I wasn't able to put all of my pictures on the other day so here are a few more. This is me and my husband with my wonderful nephew and his girlfriend. (I am also the one in the white shirt) Just look at how my husband looks in the background. Goofball!! He was suppose to be an actual part of the picture, I am not sure why he looks so goofy. He would kill me if he knew this were on the internet. HA HA !!!!!!!
I wanted to put one more picture on with my mom and B & L.
* On a side note the dogs name is Lola. She's just a little camera shy on this photo.
It's Friday once again. I am so ready for the weekend. Lately, my weekends have been packed full of activities and this weekend we have some free time that I am really looking forward to. I am going to a cookout at my brothers house to see my nephew who is in from TN, and we are meeting his girlfriend. It must be serious!! I am really looking forward to it. They will be having about 30 people over so I hope that there is a break in the rain and we are able to socialize outside. Otherwise, we will all be in the house, which may get a little tight. I am taking my NEW camera so I can take lots of pictures. I can't wait for everyone to see how good looking my family is!!
Have a great weekend!
I have mentioned before that I am going to a bible study on The purpose Driven Life. This week we were discussing how we grow in relationships. Regardless of what the relationship is, it will either grow or diminish. And saying that, we talked about how all of these involve commitment. One thing the book said that really stuck out in my mind is this. "Your commitments can develop you or they can destroy you, but either way, they will define you." How true is that?
Anything we do involves commitment, our jobs, our families, everything. Friendships, marriage, and most importantly our relationship with Christ. If we want any relationship to work, we have to be committed to making it work, with time, and love, and even patience. We are an instant society, we want it now, and we want it our way. We need to slow down and rethink things, it is NOT about us. We are here to bring glory to God. And please keep in mind, my life is SOOOO not perfect, nor am I. If you have read any of these posts you can certainly see that. But, everyday is an opportunity to make a conscience choice to do the right thing. That sounds like a Spike Lee thing, huh? Any way, I just wanted to challenge you to make a choice that might not seem like the easy choice, or even the best choice, but maybe it is the right choice.
Just something to think about.
Last night, we decided at the last minute to get Chinese take out. Well, the decision was pretty much made for us because the kids decided to eat all the leftovers when they got home from school so instead of having sandwiches, we opted for Chinese.
On the way to pick up the food, hubby and I were having a conversation about watching a movie.
Here's how it went.
The movie by the way was Wanted.
Hubby: I asked Mr.T (friend who gave him the movie) if there was anything bad in the movie, you know since the kids would be watching it with us, and he said No, just a butt shot.
Me: Is it a Man butt shot or a Woman Butt shot?
Hubby: Woman, Angelina Jolie to be exact.
Me: Why don't they ever show a good looking man's butt? That's just not fair, bunch of male chauvinist!!!
Hubby: Honey, you have a good looking man you can see naked anytime you want!
Well, when I finally quit laughing. I guess he was right, that just wasn't the answer I was looking for.
By the way, movie not exactly what you want your teenager to be watching, way too much profanity,
several love scenes, if you catch my drift, and a lot of shoot em' in the head, stab em' in the chest kind of scenes. In all fairness, Mr. T has no children so in an adults view, I guess the butt shot was the most graphic thing.
Tonight is bible study, so tomorrow I might give you something to think about.
This weekend was a busy weekend, like most of them are. With 2 kids, teenagers who are both active, we don't really get a lot of down time. This weekend was not any different. My son is involved in the Hunter Safety team at his school and this weekend was the regional for that. That involves skeet shooting (trap), archery, rifle, and orienteering. I know, I didn't know what orienteering was either. I'm not really sure I spelled it right. Orienteering is a team of guys given coordinates and a compass, and they are suppose to see how close they come to a designated spot. This event usually takes all day, or 1/2 the day anyway. It starts at 8 and is usually over around 2. It depends on how many teams are entered. This particular day there were 33 teams entered. The weather was cool and sunny, which makes for a good day for shooting things. Luckily for me, some of my good friends kids participate in this also, so for me it's a day of catching up on how things are going for everyone. One of the boys on the trap teams mom was my best friend in high school, so we do a lot of laughing and cutting up while everyone else watches what goes on.
Her mom was there this year and we were talking about some of the embarrassing things we had done. She recounted a story about using the bathroom in the woods, where she didn't think anyone was, and when she pulled up her pants, it seems there was a camp for special needs going on in the area and she didn't know it. (Even my 16 year old son got a kick out of that). Needless to say she doesn't use the woods anymore. That whole conversation came up because we had to use the bathroom and the only thing available were port-a-potties. That is not a pleasant experience, so we were trying to hold it as long as possible. Then we saw someone emerge from the woods. Then the conversation started to flow. My embarrassing story was way better than that, I worked at a bank, and our offices were upstairs away from most of the traffic. We had our own little bathroom up there for us, so we didn't have to go downstairs. The ladies in the office were myself, a very good friend, and two older ladies. One was a pastors wife, the other was the office manager. One day my friend wasn't at her desk, so as I walked into the bathroom one of the stalls was shut so I assumed it was my friend. So I go into my little stall and decide to see what my friend is doing, I am having a one way conversation with her.
What ya doing?
What's wrong?
Aren't you gonna talk to me?
Are you taking a dump? You're taking a dump! You're taking a dump!
I just went on and on, laughing hysterically the whole time and she never said a word, so I left her to her shame and went back to my desk. While I was still snickering to myself about the bathroom incident, my friend came up the front steps. I immediately asked her where she had been?
Downstairs.
Weren't you just in the bathroom?
No, I was downstairs. Uh Ooh!!
So who was in the bathroom? Take a guess,
It was the preachers wife! And she never said a word to me about it. My friend and I still laugh about it to this day. She is still in banking. I decided I better get out while I was ahead.
Once our boss came out and told us we were going to have to calm down. My friend got really offended and said he hurt her feelings. They finally had to separate us. But we still found ways to have fun.
Not only is today Friday, but it is officially the 1st day of spring!
Hallelujah!!!
Have a great weekend!
Today, I had my annual mammogram. Stop, stop wincing and smirking! It really wasn't that bad, just picture a vice, a LARGE vice, and stick your boob in. Then they, slowly, tighten (smash) the machine. While the process can be a little uncomfortable, it certainly isn't worth not having it done. Mammograms are very important. Remember, early detection is the key!! Personally, I don't really enjoy Doctors visits. Never have, I remember when I was little and my mom would take me to the Doctor, I hated it so much I would jump from the back seat to the front seat so my mom couldn't get me out of the car. Hated it!! I also pass out pretty easy so I passes out once after the Dr. took some blood. That still haunts me today. I took my mom to the Doctor because she fell and cut her leg and I ended up in the ER because I passed out while they were working on her leg. The nurse insisted that I go to the Emergency Room to be checked out. Keep in mind we were already in the hospital, just on the opposite side of the ER. When they rolled my mom down to the Emergency room where I was, yes, she was in a wheel chair, We couldn't stop laughing at how ridiculous this must look. I mean I was suppose to be taking care of her. She kept looking at me saying "How are we going to get home?", I insistently told her that I would be driving us home. I told the nurse I had to be out of there by 2 so I could pick my kids up from school. We knew we were in trouble when we heard the attending physician call the Dr who saw me pass out and say "Well, they are down here laughing about it now, I think she's OK". When we do get to leave the sweet little old candy striper/volunteer came in and looked at my mom and said "Are you ready to go home?" I had to say It's me, I'm the one who passed out." She looked for a minute like she didn't believe me. How embarrassing. And naturally my mom couldn't wait to tell everyone about it. Forget that when I was coming to, I could hear her say "You scared me to death, I thought you were dead." Thanks mom!
Again, it's times like these you need a good sense of humor. So remember to call the Doctor and make that appointment for your Mammogram.
Not necessarily in that order!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!! I hope everyone is having a happy St. Patty's Day. Unfortunately, it's still a working holiday so I can't really get into the festivities as if it were a Friday or Saturday. I guess if you're not really Irish, it isn't a big deal anyway. (The partying, not the holiday.) All holidays are special. But unfortunately, the older I get, the less chance I get to celebrate them all. You know like on Andy Griffith, when Otis starts buying his liquor from the little old ladies with the flower shop and everyday is a holiday. They are such good ladies they won't sell it unless it's a holiday. So Otis has to make up holidays, like National Potato day, and other fun little holidays like that.
If I could make up a holiday it would be National Grape Month, and we could have different kinds of wines for every day of the month. That would be good!! I might just write that on my calendar and do it anyway.
Recently, my daughter CC came home from school telling me that she was having a hard time reading the board. I calmly asked her if she was just might need to move to the front of the class, but she knowingly told me she had tried that and if the teacher wouldn't use a green (light green) marker on the dry erase board, then she would probably be able to see it. Keep in mind that she is 14, and she plays basketball, and she knows way more than you and I could ever know. Don't all kids. So anyway, I called and made her an appointment at the eye Dr., like any responsible, caring, parent. As we pull into the parking lot, I was talking about getting glasses. I have glasses, so I really didn't think the thought of glasses was any big deal. WRONG!!! She quickly informed me she just couldn't get glasses. So how are you going to see the board? Sounded like a reasonable question to me. Contacts, she says. Contacts, I was in my 20's before I got my contacts and I still am not very good at putting them in. I know I should be since that was at least 10 years ago. Hee, Hee!!! Anyway, I just thought oh, once she sees she can get cute glasses then she'll forget all about the contacts. So the exam continues, and sure enough she is near sited. She needs glasses, when she gives me the look (you know the look) I ask the Dr. about contacts. Due to her age and the fact that she only really needs them to see things far away, he wouldn't really suggest contacts as they could make her eyes worse, faster. So, refusing to hear what the Doctor is saying, she asks (begs) for the contacts. I say, Well, you have to have glasses anyway to wear if you get an eye infection so let's pick a pair out.
We sit down at the table and look at all the marvelous, fashionable eye glasses. The lady helping us is so kind and patient. She obviously has children. I am only trying to make the best of a bad situation here, so I am joking around, trying to lighten the mood, because CC is sulking like a big fat baby. The lady brings over a pair of glasses, very nice looking glasses, apparently they are what all the kids are wearing these days. We ask CC to try them on. Her idea of trying them on was putting them on and pulling them off (at the speed of lightning). I try to tell her to just look in the mirror with them on, they really are cute. I make a cute, funny comment. Then it happens. She starts crying. Her face gets all red, and splotchy, and she is crying. I try to again lighten the mood, and the nice lady helping proceeds to tell me, that I am not really helping. BAMMM, did anyone see the truck that just hit me??
Hello, I wasn't trying to make her cry. I try not to make a habit of torturing my kids, I save that for special occasions and holidays. Anyway, eventually, we did pick out some glasses. And they are truly cute. She even wears them. Now, she does wear her contacts to school everyday, but when she gets home she takes them out. At night watching TV sometime she will put them on. ADORABLE!!!!
They are so cute that when I get my eyes checked next time I want glasses just like hers.
Men having fun!!
Who out there has a tattoo? Anyone? A small one? Maybe one you don't really want anyone else to see, or maybe a big one that you are really proud of. I have a confession, I really want a tattoo. I know I'm too old, maybe even too saggy. But I just think they are so cool!!!
What do you think of when you see a tattoo? Do you automatically try to guess what that person is like, if they have families, do they go to church? Tattoos can be a very controversial topic in church. Some people just don't think its right to have one. Some don't judge. That's what I think, who are we to judge?
Why can't we all just get along? I have a lot of cousins that have tattoos and now you can get them in lighter colored ink? That doesn't sound right but my one cousin has a heart on her foot and it is beige. I wonder if it will fade? Maybe that wouldn't be a bad choice, if you don't want it when your old and wrinkly. If you did want a tattoo, what would you get and where would you get it? And if you think they are just terrible and morally wrong. Don't comment.
Let's talk about trust. What does it take for someone to earn your trust? What does it take for them to lose it? Recently, I was involved in a group discussion about trust and opening up to people. Sharing, so to speak. You know, you are really putting yourself out there when you tell someone what you consider is a "secret". Maybe it's a girlfriend, or even a co-worker, but whoever it is, you trusted them with a part of you that you may or may not want the world to know.
Sometimes it is hard to know who you can trust. You have people that you know you can trust, and then there are people that unfortunately you aren't so sure about. When you are pouring your heart out and basically wanting encouragement, or validation, or whatever. The last thing you need is to feel betrayed. Hopefully, you have someone that you can trust and tell your problems, or secrets, or whatever to, because we all need to feel a sense of belonging, or maybe better, unconditional acceptance. Unfortunately, in today's world, things aren't perfect. Not even close, that's why it's so important to have trustworthy people in your lives. When you really think about, all we have is each other.
There are people in my life that I love and can't trust. What do you do then? I guess you just keep loving them. There are more people in my life that I can trust. I guess that means there is more good than bad. I like the sound of that! So I guess the moral of the story is "Stay Positive."
If there is a moral. Sharing, is risky, but so is anything that is worth having.
Just something to think about.
OK, you know how when you are growing up, you think your life is pretty normal, and I thought my life was definitely normal. My parents never fought in front of us, they weren't drinkers, we went to church every Sunday. Like I said, we were normal. I would even go as far as to say we were like a Norman Rockwell family. I am one of 4 children and my mom didn't work (not enough to count really) and we ate family suppers together, watched TV together. I shared a room with my sister and my two brothers shared a room together. Growing up with three siblings was not always the greatest. Needless to say, there was a little bit of fighting going on. I didn't start getting along with my older brother until we were out of high school. He was married by then. It takes boys so much longer to mature doesn't it? My sister and I got along pretty good when she was home, but she was about 8 years older than me so by the time I was about 16, she had moved out. My younger brother is about 10 years my junior, I know, my parents were so in love weren't they. My uncle once told my dad he was going to screw his way into the poor house.
All of that so I can tell you a story about my sister when she was young. We live in the country and at the time, my grandfather owned the land that we were building our house on, so like a normal, wholesome family, on Sundays we went to our Grandparents house to eat. That was the whole family, my moms sisters and her kids and she happen to have a son the same age as my sister. They were probably 4 or 5 when this little incident took place. Lets just say my cousin was all boy and like any other little boy he wanted to play cops and robbers. Well you know a girl can't be the cop so as luck would have it my sister got to be the robber. My cousin (Rob) found a little gun in my grandfathers drawer and decided it looked like a perfect gun for a shootout. It turned out it was perfect, while CG was running down the stairs to get away from Rob, he shot her. Turns out the gun was real. She was shot in the side and it came out towards her back. A through and through as they say on TV. My parents took her to the hospital where they cleaned the wound and then sent her home. Can you believe they just sent her home? I was amazed. She told me that they went back to my Grandparents house where my cousin was sitting in a chair crying, because he just got his tail tore up for shooting her. I guess there was some justice in the old homestead.
I heard that story for the first time when I was in my teens, I have to say I was a little scared of my cousin after that. But I got over it, after all it was just an accident.
I can honestly say that we were so close to those cousins. We went to their house all the time and they came to ours. They were more like our sisters and brothers than cousins. And they have stuck by us in the worst of times. Good people. Just don't give them a gun.
Only kidding!
Ok, so today just a few random things that come to mind. First, why is it when someone who doesn't speak english comes in and starts talking, when you respond it's always slower and louder. Isn't that funny, do you catch yourself doing that or is it just me?
Another thing, teenagers, is it all teenagers or just mine that seem to not want to do anything. When I say anything I mean everything, like if I ask one of them to take out the trash. I constantly hear, I have to do everything and "You don't do anything." Well, I like to let them know that this is the whole reason I had kids, so I would never have to do anything again. (All you young couples, keep that in mind).
Today I called the bank about a fee that was charged to my account for "maintenance", first of all the account is not some huge account so I don't know what they needed to maintain. Also, I have never been charged a maintenance fee before so I was a little confused. Well, naturally, the Lady at the bank explained everything so that even I could understand. It seems if you don't have a loan with my specific type of checking account they will charge you a maintenance fee. What????? I did have a loan but was fortunate enough to pay it off. (Went with a lower interest rate, not rich) That was when the lady on the phone proceeded to ask where I work? (Does it matter?) and where does my husband work? (Again, does it matter?) Now I suppose it might matter if I owed them money, but we don't. Any way, just a few random things flying through this flytrap of a brain.
PS. I almost had to write about my mom (who is 79, on oxygen, and not really in the best health) being taken to the Sheriffs Dept. That my friend, is a story for another day.
Today, we had snow, and in the south, that is a rare treat. Such a rare treat that the city usually shuts down if we get more than 2 inches and in this case, we did. While schools were closed, and mills were shut down, my job is not one that closes for inclimate weather. You could say we live for this kind of weather. But because I have such a great job, I was able to take a day off to play in the snow with my family. (That means we just walked around outside.) We would have tried to sled but due to the small amount of snow we received and the bright sun, it faded pretty fast.
But it was a beautiful sight. I think a new snowfall is so pretty, it is so clean and white. Then, someone or something will come along and walk in it, or try to build a snowman or something in it and it gets all messed up. I suppose that's the way it is suppose to be. So, I will be happy with the little snow we had today, at least until the next snowfall. Because tomorrow it's back to work!
I wasn't able to put all of my pictures on the other day so here are a few more. This is me and my husband with my wonderful nephew and his girlfriend. (I am also the one in the white shirt) Just look at how my husband looks in the background. Goofball!! He was suppose to be an actual part of the picture, I am not sure why he looks so goofy. He would kill me if he knew this were on the internet. HA HA !!!!!!!
I wanted to put one more picture on with my mom and B & L.
