Hanging With The Hurst's

New toy in the house

2012-02-16T10:40:00.000-08:00

We finally bit the dust and bought a new computer. Mark had decided that we were going to get a MAC this time because he is sick and tired of the problems that we had with PC's in the past. After waiting for a bit more cash to accumulate in our account I gave Mark a strict budget and he began looking around for our new computer. Mark found a MAC ProBook at the local Micro Center online that was on an after holiday sale. So last weekend we went and bought a new MAC. I am having some issues getting used to the way that it runs but the one thing that I do like about it is that it is running!

RIP HP Computer

2012-02-01T09:04:00.000-08:00

So if you have read previous posts then you know that we have a 5 year plan. A couple of weeks ago that plan took a hit. Our laptop finally crashed for good. We have replaced the power cord and battery two times in the last year to keep it going but it finally just gave out. Not having a computer is completely out of the question since I do my schooling online this semester. So Mark's parents have graciously lent us their little notebook until we can afford a new laptop. Mark wants a MAC instead of a PC this time so that means more money. So we are awaiting our tax return so we can put a small dent in our debt and then purchase a new computer. Being an adult stinks sometimes!

Financial Fast

2012-01-14T18:54:00.000-08:00

I dropped a bomb on my family tonight that might or might not go over so well. I have decided that we are going on a "financial fast" until Mark gets paid again in 2 weeks. Like most families we spent too much money during the holidays. Not only on presents but food, entertainment and extra things since we were all home for about two weeks. Mark wanted to know exactly what that meant. So here are the basic rules that we are going to follow for the fast.

1. daily prayer
2. no eating out (except next Saturday when his parents take us out for my birthday)
3. no spending money on extras
4. limiting shower times to 5 minutes
5. dishes every other day
6. laundry twice a week

The only exemptions to this two weeks is going to be my birthday dinner and Kai's scheduled horse back riding lesson. I hope that this all goes smooth and allows us to save some money as well!

Deleted from Facebook

2012-01-11T14:03:00.001-08:00

I was perusing facebook earlier today and came across something that I probably wasn't supposed to see. A facebook profile that I thought was deleted. Late last year I noticed that one of my "best" friends had deleted me from facebook. No explanation was given. No notice that it was going to happen. Nothing! I have no idea what I may have done or said to upset her but obviously I did. What is strange is that her husband and I are still friends on facebook and Mark considers him one of his closest friends. I have been looking at her blog to get some cooking inspiration since she is a fabulous cook. I left a very nice comment letting her know that I have enjoyed cooking some of her recipes. But again when I looked back it later on the comment had been deleted. Oh well. I guess I can take the hint. Our friendship for whatever reason is over. Don't know what else I can say or do since I don't know why this all happened.

2011 sucked and went...now what?

2012-01-01T19:47:00.000-08:00

I for one am so happy that 2011 is over with. 2011 was year that my faith was tested, my patience tried, and friendships ended. There was some good things that came out of this year like me losing 25 pounds. I actually lost 30 but gained 5 of it back during the holidays. I went back to school and got a B in my psychology class. Somehow being able to get a B in my class while raising a family has given me the incentive I needed to finally work on finishing my degree. Even though I only achieved some of my new years goals I am going to make some new ones this year.
1) lost the final 30 pounds of baby weight (working on 8 years...it's time!)
2) get back to basics in religion
3) get out of debt (with the exception of the casa)
4) be a better wife and mother

Hairy Legs?

2011-12-11T11:33:00.000-08:00

I have often thought to myself "what is the point in shaving my legs in the winter?" Seriously, what is the point? Is it that big of a deal if I want to have hairy mountain man legs to keep myself warm and comfortable? If I need to wear a skirt or dress thats what tights and knee high boots are for. In the winter you pretty much stay in sweats or jeans. So again I ask, what is the point?

FYI: I shaved my legs last night, but I hated every minute of it!

4,900 of our closest friends and Spongebob...

2011-12-01T12:26:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving this was celebrated a little but different than years past. A few years ago as Mark and his sisters started families of their own his parents said "no more big family vacations. Instead, we will take each individual family on their own vacation one time. You can choose where you want to go and when you want to go with the exception of backpacking through Europe." or something along those lines was said. Annie and Ben (along with Jack at the time) decided to take a Hawaiian cruise that next year. Sarah and her family went to Disney World last summer. We had always promised Kai that when she turned 8 we would all go to Disney World for our vacation. However, Tutu (Mark's mom) called us from Disney World last summer and said for us to pick some place else to go because Kai wouldn't have much fun at Disney since she is terrified of rides. So we decided to let Kai decide where she wanted to go for our trip since her place had been ruled out. Kai saw a commercial on the tv and decided that our family should go on a Nickelodeon cruise. I thought Thanksgiving would be the perfect time since she is out of school and Mark's office is closed for half the week. So thats what we did. We went on a Thanksgiving cruise with 4900 people and Spongebob Squarepants. Good food was eaten. Beautiful beaches were played on. Swimming was done. The Blue Man group was seen. un times were had by all.

Running Away

2011-11-09T15:53:00.000-08:00

Have you ever thought about running away from home and your life even if just for a little bit? I am having those very thoughts right now. Last Thursday I got a call from my dad saying that my mom was in the hospital with heart complications. I was on a plane heading to Lubbock about five hours later. They released her on Friday morning but obviously shouldn't have because she was back in the hospital less than 24 hours later. I scheduled my return trip home for monday afternoon but my father wanted me to stay for the remainder of the week. However, Mark had a different agenda and insisted that I come home. So I get home on Monday and mark turns around and heads out of town for work on Tuesday morning. He told me when he left that he would be home for dinner Wednesday but I just now got a call and he said it would be later. The kids are hitting and yelling at each other and terrorizing the dogs. I am coming down with a cold. And unfortunately the night is not getting any shorter or easier. I want to run away!!

Halloween 2011

2011-10-28T19:52:00.000-07:00

Mark and I are not fans of Halloween by any stretch of the imagination. But we put on a happy face and fake it for our children. Secretly, I can not wait until they get older and we don't have to do anything Halloween like! But until then, fake it til you make it is our motto! Here are some pictures of our little Darth Vader and his Pirate sister.

New Family Tradition...Pumpkin Painting

2011-10-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

As the previous post said, we decided to paint our pumpkins this year. Here are a few pictures of the end products! We really had a fun time doing this and the clean up was soooo much easier. New family tradition has been started!

Pumpkin Pickin'

2011-10-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

Since we have had children we have a tradition of going and picking out a pumpkin to be carved a week before Halloween so that it doesn't ruin. This past Saturday we headed out to a local pumpkin patch to gather our pumpkins. Each of us got a small pumpkin except for Kai who had to have a bigger and better pumpkin than the rest of us. Normally, we will carve our pumpkins on a Monday evening for our version of a family home evening. But this year we have decided to skip the messiness of carving a take on the mess of painting our pumpkins. At first the kids were not to keen on this idea but have slowly come around to accepting it! So we will paint our gourds this week and proudly display them on the porch. (pics to come soon!)

Missing My Friends

2011-10-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

So lately I have been missing my friends back in Lubbock and Corsicana. I was sad when we moved here because I was leaving behind some of my very best friends. The last 6 months have been extremely hard on me here. I have been gossiped about, ignored, and excluded from things. I just haven't formed any true friendships here and that makes me sad. So Becca, Laura, Theresa, Keila, and Amber if you read this just know that I am thinking about you and I miss you terribly!!

My name is Diana and I'm an Extreme Couponer

2011-10-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen the show Extreme Couponing? Well I have and I have become fascinated by it. In fact I have started couponing myself. Back in the spring a couple of my girlfriends started couponing to save money and to grow their food storage. I was amazed at how fast the stock piles grew and the amount of money that these ladies were saving their families. So I asked them if they would teach me the tricks. I can proudly say that I have stocked my fridge, freezer, pantry, deep freezer, guest closet, linen closet, and shelving unit in the guest room with all of my goods. When my family needs something all they have to do is ask and I will point them to the right area to get it. I love couponing and if someone told me that I had to stop I just might cry.

Soapbox Time

2011-10-06T12:19:00.000-07:00

I hardly ever get on my soapbox but today is one of the rare occasion that I will do so. Last night while I was waiting for Kai to finish with her activity at Church i was visiting with some friends. We were joking about things that we all wish we could have like a live in maid, personal chef, personal trainer, husbands that travel for work less, kids that mind, and so forth when the topic of conversation switched to schools and in particular bus riding in the district. One of my friends had just got in the mail a bill for over $600 from last year because her daughter rides the bus. In this district if you live outside of the 2 mile radius of your school you can ride the bus for free. However, if you live inside of that 2 miles you are charged $65 a month to have your child ride the bus. ($55 each additional child) I mean come on people!! What the heck is our school tax money going for? We have some of the highest school district taxes in the state and you have audacity to charge a family so that their child can ride the bus to school. It doesn't seem fair or right to me at all! Plus every other week we are getting hit up for more money to support the school. Yearbooks, class pictures, book fairs, fundraisers, restaurant nights, Rosetta Stone software, musical instruments and the list goes on and on. I am just so sick of people, like myself, having to basically "bend over" for the district because no one will put a stop to this ludicrous behavior. If our tax money is not being spent on things like transportation for students then what the heck is it being spent on?

Update your blog please

2011-09-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

Why do people have blogs if they never post anything? I just don't get it people! I mean come on!! I am a curious person and would like to know whats going on in your lives. Some might call it nosey but I prefer curious. Anyways, get to writing people because I am getting bored reading the same old stuff. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

Sincerely,
me

Crown Prince Hurst

2011-09-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

This little boy can just melt my heart. When trying to discipline him he will say something so funny that I have a hard time punishing him because I just want to laugh. He has the most expressive eyes and make the most animated facial expressions. He lives in his own make believe world where he actually thinks he is Luke Skywalker. Balls, trucks, bugs, and all things Star Wars are some of his favorite things. If he is ever "angry at you" then give him fruit snacks and he will be your best friend. I love this little man of mine. Happy 3rd Birthday Jakob! Thank you for being born and choosing me as your mommy!

September 11th

2011-09-11T15:09:00.000-07:00

I thought that I could get through this day without crying but that didn't happen. So where were you 10 years ago today when the world stood still while America was being attacked. I was babysitting my nephew Kaden who was only 4 months at the time. I had placed him in his car seat with a bottle so that he could watch cartoons while I grabbed a quick 5 minute shower. Just as I was getting into the shower I heard a sharp cry coming from my room so I jumped out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel and ran to see what was wrong with Kaden. He was crying because his cartoons had been turned off and what was on the tv then made me cry. I was watching the second plane go into the twin towers. I quickly got dressed and loaded Kaden into the car and headed to my grandmama's house. I spent the day at grandma's with my mom, sister, Kaden, grandma, and grandpa just watching the news. I remember my mom getting called by someone and asking her if she wanted to go to New York to help out with those that were injured. This seemed odd to me because we lived in Lubbock but then it made sense when I remembered that she was a wound specialist and there are not many of those around. That night I went out to Floydada to see Mark because he didn't want to be alone that night and we spent most of the night talking and watching the events on tv. That is a day that my generation will never forget. Just like my mom's and grandparent's generation remember when man walked on the moon, JFK was shot, and Challenger exploded, our generation will always know exactly what we were doing on September 11, 2001. My hope and prayer is that my children never will have to live through a tragedy like that.

The Tale of Two Buncos

2011-09-10T07:12:00.000-07:00

Bunco has become my escape away from home once a month. A night where I can just be with some of my friends and have a couple hours of fun. Unfortunately, with all of the traveling going on during the summer we have not had a Bunco night since June. But this week I got a very unexpected call from Mark's best friend Josh's wife Christie. She was throwing a Bunco night at her house and wanted me to come and play. Now here is where things are different...
Church group: quiet, fast paced, snacky foods, no alcohol, and prize baskets
Christie's group: loud, slow paced, full on dinner before playing, tons of booze flowing freely, and they play for cash.
(Since I don't really drink for numerous reasons I stopped by the Sonic to get myself a tasty beverage.)
I had a great night playing with Christie's Bunco group and I hope that I get invited back. Also, I really hope the Church Bunco group starts back up real soon.

Psychology

2011-09-08T19:17:00.001-07:00

I am currently taking a psychology class online. It is quite interesting; hard but interesting. So I am hoping to get the answer to a question I have always wondered about out of this class. What comes first for a person: a person already being depressed and then getting more depressed by circumstances OR the bad circumstances of something making a person depressed?

Big Fat Disappointment

2011-09-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of those days when you feel like you have let everyone down that was counting on you? Well I had one of those today. It feels like an out of body experience for me because that is jsut not in my nature to not get the job done. All week long we have been building preschool up to Jackob. Today was meet the teacher day and I THOUGHT it started at 11. I go and get the info. packet out at 10:50 this morning to see what supplies (if any) we needed to bring today. Much to my chagrin, there it was in big bold numbers, the time for the event was from 9-11. We missed it. When I told Jakob that he would not be going to school today he looked at me and said "I hate you. It's your fault mommy!" Talk about breaking my heart. The next group of people that I disappointed was some of our friends. Marathon gives away tickets to the home Astros game on Friday night. Mark had told me on Sunday that he could get up to 8 tickets so I invited 3 other couples to go with us. Mark put in for the tickets on Tuesday and we still haven't heard anything back. So it is safe to assume that we didn't get any tickets. So I messaged the ladies and let them know that there would be no baseball game. I feel so bad about disappointing everyone today. Hopefully, tomorrow I will get it all right!

RELEASED (aka Freedom!)

2011-08-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

Well something that I asked for 2 months ago finally happened yesterday. I got released from my calling as 1st Counselor in Relief Society! After being in some sort of Presidency pretty much non-stop for the last 5 years I get to just relax. When they announced my release from the stand Kai asked me "What are you going to do now momma?" For the first time I have no idea and thats ok with me. I answered her question by saying "I am going to be your mommy for a little bit if thats alright." She gave me a big squueze after that.

The list

2011-08-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

We have lived in our home for 15 months now and I am itching to get started on the list. I told myself when we moved in that I would wait one year before making any changes. I love my house but I want to make it more homey feeling. So here is the list...

paint master bedroom and bathroom
paint playroom because it is a hideous UT burnt orange color
paint guestroom
paint kid's bathroom and decorate it
replace carpets with wood floors in living room, dining room, and hall
new carpet in all bedrooms
granite countertops
tile kitchen and master bathroom
paint Jakob's dresser (Mark used it as a child)

Wow this list keeps getting longer and longer the more I think about it!

Friendship Fleeting

2011-08-09T19:14:00.000-07:00

When I was 5 I met my best friend. And like all little girls that age, I thought she would be my best friend forever. We had ups and downs growing up like all friendships do but somehow we got through it all. She was a bridesmaid at my wedding and I was one at hers. She was one of the first 5 people that I told I was pregnant with Kai. We spent many nights laughing and crying together. I just knew in my heart that I would always have her in my life. Sadly, things happened and things were said on both sides that can't be erased and we no longer talk. I am deeply saddened by this. Soon after the death of this friendship my mom told me that people come into your life for a reason and when they are no longer needed for that reason then they leave your life. I now wonder what her purpose in my life was. The loss of our friendship has been the hardest break-up I have ever gone through. There was never any closure so I am left with just a huge hole in my heart. So my question is, if friendships really are fleeting then why waste the time in letting someone in? I guess that is a question that I may never know the answer to.

Ohio Trip

2011-08-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

Mark and I took a much needed vacation to Ohio a few weeks ago. We are both huge fans of rock and roll, roller coasters, and football so what better place to go then Cleveland, Ohio! We got to go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on the very first day there. Mark loved the grunge rock exhibit while I drooled over everything Aerosmith. The next two days were spent at Cedar Point Amusement park which is the roller coaster capital of the world. They have some of the BEST rides ever! I am terrified of heights but there is something about roller coasters that makes the height of them not matter to me. The last day we got to visit the Pro-Football hall of Fame. Again, Mark and I had our faves, his the Texans and mine the Bills. It was such a fun trip. I love going on trips with just the two of us so that we can remember why we love each other and why it wouldn't be an adventure without one another. Mark is my best friend and thats pretty cool to me.

Five Year Plan

2011-07-24T14:47:00.000-07:00

We have decided to start what we are calling "Our 5 year Plan". Trust me, it is not as fun as it sounds. It will be five long years of financial sacrifice so that we can become debt free (outside of our home). Starting now, we are going to eat out ALOT less, clip coupons, put money into savings, and start the snowball system for some small debts. In order topay off the larger debts (car and student loans) we will take all of our tax returns and bonus money minus 2000 a year and pay things off that way. Vacations are no longer an option and Christmas is going to be small for the next little while. It will all be worth it to save around 700 a month. And as a reward, at the end of 5 years we will take a BIG family vacation to Disney World!

Lubbock or Leave It

2011-07-03T15:20:00.000-07:00

Lubbock itself? I'll leave. These other things? I'll take them all day long and twice on Sunday!

The kids and I recently went to Lubbock for about 2 weeks to visit my family. The festivities included:

Cleaning house
Tobin's graduation and party
family cookout
fighting with family**
Joyland
Kung Fu Panda 2
Waterpark with a nice burn as a souvenir
visiting with friends
fighting with family**
Bridesmaids with sister
Kai went to Aunt Suzan's for 2 days
fighting with family**
visit with grandparents
sno-cones
and totally blowing my diet
did I mention fighting with family**

** Quick footnote-Even though my family argues ALOT we are normally over it pretty quickly and will kick anybody's butt if they try to mess with anyone in our family! (that is just a warning)

Ready, set, DUNK

2011-05-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

See this little angel of mine?

Well today she got baptized! Her father and I could not be more proud of her as we are today!

LEMON NOODLES

2011-05-27T16:32:00.000-07:00

Tonight at dinner I decided to look for a light side dish to make. Mark was grilling chicken with a homemade marinade that I put together yesterday so I thought that lemon noodles sounded good along with some Parmesan steamed broccoli. Anyways here's the recipe for the Lemon Noodles:

What you need:

2 TBS of butter
3 TBS honey
1/2 TBS dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
zest of 1 lemon
juice of one lemon
half box of spaghetti noodles (I used whole wheat!)

1) melt butter in microwave and then stir in honey, thyme, salt, pepper, and lemon juice and zest

2) cook noodles as directed on package

3) drain noodles and mix in the dressing

4) place in the refrigerator to cool off until ready to serve

These noodles were so yummy and the family liked them alot so they will become a staple at our cookouts instead of potato salad!

Guess Who's 8?

2011-05-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

Well it finally happened, my baby girl turned eight. I remember the day I found out I was going to have a baby and the panic and terror that I felt. How was I going to be a mother because I did not like children all that much?! Plus my ob/gyn had told me that me and Mark having children was probably not an option for us. So when that little stick showed two pink lines I went into panic mode. However, now when I think about the joy and love that I have for this girl I am so happy that my doctor was wrong and that my Heavenly Father gave me such a wonderful gift. I love you Kai Bear and can not wait to begin our next chapter together!

Dream Dinners

2011-05-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

There is a little place in Pearland called Dream Dinners. I pass by it all the time and was curious to see what exactly it was. After looking online I learned that Dream Dinners is similar to Super Suppers. You pre-order the food and then you go to the restaurant and you assemble the dinners with the instructions provided. Simple enough so I thought I would give it a try. It seemed pretty pricey at first but after you take into consideration that the ingredients (including meat, spices, oils, containers for the food) are included and alot of them are fresh and then you break the price down per serving,and you can keep them in the freezer for 2-3 months, it really is economical. My per serving price was at 4.98 and to me thats great because we would spend more than that eating out! I got 10 meals including burgers with gorgonzola cheese, steaks, shrimp, chicken entrees, veggie lasagna, and more. Tonight we had the burgers and they were yummy! My family said that they give the burgers an A+. I think this might be something I keep doing in the future.

Finality

2011-04-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

Finality...I hate that word. It brings such bad uneasy feelings inside of me that I want to run and hide. Well that dreadful word caught up to me this morning as I was going through Jakob's closet. I went through Kai's closet yesterday with no emotion what so ever and did it quite quickly. Jakob's closet is a totally different story. I decided that it was time to finally get rid of the baby stuff such as towels, wash cloths, blankets, and burp cloths. Everything was going fine until I came across his preemie clothes. Looking at them and at how tiny my baby was literally brought me to tears. Why you ask? It reminded me of how grateful I am for this little miracle that God gave to me but at the same time made me VERY sad knowing that even with this incredible gift, God also took away my ability to have anymore children. It just brought about a sense of finality knowing that I will never feel another baby squirming in my tummy, never smell a newborn baby in my arms, and never again have the privilege of raising another one of God's children. Finality...I really HATE that word.

Crazy Week

2011-04-20T10:45:00.000-07:00

This week has been one of the hardest on me both physically and emotionally. Mark has been out of town working in Memphis and of course thats when all heck decides to break loose!! To start off, on Sunday night our air conditioner went out for the second time in 2 weeks. The repair man came out on Monday and said the they will have to order a part to fix it and the soonest they can get to it will be Thursday or if they have to wait on the part it will be next week. ARGHHHH! Also, on Monday Jakob thought it would just be fun for mommy if he got sick. Not just a common cold kind of sick but full blown sick. Took Jakob to the doctor on Monday afternoon and just my luck, the boy has a severe lower respiratory infection and is in the early stage on pneumonia. Antibiotics are on board and hopefully he is on the road to recovery. I just want my hubby to get home so that I can go through this crazy week with him.

One last hoorah! Or also known as, the dieting begins...yuck!

2011-03-27T15:14:00.001-07:00

Ok this is the time that I have to start getting serious. About what? Dieting and exercise. Yuck! It has come to the point where I am actually disgusted when I see pictures of myself and when I look in the mirror. Plus I have motivation right around the corner. Mark and I are going on vacation in July and are going to an amusement park and water park. Then in November, our family is going on a cruise to the bahamas and virgin islands. Since I look like a beached whale in a bathing suit and no longer want to look that way I need to drop a few pounds. But before I do that I am having a free for all food weekend. In fact I just made some delish cupcakes with chocolate frosting. Hope I have the will power to keep up with the diet this time. I know maybe I will have Mark take a pic of me in my bathing suit and tape it to the fridge for motivation!

Rewind February 15th please!

2011-02-15T19:14:00.000-08:00

I am in serious need of a do-over for today. Today has been one of those days when I should have stayed in bed and slept but instead life as I know it had to proceed. Mark is once again gone for the week so I am playing the roles of mom and dad. Somehow Mark and the kids have gotten it in their head that I am superwoman and can do anything. Well the bad day started yesterday to be exact. Our internet and cable went out on Sunday and Mark scheduled a repair man to come out on Monday morning. The problem it seems, stems from the dogs chewing a cable in half. The nice repair man replaced the cable but was unable to bury it under the ground because he did not have the right tools. So this morning another repair man came out and burried the cable. Unfortunately, he left the gate wide open. So when I let the dogs out to potty they ran away without me knowing. Half an hour later when they have not wanted to be let back in I go outside and see my open gate and no dogs in the yard! I had to call Mark and let him know what had happened. He is none to pleased with the repair man for this indiscretion. Six hours later and numerous facebook posyings, phone calls, a trip to the shelter, and praying on my part we goy both dogs back. On top of the dogs going missing I got a jury summons in the mail. Really?! Could my day get any worse? I really shouldn't ask because the answer is always yea. But for now, I am going to climb into my warm bed and wish that today would have never happened and hope that tomorrow will be better.

Failed Resolutions

2011-02-08T06:52:00.000-08:00

What did I expect? Actually, I expected alot from my new year's resolutions. I have stuck with the saying what is on my mind. It makes people mad but I am not having ulcers so thats good. I continue to pay my tithing with a glad heart and am hoping to see the blessings from it shortly. So what have I failed at? I have come to the realization that I can not go without fast food. It's not like I am eating a ton of it but fast food has just become a part of my life with two small children and a husband who travels alot. Oh well, I am only human!

2011-01-25T16:25:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from my good friend Keila. I made it for the first time tonight and my family (especially Mark) loved it!

The slop you need:
1 lb lean ground beef
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup bbq sauce
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
2 TBS pickled jalapeno peppers (if desired)
1 loaf of garlic toast or french bread
shredded cheese

How to make it:
Cook the beef in a large skillet until meat is in small crumbles and there is no pink left. Drain the excess fat from the skillet and mix in the tomatoes. Add the next three ingredients to the skillet and stir until mixed thoroughly. Add the jalapeno peppers if desired. Turn the heat to low and simmer the sloppy joe mix.

While the beef is simmering, cook the toast according to package directions. Top the toast with the beef mixture and sprinkle with cheese.

If you want more yummy recipes check out www.copperkettles.blogspot.com

Agency according to Kai

2011-01-21T08:24:00.000-08:00

This morning as Kai was getting ready for school she forgot to do something (like brush her hair or teeth) and I explained to her that she needs to take responsibility for her actions and take some initiative. Her sarcastic response "I am not responsible for myself until May 22nd, when I turn eight."
So my question now is, What are you Primary teachers teaching her? That it's ok to act like a punk until your 8 because it doesn't count until then? (said in my sarcastic tone) I hope all you teachers know I'm joking!

Barely Awake

2011-01-20T14:26:00.001-08:00

I am for the most part exhausted. Why? Well it is a series of events and reasons that have me tired all the time. First, I have two very active and stubborn children. Jakob keeps me on my toes with all his antics and Kai is a 7 year old going on 20 or so she thinks. This normally would not make me so tired but that brings me to point two. Mark is out of town...AGAIN! He was out of town in Memphis last week, Ohio this week, and then will be in Indiana next week. So I am playing single mommy during the week. And finally, I am just a worry wart by nature. I am worried about so many things that I know I can't control. But these things keep me awake at night. So if I could ask for one late birthday present I would ask for 2 ambiens and a non-interrupted weekend of sleep.

Gizmo Gee

2011-01-17T07:29:00.000-08:00

This is Gizmo...

Isn't he just the cutest?! Gizmo was my Christmas present from Mark and the kids. Mark has the idea that this will curb my desire to adopt a little baby. We shall see...

A Very UN-Happy Birthday to me

2011-01-16T20:33:00.000-08:00

So my 31st birthday has come and gone. To be honest, I could have gone the whole day not caring about my birthday if it wasn't for all the facebook love I got. This year was kind of a let down in the birthday department. Mark was traveling to Memphis all week so I got to play single mom again. Yipee! And then I got pulled over on my birthday for the DUMBEST reason known to man. Granted I only got a warning but I was still peeved about being pulled over. That night I didn't feel like cooking so I took the kids to get some Chick Fil-A. Yes, I broke the fast food rule but it was my special day damn it! I even indulged in the chocolate brownie goodness that they make. Yummy! Well maybe next year I will have a more exciting birthday to tell you about. But as I get older, I somehow doubt it.

and Happy 2011

2011-01-01T15:05:00.000-08:00

Mark and I went to a fantastic New Year's party at some of our Church friend's home. We had alot of fun and people got to know us a little bit better. So with all the New Year hoopla I began to reflect on my life and what changes I need to make to help make me a better person. So without further adieu here are my resolutions for 2011. Each resolution will help me either Spiritually, physically, or emotionally.

#1 PAY TITHING WITH A GLAD HEART (spirit). I pay tithing regularly but it is always with a bit of reluctance. So this year I will make out that check with a smile on my face.

#2 NO MORE FAST FOOD (physical) look at me! Need I say more?! LOL!

#3 STOP PUTTING UP WITH PEOPLE'S CRAP (emotional). I bit my tounge ALOT in 2010 and just tried to keep my emotions in and it has caused me some pretty bad headaches and stomach aches. So this year if you tick me off or do something wrong I will call you out on it without hesitation not caring who you are.

Mark thinks that these are all good resolutions for me to have. As for his resolution he only has one...keep exercising.

Merry CHRISTmas

2010-12-30T19:35:00.000-08:00

I guess it is about time I posted how our Christmas went. Well to be honest it pretty much sucked but that is for another post later on. We tried to make the most out of Christmas for our kids considering everything else going on in our lives and for the most part I think we did pretty darn good. Christmas Eve was pretty typical for us. Kai and I did a bang up job of making cookies and candy treats for all of us to munch on. Jakob was being his usual Jakob self by making us laugh even when he makes us mad. That night the kids actually decided that they were ready for bed at 8:30 so Mark read them "The Night Before Christmas" and to bed they went. Santa showed up sometime around 10ish and ate his cookies and drank his dr. pepper. We always leave SC some DP because we figure by the time he gets to the Hurst house he is all milked out. Kai woke us up at 11:30 that night all ready to get the party started but we had to let her know that we would not be getting up before 7am so back to bed she went. Christmas morning the kids were of course happy to see what goodies Santa brought them. They were not disappointed. Santa makes it a priority to pretty much get them what they want. This year it was bikes. The traditional Christmas Story was read from Luke. Breakfast was made and playing was done. That night Mark's parents came over for a traditional Texas BBQ dinner of brisket, potato salad, beans, rolls, and cobbler. YUMMY! And that is a quick summary of our Christmas.
P.S. We did however miss the Christmas Parade in Corsicana this year.

Exceeded My Limit?!

2010-12-28T08:22:00.000-08:00

Of what you might ask? Credit cards...nope, family togetherness...not yet, weight limit...close but no cigar. Give up yet? The answer is.......returns at Target without a reciept. I took Kai to Target yesterday to return a couple of Christmas presents that were duplicated by Santa and grandparents. After waiting in line we got to the counter and I explained that these dolls came from her grandparents that live in Lubbock so I do not have a reciept for them. No problem she said, I just need to see your driver's license. After checking my id through some machine she tells me that I have exceeded my limit for returns this year without a reciept. Are you kidding me!! How stupid crazy is that rule. So Kai had to run off and find her dad so that HE could return her dolls so that she could get something else. What is this woeld coming to when a child can't return a toy without proper id and can only do it a certain number of times. I HATE Wal-Mart with a passion but at least they don't have insane rules.

Our new obsession

2010-12-26T12:50:00.000-08:00

See this. Are you jealous?

Well you should be very jealous! My parents got Mark and I a SodaStream for Christmas this year. We saw this at Bed Bath and Beyond and thought what a neat thing to have in the house considering our obsession with all things carbonated. Ever since we opened this Mark has been busy making all sorts of delicious drinks for us to enjoy. Orange soda, Pete's Choice (dr pepper), root beer, lemon lime, a mt dew type soda, and diet cola. All of them are pretty darn good and about 1/3 of the calories of a normal can of coke. I think we will enjoy our newest obsession!!

From The Mouth of Babes

2010-12-20T18:16:00.000-08:00

So I having been feeling so yicky lately. In fact I think that I might have the dreaded flu. Every inch of my body just hurts so much that it pains me to walk. So as I was trying to explain this to Kai and Jakob why mommy hurts so bad that she just doesn't want to play. So Kai's response was "I think I know why it is hurting you to walk." I of course ask her what that could be. "It is because you need to lose weight." I told her that she is lucky that she isn't her daddy or my hand would have met her face. From the mouth of babes.

Fun Conversations

2010-12-11T17:22:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the conversations that have occured in the last little bit:

(While listening to I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus)
Kai: Momma, why is mommy kissing Santa Claus?
Me: Why?
Kai: Because Santa is married to Mrs. Claus
Me: She is just saying thanks for the gifts

Nursery leader at Church: Jakob who do you love?
Jakob: Football. Go Tech! Boo-yah!

Mark: Diana, what would you say if I told you that I want to start training to be a mountain climber?
Me: (I just laughed hysterically)

My family makes me laugh the most when I am least expecting it. I hope that it will continue for many more years.

On Bowel Movements

2010-12-07T17:53:00.000-08:00

See this little guy?

Well I am pretty proud of him. Tonight he went poop in the potty for the very first time! "Bye Poop!"

Empty womb

2010-12-02T17:35:00.000-08:00

Lately I have had an empty feeling inside of me that Mark just can not understand. I want a baby. Now if you know anything about me you would know that I am physically unable to have anymore children. No uterus or tubes means no babies :( It seems that everywhere I look women I know are having babies or are pregnant. So I asked Mark if there was anyway he would be interested in adopting a baby. I explained to him that if you foster to adopt in the state of Texas you get free health insurance for the baby until age 18 and that the child also gets a free college education in the state if they so choose. He gently tried to tell me that he is going to be 36 in a few weeks and I am going to be 31 so we are just getting to the point where starting over is not a great option for us. This of course was after he said we were bad parents. So now I'm sad. There is just this emptiness that I am feeling and the ache inside my heart that I know I will never be able to explain to Mark.

Presidency Message

2010-12-01T07:57:00.001-08:00

This is the Presidency Message for Relief Society that I wrote for our newsletter. Enjoy!

Presents, candy, and Santa oh my! Presents, candy, and Santa oh my! With all of the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season my hope is that we all take the time to remember the true meaning of the holiday. In Chapter 2 in the Book of Luke we read “And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” As a tradition in my family and a reminder to my children of what is important we read the scriptures of the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Eve. I challenge you all to start this wonderful tradition in your family and hopefully it will act as a reminder to stop for just a moment in your busy lives to remember what the true meaning of Christmas is.

Dog bite or lesson for the kiddies?

2010-11-22T15:56:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to post this since it happened but have been so busy. Last Tuesday on the way to get Kai from school I was bitten by a dog. Not just an ordinary dog but my favorite breed of dog, a boston terrier. Not so favorite anymore but I digress. This dog was running around our neighborhood so I got out of the car to see if it had tags to locate the owners. No tags...go figure. Now I know how expensive these dogs are (600-800 benjamins) so I figured that surely it had to belong to someone and had a microchip. The dog let me get close to it and even let me pet him but as soon as I tried to pick him up to place him in the car for the short drive to the vet he bit me. It hurt!! He broke skin so I called the animal control to find out what I needed to do. As soon as animal control came the neighbor came out and said that it belong to a lady on our block named *Lilly. Well too late lady. Animal took the dog into quarantine for 10 days and fined the owner of the dog. Thank goodness it wasn't a stray or I would have had to get a rabies shot. As it stands right now, the dog is at the shelter, the lady is probably pissed, and I am on antibiotics for two weeks. Lesson learned!

Question for me?

2010-11-14T07:35:00.000-08:00

I got a call yesterday from my mom asking me a rather odd question. It seems her and my favorite Aunt Suzan were debating on which one of them knows me best. The question posed to me was if I had a choice of living back in Corsicana and having Mark home more would I trade that for the big house, better job for Mark, and financial stability if he is gone 60-70% of the time? My mom in all her wisdom said I would chose the financial stability and my dear aunt said I would trade it for having my hubby home. The winner is....my mom! Though I would LOVE having Mark home more I like having the stability more. I know some people might think I am crazy but until you have grown up dirt poor like we did then don't judge. I like the fact that my children do not have to worry about the simple things that should just be a given to them. For example, not having to worry about the electricity going out for non-payment, car getting reposed while they play outside, or having to worry about buying medicine or food. Don't get me wrong, my parents are AWESOME and I am forever grateful for everything that they have done for me but I did learn from those experiences that financial stability is very important to me.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-30T20:12:00.000-07:00

Jabba as a football...he was pretty mad and embarassed by the whole costume thing.

Jakob as Scooby Doo...even though he CHOSE his costume he was traumatized by it all.

Kitty cat Kai...too cute

May she RIP

2010-10-11T18:38:00.000-07:00

Well as many of you are already aware by reading facebook, my van finally bit the dust. I like to think that she is in car heaven letting some other fmily enjoy her in all her glory. I know that is corny and probably crap but thats what I like to think. My van was a great little automobile for almost 8 years. We got her when Kai was about a month old after driving to Lubbock from Houston to visit my parents. Realizing that we needed much more room than a little Chevy Cavalier we went and got a minivan. Our van has been driven all over the country from Texas to Washington, she has been stollen and found, and had been a great little car. Once the van was paid off 2 years ago we were so happy to not have a car payment. But now needing another vehicle to drive we were pretty sure that a car apyment was in store for us. We ended up getting a 2010 Hyundai Elantra and I am loving having a sedan instead of a van. Hopefully, in 9 years I will be able to give Kai this car and get myself something new. Well van may you RIP, you will be missed!

On giving "THE TALK"

2010-10-06T17:04:00.000-07:00

Today was a parenting milestone for me. Kai asked what sex was and of course I looked at her with the deer caught in the headlights look and asked her where she heard that word. Her response was "Daddy says you have sex all the time in front of me". NOT TRUE. So tonight at dinner (while Mark is out of town) I had to have the s-e-x talk with my curious 7 year old. I told her that when a man and a woman love each other and they are married then they get to have sex. I explained that sex is just like when she sees mommy and daddy kissing but they do the kissing and cuddling naked in their bedroom with the door shut and locked. Again I stressed that you don't get to have sex until you are MARRIED and in love. She seemed satisfied with that answer and I am pretty proud of myself for not freaking out!!

Strong willed?

2010-10-02T14:27:00.000-07:00

"Strong willed? Not my child." I used to say that when Kai was younger but now that she is older I am just at a loss as to what to do with her attitude. She has got to be the most infuriating child on the planet. Two things have occurred in our lives the last two years that she has gotten over. One being that we moved from Corsicana to Houston. She doesn't understand why we had to move. We try to explain all the reasons why it was the best move for our family but she doesn't want to hear that crap. All she knows is that we took her away from her home, school, and friends. The next BIG change that has happened is that she now has a living, breathing creature in Jakob vying for our affection and attention from her. For over 5 years, Kai was the center of our little universe but now she has to share and she does not like it one bit. How do you explain to your child that their younger sibling is here to stay and can not be returned like a shirt that you no longer want. YOU CAN'T!! So we are open to any and all suggestions as to how to handle this situation that has brewing in our home for awhile now.

The New Girls on the Block

2010-09-30T16:59:00.000-07:00

Well if you know me at all you know what I am talking about. I have gotten my boobies reduced this week. Overall, I am happy with the results so far. I am sore, bruised, and running a slight fever but I know that is all temporary. Within a few months everything should be back to m=normal around that area. It was a rather large reduction so I know that I just need to be patient with my healing. Please keep me in your thoughts during this time.

The Pope Table

2010-09-18T20:07:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to post about this because I found it fascinating. Strange but fascinating at the same time. Back in August Kai, Jakob, and I went to Utah and Idaho with Mark's parents to visit Grandma Hurst. We of course did the traditional Utah things like go to Temple Square but the first night we were there is what inspired this post. We went to dinner with Aunt Cindy and her family (minus KC) at a place called Bucca di Beppo. It is a family style Italian restaurant with the weirdest decor imaginable. An example of it is the Pope Table. In the middle of this one table a statue of the Pope is in an enclosed case sitting on a lazy susan. It is so weird to know that while you are eating that when you move the center of the table the Pope's eyes follow you everywhere. If you are ever in SLC than you should go and check it out.

Guess Who's 2?

2010-09-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that Jakob is already 2?! Time sure does fly when you are having fun. I am so glad to have Jakob in our lives. He is such a funny little boy with the BEST personality. As I have always said, he is the joy that was missing from our lives. Happy birthday baby boy. Mommy loves you!

Mark has a girlfriend?

2010-09-12T16:24:00.000-07:00

Just a little piece of advice ladies. DON'T let your man buy an iphone! Ever since Mark got his (and it's been awhile) I can not carry on a conversation with him. We go out to dinner and I spend the entire meal talking to the kids while he plays on facebook, espn, or plays poker. In the car when he is not driving it is the same thing. I swear I have been replaced. So ladies, yes, Mark does have a mistress...his phone!

Stepford Wife...not me!

2010-08-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

Gosh I am horrible at this blogging thing. Well lately I seem to wonder what is wrong with me? I look around and everyone I come into contact with seems so happy and like their life is perfect. It is especially bad at Church. No matter what church I attend whether it be in Corsicana, Lubbock, or Pearland the women all seem to have perfect lives. Maybe it is the way our religion has groomed these women to be. As a convert I just can't and won't buy into the concept that everything is supposed to be perfect. I do not wear dresses all the time with my make-up perfect, my children are less than ideal a majority of the time, I sometimes cook food from a box, and my house isn't always clean. In fact I am normally in jeans and a t-shirt with my hair in a bun or ponytail. My children I don't like all the time but that doesn't mean I love them any less. And my house and cooking are par for the course. I guess I am just not stepford wife material. Oh well!

Summer 2010 (so far)

2010-07-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a long time since I blogged about anything. We have moved into our new home in Pearland. I LOVE my new house now that everything has found it's place. It has been nice living closer to Mark's parents as well. The kids have really taken a shining to their Tutu and Poppa. Plus it has made me and my mother in law closer so that is nice too. Mark has been working his little butt off. He had to go to Ohio for two weeks so that was a bummer for me and the kids. Kai and Jakob seem to be adjusting well to all the changes that have happened in such a short period of time. Kai likes going to our new Church and meeting the neighborhood kids when she can play outside. I have signed her up for a few weeks of summer camps to get her involved in the community. She is excited about going to a new school where she can wear jeans! My little Jakob is as busy as ever. He is growing up so quickly. It is so hard to believe that he will be 2 in September. As far as the rest of the summer goes we don't have much going on besides camps, swimming lessons, work, and a trip to Idaho in August. Hope all is well with everyone!

Our crazy weekend (aka Memorial Day)

2010-06-01T13:31:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. Here is a synopsis of how ours went at the Hurst casa.

Thursday-Kai gets an award for being the smartest 1st grader at school. Load up the car and head to Houston. Go downtown to close on our home. The lender is 2 hrs late with paperwork. Take kids to see the house. Jakob locks himself in the bathroom and we call the cops to get him out. Luckily as the aforementioned cops show up Mark has managed to break the door and get Jake out.

Friday-move into home

Saturday-unpacking continues. Jan comes over to help unpack and spends the night since her AC is broke and Dean is in the swamps dealing with the BP crap.

Sunday-go to Bay City to visit Bompa. I would say that was fun but I would be lieing. However, it was good to see Bompa and Dodo and EJ.

Monday-unpack the rest of the boxes. Go to Jan and Dean's for a cookout. Eat steaks and swim and then head home. We are exhausted at this point.

Glad to be finally moved into our new home and unpacked. Now only if I could get my hubby to hang up the pictures.

Can the universe help a sista out?

2010-05-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

Really? I mean really? So as you know we are deep into the process of relocating to Houston. Found what we thought was going to be our new home. Inspection, survey, and appraisal done and great. Earnest money cleared with the title company. So that sounds great right?! Well last night we get a call from our finance company and our loan has fell through. Why? Because we were late with 1 payment on student loans in the last 12 months. 1 payment!!! COME ON! So now we are sitting patiently waiting on new financing and hoping that we will be able to close on this house soon. So come on universe...HELP A SISTA OUT!!!

5KforLilaJ

2010-05-04T15:56:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to Austin to run in the 5K for pediatric brain cancer. Our niece, Lila was diagnosed with brain cancer at 3 months old. After 3 surgeries, chemo, and a stem cell transplant Lila is in remission. We did the race in order to raise people's awareness about the disease. We had a great time seeing family and friends. Our family is very grateful for all who participated or donated to the race. Thanks!

Randomness

2010-04-29T18:56:00.001-07:00

I am going to try and blog while I wait on The Marriage Ref to start. The couples on that show are so freakin funny and the commentary usually has me laughing out loud. Well things are getting a little bit better around here. We have got a signed contract on the house that we are buying in Pearland. The inspection went smoothly. In fact the inspector said that it was the cleanest inspection that he has done in awhile. YEAH!! We are heading to Austin tomorrow to do the 5KforLilaJ charity run to benefit pediatric brain cancer. The pediatric brain cancer and march of dimes charities are very dear to our hearts. We are so happy that little Lila Jane pulled through a very grim period in her life and is doing wonderful now! Way to kick cancer's ass Lila!! Well my show just came on so gotta run!

It is official...I suck

2010-04-26T07:47:00.000-07:00

Well it is official...I suck! I'm not playing around or having a pity party as my mom calls is, but I really do suck. Lately I have been feeling just so overwhelmed. We are in the process of relocating to Houston for Mark's job. I know that this would and should make me happy but I am just so stressed out about it. We went to Houston last week and found the most perfect house and put a contract down on it. While we were in Houston Kai stayed with some friends so that she wouldn't miss school or her field trip. I feel guilty saying this but it was nice not having her around for the week. Sure I missed her but as soon as we got home her attitude and disrespectful behavior started right back up. It was like she was punishing us for being gone. Due to all of the going ons Jakob has started watching ALOT more tv. Also, I am failing as a wife by not keeping a neat house and cooking less than par meals for our family. My weight loss has taken a major set back. In fact when I'm stressed I eat more. So I am actually gaining weight. I just wish that this move was over with so life could go back to normal.

FREE Education?

2010-04-13T12:51:00.000-07:00

Yeah right! The notion that any education is free makes me laugh. One would think that sending your child to a public school would only have the costs of supplies and lunches. One would think, right? WRONG! It seems every time I turn around I am having to give the school more money. Kai needs uniforms, pictures, school shirts, yearbooks, field trip souvenirs, me to purchase things for the school auction, party favors, teacher appreciation. What the heck is my tax money going to? A crappy athletic program which my child is not in. I might as well have sent her to a private school.

Random Thoughts

2010-04-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

Easter has come and gone. This year was so much fun. We went to Houston to celebrate with Mark's family. That weekend was also our niece, Bella's birthday party. The kids really enjoyed hanging out with their grandparents and cousin. In other news, Mark is getting transferred to Houston. He has worked his butt off for the last few years and it has finally paid off. We could not be happier. Next week, we hope to go and find a place to live. His job will officially start on June 1st. Our life has been quite hectic lately and there does not seem to be an end in sight.

Stressed

2010-03-30T13:54:00.001-07:00

Lately things have been so very stressful around here. So much so that I am getting stomach aches from it all. The cookie program has wrapped up with the girl scouts. You would think that I would be happy with that but knowing that I had to cough up 200.00 of my own money made me sick. One of my parents claims that the cookie money she was supposed to turn in was "stolen". Yeah right! Knowing that this family is down on its luck I have given them the benefit of the doubt and wrote a check to cover their part. Have they paid me back, no! And they probably won't. Oh well, guess thats my charitable deed for awhile. Next, we have been dealing with the furniture company from hell. We ordered an entertainment center back on January 30th. We still do not have it in our home. In fact the company doesn't know where it is. We have asked for a refund but "we don't refund money on custom orders" was the answer we got. But they have no problem taking our money. Another thing that is giving me fits is the construction that is going on behind our home. We purchased this house with the understanding that the land behind us would remain vacant. Well the land owner sold it off and now senior citizen housing is going up. The noise has caused my four legged babies to go bonkers! So today we got a contractor to come over and give us an estimate on a fence. Mark's company has made the announcement that company vehicles can't be used for personal reasons anymore and must be parked as of April 1st. We do have 2 vehicles so that was the good news. The bad news is that we have to buy a new set of tires for the van so it is drivable! Along with all that junk we are still awaiting news about Mark's job. I just wish things would calm down!

Spring Break 2010

2010-03-24T14:25:00.000-07:00

Spring has finally arrived in Texas! Last week was Spring Break and what an enjoyable break it was! We spent the first part of the break in Houston visiting with Mark's parents and sister. That Saturday Kai got to spend the night with her cousin Bella. Kai and Bella are the cutest things together! Mark did have to work on Monday and Tuesday but the kids and I had a good time just hanging around the casa. On Wednesday we went to Lubbock to see my parents and sister. Thursday Mark went golfing with my uncle and the kids and I spent the day playing outside with Chewy and Harley. Friday we went on a picnic in the park and then went to see Diary of a Wimpy Kid at the movies. I didn't think I would enjoy the movie but I was surprised because I did laugh alot! The boys in the movie reminded me of my three nephews. Saturday Kai spent the night at my sisters house and mark, Jakob, and I went to play poker at the Littlejohn's. Over all it was a great spring break!

Hospice for dogs

2010-03-11T05:09:00.000-08:00

I wish they had hospice for dogs. Well we have decided to do our own version of it at our home. Yesterday we got really sad news about our dog Chewy. I took him into the vet to get groomed and have his routine shots. Along with all that they did his test for heart worms. Well Chewy tested positive for heart worms. The vet has said that we can try and fix it for around $500 but that it is not guaranteed that it won't happen again. Given Chewy's age and the fact that our living situation might change soon we decided to just take the wait and see approach. This way Chewy will be able to enjoy the remainder of his life without having to take meds and go to the doctor every couple of weeks. As soon as he is giving us signals that it is time, we will with very heavy hearts put him down to go to puppy heaven. We have explained all of this to Kai and she seems to grasp it all but it still makes her sad to know that he doggie is sick. And that makes me sad too.

And The Stars Align

2010-03-04T18:36:00.000-08:00

Well it looks as if the stars are lining up for our family! If you are family or a close friend you know what I am talking about!

Bad dieting and Exercising Week

2010-02-28T09:29:00.000-08:00

Our first week of dieting and working out did not go so great. Mark ended up going out of town for work and Jakob got sick so I did not feel like cooking or exercising at all! Even with that little exercise and limited working out I did, I managed to lose 2 pounds last week! YEAH! I can only imagine what will happen once I get on with the program. I just keep thinking new boobies and smaller jeans!

To eat or not to eat?

2010-02-28T09:23:00.000-08:00

The menu this week:

chicken lasagna, salad, garlic bread
hamburgers and chips (reduced fat)
fish and shrimp tacos, brown rice, black beans
baked chicken, pea salad, brocolli, mac and cheese
crock pot bbq ribs, maccaroni salad, bbq baked beans, honey cornbread
steaks, baked potatoes, salad, green beans
hot dogs and chips

4 Legged Friends

2010-02-26T10:54:00.000-08:00

My dogs are driving me crazy! We have 10 acres of land behind us that has been vacant for many years. That was part of the reason why we bought our home. The idea of not having neighbors behind us was to good to pass up. Recently though, a land developer has purchased the land and has started to build it up. While the workers are hard at work my dogs stand at the back gate and bark all day long. I love my four legged babies but they are driving me crazy!

Menu for week of Feb 22nd

2010-02-20T18:32:00.000-08:00

I will try to post our weekly menu for all to see what healthy foods we are eating.

Monday: veggie spaghetti, salad
Tuesday: baked fish, black beans, brown rice
Wednesday: baked pork chops, baked potatoes (no topping) and broccoli
Thursday: baked chicken, brown rice, spinach
Friday: beans and cornbread
Saturday: steak, baked sweet potatoes (with cinnamon and nutmeg), and salad
Sunday: chicken sloppy joes and baked french fries

One last Meal

2010-02-20T18:23:00.000-08:00

Our workout DVD's came in yesterday. So this morning we decided to watch the video and figure out what equipment we are going to need. Tonight we went to Wally World and got mats, weights, bands, and what I call "birthing" balls. We also got a Brita water pitcher (we are going to TRY drinking more water) and a new scale. Mark thought that we needed a new scale that will show weight, body fat, and BMI. Every Sunday we are going to weigh ourselves and let the other one see. I am scared to know that Mark will see what I weigh for the first time in my life. He might not ever want to cuddle with me after seeing the weight. We are also going to keep a daily food journal. Hopefully, we will be truthfull with ourselves and record everything that goes into our mouth. So anyways, after all the shopping we decide to go out for one last BIG unhealthy meal. We ended up going to Italian Village and pigging out on bread, pasta, and Dr. Pepper. So our diet begins tomorrow and we are starting our exercise program tomorrow night after the kids go to bed. I just have to keep thinking to myself that all this hard work and sacrafice equals new (smaller) boobies for me next year!

The Biggest Loser-Hurst Edition!

2010-02-15T19:05:00.000-08:00

In regards to my previous post about no fail ways to lose weight, I am having a hard time kick starting that. So Mark and I decided to go "The Biggest Loser" route to shed some inches and pounds. We have ordered the 30 start up program which also comes with a pocket cookbook and the boot camp dvd to work out to at night. Hopefully, once the dvd's arrive we will be able to be comfortable enough with each other to work out together. After all this is the man I have children with but there is just something about jumping around in front of him that has me terrified!! I will keep everyone updated as to our progress.

Snow Day!

2010-02-13T16:14:00.000-08:00

So we had a snow day on Friday! Kai was so happy to be out of school. Mark decided to work from home and the kids and I ventured out into the winter wonderland (6 inches of it)! I LOVE days like this!

On Thursday as the snow was coming down Jakob loved it. However, on Friday he was less than thrilled with all the snow mess. It also probably didn't help that I had to put plastic sacks around his shoes because he didn't have snow boots. Kai loves snow! I think she would be more than content living in the midwest where it snows for 3 months straight.

Craptastic Day...

2010-02-11T17:38:00.000-08:00

So today officially sucks big butt! I was supposed to be in Vegas right now but because Mother Nature decided to dump snow in Dallas my flight was cancelled. What the heck!? So what exciting things can I do here in the thriving town of Corsicana when it is snowing? If you guessed a trip to Wally World then give yourself a pat on the back. So just when I think my day can not get any worse it does! I resigned myself to the fact that I will be spending another evening at home watching tv. But no that ain't happening! The tv is out because of this craptastic weather!! The only thing that would redeem this day in my opinion is for school to be closed tomorrow so that I can stay in bed as long as possible.

On another note I have come up with new lyrics to "Pants on the ground"
Snow on the ground, snow on the ground, driving like a fool when there's snow on the ground!

Viva Las Vegas!

2010-02-08T08:19:00.000-08:00

So Mark got brand new golf clubs last week. As a compromise I get to go to this place. I LOVE VEGAS! I am not an ordinary Vegas tourist. Sure I like to play my luck at the tables and machines, But the reason I go to Vegas is for the shopping, shows, spas, and fine dining. Viva Las Vegas!!

Nicknames

2010-02-01T14:17:00.000-08:00

Kai- Kai Bear, Princess, Super Kai
Jakob- Jakey, Monkey, Monster, Jake a roni
Diana- Di, Diana Banana
Mark- he won't let me publish it!!

What are some of your family's nicknames?

Irritable

2010-02-01T14:13:00.000-08:00

I don't know what is it about this time of year but I become such a grouch. Actually, I think I know the reason why but it is things that I can't change. For starters, I absolutely HATE being cold. It seems that December is not that bad here but January and February are horrible! Next, there is such a let down of happy feelings of emotions that I always seem to get for the holidays. Also, not to mention my birthday. Birthdays should be fun but as I get older I feel like I am one foot closer to the cemetary. This year was especially hard because I turned the big 3-0! And finally it seems that Mark tends to travel more in the first part of the year for work and I detest playing single mom!!!

No fail ways

2010-01-28T08:11:00.000-08:00

So I have come up with 2 no fail ways to lose weight. As many of you know I want to lose 40 pounds by the summer of 2011. The reason for the weight loss is so I can get my boobies worked on. No not bigger! But smaller! I am so happy that Mark is on board for this transformation that is so needed for my back pain. So back to my 2 ways to lose weight. Well the first is to get in shape. My motivation for this is our niece Lila Jane. There is going to be a 5k in honor of Lila and her recovery on May1st in Austin. Since I don't want to look like a pansy while doing the walk/run, I figured that I need to get my booty in shape. The #2 no fail way to lose weight is simple. My sister, Danis, is giving me a pair of her skinny jeans that are2-3 sizes to small for me. By looking at them everyday and trying to fit into them will give me the motivation I need to drop those pounds!

Jakob's 1st Haircut

2010-01-04T12:51:00.000-08:00

So Mark has been wanting to get Jakob's haircut for awhile now. I FINALLY got up the nerve to do it last night. Now my precious little baby doesn't look like his daddy or a baby anymore!

Holidays 2009

2010-01-04T12:44:00.000-08:00

Well the holiday season has come and gone without much incident. Thanksgiving was spent at Mark's parents in Katy. Some of the extended family came over but it just wasn't the same without Nanny. December was a whirlwind of sorts in between parties, girl scouts, family, and friends I am surprised we had time for Christmas. My parents decided to come to our place for Christmas and that in my opinion was the best gift I could have recieved. It is always nice to have family here, hopefully, Mark's family can come next year!

PARTY TIME!

2009-10-22T14:22:00.001-07:00

The end result!

Ball pit from TuTu and Poppa

Jakob's Pop (my daddy) picked out this cake. I thought it was too cute. Way to go dad!

So after a delay of 2 weeks we finally got to have Jakob's 1st birthday party. My daddy cooked out for everyone and I must say that it was delish. I just love it when my dad cooks out. Jakob got lots of cute clothes for the fall and winter and some awesome toys and books. My favorite thing though was the toy box that my dad made for him. Mom and dad get all the kids a toy box for their 1st birthday. He has so much stuff that the toy box was much needed, so thanks mom and dad. Jakob also got a cool ball pit from his TuTu and Poppa (Mark's parents) and he loves playing in it. Santa will have to bring more balls for it though because it only came with 20. I think Jakob's favorite thing about his birthday was the cake. We had got him his very own cake to dig into. At first he kept looking at Mark and I wondering if we knew that he was wanting to eat it by himself. It was so funny! After he realized that we weren't going to freak out, he dug in. The end result was messy to say the least but well worth it to see him so happy! I love my baby boy!

Guess Who Is 1?!

2009-09-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

Jakob! My baby turned one today. I am so thankful to have this little boy in my life. I thank God everyday for sparing my life after he was born so that I can watch him grow. He is the joy in my life. (Kai is my pride!) Happy 1st Birthday baby boy! Mommy loves you VERY MUCH!!

Does anybody else care?

2009-09-10T14:16:00.000-07:00

So I am just a tad bit irritated at this moment and need desperately to vent. Jakob's 1st birthday is coming up and of course it has turned into a disaster. In order to make PEOPLE happy Mark and I agreed to have his birthday in Lubbock so that everyone there could attend. For very obvious reasons his FIRST birthday is important to us. After all, Jakob is our miracle baby that was not supposed to be here. However, him and I both beat the odds and now it is time to celebrate. Or so we thought. Jakob's party is going to be on September 20th at my mom and dad's house. Dad has said that he is going to cook out and then of course there will be cake and ice cream. I love my folks. Thanks mom and dad for helping out since we live so far away. Anyways, now why am I angry you ask? Well let me tell you. My best friend in the whole wide world (she is like my other sister) has decided that she and her husband are going to have a garage sale and move that weekend. My cousin and his crew are going out of town. And finally, some of our family members are fighting with each other and can't stand to be in the same room with one another. HELLO PEOPLE...this is not about you this is about Jakob. You all have known that he was turning one this month. Oh well, at least me, Mark, and Kai will be there.

Viewer's question?

2009-08-11T19:50:00.000-07:00

So I was watching The Doctor's the other day and it was an episode devoted to viewer's questions. The question that intrigued me is probably something all parents have asked themselves. When is it inappropriate to still shower with your child? I thought about that because I admit sometimes it is just quicker to throw Kai in the shower with me then to have to get two separate showers done. However, the experts have said that age 5 should be the cut off point. What do you think??

Jonas Brothers concert

2009-08-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

Miley Cyrus and Nick Jonas singing "After The Storm"

Nick and Kevin Jonas spraying the audience with foam

Joe Jonas

Jordin Sparks

The happiest girl in the world!!

For Kai's 6th birthday I promised her that I would take her to the Jonas Brothers concert in Dallas. We had such a good time! Jordin Sparks opened for them and during the encore Miley Cyrus made a surprise appearance. So Kai got to see the Jonas Bros and Miley. She was in heaven!

The Graduate...Kindergarten that is!

2009-07-04T14:44:00.001-07:00

Big Bath for a Big boy

2009-07-04T14:37:00.000-07:00

I decided to blog for a minute while the little monster is asleep. For the past couple of weeks Mark and I have been giving Jakob a real big boy bath. Or at least I like to think it is. We went to Target and bought him a tugboat that had smaller fishing toys inside of it. Jakob loves bath time now as opposed to when he just layed there and got water poured all over him. He is getting so big that it is hard to believe that he will soon be one.

It's going to be a busy summer

2009-06-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

My summer is going to be one wild adventure after the other. Let me put down a schedule for you so that you can feel sorry for me!

June 20th Jonas Brothers concert with Kai and Shelby (my cousin)
June 21st-26th Kai in Lubbock, Mark in Colorado, me single parent at home with Jake
June 27th-July 1st San Antonio for Mark's cousin's wedding and Sea World with The Hurst clan
July 4th party at The Herrin's for Fourth of July
July 12th anniversary
July 14th-20th Lubbock with both kids by myself for best friend's wedding shower
July 27th-August 2nd South Padre Island with Mark's parents
August 20th-23rd Lubbock for best friend's wedding
August 24th Kai starts the first grade

Wow I would love to clone myself so that I could get everything done without totally losing my sanity!

2009-06-01T14:12:00.000-07:00

Sawyer Justin Dickenson (sister's 3rd little boy)....born on May 19th....8lbs.

Jakob LOVES his chocolate ice cream!

Ice cream again

The Davidson's (all 11 of us)

Pictures from Kai's 6th Birthday

2009-06-01T14:09:00.000-07:00

Unto us a child is born...

2009-05-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

My newest nephew was born on May 19, 2009.
Sawyer Justin Dickenson
8 lb
21 inches
pictures to come later!

Kai Turns 6!

2009-05-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

I can not get over the fact that my baby girl turned 6 last week. Kai enjoyed her birthday so much that she thought her birthday should be all week long. We went to Lubbock to celebrate Kai's birthday this year and had so much fun. She didn't get a big party like normal but we did spring for cake and ice cream. Her presents included a beach towel and new crocs, paper dolls, money, nintendo DS (from all 4 grandparents), and the big present is coming on June 20th when her mommy and cousin take her to see the JONAS BROTHERS. She is so excited about that. I did take pictures but the docking station is not working so I'll have to post those later.

As promised

2009-05-11T18:02:00.000-07:00

Sitting up like a big boy!

Pots and spoon fun

Mom, look at the mess that I made!

Hurricane Jakob

Computer Whiz at age 5??

Here are the much promised pictures of Jakob sitting up. Also he learned that pot+spoon=NOISE that drives mommy crazy! I also put a picture of Kai playing on the computer. Her favorite website to go to is http://www.starfall.com/. It is a really good learning tool that helps her practice her reading skills. I highly recommend that particular site for all you parents out there!

Fun In The Park?!?

2009-05-04T07:06:00.000-07:00

Jakob looks less than thrilled riding in the car with Kai...she on the other hand loved it!

Sliding for the first time

Are you kidding me mom?

On Saturday evening we finally had a chance to take the kids to the park (it has been raining cats and dogs here). Jakob has been to the park before but was never big enough to do anything. Now that he can sit and crawl we thought that maybe he would enjoy the swing and maybe even the slide with his sissy. WRONG! Jakob is not a fan of the park. Here is the evidence to support that statement...