Happy Anniversary

Okay, so it was yesterday....but today is 'my first full day as a wife' anniversary. Fourteen years ago yesterday, I married the man that I love. Since then, we've had 5 kids, bought 2 houses, lived in 2 states, been seperated (because of the Marines) 4 times for over 6 months each time, fought, made up, wanted to hug eachother, wanted to strangle eachother, loved through weight gains and wrinkles, snoring and mood swings, tag teamed vomiting kids and bad dreams, clapped as they played an instrument or a sport, each prayed as the other faced death....through war and sickness, wondered how we were going to pay the bills and rejoiced when we made enough to save a little........we've gone through it all...better and worse, sickness and health, richer and poorer. I know the future holds all new scenarios within each of these promises to eachother though I don't know the details. What I do know though is that we will face them together as we have this far and hopefully when we are at our lowest...always know that the person to our side is there through thick and thin, loving and trusting, honest and true. What more could a girl ask God for in her life...

The Determan's cabin

We had a super fun weekend up at the cabin. It was us, mom and dad, and Mindy and Kaylee......oh, and Sharon, Dan, Amy, Becky, Nick, and the 5 girls....but that's all. HA! Becky, along with our family, has a camper that they set up in the backyard so that takes care of a lot of space issue and chaos. It was chilly at night, but the days were beautiful. We swam, fished, boated, played cards, and laughted. Chef Sharrone showed up and made pancakes for the kids, that was a riot.

Here she is....

The kids first all made chef's hats....



Then she read "If you give a pig a pancake"....

Then it was time to make the pancakes...




Amy gave the kids rides on the 4-wheeler.....oh man, did they LOVE that!





I think Jay is getting used to the idea of owning one someday too.....

We left on Sunday evening by about 7:30pm and the temp had dropped from a nice 72' to 46' in no time at all. Jay and I packed up the camper in the cold and rain....I was glad we weren't going to be sleeping in that, but at the same time I hated to leave. Being up north like that and seeing how much fun the boys have swimming and boating and fishing makes me really long for the cabin we used to have. All those summers that we had up there and the fun times we had.....how great it would be to still have that today with our huge, growing family. I'm grateful for the times we have with our friends up north and our family weeks in June, and I'm excited about our years to come with our camper and the memories that will make for the boys.

Before I go, I have to share the project that Sharon had for the kids. She had bought T-shirts for all of them and paints. Then she had me go in the freezer and get out a bag of frozen fish....not Van de Kamps frozen fish....not even cleaned pan fish fillets.....just real, WHOLE, frozen fish....sunnies of all sizes and one perch. What the heck was she planning with these?? The kids took Q-tips and painted the fish.....PAINTED the fish....then they were used on the shirts as a stamp to make a design. It was hilarious and cute all at the same time. Who the heck would come up with something like this......well, Sharon, I guess. HA!








What a fun weekend. Here they all are....the 11 kids that outnumbered the 10 adults. Heck, I'm used to being outnumbered.

Couples meeting

Last night we went to church to attend a Couples in Christ meeting for all the groups. It was sort of a kick off for the year to start. One of the components of the night was that one couple from each group come up and explain what their gang was all about. The reps from our group were me and Jay. I had been coughing all during the presentation leading up to that and so when it was our turn to talk, I had to have Jay bail me out a few times when my voice couldn't talk. We only talked for about 8 minutes and it went fine. As we were walking up to talk about our group and what it was going to be for us as a couple and for our faith, I wondered quietly if I should mention the fact that we had an argument in the car on the way over.....Hmm.....or that it went all the way up until we literally walked into church....Hmmmm....Oh well. I love when you have to put on that smile and act like you are enamured with your spouse when really all you want to do is shake and strangle him. Buuuutttt......I suppose if we were all perfect couples, we wouldn't need a group like this. Maybe there will be a lesson one month about how to deal with my husband...though I'm sure he's hoping for the same thing with me. We got home, watched an Oprah show from yesterday and Tuesday's episode of NCIS, all the while ignoring the issue surrounding the argument. Sometimes, the rug that we sweep stuff under is a welcome sight. This morning, it doesn't seem like such a big deal anymore.....it never does.

P.S.

I almost forgot....I have changed my deadline. No, not because I'm being wishy washy or making it later than planned. I actually realized that Friday, April 2nd is Good Friday, which I wouldn't work on anyway AND the boys are off on Thursday, April 1st. So I've decided that March 31st sounds just perfect! I got to knock 2 more days off my ticker. YAY!

Been sick

Talk about feeling like crap. UGH..I've been sick since last week with a sore throat and cough, but yesterday was the worst. I don't suppose the schedule I had over the weekend helped any. It was one of those crazy weekends where there's not a moments rest.
On Friday morning, I had to be at the salon by 8am to do a wedding party of 8 girls. I had a sub come over for the daycare and I was home by 12:30. Tanner woke up not feeling great and had a cough also so I kept him home from preschool. By the time I got home from the salon he was out and had a fever and was pretty sick. I stayed home with him that night while Jay went to the Coon Rapids Football game with the others. It was mandetory for Tyler and Timmy cuz they were getting introduced at halftime with the other football players.
On Sat. I worked from 9-4pm and got home to go to church at 5:30. Jay had gone to a game at 12:30 that afternoon for Tyler's team which I had to miss...I hate that.
We got home and had dinner and by now it's 7:30pm.
On Sunday, I had to be in Bloomington by 7:30am for a wedding party I was doing. I got home by 10am and we started cleaning. We had our Couples in Christ group coming over at 6pm. We also had a family picnic at 4pm for Timmy's team, so we really had to be ready by then. We cleaned for hours....it was bad, let me tell ya. The boys were put to work...Jay scoured the kitchen....I went through bags of papers and corners of clutter.....it's amazing how much stuff people can acquire. I never used to let the house get this way, but I swear since I've done daycare I work all day just to keep it a mess. It's neverending...and after this summer of 11 kids, forget it!
Anyhoo...so we got that done and went to the picnic where Cindy met us at 5:30 so we could come home for our couples group. She stayed with the kids while Timmy had his game at 6:15. Our group ended at 8:15 just as the boys were all coming home.
So that was our weekend in a nutshell. It's no wonder I felt worse and worse every day. Yesterday, the daycare kids were gone by 4:30...I went to take a shower and Jay begged me to just stay in bed and get some rest. He told me he would take care of the boys, dinner, football practices, making lunches, setting out uniforms for morning, homework, tucking in....so that I could get some rest and feel better. So I did. I actually took a shower and went to bed at 5:30pm. I fell asleep right away and didn't wake for a minute until about 3am...for just long enough to look at the time and go back to sleep until my alarm went off at 6:30am. I slept for 13 hours. Oh my gosh. That's crazy. But as my mom would say...."you obviously needed it". I'm sure that's very true. I still have a bit of cough this morning, but I definately feel better. That's how much sleep I usually get in TWO nights.
I was going to take some time to pack last night for our weekend trip to a friend's cabin, but I'll figure that out another day. I work tonight and Thursday and tomorrow we have a meeting at church, so I'm not sure when it will get done...but it always seems to somehow.
Wow, I'm really rambling today. It's been so long since I've posted, that there is a lot to ramble about. I'm going to call the agency this week to get our application submitted and our homestudy process started, so I'm excited about that.
For now, I'm just trying to get through another day.

It begins

Last night, Jay and I went to an adoption info meeting at Crossroads Agency. We were very impressed and have decided to use them for our journey. We came home with the paperwork and application to get started and so.....it begins. Today. September 17th, 2009. I'm excited and yet nervous....not about the process or the adoption itself, but about the money. I just hope we can make it work. I realize that I just have to have faith. My prayer is for God to show us that this is what we're supposed to be doing by opening the path for it to happen. I truly believe that this is what He's done up until now....so I have to believe that He will continue to do so. How can bringing home a child that needs a family NOT be His will.
Until He shows me otherwise, this is my faith during the process.

Here I am with the application......here goes nothin'

WOOHOO!

I'm so excited! I knocked off another day from my daycare ticker and VIOLA....it's under 200. Just like that....I can't believe it's already been 2 weeks since I started my countdown. It's fun to see the number get smaller....a little scary, but fun. I kinda feel like the contestants on Biggest Loser when their weight finally gets into the 100's for the first time.......only my butt is just as big as it was 2 weeks ago. Oh well, that's another story.
YAY!

Tanner's first day

I was fine....why wouldn't I be....my baby started preschool....so what. No tears....from him anyway. I'd like to say that he missed me terribly and was miserable being away from me for those 3 hours....but that would be a lie. My baby is not a baby anymore. Mom's gonna have to deal with that one.

Getting up on his first day...rise and shine my big boy.


Eating breakfast on the big day. Hey, it's the little things I'm capturing here.


A picture outside before we leave...of course. I especially like the dead flowers in the background.


Finding his cubby....


....and finding his best friend in the classroom. I'll bet she'll show him the ropes.


And so it begins for my Tanner Bananer.....

Speeding, wrong directions and police equals 40 minutes late

Tyler had his first football game today and it was in North Branch...about a 40 minute drive from home. I had to work and got off just in time....almost....to get up there to the game and only be 5-10 minutes late...or so I thought. It took me getting about 20 feet away from the State Trooper on the freeway to see him just in time to look at my spedometer and see the pin pointing to 83 (in my defense, the limit is 70....maybe that's not a good defense). Whoops. No escaping that one. He pulled out of his space and got behind me. He walked up and asked for for my license and insurance. He told me I was going pretty fast....."yah, I got a little carried away".....he asked where I was headed and I said I was trying to get to my son's 3pm game...it was almost 3 at the time, so this wasn't helping. Well, he came back and said he was giving me a warning. Thank you, God. I thanked him and went on my way, knowing I had dodged a bullet.
When I got to the North Branch exit, I followed the coaches directions and went for about 12 miles the wrong way before turning around and calling Jay. The coach had written the wrong directions down in his email. UGH!! That took me another 20 minutes out of my way. I was so frustrated at this point, I darn near turned around and just went home. I got there and there was one quarter left. I watched Tyler do one punt return play and stand on the sidelines the whole rest of the time. Apparently, he had only played a couple plays until that as well. So.....I left work at 2:10 and got to the game at 3:40 all to see Tyler on the field for about 90 seconds. This reminds me of a wrestling match last year and a similar story....minus the police.
We got home, I picked up Cub fried chicken dinner on the way, and now I'm in my pj's knowing full well that the minute I leave the computer and sit on the couch....I'll. Be. Out.

Lighthearted moment of the day......Tyler was sitting in the front seat of the van on the way home and was trying to say something to Trae who was all the way in the back. Trae couldn't hear him and I told Tyler he should LOOK at Trae so he could hear him better...I'm thinking, turn around...face him...speak up...Tyler puts the visor down and looks in the mirror to SEE Trae and starts talking again. Oh my gosh, what a goofball.
This is also the same kid who came up and gave me a big hug yesterday and said I love you, mom. When I said I love you too...he said "No, no, no, whenever I do this you're line is 'What do you want and how much is it?' " HA! I told him not to hold his breath waiting to hear THAT from me. :)

The things I hear....

Oh my gosh, as if it weren't enough that my days are spent with conversations with 3 and 4 year olds....a girl who insists on naying like a horse all day....one who talks like he constantly has a mouth full of potatoes....he did this and she did that....we're hungry, we're thirsty, I have to go potty, I miss my mommy.....now I can't even find refuge in the salon when I work. It's usually a nice change of pace to be able to work while visiting with my clients, most of which I've done for years and really enjoy talking with. I thought the situation on Thursday night was bad when one of my clients had gotten totally drunk waiting at the bar for her appointment to start. I tried to ignore her for the most part...get done...and get her out of there (not before calling the police, mind you, that there was a drunk woman about to hit the streets...but that's a whole 'nother long story). So, fast forward to Tuesday I was cutting a clients hair that I've done forever and she starts telling me about her dog's anal glands.....HUH?....popping the anal glands, to be specific (you're welcome). HUH?? So my question is...what the hell do I say to that? I mean really...."Wow, that's interesting" or "Fascinating, I never knew" Or just a simple "Uh huh" I opted for the last response. I could have gone my whole life not hearing that story. It amazes me what people will decide to share and think you're interested in.

School days

Yesterday the boys started school. This marks the begining of another year of getting up while it's still dark, homework at night, band concerts, conferences, field trips, lunch money, running to the bus, uniforms, recess, and friends....to name just a few things.
I sent the oldest 4 off yesterday and it was very strange. All these years and I slowly have to say goodbye to them one at a time, little by little..hoping that the things they've learned at home will carry through to their school day. Respecting others, respecting their teachers, showing kindness, being humble, sticking up for others, sticking up for their brothers, being a leader rather than a follower...letting God's love show through them. Okay, so maybe that's alot to ask a little kid to do...but we do the best we can and hope they do their best while away from home.
I'm really very proud of them.
Tony on his first day of kindergarten at Epiphany.

My boys. Aww... Tyler was totally embarrassed by having his picture taken. It didn't help that the high school kids were on the corner nearby. Oh, the horror.

Oh, and a P.S.....I got a call from Sand Creek Elementary yesterday morning at about 10am. It was the attendance person asking where Tony was....Um...at Epiphany....for school....HA! I had to laugh. I told her that I had told them back in the spring that he wouldn't be going there. Kinda funny....he must have had his class and his name on a desk and by a coat hook and everything. Whoops.

Fun weekend

We had a blast this weekend! The weather could not have been more perfect. We got there on Friday around 3pm and got all set up, grabbed Little Ceasars for dinner, and said goodbye to Jay as he went into work for a few hours. They needed extra work for the State Fair week...it stunk that he had to leave at the best time for the adults when we're playing games and the kids are doing their own thing, but the money was too tempting to pass up completely. Oh well...
The kids swam a while but the water was way down this year so it was very shallow. They still had fun though.






On Sat. we got up and headed to the State Fair. I love the fair! We got there at 10:30am and didn't get back to the campsite until 11pm. The kids were spent by then. We still didn't even see everything we wanted to....that thing is huge. Helen and Paul and the kids met up with us later in the afternoon which was fun. We walked around the grandstand with pangs of jealousy as we listened to Reo Speedwagon start singing 'I can't fight this feeling any longer....' Next year if they are there again we are going!!
I had my Australian potatoes, a Fair tradition..and I bought the ornaments for the kids at Holly's Hobby's, another Fair tradition...and we went on the 'Ye Ole Mill' ride, another fair tradition...although I think Jay was disappointed we were in seperate boats as he always takes full advantage of the dark tunnel *wink wink*.
I read an article in Reader's Digest once that featured the "best" of things and Minnesota was listed as having the Best State Fair. I agree....after all, where else can you pretend to be a farmer, see an Elvis impersonater, pay $4.00 for a diet coke, go to a building full of Republicans, avoid the building full of Democrats, lose your youngest child (yep, that happened for about the longest 5 minutes of our lives), go down a 200 foot slide, did I mention pay $4.00 for a diet coke, see a lumberjack show, run into 3 diffent people you know in a crowd of 200,000...and see a 200 pound pumpkin all in one day. Pretty Awesome!











On Sunday, we really just chilled. The kids played and swam, Amy and I played some scrabble, the hubbys played frisbee vollyball and kickball with the kids. It was a good day.
I really love camping with the Jay and the boys. I love that they will have this as a good memory when they are adults. I am looking forward to many more fun summers to come.

Before I write about our weekend.....

Tony decided to give HIMSELF a haircut the other day. I was at work on Thur. night and the boys were in bed when I got home. On Friday morning, Tony comes downstairs and I start to mess with the front of his hair thinking he had slept funny. Um...not quite....he had taken 2 big chunks out of the bangs. I suppose the fact that I have 5 kids and this hasn't happened yet is good. Doesn't every kid cut their own hair or their siblings hair at some point or another?? And aren't parents a big influence on their children....that said, they must have learned from me that it is fun to cut hair. So much for spiking his hair on the first day of school....it's gonna be a buzz cut for Tony. Good thing they don't do pictures on the first day.
It's hard to see it clearly on this picture, but he took a whole chunk out of the front bangs and top. Stinker.


This is the after pic. He still looks cute! Stinker.

One of my daycare moms came in the door the other morning carrying a tray with a cake on it. Since it isn't anyone's birthday, I asked her what the occasion was. She said it was just because and that she had meant to do it earlier in the summer to say thank you for taking care of Thor for the past year. Awww....I thought that was so nice of her. I mean, it's really amazing how such a small thing makes you feel good and appreciated.
The kids had a good snack that day!

Cool

We just got home from a full weekend of camping and I had 2 priorities upon coming in the house....empty the cooler and go to the computer....in that order only out of duty, not want. I've gone through major withdrawal without my puter for 4 days and now feel complete once again. I have no time to blog about our weekend adventures at the moment,(stayed tuned and know that when I DO write about it, it will mean that I am showered, in pj's, and sippin' a Mike's Hard Lemonade) but I just had to come on and change my deadline ticker. I got to knock off 4 days...just like that...and I didn't even watch daycare kids on those 4 days....THAT. FELT. GOOD!
To be continued.........

My deadline

Okay, so I was talking to one of my clients last night.....Hi Victoria....and
telling her my hopes for being done with daycare. I said how my first goal of being done in January, when we get home from our cruise, was short-lived and that now I was hoping to be done only a couple months later. She made me realize I needed to stop just hoping and making goals...which can obviously change....and just set a deadline. Set a date and start counting down. Set a date that won't change, one that can be looked at as the end no matter what. Hmmm...that made me think. Somehow setting a deadline rather than just having a goal in mind seems more solid....like it will actually happen. So, I'm doing it. I'm setting my deadline for Friday, April 2nd. This means I'll have only 2 months to go once we get home from our trip. I can handle that....I think.
That's 7 months from now...30 weeks...213 days...5112 hours...306,720 minutes...18,403,200 seconds...but who's counting.
I'm setting a 'money saved' goal on top of this deadline as well. Rather than wait until the time draws near and just see where we're at...I'm setting a 'must have saved' goal to this so that I give myself a deadline for that also. I'll keep the amount I have in mind to myself for now, but it's no small number....it's a lot and it will take a lot of work and planning, but we can do it. I'm suddenly excited about this for the first time rather than nervous and anxious.

I'm excited to do less of this....

....and more of this...


Wish me luck!