The Verdict is in.....

GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS!

The Accused:



The crime - Digging holes in my newly planted garden beds.

Exhibit A: Chloe caught Red Pawed



The Punishment: Confinement!

In order to carry out said punishment a trip to Lowes was needed



The poor man just can't get a break -



The beginning. In Steve's words: Now it's all about laying it out. Once we have it laid out and we establish a line of straightness were good to go.....



Still establishing that above mentioned line...


Great Scott I think we have it!



That's my man putting up a fence - whoever said he wasn't handy hasn't seem him in action. (for the record I am the one that says he's not handy and was worried about this little project but he passed with flying colors)



Finally - the jailed! Here the guilty are meeting with their counsel and being told there is nothing more that can be done. No chance for an appeal! It's a beautiful sight!

Now before you all get your panties all in a twist and start sending me nasty emails about locking the dogs up that isn't the case. This is for my sanity right now until the sod, plants, trees and flowers get established. This isn't meant for them to be locked up all the time just some of the time. As I type this they are roaming the WHOLE yard looking for their next spot to dig. Oh and keep in mind that the area that is fenced off is plenty big enough for the moose, moose to be and shark bait - Lulu is small enough to be used as such I am sure....lol

Good Times!

Remember that story I told you a few days ago - the one about my friend and how we met on the internet and how there was a bunch of us? Well this is another one. I'll call her Amanda - cause that's HER NAME. She lives in Minnesota - lovely state GREAT mall! Anyway she and her darling husband Ben and sweet boy Jack were on their way to see her sister graduate from Brown. I know Brown - yes her Dad is thankful to not have that bill anymore. She made a stop off to visit with us for 2 days. It was lots of fun but I don't have many pictures. She has more so I need to wait for her to "preview them" and get them to me. The most important picture I have is of her falling into the pool after about 15min. of being here.


I ran over to get close up....lol She blamed it on something about the pool being slippery. Is that the best you can come up with?!?!


We had a BBQ with Amanda and The Jensens. Also visiting was Shawns parents for his graduation (see post below). Fun times! Getting our token picture with the kids. Not sure what Steven is doing:


but thought the pose was funny enough for a second look....

Please take note of the look of terror on Conners face. The little boy at the bottom right...



Well he spotted Lulu, who he is deathly afraid of, and Lulu knows this but wanted a kiss anyway....


He's having nothing to do with the picture anymore and is getting outta here..



We usually put out a good spread but my pregnancy brain forgot the dessert. Thank Goodness for the ice cream man!



Ice Cream = Happy Kids!



Finally Dexter was cut off....





After Amanda left we headed out to see Dora! Sophia's favorite person right now. I thought it would be a nice surprise and was excited for her. She on the other hand freaked out and wanted nothing to so with "real life Dora" hence the reason for me in the picture with her.



After the Dora disaster we let the kids play at the park. This is a perfect example of me always looking for that perfect picture. I was a few feet away resting my tired bones when I spotted all 4 walking in age order up the plank. I started running toward them with the camera yelling for Sam to stop in hopes I would get that "perfect" shot.....here's what I ended with. They all stopped but Sophia who is pushing her way past Bella. So close oh so close!

I have another Story to tell...

Without the story the following 2 pictures would seem strange to you. I mean you could look at it like I am showing you a pretty seat in the first one and some crazy dogs in the second. Or you could just look at it and think "Cheryl has finally lost her ever-lovin mind" and is just taking random pictures of nonsense.





OK here's the story. The second picture is my version of peace and calmness. If that is even possible in my world...lol Ahhh but it is!! So follow along: I am sitting on that seat in the first picture and it is strategically placed just outside of our kitchen door which opens up onto our new oasis of peace and calmness (that is when all the little people of the house are sleeping). I am relaxing with the much dreamed about snow cone. Side note: I have been craving a snow cone for weeks and I swore the ice cream man was boycotting our block. Turns out we just can't hear him if any of the front windows of the house aren't open. I finally got that snow cone on Saturday and kept it in the freezer for just the right moment. So now that brings us to the detail of the second picture. Like I said I am eating my snow cone relaxing on the pretty seat. Dexter is running around the gate barking at Steve. If you look closely you will see Steve swimming in the pool. After much disdain I caved and agreed to the pool fence. I made sure I got one to match the landscaping so that it wasn't an eye sore. It was put up last thursday and came down about an hour or so after, the company that put it up, left. We did put it back up Mon. night and I will say it was kinda nice when Sophia ran out looking for her water table and seeing it stuck on the other side of the fence and she couldn't get to it. I am getting off track of my story. So we have me sitting on the pretty seat eating the snow cone watching Steve swim in the pool and it is peaceful. We have been working on reaching this point for just over 8 months. There has been a lot of sweat and tears (mainly my tears) put into this. I did a lot of yelling and Steve did a lot of trying to keep me calm so that I wouldn't kill any of the workers. Oh I came close-oh so close!
So what is my point you ask?!?! Well really this isn't for you - this is for Steve. This is a thank you to him for giving me that peace. It is because of him that pretty seat is there (he doesn't get credit for the snow cone though - I had to chase the ice cream man down in the car and have him turn his truck around to come to our house...lol) Back to my thank you - I probably don't say it enough - life gets in the way and sometimes those little things are forgotten. So I guess what is important is that you know even though it isn't said enough it is never taken for granted. The tireless and endless sacrifices you make for me and this family is always remembered. There is no one I know that works harder than you, that spends as much time as you away from home and misses as much as you do. I know how hard it is for you to find that balance to make sure you here, there and everywhere.
I love you! You are my best friend! You are an amazing father and our kids are lucky to have you! If our sons (I said SONS!! I get one more of those in a few months - so excited!! So thanks for that too!) grow up to be 1/2 the man you are than I will say I did a good job raising them! I hope that our daughters never settle for anyone that doesn't remind them of you in every way!

Now to the rest of you - as I type this Steve is sitting near me on the couch and is asking non stop what I am writing about. He is such a pain in the ass some times. I told him he could find out in the morning. He asked me the title of the post and I told him. He then asked me how many times he was mentioned. He still doesn't know what this is about yet says "well you better say I'm wonderful". I think this was a little better than saying your wonderful and now don't you feel like a clown Steve!

xoxoxo

Happy Memorial Day!

Pants No Pants....

That's how Sophia rolls. She had just woke up from a nap and while asleep she took 1/2 her clothes off. She was to excited to join the other kids outside and didn't want to waste time getting pants on. She does get an A+ for remembering to put her helmet on though:


She's fast as lightening:



"Daddy catch me if you can"




"He got me"


"Sophia WHAT are you doing go get some pants on!"


"Mom it's my Belly - LOOK!"

Happy Graduation Mr. Jensen and family!

Let me tell you a little story. 9 or so years ago I went on-line looking for some information on getting pregnant. I came across this message board of women all looking for the same information as me. We all became fast friends and the majority of our group has stayed together through the years. There is over 50 of us! These women have known me since before I had any children and now I am expecting my 5th. We have had our share of differences through the years. We've fought and made up more times than I can count just like any group of friends would. I think we have all learned that there is a big difference in expressing yourself over the internet and in "real life". I would say aside from Steve these women know just about everything there is to know about me. Really they know the good the bad and all the stuff in between more than anyone else. Some of us have met through the years. We try to get together as much as it's possible. We have seen each other through pregnancy, divorce, loss of parents and grandparents. We lost one of the Mommies to a terrible cancer that took her too quickly. She left behind 2 sweet daughters and 1 son. In the end she was an amazing inspiration to us all. We have also now seen the older siblings of our October babies graduate from high school and college! It's crazy! Some of us are closer than others and that's OK that happens. That is how this post came to be for Mr. Jensen - we'll call him Shawn.

See Shawn is married to Jen and she came across this message board the same time as me. I wouldn't say it was a slow to form friendship rather than a well nurtured one. We peed on a stick at the same time and found out we were pregnant with our first born's. I don't mean we literally peed on the same stick she was in Seattle and I was in NY - come on now. Samantha and her Morgan are born days apart. I went on to have Steven and Bella she followed with Conner and then I had Sophia. Now I need to tell you that Jen is Mormon and quite frankly it appears it is more my calling than hers seeing at this point she has 2 kids and I have 4. OK I am getting off topic and I would totally switch over but I can't get past the whole giving 10% thing :)
2 years ago Shawn decides to go back to school to become a .......well he's has had a lot of "what I want to be when I grow up" scenario's. This time around it is a... ummmm holy cow I am drawing a blank it's on the tip of my tongue....OH I got it a PA. So Jen applies him to schools mostly on the East Coast YES I said they live in Seattle. She had a theory on this and pretty much it came down to moving close to me. Yes I am that fantastic!!! Well Of course I am all for this. Steve thinks were nuts and he can't believe Triple J (Triple J - that's what Steve calls Jen) is applying Shawn on the East Coast. I think Jen's family was on the same page as Steve. After a few trips back an forth he went to PA and Florida and I think one other place that I can't recall at this moment and then interviewed here at Pace University.
OMG - he get's in!!! Jen packs (well not really cause she was away for work and so her family packs them up) and moves across the country to live a mile from me. That is just crazy! I remember the first time I ran into Jen in my Target. Yes it's my Target her Targets are in Seattle. Well she scared the crap out of me. I think I screamed....lol. It took me a moment to process that she lived here now and these things would happen. People think we are crazy whenever we tell the story about how we met. It's funny thinking about it but in this one instance it was fate. We were meant to be lifelong friends. Really there is no other explanation for it. We are alike in just about every way. I am the R-rated version of her. See she doesn't swear or drink alcohol or drink caffeine or watch R rated movies for that matter. You'd think we were complete opposites but it's only with our vices. She gets me in more trouble though. Hey this is my blog make your own post and say I get you in more trouble :) She is always making a project more than what it needs to be. I can't tell you how many favors or invitations she has made me change and then go crazy running around looking for that perfect bag or ribbon or paper. OK OK your version is always BETTER I admit it! Right now we are waiting on vinyl for all of our kids teachers year end gifts. I can't even begin to explain...lol Now the kicker is that we only lived a mile apart for a short time and then we moved further away to East Islip and she stayed in Babylon. So our 2 min. drive turned into 20min - no biggie really cause see we live on the phone with each other. I mean we get together but not as much as you might think so even though she is leaving soon to go back home and I will be sad things won't really change that much because we have the phone.

So that brings us to today - Shawn graduated from Pace University! WAY TO GO!!!! I think I can say it was challenging 2 years. I mean they pack up and move to the other side of the country leaving all they know behind to stay here for 2 years so Shawn can go to school. Jen missed her family terribly, HER family missed them terribly. Shawn had a distraction with his grueling class load. But they did it-all of them-East and West Coast! They got through and get to go home very soon not without one more visit from the Call Family though - Steve is already preparing the menu! If Jen had it her way she probably would have been on a plane moments after Shawn was handed his diploma. The thing is she really wanted a lasting souvenir from her time here and what's better than a mini Statue of Liberty that doubles as a pencil sharpener?!? Oh I don't - how about a little bundle of joy coming this July. Now she is only 2 behind me. She'll be on that plane days after she delivers. :) We will make sure to get off the phone and spend the last few weeks in person! I'll get her out of the house - I got a pool set to 80' NO pregnant woman can resist a nice long float :)

Steve you better hurry home!

Sophia has stolen your spot and doesn't appear to want to give it up. I had to turn the light on to get the picture and she didn't flinch. She is actually snoring here.....

Auntie Donna here are the pictures....finally

I finally found them! Sam LOVES the blanket! She was most surprised by the flowers you added and thought it was so nice of you!

I really have the BEST kids in the world!

I'm not feeling well. I am battling allergies/ head cold. No Steve I did not call the Doctor. Anyway, lead by my son he recruited his sisters to clean the toy room all on their own and they arranged all of their stuffed animals on their couches. First this was big because I am always saying "please clean the toy room" I sound like a broken record. The second reason why this was big was that Sophia actually helped and did not try to sabotage it at all. Oh and before you make any comments on the amount of stuffed animals please keep in mind I just purged these yesterday and donated 3 very full black garbage bags of them. Steve tell them - I mean he brought them to be donated so he will vouch for me.

As I went to take the picture Sophia had to jump in it:




Of course Bella needed to pose...


Then Steven waited for Sam to get home from her baseball game to have her write the note to me. It says they did this because I always take care of them when they are sick so they wanted to do something nice for me and take care of me when I am sick.

ABC's of ME!

Stolen from Cyn who stole it from Facebook :)

A - Age: 33 - I had to figure that out cause I am always off by a year in either direction

B - Bed size: Queen

C - Chore you hate: mopping the floor - Steve does it so much better!!!

D - Dog's name: Lulu, Dexter and Chloe

E - Essential start your day item: warm washcloth for my face

F - Favorite color: Purple

G - Gold or Silver: Silver

H - Height: 5'7"

I - Instruments you play(ed): None - tried the Piano but had no patience

J - Job title: CEO of Pepe Inc. :)

K - Kid(s): Samantha, Steven, Jr., Isabella, Sophia &... NOPE you need to wait for the last name

L - Living arrangements: pure chaos

M - Mom's name: Carrie

N - Nicknames: really only Steve has nicknames for me...

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: None and I am gonna see if the Dr. will just come and deliver this baby at home so I don't have to stay in the hospital. I don't hate the stay in the hospital because of germs I just hate the stay because it's a lot of work to stay. There are kids, dogs and a husband that needs to be taken care of while I am away. I need to do all of that in advance. The hospital is boring - I get bored easily. Steve usually kicks me out of bed cause see he LOVES my hospital stays. He gets to chill out without any kids, gets to watch TV, eat food, takes some naps....

P - Pet Peeve: oh so many! whiner babies, drivers that don't use their blinkers, laziness, tardiness, guests that don't RSVP (drives me nuts)...I'm gonna come back to this I think

Q - Quote from a movie: I never really have my own. The thing is Steve has so many quotes that he uses daily that I usually adopt one of them. At this moment "Look at your feet" is in my head and I have never even seen the freakin movie but see again Steve says it ALL THE TIME!

R - Right or left handed: left - the BEST!

S - Siblings: 1 sister and 1 brother then there is 3 more sisters and 3 more brothers in my extended family and then there are those who are closer to me than any sister or brother could ever be so they count too and know who they are!

T - Time you wake up: Mon- Fri 6:25am and Sat/ Sun - well it's 9:15am and I am still in bed on a Sunday morning :)

U- Underwear: Always clean ones....lol

V - Vegetable (s) you dislike: SPINACH - seriously what is the point. Is there really any nutritional value?!?! Please don't email me with them cause I don't really care it stinks and is only meant for Popeye!

W - Ways you run late: I'm only late when I want to be so it's planned :) The only un-planned lateness would be a kid needing a diaper change just as we are heading out.

X - X-rays you've had: Knees, Ankle, finger, foot, head (they found lots of good stuff in there)

Y - Yummy food you make: cookies - of course :)

Z - Zoo favorite: Polar Bears

It's Sophia.....

The baby in the picture below that I am holding is Sophia!! Can you believe she is gonna be 2 in a few weeks! That's just crazy as is she!

Happy Mothers Day!

Before I was a Mom

Before I was a Mom -
I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed. I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday. (for the record I never brushed my hair - ummm, I have curls please no brushing and I do brush my teeth everyday )

Before I was a Mom -
I cleaned my house each day. I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby (after 4 kids I still really know no lullaby's and just sing the ABC's to them). I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations. (still clean my house - I worry about the dogs eating the plants before the kids and well my kids have super strong immune systems they need no shots)

Before I was a Mom -
I had never been puked on - Pooped on - Spit on - Chewed on, or Peed on. I had complete control of my mind and My thoughts. I slept all night. (all this still happens....lol but it is really funny when it happens to Steve cause he screams like a girl)

Before I was a Mom -
I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests...or give shots (I don't hold them down I sit on them....lol ). I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep. (I wasn't watching them sleep just making sure they were breathing)

Before I was a Mom -
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put he or she down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much (well I kinda knew this when I married Steve). I never knew I would love being a Mom. (I do! It's the 1 thing I knew I was meant to be)

Before I was a Mom -
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known The warmth, The joy, The love, The heartache, The wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

Samantha Marie's Communion

OK OK OK I'm sorry I am late getting these up - I'm a little busy over here with my kids, dogs and pool chemicals (throwing that in cause there is like 3 days left - please you know for what). We celebrated Samantha's Communion his past Sunday. The day was perfect with a few minor glitches. First the rain was on an off but it wasn't too bad but not a day for straight hair. Don't get me started on the plant sale the church just had to have in the parking lot of the church where people needed to walk and park or the hallway they had lined with WET plants that Sam was supposed to walk down. The worse part of the day was that the magician didn't show. Sam had 2 requests for this day. She wanted to have her party where her cousin Frank had his and she wanted the magician that her cousin Ryan had. Well he never showed and for the most part the kids didn't mind and really it was just Sam that knew he was coming. I can't say the same for the adults because they definitely whined about the lack of entertainment. That could also be to that it wouldn't be a party of mine if I wasn't picked on for something. That's OK though my skin is pretty thick nowadays. Other than those mishaps the food was great the cake even better (thanks to Ralph for picking it up). All in all Samantha had a very nice day and she was the "Bell of the ball" - as her daddy would say.

There are a lot of pictures I will try to keep them in order the best I can:


FIRST -( This spot is reserved for the pictures of the blanket that Auntie Donna made for Samantha - she loved it and was so surprised by the flowers - problem is I am running off of 4 separate memory cards and need to find them - check back later to see these pics)


Here's the little princess - I don't remember which # this was of the dress choices on that previous post but this is the choice :)



Steve's twin - purple tie an all :)


Grandma (Steve's Mom) had bought Samantha Rosary beads from Italy and had them blessed years ago and this was her getting them



She asked for a digital camera from Steve and I - a blue camera in a blue case



Sophia being told she can't have a cookie



After seeing these I realized we need to pick a better spot to take pictures in the house.....



More of the doll.....



Almost ready to go....


Samantha and the priest....forgot his name...lol



Can you please just look at the camera for a second.....THIS camera! Please note Sophia has on 1 shoe due to a blister and she would only wear the 1.



Some of the cousins....


OK so no magician something needs to be done.... sure Duck Duck Goose in your dress sounds fantastic!




The Little Boys:


The BIG boys - this is the little boys 40 years later.....yea I said 40 you kids ain't 30 anymore :)



The cake - it's a Neapolitan. You order this cake and people will never forget your party! The picture isn't doing it justice it was so pretty oh and the flowers were delicious!!!