My Story - for those of you with whom I have lost touch

Whoa.  I am still in a state of shock, I think.  I just found out that I got accepted to California Polytechnic University.  It's an excellent architecture and engineering school.  Ten years ago I graduated high school one semester early.  I took a semester off and then entered Iowa State with everyone else my age.  I thought I knew then what I was meant to do.  I found a great college ministry.  Praise God for Salt Company.  I thought I knew about God before that, but I got my real foundation from the ministry of Cornerstone Church and the college group The Salt Company.  

I didn't realize that when my parents chose to get divorced right before my sophomore year of college that it would drastically change the direction I was headed.  Who knew that their divorce would wreak such havoc in my life.  Anyone who says that divorce of a couple with older children is much easier on the kids is absolutely insane.  I think I would have handled it much better as a young child because I know that children are resilient.  Anyway, I couldn't hang with the school thing, my grandpa had just died and my parents had separated.  Needless to say, I isolated pretty hardcore.  And I felt like I had no one.  I turned to the only thing I could think of that would ease the hurt and the pain.  This is a pretty intensely honest post here.  If you don't know me all that well, this may surprise you.  I got stuck in the world of daily pot smoking and alcohol binging thinking it would end the sufferring.  Boy was I wrong.  I gave in to the pressures of young adulthood and lost miserably.

Right after I turned 21, while living with my mom and her boyfriend at the time, I decided to start dating this guy who was soooo cute.  ugh. the thought makes we want to yak all over my computer.  Anyway, 3 months later I ended up pregnant and realized I had made a huge mistake by dating this guy.  He was not someone I wanted to raise my child with.  After much prayer - since God was the only place left for me to turn at this point - I decided to move to California and start fresh.  Leaving the old me behind.  Chase was 6 months old when we made the three day trip out here.  It was quite exciting!  But I moved here with me, which means that my weakness for substances followed me.   After about 4 months of complete delusion and selfishness I realized I had a real problem and put myself in a detox center.  Best decision of my life!  I have been clean and sober for 5 years this March 2.  I can't believe it.  And my life is amazing.  I will never go down that path again.  That is true misery.  

I don't really know what possessed me to post this, but I felt the need to share some honesty with you all.  I hope that maybe my story can help someone else some day.  God doesn't allow for things to happen for no reason.  I know that none of that was His plan for me.  But I also know that it was only 50% for me to learn something and 50% to teach others.  God uses every story to His glory.  That is the coolest part about the whole thing!  

He was the only one who could really make me whole.  I am truly blessed in this life, but I know that the future life I will have will be eternally wonderful!

Tinkey Bew (you may know her as Tinkerbell)

About a month ago, I decided that I was going to bake a cake for Madelyn's birthday, instead of spending $40 on a store bought version that isn't all that great.  Wow, was I in for it!!!  It didn't look that hard.  I went to Michael's and bought the Tinkerbell Face Character cake pan.  It had step by step instructions on how to do everything.  Easy enough!  And by the way, Tinkerbell is Madelyn's favorite - but she calls her "Tinkey Bew" since she can't quite say Tinkerbell.

About a week later, I went back to Michael's and bought all of the cake decorating equipment that I was going to need to complete this project.  It cost a little more than I had anticipated, but I figured it was worth it.  My mom was actually a big support at this point.  I was lucky though, Marcus' birthday came before Madelyn, so I decided to practice on him.  I didn't make the Tinkerbell for him, but I did decorate a cake!  It wasn't great, but it gave me some confidence.  I was ready.

So Friday night, I baked the cake.  See it below:

The cake part turned out pretty good!  I was excited to do the decorating.  

Saturday was family party day, so I colored the icing and got ready to decorate!  Here is the final product:

I'd say it turned out pretty good for my very first character cake!!!

Let me know what you think!!!!!!

Oh, here's a few pictures from eating the cake and the presents:

There's one more baby bear to add to her ever growing collection!

She is just the cutest little girl.  Look at that face!

My Little Rockstar!  It's a plug 'n play video game!

I love my little ones.  Oh my gosh, they are my life!!!!

It's Time to Catch Up with the McCoy Family

I have been back to work for 4 days now since I had 11 days off in a row. You'd think that during that time I would have posted something new everyday; but let me tell you, I barely cleaned while I had all that time off! I spent most of my time doing the most important thing I could think of - playing and using every waking moment to be with my kids! I did do a bit of cleaning, but not a whole lot - and I DO NOT feel one bit bad about it..... I figure that when I die, I am not going to wish I had spent more time cleaning; I'm going to wish I had spent more time with those who were important to me. So there it is!

We had an absolutely wonderful holiday season. It was exciting for several reasons. First, Chase lost his first tooth on Christmas Eve. What a lucky ducky; the tooth fairy and santa claus both on the same night!

Christmas Eve is always spent at my Mom & Step-dad's house, which is really fun because we each open one present, the kids get new jammies, and we have an awesome dinner! Plus it's a fun time to get dressed up.

Christmas Morning is always at our house. We have decided that since we're the ones with the little kids, everyone else should come to us! It's much easier that way. Our kids got so much stuff this year, as always. Marcus and I tried to cut down on the number of gifts - but the Grandmas and Grandpas sure didn't!!!!!

Here's Madelyn's best present, which she was quick to share with Chase.

It was a fun Christmas. Tomorrow I will post some pics from our trip up to Monterey!

Today I am 28...How did I get here so fast?

I woke up today as a 28-year old woman. I don't think I quite understand. Wasn't I just 17? I looked around and realized that I have a husband, two kids, and a dog. Where did they come from? My life must be in warp speed. There is just no other way to explain what is happening to me.

What a crazy feeling! But I love everyone blazing quick moment that flies by me. This life is more than I could have ever imagined in my wildest dreams. To be so lucky as to have an insanely wonderful husband that would make other wives drool by the way he treats me, a little boy who's smart as a whip, a little girl that is the apple of my eye, and the true "man's best friend" for our dog, what more could I ask for. God might just laugh in my face if I make any such requests!

I have had the absolute best birthday a 28-year old woman could possibly have. I found out today just how many people really, truly care about me. There are more than I thought - honestly!

I woke up this morning to little post-it notes all over the house with sweet nothings on them from my husband, since he had gotten up early to go to the gym. What a way to start the day, hey ladies???? I got two voicemails this morning with Happy Birthday being sung to me; one from my Dad, and the other from my friend, Karen who sang it first in English and then in Spanish! How cool is that?

I feel like an adult for real now. I have had all of the responsibilities for years - I think I just was refusing to actually call myself a grown-up; but here I am, almost 30, and I can honestly say that I am ready now. I am looking forward to the next year, and I hope it's as fantastic as the last few!

I did do one thing last night as a 27-year old, that was a bit risky. I decided to make both pancakes and syrup completely from scratch, and it was delicious! Here are some pics!

Chase's Kindergarten Christmas Show

My little boy had his first Christmas Program of his elementary school career. He was so cute! All the kindergarteners were up on stage (120 total) with their reindeer hats on singing Christmas music. It was so great to see him up there! Grandma & Grandpa McCoy, Aunt Jugie, Frama, Mommy, Daddy, and Madawyn (Chase's name for Madelyn) were all there to see his school program debut. He is a short little guy - so of course he was in the first row. And he didn't look all that excited until he saw Grandma Donna & mommy sneak up to the front. As soon as he saw us his face lit up and he sang his heart out!

When he found daddy, he couldn't help but stand up and wave!

The Entire Kindergarten Class

Chase is in the front row - third from the right.

Frama, Aunt Jugie, and Madelyn going to the show!

Grandma & Madelyn sharing some snuggle time!

He's the one to the left of the lady's face! What a handsome boy!

Here they come....The Holidays!

This has to be the best time of year, starting right after Thanksgiving!  I love Thanksgiving, and having my loved ones over to my home to spend time together; but the day after I really feel like it's Christmas.  I never decorate until Thanksgiving is over.  I just can't because I feel like it's cheating.  So my plan is to decorate tomorrow.  I keep saying that I will do it once my house is completely clean; but I think if I wait that long Chase might be 30 years old and way out of the house!  It is way too hard to keep it the way I want it when I have two small children.  Madelyn is now known as the "transporter" because she moves stuff from one room to another.  I have spent hours looking for my slippers, my papers, my keys, daddy's shoes, etc.  It's crazy!  If ever we can't find something, we know it was her!  I wonder if she will do that with the Christmas presents that end up under the tree!!!

I am so excited for the holidays this year.  I can't wait, though, for a year that we can spend Christmas with my dad and his wife.  It's really sad that I don't get to have everyone around me that I love and cherish.  That is the one and only depressing thing that I think about at Christmas.  

One really good thing this year is that our office is closing down and we are having a mandatory furlough - so I will be off for 11 days straight!  Woohoo!  I'm already making plans for the Discovery Museum (kids place), the zoo, the library, etc.  I don't know what all we will do, but I'm going to try not to spend too much time cleaning and most of my time having a blast with my kiddos!!!!

Home Sick

When you have kids in daycare and going to school you are bound to catch some crappy sickness.  I am sitting at home today watching MTV's True Life re-runs with my hubby.  I was actually up all night coughing and now I think Marcus has it because I was coughing all over him all night!  Poor guy!  He's going to take me to Target to go get my prescriptions.  What a good man!  He is so good at taking care of me!