Day 3 -- Favorite TV Show

I don't have a favorite. I just have things I watch. The Amazing Race, Brothers & Sisters, Little People Big World, 19 Kids & Counting, American Pickers, Pawn Stars, Mercy, Grey's Anatomy, Project Runway, Real Housewives, Jockeys...but I'm actually considering cancelling the Dish & DVR. None of it is THAT important. I can watch Greys & Brothers/Sisters on the computer and get news/weather on the computer. I rarely sit the kids down in front of the tube for a quick break anymore. We'll see if it actually happens!

THIRTY DAY CHALLENGE

Day 01 -   Your favorite song.

Sit Down (Live Version) - by James. This has been my fav for a while. Before this it was Crimson and Clover....over and over...I played it.

Day 02 — Your favorite movie.

I have lots of favorite movies. I guess if I had to pick a favorite it is still a toss up between All The Pretty Horses and Lonesome Dove. Then there is Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Star Wars, & Shawshank Redemption. I'm also a fan of The Patriot, too.

Day 03 — Your favorite television program.
Day 04 — Your favorite book.
Day 05 — Your favorite quote.
Day 06 — Your favorite music video.
Day 07 — A photo that makes you happy.
Day 08 — Describe the style you had 10 years ago.
Day 09 — A photo you took.
Day 10 — Talk about a regret you have.
Day 11 — Share a story from your childhood.
Day 12 — Explain how you got one of your scars.
Day 13 — How do you think others view you?
Day 14 — Talk about the cuteness of your pets.
Day 15 — A poem you wrote.
Day 16 — A song that makes you cry (or nearly).
Day 17 — An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.) that is your favorite.
Day 18 — Tell us about your best friend.
Day 19 — A talent of yours.
Day 20 — A hobby of yours.
Day 21 — A recipe.
Day 22 — Your deepest fear.
Day 23 — Write a love letter to yourself.
Day 24 — Reveal your most guilty pleasure.
Day 25 — If you have tattoos, show them. If not, talk about the tattoos you want
or why you don't think they are right for you.
Day 26 — Talk about the last "random act of kindness" you encountered.
Day 27 — The last thing that made you cry.
Day 28 — Say something to your 15 year old self.
Day 29 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days.
Day 30 — Share what you have learned, if anything, about yourself in the last 30 days.

Today is my daughter's first birthday. She is such a blessing to me. She really is. She currently has 4 teeth and is cutting 3 more. She can stand on her own. Mattie took her first two steps to Daddy on Friday night. She also took one for her Mamaw on Saturday. None since, though. She loves music and loves to "dance". She loves to say "HI!" and "talk" on the phone. She is a cuddlebug. She is my heart and I love her.

We had Mattie's birthday in Wheeler this past weekend. My dear Aunt Butchie was amazing and cooked dinner and had everyone over. I'm incredibly grateful for her hospitality. I'll post more pics very soon. Finals are next week and I'll be blogging regularly in no time!

It's official, I've been accepted into the LVN program in Andrews. For a while there I wasn't exactly excited about this. I've wrestled with the thought of being away from my babies for so long. The program runs August to August, M-F, 8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., with the exception of clinical days that run from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. I still get a little shaky when I think about it. It's only a year, but so many things happen in a year. All of the details of being a stay-at-home Mom that overwhelm me now, I know I'll greatly miss. I'll be taking 20 hours in the fall, 18 in the spring, and 10 next summer. Mattie is crying, gotta go

Well, it's nap time for one kid...but I'm making him wait just a little bit for Mattie to be ready. I'll be able to study better with both down. In the meantime, I thought I would ramble.

Mid-terms this weekend, this class schedule doesn't allow for a Spring Break and has mid-terms on Easter weekend...isn't that just awful?

My mind and heart have been in Wheeler County for a while now. I reeeeeally feel the need to be there. I guess it's because the only thing that feels like home in Seminole is my actual home. I want to be there to look out for my Mamaw and fellowship with the rest of the family. Wesley would very much like to be there, too. There are ups and downs to going. There's probably no way we could ever find a house like ours that we could afford there. I really need space. Or at least to see for a while. I like being able to look out the kitchen window and see only mesquite and pumpjacks for a solid mile before seeing structures in town. I can be stressed beyond all get out and look to the north and feel all better. It would mean a cut in hours, therefore a cut in pay for Wesley. No hope of promotion there for him. Nursing school would mean one heck of a drive for me. It would mean leaving our immediate family. But we don't get to see much of them as it is. Lastly, there is no baseball team. Caden loves baseball, probably because his Dad and I talk it up. He can hit a fairly fast pitch, already. I really don't want to see Caden take the physical abuse his Dad did playing football...and so we want to make sure he goes to school where there is a good baseball program. That's all of the negatives. The positives are each member of our family that lives there. I could probably do pretty decent decorating cakes there.There are just a lot of positives.  Most of the postives are abstract...like the feeling of being with family and comfort in caring for my Mamaw. While the negatives are concrete...like a 100 mile drive for school. I don't know. It's just been on my mind for a while. I've been in Seminole for 4 years and don't have one friend here. The mennonite ladies are nice, but they don't care about new friendships because they have a built-in network of friends. The other Mom's at PDO just smile with no reply when I try to engage them with a "good morning." It's kind of sad, really. My in-laws are here and I'm finally feeling comfortable with our relationships. But they don't make this town feel anymore at home. Cody and Katie are in Lovington and so are so many of our friends. However, we can't drive to Lovington everytime we feel like it.

Well Mattie is now ready for her nap. The crying has begun. I'll finish by saying that beyond all of this crap that I wrote about, I'm feeling really happy. I am really happy. I'm stressed to the max and feel no sense of community or belonging in the town I live in, but I manage to stay happy. I'm so blessed to have my wonderful husband and precious babes. Crying is much more serious, gotta go.

I don't have a good hawk story, but my Mom does. All I've got are these pictures of hawks I happened to see while driving down this desolate road in the middle of nowhere in New Mexico. I had never seen two together like this.

Red-tailed hawks...

 Just a little over 4 years ago Wesley and I moved into a house here in Seminole. My parents had been babysitting my dog Tipper until we got a house with a yard. The very day I brought Tipper home, we left to go get a refridgerator. I was so stupid to leave her there, it was a strange place and I hadn't been there long enough with her to get acclimated. Anyhow, when we got back Tipper was gone. GONE. I had that good dog for a long time. I will really write about her someday. About what a loyal dog she was, how she would trot alongside me and my horse for miles on end with stickers in her feet. About the time she alerted me to a horse with colic. I laugh everytime I'm driving and a bird hits my windshield because of Tipper, it's another story though. It's been the worst thing, not knowing what became of that dog. If someone has her, if coyotes got her, if she is alive and happy or if she is dead and gone. It bothers me. I still watch for her. I kid you not, I've turned around twice just this month after I passed border collie dogs at different houses, just to see if it was my girl.

So this morning, when the kids and I went to the front door to get the paper. There is a black and white border collie looking dog. He is small and looks like part Australian shepard. The tail is bobbed and he is short. He is skinny and has a gash on his right, front leg. I've feed him and watered him, called animal control, and the vet. No leads. I really don't want a dog right now. Especially one that I don't know if he has good manners or not. Or is good with kids or not. And I don't need a dog that I'm going to have to take to the vet right away. But I can't help but think about poor Tipper. I have this hope that someone took her in and is feeding her good. This causes my imagination to run wild and think that I'm obligated to treat this dog well, so that Tipper is okay. And then, I think this could be one of Tipper's babies that fate has brought to my door. Hope does funny things to me. I haven't gone back to the front door, Caden assures me that the dog is still there. Of course it is, I fed it. I'm such a sucker. I'm not the right-wing, hard-ass some of you might have come to know me as...yep, I'm really just a sucker.

So what do I do with this dog?

My Tipper & Me:

Well, things just never really slow down around this joint. I just drink coffee...or beer and go with the flow. I just completed my Anatomy & Physiology I course and am beginning the second course. It was a real hiney kicker doing it in 8 weeks. There is sooo much content to retain. I was really focused on getting excellent grades and managed to end the class with a 96.1%. I WORKED for every single point, as this is probably the hardest college course I've ever taken. I also just found out about a nursing program in Andrews. As soon as I finished my finals, I studied for a day to re-learn basic math skills to take their entrance exam. We drove down to Odessa Monday so I could take the test. I scored well above both the national average and the school's average. My scores got me an interview into their program, which is on April 6th. They may have all of the open slots full by the time my interview comes, but I hope not. I think driving to Andrews would be so much more convenient that driving to Hobbs. So, my head has been in the books for the past two months. I start again today. I'm sorry that I haven't commented very much on great posts or prayer requests. However, I did read, enjoy, and pray. I will continue to do so and comments will come when I'm finally FINISHED!

On the home front, my baby brother is expecting a baby. I'm already in love with this baby. Seriously. So.in.love.

Other news, the appraisal districte re-evaluated our home value. This is what our county taxes us on. Unfortunately, while still far below actual appraisal our home value increased some $40,000. This means every penny that we had for a great beach trip after this semester went straight to escrow. Boo. Hiss.

Miss Mattie is almost 11 months old now. She is such a sweet baby. She'll be tough as a boot after making it a year with her wild big brother.

I've gained weight. Lots of it. I am so stressed with school, kids, husband, bills, life, that I hate stressing about what to or rather, what NOT to put in my mouth. *sigh* I'm thinking diet and exercise will HAVE to happen soon. It'll be easier for me now that spring is springing. 

I've got kids that want me off  of the computer NOW.

Have to go!

Love to all!

Whit 

Just taking a study break and came to write down a few things dear, three year old Caden said today. He behaved at his "school." I take him for ice cream when he is good. (Sometimes he is not so well behaved.) I added a trip to the park today because it was so beautiful.

At the DQ drive-thru menu he said, "oooh Mom, I need a black ice-cream!"

He "needs" all sorts of things. After a random man drove by on his loud motorcycle Caden said "I have a quad, I need a MOTO-BYCLE too." It cracks me up to hear him say "motobycle."

Me: Caden did you pray today at lunch?

Caden: Yes, I did. I say "Dear Wurd, thank for food. May-men."

Me: Oh that's so nice. I love God.

Caden: I love God, too. I need an airplane so we can go get him.

This was his second request to go pick God up...since our last conversation about he understood we can't just pick God up in the truck. That's progress on something so deep.

Also, last night I got him out of the shower and we were expecting his Uncle Cody & Aunt Katie. We heard Wesley talking and I said "I think Uncle Cody is here!" He said "Cody, Kagee?" I told him that I thought so. His eyes got really bright, his eye brows raised up to his hairline, and the next words out of his mouth were "Lets scare 'em!" I just told him that he had to get dressed first, have his ears cleaned out, have his hair combed, and finger nails clipped first. After all of that, he remembered his plan and ran out and slid Tom-Cruise-in-Risky-Business style into the living room and said "RAaah!" Then when said "Where's Cody, Kagee?" He was really disappointed that they weren't there, yet.

I totally have my hands full. I still can't get over the fact that his first impulse was to take advantage of the fact that he was in the bathroom and scare his beloved Cody & Kagee. Ornery. I really, really love him.

Love to you all too!

Just wanted to thank you guys for the encouragement. I made A's on both of my tests. Now just another month until finals...eeeeek! I think I may arrange or beg for my Mom to be here so I can focus and not have to cram so hard. I'm getting my voice back, too. Still feeling pretty poor but it's all good. I better jet so I can get started on tomorrow's school work. Have a happy week!

Love to all!

Whit