Sometimes

Sometimes your days look like this and you just need a hug.


And other days you feel like this....


But don't worry because soon enough someone will come along and although you may fight it.... you will get the hug you need.


And a friend to lean on or in this case sit on.


And soon your frown will be turned upside down and you can look like this again And By The Way.... I turn 1 tomorrow!!!!

I know its been a while since I last posted. And EVERY day I sit down to write. But lately like the first few pics I have been in a bit of a slump. And I hate when I sit down to write and all that wants to come out is complaints and whining. I know this is my outlet but I am working so hard on remembering all the things that make me happy and not focus on the bad, that there are times when I will be gone for a bit, but never fear I always bounce back! Vernon took leave this past week and it was so nice having him home. We didn't do anything too exciting, just enjoyed being together. We also had two more meetings with the school district on Kaden. We met again with the speech therapist, so she could do her evaluation. We also had the evaluation with the school psychologist...actually there were 3 in there watching him and taking notes. The occupational therapist will be coming next Wednesday and I think the school psychologist will also be coming with him to do her final evaluation with him. They also want us to go to a few of the special ed preschools in the district to see the classrooms and meet the teachers and see how things work so we can decide which one we feel will be the best for Kaden. This part will be hard for me I am not ready for him to go to school. Heck I am not ready when they are 5! But I know this is what is best and what needs to happen for Kaden to get the best start he can. Everyone tells ups how lucky we are because he is active, yet very mellow and easy going and such a happy kid and you can see that he is processing what they are saying and trying to have him do. And we truly are blessed. JD and Danica are still doing great in school and continually surprise me with the insane amount of knowledge they have. The other day Danica came in and asked me what defiant meant. I was like where in the world did you hear that word!?! They are also doing great on learning to help around the house and the value on the dollar (or in their case the quarter)They had a multi cultural day at school yesterday and they got to take in the money they earned (plus a little something from mom and dad) to go to the booths and buy little treats and other things they were selling. They were so happy and proud of themselves. it is great to go into the store and have them be able to buy their own treats and not have to listen to them whine about wants all through the store. Wow, guess I had a lot to say even though I didn't think I did! We love you all! ~Care

Vernon is learning Photoshop

Since we are getting a nice camera with tax returns Vernon has decided to learn photo shop. And I think he did a great job with this picture.... can you tell what he did?

Pinching your pennies

Since one of my goals is to be actively working on savings, this will require me to actually stay with in a budget! So as I was surfing around to day I put in a search for penny pinching ideas and found this great website. Everyone Hurry sign up too and start pinching your pennies too! http://www.pinchingyourpennies.com/index.php

Resolutions

I am not good at keeping resolutions...for long. So instead of every year making resolutions I am going to do it quarterly. I am going to post them here. If you talk to me, feel free to ask how I am doing, I will need all the encouragement I can get I am sure! At the end of the quarter I am going to sit down, write about my feeling, how I did with my resolutions, what worked what didn't and then I will also sit down and write more or leave them if I want to try harder, etc. So here we go!

1. Try to bring a real smile to each member of my families face each day or find a way to let them know how much they mean to me. This may not seem huge, but it really is. To share an honest to goodness smile with someone can brighten not just your day but theirs too! It can be as simple as telling someone the did a good job and getting overly excited over it. It can be leaving a little not for them to find. It could be as simple as emailing a joke that your hubby would like to him at work. or calling to say "hi" or "i love you". Not you forgot to take out the trash AGAIN! ( I have been writing note to the kids and leaving it on their pillows at night and they LOVE it, they have even started write notes to me and Vernon, and each other. I also make a not for each little boy and write for one of the big kids to please read it to them.)

2. Actively be working on having "savings". Lets face it times are tough, not just for the military, but for everyone. We live pay check to pay check and a lot of times its barely scraping by or just trying to make do. So we have set up a savings account and set it so $25 a paycheck to go into there. As we get a better grip on our money we will probably increase it. But for now it is a start and I am happy. Now to just not break into it.

3. STOP eating out. Ok, not all together...but limit ourselves to one special time each paycheck. We always have good intentions of this and talk about how horrible it is for us and what a waste it is when you spend $30+ for a family of 6 to eat out! Do you know how much more food that could buy or how it could help out the savings, or go to a partial bill. The options are endless and we need to stop it. We have decided that we will get a mason jar and every time we think we have this extra money laying around and we are eating out, out of shear laziness the money will go into the jar and it will be save for something special. (it is undecided as of right now what it will be)

4. Try to live healthier. I want to loose weight, but if I put that down or make a goal and dont make it I will be disappointed, it will not make me try harder. So for now, I will limit myself to one or less coke a day. (can't break that, just yet) Go for fruit or veggies instead of cookies, chips and other junk. I will take the long way home, I already walk the kids to and from school, but take the shortest route. on the way home when I am not in such a hurry why not take the longer way and give my body a little more exercise? Eat at home (see above) I know how to cook, it may not be order what you want, but I am capable of making yummy food.

5. Teach my kids the value of a dollar and more importantly the value of hard work and earning your money. Every time we go to the store, every time we are out. Can I...? I'm hungry, I'm thirsty. Can we go....? So now the kids will be earning a quarter a night if their chores are completed and they were not whined about or had to be told over and over and over. So then when we go to the store, they can do something with their earned money if they choose. I have made up a calender and each day it tells them what chore is theirs.

6. Daily reading of scriptures and family prayers. I will be getting up with my husband each morning, reading scriptures with him and having a pray with him before he goes to work. I will then read the same scriptures with the kids when they wake up and have a prayer with them before they go to school. Then each night we will read together as a family and have a family prayer. God is taken out of so much these days and if I want to instill our beliefs in my children I need to be enforcing this. It is bringing so much more peace into our home. I can really feel it on the days we don't do this.

7. Find a way to do an act of service each day. The possiblities are ENDLESS. It could be taking a plate of cookies over to a neighbor. Giving a friend a break (take their kids with you and your kids to the park, take on dinner for their family, be a listener, or a shoulder to cry one) Take out the trash even though its hubby's job. Bake cookies or some other treat for hubby to take to work with him. Offer to hold a crying baby while the mom pays in the store. You get the idea ;) Remember: " no act of kindness no matter how small, is EVER wasted.

8. Keep a better house. I HATE cleaning house but love the feel of a clean house. I have gotten a lot better over the last few months, but I am not going to take it a step further and set up a chore chart for me. This is so I am not overwhelmed and know what I am supposed to be doing each day. Being a stay at home mom is the best and worst thing for me. I LOVE LOVE LOVE being home with my kids but I just don't have the disipline that is needed to keep myself on a schedule and forcing myself to accomplish the things that should be done each day. So I am putting out there so I will try harder.

9. Keep up on my blog. This one is stupid and purely selfish, but I don't write in a journal, I don't scrapbook. I dont call all of our family and give them updates as often as I should. And someday my mind will go, or my kids will want to know about things they don't remember.So for these reasons I am going to try to blog at least every other day. Sometimes you will get more sometimes it may be less but I really feel this is important.

Well folks, this has to be it....for two reasons. One I can not think of another "really good" one I need to put out there for the world and ME to see. And two Dalton seems to think that bed time was actually a nap so I am going to go snuggle him and rock with him in the rocking chair!
LOVE YOU ALL!
~Care

Just for fun and to show off 2 hair cuts

Wow! I am still not good about updating this. I still need to post my new years resolutions....Maybe in a bit after dinner, scriptures, bath, and finally prayer and bed time! Until then..here are pics of the kids as of about 3 today. Danica and JD both got their hair cut while Grandma and Grandpa were here and they look so grown up. I really miss Danica long hair, BUT she looks adorable with this new cut. Dalton got to have his first cup of Koolaid and LOVED it. Kade is so good to leave his cup where Dalt can reach it. (that is the red and wet all over him in the pictures, he had it from his forehead to his diaper). Kader has been making some progress lately and walkes around shaking his finger at is and saying no no no no no. I dint think to grab a video of it yesterday when he did it. He also was telling us bye bye while we were driving to the gas station today. Not sure what the change is but I am loving seeing progress. Nothing is full time, YET! But I will take any small step I can get.

Dalton is WALKING!!!!!

Well I was almost done uploading the video when I realized that I was posting it on the wrong blog! He is Dalton walking! Please ignore my floor we have been grazing all day and that means a messy floor that needs to be vacuumed. Focus on the baby, Isnt he CUTE!?! I figured you all would be happy seeing this messy floor and all because I NEVER do videos of the kiddos. I hate it and will probably never do it again. But I wanted to share this happy/ very depressing thing with me. How I will miss having babies. Its ok though I know big kids are fun too! just sad to see the baby time going.......

2008 year end review

I am really lazy about posting and I am forcing myself to do this now while it is still fresh in my mind. I will go back and add pictures later.

Jan. 2008- We welcomed our final baby into our Family. Dalton was born on Jan 30th. Daddy wasn't able to be there for the birth so grandma Amy took his place. Vernon was in school to learn a new job for the Navy so we could move to California.

Feb- Both JD and Danica got to take their new baby brother in for show and tell. We were preparing to move to California. We tried to enjoy our last little bit in Hawaii as much as possible.

March- The movers came and packed up our house . JD turned 7, where does the time go???? We got on a plane and headed out on an adventure! California here we come! Hotel living is not so fun! Living in a house with no furniture or car is not much fun either. But we survived.

April- We got settled into our house! Mommies car finally made it from its long voyage from Hawaii. Our furniture made it. The kiddos got settled into school. Finally getting settled in and making friends. YAY us!

May- hmmm nothing too special sticks out in my mind. We were busy getting ready for the kids to be out of school and Grandma Amy and Grandpa Jerry coming to visit and Grandma Sharon and Grandpa Jerry were coming too!

June- I turned 27. Danica graduated kindergarten. School gets out for the summer, but both of my kids went to summer school. (Hawaii schools are VERY behind) Grandma Amy and Grandpa Jerry came for a visit. The brought us a Uhaul full of mommy and daddy's junk. Plus a few other special things. The spoiled the kids rotten. It is so nice having them be a drive away. Yes it is over a 12 hour drive. but it is the closest we have ever been. Grandma Sharon and Grandpa Jerry also came for a visit! Are we spoiled or what!?!They also packed their Car full of stuff for us! They took us to the Sequoia National park and to the Adventure Park! (we can not go to Hanford anymore with out being begged to go there :)) We are so grateful we are able to have our grandmas and grandpas come and see us! Summer here is SO HOT!

July- We watched the fireworks from across the street on the 4th. Danica turned 6. Oh my Goodness it got HOTTER!!!!!!!

August- The kids went back to school and had the most wonderful teachers any parent could ask for! They both loved them from the start! We also started eating breakfast at school. I walk the kids to and from school everyday! GO me!

September- We started the ball rolling with getting Kaden tested for Autism. He had his hearing and speech evaluated. Dalton started crawling. Jd and Danica Both continue to love school and blossom. Vernon and I hit 8 years of marriage. Amazing isn't?!? Who would have thought!?!

October- I start to realize how important having a blog is. I mean where else can I keep track of all of my thoughts pictures and major happenings!?! I LOVE it. I am not a scrapbooker, or a baby booker, or very good at keeping emails, snail mail or phone calls up to date with the latest and greatest. But with my blog I am loving it. Kaden turned 3!!! We also continued with getting him appointments for a diagnosis. Halloween was a lot of fun, The kids were ready to go home before me, that's a new one!

November- We had a nice quiet Thanksgiving. I truly tried to remember all I was grateful for. Dalton started standing on his own.

December- Kaden got diagnosed with Autism. We had a wonderful Christmas. Grandma Amy and Grandpa Jerry and even uncle Clay came out to visit us! December 29 Dalton too his first steps. ( am seriously considering making a little video of it and posting it here for you all to see, but its goes against my nature, but we shall see. need batteries for the camera!) Danica got a MAJOR hair cut and looks so grown up! Vernon turned 27 too!

What a truly AMAZING year we have had! I am so blessed. I can not wait to see what the next year has in store for us! Thank you all for being a part of our life and loving and supporting us!

~The Elrods