It seems my weeks pass by so quickly. But my weekends are refreshingly long, which is very good.
This past weekend was a 'grown-up' weekend for us. We've had the kids for the past 5 or 6 weekends so it was nice to be able to spend time alone. We get a lot of alone time during the week, but it's awesome to be with the one you love all day...no work to think about, not outside distractions.
This morning I took Jimmy and Tristan to the airport. They're on their way to New York, where they'll spend some time together. They'll then go to Canada to Jimmy's business partner's place for Canada Day and then they are all, along with Rob's (Jimmy's partner) son Ethen, driving back to Arkansas. We've leased the lake house next to ours in Hot Springs for the summer for Rob's family (wife and 3 kids) to stay in. It will be so much fun. The kids will have a blast, and Jimmy and Rob work so much better together when they're physically in the same place.
When Tristan was getting his ID made at the DMV, the lady taking his picture asked why he was going to Canada. He said, 'to meet my dad's partner. We're going to spend all summer together'. Obvoiusly, that sounds a little funny. Tristan is so excited about this trip. When Jimmy asked him if he wanted to go, he said, 'a plane ride, just you and me, Dad?' It was so sweet. He loves his daddy so much. They're going to have the best time. I like how Jimmy makes a point of spending personal, one-on-one time with all his kids. He's nothing short of totally amazing.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The wedding weekend went pretty well. All the kids did a good job. Kaylee looked so grown up. She was the first bridesmaid to walk down the aisle and Jimmy started crying when he saw her. She's so pretty and looked a solid 5 years older than she really is, which wasn't very cool. Tristan was the ring bearer, and he passed out on stage during the actual wedding. We think it happened because of the lights that were on him and how hot he got in his tuxedo. The good part, though, is that he actually did Jimmy and I a favor...we weren't crazy about staying at the reception for hours so Tristan's fainting got us an easy out. Makenzie (that's the correct spelling, apparently I've been spelling it wrong this whole time) was a flower girl and looked so precious in her dress. She forgot to throw her flowers, just as I predicted. I knew that with all eyes on her she would inevitably forget the whole point of why she was carrying the basket. All in all it was a good weekend. Not a lot of rest, but a lot of fun with Jimmy's family. They are all a pretty close group of people and I liked being in that environment where everyone came together as a family to celebrate something special. Also, it was special because it was our first time as a family (Jimmy, myself and all three kids) at an occasion like that. We've done a lot of things together, but this was the first big thing we've all been a part of at the same time. I'm very thankful that I've met an incredible man who trusts me with his kids. I'm thankful that I can be an example of a smart, independent woman for them. I love that we waited several months to introduce 'us' to them. Our whole relationship has been about the two of us loving and focusing on each other, and then close behind that has always been the welfare of the kids. We didn't want to do anything too quickly. I love those kids a lot. They are all three so different from each other. So unique and smart and funny. The way we're raising them is so opposite of the way I was raised. It's interesting to see a different approach work with child rearing than the one you were brought up on. It's neat to see kids have a choice in things that effect them, and to see that discipline isn't always best when administered in the form of a spanking. I got spanked all the time growing up, and I have to be honest and say it did nothing but give me negative feelings towards the people who were doing the spanking. I've long been an advocate of discipline that doesn't involve physical pain, and the main reason is because it didn't work on me. It just hurt me and hurt my feelings, but didn't change my behavior. I'm sure my parents could attest to that! So I'm glad we're doing things differently. I'm glad I've met a man who is a great father and a great friend to his kids, something I didn't really know was possible. I'm friends with my dad now, but that wasn't the case growing up. I think you can be your kids' ally and their guardian all at the same time. I know that I may never have a child of my own (I'm still not convinced I would be the best at that), but I feel confident that I can positively impact the lives of these three kids. I'm so thankful for the opportunity.
I think some people enter a relationship where their partner has kids and they immediately take on the mom or dad role and don't even think twice about how that might effect the children. I don't think it's necessarily the best decision to jump right into that. I do think it's a decision that's made by the adults, for what the adults want. I think that the thoughts/feelings of the kids are very rarely considered. But I could be way off. That's just the way I've experienced things up until about a year ago. I'm sure opinions on that subject would span a very wide spectrum. One thing I do know: kids are not stupid. They are very perceptive and intuitive.
Alright! Lighter subject...tattoos. As some of you know, Jimmy has several. All of them mean something to him and they're all very awesome and well done. Last night he got a few more. He hasn't gotten anything done in few years, and had wanted to get his Grandpa's initials for a while. His grandpa and grandma basically raised him. They were so influential in his life and a huge reason why he is so successful now. They believed in him when so many other people were looking the other way. So he wanted to honor that great man and always have a reminder of him with him. It looks awesome. It made me cry. It's in a place that if you weren't looking, you wouldn't see it. I never thought I'd be a tattoo lover, but I think that loving a man with tattoos can totally change your perspective.
I think some people enter a relationship where their partner has kids and they immediately take on the mom or dad role and don't even think twice about how that might effect the children. I don't think it's necessarily the best decision to jump right into that. I do think it's a decision that's made by the adults, for what the adults want. I think that the thoughts/feelings of the kids are very rarely considered. But I could be way off. That's just the way I've experienced things up until about a year ago. I'm sure opinions on that subject would span a very wide spectrum. One thing I do know: kids are not stupid. They are very perceptive and intuitive.
Alright! Lighter subject...tattoos. As some of you know, Jimmy has several. All of them mean something to him and they're all very awesome and well done. Last night he got a few more. He hasn't gotten anything done in few years, and had wanted to get his Grandpa's initials for a while. His grandpa and grandma basically raised him. They were so influential in his life and a huge reason why he is so successful now. They believed in him when so many other people were looking the other way. So he wanted to honor that great man and always have a reminder of him with him. It looks awesome. It made me cry. It's in a place that if you weren't looking, you wouldn't see it. I never thought I'd be a tattoo lover, but I think that loving a man with tattoos can totally change your perspective.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
So my week has been pretty busy so far. On Tuesday I went to a motivational conference our company sent us to at Alltel Arena. We didn't really think a lot of people were going to be there, so we left the office so that we would be right on time for the conference. We were so wrong! I ended up parking about 5 blocks away from Alltel and I'm so thankful that it was so early in the morning or else I would have died from heat stroke from walking that far in a suit! Anyway, the conference was good, but I cut out early to go to Hot Springs to see my sister Christina, who was in the hospital as a result of a car accident. Jimmy and I got to see her for just a few minutes, but it was good to know that she was recovering and feeling a little better.
Today work has been wild! I'm taking tomorrow off so I'm trying to prepare everything to run smoothly while I'm out. There is just so much prep to do when you're dealing with 14 offices nationwide! The good thing is that my staff is pretty awesome so they don't need a lot of supervision.
This weekend Jimmy and I and the kids are going to Tulsa for the wedding of one of his cousins. All the kids are in the wedding, so we are very obligated to go. Now, Jimmy and his cousin Erin (the one getting married) aren't really all that close. The reason all the kids are in the wedding is because they are so freakishly beautiful and Erin wants all her pictures to be perfect. So she asked if she could borrow his kids. It's kind of weird, but good to know that the kids are so pretty that everyone notices. Kaylee is a junior bridesmaid, Tristan is the ringbearer and McKenzie is one of the flower girls. McKenzie is a little shy, though, so I'm thinking it might be a challenge to get her to walk down an aisle alone in front of so many people she doesn't know. Jimmy and I are ready to do it with her if we need to, though. I really don't think she'll do it on her own. And Kaylee doesn't really like to wear dresses, so it'll be neat to see her in one. The only time I've even seen her in a skirt is when she's in one of her cheerleader uniforms! And that, my friends, is not a dress.
I used to work at a restaurant in Benton called Dizzy's, and it is some of the best food I've ever had. I took Jimmy there last night. I've wanted to take him there since we got together, but it's right in between Hot Springs and Little Rock, the cities that we live in, and it's just so easy to stay and eat in the town you live in. I told him right off that he shouldn't be shocked by anything he hears the employees talking about. Thank goodness I gave him that warning, because it was a very festive night! First off we walk in and my gay friend Clay was sweeping the floors in a very flamboyant manner. Then, when we got our table, my friend Brent went wild when he saw me. You see, I haven't seen him in a few years. I met him when I started working there and shortly after he was sent to prison for vehicular manslaughter. Now he's home and he seems really happy. And then Kelly, the girl waiting on us told us about a table she just waited on and the man remarked how he thought she looked really familiar. Kelly is a former dancer (exotic, that is) and she knew exactly where he knew her from, but it took him a while to put it together. When he finally did it made her so flustered that she had a hard time even telling us the story! She's now left the dancing life behind and is a mom of 3, and she just fell in love with a guy she knew 16 years ago who she recently reconnected with over the internet. HA! It is a very lively group of people. Then Brent came over and told us about the guy he fell in love with while he was in prison. It was a very colorful story to say the least. These are just a few of the hilarious things that happened during our dinner. When I worked there I was by far the most tame person to ever have been employed there. I had no tattoos (I still don't), I've never been arrested and I'm not a lesbian. People were a little wary of me at first!! It was the most fun I've ever had at a job. Constantly changing atmosphere, crazy co-workers and an owner who was, and is, the most absent minded person I've ever met. Jimmy made an interesting comment...he said that none of the people who work there now could ever be employed anywhere else. And I think he's right! I can't imagine those people fitting into any environment as well as they do at that restaurant. And they're great at what they do. OH! And there was a group of about 15 people there, and Darla (the owner) told me that they had called her at 3pm asking if they could get married and have their reception there that night! So funny! It's such a quirky place. I love it.
Today work has been wild! I'm taking tomorrow off so I'm trying to prepare everything to run smoothly while I'm out. There is just so much prep to do when you're dealing with 14 offices nationwide! The good thing is that my staff is pretty awesome so they don't need a lot of supervision.
This weekend Jimmy and I and the kids are going to Tulsa for the wedding of one of his cousins. All the kids are in the wedding, so we are very obligated to go. Now, Jimmy and his cousin Erin (the one getting married) aren't really all that close. The reason all the kids are in the wedding is because they are so freakishly beautiful and Erin wants all her pictures to be perfect. So she asked if she could borrow his kids. It's kind of weird, but good to know that the kids are so pretty that everyone notices. Kaylee is a junior bridesmaid, Tristan is the ringbearer and McKenzie is one of the flower girls. McKenzie is a little shy, though, so I'm thinking it might be a challenge to get her to walk down an aisle alone in front of so many people she doesn't know. Jimmy and I are ready to do it with her if we need to, though. I really don't think she'll do it on her own. And Kaylee doesn't really like to wear dresses, so it'll be neat to see her in one. The only time I've even seen her in a skirt is when she's in one of her cheerleader uniforms! And that, my friends, is not a dress.
I used to work at a restaurant in Benton called Dizzy's, and it is some of the best food I've ever had. I took Jimmy there last night. I've wanted to take him there since we got together, but it's right in between Hot Springs and Little Rock, the cities that we live in, and it's just so easy to stay and eat in the town you live in. I told him right off that he shouldn't be shocked by anything he hears the employees talking about. Thank goodness I gave him that warning, because it was a very festive night! First off we walk in and my gay friend Clay was sweeping the floors in a very flamboyant manner. Then, when we got our table, my friend Brent went wild when he saw me. You see, I haven't seen him in a few years. I met him when I started working there and shortly after he was sent to prison for vehicular manslaughter. Now he's home and he seems really happy. And then Kelly, the girl waiting on us told us about a table she just waited on and the man remarked how he thought she looked really familiar. Kelly is a former dancer (exotic, that is) and she knew exactly where he knew her from, but it took him a while to put it together. When he finally did it made her so flustered that she had a hard time even telling us the story! She's now left the dancing life behind and is a mom of 3, and she just fell in love with a guy she knew 16 years ago who she recently reconnected with over the internet. HA! It is a very lively group of people. Then Brent came over and told us about the guy he fell in love with while he was in prison. It was a very colorful story to say the least. These are just a few of the hilarious things that happened during our dinner. When I worked there I was by far the most tame person to ever have been employed there. I had no tattoos (I still don't), I've never been arrested and I'm not a lesbian. People were a little wary of me at first!! It was the most fun I've ever had at a job. Constantly changing atmosphere, crazy co-workers and an owner who was, and is, the most absent minded person I've ever met. Jimmy made an interesting comment...he said that none of the people who work there now could ever be employed anywhere else. And I think he's right! I can't imagine those people fitting into any environment as well as they do at that restaurant. And they're great at what they do. OH! And there was a group of about 15 people there, and Darla (the owner) told me that they had called her at 3pm asking if they could get married and have their reception there that night! So funny! It's such a quirky place. I love it.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Hello everyone! My life has been a combination of busy and wonderful these last few weeks. Busy mostly.
This past weekend was nice, not much relaxing going on but good nonetheless. On Friday Jimmy and I and the kids hung out at home and ran some errands. Saturday we went to the lake after visiting with my brother Bryan for a while. He's growing up! Even though we were on the water for several hours I didn't get much sun..we pretty much stayed in the shade and played with a bunch of friends/family. On Sunday we slept in (but not enough) and then headed to my parents house with Kaylee and Makenzie. Tristan was still at the lake at a sleepover. Then...we got everything ready for Kaylee to go to cheer camp this week. That girl packs some serious stuff for a week away! I do too, though. I'm a firm believer that you never know what you'll need, so you might as well pack tons of stuff.
So Kaylee is at cheer camp this week and Jimmy is in Chicago/Indiana for a few days. He'll be home tomorrow, and we'll celebrate his birthday then. His birthday is actually today, but since he's traveling we'll celebrate when he returns! I love that man so much. I'm thankful every day that I know him. He's brought so much happiness into my life and I feel I could never thank him enough for being such a strong force for me.
Tonight after work I'm headed to Benton to check on Melissa and Heath's bird. I am not crazy about birds. But I will make sure this one has enough food and water. Melissa will be out of town for the next couple of days so I will take the little bird under my wing (haha) and be sure it's taken care of. I'm also going to then have dinner with a friend down there in Benton at my favorite restaurant in that city...Dizzy's!! I love that place.
Then...I'm coming back home to get things ready for Jimmy tomorrow. I'm not sure what time he's flying in, but I have gifts to wrap and miscelaneous birthday stuff to do. I'm excited! And of course, the dogs will be by my side the whole time. Last night I started taking them on a walk and 5 minutes into it it started pouring! Now, I don't mind the rain. I love running in the rain, actually. But Rex and Murphy don't love it! In fact, Rex HATES the rain. I mean he hates it hates it. He doesn't like his paws to be wet at all. Murphy, on the other hand, doesn't like rain but she loves walking in, drinking, and rolling around in any type of moisture on the ground. They're silly. Well I'm off for today! I hope everyone is doing well!
This past weekend was nice, not much relaxing going on but good nonetheless. On Friday Jimmy and I and the kids hung out at home and ran some errands. Saturday we went to the lake after visiting with my brother Bryan for a while. He's growing up! Even though we were on the water for several hours I didn't get much sun..we pretty much stayed in the shade and played with a bunch of friends/family. On Sunday we slept in (but not enough) and then headed to my parents house with Kaylee and Makenzie. Tristan was still at the lake at a sleepover. Then...we got everything ready for Kaylee to go to cheer camp this week. That girl packs some serious stuff for a week away! I do too, though. I'm a firm believer that you never know what you'll need, so you might as well pack tons of stuff.
So Kaylee is at cheer camp this week and Jimmy is in Chicago/Indiana for a few days. He'll be home tomorrow, and we'll celebrate his birthday then. His birthday is actually today, but since he's traveling we'll celebrate when he returns! I love that man so much. I'm thankful every day that I know him. He's brought so much happiness into my life and I feel I could never thank him enough for being such a strong force for me.
Tonight after work I'm headed to Benton to check on Melissa and Heath's bird. I am not crazy about birds. But I will make sure this one has enough food and water. Melissa will be out of town for the next couple of days so I will take the little bird under my wing (haha) and be sure it's taken care of. I'm also going to then have dinner with a friend down there in Benton at my favorite restaurant in that city...Dizzy's!! I love that place.
Then...I'm coming back home to get things ready for Jimmy tomorrow. I'm not sure what time he's flying in, but I have gifts to wrap and miscelaneous birthday stuff to do. I'm excited! And of course, the dogs will be by my side the whole time. Last night I started taking them on a walk and 5 minutes into it it started pouring! Now, I don't mind the rain. I love running in the rain, actually. But Rex and Murphy don't love it! In fact, Rex HATES the rain. I mean he hates it hates it. He doesn't like his paws to be wet at all. Murphy, on the other hand, doesn't like rain but she loves walking in, drinking, and rolling around in any type of moisture on the ground. They're silly. Well I'm off for today! I hope everyone is doing well!
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