The Future Me

I got a Wii for Christmas with The Biggest Loser game. I am feeling more motivated to get up and move.  I set up my avatar for a 12 week program.  I know it will be hard, but hopefully I can do it for that long.  I am going to try to concentrate on one week at a time.  I hope that by the time I finish the 12 weeks, my divorce will be final, and I will be ready for a new life and a new me.  I am starting to feel more positive about my future the more and more I am away from him.  I have noticed that when he is around that I am more stressed out and beat up.  I know I have to have dealings with him for the rest of my life because we have kids together.  With any luck, however, I will either find a new job or get a schedule that is more conducive to being a single mom in the next few months.

Pizza With The Kids

Sean's pizza (top), Eric's pizza (bottom)

My pizza (top), Noel's smiley pizza (bottom)

Monday night I decided to do something fun with my kids for dinner.  I went out and got stuff to make pizzas.  We each got to make one.  Then we had a picnic in the living room and watched the old version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  We all had a good time!

Excuse Me

I would just like to clarify something.  My kids don't know totally what is going on.  All they know is what they have figured out on their own.  At least two of the three are upset enough by that.  Talking to me about my problems in front of them will make me mad.  Even if they did know completely what is going on, coming up to me at church and talking to me about my husband leaving is inconsiderate especially in front of my kids.

What's Going On

Well, life knows how to through me a curve ball.  Perhaps it is not as unexpected as I would have hoped however.  I will post more later, but for now I will just say that John is moving out.  He will not tell me where he is going, but I know already.  I am not stupid.  I know how to pick up on enough clues to draw a fairly accurate conclusion.  I have been turned into a villain when he is speaking to his friends.  He knows the truth.  I have done things I am not proud of.  I think he knows now that I will NOT take how he treats me.  I will not sit in the dark anymore.  I do need him when it comes to the kids because they adore their father and I don't want to traumatize them or have them go without the necessities in life.  Other than that, at this point there is not a way for us to have even a friendship.  He would tell you it is because if what I have done, but we both know it goes beyond just me.  I know he doesn't read my blog, but I do suspect that he has friends that spy on my blog.  Maybe they will tell him what the evil witch has posted about him.  I don't know.

Book of Mormon

As some people know, I have been having a very hard time with my testimony lately.  I won't go into all of the reasons right now.  About a week ago the missionaries visited our family and gave us the first discussion.  They challenged us to read at least part of the Book of Mormon and pray about it.  This morning, as I was getting the kids breakfast, I decided it was a good time to look for the mp3's I have of the Book of Mormon and turn it on.  I think I am going to do this more often.  I am going to make a goal right now to listen to the Book of Mormon on the way to or from work at least 3 days a week.  This means putting off my Dave Ramsey pod casts, but I am up to this challenge and Dave can wait for a little while.  I'm not sure this will help, but it couldn't hurt. Right?

Decorating the Christmas Tree

Loving Siblings

Noel was having a hard time finding a seat that she liked for watching TV.  Eric decided to share his.

Now if I could just get them to act like this more often...

Crazy Dog

When I bought this trash can, the idea was that one with a lid would keep the dog out of it.  She has since learned how to get the lid open long enough to start pulling out stuff near the top (at least enough to start licking it).

Noel's Lunch

Bacon and Slim Fast...mmm

3rd and 4th Grade Play

Our star

Eric has a speaking part this year.  Apparently the loose tooth was a bit distracting while waiting for his part.

Of course there was singing and dancing!

Look Who's 5!

My pretty little princess turned 5 yesterday.

We had a fun little family  party complete with a pink princess cake.

She got the Polly Pocket that she was dying for.

Of course she also got the new Tinker Bell movie.

Our First Snow

It wasn't much of a snow, but we had to wait until November 9 to get any snow at all.

More Pretty Pants

These seem to be Noel's favorite so far.

Halloween Pictures

Snow White

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Annikin Skywalker

This is what I get for telling my kids to pose like they are getting their picture taken.

We had fun this Halloween.  We went trick-or-treating at my work followed by a trip to a few houses.  The kids got more candy than they have ever had in the past.

Noel's Pants

I am having a hard time getting Noel to wear long pants.  She wants to only wear things that are "pretty."  This means that most of her pants are too plain for her liking.  I have a solution though...ribbons, bows, and buttons.

September Pics

I know I am a bit behind when it comes to pictures.  I forgive me at least.

Fist off are the pictures from pack meeting last month.  They had a car race. 

Eric in his car.

Noel's and her car.

The starting line.

Getting ready for the race.  Sean's car is the big one with the yellow license plate and yellow "wheels."

Next,  I have pictures from Sean's birthday (yes, someone let him turn 7).

The Cake

The Birthday Boy

Morbid? Maybe...

Last week, I felt a great need to find my mom's and brother's obituaries.  It took a lot of looking to find a website that not only had obituaries that old, but also didn't require a monthly subscription.  I did find one that I only had to pay per obituary  that I wanted.  I was glad to find them.  This what I found:


Rocky Mountain News (CO) - September 7, 1996
Deceased Name: SANDRA LEE CRAWFORD
SANDRA LEE CRAWFORD, 43, of Broomfield died Aug. 30 in Las Vegas, N.M. Services were Sept. 6, with burial at the Golden Cemetery. Mrs. Crawford was born in Lincoln, Neb., on March 4, 1953. She married Robert Mitchell, 1976. She was a homemaker, and member of of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Survivors include daughters Rosa Mitchell and Marleah Mitchell, both of Westminster; sisters Linda Dale of Arizona, Sharon Bolt of Nebraska; brothers Gale of Washington, Gary of Nebraska.

Rocky Mountain News (CO)
Date: September 7, 1996
Edition: Final
Page: 14B
Record Number: 9609110142
Copyright (c) 1996 Rocky Mountain News


Rocky Mountain News (CO) - September 10, 1996
Deceased Name: ANTHONY ROBERT MITCHELL
ANTHONY ROBERT MITCHELL, 19, of Denver died Aug. 30 in Las Vegas, N.M. Services were Sept. 6, with burial at the Golden Cemetery. Mr. Mitchell was born at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. He was a printer at C & M Press. Survivors include his father Robert of Westminster; sisters Rosa and Marleah, both of Westminster; fiancee Rebecca Hardendorf of Arvada; grandparents Lewis and Ila of Michigan.

Rocky Mountain News (CO)
Date: September 10, 1996
Edition: Final
Page: 22B
Record Number: 9609130027
Copyright (c) 1996 Rocky Mountain New

School Pictures 2010

Eric - 3rd grade

Sean - 1st grade

Noel - Preschool

My New Toy

Mine looks a bit different, but I couldn't find a picture of the newer one online.

Depressed

I don't know what is wrong with me lately.  I am so tired all of the time, and I don't have the motivation to do really anything.  I am always yelling at my kids.  Sometimes I feel like I can't even stand to be around them.  I long for the 3 half days that I get to be alone telling myself that would be the time I get things done.  In reality, I don't even shower on the days I am off of work until at least 10am most of the time (I probably would wait longer if I didn't have to get Noel to school in the afternoon on 2 of those days and myself to work the other day).  I failed to get much laundry done at all last week meaning almost twice as much to do this week (thank goodness I am the only one that was inconvenienced in the underwear department).  I am almost caught up with that, but am lacking the motivation to do the last 2 loads and probably won't get much of it folded before I have to collect and sort it all next week (most weeks I get it all washed Tuesday and Wednesday and fold on Thursday).  I hate my job.  Because of the fact that my company and another one are in contract disputes and the customers are inconvenienced, we all are forced into overtime until further notice.  The real fun part of that is the customers that call in act as though I personally caused the problem when in all actuality I know probably less than they do.  I am just a girl that answers the phone and gets belittled call after call for reading the same script over and over since last Friday.  While having to go through this at work, I don't get to see my family much.  Could you even imagine leaving for work a little after 6am knowing that you won't be getting home until the kids are in bed?  When I did laundry this week I came across clothes that I didn't remember my kids wearing and realized I only got to see them on Saturday for about 5 or 10 minutes before they went to bed and that was only because I called John on my way home from work and asked him to wait until I got home to send them to bed.  I have been considering dropping out of school because it is the only thing that I can think off that I can give up.  I can't quit my job.  I haven't found a new one yet, and we can't just live on one income (we tried.  it didn't work), plus I am the one who carried the health and dental insurance (this is the first time in our marriage we have had dental insurance, and Sean makes sure that we use it).  I am so overwhelmed that I don't even know what to do with myself.  John has been more helpful since I told him, and I am grateful for that.  He is doing his best to help fill in where I can't.  I just wish I could do it all, and it is breaking me apart that I can't.

Preschool Licence

Full Name: Noel Kaitlyn Crumpley  Birth date: November 22, 2005  Likes to be called: Noel  Some favorite things: painting fingernails, babies, chicken nuggets  Wants to learn: how to write her name, how to read, how to cook

John helped Noel fill this out the first week of school.  She brought it home a few weeks later.  (I know.  I really need to work on getting these things scanned in faster.)  I love how she had him write that she wants to learn how to cook in preschool!

Sean's Work

 Sean wrote the first story in Kindergarten.  (Yes, it has been sitting on my desk to be scanned for that long.  Why do you ask?)  The other one he brought home today (in first grade.)

"Ounce upon a tome ther was a jedi named Sean. He was the yungist and goodist jedi ever! One day he went to Fite butt hed.  And just as the battle began Sean ct butt hedd into pesis.  The End"

"I would like to have puppy and scatbord because the bupy is cute and the sc8tbord is fun." (fun was on the back of the paper so it wasn't scanned in.)

A puppy on a skateboard.

I Made It

Noel loves to wear dresses and skirts.  The problem is that the ones she has are seeming to get smaller.  I saw online an idea for making skirts out of old jeans.  I thought to myself, "I have some old jeans that the boys used up and grew out of.  I can do that for Noel!"  Then I made her a skirt in a very short (for me) amount of time.

It is a bit long, but she loves it!

Noel's New Friend

In the past Noel's friends have been girls a lot older than her.  For a long time Sarah was her best friend.  That was fun, but she is 3 times older than my sweet girl.  In the past year or so Adriana, our neighbor, has been the main girl she plays with.  Again, not a problem, but Adriana is 16.  That is quite a bit older than my 4 year old.  There is now a little girl that is watched by her grandma a few doors down.  Avery is in preschool just like Noel.  Noel loves going over there, and I love knowing that she is safe and having fun!  The boys have had a few friends that they can go play with for most of the time we have lived here.  Now, Noel has a friend, too!

Mr. Clean vs. EverydayLiving

Upon my Sean's request, I bought some Mr.Clean Magic Erasers about 6 months ago (he gets sucked into commercials the way my mom did).  I was very impressed with them and was sad when they got all used up.  The next time I went to the store I got some EverydayLiving Erase Its.  I forgot that I even had them while cleaning until yesterday when I happened to be taking out the trash and cleaning at about the same time (they were next to the trash bags under the sink).  I decided to get one out to assist with cleaning my difficult shower, as task that he Magic Eraser was more than happy to help out with.  I was greatly disappointed.  It didn't have any cleaning product in the thing like the Magic Eraser.  It was just a foamy thing that wasn't much better then a regular sponge.  Sometimes the generic version of a product is just as good, but I guess that is not true in this case.

My Baby Goes to School

Monday was Noel's first day of school.  Unlike the boys, she gets to enjoys preschool (mostly becuase I have to work now).  John took her to not only her first day of school, but her first day of daycare, too.  She was so excited!  I got the joys of her telling me about the other kids in her class and the snacks that she ate and the things that she did.  John was wonderful enough to take pictures before taking her.

Another exiting thing...Noel's hair is finally long enough for a ponytail again!

First Day Of School

I can't believe how fast time has flown by! Is it even possible that I have a third grader and a first grader?

Is it possible that my little girl will be starting preschool next week?

(I don't think my kids know how to have pictures taken without making goofy faces)