HUGE NEWS!

I have some amazing, amazing news...



and NO, I am not pregnant.....






Okay, I'll tell you.




Come closer.





A little closer.



Are you ready for it?




 you sure?





I wont ask again....





Okay...





here...




it...





goes...





I bet the suspense is....





Killing you.......






I thought so.....





Okay....


Here's our fantastic, amazing, my heart swells over and over with pride and love when I think about it.

Here is goes...


After working full time, and dedicating hours upon hours of hard school work, all while staying on top of his "normal" father/husband/employee/friend/son etc. Brandon has OFFICIALLY completed his LAST COLLEGE class!!!!   Which means.... he is officially a college  GRADUATE!!!!   Yay!!!


I am so proud of him.  He's one amazing man.   I can't tell you how many nights he stayed up working on homework/ school assignments, and still managed get up the next day for work, then come home to his real, full time family life.   I seriously never want this moment.  The road we took, getting married too young, having the kids, a few pretty significant moves, lots of fights, and  giggles later and here we are.     I'm sure there were many nights, where the end was no where in sight, but he was persistent and made it happen.  My heart swells at the thought of how proud I am of Brandon!  
 

The day after his last class,  I took Bran out to his favorite place to celebrate.   This is one BIG amazing milestone for the Chopko clan, worthy of the Bangers & Mash from The British Beer Company.   We're so proud Bran!

Since Labor day...

This is what we have been up to....

Daily Nuggets:

We made it through the first few weeks of school.  I still can't believe Issy is now a 3rd grader! (tear)   I'm so proud of the beautiful, kind and brave girl.  

On Thursday, Issy was nominated the Art of the Week Student - the first one of the year!   She told us that to receive that, she had to be well behaved, a good listener, and understand the information.   Super PROUD moment for us!  She was so hyper when I picked her up from daycare, and couldn't wait to tell us the great news.

This week, I also attended the school PTO meeting.  It was a small group.    After all of the information we were given, I definitely have a new found respect for the PTO parents/teachers,  and everything they accomplish with such little help.

After our second vacuum died (since our move here, in 2010 mind you) we finally purchased a Dyson.  Let me tell you, it was worth every single penny.  I normally vacumm everyday anyway, but this bad boy has the ability to take my vacuuming to new heights!   (Okay, how sad that vacuuming has the power to make me this happy)

All of the test I had been doing for my stomach came back negative.  I'm not lactose intolerant, even though my stomach lining was inflamed when we did the endoscopy, the test came back normal.  I am officially a freak of nature, with a stomach ache.   I've decided to put the doctors on hold for a while.  Not only are we paying a ton of money for all the visits, but I was missing work all the time, and months later, I still have no new information.

I started weight watchers on Friday.  My problem with my regular diet is that I have zero portion control.   I am allotted a certain amount of food points per day.  On day one of tracking my food, I realized that I was eating twice as many points as I was allotted.  Yikes!    I downloaded a WW App, which helps me calculate any food, or recipe in seconds.   So far, I have felt like the reduction of food is shocking my system, by 8 pm I feel hungry again. No, starving is more like it.    Ugh.