What a year!!

I told my mom the other day that I spend a lot of time sitting on the computer now days trying to decide what to look at next... Why is it I haven't started working on my blog again?? So here we go. Who knows how it'll go..

We have been so incredibly crazed since I last wrote. We got licensed as Treatment Foster Parents. Have had 3 placements (2 of which HAD to leave). We had very specific ideas when we started... NO TEENAGERS!! Well - our 3rd placement is 13 1/2 has been with us since June and next week is discharging back home to her dad. She's been a lot of work - but has fit so well with our family. We will miss her terribly but luckily her dad is open to us remaining in contact so we'll see and talk to her often.

That means the search is on for another kiddo. We are praying and praying that it happens quickly! This time however we are shooting for a younger boy.

Earlier this year I got diagnosed with Diabetes. Not like we didn't know it was coming - it just sucks that it did!!

Over the summer Jarod started staying at Grandma and Papa's house alone. He's been able to go several time since for a few days at a time. In October I went to General Conference and he was at Grandma's for almost a full week and STILL didn't want to come home. I enrolled him at our city ran pre-school earlier this year and he LOVES it!! It's only a few hours 2ce a week (or in January it'll be 4 days a week) but it's so nice for him to go somewhere and have a nice time. Every now and again you can catch him singing his ABC's or doing his Months.

Zachary is growing like a weed!! He has beautiful curly blonde hair which I refuse to cut! He's as busy as any 2 year old. I enrolled him in a gymnastics class and he's done 2 sessions and LOVES going to 'school'. He refuses to go to nursery at church without me - and also refuses to go to the daycare at the gym... At some point in the near future I'm hoping to torture him and Donna (the daycare lady that Jarod went to for a year and a half before pre-school) by having him to go her house a few hours a week (while Jarod is at school)... leaving me 3 hours of completely kid free time!!

Jake is still working at Sitel.. he's a supervisor for DirecTV and I think he doesn't really like it - but it's a paycheck! I know he'd love to quit and stay home and do nothing! Someday's I'd trade him.

I feel so blessed this year. We've been able to provide for our family and have had everything we've needed. Our Christmas was very well taken care of! In fact I'm taking some things back b/c we just had to much!! (I shopped all year).

I really hope to update frequently and get more pictures here! For my birthday I got a new camera and I LOVE to use it!!

Helicopter Fun

Up or Down?! I haven't a clue!

As I expressed prior to my actual joblessness I couldn't have been more excited. I had grand plans to fully update the blog, put up my pictures, make some changes around the house. After all - a mom with no job should have so much free time she should be crying of boredom, right?!

Well one thing is absolutely for certain... I LOVE IT!!! Oh bring on the good days - why in the world did they not fire (I didn't actually get fired but semantics) me sooner? (When I'm groaning in March b/c my van was repo'd please refer me back to this blissful time). I've been so busy doing nothing of any significance that I can't even account for my time! Needless to say - updating the blog hasn't been done... pictures are still in a box... BUT I did change the sheets on my bed! :o)

My in-laws are here visiting... unfortunately my MIL has come down with a nasty case of something and is holed up in bed trying to feel better. My FIL on the other hand is restless as can be. So yesterday we 'reorganized' the front yard, making some necessary adjustments for us to be able to pass our home study. He's currently out on a mission for large, unbreakable trash bags for some further 'reorganization'.

On Monday, Jake and I start our class. It's 6 evenings and 2 days of learning. After which, I have loads of paperwork to do and then the home study. Once the home study is done, and the criminal information is back we will be getting our new kid sometime very soon (Sometime in March, hopefully before the van is repo'd). We (and I do really me we) are excited. Jake is very supportive in my desire to be able to stay at home with the boys and this new venture seems to be an answer to my prayers (stay tuned for April's moaning when I have a houseful of kids for spring break and they are all pulling each others hair out).

So until my next free moment.. since I do so much anyway...

Jarod's Birthday

Only a 3 year old

Yesterday Jarod was hanging out with Sarah and DJ. The story goes something like this:

Jarod was sort of dancing around, wiggling his hips, his hands were on his hips, butt, etc. So DJ asks: Jarod do you need to go potty? Jarod stops.. looks at DJ, pats his front and says: DJ the pee thing is empty.

(Sorry I quoted the quote wrong and had to fix it).

Santa Clause Came to Town!

Holiday Cheer

Well I've got loads of updating to do... which shouldn't be a big problem now that I'm officially in the ranks of the unemployed. Should one really be kind of excited for such an event??? I mean really????

I suppose while I'm on the subject.. after much, much reflection and various other activities... Jake and I are going to be attending a 'class' later this month which will hopefully be the first step in being licensed through the state to be treatment foster parents. Now - why on earth would we embark on such an adventure? I just CAN'T put the boys in day-care (even though I have a wonderful babysitter who watches Jarod a couple days a week already). When I say can't.. it's literal. Doing treatment foster care compensates very well. It's a lot of work - a lot of appointments and such but it will also give me an opportunity to do something for someone in need. (BTW - in case you don't know treatment foster care children have a mental disability of some sort and they will live with us and be part of our family). It's something that I feel really good about doing and it fits the requirements needed for our family. After the class (really a very extended interview) the licensing will proceed (or not if they decide we aren't functional enough) and take about 6 weeks to complete. Then we just wait and see. Truly I'm excited for the next stages of my life and I feel very blessed to be at such peace with everything that's going on.

So onto others.. Jarod turned 3 on Christmas day (talk about someone who could NOT wait for his birthday).. Pictures to uploaded soon. On Christmas Eve day he decided that wearing underwear would work. I could scream from the rooftops I'm so excited!!! (In-lieu of the rooftops I'll use the world wide web). We are still working on one 'area' of potty use... but who cares?! It's great!!!

I feel like I shouldn't leave out Zachary... He's doing well.. minus the talking thing. He shows no signs of being 'premature'... except in speech. As of yet we don't know if he's delayed or just doesn't talk. He does however point and screech.. His vocabulary includes momma and dada (of course), uh oh, papa and a version of thank you. Mostly the boy is a little pistol. If anyone thinks for one second the kid will not be able to hold his own against Jarod - think again!

So stay tuned in the next couple of days for more posts (pictures) about the holidays, birthday and such.

Welcome 2009!!