Seriously?

What a day! I'm just happy things APPEAR to be settling down at the moment. But let me fill you in on my NOT-SO-BORING DAY!!!!

This morning we woke up to our oldest, Jacob not feeling well. Cold/Allergy symptoms and a low grade fever.
Spent most of the morning hanging out in our pj's and I cleaned house.
At about 2pm, I went out to my car looking for my purse(I NEVER, EVER leave my purse in the car) and found it, but as I opened my wallet to put my cash away, I saw that my $200 that was in there...was missing?
Then I immediately grabbed for my debit card and yep...MISSING!!!
I started to panic and freak out, came running in to check my account online and sure enough...pending transactions at 340.00 and counting...
Called our bank and they stopped the card and not soon enough, because the charges began at 6:19 this morning at Jack In the Box for $20.19 and went on from there, 10 DIFFERENT locations for a total shopping spree of $890.00!!!! Yes, ridiculous right? I feel so violated and betrayed and I know it's MY fault for accidentally leaving my purse in the car, but seriously we are suppose to live in a nice area/neighborhood where we SHOULD feel safe. I don't feel safe. Last year it was my rear window being blown out but the police thought that was probably teenagers doing pranks. This time, they had access to ALL of my account info, SS card, debit card(which they took). It was very scary. I called the credit bureau's and they put fraud alerts on EVERYTHING. The bank covered the fraud payments and even after we closed account, they tried to use it for a purchase of $328.00 at Target. Speaking of Target, they used it five different times at the same Target location within minutes??? Yea, how is that possible right? Scary. Some for $40.00, others for $90.00...strange! They bought clothing, shoes, gas, groceries. They went to Valero, Chevron, and Texaco and apparently they didn't just need gas, one charge was for $158.00 at one gas station!

I would not be able to live with myself if I did this to people for a living. Seriously, have some self-respect and care for others. My husband works SO hard to keep me at home with our boys. We pay our bills, save like we should, don't live out of our means and yet this happens. Makes me so mad. That cash is gone. Although the bank returned my money and the police came and took fingerprints and filed a report, I'm still mad.

I'm off to cuddle with my sweet boy, who is still not feeling well and is saying his throat hurts(geez, only one week back at school and he's sick!) and I will be praying that tomorrow seems to be a much better day. I know things could be MUCH worse, but its still upsetting and makes me angry that people do this and take advantage of others.

They are SO lucky they weren't caught...I think I might have gone crazy on them if I would have seen them in the act. Throwing things and chasing and screaming at them...all at once. They would have given me back my things because they would have been AFRAID! VERY afraid. Hahahaha!

brotherly moments and birthday wishes

These boys may argue over toys and fight for attention frequently but I can't help but stop and really take in moments like these. Isn't this what life is all about? Watching my boys discover new things, have a conversation about nothing and just be Brothers.
It's the moments like these that make me so grateful for being able to be with these boys each day as they grow. I am able to watch these special moments that I sometimes missed from being busy? To me nothing is more important than this. NOTHING.

My grandmother's 86th birthday would have been today. I miss her so much, each and every day. I know that she is watching over these boys and capturing moments like these, just as I do. Her death helps me understand how precious life truly is. How our time here is about making moments matter. Not about things, but it's about relationships, love, memories, the way we make others feel. Right?
We miss you, Bonka...
every day, every moment...we miss you.
I still remember your smell, the way you'd say hello when I'd call, the way we'd rub noses each time we said goodbye, the way your hands felt-always cold and wrinkly, the way you'd focus so hard on your crossword puzzles. I use Dove soap because it smells like YOU, I can't seem to part with some of your things that are of no use to me, I loved Jacob's smile when we'd drive up to visit you...all these things I am SO afraid I'll forget. I want to remember ALL of these little things on this day and always. Happy Birthday, Bonka.

homework for the first day of school!

My big boy will be attending his first day of preschool for the last time today :-( Yep, he'll be in kindergarten next year and I'm already having a hard time dealing with that. So, this year it'll be preschool, three days a week so he gets used to the routine of school!

We had meet the teacher on Friday, which went really well. Our first homework assignment...making a patch for a classroom quilt! We had to be creative and make it all about our family so that's just what we did. We started out with his handprint in the middle...I love those little hands! Then added pictures of the four of us, and as we wrote his name he said he wanted to talk about the things he likes-I thought, what a perfect idea! So, he told me what to write and we filled up our square with things that Jacob likes... swimming, running, his bicycle, family, friends, Mom, Dad, Justin, movies, big trucks, camping and baseball! He was ready to keep naming off things, but I told him he ran out of space! Ha!

*To celebrate his first day, he and I played a game of soccer in the blazing heat yesterday and he TOTALLY BEAT ME! I mean it, I was really REALLY trying to win! Ha! By the end, he and I were both drenched in sweat but he was running around the yard, yelling " I beat Momma" and kept laughing! I told him while he's at school, I'll polish my soccer skills and we'll have a re-match!!!

REALLY??

Ok, so I think I've mentioned this on my blog before BUT this is outta control...I cannot tell you how many times we have been told by family, friends, STRANGERS(especially strangers!) that Jacob looks like "Jacob" or Taylor Lautner. If you have NO clue who I am talking about, here are a few pics of HIM...

and here's my sweet boy, who has been told by people, practically EVERYWHERE we go that he looks like Taylor....

I guess I should be flattered since Taylor is a super handsome(I'm totally Team Jacob anyway!)guy! Not sure I wanna picture my son as a sex symbol the way Taylor is being portrayed these days....but I guess I'll just keep taking the compliments as they are given!

At meet the teacher the other day, TWO people stopped to tell me this. Yesterday at Kroger, a woman yelled for her husband to come and look at Jacob because she said he could be Taylor's brother! Ha! Maybe I should take advantage of this and send his picture off to talent scouts and one day he'll play the PREQUEL to Twilight?? Hahahahahaha!!!

Mommy's back!

This past weekend was the FIRST time I've left my boys overnight :-(

It was my friend, Ashlyn's bachelorette party in Galveston and we had a great time! She is getting married in two weeks...a little girls weekend is what she wanted, so we rented a beach house and had fun visiting, laughing and drinking a few adult beverages too!

When I came home, the boys ran to me and gave me big hugs and told me that they missed me so much! Ahhh, these boys melt my heart...unless they're fighting and luckily they have been doing LESS of that these days! Yay!

All I know is that this Momma is happy to be home, loving on her boys after a nice, little weekend getaway celebrating my friends BIG DAY!

Our Boys + OUTSIDE= HAPPY!

It seems like no matter what time of the day, how we are feeling, or what we're doing...my boys ALWAYS want to be outside. And you've heard me complain about this ridiculous heat here lately ( 100 + temps) but we still end up OUTSIDE!

The other day, the boys and I went for a run, I pushed Justin and Jacob rode his bike at NOON...which means it was probably already 100 degrees out there and they did NOT complain...not even once! I am so proud that they are active and like to play and get sweaty!

Most days, if I'm inside cooking breakfast, lunch or dinner...I am watching my boys outside! Last night, Brandon and I cooked dinner and they boys played outside for probably THREE hours and then they were both mad when we made them come in and get ready for dinner! Ha! I love letting them play by themselves, but most of the time I have to be RIGHT THERE because Justin will try to eat bugs, sit in a mud hole or they'll work together at plotting something to do that they're NOT suppose to! Yea, they work together if it means coming up with something that'll get them into trouble :)

Sometimes I complain about having to go out there and sweat right along with them, but the truth is that I'm happy they love being outside SO much! I love that they enjoy all of the things it has to offer and hopefully they'll enjoy being outside with their Daddy and I for years to come!

Their new adventure they'd like to take is tent camping. Jacob has a tent that sleeps 10 and we've never used it, other than in our living room! Ha! So, I guess when things COOL OFF(like months from now!), we will have to take them! Not sure where to go and also not sure if I'll be able to rough it like that, but I'm for the challenge...I think??!

Hey, GUESS WHAT??!

I learned how to SWIM!!!

My mom, dad and brother are SO proud of me and you should see me swim ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE POOL, BY MYSELF! My parents knew I'd learn on my own terms and when the time was right...so the other day at my MeMe's, I took off my puddle jumper and did it! I can swim UNDER WATER and I go super fast :) Now I'm ready to say goodbye to my floaties FOREVER!!! *This is just another reason why my mommy is having such a hard time watching me grow up!