Baby #5

HE'S HERE!  

I told you about baby #5 in this post. Well, somehow we made it from February to May & I would love for you to meet

Mikah Jarome. He was born Sunday May 29, 2011 @ 2:52 pm. He was 8 pounds & 20 inches long. And he is absolutely perfect in every way.

Since they were pregnant together the girls have been joking for months that Myla & Mikah will be getting married. Makes me smile to think about anyway. 

  

Danee is so good to me. Sends me pictures right away

Daddy Nate is a happy guy

There is actually one more baby coming into my family. My brother & sister in law will be having a little girl in August. So many babies! I'm not going to drink the water, that's for sure!

xoxo

Lissa

Good weekend

We've had a really good weekend. 

Friday we had a wonderful dinner with great friends. I had hoped for a patio night, but the weather didn't cooperate with that plan. That's fine. I mean what's better than a great meal with people you really care about? 

Saturday we hopped in the truck & headed west. Danee, her friend Jamie, Myla & I had a date to see the Princess Di exhibit. First try didn't work out so we were off to try again. (2nd attempt was a fail too) Adam had a date with a crib & some tools. :o)

Oh, and Danee gave me the Mother's Day gift the kids all did. Cam, of course was late getting his picture, but that made it such a great surprise! 

We had an evening wedding so off we went. More of that this week.

My thoughts have been with Courtney all weekend. 

This picture was posted on the USAF Basic Military Training page. Getting this glimpse of her as she was processed in is a gift. I will ALWAYS remember that the military person is not the only one to sacrifice. It's the whole family. I'm grateful & very humbled by all of their sacrifices.

Happy Memorial Day!

They gave up their today so we would have tomorrow

xoxo

Lissa

Getting down to what matters

 Joplin Missouri. I used to drive from Springfield with my mother-in-law to have lunch or do a little shopping there.  My kids have an aunt & uncle that still live there. (Aunt Sharon & Uncle Dan are accounted for and uninjured.) It's not a place that I know well, just a nice little Missouri town. But now, most if it is gone. In just a few minutes.  

When things like this happen it makes you take stock, I think. Are those shoes really that important? How about all the other "stuff"? Don't get me wrong- I like stuff. But I like my family & friends a whole lot more.

So I needed to write this, to remember how much you can lose and still have so much. To remember that a show that is only 1/2 DVR'd does not a tragedy make. Sorry, someone actually Tweeted that on Sunday night so I had to include that in the memory of this. Yes, they knew about the tornado, they are from CoMo. Nuff said.

We got a storm on Sunday too. It was pretty bad. Cameron is young & bullet proof so kept driving until he thankfully made it home to St Charles from KC. And met up with a couple sets of storm chasers. That's usually a clue that weather is not that great. But all is well. Nothing is damaged.

But Joplin? The structures of the town are gone. But I have no doubt when the people catch their breath and get some supplies they'll clean up and rebuild.

I know that TONS of people will be writing about this tragedy. People with information far more relevant or important. But my purpose is personal, even a little selfish maybe?

Wow. I really don't have anything else. Just wow.

via AP photographer Mike Gullett

This photo keeps sticking in my mind

via KSPR Springfield

This says it all. This baby is important. The house, not so much.

via the bigfeedblog.com

Look at their faces. I could bawl just looking at them.

via USA Today

I needed to write this down today. To record it, to remember it. As I write, at this moment there are 116 confirmed casualties. I'm sure there will be many more. But several were found alive today as well & I hope that that number will go up also.

Remember what is important. You kids, your spouses, loved ones and yes, our pet-children. Tell them you love them.

xoxo

Lissa

A room of his own

I know that "a room of his own" makes it sound like I have completely taken over the house & it's all mine. Not true, well not completely anyway.

This little room over the garage has served several purposes. Overflow guest room- just blow up an air mattress & voila! A place to stack my Christmas decor boxes- it beats climbing in and out of the attic. A place to paint or stain project in the winter since it's warmer than the garage. But we always knew it would eventually be a "man cave". 

This is the color the whole house was. Not bad just no personality.

There. That's better.

Look who's come to visit

Gotta make sure it's the right height

Looking good

Getting close

I love it, and it's not even mine! :o)

I think it's going to work out just fine don't you?

xoxo

Lissa

25

I remember being 25. Maybe a little too well. Most of the time I still feel 25. Except better- smarter with a lot more self confidence & awareness. 

25th birthdays have been front & center for me this week. Courtney is a quarter of a century old now. I can't wait to say that to her..... she's going to flip out on me.  :o)  I love torturing them. Sorry, but it's true. 

She is far far away learning all kinds of stuff. How to tear down, put together & shoot an M-16. Being put in a gas chamber, they call that mask confidence training or something ridiculous like that.

Graduation is just a couple of weeks away & then she'll move on to Tech School in Mississippi. 

I'm getting letters, which is still always such a great surprise when they come! And I'm still sending them almost every day. 

Can't wait to see her and give her a great big mom hug!

Cameron & Courtney-  looks like he's about to pop her eyeballs out

'

Guess she wasn't so excited to wear a birthday hat

But she'll all about eating the cake!

Happy Birthday Courtney Dawn!

xoxo

Lissa

I'm stuck

This was posted on Twitter today by a friend of mine. Someone that I admire as a blogger, and mom (she is raising twin girls for god's sake!), and social media goddess. 

Feeling very tired by life today. Maybe the weather is making me glum. Bring on the sunshine.

To which I replied

 I've been that way a lot lately. Can't keep up with all the "expectations" real and self imposed.

Soooo....   WHAT IS WRONG HERE!? No sun?  Too much freakin' winter? Well, yeah but come on! Time to shake it off. 

There, I said it. I'm stuck, in a rut. I want to post things here. My whole purpose was to save memories, keep a record of my life to look back on & say "Oh! I remember that!" But lately- I got nothing. And this makes me feel like I'm failing at this- something that I really want to succeed at. So help me out here. What makes it a success? I need to set some goals. I read so many great blogs & I need to start getting inspired instead of intimidated!

xoxo


Lissa

My Mother's Day

Adam & I drove to KC on Saturday to visit with his mama & see my kidos. It was a really good day. Myla is growing like crazy & eats constantly! She got a bottle (her 1st) so that Danee could eat her dinner for once. Boy do I remember those days! 

This Nans's in heaven

What a good Mama this girl is.

Casey is getting the hang of this niece thing on #4

xoxo

Lissa

Easter recap

So I got 2 of the 3 Reece's pieces last weekend. We usually run 90 miles an hour when they're here in the spring & summer, trying to squeeze as many things into the weekend as we can.

Saturday morning starts with breakfast....

And then we're off! First to the grocery store. 

We had to dye eggs for the Easter Bunny to hide. 

Gabi & Adam planted some tomatoes & peppers. It got the garden started anyway! 

"Easter" morning. They got very little candy (of course some) but I'm thinking I'm taking dibs on the weekend after EVERY holiday. I got great deals!

Ironically, I found a missed egg in this plant this weekend when I watered. I used to be better at keeping track of where they were hidden!  

We had a great time. Who doesn't love a sucker for breakfast?!

My front porch is a masterpiece now!

I think they had a good time, don't you?

xoxo

Lissa

I'm here, really

So, I'm thinking some serious vitamins are in my future. Yes, things have been busier than what's normal for me. But jeez I'm wiped. And there's the little thing like I'm forgetting things, a lot. I did this when I was pregnant & chalked it up to pregnant brain, but this? Hmmmm... guess time will tell right?

I have several things to write about, if nothing else so that I can remember them. I'll do better again.  ☺  It's 7 & Annie wouldn't let me sleep, so I thought I'd start by catching up on some reading.

We are doing a 5K this morning. I was going to run it, I really was but I stopped running on any regular basis and there went that. Then we head west to see Adam's mom & have linner (yes linner) with Danee, Casey, Myla & EJ for "Mother's Day". Beggers can't be choosers right & I'm not really the demanding kind of mom anyway, so I'll take it for sure.  

So my question of the morning to myself is, 

"Why did I not see this in time to go HERE!"

Maybe next year?

Have a great Saturday!

xoxo

Lissa