Karson and Mambo

Instructions for life....

2010-08-04T15:25:00.000-07:00

Found the coolest thing yesterday....

Payson, AZ

2010-08-04T15:12:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it has been a really long time since I posted anything last. Karson and I have now lived in Payson for about 8 months and we love it. I have an amazing job working at Rim Guidance, a counseling center here in Payson and Karson loves his school. We have family close by and my brother Willie lives about 2 minutes away. Things have been going pretty good.

Lots of Changes

2009-12-27T23:10:00.000-08:00

I have not posted on my blog in what feels like a lifetime. I am finding myself with a lot more time on my hands recently. I was laid off from my job a week ago and I have not decided yet if that is a good or a bad thing. Althought it was a very stressful job, I have a whole new set of stresses in my life now. I have come to a point in my life where I have to make a bunch of changes. I guess that is the silver lining in all of this mess. But, I will stay positive and remember that even if I feel like I am regressing in my life it is only for a time and I will be moving forward again before I know it. Karson is amazing and such a happy kid. He is so understanding and supportive of everything that I do and I am so lucky to have such a great kid. The new picture on my banner is of him on Christmas Eve right after he got a hair cut. He is too cute!!

Santa Fe

2009-06-28T11:31:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to Santa Fe, NM. I went for a job interview, but we made it into a summer vacation as well. It was a lot of fun. We went down to the Santa Fe Plaza and got to see all of the amazing adobe buildings and all of the art. We ate some fantastic Mexican food and got to enjoy some wonderful weather. It was nice to be able to see the stars too, we can't see them in Las Vegas.

Karson finished 2nd Grade

2009-06-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my baby is done with 2nd Grade!!! At his school they have an awards ceremony every year and the kids get to receive awards for being on the honor roll and having good attendance and things like that. Karson's awards ceremony this year was great. He got 3 awards and then had a big class party for the end of the year.

Sponge Bob

2009-06-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

Ben, Keilah and their kids came to Vegas for their spring break this year. It was a lot of fun to have them here. We went to the Excalibur and they had this Sponge Bob there and we took pictures of the kids with Sponge Bob.

I Actually Graduated

2009-05-22T10:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know I did a post about this once before, but it still has not sunk in yet. I think that if I keep saying it that it might be real. I graduated....I graduated...I graduated. I have been working on my BA for so long that it doesn't seem real yet. I love not having to worry about homework and be able to spend more time with Karson. Somehow I am very busy, I don't know exactly what I do, but I am very busy. I'm looking for a new job now, I went to school for 8 years, I want to put my degree to use! This won't be any surprise, but I want to find something in the non-profit industry that supports women and children. NAU was the best thing that happened to me though, because it gave me a degree plan that I loved and the opportunity to go to school from anywhere.

Karson and Grandma

2009-05-22T10:53:00.002-07:00

I had to show this picture, because anyone who knows my mom knows that it is almost impossible to get a picture of her. She hates to have her picture taken. This is Karson and my mom the last time we were in Show Low.

Football Movie

2009-05-22T10:47:00.001-07:00

Here is a movie of Karson playing football. Watching these little ones play was so cute! They tried really hard. I took the video with my phone, so it is not of the greatest quality! What can you do? :)

Flag Football

2009-05-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

This year Karson was on a flag football team, the Jaguars. He had a ball! His team only had the minimum amount of players so all of them had to be there for every game. Karson was the quarterback! How cute is that? They went undefeated all season until the last game, they lost the last game. They all got a trophey though and he is ready to play again next year!

Easter

2009-05-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

For Easter this year Karson got a Sponge Bob Easter basket with jelly fishing stuff in it. He loved it! We dyed eggs and hid them in the back yard. It was so much fun!

Snow in Vegas???

2009-05-22T10:19:00.000-07:00

Back in December it snowed here in Vegas. It wasn't much, but it was a big deal here. It was funny because they called a snow day for school and no one could drive, there was only about 2 inches on the ground!! I thought it was funny!

Catching up...

2009-05-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know it has been forever since I was last on here and it seems like everyone has missed a huge part of mine and Karson's lives (some might even say a semester, ha ha ha!) So I am going to catch up.

I Finally Did It

2009-05-14T12:48:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I finally graduated. I can't believe it! I have to say that it is not quite real to me yet. I didn't walk, I decided not to, all I really ever wanted was my dipolma. Plus, I hate ceremonies, even my own. I will walk for grad school. So I officially have my BA in Humanities. What does that mean? I am not sure. I am looking for a job in the non-prof industry and hopefully I will find something soon. Friday Karson and I both took the day off and spent the day together. We went to Circus Circus and rented James Bond, his favorite movie. We had a great day. Karson is excited to have a "normal mom", you know, a mom who doesn't go to school all the time. Don't worry, now that my classes are finally over I will finally update my blog. Lots has happened!

Doctor

2008-12-22T12:17:00.000-08:00

Ok, this may not seem like a big deal to most people, but me and Karson have health insurance now. That is huge! We have not had health insurance for almost 5 years now. This last week I took Karson to the doctor for a check up. This was a very big deal for us. Karson was getting so sick of me asking him to not play so hard because we didn't have insurance. After we got insurance he even said, "Oh good, now I can break my leg!" That's not quite the idea! It is nice to not have to worry about getting sick anymore!

Carousel

2008-12-22T12:13:00.000-08:00

Every time I start to forget what it is like to be a kid Karson brings me right back. A couple weeks ago we were at the mall and they have this huge, beautiful carousel there. Karson was so excited to ride it.

I didn't think that a carousel would be his thing, but he had a blast. He was so excited to wave to me each time he went around. It was too cute!

Karson

2008-11-23T15:43:00.001-08:00

I know everyone probably thinks that they have the most wonderful children in the world. I am definately guilty of that. Karson is so sweet and so smart. He is amazing and one of the only things that keeps me motivated day in and day out. He is so intune to the things that are going on around him. The other day I was having a bad day. I was very stressed out between work and school and Karson could sense that. I guess it wouldn't be hard considering I have a tendency to wear my emotions on my sleeve. But he wrote me a letter and he put it in the envelope. I was in the kitchen cooking dinner so he addressed the envelope to "Mambo, In the Kitchen" He drew a stamp on it and everything. The letter said "Did you have a good day, a bad day, or in between" Each selection had a box next to it and he said to check one. How cute is that? It was an instant stress releiver. I am so lucky!

Blue Man Group

2008-11-23T15:38:00.001-08:00

Last week Karson and I went to the Blue Man Group. It was so much fun! Karson looked sharp! We had so much fun. They played the drums a lot and added paint into the drums, it was an amazing show. It was a funnier show than I thought it would be. We sat in the 4th row back and had to wear ponchos so that we wouldn't ruin our clothes when the paint splattered into the crowd. It was very worth it and I would recommend it to anyone!

Halloween

2008-11-23T15:25:00.000-08:00

Halloween this year was a lot of fun. Karson was a mummy as you can see. We went to a Halloween party at the school that I work at the day before Halloween. It was a lot of fun. They had games and food and live music. Karson got to meet all the people I work with and see where I am all day every day. He is a very personalble little guy and everyone loved him.
For Halloween at his school Karson made this ghost. It is so cute! He used part of an egg carton for the witch's face. I thought it was sooo cute, I had to show it off!
Halloween night Karson and I went trick-or-treating at this really cool neighborhood here in Vegas. There were tons of kids and lots of fun decorated houses. We took Domino with us, she was a dragon. All of the kids trick or treating got a kick out of our dog being dressed up too.

At the end of the night Karson had brought in quite a haul. We had a lot of fun! He sat on the living room floor and spread out his candy in front of him. He feel asleep with a tummy ache from eating so much candy!

Feding the Ducks

2008-11-23T15:01:00.000-08:00

Karson and I found this amazing and huge park not too far from our house. I has tons of playgrounds and a big lake in the middle full of ducks and geese. It is a lot of fun because they do remote control boat races there every weekend. Karson and I will go and feed the ducks and spend the day there. The geese are mean though, they bite if you don't feed them fast enough! Karson likes to feed the pigeons on the shore more than he does the ducks. Go figure!

NOW

2008-11-04T23:05:00.001-08:00

Everyone knows that I am all about women's rights. I am very proud to call myself a feminist. Not a crazy, bra burning, scene making feminist...but a woman who desires to have the same rights as any man. I have learned in my many years of being a single working mother going to school that it is so important for women to be treated fairly, because that is not always the case. I am a member of an organization called NOW (National Organization fro Women). They have written a response to the election tonight that summarizes the way that I feel. I hope that everyone reads it just so you can understand where I am coming from. Being a feminist is something that everyone should be, just because the rights of every person should be respected and demanded.

http://www.now.org/press/11-08/11-04.html

Yea!!!

2008-11-04T22:19:00.001-08:00

This is amazing! I have been behind Obama from the beginning. I know that my family and most of the people that I know are not happy with the outcome of this election, but if this man can do half of the things we promised our country will be in a better situation. He is not the stereotype that we usually see as president and I think this shows that we are ready for something different. It breaks boundaries for all minorities of what can be accomplished in this country. We now have a president who is pro-women and all about health care and education. I hope that this is a positive change for all regardless of political affiliation!

My New Job!!!

2008-10-27T23:49:00.001-07:00

I got a new job! I loved subbing, but I wanted something stable, somewhere where I could go to work EVERY day and actually have people that I worked with EVERY day. I work in the office of Bass Elementary. I love my new job. I work with really great people and it seems like I found exactly what I was looking for. Oh and it doesn't hurt that me and Karson finally have benefits too! I'm excited!

Activism

2008-10-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

I was doing my homework last night, like ALWAYS, and I had to watch this movie on women in the Hindu society. It was an amazing movie about their struggle to overcome oppressive traditions. One woman, Vandana Shiva, said something that summed up how I feel about activism and doing my part. She said, "anyone who has a conscience can't but be an activist, to engage in preventing injustice in preventing the destruction of nature. Anyone who cares will do something. To be an activist is to act. Ant in a world of destruction and injustice to not be an activist is to accept injustice as the norm which means to kill your conscience. I mean, anyone who is not an activist today is accepting violence, is accepting exploitation." She pretty much said everything that I have been thinking. This is the reason why I am planning on going to law school, it is my way of becoming an activist and doing what I can to prevent injustice.

Mt. Charleston

2008-09-27T20:38:00.000-07:00

Karson and I went to Mt. Charleston today. It is about 35 minutes away from Vegas and it is absolutely gorgeous! It was like being back home. There were pine trees and log cabins, it felt good. It was 102 degrees, sunny and hot in Vegas today, it was 52 degrees and raining on the mountain. We hiked on the mountain and then ate at a restaurant at the lodge, it was wonderful. We took Domino and she threw up 4 times in the car:( But she loved getting out and hiking as much as we did. It was just so nice to get away from the busy life of the city and be able to relax and breath the mountain air for a day. We both came back all rejuvinated tonight!

Shark Reef

2008-09-19T10:48:00.006-07:00

On Saturday Karson and I went to Shark Reef. It is this really awesome aquarium in the Mandalay Bay. We went to celebrate both of our birthdays. This is a movie that I took after we left Shark Reef. We were at a cafe at the Excalibur and he was telling me about going to the aquarium. I thought this was super cute! He was very excited. He is wearing a hat with shark fins on it and he is holding a shark stuffed animal that we bought at the gift shop.

Here's what's going on.....

2008-09-19T10:48:00.005-07:00

Ok, I know I am not good at keeping up on my blog. I will try to do better! I wanted to update everyone on what is going on in my life right now! I turned 26 yesterday!!! I haven't decided yet if that is a good or bad thing. I don't feel any older :). I am going to school and nearly killing myself. I am taking 4 online classes right now and I stay so busy. I have two more classes in the Spring and then I will finally graduate and have my BS in Humanities. I feel like this was a long time comeing, but I can finally see the end in sight. I am still working as a substitute teacher and I really love it. I like having a job where I work with kids. Karson is in Mrs. Rothstine's 2nd grade class. He is being challenged (which I love) and he has a lot of the same friends from last year. That is different for us because we move so much! He is really doing good though and he is very happy. He keeps me grounded and motivated at the same time. Ok, so here is what I have been thinking.....I don't know how much I want to be a part of the school system after seeing how they are ran. I know there will be politics in any kind of job that I have, but there is just something about school politics (just ask my dad). So as much as I love working with kids I don't know if education is the route that I want to take with my career. I am considering going to law school! Yep I said it, law school. Scary huh? Well, I would focus on being a civil rights attorney and work with women and children. I think that I could do a lot of good. I don't know how many of you have seen The West Wing, but my dream job would be what Amy does. For those of you who havn't seen the show, Amy represents and fights for the rights of women and childrn on a national level. I know that is far fetched, but I feel like there is something big that I am supposed to do and I think that a law degree is a big step. I know what your thinking.....that I'll probably change my mind again because I have so many times, that is possible, but I am really passionate about this and very motivated. I think I may have found my own path FINALLY! I'm going to meet with an advisor for the law school here at UNLV next week. I will keep you all updated on what happens.

Karson is 8

2008-09-19T10:48:00.004-07:00

I cannot believe it....my little bug is 8! Karson had his birthday on the 11th of this month. He got his first bike and learned to ride it in one day! He is getting so big. He is in 2nd grade this year. He loves his teacher and he is really enjoying school. I made him cupcakes in ice cream cones for him to take to school and then we had lasagna and pie for dinner. He didn't want a cake this year, he knows what he wants! Jordyn called him for his birthday and I think that was the highlight of his birthday.

Family Camp Out

2008-09-19T10:48:00.003-07:00

Every year we have a family camp out. It is so much fun! This year Karson and I got to stay out the entire time. It was nice to get out of the heat. I took a bunch of pictures because Kirstyn was not able to make it and I told her I would take pictures for her. Everyone had a great time this year. It didn't rain as much as it normally does.

4th of July

2008-09-19T10:48:00.002-07:00

For the 4th of July Karson and I went to the Sunset Station in Henderson to watch the fireworks. They had a really great show. They coriographed the fireworks with music. After the fireworks we went to see Hancock at the casino. It was a really great day. I let Karson take most of the pictures, so a lot of the ones of the fireworks are a little blurry!

Luv my dad!

2008-09-19T10:48:00.001-07:00

My dad is so awesome! He came in April and helped me and Karson move into our house. The day he was going home he got up early and left before Karson and I were awake, but he left us this note. It was really special to me so I took a picture of it before I erased it.

Sleeping Lil Bug

2008-01-13T11:39:00.000-08:00

Just when I might forget how wonderful my lil guy is and how much I love him he does something to remind me of who he is. It is so nice to see the innocence and remember how sweet my lil bug is. He is getting so big!

Domino

2008-01-13T11:35:00.000-08:00

Check it out! We got a new puppy! She is 3/4 Laso Apso and 1/4 Poodle. She is so cute! Karson named her Domino. She has been such a good dog already and has brought so much happiness into our home. It is hard for Karson to be an only child, now he doesn't feel so alone.

New Year's Eve!

2008-01-13T11:32:00.001-08:00

This year for New Year's Eve we went to Show Low and celebrated with my family. Almost all of us were there, Jared and his family couldn't make it. We had so much fun. I forgot my camra in the car so I didn't get very many pictures. Karson had so much fun with his cousins.

Soccer

2008-01-13T11:26:00.001-08:00

Karson played soccer this year and he loved it! He was very dedicated and always excited to be there. He was named MVP of his team and he got a metal at the end of the season.

Karson's Mowhawk

2008-01-13T11:20:00.001-08:00

Karson really wanted a mowhawk, so over the Christmas break he got one for a few days. He loved it. As you can see it wasn't very straight so we are going to have to try it again. It was kind of cute though.

Christmas 2007

2008-01-13T10:56:00.001-08:00

Karson and I spent Christmas in Las Vegas this year. We had a great holiday! We spent the day cooking, watching movies, playing with Karson's new toys, and just being together. It was great!

Halloween

2008-01-13T10:37:00.000-08:00

This year for Halloween Karson wanted to be a vampire. He was very scary!! We went trick-or-treating at a really cool neighborhood here in Vegas. There were a lot of kids out and Karson got a ton of candy. We had a lot of fun!

Karson's 7th Birthday!

2008-01-13T10:33:00.001-08:00

Karson turned 7 on September 11th. We had a pirate themed birthday party for him in Show Low with his grandparents and his cousins Trey, Jordyn, Nick, Maddie Jo, and Bubba. We went to the park and had pizza and a pinata. Poor Jordyn broke his arm doing a trick on Karson's new skateboard. Everyone had a good time and Karson loved his party!

Grandma's Quilt

2007-08-21T21:14:00.001-07:00

My 2 Front Teeth!

2007-08-21T20:59:00.001-07:00

Karson's 1st day of 1st Grade!

2007-08-21T20:26:00.001-07:00

Yea! Karson is in 1st Grade! This was his first day of school. I know, the date on the pictures is wrong, I noticed after I posted them. He is going to a school called IICSN (International Innovations Charter School of Nevada). It's a long name for a really good school. His teacher's name is Mrs. Whitaker. She is really nice and he likes his new school a lot.

Karson's Lost Tooth

2007-08-07T20:28:00.000-07:00

Karson' pulled his front tooth all by himself!

4th of July

2007-08-06T21:02:00.000-07:00

Check out my Karons dancing to the music!

This is the band we watched. The head of the band is the Saxaphone player. It was a lot of fun!

This is Karson on the 4th of July. We went to a Jazz concert in Henderson. We sat in the front row. This is Karson in front of the band.