Family time

Today we had nothing planned. I kind of hate those days, because I feel like they are wasted when we just sit at home and do NOTHING... Especially when Darin is home, because (lately especially) it feels like those days are few and far between. Although, I have to say he has been home for almost a week now, because his airplane is broken. So, not so nice for Mr. Brewer, but great for us.
Anyway, we had nothing planned... But we soon decided that we would go to the gym as a family. That was fun. We met up with some friends, and Darin played Raquetball with Matt (the husband of our friends) and I worked out with Jenn (the wife) while the boys played with Matt and Jenn's three boys in the childcare. Then we picked up our kids, and some more of our friends came, and we all ate lunch and swam in the pool there. It was so nice. Just hanging out with all the kids (8 including our boys!). Tonight I am watching Matt and Jenns boys so they can go on a date. Right now they are sleeping, and I wish I was! It was a long day. But really fun! Hope we can do something like that again soon! In fact I think the boys and I will go again tomorrow, but Darin is working at Best Buy... So he won't go with us. But... tomorrow night we have a date planned (Jenn and Matt are repaying the favor). We don't have family here, but at least we have friends who don't have family here either, and we can help each other out.
The great thing about the gym... Is that actually this isn't even our gym... well, now it is. Our gym sold out to LifeTime (A huge gym that is actually closer to us), and now we get to go there! I am soooo excited, because honestly it is an awesome gym! Like, they even have a restaurant there and a beach volleyball pit, and we (Darin, and I and our friends) about how we could go there and drop off the kids and all have dinner, or play volleyball... Like a night out with our friends! For two hours, because that is the max time. But thats ok! If you can't tell I am WAY excited about this new gym!
Ok, well that was about all I had to write tonight. I am kind of in a funk. Don't know why. If you read this, maybe you could say a little prayer for me. I think I may just need sleep but I don't know. Maybe some vitamins or something?

Update...

Thank you Faith for your comment on my last blog! I LOVED it! Lots of great ideas!
Well... our yard is mowed!!! Our friend Mark came over today and mowed it for us. He said he'll be back to weedeat on Monday! YAY! What a great friends we have in the Robbins! The yard looks fabulous too... especially for Mark never having driven a riding lawn mower. SO... Thank you thank you thank you... even though I really doubt he reads my blog!:)
Today we got to go to a birthday party. The boys had lots of fun! And cake!
Afterward we came home, and got baths (they were really dirty after the party) and they got down for their naps, and I got to blow all the grass (from our wonderful mowing), and YAY! I got our garage cleaned out! We have a three car garage now, and somehow it was still only working for one car. But now it will fit two! Yay! We really need a shed. Then we could fit 3... But for now 2 is great! In fact, that is all we have, so that is perfectly fine!LOL
Also, I was finally able to find a crate for the new puppy on craigslist! Yay, we'll start try that out tomorrow! So, hopefully that makes a difference in her potty training undertaking!
Ok, I'm real sleepy now, so I think I will be going to bed now!

In desprate need of Daddy!

Well, we got home from Wisconsin on the 14th. It is now the 22nd and Darin has been home 2 nights thus far. Those were Sunday and Monday nights. He got home Sunday night and left again on Tuesday afternoon. He's not supposed to be home until Sunday night, and he will leave again Monday morning, come back Monday night, leave Tuesday morning, come back Thursday night and leave Friday until Sunday night.
It was so nice to have our week away in Wisconsin, but it feels like we have not gotten to spend anytime with him in a long time! And the light at the end of the tunnel seems SOOOO far away!
We got a new puppy the day that we got home. She's real sweet and cute. But... it seems like my WHOLE life is potty training. I clean up poop and pee ALL day long. Whether its Harley's (thats her name) or Parkers, or Pixie (our other dog-who thinks now she can pee whereever she wants).
Anyway, just wanted to post this, in case anyone reading it wants to come visit us. We're lonely! Wish we could just hop on a plane and go somewhere so this time without daddy would pass us by quickly!
:(
Not to mention that our grass looks like an amazon (the one full day Darin was home it was pouring rain). I am embarassed to go outside lest my neighbors see me and give me "the whatfor!" I would mow it myself, but I don't know how to operate our new riding lawnmower, and I don't have enough time to do it by hand, with the boys needing my constant attention.
So.. Sorry, this is just a big pity party of a blog entry... but that is where we're at. At least that is where I am today! The boys are just wonderful! Love them! I'm so happy that I have them around when Darin is gone! Sure somedays I would like to have to myself... but I can't imagine how sad and lonely I would be if they were all 3 gone!:(

A few pictures from our trip to Wisconsin...

The boys loved riding on the four wheelers. They weren't riding at this very moment... but they climbed on one everytime they saw them sitting there! This picture was actually taken right after we had been riding all over town on them! Lots of fun!!!

These are two of my favorite people in Wisconsin! My aunt Kathy and Uncle Jim. My Aunt Kathy is my Grandma's sister. Isn't she beautiful?!

Silly boys putting marshmellows on their noses! My dad was the leader of that pack.

In my dad's backyard (he lives in the woods) he has a little burn pit for campfires, and he built a bunch of benches, so we sat out there and had a couple campfires. Lots of fun in the Northwoods!

Me and my dad.

Us with my dad and his girlfriend, my grandma and grandpa and my cousin Mariah at my dad's house. We had a fish fry.

Parker LOVED every piece of farm equipment that he saw! We knew he would, because he LOVES our little John Deere.

My grandpa and my aunt and I got to go fishing. We actually got to go the last time we visited also. The three of us had so much fun! Both times. We've decided to make it a routine trip! Everytime we go there! YAY!

I have some more pictures that my aunt took. She's a much better photographer than I... But I haven't downloaded them yet. So.... more to come! But here are just a few.

Mall of America... here we come!!!

Well, we enjoyed our last week in the great state of Wisconsin! We got to see my dad and his girlfriend, my grandma and grandpa, aunts and uncles, and cousins, and some friends. What fun! The boys really loved riding four wheelers, boating, feeding the horses at the ranch my dad works at. We ate LOTS and LOTS of food!
It is so hard to leave there. We just never know when we will get back, and if everyone will be there when we get back:( there is a lot of old family there. We really worked on my grandma and grandpa to come down and see us for a month or two this winter, because in Wisconsin -20 degree weather is a common event. Needless to say it is not the most comfortable climate. We just hope SOOOO much that they decide to come. It would be soooo fun to spend that kind of time with them! And for the boys to get to as well. We could learn all about all kinds of things!
My aunt Lindy took some pictures of us and they turned out really cute. I will post some later.
Anyway, Darin was supposed to leave tomorrow, and us REAL early in the morning on Thursday, but luckily he was able to change his flight and now we have all day tomorrow together, and since we are in Minneapolis (that is where we are flying out of) we are going to spend the day at the Mall of America! YEAH! I can't wait! I love shopping, and I saw online that they have an aquarium. The boys are excited to see.
So, I will post more when I get home, but I had a minute so I thought I would do a quick update!
We are off to dinner...

7 years...

Today is the 7th anniversary of my moms death. The day actually went fine. I only cried once, and it wasn't about that. Maybe I will writing this blog though.lol.

I am so sad that Conner and Parker will not meet this grandma on this earth. I know my mom would have loved them so much. She would have cherished being their grandma and been so proud of my choice in husband. I wish my family had the chance to meet my mom. It is so weird to me that they've never even seen her. Never heard her voice. I don't really remember who I sent this blog link to, so many of you probably didn't know her either... But really she was very special. I miss her so much. I just wish that she got to see my children and my husband. Not to mention all the advice I have missed out on. There are so many things that "I wish." But most of all just for my family to love her the way i did... and unfortunatly I know that will never happen, because it is hard to love someone that deeply when you never even met them. It does not seem like 7 years have gone by, as I can clearly remember that night that she died. I can clearly remember the unbearable pain that followed that I NEVER thought I would get through, and I still don't know how I did. I remember when she was sick praying and praying, always thinking that somehow she would get through it. I knew that she might die, and I think I knew that she probably would die, but it was so hard to wrap my brain around her death. Strangely it still is, 7 years later I still pick up the phone to call her. I still think sometimes think I will tell her something, and then realize I can't. It is the strangest feeling.

Darin has said and I know it is true that part of the result of my moms death is Darin and I's marriage. I know that sounds strange, but if my mom never died I would not have lived with Debbie and Craig (who I honestly give credit to my and Darin's relationship- without them I would have never seen first hand a wonderful marriage with love and trust and true commitment- at least one that I chose to learn from). I also probably never would have moved down south. I am not saying that I am glad my mom died- obviously... but God does work good out of every bad situation. Fortunatly I get to see and live some of the good that he worked out of this tragic situation.

I know I can't... but if I could go back...there are so many things I would go back and change... both before she died and after.... But now all I can do is live a life that is pleasing to God, and if I do that, I know my mom would be proud of me. I sometimes just wish she could have been alive to see me make the changes in my life that she prayed for day in and day out. I wish she could see my wonderful husband who is probably more than what she prayed for, and my children who already seem to love the Lord in a childlike faith (the best faith of all). If she could see them ask me to pray. Parker folding his hands while Conner thanks God for everything he can think of, and then when he's done Conner saying "Amen" and Parker saying "Men." I know that I am soooo lucky for the 20 years I got to spend with her... but sometimes I can't help but feel cheated. I know I am not. I had a wonderful mother, and in 20 years she must have done what most moms need a lifetime to do. I love you mom... I think of you and miss you everyday and always will. Thank you for never giving up on me and keeping me in your prayers until the day you died... I am just sure that you are up their talking to God about me now.

Yeah... and I did cry while typing this- surprise surprise!

On a different subject...

The other day I had a really bad headache and Conner was doing something that was irritating my headache and I said, "Conner, please stop. Mommy's head hurts really bad." He was sitting on the toilet and the time. Anyway, he looked at me and then closed his eyes and said "God thank you for gonna make Mommy's head feel better. Amen." Isn't that so sweet?! What a precious boy!

Update on Parkers room...

I am going to add a number under "wilson" to make it look like a jersy, but they were out of them at the store I went to.

Oh, it looks so cute! I'm so excited about it. He seems to like it too... The only thing I don't have up yet is a bat hook rack (like one that Pottery Barn sells)... My dad is making it. Hopefully he can have it done so that we can bring it home with us from his house in a couple weeks... Anyway, here are some pictures!