Well, as always I meant to blog sooner! I’ve been trying to get a few work at home stuff going for me so we can have additional income and I will keep working until I succeed. Last Wednesday was Katie’s 8th birthday!!! We had quite the busy week too. Wednesday morning I went out with a church friend to visit people then Brad decided to come home early so we could take Katie out to do something. She came home and we ended up taking her to the mall to the DISNEY STORE! She had been there before, but only to look around. This time it was to pick something out for her birthday. The employees gave her a surprise from Mickey – a special button that had her name on it! They also let her blow “pixie dust” (aka glitter) and make a wish! We looked allll over the whole store and guess what she picked? She saw this Frozen book with different stories in it and said, “Oh, I have got to have it!” Our little book worm! We went over to Hot Topic since I have been wanting to go back there and pick up some new band tshirts. Picked up a new Panic! at the Disco Victorious shirt, plus Fall Out Boy, and Five Finger Death Punch. Got a little tiny button pin that says I love music and a Panic button/pin too. Brad found some awesome cologne on sale and only paid a little over $3 for 2 bottles of it! Awesome. We left and came back into our town and stopped by Whole Foods. I figured since Katie wasn’t getting her birthday cake on her birthday then we’d get her a little treat so she picked out a pecan little mini treat and bought her favorite tuna cranberry wrap for dinner. “Yes! I’m so excited about my sandwich!” Lol. We ate dinner then they were having a kids activity at church and Brad needed to go get some church work done anyway and said I could help him. She went with the kids and I sat in Brad’s office for 30 minutes while he was talking to other people then I helped him sort/shred some papers. We went to go get Katie from the classroom where they were having the activity… and the kids were going wild. Katie was all over the place. We had gotten her Nana’s birthday package in the mail earlier that day and I told her if she would come on we could go home and open it but she was still messing with the piano and running up to the podium. I told her to come on and finally we moved towards the door then she started pushing all the buttons on the thermostat- WHAT. I grabbed her hand and said, “What are you doing?!” Noo no no. Way too wild. Told her to calm down or she wasn’t gonna get to open Nana’s package when we got home. Brad had to go drive the car closer to the building since it had started POURING. I knew we had a chance of rain but it stormed! Saw some bright lightning that was close to us too. Katie got to come home and open her awesome birthday package from Nana and their crew! She loved all of it. She got in trouble quite a few times last week at school so I told her to straighten up and do her best, even with it being so close to school ending. She’s got lots of cool birthday stuff that can be taken away If she doesn’t behave.

Let’s see. That was last Wednesday. The next evening we had a guy from church come visit us (that is supposed to come once a month) and he was awesome! We just chatted about our conversion to the church and I basically told him my life story, lol. So glad he got to stop by and see us! We had planned on letting Katie stay with Mom this Saturday (21st) so we could go buy her birthday presents/party stuff but Mom had an eye appointment at 3PM so I thought we would wait until she got back from that and then see about going. We slept in Saturday and then just had a chill day waiting on the afternoon so we could go out. Well, I sent a text to my Aunt to see where she was- and she was with Mom. They were still waiting at 4PM. It was taking a lot longer than planned. I told Brad that we could go after dinner. We ate and then my Aunt said they were still there at almost 6:30PM. Brad was disappointed cause we didn’t get to go earlier but stuff happens yenno. I told Brad we could just try to get birthday/party stuff tomorrow (Sunday) and just go maybe visit the pet store instead and pick up a few things at Wal-Mart so he gets dressed and that’s what we did! Went to the new Petland location and it’s awesome! Looked at allll the animals, got to hold another baby ferret!!!, played with the cockatiels, then cuddled with the cutest and sweetest little baby Goffins Cockatoo. AHHHH I would have taken it home If I could!!! SO SWEET. We stopped by the store then headed back home so at least we got to do something! Woke up and went to church yesterday and Brad didn’t have to be there for early early morning meetings (thankfully) so we left closer to our usual time. I felt more fatigue than usual yesterday morning which was bleh but finally church was done. Brad had to stay, as usual, so I drove me and Katie home to go eat lunch. Brad came home just as I was about to lay down for my nap. I took a smaller nap then called Mom to see If she would watch Katie while we got presents/birthday stuff and then we could have it at her (Mom’s) place like we have been the last couple years. However, she was feeling terrible from doing too much yesterday. Oh and at the eye appointment they found her good eye (she’s pretty much blind in one eye and has been since childhood I think) has cataracts and saw some type of hemorrhage- which sucks. She was finally able to get her new glasses tho. She said she was having trouble breathing and just did not feel well and that her house was a mess and she didn’t want Katie seeing it a mess. I told her maybe we could have a separate party at her place some other time but we still needed someone to watch Katie while we went to buy her stuff and she said, “Well, about how long do you think you’re gonna be?!?!” I was like thinking, woah. Then I thought well, nevermind. She said I could bring her over when we left so I got off the phone then decided I didn’t want to bug her since I know she needed to rest so I talked to Brad and we decided this year we would make it a fun, pick-out-your-own type of birthday for her, instead of a surprise set up. I called Mom before we left and said that we were just gonna take her out instead. It worked out perfectly. We took her to Goodwill and found a whole bunch of new chapter books for her to read, a gigantic My Little Pony play set that included soooo many things!, and a new box/crate to put it all in. Back to Whole Foods where she picked out a cute little birthday cake and got the number 8 purple candle. She also got her tuna wrap to take home for dinner again. Stopped by Wal-Mart and bought her a new small bookshelf for all her books as a present! Came home, ate, Brad put together her new shelf, we sang happy birthday, they had cake (the disadvantage of having so many food sensitivites… :( I don’t get to eat a lot of things), we sorted through old books, fixed up the new book shelf, looked at all her new pony set, then it was late and time for bed! She was super excited about everything and was literally squealing when we were opening the bag that had all the pony stuff in it, lol. She goes a full day at school today, but only half day Tuesday and Wednesday! Wednesday is her last day of SECOND GRADE!!!

We have an 8 year old and an almost THIRD GRADER! Time goes by way way way too fast. I’m so thankful, grateful, and blessed. Just send some good vibes to my Mom so maybe she can feel a little better and some positive vibes for my hubby since he is not happy at his job and hopefully soon we can get it sorted to where we can both be bringing enough income in to get everything we need and he can be happier career-wise. So, our big 8 year old will be getting baptized at church as soon as we can get it set up! So excited for her!!! <3 Alright, wishing everyone an awesome week. Make it great.. we have a choice every day in how we handle life. THINK- BE- DO positive. =)