Thursday, March 29, 2012

Prairie Dog?

I want the toy...give me the toy...I'm begging...I need it NOW!!

Monday, March 26, 2012

This Week

...my hubby has been home! And, I'm always so lazy when he's here. I love it, don't get me wrong, but I just don't feel like getting on the computer...or cleaning :)

We had a relaxing weekend Saturday eating at P.F. Chang's, dessert at Orange Leaf, and a trip to Academy. The rest of the weekend we spent napping and taking James to the ball park to practice his pitching. It was perfectly relaxing and just what I needed!

Tomorrow is his first game of the season. I'm so excited!!
I promise to be a better blogger, once my hubby goes back to work!

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Our Family is Growing!

By one male Betta fish! Were you expecting more exciting news? :)

James' grandma bought him a new little fishy for having a good report card. Meet Jack Black Fort!!

{here's hoping I can keep him alive}

Friday, March 16, 2012

Gene turns 32!

My hubby's birthday was on Tuesday but I'm just giving his present to him tonight. I think it was a surprise even though he's tried to convince me he knew what it was lol. He got the boots he's been wanting! Maybe a little unconventional but perfect for him. I love you babe!

God gave me you for the ups and downs,
God gave me you for the days of doubt.
And for when I think I've lost my way
There are no words here left to say, it's true.
God gave me you!

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Spring has sprung!

We've had beautiful weather this week! I love it! And today, we busted out the shorts for the first time this year! And they fit better than they did when we put them away last fall! I guess James is shooting up and now out :)

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Mommy Quiz

So I saw this quiz on another blog and I thought I would adapt it a little bit and quiz James. I think we may let James answer these questions about Gene too :) Enjoy!

1. What is something Jenn always says to you?
  • Do you homework!
2. What makes Jenn happy?
  • When homework is done and also no farting. {true}
3. What makes Jenn sad?
  • When someone breaks something of hers {I believe this stems from James breaking my computer, it was not pretty!}
4. How does Jenn make you laugh?
  • She tickles me!
5. What was Jenn like as a kid?
  • She was mean to her brother {true!}
6: How old is Jenn?
  • 24 {Score!! I'll take this any day!!}
7. How tall is Jenn?
  • 5' {I'm 5'4", I thought he would say I was taller}
8. What is Jenn's favorite thing to do?
  • Play the Wii {eh, not so much}
9. What does Jenn do when you're not around?
  • Drink wine and watch movies {busted!!}
10. When Jenn becomes famous what will it be for?
  • Longest J.B. Hunt worker ever {I was hoping for something more glamorous :)}
11: What is Jenn really good at?
  • Cleaning
12. What is Jenn not so good at?
  • Hanging pictures {totally random, but maybe he's right}
13. What does Jenn do for a job?
  • J.B. Hunt
14. What is Jenn's favorite food?
  • Cereal {yes, and I was eating a bowl of cereal while giving this quiz}
15. What makes you proud of Jenn?
  • When she does some of my chores while I am gone {so sweet}
16. If Jenn were a cartoon character, who would she be?
  • Roadrunner {I think this is a compliment?}
17. What do you and Jenn do together?
  • Walk, play games, watch movies
18. How are you and Jenn alike?
  • We both like to cook {I am trying to teach him to cook!}
19: How are you and Jenn different?
  • He first said, she has blond hair, I have brown hair. James also says, "she is also married, has a phone, and wears girl shoes." {What a riot!}
20. How do you know Jenn loves you?
  • She tucks me in at night and helps me with my homework {my heart is melting}
21. What does Jenn like most about your dad?
  • He has a good job, he's funny, and he's not one of those gross dudes with food stuck in his beard {at this point, I think the milk from my cereal shot out of my nose! so random, yet so hilarious!!!}
22: Where is Jenn's favorite place to go?
  • Acapulco and Granny's {Apparently he thinks I never leave H-town LOL}

Well that's it! Very interesting, indeed!

Friday, March 2, 2012

Confessions of a Stepmom

Today, I'm linking up to Kelly's Korner-SUYL-Stepmoms Connect.
Being a stepmom is the hardest job I've ever had.

First off, James is an awesome kid and very affectionate. He is so sweet and compassionate toward me, his dad, his friends, and his animals. We get along so well, that I often wonder if I could love a child of my own as much as I love him {of course I could, but I have no comparison}. He's my little monster and I'm his Jenn.
We have full custody of him and have for the past 2 1/2 years. His egg donor {I cannot refer to her as mom, I have NO respect for her!} is supposed to have standard visitation but hasn't exercised that right in over 2 years. She has not paid one cent toward his child support, hasn't seen James in over a year, and talks to him sporadically on the phone, whenever she feels like it. I do not understand how a mother can treat her own son like that. We've been through many ups and many more downs with her. I have all but given up hope she will ever be the kind of mother James deserves.

I guess when I got married, I was under the impression everything would be rosy. We would all get along and things would be just perfect. I quickly realized that's not the kind of situation we had. My heart broke for James every time I would pick him up for our weekend and he would tell me things about his mom and the way they lived. In time, the egg donor decided to give him to us. That's the best decision she's ever made.

I may not be called 'mom,' but I do everything a mother does for her child. I love him unconditionally.  I tuck him in at night. I read stories to him. I help with homework. I take him to every practice, every game. I would rather buy him something than spend money on myself. I plan play dates and sleepovers. I throw awesome birthday parties. I am here to listen and hold him when he's upset about something. I make sure he has everything he needs. I protect him.

Here are some things I've learned:
  • Never, ever bad mouth or put down the other parent in front of the child. No matter what your opinion is, I think it's best to let the child form his own opinion of the parent {good or bad}. In time, a person's true colors shine through and the child will see that one day.
  • Don't push being called a certain name {Mom, Momma, Superwoman, whatever}. The title was never important to me, so I left it up to James and I'm his Jenn.
  • Keep records of everything. No matter how minute you think the situation is, write it down.
  • Don't take things personal. This has been a hard lesson for me. I have been called every name under the sun and I used to let things bother me. But, you know what? I will never regret doing everything in my power to provide a stable, healthy life for James. Every harsh word just reminds me I'm 1000x the parent she is.
  • Just because the parent doesn't want to be involved doesn't mean her {or his} family feels the same way. James has an awesome aunt, uncle, and cousin that he just adores. I cannot imagine them not being in James' life. And, as result, they have become some of our best friends! As I always tell James, the people who want to be in your life will find a way.
  • Go with your gut. If something about a situation doesn't feel right, do you research and get to the bottom of it. It may not make you popular, but you will never have to wonder what if I could have done something and I didn't?
  • The other parent may not have the same values, so you must work that much harder to teach your children respect. I used to feel like I had to 'undue' the damage she had done. Thankfully, he lives with us now, so it's not really an issue anymore. We went from a kid who wanted to wear gothic clothes and play video games to a boy who loves UnderArmour and Nike and would rather be outside than stuck indoors. He wants to go to college. I'm so proud of him!
  • Know that the child will always have a special place in his or her heart for their biological parents. If you try to take that away, you will never win. The best you can hope for is to love them with all your heart and show them that you are there for them no matter what.
Every situation is different. What works for me, may not be the same things that work for you. No one truly knows what it feels like to be in your shoes. I have had a long, hard road of accepting things that I can't change about another person. We had a happy ending. We got our son out of a less than ideal living situation. As a result, he's a smart, respectful, happy little boy. I know his egg donor makes him sad, so I try twice as hard to make him happy and show him he's surrounded by love. I don't do the things I do for any kind of recognition. I don't do them to show off or lead people to believe we live a certain way. I do it because James deserves it. I have the chance to really shape his life and raise him to be a successful adult. I never thought in a million years I'd be stepmom, but I wouldn't trade my life for anything. One smile, one hug from him makes me forget all the bad. I love you my little munchkin, my little monster, my monkey moo {ok, enough with the cutesy nicknames}.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Catch-Up!

Well, we have had quite the week since my last post! Actually, I guess it's been almost 2 weeks since my last post. On Friday, the 24th, my hubby became quite sick and had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance! Did I mention he was in Ulysses, KS? Yeah, that's about 10 hours from here and very close to Colorado. So, I left work immediately and made the trip with my in-laws. Long story short but he's much better now and trying to rest at home. His idea of rest, however, is cleaning his truck from top to bottom and installing new lights. What a man! I want to thank my momma for taking James and to James' coach for bringing him home after baseball practice. We are so blessed! I also want to mention how great the hospital was during all of this. It's not often that a hospital will call you with hourly updates! They were truly awesome and I dropped a thank you note in the mail for them this morning.

Once the shock of the situation wore off and we realized Gene would be just fine, I thought it would be nice to enjoy the scenery a bit. Let me just tell you, the scenery in Western Kansas was crappy! There was a huge dust storm and we also had to detour on our way home because of a fire. When you see tumbleweeds blowing across the road in a movie, I am here to tell you that it really happens! I have several little scratches on my car to prove it! Also, the whole area smells like cow manure. Maybe, it was the wind or maybe it's like that everyday. Between the smell and being covered in dust, I have no desire to see that part of this great country again!
Yes, those are real-life tumbleweeds!!
These people driving behind us had a tumbleweed stuck to the front of their car for miles.
Once we reached Oklahoma, somewhere between Woodward, OK and Enid, OK the scenery was much sweeter. I just love these red dirt plateau things. I never get tired of seeing them. I've been by them a few times with Gene, but we've never got the chance to stop. They shimmer in the sunlight and it's because they are covered in crystals. I couldn't get a good pic of them, but they are all glittery and pretty. And, I picked up a few of the crystals to bring home to James. He absolutely loved them!



This may or may not have been enhanced a little bit by Instagram, but I think it's just stunning!


Me and my hubby while waiting 3 hours at his follow-up appt on Monday!!

Here's to a boring, uneventful week. James told me that he's been working on pitching at practice. He thinks he's the best pitcher...of course! I love baseball season!