shuttefly!

So, I'm trying this out. I have always used shutterfly for pictures, Christmas cards, etc. Now, if you post a blog, you get 50 free cards. Let's see if this works. I am a little behind in my cards this year anyway. They do such an amazing job there!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

Well, I can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving. The funny thing is, this TYPE A plan maker, has no idea what we are doing for the big day! For the first time ever, we do not have plans!!! We did, however they fell through. We were going to go to Virginia to visit with my cousins, their families and Aunts and Uncles that I have not seen in over 10 years. That's a whole nother story. Even though we are disappointed to not be going, it's for the best. My Uncle Ralph is going through chemo and it may be a bit much for him right now. We were going to treat it like a mini reunion, but are rescheduling for the spring.

Friday afternoon, we are heading up to C-L-E-M-S-O-N!! That's right, it time for some fried chicken for the Clemson/Carolina football game!!! I hope we win!!! But, as I said in previous post, while it may be a disappointment if we lose, it's OK, just a game.. Just don't want to hear about it from those Carolina fans (sorry to my friends that are nice Carolina fans).

It's also the week I was supposed to get my Christmas cards mailed out....but, we haven't taken our annual pictures o put on the card yet... So, late cards this year!

So, this Christmas, we have decided not to travel. Not going to Charleston, Florence, anywhere. We are staying in our little house, enjoying family time here. I'm sad I won't see my brother and his family, and my aunt and uncle. Hopefully, my cousin will be coming up. My mom and her husband are coming up for Christmas day. Which means, I AM COOKING!!! aaahhhhh!

It's going to be great this Christmas season. We are not buying presents for the adults (with the exception of giving a little cash to my Granny). Just the kiddos this year. We (Wes and his siblings) are planning on a ski/tubing/shopping weekend around Boone/Blowing Rock for his family sometime in January. We are trying to be relational. We want to teach Madison that the holidays are not about toys, but about being together. So, I am looking forward to a wonderful Christmas season!!!!!

Disappointments...

Well....Life's full of them. What do we let disappoint us? Friends, family, 18 year olds playing football. Sure, our hearts drop when we lose another game...... But, do we need to get so upset? Think how the players feel...how the coaches feel...Do they have a job next week, next year? Do we let the taunts of our football foes get to us? Yeah, it all stinks, but it's just a game, or is it? It's a kid's dream to win a game. It's a coaches' family security on the line. I dunno, I guess I'm just used to losing this year.

The more I sit here and think of wow, wish we could have won that one... I realize where my priority is at the moment. Who else let's a football game disappoint them? You know what really matters? Jesus doesn't disappoint. He may not make that kicker score the winning point, make that ref reverse a call. He does take care of US! You have to believe, have faith. Do you pray for the right reasons? I hear and have said, "Please God, let him make it." He doesn't, but do we curse God? Lose faith? I would hope no would be the answer.

Super Woman or just crazy!

So, twice last week a co-worker told me I was Super Woman. Why.......Married with a 3 year old, two dogs, a cat plus a stray cat, fostering dogs (soon to start) full time job, cake baking (part time job), gym, little gym, couponing, housekeeping, cooking, fundraising, football, lake, running, cycling, what am I forgetting,....... SLEEP! What is sleep? 3-4 hours a night. oh yeah, and trying to have baby number two.

So, where does this leave me? exhausted, cranky, but loving almost every minute of it.

I was told that I just do too much. How much is too much? I need to stay in shape, I want another baby. I love my animals, Locker, Telli, Tara... Missing my Bailey terribly and Boots. I welcome the stray Juliet who hasn't let me pet her yet, but enjoys Tara's food.

So, am I doing too much? Who knows. Here's to the next adventure

Turned 35 and all I got was stinkin' muddy!

September...93 degrees.....Started my day coughing up my second lung I believe. I decided, after 4 days of being sick, to head to the Minute Clinic at CVS. Turns out, it was just a sinus infection. Got some amoxil, cough pearls, and a lidocaine rinse for my throat. I also picked up some Riccola (can you hear the song in your head?).

Headed back to the house after stopping by the storage building to empty the tailgate stuff outta my car. Came home and Wesley had put away most of the laundry and had the house looking good.

At 1:30, after remember to shove some food down, we had to pick up Dr. Smithor (my boss) and head to Sandy Run for the USMC MUD RUN!!! Karen and Kevin, and my cousin Kim were meeting us there. We met up with Katie and Michael, who were so gracious to help babysit!!! Not to mention, they already did the Mud Run thing at 6:30 that morning!!! That's why I love them! Kevin, bless his heart, only did this b/c I asked him to. Well, that's why any of my team did it, I guess.

We kept hearing from people that traffic was a nightmare. People were taking two hours to get to the mud run and were starting way after their start times. THAT STINKS!! Dr. Smith had her cousin coming in from Asheville, my cousin from Charleston, not to mention Wesley had a birthday dinner planned for me. So, we get there, and have to WALK 3 miles to the thing b/c traffic was so bad. Then were expected to run this 5 mile course, with obstacles!! Well, when all was said and done... I'm glad we did it. We finished the course and only skipped one obstacle and that was only b/c there were too many people and we'd have been there too long.

I don't know if I'll do it again, but I had a blast doing it this time!!

Hoooah!!!

Goodbye my friend.

Bailey, July 9, 1998 entered my life when when I needed him the most. I was in a horrible relationship that could have ended badly.

I got Bailey, This crazy cute black Lab puppy that almost got me kicked out of a rental house, a duplex but got me out of a traffic ticket. This sweet boy loved me no matter what! He LOVED being rubbed behind his ears, his belly, heck, he even liked when I gave him pedicures!!!

Bailey got FAT! Then skinny, then pretty chunky again. He loved swimming!!! The only bad thing was, you couldn't let him off his leash cause he'd run wild and about get hit!

He knew when I was sad; He'd lay his little head on my lap and just lay there until I was ok. He watched after Madison when we brought her home. He'd let her lay over him , cause she was giving him attention.

As much as I couldn't stand when he'd constantly bark when we got home, until we let him out of the pen; I know I'll cry the first few times I don't hear him when I pull up to the house. I will miss how he would bound of the stairs and knock me down to get into the house!!!

Oh Bailey, How I miss you already. Saying goodbye to you tonight was surreal. You were a great friend who love us unconditionally. We will miss you and love you forever!!

Headaches again...

Call it anxiety, stress, caffeine, or lack there of. I don't get it!!!!!!!! I'm done with headaches. I got yelled at at work today, because of something out of my control. ............

Speaking of control, I need to put God back in the driver's seat. How easy it is to forget that. Here we are trying to have another child, oops, there I said it!!! lol!!! but yes, we are... I keep taking home tests, but you know, it will happen when and IF God wants to bless us with another child.

Back to headaches. I don't get it. It's happening way to often. I really can't function when I get home. I don't even feel like running anymore!!!! Which doesn't pose very well, when I have the Mud Run in 10 days!!!!!

Just random thoughts.....

Well, it's 3:15 in the morning and once again, I can't sleep. I have a very busy day ahead of me too. Work finds me in the Clemson Road office (a 30 minute drive) in the morning and then downtown in the afternoon. At least I'm not seeing patients this afternoon. Hopefully I can bust it and get out of there early. I'm sure I've had overtime this week.

So, last weekend....... Wesley, Madison and I drive up to hang out with wonderful friends, Katie and Michael. We are headed up to Albermarle, NC for a fun-filled weekend, with Jeep and Rhino in tow. We are just about to the lake house and we get stopped by NCHP, and we're not speeding. We get stopped b/c we don't have a Truck Tag!!!! Long story short, after an hour wait, and $580 bucks later, we are headed to the lake house. Of course, I'm in a bad mood and Wesley can't believe this stinkin' ticket. None the less, we eat some lunch and head out on the lake. Oh, did I mention how awesome this lake house is!!!!!! Madison tries her first run at tubing!!!! She did fantastic!! Such a brave girl. I did some wakeboarding, or wake crashing! Then a little skiing. Katie kicked butt on the skis and Wesley showed off on the wakeboard.

We had a great dinner!!!!! Aside from great friends (and a new one, Michael's brother) the six of us ate for $10!!!! I love couponing!! Next day, we have a wonderful breakfast, about $10 there too! Then we head out to Uwharrie to show Katie and Michael a good time rock crawling. The girls pile in the Jeep and the boys in the Rhino. I'm driving the Jeep, start up a trail and an incline.... I stall out, get a little nervous, get it together (or so I thought) and all of a sudden, we start rolling backwards and gaining speed. I turn the wheel and slam into the embankment. Bam! We roll over. Katie's seatbelt pops out and I see her crashing to the floor, errr, roof. Oh, did I mention that my 3-year-old is in the back!!!!!! So, stunned, hanging upside down, I hear Wesley helping Katie, and Madison says "look at all the rocks" or something to that nature. Come to find out, she was still upside down!!! I scream, she screams. The entire time I'm upside down, I just knew I was bleeding from somewhere. Wesley gets me out, stands me up, I fall. Just a bit wobbly. With the exception of a pretty good goose egg on Katie's melon and a couple of bruises and headaches, we are all fine! God is so good!!!! So, we get the Jeep flipped back over, poor in some engine oil (cause we lost some) and jump back in the vehicles. Katie and I in the Rhino, Katie is driving!!! and the boys and Madison in the Jeep. We had an amazing rest of our day!!!! Can you believe it? We really did have a great time! I'll just add, no more Jeep and wheelin' for Madison!

Sea Sheppard's

There is a show called Whale Wars. It's about wonderful people who are trying to protect our oceans. I think after whale watching in Maine, and seeing these amazing creatures, I have a new love. It hurts my heart to know that humans violently slaughter animals for sport and profit, and call it research. In Denmark, they do it for fun!!!!!! Whaling needs to be stopped. I am interested in the new show Blood Dolphins. Again, after the last Charleston River trip, we saw about 15 dolphins feeding and playing right next to our boat!! God is so magnificent! I have never been more amazed at His creations! Pray that one day at a time they ocean creatures are safe! Thank you God, and Sea Sheppards!

Let's try this....Here I go

So, Here is my first attempt at this blog thingy. I'm sitting here at the house with Mom, Wesley and Madison. The usual nightly sounds of a washing machine, the tv and Bailey barking outside, wanting in.

First attempt of fasting was yesterday. I did really well while at work. Even made it through a lunch meeting watching everyone else eat, while staring at my own food. Why was I fasting? My church, Radius, is trying to obtain a building that's going up for auction soon. I really hope we get it. I would like our church united in one service once again. And would like to see us be able to not have to set up and tear down every week. So, we are continuing to pray that it's God's will for us to get this building.