minutes, and laughing our butts off! We've also discovered online options, such as Hulu, and already had Netflix which will help "ease" the tension when we just NEED to watch our shows, (Grey's Anatomy, NCIS etc..) So it's been really nice being disconnected from the digital world a little more, and being connected to each other a lot more :) Who knows if it'll stay like this for a year, a few years, or only a few months. My hubs thinks I'll only make it a month with the room in its current position, and without TV and FB. However, I'm going to try to go for longer. We shall see!!

Step-Mom

I'm linking up with Kelly's Korner today because I am a Step Mom and would love to meet others like me!

Here's my quick story.

I met my husband in July of 2009, and we hit it off on our first date (which was blind by the way). His daughter had just turned 4 at the time, and my son was 1. We got engaged the following March, and married in October of 2010. My son is turning 4 this month, and his daughter is almost 7! Time flies! We've gone through a lot in these few years. I have sole physical custody of my son, and hubs has 50/50 with his ex. I adore my step-daughter. I'm grateful that I met her when she was 4, because it's allowed me to form a great bond with her. It is very hard at times dealing with his ex, and we try our best to get through it without stooping to a disrespectful level. We look to the Lord for strength in raising our blended family, and dealing with our trials every day. We don't have any children together yet, but hope to in a few years.

I'd like to meet some fellow step-moms. Feel free to say hello and let's talk about our cute kids! :)

LOVE

I am so overwhelmed with love in my life. Love for my husband, for my children and especially for my Lord and savior. Every day I reflect before I go to bed, on how thankful I am to have all these wonderful things in my life, and I try to remember, or write down every memory as best as I can, but I feel like I come up short. I really just want to soak up as many puzzles, hot wheels, braiding hair, Just Dance, and silly knock knock jokes as I can. Oh and kisses. I love their kisses. I get so emotional when I think about where I would be in my life if I had never gotten pregnant at such a young age. Who would I be? Where would I be? I probably wouldn't have married the love of my life, Casey. Or known his beautiful daughter who has become like my own. Sometimes I like to just sit back and fully appreciate where I am, and the hard times we are going through, because as much as it may be hard right now, it is a beautiful journey that God is taking us through. I wouldn't want to go through this with anyone else. My husband is my perfect companion, my other half, and our children make us whole.

Yea...

In general, I would say Coleton is a sweet boy. He has some great qualities like being cute, funny, cute, smart, did I mention cute? But lately, he's been a bad boy. Mama doesn't like when the bad boy side comes out, and mainly because half of the time, I don't know how to deal with the situation..

Like this morning for example (1 hour ago) he was trying to do something ALL by himself that required some Mama help, (3 year old's don't like help) and I tried to help him. (Keep in mind I'm also on the clock, because my step-daughter needs to be at school) He started throwing a fit and screaming, so I corrected him, and the screaming continued. I put him on time out. (go me!) Then, he keeps getting down from time out, over and over. So I'm thinking "Ok what's the next step" so I say that if he continues to misbehave while on time out, I'm going to take things from his room. (I like giving options) That really gets him upset and he doesn't like that. So he keeps misbehaving, and I go in his room and take his most prized sleeping possession, his dog "Spot". I show him Spot, now MY sleeping buddy, and he is sad. So I'm thinking that was the right thing to do, because he starts to calm down, all the while still saying " I don't wanna be on time out!" But at least he's not kicking and screaming. So, I go to put his shoes and socks on, which he begrudgingly lets me do and we head out the door to get in the car. (Side note: he has an obsession with 1. opening HIS car door 2. buckling himself in (while I watch) 3. closing his car door) So I let him open the door and told him I needed to buckle him in because we were running late (see: first fit). So begins meltdown number 2. And you know, the meltdowns while trying to buckle in an almost 4 year old are SO fun. I finally got him buckled in and let him know that when we got home, he would be going straight back to his favorite place (time out).

So now we're home, and I gave him another option once he started to get upset, yet again, about going on time out. So he's now laying in bed, quietly until he can decide to be a good boy again.

We've only been awake a couple hours now and have faced a couple challenges, not to mention my coffee spilling all over the coffee table (maybe that's why it's called that). Anyway, I think I'm just stressed out because we're leaving for Big Bear tomorrow at 12. I work tonight which means that I need all 4 of us to be packed and ready by tonight before I leave for work, in order for me to get 3 hours of sleep after work in the morning before we leave. Phew!

Anyway, I need to just get my self together, and keep praying that God will help me choose the right things with this kid. Sometimes he drives me crazy, but I love him to death.

Oh one more thing I want to write down so I don't forget, yesterday we went for a drive to look at the xmas lights, all 4 of us. We were in the car and I brought up a topic that Cole and I talked about this previous week. For some reason lately, he is completely against the idea of me ever having a baby (I'm not pregnant) and he is angry about it! So last night he told me that I'm not allowed to ever have a baby, and that if I do, he will take the baby, and throw it in the attic. Also, he said he'll put a cage on top of the baby's crib so it can't get out. So... no baby for us? LOL. How do I react to this?? I'm thinking he just doesn't want to be replaced, but this honestly concerns me for when hubs and I decide to have a little one. Ohhh 3 year olds...



BYE!

Shake me up

Things seem to be happening right now that are shaking my little world up. I want to remain positive and happy and hopeful about everything. It's just hard when things out of my control are happening.

I know the Lord has me in His arms right now, and I have peace knowing that. It's just getting through these days where I'm uncertain of exactly what is going on, that scare me. Or rather, being unsure of what His plan is for me.

Maybe this will wake me up and make me re-evaluate taking better care of myself sometimes. It's so hard to do when you have a family, but that's no excuse. Better late than never, I guess.

Halloween

This year we decided to dress the kids up in homemade simple costumes. Maddie went as a vampire ballerina, and Coleton went as an artist/face painter (his idea, lol)

I went all out and painted my face in a Dia De Los Meurtos style. I'll show a picture. It was SOO fun!!

and here's one of the whole family

Hope everyone had a fun, safe halloween!

Quotes

Me: " Cole, I think you're special."
Coleton: " I think you're stinky."

What a sweet boy.

So...

This blog is really just to update my life for myself every couple of months so that I can look back and remember what was happening then, and smile. Right now, Coleton is 3 year and 7 months old. He is a funny kid. Very opinionated and smart, but still has a sweet "baby" appeal to him. He still likes to cuddle up with me which I'm so thankful for, and probably it's partly because he's my baby, and I may or may not treat him like one at times. He's a fiesty little boy too, and he knows what he wants. I pray that God uses his stubborness in a good way like him having a powerful position in a career or being strong headed to start a mobile medic clinic (PRAYING!) He is also extremely interested in music. He is constantly singing, and "rocking out" with his air guitar, or drums. He is most content listening to "Anyway You Want It" by Journey while running around the room.

My step-daughter is a sweetheart. She is 6 years and 5 months. She is in 1st grade and loving it. She loves to read to us and to herself, and writes notes to us all the time. She is a smart little girl. She is such a loving girl, and always wants to make everyone happy around her. Whether it's her stubborn (see above) little brother, or me or hubs. She always want to make us smile. Even if she resorts to tickle torture. She commands attention with her bible studies, by reading straight from her bible, and wants all eyes (and ears) on her. She also is very interested in music, and loves to sing. Her and I sing every night together before bed. All 3 of us sing Inchworm, Twinkle Twinkle, and Edelweiss. She is already a strong prayer, and singer. Oh and she's an amazing soccer player :)

I love my job. I think this is truly the first job I've had that I look forward to going to work every time (mostly.) Unless I'm extremely tired, or just upset, I'm always up for work. I love learning about my future career, and love being around all the babies! Who doesn't love to be around brand new babies!? I mean BRAND NEW!! I saw two births last week also for my first time. It was an amazing experience.

I'm coming around to the end of my first class, and it's not a pre-requisite. I feel good though, because after this class, I'm going to start the classes I'll need before I get into the nursing program.

:)