I know, I know. I haven't posted a blog in quite a few weeks. And lots of interesting ups and downs have occurred since the last time I posted. I have several blog entries that have been started and just haven't posted because they either haven't been finished or I have pics to upload and included with them. But rather than try and catch up before posting again, I'll just have to include them as they're completed and continue on blogging, just as life continues on.
My grandmother is in the hospital right now. I covet any prayers you can send up for her. She's in the ICU up in Pennsylvania at Holy Spirit Hospital. As of today, she's been there for two weeks. She's on a respirator and is basically needing a miracle right now to be able to go back home. Tomorrow the drs are doing a tracheotomy, which is a good thing for her at this point. I just hope that her body will be able to start getting stronger and stronger but the realistic side of me knows that she's got to be so tired and ready for it to be over.
I visited her last week; went up on Weds and left this past Monday. I had some awesome visits with her; told her I loved her, let her know that I know she loves me, told her about the goofy stuff the kids were up to, how much they love and miss her, etc. I hope to go back up there in the next weeks to see her and bring the kids, too. I know she'd love that.
There have been a lot of ups and downs in my marriage since the last time I posted, too. I'll post more on that later tonight but let me just say that if you haven't seen the movie Fireproof, go see it immediately. It's an awesome movie but even more so when you're married.
Can't wait to catch up on everyone else's blogs tonight as I'm getting mine up-to-date!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Ashley Brooke, my 15 year old blessing
Today is her birthday. 15 years ago God blessed me with this perfect little girl. He has allowed me to watch her grow into a beautiful young lady who makes me proud each and every day. Happy Birthday, baby girl!
It's gone by so fast. *sigh* Gone are the days of Barbie wrapping paper, Chuck E. Cheese parties, and kitchen dish sets as presents. Gone are the days of renting a moonwalk for her and her friends and all of them being able to be in it without maxing the weight limit. Gone are the days of being able to plan the whole day FOR her instead of with her, except for the occasional input for things like plate designs and such. She's all grown up, a beautiful young lady, and while I couldn't be prouder, I can't be sadder, either.
It seems like just yesterday I was in high school, the Friday before Labor Day weekend, listening to my French teacher ask me about my due date. I was due on 9/9/93, which was the following Thursday. She laughed and said, "Wouldn't it be funny if you went in to labor on Labor Day?". I, being the naive teen, thought, "eh, I'm not due then so that won't happen". Ah ha ha ha. Ha. ha.
So, Monday morning around 1am I get up to get a drink, pull the fridge door and pop! I feel this weird feeling in my stomach. I kinda knew it was my water but seriously got nervous and rationalized that it was something else. Despite having to change my clothes every hour, I did not go to the hospital right away.
Later that morning, I put in a call to the dr to tell him of my ever-growing laundry pile and he told me, in his best fake-calm voice ever, to get to the hospital right then. So, we packed the bags in the car and headed to Ga Baptist Hospital (now Atlanta Medical Center).
I wasn't contracting on my own so they did put me on Pitocin and that was NOT my friend!!! I opted out of any drugs - no epidural, nothing - so I was feeling everything. But it was slow going and I really didn't start to progress until later that night. I had not eaten anything since Sunday at lunch (by now it was Monday around mid-afternoon) and I was s.t.a.r.v.i.n.g!!!! A few hours later, full on ice-chips, I sat in the bed alone waiting for Tommy to come back from the lobby. Imagine my shock and horror to see he'd walked in with a box of pizza from Pizza Hut! I must have looked at him with the most evil look ever because he backed up and said, "I"m sorry but you can't have any - the nurses said!". Grease drops never looked better to me. I think with a little salt, I could have made that box a meal. Anyway, he ate that pizza right in front of me and hasn't been able to live it down to.this.day. And never will.... ;)
Midnight came and went and I'd officially labored all day Labor Day. How could my French teacher have been so spot on with her prediction? LOL Now it was Tuesday morning and I was really hurting. The nurses were having a hard time locating my doctor; apparently he'd gone home and wasn't answering his phone. Great, huh? The nurses tried to keep me from doing any pushing but you know that urge...it's just something you have to do or you might explode! Eventually they wheeled me down the hallway, grabbed the first ObGyn they could find, and my precious little girl was born. 5:56am on 9/7/93. A perfect 7lbs, 5oz. TONS of dark hair. Perfect in every way possible. She was all mine.
Things change. Fifteen years ago I was preparing for discharge in a couple of days - now I'm preparing to take her to get her learner's permit. Fifteen years ago I was choosing which outfit to take her home in - now I'm choosing if I should extend her curfew.
And then sometimes things don't change. Fifteen years ago I was snuggling with her in my arms - and now I still do that. I love you Ashley...more than you'll ever, ever know. ((hugs))
It's gone by so fast. *sigh* Gone are the days of Barbie wrapping paper, Chuck E. Cheese parties, and kitchen dish sets as presents. Gone are the days of renting a moonwalk for her and her friends and all of them being able to be in it without maxing the weight limit. Gone are the days of being able to plan the whole day FOR her instead of with her, except for the occasional input for things like plate designs and such. She's all grown up, a beautiful young lady, and while I couldn't be prouder, I can't be sadder, either.
It seems like just yesterday I was in high school, the Friday before Labor Day weekend, listening to my French teacher ask me about my due date. I was due on 9/9/93, which was the following Thursday. She laughed and said, "Wouldn't it be funny if you went in to labor on Labor Day?". I, being the naive teen, thought, "eh, I'm not due then so that won't happen". Ah ha ha ha. Ha. ha.
So, Monday morning around 1am I get up to get a drink, pull the fridge door and pop! I feel this weird feeling in my stomach. I kinda knew it was my water but seriously got nervous and rationalized that it was something else. Despite having to change my clothes every hour, I did not go to the hospital right away.
Later that morning, I put in a call to the dr to tell him of my ever-growing laundry pile and he told me, in his best fake-calm voice ever, to get to the hospital right then. So, we packed the bags in the car and headed to Ga Baptist Hospital (now Atlanta Medical Center).
I wasn't contracting on my own so they did put me on Pitocin and that was NOT my friend!!! I opted out of any drugs - no epidural, nothing - so I was feeling everything. But it was slow going and I really didn't start to progress until later that night. I had not eaten anything since Sunday at lunch (by now it was Monday around mid-afternoon) and I was s.t.a.r.v.i.n.g!!!! A few hours later, full on ice-chips, I sat in the bed alone waiting for Tommy to come back from the lobby. Imagine my shock and horror to see he'd walked in with a box of pizza from Pizza Hut! I must have looked at him with the most evil look ever because he backed up and said, "I"m sorry but you can't have any - the nurses said!". Grease drops never looked better to me. I think with a little salt, I could have made that box a meal. Anyway, he ate that pizza right in front of me and hasn't been able to live it down to.this.day. And never will.... ;)
Midnight came and went and I'd officially labored all day Labor Day. How could my French teacher have been so spot on with her prediction? LOL Now it was Tuesday morning and I was really hurting. The nurses were having a hard time locating my doctor; apparently he'd gone home and wasn't answering his phone. Great, huh? The nurses tried to keep me from doing any pushing but you know that urge...it's just something you have to do or you might explode! Eventually they wheeled me down the hallway, grabbed the first ObGyn they could find, and my precious little girl was born. 5:56am on 9/7/93. A perfect 7lbs, 5oz. TONS of dark hair. Perfect in every way possible. She was all mine.
Things change. Fifteen years ago I was preparing for discharge in a couple of days - now I'm preparing to take her to get her learner's permit. Fifteen years ago I was choosing which outfit to take her home in - now I'm choosing if I should extend her curfew.
And then sometimes things don't change. Fifteen years ago I was snuggling with her in my arms - and now I still do that. I love you Ashley...more than you'll ever, ever know. ((hugs))
Friday, September 5, 2008
He's finally here!
My very good friend, Beth, had her first baby, a precious little boy, today! He had decided he was NOT coming out on his own and so Beth went in to be induced on Weds night. Connor Nash D**** was born at 1:37pm on 9/4/08.
He is quite a handsome little guy - he looks so much like Blake looked when he was a newborn. With a raised eyebrow, I questioned Tommy on his whereabouts 9 months ago.... LOL
I got a couple of cute pics of Connor but didn't want to overdo it. He'd been circ'ed that morning and I didn't want to bother him too much. Isn't his complexion just flawless? A beautiful baby indeed!
He is quite a handsome little guy - he looks so much like Blake looked when he was a newborn. With a raised eyebrow, I questioned Tommy on his whereabouts 9 months ago.... LOL
I got a couple of cute pics of Connor but didn't want to overdo it. He'd been circ'ed that morning and I didn't want to bother him too much. Isn't his complexion just flawless? A beautiful baby indeed!
Monday, September 1, 2008
September already?!?!
Wow, where in the world has this year gone?!? It seems like it was just yesterday and I was starting to plan for the kids' birthdays and now we're right upon them! Ashley's birthday, the big 15 is this Sunday. She'll be having her party on Saturday with her friend Will. His birthday is the 8th and he's turning 16 but they are good friends and wanted to share their big day together with all their friends. It made it easy on me, that's for sure!
Brooklyn's party will likely be towards the end of the month. Competition cheer starts on the 13th and will last each Saturday for several weeks. Hopefully everything will work out the day of her party since we're just having to schedule and cross fingers!!
Brooklyn's party will likely be towards the end of the month. Competition cheer starts on the 13th and will last each Saturday for several weeks. Hopefully everything will work out the day of her party since we're just having to schedule and cross fingers!!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
2008 Competition Cheerleaders!!
I took these pictures the other day when the girls had picture day. A local photographer is the one who did the team photos but I came to the field to get some of my own and to do Ashley's individual shots. Since they girls were looking at Trish, my photo doesn't have the girls looking straight on. But it's a good pic anyway...
Later, they did some stunting and some looked better than the others since they hadn't really warmed up much. This stunt is in their competition routine. The two flyers, Taylor and Ash, go from this:
to this:
Each of the girls put up their scorpions for the camera. Ashley wasn't really stretched out but she looked good. Definitely looks good being up in the air, on one leg while holding her other leg behind her with one hand. But cheer isn't a sport, right?!?!
Here's a closeup of Ashley in her pyramid; she's just so pretty!
Here are the individual shots I did of Ashley. I haven't decided yet which one I like the best but I've decided to get the toe-touch pic made into a button to wear to the games and competitions. Her jumps have really improved over the years and her toe-touch is awesome!!
Right when picture time was over and the girls were heading back, I snapped these shots of her and her friends. So carefree, lol...
The 3 Muskateers - Ashley, Ashley, and Mysti!
Later, they did some stunting and some looked better than the others since they hadn't really warmed up much. This stunt is in their competition routine. The two flyers, Taylor and Ash, go from this:
to this:
Each of the girls put up their scorpions for the camera. Ashley wasn't really stretched out but she looked good. Definitely looks good being up in the air, on one leg while holding her other leg behind her with one hand. But cheer isn't a sport, right?!?!
Here's a closeup of Ashley in her pyramid; she's just so pretty!
Here are the individual shots I did of Ashley. I haven't decided yet which one I like the best but I've decided to get the toe-touch pic made into a button to wear to the games and competitions. Her jumps have really improved over the years and her toe-touch is awesome!!
Right when picture time was over and the girls were heading back, I snapped these shots of her and her friends. So carefree, lol...
The 3 Muskateers - Ashley, Ashley, and Mysti!
Friday, August 29, 2008
First Game of the Season!
Tonight was the first home game of the season. Last year (and every year before) it was only about Ashley cheering but this year is different - Brad is in the Marching Band and so we are very proud to enjoy the entire game in a couple of different ways!
Brad plays the trumpet and played all last year as a beginner. Since our town is pretty small the middle school students are allowed to try out for the high school Marching Band in 7th grade after a year or more of playing. He was so excited to have been chosen and worked really hard over the summer. He was a little nervous for the halftime show. Despite his nerves, though, he did great!
Ashley's squad is looking good so far - I'll admit to being the proud momma of the best tumbler on the team. :) She's a flyer, just like last year, and has really gotten her scorpian and basket toss looking good. I missed the basket at its peak but got some good shots of her stunts.
Except for the loss to the Rams, the game was a lot of fun. Brooklyn was enjoying herself up to a certain point and then she was ready to go. We decided that from now on, one of us takes her home after the halftime show, lol. I made a hairbow for her with the initials of the school "TC" on it and got a ton of compliments. I was pretty proud myself - I made it about 30 minutes before we left for the game.
Go T.C. Rebs! Have a great season!!
Brad plays the trumpet and played all last year as a beginner. Since our town is pretty small the middle school students are allowed to try out for the high school Marching Band in 7th grade after a year or more of playing. He was so excited to have been chosen and worked really hard over the summer. He was a little nervous for the halftime show. Despite his nerves, though, he did great!
Ashley's squad is looking good so far - I'll admit to being the proud momma of the best tumbler on the team. :) She's a flyer, just like last year, and has really gotten her scorpian and basket toss looking good. I missed the basket at its peak but got some good shots of her stunts.
Except for the loss to the Rams, the game was a lot of fun. Brooklyn was enjoying herself up to a certain point and then she was ready to go. We decided that from now on, one of us takes her home after the halftime show, lol. I made a hairbow for her with the initials of the school "TC" on it and got a ton of compliments. I was pretty proud myself - I made it about 30 minutes before we left for the game.
Go T.C. Rebs! Have a great season!!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Update on Brooklyn
**not sure why the post below just showed up; I did that a few days ago, lol**
Brooklyn is back to her normal self. We went in on Monday and had another CBC done. Her WBC was down to 11,500; not as big a drop as the dr was hoping for but at least it was down. We'll go back on Friday to check it again. I've no doubt that she'll be back in the normal ranges - she hasn't run a fever since Sunday and she's eating and drinking normally again. Plus, her majesty's diva-ness is back in full swing which is ALWAYS a good sign things are back to normal. :)
Brooklyn is back to her normal self. We went in on Monday and had another CBC done. Her WBC was down to 11,500; not as big a drop as the dr was hoping for but at least it was down. We'll go back on Friday to check it again. I've no doubt that she'll be back in the normal ranges - she hasn't run a fever since Sunday and she's eating and drinking normally again. Plus, her majesty's diva-ness is back in full swing which is ALWAYS a good sign things are back to normal. :)
Brooklyn's been so sick. I'm not really sure what is wrong with her and that makes it a little more unnerving. It started out earlier this week when she had what seemed like a little summer cold. No biggie - some runny noses and a bit of a cough. She was looking like she was fighting a cold through Tuesday night.
Wednesday morning, though, was a whole different story. Brooklyn woke up horribly - crying, not really being able to breathe out of her nose, was running a significant fever. I hated seeing her like that but still just thought her cold had gotten a bit worse. She began to complain of a sore throat later that day and was starting to refuse to eat. I looked at the back of her throat and it seemed really red so I called the pedi to make an appt. They couldn't see her until Friday and told me to bring her in on Thurs if she got worse and they'd work her in somehow. (I've been told this before and basically that means sit here and wait all day, we'll not get to her until about 4:45pm) She seemed to pick up at nighttime, even jumping up and down during the Olympic events we were watching, so I wasn't too worried.
Thursday was ok - she slept the majority of the day and had to be held all the time (thank God I still use my slings b/c they were wonderful). I got more sleep myself on Thursday just from having to lay with her at naptime, having to rock her, etc. It's very tiresome, though, and I felt bad that I wanted a break from her. At one point while rocking her, I saw the dust on my bookshelf and longed to clean it off! If that's not needing a break, lol, I don't know what is!! Thursday night was like the night before, she had a second-wind, and was acting like her normal, goofy, overactive self. It only lasted about an hour, though, and then she was like a sack of potatoes sleeping in my lap.
Friday morning came and she was p.i.t.i.f.u.l. Nothing could have prepared me for how bad she was. High fever (103.2), malaise, not wanting to eat or drink anything, those tired "I'm not feeling well at all" kind of eyes. It was so sad. So I got her dressed and took her in.
Her dr checked her throat (did a swab), looked at eyes, ears, and throat, felt her belly and sinuses, and all the other normal checkup type things. Her swab was negative for strep and she had no other signs of anything other than her fever. So, she orders a CBC and her WBC came back at 16,000. Yikes! The poor baby is definitely fighting something and that war inside her little body is making her miserable.
She's currently on Sulfatrim Ped. Suspension, a strong antibiotic that I'm not too excited about (lots of side effects that aren't good when you can't/won't take the meds with lots of fluids). She goes back on Monday morning to have another CBC done. Hopefully we'll see a huge improvement in her numbers.
Just pray for the little Bugger - she's already a petite little thing, the last thing she needs is to lose any weight. Oh, and speaking of weight, I'll have to turn her seat back around. She had fallen to 19lbs at Friday's visit. She's soooo not going to be happy....
Wednesday morning, though, was a whole different story. Brooklyn woke up horribly - crying, not really being able to breathe out of her nose, was running a significant fever. I hated seeing her like that but still just thought her cold had gotten a bit worse. She began to complain of a sore throat later that day and was starting to refuse to eat. I looked at the back of her throat and it seemed really red so I called the pedi to make an appt. They couldn't see her until Friday and told me to bring her in on Thurs if she got worse and they'd work her in somehow. (I've been told this before and basically that means sit here and wait all day, we'll not get to her until about 4:45pm) She seemed to pick up at nighttime, even jumping up and down during the Olympic events we were watching, so I wasn't too worried.
Thursday was ok - she slept the majority of the day and had to be held all the time (thank God I still use my slings b/c they were wonderful). I got more sleep myself on Thursday just from having to lay with her at naptime, having to rock her, etc. It's very tiresome, though, and I felt bad that I wanted a break from her. At one point while rocking her, I saw the dust on my bookshelf and longed to clean it off! If that's not needing a break, lol, I don't know what is!! Thursday night was like the night before, she had a second-wind, and was acting like her normal, goofy, overactive self. It only lasted about an hour, though, and then she was like a sack of potatoes sleeping in my lap.
Friday morning came and she was p.i.t.i.f.u.l. Nothing could have prepared me for how bad she was. High fever (103.2), malaise, not wanting to eat or drink anything, those tired "I'm not feeling well at all" kind of eyes. It was so sad. So I got her dressed and took her in.
Her dr checked her throat (did a swab), looked at eyes, ears, and throat, felt her belly and sinuses, and all the other normal checkup type things. Her swab was negative for strep and she had no other signs of anything other than her fever. So, she orders a CBC and her WBC came back at 16,000. Yikes! The poor baby is definitely fighting something and that war inside her little body is making her miserable.
She's currently on Sulfatrim Ped. Suspension, a strong antibiotic that I'm not too excited about (lots of side effects that aren't good when you can't/won't take the meds with lots of fluids). She goes back on Monday morning to have another CBC done. Hopefully we'll see a huge improvement in her numbers.
Just pray for the little Bugger - she's already a petite little thing, the last thing she needs is to lose any weight. Oh, and speaking of weight, I'll have to turn her seat back around. She had fallen to 19lbs at Friday's visit. She's soooo not going to be happy....
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Olympics of a Lifetime
I honestly don't know when I've ever been so into the Olympics. I love watching gymnastics and swimming/diving, but really nothing else. I have found myself watching fencing, individual pursuit, and the steeplechase, for crying out loud!! I guess in my old age I'm appreciating the abilities of all, not just some.
So, I can be officially counted in the masses of sleep-deprived Olympics watchers. I am totally exhausted!! I'm usually a night owl anyway but for some reason this has been rough on me. Luckily, Brooklyn has been considerate in letting Mommy have a little more time in the morning to get going. :)
Phelps, wow, what can I say? I'm soooo excited for him. I'm so excited to see that an American broke the record for the most golds in a single Olympics - an honor that was held by another American. I'm glad to see the sportsmanship among the athletes of our country, especially in the swimming events. Dara Torres and Michael Phelps were just the epitome of good sportsmanship. I made sure to replay those moments for the kids so they could see why it's so important.
Nastia Luiken, Shawn Johnson, Natalie Coughlin, Dara Torres, Michael Phelps, Tyson Dix - all great examples to our young people. Can't wait to eat my Wheaties!!
So, I can be officially counted in the masses of sleep-deprived Olympics watchers. I am totally exhausted!! I'm usually a night owl anyway but for some reason this has been rough on me. Luckily, Brooklyn has been considerate in letting Mommy have a little more time in the morning to get going. :)
Phelps, wow, what can I say? I'm soooo excited for him. I'm so excited to see that an American broke the record for the most golds in a single Olympics - an honor that was held by another American. I'm glad to see the sportsmanship among the athletes of our country, especially in the swimming events. Dara Torres and Michael Phelps were just the epitome of good sportsmanship. I made sure to replay those moments for the kids so they could see why it's so important.
Nastia Luiken, Shawn Johnson, Natalie Coughlin, Dara Torres, Michael Phelps, Tyson Dix - all great examples to our young people. Can't wait to eat my Wheaties!!
Friday, August 8, 2008
1 week down...
So the kids had their first week of school this past week. It was full of all kinds of happenings, including a funeral. One of the upcoming Seniors was in a horrible accident last Friday night (I'll explain in just a minute) and his funeral was on the first day of school.
Here are a few pictures of my kids on Monday as they headed off to the glorious first day of school!! (Can't tell I'm a little excited, can you? :) )
Ash, Brad, and Blake
Ash and Tay
Blake and his teacher (he looks happy, eh?!)
Blake in his desk, by his buddy Loughlin
Ashley and Brad, being in middle and high school, have a new stricter dress code this year. They are only allowed to wear collared shirts (either polo type shirts or dress shirts) or t-shirts that are school related, jeans or khakis. So, just in case you're wondering why they're dressed kind of plain, that's why. The only way to "spice" up an outfit is with shoes or jewelry (and the shoes are kind of limited, too). Needless to say, the kids were NOT happy about it. They'll hate it even more next year, though; this is more of a transition year into the new dress code. Next year it's limited to collared shirts that are white, blue, or orange ONLY. *sigh*
So Blake's teacher is wonderful! We met her last Thursday but know her from the community and because her family just joined our church. Last school year, her 2nd child (she has 4 boys) started coming to church and, within a few weeks, had prayed to receive Christ! Then his younger brother (who is Brad's age) followed suit after a baseball game one night (their coach would lead them in prayer before and after the games, offering to talk with anyone at anytime if they had any questions). Then in VBS this summer, the youngest brother who is 8, prayed to receive Christ as well. It was great to watch the Lord work through that family and just goes to show how important it is to reach the youngsters. After all the kids had shown such an interest in going to church, of course Melissa supported that and started coming as well. Praise God!!
I have orientation and a few things to take care of this coming week with regards to Nursing school. I'll ask those friends and family of mine to just pray for me. I'm not going to give specifics but God knows what they are and so I'll leave it at that. :) Nothing major, so no worries, but just some concerns I'd rather not let fester, kwim?
Here are a few pictures of my kids on Monday as they headed off to the glorious first day of school!! (Can't tell I'm a little excited, can you? :) )
Ash, Brad, and Blake
Ash and Tay
Blake and his teacher (he looks happy, eh?!)
Blake in his desk, by his buddy Loughlin
So Blake's teacher is wonderful! We met her last Thursday but know her from the community and because her family just joined our church. Last school year, her 2nd child (she has 4 boys) started coming to church and, within a few weeks, had prayed to receive Christ! Then his younger brother (who is Brad's age) followed suit after a baseball game one night (their coach would lead them in prayer before and after the games, offering to talk with anyone at anytime if they had any questions). Then in VBS this summer, the youngest brother who is 8, prayed to receive Christ as well. It was great to watch the Lord work through that family and just goes to show how important it is to reach the youngsters. After all the kids had shown such an interest in going to church, of course Melissa supported that and started coming as well. Praise God!!
I have orientation and a few things to take care of this coming week with regards to Nursing school. I'll ask those friends and family of mine to just pray for me. I'm not going to give specifics but God knows what they are and so I'll leave it at that. :) Nothing major, so no worries, but just some concerns I'd rather not let fester, kwim?
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Gotta love crazy people!
And yes, this means you, Kimberly. Get over it. I've had enough of your lies and psychotic episodes. The ties are cut, my dear. So go on your merry way and be done with it. Just try not to let your delusions keep you from seeing the reality every now and then, ok?
Monday, August 4, 2008
This HAS to be one of the funnier blogs I've come across...
http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com
Keep this in mind: All these cakes are made by supposed professionals. They actually took payment in exchange for these cakes. People ate them. Heck, some of them were posted in public portfolios for others to see. :)
OMG, I was absolutely cracking up at her commentary on the cakes, too. It's just funny all around. Enjoy!!
Keep this in mind: All these cakes are made by supposed professionals. They actually took payment in exchange for these cakes. People ate them. Heck, some of them were posted in public portfolios for others to see. :)
OMG, I was absolutely cracking up at her commentary on the cakes, too. It's just funny all around. Enjoy!!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
What I need, what I want - one in the same?
So, life was a little hairy since my last post. So much to tell, so much to wonder how I made it through, so much to pray about.
Ok, let's see - summer semester is over so that's definitely a praise! I made it through with an A and a B, definitely worth writing home about, and am officially a Student Nurse. Sounds so good to say, looks even better on me in the form of navy scrubs and my name tag. I'll have to take a picture to share. :)
The kids have only a week left of summer break because they go back to school on August 4th. In case you're wondering, that loud yell was the inner me having a party. I've been waiting for this day, oh, since the last day of school back in May...
Things personally are still a bit, um, "bumpy". I'm kind of at a place where I'm tired of praying about it, too, which is so selfish of me. Basically, I think I'm mentally taking my ball and going home since the game isn't being played by my rules. I always do this, too, as if I know the best way to do things. I learn the hard way, though; always have, always will I guess. I'll be my usual stubborn self, things won't go the way they should, I'll run to God because I want Him to make it better, I get the "lecture" from Him about putting all my trust in Him and "hear" Him ask me why I won't just believe He knows what's best, make a decision to quit this power trip I'm on and hand it all over, and then start this process again when the next situation comes that I think I can handle by myself.
But anyway, I really am at a crossroads personally and I just don't know which way I should go. I know what I want; that's never something hard to figure out. But if what I want to do doesn't match what I should do, I'm only setting myself up for a struggle. The last thing I need right now is more struggle in my life but do I take that in to account? Nah. I told you, I'm stubborn.
These personal issues are a major exacerbater of all my other problems - extra stress, exacerbated health issues (mostly due to the complications stress adds), and emotional emptiness. That's why I am so perplexed about this. My solution will bring some pretty immediate remedy to the situation. Should be an easy decision then, right? Ugh, I wish. Anyway, if you're up for it, keep me in your prayers.
Have you ever had the feeling that you've lost someone close? Like a close family member or a good friend has died but in reality no one is gone, you just feel empty for some reason? That's how I feel right now. Like, I'm not sad and in mourning or anything but I just have this "something's missing" feeling. I know it's not that I'm apart from God - I know what that feels like because I've distanced myself from Him before and that was a totally different feeling. No, I feel like there's just been a death or a loss of some sort. I can't exactly put my finger on it but I know I don't like it. And, like a total hormonal sap, I feel like if I cry about it I'll feel better, lol. I can't just cry for no reason, though (even if my church family thinks otherwise, ha).
No, I need a reason. I need a reason so I can totally put my heart and soul into the reasons behind the crying, if that makes any sense. For instance, when I'm hormonal during the week the aliens come to visit (*wink*) then I don't just cry because I can. Instead, I'll put a good "cry" movie on and weep at the emotional aspects of the film (the best one for me is "A Walk To Remember" - if you can't cry to that, you just can't cry...).
So, this missing, empty, not-sure-what-my-loss-is feeling is driving me crazy and I can't cry and feel better until I figure it out. Maybe it's my relationship with Tommy, maybe it's this impending doom of Ashley moving out of the house (yes, I realize it's still 3 years away; that doesn't make it seem any less imminent), maybe it's my feelings of failing as a parent and spouse. I don't know. I do know I should pray about it but God is so funny - He'll somehow work the other issues I don't want to pray about into the response He gives me on this. I'm 32 years old and still avoiding "Parental" advice.
But He's wonderful and merciful and is always there for me, no matter what. He knows me better than I know myself, so much that He knows I'm going to be stubborn and learn the hard way. And He has the perfect way to teach me already mapped out for when I cry out to Him for help and knows just when I'm going to ask for it...right down to the second. Maybe that's what my problem is - even though I feel in control I know I'm not and it just aggravates my handling of it. And yet, through all of this, He still loves me and desires for me to be close to Him, wants me to give it all to Him so I can just sit and be still...
Ok, let's see - summer semester is over so that's definitely a praise! I made it through with an A and a B, definitely worth writing home about, and am officially a Student Nurse. Sounds so good to say, looks even better on me in the form of navy scrubs and my name tag. I'll have to take a picture to share. :)
The kids have only a week left of summer break because they go back to school on August 4th. In case you're wondering, that loud yell was the inner me having a party. I've been waiting for this day, oh, since the last day of school back in May...
Things personally are still a bit, um, "bumpy". I'm kind of at a place where I'm tired of praying about it, too, which is so selfish of me. Basically, I think I'm mentally taking my ball and going home since the game isn't being played by my rules. I always do this, too, as if I know the best way to do things. I learn the hard way, though; always have, always will I guess. I'll be my usual stubborn self, things won't go the way they should, I'll run to God because I want Him to make it better, I get the "lecture" from Him about putting all my trust in Him and "hear" Him ask me why I won't just believe He knows what's best, make a decision to quit this power trip I'm on and hand it all over, and then start this process again when the next situation comes that I think I can handle by myself.
But anyway, I really am at a crossroads personally and I just don't know which way I should go. I know what I want; that's never something hard to figure out. But if what I want to do doesn't match what I should do, I'm only setting myself up for a struggle. The last thing I need right now is more struggle in my life but do I take that in to account? Nah. I told you, I'm stubborn.
These personal issues are a major exacerbater of all my other problems - extra stress, exacerbated health issues (mostly due to the complications stress adds), and emotional emptiness. That's why I am so perplexed about this. My solution will bring some pretty immediate remedy to the situation. Should be an easy decision then, right? Ugh, I wish. Anyway, if you're up for it, keep me in your prayers.
Have you ever had the feeling that you've lost someone close? Like a close family member or a good friend has died but in reality no one is gone, you just feel empty for some reason? That's how I feel right now. Like, I'm not sad and in mourning or anything but I just have this "something's missing" feeling. I know it's not that I'm apart from God - I know what that feels like because I've distanced myself from Him before and that was a totally different feeling. No, I feel like there's just been a death or a loss of some sort. I can't exactly put my finger on it but I know I don't like it. And, like a total hormonal sap, I feel like if I cry about it I'll feel better, lol. I can't just cry for no reason, though (even if my church family thinks otherwise, ha).
No, I need a reason. I need a reason so I can totally put my heart and soul into the reasons behind the crying, if that makes any sense. For instance, when I'm hormonal during the week the aliens come to visit (*wink*) then I don't just cry because I can. Instead, I'll put a good "cry" movie on and weep at the emotional aspects of the film (the best one for me is "A Walk To Remember" - if you can't cry to that, you just can't cry...).
So, this missing, empty, not-sure-what-my-loss-is feeling is driving me crazy and I can't cry and feel better until I figure it out. Maybe it's my relationship with Tommy, maybe it's this impending doom of Ashley moving out of the house (yes, I realize it's still 3 years away; that doesn't make it seem any less imminent), maybe it's my feelings of failing as a parent and spouse. I don't know. I do know I should pray about it but God is so funny - He'll somehow work the other issues I don't want to pray about into the response He gives me on this. I'm 32 years old and still avoiding "Parental" advice.
But He's wonderful and merciful and is always there for me, no matter what. He knows me better than I know myself, so much that He knows I'm going to be stubborn and learn the hard way. And He has the perfect way to teach me already mapped out for when I cry out to Him for help and knows just when I'm going to ask for it...right down to the second. Maybe that's what my problem is - even though I feel in control I know I'm not and it just aggravates my handling of it. And yet, through all of this, He still loves me and desires for me to be close to Him, wants me to give it all to Him so I can just sit and be still...
Thursday, July 17, 2008
I'll have a "Foot in Mouth" to go, please....
I feel like I've just crawled out of a hole that I was stuck in for a week. Between schoolwork, emotional issues, and daily responsibilities, I didn't think I'd ever get out! Thankfully, I am able to breathe and just relax for a moment for the first time since summer semester began.
A quick recap on what the kids have been up to: Ashley went to PC with some friends and will be back later this afternoon, Brad and Blake went to Key West with Tommy for a trip that turned out to be totally wasted (and a bit costly), Brad is now up in Atlanta with his friend Chase until Saturday, Blake is going up to Atlanta with me tomorrow (I have a baby shower to attend on Saturday) and will get to play with one of his best friends who he hasn't seen since we moved down here, and Brooklyn has been enjoying her Little Tikes playhouse she got last week. Other than that, they're all just as sweet and rotten as usual!! :)
Now, to on to me. I had a new low last week, last Tuesday to be exact. I had just left school, was heading home to a) take Ashley to her friend Taylor so they could go out to eat for Tay's bday, and b) head back home to finish a module test and then study for the test in class on Weds. There was a parent meeting for cheerleading to discuss fundraising but I was planning skipping that. I get a call from one of the moms asking me to come to the meeting so I could talk about the golf tournament (a fundraiser I was heading that would, in one day, raise the $5000 we needed for the new uniforms). I head over there, using time I just didn't have to spare, to talk about the tournament. After an hour and a half, I'm totally aggravated because it's seeming more and more like a big pain in the behind due to a couple of the moms. Every time I turn around, there's an opposition to something and I know it's because they didn't come up with the idea (I know, lame; who cares who came up with it so long as it gets the girls their uniforms and we don't pay out of pocket!!). I leave just ready to explode in tears because I was so annoyed.
I headed to Tokyo's to eat, the same restaurant Ashley was at with Taylor, her friends, and her mom. I couldn't sit with them and eat because we were too late; no biggie. But I went over to talk with Tammy about the meeting (she didn't go, obviously, since she had to be there with the girls) and blurted out that I just wanted to punch [insert mother's name here] in the face. I said it really could have been anyone and I'd have wanted to punch them, too - I think Tammy was feeling like she was glad she hadn't gone, lol. I continue to go on about my aggravation with this one mother, look to my left, and there is her daughter. I just burst into tears and go sit down. I mean, what was I supposed to now do? Omg, it was horrible.
When we were leaving, I pulled Mysti aside and told her I was sorry she'd heard me say that and that it wasn't anything personal against her mother and that it could've been anyone's mom and I'd have felt like that because I was feeling targeted at the meeting. She said she understood, hugged me, and I left. To say I felt an inch tall that night is an understatement.
I realized my limitations that night. I realized that I put too much on myself, I allow too much to be put on me, and I don't allow others to help or share in the responsibilities. That night was the result of my limits being exceeded. But as horrible as it was to go through (and I'm sure there will be residuals to come), I'm glad I went through it.
So while I was praying to God at Tokyo's saying,
"God, why on earth did you let me say that knowing Mysti was right there! Couldn't You have given me a sign to look left??",
I am now praying,
"Thank you, God, for opening my eyes to what You've been telling me all along while I was too busy to stop and listen. Thank you for using an example that left no questions whatsoever as to what You were saying to me and that You love me enough to keep telling me over and over, even when You have to get tough for me to hear."
A quick recap on what the kids have been up to: Ashley went to PC with some friends and will be back later this afternoon, Brad and Blake went to Key West with Tommy for a trip that turned out to be totally wasted (and a bit costly), Brad is now up in Atlanta with his friend Chase until Saturday, Blake is going up to Atlanta with me tomorrow (I have a baby shower to attend on Saturday) and will get to play with one of his best friends who he hasn't seen since we moved down here, and Brooklyn has been enjoying her Little Tikes playhouse she got last week. Other than that, they're all just as sweet and rotten as usual!! :)
Now, to on to me. I had a new low last week, last Tuesday to be exact. I had just left school, was heading home to a) take Ashley to her friend Taylor so they could go out to eat for Tay's bday, and b) head back home to finish a module test and then study for the test in class on Weds. There was a parent meeting for cheerleading to discuss fundraising but I was planning skipping that. I get a call from one of the moms asking me to come to the meeting so I could talk about the golf tournament (a fundraiser I was heading that would, in one day, raise the $5000 we needed for the new uniforms). I head over there, using time I just didn't have to spare, to talk about the tournament. After an hour and a half, I'm totally aggravated because it's seeming more and more like a big pain in the behind due to a couple of the moms. Every time I turn around, there's an opposition to something and I know it's because they didn't come up with the idea (I know, lame; who cares who came up with it so long as it gets the girls their uniforms and we don't pay out of pocket!!). I leave just ready to explode in tears because I was so annoyed.
I headed to Tokyo's to eat, the same restaurant Ashley was at with Taylor, her friends, and her mom. I couldn't sit with them and eat because we were too late; no biggie. But I went over to talk with Tammy about the meeting (she didn't go, obviously, since she had to be there with the girls) and blurted out that I just wanted to punch [insert mother's name here] in the face. I said it really could have been anyone and I'd have wanted to punch them, too - I think Tammy was feeling like she was glad she hadn't gone, lol. I continue to go on about my aggravation with this one mother, look to my left, and there is her daughter. I just burst into tears and go sit down. I mean, what was I supposed to now do? Omg, it was horrible.
When we were leaving, I pulled Mysti aside and told her I was sorry she'd heard me say that and that it wasn't anything personal against her mother and that it could've been anyone's mom and I'd have felt like that because I was feeling targeted at the meeting. She said she understood, hugged me, and I left. To say I felt an inch tall that night is an understatement.
I realized my limitations that night. I realized that I put too much on myself, I allow too much to be put on me, and I don't allow others to help or share in the responsibilities. That night was the result of my limits being exceeded. But as horrible as it was to go through (and I'm sure there will be residuals to come), I'm glad I went through it.
So while I was praying to God at Tokyo's saying,
"God, why on earth did you let me say that knowing Mysti was right there! Couldn't You have given me a sign to look left??",
I am now praying,
"Thank you, God, for opening my eyes to what You've been telling me all along while I was too busy to stop and listen. Thank you for using an example that left no questions whatsoever as to what You were saying to me and that You love me enough to keep telling me over and over, even when You have to get tough for me to hear."
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Feeling a tad lost...
So, it's been a hectic few days here. Can't say they've been hectic "good", either. I *really* wish I could. :(
School has me so stressed out. I have the online class that feels like a 24/7 class, with our online tests and our once-a-week in-class tests. That was stressful enough. But now I have this A&P class I'm taking and it's every day for 6 hours with tests every Monday. I only have to take this one for four weeks but after week 1 I feel like I need to be committed.
The kiddos start school in less than a month (August 1st) and I've been having to get their school stuff bought so we're not rushing around at the end of the month. Plus, for Ashley's cheer team I'm having to help organize a golf tournament on July 23 and that is stressing me B.I.G.T.I.M.E!! There are just not enough of me to go around these days.
On a side note, the stress is really getting to me physically, as it tends to do, and I've noticed a huge increase of my RLS episodes along with an increase in the heart palpitations that often go along with that. They are mostly at night when I'm at home but sometimes happen when I'm in the car or at school. I guess at all the stressful places or doing the stressful things? Without any health insurance, though, I can't really run out to the neurologist and get looked at, kwim? Soon, soon.
I'm pretty sure I've come to a decision on some important issues in my life. Most of them I've been sure about for a few months but then felt kinda wishy-washy. But some things recently came to light that really just spelled it all out to me and reaffirmed what I'd been leaning toward doing all along. I wish I could say that I prayed diligently about it and really felt God's pressure to go one way or the other. I can't. Because I haven't. But I do feel like I'm doing what I should be doing, so that's kinda feeling God's hand on it. *sigh* I just know that I cannot deal with this particular issue for one.more.day. I just can't - I don't have it in me anymore. I feel like I will seriously lose myself in a sea of nothingness if I don't make this change.
Your prayers are definitely coveted...
School has me so stressed out. I have the online class that feels like a 24/7 class, with our online tests and our once-a-week in-class tests. That was stressful enough. But now I have this A&P class I'm taking and it's every day for 6 hours with tests every Monday. I only have to take this one for four weeks but after week 1 I feel like I need to be committed.
The kiddos start school in less than a month (August 1st) and I've been having to get their school stuff bought so we're not rushing around at the end of the month. Plus, for Ashley's cheer team I'm having to help organize a golf tournament on July 23 and that is stressing me B.I.G.T.I.M.E!! There are just not enough of me to go around these days.
On a side note, the stress is really getting to me physically, as it tends to do, and I've noticed a huge increase of my RLS episodes along with an increase in the heart palpitations that often go along with that. They are mostly at night when I'm at home but sometimes happen when I'm in the car or at school. I guess at all the stressful places or doing the stressful things? Without any health insurance, though, I can't really run out to the neurologist and get looked at, kwim? Soon, soon.
I'm pretty sure I've come to a decision on some important issues in my life. Most of them I've been sure about for a few months but then felt kinda wishy-washy. But some things recently came to light that really just spelled it all out to me and reaffirmed what I'd been leaning toward doing all along. I wish I could say that I prayed diligently about it and really felt God's pressure to go one way or the other. I can't. Because I haven't. But I do feel like I'm doing what I should be doing, so that's kinda feeling God's hand on it. *sigh* I just know that I cannot deal with this particular issue for one.more.day. I just can't - I don't have it in me anymore. I feel like I will seriously lose myself in a sea of nothingness if I don't make this change.
Your prayers are definitely coveted...
Friday, July 4, 2008
"Oh Say Can You See..." that this year is 1/2 over?
Wow! It's here, the 4th of July, 2008!! Can I just start out by saying that I cannot believe how fast this year has gone by? My goodness, I can clearly remember celebrating Valentine's Day like it was yesterday and now we're more than halfway through the year. Time truly flies, only making it more and more clear that the time we have now needs to be used wisely. Last year we were in Disney for the holiday and Ashley was in Savannah with the church youth group at SuperWow. It'll be nice that we are all together for the holiday this year.
We are planning on getting together with friends for a cookout at the lake. Lots of people are going to be there, but many of them drink and after a long day of golfing and hanging out (all drinking activities around here) I'm not sure how it will go. Hopefully it will be an enjoyable day and evening but I'm definitely not opposed to coming home early and lighting sparklers in the front yard, if need be. I'll keep you posted on that!! (edited to add some pictures...)
Brooklyn and the lake dog
Tommy and Preston, waiting on the food
Blake fishing - so much for the 4th of July shirt I bought him!
Ash and Brooklyn, trying their hand at fishing
Brooklyn making her way around to
everyone's plate, now eating off mine
So since the program the other day, I've had a couple of days to reflect on what this holiday really means to me. I've always had a patriotic spirit, even so far back as 5 or 6 years old. I can remember getting very emotional hearing the fireworks go off on the 4th of July as a child and feeling like I needed to tell every soldier I knew that his/her work was appreciated so much. If I believed in former lives, I'd say that I was likely a service member myself previously!!
I think it's so important that each one of us realizes how extremely privileged each one of us is to be living in our country. No matter what party line you associate yourself with, no matter what religion you congregate with, no matter where you live - we are all blessed to be free, in every sense of the word. We are such a blessed nation, so much more than we all realize at times. It's so easy to take these kinds of freedoms for granted, after all. But these freedoms don't come easily, nor do they come free. It's important to also give great thanks to all of those who've made the sacrifices necessary to ensure our continuing freedom. With that comes the importance of giving great thanks to the One who made the biggest and ultimate sacrifice - that of Jesus Christ. Without His perfect offering of Himself, we would be free here on earth but would live in bondage and suffering for eternity.
So, with a grateful and pride-filled heart I say:
Thank you, thank you, thank you, to all our service members - past and present - who have offered their lives to the country they love so much. Thank you for your service, for your spirit of sacrifice, and for your love of this land (and all who share her with you). And thank you Jesus, for the sacrifice that you made - for the sacrifice that could never be repaid and for not requiring it to be repaid, but for only requiring us to believe you did it for us.
We are planning on getting together with friends for a cookout at the lake. Lots of people are going to be there, but many of them drink and after a long day of golfing and hanging out (all drinking activities around here) I'm not sure how it will go. Hopefully it will be an enjoyable day and evening but I'm definitely not opposed to coming home early and lighting sparklers in the front yard, if need be. I'll keep you posted on that!! (edited to add some pictures...)
Brooklyn and the lake dog
Tommy and Preston, waiting on the food
Blake fishing - so much for the 4th of July shirt I bought him!
Ash and Brooklyn, trying their hand at fishing
Brooklyn making her way around to
everyone's plate, now eating off mine
I think it's so important that each one of us realizes how extremely privileged each one of us is to be living in our country. No matter what party line you associate yourself with, no matter what religion you congregate with, no matter where you live - we are all blessed to be free, in every sense of the word. We are such a blessed nation, so much more than we all realize at times. It's so easy to take these kinds of freedoms for granted, after all. But these freedoms don't come easily, nor do they come free. It's important to also give great thanks to all of those who've made the sacrifices necessary to ensure our continuing freedom. With that comes the importance of giving great thanks to the One who made the biggest and ultimate sacrifice - that of Jesus Christ. Without His perfect offering of Himself, we would be free here on earth but would live in bondage and suffering for eternity.
So, with a grateful and pride-filled heart I say:
Thank you, thank you, thank you, to all our service members - past and present - who have offered their lives to the country they love so much. Thank you for your service, for your spirit of sacrifice, and for your love of this land (and all who share her with you). And thank you Jesus, for the sacrifice that you made - for the sacrifice that could never be repaid and for not requiring it to be repaid, but for only requiring us to believe you did it for us.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
One Nation Under God
That was the name of the program we put on at the Civic Center yesterday. Basically, it was a coming together of 4 choirs from various churches throughout the county and doing one big show for everyone. It was A LOT of work - lots of practices (especially for someone who doesn't have a whole lotta extra time to throw around these days) and having to really baby my throat (just hasn't been the same since being sick the week of VBS). After each practice I was really hoarse. I wasn't even sure I'd fit in with the sopranos by Weds at that rate!!
Those who know me well know that I'm a pretty emotional singer anyway. But throw in some patriotism mixed in with some reminders of all that God has done for us, and I'm a sobbing, blabbering mess!! Which then leads me right to Weds performance... :)
It was WONDERFUL! It went so much smoother than Tuesday's rehearsal but I'm pretty sure that a terrible last rehearsal/practice means everything will go great. (It always did when I was coaching cheer, anyway...) I got emotional at all the places I thought I would and in some that I didn't. It's hard to contain all those feelings of pride and thanks when you are facing an auditorium full of past and present servicemen and servicewomen.
At this point, though, I'm really really really glad it's over. Not because I didn't enjoy it but because it was draining me. A six hour school day, with an hour drive there and back, and a two hour rehearsal two days in a row does NOT = a restful Stacie. :)
Those who know me well know that I'm a pretty emotional singer anyway. But throw in some patriotism mixed in with some reminders of all that God has done for us, and I'm a sobbing, blabbering mess!! Which then leads me right to Weds performance... :)
It was WONDERFUL! It went so much smoother than Tuesday's rehearsal but I'm pretty sure that a terrible last rehearsal/practice means everything will go great. (It always did when I was coaching cheer, anyway...) I got emotional at all the places I thought I would and in some that I didn't. It's hard to contain all those feelings of pride and thanks when you are facing an auditorium full of past and present servicemen and servicewomen.
At this point, though, I'm really really really glad it's over. Not because I didn't enjoy it but because it was draining me. A six hour school day, with an hour drive there and back, and a two hour rehearsal two days in a row does NOT = a restful Stacie. :)
Sunday, June 29, 2008
5th Sunday Fun
Today was the 5th Sunday and our church does something special on those 5th Sunday nights either during service or in place of service. With the 4th of July holiday just a few days away, we had a Family Fun Night cookout. They had a huge blowup waterslide, a dunking booth, a softball game, kiddie pools and sprinklers set out for the little ones, and lots of food (including a cotton candy machine and homemade icecream contest!). It was a ton of fun!
Much to the surprise of many church friends (and myself!), Tommy actually came. It was nice to have him there, though I wish it wasn't such a rare event. The weather didn't seem like it was going to cooperate but after about a 30 minute storm, it cleared up enough to enjoy the outdoor festivities. I didn't think the outdoor stuff was going to still be on so I totally didn't have my kids prepared with swimsuits and towels. I don't know what I was thinking; I should have at least brought them, just in case. You'd think after all these years of momhood I'd have learned to be prepared!!
While we were sitting down eating, some great guys from the church (Stacey and Clay) came over and invited Tommy to come outside and play softball. Without that little bit of encouragement, he'd probably have left after eating. I think he had a good time; the food was good and there was lots to do (even if it was just watching the kids ride the waterslide for the umpteenth time!!) so fun was in abundance. I just wish he'd come for the regular services and get "fed" that way. I have to just leave that in God's hands, though. I realized a LONG time ago that I can't change him; it'll have to be a "God thing". That's really the only way it will bring Him any glory, anyway.
I'll include some pictures of the night when I get them uploaded. My second summer semester class starts in the morning and I still haven't printed out the notes, much less gone over them!
Much to the surprise of many church friends (and myself!), Tommy actually came. It was nice to have him there, though I wish it wasn't such a rare event. The weather didn't seem like it was going to cooperate but after about a 30 minute storm, it cleared up enough to enjoy the outdoor festivities. I didn't think the outdoor stuff was going to still be on so I totally didn't have my kids prepared with swimsuits and towels. I don't know what I was thinking; I should have at least brought them, just in case. You'd think after all these years of momhood I'd have learned to be prepared!!
While we were sitting down eating, some great guys from the church (Stacey and Clay) came over and invited Tommy to come outside and play softball. Without that little bit of encouragement, he'd probably have left after eating. I think he had a good time; the food was good and there was lots to do (even if it was just watching the kids ride the waterslide for the umpteenth time!!) so fun was in abundance. I just wish he'd come for the regular services and get "fed" that way. I have to just leave that in God's hands, though. I realized a LONG time ago that I can't change him; it'll have to be a "God thing". That's really the only way it will bring Him any glory, anyway.
I'll include some pictures of the night when I get them uploaded. My second summer semester class starts in the morning and I still haven't printed out the notes, much less gone over them!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Do they sell "Me" days on eBay? I'll pay top dollar!!
*sigh* Whew! What a long two days this has been. I feel like my old pet hamster, Fluffy, running in the wheel as fast as possible but getting nowhere. Well, I am getting somewhere just not as fast as I need to (or is it want to?). Hmm, so maybe it's not like Fluffy in the wheel but Fluffy in the ball, you know, the one that you can put him in and let him run around on the floor? Yeah, that's more like it. I run around going in every direction, often running into the wall, crashing into the legs of chairs, and getting stuck in a corner. When it's all over and done with, I'm just tired and in need of a bath. :)
Yesterday was a packed day. I'd decided that I needed a "Me" day to catch up on studying and working a module from last week (since I'm behind...again) for this Patho class. Then I had planned on running a few errands for myself that I've been putting off because of my schedule and then take a nice nap with Brooklyn later in the day. Hahahahahaha........um, no. Didn't quite work that way.
I only had Brooklyn here with me but I might as well have had the entire future class of 2021 here in my living room! This girl is a H.A.N.D.F.U.L!! She is the exact opposite of Ashley when it comes to playing. Ashley was independent and fine to play off by herself, read to herself, etc. Brooklyn is very high maintenance, dramatic, feisty, strong-willed, and stubborn. She should have been a Taurus. Wait! I'm a Taurus. She's not just like...I'm..not..like...naahhhh!!!
Anyway, back to yesterday. I'm doing this module and Brooklyn's tearing up the place. Ok, I'll just add that to add to my "Reasons Why I Need A Maid And Nanny" list. Check. Then it dawns on me: today is Thursday - karaoke Thursday!! Woohoo, I'm going out and having a good time singing for the first time since, gosh, my 30th birthday party....over two years ago. Yes! That's a total "Me" activity. I didn't get up to Mom's to get Ashley so now I'm in a predicament I don't usually find myself in: needing a babysitter. Thankfully, Ashley's friend Taylor (with her little sister Abby) jumped in to save the evening. Ok, so I've got the kiddos covered. Now I have to finish this module, clean the house, get ready, and warm up the vocal chords (well, technically this happens on the way with Shania Twain blasting in the car, lol). Looking good so far (especially since I promised myself I'd finish the module on Friday)!!
Fast forward a few hours. I'm ready. Tommy's ready. We head off to get some friends and they were not ready. Tick tock, tick tock. I am feeling the precious karaoke minutes passing by. I'm tapping my very pointy, stiletto heeled shoe loudly in the living room, hoping it would put some pep in their step. Nope. Either they were totally oblivious to it or they had bets on who would be the first to adorn said shoe in on their backside...
We were late getting to Cypress Grill; it started at 9pm and we got there around 10pm (for once, it was NOT my fault!). Of course, wouldn't you know that the karaoke system broke down just a few minutes before we arrived and they couldn't get it back up and running. OMG, you have NO idea how aggravated I was!!! It took me about 45 minutes to stop steaming, even though it was no one's fault, because I had really been looking forward to this. Here I am in my hamster ball getting stuck under the table and crashing into the chair legs again...why do the "Me" things never seem to work out?
After my steaming stopped, I had a good time. I actually did get to sing, too; the DJ/KJ started to let people sing over the regular cd's if they knew the words. So, it wasn't a total loss for the night. Plus, Tommy's friend Glen took me for a little spin out on the dance floor. He's such a nice guy and I'm glad he's got friends like Glen to hang out with when he's out. He's definitely the kind of man you can trust won't be a negative influence.
We finally got home at *gasp* 2am! I had to be up this morning at 7:15am to babysit some kids (I know, I'm nuts!) so there wasn't much sleep for me at all. So here I am, running on almost zero sleep, like maybe 24 hours worth in the last 9 days; watching a 21 month old, two 7-yr olds, a 9-yr old, and a very moody 12-yr old; trying to do homework, laundry, and meal-planning; washing dishes and Ga red clay off children who just played in the ditch with a water hose; and then get all the kids to church for VBS leaves me feeling just a wee bit exhausted.
I would say I'll take a "Me" day tomorrow but that's what I said about Thursday. And somehow those "Me" days turn into "Everybody BUT Me" days. I think I'll just give in to it all in hopes of being able to barter for a "Me" hour-long bath instead...
(oh, and Fluffy? Wherever you are, I'm sorry I tortured you by putting you in the ball. :) )
Yesterday was a packed day. I'd decided that I needed a "Me" day to catch up on studying and working a module from last week (since I'm behind...again) for this Patho class. Then I had planned on running a few errands for myself that I've been putting off because of my schedule and then take a nice nap with Brooklyn later in the day. Hahahahahaha........um, no. Didn't quite work that way.
I only had Brooklyn here with me but I might as well have had the entire future class of 2021 here in my living room! This girl is a H.A.N.D.F.U.L!! She is the exact opposite of Ashley when it comes to playing. Ashley was independent and fine to play off by herself, read to herself, etc. Brooklyn is very high maintenance, dramatic, feisty, strong-willed, and stubborn. She should have been a Taurus. Wait! I'm a Taurus. She's not just like...I'm..not..like...naahhhh!!!
Anyway, back to yesterday. I'm doing this module and Brooklyn's tearing up the place. Ok, I'll just add that to add to my "Reasons Why I Need A Maid And Nanny" list. Check. Then it dawns on me: today is Thursday - karaoke Thursday!! Woohoo, I'm going out and having a good time singing for the first time since, gosh, my 30th birthday party....over two years ago. Yes! That's a total "Me" activity. I didn't get up to Mom's to get Ashley so now I'm in a predicament I don't usually find myself in: needing a babysitter. Thankfully, Ashley's friend Taylor (with her little sister Abby) jumped in to save the evening. Ok, so I've got the kiddos covered. Now I have to finish this module, clean the house, get ready, and warm up the vocal chords (well, technically this happens on the way with Shania Twain blasting in the car, lol). Looking good so far (especially since I promised myself I'd finish the module on Friday)!!
Fast forward a few hours. I'm ready. Tommy's ready. We head off to get some friends and they were not ready. Tick tock, tick tock. I am feeling the precious karaoke minutes passing by. I'm tapping my very pointy, stiletto heeled shoe loudly in the living room, hoping it would put some pep in their step. Nope. Either they were totally oblivious to it or they had bets on who would be the first to adorn said shoe in on their backside...
We were late getting to Cypress Grill; it started at 9pm and we got there around 10pm (for once, it was NOT my fault!). Of course, wouldn't you know that the karaoke system broke down just a few minutes before we arrived and they couldn't get it back up and running. OMG, you have NO idea how aggravated I was!!! It took me about 45 minutes to stop steaming, even though it was no one's fault, because I had really been looking forward to this. Here I am in my hamster ball getting stuck under the table and crashing into the chair legs again...why do the "Me" things never seem to work out?
After my steaming stopped, I had a good time. I actually did get to sing, too; the DJ/KJ started to let people sing over the regular cd's if they knew the words. So, it wasn't a total loss for the night. Plus, Tommy's friend Glen took me for a little spin out on the dance floor. He's such a nice guy and I'm glad he's got friends like Glen to hang out with when he's out. He's definitely the kind of man you can trust won't be a negative influence.
We finally got home at *gasp* 2am! I had to be up this morning at 7:15am to babysit some kids (I know, I'm nuts!) so there wasn't much sleep for me at all. So here I am, running on almost zero sleep, like maybe 24 hours worth in the last 9 days; watching a 21 month old, two 7-yr olds, a 9-yr old, and a very moody 12-yr old; trying to do homework, laundry, and meal-planning; washing dishes and Ga red clay off children who just played in the ditch with a water hose; and then get all the kids to church for VBS leaves me feeling just a wee bit exhausted.
I would say I'll take a "Me" day tomorrow but that's what I said about Thursday. And somehow those "Me" days turn into "Everybody BUT Me" days. I think I'll just give in to it all in hopes of being able to barter for a "Me" hour-long bath instead...
(oh, and Fluffy? Wherever you are, I'm sorry I tortured you by putting you in the ball. :) )
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Wonderful Merciful Savior
I just cannot get enough of this song. I don't know of a song that has had such an impact on me, though most music will touch me in some way or another. It's lyrics are just so beautiful. You can hear the music to it here: http://jacobsrock.webs.com/SONGS/01 Wonderful Merciful Savior.mp3
Wonderful, merciful Savior
Precious Redeemer and Friend
Who would have thought that a Lamb
Could rescue the souls of men
Oh you rescue the souls of men
Counselor, Comforter, Keeper
Spirit we long to embrace
You offer hope when our hearts have
Hopelessly lost the way
Oh, we've hopelessly lost the way
You are the One that we praise
You are the One we adore
You give the healing and grace
Our hearts always hunger for
Oh, our hearts always hunger for
Almighty, infinite Father
Faithfully loving Your own
Here in our weakness You find us
Falling before Your throne
Oh, we're falling before Your throne
Precious Redeemer and Friend
Who would have thought that a Lamb
Could rescue the souls of men
Oh you rescue the souls of men
Counselor, Comforter, Keeper
Spirit we long to embrace
You offer hope when our hearts have
Hopelessly lost the way
Oh, we've hopelessly lost the way
You are the One that we praise
You are the One we adore
You give the healing and grace
Our hearts always hunger for
Oh, our hearts always hunger for
Almighty, infinite Father
Faithfully loving Your own
Here in our weakness You find us
Falling before Your throne
Oh, we're falling before Your throne
If that's not a song full of beautiful promises, I don't know what is...
Monday, June 23, 2008
Long day on the road
Today I ventured up to Atlanta. It was a long day, much longer than it's seemed in the past. I don't know if it was the crappy Atlanta rush-hour traffic, the never-ending construction on the interstates, or the fact that Brooklyn was not as excited about this trip as I'd hoped she would be.
It's crazy to see how much it's all changed and I was just up here a few weeks ago!! I took Ashley over to her friend Stephanie's house for a few days of hanging out. I'm sure they'll have a good time; it's been forever since they saw each other. I got a tad bit lost on the way to her house because I was going on a "feeling" from the last time I was there. And since that time, I swear it seems like 40 new subdivisions went up on the main road.
Being up in the Kennesaw/Acworth area made me miss it, though. I hate going up there because I know I'm going to wish I still lived there. As much as I've enjoyed the people down here and the friends I've made, my heart is still up in Atlanta. Rightly so, I guess; I lived in metro Atlanta for over 2/3's of my life!
When I finally got on the road to head back home (had to pick up some louvers for Tommy first), that was, of course, when Brooklyn was ready to start playing. She did not want to have any part of sleeping, remaining harnessed in her seat, or just letting Mom have a nice, quiet 2.5 hour drive. Oh no! I had to stop the car at Burger King and let her loose on the playplace for a little bit. I wish more places had play areas because it TOTALLY did the trick on her. When we got back in the car, she was out to lunch in no time!!
I'll head back up to get Ashley on Weds (or Thursday, not sure yet) and pick up some more louvers. I'm thinking I'll let Brooklyn sit this trip out....
It's crazy to see how much it's all changed and I was just up here a few weeks ago!! I took Ashley over to her friend Stephanie's house for a few days of hanging out. I'm sure they'll have a good time; it's been forever since they saw each other. I got a tad bit lost on the way to her house because I was going on a "feeling" from the last time I was there. And since that time, I swear it seems like 40 new subdivisions went up on the main road.
Being up in the Kennesaw/Acworth area made me miss it, though. I hate going up there because I know I'm going to wish I still lived there. As much as I've enjoyed the people down here and the friends I've made, my heart is still up in Atlanta. Rightly so, I guess; I lived in metro Atlanta for over 2/3's of my life!
When I finally got on the road to head back home (had to pick up some louvers for Tommy first), that was, of course, when Brooklyn was ready to start playing. She did not want to have any part of sleeping, remaining harnessed in her seat, or just letting Mom have a nice, quiet 2.5 hour drive. Oh no! I had to stop the car at Burger King and let her loose on the playplace for a little bit. I wish more places had play areas because it TOTALLY did the trick on her. When we got back in the car, she was out to lunch in no time!!
I'll head back up to get Ashley on Weds (or Thursday, not sure yet) and pick up some more louvers. I'm thinking I'll let Brooklyn sit this trip out....
Saturday, June 21, 2008
How to tell your child may want to start potty training...
There are some pretty easy signs to follow, like she shows interest in going to the bathroom and using the potty or doesn't like to wear diapers anymore. Then there's the pretty telling take-off-the-diaper-every-time-a-drop-of-pee-is-in-it sign. Gotta love this one, too. Nothing says "you're going to be overdrawn in your bank account" like your 21 month old going through a pack of diapers in a day and a half.
The only problem is that when I put her on the big potty, she won't let go of my neck. Like, I have to sit there with her the entire time she's on the seat so she can hold my neck while I try my hardest to balance on my toes and not fall backwards, flinging her forward off the potty (talk about some serious PTSD). And then she doesn't even pee!! But she hops down with the same intensity and excitement as if she's just pee'd a whole day's worth right then! And flushing? Omg, I think the kid is going to be a career flusher. She enjoys saying "bye-bye!!" to absolutely nothing more than anyone I've ever known.
I went to WalMart and found that they have no panties that fit her, anyway. Well, not entirely true. They have those horrid plastic-covered training pants that make the kwish-kwish noise when they walk with them on. I am soooo not buying those for her. But the smallest size panty comes in a 2T/3T size. There is such a huge difference in a 2T and a 3T. Why the heck are the two sizes combined for panties that are covering tiny little butts?? A 2T would be up to Brooklyn's neck so we'll have to find another alternative when the time comes. I'm pretty sure she'll be in a 2T panty when she's, um, going into Kindergarten. :)
While going through all this diapering, panty searching, and potty necking, it dawned on me that I haven't been doing any of this for over 10 years! The last kid I had to potty train was Brad. Blake trained himself in a day which was absolutely AWESOME!!!! I guess God couldn't be kind and give me another one of those, could He?? Huh, God? Ya hear me? I promise I wouldn't mind that AT.ALL. I've gotta get a break with her at some point; you saw my eye! I deserve an easier time from here on out!!
The only problem is that when I put her on the big potty, she won't let go of my neck. Like, I have to sit there with her the entire time she's on the seat so she can hold my neck while I try my hardest to balance on my toes and not fall backwards, flinging her forward off the potty (talk about some serious PTSD). And then she doesn't even pee!! But she hops down with the same intensity and excitement as if she's just pee'd a whole day's worth right then! And flushing? Omg, I think the kid is going to be a career flusher. She enjoys saying "bye-bye!!" to absolutely nothing more than anyone I've ever known.
I went to WalMart and found that they have no panties that fit her, anyway. Well, not entirely true. They have those horrid plastic-covered training pants that make the kwish-kwish noise when they walk with them on. I am soooo not buying those for her. But the smallest size panty comes in a 2T/3T size. There is such a huge difference in a 2T and a 3T. Why the heck are the two sizes combined for panties that are covering tiny little butts?? A 2T would be up to Brooklyn's neck so we'll have to find another alternative when the time comes. I'm pretty sure she'll be in a 2T panty when she's, um, going into Kindergarten. :)
While going through all this diapering, panty searching, and potty necking, it dawned on me that I haven't been doing any of this for over 10 years! The last kid I had to potty train was Brad. Blake trained himself in a day which was absolutely AWESOME!!!! I guess God couldn't be kind and give me another one of those, could He?? Huh, God? Ya hear me? I promise I wouldn't mind that AT.ALL. I've gotta get a break with her at some point; you saw my eye! I deserve an easier time from here on out!!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Midterms already??
For my patho class, I have to go up to the school to take an in-class test each Weds even though it's supposed to be an online class. Fine, no biggie. Today I was a few minutes late getting in there so I'd missed the announcement that we needed to stay afterwards to talk with her, get our grade for midterms, etc. I needed to talk with her about something anyway so I got lucky.
So, I'm in her office and she tells me what I made on the test. Now, I am a chapter behind b/c the last module was 117 pages long and it took me waaayyy longer to complete it than the others. So while the test was over cancer and the neurological system, I had only read the cancer chapter. Not good. I didn't feel good about the test and I was sure I'd bombed. She pulls out the test and says I made a 78. 78??? Are you serious?? I can't believe I made that high of a grade considering 85% of the test was over a chapter I didn't even glance at.
Then she figures up my midterm grade, with the module tests included, and I'm carrying a mid-B right now. YES!! This class is, by far, one of the hardest and most time-consuming classes I've ever taken and I'm actually doing well. Not that I'm surprised all that much but I am surprised at my test grades. I have been getting a bit of test anxiety lately and tend to do a bit more poorly than my potential. It feels so great to finally have test scores and grades reflect me accurately!! <>
So, at midterms, I'm carrying a B with 3 more tests and the final to go. I totally have a chance of getting an A!!!
And a big Happy Birthday to my bff's twin daughters who turned the big 5 today! Happy Birthday Abby and Emma!!
So, I'm in her office and she tells me what I made on the test. Now, I am a chapter behind b/c the last module was 117 pages long and it took me waaayyy longer to complete it than the others. So while the test was over cancer and the neurological system, I had only read the cancer chapter. Not good. I didn't feel good about the test and I was sure I'd bombed. She pulls out the test and says I made a 78. 78??? Are you serious?? I can't believe I made that high of a grade considering 85% of the test was over a chapter I didn't even glance at.
Then she figures up my midterm grade, with the module tests included, and I'm carrying a mid-B right now. YES!! This class is, by far, one of the hardest and most time-consuming classes I've ever taken and I'm actually doing well. Not that I'm surprised all that much but I am surprised at my test grades. I have been getting a bit of test anxiety lately and tend to do a bit more poorly than my potential. It feels so great to finally have test scores and grades reflect me accurately!! <
So, at midterms, I'm carrying a B with 3 more tests and the final to go. I totally have a chance of getting an A!!!
And a big Happy Birthday to my bff's twin daughters who turned the big 5 today! Happy Birthday Abby and Emma!!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Happy Father's Day!
Wow, Father's Day really snuck up on me this year. I've been doing soooo good at getting cards and such out in plenty of time to get to the intended recipient, much to the amazement of all who were receiving, lol. As everyone knows, procrastination is a gene I possess. So, I have all the cards here, addressed and stamped, and packages to go out as well and did I send them out? No, of course not. It took way too much energy to actually make it out to the road to the mailbox apparently. I made the calls, though, so at least I wasn't a loser all around. :)
The kids got Tommy two outfits and a goody bag of snacks that he loves, plus a big bucket of gum (I think they got this "for him, for them" though, lol). I'm sure I'll grow to hate that purchase most of all! He liked his gift and laughed at the cards each one of them picked out for him. The boys' card was the funniest: (outside) Dad, you've shown me everything I need to know to be a man... (inside) ..now I just have to find a woman like Mom to put up with me! Truer words have not been spoken!!
Happy Father's Day to all the men in my life!!!
The kids got Tommy two outfits and a goody bag of snacks that he loves, plus a big bucket of gum (I think they got this "for him, for them" though, lol). I'm sure I'll grow to hate that purchase most of all! He liked his gift and laughed at the cards each one of them picked out for him. The boys' card was the funniest: (outside) Dad, you've shown me everything I need to know to be a man... (inside) ..now I just have to find a woman like Mom to put up with me! Truer words have not been spoken!!
Happy Father's Day to all the men in my life!!!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Get out the helmet! The little monkey is home!!
Or maybe I should just get a patch to protect the other eye!! LOL
After being with Mom since Monday, Brooklyn finally came home a little while ago. I missed her terribly but, MAN! my house was peaceful while she was gone. And clean. :)
She is so excited to see Ashley and vice-versa. Ash talked with her on the phone for a few minutes and begged me to bring her out to Taylor's so they could see her. She's a little terror but she can be a little love-bug, too.
Now we are just one kid short. Brad is still at camp, having a great time. I talked with him yesterday morning and they were planning to do the whitewater rafting later that morning. I'm sure he had a great time, especially since he hasn't called but one time!
After being with Mom since Monday, Brooklyn finally came home a little while ago. I missed her terribly but, MAN! my house was peaceful while she was gone. And clean. :)
She is so excited to see Ashley and vice-versa. Ash talked with her on the phone for a few minutes and begged me to bring her out to Taylor's so they could see her. She's a little terror but she can be a little love-bug, too.
Now we are just one kid short. Brad is still at camp, having a great time. I talked with him yesterday morning and they were planning to do the whitewater rafting later that morning. I'm sure he had a great time, especially since he hasn't called but one time!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
"It's 7am and my sippie is empty! Fill it now!!"
Maybe this is what Brooklyn was thinking this morning. In any event, this is what I look like after an eventful "wake up call" by Brooklyn this morning. She was in her bed beside me and had her sippie with her; I had woken up about an hour earlier and put Barney or something on for her and had filled her cup. I went back to sleep, lying on my back. Around 7am, she threw her cup (probably b/c it was empty again) and it hit me in the eye. I sat up and grabbed my eye because it freaking hurt and scared the crap out of me!! I instantly started crying (you know that area is sooo sensitive and it hurt so bad) and felt the wet feeling in my hand, thinking it was tears. But when I lowered my hand and looked, it was blood. I REALLY started to freak at that point; I just had no idea what my face looked like. When I checked it out, it was just a huge laceration across my eye, right below my eyebrow. It was swollen and soooo sore. But I didn't expect there to be any more to it than the cut and swelling.
I headed to church not having put any makeup or coverup on it; there just didn't seem to be a need. By the end of service, though, it was obvious something was wrong because the bruise had started to form. People started to ask what happened. By the evening service, it was REAL obvious and today it looks worse.
So, other than not letting her have her sippie in her bed anymore, I'm not exactly sure what to do. I guess I'm going to have to get real tough with her and not let her have anything back if she throws it. That will mean taking her food away at mealtime, though, and that will be the hardest. *sigh*
Here's a picture of the damage
:
Brooklyn is with Mom for the next few days and I told her I expect Brooklyn to come home having been broken of this habit. And potty trained, too.
I headed to church not having put any makeup or coverup on it; there just didn't seem to be a need. By the end of service, though, it was obvious something was wrong because the bruise had started to form. People started to ask what happened. By the evening service, it was REAL obvious and today it looks worse.
So, other than not letting her have her sippie in her bed anymore, I'm not exactly sure what to do. I guess I'm going to have to get real tough with her and not let her have anything back if she throws it. That will mean taking her food away at mealtime, though, and that will be the hardest. *sigh*
Here's a picture of the damage
:Brooklyn is with Mom for the next few days and I told her I expect Brooklyn to come home having been broken of this habit. And potty trained, too.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Test today...could've been better
So my test was today. I wasn't really prepared so I think the grade I got was pretty darn good, lol. It was over 3 chapters and I'd only been able to read one of them. I still have a B average, though, so I'm in good shape.
I'm feeling worse today than I did yesterday!! I coughed through the whole test, once even to the point that I had to get up and go get some water. This really bites! I'd love to go home and get in the bed but VBS is tonight and I know the kids are looking forward to it.
On a positive note, I was able to talk with one of the ladies at church over dinner yesterday and she's really sweet. She is the type of person that is hard to read, that looks mad alot of the time. Turns out she's just making that kind of face when she's trying to focus or listen intently, lol. I've been accused of the same thing before; I wonder if people think I'm mad alot of the time? I hope not. That's not projecting Jesus very well...
I'm feeling worse today than I did yesterday!! I coughed through the whole test, once even to the point that I had to get up and go get some water. This really bites! I'd love to go home and get in the bed but VBS is tonight and I know the kids are looking forward to it.
On a positive note, I was able to talk with one of the ladies at church over dinner yesterday and she's really sweet. She is the type of person that is hard to read, that looks mad alot of the time. Turns out she's just making that kind of face when she's trying to focus or listen intently, lol. I've been accused of the same thing before; I wonder if people think I'm mad alot of the time? I hope not. That's not projecting Jesus very well...
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Sick in the summer? No fun!
Today's been a rough day. I feel like crap. I haven't been feeling well since Sunday - achy, coughing, runny nose, stuffy nose, headache. My throat was sore yesterday and it was worse this morning so I went to the dr. A throat-swab said I was strep negative, thankfully. Rachel told me I have a bronchial infection and put me on some meds. She also prescribed a cough medicine for me that knocks me out (hydrocodone) so I can only take it at night. Why me?!?! :)
I still went to VBS because I didn't want to leave Lydia hanging (even though we have plenty of help out there) and didn't want the kids to miss a night. I warned everyone I wasn't feeling well and so they all observed the "3-foot rule", lol. No kids ran up to me either so I may have to incorporate the 3-foot rule in everyday life.
Hopefully the meds will kick in quickly; I have a test tomorrow and really need to be in my best condition.
I still went to VBS because I didn't want to leave Lydia hanging (even though we have plenty of help out there) and didn't want the kids to miss a night. I warned everyone I wasn't feeling well and so they all observed the "3-foot rule", lol. No kids ran up to me either so I may have to incorporate the 3-foot rule in everyday life.
Hopefully the meds will kick in quickly; I have a test tomorrow and really need to be in my best condition.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Vacation Bible School week!!
Today was the start of VBS at church. They have the coolest theme this year - "Outrigger Island". The committee that was in charge of VBS this year did a great job decorating the church and rooms. Nothing says "let's kick off summertime" like an island-themed week of VBS!
For the 2nd year in a row, Lydia and I chose to serve in Recreation. We were in charge of the kids when they came out to play on the playground. Lydia was good at coming up with some games, bought some pool noodles and hula hoops to have on the playground, and has several things for each day planned. If only it wasn't so hot that you felt like you were melting!!
Brooklyn was in a class for the toddlers and while she's usually good about going into her classrooms, she was a bit hesitant. A very sweet woman in Brooklyn's room, Lori, stepped up to be her "buddy" for the week and she took to her immediately. What a blessing that was!! It made it so much easier to get where I needed to be knowing she'd be fine as long as she had Lori. The sweetest part was seeing Brooklyn squeeze her neck each day when she saw her.
Here are some pics from tonight:
For the 2nd year in a row, Lydia and I chose to serve in Recreation. We were in charge of the kids when they came out to play on the playground. Lydia was good at coming up with some games, bought some pool noodles and hula hoops to have on the playground, and has several things for each day planned. If only it wasn't so hot that you felt like you were melting!!
Brooklyn was in a class for the toddlers and while she's usually good about going into her classrooms, she was a bit hesitant. A very sweet woman in Brooklyn's room, Lori, stepped up to be her "buddy" for the week and she took to her immediately. What a blessing that was!! It made it so much easier to get where I needed to be knowing she'd be fine as long as she had Lori. The sweetest part was seeing Brooklyn squeeze her neck each day when she saw her.
Here are some pics from tonight:
Saturday, May 31, 2008
I'm not 32 by myself anymore!!!
Today is Kelly's birthday. As my best friend, she has reveled in the fact that I am 11 days older than her and totally eats up the remaining portion of the year that she's younger than me. :) At 32, she's finally in a place where she's happy and looking forward to the future and I'm so happy for her. Happy Birthday, Kell! Love you bunches!!
This morning, I went to a bridal shower. It was the lingerie shower for my friend Lydia's sister-in-law, Becky. We had a good time at a cool little place called "Giggles" which is a shop with a little cafe in the back. Becky is getting married in just 3 weeks and is really excited. I forget how it feels to be completely head-over-heels in love and ready to be together forever but being around wedding excitement sometimes brings that back. Here's some pics from the shower (Becky is really modest and was so embarrassed to open these gifts in front her mom and future mother-in-law, lol):
Later this afternoon I picked Brooklyn up from Ashley (who was babysitting her while I went to the shower/grocery store). I wasn't very shocked when I noticed she had blue marker ALL OVER HER!! She even drew on her head, the little knucklehead. Apparently the whole world is her canvas, including her body. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come with this kid; I'm just picturing tattoos in her future!!
This morning, I went to a bridal shower. It was the lingerie shower for my friend Lydia's sister-in-law, Becky. We had a good time at a cool little place called "Giggles" which is a shop with a little cafe in the back. Becky is getting married in just 3 weeks and is really excited. I forget how it feels to be completely head-over-heels in love and ready to be together forever but being around wedding excitement sometimes brings that back. Here's some pics from the shower (Becky is really modest and was so embarrassed to open these gifts in front her mom and future mother-in-law, lol):
Later this afternoon I picked Brooklyn up from Ashley (who was babysitting her while I went to the shower/grocery store). I wasn't very shocked when I noticed she had blue marker ALL OVER HER!! She even drew on her head, the little knucklehead. Apparently the whole world is her canvas, including her body. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come with this kid; I'm just picturing tattoos in her future!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
