Happy Anniversary to US!!!!

Can you believe it!?!?!? NINE freakin' years! It all sounds so weird in my head. Who would have know that I, Colista the Crazy, would find someone that would stay married to her for NINE years!!! LOL. Well, it has happened, and he says he wants to stay with me even longer!:) I'm so dang lucky! Anyway, today does mark our nine year anniversary, which we celebrated last night by doing nothing much but eating. We tend to do that very well. Eating, I mean. So here is a recap of our strange little celebration.
So we decided that we would like to go to a restaurant that we really like in Ft. Madison called Alpha's. Only Alpha's isn't Alpha's anymore because the head chef guy moved and started his own restaurant. We have been kind of leery to try the new said restaurant (called Kumar's) because it is now in a hotel on the edge of Ft. Madison that is something along the lines of a Motel 6, but is called the Iowan. The place wreaks of cigarettes when you walk in the front door of the lobby and the rooms leave something to be desired. Anyway, apparently someone also bought the Iowan and made it into a TravelLodge. So we thought that maybe there was hope.
Upon walking in the the lobby door though, there was still the wretched smell of stale cigarettes. UGH! Miraculously, the part where the restaurant and lounge is was free of the horrid smell so that at least I could eat without feeling nauseated. (side note: especially when pregnant, certain smells make me woozy) So Kumar's still had the same menu as when they were Alpha's, which was good. What wasn't good was that either we caught them on an off night or the quality went down hill. Our food just wasn't up to par. So we just settled with our appetizers and left. Kind of a let down for our anniversary. On our way home we picked up some Chinese carry out to share at home. Sadly, the Iowan was just a name change, for the hotel still looked like something I wouldn't pay money to stay in. The restaurant was nice in appearance but, seemed out of place in the TravelLodge.
We came home and watched a Hell's Kitchen episode that we had on our tivo.
side note:
I LOVE TIVO!!!! How do people live without it??? One would wonder??? It truly is an amazing piece of technology.
So, after nine years of marriage, we've ended up with 4 amazing boys, each with their own wonderful personalities and talents, one more baby boy on the way, a cat named Luke ( as in Luke Skywalker!) and a crazy, crazy, spontaneous life!!! I feel so blessed when I think of things this way. I do tend to be a little of a pessimist at times but, today, I feel PERFECT!
dang, it should have taken a picture of us last night. hmmm...
Oh, I will get Cedric's birthday pics up as well.

And so it goes

It's been a little while. tonight I am going to try to get pictures up of Cedric's 6th birthday party. WE have made a decision on Chicago and decided to hold off for now. It was a super hard decision. We both hate making the really tough ones. So after much praying and talking together, we felt this was for the best. We have had some good signs with the business in Carthage and all (for those of you who don't know: we own a little computer store in Carthage called woot! PC). Also, our house here is ours if we want it. I've got some little munchkins screaming at my feet so I will finish this post later.

Ta-Da!

This is him looking straight at us...kind of alien-esqe



This is when we found out that we would have a full basketball team.

This is a profile shot of him laying flat out in there. You can see just about everything: face, ears, arms, belly. He kept moving that;s why he looks like he has three noses I think.

Ultrasound

I'm pretty sure that someone is trying to play some cruel joke on me. I feel as if my life isn't quite the way I want it be. Whenever I get my hopes up, I feel like they are always crushed and I'm not quite sure why I even bother thinking something good will happen. Okay, pity party for me. So when Jeremy gets home from playing basketball at church I will try to have him scan the ultrasound pics in so you can all get a good look at our new baby boy. That's right, I said boy. Number 5. In a row. No girls. Ever. I've cried all my tears out, I think, until tomorrow at least. I don't feel bad about the baby itself. He looks super cute in there and he was moving around like a madman in there during the ultrasound! I'm sure he is going to be somebody special and unique and full of good qualities. I just really thought that this one was my girl. But, I don't want him to think I'm mad at him so I will not talk out loud about it if at all possible any more. I am happy that he is healthy and that is that. Obviously Heavenly Father has plans for me and my children and sends them to me when I need them. So stay tuned for the pics.
On another note: I have changed the settings so that anyone can leave a comment, not just registered users. So, comment away.

Here is a really good quote that Shonnie sent me earlier this week. I think it makes sense right now for me.

Think about your particular assignment at this time in your life. It may be to get an education, it may be to rear children in righteousness, it may be to be a grandparent, it may be care for and relieve the suffering of someone you love, it may be to do a job in the most excellent way possible, it may be to support someone who has a difficult assignment of their own. Our assignments are varied and they change from time to time. Don't take them lightly. Give them your full heart and energy. Do them with enthusiasm. Do whatever you have to do with your whole heart and soul. to do less than this will leave you with an empty feeling.

-Marjorie Pay Hinkley

Don't hold your breath...

Yeah, so we get to find out tomorrow at 1:00pm if this little stinker taking up all my space, is in fact a girl, or another boy. I already have it all planned out what I am going to curse when or if they tell me it is a boy!! I will be classic I am sure. Maybe I should take the video camera to document the occasion.

My Asher

Asher has been growing by leaps and bounds lately. I know as soon as I have this new baby, he's going to seem all grown up to me, so I need to relish it while I can. He is kind of obsessed with balls! All of my boys have always liked balls but Asher takes it to the extreme! He wakes up in the morning talking about balls and goes to bed talking about them still! Despite what some may think, he does say other things, I promise! This morning when he saw me (I was gone to Chicago for the weekend) he gave me the biggest, sloppiest kiss ever...and I loved it!!!

Go Diego, Go Sleep!

Every night I check on each child about 42 times before I go to sleep myself. Liam was just not going to sleep tonight but, finally I went in about midnight and this is what I found. He is sleeping with his Diego figurine. He's just too stinkin cute. Maybe we should get him a Diego doll to cuddle with at night.

Chicago?????

Jeremy and I spent the weekend in Chicago searching for a new place in which to make our home. Who knew it would be so difficult? Basically before we even left Nauvoo we were both feeling weird about going up there. I thought maybe it was because I was going to be gone on Mother's Day. But, we said a prayer together and left anyway. So after driving almost all the way to Monmouth we realized we had driven off and left Jeremy's contract back in Nauvoo and had to turn around and get it!! Good grief. Once in chicago we ended up spending a good deal of money on our tires and rims because we hit a huge pothole and ruined them both on one side of the car. So we started our house search and it seemed no matter what, nothing was right for us. We both were discouraged after Saturday but, thought sunday might be better. It wasn't. When we found a house we half way liked-then we didn't like the school...or the neighborhood...or the price. It seems nothing was right.
We ended up leaving Chicago feeling like everything was wrong and wondering if we made the right decision. this is a very big decision and we are confused. Argh! We'll see........
Maybe we can run away to an uncharted island somewhere and live like Robinson Crusoe!

any thoughts????

And we're off!

So we made our decision and we're off to Chicago!!! We are so excited! Jeremy had counter-offered for more money and they accepted!! woo-hoo! The only problem is, they want Jeremy there this Monday! Argh!!! We still have to find a house and get settled and what not. I will probably stay here until June 15th. Who knows??? We haven't had a chance to really set down together and work out the logistics yet. The kids are going to have a blast this summer!!! Yay for us!

What to do, What to do?????

So here is our new blog. I had to jump on the bandwagon! So currently in our life we are faced with the dilemma of a job offer in Chicago. We are torn and don't know what to do. We are just stressed to the max over it because we don't want to make the wrong decision. Obviously there are lots of pros and cons in either direction. I would say there are more pros for the chicago area, I guess. Well check back to see what we finally decide to do!

We have cedric's 6th birthday coming up on May 17th! He is so excited! After changing his mind many times about what kind of party he wanted to have he finally choose to go to Adventure Zone. Which is great because that makes it a lot easier on me! anything to ease my stress these days will help.

On the 14th of May we get to have our ultrasound of the new baby!!!!! Yes, we are definitely going to find out if it is a boy or a girl. It is a must do. I don't want to have a nervous breakdown when it is born...I would rather do that before it is born!!

Last night was my final meeting as PTO president at the Nauvoo-Colusa Elementary school! Hoo-freakin-yay! Although technically I am still president until next fall, I still feel a huge weight off of my shoulders. I still have to chair the end of the year school picnic and make sure all goes well with walk a thon and teacher appreciation and our school supply kits but, even with all of that....thank goodnesss I am done! I actually loved being on PTO but, we don't exactly have the best parents in the world to support us, so it really sucked to not get any support or ever feel appreciated for all the time and work that we put in to benefit everybody else's children. Oh well!

So that's it for my first blog. More pics and stuff to come! Stay posted!