Life in a Full House

785 to 39

2011-11-29T09:06:00.002-06:00

my first year blogging I had 785 post - this year I've had 39

SLACKER

2011-11-29T08:35:00.002-06:00

I apologize if anyone has missed my post - Facebook is so much easier and so when I have something to say I normally just post a one liner. Blogging was fun when everyone still did it - and I know that some still do. Its just not as much as we all did back in the day.

I can't think of anything to post here that wouldn't be a repeat of facebook - I realize Denise doesn't FB but she gets emails with the latest Brock happenings ;)

Darcy turned SEVEN! On the same day Jessica took her first trip to the ER. She passed out that morning, whacked her head and had a seizure (in that order). She's better now - she returned to basketball yesterday. She hasn't had any headaches in days.

Matthew has been working crazy hours - 80.5 hours last week actually. EIGHTY HOURS FOLKS!!! THATS CRAZY! Not to knock anyone's job but my hubby does manual labor and I can't imagine doing 8 hours - 80 hours is WILD! He's a trooper though - no complaints from him! I think he deserves everything on his christmas list ;) Which would be a new ipod!

The boys are wonderful - lately they've let me love on them a little longer. They keep me laughing.

Christmas is going to be great this year! Last year was pretty crummy - I don't think I posted it but we almost lost our house to foreclosure at Thanksgiving. We had all 4 kids in private school, I was driving 2 hours roundtrip every day to school and things were rough. Christmas was pitiful. I cried most of Christmas morning. I realize its not about the gifts but when you have little children - as a parent you want to be able to buy them christmas presents. This year we're both working and I've been buying a few things here and there for the past several months (small things). Anything is better than last year.

so forth and so on

2011-09-23T12:27:00.003-05:00

I'm at work and I'm actually pretty busy but I'm stuck in between things so I have a minute to blog.

Work is still work - it puts money in the account. I like my job most days - sometimes I hate that I can't run errands when I need to or that I can't sleep in... or that I never get to watch the Today show with Hoda and KLG :( But I like the people I work with/for and I like what I do.

Matthew and I have been meeting with a guy from our church who specializes in counseling. We went to him for some financial counseling but it turns out its been so much more than just money. I've enjoyed our weekly meetings. Sometimes its painful but I appreciate what God is doing through him and my wonderful husband. I've learned (or maybe admitted) a lot about myself - my character and I understand more. I've let go of a lot. I have to make a real effort every day (several times a day) to not let something affect me.... ie someone cutting me off on the road, a random fb post that I swear is directed at me or the look that someone gave me. Its been really freeing. I don't want to sound cheesy. I just appreciate the things that are happening inside of me.

I keep telling myself that I'm not responsible for other people's actions - just mine! so who cares how they behave towards me.

When someone gives you hell you gotta give them Jesus - P.C.
Before I just wanted to give them hell right back

haPPy BiRthDay deNiSE!!!

2011-09-22T10:11:00.002-05:00

I wanted to wish Denise a very Happy Birthday!!!!

In the 8 years I've known her I've only seen her 2x but she's a dear sweet friend!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR DENISE,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOOOOOOOOOU!

My Birthday Surprise

2011-08-28T12:36:00.000-05:00

I'm a control freak - there I said it! I have to always know whats going on - I don't like to be out of the loop.
This makes it hard to pull one over on me.
My hubby called Jamie in Atlanta and invited ourselves over for my b'day weekend. I had no idea until what was going on but finally the night before things were supposed to happen I made him tell me. I was having a slight panic attack b/c he was telling me that he was going to pack for me and that we were all going out of town. Well, Jeremiah was still recovering from surgery and the kids were suppose to start their new school on Monday - I didn't think we needed to be going anywhere! Once he told me where we were going I was too excited to sleep! Jamie had been living in Atlanta for 2 years and we've planned to visit several times but each time something would come up. So FINALLY we were going!!! We had a blast!!! We stayed up every night past midnight playing games or talking. She waited on my like I was at a bed and breakfast! We spent 3+ hours at IKEA. Our kids played great together (although i'm sure the Boemer Boys were glad to see those Brock Boys leave b/c they were ROWDY!) I can't wait to go back!!!!

Okay so the weekend AFTER my b'day - sorry I have no pics. I had a long day at work. I had to stay a little later than usual. I had a lot of stuff on my mind and I came in the door a little grumpy. I started unloading all my junk on my hubby - during this time Jessica was up to something. She was trying to get me into the bathroom but she failed.
Normally I come straight in the door, go the bathroom and start undressing - NOT on this day. You see, my dear friend Staci and Tiff were hiding in my shower!!! They finally gave up and came out of hiding. They were there to kidnap me!!! I had only a few minutes to pack and we were out the door. We had dinner at Joe's Italian where we met Jamie - but I didn't know she was there. I had no idea what was going on the entire weekend.... I was just told to get dressed and lets go! We spent the night at nearby hotel where Crystal joined up for some games. The next morning we went to the Galleria and eventually made our way to Aveeda Spa and Salon where my other friend Amy was to meet us. We had pedi's. Afterwards we ate lunch at Johnny Rocket's then off to Amy's for mexian train dominos. We ended up seeing a 9:50PM movie and coming back to my house afterwards... That was late Saturday night. Sunday we spent the day sleeping. I can't believe my friends pulled one over on me. I was so touched by all the effort they had put into making my birthday special. I love those girls!!!!

Gotta Get em OUT!

2011-08-28T12:21:00.000-05:00

Jeremiah had his tonsils and adnoids out right before school started. We went in to see the ENT on Tuesday and on Thursday we were having surgery. I didn't want him to miss any school so I pushed for them to do it right away - I'd been telling them for 2 years that he needed to have them removed! He did really well afterwards. We were told to expect the worst but he was great! He never threw up. He came home and ate right away - well other than falling asleep while eating :) His worse days were probably day 4, 5 and 6 and only because he was healing and when he woke up in the mornings it would be really dry.

This was after taking the "sleepy" med and waiting for it to work. He came back from surgery and said "You can't take my tonsils!" He had no clue it was already over!

Sweet Sixteen

2011-08-28T12:14:00.000-05:00

Jessica turned 16 on July 18th. We celebrated with Friends and Family at Full Moon BBQ.
Its hard to believe she's sixteen - She's a great kid!

Matt & Jessica

And she's taller than me!

Happy Birthday!!!

Jessica and Papa Wayne

4th of July

2011-08-28T12:08:00.000-05:00

Yes I realize I'm a little late to be posting our 4th of July pictures....
Matthew was supposed to be working out of town for 3 weeks in Florida but he was able to come home early. We spent the weekend of the 4th at my Aunt & Uncle's house on Dauphin Island... Tara & Blaine joined us. We had a blast!!!

Jacob loved all the attention Aunt Tara gave him. Whatever he wanted to do she was right there doing it with him!

The boys loved this little boat! They were ready to paddle to Cuba! They were a lot of fun to watch.

Darcy and Jessica

Birthday Surprises and More

2011-08-23T14:09:00.001-05:00

I promise to update you guys on all thats been going on but its not going to be today. I will say that all is well and the kids are doing well with adjusting to the new school.

Introducing Molly

2011-08-09T19:28:00.002-05:00

I'll try and take some more later... but this is what i have for now. She weighted 7 lbs today at the vet. Her and Goose both got their shots. Molly is about 17 weeks old and the vet didn't say what kind of dog she is... we think some sort of wired hair terrier mix. What do you think?

Catching you up

2011-08-09T11:52:00.002-05:00

Jeremiah had his tonsils taken out last Thursday and he's been great - last night and this morning were a little rough but nothing like what I was expecting. He hasn't had any problems eating or drinking... in fact just hours after home from the hospital he was eating Ramen Noodles. (I have a cute pic of him with his head down on the table taking a quick nap while eating). Matthew and I were both able to take off for his surgery but since then I've gone back to work and Matthew has been home with the kids. He's really been enjoying his time with them.

About a week or 2 ago some kid down the street gave our kids a puppy - nice right?!?! I was dead set that I was not getting any more animals! We're down to 3 cats, 9 fish and a dog! This little puppy wouldn't go home. Every day she was there. She never once tried to come inside but she greeted me every time I opened the door. She's a small thing - maybe a wired hair terrier mix or some sort of terrier. Now truth be known I'd always wanted a lap dog... one I could tote around and play dress up with. I had Oscar years ago and he was a great dog UNTIL we had Darcy - then he acted out and we eventually gave him to my parents - he's a different dog now :) Saturday night without warning I opened the back door, brought the door inside and gave her a bath. She's been my little buddy every since. The kids had already named her "Molly" so Molly it is. Yesterday I picked her up a collar, leash and some toys. Matthew took her to the vet this morning. She weights 7lbs and estimated to be about 17 weeks old. She's a feisty little thing - I don't think she realizes how little she is! She tried to take on a German Shepard at the vet.

The little kids are registered to start their new school next Monday. Jessica started last week. She drove herself to school in her new car (2006 Nissan Altima). She's a junior this year :( Volleyball has already started and she's ready to play! I love watching VB - its by far my favorite sport to watch. I just wished I could play it! HA! I go to most of their practices and help the coach (shag balls and whatever else I can do) - sometimes her and I play them - its fun to watch :)

Okay we'll I'm at work and I'd better get back - lunch is over! Oh and btw - I'm still loving my job!

Life

2011-08-01T07:03:00.003-05:00

I've spent the last week with some friends who lost their 4 year old daughter in a drowning accident. It was a rough week. One that no parent should ever have to endure... but for whatever reason they had to walk through this.

Saturday was the funeral and most of their family and friends returned home yesterday. Our lives will all return to normal. I can't imagine what they're going through - I don't want to imagine. I laid next to Darcy the other night and watched her sleep. I've listened to these parents talk about their daughter - The pain is unbearable. I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't forget them... that I'd stay in touch and be there as much as possible. To be honest, I hadn't seen them in several years. At one time we were really good friends. I was in their wedding. She practically lived at my parents house. But life takes over and you go in different directions. But they're gonna need people to call them and check on them. They're gonna need people to continue to pray. They're never going to "get over" this.

Reunited

2011-07-01T11:46:00.003-05:00

Matthew was supposed to be working out of town for 3 weeks but they finished up early and came home after 1 week! It was out first time to be a part for more than a night or two. I missed him - the kids missed him. The weekend was pretty lonely but we made it.

We're leaving in a few hours for the beach. Tara and her son, Blaine are joining us. We used to take vacations with them all the time when Jessica was little. We don't get to see them as much as we would like. They came down for Jessica's b'day party last July. Tara and I did sips n strokes during the holidays but other than that we haven't seen them. We talk all the time and my kids call her Aunt Tara :) I'm really looking forward to our trip.

My desires

2011-06-24T20:51:00.002-05:00

I've thought about how I'm gonna say this... I want to get it off my chest and I'm sure this will strike a nerve with people and maybe even offend someone. This post isn't directed at any one certain person - it covers a lot of people in my life.

I wish people cared more about others than themselves. I wish people weren't so lazy and actually tried to put forth more of an effort to stay connected with folks. I hate always being the one to reach out... I do it though, and again again I get my feelings hurt.

My kids are my everything. I love being around them and I know that they're a little rowdy at times but they're young. The get excited about things that you might have gotten excited about at their age. They love unconditionally. That part worries me - I wanna protect them. I know one day they're gonna see things differently and its gonna break their little hearts.

I title this post "My desires" but so far it doesn't really fit. Here's the desires part...

I hope that I always have a close relationship with my kids, their spouses and their children. I want my kids to always to stay close. I want their kids to grow up together. I want to be a part of everything that they allow me to be a part of. I want to have family traditions, sunday dinners with the whole fam, vacation memories, funny stories, lots of hugs (and not just from the kids) and so much more.

I want friends that last a lifetime. REAL friends - not fake facebook friends. Friends that call me and I call them. Friends that you can talk to after a rough day and they don't think you're having a pity party or try to one up you with their stories of what they had to go through once upon a time. Friends that can make time for a quick visit - not leaving you hanging. Friends that you can say anything to or in front of - no ones likes walking on eggshells. Friends that don't repeat my business or pass judgment on me.

Do you get what I'm saying? Relationships are important to me - I'm tired of being disappointed.

My wonderful Daughter, Jessica

2011-05-11T08:26:00.002-05:00

I have a great kid! Some might say I'm a little hard on her and I may be. Back around Thanksgiving we were talking and I she said something I wasn't expecting to hear so soon in her life. She told me that she was going to be just like me when she was a mom. WHOA! Blow me away! She said she understood why I did what I did and that she appreciated it. Thats probably the biggest compliment I've ever received!

A while back I asked Jessica why her and one of her friends wasn't close anymore. She really didn't want to talk about it but she knows I don't let up :) So she eventually told me that the other girl was heading in a different direction. She said she wasn't living right and that she had tried to talk to her but the other girl mocked Jessica. I'm so proud of my child for taking a stand and for not falling to peer pressure. She said she'd still be nice to her and try to talk to her but they couldn't hang out anymore. Whoa... how mature is that!

Jessica has to do a lot around here. Maybe not anymore than you or I did as a teenager but kids these days don't have to do anything! She's such a great big sister! Her siblings LOVE her. Recently we've been talking about college and Darcy is the only one that sorta understands and she's not happy. She's trying to convince Jessica to live with us forever :) I can't believe in 2 years Jessica will be leaving for college. These are times that you really have to trust that you've done all you can do as a parent and you totally give you're child over to the Lord.

Thanksgiving 2008

2011-05-05T09:25:00.001-05:00

Mommy, Jessica, Jeremiah, Darcy, Jacob and Daddy

Cades Cove in The Great Smokey Mountains

time to check in

2011-05-02T08:59:00.002-05:00

I am officially taking a forced break from school. I wasn't able to pass one of my classes and cannot move forward until I retake (and pass) the course. I will retake the course in Jan. This puts me graduating May 2013 same at Jessica :) lol

I have the next 7 months off. I'm not sure what to do with myself. I have been going non stop since Jan 09. Its an adjustment. I'm looking forward to spending time with my family. I might even get a parttime job - who knows.

I might even blog more ;) lol

My Crafty Side :)

2011-04-22T19:58:00.000-05:00

We cut down a bush/tree thingy from the back yard and I made this from it. Its my very first wreath - ta da! I just tired together some limbs! I could have kept adding and adding but I thought it might get too heavy. I'm pretty proud of myself :)

my panic attack

2011-04-05T20:31:00.002-05:00

Yesterday on my way home from school (a very stressful and emotional day) I was riding with my windows down and my hair was blowing... It felt good after such a rough day. I glanced down for a brief second and there was a big brownish redish spider on my thigh crawling towards my body. Without thinking twice I had quickly pulled off the road and was jumping out of my car. I had knocked the spider off my leg in the process of pulling off. Once out of the car I couldn't find it. I wasn't getting back into my vehicle! I called Matthew and just as I'm in the middle of explaining what happened I see the stupid spider and SMASH IT! AHAHAHHAHA I was freaking out all the way home. I felt like spiders were crawling all over me! I hate spiders!!!

Jessica goes to Prom :)

2011-04-01T19:55:00.002-05:00

It was a rough afternoon... I was stuck in Selma with a unresponsive, lethargic pt while Jessica was in Homewood with my mom getting her hair done. Due to the traffic Jessica arrived home almost 2 hours later than expected. She was supposed to leave our house with another couple at 5:20 but she didn't even make it home till after 6pm. She was extremely stressed out. There was a house full of people waiting for her here. She got herself together and looked amazing :)

Under the Big Top

2011-03-26T20:25:00.000-05:00

We took our kids the circus this year. They had no idea where we were going and in the pic below we just told them... but they still didn't really know what was going on.

We got there earlier (2nd in line at the door kinda early) and our kids got to enjoy
the preshow.... and so did Matthew :)

Waiting....

Jacob and Jessica

Waiting was their least favorite part :(
And to be honest it didn't keep their attention much during the actual show.
We're not sure if it was b/c we did the 5 o'clock show with no naps.
They actually asked us several times if it was over yet! lol

A glimpse

2011-03-26T20:16:00.000-05:00

My little folks are growing up... They're going to attend a public school next year. Darcy will be in 1st grade and the boy will be in K5. The boys turn 5 on April 3rd.

Darcy, Jacob and Jeremiah

We had a family reunion at my cousin's house... complete with a bom fire and my kids love it!

Me and Pawpaw Bill
(this was taken earlier in the day at the reunion)

Matthew and I celebrated V'day and his b'day by going to our favorite little place... Bernie's On Main in Columbiana.
We've been going to this place for all of our special occassions for years.

Mysterious Bruise

2011-03-26T20:07:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure where this came from but it popped up yesterday afternoon... granted I did practice softball with the girls but all I do is hit the ball to them... no catching or anything! My arms are sore from hitting but I'm not sure what caused this bruise. Its very tender!

What is God teaching me?

2011-03-25T10:49:00.003-05:00

I was doing a sorta playful interview yesterday for our church's newsletter and I was asked questions. One of them was "What has God been teaching you lately?"

Let me be honest here... I am a fixer by nature. I can also be a manipulator. I want to be in control. I want to know the plans not just know there's a plan. Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Too bad is doesn't say "and I'll share them with you immediately!" I'm learning to trust in Him. Trying not to fix it on my own or try and help Him. I know that sounds silly like He needs my help. But I've been guilty of telling folks that God gave us common sense and we should use it. He did, but I don't think when we're in need (trouble) that we're supposed to start immediately trying to fix it. I'm learning that my first response should be to go to God immediately and say "this is my problem and I'm not sure how its going to work out but I know that YOU will take care of it and guide me every step of the way." whoa thats hard. Really hard! Someone said in sunday school group once about we let God handle the big stuff but we think the small stuff is too petty to ask for his help. Well I'm the opposite. I'll let him deal with the small stuff but the big stuff is too hard to let him have control over. God wants me to trust him wholeheartedly AND I want to trust Him.

My husband seems to be so relaxed about things happening with our current trails. At times a little too relaxed if you ask me. But He's trusting God. He's serving God, spending time in his word, seeking him in prayer and really trusting Him. Reread that last sentence. Did you get it? His every day walk reflects a christian life... he's not just doing his own thing and then expecting God to solve his problems when he finds himself in a bind. I think thats where most people miss it. Those are the ones that get angry/disappointed and never really understand the Gospel. I don't want to be that person.

My emotional roller coaster

2011-03-15T09:01:00.003-05:00

I must be PMS'ing although lately it doesn't really matter if its that time or not because I can still be all emotional and girlie. I seem to get my feelings hurt over the smallest things but of course to me they feel huge. I feel left out of a lot of things. Which stinks b/c of my personality I thrive around others so when I feel isolated it makes everything worse.

I've learned some lessons lately... big valueable lessons... about trusting God and putting him FIRST. We're doing this bible study in our small group about idols and no I don't have a statue of budda but I did put all of focus on other things rather than God. Over the last month I've been going through a rough patch but once I figured out what He was trying to teach me it all made sense!

My kids are home this week for Spring Break... my spring break is next week. I'm only home today but I have a lot of school work to get done today. Right now the boys are on each side of me and we're watching cartoons. The girls are both still asleep. Guess I better go make the most of my time with my boys =)

Icky Sicky Me

2011-03-06T10:38:00.002-06:00

I'm sick! I hate being sick esp when I have things to do. I had to reschedule my clinicals for the 2nd time! I missed going to south Alabama to visit family. I am missing my hubby stand behind the pulpit for the first time today (he's not preaching he's opening with prayer) and I feel like CRAP! I have some school work to do but I can't focus on it.

On Tuesday I had an upper and lower Gi done and a hyda scan too. I prepped for it Monday night - whoa! Matthew took off work Tuesday to take me. I don't remember much of the day but apparently I was awake at some points b/c I posted on my fb status - haha. I got the results back yesterday and they need me to come back in to for blood work to rule out Celiac Disease. I'll do that on Tueday of this week.

Wednesday I had a big test which I didn't feel ready for seeing how the day before I was drugged! Wednesday afternoon I had clinicals and thats when my sore throat started. I thought it was just b/c of the upper gi.

Thursday was clinicals and by the time I got home I was running a fever. Friday I went to the dr and I've been stuck at home ever since :(

Everyone keeps asking me when we can get together... May 2012! lol

Checking In

2011-02-26T10:31:00.003-06:00

I've been a little busy lately with school and family. Things are still going well with school. I've had some really cool clinical experiences lately... seen a lot of cool stuff and actually got to be in on some cool stuff. I just finished my 2 days of full evening clinicals. My shift was 2pm till 10pm and I took full care of ONE patient. Now in the real world I'll have 5 or 6 (more if we're shorthanded) but I think I can handle it by then. The worst part is all the paperwork we have to do... none of which is actually done in "real life" but we're stuck doing it in school.

The kids are all doing well. Jeremiah and Darcy tell me every afternoon when I pick them up that they've gotten part of or all of their name on the board. The other day after they told me Jacob looked up at me and said "Momma, I never get my name on the board" Thats my Jacob! He NEVER gets in trouble at school. Sweet boy. Darcy's a talker and Jeremiah likes to be goofy... I guess Jacob takes after me and the other two take after Matthew :)

Jessica is playing softball for the first time this year. She went on her first double date on Valentines Day and she's attending the Jr/Sr Banquet in April. She'll turn 16 this summer. We get stuff for college every week :(

Matthew is looking forward to his role in ministry - whenever that might be. He met with the head of our presbytery last weekend and they talked about what he needed to do in order to be ordained. He's going to start teaching a sunday school class and then he'll do an internship. The presbyterian church (PCA) doesn't just let anyone become ordained... He'll go through a bunch of stuff before they'll ordain him. Which is good... i'm not complaining... that keeps from just anyone getting up behind the pulpit and saying whatever they "feel" is right.

We have a family reunion to attend in a few hours.... I've got to finish my cake :)

Def out of the question!

2011-02-01T14:30:00.002-06:00

I don't think homeschooling is something I could pull off. The kids are home today b/c there's a funeral at the church. They brought home work to do and I also have plenty of school work. It was a rough morning and to be honest I felt like crying at times. I have a big test tomorrow and we had a optional review class today and I had to miss it b/c I needed to be here to make sure they all did their work. I'm having trouble focusing with them home. As soon as I get my nose in a book they're needing me for something. I have class this evening :( Its gonna be a long night!

My Little Homecoming Sweetie

2011-01-29T10:54:00.003-06:00

Jessica was voted onto the Homecoming Court. She wanted me to do her makeup since I'm the makeup Diva (its what I make her call me when we play makeup). She didn't tell me she had made homecoming court until bedtime on Sunday night. We didn't have time to find a dress to wear but some of my classmates brought dresses for me to let Jessica try on. We had about 10 dresses to choose from... I love my nursing classmates!

Jessica and her nana... yeah they look alike :)

Jessica her her boyfriend Matt.

My hubby escorted Jessica. They read her introduction and it was soooo sweet. She thanked my hubby for being the father figure in her life. She also thanked me for everything I've done. For her favorite things to do she put spending time with her family and hanging out with Darcy and "the brothers"

My baby is growing up!

I can feel it...

2011-01-25T08:37:00.002-06:00

Its gonna be one of those day... you know that kind I'm talking about. The kind where you get easily annoyed by everyone and everything. Its not even 8:30am yet and I'm already annoyed! ahahah My kids were perfect this morning so I can't blame it on them. I can blame it on telemarketers, complainers and ignorant people. Maybe I should go back to bed before I hurt someone's feelings.

Home Alone

2011-01-17T08:13:00.002-06:00

Today my kids were supposed to be out of school but due to them missing a day b/c of the weather they had to make it up today :(

I'll spend the day studying and finishing up my paperwork from clinicals.

I have my first test on Wednesday... I'm trying to start this semester off right. Last semester took me by surprise and I'm not going to let that happen again!

Clinicals

2011-01-14T10:07:00.003-06:00

I don't know how much I'm allowed to say here but I had my first real hospital clinicals yesterday... I was in the nursery! I liked it but I don't know if its for me... It was kinda slow. Maybe the NICU might be more my speed.

I was dying!

2011-01-14T09:56:00.003-06:00

I can't remember if I've posted about my *issues* here or not... but I have some gastric issues. I've been dealing with it for several years now but recently I've been experiencing a change in my symptoms. Now instead of what the doctor calls "dumping syndrome" I've been experiencing horrible pressure in my upper abdomen. I've been doing alka seltzer for the pain (cause it makes me burp) but it doesn't really help. I've had to drink it as many as 3x a day. These symptoms have been going on for about 3 weeks now. The *episode's* last for about 20 minutes. The pain is really severe (like get naked kinda pain). Last night I had an episode that wouldn't let up. It kept getting worse and worse so finally after about 40 minutes of experiencing the WORST.PAIN.IN.MY.LIFE. I decided it was time to call a professional... Jessica's grandmother (she's a nurse). She said GO TO THE ER! During this episode I was in so much pain that I couldn't even talk (imagine that)! I cried, threw up and basically locked myself in the bathroom to suffer. I gave in and decided it was time to go to the ER (jessica had to get me dressed) and off we went. Well we got about 10 minutes down the road and the pain was gone. We came back home and I've made myself an appointment for next monday. I think its safe to say that I scared my hubby and Jessica.... but I'm okay!

No Snow...

2011-01-10T12:10:00.001-06:00

Just Ice and I'm not happy!

Blizzard of 2011

2011-01-09T19:15:00.002-06:00

We're bracing ourselves for a "Winter Storm" here in central Alabama.... LOL I'm really looking forward to the snow but I don't get my hopes up anymore. We're prepared: 2 1/2 loaves of bread, 2 gallons of milk, 1 gallon of chocolate milk, 1 gallon of OJ, lots of juice, sandwich meat, cereal and some charcoal to grill our hamburgers with if it gets really bad :) LOL

We spent most of the day yesterday cleaning the house - like really cleaning! I have this funny little thing I do when there's any hint of unusual weather... I clean!! I want the house to be perfect so we can function if things get bad. I've been doing laundry for 2 straight days - non stop! hahaha

We've put plastic over some of the windows upstairs and taped off some down stairs. We've got the portable propane heater ready. Cell phones charged, laptops charged and camera's charged. The lanterns are ready. The cars are backed into the driveway so we can get out easier. We even let the cats come inside (not one of my ideas - trust me).

So how do you prepare?

Overdue Thanksgiving Pics

2011-01-04T15:46:00.002-06:00

We were walking through one of the fields in Cades Cove... My boys were tired of walking and we were in the middle of a breakdown when these deer came out of the words and walked right by us! There are 3 in this picture and one of them is a big buck. They actually got pretty close to us! The kids loved it!

My granny jean with her great grandkids...
Gah Gah and Papa with their grandkids

We took our kids to the Ripley's Aquarium and it was worth every pennny. They loved it!!!

But they didn't like having to stop and take pictures :)

Looking back...

2011-01-04T10:43:00.002-06:00

I was looking back to see what my past resolutions were and I stumbled on my first day of college :) Jan 8 2009. I also read where my plan was to finish my basics by Fall of 2010 and start the nursing part shortly after... I finished in Spring 2010 and started the nursing program in Fall of 2010! I'll graduate in May 2012!

My New Years Resolution

2011-01-04T10:22:00.002-06:00

So I've watched enough talk shows over my break to know how I'm supposed to set up my resolutions. HA! I should look back and see what years past resolutions were... although it might discourage me to see that I failed at keeping those too :) Sometimes I just forget what I said I was gonna do! Okay so here's mine...

1. Lose 10 lbs by Valentines Day, 10 more St. Patty's Day, 10 more by Easter, 10 more by Memorial Day, 10 more by 4th of July, 10 more by Birthday (8/13), 10 more by Halloween, 10 more by Thanksgiving and then just keep it off till the 2012 :)
*Now I realize that at some point its going to be harder to lose the weight but I think if I can see laid out like this then maybe it will help me stay motivated... kinda like a game.

2. Stay disciplined with my school work (use my time more wisely)

3. Scream less at my kids (just being honest)

4. Manage our money better

5. Have more date nights with my hubby

6. Study the bible

Big Dorks

2011-01-03T21:50:00.000-06:00

Did you notice the flowers behind my hubby's ears??? Jessica thought that was cute.

On a serious note... I'm so glad he and Jessica have such a great relationship.

Our little trip to Elamville

2011-01-03T21:06:00.004-06:00

We went down to Elamville for New Years. We've always talked about camping out but this time we actually did it. Our kids love to camp out in the back yard... thats the only place they've camped out :) We set up our tents behind grandmaws house in the field. We build a fire and roasted marshmellows and weenie's. The kids had a blast. Jessica and I came inside around 2am... I had to pee and she was miserable (good excuse). The kids stayed out all night with Matthew and his dad.

Here's Darcy roasting Marshmellows. She loved every bit of it!

Entertainment is hard to come by in Elamville so Jessica and I put on a freshing peppermint mask and took goofy pictures.

My parents got the kids little DVD players for Christmas... they didn't use them in the car but as soon as we got there (it was late) they wanted to watch their movies :) For some reason this picture makes me warm and fuzzy :)

This was actually taken before we left... Its Jacob

Here's Jeremiah acting like a doggy.

My boys have definitely got their own personalities... along with likes and dislikes. Used to you could buy them the same thing and they'd be happy... not anymore. They're so different. One likes orange the other like green. One likes Batman the other likes spiderman . I love my little boys. I can't imagine my life without my twins.

Happy New Years!

2010-12-30T10:01:00.002-06:00

We're heading out this afternoon/evening for south alabama to visit with family. New Years just aint what it used to be for me anymore. I'll probably be asleep by midnight :) We're going to attempt to camp out in south alabama (in the back yard). The kids have no idea... we've learned not to tell them anything about anything until its a sure thing! Too many times they've been disappointed b/c something has come up (sickies or what not) so we're just gonna load up and then tell them once we get going.

Matthew's grandmother and great aunt aren't doing well. I realize they're knocking on 90's door but its still hard. This weekend we'll get to spend time with Aunt Helen and I'm really looking forward to it... although every time I leave I feel like its the last time I'll see her.

School starts for the kids on Monday and for me on Wednesday. This semester is gonna be different... I barely made it through last semester but now that I know what to expect I feel a little more prepared.

Our Christmas

2010-12-29T12:37:00.003-06:00

Christmas has come and gone...
We spent Christmas Eve with our church family. Matthew was part of the big Christmas special... he sang and played his many instrumetns.

My parents had said they were coming over Christmas morning to watch the kids open presents. She said they'd be here between 7:30 and 8am which is when my kids normally wake up. At 5:45 Darcy came into our room but she laid back done and eventually went back to sleep. At 6:45 my phone rang and it was my mom. She said they were getting off the exit. I was half asleep and asked her if she said she was getting on the exit or off the exit. She giggled and said "OFF the exit... we'll be there in about 5 minutes." I had to wake everyone up! Jessica suggested I tell them to wait on the couch till the kids woke up on their own LOL. We opened presents and everyone seemed happy but this momma felt like it was a pretty bare christmas. Once the kids went to their rooms to play with their new toys I turned to my parents and began crying. I told them how grateful I was for the many of Christmas' that they had done whatever they could to put presents under the tree. I said some other things but you get the point. Looking back I realize how stressful things had to be for my parents at times. I'm an adult now - a parent- and its an eye opening experience. I look at things through a different lens.

My sister and her family joined us around lunchtime for Christmas dinner. We exchanged gifts and played games till it was time for us to go to the Brock house for Christmas.

The kids racked up. Jessica got a bunch of money and gift cards so the day after Christmas we (along with Heather) went shopping. She got a lot of cute things. We had fun shopping.

Jacob

2010-12-11T14:22:00.000-06:00

This picture cracks me up.... This is Jacob reading while on the potty :)

Bah humbug - sorta

2010-12-09T15:28:00.002-06:00

I've been so busy with school this year that I got a late start on actually decorating the house. We actually just got our stuff out this past weekend but we still haven't gotten our outside decor up.

This 1st semester of nursing school has been extremely rough. Not just b/c of school but because of other things happening in my life. Stuff I'm not comfortable enough to post here but have shared with my closest friends. Its getting better now. I had some anxiety issues and had to get them under control. Its been a learning experience.

I'm looking forward to my break... 3 weeks is gonna fly by fast :(

Christmas is just around the corner and this is going to be the roughest Christmas ever. I'm not asking for pitty... I'm just being honest. I'm looking forward to the day when we both have jobs and our kids don't have to do with out. I know its not about the presents.

Can't wait!

2010-11-23T10:48:00.002-06:00

I think I'm just as excited as my kids about Thanksgiving in the mountains! I'm ready to go! I'm all packed up and the house is getting picked up so we can return home to a nice cozy house. I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!!! Enjoy your famiy!

Slacker

2010-11-18T08:22:00.003-06:00

I was just looking at my blog post and saw that so far this year I've only posted 86 times... compared to 284 post from last year and over 700 from the year before. What can I say... I'm busy! But I'm not too busy for my friends ;) I try really hard to keep up with you by email or phone calls. Please bare with me while I continue to push through Nursing school ;) Love ya'll!

Happy Birthday Darcy

2010-11-15T10:46:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is Darcy's 6th Birthday. We celebrated yesterday after church. I can't believe my little baby is already six years old. She's growing up too quickly! Thankfully she still lets me love on her :)

HELP!!!!

2010-11-15T10:42:00.000-06:00

Last Friday we pulled into the driveway from school. The kids got out of the car and I walked to the mailbox to check the mail. As I was walking back from the car I heard the kids screaming. I walked around the car and saw Jeremiah on the ground with this dog on top of him! I freaked out and started kicking the dog... Jeremiah got up and the dog was chasing him and jumping on him!!! I'm running after them both while screaming at the other kids to go inside. Jeremiah gets away and the dog is still in my yard... he's wanting to play! I called 911 b/c I didn't know who else to call and they sent an officer out to the house. The dog belonged to a neighbor down the street and they were told to keep the dog on a chain. Because the dog didn't actually "bite" Jeremiah they didn't do anything to the dog or its owners. By the time things settled down I realized Jeremiah had a scratch on his forehead but it wasn't that bad... It was a very frightening experience for Jeremiah.

The next day... get this... the next day Matthew takes them to the park to play and their was a couple there with 2 dogs NOT on a leash. As they approached Matthew and the kids Jeremiah got scared and the owners told Matthew that their dogs were friendly dogs. Bout that time one of them takes off towards Jeremiah and Jeremiah starts running so of course the dog is chasing him. Matthew was able to rescue Jeremiah and the owners told him that the dog was just trying to play.

Okay so here goes my rant.... KEEP YOUR DOG ON A LEASH! Some kids (AND ADULTS) are terrified of dogs and being attacked in your front yard is a little scary! Puppys can play rough and they don't realize when they hurt kids... and kids don't realize when puppy's are only playing!!!

Surprise!

2010-11-15T10:30:00.000-06:00

Michael was home for 2 weeks... we went to Clarksville, TN to have dinner with him and the family. We were supposed to be at the airport holding welcome home signs but his flight came in early and we missed it :(

Thats a proud big brother look on my hubby's face LOL

It was great for us all to get to spend some time with him. It was hard saying goodbye yesterday after Darcy's party. He's flying back tomorrow for 6 more months. Please continue to pray for his safey and Heather's sanity :)

Super Hero's!

2010-11-15T10:23:00.000-06:00

Jeremiah

Jacob

Darcy

Chillaxin

2010-11-04T08:38:00.002-05:00

I'm home today and tomorrow. Its great to be here... wish I could just sit back and relax but I've got to catch up on some housework. I also have to get some much needed studying time in. This weekend is gonna be a very busy weekend. I have clinicals Sat & Sun from 7am till 3pm in Selma. I'm not really happy about my clinicals being on the weekend.... that is the only time I have with my family!

This semester is wrapping up and I'm starting to panic a little bit. The Nursing Program is a lot harder than just getting my basics done. I'm struggling in one class but its b/c I didn't give it my best from the beginning so now I'm playing catch up. The first week of December is my finals. Then I'm off until Jan 5th. I'm starting to make a "To Do" list for that month off. I'm looking forward to the break. Maybe I can plan a road trip to the south and maybe one to the east too :) Those are quick and easy trips to do by myself.

Well I gotta get moving... daylight is a wasting!

whoo hoo

2010-10-30T14:05:00.002-05:00

I'm so excited that I'm able to go with my family to pick up Uncle Michael from the airport. Now just pray he has a safe trip home with no delays! We're all so excited to see him!

Sunshine Farms 2010

2010-10-29T08:29:00.002-05:00

Our 3rd year to visit Sunshine Farms in Maplesville. Our kids love it and I hope to keep it a family tradition for many years.

Papa D with his grandkids... notice Flannery is pulling Darcy's hair :)
My wonderful and funny kids
Jacob, Jeremiah, Darcy and Jessica

Thats Us! The B6 Crew

Oh and this is my first day of clinicals

It went well... I was really excited about it.

I survived

2010-10-24T07:51:00.002-05:00

my first clinicals that is :) Spent 2 days in a nursing home and learned a lot (mostly about myself). My next clinical is in 2 weeks. Please pray for me b/c I have a lot of test this month and then finals. I'm borderline in 2 of my classes and I'm trying not to stress about it.

Yesterday we spent the day at Sunshine Farms in Maplesville. Its a pumpkin patch thats spread out on a large farm with all sorts of fun things for the kids to do. Its not crowded like the more well known pumpkin patch. We got there at 10am and tried to leave around 12:30 but on our way out some friends from church pulled in and asked us to stay so we did. We ended up staying until 3:30! We were tired and sunburnt - oh and very hungry!

Well I've got to get ready for church... today is membership Sunday and for the first time in my adult life I'm a member of a church :)

Exciting Days Ahead

2010-10-19T08:26:00.000-05:00

I start clinicals this week. I'm so excited. I'm going to the nursing home. I probably won't be able to tell you guys the details and I'm going to hate that but with all the laws out there these days I don't want to risk getting in trouble. I enjoy the classroom stuff and I love the practice labs but I'm really looking forward to dealing with real people.

I'm almost done with my 1st semester - WHOA!

Promised Pics

2010-10-17T20:32:00.000-05:00

More Changes

2010-10-17T08:17:00.003-05:00

Back to Back Post
Whoo Hooo... I'm on a roll :)

Nah not really... I''m just avoided getting out from under my warm blanket. I need to be getting ready for church but its sooo cold.

Let me tell ya about my new church. We've been going for several months now. Its a presbyterian church . Matthew went to visit one day while I was out of the town and the kids were spending the weekend with grandparents. He called me that afternoon and was so excited. I knew he was ready to make the big move. If you don't know much about presbyterian's then I challenge you to check out the website. Up until recently I haven't been able to attend much with the family due to work. But the times I've been there I really enjoy the message and every thing about the church. Matthew was immediately asked to play with them during worship. He's been able to play his guitar, mandolin, banjo and sing lead vocals. The kids really like it too. It was a little rough with Jessica at first but she's really liking it now too.

On Wednesday's they have W.E.L.L groups that meet after different folks house. Its a pot luck dinner and then we have a bible study. The kids all still meet at the church for their activities. We're actually having a big Fall Festival picnic next weekend at a local park. They're setting up the stage and having the worship band play some fun songs. I'm looking forward to it.

Well I'd better jump in the shower!

Changes

2010-10-16T10:33:00.003-05:00

Well I finally changed my blog... it took me forever to fix all the crazy stuff I'd done to it and I'm not even sure if its fixed ;) I'd asked my friend Crystal for help but she's crazy busy with ornaments so I had to do it on my own.

Other changes...
I quit my job. Its something I hated doing but I really felt like I had no choice. Yesterday was my first Friday off in a while and enjoyed every minute of it. My kids are out for Fall Break so we just hung out!

Jessica is looking at colleges - GULP! Doesn't that make some of you feel really old?? Crazy huh! I've been requesting information from different places... FSU, Marshall and Florida University. She's actually taking the PSAT today. I'm trying to encourage her to do whatever she wants to do and go wherever she feels like she can get the most from. Its crazy b/c I know that when she goes off to college, Matthew and I will be relocating so he can go to seminary.

School is going good. I'm failing one of my classes but barely. I know what its gonna take to pull it up and its doable. Its going to be easier to do it now that I'm not working.

My grandfather had a heart attack 2 weeks ago... it was pretty scary. He's doing better now. Besides my grandmother, I haven't lost anyone close to me. Matthew's lost both of his grandfathers. I was able to drive up and be with him for a few hours. I actually got to practice some of my nursing skills on him ;) lol

I'll try and post more often.... keep coming back ;)

LIttle People

2010-10-08T18:12:00.000-05:00

Promised Pics

2010-10-08T18:01:00.002-05:00

We painted our downstairs blue... we wanted it to match my candle holder. We hung up everything in different places which makes things look new ;)

My hubby bought me some more willow folks for our anniversary...

notice some of my angels lost their wings (bad behavior - true story)

Darcy loves to color

Jacob didn't want to have his picture made

I couldn't get Jeremiah's picture to load so I'll try again... and Jessica wasn't "fixed" so no pics of her today

Trusting in Him

2010-10-08T17:35:00.002-05:00

I've had a lot of ups and downs lately. I quit my job, decided to stay and then quit again 3 weeks later. We've had some major financial issues so quitting my job was a really hard thing to do in the midst of a financial crisis. But the lesson I'm learning is; its not up to ME to fix everything. He doesn't need me to fix my problems... He wants me to trust him to take care of everything. Now my problem here is that I feel like God has given me a brain and I should use some common sense.... well he doesn't need my common sense either! HA!!! In fact, He wants me to be solely dependent on HIM! I'm not the head of this household anyways so its not my job to worry about making ends meet so if my husband is okay with trusting God and waiting on Him to supply all my needs then so am I.

Philipians 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

It is up to me to raise my family. My ministry is my family. I'm trusting that the Lord will work everything out and guide me and my husband in every step we should take EVEN if it doesn't make sense to me or anyone else.

Towards the end of this I had to spank 3 kids and rescue dinner before it burnt so if it got all scattered in the end I'm sorry :)

Old pics but still cute

2010-09-07T08:22:00.000-05:00

I promise to post some newer pics soon. Jacob is still wearing his cowboy hat every day.

Jeremiah is all smiles

Daddy and his girls!

Pics in the future

2010-09-07T08:01:00.003-05:00

Matthew painted the downstairs for my birthday present... it looks really nice. It actually gave everything a fresh new look. I put my stuff back on the walls but in different places and that also makes everything seem new. The color is called New Hampshire Blue... I'll take some pics and post them soon.

I also took some pics of the kids yesterday. They're growing up so fast. The little ones are losing some of their baby features and it makes me sad. Jessica is getting taller... I have to ask her to get things down for me - not cool.

I can't remember if I posted this or not but we're going to a different church now. We were at our last church for 3 years but we felt God directing us elsewhere. We needed fellowship and something more than Wednesday evenings and Sunday's. We're attending Grace Fellowship. Its a PCA church (presbyterian). We like it alot. The kids like it alot too. It lines up with what we believe. The preaching (really teaching) is great. The music is wonderful and the fellowship is awesome. We have Well Groups on Wednesday nights. I can't remember what "well" stands for but its something important. The groups meet at homes and each group has a focus. We eat dinner, fellowship and do a study. Our group is studying 1 John. Most groups meet within walking distance from the church so our kids attend they're program while we're at well group.

School is going. Its consuming my time but its worth it. Work is also consuming my time but I can't say that its worth it. I love the people that I take care of but I'm not a fan of my coworkers (or atleast some of them). I'm trying to hold out until Christmas but I'm not sure if I'll make it or not.

Gotta go study before I leave for class.

lacking motivation...

2010-08-27T14:12:00.001-05:00

to continue with my blog... the last 5 post have no comments

Is anybody still there?

busy busy busy

2010-08-23T19:23:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry to my faithful blog readers *snickers* but I've started school and my life is ubber busy. I'm still trying to hold on to my parttime job but school is very consuming. I greatly appreciate all the encouragement from you all. My anxiety issues have gotten better but I still have freak out moments. I spend HOURS a day at school and when I'm not there I spend HOURS studying. I met yesterday on Sunday for 4.5 hours to study with friends.... and yes we studied! There's so much information packed into 2 years! I have my first check off tomorrow... its me actually doing the steps infront of the instructors. Tomorrow is vital signs... blood pressure, pulse, respirations, heart beat and temperature. I'm good with everything except counting heartbeats! Its not as easy as 1, 2, 3 the heart beat makes two 2 sounds when it beats... lu dub is 1 beat. Sometimes I get confused and count lu 1 dub 2 or sometimes the beat is really fast and there's no pause.

Enough about that...

The kids are having a great year so far. The boys are seperated this year and at first they (Jeremiah) had a rough time but now they're doing great. Darcy is in K5 and she loves it. Jessica is in the 10th grade and so far all is well. They had a lot of folks not come back so the highschool has shrunk!

I finally broke down and bought my boys new booster seats. Their infant carriers were bought for us at their babyshower. Then I was given 2 Britax carseats (freecycle). They were outdated and one of them didn't even have the padding under the cover. I kept putting off buying new ones but I got convicted about their safety and finally broke down and purchased new ones. These can be used with the 5 point harness until they weight 60lbs and then it can be used with the seatbelt till they're 100 lbs. I really wanted the 5 pt harness b/c trying to get the seatbelt kind off and on would be a pain in the neck! I used my birthday money :(

okay well I can't promise that I'll update again soon but I'll definitely try.

Working Out

2010-08-06T08:00:00.002-05:00

I'm not talking about physically working out... I'm talking about my school schedule ;) Although I need to be doing the other. I don't want to be the "fat nurse" I wanna be the "hot nurse" LOL

I went to orientation yesterday at Wallace in Selma. We were there all day! As of right now my schedule is M & W's 8:30am till 2:30pm. T & T's 10:15 till 1pm. And occasionally I'll have some Friday - I'll find out more about that after the first week. We also have clinicals in the 1st semester! My parents are driving down on M&W's to get the kids up and ready for school.... I'll be forever grateful for their sacrifice. My schedule gets easier as the semesters go by.

I also have a online Math class - not cool. I'm not a fan of online courses and esp not a math course! Jessica is taking Algebra II this year and I'm taking College Algebra so maybe we can help each other out.

My job - well as you can see from the above paragraph - I'm gonna be really busy. I'm not sure how long I'll be able to work. I really don't even know if my employer is going to work with my schedule. I would like to keep my job b/c we need the income but I don't want to stress myself out. I'm still trying to sort that part out.

Weird

2010-08-02T14:15:00.002-05:00

Last night Jessica and I both were sitting in the floor packing our bookbags for school - weird! She's going to be in the 10th grade this year. She turned 15 in July and got her permit... she's driving! I've been really good with her... I don't scream or slam my foot into the floor board hoping to use my imaginary break. I try and stay very calm. She made the mistake of complaining to matthew b/c I kept telling her what she was doing wrong. I quickly let her know that I could be like my parents and scream at her the whole time! She hushed. Her driving has gotten better. I try and make her drive at least every day. I want her to get as much experience as possible in before she turns 16. She's growing up too fast. Its hard to think that in 3 more years she'll be graduating from highschool and going off to college. I hope I've prepared her for life beyond our home.

messed it up

2010-07-26T10:07:00.002-05:00

my blog that is... and i can't get it to go back so for now you're stuck with it!

Overwhelmed

2010-07-20T19:05:00.002-05:00

I am trying to stay positive about school. But I start back on Aug 16th and I got my list of stuff to buy before then and I'm freaking out. I've got 6 textbooks to buy, a lab coat, scrubs, stethoscope, nursing shoes, a nursing kit and pay to get my vaccinations done again or have a test done to show that I've had them (my momma didn't keep my records and I've tried other ways to get them without any success). I am thankful for my job that is provided some sort of income but its not going to pay for all that crap!

Speaking of my new job... I have no idea what my work schedule is going to be like once I start school. I'll be attending school 4 days a week. 2 of those days I'll be there from 8am till 3pm and the other 2 days I'll have a 2 hour lab somewhere in the middle of the day. Which leaves me able to work Fri, Sat and Sun. I have no idea how wiling my boss is going to be with working with my schedule. I realize that so many people work full time job and go to school full time but I don't know how they do that with a family and allow time to study also. I'd appreciate some major prayers! I'm feeling slighly overwhelmed.

On a positive note let me share with you this story....
We had made plans back in the beginning of the year to go to the beach with my sister and her family. As we got closer and closer to the summer we realized we didn't have the money to go and needed a way out without causing hardship to my sister and her family. We prayed that God would provide us a way out.

First the oil spill happened - no I'm not saying he allowed this to happen so we didn't have to go to the beach. So when the oil spilled happened we discussed with my sister the incident and how it might effect us. She didn't seem to think it would e/affect us. So we felt stuck.

Then I got word from my boss that I had some training that was scheduled while I was supposed to be at the beach. I didn't HAVE to take it then but if I didn't then I'd have to miss 4 days of school to get the training done. Well thats not acceptable in nursing school so we chose to cancel our vacation.

I had to call my sister and explain the situation. I was nervous because I didn't want to back out and cause them to pay the half that we were supposed to pay. I was angry b/c I was having to cancel my vacation b/c of my job. It wasn't till I was completely immersed in those feelings that I realized that I had prayed for a way out (we had prayed for a way out) and he was God providing that way out. I begin to feel a little bit better about the situation but I still wasn't sure about my sister.

I called her and she wasn't mad but instead she was relieved! Turns out her in laws were also going to the beach that week and the people that were staying with them had backed out and there was room for my sister and her family to stay there FREE but my sister didn't want to leave us with paying for a week so she had told them she couldn't do that. Well now that was all changing. The invitation for them to stay with her inlaws was still there and everything worked out.

But its not over yet... ya see THIS is the week the week we were supposed to be at the beach. My sister and her family went down on Friday night. We were supposed to leave tonight (tuesday) and come back Sunday. But on Sunday my brother in laws grandmother passed away so they had to come back today for the visitation and funeral. So it all worked out! Nobody lost any money!

Notice anything different?

2010-07-13T15:14:00.000-05:00

Braces off!!!

2010-07-13T15:13:00.000-05:00

She finally got her braces off!

Changing things up a bit

2010-07-13T12:43:00.002-05:00

Change is good....

I know things around me are changing. I'm trying to embrace it and not run from it. My kids are growing up. Thats something I cannot control. I have to let them grow up and make choices... hopefully I've raised them to make right choices and to learn from the wrong choices they'll make in life.

My job is a big change. Its hard after being a stay at home mom for almost 6 years to spend 20+ hours away from them each week.

Church is another change. We left our church. We didn't burn any bridges and I'm not really gonna go into it on here but we felt like God was taking us in another direction. We've been attending a presbyterian church in clanton. We like it and its not at all what I expected. I guess it just goes to show you should do your own research on things instead of just taking someone's word for it. There's tradition there, respect and teaching. 3 important things I think the church lacks these days.

School starts back up for kids the first week in August and I start back on the 16th. Matthew decided to hold off on starting. He's looking in to seminary and hopefully he can do it all at one place instead of transfering from Jeff State.

So thats whats happening with us! Thanks for checkin in on me :)

Girl Time & more

2010-07-12T09:34:00.002-05:00

2 of my besties came to visit me Friday :) Staci is in the middle of moving her family to mississippi and Tiffany was driving down with her to help with the kids. I've known these 2 girls since 1997! We may not get to see each other often but everytime we get together we have a blast. We stayed up all night talking, laughing, crying and peeing on ourselves. I hate their visit was so short but its amazing that we've stayed friends this long and still see each other as often as we do. We all have kids now and our kids are very close in age so they enjoy each others company too.

My job - I still love it. I'm only working 2 days this week so I'm hoping to get some stuff done before I go back.

Kids - They're great. Jessica is at youth camp this week and I'm praying for an awesome experience for her.

Marriage - great!

Future - we're going to the beach next week with my sister and her family. This is the first vacation that I've taken with my family and hers. I'm praying that the beach is clear and the water is safe.

Happy 4th of July

2010-07-03T09:36:00.002-05:00

I know I'm a day early but we won't be here tomorrow... heading to my grandparents house for a family cookout and swimming. This 4th will be an especially emotional 4th because Michael is serving overseas. I always seem to get overly emotional hearing all the patriotic songs and such bu this year... its different.

I worked 40 hours last week - FORTY! Did I mention I'm parttime? LOL I'm not really complaining b/c I appreciate the paycheck but its hard being away from my family so much. I worked 12pm till 8pm Tuesday thru Friday and worked last Sunday evening too. I'll be working 40 hours this upcoming week too.

Last night we attempted to camp out. It started off great. We shot a few fireworks and then around 9pm we headed inside the tent to settle down. I'd been at work up until 8pm so I thought he'd gotten everything taken care of. He didn't have enough blankets - I know what your thinking but it does get cool in the wee hours! So I sent him back inside for blankets, a small fan and bugspray. 15 mins later he hadn't returned so I went looking for him. He wandering around outside and when I asked him what he was doing he told me..... we were locked out! I tried not to get excited but I could feel the panic attack coming on. He'd checked all the windows and was trying to break in the back door but didn't have anything to use. I had my cell phone with me and was ready to call for backup when he was able to get in through an open window. We got everything we needed and headed back outside. We were up by 7:30am.

I had a phone call in the middle of this post so I've lost my train of thought - sorry!

Working like Dawg

2010-06-25T16:51:00.002-05:00

not really... but working at all is more than I'm used too ;) I'm grateful the my paycheck for the experience to work with these very special people. Its a real eye opening experience. I love it. I love the people I care for and the people I work with. I have some training coming up and I'm looking forward to increasing my knowledge in those areas. All of this is going to be a huge plus in my nursing career - whatever area I chose to serve in.

The shifts are alot like hospital shifts. Except for we're not on the same shift... we rotate. So far I've worked all shift except for the Owl shift (11pm till 7am). The 7am till 3pm isn't too bad once I get up and get going but I hate waking up at 5:30!

Jessica has been doing a lot of babysitting but b/c I'm getting paid I'm actually able to give her some money too. And she's rewarded in other ways (example. her b/f has been here since 2 o'clock).

Matthew has also done a lot of long hours lately. Today he got off an hour and half early but b/c of an accident on the interstate it took him nearly 2 hours to get home!

Well its the weekend and I'm only scheduled for Sunday 3pm till 11pm so I'm gonna enjoy some family time!

I made it

2010-06-21T09:49:00.001-05:00

Incase you missed it I got into the Nursing Program at Wallace in Selma :) I start in mid August.

TGIF

2010-06-18T12:46:00.002-05:00

Jessica is gone to volleyball camp and I'm spending the day by the pool with the kids - um baby pool. I'm trying to get some sun on my WHITE legs. Its so hot out there I keep having to come in to cool down. The baby pool isn't big enough for all of us :( But ONE DAY... I'll have a real inground pool!

I also have some studying to do for work. There's a lot of documentation to do - A LOT! And everything is done a certain way for each form. This is all very good practice b/c all of this will help me in nursing. I actually get to take some very good training courses in medication, CPR and some other areas. All of these are going to give me a leg up in the nursing program.

I have to work tomorrow night and sunday afternoon. I'm looking forward to it but hate I'm going to miss Father's Day with my hubby. Darcy keeps insisting that we take him to the zoo... so she can ride the carousel :)

My First Day

2010-06-17T17:37:00.002-05:00

was very draining - emotionally. But I like it alot... might even love it. I can't really say a lot on here about my job. I work with mental patients at a home and thats about all I can say.

Thankful

2010-06-15T17:21:00.002-05:00

I know its not Thanksgiving but after the last few days I feel like its best to list the things I'm thankful for (in no perticular order)

Jesus - His perfect plan for my life
my hubby - b/c without his support and encouragment I wouldn't make it
my kids - cause they remind me of simplier things in life
my house - i have a roof over my head and thats more than some
my family - b/c they know all my faults and they still love me
my friends - I may not have a lot but the ones I've got are pretty darn special to me
my new job - it may not have come when i thought it should but it happened
my education - something I never thought i'd be doing but i am and i'm good at it
my country - people complain of all the things wrong but they're whats wrong

I'm sure there's more but i'm burning dinner ;) gotta run!

B6 News

2010-06-08T09:48:00.002-05:00

Still waiting to hear back from the job... i should be called in for orientation soon. Then I'll be added on the schedule - bout time! I've been trying to get this job for a month! Who knew it would take so long to get processed?!?

I signed up for church softball - its a ladies team. We've had 4 games so far. We're 2 for 2. Last night we had a double header and we have another one tonight! I had no idea that this would be taking up 3 nights a week. But I'm not going to complain b/c this is the most exercise I've gotten in a long time.

I'm still waiting to officially hear from the nursing program at wallace. I called yesterday and the lady told me I looked good HA and that they would decide on the 15th. In the meantime, I've enrolled my hubby at Jeff State. He'll start his basics in the fall. I'm excited for him. I hope that we both can make it through.... married, 4 kids, one with a full time job, both with a full schedule - PRAY FOR US!

Summer Time fun

2010-06-04T09:56:00.002-05:00

The girls just got back from their annual "Girls" trip with my mom. This year they went to Helen, Ga. Darcy's favorite part was the hot tub... its like her own personal pool (don't worry they don't turn on the heat). They went putt-putting, painted pottery, shopped and just relaxed.

While they were gone I was determined to spend some fun time with my boys. We ended up staying home for Memorial Day which kinda made me sad b/c I'm used to grilling out with family but fam did their own thing. Looking back I wish we would have put up the tent in the back yard and camped with the boys - oh well. We had a great week.... we played and stayed up watching movies with them at night. We made smoothies and took a few trips to the store.

I got my paperwork for the new job. I had to have a drug screening and a TB skin test. All I will say is someone should have warned me!

Wednesday the boys and I spent the day with Jamie and her kids. We swam and had a great time. Her boys were supper sweet to my boys (I was a little nervous that her boys would be annoyed by my boys since they're so much older). Oh and the best part was I told my boys that Sophie was "Princess Sophie" so thats what they called her all day!!!! LOVED IT! She's a mess. A cute mess though! Thanks Jamie for having us over ;)

I'm playing church softball - first time in over a decade! LOL wow that sounds really crazy! I had my first game last night. I scored the only run! Well I didn't actually run it though. I just hit the ball and then they let Jessica run for me. Normally when you play catcher you get a runner (although I think last night they let everyone who wanted one have one). And catching is so much harder on me now that I'm 13 years older!

Well thats all for now!

Reading

2010-05-24T12:54:00.000-05:00

For those of you that don't know this about me - I HATE reading... and could probably name all the books I've ever read on one hand.
Its just not something I enjoy. I don't want to spend so much time reading about a story when I can watch a movie and only lose 2 hours of my time. BUT... some of the ladies I go to church with read Karen Kingsbury books and they've been telling me that I need to read one. So finally I did. I started reading Even Now one night after Wednesday night church. I couldn't put it down. By Friday evening I had finished it!!! The next book in that series is Ever After... I started reading that one next and by Sunday I had finished that book as well!! I loved both of them. But I knew I had to pace myself. I started one of her stand alone books "Like Dandelion Dust" This time I didn't jump right into it. But over this past weekend I wasn't feeling too well and I decided to read. And once again I finished it with 2 days. So now I'm ready to read her 911 series... her books are all real life fiction. Thats the part that gets me the most... that even though its not real it could be.

I've also been encouraged to read Francine Rivers.
What are you favorite's?
I need some suggestions but here's what I don't like....
I don't like or I don't think I'll like - unbelievable fiction or old stuff (but I'm willing to give it a try)

okay so the picture above is me with Karen Kingsbury... She was one of the speakers at Extraordinary Women's conference in Birmingham. I also heard Lysa TerKeurst, Shari Rhoades Sheppard, Anita Renfroe & Julie Clinton.

Super Lion & Lu Lu

2010-05-23T19:56:00.000-05:00

(If Darcy didn't love this stupid cat so much I'd take it on a long drive!)
Sometimes I'll catch her outside laying in the grass with the cat sitting right on top of her.
She loves this stinking cat!
Lu Lu Oh Lu Lu

Super Lion!

2010-05-23T19:43:00.002-05:00

Thats Darcy's new name... her super hero name. She ask that we all call her by that name. Tonight when dinner was ready I told Jeremiah to tell his siblings to come inside to eat. He opened the door and yelled "Acob! Super Lion! Come eat!" It was too cute.

On Sunday nights Darcy sits with us so that she can get used to being in big church. Most of the time she does good - IF I remember to bring her coloring book and crayons. Last week she was coloring when the pastor went off on something. He stopped himself and said "I'm not even going to say it." Darcy looked straight at him and said "WHAT?" Everyone laughed... we sit on the 2nd pew so everyone heard her. He said "well at least she's paying attention!"

She went for her 5 year old check up (6months past due) the other day. The dr had her look at different shapes and symbols to test her eyesight. When it got to the cross Darcy told her all about how Jesus had died on the cross for our sins and how she loved him and he lived in her heart. It was such a wonderful feeling to hear my precious child tell someone else about Jesus.

Now her new thing is to ask Matthew to tell her stories about work.... and every day when he walks in the door she ask him all about it. Its very cute.

I can't believe she's going into Kindergarden next year... soon she'll be 6 years old!

5 year check up

2010-05-21T16:19:00.002-05:00

6 months past due ;) LOL

I thought since my kids saw the doctor often that I really didn't need to do a check up... WRONG! They test their hearing, eyesight and other things. We also discussed Darcy's allergy issues... that she got straight from her dad! The doctor suggested allergy covers for her mattress and pillow.... which would probably be a good thing for matthew seeing as how their allergies flare up while sleeping. Something to do with dust mites - gross! It probably would help to throw out ALL pillows and get new ones... too bad these things can be costly. I'll try washing everything first. I've got some air purifiers that my mom bought my hubby a while back... I need to replace the filter.

Everything else checked out fine. She got 4 shots and they are checking for blood too.

The dr was having her name her shapes and when she got to the flag she called it a michael michael flag - i had to explain that her uncle was in the military and his picture with the flad behind it is displayed in our house so she calls it the michael michael flag. Then she got to the cross and she told the dr that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that she believed in Jesus. The dr and I both got a little teary eyed.

Well I've managed to get some sort of head cold so I'm drinking peppermint tea and resting.

Getting Closer

2010-05-20T08:22:00.003-05:00

The lady about the job said it would take a while. Yesterday they called my references ;) Hopefully I'll find something out soon. I'm getting really excited about it. My scrubs should be here any day now.... I thought it would take longer but they're already being shipped ;) how fun!!!!

My summer schedule is filling up fast. Between Jessica's camps and her mini vacations she's going to be gone a lot. Which is going to leave me working some crazy shifts!

I mailed off my nursing application so now i'm just waiting on my letter of acceptance.... they won't do that until sometime in June.

thats all for now! show some love and leave comments!

Finished

2010-05-20T08:13:00.000-05:00

Jacob & Jeremiah with their teacher Mrs. Sheila

Darcy with her telescope (diploma)... she was a praying mantis for her end of the year program :)

You may have to click to enlarge... Jacob is standing while Jeremiah is in a ball on the floor... he was shy

Random

2010-05-18T20:36:00.000-05:00

Me & Matty

Me and Karen Kingsbury at the Ewomen's conference

Jessica rockin the 80's look (she die if she knew i posted this here but she only said i couldn't post in on my facebook - she didn't say anything about my blog)

Love em!

2010-05-18T20:04:00.000-05:00

Daddy & Jeremiah

Daddy & his girls

Daddy & Jacob

Flannery

2010-05-18T20:00:00.000-05:00

This is my niece, Flannery!! She's a cutie, isn't she? Lovin the hair!

SCRUBS and stuff

2010-05-16T16:10:00.004-05:00

I may be speaking too soon but... I'm pretty sure I got the job. That is IF my references say good things about me ;) The lady I interviewed with said all that we were waiting on is my background check. She said that could take a while... longer if nothing came up. Odd but I guess if they don't get anything the first time around they'll keep diggin ;) lol

Anyways... today I went online and ordered some scrubs. I don't have a lot of money to spend on them right now so I only ordered enough to get me by for a few days. Maybe after I get the job (and my first paycheck) I can order some more.

Jessica is finishing up the last few days of school... tomorrow is a half day and tuesday she has to go long enough to take one exam. The little ones are already out. I made a schedule for us but I'm not sure if we'll stick to it. I know it will help but just sticking to it will take a lot of effort.

I spent the weekend at the Extraordinary Women's conference... heard some great speakers. P&W was led by Charles Billingsley and then we had Jeremy Camp one night and Mark Shultz the other night. I was tired and ready to come home. Home Sweet Home

Me, work?

2010-05-11T13:55:00.002-05:00

So it seems I'm looking for a PT job once again. I'm only looking for something to help me out during the summer. I applied at the grocery store but they'd already hired someone. I applied at Target and I haven't heard back from them either. Then while getting my hair cut the girl next to me told me about her place of employment hiring. I can't really say what it is (at least not on my blog) but if you know what Staci does then its almost the same thing but with adults.

Right in the middle of typing out that last sentence I got a call and they want me to come in tomorrow morning for an interview!!! Praise the Lord!

The job is going to be a PT job and its going to be pretty flexible with my schedule... something that I can continue to do while I'm in school. I'm really excited about it. I would love to tell you all about it but I'm pretty sure that would NOT be wise.

In the meantime, my heart has been heavy lately. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to post this on here but if I'm not I'm sure someone will tell me ;) But my brother in law is leaving for his 1st tour overseas in the middle of June. I can't tell you what he does but just know its dangerous (not that anything over there isn't!). I know how much I miss my hubby when he's gone and I can't imagine not seeing him for 12 months. Or not being able to dial his cell phone and talk to him whenever I want. They just recently moved so now she's having to make friends all over again. I'm praying that she finds some really good ones ;) So please keep Heather & Michael in your prayers.

My New Do

2010-05-11T13:05:00.000-05:00

I got my hair done for Mother's Day... I like it alot but its already fading :(

Jessica loves it too...she kept saying "you have red streaks!" If only everyone's mom could be as cool as hers! sheesh!

Tomorrow is only a day away

2010-05-02T21:41:00.002-05:00

I take my last finals for the semester at 11:30am and 5pm. Math first then Biology. I'm nervous. I could have prepared more but I do have a family ;) I'm getting nervous... Its not a pass or fail situation for me but I really hate the thought of making less than an "A"... whodathunk it, right? ME, trying to be an A student - LOL I couldn't even make honor roll in high school and here I am with 7 A's and 1 B so far. I'm proud of myself.

Sometimes I get mad at myself for waiting so long but I might not have done so well - I know I wouldn't have. But what would I have done IF I did go to college after highschool? Who knows! I know at one time I wanted to be a lawyer... not sure if I would have been disciplined enough to see it through.

I am where I am... and only by the grace of God.

There's a good chance Matthew will be starting college in the fall... something we knew was going to happen but we thought it would be after I finish. He wants to get a Doctrine in Theology... thats gonna take like 7 years! So we figured we shouldn't put it off for 2 years (when i graduate). We're looking into him taking his basics now.... online. We'll see... its something we're praying about - so pray with us :)

Growing Up!

2010-04-27T10:28:00.000-05:00

Jacob with a catapillar on his face

Jeremiah with Jonah in the whale on his face :)

Darcy wanted a heart

Jessica on Easter

Spring Fling

2010-04-27T10:25:00.000-05:00

My little ones were determined to do this... Jacob and Darcy made it with no problems but Jeremiah couldn't pull himself up at the top... he actually took the harder way. I wanted him to get another chance but the line was waaay too long.

Darcy

2010-04-27T10:22:00.000-05:00

She keeps me laughing!

Look what I can do!

I'm stuck! Get me outta this!

Motivation

2010-04-27T09:30:00.002-05:00

I need to lose weight but I'm too impatient to do it the right way. I want immediate results! I've got saved up prescriptions of phenemine that I keep saying one day I'm going to start and stick with it. Today might be the day. I took one this morning and maybe I can stick with it. I know weight plays an important part of how I feel - physically & mentally.

On the flip side phenemine messes with me emotionally.... big time! It makes me really sentimental and sappy. I try and refrain from sending sappy emails or making emotional phone calls. Those of you thats received one knows what I'm talking about ;) lol

My relationship with my husband has always been great but here lately its been awesome. I love him and miss him deeply when he's not here. I feel like I can talk to him about anything and he want judge me. I can say things completely wrong and he knows what I meant to say :) He's the most compassionate person I know. He completely selfless. I wish I could be more like him.

Down to the Wire

2010-04-26T10:18:00.002-05:00

Next Monday is my last day of classes but between now and then I have a lot to do! Today I take a Math test, Wedesday I have a lab final and Monday is my math and lecture final. Jessica has a sports banquet on Friday night and my hubby is working late every night and on Saturday too. So pray that I can get everything done. I'm looking forward to being off this summer so maybe I can tackle some projects I've been putting off.

My hubby was supposed to work this past weekend but b/c of the weather they decided not to. So he hung up some shelves for me in my laundry room :) I get really excited over small things... but hey! at least everyone will have clean clothes now. I organized several cabinets and the laundry room. I need to tackle the barn! I also would like to paint my bathroom upstairs and a desk that I bought Darcy at a local thrift store. I'm thinking about turning the office into a usable guest room since we never go back there anymore. It's become a catch all for all sorts of things. I also want to line of some fun things to do with my kids over the summer.

The Funk

2010-04-22T19:21:00.001-05:00

I'm in a funk and could use some extra prayers.