HECTIC, but FUN and sad it's already over!

We prepare and look forward to this day all year long, but in a few minutes of paper ripping and ooh's and awe's, it's ALL OVER! Well this year for Christmas we packed up the kids and headed to Eagar like we always do! I mean come on, who would miss the great "Finch Christmas Eve party" right? I said we weren't going this year, because it's just so hard to bring all our presents up there for one day of fun, (we had to come back to Mesa Christmas day to see the other side of the family) but when it came right down to it, we knew we would be sad we weren't up in the snow seeing all my family at the Finch Christmas Eve party. We always have so much fun and John was adamant that we were going. He loves it up there and he wanted to have a "snowy" Christmas. So off we went! We also said we weren't going over-board on the kids this year, but by the time you get everything out and wrap it, you can't remember what you had already bought them and so you end up spoiling them rotten again (at least that's what I do)! The kids got a Wii, and a trampoline, but I think the one that topped it all off, was this fat little fuzzy hamster my parents got for Ridge! He was the hit of Christmas! Hell, if I would have known a $29 hamster was going to be so popular I wouldn't have spent so much on a $240 Wii! LOL And the hamster also comes with a funny story: So my mom was keeping the hamster in her room before Christmas so the kids wouldn't see it. Well on Christmas eve, after the kids had fallen asleep, my mom told me to go put the hamster down stairs by the Christmas tree. Then at about 5:00 the next morning my mom jumps out of bed and yells at my dad "Ronnie, something just crawled across my legs" and my dad was like "your just having a dream, go back to sleep!", and my mom was like "no something was on me!" So she gets out of bed and the thought crosses her mind, "could it have been the hamster?" So she runs down stairs and checks the cage and the hamster is gone! So she runs back up stairs and shuts her door and told my dad "it was the hamster, you have to help me find it." So they are crawling around on the floor and my mom spies it hiding in the exact corner she had his cage in the night before! It was so funny! He came all the way up stairs to my parents room to find my mom and the familiar place he had slept the night before. I didn't know hamsters were that smart. We had a good laugh over it though!

Here are some pictures of our Christmas:




Our family at the party on Christmas eve at my Grandpa's house

My brothers, Kylee and Lance and John and I

My mom and dad

Santa Claus came to our Party.....

....the kids were in awe!......

.....Ridge was so shy, he said he wanted star wars toys, and that's exactly what Santa had for him, it was so funny.......

.....Andrew said he wanted a Wii, and he did get it...... the next morning!.....

....Sayler just walked right up to Santa and told him she wanted a Barbie, she wasn't shy at all!

Sayler helped the adults play the "Dollar game", she was so cute!

.....Dreaming of getting a Wii.....

Dreaming of Santa Claus!

....also dreaming of Santa Claus........

They opened 2 presents on Christmas eve, PJ's and sleeping bags!

Too many presents at my parents house!

Christmas morning there were Elk in my parents front yard!

Andrew got his Wii!

Ridge was so excited!

Sayler loved this doll that she can put make-up on!

It DID snow Christmas Day on our way home.

Then we did Christmas with John's family, it was so much fun, this is John's step-mom Lisa & Ridge.

and John's dad and Sayler..

Then Ridge (AKA Davie Crocket) & Sayler goofed off with Optimus Prime at home.

"Family Fun"

We had so much fun the other day! My little family and John's parents and siblings all went into the desert to ride in these utility vehicles and sandrails. John works for his dad's company called "Team Joyner USA" and what they do is they design, build and sale these utility vehicles and sandrails called "Joyners" (you might have heard of them, they're getting pretty popular) to over 200 dealers throughout the USA and in some other parts of the world. It's a really fun job because we get to benefit from weekend fun like this! These are some pictures of their cars and us goofing off!

"Life Is Too Short"

Experiences like today make me realize that life is way too short and you never know when it will be your time to go. I was doing my clinical rotations at the hospital today and I was in the E.R., which is by the way my most favorite place to be, because it's the place of "unknown" - you never know what is going to come through that door and so you always have to be on your toes! Well today was definitely one of those days. I can't talk about it too much due to the privacy laws, but we had a patient die today from a really bad car accident. It was just so sad, I just thought about it the whole way home tonight from Show Low. I know throughout my career as a nurse I am going to have to see and experience some really sad things, but it's still really hard, and I don't ever want to get used to it. I don't ever want to become a feelingless person, or to ever become numb to these sorts of things. I think if you start to become numb to the sad things then you also start to become numb to the good things in life. Life is just way to short. Your life can be gone in an instant! Live every day like it's going to be your last. Hug your kids and kiss your husbands all the time and always tell them you love them.

"Sisters"

There's nothing like a sisters bond, it's like having a best friend you can't get rid of! She'll always be there no matter what. She's someone who may compete with you, but will love and accept you for you - more than anyone else in this world could. A sister is special, she's different than any other girlfriend. She knows who you are inside and out, what your favorite color is, what your favorite toy was when you were little, deep secrets you may have. You know that she will always be there for you, through thick and thin, good times and bad. You may have your disagreements, but in the end she will love you no matter what. A sister is someone who will always get "the inside joke" when telling a story, or know stuff that your parents, to this day, never knew happened. My sister and I are very different, but we share a past and a childhood that is unique and special to us, just like all sisters do. Growing-up together, my sister and I fought (mostly about clothes and boys), but that has been long forgotten and as we have grown older we have gotten closer. Nowadays with my sister, it's all fun! I love every chance I get to go to Utah to see her. Staying up late talking with lots of good "adult food" and listening to 80's music reminiscing about the past, sharing "kid rearing" secrets, laughing....a lot and taking our beautiful children to make lots of fun memories with their cousins! This last weekend we went to Utah to see my sister, and as always, we had so much fun! I'm so thankful I have a sister.

I'm a Scaredeee Caaat!

Last weekend John and I went to Las Vegas for a night and then on up to Utah to see my sis! We had such a wonderful time. We even got to ride in a hellicopter over the Hoover Dam! I was really scared to even get on the dang thing, I almost backed out at the last min. It's weird because, before I had kids, I wouldn't of even thought twice about getting on it or doing anything kinda daring for that matter. But when you have these little lives to live for and want to see grow-up and protect, it kinda puts things into perspective and makes you evaluate your priorities in life. Before them, my priorities were pretty much having fun! Now it's about being there for them and protecting them, and you really can't do that very well if your not here on earth anymore! So anyways, all of that was going through my mind when the guy that takes your money said he needed a name and phone number of who to contact in case of an emergency, and I said "uh' you mean if we wreck and die," and he was like "pretty much!" I turned to John and I said "I don't think I'm gonna be going," he just laughed, and said "come on baby, we'll be fine." Well obviously we made it out alive, but when that thing landed, I was so relieved!

"Carried Away"

Well I guess I got a little carried away with a whole lotta pictures and a lot less writing when I set up my blog! I guess I was just so eager to share with everyone the pics of my "beautiful" children and my "oh so handsome" man! They just mean so much to me! Well these past 2 years have been so hectic for me, I feel like it's been kind of a blur, almost like when the twins were born and I was so exausted from trying to get used to being a new mom to 2 babies at that! So to say the least, the first 6 mos. of their life was kind of a blur! That's sad I know, but I enjoyed every bit of it and I have well over 800 pictures to prove it. Anyways, these past 2 years have been a little like that. Two years ago I was married to Cody, but just a short 2 months later, my world was crushed (or so I thought) when Cody and I got divorced! I never thought that divorce would ever happen to me, I thought I had some kind of super-mom-power that I would always be able to hold my family together, through thick and thin, but if anyone knows the power of addiction and what it can do to a person, then you would understand how our world fell apart. He had his addicting demons that no one but him could stop or control. I did all that I could and gave it my all, but then I realized I had done everything that I was capable of doing and it was time to just get me and the kids out! The first 3 months were so hard, I moved in with my mom and with her support and persistent "pushing" (in which I am extremely grateful for) I immediately applied to the Nursing program. I had 2 weeks to study for the entrance exam and get all my transcripts and application in, so I got to work. I did well on the entrance exam, and to my complete surprise, I got into the program! I know that I have been blessed from above. Everything has fallen into place for me and the kids. So back in school I was! I was still very down and depressed about my life though, I was really worried about the kids the most and how this divorce would affect them for the rest of their lives, but I felt it would be better than growing up in the kind of atmosphere they were previously in .......And then fate happened, I met a beautiful person, who showed me a different kind of love, one that I never knew existed. John rescued me! I fell so hard and fast for him! He was so different than anyone I had ever known, and I loved that! I know it kinda sounds fairy-tale-ish, but it is so true. He has been so good for me. He is so wonderful with Sayler and Ridge, they absolutely love him! We have had such a blast this past year and a half that we have been together! It has been crazy with me being in school and a long distance relationship, driving 3 1/2 hrs. to see one another every weekend, but it has been an adventure! Nursing school has probably been one of the hardest things I have ever done. So many people warned me, but it's really hard to understand unless your right there in the nursing program with me. Being a single mom with 3 year old twins when i first started, was insane, but with the help of the best mom in the world and a very supportive fiance and almost perfect children, I am almost done with this phase of school (I plan to continue my education to become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner)! I just have to say one last thing, what a wonderful mom I have, she is the perfect example of the hardest working, independent, caring, compassionate, motherly person you could ever know. She is so self-less and such a pleaser, she has done so much for me, especially these past two years, and I think my kids actually love her more than they love me! Ha ha. My dad is wonderful too, he's just the quiet, laid back, side-liner that always supports me too, just sometimes from afar! Thank you guys, I love you!

My best "nursing school" buddies - I love you guys!

They're Twins & They're Best Of Friends - Sayler & Ridge

My Baby (John)!