I Refuse...

...to live life with regrets
...to ever eat taco bell again
...to stop eating healthy & working out now that I've finally started again
...to raisse unhealthy kids
...to buy junk food ever again
...to compromise my integrity
...to let an aerobics class beat me
...to give up my dreams
...to force my children to do things I wouldn't do
...to ever stop learning
...to be a lazy mom
...to be a lazy wife
...to settle
...to let the little things get me down
...to accept second best
...to ever stop trying
...to ever admit defeat
...to be like everyone else
...to let insignificant people bring me down
...to make bad decisions ever again
...to do nothing to stop embarassing my kids
...to have anymore stupid fights with the people I love
...to ever again disappoint anyone I care about, including myself
...to let myself down
...to stop caring
...to ever stop loving my husband
...to ever stop letting my love for my family and friends grow
...to lose anymore friends
...to go back to my old ways of living
...to let anyone stand in my way
...to be rude
...to stoop to other peoples' levels
...to accept stupidity
...to let ignorance go unnoticed
...to stand idly by and watch someone harm themselves
...to abandon my blog for this long again....

Happy Girl!!

Mr. Independent...pumpkin muffin face

Hopes and Dreams

When children are young, their parents have so many hopes and dreams for them. As children grow up, they develop their own hopes and dreams. Do they replace the hopes and dreams their parents have for them? Do their parents lose sight of the hopes they hold for their kids? I'm pursuing my own hopes and dreams right now. I'm reaching for the stars, and attempting to make a difference, not only in my own life and that of my family.....but in the lives of the people I come into contact with. I'm excited. But I'm scared. What if I can't do it? What if I can't pursue my own dremas? What if someone blocks my path? I will achieve my goals. Nobody will successfully stand in my way.

I start clinicals on April 6th. I'll be at the Cityview Care Center on Bryant Irvin. We are doing our geriatric rotation and our "psych" rotation (which in our case will be Alzheimer's) from April until June. I'm excited about it, because my rotation times will be 6am-2pm. I'm not looking forward to waking up that early and leaving....but I am looking forward to having my special time with my children.

In the morning I will have Michael take a picture of me in my scrubs and we'll post it. It's cute :)

Some pictures....Enjoy!!

This is the "fat one" and we're vascillating on their names....at the moment she's either Ethel or Shirley. She may even be a male, we're not entirely certain...She eats constantly

This is the other one, the "skinny one," actually getting to eat : She is either LaVerne or Lucy, depending on the day! To Daniel, they're both "OH CUTE!!" She likes to CLIMB and CHEW on the cage wires...

here she is climbing up the side :

Daniel enjoying his pb&j breakfast!

Be sure to scroll down and check out our Princess Bunny Rabbit!!

Furniture...

We don't have a lot of furniture. It's never been a real high priority...we have a couch, 3 ancient chairs (great solid wood construction, but outdated upholstery), and a tv in the living room. The couch has evidence of kiddos all over it! We don't have a head or footboard on our bed. Our kids, on the other hand, have great furniture. Most of our living space is taken up with toys & toy holders! It's fabulous...one day we'll get furniture & a bed...right now we'll settle for (and be thankful for) what we have.

My dream bed style :


And I'd loooove to be able to buy a new sofa & TV....but there are so many things above those things. They'd be nice to have, though

Princess Bunny Rabbit

You'd think after my experience with their family....

I wouldn't want them. But I do :


Meet Laverne & Shirley, our twin teddy bear hamsters. Aren't they adorable? They are quite nocturnal....