Friday, August 6, 2010

Which way is up????


Ok....so I am not that good at this blogging yet. I would love to be able to stop in....read everyone's pages....post on my blog and gorw my page!!! BUT.....motivation and time are slowing me down.


I started this blog as a window into my world.....but I am not sure which way I want to go. I have so many interests....which way to spread my wings. I even have a blog that I am creating for my daughter....yeah - well.....that is not going to well either.


So bear with me as I slowly find my way. I hope to get serious about blogging....it is FUN!!!!


Have a GREAT weekend all!!!!

Monday, June 14, 2010

Summer Storms


That time of year has come again. Each day is a little warmer than the next....the humidity thickens the air so it is hard to breathe. As the flowers bloom and reach toward the sky, they beg for relief. As the afternoon wanes.....the clouds roll in and the wind begins to blow. You hear the rumble of thunder far off slowly moving your way. Then there is a drop....and another ....and then a deluge. As quick as it moves in......it runs away leaving behind a fine mist making everything beautiful and vibrant....sometimes you can even find a rainbow.





Sunday, May 9, 2010

My Beautiful Daughter

My Beautiful Daughter

My beautiful daughter
You cannot know
How much my heart breaks
As I watch you grow

In time you’ll become
Independent and free
Always my daughter
And special to me

As you grow older
You will see
Through the eyes of a mother
Reflections of me

Past, present and future
All intertwined
My mother, your mother
All daughters you’ll find

Our reflections, not vanity
Mirrored lives we share
Always a daughter
Your mother, who cares.

~Julie Copeland

My mother is not with us anymore, she is smiling down on me from Heaven. There is a small part of me that is crying out, missing her very much. But to have my duaghter smile and hug me fills me with much joy. Being a mother is a TRUE BLESSING.

Happy Mother's Day to all you mommas out there!!!

Monday, April 5, 2010

make them move.....

Spring break was last week and the weather was AWESOME!!!! So Bailey decided she wanted to go to the Museum of Life and Science in Durham...and take her little cousin Noah. So, off we went to see the space crafts, dinosaurs and butterflies.



Nothing is cuter than watching a 3 year old trying to catch a butterfly. Noah ran around the butterfly house determined to have one land.

But the funniest part came later when we made it to the dinasaur area. No matter how hard Bailey and I tried....we could not make Noah understand that we could NOT make those dinasaurs move. "Why" became his favorite word.



The afternoon was so much fun...full of running, jumping, digging and laughing. So much fun....that we wore poor Noah out.....

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Taking the next step


She started walking when she was around 10 months old. The weather was getting warmer and the grass was growing....she explored everywhere. Mostly she ran around barefoot...but once in a while I squeezed her foot into those cute kids shoes.


Basically, we tossed her in the pool upon birth. She has been swimming ever since. The required attire for a swimmer...FLIP FLOPS!!!! It cracks me up to see all the kids in the middle of December fall out into car line all wearing them.


Today.....was another mile stone in our baby's life. There comes a time when you have to let the lil one begin to spread her wings. My baby girl who used to be at home playing play dough...is now wanting converse in every color and running off to the movies with her friends. She is giggling like crazy and swapping Silly Bandz. One second I see my little girl and then ....I glance back and see a teenager ready to burst out.
I love watching my little flower grow and bloom. Each milestone that is reached is awesome...but part of me is so not ready!!!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Walking on Sunshine



Guess being happy has paid off........my nickname at work is "Sunshine". I love my job!!!

Monday, March 15, 2010

"Spring" Forward

I am so ready for Spring to be her.........just not liking the time change. Wonder how long it will take for my body to adjust.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Kid at HEART!!!



For some reason I have this sudden urge to jump on a merry go round, lean back and feel the wind rush all around me. now....all i have to do is find one!!!

Monday, March 8, 2010

Railroad tracks....

Well....it is official. After following Bailey for 5 years, the ortho has made the call....BRACES!!!

The good news...yup here actually is good news....she probably wont have to have her wisdom teeth pulled....AND she will be getting braces on the front part of her mouth. . . . . guess we can call that the silver lining.

Bailey...she is moaning about what she wont be able to eat....ME....is crying because my house renovations are on hold for atleast 18 months while we pay off her teeth. I am skeptical about braces myself....I had them for about 3 years and when I was about 27....my bottom jaw grew which in turn caused my lower jaw to move out of allighment...yeah me!!!

So....in 2 weeks...Bailey will have a BRIGHT green smile with a little metal tossed in.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Ready . . . Set. . . Go!!!

Today is BEAUTIFUL!!!!! The sun is shining and it is a balmy 63ish. A perfect day to go door to door and raise money.

Ya'll know that our Bailey swims for a year round swim team...New Wave Swim Team. Every year they have a "swim-a-thon" ~ which wording we can not use...so we have a "Laps for Cash" and 5% of the money raised will be going to the Duke Children's Cancer Center.

This year, Bailey and several of her swim friends decided it would be fun to do it as a "GROUP". So last week, the parents put our heads together and figured since this was the only weekend that our children DID NOT SWIM {but there was a meet this weekend....just not for our swimmers} and the weather was GORGEOUS!!!

The plan was to have a about 5 of them all together go out in a neighborhood.....only 3 were actually able to make it. N, H and our B were really excited and had been practicing their opening lines all night. I have to say I am proud for them to want to actually do this....it is kind of intimidating.

After 3 hour and tons of walking and knocking...the 3 trooped back to the house.....with $380. They had so much fun and it was also a great learning experience....it takes guts to get shot down not once, not twice....but several times and keep on going. They found their rythym and worked as a team.

I am so proud that these kids were enthusiastic to help out and raise money for a good cause. They truly have become a family and back each other no matter what.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Spring Fling

After weeks of rain, and several threats of snow, and one actual snow storm, I believe that spring is around the corner. We may be done with frigid mornings, being spent sprinting to the car in your pj's to crank your car so it can warm up so the ride to school is WARM!!! and do NOT forget to turn the seat warmer on for your daughter!!!


Today - the sun is shining ......my spirits are high. Tomorrow, the weather people are teasing me saying it is going to get to SIXTY!!!! Ya know what that means?????? The trees will begin to bud and within a week or so....LEAVES will come out!!!!!!!!
I get the "winter blues" I am so ready for the warm weather and SUNSHINE!
So please join me in doing the "Spring Fling" ...shake your tail feathers and welcome in Miss Spring.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Silly ....with a side of Banana

Yes....It has been a VERY long time since I have posted. Life has a way of tossing you curves and I seem to have been manuvering those curves lately.

Here is a little recap:

* a most compassionate boss gave me the "you are laid off" the week of Christmas. Merry Christmas to me!!!

* 3 weeks of job searching....landed me a new job with a GREAT company working only 3 days a week.....so even though a curve was thrown......I was able to straighten this one out!!!

* Bailey has had more swim meets that I am not sure what pool I am supposed to be at. We have been to GA, Charlotte, NC and we are headed BACK to Charlotte next weekend.

* The "yucky" bug seems to like this family....Bailey has battled an inner ear infection, a double swimmers ear infection and a BAD cold....which she so kindly "shared" with me.

* My loving and wonderful hubby is on a mission....to get a Jeep. I am all for this ...now do not get me wrong.....but he was trying to do it without selling his truck!!! NOT HAPPENING!!!! soooo....if anyone is in the market for F250....give ma a buzz.

I have come to a decision. Most people make their New Years Resolutions on Jan 1st.....well......I guess I am a little slow. Most people choose to get in shape {which I swear I am going to do}, me.....I am going to SSSSSLLLLLOOOOOWWWWW down. Life seems to be swimming by at an alarming rate and I am not ready. I want to slow down, make more time to smell the roses.

My first step ......well...to post here. Second....tidy up my house today so that I have free time with the family tomorrow and Sunday. Third.....go on a date with my hubby tonight.

So ~ while life can toss you a curve ball....hold your head high, give a little giggle and press on.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

"Where's the Beef?

Well...I have made it to 100! My ONE hundredth post that is. And for reaching this mile stone ~ I am feeling a little nostalgic....take a walk down memory lane to the 80's. I LOVED the 80's and last weeka friend and I got to reminiscing about old times. For any of you from that time....do you remember:

1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word "PSYCHE".

2. You watched the Pound Puppies. {had to have one}

3. You can sing the rap to the "Fresh Prince of Belair " ...and can do the "Carlton".

4. Girls wore biker shorts under their skirts and felt stylishly sexy.

5. You yearned to be a member of the Baby-sitters club and tried to start a club of your own.

6. You owned those lil' Strawberry Shortcake pals scented dolls. {erasers were the best}

7. You know that "WOAH " comes from Joey on Blossom.

8. Two words: Hammer Pants.

9. If you ever watched "Fraggle Rock ".

10. You had plastic streamers on your handle bars... and "spokey-dokes" or playing cards on your spokes for that incredible sound effect.

11. You can sing the entire theme song to "Duck Tales". (Woo ooh!)

12. When it was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons. {SO TRUE}

13. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head. {GUILTY}

14. You saw the original "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles " on the big screen... and still know the turtles names.

15. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.

16. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side.

17. You played the game "MASH ". (Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House) {still waiting on my Mansion}

18. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it. TOTALLY}

19. L.A. Gear... need I say more.

20. You wanted to change your name to "JEM " in Kindergarten. (She's truly outrageous)

21. You remember reading "Tales of a fourth grade nothing " and all the Ramona books. {Ramona was the BOMB}

22. You know the profound meaning of "WAX ON, WAX OFF". {saw them ALL}

23. You wanted to be a Goonie.

24. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (some of us... head-to-toe) {what....so we glowed in the dark}

25. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and his cheeks shifted.

26. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf. {nope never really thought of it....and actually - she isn't}

27. You took lunch boxes to school... and traded Garbage Pail Kids in the schoolyard. {so did this}

28. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets. {YUP}

29. You still get the urge to say "NOT " after every sentence.

30. You remember Hypercolor t-shirts.

31. Barbie and the Rockers was your favorite band.

32. You thought She-ra (Princess of Power!) and He-Man should hookup.

33. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.

34. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes. (and like ..24, probably in neon colors, too) {AND THEY ARE BACK!!!!!}

35. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying "I know you are, but what am I?"

36. You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up" {what about "where is the beef"}

37. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates. {I remember the FIRST rink in our town}

38. You ever got seriously injured on a Slip and Slide.

39. You have ever played with a Skip-It. {mine was a lemon}

40. You had or attended a birthday party at McDonalds.

41. You've gone through this nodding your head in agreement.

42. You remember Popples.

43. "Don't worry, be happy"

44. You wore like, EIGHT pairs of socks over tights with high top Reeboks.

45. You wore socks scrunched down (and sometimes still do...getting yelled at by "younger hip" members of the family)

46. "Miss MARY MACK MACK MACK, all dressed in BLACK BLACK BLACK " {I like the elephant}

47. You remember boom boxes. and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that. {the bigger the better}

48. You remember watching both "Gremlins" movies.

49. You know what it meant to say "Care Bear Stare!"

50. You remember watching "Rainbow Bright" and "My Little Pony Tales "

51. You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot.

52. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.

53. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool... and don't even flinch when people refer to them as "NKOTB".

54. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on "Saved By the Bell ", the ORIGINAL class.

55. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.

56. You just sang those words to yourself.

57.You remember watching Magic vs. Bird.

58. Homemade Levi shorts. (the shorter the better)

59. You remember when mullets were cool!

60. You had a mullet! {nope...but I had the flip bangs}

61. You still sing "We are the World" {and what about the Coke commercial}

62. You tight rolled your jeans.

63. You owned a bannana clip. {fashion baby}

64. You remember "Where's the Beef?" {YEAH ~ WOO HOO...what happened to that lil ole lady}

65. You used to (and probably still do) say "What you talkin' about Willis?"

66. You had big hair and you knew how to use it. {Aquanet}

67. You're still singing shot through the heart in your head,aren't you! {YUP}

ENJOY

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

It has been HOW long???



It was your typical girl meets boy at a country dance club. Back in September of 1992, my friend Jennifer dragged me out of my dorm room for a girls night out to the Longbranch which has recently closed its doors. Well.....needless to say, I met a guy. I began going to the Longbranch at least 2 nights a week.....hey ~ I wanted to DANCE!!!!! But it was nice to "run" into our group of friends. We kept "running" into each other for about a month. Then on Tuesday, 10/10/92 I went there looking for Keith and Keith came looking for me. We exchanged numbers. We talked on the phone for 2 hours the next evening and by Friday {10/13/92} on our FIRST date ~ THE STATE FAIR!!!!


It is now 10/13/09 ~ and we are happily married !!! It has been 17 years that we have been together...and I would NOT trade a day away!!!


I love you Keith ~ now and forever!!!

Funnel Cake or Fried Snickers?




It is that time of year again. Fall is in the air {for now at least!!!}. Every year in October, the State Fair arrives with all its trucks and equipment for a FUN FILLED WEEK!!! Not to mention some AWESOME food {which I can not partake in b/c of my fructose malabsorption crap!!!} which any of it will automatically add 20lbs by simply looking at it!!!




I can not tell you over the past 38 years how many times I have gone....but it is probably up to at least 20 something! I know I have not missed on since 1990 and actually had my first date with my husband on Oct 13th, 1992 ~ the day the fair opened that year =)




So you can see that the fair has sentimental value ~ and I plan to have "A Whole Lotta Happy" this year!!!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Oink Oink


It begins with a stuffy head, a runny nose and a cough that rattles your brain. No fever yet....but you go through a whole box of tissue. A day off school...should have been two.....a few days off from swim practice and you begin to recover ~ except for that darn cough.

I dropped Bailey off at a birthday party ..... cake, lasagna, soda and FUN!!! Walk in to pick her up and I am confronted with a child who went from Happy to SAD within a few hours.

A few Tylenol and off to bed only to have her spike a fever of 101.2 this morning. I pack her in the car and off to the Fastmed we go. In walks the Dr. with mask and gloves to take the "swab". He was back faster than you could say Ahchoo!!! POSITIVE!!! The piggy flu has struck our home.

Back home on the sofa, box of tissue, bottle of water, a tsp of cough syrup, a dose of tami-flu and the TV remote....should help for a speedy recovery. According to Bailey...this will so not help her social life ~ having to hold up in the house for a few days!!!

So wish us luck and many prayers that Keith and I stay piggy free. {I am on tami-flu}

Oink Oink

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Her memory lives on....

On October 7th, it will be a year since my momma passed. I am doing better...I don't seem to be crying all the time....but my heart strings still tug at all the memories. I was able to get my families photo albums from my father {took a lot of patience} and it is WONDERFUL!!! I now find myself sitting here reliving so many great moments with my momma.

I have thought of getting a tattoo long before my momma passed. I knew that whatever I was going to get would be with me forever, so I was taking my time in choosing the design....also, I admit...I was chicken!!! I also have been wanting to get my nosed pierced....yup - call me CRAZY!!!

So......what changed??? Bailey and I met my friend Jen at the mall on Saturday for a girls day. Over lunch, she asked if I wanted to go with her the next day...she was going to get a new tat. I figured that I may not be ready for my tat...but I would get my nose done.

Sunday - Jen and I head off to Warlock's to meet Mark. Jen new what she wanted...I was determined to get my nose pierced....but ~ it was not in the cards for me. The piercing person was not there.....so.....where did that leave me? Getting a tattoo. Standing there in the lobby surrounded by TONS of images....what to choose. I figured it was time....time to get my guardian angel. I asked if they had cancer ribbons....they were all pink, purple, multi color....but I new mine would be pearly. {lung cancer} I found the image above and new.....this was the one. I had it placed on the inside of my left wrist so that I can look at it every day, place it close to my heart and kiss it....knowing that my momma is always with me. It hurt like HELL...I can not lie...but I am so happy that I got it. no regrets!!!

So....what about the nose piercing...that will have to wait until another day.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Choo Choo.....chugga chugga ...Choo Choo

Anyone up for a game of Mexican Train game??? It was sevearl years ago while at a Thanksgiving retreat that I was introduced to this game....and may I say that it is totally addicting!!!!! Last Friday evening we had a "girls" night and played. AWESOME!!!! I met new friends, gabbed with my old friends and played a fun game of dominos. I am so ready for nest month :)





Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Heartache


Would you give up your relationship with your spouse and child just to have a relationship with your parents? {more so just one of your parents} Is having the biggest house and all the newest toys what is most important and truly needed to make one happy? Supposedly to my father you do.

My father does not know how to "love" unconditionally. Over the years, I have learned that my father is the type that likes to keep up with the "Jones". Because it is name brand or cost a lot "MUST" make it better than the rest. My momma on the other hand, loved unconditionally. She welcomed my hubby right into her family, unlike my father. During my momma's illness, I learned that my hubby was not welcome into my father's life. I have struggled with my feelings and wanting a relationship for my daughter with her grandfather. But I do not believe in sacrificing my family just so I can have a relationship with my father. M
y husband does not beat me, does not belittle me, provides a home for us and does what he loves ~ runs 2 companies and is a volunteer fire fighter} We may not live in a huge home {yes...it is a doublewide}, our cars are paid for, my daughter is in private school, my daughter swims year round, we have a Wii, ipods, cameras, do not mind shopping at consignment shops and vacation at the beach every year. Ask my daughter and she would tell you that she is happy. I work part-time so that I can be there to pick my daughter up every day....yet my father is embarrassed of me and feels that I am not providing for my daughter. My daughter is caring and compassionate and loves to give to others. To me, this is providing!

I grew up in an affluent family and lived in a 4000 square foot home.....and honestly don't care. That is just stuff...FAMILY is what is important to me and if you feel you need to judge me on "WHAT" I have or do not have, then I actually feel sorry for you. I have finally come to the conclusion that I will NEVER have a relationship with my father.....because my husband and daughter mean the world to me!

When you look at your life, the greatest happiness's are family happiness's. ~Joyce Brothers

ps. can you tell which pair of jeans actually cost over $800?