Shout out Sunday

I know, its not Sunday, but I thought about this post yesterday but never got around to logging on! Special shout outs and thanks to the following:



Jack, Candace, Anna Grace & Zeke -
Our sweet, sweet friends offered to watch the trio and feed them dinner on Friday night so Jason and I could have a little date night! What a generous offer! Me and the hubby had a great meal and the kids had a great time playing. We heart the Chaneys!!



Tootsie, Pop and Aunt Martha -
The a/c at the Greer home was broken for a week and a half and with temperatures in the upper 90's, we were forced to leave our house and camp out at my parents' house. The first few days were ok as it was fun and exciting; plus Martha was out of town so we could have her room. Once Martha got back into town, the newness of the adventure started to wear off and quarters became a little cramped. Martha, at age 22, had to sleep in my parents' bed. Anyone who knows Martha, knows how much she LOVES her bed...big sacrifice! After three trips to our house, the a/c guys finally fixed the problem and we were able to enjoy the coolness of our home.

Thank goodness for the kindness and love of friends and family!!!

paklepakle

Our newest favorite post dinner activity is enjoy popsickles (paklepakles to Sam) outside in the warmth of the evening. Sometimes they leave their clothes on; sometimes they don't! Thought I'd share this picture as they are all fulley clothed!

Gladiolas

This pretty little flower was blooming by our mailbox! A month or so ago I noticed these green leaves and almost pulled it out of the ground not knowing what beautiful blooms would emerge. Glad I let grow!

Non-Pass and black Thursday

I was hoping this blog post was going to be celebratory in nature. I had things all planned out...take my last CPCU test, pass, spread the good news around to friends and family, bask in the knowledge of completing two years of mostly hard study. Instead, I walked out of the testing center yesterday head down, tears falling, dejected, bummed, annoyed and frustrated as the words "Non-Pass" jupmed off the 8x11 piece of paper in my hands. I don't really recollect a time in my life where I didn't pass a test. I've always been an excellent student who pretty much sailed through high school, college and 7 CPCU tests. There was a combination I suppose of overconfidence and just being plain burned out that led to a lack of studying on my part. I like run...do I stop running before I reach the end of my driveway? Well, no. I keep running hard and fast until I make it home and reach my goal. In the study world, I totally stopped running and didn't reach my goal. So now I've got pull myself up by the boot straps, focus my energies and keep on studying so I can retake and pass this last stinkin' test. Now, I will say in my defense that I passed 7 straight tests with no problems and they were all in essay format. This last one is the only multiple choice test in the bunch. Historically, I do not perform as well on multiple choice. Over analyization is a major downfall for me. Fortunately, I was able to end my day in the company of two unbelievable friends enjoying a great dinner filled with great conversation. The beautiful sun came up this morning and yesterday's "poor pitiful me" attitude has fallen by the wayside. After a few more days of rest, I'll pick up those books again and run on towards the finish line.

Why I'm tired...all the time!

 

 

 

 

Look at these smiling faces! They are wearing me out! I wish I had their energy! Haley & Sam did not nap yesterday; 2out of three are not good odds. On the bright side, Gracie, who seems to be the most cranky with out sleep, slept. However, even sleep deprived we played and played and played. After some morning fun with daddy while I worked out, we headed to Tootsie & Pop's house to swim and jump on the trampoline. The trampoline is a huge hit! I'm glad I don't have one at our house but it provides great entertainment and deep belly laughs when they get to enjoy it at their grandparents' house. No naps combined with outside fun meant bedtime at 6:30...ahhh, that was nice! I wish I could have gone to bed then too!
Onto Sunday when again, Haley did not nap. She did "rest" in our room so I at least got a quick 15 minute power nap on the sofa. It was such a beautiful, rather cool, day that we had to enjoy it. We busted out the Barbie Jeep and the red mustang for some entertainment. Tootsie took the girls to church to watch the children's choir perform their spring musical while Sam and I hit up Wal-Mart and Marshall's. Jason went to the grocery store and I'm waiting for my grilled chicken greek salad to be finished!
Ready to hit the hay and start a new week with a long holiday weekend upcoming. As a side note, we wish Candace the best of luck as she starts her new stint with pediatric PT tomorrow!!

good times, bad times, time goes on...

spring09

I'm back on the blogging bandwagon! So much has happened in two months! Attached is a link to my most recent photos...mainly Mother's Day activities with a few Easter pics thrown in. Speaking of Easter, it was a rainy, rainy day here in Shreveport. I was a bit bummed because by the time we got home from church, we were all so wet that I couldn't get any good family photos and the trio all looked so nice in their Sunday best! Oh well...
Good times:
Sibling love - there is something special about having three babies within 18 months! For the most part, they are one another's entertainment. They don't really need me to keep them occupied; I am simply a referee (see bad times!). I love when they are in a room and I get to overhear their conversations. I love when Haley says "its ok baby brother" or Gracie goes and gets Haley's baby Sally because she can tell her sister wants it. Sam is the little lovebug/comedian. He gives his sisters great hugs (when not pushing/hitting...again, see bad times) and keeps them (and me and Jason) laughing. I really cannot begin to explain how heartwarming it is to see them interact with one another. Smiles, hugs and squeals of laughter make the craziness of our life so worth it.
Our new house - we have so much more room to spread out. The kids have a great hallway to run and play chase as well as their own area for toys, books, etc. Their daddy worked really hard a few weeks ago and put together a great swing set in the backyard. Our front and backyard are huge so that has really provided us with lots of good out door time. The previous owner had triplets and left us their triple stroller which is perfect for strolls around the neighborhood, including walks to Tootsie & Pop's house. Hopefully my parents enjoy having us close because I LOVE IT!!!
Friends - Having a great circle of friends for support during the highs and lows of life. You know who you are and I love you =)
I am grateful for Candace organizing a Sunday Run for Him...more uplifting than you know!

Bad Times:
Sibling rivalry - this is real life people! My children fight, they whine, they pitch fits, they hit each other, they push each other and we are attempting to potty train! Need I say more?! I told my mom a few weeks ago that I didn't think I was going to survive parenthood. This is hands down the hardest thing I have ever done. I am continually fighting off my impatient tendencies and sometimes I'm not sure I can say "stop" one more time. Obviously the tears shed (usually mine) are worth it but there are times when I think I may burst. Thank goodness I have God and His word in my life, along with a few kindred spirits, to see me along.
Our new house - bigger doesn't always mean better but bigger does mean more expenses which translates into budget woes. The place needs some TLC but fortunately we plan to be there for a long time so I do think we have invested wisely.

So, there is a very small snippet of the Greer life since March. I hope to keep this thing more up to date in the future. I take my last test (hopefully, keep your fingers crossed) at the beginning of June so I'm hoping for lots more time on my hands. Yeah, that's not going to happen, but a girl can dream can't she?!

Finally made it!

Wow, the first 2 1/2 months of 2009 have been hectic! We looked at a new house, made an offer, put our house on the market, sold it, closed on two houses, and moved all within the first 2 months. Then onto test #7 for me, which I passed despite not much time to devote to studying. Immediately on the heels of the test was a church event I committed to along with the Little Rock marathon! Jason and I competed as a part of Team Graney with Jack & Candace. I direct you to her amazing blog (http://www.chaneylife.blogspot.com/) because she has a great post and some great pictures of the event. It was such a good experience and certainly make me hungrey for some more running. Hopefully we'll get geared up to each do the 1/2 marathon in Dallas in December.
So, I kept telling myself if I could make it to March 16th, then life should slow down. Well, here we are on 3/16. I guess you could say that things are a little calmer, but each day, a new entry is logged onto my calendar and I have one more test that I have to study for and pass. I'm begging to think it may be a few decades before things actually slow down, but I'm going to try and enjoy these days as they really fade quickly.