Summer is in full swing .....

Dance Dance Revolution!

Walks in the park!!!!!

Tired.....

Bored!!!!!!!! Hey he has no choice but to spend time with family! LOL

They love each other like sisters, not cousins!!!!!

Can you tell????????

Woooo! I was scared that thing is so high up!

Jaree wasn't scared, she made it all the way to the top!
Carnivals are always fun!!!!!! Face paintings, fun balloons.....

You get to play on the fire truck!!!!!!

Even dress up like a fireman!!!!! LMAO!!! Jariel is such a good sport! LOL

By the end of the day she had 3 of these two on her face and one on her arm! NO kidding! LOL

Pony Rides!!!!!!

Swimming, even with the pooches!!!!

Cannon Balls in the lake!

Idk? LOL

Leaping into the warm lake water are allllllllll signs of Summer!!!!!
I love Summer!!!!
I love the kids being at home (most of the time that is...LOL)
I love the non-stop visits to the park, the zoo, the museums, the water parks, amusement parks, fishing, nature walks, water balloon fights, bean bag tournaments....we put it DOWN FOR THE SUMMER.

I guess I have to my kids GET SO BORED so easy! LOL

The kids love to swim and not just in the community pool, but MY MOM'S LAKE. ewwwww! I did it to growing up, but couldn't fathom getting in this day in age.....No sirrreeee bob!!!!!! LOL

I have been running like a chicken with it's head cut off since the move. Really not much time to do much, but I make it MY BUSINESS, to do things with my children! NO MATTER WHAT!!!!!

That is a priority!!!!!

I also MAKE TIME FOR SOME ADULT TIME TOO!!!!!!
I love going out with my cousins and my girls!!!!!

I look forward to more SUMMER FUN!!!!!!!
We always let our children pick 10 places they would like to go over the Summer. We do all 10.

This year:
White water rafting!!!!!
Camping!
Brookfield zoo
Shedd Aquarium Oceanarium
Cedar Point Amusement Park, in Cedar Point Ohio!
Starved Rock
Blackduck, Minnesota to do the ultimate 4 wheel riding with family!!!!
Navy Pier Seadog speed boat ride!
Deep River Water Park
Indiana Dunes
Fun time Square!!!!!!

Should be a blast!!!!!!!

Stay tuned for pics of our Summer Journey's!!!!!!!

Until next time!!!!!

I am just sick....

As a child I was raised on MOTOWN music....
but I was in love with the JACKSON 5....
There was one in the group that stuck out....
and that WAS MICHAEL JACKSON......

When I was a small child it was a innocent love, like loving Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny...

but when Off the Wall came out! and I saw the Rock with you Video! That is when I first thought.....DAMN HE FINE!!!!!

I HAD THE BIGGEST CRUSH ON MICHAEL JACKSON!!!!!!!!
I thought he was so FINE IN THRILLER AND BILLIE JEAN! OMG!!!!!

Do you remember BUTTONS? I think i had over 300 Michael Jackson buttons. His posters were plastered all over my bedroom walls and ceilings...

My diary consisted of: Dear Diary, when I am older I want to marry Michael Jackson, .....LOL

Seriously....
I had the Beat it Jacket, the red jacket with all the black zippers, I put penny's my penny loffers, don't think I spelled that right, but any hoo....I had the glittered glove.

And when Thriller came out! I learned every single move to that video. I remember recording it and rewinding it over and over to get the dance steps just right!

My brother was in a talent show and he played one of the Zombies and I remember practicing with him and being so proud of my brother....

I started having crushes on any boy that looked similiar to Michael, nice baby hair, gerry curl, killer smile!!!!! OmgI I will remember his BEAUTIFUL SMILE!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you remember the Jackson's 5 cartoon!!!!! I used to watch that allllllll the time!!!!!

I remember watching the Motown Reunion show, when Michael did Billie Jean and danced with his brothers......

When he threw off that hat and did the moon walk, I about DIED!!!!!!!! I WAS HOARSE THE NEXT DAY FROM SCREAMING!!!!!

MOST PEOPLE love Thriller or Beat it or Billie Jean, but my favorite song, is OFF THE WALL......I Don't know what it is about that song, but it get's inside my soul! Ask my family, let that song come on, I am going to act a SUPREME FOOL! YOU BETTA GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!!! Because I will start jumping up and down, and it's not even a conscious movement. That song completely takes me over. I love it! One of his greatest songs in my opinion!

Say what you want about Mike....
I will never remember Michael for all the scandals that surrounded his life,

I will remember him FOR THE GREAT MUSICIAN he was....

He was talented BEYOND WORDS....
I don't think the world was ready for MICHAEL JACKSON...
His musical genius is BEYOND our time....

I know that he is entertaining everyone in HEAVEN....
They are rocking and singing and dancing and having a good time up there.....

Michael Jackson will never be gone.....

His music will live on for an ETERNITY.....
Sleep on Michael....
You will be missed,

BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN
I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

Helllo blog! My name is Dana, do you remember me?

I have an addiction! I have a couple of addictions, and their names are TWITTER AND FACEBOOK!

I swear ever since I found those two, I have neglected you, MY BELOVED BLOG! I am sorry! I will never forsake you again!

Ok, now that the melodrama is done.....

I have been a busy little bee!

Trying to get this house unpacked!

Keeping the kids busy SO THEY DON'T GET BORED! And kids can get bored easy at least my kids can!!!! They like to GO, GO, GO, GO, ALL THE TIME!!!!!

I am happy that they all have activities to keep them busy for most of the summer! Jaree signed up for a Summer Reading Program at the Library and they have all types of fun activiites for the kids! One of the things I love is the TEEN TWILIGHT PROM! Where the kids get to dress up like their favorite characters from Twilight and mingle and socialize, then they get to watch the movie! They have Lock-ins, arts and crafts, video games, movies on the lawn, and other fun stuff!!!! Jaree loves it!!!!!!!

Jariel starts Football camp soon!!!!!! He loves football and we decided to let the basketball go for awhile (it almost killed Baptiste, LOL) and try football! LOL He starts camp in July! He is so excited!!!!!!

Bee is in Drivers Ed for the summer, he just got his permit so you know what we have been doing! Letting him drive! He needs 90 hours of driving outside of school. He drives well!!!! I can't complain, but not looking forward to what comes next. Mom "Can I borrow your car". He will get his own car THANKS TO MY PARENTS, once he graduates high school!!!!! Which is summer of next year! He wants an Impala. Wonder how long that will last once he figures out how much it will cost to insure it! LOL

Jaree will start Cheerleading at the same time Jariel starts football!! She is super duper excited!!!!!! And I am too! I was a cheerleader from 1st grade until 8th and switched teams in high school and was on POMS!!!!!! So I love that she is following in mommy's foot steps! LOL

I believe in keeping children busy! If they are busy, there's no time to get into trouble.

Ever heard of "AN IDLE MIND, IS A DEVILS WORKSHOP".....

my philosophy!

I try to keep my children in some type of activity, so that they will have SOMETHING TO DO!!!!!

I was a busy child as well! Cheerleading, gymnastics, ballet, tap, jazz, karate, day camp, MY MOM KEPT ME BUSY!!!!!!!

I try to keep an agenda of things to do with the kids!

Even when we are at home, I find things that they can do! Like family reading night, family game night, family movie night, Cook for your parents night, we have water balloon fights, load up the super soakers and have water fights, craft night ( usually just me and Jaree), but we do a lot as a family! and I love that!!!!!!!!!!!!

My kids are getting older now and they whine more about the family stuff, especially the 16 year old, but we atleast have to do one family thing a week!!!!!!! I DON'T CARE WHAT PLANS YOU HAVE, their is NO NEGOTIATING! LOL

OK, OFF MY SOAP BOX,

I HAVE NOT SCRAPPED IN A MONTH GUYS!!! I am having withdrawls!!!!

Can't wait to get everything set up so that I can get back to my crafting!

I also want to start some new things thanks TO MY BLOGGER FRIENDS, ADRIENNE, PATRICE, TONI, AND ERICA!!!!!!!!! I am going to try to SEW! Baptiste and I have been looking at sewing machines at Joann's and I am just going to go for it!!!! I have a crazy body type and its hard finding clothes that fit me just right! So this is another reason for wanting to learn to sew. Plus, my grandmother was the best seamstress in the city of Chicago!!!! I used to help her thread her bobbin, and play on her sewing machine all the time!

I also want to learn to knit and bead! As if I need any more hobbies!!! But I do!!!!! Especially sewing and beading!!!!!!

I said this before, but you have to have PEACE OF MIND, to learn and I didn't have that in CCHills!!!! Now that I have moved on......I think it will be easy!

Wish me luck!

This has become much longer than I planned, so I think I will end it with an...

UNTIL NEXT TIME......

A couple of good men

There are GOOD MEN OUT THERE......

these two are an example of GOOD MEN....







MY daddy is a very good example of a good father. My dad spoiled us kids rotten. But was stern and strict. I used to hate that, but now I am grateful. Being a parent, I appreciate my up bringing. PAPA DIDN'T TAKE NO MESS! He demanded his respect and didn't settle for anything else. We knew we couldn't pull it with DADDY! He still don't play! LOL

He spoils his grandkids rotten, but will get on them too, if need be! LOL
I love my dad. I am a daddy's girl at heart! I can get anything from my daddy. Mommy knows that too! I love being the baby girl and I thank God for my dad!!!!!!!!!







Baptiste is such a wonderful FATHER, HUSBAND, PROVIDER, a God fearing good man...
and he is such a doting father...

He works like a Hebrew slave and still manages to take time with the kids!
He even counts me out sometimes and will just take the kids and go!
I love watching him interact with our children...

They love him sooooo much and his love for them just exudes from every orifice of his being!
I am so blessed and so are my children!
It's amazing to me how great a father he is, being that his father died when he was only 8 months old. He never had a father figure in his life.

We were only 18 years old when my oldest child was born and he NEVER once ran from his RESPONISIBLITIES as a father. He was with me 250% of the way! Whew, I am getting emotional talking about it. I love this man with my WHOLE HEART and I THANK GOD FOR HIM!!!!
I am blessed to have these two wonderful men in my life and I thank God for them both!
Happy Father's day daddy and Baptiste!!!!!!!!

I am drowning in BOXES

........moving is NOT FUN!
omg! I am so tired of UNPACKING, I want to scream!
But, I won't complain, because I LOVE MY NEW HOUSE.

Can't wait to get it all done, so I can share my HUMBLE ABODE with you guys!!!!!!!!!
I have beeen out of the old house since May 3oth, stayed with my mom do for 2 1/2 weeks while the new house was being worked on....I love my PARENTS, but I DO NOT EVER, EVER, NEVER want to live with them AGAIN IN LIFE! LOL

I LOVE VISITING, but not LIVING! and that's all I am going to say about that!

You guy don't know the BIG BURDEN that has been lifted from my SHOULDERS.

I FINALLY FEEL LIKE I CAN BREATHE. I CAN RELAX. I CAN LET MY HAIR DOWN.
I don't have to look over my shoulder or worry about my kids when they walk around!
PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THANK YA JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel so BLESSED! I AM SO THANKFUL THAT I was ABLE to get my children out of that HELL HOLE!!!!!!
I feel emancipated!
Free!
happy!
overjoyed!

I am almost in tears thinking about it!

I thank BAPTISTE, because he is THE REASON for this SEASON!!!! LOL
I THANK GOD, that he blessed him with A VERY GOOD JOB, that afforded us to be able to MOVE ON, and we took a great loss with this move, BUT I AM NOT GOING TO DWELL ON THAT!!!!!!

God delivered us .......
and I am ELATED!!!!!!!

STAY TUNED FOR PICS OF THE NEW HOUSE.......

UNTIL NEXT TIME.....

Knocked the wind out of me

On Thursday, Jaree had another seizure.
She's had many in her little short life of 10 years, but it's something that you CAN NEVER GET USED TOO.

I feel so helpless.
It's nothing I can do to PHYSICALLY make her better! As a mom, THAT'S A DEVASTATING FEELING. I cannot begin to describle it.

I hurt for her!
I wished I could take on all that pain, but I can't.

After being in the Er for 24 hours, I found out my baby has SWINE FLU!

That was a DOUBLE WHAMMY. It big BLOW TO ME, because I try SO HARD to do ALL THAT I CAN TO KEEP HER WELL.

She has an atypical form of epilepsy, in which most her seizures are FEBRILE, however she is too OLD TO BE HAVING FEBRILE SEIZURES. They stop at the age of 5 or 6.

She was UNCONSCIOUS for 24 hours, but not COMATOSE. That is a good thing. The brain takes a big beating when you seize, so SLEEP is how the brain recovers.

She cannot see the neurologist until next week, because of the flu.

She will have to have YET ANOTHER mri, eeg, and ekg!
I am just at a loss.

But this GIRL IS SO STRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She is SUCH A FIGHTER, THAT she just amazes me.

She has been thru so much in her short life that it makes me ANGRY....
BUT WHO AM I TO QUESTION GOD??????

He doesn't make any mistakes?
I guess this is a storm that I have to weather.

Please continue to pray for my baby....
I love her Beyond any words!!!!!
But, any one reading this who is a mother, knows what I mean.

I will try to keep you updated as best I can!
She is being SPOILED BEYOND WORDS, FROM EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!

i HAVE MADE FIVE BILLION PROMISES TO HER, that I WILL KEEP, ONCE SHE GETS BETTER....

build a bear
a new game for nintendo ds
a nintendo dsi
a trip to claires and kohls for jewelry
land of the lost
and the zoo!

and those are just my promises......
Her dad has a list longer than the CONSTITUTION, but you know whaT? She deserves every bit of it.

I got her report card and my baby got all A's and one B! And she won yet another award for her reading. The mile high reading award. She reads at such a high level! I am so proud!!!!!

I have to go and take care of my baby, but I just wanted to let my blog readers know what was going on....

Until next time!

Hello world! Its me Dana! Remember me?

Wow,

It's been a minute! 

I have so much to talk about! A lot of catching up to do!

Well, I sold my HOUSE! YAY! 

I AM SO GLAD FOR THIS DRAMA TO FINALLY BE OVER!

I did lose out on some money, but you know what?  My piece OF MIND! Is PRICELESS!

I AM THANKFUL TO GOD! That we had the means to make this move! Being that Baptiste is the only one working.  I thank God, that I have a husband who has a GREAT JOB, and not only that he has the drive to go above and beyond.  He makes GREAT money on the side as a dj as well!

Now with saying all that! We are going to be BROKE FOR A VERY LONG TIME.  

We had to dig into our NEST EGG, to make this happen.  And we ARE BOTH determined to build that back first!  DID WE DEPLETE IT?  no! But I am all for STABILITY and when I was working we BANKED MY INCOME and lived out of his.  I made GOOD MONEY!  Before I quit, to care for Jaree.  I also do things on the side (nothing illegal) to make extra cash! So I do my part!  I am just a firm believer in SAVING FOR A RAINY DAY, and we have had our fair SHAIR OF STORMY WEATHER.  

OFF THAT! 

THE NEW HOUSE is a Huge Ranch style house, I will miss being able to send my kids downstairs when they get on my nerves! But I can send them outside and not worry about anybody trying to JUMP THEM!  My kids are not the type to set there and let anyone pound the SHIT OUT OF THEM, they are BLESSED WITH THEIR HANDS, lol, but people don't FIGHT FAIR anymore and my kids DON'T GO AROUND STARTING SHIT!  I raised them that way!  They mind their own business and treat others the way they want to be treated, but THEY WILL DEFEND THEMSELVES!  And people around there knew that and that is why they like to JUMP! 

BUT THAT CHAPTER IS OVER!   GOD HAS BLESSED ME WITH SOMETHING SO MUCH BETTER! 

I cannot wait to move in.  The house has to pass a VILLAGE INSPECTION, before we move in, so I am hoping in the next couple of weeks!

I will keep you all updated! 

I am so happy for this NIGHTMARE to be over! 

Thanks for all you well wishes and concerns! 

Until next time...........