May God Be with All of Us Tonight

I just laid Cooper down for the night.  I said our prayer, like I do every night, but tonight I added something.  I prayed to our Dear Lord for the moms and dads who wouldn't be snuggling their little ones into bed tonight.  I then cried.  I cried a lot.

Why?  Many of us are asking, WHY?  This event hit home a little too much for me.  I have taught kindergarten for the past 4 years.  I have had over 100 5 and 6 year olds come through my room, who depended on me to keep them safe while they were away from their parents.  Me.  Me alone.  What if this would have happened to my class?  I can't even think about it.  It is just so sad.  So wrong.  So very, very wrong.

I will never forget the first lock-down drill I had to experience, as a teacher.  Growing up, we didn't have these types of drills.  Teachers didn't have to worry about a gunman coming into our schools and shooting people...well, at least not in my small little Iowa town.  But up here in the city, in 2004, we had to have a lock-down drill.  My student was in industrial tech at the time.  We were down in the basement, there were no windows.  The teacher and I had to direct the kids to go under their tables.  I remember doing the same and thinking, "What the heck are we doing??  What has the world come to that we have to practice what to do IF someone came into the school with a gun?"  It took everything for me not to cry during this drill, which leads me to believe I may have been a HUGE mess if this happened for real!  It is a moment I will never forget in my teaching career.

My prayers go out to the families who lost children, parents, friends, teachers, today.  My heart goes out to all the children who experienced this dreadful event, one that they never, in their short lives, should have encountered.  I want to do something more, but am unsure of what that is at the moment, so all I will do is pray to our GOOD, GOOD Lord and ask him to wrap his arms around those who lost a loved one today.  God Bless You!!!

BUT GOD

I have been away for awhile.  Life has changed.  Life has changed BIG time!  Some highlights:

1.  We moved

2.  I quit my job

3.  My Pampered Chef business has TAKEN OFF

4.  I am SO HAPPY

5.  I have ZERO stress in my life

Let me reflect a little.  At the beginning of October we found out we were going to have to move.  We had just moved into this home 1 year and 3 months prior.  We were shocked.  But GOD had a plan, and we soon understood that home was a stepping stone for us to get to where HE wanted us!  We moved into Prior Lake.  We are in a neighborhood surrounded by homes with CHILDREN, which means our boys have kids to play with all summer long! We also don't have to worry about mice, which makes me smile!

I have had a flashing, neon sign hanging if front of my face for years.  I could never quite read it, and finally on Tuesday, Oct. 16th, it simply said, "QUIT."  That was that.  God needed me to be done teaching at my school for myself, my husband, my children.  It was time to be at home and take control of the family we were raising.  I LOVED my job of teaching my little kindergartners, but my time at my school was done...as a teacher.  Joey is still there, and being very successful in 3rd grade.  BUT GOD (this was the message from Pastor Bill this weekend...BUT GOD!) has another journey for me right now.  So, I am a stay at home mom and LOVING every minute of it!

My wonderful friend, Sara, got me into Pampered Chef.  It was something to do over the summer and make a little extra money.  Well, when I quit my job, I still had to find X amount of money to bring home.  The LORD has blessed us!  With me already submitting $6600+ in sales for December, and 12 shows on the books for January, God is GOOD!

I can't tell you the last time I was this happy.  I get to spend everyday with Andy and Cooper.  I get Joey to school and pick him up everyday.  I am not getting up at 5:15 am and out the door by 6:45 am with 3 boys, I get to make supper (and not be stressed about what we are having!), I get to go to coffee with great friends, and I still get to see my former students!!  Life is good!  God is good!

My only stress is financial (but whose isn't??), BUT GOD is providing!!

Watch Pastor Bill's sermon on Joseph, and here him talk about BUT GOD!

And this is just a BONUS, but one of my most FAVORITE moments at Hosanna!!

Check out our family session with Tina Vega Photography!

MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!

Beating the Heat

Today is my 2nd day of not leaving the house.  I am going a little crazy.  Luckily, I found the slip n' slide yesterday and Steve got it set up last night when he got home.  The boys are out having fun (in our HEAT WAVE) and trying to stay cool.

Usually when we are ALL at home, minus dad, the boys cannot get along for the life of them.  It seriously drives me CRAZY!  They either have to be right by me, or are at each others throats.  The rule is no TV except when they wake up in the morning and are waiting for me to wake up (they are on school time, I am NOT!).  The rule for the Wii, is no Wii unless it is raining...or YiaYia (grandma in Greek) is here, because she likes to play the Wii with the boys! :)

We try to keep busy by having 30 min of school in the morning.  I work with Joey in a curriculum book, trying to get him up to speed with his reading skills.  Andy does www.abcmouse.com.  This is AWESOME! Andy has a lot of fun learning on this website, I highly recommend it!

The boys love to be in their "art room", aka the screened in porch which has no furniture, but all their art supplies!  They both love to draw pictures and create.  I am constantly getting "works of art" from them!

They can also go downstairs, which is their domain.  We do not have any furniture down there either, but their room and the toy room is down there.  The family room is a finished, wide open space they can run around in.  Once I get them down there, they can play for hours, usually with each other.  It is so nice to see them actually enjoy each others company!

Cooper having fun with the water table

I just LOVE Cooper's BLUE eyes in this photo

Seriously, he needs to learn to walk.  It would make being outside so much more fun!

Andy's worm he found.  He named it....Cooper!

Fun with the slip and slide

Joey and Andy, actually loving each other!

Joey is "strutting" as he put it!

I just LOVE this photo!

Back to today, I was able to get some fun pictures of them outside playing in the water and HEAT!  I just read a friend's blog about capturing the moments we don't think about in our child's lives...the moments we will surely miss someday!  I went right outside to try and capture some memories of the boys.  I thought some of them turned out pretty cute!

I Want to Be Big!

I had a very interesting conversation with Andy this morning.  I was in the bathroom getting ready for church (which was FABULOUS!) and he was sitting on the toilet doing his deed.

Andy:  I can't wait to get big.
Me:  Why?
Andy:  I want to be married.
Me:  Really?
Andy:  My Honey (what he calls is future wife, isn't that so cute??), her name will be....Abby or Grace.  (FYI:  the 2 girls at daycare)  My kids will be, uh....Joey and Andy!
I just keep listening, as he truly has a the whole thing planned out.  The next comment was the best, as it was a great idea that had just occurred to him!

Andy:  Mom, I can marry you!  Then daddy can marry lots of girls!
He thought this was brilliant!

Mommy, will you marry me?

I then explained to him that that is not how things work.  He can't marry me, because I am married to his dad.  We made a vow in front of God that we would love each other forever, and be married forever.  We can't marry anyone else.  I highly doubt he understands this, but I thought the proposal was cute!!

Happy Birthday, Aunt Megan!

This past weekend, the boys and I headed down to Iowa to celebrate my sister, Megan's, birthday!  Megan lives in Houston and drove up for her birthday.  We had a great celebration with ham balls (super yummy!) and cheesy potatoes!  Seriously, the best meal ever!

Of course, there was cake!  Andy was so excited for the cake and couldn't wait to eat it!  Before we cut into the cake, we got this great picture with Aunt Megan.  Joey cracks me up!  The faces we have captured on camera, are just crazy.

Happy Birthday, Aunt Megan!

Joey had the privilege to stay at grandma's this week.  He is attending the golf camp that I went to as a kid.  So far, it sounds like he is having a great time!  My mom sent me a Joeyism that I need to share:

"Pops, I didn't even notice you wear glasses."
"Yep, I do."
"I think it's because they blend in with your face."
"Hmmm, that's probably because they are black."
"And your face isn't even black!"
Pops chuckles.

Then she sent another:

"We (Joey and grandma) just finished reading and I asked him if he could remember page 78 for tomorrow.  He said he could remember a tornado warning from when he was three.  So I guess that since he can remember that, he will be able to remember page 78 for tomorrow.  lol" 

I miss you, Jojo!!!

Bitter Sweet Day

Field Day.  This is a day that all Aspen students look forward to all year.  Our students work so extremely hard all year, and today is the day they get to be kids...all day!  All 350 students gathered at a park today, were split into 10 teams (wearing super cool shirts designed by my good friend!!), and went through 8 different stations.  It was a blast!  And, on top of it, the weather was AWESOME!!!  We could not have asked for a better day...blue skies, 80's, slight breeze...beautiful!

Field Day is great, because it also reminds us that it is the end of the school year!  I am so excited to be home for the summer with my kids (even though I am sure I will go nutty some days!), and just relax.  But will I really relax?  Probably not!  There is always too much to do...housework, PC, scrapping, planning for next year, more housework.  BUT Field Day also reminds me that I only have one day left with my kinders.  I get so attached to my students, and their ways, that I miss them.  I know there is a whole new class coming in next year, but I still miss my kids.  I have to share one story:

My kids scrapbook every year.  I give them about 15 photos from throughout the year, lay a ton of paper and stickers out, and they go to town!  While one little boy was working, I overheard him say to a little girl, "This one must have been from back in the day.  I think I was five."  It took everything for me not to laugh out loud.  Keep in mind, he is six!  That is what I will miss....

....but, I have Joey and Andy to keep me going throughout the summer! :)

The favorite station of the day...Crazy Hair and Face Painting!

Joey and I on Field Day!

Guess what Joey is doing tonight???  Having a sleepover with our friends who have triplet girls!!  I know, call me crazy, but he wanted to go water skiing with them tonight after supper, and they offered.  He is one lucky boy getting to have a sleepover on a school night! :)  Happy end of 2nd grade!!  I am proud of you, JoJo!

Give Cooper a Hand!

Over the weekend, Cooper learned to do "So Big" by himself!  It is so cute, as his little arms are so short, he barely can get them above his head.  And he is very interested in his cute little hands, as when they are up in the air, he truly examines it.  Too cute!

Last night while waiting for Joey to get done with lacrosse, Andy and I were trying to get Cooper to play So Big.  Every time I would say, So Big, he would start clapping and just laughing!  I had never seen him clap before.  I was so glad I had my camera, as I got some photos of him going crazy!

Clapping!

Super excited!

Look at me!

Andy wanted a picture of him clapping too!

Cooper and Andy

Going Solo

I FINALLY am getting some alone time today.  My husband has been gone for 4 weeks and he is back for the weekend.  Yes, I have been a single mom for four weeks.  Let me just say this, I do not know how all the single moms do it.  I give tremendous kudos to all of you!  I know that God has given us the gifts to "just get it done," but it is hard.  Thank goodness for a great support team, my mother-in-law, who came and stayed with Andy when he had a fever, so I could go to work.  My friends, who watched the boys when I had my 3 Pampered Chefs show while Steve was gone.  My co-workers for being understanding when I don't have something done or need to leave to care for one of my children.  I couldn't do any of it without you!  Thank you!!

But, today, is a busy day!  I need to go to school and work.  Yup, it is a Saturday, and I will be there for the majority of the day and tomorrow.  You see, we have Field Day on Wednesday.  It is my baby, and I am in charge of 350 kids having the best day all year long!  I love it.  I love helping to provide this awesome day for the kids, especially after they have worked so hard all year long!  I have 100 (awesome!) parents volunteering their time, and a wonderful staff who carries out all the stations.  It is a great day, but takes a lot of prepping...so that is what I am doing today.  Plus, I have to make my end of the year gifts for my kids! Oh yeah, and those things called REPORT CARDS.   Busy, busy, busy!!

My husband, Steve, with his mini-me.  Ready to tackle the day!

My 3 Boys

Joey 8 yrs, Andy 4 yrs, Cooper 8 months

I wanted to get a picture on of all 3 boys.  I think they look like brothers, but they each definitely have their own unique look.  Joey looks just like me.  Put pigtails on him, and he could have been my twin at that age.  Andy, we are not sure who he looks like.  He actually resembles my Aunt Mary's (my dad's sister) son, Kyle, a lot.  Which is odd.  Then Cooper is a spitting image of my husband, big ears and all!!

Meet Cooper

Cooper Baby.  The name just puts a smile on my face!  Cooper Malek Lujan was born on July 18, 2011.  Steve and I knew we wanted a 3rd child, but were actually planning on just having the baby now....but Jeremiah 29:11....God had a different plan for us!  Cooper came a year sooner than we had thought...remember, I am fertile myrtle....and I ended up with a July baby.  With being a kindergarten teacher, I never really wanted to make the decision on whether or not I would send my child to school at age 5 or 6, now I have to make that decision.  For those of you who care, as of now, Cooper will be 6 when he goes!  I can post about that decision later.

I will admit, I had some major anxiety on naming Cooper.  Joey and Andy just flows so nicely together.  Joseph and Andrew are strong Christian names.  I needed the perfect name, but what would it be.  I came upon a website, where I was able to put in that I wanted the name to end in y and have 2 syllables.  Perfect!  Not so perfect.  Over 1000 names came up and I didn't care for any of them.  My stomach was turning.  My baby wasn't going to have a name!

I was doodling baby names everywhere.  Nothing I came up with sounded good with Joey and Andy.  I even gave my kindergartners an assignment to think of 3 boys names for me!  They came up with some good ones.  And, I believe, it was Kaylin who brought me Cooper.  I had thought of this name prior to reading it on her sheet, and liked it.  I through it out there for Steve, my husband, to think about.  He liked it.  We were getting somewhere now.  BUT, we also liked CJ.  Just CJ, not short for anything.  I knew I wanted to use Malek, my maiden name, for the middle name.  With all boys, I couldn't use Molly or Faye on them, so that left my maiden name....plus I think it is cool!

There was a problem.  Everything I heard the name Cooper, I thought pooper.  Ugh.  If I think it, you know mean, bully type kids will think it.  I don't want him to be called Cooper the Pooper Scooper!!!  I just didn't know if I could go with that name.

Cooper was born.  He was unnamed for over an hour, which isn't a long time...but people were waiting to hear his name!  We were going back and forth between Cooper and CJ.  What were we going to do?  Finally, we just made the decision, and Cooper Malek it was!  I will admit, it took awhile to get used to calling him Cooper.  Grandma even called one day and asked how Carter was.  "Mom, do you mean Cooper?"  I told her that I forgot his name a couple of times too...I am hoping that is a common thing with new babies!!  Now Cooper is Cooper.  I couldn't imagine him being anyone else!  It is cute though, Andy likes to call him Coops.  And it just sounds so cute when he says it!!  I call him Coop a lot.

Cooper, who looks just like his daddy, at 10 months old

Not a lot to report on Cooper, except he is the easiest baby ever!!  He sleeps from 7:30 pm to 7:00 am.  He never cries.  He is happy all the time.  He just goes with the flow.  It will be interesting to see how that changes in time, but right now and I enjoying my little Cooper Baby!!!

Cooper is my only baby who has the BLUE eyes I prayed for!!

Meet Andy

Andrew John Lujan.  Our middle child.  Our spirited child.  We love him so much, but man does he make me work for the title of mommy!!  I can tell he is mellowing out as we get into year 4 with him, but I am sure I will continue to blog about many fun, interesting, adventures he put us on!  The only proper way to introduce Andy, is by sharing this particular day in December 2010, when he was 2 years old.  Hold on to your hats, friends, you are about to embark on a bumpy ride!!

Andrew John-4 years old

"Here is the story I promised:  It was Saturday, December 4.  I had just gotten out of the shower, and you were playing cars outside the bathroom.  I went into the closet, for about 3 minutes, and when I came out, you had decided that you needed to wash your Mack truck with daddy's Old Spice body wash, which is blue.  There was BLUE everywhere!  Big puddles of BLUE on the floor and up the stairs.  I had no idea what to do!  Luckily, your dad is a smart man and got the shop-vac out.  He poured hot water and shop-vacced it up.  No more BLUE!  

About 4 hours later, Joey yells at me that you had put my pink stuff all over the bathroom.  I went up to the bathroom to find you sitting in the bathroom sink with half a bottle of my Mary Kay 3-in-1 Cleanser ALL OVER the counter and spread all over the mirror.  I said I would clean it up when I got back from the neighbors.  When I got back, your dad, a saint, had already cleaned it and put you in your room.  

I decided I was going to take a nap with you, but then you decided you wanted nothing to do with a nap.  So, I left and shut the door, hoping you would fall asleep.I didn't hear you for 30 minutes and figured you had gone to sleep.  Was I ever wrong!  Your dad heard you and went up to your room.  When he opened the door, I heard, "ANDREW!" in a voice I had never heard before.  Then he yelled for me to come up.  As I started walking up the stairs, I could smell it.  Before I got to the top step, I saw it.  S*** everywhere.  It was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen and all I could do was laugh.  The trail of poop lead my eyes to your bed, which you had taken off the pooped sheets, and had more poop on the mattress cover.  You were sitting butt naked on your bed covered in poop.  Poop on your arms, poop on your hands, poop on your legs, poop on your FACE, and poop in your HAIR!  It was so GROSS!!!  There was poop smeared on your wall and on the back of your door.  There was so much poop that we didn't even know where it all came from.  I took you straight to the bathroom and rubbed your body raw to get all the disgusting poop off of you.  I asked you if you ate it, and you opened your mouth to show me.  Luckily, it didn't look like you had.  Once I had cleaned you up, I went back up to your room to help your dad clean.  He had already opened up your window as wide as it could go (remember it is in the middle of winter!) to air out the poop smell.  I went through so many cleaning wipes to disinfect your whole room.  

Andy and I at Buffalo Wild Wings-99 cent kids meals on Wed. nights!

All I could do was laugh.  I just couldn't believe that you were capable of doing these 3 things all in one day.  I will say this much, Andy, there is NOTHING that I won't think you can't do.  You are, one day, going to do something amazing....and your dad and I will bring up this story, just to remind you of what a little S*** you once were!  We love you to pieces!!"

Why Was I Crying?

I can't believe I was crying.  Well, I can, because I tend to cry at everything....but still, I can't believe I was crying!  Joey had his dance rehearsal tonight at the high school.  With Steve being out of town, I carted all three boys from lacrosse to dance.  Once we got to the auditorium, which was a challenge, since it is on the 2nd level...so I had to find an elevator, since I had Cooper in a stroller.  Which I found out, when I got back to the van, that I had left the trunk of the van open the whole time we were gone!  Luckily, none of Joey's lacrosse equipment had been taken!

Where was I?  Oh yes, I was crying.  So, right before Joey's dance, the Dad and Dolls Competition dance performed.  If you have never seen this before, it is awesome!  And, if we had a girl, Steve would be up there.  If you asked him, he would say, "No way!", but I would make him!  Anyway, I was crying.  Yes, literally crying!  I had so many emotions going through me while I watched those girls dance on stage with their dads.  The dads, dressed in t-shirts and jeans, trying their best to dance with their daughters.  I thought about my dad, and how fun it would have been to dance with him at some point during my 10 years of dance lessons.  I thought about the fact that we have 3 boys, and Steve won't get to do a dance with anyone....but hey, they should have a moms and son dance class......I might have to bring that up!

Most of all, I just felt like we were missing out on something.  Those dads and daughters were having an amazing experience, that my family will never have.  It just makes me really sad.  I know, I know...I am so grateful for everything God has given my family, but it still made me sad.

My sadness stems from so much more, which I will post about later.  Sitting here writing about it, just makes me cry.  It is hard to explain.  On a happy note though, Joey did an awesome job!  He told me he was a little stage fright, but when he got out there, he had a lot of fun.  Two girls even gave him a high five!! He told me he wants to take dance again next year! 

Joey dancing to Party Rock!

I didn't get many good pictures, but it is something!

Meet Joey

Joseph Michael is our oldest.  8 years old, to be exact.  Steve and I were married on May 10, 2003.  When it came to having children, we told ourselves we would just "let things happen."  We didn't want to be a couple who waited until we were "ready" to have a child, just to find out it would take us years to conceive.  Well, lets just say I am fertile myrtle.  At the end of August, we found out we were expecting our first baby.  2 weeks before our 1st anniversary, I gave birth to Joey.

Joey has always been a Joey.  Not Joe, not Joseph (well, only when he is in trouble or I REALLY need his attention!).  Sometimes JoJo.  Do you remember the cartoon, JoJo's Circus, on Disney?  That cartoon was popular when Joey was a baby.  I would have it on the tv while he was hanging out on the floor playing.  I started calling him JoJo, and it just stuck!  Actually, a couple of weeks ago, I had to go to Joey's class to tell him something.  I tried to get his attention by calling him JoJo.  He looked right at me and mouthed these words, "Don't call me JoJo."  In that moment, my heart broke a little.

Joey and I went to the Twins game on his 8th birthday.

Joey is going to be my artistic child.  He loves to draw, especially cartoons, monsters, anything along those lines.  Everyday he comes into my classroom and creates something with whatever he can get his hands on.  Paper plates, construction paper, pipe cleaners, anything!  He loves tape and staples.  He also takes Boys Jazz Funk, and has really become a good dancer.  I think when a man has the quality of dancing, they are doing good!  Joey enjoys music and would like to learn to play the drums.  He does stay active by playing lacrosse and basketball.  The week after school, he is going to go to grandma's for the week and attend the golf camp I attended as a child.  He is very excited about this new adventure!

Joey has 8 days of 2nd grade left, and then I can officially say I have a 3rd grader!  I just can't believe how quickly the time has gone.  This past year, I have watched Joey mature into a young man.  He is so loving and caring towards his baby brother, Cooper.  He still loves his mama, and still wants to cuddle with me.  I will continue to cherish these moments, as I know they may end soon!

Latest Joey moment:
Joey:  Tanner is going to spy camp.  I want to go.  Can I go?
Me:  I don't even know about spy camp.  I don't know where it is.
Joey:  I bet if you sign me up for it, they will tell you where it is.
Me:  I don't know how to sign you up for it.
Joey:  I don't know.  I bet you could go to spy.com.
Right.  Spy. com.  That will solve everything!  The best part was that I posted this on facebook, and Tanner's mom commented on how she didn't know about this!  Come to find our he had asked her husband, and he said he was "down with that."  Too bad there are no spy camps in MN!!

Because I Said So

Because I Said So.....title of an awesome movie (which I watched with my 2 sisters and our mom), something my mom ALWAYS said to us, and NOW what I find myself saying to my 3 boys!  Well, 2 oldest boys, as Cooper Baby doesn't do anything to deserve a "because I said so!"  This statement came to my mind, because you may be wondering why I have a blog about my 3 boys, but the blog is decked out in pink and butterflies, right?  BECAUSE I SAID SO, that is why!  My world does not consist of pink and purple.  There are no frilly dresses or cute flower headbands in my home.  No dolls or Barbies.  Nothing.  Just cars, Legos, and more cars.  Boring clothes, jeans with holes in them, dirt and mud.  Boy stuff.  So, this is my blog and I am going to decorate it the way I want.....BECAUSE I SAID SO!