randomness

*We are preparing for our vacation, I didn't realize how much work it was to pack 3 kids for 11 days until NOW.  I finally made a list and I have Lex completely packed, just the boys are left. 

*My daughter is giving me a run for my money, she is a HANDFUL and a HALF.  I really am praying three is better than TWO.

*I really really really want this and plan to purchase when I get back from vacation.

*Bob and I re-did our whole budget, now that we have a car payment and haven't for three years almost.

*I only have two loads of laundry, YES, ONLY TWO before its all done.  This hasn't happened in a long time.

*I realized today in 2 months I will have a 8, 6 and 3 year old....I feel old.

*We are visiting one of the tallest bridges in america on our way home, I'm excited.

*School is out in 2 months and I am excited.  No more homework for MOMMY....LOL

*My boys are completely opposite in areas in school, Jax can read and spell so good, but struggles with math.  Ash is good with math, but is a little behind in reading, not bad, but he would rather do math.  Kind of crazy to me.

*Bob and I are planning a trip for our 10 year anniversary next year, we are thinking somewhere tropical just the TWO of us.

*I had to order glasses, I found out I am near sided, should have them anyday now.

*I am loving the warmer weather, just wish it would stay this way.

*My new obsession is Maurices, I need to stay away.

*Having only one girl is hard sometimes, she often gets left out and also doesn't get hand me downs or to pass her clothes on to others.  (well we do pass them on, but not to a sibling)

*I haven't used my camera in a week, sad huh?  Don't worry I will be using it so much that it might hate me soon.

Thats my randomness for today.  I won't be back until after my vacation.  Be prepared for LOTS of posts.

Hard work pays off

Three years ago I NEVER thought Bob and I would own a decent car.  We got the hoopty (ford focus) right after Bob got sick, we paid $500.00 for it.  Then that got totaled and we bought the beast (Suburban) and spent over $4,000 in fixing it up and it was STILL a POS.  Then we got the Mercury Moutaineer and it was nice, actually really nice.  We paid cash for it and owned it out right.  But it was a gas hog and Bob and I commute to and from Roy to Layton 3 times a day, so we knew it wasn't going to work with gas prices reaching $4.00 a gallon.  We have talked about it, thought about it, but never really scoped out a plan.  We had all our debt paid off and were DEBT FREE, BUT...

became the proud new owners of this over the weekend.  It was spare of the moment.  We had put a car payment into our budget and knew it would work out just fine.  What was passing through my mind was having a car payment.  Truth is, Bob and I are better off then we ever imagined.  We have breathing room and a brand new car that gets 40-45 MPG, where in the Mountaineer we only got 15, if that.  We will be saving money in gas to have a car payment.  Its a 2012 Nissan Versa and I am in love with it.  Bob has been eye balling it for quite some time and has done lots of research on it.  It still feels like a dream, but I am super excited.  No more worrying about what is going to break next, instead I can worry about other things around my house.

FYI:  We don't have a nickname for her yet, I'm still thinking, we name all our cars...I know, weird!

And there are less than 9 days until my vacation, to say I am thrilled is an understatement, we've also cut our budget for gas right in half.

Happy St. Patricks Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day from the Clemments house to yours.

Vacation Prep

This is our first BIG trip as a family of FIVE.  Its been interesting preparing for this.

We have been counting down since November and its been forever.

As of Sunday it will be 10 days.  I'm getting really excited, as are my kids.

We've had to buy many new things..

Suitcases, clothes and shoes.  EXHAUSTING.  I have a good portion of my boys stuff packed as we will be going to 80 degree weather. WOO HOO...

Now the only thing we need to pray for is...

My baby girl to feel better, she has been sick this week.  Poor thing, it was 5pm, she was in bed and asleep.

Park fun

No need for words.  This was this past Sunday, it was beautiful.

Lucky Girl

Growing up I always wanted a brother, I was the oldest of three girls (My poor Dad!) and knew obviously I wasn't going to have an older brother, but that didn't stop me from adopting some guys to be my brothers. 

I think Lexi is pretty lucky, she has two older brothers who at the moment really want NOTHING to do with her.  But I've noticed that they are protective over her when it comes to certain things.

My boys are so different from my Daughter.  My boys are easy going, not hard to please at all and so full of life.  Lexi is very clingy, very much a GIRL and as STUBBORN as they come.  She is fiesty,  but I believe that she is for a reason, she has two brothers to keep up with.

Today while shopping with Lexi going from one place to the next, she says "I love my BROTHERS Mommy!"  At that moment I realized, she truly looks up to them and thinks the world of them, but that may change to be the opposite later on in life.

I feel truly blessed to have three beautiful and cute (for my boys), healthy kids.  I love staring at them in amazement that they are mine.

Although I probably would've had one more baby, I try to focus more on what I have instead of what I want.  Lately, I've been thinking about my dear friend who has been trying for two years to have a baby.  I know she reads my blog and I want to tell her that I still pray everyday that she gets pregnant and I keep waiting for that text or phone call.  Love you Andrea!!!  It will happen, don't give up!

Heaven

My sweet little Ashton, oh how I wish I had half the imagination he does.  He is 100% a free spirit, so full of life.  Its hard to describe him, he is just different from my other two, I love them all equal, but Ashton has this spiritual side to him.

Yesterday was a rough day for him, he has asthma and this time of the year with the weather changing back and forth doesn't agree with him.  He had to have 2 breathing treatments and was still not doing good.  It was a close call for the ER, but we got him settled enough to be okay. 

But he was laying in my bed and out of no where says "Mommy, I'm not ready to go to heaven!"  I was pretty shaken and caught off guard, I said "I hope you aren't yet, Mommy needs you here!"  He then asked me and his Dad if we were ready, I said "Ashton, Heaven isn't scary and I'm not afraid, but I'm not ready right now."  Bob said "I'm ready whenever I need to be."  Ashton didn't really understand Bob's theory to why he said what he did, so Ashton said "you want to leave me?"  Bob said "No! I don't, but when you come close to dying and you see what the other side is like, you're not afraid!" 

I've never really shared this story, but I guess its time I do, so that one day my kids can look back at this.  Bob shared this story with me about 9 months after he had surgery.  We had been talking a lot about what had happened the day he had surgery.  He said "Sierra, I went fishing with my Grandpa that day."  At first I didn't believe him, but as he told the story, it all made sense.  He died in the OR, went into cardiac arrest, this was when they called me from the OR saying that they had taken Bob back to the OR, because he was not in good shape.  I didn't know all the details of what happened until after the doctor was done with Bob for the second time.  Bob said "My Grandpa told me I needed to go back and take of my family and that he would see me later."  Its hard to believe unless you believe in these things.  I believe that there is life after death, I believe that things happen for a reason.  I don't go to church, but that doesn't mean that I don't have faith.  I do.  I do even more now than I did 2 years ago, even more than 6 months ago.  Bob somewhat shared the story with Ashton and Ashton said "I don't want you to leave me and I don't want Mommy too either."  He went on to talk about how he knows Heaven is good, but he isn't ready.

This got me to thinking, thinking about parents who've had to bury a child, I can't imagine.  I don't think I ever want too. I know there is a plan for everyone and its not always in our control.  I think that my Ashton is pretty special, don't get me wrong, he is still a stubborn little boy, but he loves to talk about Jesus and Heaven.

Happy Birthday to my Hubby

The one who loves me  unconditionally, puts up with my moods swings, lets me cry when I need to, laughs with me, supports me and gave me the three greatest blessings.  I love you Bob!!!

Life....its rough and I've had to remind myself on numerous occassions in the last two weeks that someone has it worse than I do.

We've known for the last three years that something was going on with Jax.  He was the best baby.  Slept through the night at 2 weeks, was loveable and easy going.  In 2009, things were crazy, A LOT happened and Jaxon was old enough to know more than we thought.  He talks about events that happened here and there, but he most often asks me if his Dad will live.   Its heartbreaking and most of the time, I play it off and bring up something else.

Welllll...here is what has been happening lately, this is my life journal right, so why not lay it all out.  Jax has been acting out a lot lately, he hasn't slept a full night in over a month and he is eating my entire kitchen and I am talking like all night.  The other night I was up until 2:30 trying to get him to go to sleep.  Yeah, he is 7, almost 8 and NOT 2. He says he isn't tired.  Its exhausting!! 

So I  schedule an appt after much talk with my sister who is an MA.  She swears Jax has a thyroid problem.  We get the results back and its shows he does.  I schedule an appt with Lex and Ash pediatrician where I expect Jax will be put on medicine.  Well thats not what happened.  LONG story short, Jax thyroid is showing a problem, but not where he needs to be on medicine yet. So we got other news and I am still shocked.  Jaxon will be tested for Asberger syndrome.  I cried at first, not because I think its horrible, but because I am scared for him.  I worried what people will say about him and how they will treat him.  I worry that he will be left out.  I worry that I won't be able to do what he needs to lead a normal life.  I just WORRY.  I am a Mom and a worrier.

The other part, Jaxon also has PTSD.  I know you're thinking, he has never been to war....well PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) can happen to anyone who has gone through a horrible thing in life.

My poor Jax, my heart aches for him.  He said to me over the weekend...."Mom, what is wrong with me?"  He knows too much, his poor soul has been through so much and yet I am not sure what to do.  I want to provide the best life for him and I  want him to love life and not think its scary.  It is a scary world out there, I fear he has seen way too much.  So if you could, say a little prayer for Jax, we'll know more after our vacation.