It's been a LoNg RoAd...

Today marks the start of my very first class with the University of Phoenix Online. Back in February I received the "green light" to begin down the LONG road towards becoming online faculty. Believe it or not, I just started teaching my mentorship class today (after 3 months of training)... which means I am teaching my own class but I just have a seasoned faculty member shadowing me to make sure I am doing everything right and to make sure I don't have any questions or problems. It was a little nerve-racking to start today but I am sure it will be great! I feel so unqualified to be teaching a Masters level course especially since most of my students have several years on me but my husband always tell me, "You don't give yourself enough credit."

I am so grateful for the little blessings in life (like this one) that I receive. I have been working towards this goal for over 3 years now and it's finally here. I have hopefully seen my last day in the actual classroom (which I know I will miss) and I am able to teach from home. I have the best of both worlds... teaching and earning money while staying home with my boys!

Growing like Weeds!

It's been a while since I have posted any pictures of the boys... needless to say, I am not the best at remembering my camera or remembering to take pictures of everything. Here are a few of the boys a few Sundays ago after nap time (which explains Glen David's wild hair)! I can't believe how fast they are growing up. Glen David is getting too smart for his own britches and just as sassy too! Jaxon is so fun right now... he is talking a lot more and we are starting to understand what he is is saying more and more each day. The latest thing he says is "bug juice" whenever we pull into a gas station. It didn't take him long to figure that one out from Glen David. Nana started that long ago when Glen David was little and it continues to be a battle everytime I pull into QT. (For those of you who don't know... Bug Juice is a little juice bottle they have at QT's that are just jam packed full of sugar!) I am so grateful for my two little WEEDS!

Mother's Day!

My husband is so good to me. For Mother's Day this year he gave me the greatest gift ever! He took both boys (yes, even Jaxon at 17 months old) on the fathers and sons campout and let me have a weekend to relax. It was nice to have a little break. I went out with my good friend Sarah to do the girly things like pedicures, dinner and shopping. Then we stayed up until all hours of the night talking and laughing until we were crying. It was nice to have a little "me" time although I did miss all 3 of my boys! Then on Saturday night, Glen Allen took me out on a date and Sunday morning started off with breakfast in bed! I also got a bouquet of tulips, a mothers charm for Jaxon to add to my one for Glen David, lots of "I love you's", Sunday dinner at my in-laws where all the men made dinner and last but not least a nice relaxing massage to end out the evening. I am so lucky, although I don't deserve it. I have been Miss. Cranky Pants lately and unfortunately, my husband and boys get the brunt of it. I am not quite sure what my problem is but I need to snap out of this terrible mood.... PRONTO... before my husband and boys hate me!

Kids... sometimes I wonder...

So I thought the saying was the "terrible 2's"... no one informed me of the horrific 3's! I don't know if it's just me (my husband will say yes!) or what but this week all my patience have flown right out the window!!! It is a good thing Glen David is on a fathers and sons campout right now or I would probably have him locked in a closet while I was curled up in the fetal position in a corner bawling my eyes out or pulling all my hair out! Here are a few adventures of my week with Glen David:

1. At 7:00 am (right after waking up) I found him sitting on a chair in my living room shoveling as many Hershey kisses in his mouth as he possibly could. His answer to my question of "what in the world are you doing?" was, "I'm just hungry." What a lovely way to start off a day.

2. After loosing the 3 hour battle of attempting nap time yesterday, it ended with no nap for either of the boys, lots of spanking and yelling, baby lotion all over the floor, all the shelves in the closet (even the top one) completely empty all over the floor along with two buckets of approximately 20 pairs of shoes, and the top drawer of Jaxon's clothes. (the day before during nap time he got out the Vicks Vapo Rub and rubbed that all over the furniture in his room and all over his feet).

3. Peeing right in the middle of his bedroom floor... "just because".

4. Purposely crumbling several crackers in his hands and scattering them all over the kitchen floor because he thought it was fun.

5. Filling up a cup of water from the fridge to the top and then standing there watching it overflow all over the floor as he continued to push the button.

I am sure there are more but it's late and my blood is beginning to boil just thinking about the past few days. I am sure the little antics are not done and hopefully next week I will be able to practice a little more patience but this week was not the week to mess with 'mean old mom'! As my grandma nicely put it tonight, I need the saying she has on her fridge... "Lord grant me patience, but please hurry!"

BANDIT!

Well, I finally got a chance to continue my last post from Glen Allen's birthday... here was the big surprise! He got his much wanted Siberian Husky puppy. I wanted to surprise Glen Allen with an actual puppy on his birthday but I decided it would be best to let him pick out the exact one he wanted. So I got him a book on huskies, a chew toy and a "certificate of choice" to allow him to pick out the one he wanted. The next day, we luckily found Bandit in El Mirage. It's hard to find breeders here in Arizona! He is a great little puppy with a lot of energy. The boys absolutely love him!

I am so LuCkY!

I have the best and hottest husband in the world. How hot is this? He got a guitar for Christmas and he frequently goes online, finds new music, learns how to play the songs and then plays and sings as he swings in his hammock. How many women can say they get serenaded on a regular basis as they make dinner? ME!!!

Did I also mention that tomorrow is his big 28th Birthday?? If you didn't know, I am surprised because according to him, everyone should know that April 1oth is the most important day of the YEAR!

My husband is worse than any little kid when it comes to Christmas and his birthday. If he could have it his way, we would celebrate his birthday the entire month before and the entire month after the actual day. Usually about a month before his birthday and/or Christmas the pestering begins... "So, what are you getting me for my birthday? Come on, just tell me! Just give me a hint?" He even stoops as low as asking questions like... "is it just for me or for the whole family to enjoy? Is it bigger or smaller than a couch? Bigger or smaller than a book? Bigger or smaller than a cell phone?" He tries to start guessing and I can't lie to save my life so he usually finds out only because he guesses every possible thing in the book until he gets that "I can't lie" expression from me. It's more exciting for him to find out what he is getting than to wait until the actual day to get the surprise. It drives me up the WALL and comes close to requiring a "strong drink" to calm me down! I have the hardest time surprising him! He already found out part of the plan for tomorrow but there is still something he hasn't figured out yet! I am so excited about this gift but it's a secret for now! More to come...

What a Weekend!

There are many things to look forward to each conference weekend... the much-needed uplifting messages, the break from fighting both boys during church, the break from teaching primary, the used-to-be girls night out during the priesthood session (which is now mom-and-kids night out), laying around in my pj's for two days, taking a nap between sessions, and did I mention getting a break from teaching primary, and spending time with the family. Saturday morning before the early session we headed up to the rolls (on the north end of Saguaro Lake) and took a little ride. The boys love the golf cart and of course Glen Allen was in heaven just like he is every time he gets a chance to ride!