Motivation

Motivation. As in, I need some. Everybody keeps telling me I need to get on Facebook. I don't want to, because I already have one thing that I don't update on a regular basis. The whole point of me having a blog was for our out of town friends (or friends we don't see so often - Holla Hays!) to be able to keep up with us. SO, my goal is to update once a week, probably on Sunday afternoons. I've been doing good at keeping up with my daily devotional, so why the heck can't I do this ONE THING??? Geez. So, since my last blog was December 4th, we should talk about Christmas. All my Christmas pics are on my camera, so when we get home this afternoon, I"ll post them... maybe.

World's WORST Blogger!

Okay, I think it's official. I am the world's WORST blogger!!! And the crowd goes wild! (Thank you, thank you.) I got Ashley's e-mail about her new blog, and I thought, "Hmmm, I haven't updated my blog in a while." A WHILE??? ALMOST 2 MONTHS!!! Yikes!

At this point I will beg for mercy because our life has been pretty nuts for the last 2 months.

• Seane took his EC-12 Special Ed test on October 19th and PASSED, praise God! We truly know that it was God's will for him to get the Special Ed job at Nimitz. We're really enjoying getting to be so close to each other. He is still taking care of the bills and payroll for his dad, so he's constantly working. He's also starting his coursework for his alternative teaching certification and has to take the Generalist 4-8 exam on Thursday, so please pray!
  
• I've been working on a major project at work - a field trip for our 350 eighth grade students! I got that over with this Wednesday, and I survived, which is all I asked!

Okay, that doesn't sound like much, but I promise it felt really crazy while we were in it! We lucked out and got a snow day today, which was fabulous, and we got to head to Denton 6 hours earlier than expected. Yee haw!

Cookie Monster!!!

Cy's been kind of under the weather the last couple of days with a cold, so I decided that it would be fun to make halloween cookies. We really don't "celebrate" halloween, but his day care always has a dress-up day and they go around campus getting treats. I found some totally cute sprinkles, turned some white icing into orange and green, and we went NUTS!

Posing with a fresh cookie. I wonder who he gets that from???

Applying the icing. In case you're wondering, no, he didn't lick his fingers...

Now for the sprinkles. And while Mom is manning the camera, I think I'll just add a few more...

Oops, I seem to have dropped some...

MMMM, sprinkles!!!!!!!

It is IMPOSSIBLE not to love this face!!!

The finished product!!!

We had a blast making cookies! We're going to make a cookie run tomorrow evening and spread some love around Odessa. Cookies for everybody! We kept ourselves entertained while Seane was taking his last practice test before the BIG test tomorrow morning and...

HE PASSED!!!

God is so good! Pray for him at 9 am, if you think about it! Love you!

Mid-October Update

I know, I know. It's been a MONTH since I posted, but what a month it's been! Here goes:

• Wednesday, September 16th - My principal asked if I thought Seane would be interested in a job as a Special Ed teacher for our Emotionally Disturbed students at Nimitz. I said "Probably not" but asked him anyway. Turns out he IS interested, so we started all of the paperwork to get him into the iTeachTexas teacher certification program. I go to my Ladies' Bible study rejoicing, because not only has God opened a door for Seane to start bringing in some income, but I'm also pretty sure I'm pregnant!
  
• Friday, September 18th - I found out that I'm not pregnant (bummer) but I figure that the joy is in the trying...
• Saturday, September 26th - Went shopping for a new mattress since ours was KILLING our backs. We've been sleeping on the couch, on the floor, in the recliner, in the guest bed... not good. We found one we liked and ended up buying it in a KING (YAY!) on Sunday.
  
• September 28th through October 2nd - I lived through my first testing experience at Nimitz, the TAKS-M Field Test, as well as Open House and College Night (all in the same week! YUCK!)
  
• Saturday, October 3rd - I went to San Angelo with Emily and Piper and had soooo much fun with my girls! I've missed seeing Em every day, so we just laughed and talked and dished and even snuck in a quick trip to Eggemeyer's General Store! Piper is so sweet and beautiful - I really need a girl (but boys are wonderful, too).
  
• Sunday, October 4th - We're total slackers and play hookey from church, spending all day cleaning house and playing with Cy.
• Monday, October 5th - At 4:00 pm I freak out because I've just called the iTeachTexas people and they've informed me that Seane will have to take and PASS the Special Ed certification test for entrance into their program. I'm a little miffed that no one told us this before, since we could have been studying for 2 weeks now.
• Tuesday, October 6th - Still crying, feeling like my world is falling apart, feeling like my faith is so weak, feeling like God is testing me and I'm failing... AND Cy's day care tells us we'll need to come in and observe him because he's STILL biting. What a day!
• Wednesday, October 7th - Seane and I spend all day at OC watching Cy through 2-way glass. We were able to have a good conversation with his teachers about what we saw, and found some things to work on. He's generally biting in retaliation, so we're working on "using our words"...
• Thursday & Friday, October 8th & 9th - We survive! We headed to Denton at about 5:30 (but stopped in Midland for a quick supper and fuel fill-up). We hit DB and Angela's house about midnight and made ourselves at home, as always, promptly passing out in the front bedroom.
  
• Saturday, October 10th - "Des & the boys" hit what I'm considering the World's Biggest Garage Sale (AKA "Trader's Village"). Think of it as a really big, cheap, kitschy (???) version of Canton. I was cold and miserable, but the guys had fun and I earned a Grande Decaf Caramel Macchiato for my good behavior (much to the amusement of Seane and DB, who were impressed that I could say all that!) We went to Bass Pro Shop and I was really good and didn't buy anything, and then went home and Cy and I took a big nap (2 hours for him and 3 for me)! I woke up just in time for a "Rock Band" concert before dinner. We finished off the night with a lively game of Catan (our fave!) after the kids went to bed. Angel and I went to bed, but the big boys stayed up and played until all hours. I vaguely remember Seane coming in about 3 am.
  
• Sunday, October 11th - We got up this morning and had colaches and donuts for a too-late breakfast, considering we had made plans to meet the Bivins' friends (and ours, too, now), John and Marin and their boys for lunch at Taco Cabana at 11. We went back to the house after lunch and played one more game of Catan while Cy napped (I won, OH YEAH!) and then headed home about 3. Seane and I ran through a 50-question quiz to study for his Special Ed test (which he'll take on Monday, Oct. 19th). We did okay, and I feel confident that with some more studying this week, he'll do GREAT! We just ate dinner at Buck's Diner in Sweetwater - I had the Hamburger Steak & it was DELISH! I'm ready to be home, but not really ready to get up for work tomorrow.

Yeah, that's pretty much the story of our lives this last few weeks. Please continue to pray for us as Seane prepares for his test and I help him as much as I can. Still trying to get pregnant, but we know that GOD'S TIMING IS PERFECT!!! Hopefully I'll have lots of good news to post soon! Love y'all!!!

Dirty Dirt

This week, Seane burned the giant brush pile that was taking over our back yard. This is a huge relief, since I was really starting to worry that Cy didn't have nearly enough ways to get dirty. I'm telling you, this kid is ALL BOY!

I'm about to start sounding like Abe Lincoln's momma - "Don't get that dirty dirt in here on my clean dirt!"

The Worst Blogger EVER...

I know I said I was going to blog once a week. I felt pretty confident that I could do that, but now that I've looked back at the date on my last blog - almost a month ago - I feel pretty lame. I mean, Em's taking care of a newborn and still updates once a week! Geez!

Work is still great! I only THOUGHT I'd changed 300 schedules! Oh, no. NOW I've changed 300 schedules, at least! We had to get a 5-inch notebook to hold our copy of all the schedule changes that we've done in just the first 2 weeks of school. I keep reminding myself that the first few weeks are always crazy - I remember that much from teaching at NMHS - and it will calm down soon. I'm down to 20-30 changes a day, which is really good. Last Monday I had to stay home with Cy (he was all snotty and croupy), so I brought home the paper copies of the schedules I needed to change and wrote them all out during the day. When Seane got home at 5, I went back up to the school and entered them all into the computer. I found out that day that if I have them all written out, I can input 100 schedules in 2 hours! I think that's sort of a dubious achievement, though.

Cy's doing WONDERFUL! He's in the "Youngers" room at day care, which ranges from 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 years old. They're working on potty training, which is our current challenge. We really need to be as dedicated as they are at school. I just need to get in the habit of taking him to go potty on a regular basis. He'll go, if you remind him. Most of the time, though, he's so busy playing that he just doesn't think about it. Pray for us - I'm determined NOT to have 2 kids in diapers!

Tyler and Ashley were here this weekend, and we had an absolute BLAST! I'm so blessed that my brother and sister found such wonderful Christian spouses! For a long time, Ashley was much closer to Rachel, since I was living in Dallas and Rachel was still at home when Tyler and Ashley started dating. I remember the day that I knew I loved Ashley like my sister - it was when she came and stayed the whole week before Rachel's wedding. Since then, we've grown so much closer! It was hard for me to let her leave yesterday, but I can't wait until Christmas, when all 6 of us kids, plus Cy and Kole, will be here! We're going to try to do family pictures, which we haven't done since I was in HIGH SCHOOL! So fun!

Kole is growing like CRAZY! Rachel sends us lots of fun videos on her cell phone so we can see all the cute stuff he's learning to do. My favorite was when he was in the middle of smiling and cooing and sticking his tongue out and then sneezed into the camera!

I think that's pretty much it. I'll really try to do better, I promise. Y'all just e-mail me if I start slacking! Love Love!

Update

Well, apparently I stink at blogging. Emily has been GREAT at keeping everyone posted throughout her pregnancy, and I'm only updating every 2 weeks! So, here's what's new with me:

• My job at Nimitz is WONDERFUL!!! It's crazy and hectic and I must have changed 300 schedules, but I LOVE it! I really feel like this was a good move for me. I already miss Hays, the teachers and the kids and the calm, but I feel like this is more "me". I know I'll be back over at Hays to visit, but I love seeing our Hays kids starting this new chapter in their lives.
• My weird mole is finally gone! YAY!!! The "surgery" went great, and they got all of the abnormal cells this time. I've got a small (about 1-inch) scar on my back, but I don't have to worry about it any more!
• Emily had her baby on Thursday! Her name is Piper Grace, and she loves her Aunt Des VERY much! She is so pretty and tiny and wonderful! God is so good to have protected her throughout the last 9 months! Emily was a total champ and had a great labor and delivery. You rock, Momma!!!
• Rachel and Kole came back to Odessa for an impromptu visit! They got to stay a whole week this time, which has been awesome! She's going back home on Monday, which stinks, but I know she's homesick. We've loved having them here, though. Kole is so big now, and he's at that fun age where you can get him to grin and "talk" and giggle. I'm going to miss them when they go! We'll see them at Christmas, though.

So, I think that's it with me. I promise to post more often. I need to make it a once-a-week ritual! Love ya'll!

SLACKER!

Okay, I apologize for being a total slacker when it comes to my blog. If I've spoken to you recently, you are aware that Vacation Bible School has taken over my life. I'm REALLY trying to have a gracious, joyful Christian attitude about being the VBS director this year. REALLY. But I'm afraid that my martyrdom knows no bounds at this point. Thankfully, my support system at church (which is pretty much anyone I can get my hands on) has rallied and come to my rescue! They're taking pity on me and working their hineys off to get everything done on time!

SO... here's the update on my life since my last post:

• Cy's finger is doing much, MUCH better! We saw the orthopedic surgeon on the Tuesday after the accident. He took off all of the gauze and looked at the gross-ness and said "Yep, it's doing fine! Keep a band-aid on it and soak it in the tub at night." Seane and I just kind of looked at each other like "WHAT???" What about dirt and germs and... stuff? Nope, just a band-aid and a good soak. Know what? It worked! Yay for medical school! He got his stitches out the next week, and besides the little bulge on one side and the absence of a nail, it looks pretty normal!
• All 6 of the "Moss Kids" (plus 2 little ones) descended upon Odessa during the weekend of July 10-12, and we had a TOTAL BLAST!!! Cy loved getting to meet Baby Kole, and pronounced himself "Aunt Rachel's Helper." He would pat Kole's foot and sing to him if he was crying, brush his hair, and generally asked "What's wrong?" every 5 seconds. The sweetest thing was one morning when Rachel was changing Kole's diaper (which he HATES) and Kole was crying and Cy crawled up on the bed and asked Kole "Wassa matter, Punkin?" We all just died! We're pretty sure that Cy will do great as a big brother!
• My bluegrass gospel group from Royse City, "Narrow Road", came to sing at my church on July 19th. Everyone at my church absolutely loved it, and have all voted for a CD and an official tour. It was great getting to see our crew again - Richard & Nellie Gilbert and Rod & Judy Huckaby. These guys were our family for 2 years, and we definitely realized how much we missed them! We'll have to plan more opportunities to sing, and not wait 2 years next time!
• Well, I guess I was feeling left out of the health drama scene, so I decided to have a little drama of my own. I discovered a weird looking mole on my back (yes, I have a mole or two), and it was bigger than I remembered, so I decided to have it checked out. Well, our family doctor looked at it and referred me to a dermatologist. Nothing serious apparently, because it took 2 and 1/2 months to get me in. BUT... when I finally did get in to see the doctor, they said it definitely did need to come off, so they removed it and biopsied it. The biopsy came back abnormal, so I go back tomorrow to have a bigger area removed. It should be pretty minor, but I'm certainly not looking forward to it! Pray for quick healing!

Okay, I think that's it. Please pray for me as I begin my new job as an academic counselor at Nimitz JHS tomorrow. I'm excited but nervous, and I'll be doing good to find my desk behind all of the boxes I moved in last week! Love y'all!

Scary Day!

God continues to bless and protect our family. Yesterday morning, Seane and Cy were working on our hot tub. The HUGE 2"x4"-framed, 6 foot x 4 foot cover was propped up against the house. A gust of wind came up and Seane saw the lid start to move. Cy was leaning over the edge of the hot tub, so Seane yelled his name. Cy stood up just as the lid crashed down. PRAISE GOD, the lid missed Cy's head, back, body, and arms, and only caught the very tip of his left index finger. We rushed him to the E.R., where they were able to stitch the tissue back into place. He lost his fingernail, but they tell us it will grow back. We'll go see a hand specialist on Monday to make sure it's all going to heal okay. When you say your prayers today, please thank God for us for protecting our baby!

New "golf" words

Driving home from the airport on Friday afternoon, Cy introduced us to his newest "golf words":

1. GOLF HORSE - also known as a "golf course", this is the place where the men in my family like to spend their money and free time, if they have any.
2. GOLF HEART - also known as a "golf cart", this is a little motorized buggy that helps you get around the golf horse.
   

Kole

Oh my goodness!!! My sister and brother-in-law sure know how to make a cute kid!!! I am totally in love! I thought that I wanted a baby girl next, but the second that I got to hold Kole, I decided that I could handle another boy! He is absolutely precious, as you can see! He looks like Kyle, but he is pretty big (22" long) and has Rachel's dark hair that she had when she was born. I got to hang out for 5 days, which wasn't nearly long enough, but they'll be coming to Odessa in July. YAY! God is SO GOOD!

He's here!!!

Our sweet baby Kole Franklin Washburn arrived at 2:50 pm today! He weighed in at 7 lbs 13 oz and 20 inches long. He's got a head full of black hair, just like Rachel did when she was born. Everyone is healthy and wonderful. Mom said that Rachel did beautifully and was a total trooper through the whole thing. I get to fly to Birmingham on Monday to see everyone! I'll take lots of pictures! Thanks for your prayers!

He's on his way!

Our sweet baby Kole is on his way! Mom called us at 7 this morning and it looks like we'll have a baby today! Rachel's water broke at about 1 am, and they headed to the hospital. So far, everyone is doing great! Keep praying!

Wishin' & Hopin' & Thinkin' & Prayin'...

If you're reading this, please take a minute to say a prayer for my sister, Rachel. She is about 5 days away from her due date to welcome her first child, Kole Franklin Washburn, into the world! None of us could have dreamed that she would make it to her due date. If you don't know Rachel, she's about an inch taller than me, but smaller framed (that's a nice way of saying 'thinner'!). This baby has taken over every spare millimeter of space in her little body, and he's obviously going to be just as stubborn as his Momma. She went into early labor at 35 weeks, but they were able to stop her progress. Then, last Wednesday (June 3) she went into serious labor, and they guessed that she would have the baby within 24-48 hours. When we got this news, our mom went ahead and flew to Birmingham (where Rachel & Kyle live). Well, it's been a week, and still no Kole. Please pray for physical and emotional strength and endurance for everyone, especially Rachel! I'll update with more info as I get it!

P.S. Cy keeps asking when "Baby Kole" will be here! AWWWWWW!

Silpada & Me!

Silpada ROCKS!!! I was introduced to Silpada Designs Jewelry by a Parker family friend, Melody Bowman, in July of 2008. It seemed like just another jewelry party - I was going to find the cheapest piece of jewelry in the catalog and just get that. Yeah, right. Once I saw the jewelry, I was HOOKED. I wanted it all! I started talking to Mel about Silpada and what made it different. After all, I had done direct sales before, and it pretty much bit me in the booty. I didn't want to throw my money away on something that wouldn't pan out... again. I wasn't pressured at all, I prayed about it, talked to my family about it, and eventually decided to take the plunge. At the very end of August, I signed up. Within 100 days, I had earned over $2000 in FREE JEWELRY!!! Now I'm able to have a wonderful hobby sharing beautiful jewelry with friends (old and new), hanging out with "the girls", meeting new people, and pretty much having a blast! I love that I can buy my own clothes and stuff for the house, without it coming out of our household budget. I would say that I can buy my own jewelry, but it's been a while since I've had to, since I earn a lot for free!

If you've never heard of Silpada, here's the scoop:

• Silpada is made of .925 sterling silver (the best you can buy).
• Silpada's pieces are NOT plated or painted silver. They're the real deal.
• Each piece is hand-crafted by some of the best artisans in the world.
• Silpada uses real semi-precious gemstones and natural materials.
• Hostesses of "Home Shows" as well as "Catalog Parties" are eligible to receive: $25 in FREE jewelry for a party with 3 orders totaling $150 or more, 20% of the party's total retail in FREE jewelry for a party with 6 orders totaling $300 or more, or... 30% of the party's total retail in FREE jewelry for a party with 10 orders totaling $500 or more!

If you can't tell, I absolutely LOVE Silpada! It's been a little slow this spring, with Christmas over and the weird economy and school and work and everything. But it's already picking back up and I'm so excited about working my business this summer! If you want to know more about my business with Silpada, visit www.mysilpada.com/desiree.parker.

Baseball house and goof balls

Cy LOVES baseball. Which is good, because he was named after Cy Young, a famous baseball player. He also loves golf. How many 2-year-olds wake up going "Golf Channel, Mommy?" He generally makes up his own games involving some combination of baseballs, golf balls, baseball bats, and golf clubs. He can say "golf club", but golf balls are officially "goof balls" in our house. He also calls baseball fields "baseball house". Not sure where that came from. Probably from "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse", because Mickey Mouse isn't Mickey Mouse. It's "Mickey HOUSE, Mommy!"

Okay, I'm blogging

Well, I'm going to try this whole blogging thing. We'll see if I can actually keep up with it! :)