Procrastination is great.

So I sit here after closing out my Microbiology powerpoint presentation from pure frustration. If only I didn't seek "perfection" in this assignment or in anything I did. I need to learn that "perfection" is just that... "perfection". Perfection can be just good sometimes. I think I would save a lot of stress this way. Maybe I'll try just good... after this assignment... maybe...

Obviously we made it back from our trip safe and without delay or I would not be writing now. Here are the main highlights until I find more time to go into detail.

* I didn't puke in the plane and neither did Jonathan.
* We bought something really cute for the kids at the Memphis airport, but have not given to them yet.
* We saw our friends and had some great fun. Unfortunately we were unable to see some others that we had not seen in quite some time.
* I didn't call the kids more than twice a day! I did really well! :D
* Met my first niece, Savannah and she is beautiful. She's got the tiniest head and face I have ever seen.
* My nephews had grown so much.
* Brayden is completely potty trained!
* My brothers are amazing!
* My mother and I got along.
* My dad made me laugh a lot.
* Loading the U-Haul went rather quickly and with almost no problems.
* Our trip wasn't nearly long enough.
* I did not drive the U-Haul even for a second.
* We came home and all I could do was hold them and smell their sweet baby smell that I had missed so very much.

We are now almost completely into our apartment. Unfortunately we had a lot of our furniture and other things molded or destroyed, so it's going to take some time to get clean what we can and slowly replace what we cannot salvage.

Today is Joseph's sixth birthday and he couldn't be more excited (until he gets his gifts, that is)!!! Tomorrow we will have a very small party for just us so that Nana will be able to enjoy the celebration with us before her departure to Alaska. I am making a rocket ship cake per his request, hoping this doesn't end in an explosion. Seems it's been forever since I have baked. (Wish me luck!)

Happy birthday to my sister Tiffany as well. Today she celebrates her 21st! Love you sister and I miss you terribly!

Take care,

Jaclyn

FINALLY...

Heard from the ladies at the apartment! We sign the lease and get our keys this afternoon. We're so excited! The kids are a little leery about it, they think we're going FAR away from Nana & Papa, but we are doing our best to reassure them that we're only just down the road and will see them often. Once we get settled, I think they'll do just fine.

Joseph is doing well in school. He completed his AR goal this week and he's not had any write ups(so far!). He will graduate from kindergarten in MAY!!! I wish that all of you could make it. I will definitely be taking lots of pictures and video so everyone can pretend they were there!

School for me is becoming more hectic... My online courses end on the 30th of this month and then my regular classes end the week following. Have lots of homework, studying, tests, finals, and presentations to prepare, but it will all be done soon enough and I cannot wait for Summer break!!!!!

Only TWO more days until we board the plane! We can't wait to get our things and furnish our apartment!!! Ahh! I feel like a kid in a candy store!

Miss you all,
Jaclyn & Jonathan

Easter Things and Upcoming Events

     Easter, Easter, Easter! Oh what fun!... Right?! Well, for starters we forgot to color the eggs until six o'clock the night before and then we still hadn't filled the billion 50+ plastic eggs with anything. We colored the eggs, filled the baskets, and plastic eggs and were prepared for Easter morning. Easter arrived in what seemed like two hours or less from the time I fell asleep. Outside was a humid mess and the grass was wet and freshly mowed the day before, so grass was ALL OVER the house. The kids, especially Joseph were so excited about the Easter baskets and hunting the eggs. (I might post the video later).

     In other news Jonathan and I FINALLY have an apartment... Well, sort of... They called last week saying that they would call Monday when it was ready... I called because I am so anxious to get in there and they said it was being painted and shampooed at the moment, but we've still not gotten a call from them... It's been a constant battle going back and forth with them about getting things done on time. I'm trying not to complain and just trying to be thankful that we'll be in it soon enough, but damn! It's the cheapest apartment we've found, by $100 or more, and no one will put us in a two bedroom because there are more than five instead of four us (Mississippi state law). So we're patiently awaiting the phone call letting us know it is ready for move in!

     In only THREE DAYS we'll be flying in to Arkansas and heading to Missouri to finally unload our storage unit and bring everything (well, hopefully everything) back (to move into said apartment)! It's not going to be a "vacation" like I would prefer, but we are going to make due with what we've been given. Mike and Joy have ever so kindly agreed to keep the kids for us during our leave. I am so grateful for all that they have done for us and our family. We may think we hate one another at times and we have our disagreements, but we have never once taken for granted all that they have done. However, as grateful as I am to be able to take a trip alone with my husband, I AM FREAKING OUT! I've never flown before and Jonathan has not flown since he was an infant so it's going to be an experience for the both of us BUT, I've done nothing but think of all the things that could go wrong... Like, if the plane goes down, who will care for our children? What if something happens to one of us on the way back? What if? What if? What if? It's quite stressful really... I will call everyday, probably more than once everyday, so much that Joy will probably start letting the answering machine take my calls! I cannot express how much I hate that I am going to be away from the kids. It's a completely different experience than being away just for a few hours for date nights. We're going to be 600 miles away from them for three whole days! I love them so much! ♥

     Joseph will be six years old in only NINE DAYS! The original plan was to have a nice party (in our apartment), he would be allowed to invite six friends and we were going to have a blast. Unfortunately the plans we're changed to have his party the weekend after his birthday instead of the weekend of his birthday since all of our things might not be in place and we'll have not "cozied in" just yet. BUT Joy will be leaving for Alaska to join her daughter and her family on April 20th to await the arrival of their newest addition. We want her to be able to be here for his party, so now plans are to have a birthday party, just us, none of Joseph's friends or decorations or extravagant party. Joseph ever so sweetly accepted that he would not be able to invite his friends this year. He was so excited to be able to have his friends over and he already had a plan on what he wanted his invitations to look like, but after explaining the situation he was more than happy to give it all up! He's such a sweet heart!

     Today I was forced to cut four inches off of Tressa's hair after failed attempts to remove the so intelligently placed putty! :'( It was getting so long and pretty! Just leave it to Tressa! To Amaya's dismay, I made her throw hers away before she decided to play monkey see, monkey do. I will try to remember to pull the pictures of her new haircut from my phone and add them to the post.

     Hope that everyone else is doing great and enjoying the beautiful weather.

    

Jaclyn & Jonathan