Insert witty title here

Let me introduce myself...my name is Devon...I think we were friends once upon a time...

Yes, it really is me. No, I didn't get hit by a mack truck, drown in the shower, or lose my mind (although that last one really is a miracle, I'll say). Life here has been...well...crazy. Really, really crazy. I don't even know where to begin. Mark worked for the company with which he got a job for around a month and then, due to reasons that I don't wish to go into online for the world to read, he quit. It was a very difficult situation as a man and as a Christian, and he decided that it was not the place where he needed to be. The quitting means no unemployment and a bad situation, but it is what it is and we're surviving. He is working in KC some with his brother and for his very first electrical company and that has been difficult. The kids and I are managing, but we don't love it.

The kids are doing really well. Conrey now has 16 teeth. That is the full set minus the 2-year molars. However, seeing as how my kids are early teethers, I expect those to make their debut in the next few months. He has moved up to the big boy class at church and loves it. He knows many animal sounds and noises. Here is his list of sounds:
Elephant
Lion (Which is a very soft roar...not very intimidating)
Sheep
Cow (which he says as "BOOOOOO")
Bear
Tiger
Duckie
Piggie
Doggie
Monkey
Horsie
I think that that is all. He LOVES animals and wants to read animal books, pet any that he sees, and loves the zoo. He is very much like his daddy in that regard.
He says the usual baby things like Hi, Bye Bye, Momma, Dada, etc., as well as:
Paci (Pa Pa, which sounds like the 1st syllable of paci)
Milk
More
Please (speaking and sign language)
Thank You (mostly in sign language)
Ball
Grandpa, Grandma, Grannie (Ni Ni), Granddad
Cassie (those it sounds nothing like Cassie and I can't remember how it sounds)
Hammer (Mam mer)
Book
That's all I can think of. His speech has really taken off lately. He repeats ANYTHING that I ask him to say. It is all very much in his throat and often his mouth doesn't even open, but the intonnation is the same. I feel that it is due to his paci, so for quite awhile now, he only gets it when he sleeps (or when we're in public and he's fussy). This seems to be working and his speech has improved as a result. He is wearing 18-month clothes, but the pants are sooooo long on his little legs (he's built like his daddy...long torso, short legs). We roll the pants and that seems to work. It has been good just wearing shorts this summer. :)

Cassie is a riot...24/7. A riot. She comes up with the most hilarious things. However, we are having to learn about what are appropriate versus inappropriate things to say. She is starting to make observations about people and some of them are not kind. She is a very sweet, loving thing, though, so she isn't being rude, she is just stating what she sees. She doesn't know that it is not ok to call someone fat or weird or that they look funny. So, we're working on that.

She is also learning how to play us...mostly Daddy. :) The other night, she said she had a question for daddy. He said OK. She said...and I QUOTE, "Well, it goes ruff ruff...................and..................I THINK you need to buy me one!" We were rolling.

She is such the opposite of her brother. She is long and lean. I have her in 3T pants for length, but they are huge on her waist/legs. Today, she worse 24 Month pants and they fit her waist really well. :) She has started picking her own clothes. Mommy has to "help" quite a bit with matching and such. What is driving me BONKERS is that she changes clothes all throughout the day and then puts stuff that is not dirty into the dirty clothes. She'll get something down, change her mind, and into the laundry it goes! UGH! I seriously need to put a lock on her closet doors! She has definitely started showing her own sense of style, though. She loves to be all dolled up and loves wearing dresses/skirts. She does not, however, like to have her hair done. She just wants to wear it down and it drives me nuts being in her face.

Oh, did you all notice the new pics to the right? Those were their 3-year and 1-year pictures.

I am now keeping some adorable kiddos 2-3 days a week. Right now, it is just half days, but their momma is looking for a job that is 2-3 full days/week. When they're here, I currently have a 3, a 2, a 1, and a 6.5 month old. WHEW! They keep me busy, but I truly do enjoy it. I'm not just saying that either, Kel! :) Cassie and the 2-year-old, are the best of friends. I hope that Conrey and the baby will be too. The 2 oldest are girls and the 2 youngest are boys, so it works out so well!

Which reminds me of another Cassie story...Donna, this one's for you! :) I'm not sure if their momma would want their names on here or not, so I'm just going to call her "S."
When the kids were here yesterday, the 2-year-old, was signing and singing and singing. Let me tell you, the GIRL can carry a TUNE! As with many 2-year-olds, sometimes you can't tell what they're saying, but with her, it didn't matter. I knew exactly what songs she was singing...over and over and over and over..... :) She was singing the "I LOVE YOU" song from Barney and then the Farmer and the Dell followed by The Wheels on the Bus. She sang Barney for probably 20 minutes without pause and total, she was probably singing for close to 40 minutes. Finally, Cassie went up with a little bell (from Dani's wedding) and rang it in her face. She said, "Ok, S...that's about enough singing! That's enough singing, S!" I couldn't help but crack up!!! What did the little sweetheart do? She switched back to the Barney song and kept on goin!!! Cassie looked at me like, "REALLY?" and then went on her way. It was too, too funny.

Oh, another milestone around here is that we got new neighbors next door that we really enjoy for several reasons. First of all, the dad is a policeman. His cruiser is there most of the time and that makes me feel much more safe and secure. Secondly, they have 2 girls, a 7-y-o and a 3-y-o who is 1 month older than Cassie. They have become fast friends and the 7yo is so great to play with Cassie too. They've had a lot of fun. On my birthday, they baked me a cake and tried to bring it over, but couldn't get ahold of us for a few days, so they finally just ate it. I felt so bad and was super bummed, but thought that it was so kind. I am hoping that we can be neighbors for a long time to come.

I am trying really hard to keep up on things around here as far as keeping our house presentable (or semi-presentable) at all times. I don't worry about a few toys here and there, because I want my kids to be able to play and such, but I am talking dishes, laundry, beds made, floors swept, etc. It is funny, because I seem to be more productive on daycare days. It seems like I get more done on the days that I have 4 kids rather than 2! :) I definitely want this to be a place that Mark comes home to to just kick back and relax after the travelling back and forth. I don't want the stress of a messy house to add to it all.

Oh, another thought...Mark and I have had a bit of a rocky year, but we are more happy and in love right now than we've ever been. We are both focused on taking care of each other and loving each other well. We feel so strong because of all that we've gone through and really just have gained so much through the difficult stuff that we've been through. I give God the glory for that and for pulling us through these rough times by drawing us nearer to Him, nearer to each other, and nearer to our children. I have watched Mark become such an amazing father to both of our kids and see him doing more each time he is with them. He really amazes me when I see him love them in just the right way that speaks to their little hearts and it makes my heart burst to see it. We only ask God to continue to protect what we have worked and prayed so hard for that He helps us work to make it even better. Satan has had it out for our families lately, and we have been the target more than once. We thank God for His providence, for His love, for His protection.

Well, I guess that this loooong post pretty much has summed up our lives at this point. Meshellyn...does this suffice? :) Sorry that it was so long, but be glad that I've thought up all of these things from the past 2 months! :) Life is in chaos right now in many ways, but life is so, so good right now. I love my God. I love my husband. I love my kids. I love my family. I love my friends. Heck, I even love myself. :) They all love me back, too. What else is there to life? Money, jobs, houses, cars...all meaningless without love.