The End of 2009.

You can't tell from the picture but life, really is, good. HAHA. A lot has happened this year, it has been a great 2009 for us.

Can you believe that Ron has been home for 9 months?!?!?!?!? It's been so good having him here. I don't know how many times I told him how happy I was to have him home this year, since last year was spent in Iraq. Even though I was fortunate enough to be able to go home to Memphis for the Holidays last year, it was awful not being able to be with Ron...there was definitely an absence. Especially since Jaxon came along! So knowing what Christmas is like with him gone, I don't want to do it again...but we will have no choice when next summer rolls around. Trashcanistan will be calling his name.

I finished my "first" semester with a 3.0! As embarrassing as it is to admit, it is not my first semester of college but it is my first semester that I have taken seriously...so I'm going to roll with it! I am now enrolled for 14 more hours starting January 20th. I'm really excited. It doesn't look like I am going to make the deadline for the 2010 Nursing school start but I will for sure make the 2011. School will be a nice distraction for the next deployment.

Let's see...what else. Jaxon now says "Look at that!" I'm guessing that's all I said to him at Disney World because he says it...and knows how to use it. He points and everything, it truly is darling. He's such an amazing kid. He has figured out how to go down the stairs within the past couple of days as well. As amazing as he is, he is as much of a handful. I guess that's how kids make parenting worth it, huh?

And wow, 2010. Really?! It was 10 years ago that I remember wondering if the Y2K thing was really as bad as they were saying...obviously it wasn't. It is funny how people like to start, spread and believe hype like that.

Oh yea and I just wanted to say...it was 13 years ago today that my grandpa passed away. I miss him and I just know he is out there, he is sitting at his Mac computer reading this right now. I love you, grandpa.

Ironic?

When we moved into our current home, I wrote on my facebook about our neighbors who called the Homeowner's Association about us not picking up our dog's waste. Remember? Good.

Well, a few weeks ago, we were lying in bed and because I am a warm person, I always sleep with the window open. All of a sudden, we hear this blood hurdling scream and then some crying and yelling afterward. Ron, being the natural protector that he is, recognized that it was a woman in distress and went to check it out. Ironically enough, it was the wife of the couple who are the ones who called the HOA on us. Apparently, her husband was at NTC, a month long training in California and she was taking her two big dogs out. I guess her dogs saw something and jetted off, pulling her off of her porch. Ron went outside to check things out. He checked her ankle and then went to find her dogs.

Fast forward to tonight...we hear the doorbell. We look at each other knowing that neither of us had invited anyone over. So Ron gets up and answers the door. It was our neighbors. THEY WERE COMING OVER TO THANK RON FOR HELPING HER!!! We were both shocked. They brought us a bottle of wine to compliment our Turkey dinner for tomorrow. I thought this was the sweetest thing ever. Neither of us ever gave a second thought to it. She ended up breaking her ankle which is awful BUT we ended up breaking the ice with them and finding out they are actually SUPER nice.

Isn't it weird how stuff works out? I have a feeling that there will be no more moments when we're caught outside together in a terribly awkward silence.

Anywho, just had to update...even with something silly! I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving! Love you!

P.S. Here are some bonus pictures of the Jaxon. He's soooo amazing. I can't wait for my family to spend time with him in Florida. It will only take a minute for everyone to understand the gravity of how amazing he is. Okay, maybe that's just my "mom" coming out but really, he will win everyone over. Oops, there it goes again...I just can't control it.

I Love This time of year

I just really love this time of year.

That's all.

Have you ever had an "aha" moment?

About an hour ago, I came up with this urge to find SOMETHING to bring in some extra income and it hit me! I can be a dog / house sitter!

I hired a lady to come in and Take care of Carson and Camille while I went to Memphis for 10 days and do you know how much money she made off of me? Um.....$500....I could so do that! It's a job that Jaxon can tag a long to and I love animals!!!

So, I've ordered business cards, made fliers and even a website...check it out!!

http://www.easycarepetcare.webs.com/

If there are any grammar freaks out there reading this, please let me know if something needs to be corrected.

I'm really excited! I plan on going around to vet offices and Pet stores, I'm putting an ad in the newspaper...I'm going all out. Maybe I should be doing business management in school...

So School....

Yea, where to start.

Hmmmm...

It's going pretty good. A few posts ago, I was really stressing about time management but it seems like within the past week, I've gotten into a routine. I think that because I was stressing about it, I was probably making it worse. I'm doing good in school. A downfall I have is procrastination. MAN do I ever put things off! The good thing is that I good at getting things done right before they're due! Everything always gets done!

I know it's late for school now. I'm 25, got my GED when I was 18, I'm a mother, I'm a wife but I'm a lucky wife. Ron is so supportive of my schooling. He will even help me in the dreaded labs that I have to do for Biology. They're very time consuming, almost an all day thing. I am taking Biology online so I got this huge lab kit that allows us to play scientist in the kitchen. When we do these experiments, our kitchen looks awful!

I've had so much inspiration about going to school. I have made many excuses over the last 3 years of why I couldn't do this but I look around me who have done it!! My mom got a degree while being a single mother to my brother, sister and I! My brother in law, Jerad graduated last year. He is married with 3 kids! My Aunt Nikki had her son, Nick, when she was in college and she still got her degree! Ya gotta love it! They're SuperWomen!!!!

It feels good to be doing something that will make our lives better.

For those that knew Taylor as a toddler...

Do these pictures of Jaxon not bring back some memories of Taylor at that age?

I could be just me but when I saw these pictures, I was like "Whoa!"...From the pictures I've seen of Taylor as a toddler, Jaxon reminds me so much of him when he makes these faces. Specifically the first one.

Busy days

Our lives have been so hectic lately. Between Ron working, my school and keeping Jaxon on a schedule...it's all become a lot. I never imagined myself having to squeeze in grocery shopping. :)

School is going well. This past week, I can tell that I am getting burned out. My goal this week is just to get everything done so I can have the weekend free with the family. I made the mistake of procrastinating this past week and instead of having a nice family weekend, my head was in a book or int he computer trying to get everything done. The good news is that I did get everything done and It appears that I am doing well in my classes.

Jaxon is so big. Within the past week, he has become a complete momma's boy. I don't mind, that kid is MINE. ;)

He saw Ron and I kiss each other goodnight one evening on my way to school and after I left, Jaxon was all over Ron wanting kisses. He loves giving kisses but he will sure make you work for them. He doesn't just hand them out to anyone. I hope that's the way it's going to be when get to be a teenager.

A lesson I have learned this week is that just as much damage can be done at a Gap outlet as just a regular Gap. You might get good prices for being "Gap" but damage can still be done. I can't help but love the outlet stores.

Well, I'm off to change a dirty butt....man, I am ready to get passed this diaper stage. EW.

Dear Jaxon Maddox,

You came into my life at the perfect moment. Your dad and I found out that we were pregnant with you about 2 weeks before your dad deployed to Iraq. I'm sure you will find out all about that history in school. Everyday that your dad was gone, I was content knowing that I had a part of him with me at every moment. You kept me going everyday. This deployment was spent looking forward to my OB appointments and ultrasounds. Thankfully, technology is at a place today that made it possible for me to share EVERYTHING with your dad. I took pictures of EVERY piece of clothing, toy and furniture thing possible and sent them to your dad.

The day you were born was one of the most special days I have ever experienced. The moment I met you, I forgot what it was like before I had you. Your Aunt Sheriecey was there with me the whole time. Your dad got to meet you on the 3rd day of your life. He told me it was one of the best days of his life. It was quite a reunion.

So after you were born and your dad went back to Iraq, it was just you and I for 4 and a half months. We did everything together. I had my camera out at every moment and our lives revolved around sharing you with your father over the computer. He got so many pictures and videos. He says it was what got him through the deployment, coming home to you and I.

You have grown into such an independent and head strong little man. You have filled my days with joy (and frustration, mostly joy) and I could not be a happier mother. You love your mama and I hope that I can show all of my letters and videos to you one day when you tell me you hate me.

We will soon face another deployment and while it was be a hectic time with daddy gone and mommy in school, one day you benefit so much from our sacrifices. I will make that promise to you.

I hope you turn out to be a kind person. There is so much hate in this world and I want you to be one of the ones that make a difference. I will do my best to give you the tools you need to become that great person.

Love,

Mom

Oh and P.S. - Here is yet ANOTHER video I put together for you. It's only because I love you so much. I'm going to predict that I am going to be the embarrassing mom at your school.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

"The Controversial Hair"

Okay so I got my hair did yesterday and I was originally just going to get my hair trimmed and my eyebrows waxed....Well as soon as I met my stylist, April Rose....I said, "I want you hair, do that for me" We were both so excited because she does her own hair like this but never has been asked by a client to do it.

Well, I get home and Ron was like "Are you serious? and Is this for Halloween?" I said nope, it's permanent. Then he proceeded to ask me what I was thinking. My feelings were hurt all night. However, I did give him my answer...I'm young and in college, why can't I have funky hair? When I start my professional career, I won't be able to do this kind of stuff? So for right now, why not? It's just fun and I want to get it out of my system.

Sorry, my hair wasn't fixed....looking like a dirty pirate hooker.




By the end of the night, he said it was growing on him. He could have just lied to me and told me he loved it and it was have been dropped. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

Something nice....

I will never look at a deck of cards the same again. Will you?




Here is a new way to look at a deck of cards!!

It was quiet that day, the guns and the mortars, and land mines for some reason hadn't been heard.

The young soldier knew it was Sunday, the holiest day of the week.

As he was sitting there, he got out an old deck of cards and laid them out across his bunk.

Just then an army sergeant came in and said, 'Why aren't you with the rest of the platoon?'

The soldier replied, 'I thought I would stay behind and spend some time with the Lord.'

The sergeant said, 'Looks to me like you're going to play cards.'

The soldier said, 'No, sir. You see, since we are not allowed to have Bibles or other spiritual books in this country,

I've decided to talk to the Lord by studying this deck of cards.'

The sergeant asked in disbelief, 'How will you do that?'
'You see the Ace, Sergeant? It reminds me that there is only one God.

The Two represents the two parts of the Bible, Old and New Testaments

The Three represents the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost.

The Four stands for the Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
The Five is for the five virgins there were ten but only five of them were glorified.

The Six is for the six days it took God to create the Heavens and Earth.

The Seven is for the day God rested after making His Creation.

The Eight is for the family of Noah and his wife, their three sons and their wives -- the eight people God spared from the flood that destroyed the Earth.

The Nine is for the lepers that Jesus cleansed of leprosy He cleansed ten, but nine never thanked Him.

The Ten represents the Ten Commandments that God handed down to Moses on tablets made of stone.

The Jack is a reminder of Satan, one of God's first angels, but he got kicked out of heaven for his sly and wicked ways and is now the joker of eternal hell.

The Queen stands for the Virgin Mary.

The King stands for Jesus, for he is the King of all kings.

When I count the dots on all the cards, I come up with 365 total, one for every day of the year.

There are a total of 52 cards in a deck; each is a week - 52 weeks in a year.

The four suits represent the four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.

Each suit has thirteen cards -- there are exactly thirteen weeks in a quarter.

So when I want to talk to God and thank Him, I just pull out this old deck of cards and they remind me of all that I have to be thankful for.'

The sergeant just stood there. After a minute, with tears in his eyes and pain in his heart, he said, 'Soldier, can I borrow that deck of cards?'

Please let this be a reminder and take time to pray for all of our soldiers who are being sent away, putting their lives on the line fighting

Prayer for the Military.

Please keep the wheel rolling.. It will only take a few seconds of your time, but it'll be worth it to read on....

Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands.

Protect them.

Bless them and their families

Feeling overwhlemed and just bad...

So I am sitting here watching Jaxon playing contently by himself while I am typing this. This is usually how it is while I am doing homework. Since I am taking 13 hours, there is soooooo much homework. I feel like I am neglecting him. He needs his mom, he needs the stimulation but if it's not homework, it's housework or feeding him lunch and snacks.

I got a good cry out about it last night. I just feel torn, I am meeting all of his basic needs but I feel like that is all I am doing....that is how much homework I have. Maybe taking a full load wasn't a good idea BUT it has helped because we have gotten more money because of it so that is why I did it. I keep trying to tell myself that this is so temporary and that our family will benefit so much from it when I do finish. I want to put the time into my school because I don't want to just do mediocre. I want to do good and so far I have done very well. I feel like I won't do as well if I stop putting so much time into homework.

It's breakfast, playtime, nap and homework, lunch, playtime, snack, nap and homework...it just seems so monotonous and overwhelming. Not to mention keeping up with the housework in between all of that. I mean, is this normal for people who are going to school full-time with children to feel this way?

Sorry for the downer post, I just need some uplifting comments to make me feel better...sincere ones, of course. I hope all of this is worth it and that I'm not damaging my son since he is at such an impressionable age.

Some potentially GREAT news...

So I was talking to my Uncle Dan on Facebook last night and he found out that Ron has an extensive background in Law Enforcement and Military. My Uncle Dan is a retired officer with 30 years under his belt so he still knows a lot of people that he could call. Well, he said he would be able to make a few calls get him a interview!!

We still have about 3 years in and we have been toiling with what we wanted to do when he gets out...this may just be the answer.

Ron is such a devoted soldier and is good at what he does. He always has been. When he was working for the Sheriff's department in Memphis, he was great at that and he loved what he did!

So we are really excited about this prospect and if everything works out, I will be a Utahan again.

In case Uncle Dan reads this, Thank you so much for this. Your efforts do mean the world to us.

Busy times for the Swain clan

So in light of Sheriece's most recent and most fantastic update, I thought I might offer the same.

Let's see...

Me-

I am doing very well in school thus far...even though it's only been a week of my full load, I am feeling pretty confident that I am going to do well in all of my classes. I got my first graded assignment back from my English Composition and it was 20/20 which I am pretty proud of. My other three classes: Biology, Nutrition and Math are online classes...which I'm not too fond of because I do better in a classroom setting but from what I gathered from this week, I will do fine. I do homework while Jaxon takes his two naps daily and I shower while Ron comes home for lunch. This may sounds awful but I just can't drag myself out of bed at 5:30 to get ready before Jaxon gets up. I just can't do it...soooo, I guess I have do what I have to do. And in between homework during naps and showers during lunch hours, I am trying to keep up with the housework. I could kick myself for not taking the college thing seriously the first time when I wasn't tied down to any responsibilities but I guess it doesn't matter at this point. Better late than never, right?!

Please excuse the gloating that may arise with my potential success in school, I just really feel like I am doing something worth while to better myself and our family. It feels really good and I want to share it with everyone. :)

Ron-

He's doing well. He has some tests coming up next week, I believe, that will give us a better idea of what has been going on with his heart. I will definitely keep everyone posted with anything that we find out. In the meantime, he is on profile which means he is not allowed to do anything strenuous, like PT (physical training). Ron has been great and supportive about how much time I have had to put into school. On Sunday, I had to write a paper that was due on Tuesday and he cleaned the house. I thought that was great. My English Comp class is on Tues and Thurs from 7P - 9:15P, which is really late and long class!!! He's been great about getting Jaxon ready for bed and into bed on those nights. I really appreciate all of his help (but I know that he knows if he helps me through this school thing, we will all benefit greatly...monetarily speaking. LOL.) No but really, he's a great and very hands-on dad.

Ron took me up the side of a mountain this past weekend in the Bronco. I was TERRIFIED. It was a narrow dirt road that curved every which way and uuuupppp and doooowwwwnnn...Oh lord. I was sore when we got home from being so tense for those 3 hours. We did get some pretty pictures though.








Alrighty, now for the best part..

Jaxon Maddox-

He is absolutely fantastic. He is walking and trying to run EVERY.WHERE. He is an extremely active and smart little boy. He is saying "mama" "dada" "no no" and "hi". He is waving goodbye, signing for "milk" "all done" "more" and he is clapping. He has also figured out the trash can and for some reason, I have caught him twice trying to throw away a pair of my favorite shoes...it's funny now but it won't be so funny when we can't find our keys or phone. Heaven forbid the trash had already been taken out. :) We would be stuck but don't think I wouldn't make Ron go out to the dumpster to look. Tee hee hee.

Jaxon has come up with the most awful attitude and tantrums in the past week or so. I really don't know what to do with him or how to discipline him. He's started getting mad and hitting us in the face when we tell him "NO" about something. I am at a loss as to what to allow and what to punish for...and even HOW to discipline a 1 year old. I'm not okay with the spanking thing at this point and he's also too young for time outs so I guess it's the good firm "NO" that will have to do and he will just have to throw his tantrums. I mean, even if we were to "punish" him at this point, he wouldn't understand what he was getting in trouble for since he doesn't understand the 'consequences of his actions' concept yet.

He's fantastic for other people but for me, he's a terror. God gave me a fantastically adorable and perfect baby for a reason, He knew he was going to give me a run for my money. :) I just look at that awesomely handsome face and my patience resets (most of the time), other times, I put him in his crib and take a break from him.





Anyways, that's us for now. Ron has a 4 day weekend this weekend so I am finishing up my homework today for the weekend so we can both be OFF until Tuesday! I'm really excited. We are going to a Pumpkin Patch tomorrow so I am sure I will get some nice photos of that and I will share with everyone.

Love you all!

Bad, bad baby.....

He had a blast pulling all of the tissues out of the box. Needless to say, I wasn't home and Ron was watching tv, not paying attention. I though it was funny though so I had to take a picture.


And these are just because he's a stud.

Okay I just have to do this.

There is a fat little Mexican kid that lives in our little townhome community. I guess I was in the right place at the right time because he came running up to me with a cookie sheet full of little white balls.

Fat kid: Hey would you like to buy some homemade chalk?

Me: Ya know, I would love to but I don't know what I would do with chalk.

Fat kid: Well do you know anyone else who would like to buy some homemade chalk?

Me: No I don't, I'm sorry.



I don't know why I found this so funny. I mean you hear of kids selling lemonade and girl scout cookies...but homemade chalk? That's HILARIOUS to me.

Ron is fine....we think.

His X-ray didn't look good but his CT scan didn't show a clot in his heart...which is great news!!!

He is doing a stress test in the morning so hopefully we will know more then. Please keep him in your thoughts / prayers. This has been a sucky day. LOL.

How annoying is this?!

I recently spent $200 on Jaxon for some winter clothes. I bought him 12-18 months which turns out that they fit him fine now but they definitely won't last through winter.

So now I have to run around to Old Navy and Gap to return these clothes and get him 18-24 months. They may be a little big at first but I will not be buying two sets of winter clothes.

I'm just very annoyed. I got some SUPER cute stuff and all of it was on sale. I hope I can get the same stuff on sale. Ugh.

He's going to be ONE next month.

He is 11 months old today and I'm feeling very sentimental about it so I decided to put together a montage of his life thus far.

I hope you guys like it as much as I do.

Love you all so much!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGZpSDbrAew

Our newest additions...

Okay, so as most of you know, we got rid of our beloved pups, Carson and Camille...Well, we decided to find some less maintanence to fill the void I've been feeling since C and C have left.

We found two, one year old, guinea pigs. They are so, so very cute and sweet.

The best part is that there is a place in Aurora (about an hour from here) that will board them both for $4 a night, which is very affordable for us. Aurora is on the outskirts of Denver, which is where we will be flying out of for our Disney trip in December so it seems that it will work out perfectly.

Ron wants to name them squeak and squeal but I'm not too sure about that. Does anyone have any suggestions on what we can name them?

Maegan and Ron.

They make beautiful people together....

Changes

I've learned that becoming a parent is very hard. It's not because it's a lot of work, it's because of having to say goodbye to different stages of your child's life.

I weaned Jaxon from the boob this week. It was a decision I was very comfortable with until today. Ron and Jax took off on a day in the Bronco and I was left here, alone, not being needed by anyone. It really has been a rough day. He's doing fine without the breast but I'm not sure I was ready.

I don't even know why people have kids. This is hard!!!! I can't imagine saying goodbye to my baby and saying hello to my toddler....Or saying goodbye to my toddler and hello to my kid...then kid to teenager, THEN the worst and most dreaded of it...saying goodbye to my teenager and saying hello to my adult!!! How in the crap am I going to handle him flying the coop and going off on his own when I am having such a difficult time with him not needing me to nourish his body anymore.



He was a few days old in this picture and it makes me sad to see it. I don't want him to grow up. It's a hard pill to swallow that it's incredibly inevitable. There is no doubt that I will be so proud of every stage of his life but this is harder than I thought it was going to be...this parenting thing, I mean.

My cousin, the musical genius...

She has written a song that is exactly how I feel about Jaxon. It has touched my heart.

Go listen to the Song titled "Twilight" on her Myspace.

The lyrics below aren't verbatim and are written with Jaxon in mind but this is the part that really gets me and my life, it fits me to the "T".

Jaxon makes me want to be a better, he makes me really want to try. There's something about the way he looks at me that gives my jaded soul the strength to fly. And just when I thought I had seen my darkest night, he came upon me like Twilight.

Thank you, again, Maddy for writing a song that really touches me. You will go far.

Good-bye Carson and Camille

They found a GREAT home yesterday.

I put an ad on Craigslist just to see what kind of response I would get and immediately, I got the perfect response. It was a mother of three little girls who she had promised one of said girls, a puppy. They have been LOOKING for a terrier and she said that two was even better. Carson and Camille will have a yard to run around in, the mother is a stay at home mom who home-schools her kids....it's really just the most perfect situation I could have put them in. The greatest part is that they aren't in the military, they are here to stay in Colorado and that is very important to me.

I am going to miss them but they are going to be so happy with their new home. That is what I keep telling myself. I wasn't here when they got picked up but Ron said that those three little girls were ECSTATIC over Carson and Camille. He said the moment he met that family that he knew this was the right decision.

With my starting school, Ron is working more, not to mention the lack of attention they've gotten since Jaxon was born....this is what is best. (This is me trying to make myself feel better by rationalizing it.)

I will be calling, Lisa (their new mommy), today to find out how they did last night...is that weird? And I want to tell her that, if for ANY reason, they can't keep them, they can bring them back to us.

This is so bittersweet for me. :( Look at how Carson is looking at Jaxon. :(

Please, Someone leave me a comment and make me feel better about our decision. LOL.

What makes a good sister?

I will tell you what makes a good sister because I have the best one in the world. She is in the kitchen making me lunch right now. :)

Learning self sufficiency...

This was our first experience allowing Jaxon to feed himself with something like spaghetti! I normally don't find messy-faced baby pictures appealing...I am actually disgusted by them but it really is true when they say "It's different when it's your child." I used to say that I would NEVER drink after my kid...backwash disgusts me...but it doesn't bother me with Jaxon (depending on what he's eating, of course.) Enjoy the pictures...it's okay to be grossed out.

 
 
 
 

Kind of weird and creepy.

I just received a letter in the mail from my OBGYN in Texas.

Dated July 27, 2009...It reads:

Dear Ms. Swain,

Your recent Pap smear has been reported as normal. Be sure to repeat your pap annually.

Please call me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Ed Kemper

Okay, fine, that's great...normal Pap. Oh wait, I haven't seen this doctor in 9 months and have never had a Pap done by him.

Do they just send their patients letters of normal paps? That's a scary thought. OR maybe there is a poser? That's also not a very pleasant thought...well, at least she has a healthy va-jay-jay.

Tips and tricks for airline travel

Anyone have any traveling tips or tricks for me?

We are flying to Memphis in a couple of weeks and I'm the world's worst packer. I always take way tooooo much and I always seem to have way too much to carry around the airport.

It probably wouldn't be an issue if the airlines didn't charge an arm and two legs to check bags.

Maybe second time's a charm.

We went in to meet Jaxon's new pediatrician yesterday and Ron and I, both, hated him. I informed him of the alternate vaccination schedule that Jaxon is on and he might as well have named me "Worst Mother of the Year" right then and there. He was SOOOO closed minded and was not listening to a single thing I said. He made a comment at one point that just because I read something bad about vaccines doesn't mean that they're bad. I don't know where he collected this information from because when he asked me why I chose not to follow the CDC recommendations, I told him it was because I felt like it was too much, too soon....never did I say it was because I read something bad. Needless to say, we will not be seeing him again.

I don't need a doctor who agrees with my decision but I would like to have a doctor who is supportive of my rights as Jaxon's mother. I don't have to give Jaxon all of these vaccinations just because the CDC says that I should. I have a right to question what the medical community says is best for my child. Jaxon's previous pediatrician is the reason that I went ahead with the vaccinations in the first place. She was very open to my concerns and she really put my mind at ease. I really don't need an old geezer telling me how horrible I am that Jaxon is not getting his vaccines as recommended.

I really hate this part of moving, I really loved Jaxon's old ped. :(

I am preparing to start school this fall at the local community college. I am very excited and very lucky to have a husband who is so supportive of my ambitions. He is aware of the time it's going to take from him and the JaxMan in the evenings but we both agree that it's well worth it. It's so temporary.

I'm not exactly sure what I am want to do but I am leaning towards accounting. I'm extremely ready to do something with my professional life. I have so many regrets about not doing school when I was there the first time. I hope to do well this time and follow through with what I start. I'm pretty confident about it, the only thing that is standing in my way is ME...I'm doing it this time.

Oh, My nose!

Okay, enough of the break, funny thing happened...ehm, well it's funny now.

I sat down on the toilet and hit my elbow on the toilet paper roll holder. It was one of those hold your elbow, close your eyes and breath really hard hits. So just as I thought the pain was going to pass, I started feeling light headed.

The next thing I knew, I woke up on the floor. I passed out...and fell off the toilet! Thankfully, I hadn't actually starting using the restroom yet.

I had no idea what happened but my head hurt. I ran down stairs and told Ron that I just passed out. (This is was all much more dramatic than I am writing it) He then asked me what happened to my nose! What? My nose? I put my hand on my nose and the once subtle bump on my nose was HUGE! I began crying hysterically, "Ron, my nose is HA-UGE!" Sob, sob, sob.

Apparently, I had hit my face on the wall on my way down. Who knew that you could pass out from hitting your elbow? I guess there is a nerve in there that causes you to pass out if hit too hard. Next time I hit my elbow, I'm just going to lay down on the floor, seriously.

Luckily, I woke up this morning without two black eyes...but with a big honker and a big goose egg on my forehead.

This is all on top of a stint of Mastitis that had me completely debilitated Friday and Saturday, which is a bit better but I'm still dealing with. This weekend has been awful.

I'm taking a hiatus.

Be back soon.

About Colorado...

It's fantastic.

Fountain is great, It's a small town right outside of Colorado Springs. We love our townhome and the area that we are in. It is a huge relief because we moved here blindly.

We are making ourselves at home. We just got our stuff yesterday...err, well, most of it. The movers had everything except for our mattresses which is a HUGE bummer. My body aches all day because of the dang air mattress that we are on, it's terrible. We have decided that we are moving ourselves next time. Yes, it's a lot more work but we like knowing that we have our stuff all together and it's the way it's supposed to be. Ron's MP3 player got stolen, our computer chair is missing a wheel (which makes this a very dangerous place to sit), pieces of Jaxon's crib are missing...it's just one thing after another. OH and don't even get me started on when I opened a box and lying there was a ROLL of wrapping paper, FOLDED in half. What geniuses. Seriously.

Little by little we are getting things together...I promise I won't be so gripey once it's done.

The only thing that I don't like about living where we live is that there is a rodeo ring on the way to our house. It wouldn't be such a big deal if I weren't so against the cruel treatment of rodeo (and circus) animals. Anyways, this rodeo ring has a little pen in the corner that holds baby cows 24 / 7. I look at it every time I pass by and it breaks my heart every time I pass by. I always think about arranging a Night Op to go free the baby cows. It's laughable to think about but I guess I would be right up there with people who free the grocery store lobsters.

We stopped at The Big Texan on our way out of Texas and the only thing that they had to offer us was a "dawgy corral" for Carson and Camille to run around in. We were super disappointed that we drove the 5 miles out of our way to eat there. It was expensive and the food was horrible. Other than that, our trip was fine.

Jaxon is bigger and better than ever. He just recently cut his two front teeth which filled the gap between his vampire teeth. My little Edward Cullen baby. You can kind of see his fangs in the close up picture of him in the cowboy hat. He's so freaking cute.

Anyways, Love you all!