a few things worth noting.

There have been a few new things going on in the Erwin house worth talking about...or maybe not... but I am going to anyways!

My phone broke.
It is stupid how crazy-reliable I am to that little piece of technology.
The phone itself would work but the screen was completely black.
I would have to ask Siri to call people for me and read me texts.
I used her to text people back, and now that my phone is working again-- I realize that her and I don't communicate as well as we could!
Lance's HS friend, Summer, had text me and I was so embarrassed as to what I replied back to her! (the word penis was used... and I didn't say that, I promise!)

I made an appointment to the Apple store and Peter (my Apple friend) was able to fix it in a flash!
In the past, I had thought that we couldn't go through Apple for our problems because our phones are still through a government account with the fire department, (and because Lance told me that) so I was thrilled that I didn't have to buy a new phone-- like I had in the past.  (I am kind of hard on my phones)
And FYI, all Apple products come with a one year warranty.  Who knew?!

Lance and I rocked out to some old-school music on the way in, and afterward, we had dinner at Chuys on the patio (with a couple frozen drinks) and dessert at Sweet Sammies.

I really enjoyed our night.

Speaking of phones, I am an official addict of Instagram.
It has always been a favorite app of mine, but until recently, I had just used the app as a photo editing tool.
I never knew that you followed friends, and liked and commented pictures, like Facebook.
This app is so addicting, because it is like a walking blog of your friends... although, I kind of feel weird re-blogging what you have already seen through Instagram.
But I do anyways.
You can follow me at livingtheerwinlife, if you want-- and we can be insta-friends!

Speaking of insta-pics...
My phone stopped working Memorial day night...
therefor I didn't get to make my collage and post it of our day out at my mom's...

better late than never!


On to other news...
I got accepted to the program I had applied to at UTA.
The first set of classes start in July, and though I really want to do it, I am scared out of my mind!
It is $30K from start to finish... which we will have to take out in student loans.  Until now, we have none of these little beasts, so it is something to throw into the pot of risk vs. reward.
I worry about my work schedule, which I have to continue to do, to pay our bills.  (I think people over-look my job because I do it on different hours than the rest of the world, but I actually do work 20-40 hours per week, depending on my call and weekend scheduling for that week) so I wonder if it will be overwhelming?!
I am scared to fail.... It has been a long time since I have been in school.  (Except the one class I dropped 4 days into) I never even contemplated failing the first go around.  But I was 18.  I lived at home.  And it wasn't my money on the line.
I have people in my ear telling me to do it... and others saying that it isn't worth it.
I do wonder if I am just chasing a title... but I do believe that I am smart enough-- and I feel like I will never feel complete staying where I am now.
I owe this to myself.

Moving on...
We can finally purchase our land.
We have had to put the purchase of our land on the back burner, because my parents own the neighboring land and they were fighting with Encore about power lines coming through their place.
They have given us the go-ahead, and I picked up paperwork from the bank last week!!
It will still be a process of having a survey done, and fencing and clearing brush and such... but we have a 3 year plan to build, and this is the first step to that goal!
I don't know that my Pinterest dream home with 87 kitchens will ever make it to our 8 acres... but sometime in the near future, we will call that place home!
It is so exciting to me!

And finally...

I am keeping my niece 2 days a week through the summer.
She is a sweet girl, exactly one year older than Maddox, and is actually my second cousin.
Amber, her mom, has agreed to trade out by watching my boys so Lance and I can have dinner together, in repayment.
Today is our 2nd day at this gig, and it is definitely a learning process all the way around.
She gets here at 8:00 and her belly is ready for breakfast.  My kids usually sleep until 9 or 10, so by the time they are eating their breakfast, she is ready for snack.
I assume daycare served lunch by 11 because she's ready for lunch, by then but my kids are just an hour or so outside breakfast, so they refuse to eat. 
Then it is dessert... and afternoon snacks... and more milk or juice-- which isn't new in this house... (Maddox is the king of snacking) but since no one is on the same schedule, I feel like I am constantly being begged for food!!

We will work on getting on the same track-- and I think they first step will be getting my kids to bed earlier, so they are ready to wake when she gets here.  (which is probably a good idea anyway, since Maddox will start MDO in the fall.)

Once schedules are straighten out, then we will work on the constant pestering, whining, tattling and saying my name!!

Today I made the big kids play outside while Beckham napped (which was the biggest difficulty of yesterday) and it worked well for everyone!

See!  We are adapting and by next week, we will have this down to a science!

No the real 'Finally', I believe Beckham is coming down with hand, foot and mouth.
I finally got my sweet boy back after his few weeks of hell, and then I spotted a blister by his mouth and a few on his soft pallet.
HF&M is a Satan-like virus, and I pray that it will be a very mild case.
Not only for him...
but because I am a much better mommy to well kids.