Playing Catch Up

Sorry about the lack of posting. It's not because I'm just plain lazy though, I've got an 80,000 word novel to show for it. Last night, I finished another draft and sent a query letter out to several agents. We'll see what happens! I've had a lot of fun writing. Even if it never gets published, I still learned a lot in the process. I've already started a second novel; this one is an entirely different genre.
Becuase of a very slow connection, I'm only able to post a few pictures. I thought I would still post them anyway. The kids are all doing well and looking forward to Christmas.

Finally Posting

Yes I am finally posting. And no, my lack of not posting isn't due to pregnancy though I think almost all my friends are pregnant right now. Congrats to all you pregnant ladies! Actually I've been writing a novel. It's been a lot of fun. It's something I've always wanted to do but for some reason told myself that I just couldn't. I read some books by an author named Jessica Day George. She writes the Dragon Slippers trilogy and other books including Princess at the Midnight Ball. After reading her books I read her bio. which said she had one small child and was pregnant with a second. I felt a pang of jealousy after reading this. How could she possibly have time to write a novel? I felt like I barely had enough time to check my e-mail let alone write a novel. I pondered this for a few days. I had written several outlines of books I would like to write someday and just couldn't get one story in particular out of my head. It was calling to me. It needed to be written. So I started writing during nap times or after the kids went to bed. I found I had more time than I realized. I spent a lot of useless hours picking up after the kids when they just made messes right after I cleaned them. I set aside a certain time to clean, a certain time to write, and a certain time just for playing with the kids. The house is still messy as usual but I have a novel to show for it. I wrote my first draft within a month and am now working on the second draft. It's been well worth it. I feel happier. This is something I've always wanted to do and now I'm finally doing it.
I would have liked to posted some pictures but my computer isn't wanting to work with me at the moment. They are pictures from a trip we made to a very beautiful home turned museum here in Tulsa. There are also some pics. of Phoenix's first soccer game. He's doing amazing and just make his first goal last Saturday.

One sassy three year old girl

Yes, I have one sassy three year old girl. She knows how to strut her stuff in her new birthday outfits and can play with Barbie like the pros. Don't let those curls and pink dresses fool you though, she's got two brothers to keep her tough enough.

Sequoia turned three on August 25th and really enjoyed her birthday. She's a big girl with a big heart.

Kindergarten, here we come!

Phoenix was so excited for his first day of kindergarten. You'll have to look at these pics. starting from the bottom up, otherwise they're backwards.
We took a camping trip after Phoenix's first day of school.
Sequoia was stylin' in her bunny towel and paint rollers, luckily she isn't in school yet.
Phoenix and his teacher, Mrs. Federline.

It was pretty awesome that Daddy got to be off work for Phoenix's first day of kindergarten. Here's a picture of Dad and the boys.

First steps

One of the perks of being a stay at home mom is seeing all the firsts, like first steps. Yesterday at the gym, I was signing the kiddos out of the babysitting when I heard the babysitter say, "Take another step." I looked over the counter and sure enough, Bridger had just taken a step. I hadn't actually seen his first step but I am still glad I was there when it happened. Bridger did take another step that evening for both Mom and Dad to see.

Bridger's first birthday

My sweet little man is one! I can't believe it's already been a year. Here are some pictures of his birthday party. He really has grown a lot. He's such a sweet boy a a real blessing to our family.

Time Flies

So today I realized I am not really a "young" mom anymore. I guess you could call me a "school-aged mom". Meaning my kids (at least one of them) are of school age. I also realized that things that used to really stress me out about being a mom are now just common place. Take last night for example; Bridger woke up areound 3:30 a.m. with diahrrea in his diaper and a huge nasty rash. I got him cleaned up and put to bed. While washing my hands after the ordeal I realized that the whole process just seemed normal, no big deal, commonplace, ordinary. Back in the day, when Phoenix was Bridger's age, I probably would have felt stressed, overwhelmed, why me? type of attitude. But now, I just feel like it's all part of being a mommy. I think being a mom has taught me more than anything else has in my life, to be patient, loving, kind, and most of all to endure. Heavenly Father has blessed me with a loving husband and three beautiful children and I can never thank Him enough for it. And yes I still do get stressed out with mommying, but I've had to learn to endure. Having Dave working 80+ hours a week, I've had to learn to do everything on my on. I used to wait for him to get home to take my break, let him fix it/deal with whatever drama is going on with the kids. Now, I have to find a way to get a break without him. Don't get me wrong, he still helps when he can, but I can't always count on hime being here when I need him.
I was reading in my journal the other night from a few years ago. Dave was going to be on call at the hospital overnight and I was so nervous about speding the night alone. Now, I do it all the time without even thinking about it. I think whatever situation we're put we just find a way to adapt. I used to get really nervous about the future, wondering how I would survive with three little kids and a husband hardly ever around, but now I realize that we can, with the help of our Heavenly Father, find a way to do it and do it well.