Missing my Boy!!!

WOW .... What a week!!!  It has been a very interesting one to say the least.  As you can all tell I am back from vacation and unfortunately back to work (not able to keep up on my blog as I would like).  Sunday started out very teary (or should I say Saturday Night) as we left Tyler in Indiana with Lee's parents.  Caleb was supposed to stay but Sat he and I both started to tear up thinking about being separated for a whole 2 weeks.  We tried to break the new to Tyler that he would have to come home and it became a crying session for all 3 of us.  It was Lee's idea to have Tyler come home (secretly I think he was missing them already too).  Nevertheless, Sunday came and we decided to allow Tyler to stay but Caleb would come home with us.  This was not easy to do first time leaving my baby for a whole 2 weeks.  I continued to cry till we got on expressway and poor Caleb took it so hard he cried himself to sleep on the car ride home; and continued for the next couple of days on and off....

My week has been very stressful.  Work is crazy and a couple of people were off which made my workload incredibly full.  This was definitely a week that I wanted to just stay home and be a MOM.  Going in at 7 working till 6 or 7 every night..... made me question why God has called me to do THIS job.....  I know we aren't supposed to question HIM.  I am very thankful for the way HE supplies for our family.  As I look around at all of the stay home mom's I must admit I am a (little) jealous. -- Until I spend the day with them-- lol.   Not really I understand the sacrifice's they make and can totally empathize for while they sacrifice in the finance department.  I have to sacrifice in the TIME department.  We are all called to do different things and while it is very tempting to QUIT my job and stay home I know deep down in my heart that God has called me to be a witness to those around me.  In this really hard transition of my company I am to be grateful to have a job, and show HIS love and goodness to all those around me even when I would rather be home.  I just keep being reminded of the scripture " I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength".

While I was working, Caleb got to spend a little more bonding time with Aunt Melanie and his cousins.  It is amazing how quiet and how well they get along without Tyler here (and we always thought Caleb was instigating the problems)lol.  Caleb decided he wanted to spend the night with Aunt Melanie a couple nights this week.  It worked well the first night... the second time in the week.... not so good.  I had just fallen to sleep at 11:30pm and about 11:50 the phone rings, of course I am afraid something is wrong, why else would the phone ring at that time of night right?  Well... it is Caleb in tears again wanting to come home  after much persuading I ended up getting in the car an going to pick him up at midnight.  Melanie was still up (un be knowance)to him... She said she could hear the tip toeing and the TV on.  There he was sitting on the couch looking scared to death , all the lights on in the living room and dining room when I got there.  Melanie came out of her room and asked what was going on.  I said "Caleb didn't you tell Aunt Melanie I was coming to get you?" I had told him on the phone that I couldn't just come get him in the night or his Aunt would have a panic attack if she woke up and didn't find him.  He was afraid of waking her up.  So he had gone to the play room and called (no wonder he was whispering). 

Tyler continues to text us everyday. Several times a day... and calls at least once or twice.  I am ready for my kido to get home.  Don't think I am going to do very good as they get older and go away for longer periods of time. We still have another week till he gets home..... We will see how the saga will continue....

Hope all goes well for everyone this week.  Now that I am back to work my blogs will probably be a weekly post but ya never know........

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY

Well we are back in Indy. We got in about 7:30pm last night and we were all
thouroughly exhausted. Mom Tomes had dinner ready for us (homecooked food and fresh tortillas made by my sister-in-law Maria) a nice treat after eating out all week. Too tired to update everyone last night.

We had a good time shopping today just the sister-in-laws and me and our little tag-a-long Caleb. The husbands and two oldest grandkids (Tyler and Kevin) went to the driving range and Grandma and Becca stayed at home. We all came over here to Sarah and Jack's house for a very late lunch or early dinner (4pm) however you want to look at it. Played a little x-box and watching a cute movie Hotel for Dogs. My sister in law Sarah has been gracious enough to let me use her laptop this week of which I am very grateful.

The kids are supposed to be staying with Grandma and Grandpa for the next two weeks. Caleb started last Saturday night with the water works that he didn't think he could stay. He's done better not thinking about it this week but who knows what tomorrow will bring when Daddy and I leave. I have a feeling he won't stay. Uncle Jack says Tyler can stay as long as he wants and he will bring him home but no babysitter for Caleb. So Tyler is out of luck if Caleb doesn't stay.

I am missing my family this 4th. We never spend a Holiday apart. This is the first one since I was in 11th grade in high school. I am not liking it so much. God has been so good to bless me with wonderful in-laws and I do enjoy spending time with them. (Think I am getting homesick after a week of vacation). Now I know what Lee feels like as he spends every holiday away from his family. I had to put my selfish needs aside and give at least one holiday this year.

Time is up for vacation and it is back to the work field on Monday. Boo Hoo!! Jack (my brother-in-law) was nice enough to download some music on a chip he got for me at Walmart for my phone so at least now I don't have to get an Ipod. Yea. Life is good and I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family. Can't wait to get back home to see my Doodlebug, Apple blossom, Buddy, and Little Man. (That would be Tray, Anna, Trevor, Trent). And of course my oldest niece (Pam). I miss all of you. C-ya tomorrow. TTFN.

Last Day of Fun in the Sun (continued)

So the day was great as you can see and we have some tans and some memories to show for it. It was then time to go back so we could eat dinner where we found an authenic Mexican resturante the food was delicious. Our last night at the pool so the boys of course had to get back in. Tyler decided after an hour that he wanted to go back to the room and get on the computer but Caleb just couldn't get enough of the slide. We had a great time but the time was up and it was time to get things packed up so we can go home tomorrow. It is now almost 1am and Lee and I are still awake just can't sleep. Back to reality tomorrow but that's okay... we will get to spend some time with Mom and Dad Tomes for a couple of days before we have to go home. The boys will then spend a couple weeks with them before coming back home. Don't know if Mommy is going to like that or not. Well, fellow bloggers time to go to bed.

The boys looked so cute. We were all wet we had just gotten off the Dare devil Falls in Dollywood and we got a "little soaked".

Didn't know Lee had his own hardware in Dollywood

Last Day of Fun In the Sun

Well it has been a wonderful week. Today we finished up our week of fun with Splash Country in the morning and then back to Dollywood in the afternoon. The kids were having so much fun in this kids area where they could use firehoses to squirt people and even the lifeguard (tyler says he got in the whistle blowed on him by one life guard). Sarah and I enjoyed the sun while watching the boys play. Uncle Jack went and rode some more waterslides and we were all ready to go back to Dollywood by 3PM. We missed the Kingdom Heirs show which Uncle Jack and Lee were sad about but at least we managed to watch the 50's show that Sarah and I wanted to see but missed on Monday.

Gaitlinburg, TN

What an interesting day. We decided we would not take advantage of the FREE continental breakfast today and go to Cracker Barrel instead, this way we could sleep in a little longer and eat later so we wouldn't have to take time out for lunch later in the day. We then headed on to Gaitlinburg.

Our first stop inside the Harley Davidson shop. Lee could only dream of having one (I don't think a diabetic should be driving a motorcycle). He said we didn't have to go in there but I said you better take me up on the offer while I am not tired and cranky (I hate to shop especially in the heat). Across from the Shop was the Hard Rock Cafe. We didn't go in just looked from afar but the building was very neat.

We then stopped at a new place that just opened June 27, Cooter's. This comes from the character Cooter off of the Dukes of Hazard that was one of my favorite TV shows growin up.

Then up the main street we went as we looked in store after store after store......... It was very hot and again I hate to shop in the heat. I did manage to find a couple of things and the sites were very nice. (Check facebook for the complete listing of pictures).

We all had just about enough of the heat and the shopping and decided to go back to the van and head on up the hill into the Smokey Mountain National Park. There were so many beautiful sights and I kept thinking as we drove along what a beautiful creation. Isn't our God AWESOME! The rocks and the water the trees and the wildlife. Truly Amazing. We took everyone into Cherokee, NC that is only about 45 min -1 hr away and stopped in the village there to do some more sight seeing.

We found the shop that we had taken Tyler to when he was 2 and took his picture in front of the same Grizzly Bear but Lee managed to cut the bear's head off so not a very good picture but at least we know what it is.

We couldn't believe that we had been up on the mountain for 2 hours and headed back down to find something for dinner. Time to eat and relax for the rest of the evening. I think we will all be ready for bed tonight.

All for now the family beckons me to join them.