Worn right out

Today Abby came home from school and gave me the books we bought from this months book order. We sat down to look at all of them. One pack is a little monsters set by Mercer Mayer about manners. They were my favorite when I was a little girl. Abby sat next to me and we started reading. Once or twice I glanced over at her and her little eyes were so heavy. When we got done reading I ran downstairs to start a movie for Emma and when I got back upstairs I found a very tired, sleeping little kindergartner laying on the couch. Shhh...

I've never met a bigger horses butt!

Okay, I didn't actually "meet" him, but I talked to him on the phone and I'll tell you what--steam has been coming out of my ears ever since. Last January we bought a van from an auto plaza in S.L. City. We did all the normal things, signed papers, etc... In about April we get a collection notice from some agency telling us we owed the auto plaza $600.04. We had no idea what in the would it could be for, so we call them and it turns out that the dealer who was working with us never actually called and got the payoff amount from the van we traded in. So, they didn't calculate $600.04 into our new loan amount. My problem? No, but thanks. That's their freaking fault for not doing their job. We've been fighting with the auto plaza ever since and they finally agreed to only making us pay half. Okay, still irritating, but whatever. We ask for them to send us paperwork stating that we have come to this agreement. A month goes by, then two, finally I call and the lady says that "Tina" has quit and she will send something out on Monday. That was 2 weeks ago. Yesterday I got a collection notice from the same agency telling us that if we don't pay now, our account was due in full. I called the agency, and this guy named Chris answers. I tell him the situation and he chuckles and says "well, have you paid them off?" I go on to tell him that we were waiting for paperwork, and he says "I'll call them and see." All of it was being said with such an arrogant, I'm better than you, tone. Then hangs up on me. My husband calls him and confronts him with how he treated me. Chris says, "were you a part of that conversation?". Then goes on to say that "all of you are alike. I could look up your credit report and tell what kind of people you are. I don't have debt collectors calling me. I pay my bills. What's your problem?" Hubby proceeds to tell him that he has no clue what kind of people we are and that he doesn't know the situation. All we
are trying to do is inform you. The last thing this guy says is "you have pushed the wrong buttons with me today, I'm going to e-mail my attorney and there will be a judgment on this account." Then he hangs up. What a jerk! I better not ever meet this guy. I'll rip out his tongue so he can't speak. Good thing for him that I don't know where he lives. Good thing for him that once I cool off I will forgive him and pray that he won't treat anyone else as poorly as he treated us!

We'll see you someday...

I got a call this morning from my dear friend, Jamie, telling me that her mother had passed away last evening. Her voice was shaky, she is so sad, and is trying to be brave. In all the things that I believe, the one thing I am most grateful for is the knowledge and belief that we will see our loved ones again someday. Death is not an easy thing for anyone...especially me. I don't fear being there, it's how I'm going to get there that frightens me. But the conviction that I have of life after death is strong, and it gives me a sense of calmness, knowing that when it is my turn I will be met and welcomed by those who have gone before me. I didn't know Jamie's mom very well. I know a lot about her by talking to Jamie and hearing the stories the kids have to tell. She will be missed tremendously by everyone who knew her. Please pray for my friend, that she will have the strength to go on and be able to feel peace during this time in her life.

Happy Birthday to my sister!!!

This morning I woke up and remembered it was my sisters birthday. For me, that is remarkable, seeing how I have 7 sisters and 4 brothers. My parents divorced when I was a year old leaving me with the wonderful blessing of having a lot of siblings, since they both remarried. I've loved it! I am close to them all (some more than others :) .... Anyway, in one family there is Becky* *happy birthday!**, Holly, Nicki, Dustin (who passed away as an infant) Jamie, and Michelle. In the other family I have Brandon, Kassie, Matt, Annie, and Josh. So, on with my morning. I talked to Emma and told her it was Aunt Becky's birthday. She looked at me and said "liar, liar, pants on fire!" Then immediately after she said, "lets call her!" So, at 8:30 in the morning we called her and sang Happy Birthday with Abby ending the song with "cha, cha, cha". We got to visit for a minute and catch up a little. We live two hours away from each other and don't see each other often. So Becky, from the May family, Happy Birthday to you! We love you and miss you! Have the best birthday ever!

When to excercise?

I woke up this morning, looked in the mirror, and decided I really do need to excercise. Not that I'm obese or anything, just flabby. It's really driving me crazy. My question to myself is this, "when do I excercise?" My husband leaves for work at 5:30 in the morning. The kids come at 6:30. The problem isn't that I'm not willing to get up at 6:30, it's that all the rooms are taken by sleeping children. By the time they wake up, it's time to get my 2nd grader ready for school and my day begins. Night time rolls around, hubby doesn't get home till 7:00. Homework has to be done, baths given, and kids put to bed. By that time I am so exhausted, excersing is the last thing I want to do. Priorities. That is what it all boils down to I'm sure. I've never LIKED to excercise, but I think I'm at a point in my life where I either do it, or get fat. That doesn't sound like a good option to me. I keep telling myself 20 minutes a day. When to take that 20 minutes--that is the question.

My favorite things

This morning I woke up to thunder and lightening. I love the sound of thunder. I love the smell of rain, especially in the spring. My grandma used to sit with us on her porch and we would watch the rain. My mom did it with us too, and does it with my kids when we are there to visit. Here is a list of some of my favorite things. Not necessarily in order of importance.
1. My girls' laughter
2. Date night with my hubby
3. Going to book club
4. Eating at P.F. Changs
5. Reading a good book
6. A clean house (although rare, I love it)
7. Going to church
8. A call from a friend, my mom, my grandma, my sisters, or my daddy.. :)
9. Flowers for no reason
10. Jets flying low (another of my favorite sounds)
11. Family vacations
12. Girls night out
13. Family reunions
14. Fireworks
15. The 4th of July (my Favorite holiday)
16. Visiting family--even my in-laws
17. Getting pictures
18. Getting a day off work
19. Swimming
20. Embroidery
21. snuggling with my kids (sometimes it's the only way I can fall asleep)
22. babies and that new baby smell
23. milk
24. a good nap, for me and the kids
25. alone time

THE BOOBY SISTERS
Saturday I was downstairs cleaning my house. As usual, I am frantically trying to get everything done so that I don't spend the whole day cleaning. Just as I turned off the vacuum, I heard some mischievous giggles coming down the stairs. "Oh no," I wondered. What were they up to. All of a sudden my youngest princess turns the corner and to my surprise--BOOBS! Whit had spent all morning blowing up small water balloons. I had no idea what she wanted to do with them, but it kept her occupied, so I didn't ask. Then the next two came around the corner. BOOBS--again... Whitney had even put on one of her undershirt bras to hold those balloons in place. I took one look at them and had to stop and grab the camera. This was for sure a Kodak moment. They all stood in line for their picture and Whit and Abby said, "We are the booby sisters! Do we look grown up?" I'm afraid I have a looong road ahead of me.

God Bless America

I just watched a prayer service for the Hurricane victims on c-span. It brought tears to my eyes! Our President, who everyone is belittling, gave a remarkable speech. He loves our country and the people in it. It infuriates me to hear people talk about him the way they do. Who are we to judge? Could any one of us say what we would do? Certainly not. You never know what you would do, until you are put in that situation. We need to learn to not blame others for things that happen. God is in charge of our world. Nobody could've stopped the hurricane. President Bush is doing the best he can with what he knows and what he has. We can not ask anything else of anyone. We all do the best we can. So, lets be proud of the things he does right. Lets be glad that the leader of our nation believes in God and in prayer. Lets unite, instead of fight. If we can't unite, then what are all of our soldiers fighting for? I'm proud to be an American. I love this land. It's the people in it who make it less than perfect. So, I, along with President Bush, say "God Bless America". Let's all work harder to make it the great nation that it is.

Workin' like a dog

My husband, who doesn't have a nickname yet because he doesn't like sunshine like I do, so I can't call him Mr. Sunshine, works his guts out. He started a job in June as an Asst. Mngr. at Arctic Circle. His hours are so long! He usually leaves our home at 5:30 a.m. and doesn't usually get home until 7:00 p.m. That is just a long freakin day. I am so proud of him though. This is his first time being a manager and he's doing a great job. Hopefully, the experience will pay off and it will all be worth it. I miss him though. He's not around a lot and I feel bad that he misses out on so much at home. What a great guy! It just goes to show how much he loves his sunshine girl and his 3 little princesses.

Your blogs been highjacked!

I whipped this up real quick tonight. Going to work on another one right now. But i wanted to do this real quick b/c I love love this pic of the girls.

Love ya and miss ya,
Misti Lee

Aunt Shelley's fabulous hairdo

Aunt Shelley's fabulous hairdo,
originally uploaded by sunshinegirl3princesses.

I'm testing how to do all this stuff, so excuse the thousand posts today! This is Abby's princess hairdo that her Aunt Shelley did up at our grandpa's cabin. A crown. How fitting.

MY CHEESY GIRL

This is my baby--pulling one of her "CHEESE" smiles. Everytime you pull out the camera, you can expect this from her. What a nut!

I need a magic wand--OR a Fairy Godmother!

You know on Cinderella when she's kneeling down crying because she wants to go to the ball? All of a sudden her Fairy Godmother appears, waves her magic wand, and POOF! She has a beautiful dress, and is on her way to the ball to meet her handsome prince. Well, I have a handsome prince. I have 3 beautiful princesses. I even live in a castle. Well, it is to me anyway. My problem is I need maids to clean my castle. I can't keep up with all the Royalty that lives in this house. Laundry is in piles(the rest of it is clean, it needs to be folded & put away) , the floor needs to be mopped, bathrooms are filthy. You know, the whole sha-bang. This would all be fine, except the fact that I can't just put on my rags and go to work. I have kids to watch, food to cook, and homework to do. (My kids' homework is driving me bonkers!) So, I'm wondering if I kneel down and cry, could I get a Fairy Godmother with a magic wand to *POOF* clean my castle?????

Abby's kindergarten checkup

Abby loved her checkup. My doctor is AWESOME. She didn't cry at all for her shots. She is growing up so big!!!

What is wrong with my mom?

Today started out like any other day. It's 7:57 and my little Whitney is not wanting to get ready for school. The bus she catches comes at 8:40, therefore leaving her with a half hour to get dressed, eat, get her hair done and be to the neighbors to walk with them to the bus stop. Normally, it's a rush, but it gets done without any trouble. Today, however, was a constant battle. "Why can't I watch TV? Abby gets to watch TV. "(Abby doesn't go to school until 12:15) "Why do I have to ride the bus, I hate the bus." So, at 8:35, she is in front of the next door neighbors house screaming and crying that she is scared. What? What was that? SCARED? I yell at her to get in the house and once she is in, I freak out. I'm not talking a little tantrum, I start screaming and yelling, telling her what a brat she's being (which is against EVERYTHING I believe in) and send her to her room, but not before I spanked her butt. " What is wrong with me?" I'm thinking to myself. Maybe she is scared. I went into her room and tried to talk to her about it. I explained that there were reasons she has to take the bus. Then I get all the kids, load them in the van, and take her to the bus stop. I'm thinking the whole time that all this is going on, that Whitney is also wondering "What is wrong with her?" Most of the time I feel like a really good mom. I love my kids more than anything, and despite their little moods, I am usually pretty patient with them. Next time I feel like freaking out, I hope I won't leave my kids wondering. "What is wrong with my mom?" Thankfully, for my sake, there is such a word as forgiveness.

Let's celebrate, It's PEACH DAYS!

This past weekend was Brigham City's annual Peach Days celebration. Brigham City is where I grew up and each September I would look forward to the big weekend when I could socialize all weekend. This year was no exception. I love to go and see who I will run into. This year I ran into my favorite High School teacher. His name is Jim Fuller. The moment I saw him, I felt myself light up. He was awesome. He was like a dad to me. He noticed me at the same time and we gave each other a big hug. It's been 11 years since I've gradutated and at that moment it felt like yesterday. It always has amazed me how fast time passes me by. I had my girls with me and it was so fun to show him my family. There is so many people there and we couldn't talk long, but I wish we could have. I ran into a few of my old friends and we caught up on our lives. This year, it felt like winter. It rained on us during the parade, and the rest of the day everyone walked around with pants, jackets, and hats. The best part about Peach days, even more than seeing everyone, is being with my family. We stayed with my grandma, which is "grandma great" to my girls. They love being there and she loves having us there. Whit sat and did her hair and make-up for what seemed like hours. They talked about school and Whit's friends. Then Whitney asked her about the "olden days". I love to watch my kids with her. I love to see the generations between them disappear and listen to their conversations. We were able to have Sunday dinner with my family. We watched a home video of my nephew being born, and laughed at what a terror he is now. It was a good weekend. There really is no place like home.

Romance

Tonight my husband and I took the kids on a ride to try and get them to sleep. We listened to them whine and fight it for a while and then in a matter of minutes they were out. We decided to drive around for a little while and while we were driving an old song started playing on the radio. It was a song that we listened to when we were dating and every time I listen to it, it brings back a flood of memories. At that moment I realized how different things are for us now. Not necessarily bad, just different. I miss the butterflies. I miss gazing at each other. Sometimes I feel we are so caught up with life, that the romance is lost. Can those feelings ever come back, or are they just something you feel when you are young and twitterpated? Would I change what we have now? Not really. It's so much deeper than it once was. If I went back, I wouldn't have my girls, or the relationship that comes from knowing and living with someone. Maybe one day life will settle down and we will have those moments again. I guess until then, the songs will have to tide me over and help me cherish those dating days.

An uplifting day

I went to church today, kind of with a bad attitude. It is hard sometimes to sit through church with 3 children not wanting to sit still, needing a potty break every 5 minutes, and thinking it's funny to constantly annoy each other. Once I got them to their classes and was able to go to my own, I breathed a sigh of relief to have a moment to myself and enjoy the lesson. The rest of the meeting went rather nicely. I love to be there. I love the way I feel. I love how I come home determined to be a better person. We have two goals we are supposed to work on this month. The first is to read a good book. The second is to listen when we are promted to do something. I think I can do that. It's nice that I can come home and feel like I want to take on the world. By Wednesday or Thursday I lose that vision. Life gets in the way. There's a house to clean, kids to take to school, kids to tend. I'm glad that I get another reminder next Sunday....

Friends

This morning I got a phone call from my friend Julie. We have been best friends since High School. We talked for two and a half hours--which we do often. So, during naptime today, the house was quiet and it gave me time to think. What would I do without my friends? I think about how much I really depend on my best friends. I have a lot of friends, but not too many would I call my BEST. Mist and I have been best friends for 11 years. What makes a friendship last that long? What makes me so lucky to have friends like that? I draw a lot of strength from my friends. They help me make it through the day. I know I can count on them any time, any day. I have relatives who really don't have friendships like I do. That's so sad to me. I feel like these women are my sisters. I just wasn't able to have them born into my actual family. I went to a website one day to look up friendship quotes and found several that I loved. But here is one that I love:

"I'd like to be the sort of friend that you have been to me. I'd like to be the help that you've been always glad to be; I'd like to mean as much to you each minute of the day, as you have meant, old friend of mine, to me along the way."

Here's to my Best friends. I love ya tons!!! Thanks for all you do for me.

my dear friend Misti, has been doing this forever. It's going to take me a long time to figure it out. Like pictures and everything. It will be fun though. I'm going to need some pointers Mist. Thanks for the pic of the suburban. :) I sure love ya! Today has been a hectic day. Watching 3 kids under 3 is definately a treat. I found out today that I have a low thyroid. Any suggestions? Picked up my medicine today. What a bummer. The kids have been in school for two weeks. I'm sad summer is over and (sorry about complaining) but gas prices really are killing me. I can't even afford to go visit my mom. I'd rather deal with gas prices though than having my house under water, or not knowing where my loved ones were. It's good to remember that someone always has it worse than we do. I'm going to love this.