September 11, 2016

I Blogged! Does This Earn Me Chocolate?


Whoa. This place is dusty. Does this old thing even work anymore?

*flips light switch* Hmm.... *kicks blog, lights flicker on* Ah ha! So its not dead yet!

*sits down at keyboard and stares at screen* I'm not even sure I remember how to do this. What do I say? What do I post?? Do people even read blogs anymore???

Okay well, I know some do. A few of you have reached out to me via email or Facebook over the last few months expressing how much you missed my silly blog and asking if I was ever going to update it. Seriously, you guys are the bestest. *double heart pound*

Truth be told I'm not sure my blog will ever be what it use to be, and part of me's unsure how to start again. But, since an update on our family was requested, I guess I'll start there.

Assuming it doesn't bore you to death.


The pictures in this post were all taken LAST FALL. But they're the most recent family pics I have. So ya. We're all a year older now.

I have more grey hairs. *sniffle* It's cool. It's cool.


JACK-JACK


Ah, this kid. A rambunctious two-year old with the most sensitive of hearts. All I have to do is talk to him in a sharp tone and he melts into a puddle of tears.
He is the destroyer of all clean things.
A lover of otter-pops, cars, and animals.
My favorite thing he says is "hooty" for the word," huge".
"I want a hooty drink. That's a hooty doggy. You a hooty mommy."

Yes, well, thank you for that.

As far as any after effects from his craniosynostosis surgery or time in the helmet, I can say that there haven't been any. He's healthy and thriving. The mess he left in the kitchen is proof of that.


CLAIRA-MONSTER


This child. No no. This spitfire. This firecracker. This high-spirited, volatile temperament-child is a joy and a challenge. She doesn't care who you are or how much bigger you are than her, you tick her off and she will TAKE YOU DOWN.

Think I'm joking? Go ahead, lean in closer. *whispers* I dare you.

But she is whip-smart and is a blast to hang out with, especially when she's happy. She definitely fills our house with spice. Allllllllllll kinds of spice. She's only five, but boy oh boy, she's got the angry glare down to an art.


ALAYNA-GIRL


This one is all hormones these days. Happy and goofy-giggling one moment, stomping her foot and storming away the next. Not sure if she's seven or seventeen. It's a toss-up at times.

But this outdoor loving, sports playing, wanna be a big kid, not afraid to play with the boys, give me all your cookies, yet the girliest of girls is a sweetheart that everyone loves.

Except Claira. Sometimes. They share a room. It's inevitable that toys gets mixed up. WWIII is real.

She also has had no long term effects from her craniosynostosis that we know of.


JACOB (aka CLOWN BOY)


Ah, Jacob. Such a smart-alec. Such a jokester. Such a class clown. He thinks he's hilarious. And he is. Most of the time. Pretty sure he's his own biggest fan.

This fun-loving nine-year old is either running around like a crazy person full of life and energy, or he's hunkered down with a book. For hours. He is a huge fantasy reader. Loves everything about dragons and mythical creatures. It's getting harder to find clean books for him to devour.

He can be pretty mouthy at times, but he's also the one who always tells me he loves me and gives me big hugs. You just can't beat that.


JOSEPH-MAN


This boy. If any of my children have tested me to the limits, its him. With all of his emotional and behavioral struggles, he's become hardest on himself. It has taken much over the last year for Hubby and I to understand this ten-year old boy. But we're getting there.

He has a heart of gold and a mind that thinks outside the box. My favorite thing is to watch him tell a story. It's vibrant, full of color, detail, and insight. He's clever, this one. He's also a mega-reader who keeps a stack of books under his bed, right next to Jacob's.

He still takes penicillin every day to avoid catching the strep that caused his choreoathetosis For a long time after the event you could still see his joints, especially his fingers, lock up when he was stressed or upset. But that's finally gone. So other than the penicillin, he's back to normal.


SAVANNAH-BANANA


This girl is twelve. TWELVE! How did this happen? I just... I can't... I mean... twelve. *shakes head*

As the resident tweenager she's discovering how much she enjoys expressing her... "opinions". Being the oldest she can be a bit bossy with the other kids, but she is also a tremendous help. I don't know what I'd do without her, honestly.

Her love lies in music, art, and reading. For reals. She's WORSE than the boys when it comes to reading. I am quickly running out of clean YA books for her to devour.

But she is a unique soul who's not afraid of special-needs kids at school, or the old grandpa in the corner, or the stinky toddler on the floor. I'm excited to see where life takes her.


Here is the Back-to-School photo I posted on Facebook. Love these little monkeys.



HUBBY


Hubby doesn't like me to talk about him too much on the blog so I'll keep it brief. He stays busy between his calling as bishop of our church congregation and manager of a company.

Between work, travel, and his church calling, he's not home much so I often have the chocolate stash all to myself. Mwahahaha! I mean, I have sole ownership of the remote control. Er, I mean, cereal for dinner EVERY NIGHT!

*cough* I admit to nothing.


ME, MYSELF, AND I

Now, what have I been up to lately? Well, definitely no good, that's for sure. But besides the kids and my little photography prop making hobby and being part if an awesome exercise group where I get to help teach, I have also taken up.... wait or it.... wait for it.... NOVEL WRITING.

Yup. It's true. I blame my friend, Gina. She got me started and hooked. But that's a story for another day.

I've written a YA fantasy novel that I am currently working on finding an agent for. Maybe nothing will ever come of it, but I have met some rather amazing people and made some incredible friends in the writing world and at the conferences I've attended.

I love it. I'm already working on another book. It's definitely far, far more difficult than I ever imagined it would be, but it's been quite an exciting journey. Not sure I can ever go back. But like I said, we'll see.


Welp, there ya have it. Our little family life in a nut-shell.



I actually do have oooooooooooooone last bit of family news I need to share, but this post is long enough so I'll save that for next time.

*waves*
~Serene



All photos were taken by the talented Shawna Pearce Photography, and then brutally chopped and cropped by me to fit my post.

11 super cool people speak:

Unknown said...

So thrilled to see an update. I have your blog bookmarked & have been checking in occasionally. Lovely to see new photos, everyone has grown up so much. Look forward to more blog updates when you are able. Good luck with getting the book out there, how exciting

Mama Smith said...

I LOVE LOVE LOVE...the fact you are back to your darling posts!!!!! Keeps this Granny entertained! smile

Serene is my name, not my life! said...

You're so sweet, Heidi! I'll try to blog at least once a week!

Mom, we'll see if I can keep up!

Doran & Jody said...

Wow! A lot does change when years fly by (Dumb FB takeover). Good luck on your novel writing. I am always amazed at the creativeness that writers have. I try my hardest to make sure I read as many books as I can. However, I usually stick to the LDS authors or at least the cleanest books I can find.

Have your boys read The Serpent Tide Series? I am sure they have devoured the Michael Vey series. My hubby and granddaughter (14) are hooked on Michael Vey.

As far as chocolate and cereal for dinner...I thought that was the norm, especially when you are empty nesters.

Susan Anderson said...

Great to see you!!!

Nicole said...

Everyone keeps getting older. That must mean my kids are getting older too. I'm not sure how I feel about that! Nice to "hear" your voice again.

Serene is my name, not my life! said...

Jody, Yes! We LOVE Michael Vey! We own the whole series! But I will for sure check out the Serpent Tide Series! Thanks!

You too, Sue!

Nicole, right!? I feel like I'M getting old! LOL! And thanks!

Marcie said...

Yeah! You're back! And just on the right day too. My wallet got stolen today and I've been so upset about it and working frantically to replace everything. After getting the kids in bed I just needed to de-stress so I checked my bookmarked blogs to see if anyone updated (hardly anyone does anymore, it's not just you) so I'd have something to read to cheer me up. It was a great surprise to see yours! You definitely cheered me up! Thanks!

Serene is my name, not my life! said...

Marcie, Oh NO!!!! That's the pits!!! LAME! I'm so, so sorry! :/ I hope everything gets squared away!

Saimi said...

Oh Serene I have missed you and your darling family! My how they've grown, as for you, you haven't aged at ALL! If your secret is eating chocolate than I'm gonna start making it my breakfast, lunch, and dinner rather than the occasional snack and dessert.

Thanks for the update, I smiled the whole time I was reading your post! Good luck with your writing.

Serene is my name, not my life! said...

Awww, Saimi!! So good to hear from you! I miss all my bloggy friends!
Hahahahaha! You too nice to me. But yes, I'll always claim chocolate as my secret to anything and everything good. ;)

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