The Unexpected Week

Where do I begin? Last week was a crazy, unexpected week. Here's a few of the events that happened:
1. I was driving home Tuesday night, after working 13 1/2 hours and my mom's jag wouldn't accelerate. Wednesday morning we took it to the shop and later that day we found out it needs a new electronic piece and the total cost to fix it is $3,850.00. Yikes!!!!!! I was then out of a car. I couldn't get to work Wednesday, Thursday and Friday so I had to borrow my moms car to go pick up Jackson, drive straight home and have Kellie (Jackson's mom) pick him up after she was done with work. I was trying to think of all my options on how to get a car: renting a car for a week in a half and driving our car from Montana down to Texas after Christmas. But out of this mess and not knowing what to do, the family I nanny for decided to buy a truck from his dad for me! Jason (the dad) flew up to Arkansas on Sunday and drove it straight down so that I could have a car. What an amazing and generous family I work for!!!!! I'm so blessed.
2. The next fiasco had to do with our mailbox. Kellie had to drop Jackson off at my mom's house since I didn't have a car and as she was leaving she backed into our mailbox. It was a big brick mailbox that crumbled into pieces. Now Ron is getting estimates to get it fixed. Just Lovely.
3. Since I was working on potty training Jackson, Kellie brought over his potty. Well......right as Kellie came to pick up Jackson I went to pick up the potty toilet and as I was reaching down my cell phone fell out of my jacket pocket and landed in the toilet. I quickly got it out, blew dry it and my wonderful cousin told me to put it in a bag of rice until the following day. I was phoneless for a day and the next morning I took it out of the rice and it worked!!! Hallelujiah
4. Amidst all these things I got a cold and horrible sore throat from Jackson, which was the worst timing because my cousin, Aunt Becky and baby Syenna came that day. Thankfully I didn't get anybody sick.
5. Since I didn't have a car I had to cancel my reservation at the Sheppard Lodge and Chet had to rent a car and drive down Saturday morning and drive back Sunday evening.
Even though it was a crazy week it was still fun because Shauna, Aunt Becky and Syenna came to visit us. We had a blast going to the mavericks game, Fort Worth Stockyards, shopping, Galleria, and eating a ton! Syenna is the cutest baby.

I thought the craziness was over until I got a call from Chet last night. He told me that his base is not allowing anyone to go 250 miles outside the base, which means he can't come to my mom and Ron's to celebrate Christmas. We're celebrating an early Christmas and my sister's birthday this weekend. My brother flew in form California and Court and Nick drive down Friday. Now I have no idea what we're going to do, but it sure does stink. Pray for a miracle! At least we will be flying to Montana on the 22nd. Only 7 days left!!!!!!!

The Joy of Potty Training

I woke up this morning knowing today was going to be quite interesting because it was Jackson's first day of potty training, but it was a long and challenging day. They wanted me to potty train him because I worked a 14 hour day today and will work a 10 hour day tomorrow so I'll be with him the most. I got to work this morning and Jackson had a cold, cough and runny nose that didn't stop all day. Instantly I knew it was going to be even harder because he had a cold and didn't sleep well last night.
He woke up before I got there so his mom tried to make him go pee pee in the potty but he threw a fit and wouldn't stop crying because every time he wakes up he wants to be held. So the first try didn't work out too well.
I tried to be creative and make potty training as fun as it can be. So I printed out a 'Cars' potty chart, bought a hot wheels car and used stickers. We taped the potty chart on the door and every time he sat on the potty, went potty, flushed the toilet and washed his hands he could put a sticker on each column. Every time he went potty he could have one M&M. I put a stack of books next to the potty and I would read to him as he was trying to pee. Lastly, once he filled up the entire potty chart he could open his gift I got him, the hot wheel car.
After breakfast I took him to the potty and he went!!!!! I was so happy. But the only problem was he didn't push it down so it squirted on the seat and tile floor. Guess who had to clean it up? Me! Yes, the joy of potty training. That happened not just once but twice.
After his nap I tried to have him go potty and he cried and cried and cried some more because he just wanted to be held. So we came back to the potty five minutes later and he did it again. I kept reminding him to push it down (it = his wee wee) so it doesn't sprinkle everywhere, but he kept saying "Roo do it." By the way, he is going through this phase where he wants roo to do everything (He calls me roo because he couldn't say corynne). I responded "No, I can't push it down Jackson. You have to do it." We went back and forth, but finally he stopped asking, thankfully!!!! Afterwards he wanted to wear big boy underwear. So we put them on and I was continually reminding him that if he had to pee to tell me and he would use the potty. I said it several times while we were playing in his room, and as he was standing next to me pee was coming through his underwear and it went ALL over the carpet. I quickly picked him up and brought him to the potty. Switching to big boy underwear was way too soon for him.
Even better, I laid on his floor right where I had just cleaned up the pee and got it on my sweater. So I took it off and he said "Roo hot?" and I said "No, I laid down where you peed so I had to take off my sweater." and He replied "Oh, Sorry roo" (in a sweet voice). I couldn't help but just forget about it. I guess you just get used to things like that because I'm daily changing smelly poopy diapers, wiping off snot and now cleaning up pee on the floor! Ohhhh the joy of potty training.
Hopefully day two will go better

God is Good!

I just have to start out by saying that God is good. He has a perfect plan for us all and if we would just give our life to Him then he can show us His way. For example, when Chet and I were engaged we thought that his entire training for the Air National Guard would only be four months and that I would be living with him wherever he went. But God had a completely different plan for us. Thankfully, we let Him guide and show us the way.
The first thing we found out was that the training was going to be eight months total and were now on our fifth month. So we're more than half way over! Woooo Hoooo. The next part of the plan was that I was not going to live with Chet. At first I was upset and didn't understand why God didn't want us to live together, but I soon learned why he had a different plan. If I were there I would be a distraction to Chet and he wouldn't be able to give his 110% in class. So I ended up living with my mom and Ron, which has been one of the biggest blessings. They have allowed me to use their extra car to drive every day, and they have to put up living with me for several months. I am forever grateful for all they are doing for Chet and I.
The next reason why God is so good is that he found me the perfect job: being a full time nanny for a great Christian family. There were a lot of limitations for me, because I needed time off for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and off at a reasonable hour on Friday so I can drive to see Chet. Well it sure has worked out perfectly because the little boy I nanny for, Jackson, is so adorable! I've had so much fun nannying for them. My next big adventure I get to experience with him is potty training, which will start tomorrow. I'm a little nervous seeing that I've never potty trained any kid before but I'm up for the challenge.
God is also good because I'm only a two hour drive away from Chet. Every Friday after work I drive to see him. Typically, I'll bring a home cooked meal that I'll pack in an ice chest that morning because I go straight from work. We have our happy hour, dinner and he gets to spend the night with me in the hotel. Saturday morning he can check out of the base at 6am, so we normally get up at 5:45am to check out and head down to my mom's house for the rest of the weekend. We normally say our goodbye's Sunday evening when I drop him off at a mall an hour from my mom's house so that he can get a ride with another airman. We have been doing this routine for nine weekends and counting! Yes, it is tiring at times, but it's so worth it because I will do anything to see my hubby one extra hour.
Being apart from each other Sunday night until Friday night is not fun. We both wish we could be like a 'normal' married couple and sleep in the same bed every night, but that's not the case for us, at least for the time being. Prayerfully, mid-March will be the end to all this craziness. It's not always easy, but I know were in the best situation possible because at least we can see each other every weekend.
All I can say is God is good. He has worked everything out perfectly. I give Him all the glory and honor. I continue to give my life to Him and I pray you do too because it makes life so much easier. I mean why worry, stress or fret about things that aren't in your control. Just give it to God.