Merry Christmas

So here it is another Christmas in the Graham house! It does seem to get a little easier every year but harder in other ways. Few weeks ago I was worried that Christmas was not going to be that special for the kids this year cause financially we just didn't know how we would do it. With a little praying and having faith that the big guy upstairs will provide he did just that. I will not say who but someone gave us some extra cash for the Holidays for all we do. I was able to finish all my shopping with that and have some extra to pay bills early!

I did manage to get sick with the flu on Thursday and first thing was I have so much to do and now I am doomed. I was in bed from 3:00 pm Thursday til 11:00 am Friday morning and then started feeling a little better. I decided to keep my 11 year old home so she can help and she did. She finished the wrapping and did some baking....still have to work on her cleaning skills though.

Today I am trying to prepare for the company we will have on Christmas day. My husband gave me a head start by cleaning the whole living room while I was at work. I am truly blessed to have a family that will all pitch in and help get things done!

So off I go to get my kids ready to head to my sisters for Christmas Eve and then off to Church for the 11:00 service!

Merry Christmas to Everyone!

a little update

what have I been doing in the past 10 months since I blogged? Well I will tell you. I celebrated my 10 year anniversary this past July...10 years so hard to believe. We didn't do anything fancy...I thing just went to dinner and that was good enough for me. I am still a Girl Scout leader and my troop now consists of Brownies and Juniors. Its a challenge but hey its worth it in the end when the girls are happy. Well since my 4 oldest are in scouts of course my youngest had to become a Scout and Mark decided to become the leader. I help him with his troop so every Thursday is Scout night in the Graham house (along with every Monday and every other Sun and Tues) Me and Mark are still working at the good ol Shop N Save. We work opposite shifts and we manage to make it work.

The kids.....well Kevin is now in 11th grade...hard to believe. He is still active in Boy Scouts, High School Band, ROTC and Youth Crime Watch to name a few. He worked this past summer as a lifeguard at the local pool. Brittney started middle school and is still trying to adjust. Sometimes I am fine with that but sometimes it scares me. She is still in Girls Scouts and playing the trombone and viola. She also played Softball and hoping she plays again in the Spring. Alyssa is now in the 4th grade and lets just say she has come out of her shell. She now plays the clarinet and violin and still in Girl Scouts. Brandon is in 2nd grade and is just my all around personality kid. He is in his 2nd year of Cub Scouts and played soccer in the in the Spring. Leaves me with Ryan...my little adult kid. He is in the 1st grade and adjusting well. Still in the Autistic support program but doing well enough to stay in a normal classroom setting. He is actually my first kid to bring straight A's on his report cards from school. He joined Cub Scouts this year and he has his ups and downs with that.

Have a Positive Day!

need to update this thing.

Yikes the pics of my kids are over 2 years old. I really need to update that. I think a little makeover will be in the works! After Christmas though. This is going to be one busy week ahead. Of course I work 3-11 pretty much all week and I still have to wrap, bake and clean. We are having Christmas here and I am no where ready for that yet. I know between my husband and the kids they will as they say "bail me out"!

I did have an awesome day today with my husband and kids. We were both off from work which is unusual so we all headed to church (the first time in a long time because of one vehicle) The had the annual Christmas Cantata and I always enjoy listening to the choir sing the story of what Christmas is all about. I made tacos for dinner, which is one of the meals that all 7 of us will eat. It does end up costing more than I want but its a good feeling to see the family eating together with no issues(whining usually) After dinner me and Mark watched Tim Hawkins on Youtube for about an hour. What a funny guy he is. Then it was time to powerclean the house. I love days like this!

Blessings

Debbie!

I am back!

So its been almost a year since I last posted or even looked at my blog or anybody Else's. Many reasons kept me away from blogging from lost password to still don't understand the updated ways of blogging to little to no time and I guess Facebook got into the way too! I really miss blogging. I miss even more reading other blogs.

My goal for 2012 is going to be to blog way more often. I would say my goal would be daily but I doubt that. I really want to blog so I can look back at all these memories I will have of my kids during their childhood. I want them and their families to come back to read about the good times the bad times the scary times and the blessed times! I might be the only one for now reading this blog but that's OK!

Till I blog again......Have a blessed day!

Debbie

At the end of February we celebrated my oldest son Kevin for receiving his Eagle Scout Award! Not too many Boy Scouts achieve this award let alone at the age he was when he completed his.(15) It takes alot of hard work and dedication!



It was nice to see all the kind things many people at to say about him! As his mother I am very proud of him and I know he well deserves it!



Just know this Kevin...your little brothers look up to you and they want to follow you in the Boy Scout journey!

things I am hearing right now....

Dog barking at the cat

Me yelling at cat to get out of kitchen and dog to shut up!

11 year old telling 16 year old to get off the X-box its her turn and her show is on

16 year old yelling back saying I am not going to be home at all on Sunday and you will have all day to watch TV

11 year old in here now telling me to do something as I ignore her

Cat is meowing at me for who knows what reason and the dogs is panting very heavy

5 year old coming to explain to me in details on the fight still going on between 11 year old and 16 year old on who spends more time on the TV in the living room

Someone rattling a bag...thinking that is the cat

Must be....dog is now again barking at the cat as I still hear the bag

Quietness from my 8 year old...she always stays out of it.

5 year old trying to play referee

11 year old calling for (still ignoring..is that real mean of me)

wow now 8 year old is calling the cops on the 16 year old and 5 year old is counting down...

a pot of stuffed cabbage boiling on my stove top...

still limited on time

so I get asked often how do you do it? My answer I have no ideal we just do. I was actually off on a Saturday but no rest for me. This morning soccer games was supposed to start at 10 am for RY RY but was cancelled because of snow/cold so I am thinking well heck B's game at 11 will be cancelled too....nope it wasn't. So out in the cold me and the kids went. Forgot to take chairs which was fine cause it was warmer to move around. The sun peeked for about 3 minutes and it felt like it went from 35 to 70. After that I had to go sign Brittney up for Softball(late last minute thing) so an hour after we get home we get the phone call the the first practice is today at 4. Yikes!! Had to hurry and clean up then get the troops out the door to go by Softball stuff and then ordered Pizza out since that meant no time to cook then too pick Mark up from work all by 3.

So Softball practice last about 30 minutes cause it was colder than this morning...so then hurry home cause Mark was taking B to the Carnegie Science Center for a Boy Scout Sleepover and had to be there by 6.

Did I forget to mention I have been up since 3 am thanks to my wonder dog and cat...for some reason they both were barking/meowing wanting outside wanting to play all night and I was the lucky one to tend to them... I am so exhausted and my house is showing for that right now...but there is always Sunday.

So now my week will kinda look like this

Mon Brittney GS
B Boy Scouts
mom works

Tue Ryan soccer practice
mom work
mom Girl Scout leader meeting

Wed Alyssa Dance
B soccer practice
Mom work

Thur Brittney dance
Brittney softball practice

FridayRyan Soccer practice
mom work

Sat Brandon and Ryan Soccer games
Brittney Softball practice.

Now I did not throw in a few apts I also have too during mornings and afternoons..that just evening. And I have to say my husband is awesome cause this week alot falls on his shoulders cause I work alot of nights this week.

I also did not add my 16 year old and his activities...

Have a Blessed weekend!!!

needed lessons from Cookie Monster

This happens all too often in my house! Should just buy icing and let them eat it out of the can!

devote myself to Blogging(Well gonna try)

I cant believe how long its been since I blogged....I thought by having all 5 of my kids in school at one time all day would free up more time for me to update this but I was wrong. Also I am still drawn into Facebook... But here it goes...

So for all the few people who actually read it here it goes... A little review..

Well the kids are now 16, 11, 8, 6 and 5 and all doing as good as they could be!

Kevin is in 10th grade and still active in the HS band, ROTC and the Boy Scouts and I am proud to say he juts made his Eagle Scout last month and we are very proud of him! He will be working at The local pool again this summer hoping to save up money for that car he wants.

Brittney is enjoying her last year at the elementary school before heading to middle school which she is looking forward too. She is still in Girl Scouts and bridging over to Cadettes in May. She is now playing the Trombone and Viola at school. She went back to Dance this year which surprises me she is my tough one of the bunch.

Alyssa is Alyssa..lol. She is my laid back one but yet is getting her little girl attitude. She started playing the violin this year and is still dancing away which she loves. She is still in Girl Scouts and will be bridging to Juniors in May and I am lucky to be her leader of her troop.

Brandon is well my most rounded out kid...easy to get along with but yet stubborn with a charm. He is starting to play soccer again and joined the Boy Scouts this year too.

Ryan started KDG this year and its all day and he is doing well. Since he was diagnosed with Aspergers (type of Autism) he gets pulled out for a few hours a day to an Autistic support class but he is doing so well academically that they are weaning him with the regular class but he just has to work on some of his social skills. He starts playing soccer for the first time so we will see how that goes...

Me and hubby...well working and doing all the parent/spouse jobs too. My husband is helping out with Boy Scouts this year and I am still a Girls Scout leader. As for having more babies....hhhmmm...we shall see what happens

I am going to try to post some pics throughout the week of some things from the last year...so be warned..it might even include Christmas pics too! til then..

Have a Blessed day!