so far so good

The pregnancy is going so far so good I am 16 weeks along and really showing.  I am a bit tired at times working full time, being a basketball coach for Prestons team, helping to run Relay for life and other volunteer events,  but other than that its going well.
  I am at the doctor every 2 weeks a month.  They have me come in  once a month to check on blood sugar levels because of my issues with carrying Preston and passing out several times due to low blood sugar as well as the fact that I have had a miscarriage.  I am glad they are taking these precautions but I hate being in the high risk group.  There seems to always be something to worry about or check on or to think about.
 The other visit a month  is to see the baby and hear a heartbeat.   I still am in shock at times that we are having another baby and when Lowel told me he was ready for another one that really threw me for a loop but Im excited and cant wait to see the little peanut.  We have picked out names and still trying to figure out middle names.  I find out the sex of the baby on February 23rd and then it will be time to decorate a nursery.

see ya 2011

Goodbye 2011-its been a pretty good year with only a few bumps and bruises along the way.
This year brought new responsibility with a job promotion, new vehicle, new peanut in the belly, we lost my mammy but she lived a great life.  The kids are thriving in school, sports and have enjoyed spending time with friends.  I love seeing all the kids jumping on the trampoline and giggling.

 Vacation for  2011 was great and relaxing and we have already booked vaca for  2012.  Lowel and I celebrated 7 yrs in marriage and spent a lot of time dating, renewing our marriage and falling in love all over again.....which is apparent with the peanut in the belly.  We made some changes to the inside and out of the house and have really enjoyed being a family, spending time with family and putting our marriage and kids first. 
My resolutions for  2012 is to take time to breathe, enjoy this moment and stop worrying about work and instead just be me and enjoy the journey that we are about to take even if that journey is a rollercoaster.

I'm prego

If you haven't heard by now we are expecting another baby. Due date is July but I already look 6 months pregnant......boy they aren't kidding when they say the 2nd time around your uterus pops right out there. I'm a few days away from my 4th month, 2nd trimester, and I'm looking forward to feeling like I have more energy. Working and pregnancy are working just fine together and I hope it continues. We are very excited, surprised and blessed. Can't wait to see you Baby Bolin!

I knew a day would come when my blog postings would get less and less, and apparently this is that time.  I hate it too cause I love blogging.  Life just sometimes gets in the way.  Life has been good to us lately and for that I feel very blessed.

What have we been up to lately....
Traveled to VA to visit my moms new house, spent Thanksgiving in TN, working, tore up carpet off steps, decorated for Christmas, doctors appt, Prestons half bday is coming up-I will not forget this year as I did last year at school-who knew they celebrated that, constant updating of the house, yardwork, events, changes are coming our way and every day life....thats what we have been up to.

Its been an emotional and busy year.  I got a job and a promotion, we had major house repairs to do, Preston was diagnosed with asthma, stepfathers funeral, grandmothers funeral, celebrated 7 year anniversary and stay tuned....thats all I can say.

Yes we are alive

I know its been forever since I have written on my blog.  Work has kept me busy and I got a promotion to Executive Director for the Chamber of Commerce so now Im even more busy if thats possible.  Im amazed at moms who work, volunteer, cook, clean, have kids, sports, events, activities and Im pretty sure thats why Starbucks stays in business.

Football season came to an end this past weekend and its sad and happy times here in the Bolin house.  We love football season but happy to see it come to an end when we are worn out from it.  3 days of practice a week, 1 game a week, being involved in everything football related, all the time and effort as a football mom, volunteering numerous amounts of time, hubby as football assistant coach and director this year, its nice to finally have a break.  The boys did great with only losing 1 game the entire season. We are so proud of them!

We finally finished our house from the water damage.  The outside has new siding and the hole in the house has been fixed.  No more hole in the wall, no more water and new floors to boot!

I went and did it after I swore I wouldnt ever not ever ever....got a mini van.  Yep thats right this gal is a minivan driver.  I still have my xterra but drive the mini van as well.  The kids love it.  All of the seats fold into the floor so its like having a pickup truck inside the van.  Lots of space,nice ride and will be great on trips. 

Preston is loving school, he loves his teacher he has straight A's and really likes going....what a change from last year.  Its his fresh start from all of the medical issues and personal issues we faced last year at school.

I will try and post pics soon of stuff we have been doing.  Later Gater.

Its hard to believe that in a week my little boy will be a first grader.  I have so many different emotions going on about this and he does as well.  His first question was how long am I going to be at school.  My answer was that you will be home a little after lunch, and his response was well I guess I will see you for dinner before its bedtime.  Thats his perception of school that if he isnt home for lunch then he must be home at dinner time.  Trying to explain the logistics of school to a 6 year old is not easy its just something he will have to see for himself the first day. 
The back to school supplies and clothes are bought and Preston and I
have been trying to do fun special things up until school time.  We have had breakfast at Tim Hortons together, dinner at DQ after football with friends, movies, park, you name it we have been trying to squeeze it into my work schedule.  I asked him what he would like to do most before going to school and he said bowling so the plan is to fit that in one day as well. 
At first I was apprehensive about taking this job but now that Preston is going to be in school full time for the first year I think it will be good for me to get my mind off missing him.  It will be hard not to have him here with me during the day, Im so used to hearing his laughter, fixing him lunch, playing with him ....getting chocked up now just writing this.  I wish they could stay little forever.  Im sure all mothers go through this but it doesnt make it any easier for this mom. 
To my family as you say your prayers please remember Preston next week as he goes to school and that he will be the fine young man that we all know he is, that he will be excited, loving, amazing, and a good listener.  That his fears and mommy's will be gone by the time the first bell rings for school.

This is a gooey ooeyy love sick post about my husband.  I will keep it short and sweet so you dont gag. 

I love my marriage, I hope that each and every one of you married can say that and mean it.  Being married isnt easy but when you find someone who makes you laugh, smile and happy then it makes it all worth it.  I feel that I am blessed to be married to a man I can talk to about anything, we laugh together all the time, we enjoy our time together, we hold hands  and we talk to one another over the phone or instant message throughout the day, it is nice after all this time after all that we have been through to still be so in love.

Lowel brought me home roses on Wednesday and then again on Thursday just because and its not the roses that make me love him.....its the just because!!!

To match the newly painted front door and shutters I also painted the mailbox and used my cricut to jazz it up a bit.

Sometimes storm damage doesnt suck after all

During a recent storm our house suffered some damage so we were able to get the house resided. 

Here is the before pics

Here is what is looks like now with darker siding and black shutters.  We also removed the large bushes in front of the windows.  We are looking at possibly putting on a front porch.

Front door house numbers using cricut

We had new siding put on our house while away for vacation (it was necessary there was storm damage).  Anyways, when I returned home I started painting the front door, mailbox and shutters to go along with our new siding color.  My old door was sage green with black lettering that said welcome but this time around I changed it up a bit.  Since my door is now black I used my cricut to cut out beige numbers and put the house number on the front.  I love how it looks and we have had so many people drive by and stop to say they love the colors of the house.  More pics of the house to come after we get the shutters back up.

I am still using my coffee filter wreath that I made last year, I just change the accent decor to match the season or holiday.  I still have up 4th of July stuff but soon it will change to football stuff since we are right around the corner from football season.

Working hard for the money, so hard for it daddy.

We don't always give the kids allowance, in fact we only give it to them when they ask. They know that asking for their allowance means that they must do the work that we tell them to do and it's not easy jobs, which is why they don't ask often in fact we have gone months without being asked. Today both kids asked for their $5.oo and then waited to hear what they had to do to earn it, sometimes it's inside jobs such as vacuuming, dusting, cleaning windows etc. Today was outside work cleaning up pine cones and other stuff from the yard that I had pulled from the flower beds. After about an hour both come up to us and asked if they can stop now and get something to drink....whoops we totally forgot that they were still working, we were busy mowing, cleaning out flower beds. The yard looks good thanks to the kids and I'm glad that they know they have to earn their money. Now if they could just ask for indoor work next time cause that makes for one happy momma when I don't have to clean windows.