on cloud 9

Ok, so this past weekend I decided to take all of the stuffing out of our couch pillows (yes, all 8 of them...I actually missed 1). If you can imagine a huge, 3 foot tall, mound of old stuffing sitting in the corner of our living room.... Any how, we leave...I can't remember where to or what for (hello 30's!) but when we came back we found Daisy snuggled deep in the mound of stuffing. It was so flipping cute...I couldn't resist but to take a few pictures. (((And you can tell the difference between the old stuffing and the new stuffing (yuck!)))
And then there's Addison, "floating" on her own cloud.

family dinner at Caroline Lake

I think Tyler has a future in Photography.........

Yesterday was President's Day ~ Jim and I both had the day off, but the kids had school (yeah!). It was such a beautiful day that Jim and I decided to pack the cooler with some uncrustables (I swore I would never buy these things, but they are too fabulous and convenient) and some sodas and crackers and surprise the kids with a "dinner" at the park. We went to Lake Caroline....RIGHT next to the ocean. As a matter of fact, I am sure it's a salt water lake, if that's even possible. We could see the tide coming in to the lake while we were there. Strange.

Tyler...such the poser.....

"Take a picture of me like George Washington"

Peek a Boo!

advice needed

Choice #1:
work 30 hours/week
school full-time
Editor of Ebb & Flow Newsletter
Event/Fundraiser Committee Member for Animal Rescue Center of Bay County
Passion Parties
no time for family

Choice #2:
work 30 hours/week
Editor of Ebb & Flow Newsletter
Event/Fundraiser Committee Member for Animal Rescue Center of Bay County
Passion Parties
more time for family

Choice #3:
work 30 hours/week
most time with family, no difference in pay

Choice #4:
work 40 hours/week
little less time with family, double my income

Choices 3 & 4 are clearly the best, right? Choice 4 would mean more opportunity for family vacations (we'll have the money) but the kids will be in after school care for approximately 2 hours per day.

Choice 3 means I stay in the job I am currently in (which I love).

Choice 4 means I get promoted in the HR field, which is why I was going to school, continue working for the same man (who is the best boss EVER), and it means that I would double my income.

What to do????

Family is so important to me, and on one hand I think how much more we can do as a family if I go full time, while the other half of me says that the kids don't appreciate what they get any how. So is it selfish of me to go for the full time position (practically dream job)??

HELP!

lifestyle changes

I hit rock bottom last night when I heard some news that was shocking to me. For the first time in years, I cried myself to sleep. Where did I go wrong as a parent? Was it wrong to uproot my family and move across the United States? While I am 100% sure that Jim joining the Air Force was the best move for us, I know it hurts the kids in some ways. We, Jim and I, have decided that this "season" in our life is not about us; it's not about me getting my degree right now, it's not about how many volunteer tasks we can be involved in, and it certainly isn't how many side jobs we can pick up. It's the "season" for our children. Sure, we thought we were giving the kids the attention they need, but after sitting back and taking a really hard look at it, we aren't giving the kids the right kind of attention they need.


I have 'put on hold' my degree. What will it do for me when I get it? It won't get me a raise in the job I'm in. It may get my face in the company newsletter....whoopty doo. I have the rest of my life to earn my degree, but I have only this ONE chance to be a good parent.

So what is a good parent any how? I think a good parent is one who listens to his/her children, and I'm not talking about nodding your head while cooking dinner as your 7 year old tells you about his exciting day at school. I mean take a minute and sit down, look him/her in the eyes and really listen. Do what your children want to do instead of what you want to do all the time. If he wants to learn how to play the guitar, sign up for lessons! If he wants to be a fisherman, go fishing! If she wants to be a princess, stuff her drawer full of tiaras. You only get to be a kid once, right? And the most important thing for me is to learn to like some of the things my children like.

Take the time to really love your children.


Here are my FAVORITE KIDS IN THE WORLD:

Deer in my backyard

These pics were taken from my bedroom window.......how cool is it to have wildlife right in your backyard - literally! I love it!

I love being so close to this stuff....even if the deer look more like overgrown dogs compared to what we see in Michigan ;)

more pics....

shame on me.....

I have been MIA for several months.....no blogging, no responses to others' blogs...nothing. Wow, what a busy holiday season we had! I don't really know where to begin....where did I leave off? lol

Let's just cut to the chase and talk about Christmas! The Floridian Eckerts celeberated Christmas a few days early this year - the 22nd to be exact. Jim and the kids packed up the Tahoe that night and began their travel to the deep North (a.k.a. Michigan) on the 23rd of December. Jim wanted to suprise his mom with a visit for Christmas - and boy was she suprised!

The kids had a fantastic time with ALL of the family back home. Needless to say, it was a little depressing for me to be here all alone, but after the 25th, I began picking up my spirits - I just had to get through Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (and I took everything down Christmas Eve so that I didn't have to be reminded about Christmas on Christmas Day....as if that's possible, right?).

Here are some of the pics that Jim took while home........

Clockwise beginning with Addison at 1200 - Addison, Marcus, Terrence, Tyler, Jayce, (cousin?), Kammie.

Christmas morning - Uncle Terry and Aunt Cora gave the kids their gifts so they wouldn't feel left out - thanks Uncle Terry and Aunt Cora!!

Kiaya Narae - my neice whom I have yet to meet.......does she not look like "Boo" from Monster's Inc?? Of couse she does! Thanks to Uncle Jim, this is her new nickname :)

THE BIG SUPRISE........