Makenzy's Mama!

Dante is a little boy that is Makenzy's age who has been battling cancer for the majority of his life. Well, his Mom just posted an update online and said that basically there is nothing else the doctor's can do for him. Jo (his Mom) said the only thing she wanted them to do was try to keep him alive (and comfortable) until after Christmas so that they can spend one last holiday with him.

I can't even begin to imagine what his parents are going through. Just the thought of Makenzy in that situation makes my heart want to stop beating. If you could spare some prayers for sweet Dante and his parents - I know they would appreciate it.

I just don't understand why this happens to innocent children! I pray that the Lord can give them peace and strength during this difficult time.

So, not much is new in the Grubb house! David was not on call this weekend so we did most of our Christmas shopping. It felt good to get it all done and wrapped and under the tree. I only have a few more gifts to pick up.

Potty training with Bentley (aka: Paloma Cat Snowlake) is going good. He is starting to go to the door now when he needs to do his business (or "eliminate himself" which is the terminology all of the websites use). Which reminds me - I need to call the carpet cleaners today to schedule an appointment!

Makenzy is not ready to shed her diapers just yet. She pees on the "big girl" potty a couple times a day, but isn't showing real interest yet. Her pedi said to start pushing it more at 2 1/2 if she doesn't pick it up by then.

Funny coversation last night:
Me: Makenzy come sit with Mommy, it's time to go night night's
Makenzy: No, I need some water
(I got her some water)
Me: Okay, you drank some water - now lay your head down.
Makenzy: No, I'm hungry I need some lunch
Me: You just ate a cinnamon roll with Daddy
Makenzy: Well, I think I need a popcicle.
Me: Makenzy lay your head down - it's time for night night's (more sternly than before)
Makenzy: Okaaaaaaaaay, I love you Mommy

She was literally asleep within two minutes from laying her head on me.

You know that saying that all Mom's say at some point in their child's life "When you have a kid I hope they act just like you do!" Okay, Mom - I get it - I know what you mean now! :)

One more hour until I get to go pick up my little princess (that's what she calls her self when she has a dress on).

I hope all of you have a great evening!

WE BOUGHT A PUPPY!

We bought an English Mastiff puppy a couple weeks ago. He is now 7 weeks old and ready for us to go pick him up. We are leaving after work today to go get him. He is in Kentucky, so it's about a 3 hour drive from where we are.

I should note - that he is now a puppy, but will probably be the size of a small horse before too long. As of yesterday - he weighs 20 pounds! That means that he is 7 weeks old and almost as big as my two year old!

Maybe we could rent him out for rides at kid's birthday parties? We might make enough money to compensate for his enormous food bill! I am totally kidding of course. (or am I?) :)

Anyway - we are really excited! Makenzy wants to name him Paloma Cat Snowflake - but we have decided on Bentley instead. Although Paloma Cat Snowflake has a good ring to it, I don't want to be yelling that at 3am when I'm trying to get him to come back inside from a potty break! But then again - if it's 3am I might be yelling obscenities at him anyways!

We had a pretty good weekend!

Friday: I worked, picked up Makenzy from the sitter, went home, cleaned the house, played with Makenzy, cleaned the house some more, had a dance party in the living room, put Makenzy to bed, watched some tv, finished up laundry, went to bed.

Saturday: Got up early, finished picking up the house, had a surprise birthday party for my Mom, by 6:30 everyone was gone, cleaned up a little bit, got Makenzy to bed, watched some more shows, looked at my messy kitchen and gave it the finger (not literally), went to bed.

Sunday: Got up and went to church, came home, put Makenzy down for her nap, wanted to take one myself but finished up the cleaning from the party (finally), almost fell asleep then Makenzy woke up from her nap, David got home from work, we all put socks on and took turns sliding in the foyer on the hardwood (a new favorite thing Makenzy LOVES to do), had another dance party, then did some more sliding in the foyer, we were all tired so we spent the rest of the night cuddling on the couch.

I live for the silly moments that me, David and Makenzy have! If people seriously saw all the crazy things we did - they would think we were insane. But, we have so much fun! As David, Makenzy and I were laying in the foyer spinning on our backs laughing hysterically, I had to stop and thank God for my little family.

There are a few kids Makenzy age that I know who are battling Cancer (Dante) and Lukemia (Cassie) right now, and another little boy who has had to face multiple surgeries for various medical issues (Brody). I am praying so hard for them and their families, but at the same time thanking God for all that he has blessed me with!

It is frightening how suddenly your life can change in the flash of a second. I hope and pray that I never have to experience the heartache and worry that these parents have faced. But, I know God is faithful! He can heal sickness and mend broken hearts! He is the great physician! Dante, Cassie and Brody are all in our thoughts and prayers! They are all strong, amazing kids! If you are reading this and can spare a prayer - I'm sure their families would appreciate it.

Last night Me, David and Makenzy were cuddling on the couch watching tv and Makenzy started looking down her shirt. I said "What's in there sweetie" she said "hair" I said "Where's hair?" ARE YOU READY FOR THIS - she said "On my boobs". Hopefully we won't have to have THOSE conversations for quite a while! For now - we couldn't help but laugh hysterically!

I picked Makenzy up from Mamaw's house yesterday after work, and as we were driving home I accidentally rolled one of the back windows down. Makenzy said "Mom, oh my gosh - you scared me to death!" I was laughing so hard I was crying! She is growing up too fast.

Makenzy was the flower girl in a wedding last weekend. I was so worried that she would freeze at the back of the chapel and start crying for me (which is not unusual when she is scared). But, she was a champ! She smiled and walked slowly down the isle to me at the front of the church. My little girl is growing up - I don't think I'm ready for it!







We are making home made pepperoni pizza tonight - I thought Makenzy would like helping me make dinner for a change. I definitely need to do laundry tonight too. I wore my last pair of pants to work today - and would rather not come to work naked tomorrow!

30 more minutes of work left - I miss my baby girl like crazy today!

So, I am starting weight watchers tomorrow! Well, I'm not doing the whole program like going to meetings and things. But I am doing the point counting system and exercising daily. Makenzy and I have actually been walking almost everyday. Sunday we took a two hour walk around the neighborhood! I feel so much better when I exercise and she LOVES to take walks in the stroller.

Anyway, I'm tired of being a fat girl! I never had a weight problem as a child or a teenager! But when I turned 18 - I think I went up 18 sizes! It's been 11 years of gaining some weight each year and I'm ready to be myself again! My first weight goal is to lose 40 pounds and then probably another 20.

Man I'm gonna miss that diet coke and chips and dip before bed at night! :)

I have been noticing lately that Makenzy is JUST like me! She says and does things exactly like I do. (example) If David and I are passing each other - I always put my arm in front of him playing around. Makenzy walked by him last week and did the same thing, then she started laughing hysterically at herself for doing it. I said "I can't believe she just did that" David said "Why can't you believe it, she is just like you - she does everything you do". She might look more like her Daddy (although she does have some of my features), but she definitely acts just like her Mama! And yes, I am very proud of that! :)

I guess it just really makes me feel like less of a failure as a Mom for having to be away from her for 8 hours a day. The past couple of days I have really realized that it doesn't matter to her that I am a working Mother. I really am the most important person in her life and she loves me unconditionally as I do her!

I am making a promise to my daughter: I will no longer feel guilty for having to be a working mother! I promise her that I will live everyday with a positive attitude so that my life and hers (David too) will flourish. I will cherish the moments that we have together and not take them for granted.

I can't believe I haven't written since August 8th! The past two months have been a big blur. Okay - so on with the update:

We moved into our new house on September 6th, but didn't finally close on it until the 12th (Friday morning). On Friday night (the 12th) we had our immediate family and a few close friends over for Makenzy's birthday Luau! Surprisingly, we managed to get the entire house painted, moved in, unpacked, and had everything together in 2 weeks (before her party). I am completely exhausted, but am happy that we can relax in our new home! There are still things that need to be done - pictures to buy and hang, the landscaping needs ripped out and re-done; but these are all things that we like to do. I think the yard is one the agenda for this weekend. Our neighbors are all so friendly! Our next door neighbor is a little weird though - but still nice.

so, my little princess is 2! Where has the time gone? I vividly remember the day I brought her home. I remember what she was wearing and who came to our house to see her. I remember the feeling of guilt and disappointment I had with myself for not being able to nurse her (she couldn't latch properly). I remember the plethora of emotions I had when I looked into her innocent eyes. It really seems like it was yesterday!

She amazes me more and more everyday. She is smart, witty, hilarious, sweet, caring and beautiful (among other great qualities of course). I can't wait to see what the future holds for her. Whatever that may be, I'll be right there beside her cheering her on all the way!

(Pictures of the house and her birthday will be posted by the end of the week)

First of all, please excuse me if this post makes no sense! It is just after midnight and I cannot for the life of me fall asleep! I am so excited about selling our house, but am completely stressing that we have to be moved and in our new house in 3 weeks! David and I are so in love with our soon to be new home! I hope that we will have as many great memories there as we have had in this house the past 4 years.

Thanks to my insomnia I have just picked out most of the paint colors for the entire house! I'm still not sure what I want to do in Makenzy's room? I'll probably just do one main color with an accent for now, and then when she moves into her "big girl" bed I will update her decor at that time. Also, I have no idea what I want to do in any of the bathrooms? I think I will take some pics the next time we go through it so I can ponder on that for a week or so!?

David has given me complete interior design control over the entire house! For those of you who don't know....David is very opinionated about decorating a home. Luckily we have the same sense of style when it comes to decor, but it is a little annoying when he challenges me on the color of a lampshade! Most guys could care less what color of paint is on the walls or what type of carpet is laid on the floor - not my husband! This is a big step for him! Maybe he has realized how much I thrive for this type of thing. Interior design really is one of my passions.

Tomorrow I have to work all day, get the contract for our new home complete and get all of the documents together needed for our loan. I think we are going to go look at furniture tomorrow night. We need a new dining room set, kitchen nook table and chairs, office furniture and living room set for the new house. Saturday, David and I are going to eat at a really fancy restaurant (Jag's) in celebration of him graduating college this week (I am so proud of him) and the purchase of our new home (I need to ask Mom if she will watch Kenzy cakes). Sunday, will be church and then our buyer is coming at 2:30 to have her uncle do an "inspection".

Well, it's almost 12:30am and I need to get up at 5:45am! If you made it this far through my ramblings....thanks for reading! :)

If I make it through the day without choking someone, then it will be a good day! Is it Friday yet?

So, the a/c guy finally came at 3:30 yesterday. He was a bit of a creeper and kept telling me (and Makenzy) how pretty she was. Seriously dude, fix the unit and get out of my house! Luckily, a hose was just loose so he was only there for 15 minutes. $70.00 later......it's fixed and creeper is gone.

Went to the Dentist at 5pm, got my cavities filled. He didn't have to numb me, I was happy about that. 20 minutes and $215.00 later - I have perfect teeth again!

David and I decided that we are in the wrong professions!

After all that excitement - we went and ate at Texas Roadhouse and then went to the grocery store. We were out of everything....it's nice to have food in the fridge again!

Have I mentioned that we don't have a/c in our building at work. Most of the offices have window air conditioners, but it is about 200 degrees in here today and I'm starting to feel like a sweaty Betty......hmmm....maybe that will get me out of here early today! Seriously, how much is tuition here...$36,000 per year per student......put some air in the office buildings instead of building a 12 million dollar parking garage that NOBODY parks in!

I feel like lately my days just fall apart! I woke up this morning and felt like I was run over by a truck from mowing Dad's grass last night (but, I will gladly do it again next week). I mowed our back yard the day before and was fine....so I know that I'm just not out of shape!

Got out of the shower to the sound of a loud noise coming from the a/c unit....then the sound of water pouring onto the floor. Sure enough...it's pumping water inside instead of outside. Called the a/c company at 8:30am and still no call from them to come fix it. They are supposed to call 30 minutes ahead of time so I can leave work and get home before they come.

I have a dentist appointment at 5pm today (have to get 2 potential cavities filled), and am hoping that my a/c is fixed before then. If not...Dad will have to come to the rescue! Dear Lord, I love to spend money.....but would rather it be on shopping!

Still crazy at work.....definitely not seeing a light at the end of a tunnel.

Praying for a better day tomorrow!

We ran non-stop this weekend:

Friday: I worked all day. David had to work until 8pm (I hate his job), so I picked Makenzy up from the Grubb's. We went to Target to get a present (but couldn't leave without buying Makenzy some clothes), went out to Grandma's for a little bit, went home, played until bath time, David got home, put Kenz to bed, then crashed myself.

Saturday: Got up early, cleaned the house, fed Makenzy breakfast, played, put her down for a nap, went to a Bridal Shower, came back home, cleaned some more, went to Grandma's for a cookout (she really out did herself), stayed a few hours, left and went to an Engagement party (had a blast), Makenzy flirted with a 20 month old - he flirted back, went home when the storm came, got Kenzy to bed, David and I watch Fool's Gold - it was cute. couldn't wait to lay my head on the pillow!

Sunday: Got up early again, played with Makenzy for a while, tried to put her down for a nap - was not successful, went to King's Island amusement park at 2pm, rode a few rides (Makenzy wasn't really excited like I thought she would be), went to the water park - we had a great time, left when the park was about to close at 7pm, drove home - Makenzy was so tired she didn't even get a bath last night, picked up the house (not literally), went to bed!

Hopefully next weekend will be a little more low key!

So, June and July have been absolutely crazy (the following is what's been going on)! I have been so busy at work, most days I even forget to get up and go pee (TMI?)! Thankfully, I am getting caught up and slowing down a bit.

So, we are getting closer to being able to put our home on the market. We are thinking with in the next 2 weeks we will put that sign out in our front yard. There are 4 different houses we are interested in....praying that one of them will work out for us, and also praying that ours sells fast.

My Dad has been having some medical issues (hey Dad...yep...you made the blog). It scares the crap out of me every time I get a call that says "I need your help....your Dad....." Makenzy has been so sweet while he has been sick. She calls him "sicky boy pawpaw" and insists that we pray for him every night (I would anyways...but she never lets me forget). Dad, I love you and don't know what I would do without you!

We are trying to plan a big vacation (me, David and Makenzy) for next year. I think we have decided on the Beaches Resort in Jamaica! I am just waiting for my travel agent to call me back with firm pricing.

Okay.....so in a nutshell, that's the dealio! It's 4:24, so I'm heading out of here to go pick up my princess! I'll write again tomorrow!

~Tiff

We are back from vacation! We had a great time with my parents, nieces and nephews. All of the kids were great on the long 17 hour drive down and back. I was so surprised that they were so well-behaved.

I'm definitely paying for being off work for a week. I am struggling to get caught up on my work. Now is a busy time anyways....oh, well....a week off with Makenzy is well worth the piles of work I'm buried under now!

Have a great day!

So, I'm getting complaints that I haven't written lately! Sorry for the delay (Connis Burtis)! I have been super busy at work trying to get everything squared away here so we can go on vacation. I haven't even started getting things together for vacation yet (YIKES). Those who know me well are probably shocked that I don't have a spreadsheet checklist and itinerary printed out for everyone yet. I'm really just looking forward to relaxing and soaking in every minute of time I get to spend with my family. I don't even care if we just sit around all week and just talk.....I'm just looking forward to getting away and creating new memories.

Check back tomorrow.......I will posting again!

I don't have anything clever today.....I have a headache...BLAH! I need to get back into the chiropractor for a massage asap!

Tonight: Going to eat at Chili's (one of my favorite places) with David, Makenzy, Mom and Dad. Then going to get bras for my birthday! I am in desperate need of some "fresh" support for the girls. Then, taking back some pants to Kohl's....hopefully buying a few more things. I have a mound of ironing to do when I get home.....I'm definitely not looking forward to that!

Have a good night all!

Saturday: David had to work all day (he worked at total of 56 hours last week....he needs to get a new job). Me and Makenzy had a great morning and afternoon of cleaning, grocery shopping, playing and dancing! That night we had another mother/daughter banquet to attend at my Grandma's church. While not a "blast", it was much better than the mother/daughter banquet the previous weekend (Mom owes me for the rest of my life for sitting through 3 hours of that "royal tea party" torture). I got home at about 8:00pm and David was ready to give me my mother's day/birthday/anniversary present. It was a gorgeous ring with Makenzy's birthstone (blue sapphire) in it (pictured above). I am so blessed to have such an amazing husband. I admire him so much for everything he does to provide for me and Makenzy. Some days I'm not sure how he does it all working 50 hours a week, going to school, and still finding time for me and Kenz.

Sunday:
I had a great Mother's Day and birthday! We went to church in the morning (I went to the nursery with Makenzy), after church we went to David's parents house, then came home to let Makenzy nap for a bit, then headed to my parents house for some more good food and fellowship. David had 2 papers due at midnight, so we came back home at about 6pm. We were all exhausted from a long day, so Makenzy was in bed by 9pm and I headed to bed at about 9:45. Yes, I went to bed at 9:45pm........I guess I really am getting old!

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

2 more weeks until our vacation...........I am SO ready!

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.

I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't
stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -

I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so
important and happy.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.

I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache,
the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a
Mom.

So, while washing my hands in the restroom a few moments ago I noticed that I have a fire engine red zit coming up beneath my nose (I think I caught it from Rissa Roo). If you notice it....don't stare, it's not polite :). In spite of it putting me in an annoyed state, I thought I would list some of my favorite things to cheer me up (they are in no particular order):

Makenzy (of course), finding a good parking spot (anywhere), thunderstorms, laying on the beach, sunshine, snow on Christmas day, artichokes, walking in the rain, planting flowers, smiling at strangers, strangers smiling back, grocery shopping, hugs and kisses, cooking, traveling, nice weekends, pickles, compliments, hi-lights, shopping, Costco, talking on the phone, getting mail (not credit card apps), myspace, family and friends, lemonade on a warm day, i village September sunflowers playgroup, eating dinner on the patio, Bailey, trips to the Zoo, farmers markets, high heels.

That's all I can think of right now.....additions may follow later!

Now, I must organize my desk.....it looks a little scary!

This week has been so crazy and hectic at work! I am so glad that the students will be gone as of tomorrow. That means that I WILL get a good parking spot for the rest of the summer! YAY for me!

I'm not sure what's for dinner tonight? I have a frozen Bertolli meal in the freezer, but that doesn't sound too appetizing today. It actually kind of makes me nauseas thinking about it. My night will be filled with Makenzy, dishes, laundry and ironing...fun night in the Grubb house that's for sure!

To anyone who actually reads this.....Welcome to my life! I am starting this blog as a way to get my thoughts out and to keep friends and family up to date on us.

Have a great evening!