IT'S A DAY IN THE LIFE

3 months?!?

2009-06-22T21:32:00.003-05:00

Wow how time flies. I haven't blogged in 3 months! Well tons has been going on here. In March My sister had a baby boy named jonah. He passed away and we had a funeral. It was an extremely hard time for her and the rest of the Family. She was amazingly strong, and I am not sure I would if i were in her shoes. On to better news....The boys had their field trips to the zoo for school, and a fun water day for the last day. Wil graduated from OSD! On to Big Boy school. Then Curt and I celebrated 8 years of marriage! It was a great day. I got a new wedding band!On May 24th, Jack was Baptized. He was so cute in his little suit. Then on to the great Tanksley boys birthday bash! This year we did a cowboy theme! We had a moon-bounce,a cute cake, and hot dogs. Each kid got their own stick horse,badge, and bandana. It was a really good time. The boys got a painted turtle from Mo and Poppy. His name is Tortue. That's french for turtle! We had about 30 people in attendance. Now as June has approached. We have re-done the kitchen! It looks amazing. Curt did a phenomenal job. We have been a busy brue since summer has began. Next adventure? Taryn heads off to Vegas for a genetics seminar,and Curt will be here alone with the kids for 5 days. whew! We'll see how that one goes. He will be well prepared. I will stock the fridge, leave notes, and have all the sitters lined up! I hope he survives and doesn't hate me when it's all over! I'll post more when i get back. here are a few pics from the above events!

It's spring break!!!

2009-03-18T09:14:00.003-05:00

It is the 2nd day of spring break. I have not completed my list of tasks to get completed, but I'm working on it. I am a habitual list maker! My husband dislikes my list. I'm a goal oriented person, and I absolutely love to mark things off my lists. Despite his dislike, they help him too! We have been spending a lot of my time outside with the boys! The weather has been fabulous. We have played out back,gone to the Zoo, did some gardening, Helped dad with some lights, and gotten completely filthy! Mission accomplished! I still have tons to get done,we'll see! I'm hoping the weather holds out for my birthday tomorrow. I would love that! We had our hands full at the zoo so i didn't get any pics. But here are a couple of pics from the Park! Here's my partial list for spring break.

To Do:
Wash car/✔clean out
Order Ally's shower cake
Order cake for boys birthday bash
✔Pay bills
✔Weed and feed the yard
catch up on house duties
✔Write poem for shower invites
organize the garage
✔Get jack a big boy seat
✔Make cookies
get estimates for replacing fence
✔enjoy free time with my boys

On a better note..

2009-02-24T15:14:00.002-06:00

Blog love
Stole this from Christina's blog!

one thing i won't let my husband buy me:
another animal

one thing i would love to have, but i probably will never have:
the body had in jr high about a size 6-8

one thing you will never find in my closet:
Spandex

one thing i would choose if i were to have elective surgery:
lasik, gastric lapband

one thing i love about my face:
my smile

one thing that i love to do:
throw parties

one thing that i would change if i could:
there's more than one...end the wars!

one thing i would change as a mom:
be more patient

one thing i would do if i had unlimited money:
have financial security

one thing that i will not do again:
Have another child

one thing i would like to do:
go on another mission trip

one thing i could without:
Guilt

one thing i love to smell:
baby wash on a new baby

one thing i would do if i won the lottery:
tithe

one thing that infuriates me:
unneeded drama!

one thing i love about the winter:
cuddling with Curt and the boys and watching movies

one thing i am addicted to:
Starbucks

one thing i pray for:
inner peace

one thing i wish i had:
more patience

one thing i would do again, regardless of the pain:
My kiddos

one thing that i absolutely hate to do:
Laundry

one thing that is weird about me:
My thyroid gland doesn't work at all....it hasn't since I was 8

one thing that i need help on:
letting go of things.

one thing i find most relaxing:
sitting in the hot tub

one thing that could get me into trouble:
Shopping

one thing that annoys me:
People who are only out for themselves

one thing i dread, therefore i do not do very often:
giving the dogs a bath!

one thing that i have learned, but still sometimes forget:
God never gives you more than you can handle

RANTING

2009-02-24T14:35:00.003-06:00

Ya know what makes my blood boil?? People who use other people! It is VERY hot topic with me. In the last few weeks, I have had more than one instance of this. I absolutely hate, when people think it's okay to manipulate others to do things for them that they are perfectly able to do for themselves. In my opinion these people need to seek professional help. It's a sickness. If you spend more than you make.... make a change in your life,give up some luxuries. Don't expect someone else to save you! If you took on a project, and now you can't handle it! Let it go, so that someone else can conquer it. They can probably give it more time than you can. That way it can succeed. Don't just act like all is great and it's all fine! If you can't take 3 minutes to e-mail someone back about any given item. Don't tell them when you see them a month later that you got their e-mail and wonder if they could get you to do__________.It's just rude. If you can't email me back, can't call, or respond to me in a timely manner, then don't bother I've listed you as unreliable in my book. Last but not least. If you ask me for help, and I spend my time helping you out and then when your finished you throw me aside and never speak to me again, well shit on you too. I've learned my lesson...And will not be going out of my way for you again. The bad thing about that is, you've ruined it for the next person who needs help with the same item. I dislike Liars, procrastination,manipulation,unreliability,and the people who inhibit these within. God gave you what you need to survive. You have to make it into something that you becomes "you" as a person. If you read this and it doesn't spark something in you, then I am probably not speaking about you....Those of you who have feeling on this topic please feel free to let me know. At this point I am taking care of my monthly RANT, so that I can let it go!! So that next month the same people can start it all over again!! Wow, It's amazing how it's always someone Else's fault never your own!! ughhhh!

Iced In!!!

2009-01-27T13:45:00.002-06:00

Well this is starting to get intresting. The boys and I have been stuck in the house for a couple of days now. Besides my house being totally thrashed, they are completely stir crazy. We have watched every movie in the house, have sang till my throat is raw, and have built at least 3 forts! I made homemade chicken chili last night and if I do say so myself it was awsome. I sprinkled a bit of cheese on the top, and sliced up and alvacado to top it all off....yummy! I have spent time cleaning,organizing pictures,baking cookies, and not going anywhere. Which is a little sad since Curt's Birthday is tomorrow and I have no gift!!!! I wish to point out here that I'm not a procrastinator, I just smiply cannot control both boys in a store by myself! Therefore it got put on the backburner. Well that and Curt is so difficult to buy for! I know you parents know where I'm coming from. I am getting excited out parents night out on saturday!! We haven't been out without the boys in 7 weeks now. It's starting to wear on me. I need some time away every now and again. I would like to thank all of you who prayedfor jack during his most recent surgery. It didn't phase him at all,not even the tylenol with codiene!!! Since i haven't been posted anything special since Christmas I will leave you with a couple of pics from then. I will try and be better this year about posting more regularly.

A gift from Christina!

2009-01-14T14:27:00.002-06:00

heres my meme!

Things you've already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven't done and don't want to - leave in plain font

1. started your own blog

2. slept under the stars

3. played in a band

4. visited hawaii

5. watched a meteor shower

6. given more than you can afford to charity

7. been to disneyland/world

8. climbed a mountain

9. held a praying mantis

10. sang a solo

11. bungee jumped

12. visited paris

13. watched a lightning storm at sea

14. taught yourself an art from scratch

15. adopted a child

16. had food poisoning

17. walked to the top of the statue of liberty

18. grown your own vegetables

19. seen the mona lisa in france

20. slept on an overnight train

21. had a pillow fight

22. hitch hiked

23. taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. built a snow fort

25. held a lamb

26. gone skinny dipping

27. run a marathon

28. ridden a gondola in venice

29. seen a total eclipse

30. watched a sunrise or sunset

31. hit a home run

32. been on a cruise

33. seen niagara falls in person

34. visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. seen an amish community

36. taught yourself a new language

37. had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. seen the leaning tower of pisa in person

39. gone rock climbing

40. seen michelangelo's david in person

41. sung karaoke.

42. seen old faithful geyser erupt

43. bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant

44. visited africa

45. walked on a beach by moonlight

46. been transported in an ambulance

47. had your portrait painted

48. gone deep sea fishing

49. seen the sistene chapel in person

50. been to the top of the eiffel tower in paris

51. gone scuba diving or snorkelling

52. kissed in the rain

53. played in the mud

54. gone to a drive-in theatre

55. been in a movie

56. visited the great wall of china

57. started a business

58. taken a martial arts class

59. visited russia

60. served at a soup kitchen

61. sold girl scout cookies.

62. gone whale watching

63. gotten flowers for no reason

64. donated blood

65. gone sky diving

66. visited a nazi concentration camp

67. bounced a cheque

68. flown in a helicopter

69. saved a favorite childhood toy

70. visited the lincoln memorial

71. eaten caviar

72. pieced a quilt

73. stood in times square

74. toured the everglades

75. been fired from a job -

76. seen the changing of the guard in london

77. broken a bone

78. been on a speeding motorcycle

79. seen the grand canyon in person

80. published a book

81. visited the vatican

82. bought a brand new car

83. walked in jerusalem

84. had your picture in the newspaper

85. read the entire bible

86. visited the white house - but only the outside

87. killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. had chickenpox

89. saved someone’s life

90. sat on a jury

91. met someone famous

92. joined a book club

93. lost a loved one

94. had a baby

95. seen the alamo in person.

96. swum in the great salt lake.

97. been involved in a law suit

98. owned a cell phone

99. been stung by a bee

A Fellow Blogger....

2009-01-11T18:25:00.002-06:00

Kristin, who is the brains and talent behind Reclaiming the Home, has moved her new blog... Go check out the new blog site at Reclaiming the Home Blog and leave her a comment. She has a give-a-way going until Sunday night to win either a piece of her own handmade jewelry or 2 gift cards to Starbucks at $5 each! Check her out. It's a great blog!

The spirit

2008-12-18T22:56:00.002-06:00

I just love those people who have no reservations about decorating thier house for Christmas. I always want mine to match and have some kind of theme. Not everyone is like that. Some just link whatever lights they have, from whatever year they were popular, and call it decorated. I LOVE these houses even though I could never do this to mine. I don't want to be known as the crazy Christmas light lady on our block. I'm already known for making my husband do crazy things to get my light up each year. That's enough of a label for me! As Curt and I were driving the other night We passed this house. It was amazing. Every inch was decorated. Music was playing. I just had to snap a few for your pleasure.

Overdrive!

2008-12-09T21:28:00.002-06:00

December is flying by as fast as November did! Christmas is approching in just days and I am still in panic mode! When does the craziness end? Curt and I have been doing some work on the house, I love changing things up abit. Curt probably despises it! We painted the living room,bathroom, and living room floor! I made Curt stand on a 28 ft ladder, in the bed of his truck to put my christmas lights up,because the ladder was too short. I have to say though our lights look great! He came close to falling a couple of times. On the flip side ALL of us caught some god awful virus. I got the short end of the straw this time, and got it worse them all the boys put together. It was amazing I survived!!! I dehydrated myself so much that I had a headache, and crazy leg cramps! Curt was very good to me while I was sick. Wil went to see his specialist todayand she was amazing. She had so much helpful information, It was amazing. We'll see her again in a few months. he boys will be visting the SIGNING SANTA tomorrow. I'll be sure to post a pic! Until then Happy Holidays to you and yours!

And the list goes on!!!

2008-11-19T14:57:00.002-06:00

So do you ever feel like the Christmas list is just sometimes OUT OF CONTROL!!! My list just keeps growing. We might have to start cutting back on Christmas! Isn't that so sad!! I have a budget I have to stick to, That's why i start buying in January! I mean who can you actually get away with leaving off the list? I mean i may be the only one, but i don't buy for the people like my hairdresser, the mailman,or everysingle neighbor on the block. I do however buy for close neighbors,therapist,teachers,close friends,and family. It's not so bad with my fam, but Curt's fam is huge, who do you leave out. You can't buy for one cousin, and not the others. I may have to turn into a baker for a few days and make some homemade goodies! Breads,candies,cookies,pies,cakes,brownies,or maybe even some of my grandmas old stand-bys! That might be good for a bunch of people on my list!! Man I am a Genius! On another note.....I cannot wait for Thanksgiving. My dad makes the best pies!Apple,pumpkin,cherry,pecan.WOW! My mom's braised turkey breast is the ultimate, and my sweet tater mash....well it rocks!! I do feel this year though I need to do more than just my normal family things. Maybe I'll try to sign up for mobile meals that morning, or volunteer to work at the food pantry, or better yet cook for someone I don't even know!! I am so gonna do something! I'll figure it out! I am working on my operation Christmas boxes, and will be donating a couple of Toys to the box at church for foster children! I just think that God is calling me to do a bit more this season than I normally do. Maybe I can get my family in on some of the action. We'll see a 3 and 5 year old may hinder rather than help. I will be cleaning out the boys toys as I always do in May and December, and donating things they do play with anymore. To make way for the new ones! This season is going to be different this year in the Tanksley house. That's my goal, less greed,less spoiling, and more sharing. That my leave one or two of my kids in a tiff, but Eventually they'll learn. I have always been a giver not a reciever! That's one part of me I want my kids to be more like. I think next year I am going to get a bit more creative on this gift situation.....What do you think? Please go vote on my kid holiday poll.

MAKE THE WORLD STOP,I WANT OFF!!!

2008-11-17T20:50:00.002-06:00

Things tend to get so crazy around the holiday. I think my weekends are booked clear through the New Year. Thursday will be our last sign class until January, so that helps a bit. There are still gifts to be bought, wrapped and labeled. I have the crazy holiday feasts with the families. The wonderful daddy/daughter annual movie day(Ally,dad,and I have been going since forever!),parents night,tons of christmas parties(including one of our own),I'll be hosting a jewlery party,Austin's wrestling, and the list never ends!!! Have you ever just wanted to stop the earth from spinning and get off the ride. It's like that ever so famous tilt-a-whirl. With all the loud crazy music and all! I am here to say that as families grow it gets more and more intresting! We do however get some of the best pics, and memories from these times. There are a few positives to all this madness. I love watching people open the gifts I have bought them.... I love finding the perfect item for the perfect person....I love that it gets dark early to fool the kids into going to bed early!!! There's so much to be thankful for that even that is a whirlwind! Well as the Tanksley household madness increases, I ask for God's little sanity pill, to help me sleep at night. You know he's got one!!! In closing here's a Pic from last years christmas morning...PJ's and all!

What's next?

2008-11-04T07:23:00.003-06:00

The boys looked great for Halloween! Mario and Luigi were a big hit at UCO. We went trick or treating twice! Once with the preschool around the buildings at UCO, and then Halloween night with Emily and her kiddos. We have the equivalent to one ton of candy in our household right now! Our family also attended the annual CODHI spaghetti dinner and carnival. The kids had a blast, playing games, seeing the clowns, and getting spaghetti all over them. Our family had a bit of a scare this week as well, my g-pa ended up in the Hospital. They thought he had a heart attack, but it was just a bad round of bronchitis, mixed with taking sudafed. NEVER take sudafed, it is extremely dangerous! He was in good spirits about the whole thing. His responds was "that's the most expensive cold I've ever had!" HAHA! Funny guy! Now that Halloween is over Thanksgiving is fast approaching. It's amazing how fast this year has gone. I do feel the need to inform you that today is the day to vote!!! So everyone get your rears to the polls! It's going to be an interesting election. On a better note for those of you who just gotta know.....Curt and I have been dating for 13 years last Saturday November 1st!!! WOW. We will be married 8 in May. Aren't you all amazed!

Mom is 50!!

2008-10-21T22:48:00.002-05:00

So my mom turned 50 on the 14th! I am so excited!! There are only a few times in our lives that we get to share special moments with our moms. This was one of those for me. The other one was when I was 20 and she was 40 we got tats together. So here it is 10 years later she's 50 and I'm 30 wonder what wild thing we'll do this year! We had a small intimate gathering at MImi's Cafe. She was so in her Zone....She was smiling from ear to ear. I love it when she's like that. The only other time she's like that is with my boys! We had an amazing night of food,fun,presents,cake, and close friends. Our waiter was fabulous. We never needed a thing. He was amazing with such a large group. My mom chatted her heart out, and laughed her butt off. It was great! So I'll leave you wuth a few pics of the great night!!

I thought I was beyond high school,

2008-10-12T22:53:00.005-05:00

Evidently not. I am still to this day amazed at how much gossip there truly is. I have been wrapped up in yet another one of those whirlwinds that I thought I left behind at graduation. I irritates me to no end when people cause unneeded drama. As many of you who know me, truly know me, I am a bit OCD when it comes to things other than my house(it's never as clean as i would like it to be.) If my name is attached to things I want not only for them to flourish, but to go over and beyond expectations. I've been this way since junior high. When I danced, it had to be the best, when I was add manager for the newspaper and yearbook, it better of been the best, you need donations for CODHI, I 'll get 'em. Now I have a couple of organizations I am linked with that I really want to succeed so I am giving them my all. In doing that I may have stepped on some toes. I do apologize. When I go at something I want to give it 110%. My mom taught me that. It's the bullheadedness in my blood. I do have to declare that I have failed miserably at a few things so far this year. My sign class has not flourished as I had hoped it would, and my mom's 50th birthday party well it's not my shining moment for the year. I am hoping to end this year on a high note though with Hands and Voices taking off, the PR for the pumpkin patch getting rave reviews, and hopefully an exciting holiday season with true friends and family. Wish me LUCK!

All things Pumpkin!

2008-10-06T19:13:00.003-05:00

As many of you already know I go to Saint Matthew United Methodist Church. We have an annual pumpkin patch that is pretty well known. Our festival is this coming Saturday the 11th. Well since it was WIlson,Tanksley, Henson gathering day on sunday we worked the patch after our fabulous meal that mo and poppy made. The boys absolutely love the patch! It was 2 hours of pure bliss for them. The adults enjoyed it as well. We ate ice cream, helped people pick pumpkins, and a few of our own, and loaded them for our customers. It was nice to send time with all of us together, and help the church at the same time. I am excited to see the numbers this year. We have always done very well, and all the money goes to missions.

BEAUTIFUL!

2008-09-28T20:40:00.002-05:00

We had a great time in Colorado! It was an extremely long drive, but totally worth it. Garden of the Gods was great. We were dissappointed not to be able to eat at Molicas. They closed before we got out of class :(My parents(bless their souls) kept the boys while we were gone. Wil got sick Friday night and was sick the WHOLE weekend. They did get to see auntie ally and unc jay(as Jack would say!) We left early Sunday in order to save my mom from having an ill kiddo. Which she got mad about! BY the time we got to her house she had the bug!!! I feel so BAD!

Taking Notice

2008-09-14T12:53:00.002-05:00

I've notice a lot lately about the cyber world. People are going to unknown worlds with this stuff... I'm all about blogging, my-space,face-book,e-mails,flickr and some chats. It does however need to be done appropriately. It's been taken' to a new extreme. Some people are putting things on that could ruin their jobs, friendships,or even their lives as they know it. I am amazed that freedom of speech has gone this far. When you bash other people on the internet for all to see, that's a little harsh! In my opinion it just makes you look petty and self absorbed. Maybe that's just my take on it. I would like to know what people would do if their blogging got them fired, or kept them from being promoted, or better yet kept them from getting a job?!? I think as people we need to start taking a look at what we put out there for everyone to see and read. I sometimes think as humans we crave to much attention and communication. It hinders our ability to reason correctly. It hinders our inter-growth.
it makes us flat people instead of 3 dimensional. Again, this is merely my opinion on the subject. I am not a professional in this matter. This can not be held against me in a court of law!

It's a start

2008-09-13T10:55:00.002-05:00

We had our first sign class this week. I happen to think Curt and I did a pretty good job. We did some introductions, showed the materials we would be using, chatted a bit about our story, and met some really cool people. I am excited to seee where the class goes. We have been able to keep it free for 3 sessions now. I'm hoping to be able to do that for awhile. Chelsea is our childcare worker, and she is magnificent with the children. We are for sure gonna keep her around. The kiddos worked on the letter "A" and its sign this week and colored sheets, and played with all the new things in the" Talking Hands" bin. Curt and i have a few upcoming events. We wil be working the Hands and voices table at the state fair for "Deaf Awarness Day" on September 18th, We will be traveling to Chickasha to the Muscle Ranch car show to promote Hands and Voices as well as check out the cool cars, on the 23rd we will be doing a signing parent group/storytime in Lawton,Oklahoma and on the 26th we will be traveling to Colorado Springs for a SEE sign weekend seminar. It's going to be a busy yet exciting month in the Tanksley house. I would also like to take this time to tahnk all of you who came to the class this week, and we look forward to seeing you alll next week for a fun round of signing bingo.

PHOTO FRIDAY!!!

2008-09-05T12:37:00.006-05:00

wish upon a star....

2008-08-30T17:38:00.003-05:00

This week we have been faced with strep, tantrums(notice the "S"),fevers,and demands that are beyond our control. Toddlers are so hard! When you first get married kids sound like such a fabulous idea. Not that I don't love mine dearly, because I do! My point is, do we really know what we are getting in to? There should be a child loaner program. You should have to take each age(birth-18) of child for a day. Then be certified to begin the process of thinking your ready to have a child. I would like to sign my children up for the loaner program, do I have any takers???? Just kidding! Wal-mart is definitely tricky with 2 kids. Matter of fact most things are. Jack is way to independent, and Wil is in his "heck with you mood!" Always a fun life in the Tanksley house. Curt does pretty well with Jacks demands until they get way out of control...then he brings in the reigns. That's the military in my husband. I have "some" patience now since I am a mom. I use to have tons more....ya know BC(before children) It's a holiday weekend, and rather than having a blast, I'm counting the days till schools back in. Wil's been home with strep since mid-week, We as parents need a break, and they as kids appreciate that. I know they do, because at night I run a tape in their room that says" you love time away from mom and dad" over and over. I'm hoping they are learning through osmosis!

Little piggy

2008-08-26T13:40:00.003-05:00

I've been doing a lot of driving lately due to the kiddos going to school in Edmond. I've enjoyed my alone time for those few hours. I have jammed to some great tunes, done a bit of shopping,ran those oh so many errands and gone tanning.I did see the cutest thing on my way back to edmond on thursday. Baby pigs!!! See all of their little noses sticking through the holes in the truck. It's adorable.Overall I have been sad to see the boys start back to school, but we have been having better days since they've started. I think it's because we get our "away from each other" time. This week they have began to eat lunch at school.....which I am sure they love. Jack thinks he's such a big boy getting to eat with the other kids. We are having a wii tournament at the house this weekend. I'm going to make homemade guacamole,enchiladas,beans, and rice. I think it should be a blast. Saturday afternoon we will be going to see "chimps in space" with Sam and Kate. The boys are excited....we'll see how long they last in the theatre.

PHOTO FRIDAY!!

2008-08-22T10:47:00.004-05:00

1.JACK USING THE POTTY!

2. JACK OUTSIDE THE AQUARIUM.

3.WIL CHILLIN

4.JACK DANCING

5.JACK GETTING WIL IN ON THE ACTION

6.JACK JAMMIN'

7.WIL ON THE WAY TO SCHOOL

8. JACK HAD TO HAVE ONE TOO

9. MY GREAT HUBBY DRIVING THE BOYS TO SCHOOL

The first day of school.

2008-08-20T15:48:00.003-05:00

We made it! We got to Edmond by 8:30 am. Both boys were dressed,hair combed,teeth brushed,ears on, and bags in hand. It was a very exciting day for them! I stayed for a bit, but not to long. They are growing to fast. Jack sang, and signed all of "Twinkle,Twinkle,Little Star." The teachers say he's "so well behaved!" I wish he were the same kid at home. He loves school though and loves to learn. Wil was a bit different. He made his rounds and said HI to everyone, and then was ready to go. He did very well in speech, and loves his teachers and GA's. He made quite a mess in the water table, and had to change clothes immediately.All in all it was a great day. Yesterday, we did it all again. It went well! Daddy came and saw them at school. Which both boys adored. Then we were of to chuckie cheese for lunch and then to OT/PT. They are doing amazing at school, and I am finally convinced we made the right choice for them this year! I'm geared up and ready to go!

When the front comes in

2008-08-17T19:39:00.002-05:00

This has been an intresting 2 weeks. Austin has been here. He and Jack fight like crazy. Man oh man, I thought I might pull my hair out. It puts a whole new spin on things, when you add more to already craziness. Ya know PT,OT, music therapy, swim lessons,birthday parties,gearing up for school, church...the list goes on. There were good moments and bad. But we all survived another summer. Thursday night as the little ones were winding down, a storm came in. I thought I might share a pic of that with you, along with what my husband was doing as it rained,lighting, and thundered. He worked on his truck....crazy guy. He never stops. Well except on this Wednsday. He was sent home from work by his cardiologist!!! He is not a compliant patient! His blood pressure was way to high and he almost fainted. He did nothing for the whole day! I was a little worried and called his doc back, because that just isn't "normal" for him. She talked to him and called in another med. By thursday he was back to "normal." We picked up our hot tub on friday, and have been enjoying it very much.The boys love it more than anyone else. The boys start school in the morning. We have to be in Edmond by 8:30.....it's gonna be tough. We'll survive. Besides that , just getting ready for the craziness to fully begin.

I'm lovin' it!

2008-08-11T13:59:00.003-05:00

I have come along many interesting people in my life. Some have made a major impact on the person I am today. As August has approached, I am always thrilled by my dad's birthday. That was until 2 years ago when his mom(my grandma) passed away on that very day. We had until that time always made huge deals out of any family members birthday. Now we do a little quaint get together, and usually not on his exact birthday. It's a hard day for him as well as the rest of the family. I tell you this just to give you a little background. I always though I knew my grandma growing up, but I don't think I truly did. After her passing, there were amazing things I found out about her. Some going through the over 20 years of clutter in her house, and some by important people in her life. I was always close with my cousins, but we could of been closer as an extended family, and less petty. On to my grandma...She was truly amazing. She was almost like 2 people. She had done more,seen more, lived more, than any other person I knew. I only got to see one side of her. She never told us of the magnificent love her and my grandpa shared(we found love letters they had written to each other.) She never told of of the wonderful friends she had, by the time I was a teen she pretty much just kept to herself, and she was generous beyond words. I always knew she was at christmas. We ALL got an amazing gift bag each year filled with our favorite things. Godiva chocolates,gift cards,your favorite snack, a piece of jewelry, and always a little bit of grandmas personal touch!(I really do miss those!)No-one was ever left out no matter if you had been in the family a day,a year, or 10 years. She was generous in tons of ways. She use to make food randomly for the people she worked for. She do almost anything for anyone. She was in a much different place in her life by the time I knew her. I look back on her life and am in awe of what a GOOD person she truly was under all of her thick skin! She never boasted or bragged,she never was more than just who she was. That means a lot to me these days. I guess now that I'm 30 I can look at those qualities and be amazed. I just didn't se them when I was younger. If I am a quarter of the person she truly was, then I can consider myself blessed. Plus now I know were all my dad's great qualities come from...I always wondered that.

Strength come in numbers....

2008-08-10T13:50:00.004-05:00

Curt and I have always been firm believers in "God never gives you more than you can handle." This has been tested many times during our relationship. I would truly have to say that the day that each of my children were born was the best day of my life...with my wedding following a very close second. We have always looked at our children as a blessing in our life(even though at times it may be disguised well.) We have seen Wil through many of triumphs they said he may never reach, and have cried over many of things that have arisen with him. This last diagnosis is one of those. I feel that I am a STRONG person,mother,wife,etc... I also feel that God, Curt and I as a team have climbed over mountains that are by far amazing to get over. I being a stay at home mom have had the pleasure of watching my children grow. We have supported them in any way we could. Both of my boys were diagnosed early with their hearing loss, and were aided by 4 months of age. We have seen them through sooner-start, many of therapies, tons of school hours, and many of doctor appt. We as parents spend more hours with our child than any professional. Therefore it is with my whole heart that I say. Some professionals know what they are doing, and some haven't a clue. Some have the best interest of the child in mind, and some don't. Some talk the talk, but don't walk the walk. Some open their mouth before thinking about what they are truly saying. This is not an attack on professionals all together, just some. I can ultimately say that we have been blessed with some of they most brilliant people in their field with my children. Especially Wil! Without all of his amazing therapist,doctors,nurses,friends, and family. I'm for sure he would not be where he is today. Our feelings have not changed at all throughout Wil's life.We as his parents are his strongest advocate. We will always fight for what we believe will benefit him the most. We spend almost 24/7 with him, and no-one can explain him or teach him more than we can. No matter what your training, how many seminars you have been to, or where you work. We will always take or leave your RECOMMENDATIONS at the door,depending on how we as parents feel about them. We all need positives in our lives, and we as parents of a disabled child need those a bit more than others. If you have a OPINION about how we handle things for our children, It's just that an OPINION. As a professional feel free to tell us, and as one of his parents I will trust my gut instinct till the end! That means no matter who,what, when, where, why, or how.

The Aquarium

2008-08-08T15:38:00.003-05:00

We just returned from the Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks. We had a great time. The boys enjoyed everything there. The sharks were totally amazing, and the boys loved petting the stingrays. I saw the most gigantic hermit crab!!! There were eels,catfish,seahorses,sharks,stingrays,clown fish, and the biggest turtle I have ever seen. Along with tons of other wonderful sea creatures. We had a great time and enjoyed spending time together as a family. I am amazed at all the life under the sea. It is truly beautiful, and another one of Gods glorious creations.

What A Week....

2008-07-30T13:57:00.002-05:00

I' m going to have to say that I have been a little disengaged this week......We have a lot going on and I have been dealing with a few loose ends and ruffled feathers. The boys are ready to start school, and all the extra cirriculars are set up. I'm thinking about letting Jack join a gymnastics class though in the fall. We are going "school clothes shopping" with Mo tomorrow. We are all counting down the 19 days till school is in session. The boys seem to enjoy their time away as much as I do. Curt lost his phone on Saturday, and has been in panic mode ever since. Everyday he comes home and frantically searches the entire house and cars. I don't think that it's going to magically appear, but he's torn my house apart 3 times now! My car was already a mess, but now all my trash is unorganized. The boys couldn't even get in with the seats being all cock-eyed. It's been less than thrilling. We did however develope 10 rolls of film we found. It was great to look back and see all the good times and memories. There was even one roll from before Wil was even a blink in our eye! Talk about old. I am amazed at how different the boys are. It was fun to look at. Well I'm off back to the nitty gritty. I'll blog more after our meeting on sat, followed by parents night(day) out!

What a big boy!

2008-07-26T16:11:00.002-05:00

Jack got a big boy bike for his birthday. It was a gift from his mo and poppy. He wasn't quite tall enough to get on it, so I figured he'd wait awhile. NO WAY! At first he wasn't sure how to peddle, but he soon figured out how hard to push and he was off. That is until he decided to peddle backwards. Which this bike is not equipped with. It came to an immediate stop and threw him..... Before you freak out..... He wasn't hurt he just stayed off the bike for a bit them climbed right back on. It was hella funny though. Almost as funny as him running in to the side of the fridge that time!!!!lol....Well now he's got it down pat. He'll run ya over if your not careful. He gets goin pretty fast. Man they grow up fast. Here he is on his BIG bike.

BREAKING THE RULES...

2008-07-23T14:14:00.003-05:00

Let me just lay this out there first! I HATE LAUNDRY! Being a stay at home mom I tend to do alot of it. So to curb my frustration of the never ending laundry cycle, I made a rule in the house that "if you pull a load of laundry out of the dryer, you are to fold and put it away. Then switch the remaining laundry around." My family (minus the 2 little ones) has found many ways around this...Austin will put his laundry in the washer and then never switch it. He then leaves to go home, and doesn't take his clothes with him. Therfore he never had to take the time to fold and or put any of it away. Meaning he has time to do those things that he deems important in his life....Curt is about 50/50 on the idea. He'll fold,put up, and switch if he doesn't have anything else to do or if company is coming. Otherwise he leaves them and washes a load of the things he needs. Scrubs,socks, man panties, or something he wants for the next day. Needless to say I still do most of the laundry(with jack and wil's assistance.)Most of the time I get up in the morning, or return from somewhere to find this. ⇑

Then I fold and wait for about 30 minutes to see if anyone steps in to put away. They never do!

I'm thinking I might go on strike for the weekend....I am going to put up a poll for ya'll to vote on it.

Crooks!

2008-07-22T09:54:00.003-05:00

So Curt and I have done a lot of work on the house ourselves. When it comes to roofing though,we're a little hesitant. So we called a few people for some estimates. These two guys came out yesterday, and man oh man! His first mistake was that he told curt his new siding had hail damage! When curt told him that wasn't even there then he moved on to tell us that our roof, vents,gutters,and turbines all need replaced and upgraded. I looked at the insurance claim , and they didn't include some of that in our claim. The guy asked if we had full replacement cost. To which I replied "of course." He asked to look at our claim and Curt said fine.....He then proceeded to tell us that is not what we had, and we needed a re-inspection and should update our insurance. Curt freaked, cause he usually doesn't handle the insurance stuff I do. I was very sure of what I had signed up for so we came in immediately and called usaa. I was correct and this loser roofer guy was a crack pot. He had no idea what he was talking about.We Have total replacement value(no depreciation) They are sending an adjuster over to check out our vents and gutters, but I really feel like this guy is a crook trying to take advantage of people for what they don't know! What if we had not called usaa? Would we of thrown away money to some guy who has no idea what the heck he's doing? That is definately a very scary thought! They are only in it for how much they can get out of ya! I can surely say we will not be using their company! He was so intense on starting on our roof this week, and said we could check his refrences, yet gave us none! BE AWARE VERY AWARE!!

Go Away!

2008-07-18T12:03:00.002-05:00

It's been a long week here in the Tanksley house. The boys were sick for 2 days. Curt and I have been working our tails off to finish up some tasks around the house for the appraisal and land survey. Who knew there were actually 24 working hours in a day!?!

We laid a new floor in the upstairs bathroom,painted, changed all the door knobs to match, put on the new shutters, and hung 3 out of 6 new doors! That doesn't even include all the cleaning we did! WOW. Then the stupid guy doesn't show up to the 1st appointment, and is 2 hours late to the 2nd one we scheduled!! I just about lost it with him. Wil went for his testing this morning. We get the results on the 28th. Jack is still gone hanging out with his "Mo." I'm sure he's loving the childrens museum! We had a blast with the sign class last night bowling. Christine is a great bowler!!! Congrats to all who scored higher than me!!! I hope all of them enjoyed it as much as Curt and I. The gay guy who worked at the concession stand hit on my husband. It was hilarious! I forgot my camera so we don't have any pics. I can truely say this class is made up of some great friends! Also thanks to Sam for bringing Teri. I hope she will return in the fall. The boys are going to their 1st swim lesson tomorrow!!! That will be exciting! I just can't wait!!!

uggghhhh...

2008-07-15T09:08:00.002-05:00

I woke up to vomit this morning!It was a great start to the day. Both of the boys started in the wee hours of the morning.Curt cleaned up the first few. He's is so good to me. I had to reschedule 4 appointments for the day, and try to baby Jack because he doesn't feel well. I also want to take this time to apologize to those of you reading the blog. I was informed by my mom and pops that typing in CAPS means your yelling at people!!! So Sorry!! I won't be doing that anymore. I have finally finished all of the arrangements for our "Talking Hands" night out!! We are going silent bowling! It's going to be a blast. I'll make sure to take some pics. As always in my house we a as busy as bees. Wil is having pychological testing on friday. Please pray that the tests give us some enlightment in to Wil's world! He's made some signifcant improvements since he started his seizure med! He will actually set through a whole book, and is imitating quite a bit more. While we are doing that Jack is going to be having his first Mo and Poppie sleepover. Mo will be taking him to the Jasmine Moran Childrens Museum on Friday, then to lunch, and something about a fish! He won't miss us at all. Until next time here's pics of the snoozing boys!

MAKING PROGRESS!

2008-07-13T19:41:00.003-05:00

WE BOUGHT OUR HOUSE IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR. WE LOVED IT MINUS A FEW THINGS(LIKE THE PINK TUB AND TOILET!) THEN WE GOT STARTED MAKING IT OURS, AND NOW I JUST DON'T THINK WE CAN STOP OURSELVES. THERE IS ALWAYS A NEW ADDITION TO OUR IMPROVEMENT LIST. POOR CURT HAS A HONEY DO A MILE LONG. I THINK HE SECRETIVLY LIKES IT THAT WAY. WE'VE PAINTED,RIPPED OUT CARPET,POLISHED THE HARDWOOD WE FOUND UNDER THE CARPET,NEW STEEL DOORS,NEW WINDOWS,ALL NEW LIGHT SWITCHES AND PLUGS,NEW OUTDOOR CARRIAGE LIGHTS AND ENTRY LIGHT,NEW VINYL FENCING AND A LITTLE LANDSCAPING. STILL TO COME A NEW BATHROOM TOP TO BOTTOM,NEW SHUTTERS, A NEW LEAD GLASS FRONT DOOR,A NEW BALCONY DECK, FRENCH DOORS TO THE DECK, SOD, FINISH REPLACING THE INSIDE DOORS WITH 6 PANEL DOORS, NEW FLOORING IN THE LIVING AREA, A NEW ROOF, AND GUTTERING. CURT HAS EVEN DRAWN UP PLANS TO REDO THE ENTIRE KITCHEN! HE'S QUITE HANDY, I THINK I MIGHT KEEP HIM AROUND. OUR NEIGHBORS KEEP COMING OVER AND MAKING COMMENTS! WE LOVE THEM DEARLY. I THINK THEY ARE A BIT AMAZED. SO IN ORDER TO LET YOU SEE OUR PROGRESS I AM GOING TO POST A FEW PIC'S AS WE GO. I COULDN'T FIND A FULL BEFORE PIC SO THIS WILL HAVE TO DO!

FRIDAY

2008-07-11T11:39:00.002-05:00

SO IT'S AN AUSTIN FRIDAY! THAT'S WHAT I CALL IT WHEN IT'S OUR WEEKEND TO HAVE HIM! HE'S BEEN AT THE LAKE ALL WEEK SO HE SHOULD HAVE SOME INTRESTING STORIES TO SHARE. WE HEAR ALL KINDS OF THINGS OUT OF HIM SINCE HE HIT THE 13 MARKER. IT'S AMAZING HOW MUCH THEY CHANGE. I'VE BEEN IN HIS LIFE SINCE RIGHT BEFORE HIS 1ST BIRTHDAY. I AM EXCITED TO SEE THE KIND OF PERSON HE'LL BECOME. IF HE'S ANYTHING LIKE HIS DAD THEN WE CAN COUNT OURSELVES EXTREMELY LUCKY. THE BOYS LOVE IT WHEN "AUSIN" COMES. HERE'S A LOOK AT HIS NEWEST STYLE!!! SUCH A CRAZY KID....

FIRST BLOG

2008-07-08T09:14:00.000-05:00

WELL I GUESS I'VE JUMPED ON THE BAND WAGON! LIFE IS ALWAYS PURE CRAZINESS IN THE TANKSLEY HOUSEHOLD. WE ARE STILL DEALING WITH ALL HE SCHOOL ISSUES EVEN THOUGH IT'S SUMMER. CURT AND I ARE COUNTING THE DAYS TILL COLORADO SPRINGS. WE ARE ATTENDING A SEE SIGN SEMINAR! THE FREE SIGN CLASS IS GOING WELL. I ENJOY LEARNING NEW SIGNS AND CHATTING WITH GREAT FRIENDS.THE BOYS ARE ENJOYING THEIR SUMMER. DESPITE DAYS FULL OF OT,PT,MUSIC THERAPY,SPEECH,SWIM LESSONS,HORSEBACKRIDING,AND MOM'S ERRANDS! THEY ARE LOVING THE SUNSHINE, AND OF COURSE THE WATER!AUSTIN JUST RETURNED