4Garrisons

Black Friday

2010-11-26T18:50:00.000-08:00

What a fun day! Rhonda and Justin came for a visit for Thanksgiving and Rhonda convinced me to do some Black Friday shopping with her. First Rhonda and Justin went out shortly before midnight and got a lot of good deals from old navy-and I had them pick me up some things as well. They finally returned home at 3 am and Rhonda was pumped to go to Targets opening at 4am, and so her and I went over there. The line looked ridiculously long, but we decided to go ahead and get in line anyway. It was only a 15 minute wait outside(in the snow) before we got inside and Rhonda grabbed most of what she needed and we checked out rather quickly. After that we went over to Wal Mart and I was lucky to get Trent a DS-shhh, this is a present he does not know he's getting! We had had enough and headed home and finally crawled into bed at 5:30. That was the first time I had gone out during ridiculous hours for Black Friday shopping and I had a lot of fun. I think the sleep deprevation made us a little silly. Now I need to find the energy to put up the Christmas Tree!!

Halloween

2010-11-07T19:55:00.000-08:00

It has been an eternity since I last updated this blog. Facebook is easier-plus I am already frustrated with this dang thing!
Anyways, here are some pictures from our halloween. We made a haunted gingerbred house that didn't hold together too well, but it tasted pretty good

And here are all our pumpkins we carved this year.

The kids in their costumes.

And a brief update:

Trent is in the first grade and doing great. Still has not missed a day of school-so proud of him. He has two loose teeth! He is my picky eater.

Gwen is great. She 'graduated' from speech therapy and talks non stop. It's wonderful. She is so much fun and so darn pretty. She has about 6 or so baby dolls and is so sweet with them.

As for me, well my job ended early september so I have been home ever since. I really miss working and the busy life but I am enjoying this different pace. I get to go to the Y more often which is great.

Rob started a job about a month back. I am sure he is glad to be out of the house.

I really love this time of year. I am already listening to Christmas music and panicking about buying Christmas presents.

What's new?

2010-01-14T09:18:00.000-08:00

I have been avoiding the blog because honestly, i feel like there is nothing to say. but I guess it has been long enough that there is SOMETHING new going on in our lives. Ok, Happy new year-can you believe that january is already halfway gone?! I am still working away 50 hours a week-it's not a big deal as i am used to this schedule and enjoy working. Trent made it through his first semester of school with no absenses. He loves going to school, but i cannot believe that this is the last half of kindergarten for him. Gwen is doing great and every day she talks more and more. Since she doesn't say words too much yet she likes to yell really loud constantly. Like yesterday in the car i was trying to tell Trent something and everytime i would open my mouth Gwen had something to 'say' as well. She wants so much to be part of everything we do. We have been going to the YMCA and it has been really good for all of us. Rob started his first semester of school and Gwen is going to the babysitter twice a week. She will love it there as they have two other little girls and Gwen really likes being around other kids. I have been busy trying to find a new car, since my lease is up in Feb, so that has been stressful. And i have an addiction to Avon-i orderd almost weekly, and i blame mom for that. :) Well, that seems to be all I can think of for now. :)

YMCA

2009-11-22T04:51:00.000-08:00

we just joined the YMCA!

Just Dye your Jeans!

2009-10-09T06:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, so all my jeans were getting pretty worn and faded. I realized I didnt' have any nice, dark jeans to wear outside of work. So insted of spending money on a new pair, I got the fabulous idea to DYE my jeans! So I searched the internet for the best way to do it, what color to get, etc.

here is what my jeans looked like before my little experiment:

And here is how they turned out:

picture from the past

2009-09-25T17:18:00.001-07:00

ok, not too long ago-this was Trent's first day of school and I am just now getting around to posting it...he's such a bog boy and I am so proud of him!!

Gwen's new PJ's

2009-09-25T17:12:00.000-07:00

We cannot wait until Halloween! Correction: We cannot wait for October so we can decorate for Halloween!! :) But here is a new pair of PJ's i found for Gwen-she loves them...was hugging them the whole time in the store.

I like to Eat Eat Eat Apples and Bannanas!

2009-09-25T17:05:00.001-07:00

Trent's Birthday Cake

2009-09-25T16:55:00.000-07:00

I'm a slacker-but here are some pictures from Trent's birthday. We made a rainbow cake for the first time!

It didn't turn out so well, the recipe said to only add sprite and NOTHING else to the cake mix-it wasn't good...so next time I plan to follow the regular recipe.

What not to send to school with a 5 year old.

2009-09-18T05:18:00.000-07:00

Trent took his spiderman laptop to school on Monday for Show and Tell. Well, he didn't bring it back. He let a classmate borrow it. Ok, fine, I guess we didn't think to tell him not to lend it out to friends. So we just told Trent to ask him to bring it back. The next day he said that his friend let his sister play with it and it was dropped and broken. OH NO! And Trent also said that his friends dad was going to try and fix it. Well, ok, but that was Tuesday and Thursday Trent comes home and still NO laptop. So I give up on Trent to get it back, and I email his Teacher Friday morning. She said she would send a note home with Trent's friend to bring back the laptop. I am just wondering why his parents haven't sent it back already? I sure hope we get it back in one piece. I am still not sure if I should expect his friend's parents to replace it (if it is broken) or not since this exchange was done on the school bus and any parents unaware. From now on Trent can only take meaningless, inexpensive toys to school. hahaha

Gwen

2009-09-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

Well, what can i say about Gwen? Lately she has seemed a little better as far as the whinning. She seems to be much happier. Watching her play with Trent is so fun. She always has to be doing what he is doing. As you can imagine, sometimes this is frustrating as she is 3 1/2 years younger and can't do everything Trent does. She is always happy to see me when I get home from work. She is talking more, the words I do notice are, Ma, Da, wow, and bite. Not much but it's an improvement. One thing she loves is going for a walk in the stroller. That will always make her happy. And did i mention how Pretty she is? I will have to post some pics of her. She has soooo much hair and it is naturally curly. i love it. Well, that's about all i can think of for Gwen. :)

Trent

2009-09-14T10:03:00.001-07:00

Trent started school on the 12th of Aug. He is loving it. Can you believe they are already doing math and reading? It's amazing. He rides the bus as well and he enjoys it. He has been really cranky lately and i figured it was because he was tired from school, but he continues this attitude into the weekend as well. We will get past it, I am sure it's just adjusting to everything. This week he is the Star Student and we made up a poster about him. Trent said that he wants to be an Astronaut when he gets older. Oh and he turned 5 on Sept 8th-the weekend before was labor day weekend and we went up to Michigan and he picked out some presents while there. He got Chutes and Ladders, some more sidewalk chalk, and some glowing planets to hang in his room. The best present of all was Mario Kart for the Wii. We do not have the Wii but Rob's parents do. that is a lot of fun. For his birthday i attmepted to make a Rainbow cake-and it turned out ok, but the recipe i used made the cake too dense and not even half of it got eaten. I have some nice pics that i will post of it later. Then, this past weekend we went to the zoo after i got home from work. They have a deal where it is only $5/person after 5 and when the zoo closes there is an ampitheater that plays a movie-Last weekend was Night at the Museum 2. We didn't really get to sit and watch much. But it was a good time and this weekend it is The Wizard of Oz, so we plan to go again. That's my ramblings on Trent. :)

Where did the summer go?

2009-08-06T12:38:00.000-07:00

Tonight we take Trent to his new school for an open house. I can't believe Trent starts kindergarten in a week! I am not ready for this. He is so excited though, maybe this means he will have a desire to go to school, unlike I did. I was already ditching school in kindergarten! Trent's last T Ball games is this saturday. He did excellent and honestly I think he got bored with it. He's ready for the real stuff! I think football would be more his sport...since he likes being crazy and rough with other boys. Only one month until he turns 5-he wants to go to Holiday World for his birthday so that is the plan.
As for Gwen, well, she isn't my favorite right now-hahaha. She isn't talking but she whines often. It's hard to listen to. She is starting to throw fits too-throws herself on the floor and will cry and NOTHING will make her happy! She is a handful. On a good note, she loves swimming just as much as Trent. Also when we take her to the park she is fearless on the slide. It is so cute to watch her. She even has a trike that she walks around (since she can't reach the pedals). Her all time favorite song is "the Itsy Bitsy Spider". That always seems to make her happy. Oh and she has no canine teeth yet. It's kind of funny, how my two kids are so different!
Well, that is the update for now. Hope everyone enjoyed their summer and I am looking forward to the cooler weather in the fall. :)

Southern Illinois

2009-07-12T14:28:00.000-07:00

On our way home after the 4th we took a detour through Southern Illinois to see our old home. It was so neat to see it all. We drove through Duquoin, into Carbondale and we took a break at Turley Park:

There was so much that had changed in Carbondale. It was neat to see it all. Then the most exciting part was driving by our old house...we drove by it about 3 times driving really slow, I even wanted to get out and go look in the windows, since it appeared nobody lived there. But we just got a picture from the truck:

After that we cut through Carterville then Marion and saw the effects from a recent storm. Then we headed up the interstate and went home. it was a long day but a good day!

4th of July weekend

2009-07-12T14:17:00.000-07:00

We did quite a bit over the 4th of July weekend. Friday we headed to St Louis and stayed in O'Fallon and went to the St. Clair Square Mall, 17th street and then did some swimming in the hotel. Oh Rhonda met us there that day as well. after all that we drove and parked on the Illinois side of Eads bridge and watched the small fireworks display from there. We were expecting a long drive back but there was very little traffic. Saturday morning we got up and decided to go to the science center since it was raining outside. It was ok there...not as exciting as it used to be. Then we headed over to Rhonda's house in Sedalia. That was a long drive...we took back roads because Rhonda told us that the interstate had construction, which turned out not to be true. Oh well, that afternoon we got there and relaxed and had some yummy dinner and shot off quite a few fireworks. The next morning we got up and headed back home. Here are some pictures of us leaving St Louis:

playing in the pool

2009-06-21T13:02:00.001-07:00

Craisins

2009-06-21T12:56:00.000-07:00

These things are just too good to waste!

Have you seen Bedtime Stories?

2009-06-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

It's a pretty funny movie. Trent really enjoyed it-so if you want to understand why what I am about to say is so funny, first rent the movie!

Last night I was talking to Trent and I told him that Tonight is his first T Ball practice and he got really happy and said "For Freeeeeeee?!"
It was too funny!

is 40 hours Part Time?

2009-06-04T05:26:00.000-07:00

So I work at a construction site-when I was hired on I was working 58 hours a week! that was exhausting. Then after about 2 months it got cut down to 48. That was more tolerable. Now this morning I was informed that it will be going down to 40 hours! While that is nice, and I will have a 3 day weekend-how will we pay the bills? It will feel like I am never working. This will be through Labor Day but may change sooner. I know that after that we will be swamped with work-the department I am in is Start Up and we have to wait for Construction to finish, so there is a huge amount of construction going on-they are doing 58 hours a week right now and when that is finished up, it all gets turned over to us! But I couldn't ask for a better time to be on 40 hours-this summer will be fun! :)

Camping

2009-05-31T11:44:00.000-07:00

After Trent's graduation we took out new tent and went camping! It was a lot of fun, with swimming, a water slide, and mini golf! Trent even got a Hole In One!! He was so proud. I didn't get any pics, as I was too busy enjoying the fun. The last night we were there Trent got to do a hayride and sat right next to Yogi Bear!! He was so happy to have finally met him, he was asking about him all weekend! Both kids did rather well, except Gwen gave us a HORRIBLE first night! She was up crying and uncomfortable all night, I finally put on a baby einstein on repeat play on the computer, and she fell asleep. Whew! Looking forward to camping again.

Graduation

2009-05-31T11:35:00.000-07:00

Trent graduated preschool!!

Ok it keeps uploading wrong, but there you go, i got not so good pics! I am SOO getting a new camera for my birthday! :)

Trent stayed in bed all night

2009-05-07T06:54:00.001-07:00

Yes, we have a 4 1/2 year old who still has trouble staying in his bed all night. Well, I leave for work long before anyone in the house wakes up, so Trent called me at lunch and told me that he slept in his bed all night. He is so proud when he does. I told him last night if he can go an entire week staying in his bed all night, then we will get him a new bike. So, he stayed in his bed again all night last night. I am not sure if he can last, but he may prove me wrong.

Oatmeal

2009-05-07T06:52:00.001-07:00

Gwen apparently likes her oatmeal. I made a bowl to FEED HER, and I set the bowl on her tray and before I could start feeding her, she helped herself, grabbing handfuls of it. It was too funny!

By the way, does anyone remember that barbie we called Oatmeal?

Blocks

2009-04-24T03:48:00.000-07:00

It is nearly impossible for Trent and I to build a tower of blocks without Gwen knocking them down. Here is one of our accomplishments seconds before Gwen took it down.

After bathtime

2009-04-24T03:40:00.000-07:00

Here are Trent and Gwen in their Mickey and Minnie Towels.

Coloring Easter Eggs

2009-04-24T03:17:00.000-07:00

Easter Dinner

2009-04-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

We went to Rob's parents house for Easter Dinner and after eating we sat down to have some pie. I placed Trent next to his grandpa and Trent said "I don't want to sit next to grandpa, he's too old."

Awesome!

2009-04-13T04:30:00.000-07:00

Easter morning, I found Trent sleeping on the couch, so I woke him up and told him the Easter Bunny had come-and to look on the table. He got up and saw the baskets and said "Awesome!". Then he got off the couch and walked toward the kitchen to get a better look at the baskets, and he said "the Easter Bunny is so awesome!"
lol

Gwen can Walk!

2009-03-27T05:41:00.001-07:00

Wednesday when I got home from work, I decided to work with Gwen on walking again-she took one step and fell, so I got really excited-Stood her up again and she took 4 steps! YAY Gwen! But she hasn't walked since-She's taking this nice and slow apparently!

March

2009-03-04T10:58:00.000-08:00

Gwen will be a year in a week! She grew up fast-but she is putting walking on the back burner. Trent was already braving steps alone by this time. Trent started his new preschool this week. There is another boy named Trent there so he likes that. That's the extent of the excitement here...i get bored since we live in the middle of nowhere! I need to go shopping this weekend!!!

Where are we going...

2009-02-08T13:54:00.000-08:00

Well, for now we are going to Kentucky to TEMPORARILY stay with Rob's parents. Rob has an interview this coming week and I may have one as well. The cost of living is what convinced us to go there. I really REALLY wanted to go to Virginia because living by Sarah would have been awesome, but we didn't feel comfortable with the cost of living. That scared me. Thanks for everyone's concerns. We should be ok and I am scared but excited to see what this year brings (or takes from) us! Seriously, I don't think we have anything else to lose. We have our family and that is all that we need. Ok, so I better get back to packing! :)

Does he really have to tell me that?

2009-02-06T12:47:00.001-08:00

Whenever Trent needs to use the bathroom he always tells me and specifically lets me know if it is just pee or poop. Where did he get the idea that he needs to let me know this?

5 Teeth

2009-02-06T12:45:00.001-08:00

Ok, so Gwen's teeth are finally catrching up. Just noticed that she cut her 5th tooth today! :)

Trent put Gwen in timeout!

2009-02-02T14:15:00.000-08:00

Ok, so Trent left his little notebook laying on the floor and Gwen got ahold of it and tore the cover off of it. Trent got upset so he went in the kitchen and set the timer on the microwave and then came back into the living room and picked her up and carried her over to the "Naughty Step" . Of course she wouldn't stay still so he started piling toys around her so she couldn't escape! SOOO Funny! Oh and I just went and looked and he set the timer for 63 monutes!! What a funnt kid!

For those who don't know...

2009-01-24T23:03:00.000-08:00

Ok, so Rob's store closed Monday. We are still here in Michigan and plan to leave by the 2nd week in February. Not really sure where we are going but we have a few options. Rob and I both have been applying for jobs everywhere. It's weird not knowing where we are headed next.

Gwen is such a good sleeper.

2009-01-17T13:48:00.000-08:00

The last three nights have been wonderful! I put Gwen down in her crib and she doesn't even fight me. She lays down and goes to sleep AND sleeps ALL NIGHT! It is awesome. Wish I could say the same for my 4 year old son!!!

Don't toss the orange peels!

2009-01-12T07:31:00.000-08:00

So I was sitting here eating an orange and decided to look up some uses for orange peels, insteading of throwing them away. Well, i threw the orange peels in a pot of water along with some cinnamon and i brought it to a boil and now it is simmering...smells WONDERFUL!!

Teriyaki Noodles & Chicken

2009-01-09T15:33:00.001-08:00

Don't make it-it sounds good but is really gross. I have this huge bowl and it's gonna probably end up in the trash! Oh well! If it weren't so snowy outside I'd think about going to Taco Bell!

Snow

2008-12-02T08:13:00.001-08:00

We have so much snow already. every night a little bit more covers the ground. Yesterday when i picked up Trent from preschool they were outside sledding. Well, can't think of anything else to say!

Where have I been?

2008-11-22T15:12:00.000-08:00

Just not really into this blogging thing i guess. Let's start with Gwen-she's teething, need i say more? And it seems to bother her more than it did Trent. Last night she was screaming until nearly 2 am. She eats well, she loves real people food. Her hair is so long and she is SO pretty. Oh and she is crawling and climbing everywhere-and i think she is working on walking along things. Scarey to think she's doing all this already. Trent is doing well. It's sad to look at him and see that he is no longer a baby. But it is just as exciting as well. He's doing well in preschool, and they go on a lot of field trips. Monday is the Turkey Dinner at preschool. Looking forward to that. YUM! Then for Thanksgiving we are going down to Kentucky to see Rob's parents. Then we can come back home and put up the Christmas Tree! I can hardly wait. Got some lights up in the window. Was going to put up the last set but of course there are several bulbs out! I hate that! Well, Trent is a wild child and i need to go lock him up! Not really, don't call cps! ok, goodnight!

31 things

2008-10-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

1. Where is your cell phone? on the computer desk
. Your significant other? Rob
3. Your hair? needs a cut
4. Where is your mother? New Mexico
5. Where is your father? New Mexico
6. Your favorite thing? DVR
7. Your dream last night? I don't remember.
8. Your favorite drink? Water
9. Your dream/goal? Umm, no debt?
10. The room you’re in? Gwen's room
11. Your hobby? Hmmm, cleaning?
12. Your fear? my kids getting hurt
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Not sure
.14. What you’re not? pregnant
15. Muffins? yum!
16. One of your wish list items? Philosophy Amazing Grace
7. Where you grew up? Alamogordo
18. The last thing you did? Ate a bowl of soup
19. What are you wearing? Jeans and a white and pink striped shirt
20. Favorite gadget? cell phone
21. Your pets? None
22. Your computer? SLOW
23. Your mood? mellow
24. Missing someone? Yes
25. Your car? Dented
26. Something you’re not wearing? shoes
27. Favorite store? Dollar Tree and Wal Mart
28. Like someone? yes
29. Your favorite colour? purple!!
30. When is the last time you laughed? this morning
31. Last time you cried? can't remember

Summer is over

2008-09-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

Well, the weather is cooler and the leaves are starting to fall. It all happened so quickly! But I love this time of year. Trent started preschool and he is loving it. It helps us get on a schedule around here. Gwen is not yet crawling but she somehow can still make her way around. That girl does not stya put-and still NO TEETH! She has been sick-courtesy of Trent (he seems to always be the carrier and pass it on) and also got an awful rash and finally we are seeing the ends of it all. Is it just me or does staying home make the house dirtier? It didn't seem as bad when I was working-but I just assume it is because we weren't home as much before to make the messes. It sure keeps me busy around here!!

All ready for Preschool

2008-09-09T18:53:00.000-07:00

So I got Trent enrolled at a preschool and he is starting September 15th! I think I am more excited than him. We got to tour the school (it's inside of a church) and Trent got to meet his teachers. I was very impressed with it all and I will be sure to take pictures on his first day. He will be going MWF in the morning. I can't believe he is already going to school.

Now is the time to buy!!

2008-09-09T18:40:00.000-07:00

I don't think I paid more than $2 for any one of these. Between all this and the gobs of clothes I have received from frineds Gwen is set for the next year! End of season clearance is so fun!!

I love shopping

2008-08-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

So yesterday on my lunch break i went to kmart-and boy am i glad i did!! all the kids summer clothes were on clearance...so i got Gwen some clothes for next summer and a pair of spiderman pj's for Trent for only $6.36 total! Then later that evening we went to wal mart and i hit the dollar rack and got more clothes for Gwen for next summer! i love it! :)

Gwen is allergic to Enfamil

2008-08-07T08:16:00.001-07:00

Maybe i will try and post things as they happen!

So yesterday Rob had give Gwen a bottle of Enfamil and shortly after she broke out in hives and an awful rash all over her body! I came home from work early and she looked awful! We took her to the doctor and by then she was already looking better...but we came to the conclusion that she just can't tolerate Enfamil-but she had already had Similac in the past. Thought that was weird! She is all better now! that was scarey!

Long Time No See

2008-08-05T11:55:00.000-07:00

I haven't had time to update on here...Trent is growing so fast. he says the funniest things-he reacts just like me over the littlest things. He loves going to the Dollar Store with me. He spends a lot of time outside. The weather has been great. Gwen is so big as well. Trent loves holding her and making her laugh. Gwen is so ready to crawl...she gets on all fours and pushes herself around. I have been giving her cereal on occasion, but nothing serious for another month at least. She does like that cereal though. Hopefully she will be a great eater like Trent-although Trent has gotten a little more picky lately...I try to avoid giving him too many snacks so he is good and hungry to eat anything i give him. Well, work is going well for me-wish i didn't have to be there-Rob should know soon whether he gets school lunch-we are hoping for that. Trent will be 4 in about a month so we are planning his party already. Give me your ideas please!! We can't decide on Dinosaur, Spiderman, or Pirate theme. Trent would be happy with any one. I decided to try something new-For Trent's even numbered birthdays he can have a party and the odd numbers we will do a family thing...so far that has worked out and i decided to make it a tradition. Not sure how we will do it for Gwen though-Maybe i will do it opposite for her or keep it the same. We will only do this until they are 10 or so and then they can decide what they want to do. Ok, i seriously can't think of anything else going on.

It's been a while

2008-07-03T06:07:00.002-07:00

I have not posted anything in a while-I guess I will talk about the kids because that is what I do. Gwen is rolling over now and she loves to talk and always has a smile. She will be 4 months old in a week! Trent is good. I got him in love with the dollar store. His current interest is coloring. And he does a great job staying in the lines. Tonight we are going to go see fireworks-I am so excited! Robin got me the book Twilight and after just 3 chapters I am hooked. I read it while I pump at work-it helps the time go by. Ok, that's my update for today!

It's been a while

2008-07-03T06:07:00.001-07:00

Trent is so smart!

2008-06-05T06:18:00.001-07:00

Yesterday when I got home from work, Trent wanted to draw on his Aquadoodle. Well, he started writing his letters and I was surprised at how well he knew many of them!! So we went through the entire alphabet and he was able to draw nearly every letter! My boy's ready for college!

Poor Gwen

2008-06-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

So this weekend was ok, minus the fact that Gwen got sick...yep my 2 1/2 month old got her first bout of sickness. She had a low fever and runny nose and boy was she cranky. She seems much better today though. I hate when babies get sick. Dang daycare! Anyways, Rob took Trent to a race on Saturday and Trent loved it. He got to go and ride on the back of a racecar one lap around the track (not at full speed of course!) and Rob got a picture of it. Trent was telling me how he got to RACE! He's so funny. Anyways, that's the highlight of our weekend here. :)

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-05-27T07:14:00.001-07:00

What a fun 3 day weekend. I spent a lot of time outside with Trent. It warmed up in time for the weekend and cooled back down afterward. Trent swam in the hot tub every day and I even got Gwen in there for a few minutes. My kids love the water. Rob's 34th Birthday was on Sunday so Trent helped while I blew up several balloons and hung them from the ceiling...it looked really neat. I put red and blue balloons out on the front deck for Memorial Day but as soon as the sun came out that morning they all popped. It was a lot of fun and nice to have three days in a row to stay home with Trent and Gwen. I know they loved it.

2008-05-22T10:26:00.001-07:00

Thought I'd give this blogging thing a try...