Jenna tuns 7!

This past week we celebrated Jenna's 7th birthday!  I love birthdays especially my kids birthday. What a wonderful way to celebrate someones life, to celebrate them for who they are and to honor that their existence is important! So yes I kinda make a big deal out their special day...I mean you only will turn 7 once in your lifetime! So in honor of Jenna's day I'm going to brag shamelessly about her and her recent accomplishments!  

She has been working extra hard in school  and received her first Hot Shot award in February!  This is her and Mr. Mackessy her principal-we love this guy, he is so great with the kids and she looks forward to seeing him every morning during drop off.  

She is playing softball  with Kayla and is doing great! She got player of the game for hitting the ball into the outfield in game #2 

This is more for fun, we went up to Big Bear to play in the snow! Jenna got really brave and went down some really good hills by herself towards the end, but she was a little nervous at first so the first run was made with Dad. 

We took the kids bowling last weekend.  Jenna bowled for the first time the correct way with the fingers in the holes-I thought she was going to break her wrist throwing the ball because she kept twisting her arm funny, but she didn't so of course I worried for nothing:) 

She got her first pair of glasses in January! 

 

Just to highlight a few more things, she is in Girl Scouts and she loves it. Last time I picked her up she told me  those girls are like my sisters.  

Jenna finally decided to ride her bike without training wheels...we took them off at the beginning of the school year and she struggled with it.  My brothers tried to teach her during Thanksgiving, they actually helped her a lot but they left, I got busy, and she soon lost interest. Then two weeks ago she just got on and took off in typical Jenna style.  

Last week she decided she wanted her hair short, we all love it! 

Yup my girl has grown so much this past year!  I started crying as I made her cake; last year when she turned 6 she requested a Rapunzel cake...fast forward to this year and now I'm trying to find electric pink, electric purple, black that is really black (not gray) food coloring for a Monster High skull cake!  How did we go from a princess cake to a skull cake in just one short year????  My only comfort came the morning of her birthday. She has been saying for months she is not "into" princesses any more, but Friday morning she asked if I thought it would be ok if she wore one of her princess dresses to Disneyland that night.  I couldn't resist giving her a hug when I told her yes that would be fine! 

We started her big day a day early and went to Build-A-Bear with her friends. 

Taking 15 kids through Downtown Disney is no small accomplishment!   

Jenna and her friend Callie  

All the girls putting their love hearts into Jenna's bear

 

Jenna and her new bear Clumsy 

Silly girls! 

We came back to our house for Cake

I'm rather proud of this cake, it's the first one I have ever carved into a shape from scratch! 

The Monster High girls were along side to celebrate! 

One very happy girl! 

Friday March 23rd or as Kayla called it "her for real birthday" 

Celebrating at school-her teacher sprinkling birthday glitter on her!

She brought cup-cakes for her class to share, this is the "girl" table 

She came home to find a new Monster High bike waiting for her 

Kayla gave her Abby Abdominal and Laguna Blue from the Skull Shores line

Jenna wanted a picture of the new BFF's together- her words

 

After opening family gifts we went to Disneyland

We finished our night by buying her a cupcake and singing happy birthday during the fireworks show

it was the perfect end to a wonderful day! 

Happy Birthday my sweet Jenna, you gave me the greatest gift of my life by making me your mom 7 years ago and not a day goes by that I don't thank God for you...you are my miracle baby and I love you the most!

Guess I'm not super women

Motherhood is hard.  I thought that as my babies grew into little girls that I would be less tired, have more time and I actually worried how I would fill my days.  I always knew I would be a stay at home mom, and I envisioned being room mom, helping out with sport teams, hanging with other like minded mom's.  What I didn't know is how awful the guilt would be if I said no to any one of those things.  I had these dreams of being able to keep a perfectly kept home, spread a healthy dinner on the table at 6 on the dot, be team mom, have a demanding church calling, help out in the class room, serve on the PTA board, help my daughter sell a million boxes of girl scout cookies and still be a happy smiling wife that my husband loves coming home to.  Well my friends I'm here to tell you it's IMPOSSIBLE!!!  

I'm not entirely sure how it happened or what triggered my breakdown on Friday.  Myself I have two theories the first feeling like a single mom. I normally have handled Justin's work schedule fine. In the past yes it would be hard but I never felt like I couldn't do it, this past month I have felt like I'm barely treading water without him around...second our housing situation we qualified for a home loan, we were looking at houses only to find out that our old home in CO has a title problem that will not be cleared up till the end July and we can't buy a house till that is taken care of. Then we find out our landlord is not renewing our lease that is up the end of April and will not let us stay just a few more months...did I mention we are going to mexico in April and that we will have two days after we get home to be out of our house with it cleaned top to bottom.  That means I have a little over 4 weeks to pack.  We are now looking at apartment's and storage units and thinking maybe we should stay in the apartment just a bit longer to save a little more for a down payment.  Which could mean our girls may have to change schools in the fall and then when we buy a house in 6-9 months they may have to change schools again!  The only plus side to that would be me not being PTA president. Don't get me wrong I love to serve and I WANT to do it, but after my weekend I have to slow down and things are going to have to change and if that means not being PTA president that is fine with me. We are going to try to keep the girls in the same school and I'm looking into getting them transferred I just can't do it till we actually move-so frustrating! Also I don't ever want to rent another house again.  I hate the feeling of not being settled that our landlord could stop making the payments or decide to sell at a moments notice...I need a place of my own I can't handle that kind of stress anymore. 

So this is how my "breakdown" happened.  I woke up on Friday with a pinched nerve in the back of my neck.  I could barely move. It was by far some of the worst pain I have ever felt.  Later on in the afternoon my ears started "clicking" back and forth, I felt an intense pain in my head I could not open my eyes and as I started talking to Kayla I knew what I wanted say but my words would not come out.  Since then I have been stuttering  and slurring my words. If I concentrate really hard I can complete a sentence but it's like I really have to think about what I want to say.  It has gotten better over the past few days but Justin was scared that I had a stroke so he forced me to go see a doctor (I felt it was just the after math of a really bad headache-yes stupid I know) Come to find out my blood pressure is really high, in January it was normal.  Going over my chart with the doctor my BP has always been fine.  She starts to ask what's going on in my life and as I tell her everything I do, she's looking at me like I'm going to stop talking at any minute -but I don't, my list goes on and on.  She quickly came to the concussion that I'm too stressed out (so happy I made that co-pay) So she told me to cancel everything and rest this week, come back on Thursday to see if my blood pressure is down.  She also ordered lot's of blood work which she will go over with me on my Thursday appointment. She even offered to write me a doctors note excusing me from all my duties- I laughed as I envisioned telling my kids no mommy can't cook you dinner here is my note :)  

In all reality I can't cancel everything but I did cancel a lot of things so I'm making progress.  In two weeks my schedule would have been considerably lighter anyway.  Right now it's not so much the schedule as it is the living situation.  Justin oh how I love that guy he is my rock, he is the yang to my yin so of course he is not worried about it at all.  How I dream one day to be like him completely calm on a still lake...where I on the other hand is living my life in a ocean of peaks and waves just trying to stay afloat.

My doctor did offer me wonderful drugs to help me calm down, but I have to stay a functioning mom who can drive and take care of my children so I turned them down, but with the promise I would meditate, take down time for myself and remember to breath.  

I feel really embarrassed by it all, I feel weak and that I am letting many people down.  The only reason why I'm blogging about it is because I feel deep down a significant change has occurred inside of me, that in a positive way I will never be the same again and I want my girls to know it's o.k. to struggle and that through those struggles you emerge a better more whole person.   I still need to work on the guilt part of saying no, but by nature that is my personality so right now I'm just trying to set it aside.  I am doing much better today,  I feel more calm and  more peaceful which I think is why I have only stuttered once today (that I'm aware of).  

I do have to say thank you to my amazing friends.  First word I was going to the doctor and next thing I know Kayla is being picked up from school and being treated to lunch at chick-fil-a then back to her little friends house for a play date.  Another friend calls to say she is bringing over dinner! I'm telling you, people may laugh at Mormons because whenever anything significant happens good or bad we make a dinner, but I have to say having a nice hot yummy dinner delivered to your door is heaven! I always feel so loved when that happens :)  And to my old friends who are not here just seeing your positive thoughts on FB makes me feel loved and that I can go on with my life.   

So now you know my little secret I'm not super women, I can't do it all, I tried to pretend I could and obviously it has turned out not so great.  So now I'm looking at it in a positive way that being forced to say no is not such a bad thing after all.  

My 34th Birthday!!!!!!

This year my birthday was perfect, yup perfect I tell ya! My kiddos did a great job planning (with a little help from their Dad and Grandma)  

I ended up having a Minnie Mouse themed party (Thank you Kayla!) 

The girls choose this very cute Minnie Cake

Kayla bought me a Minnie Mouse watch-in her words Mommy don't you just love Minnie Mouse?

We started my Birthday eating breakfast with Minnie Mouse-loved it!

My cute parents and hubby :)

 So glad my Mom & Dad flew out to visit me! 

My birthday cupcake...it was more than just a little good it was heaven!

This picture cracks me up!!

 Somehow Justin and my dad ended up on the Ariel ride together; don't they look thrilled????

My sweet family gave me the best Birthday I could ask for! As you can tell it was more about the kids than me, but that's what made it great!  I love that my kids put so much of themselves into my day, and to see their enthusiasm to celebrate me in the only way they know how made it perfect! 

So while I'm in a blogging mood

 I'm going to try and get a little caught up with my goal of posting monthly updates

  November

Jenna's last soccer game!

I don't have pictures of Thanksgiving...guess I was too busy cooking-lol! But we had a great day with family and friends, it is quickly becoming my favorite holiday! 

My parents and brothers stayed the weekend and it was great to spend so much time with them.

We celebrated my Mom's Birthday!

Chad being Chad

What a cute pilgrim! 

Jenna's girl scout field trip to the humane society

And on to the Jolly old month of December

Started off the season with a visit to Santa

Jenna's class Christmas party

This years gingerbread house

Jenna's primary class singing for the ward Christmas party

The L.A. Temples visitor center

Lights at the L.A. temple

LOVE not freezing while looking at the lights!
Instead of hot chocolate we went for ice cream after !

We had a cookies for Santa party

Justin and his Grandma Christmas Eve at his Uncle and Aunts house.

Christmas Eve with the Chavis family

Our house, I add this for two reasons:
 1. Justin almost got sprayed by a skunk
2. We may not be celebrating next Christmas in this house and
While I don't love this house I am going to be sad to say goodbye .

Yea!!!! Christmas morning!!!!!!!

Working hard at opening gifts!

Happy kids

Christmas dresses

Christmas was wonderful, we had such a nice day! Then that night we packed up and left for Utah for some more celebrating!

Cousins playing games

Opening even more gifts from Grandma!

Grandma V with a sleeping Kayla

New Years Eve, Jenna woke up right before midnight and decided
she felt well enough to welcome the new year!

That's the end of December and January well lets just say January flew by I have not had a moment to think clearly! I am working on Jenna's school year book and it is taking up so much more time than I ever thought it would, my deadline is in 6 weeks I can't wait to be done!  I am also in charge of a program called School Smarts it's held once a week for the parents of our students, we provide dinner and child care I coordinate both, we have 6 weeks left (yup I will be glad when the middle of March hits) I am also chairing our random acts of kindness week, it starts on the 14th.  We are teaming up with the 6th graders to do a book drive for a local doctor who provides free child care to very ill kids, each time they come into his office they leave with a book our goal is to collect 750 books.  I'm also working on the schools garden that has become rather neglected.  Our school was invited to apply to become a California Distinguished School, only a few schools every year are asked to apply for the honor and we are in the final interview process so the principle has asked the PTA to spruce up the school grounds a bit.  I volunteered to be Jenna and Kayla's team mom for softball because I'm crazy like that, but it's turning out to be my most favorite thing I'm doing. So far we all love softball much more than soccer!  Jenna is busy with girl scouts selling cookies, it's already been decided we will not hit last years numbers, I just don't have much time to devote to it, oh well she will survive!  I know this all sounds insane and I yes I will admit when I volunteered to do all this at the beginning of the year I didn't realize it was all in the same month, normally I am not this busy!  Did I mention it's also my birthday month whoohoo! My parents are coming out to help me celebrate and the girls are out of school on my B-day so we are all going to Disneyland for the day! Yup after this month I will need a vacation and a vacation I am going to get! I'm proud of my hard working hubby once again he won Presidents Club through his work! This year they are taking us to the Mayan Riviera in April (well they pay for him to go and give me a nice discount to tag along!) I can't even contain my excitement to see the Mayan temples it is a dream come true for me, plus we better go before the world comes to a end this year-lol!  

Whew I am now all caught up, I am determined to update this at least once a month life goes by too fast and I don't want to forget any of it!