can a sista chatch a break?

I have been so TIRED these last couple of weeks that it has been hard to find any kind of motivation to get up and do anything other than work and school. I feel like my marriage is suffering because of how tired I am all the time and I feel like I'm neglecting my motherly and wifely duties. SO, today I'm taking a half day to spend with my Little Man outside and tonight were eating with my family. My sister Casey is leaving for three weeks to go with her boyfriend (Marcus) to West Virginia to go white water rafting. FUN! I wish I could go too but...I can't. I have to work and do my school work. Tonight will be the last night we see either one of them for a while. I hope they have a good time but more importantly I hope they stay SAFE!

Anyway, I have a bunch of pictures to post! I know you all love when I post pictures and I promise I will have my Friday Confessions come Friday this week. I'm trying to get motivated so I have more energy and I'm making a pledge to get outside at least 30 min a day for the next 30 days. I hope I can keep up with it like a 30 day blog challenge. 

Enjoy the pictures!

As some of you may know....Stratton has been HORRIBLE at going to bed lately.

Case and point. I know you all are probably thinking I'm a horrible mom for just recording him and not taking care of his but this is seriously and hour after trying to put him down to bed and an hour of reading to him, rubbing his face and arms, rocking him, and saying our prayers. I had to let everyone else know what a cute little guy he is even when he's screaming.

Saturday I surprised Derek and Stratton with a trip to Jones Heritage Farms if you haven't been there I would highly recommend going for breakfast one weekend. It is amazingly beautiful out there and there is a little barn where you can see chickens, goats, ducks, and turkeys!

 Stratton was simply fascinated by chickens.

 He hates getting his pictures taken anymore.

 Look ma! A chicken! He kept telling the chickens to "Get DOWN!"

 

 It was pretty early for a weekend so we look...lovely.

 I love these dogs and my friend Leslie just got one so I took a picture of this little guy for her.

 Stratton just couldn't resist chasing the chickens. He kept say "get back here chicken!"

 We named him dinner.

 The loud lovely goats

 Apparently the turkey wasn't nice so we were told not to get too close to him.

 Saturday was also scheduled to be THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT! But...thankfully, it wasn't. We had an end of the world party at my sisters house and it was so nice outside we spent the afternoon outside waiting to get "raptured." Stratton enjoyed his new sun glasses and playing in the water sprinkler.

 We also made a trip to the mall where Stratton played on my phone the ENTIRE TIME!

We all look so cool in our shades!

 Sunday was another "family fun day." We took Stratton to Jackson Park to play on the slides and get some of that energy out of his system. It helps with trying to get him down for a nap or to go to bed.

 He looks like such a big kid with the sunglasses.

 He likes to play with his momma but likes when kids come around too. When a new kid would show up he would go "Hi kids!"

  Looking like a big boy again. He is such a ham!

 I fell behind when we were walking because I had to fix my shoe so they waited patiently for me to catch up. I of course took pictures.

 I love these kinds of pictures. I think they're too cute.

 Once we got home it was nap time for everyone. Including Groucho.

 I made tacos for lunch. I love them because they are so quick and easy and we never have leftovers.

Sunday afternoon Derek went to a concert up in STL with Marcus (sisters boyfriend) and didn't get home until 2 in the morning. I was in bed with Stratton when he got home and I didn't want to wake the little guy up so I slept on the couch and let all three boys take up the family bed. This is what I found in our bed Monday morning. Too cute!

Stratton is now quite the little photographer with my iPhone camera now.

 Me on the pot.

 Dirty white clothing pile.

 Dirty colors clothing pile.

 Groucho and part of colored clothing pile.

 Self portrait #1

 Self portrait #2

 More dirty clothes

 Hope you all enjoyed the pictures. SEMO bloggers meeting soon!

Hello World!

Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you know I haven't fallen off of the face of the Earth. I've just been super busy. Our basement has mold in it because of all the water we got from the rain so I have been working on the basement the last few nights trying to get it bleached and reorganized so we can get it fixed. I also started my summer school class this week so I'm really busy with that too.

I did update my 101 in 1001 so please check it out and give me some love for all my hard work.

Hope everyone has been having a good week so far. I'm headed to get Mexican tonight with the "girls" so I'm really excited about that! Also Leslie and I are going to be meeting up this weekend to talk about plans for the SEMO Bloggers Meeting coming up. Hope to see you all there!

Monday Confessions

I confess that I am actually NOT looking forward to summer. I don't have any big plans to go anywhere and I have summer school BLEH!


I confess that I am second guessing my new glasses.

I confess I am pale as a ghost but I don't want to go tanning because this video has made me question every single one of the 100+ moles that I have on my body and I don't want to get malignant melanoma.

I confess I wish I was tan but I'm really ok with the pasty white and the gallons of self tanner I will inevitably use over the next few months.

I confess I have been a blog snob lately. I have been too good for my blog and I have been working on our SEMO Bloggers blog instead. 

I confess I owe my nephew, sister and sister's boyfriend a post all of their own for their birthdays. Sorry. :S

I confess I am 3 days late for this post but better late than never right?

One Seriously Long Picture Post

I'm sorry. There I said it. I have been slacking HORRIBLY at updating my blog. I've been lacking motivation to write or post lately. I'm not sure if it's all the work I've been doing for school or what but I have been slacking.

SO....here is all the posts I should have been posting for the last 2 months.

As most of you know we have had some really strange wet weather around here lately. Lots of storms with hail and tornadoes and now to top it off it's May 16th and I'm wearing jeans and several layers because it's 47 degrees out this morning. These are some pictures I took on my way to pick up Stratton from the baby sitters house.

 This pictures is right behind the auction barn on Hwy 61. You could seriously go white water rafting on that water!

 

 The water under this bridge usually just trickles under it. Not that day. It was almost up to the bridge. I didn't feel comfortable driving on it.

 But I did anyway.

 This is Brookside Park off of Hwy 61.

 Wibs parking lot

 Jackson Park

 Stratton playing in the water in our driveway. He was having so much fun splashing in the water.

 My mother in law came home for my nephew Payne's birhtday party. He's officially one year old! We went and got our toes done for the occasion. The black flip flops with the heart are my mother in laws toes. She got red with a white flower on the big toe. Bottom right is Steph's toes. She got a coral color with a white flower on the big toe and I'm the pasty white toes with neon pink polish and black zebra print stripes on the top.

  I can't believe how fast this year has gone by. It seems like just yesterday I was up at the hospital waiting to see that honkin' 10lb 10oz baby through the nursery window. He is such a cute little boy and I love him to pieces! I'm so glad we could spend the weekend celebrating his first birthday and getting to see all the family. 

 He loved his cake! If you couldn't tell.

 Payne loves his Uncle Derek.

 Nom Nom Nom!!

 Osama Bin Laden is finally DEAD!

 My sister Casey and her boyfriend Marcus celebrated their birthday's this month. Marcus and Casey are a year and a few days apart.

 We love when someone in our family has a birthday because that means we get my Grandma Marges FAMOUS angel food cake. It's AWESOME!

 Now does that look good or what?!

Stratton had to help open presents.

 As some of you know...Stratton has a Minnie Mouse that he can not live without. When he gets tired now he HAS to have his Minnie. Heaven FORBID we forget his Minnie somewhere or else we are in big trouble.

 More pictures of the Naked Cat aka Groucho

Buchheit's now has their chicks out for sale and I couldn't resist taking Stratton to go see them.

 They were so cute and tiny and Stratton was so gentle with them. I was so proud of him for not trying to pinch their heads off.

Another perk of summer is SNOW CONES! I love snow cones but Derek doesn't and now that Stratton tags along with me everywhere we can go get snow cones TOGETHER! I'm loving that I have a snow cone buddy. Stratton is loving the snow cones.

 He is such a big boy now.

On Mothers Day Stratton and I hung out with my dad for the day.

My dad was trying on Stratton's new sun glasses.

My cute nephew Payne hanging out next to the pool for a family barbecue at the in laws house. 

 One day last week Stratton and I hung out with my parents and went geocaching. My dad is just now getting into it so I helped him find a few that day.

 Stratton loves popping bubbles.

More snow cones. Even Sage (the dog) got in on the icy treat.

 I got some new glasses last week...and yes I am well aware I look just like my mom...and a dork.

 Saturday Stratton and I went by Wal Mart for some grocery shopping and he got a "tattoon" of a baseball on his arm.

 He loved it SO much! He didn't want to wash it off.

We also went to the nature center with Aunt Stephie, Uncle Garrett, and Payne. He really liked playing with everything. I really liked the turtle and the two headed snake. 

 Saturday afternoon my sister decided to take the plunge and donate her locks to Locks of Love. I was there for moral support and to take as many pictures as possible. My sister has the THICKEST most beautiful curly hair. Here are the before, during and after pics.

 There is no turning back now.

 It took quite a bit of hacking at that pony tail before she was able to get it all off.

 But she did it! Good job Les!

 And now the after! I love it! Leslie did SO great.

 Good job sister!

 Sporting my new glasses and her new do. I'm loving both.

 In the spirit of new hair cuts. I cut Stratton's hair this weekend too. It's SO short but I'm getting used to it. I already want it to grow back out. 

 He looks just like his daddy now.

 Last night my friend Lauren and I went to Kaleidoscoop for ice cream with Stratton. It was SO yummy and Stratton loved it. Here he is showing off his blue tongue.

  That pretty well sums up the last couple of months. I have been uber busy with school but now that it is out I can get right back into blogging again. Sort of. I started summer school today so maybe not. I'll try to get better. I miss my readers and I miss putting more than just my Friday Confessions up. Hope you all enjoy.