Been on hiatus...

Wedding planning, kids on summer vacation, work, getting organized to move - this has a been a crazy last couple of months! The wedding is now in 18 days! Time has really flown by! Most details are in place, and Im in "full freak out" mode..but all my wonderful friends are reassuring me that "everything will be beautiful!" I met with the floral gals at the flower market a couple of weeks ago and picked out some great ideas..and I'm excited to see what they come up with. They are amazingly talented! Here is the bouquet they did for my BFF's wedding and the pew arrangements (same wedding)...I love them.

The only real big thing I havent taken care of is my daughter's dress. That's proven more difficult than I imagined since we changed into summery type dresses instead of long formals. They are black (ok not too summary) with Sangria accents for the teen girls (Sangria for the women).

I'm a ball of anticipation! I finally got the perfect dress, I love it. I believe everything will fall into place, and you know what, if something goes haywire..I'm STILL marrying the love of my life, and thats all that really matters. Alll the kids seem pretty excited as well, although that may just be because they get to wear tuxes/dresses and go to a big party :)

As for other news: Summer vacation is going fairly smoothly, only a couple of stumbling blocks - which isnt too bad considering the kids have more freedom than they (and we) are used to, and they dont always make the best choices..but hey, they are kids. 2 in summer school - and both doing very well (TG!), the boys are starting football work outs again after a few weeks of a break (the 100 degree weather is killing them!) - In fact this was happened right after Isaiah walked in the house after their Sunday work out.

Cece had a great trip to DC/NY with her classmates. Here was the group shot at Times Square (see her in the middle..top row, jean shorts, black sweater)..this also happened to be on her 13th birthday :)

Everyone is spending their days at the pool..and I'm trying to get over there as much as possible after work. I really want to get more organized for our impending move (Aug or Sept)..so I may spend some time boxing up things we wont need for summer. No fun but kinda a "have to get done" task.

Until next time...XOXO

Dresses, Dresses, Dresses..

Since I finally landed on Sangria..I will be taking the girls to try on dresses in the next few weeks. I already had Cece try on several and and every one looked beautiful. Her three favorites were my favorites too (isn't that nice!?) So we will be choosing between these three for her (she will be 13 when the wedding comes). Oh to be that age and look adorable in anything you put on! I'm excited to take the older girls to try on dresses too. Im so happy I decided on long dresses for the teenage girls. So beautiful! The question is how much will she grow between now and July. I'm pretty sure she just got through a growth spurt..but choosing a size is such a gamble. The ones she tried fit PERFECTLY.

Cece's Choices:

(The last one is her favorite, the first one is my favorite)

Change of direction (wedding)...but got lots done!

Okay, maybe not a lot alot, but we managed to get the ceremony and reception venue booked, dinner menu set, and DJ and Photographer booked. Yay!

Everything will take place at a golf club we frequent (we don't golf..but they have an awesome sports bar and grill, karaoke night, etc).

We will do white chair covers white sashes and may not do floral centerpieces. I am trying to keep my flower budget in check so we might do something different - still looking for ideas that really move me. Thats an example of the food display, however after talking to a friend out there who works with the catering, she will give us a great deal on a full italian dinner. Cha-Ching! I'm thinking that we may still put out some snacks mid-way through the reception (Fresh Fruit, cheeses, etc) since it's so long (6-11 pm). They will also offer valet parking for our guests for tips only, so I will pay the tips up front so the guests don't need to worry about that.

Oh..the color! It has changed too! I made my FINAL decision today, it's called Sangria from Davids Bridal. I love love love this color! So bright, refreshing, and summery - perfect for a summer wedding! Davids Bridal has ribbons in this color, so I was thinking of getting white pillar candles wrapping them...we'll see.

I want this dress for my 12 (will be 13) yr old daughter and there is a matching (strapless) dress for the teen girls. I really want to have our three daughters in long dresses, and my bridesmaids in whichever dresses they choose in Sangria.

I also decided on favors...now I need to tackle flowers! Luckily I know an awesome lady who will do my flowers for barely above cost - so I know those will be a great deal, and she does an amazing job! Maybe we can actually pull this thing off! ;)

Nysha says goodbye to HS Basketball..

Tonight we went to Nysha's last high school basketball game..and it was bittersweet. We are so proud of her, but sad she is saying goodbye to something she loves so much. She has her first soccer game next week and that will be a nice way to end her senior year.

She has so much dedication and I think that is going to take her far in life. I can't wait to see what her future brings.

Here are some great shots from her game tonight.. (she is #21)

Wedding plans are gonna monopolize my blog for a bit...

It's pretty much  monopolizing my life at the moment. Last night I found my dress!!! I cant post a pic for fear that Anthony will see it. It's gorgeous, and I'm so excited! Nysha and Sadie met me there, and they were both in love with the dress as well.  The dress fit perfectly, and a size smaller than anticpated..yay! I still hope to lose some weight and have it altered, but if not, its still beautiful. I had them try on some bridesmaids dresses, and found one that I LOVE but it doesnt come in the blue I want. UGH! The other one I thought I would love, I didnt care for. So back to the drawing board for the girls dresses. I am going to have Cece, Nysha, and Sadie in the same dress - and have my MOH and Bridesmaids in a different dress. Thats all up in the air..and I need to get the venue first anyway! I also met with the Invitation designer yesterday and im so excited to see how those turn out. She will send me the mock-ups in 2 weeks, yay!

Back to dresses..here are two I really like from Alfred Angelo..but I really want tea-length or full length dresses for the girls. I like the color Riviera Sky from AA but it's not exactly what I'm looking for. I'm thinking of going to SF to look at the dress outlets for their dresses in April when my BFF comes out to visit/dress shop. We can take all the girls and make a day of it

The last dress with the sash is just beautiful, I could do that in Riviera Sky with the sash in white for the girls. Oh I dont know, so many beautiful choices!

My BFF had her bridesmaids wear black dresses, and it worked out beautifully. I thought about doing that too, except its July and its going to be HOT. Who would think this would be so difficult. The girls technically arent "bridesmaids" but they are going to match the wedding party and be part of the wedding. OK, back to real work now... ;)

More Wedding Stuff..ideas...

Okay the Blue dress in this collage is PERFECT for what Im going for. And I love it next to the Moss color...so now Im thinking of incorporating some green - and I absolutely LOVE the flowers pictured for centerpieces (the ones with the white and blue)..

And wouldn't it be fun to have some kid-friendly cupcake centerpieces like the ones below...since just about our whole life is about kids..and there are sure to be plenty at the wedding...

Okay ladies, What do you think??

Wedding Stuff....(Freaking Out)

Okay, the big day is 5 months away and I've done a big fat nothing. So this week I got a bug to get going (finally!). I found a couple really great venues (well lots of great ones that were WAY out of our budget)..but I think one of these will work. First, the water district has a facility called Antelope WEL Gardens..very pretty..but I have been unable to get them to return my call today!! URGH!

The other is a community center. Both are super affordable, but getting our date is proving to be a chore, meaning, we may need to be more flexible with our date. Either way, things seem like they will come together nicely once we book our venue. I met with the invitation designers today about Save the Dates, Invitations, and Programs. It wont cost an arm and a leg, thankfully! They are going to be super cute! But of course, I'm keeping them a secret for now! We need to find a good DJ, hopefully we have a lead on that through my BFF. Our cake is a wedding gift from some great friends, which is such a blessing. A great friend of mine happens to be a photographer, so hopefully he can cut us some sort of deal. All of these has me hopefull that we can pull this off without robbing a bank! So for now, the date will either be 7/17, 7/24 or 7/31..narrows it down a bit, huh?

Also found beautiful dresses for our 3 girls to wear, but a little more pricey than I had hoped. Maybe I can find a similar dress for less...we'll see. I've never planned anything, I feel so overwhelmed..but in a good way if that doesn't sound completely nuts! 5 months..and counting down!

Our February Adventures...and whats going on with me :)

So far this month, Nysha turned 18(OMG!), We took all the kids skating, Sedrick turned 10, we had our Vday adventure - we've been enjoying the girls JV and Varsity basketball games, and Isaiah's rec games. Three of the boys (Anthony, Isaiah, and Sedrick) start strength and conditioning training for Football next week (even though football doesnt officially start until July!). Anthony and I went to Reno a couple of weeks ago for a friends Baby Shower, and are going back in two weeks for his coaching convention/clinics...where I will also get to have lunch with and meet my paternal aunt for the first time. I'm totally excited about that. I recently reconnected with my dad which has filled a huge void in my heart, and I couldn't be more thrilled. To make matters even better, I am so proud that they (dad and his girlfriend) are turning out to be such wonderful, genuine people that I am so excited to have in my life. Something like getting an unexpected package at your doorstep and the joy at finding its something you've always wanted.  My heart is happy! 

We are also trying to get our wedding planning underway, but seem to hit snag after snag. Today I hit a level of frustration, but it too shall pass. If we won the lottery, this would all be so simple! LOL

Here are some random photos from the month (so far..)..

King Sedrick sits at the birthday throne :)

Little Anthony and Drew goofing around (as usual) at the bday party..

Our 8 kid and two friends getting ready for Pizza -its so good to have everyone in one spot for once!

Anthony and Cece during the festivities

Waiting to go in skating..Cece, Joshua, and Myles. Myles is my kids' step brother (from their dad).

Even the big kids wanted to skate..

Josh getting his big boy skates!

Myles and Drew skating..

Anthony gives skating a thumbs up

Speed skating..

Valentines Day, not without adventure!

I think I had the best Valentines Day ever...thanks to the Love of my Life :)

I knew he was getting last minute tix to the 90's Love Jam concert I'd been dying to see (warning - Im aging myself big time with this post!)..featuring Guy, H-Town, Jon-B, and Al B. Sure - some of my favorites from Jr. High and HS days. My honey ran downtown to get tix..an hour before the doors were to open..only to call me with good/bad news. Good news - he got tix. Bad news - our truck broke down when he parked illegally to run into the box office for the tix. He had to push it uphill a block to find public parking, pay $15 to leave the broken truck. I grabbed his clothes and necessities, headed downtown to pick him up and he went into a hotel to get ready (ha!). We made it in plenty of time for the show, seated 30 minutes before they opened.

H-Town opened..they were awesome. To make things better, they were throwing out roses and teddy bears - I caught a rose, and some witch next to me snatched it, breaking the stem. Karma! Shazam of H-Town said to me, "I got you sweetheart.." and he went back for the last rose on stage, brought it out to me and said "Happy Valentines Day." AWWWWW!!! So I got a perfect rose that didnt get thrown over our heads, and wasnt broken by some snatchy chick. LOL. Did I mention we were front row and center!!?? I dont know how Anthony pulled that off, buying tix a hour earlier..with a PACKED auditorium. He always amazes me! When the usher seated us..I almost died!

Oh within a few minutes Shazam had his shirt off, whip cream all over him, and well...all was good! ;) I will have to add concert pics later.

Jon B was next and he was awesome. I was never really a huge Jon B fan..but after that night, I'll be watching for him. He is a true artist. The sound system failed, and he was real professional, got on his keyboard and was amazing on his own. Aaron Hall of Guy got snowed in somewhere, so guess who showed up to save the show (not that it needed saving - Al B. Sure was phenomenal!!)..Bobby Brown. When he sang Roni, Dont Be Cruel, Rock Wit U, and ended the show with My Perogative...I thought the place would implode. It was amazing. Thanks so much to my baby..he really made my Valentines Day (even if I did feel my age, lol).

Basketball Mom

I admit it. During football season - I sit nicely in the stands while my honey is coaching and my son and step sons are out on the field. I cheer my butt off, but never really get frustrated. Sure, I love to see my boys score TD's..but I don't get too emotional.

But when my son steps on the basketball court, I morph into this totally emotional, cheering, ref-hating (half the time), basketball-momzilla. I'm not proud of it, and I don't make an ass out of myself or embarrass him (and boy, some parents do!) but I feel it boiling inside of me. Must be because I'm truly a "basketball mom" and my son is truely a basketball player who happens to play football too.

I am glad he loves basketball. He is just as frustrated as me this season because he moved up an age level and now is one of the youngest. He is easily among the two strongest players on the team, but the coach is not utilizing him to his potential. He has been playing point since he was 4, he can really handle the ball and bring it up, and he has HEART. Sure, he has a lot to learn, but he has such talent. This season he is playing wing - Not going so hot (yet). I get that he needs to play other positions, but when the consequence of the coach's position choices (not just my son) is causing us 32-6 losses - OUCH. Last year my step-daughter (who is a senior on the Varsity Womens team at the HS) coached his team, boy do I miss her right now!

I know, I know, its ONLY rec ball (thats what Tony always reminds me)..and that just confirms that I missed the boat having Isaiah try out of AAU this year. I will make sure we do that next season. I want him having fun, and improving his game - I fear he isn't doing either this season. I will concentrate on the positive and his love for the game. The one thing he knows is that when he leaves the court after a loss, I am SO proud of him and the way he played, just as if he won.

I'm planning the end of season party/awards again this year for several teams..I love the whole thing, the Saturday games, the community coming together, the kids, and the end of season party is such a fun way to leave on a fabulous note until next season.

I LOVE being a basketball mom!

Mom, what DO you DO at work all day??

I had a particularly rough week with my kids calling me at work this week. It drives me bananas! As much as I love them to pieces, and understand that they want to call now and then, this week..was a DOOZY! My four year old is at preschool until I get off work leaving the older ones to do homework, clean up their messes (hah!), watch tv or play on the pc for a short time until either Anthony or I get home. He works 5 minutes away so most days he pops in after school to make sure everybody is on homework and after school snacks. They find 350 reasons to call me, sometimes for the same thing twice. Why, oh, Why did I give them my work number??

My kids ask me this all the time..what do I do at work?? Usually on the 43rd consecutive phone call from one of them asking if they can make a quesadilla after school or tattling that someone called them a name or took their prized posession. Evidently they think that I don't do ANYTHING at work, and I can leave at any moment because a) they forgot their homework or pe clothes at home (tough luck, kemosabe!), b) they need a ride home from school (those shoes are made for walkin!), or c) they are bored.

I arrive at work where I research, organize, write, correct, badger providers, hold hands, push paper, crunch budgets, unjumble regulations, gather data, and so much more for our various provider contracts. In other words, I wait for my kids to call so I can take care of whatever issue is on their mind at the moment.

The first thing I see upon entering my cube..work piling up. I swear it doesnt look like this when I leave in the evening...little elves come out of their hiding places and leave tons of stuff to greet me in the morning. I think its their way of showing me they love me - like your cat bringing you a dead bird and leaving it on your doorstep. Thanks.

Ah, the part of my cube that makes me happy! I have my little shrine to remember my loving family (because they dont call QUITE enough).

Oh wait, cant forget behind me..more room to stack work that I will get to..after I explain to my daughter how to make a grilled cheese sandwhich, for the 137th time. My cube is kind of like a mullet..party in the front, and all business in the back.

Ahh finally working..wait...Brrrring!

"Contracts, Heather speaking.."

"MOM?...."