Snowy

A better view!

Tonight is Ryan's Christmas program at school. Will update with more pics later!

Wow....

All I can say is wow.  If you don't know, this link and this link explains my lack of words.

Onto the more positive-we added to the brood today.  A puppy mill was raided the other day very close to where I live.  Being the animal lover that I am, I immediately wanted to help in any way I could.  I expressed my desire to foster/adopt one of the dogs to Jamie (yes, another change coming, I am using our real first names) with less than positive feedback.  I decided to stop by today after work and see if there was anything I could do to help or find out if there were any restrictions on fostering.  I was mainly concerned because we have two dogs, Bree (female yorkie-poo) and Jake (male collie mix), and wanted to know if that mattered at all.  As you can imagine, the scene was heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time.  I stood in line for fostering a dog.  When it was my turn, there were three dogs left.  And four of us in line.  One couple came all the way from Lexington.  Another woman had a very eager child with her.  And the other lady was going to make the dog the nursing home mascot.  The question was asked if there were any other small animals that needed homes.  The puppy mill was busted and dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, an owl, and two wolves were found.  The lady replied that there is a hamster needing a home.  It was found next to a garbage can.  Volunteers assumed there was nothing in the cage and it was sitting there waiting to be thrown out.  Wrong!

Meet Snowy!

And a very happy Ryan and Nick!

On that note, my name is Aimee... Nice to "meet" you!  ;)

Changing It Up

Nothing can turn someone off blogging more than finding out one of the people that inspired her to blog was less than truthful about everything that she blogged.  Truth be told, that is one of the main reasons why I backed off.  I felt duped, betrayed, and lied to.  For monetary gain.  I want real.  I want to read real and I want to be able to be real with my audience.  All three of you... ;)

I found my way over to my friend Amy's blog...  Real. Raw. Family Centered.  That's what I love about her.  So I decided I needed a makeover.  For now, this is what you get.  Until I find myself again.  I do have goals for this blog.

1.  Post the daily happenings of our mostly male family.
2.  Get our house in order and share the ugly truths of the journey.
3.  Show off photos of my two adorable, but very challenging, boys.
4.  VENT!!!

With those goals in mind, please be prepared for the good, the bad, and the ugly.  There are things that I don't want to do.  I don't want to make some of my past mistakes and I don't want to hold back.  Know this:  While I may be snarky and offensive at times, most of it comes from trying to find the humor in life and situations.  I will probably exaggerate a lot.  I can be a drama queen.  Roll your eyes and go with it.  Because hopefully you will go away from my blog with a smile on your face.  Because I intend to!  :)

Summer and Such

Wow times flies when you are having fun! I miss blogging so much! I have every intention of picking it back up again, and then I just don't. That would be typical Aileigh! Most of the time have the best intentions but have real problems following through. Sigh.

My babes are getting big! TB has hit a serious growth spurt! Of course he has the appetite to go along with it! He had a huge milestone last week. He started kindergarten!! My baby, my preemie is a big boy now and is starting his long journey of learning! It was a rough day for both of us, but he is doing very well now! The adjustment was much easier than I thought it would be. He is not going to the same school that he went to preschool. Long story, but their excuse for kicking him out was he was a "new" non-resident student and they aren't accepting "new" this year. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that he wouldn't be going there. Or else I would have reconsidered where he went to preschool. So he walked into a brand new school. Not knowing anybody. Not knowing any teachers. What a brave little boy!

SB is potty trained! Yup, thanks to K for making it happen. And quickly!!! She got him going and there was no turning back! He even told us he needed to go potty when he had a diaper on. It won't be too long and he will be sleeping in underwear at night. He is waking up with a dry pullup practically every morning! Yay! Less $$$!! He is talking up a storm! He can say almost complete sentences now. And he isn't even 3 yet! I am so proud of him. One major development on SB is that he was hospitalized for a week back in March. He was diagnosed with Reactive Airway Disease last fall. It is considered pre-asthma. He got sick, and it hit him like a ton of bricks! He is now officially asthmatic. The doctor added another medicine to his daily routine. So far he has been handling it well!

I am tired of the chunk! Time to lose it! Started a diet and exercise plan a couple of weeks ago and it is going well! I get up at 4:45 am to work out on my elliptical every morning. Watch what and how much I eat. Hopefully this is it! No, no hopefully! THIS IS IT! I am tired of being fat! I am going to get into shape! So far I have lost around 10 pounds but GM says it looks more like 15. So that is a plus! The depression is under control for now. I still have moments but who doesn't, right?

All in all life is good right now! I will try to post some updated pics of my babes soon. Hope everyone is well!

Hugs and Love,