7 years later...quick update!

I've decided to start blogging again- but I couldn't remember how to access this blog at the time (7 years later, 4 email address changes, 3 zip code changes and and 4 phone number changes and I somehow managed to get into an old verizon email I haven't used in 7-8 years) so I started a NEW ONE!  

Honestly, even if I did remember how to get in at the time, I would have started another anyways because the Triplets are WAYYYYYYYYY grown up, I'm remarried with 2 new babies (1 and 2 years old) and I've started using my blog to do reviews, recommend products, provide links to sales/discounts and so on.  

So, you can find me here if you'd like to keep up with my life (again!!!)

Another quick update...

Hey everyone, quick update: won two BIG cases in the last month with http://www.dafcf.org/! I'm so excited for these families. Can't go into too much detail but one was getting AFLAC to payout on a claim they've been denying since 2009 and another one was against a medical ins. company in Illinois that had been denying infertility benefits (IMPROPERLY too!!) to a family since 2007. I'm so thrilled that we won, and I LOVE the experience that this work is giving me!

I didn't get into the nursing program (any of them) for the fall, and I'm taking this as a sign that I am supposed to take another path. I'm done "fighting" so to speak, and am just going to surrender to what is. I DID get accepted to the Human Services Program at Western Washington University so I will be starting there in the fall and am very excited!

The kids are getting SO smart, I'm teaching them how to count and they are doing so good. we are just working with fingers now, such as "cassie, hold up 1 finger on your RIGHT hand and 3 fingers on your LEFT hand. Now, what is 1 + 3" and then she counts and tells me 4. It's so cute to see the proud looks on their face.

My friend jessica, http://www.raneydayphotography.com/ did some mothers day pictures yesterday of my kiddos and my mom and I. She is an AMAZINGLY talented Photographer, and a WONDERFUL friend! If you are a facebook user, go search Raney day photography and if you "like" the page, you can comment on ALL of her photos. For any of my friends in the WA area, she is AMAZING!!!!! Here are a few pictures:

Everything happens for a reason....

That's such a hard statement to BELIEVE when you are the one who needs to have faith in it. So for the 2nd quarter in a row, I didn't get into the nursing program. I'm really bummed about it, and I took a few minutes to wallow in my sorrow and feel sorry for myself and now I'm moving on :). I'm still disappointed, I've wanted to be a nurse for a LONG time, but maybe this is all happening for a reson. I did some research over the last few days and discovered that I have enough credits to get my associates degree and then transfer to Western Washington University and do their Human Services program and get my Bachelors in Human services. Then I can do the kind of work that I do with my nonprofit, or continue on in school and pursue a law degree... the possibilities are endless!

It has been a rough year thusfar though, and I'm only 3 months into it... HASCO messing up on my section 8 qualifications and because of THEIR error I can't get on the program (still fighting this one though!), not getting into the nursing program 2 times, loosing daycare assistance, furnace broke, broken seals on 2 windows that need to be replaced, and that's just a few of the issues. But, I figure maybe the first half is going to be tough because the second half will be absolutely wonderful!?!?!? Regardless though, I do have SO much to be thankful for! I've got a roof over my head, food in my house, 3 wonderful children who keep me on my toes (and in shape!!!) and wonderful friends and family!

My friend Jessica of Raney Day Photography, www.raneydayphotography.com did a photoshoot of the kids and she is absolutely amazing. The kiddos loved it and ask me daily when we can do pictures with miss jessica again :) Check out he website, some of the kids photos are featured there.

So the earthquakes, tsunami and now a nuclear explosion really have me praying. Thanking the Lord for all the good things in my life, and praying for those who have lost everything. It's such an unsettling thing. These poor people...

Hope everyone is doing well, and as always, thanks for reading the updates!!!

2010 is nearing the end?!?!?!?!

I cannot believe yet another year has gone by, this is just crazy! I cannot believe I have 4 year olds, I cannot believe I survived Microbiology (and actually LOVED it!!!!!). So now over my "christmas break" (man do I love being a student sometimes!) I will be filling out Nursing Program applications to EVERY school on this side of the state of WA :). Ought to be a fun few days! I'll be doing that, giving my house a DEEP clean, catching up on client cases for DAFCF (http://www.dafcf.org/) and spending some one on one time with each of the kids by giving them their own special day.

Cassie and Ryland have both had their "special weekend's" with Nana and Grandaddy where they get to go ALL BY THEMSELVES and have to share NOTHING with a sibling :). Tristans is this weekend and he is super excited for it.

They are so thrilled and excited for christmas. Cassie wants a puppy on a leash (she saw it at

walmart... yes, I shop there sometimes :P) and the boys want hot wheels... fun stuff. I'm so proud of cassie-bear, she didn't cry at ALL when we saw santa this year- and she hasn't stopped asking if I'm so proud of her for not crying- silly little lady.

Their daycare had a photo guy come and take candid pictures of all the kids at daycare and their auntie was nice enough to get them for us!!! Those are the pictures that are at the top of this post, I can't believe how fast they are growing!

Hope everyone is doing well and I hope you have an amazing holiday season!!!!

it's been an adventure

So it's been like 6 months since I've done an update.... I'll try and make it brief :).

The kids are SO big and SO smart. They know their abc's and can count to 20. They all know how to write the first letter of their name, and Tristan is really excelling in writing out all his letters and numbers. He begs me all the time to practice them lol. They are still in Daycare at mark's sister's center, which is a big montessori (sp?) school and it's been great for them as far as education and challenging them mentally. Cassie is a little artist, and she is just the sweetest most loving little girl EVER!! (bias much?) Definately more like her dad than like my fiesty ol self LOL. Those boys are much more like me, but boy do they look like their dad!

Tristan got moved to a Pre K room about 3 months ago because the boys were at eachothers throats, ALL DAY LONG! (now they know how some of my saturday's go LOL). They have really thrived being separated and are doing so well with it. Then about 3 weeks ago they moved Cassie to the other pre K room, so now they are all in their own rooms. Ry was very sad at first and cried the first two days Cassie wasn't with him, but now he's over it and really enjoys his own attention and not having to compete with his siblings.

They are so smart and so funny, and Ryland continues to be the comedian of the group. He had me laughing so hard the other day, here's how the convo went:
RYLAND: "Mommy, why do girls have hyenas?"
ME: "What? Why do girls have what? Hyenas like on Lion King?"
RYLAND: "Noooo mommy, not Lion King. The girls have the hyena's like I have a penis. Why do they have heyenas?"
bahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, laughing so hard I'm crying, nearly peeing my pants...hyenas. I have the funniest little boy EVER!

As for me...I've finished my first year as a reservist in the US Navy and it's been quite UNeventful :) and I am most grateful for that! I've got one more year and then I'm FREEEEEEE. But all in all, I'm so thankful for the opportunities it has provided me and I still stay in contact with many friends I've made throughout the years.

I'm still in school, working on my last prerequisite to get into the nursing program. I did apply for winter quarter, but it's HIGHLY unlikely I'll be selected because I didn't have this class completed. Plus it is so unbelievable competitive, that even when I do finish this class, it might take a few attempts to get in. That is something I'm NOT looking forward to :(. School is keeping me busy, microbiology is kicking my butt but I am enjoying my labs so much. And public speaking, um, let's just say there is a lot of busy work (unnecessary in my opinion), but such is life.

DAFCF (www.dafcf.org) is doing great, I've got a bunch of clients and still have yet to lose a case (knock on wood!!!) and I enjoy doing it so much. I really wish that I could do it full time, as a job. Over winter break I'm going to take some time into researching grants again and see if I can't find something I missed the last time I looked. I find myself looking forward to tackling the challenge of some of these cases, I even dream about it LOL.

Some of you probably noticed the man in two of the pictures I posted the other day :). That's Phil, we've been dating for about 6 months now and he's an amazing guy. The kids think he's great and he even went to our little mini family reunion in September to Sunriver Oregon. He fit right in and my cousins Ryan and Cory and my uncle David now have a new golfing buddy. The picture with cassie in my arms is at their 4th birthday party (that's right, I said 4th!!!!!) and the one in the dress and tie is at a fundraising auction from last weekend that his company was a part of. It was a fun night, lots of laughter. Plus, what woman doesn't LOVE an excuse to get dressed up!?!?!?!?

Hope everyone is doing well and thanks for checking in!!

For Jennifer :)

It's been a looooooooooong time since I've updated, tooooo long! Hopefully I'll have some time to post a breif update when I get home tonight after the kiddos get to bed...provided I finish my microbiology and public speaking homework :)

In the meantime, Jennifer, these pictures are especially for you since I know you've been asking me to post them for forever. Sorry :(

LOOOOOOOOOONNNNG time

Sorry it's been so darn long since I've written. I took the kids out last week to a show in the city where I live. It was some local bands and Blake Lewis from American Idol (I went to Highschool with him, and he's still really good friends with a friend of mine). It was an all ages music and entertainment thingy and the kids had a BLAST!! I got a few brief seconds of video, sorry it so dark though. They did a lot of dancing that night and were asleep in their beds before I even made it downstairs LOL!

They are so smart, it just amazes me how fast they are growing. They are in 3T clothes already, size 8 shoes...almost ready to move to the "big kid's" small shoes. I just can't believe it. They are all potty trained both day and night time. All three of them can count to 15 and say their alphabet. Cassie is drawing smiley faces and trying SOOOO hard to learn how to write her name. Tristan is more and more becoming a mommy's boy, his favorite line lately is, "I love you mommy. I like you mommy. I'm so happy with you mommy". He's such a sweetie! Ry is still our sensitive one who gets his feelings hurt if you loook at him the wrong way. He's the independent one too, likes to go off and do things on his own. And Cassie....we'll shes the boss. The boys pretty much do what she tells them. She's also very very much a girl (totally opposite of me as a kid!) and will cry if she doesn't get to wear a dress and "Pretty shoes". I can't believe they came into our lives over 3 years ago, it just doesn't seem possible.

Here are a few funny things I've written down that the kids have said lately, they keep me laughing and loving live, that's for sure!!!

My Three year olds played the "why" game with me this morning for 15 minutes. I'm more mentally exhausted than after a hard day at school and work. Do you know how much thinking and creativity it takes to provide them with an answer that finally satisifies all their why's?????

Outsmarted by a three year old?!?!?! "Tristan, sit down right now or I'm going to spank your bottom!" "Mommy, you can't, we don't touch other peoples bottoms". Darn kid, got me there...

So when the kids showed up at my mom's door in their costumes she sang "Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat" and Ryland promptly walked in the house, walked over to her, got down on his hands and knees and SMELLED HER FEET!!! LOL this kid keeps me laughing!

My brilliant son Ry said to me this morning as I was getting out of the shower: "Oh good girl mama, you wash your bum bum? You wash it so it don't be a stinky bum bum!? Good girl!

Cousin Ricki: "What name do you like to go by, Cassie or Cassandra? Cassie: "I like Cassie Cassandra is my trouble name"

Tristan: "Don't touch Ryland's penis, ok, you don't touch someone else's penis" Ryland: "Yeah, don't touch my penis" Cassie: "ok boys, don't touch the peanuts" LOL out of the mouth of babes

And here are some recent pictures :)