I feel Blessed today!

For some reason today I have been reflecting on all of the things in my life that I have been blessed with. Too many times I feel like I don't stop in the craziness of things to say "thank you"! I THINK about how much I appreciate certain people or things, but I don't say it! First of all I am blessed with a wonderful husband who tries so hard to make me happy (as long as it doesn't involve rubbing my achy back LOL!). He has embarked on several projects around the house lately that are not his cup of tea, but he knows they need to be done...and he's done a pretty good job! He hired help to enclose our garage...which the kids LOVE! It looks pretty good, and gives the kids a place to run around and play even when they can't get outside.

(the garage room before it was finished)



He also helped me haul and put together a futon for that room...we worked together without even fighting, and only one screw has come loose since putting it together! (It's a miracle!) He did most all of the painting in our house since summer by himself, and it looks really good! AND, he's working on building a foundation for a shed in the backyard to put all of the "stuff" from the garage in. I have to say that the foundation is looking really good, and I am so proud of him for trying it on his own!

(Our SS teacher Bud Avants helping Jason on the foundation)



My dad is coming down next weekend to help put together the shed...and I think my brother in law too! (even more to be thankful for) Now, I know that all of those things seem little, but this is the AWESOME part...even with me not working, we managed to do all of those things without borrowing a cent! I know we can't take the credit for that...God has helped provide in so many ways! I am amazed!!! My house may not be a mansion, and yes, one day I would LOVE to have a place a little out of town with a little more room to move around, but this is HOME and I have so many good memories here! Little by little God is teaching me to be content with what I have. Believe me, I do have days that I want to throw everything to the curb...PILES of junk accumulate everywhere in this little house...but all in all WE ARE BLESSED!!! OH, and God also gave me a brand new kitchen this summer! It was a pain for awhile, but now it is so much nicer! We had a water leak which resulted in mold and damage to the floor and cabinets so the insurance company paid for new cabinets, flooring, and my mother in law even gave us a new dishwasher! Jason did a lot of work on all of that too! I also have 2 really good kids...who are, besides ear infections, and colds, healthy and happy! Oh yeah, I forget...and one on the way!
(Baby boy due April 13, 2009)


God is teaching me (slowly , He thinks) that he is giving me more than I ever dreamed of in my family! I miss my mom so much sometimes, and my sister is leaving for Ireland soon. I wonder why I feel like I'm so alone at times, but then God tells me! He wants me to learn to lean on HIM, and Jason, and my children. We are a family, and we need to learn to enjoy each other and become so close that no one or nothing can come between us! It's in those lonely and tough times that I think I realize just how He wants to bless me even more! I am His child and just as I want to give my children good things, He wants that EVEN MORE for me! I can't even wrap my brain around it sometimes! Anyway, Thank YOU God, and Thank YOU Jason...I love you and don't say it enough!

25 Random things about me

I did this for facebook and figured since it took me so long I would post it on my blog too...

1. I am the oldest of 4 children.
2. I taught school for 6 years...my favorite was the year I taught Kindergarten though I went home almost everyday with a broken heart for some of them.
3. I ALWAYS wanted to be a stay at home mom...my husband is the greatest for letting me stay home with my kids!
4. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was in 6th grade, and she lived with it for about 17 years! She died almost 4 weeks before her first grandchild (Karleigh) was born. (I miss her EVERYDAY!)
5. I LOVE to take pictures, wish I had more time to do it, and wish I could learn more about Photoshop!
6. I HATE scary movies or television shows, especially those about real life situations...my husband LOVES them! (and loves to watch them right before we go to sleep).
7. My husband and I are COMPLETE OPPOSITES!
8. I LOVE babies...especially mine...I think if I had started sooner (and married a millionaire LOL!) I could be Michelle Duggar! (just kidding!)
9. I can tell a lot about people just by watching them or being around them for a short time...sometimes it can be a really BAD thing!
10. I can't stand it when people don't follow the rules...especially when they seem to get away with it. (I know we studied about this in Bible study several times...I just can't seem to get past it) LOL!
11. I am an extreemly LIGHT sleeper, and I need a lot of sleep...bad combination!
12. I have had high blood pressure since High School...they've always told me I don't know how to deal with stress...hmmm.
13. I have to remove myself from some things even if I don't want to because I know I will get too involved. Especially when it has to do with my kids. (which leads to #12) And yes, I am working on it...or should I say the Lord is working on me! LOL!
14. I love to do things for other people to surprise them or help them out...especially when they don't expect it, but I often do more for other people than my own husband and kids...I really have good intentions!
15. The thing I miss most being a stay at home mom is talking to grown ups! (which probably aids in some of my other hang ups...LOL!)
16. I hate clutter, but it follows me EVERYWHERE!
17. I worked the graveyard shift at a factory one summer when I was in college...best incentive ever to get good grades! (I made the Dean's list the next semester)
18. I miss the scrapbook store so much...it was my place to get away, and I haven't scrapbooked much since it closed... I really loved to scrapbook!
19. I have one daughter, Karleigh who is 5 1/2, a son Kole who is almost 16 months, and one son on the way (we really can't agree on his name contrary to some people's belief that we're just keeping it a secret). I also had a miscarriage in 2005 and I can't wait to meet that little one someday in heaven!
20. I really want to be one of those organized moms who have it all together...they are truly super women!*
(this is really hard, but I have to put 25 things b/c that's the rules LOL!)
21. I have a fear of choking...I wake up from dreams of choking a lot. When I was teaching I always dreamed of swallowing a paperclip.
22. Right now, I feel very lazy...I'm ready to have some energy again...I think I was beginning to get to that point when Kole was born...so does that mean it will be at least 4 more years? I have good intentions of getting things done every day, but they just don't get done! (#20)* Has this become a confession list?
23. I was just an average student in school, and that always bothered me.
24. I was not allowed to go to the movies without my parents (and then only to Disney movies) when I was growing up.
25. I LOVE to read!
***THAT was HARD!

Update...

I know you are just sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to hear how our latest visit to the clinic went. LOL! Well, Kole's ears are still infected which means another antibiotic and a trip to the ENT in February. Karleigh has sinus drainage...guess it's a sinus infection...she never really said, but she put her on an antibiotic too and said to keep giving her cough medicine. So, my prescription bill was only $70.00 this time. I think the DR is tired of seeing us! (but not as tired as I am of seeing her)

I will own the clinic...and the pharmacy...by the end of the year!

Well, I never did finish my Christmas post so that you could hear of all the rest of the sicknesses that we endured over the holidays. ( I know you can't wait!) Now, we have even more to add! Christmas day Kole threw up...projectile...in the back seat of the truck on the way to Fayetteville. It was everywhere and we had to stop on the side of the interstate...very unsafe I know...to clean it up the best we could. Thankfully one of Jason's stocking gifts had been a new air freshener for the truck, and I had brought a whole container of wet wipes!

(Christmas night...right before I got sick)

(Kole drinking Powerade on Christmas day)

Christmas night was MY turn! I was so sick I couldn't leave my MIL's bathroom all night.(of course it had to happen when I wasn't in my own house) The next day I got some medicine called in to rub on my wrist so that I could make the trip home, and when I got there I was in bed for 2 days...NO ENERGY! On Monday I could have stayed in bed all day again, but we had another Christmas with Jason's cousins and my Grandmother and Aunt.

(Karleigh and her cousins Gage, Kade, and Zane)

(Karleigh, Kole, and my Granny)

We had a good time, but were just wiped out! Tuesday night Kole was up ALL night screaming...back to the DR! He had double ear infections so they gave him a shot and an antibiotic. We went to Petti Jean on Thursday to do the McGhehey family Christmas, and Thursday night Kole did not sleep...neither did I...I mean we watched the sun come up! I was so tired...and again not at home! I was so sore from holding a 22 pound one year old on my big pregnant belly all night! I needed a massage! LOL!

Jackson, Catherine, Kole, Karleigh, Hannah, Cael, and missing are Olivia (who was sick) and Hudson (who was filling his belly)

Anyway, we got home and finished our antibiotic...still not well so we went BACK TO THE CLINIC! This time we spent $121 on just the antibiotic! If this doesn't work we will be going to the ENT for tubes...even though this is the first bad ear infection he's had. UGH!!! In the last 2 weeks Jason and I have both had bronchitis and had to be on a zpack...which is not cheap either...I am SCARED to look at my bill from the clinic! Maybe one of these days our deductable will be met and we will get to pay the 20%! As of this morning BOTH of my children have an appointment tomorrow morning at 8:45. Karleigh's teacher said that she has had a DEEP chest cough all morning...which she had all night last night too despite the prescription cough meds, inhaler, and hot tea with honey we gave her. Kole is just NOT HAPPY... of course he is cutting about 5 or 6 teeth at a time right now, but he keeps poking his finger in his ears so...might as well kill 2 birds with one stone... Oh yeah, and all of this doesn't include the OB appointments that I've had (3 since Christmas for some reason) and the Chiropractor for me and Kole! I knew I should have chosen a different profession...oh wait I wouldn't be doing it anyway b/c I chose to stay home! LOL! Anyway, I am griping, but despite all of it I know that I am truly BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE and I don't say that enough! We are not begging or going hungry for sure, and my kids are sick, but not bad sick like some are! We will get through this, and warmer weather is on the way Praise the Lord for that!

Old times...just for you Kaye!

I was looking for some old pictures to post on Facebook when I came across these pictures from JR High! I think it was maybe 8th grade? Kaye, I thought your girls would get a kick out of these!

Isn't this Mr. Miller's class...we learned so much in there (all those word searches...I'm still really good at that even now)...and Mrs. Potter's class (french braiding and friendship bracelets)! Really all we did that year was those black "Basic Skills" folders! Check out the shoulder pads in my t-shirt! LOL!
If I'm not mistaken, wasn't this when you were "going with" Bryan Jarrett? Is there a girl in our school that did not "go with him"? That's so funny! It looks like he's begging...maybe I should tag this photo on his Facebook page...he's a BIG TIME preacher in TX now!

Ok, this picture is the "tame" one...I also have one where Jammie is mooning the camera in the little void. Do you know where Jammie and Cheris are now? I have heard from Nyika lately, but not a lot!

So, what did we do for fun when we were in Jr High? We went camping in someone's back yard! OH we thought we were something! Jam shorts, sweats and t-shirts...some wardrobe!
And finally...you and Tracie Brawner in front of ...I don't even know what 's going on back there... LOL! Where is she now? It's really funny to look back at these...hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

I can't keep up!

WELL, it's been a LONG TIME since I've posted anything. I think about it all of the time, but then I decide to do something else that needs to be done... That seems to be the way it goes for me! I am all of the time coming up with fun creative ideas to "destress" or "unwind"...blogging included...but it never works out the way it does in my head! Why is that? I think the last 2 weeks have been a whirlwind...no more like a tornado!

It went by so fast and furious I forgot to enjoy it I think! We started out with taking pictures for our Christmas card. I got my friend Kim to meet us on Saturday to try to retake pictures that didn't turn out from the Sunday before. We got some good ones, but Kole was a mess! I got home, edited pictures, and sent our card to WalMart ordering 30 cards...Jason went to pick them up and I MISSPELLED KARLEIGH'S NAME on all of them! (YEAH MOM!) So, I tried to re do the order only to find that WalMart wasn't taking 1 HR orders over the computer...had to go TO WM...which I avoid at all costs this time of year...esp on SATURDAY. Anyway, we ended up ordering some from Walgreens which I didn't like as well b/c they are glossy!

Monday we took Karleigh for her annual Christmas week DR appointment...she always starts coughing this time of year. She had double ear infections and chest congestion...they put her on an inhaler, cough meds, and an antibiotic.

Tuesday was the day of cram everything into this day that you possibly can... Jason and I were crazy enough to get married on the 23rd of December...so our anniversary always falls right in the middle of CHAOS! I got up on that morning and took Karleigh to Walmart to finish printing some pictures for gifts, and to let her pick out a few things for her friend. Then we headed to Kim and Evan's to make cookies...a tradition we started last year! We made so many cookies that we couldn't possible decorate them all, and Evan and Karleigh tired out long before the decorating was finished. We left there and come home for naptime so that we could take the kids to Karleigh's teacher's house for the evening so Jason and I could go to eat and to a movie...something we do maybe once a year! We started out the door and Kole had a BLOW OUT diaper and we had to completly change him. We dropped the kids off and had 45 min. to eat and get to a movie...as we parked at Italian Gardens I looked down at my feet only to discover that I still had Kole's diaper bag...which they would greatly need if he had another BLOW OUT! (he did) SO, we ate, took the diaper bag back up the hill, went to WalMart, and Hastings...then drove thru Starbucks to end the night! I was exhausted by the time we picked the kids up and got them to bed at 11! We didn't even watch the movie until 6 days later! The fun only kept going, but I will save Christmas for later since you are probably exhausted just reading this!