Summer 2017

I had started a good thing. I was wanting to post at least 3 times a week. lol Then I lost my computer charger!!! I had to wait until I could order a new one, and what do you know, the very first day I had the new one, I found the old one!

I really would like to post about a few things that have happened this summer. We really have had a lot of fun. So I guess that I will try to catch us up here and try to move forward with my weekly plan, and hopefully, nothing else will get lost!!

The little stinker loved his
 gifts

JUNE 9TH > James turns 3!

I checked out a dinosaur cake
pan from our local library
and made his cake this year!

We had a little family get together for his special day. I had been to the library a few days before with Layla and I found a cake pan in the shape of a dinosaur.
It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. It was a Wilton cake pan and the instructions were included. It also came with a recipe for buttercream frosting which is now my go-to frosting recipe. 😃  Jonathan helped me with piping, something we both had never done before. The instructions came with precise details on how to do all the eyes, teeth and shadowing. It ended up being a lot of fun.
Mee-maw, Pawpaw, Uncle Matt, Aunt Dianne, Riley, and Dianne's sister came to help us celebrate. He received an awesome "Lightning McQueen" car that he could build and rebuild easily. He loves it and even still plays with it! He also received a school bus toy from the new Cars 3 movie. As you may have guessed, buses are a pretty popular gift around the Mathis Bunch. 😆
We almost always cook the birthday person's favorite dinner on "their" night. We had asked James several times about what he would like. He always mentioned hot dogs, so we ended up grilling hot dogs and burgers.
After dinner, cake, and gifts, Meemaw convinced Pawpaw to take the kids home for the night. They were all excited about being able to spend the night, and Jonathan and I were happy for a night off. It ended up being a pretty nice day.



JULY 11-13 > VBS at Faith Baptist Church

 The kids had a wonderful time at VBS this year. But then again, they always do. This year Jonathan and I helped with James' group. My anxiety was extremely high, and I was grateful that my husband stuck around and helped me stay social. And whenever I just couldn't, he stepped in for me. I love him so.
The theme at VBS this year was Galatic Starveyors, which I adored. They learned songs that we still sing around the house such as "God is over the Moon" and "Sin Messed Everything Up". The crafts didn't last very long, lol, but there were some very cute masterpieces made that week.


JUNE 16 > Selmer Splash Pad

The Selmer Splash Pad is a small, but fun location to go cool off. Its kind of hidden away, but it is near the Prime Care location there in Selmer. It is free fun, which is what we are all about.

It was overcast on the day that we went, and actually started raining towards the end. It is timed, which I could appreciate. It would shut down if they stayed away from a certain area too long. It also cut the water off if the children tried to shoot outside the water area. So no squirting the parents! Genius!! lol


JUNE 19 > Campfire & Marshmallows

 This night we went and bought these "humongous" campfire marshmallows. That sounded like a really cool idea at first. I could just see us feasting on the roasted fluff and having the time of our lives. The only this was that they were really too big. No one could finish more than 2 before we were tired of the mallow! lol Then the kids started sticking it everywhere. James and Savannah both to have baths as soon as we were done. The dogs had the fluff in their fur, it was on our clothes, on the bench, just everywhere! But it was a lot of fun, and a beautiful night!


JUNE 28 & 29 > Our first adventures at Mousetail Landing State Park

I worked really hard for a good picture. I promise!!

 If you are local and have never made the trek to Mousetail Landing State Park, the Mathis Bunch highly recommends it! Jonathan has been wanting to see waterfalls all summer long. The only problem is that they are all at least 3 hours away. We have to end up camping wherever we went, and that takes more preparation than we sometimes have time for. But we have a trip planned for the end of August, and we are looking forward to that.

My ever lasting beauty

In the meantime, we are checking out all the local places, within 2 hours or less from home. Mousetail is a hidden gem. The first time we just drove around looking at the property. We ended up grilling near their pavilion and watching the deer. The kids played on one of the playgrounds by the swimming area and we just "chilled" for the rest of the evening.

Mom, why are you taking my picture?

The next day we prepped for a day long trip out there. We took Jake and Cha Cha with us. We went creek stomping, swimming in the Tennessee River at their beach, had lunch, and played on the other playground. The kids and dogs had such a great time. They still ask to go back, and we plan on it, soon.

She's got that magic sparkle

JUNE 30 > Layla turns 11

It was a busy day on her birthday. We had tons of things to do. Se couldn't decide on what exactly she wanted for dinner, or for her cake. Eventually, she settled on chocolate cake with caramel frosting, ribs, corn on the cob and homemade mac n cheese. She got tons of money from family so we took her shopping. Our gift to her was getting her ears pierced. When did they get so expensive? Over $70 at Claire's. I was shocked!
She didn't have any company over because they all ended up sick at the same time. But she still had a good time. She will be baptized soon, and I am so very proud of the little woman she is becoming.





 So now we are pretty much caught up. Two other things are that I started my custodian position with the school board and my first discovery hearing was on the 13th. I'm so grateful for my new full-time position, which equals more pay and benefits, but also the opportunity to serve and do something other than sit around and worry. The hearing was nothing much, we just asked for another date to hear more evidence. The DA is having a hard time proving that the accident was intentional, which it wasn't, of course. And my attorney seems confident that I will not face jail time because of that. God is protecting his child, I know that for sure.

Potty Training Victory!

His sticker says YES!! :)

For some bizarre reason, James woke up this morning, strolled into the bathroom, and peed in the toilet! I was shocked! I praised him and thanked him, and even stickered him!!
We have had such a hard time training this little bugger. He has just outright refused to even try most days. Then we'd have days where we would go, go, go to the potty and sit without fruition, and then as soon as he gets up, he would pee in the underwear.
All the rest of the kids reached a point where it just kind of "clicked" for them with their milestones, and I'm hoping we are close to that point with James. Oh, I hope! haha

I don't think we have many plans for the weekend. We have some flower beds that need work, some bugs that need killing in the yard. I hope we can find some time to hike a bit as well, as we all enjoy getting close to nature. We've just been putting it off. What are your plans for the weekend?

Library Day with the Kids

Today we went to story time at our local library. Our librarian is a fantastic woman who encourages strong readers, and it's always so much fun to hear her read them stories. James, Vannah, and I listened while Layla and Mare-Mare scoured the shelves for new editions to take home.
I surprised Layla with her own library card today. She was very excited, and I'm happy for her. She is currently reading through the "Seekers" series, so she checked 3 of those out with her new card.
Now we are back home playing and resting quietly after lunch.

My Unfortunate Bus Accident

On November 18, 2016, I was involved in a bus accident. Because there is a state case pending, I will not go into detail about the accident. What I will discuss, however, are my feelings surrounding it. Terrifying is the only word that seems adequate to me. I had an accident. Nothing was intentional about what happened. But I am terrified about what could happen now. This accident made national news. I find it devastating that CBS and other newsrooms, some from as far away as California, would be messaging me and calling me.

Several young people - some that I have known for quite a while and who I enjoyed being around - were injured in the accident. I am so concerned about them and their future, in addition to my own. What will happen if I am removed from my home? My children will grow up without a mother. My children will be viewed differently if their mother is in prison. What if this affects them psychologically? This also terrifies me.

What if I can never drive a bus again? Has all the trust I have worked hard to earn been shattered? I am passionate about being a bus driver. I truly enjoy it. I enjoy driving and talking with my students. It terrifies me to think that my students may no longer want me to drive them.

I am a Type A personality who likes to follow the rules. You tell me what to do and that's what I'll do. So I'm terrified that people think that I intentionally broke all kinds of rules to make this happen. That is not something I am capable of doing. I don't want people to even think that.

My family will most likely go into debt just trying to help me. I am terrified to think that I will never be able to pay back these debts. As a driver, I get $12k a year, pre-tax. My bond was $50k (we owed 10% or $5k to the bondsman), and a lawyer will also cost thousands more. How is a bus driver supposed to afford that? I am so thankful for the family that has reached out to help me with these costs. I am now trying to get a retainer fee together so I can hire an attorney experienced in this type of law so I can get the legal advice I need.

That's where I am now. Breaking down my pride and asking for help. If you know me at all, you should have some questions about this whole ordeal. This does not make sense to anyone who knows me. I hope that I have proven myself enough for my friends to be able to want to help.

Unfortunately, I need financial help. I'm praying that we can get enough help without having to hurt our family's financial situations even more than I already have. I'm praying that God will restore all that has been sacrificed for me. I'm praying that once my legal issues are resolved, I will then be able to move forward with my family. I pray that one day, we can put this behind us. My concerns are for the kids on the bus, for my children and family, and lastly for myself. 

I hope to be able to start journaling more. It actually felt therapeutic today, and maybe it will help me deal with other areas in my life. And I hope it helps others around me feel better, too.

Thank you so much for bearing with me. I did not know that I had such caring friends and colleagues.

Blogging is a weakness of mine...

I just don't have time to blog successfully. I don't journal. I even changed to a lazy journaling style where I simply add a week's schedule at a time to keep updated on what is going on. The feelings posted in my bullet journal are far and few in between. So I guess you could say that is another weakness--I hide my feelings.

But I have lots of feelings lately and lots of people saying that I need to share my story. What's a story? I would say a lot of emotion mixed with a bit of fact. Anyone can write something, especially online, and call it true. I could fool you into believing almost anything I want. Is that right, is that honest? Not at all, but it sure does feed one's ego and feelings. My life has been turbulent in the last few years, and I will try to explain it the best way I can. What you make of it is completely up to you. My story will undoubtedly hurt some feelings, as well. But what I can promise is that these are MY feelings. This is MY story of what I have been through. And it won't always be pretty.

In Case of Emergency...

Jonathan and I are getting into prepping. We're not extreme or anything, but we are attempting to build a small stockpile of necessities like water, first aid, etc. Ultimately however, we would like to get a little extreme with a large piece of land, heavy duty water barrels, a 3 to 6 month supply of food (at least) and personal protection.

Some things we are doing now include teaching our children about some simple prepping tools. One tool they are actively doing is the "Everyday Carry" or EDC, for short. There are some items we want our children to carry with them at all times. This includes a wallet, first aid, water, protein, and a watch or cellphone for the older ones. They also carry a small amount of money in case of an emergency. We hope to expand this list to include pepper spray, safety whistle, pocket knife and/or multi-tool and a flashlight.  This may sound silly to some, but for us, it helps with our peace of mind. We are teaching how children early how to use these items and how to help others if an emergency situation arose. You might not be laughing if my 7 year old can help get you out of a tough spot!

One thing that I have recently added to their wallets are I.C.E. cards. These are handy little cards that I printed up on business cards. It contains their name, date of birth, any known allergies or ongoing conditions, as well as emergency contact numbers. There is a great site that makes bracelets with this information, and until I can budget those in, I think these cards will work very nicely.

If you are interested in prepping, or at least being prepared for emergencies, check out a list of blogs that I have posted below. They are great with lots of helpful information.

By the way, notice anything interesting on the cards???

Prep Blogs That I Follow:
Mom with a Prep
The Survival Mom
Prepared Housewives

Ain't That a Shame....

So, in case you haven't noticed by now, I am HORRIBLE at blogging. I keep telling myself that I really, really, want to. So here's me trying!

So I wanted to do introductions first. We start with the youngest (because they are the cutest) and work our way up.

I love the cupcakes!!

Little Savannah Grace is our youngest at 20 months old. She is the boss of the house. Everyone here is pretty much in the palm of her hand, and she knows it! 

Mom! I'm a beautiful butterfly!

 Layla Elizabeth is our beautiful 7 year old. She's a Brownie Girl Scout. A little bit of a diva, but she still has her cute moments! She loves to dance and sing and act out silly routines.

Are you taking a picture of ME?

Here is our Jedi, Colin. He's a master of origami and long jokes! His bright and bubbly laugh rings throughout the house and he is turning into quite a handsome gentleman for 10 years old.

Who took this picture of me? No, I haven't seen your IPad....

The oldest child in the family is Lauren. A sweet 16 year old who dreams of driving and singing and acting. Luckily she is getting better at the first one, and is an ace at the last two!

Good hair like this only comes once in a blue moon!

Ah, me. Hopefully you eyes are not too scarred at this point. ha ha So let's see. What might you want to know about me. I am 25 years old.....I'm a stay at home mom....I'm a Brownie Girl Scout Leader....I like to read, dance, act goofy, and spend time outdoors....okay, that's enough for now!

He doesn't like having his picture made

And then here is the mean butt. Jonathan is the head of the household, the meanest around. Every picture I take of him looks something like this! At 26 years old, he is one of the hardest working men I've known. He cares about everyone and takes amazing care of his family. We're lucky!

So now you know us all! Hopefully the kids will share a little more of their silliness and I can share a little more of everything else!