blue lights flashing in my rear view mirror

i was given some kohls cash at christmas time and needed to use this free money before january 1st. i went to kohls the other day and was frustrated since the store was so picked over from christmas that i left empty handed. i was still hopeful that i would be able to find something at another store.

so yesterday while my dog was at the vet (again. a super long story which i'm too frustrated to repeat) and my in-laws had my kids, i decided to give kohls in clovis a try. i walked around and around the store looking for something for me. i rarely ever buy things for me so this was special. i was getting very frustrated since i just couldn't find anything (by the way, kohls has a massive clearance on kids clothes if anyone is in need) i finally walked in the home goods section and found these decorative hour glasses. they were really kinda pretty and they were 75% off. after not finding anything i was interested in i decided these would be pretty cool for our homeschooling. i calculated in my head they would be about $10.00 more than my $10.00 kohls cash if i bought all three of them so although i wasn't buying something for me, i was using my free money so i was happy. when i got to the register, they rang up at only 40% off and not 75% off. the young man at the register went ahead and adjusted my bill told me my total, $10.32, i paid and as i was walking to my car, i realized i didn't use my kohls cash. i was soo mad!! i grabbed my receipt to go back in and use it when i realized what had happened. my hour glasses rang up at 40% off THEN he adjusted it with a 75% off. SCORE one for me!!

i decided to keep my cash and head back later, lol. after chuckie came home, i went out to the riverpark kohls (3 different kohls in 3 days, lol) as i was turning off of blackstone onto the kohls street, i noticed blue flasing lights in my rear view mirror. i immediately looked around looking for someone that did something wrong, lol. i pulled over for him to pass and he followed me!! it was then that my heart dropped. i knew i didn't do anything wrong. i wasn't speeding, i used my blinker, i stopped completely, i wasn't even listening to the radio so i was confused plus i never even saw him. then he came to my window and asked if i knew my plates were expired. i told him i did, but i never received them in the mail. they were paid though. he was really nice and asked for my licence. i handed it to him and dispatch confirmed that they were paid. he kindly suggested i call dmv. we talked about locking mail boxes, his siren/lights, etc for a few minutes. then he said he hoped i had a good evening, i said the same and told him to stay safe. he stopped looked back and thanked me for saying that and then left. after hearing all the stories that my husband comes home with, the term 'stay safe' is increasingly coming up more and more in my vocabulary. i wasn't upset he pulled me over, i was glad to see that the police are actively out there protecting us. if you don't do anything wrong then you won't get in trouble.

as far as kohls, i gave up and found a 2 pack of melmo (elmo) sleeper jammies with cupcakes on them for abigayle for $10.20. plus a pair of panties for 70 cents. kohls cash used, baby girl THRILLED, no ticket = successful trip (finally)

abigayle

i overheard this conversation the other day and i find myself thinking about it and smiling. thought i should share with you.

after we moved from san pedro to my aunts house i was sore and tired. i decided to sneak and take a bath at her house and since our house doesn't have a tub (and her's is HUGE) it very well could be my last in a really really long time. i didn't want 'company' since all i wanted to do was relax so i asked chuck to distract ab's. i knew she' find me in no time at all and this is what i heard,

ab's - 'mama'
ab's - 'mama'
ab's - 'mama'
ab's - 'maaamaaaa'
ab's - 'mmmmaaaaammmmmaaaaaa'
ab's - 'Mmmmmaaaaammmmmmaaaaaa'
this continues... you get the picture.
i hear this fading in and out as she searches all the rooms,
she opens the bedroom door, i sink really low in the tub.
she doesn't see me =)
ab's - 'MAAAAMMMMMAAAA'
i feel a little guilty.
ab's - 'MMMMMMAAAAAMMMMMMMAAAA'
she leaves
ab's - 'MMMMMMAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAA'
daddy - 'ab's, mama cannot hear you right now.'
ab's - 'oh'
daddy - 'why don't you just go play'
ab's - 'no'
silence
ab's - 'dada'
daddy - 'what'
ab's - 'dada'
daddy - 'what'
ab's - 'dada'
daddy - 'what'
ab's - 'dada'
silence
ab's - 'dada'
silence
ab's - 'dada'
silence
she toddles off
i hear her playing with brayden.

heehee... i thought it was funny.
maybe you had to be there, lol.

coffee

a few random things that has happened lately.

we've been staying at aunti sandi's house. she hasn't yet stayed the night but there is still time for her to show up and chat =-) THANKS for letting us intrude!!

our renters called and said they were moving out early!!

mom retired!!

chuckie and i went to san pedro on saturday and finalized everything from our lease. HUGE relief to have this finally done.

mom watched all three kids for us while we were traveling and she said she realized why i didn't drink coffee... i didn't have time, lol. her coffee pot actually shut off before she had time to pour herself one cup before it got cold, it stays one for 2 full hours!! heehee

our renters have been 98% out of our house since saturday, we are hoping to get in friday and saturday but... we'll see.

the kids have really really been having a hard time with this move. they are anxiously awaiting our move back into their home. they have been very touchy, misbehaving, having bad dreams, scared, not understanding why we can't decorate christmas stuff in our house, etc... we have to drive by the house every time we go out and about. hopefully we can get in soon enough to decorate and enjoy a few christmas traditions.

since the kids have been having a hard time and daddy is away working, we decided to surprise mimi and popi and head up the hill and stay the night =-) we decorated a gingerbread house, sleigh, tree, little house and a big train. the kids had sooo much fun, well... we had a ball too! i've never decorated a real gingerbread house before, we've always used graham crackers so this was a new and very fun experience =-)

hopefully we'll get to move home soon and stay getting back to our normal routine =-)

internet

i have internet access again!! my aunt read my blog and loaned us her laptop, complete with internet access!! THANK YOU!!! we have settled in over here and the kids are catching up on all their sleep. chuckie started his first official day at his new job and loves it! he came home in a towing shirt (complete with reflective stripes) that had the name rafael on it. first time i've kissed another man in 10 years, heeehee. he is definitely the whitest rafael i've ever seen, lol. anyways... he said work was great and he thinks he's really going to enjoy working there.

we've been crazy busy but i'm hoping things will calm down and we can start enjoying this time together with our family. i went to the grocery store today (was a little flustered) got in the car and started driving home. didn't realize i was actually headed home and not aunt sandi's house until i was in our old neighborhood, lol. old habit, i guess, lol.

we've moved

we are now residents of fresno again =-) our move was long and very very hard. thankfully we had reinforcements once we arrived in fresno!! a HUGE THANKS to both our parents for helping unload!! we are staying at my aunts house and i am shocked to find that she doesn't have internet, lol. she actually uses a wireless that she hooks up to her computer so she has entered the 21st century but that also means we cannot 'share'. so... i'll be away from the blog/facebook/email for a few weeks. i'll be able to check it now and then when i'm at one of our parents house but other than that we can only be reached by our cell phones. until then... enjoy your christmas traditions with your families!!

moving

well... i've been absent from here due to the fact that we are moving again. yes, you read that right, i said we are moving. if you've been following this for awhile, you'd know that last year at this time, we started this adventure. my husbands job cut his pay drastically the week of thanksgiving. we looked into commercial dive school and he was enrolled by december, we moved to new jersey in january and lived there until the end of june. moved back to fresno, since our house didn't sell, found a job in long beach, ca and headed over here. this is waaaay too many moves for us. the kids have a hard time adjusting, i have a hard time getting motivated plus this time here in long beach has not been a good experience at all. we've struggled financially, struggled with the area, but most of all we've struggled with chuck's job. this move is a very very good move for us. this job seems to be a great job, God's hand is definitely guiding us here but i'm soooo tired of moving. yesterday we finished loading the trailer here in san pedro and headed to fresno. we dropped off my car, unloaded our trailer and then headed straight back here to san pedro. we left at 10:00 in the morning and arrived at midnight. long long day, especially for the kids in the car. today we have tons and tons of work to day. we've got to pack and clean and move things out to the garage to get ready for the uhaul. i'm nervous we're not going to get everything done in the amount of time we have. loading a whole house into a uhaul with just my husband and i, plus the three little helpers that do more damage than good in the process. then i have to scrub this house from top to bottom and drive 5 hrs to fresno, all within one day. rest for a few hours and unload everything into a storage unit for a few weeks. chuck will then start working at the new company, then we hang out until our renters are moved out and we move back just in time to celebrate christmas.

there is sooo much more to this move but i'm so busy i just don't have time to explain everything. i'm excited and i'm sad all at the same time. i'm excited to be coming back home. home were family is, home where new friendships are, home where our church is, home where the comforts of knowing where everything is, home where things are cheaper, home where my husband and i will be happy again. sad because we have to pack and move everything we own again, twice, sad because this is happening the week of christmas and i feel our kids are going to loose out on all the anticipation and 'funness' of christmas. they are asking about a christmas tree and lights outside houses. our christmas crafts and christmas traditions. very very few of these things will happen for us this year. although they won't really remember, i don't want this christmas to be a dud for them. christmas was always so special and such a fun time as a child, i don't want it to be a disappointment to them. especially since we've had such a difficult year. we've drug our kids from one side of the united states to the other, away from their friends and family and grandparents. we've lived in a teeny tiny apartment, back to our familiar home, and then tore them from their home to their uncles house and hotels for a few weeks then here at the beach. thankfully i'm homeschooling but things have been hard. this move is going to be great for our family, i just wish it would have happened last month. wish us the best of luck, and i'll post as soon as i can after we are settled. merry christmas to everyone!!