My sweet Papa

My papa, Tom Retka, passed away yesterday on Dec 29. While it is so heart breaking, I am so glad he's at peace and with our Lord. He fought for so long. I knew when I left him at the hospital yesterday that it would be the last time I saw him alive. And I told my aunt Tammy while we were sitting there that I just knew he was waiting on my Grandma before he let go. And sure enough, he passed away 20 minutes after she got there. That just goes to show you how stubborn he was. :) He was a true northern Polock! I would ask you to continue to pray for my Grandma and the rest of my family.

And please say an extra prayer for my cousin Hayley. Yesterday was her 15th birthday. Not only did she lose Papa on her birthday, but she also lost her other grandfather the day before. Such a hard time for her and her sister Paige. I was telling Hayley last night about my drive to work yesterday morning when I called to check on Papa. Tammy said he was doing worse and not good at all. So I instantly take a turn to head to Athens, and the first thing that pops in my head is Hayley. It's her birthday. Why God, does this have to happen today of all days? But then He answers me....He chose Hayley's birthday for Papa's Angel day....Papa got his angel wings on HER birthday. He chose her birthday over every other day in the year. How special is that? How many more of us can claim that? I sure can't! I hope Hayley took some kind of comfort in knowing that.

Anyway, thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers over the last few days. It really has meant the world to my family.

My Papa

My papa is 84 years old. And he is sick, very sick. He has been in the hospital since Thanksgiving day. I got a call on Friday that his doctor came in and gave him 1-7 days to live. All the family rushed to the hospital that day and stayed with him well into the night. On my way in to work this morning, I called to check on him and my aunt said he was doing worse. So I went to see him, and I could really tell a difference. It's heart breaking. I left him to come in to work, with a feeling that it was the last time I would see him alive. At least he knew I was there, and he got to see me, and I got to see him.

Please say a prayer for my family. It's just a waiting game now.....

What to do?

If you will remember back in the spring and summer, I was having somewhat of a dilemma about what to do if my sons played each other in baseball. But luckily, they never had to face each other. So that was good. But as Lee Corso would say..."Not so fast my friend".....

My boys are playing each other in basketball this season. Many of you are probably asking how is that possible? Why are they not on the same team? Well, as was the case in baseball, this is Walker's 3rd year to play and Brody's 1st. And we wanted Brody to play on a team that would be together for the next few years. Walker's team would move up next year, and that would leave Brody looking for a new team to play on.

Well, they play each other on Saturday. A butt whooping is on the horizon for Brody's team, and that breaks my heart for them. But then it makes me glad for Walker and his team because they practice so hard and are very deserving of the win. How do I possibly cheer for both teams?

Do I just sit in silence? If I cheer for Walker's team making a point, does that mean I'm cheering against Brody's team for sucking it up? And vice versa..... I feel like Peyton and Eli Manning's mother when she was watching her sons play in an NFL game last year. Every time they would show her on the TV, she was just sitting there with no emotion.

And just to think, I'm tore up over a 5-6 year old Booster Club league!

Thank you God for Glen Coffee

http://www.sharingthevictory.com/vsItemDisplay.lsp?method=display&objectid=461561BD-4FE0-46E9-8885C65F7755DC1C


Even if you're not an Alabama fan....

Please read the story at the link above on one of Alabama's best players! What an inspiration!

Update on Jenna

I just wanted to give you the latest on Jenna. She went back to B'ham for the consult with the neurosurgeon. He decided since she was doing well and not seizing right now that he would push her surgery back to Jan 6. This way, the family is able to celebrate Christmas at home and not in a hospital. I would ask that you continue to pray for Jenna, her family, and her doctors. They still need them!

Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!

As a parent, we are faced with many questions....what are the birds and the bees, what does it mean to be on your period, is Santa Claus real? I was asked the latter question just last night from Walker. I knew this time was coming, so I had thought through how I would answer long ago. I simply asked him, "Well, Walker do you believe in Santa Claus?" And of course he answered yes, and went on his merry way. PHEW! Survived that one....
Before I know it, he'll be 10 and wanting an answer to the first question. ugh....

ROLL TIDE!!!!

I'm off work for a field trip with a bunch of 1st graders tomorrow, so I thought I would go ahead and post my blog for this weekend! Alabama is not getting much love when it comes to the SEC Championship Game, despite going 12-0 this season. But that's OK! I still feel like we have a chance! So ROLLLLLLLLL TIDE ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Prayers for Jenna

Hi! I would like to request prayers today for Jenna Douthit. She is the 4 year old daughter of friends of ours, Keri and Neal. She was diagnosed as a baby with epilepsy. She has been on medication to control it ever since, but just recently the meds stopped working. She started seizing constantly, and her parents took her to the hospital in Birmingham for tests. She has been home the last few days, and Kevin and I went to visit with her and take her a few gifts, as well as some for her brothers. I honestly didn't know what to expect or if she would even know we were there because Keri had told us she was really "drunk" from the medication she was on to help control the constant seizing. But that sweet baby girl knew us, she was excited about her new toys, and she spent the whole hour playing with them. Keri told us she had had a good morning, and she did not seize at all while we were there. And I just spoke to Neal's sister, and she told me that Jenna has not had a seizure since Thursday night.
Today, she is back in B'ham for a consultation with the neurosurgeon. They have her scheduled for a very intrusive surgery on Dec 18th, but it's possible she could get in sooner. Since she has stopped seizing for the time being, the parents are very concerned about "what do we do". Damned if we do, damned if we don't scenario...so please pray that they get a clear answer today from the neurosurgeon. These parents are precious, and they have been through a very hard time the last few weeks.
God bless you all.

Iron Bowl Week!

Well, you can tell it's Iron Bowl week here in the great state of Alabama. Smack talking is well and alive, radio and TV shows talk about it non-stop....The whole premise this year is that Alabama is undefeated, with a No. 1 ranking, yet they haven't beaten Auburn in the last 6 years, and they have yet to beat them in T-town. Very disheartening facts, and yes, it makes me cringe every time I think about it. But I have a different feeling about this year. It has nothing to do with our 11-0 record and Auburn's 5-6 record (which I must say gives me great pleasure), but it has everything in the world to do with the team. They are a different bunch...the bad apples are gone, and it seems that this team just has their you-know-what together. They are clicking on all cylinders.
I will be there in T-town on Saturday to cheer on my beloved Crimson Tide. I hope for a very enthusiastic crowd, and one that is quite deafening. I hope that Auburn has a 3 and out on every possession, and I hope that we score on every possession....HOPE! :)
All I have to say is ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanksgiving lunch

Me and Kevin went to eat lunch with Walker at school today. They were having their traditional Thanksgiving meal, and I must admit that I was not looking forward to what it might taste like. Let alone they eat lunch at 10:30. BUT I was pleasantly surprised. The turkey and dressing was very good. And the green beans were very tasty. And to top it off, they had those oh-so-yummy yeast rolls that I always loved back from the days I was in school. And the kids were all dressed in their painted Indian vests and painted faces. They looked so sweet! Walker had no idea we were coming, so it was a nice surprise for him.

Next week is my month end at work, so if I don't get time to send out well wishes, I hope you all have a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And take the time to thank GOD for all you have!

Eva?

OK, I had no idea Eva Longoria, of Desperate Housewives, was a fan of Bama? Or maybe a friend of Jay and Sara? Whatever the case, I was at this game, and I never saw them! UGH! It makes me mad because I would have loved to have seen them! How awesome! And Jay is just as cute as he ever was back when we were in school.

Keep Rollin'!

I have to give props to my beloved CRIMSON TIDE for a job well done on Saturday night! Not only did we beat the defending Nat'l Champs LSU, but we also clinched the SEC West title! ROLL TIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

VOTING DAY 2008

Well, the time is FINALLY upon us! Vote 2008! Thank goodness because I am SICK of all the fuss and fighting and name calling and mud slinging. It gets SO old.
I did my civic duty and right and voted this morning. I'm glad I live out in the "boondocks", as one of my co-workers said, because I only had to wait about 15 minutes. I always feel better after voting....
My son Walker asked me last night who I was going to vote for. They did a mock vote in his first grade class. He told me who he chose, and then he proceeded to ask me how I determine who I want to vote for. I explained that I choose the candidates who I feel reflect the same values and principles I do according to the Bible. He seemed content with that answer without me having to get into all the issues. Thank you God for that!
Anywho, I hope you all go out and vote. And vote in a way that God has lead you to do so.
God bless our nation!

The Great Smoky Mountains

For our fall break, we went to the Smoky Mountains. It was beatiful up there. The weather was almost perfect....it only rained one day, and it was a little too warm for me to be the Smokies. If I'm going to the mountains, I want it to be a little on the cool side. But other than that, we had a great time. We ate at our favorite places, The Old Mill and Alamo...played our favorite activity, lots of putt putt....rode go carts a 1001 times and went to Dollywood. I'm sharing just a few pics of our time up there.

Bet you didn't know Walker was so strong!
Just one of the MANY go cart rides!

My sweet baby boys!

Miss Priss striking a pose!

And yet another!

Don't fret!

I know it's been forever since I've posted, but don't dispair! I have lots of pictures and stories to tell, but I am in the middle of month end right now for work, so it'll be a couple of days before I get them on here!

I hope you are all doing well!

Halloween Help!!!

Ok, for all you creative minds out there....I need some ideas on Halloween costumes. We are invited to my best friend's annual Halloween party, and there is a costume contest. I need some ideas on what to do for me and Kevin. I know a lot of you are full of creativity, so give me something! I didn't want to go out and spend a lot of money in case we don't get to go. So something homemade or semi-homemade is what I'm after....

I'll be waiting........

Bama

What about Bama just whooping those Georgia Bulldogs? I haven't seen anything like that in years! I received an email today of a collage of Georgia fans' expressionless faces after each score. I must say I rather enjoyed that a little too much! ROLL TIDE!
Kevin will be taking Brody to his first Bama game this weekend. Besides Bama, Brody loves Batucky...that would be Kentucky. So he is very excited about going. I wonder if I can get Kevin to take my camera for some pics and have it come back in one piece? Or just have it come back at all?

I REMEMBER!!!!

phew...
Did anyone watch Dancing with the Stars last night? It's one of my favorite shows to enjoy. We were at ball practice last night, so I only got to see the last few people dance. Cloris Leachman, seriously...you need to give it up. I commend you for getting out there at your age, but your potty mouth and behavior were such a big turn off. The comedian with Edyta, I think Jeffrey Ross was his name, was pitiful. Granted, he was dancing with a scratched cornea, but that has ZERO to do with moving your hips. Poor Edyta, I could see in her face that she was having a miserable time. I'm hoping he's out tonight. And then Cloris tomorrow. Misty May did ok, as did Kim Kardashian. But my favorite of the ones I got to see was Warren Sapp. Home boy can dance! He was busting all kinds of moves and just looked like he was having a ball! If anything, he'll be entertaining to watch. Can't wait for tonight!

I have lost my mind....

This is totally not what this entry todaywas meant to be about. But as I logged on, I decided to change the layout of my blog. So I did, and before I knew it, I had forgotten what I was actually planning to blog about. I have sat here with a dazed look on my face wondering how in the world I could forget that. And for the life of me, I still can't remember....
Granted, I just had a birthday...Happy Belated 34th birthday to me, but I didn't think forgetfulness set in until the golden years. Hmmmm....

It's starting already....

As you all know, we have a 2 yr old daughter Avery. And she is a doll! And it seems that Walker's best friend Tucker thinks so also! Every morning when we drop her off at daycare, Tucker is waiting at the door to give Avery a kiss! And then this morning, we were running a little late so Tucker was already on the van that drops the kids off at the elementary school, so he didn't get to see her. I go in and drop Brody and Avery off at their classrooms, and I walk out to the van to tell Walker bye, and Tucker gives me this pitiful look and says "Ms. Ginger, I wanted to give Avery a kiss". Nearly broke my heart! Granted, he's 6 and she's 2, and it's all sweet and sugary right now, but if he's still doing that in 10 years my husband will be waiting at the door, cleaning his shotgun! :)

9-11

I know most of us say that we remember where we were on that fateful day 7 years ago. As bad as my memory is, I can remember every detail from the minute I heard the first news about it. I was 7 months pregnant with Walker, and Kevin and I decided to ride to work together that day. We were sitting at an intersection when word first came over the radio...what a tragic thing that someone "accidentally" flew a plane into the WTC. I felt devastated for the family of the pilot because I know he probably did everything he could to prevent that. I was saddened at the thought of it, but then I got to feeling really sick in my stomach. I told Kevin, all the sudden, that I didn't think it was an accident. Then word got out that another plane had flown into the second building. That sick feeling had overcome me at that point, and then I got that sinking feeling in my heart. WHY in the world would someone do this? HOW could someone do this? Kevin dropped me off at work, and I walked into the office and the words that came out of my mouth were "We're being attacked". No one at work knew anything about it because they didn't have their radios on. Everyone starts racing around trying to find a radio to listen to or a TV to watch. We all went to the conference room and stayed glued to the TV watching in horror as it all unfolded. The Pentagon was hit, the plane goes down in Pennsylvania, and then the buildings fall. Tears were flowing all around me, and I couldn't believe I was going to give birth to a child in a crazy world filled with so much hate towards us. I wouldn't even go to the next Alabama football game because I was afraid there was going to be a bomb in the stadium.
As I listened to all the tributes on the radio this morning on my way in to work, I replayed every minute of that day in my head. Seeing all the flags flying at half staff saddened me.
But on a funny note, I can remember getting an email that week saying that on a certain night at a certain time, that everyone was encouraged to go out in their yard and light a candle. A satellite would take the picture to prove to the world just how much the US is united. Yep, I did it. I fell for it, not even thinking that there was no way a satellite could pick up my tiny little flame! :)

HOW ABOUT THE TIDE???

First off, let me begin by saying that I hope everyone had a great long weekend! Second, and most importantly, ROLL TIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I went to Atlanta to see Bama play the No. 9 Clemson Tigers. We had so much fun! I must admit that I was very nervous though throughout the first 3 3/4 of the game because I was afraid it was going to be like it is all the time....do good, build a big lead, and BLOW IT! But, that wasn't the case this time. Bama played the best ball I have seen them play in a long time. I was pleasantly surprised. And the atmosphere was unbelievable....it was almost like a bowl game or championship game. The fans were in it the entire time, and we only sat down during time outs. And I must say it was gratifying to see the Clemson fans head out so early...although 99% of them didn't get to hear us serenade them with Rammer Jammer! :) I am trying not to get my hopes up because I know they could easily be deflated in the next game! But until then, I'm enjoying every minute of it! ROLL TIDE!

Coach Saban and the Crimson Tide ready to take the field

One of our freshman starters, Julio Jones

Our flyover before the game!!! :)

Our superhero, Bama Man!

Oh, and I got to see my new little niece Kristen while I was there. She was absolutely precious, as were my other two nieces. I love you girls!

ROLL TIDE!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally! Football season is upon us....thank goodness. It has been a long wait, and I am so glad it's here! I love the Crimson Tide!!!! Yes, we have had some bad years lately, but I am still a die hard fan and always will be! I'm headed over to Atlanta tomorrow to see the season opener against Clemson. I really don't know how it's gonna go...you never know what to expect the first game. But no matter what.....ROLL TIDE ROLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She ain't all that....

You all know how much I dislike celebrities, or some of them, and how they are so out of touch with the real world. I heard this morning that Jennifer Lopez was on GMA the other morning, telling us in all her glory, how she was training for a marathon 6 months after giving birth to her twins. That's all great and fine and dandy, but.... Number 1, who gives a rip? Number 2, I bet I could train for a marathon also if I had nannies taking care of my children and if I didn't have a real job. And then there was the report that a GMA staffer overheard her balking about how everyone was talking about "that swimmer from the Olympics", when SHE was the one who was training for a marathon after just giving birth a few months ago. First of all JLo, that swimmer has a name and it's Michael Phelps. Second, he is only the greatest athlete to date. Third, you can't even sing! :) I have a headache, and I need to go now....

Call me crazy...

but after the births of my 3 children, I don't recall having the urge or desire to save my placenta. Maybe I'm crazy, and I don't know that's the "thing" to do. But it seems that Matthew McCougnahey (sp?) has done that very thing. He is going to plant it so that a tree can bear fruit, bountifully. Well alrighty then....
There really are no words.

First Grade Already??

Walker started first grade yesterday, and it really saddened me because there were no parents hanging around. What a difference a year makes.... Last year in Kindergarten, we stayed for like an hour the first day and then we could walk them to class for the remainder of the week. But yesterday, I took him to his class, and all the students were sitting quietly at their table. Walker told me bye, and he looked like it killed him to do that much. So I didn't dare tell him I loved him. I walked out in the hall and took my pictures from out there. Then I was gone....

And this morning, he asked to ride the daycare bus to the school. WHAT???? You mean I can't drop you off just one more day???? "No momma, I want to ride the bus. But maybe you can tomorrow." :( I'm sure that won't happen either. oh well....they grow up too fast....

Brody's 5th Birthday

Brody turned 5 on July 31st, and he had lots of fun celebrating! I got cupcakes for him to take to school that day. Our good friend Tiffini checked him and Walker out of daycare and took him to McDonald's for lunch. She gave him an Alabama back pack, which he loved. And so did mommy...I may have to use it some time! :) Then he went back to daycare and had his cupcakes with his classmates. I fixed him pasketti (spaghetti) that night....it's his favorite! And then he had his Cars pull-apart cake that we all munched on and enjoyed a little too much! On Friday, Kathy and his nana took him, Walker, Brody's best friend Ryan, and Ryan's brother Tee to Chuck E Cheese to play. Then Ryan came to our house that night, and we took them to the kiddie carnival in the next city over. They had a ball doing that, but it was so humid! ugh! Bring on the fall weather! Anyway, Ryan stayed the night with us, and we got up the next day and they played til lunch time. Then I braved it and took them all to McDonald's for lunch and play time in the play zone. (Thank you God for Zoloft) All in all, I would say Brody had a great birthday. And now he tells us all the time that he's 5! What a milestone!

Brody and his cake

Brody playing with his sister Avery

Brody and his muscle shirt...just one of his gifts

Brody and his best friend Ryan

Brody, Ryan and Walker on the swings!

Give me time....

I know a lot of you have been asking about Brody birthday updates. I have been extremely busy, in life and at work. I do have the pictures loaded on my computer, but I've not had time to upload them to my blog or write about it. I hope to do that in the next couple of days. I also wanted to give it a few days since Sully's passing. I hated to follow up something so heart wrenching with something so exciting. But it's time.... I'll also update on Walker's first day back to school! :)

Heavy Heart

It is with a heavy heart that I write this....little Sully passed away at 6:50 on Saturday morning, Aug2. He died peacefully in his parent's arms. He is no longer suffering, but my heart is still broken.
God bless you all!

Sully

Keep praying for Sully....
His family has taken him off any kind of life support, and he is currently just on his pain pump and oxygen. Please pray for a peaceful and comfortable passing for him...

Please pray for Sully

Please pray fervently for little Sully. He is in a lot of pain, and he is about to lose his battle with Leukemia. He is 15 months old today, and he should not have to suffer like that. PLEASE PLEASE PRAY!!!!

Read the updates on his website...

http://sullivanfarrar.com

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE PAIN TO CEASE!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRODY!!!!!!

Today is Brody's 5th birthday! I know it sounds so cliche, but it really does seem like yesterday that he was born! I don't know where the time goes....

He was such a happy boy this morning! He couldn't stand seeing his birthday present sitting on the table, all wrapped up....he had to open it! It was an Alabama muscle shirt! He didn't think he was going to have anything because we had already given him his new 4-wheeler and football gear. So he was pleasantly surprised. He has cupcakes to share with his friends at school today. And Miss Tiffini is going to pick him up for lunch. Then I'm fixing his favorite tonight....pasketti! That would be spaghetti to you and me! :)

Little Brody 5 years ago today....

Brody now....

MY EYES, MY EYES!!!!!!

We tried to take our kids to the zoo on Friday for a nice little getaway....and we run upon this!!!!

Tribal?

So I log on to Foxnews this morning for my daily dose of "what's happening" in the world when the caption "Matthew McCougnahey goes "tribal" during delivery" catches my eye. Tribal?? I couldn't even bring myself to read it because I knew how stupid it was probably going to be. So instead I just shake my head and wonder if and when Hollywood and L.A. are going to fall off into the ocean?

Jessica Alba...

has lost her mind. Why does such a beautiful young lady have to be so out of touch with the truth? I was reading where she said her baby dreams and coos, and that's all sweet. Then she goes on to say that the baby is still young and hasn't seen enough of the world to understand all that stuff....she thinks her baby is "still connected to the other world". What the? These celebrities make my head hurt...

So it's not been as bad as I thought..

The training I've done is not as bad as I thought it would be...mainly because I actually get to do the exercises and not just listen to someone talk about it the whole time. Don't get me wrong, I would much rather be back home. But we have enjoyed ourselves. We ate Unlce Julio's last night, and it was very good. Then we went shopping at the Reston Towne Center and spent money in every store. NOT GOOD! :) But I did get some back to school shopping done. Gotta get back to class....break time is over.
Hope you all have a great day!

Travel woes...

If you're around me a lot, then you know the bad luck I have when travelling for work. Not once have I not been delayed or had a flight cancelled. It's just my luck. Well, today was no different. Our flight out to Atlanta was on time, even a few minutes early....as our female pilot so proudly proclaimed. They push us away from the terminal only to stop us....then Captain Lisa tells us that we have been delayed. Imagine that!!!!! So we have to sit in that cramped plane for 30 minutes. Oh, and please don't let me forget to tell you that our flight attendant is having hot flashes, claiming she's gonna need oxygen, and the air doesn't seem to be working. GREAT!!! That's all we need is to have our attendant pass out, and we would be delayed. But wait a minute, I can get up there and show everyone how to buckle their seat belt, point them to the exits, and show them how to put an oxygen mask on. If she passes out, we can buckle her in a seat and off we go. I know 30 minutes doesn't seem like a long time, but when you have no air, the attendant is going through menopause, and a loud .passenger across the aisle doesn't know how to talk low (I can tell you how many kids he has, where he works, what his performance appraisals said, etc..), it can seem like forever. But we finally got off and made it to Atlanta, where we were delayed another 30 minutes. SHOCKER!!! I can't tell you how glad I am to finally be in Virginia. I'm here for training on an accounting system, NOT FUN!!! I will be bored out of my gourd. Oh well....until next time.

ROAD TRIP!!!

Well, not really. I have to fly out to Virgina on Monday for work again. This time it's for training...bore me silly! And it's not like I'm going to NYC, where there is lots to do every night. Oh well, at least I hear that Vikki will be in VA also, so maybe me and Sandy (the lady going with me) can meet up with her one night for dinner. I'm gonna miss my kids and hubby! Just pray for safe flights and no delays....which I ALWAYS have...it never fails. Until next time....

I love to people watch!

I first want to say that I hope you all had a safe and wonderul 4th of July holiday! Ours was great, with lots of good food and fireworks!

Now, I am a sucker for people watching! It make me smile! I went to the Kenny Chesney concert in Nashville on Saturday night with a couple of friends. You get 40,000 plus in a football stadium, and you are bound to see all kinds of people. We seen a variety...let me tell you. Some of the people you have to wonder...did you actually look in the mirror and say "Yes, this is the look I'm going for"? Cause let me tell you, your mirror is LYING to you!!! You had 60 year olds dressed to work the stripper pole, grossly overweight ladies trying to squeeze into size 4 mini skirts, and men going shirtless that shouldn't be. But our favorite was the "mullet girls". Their hair was your typical mullet style. They were dressed as twins....blue tank top, pants that looked like they were 3 inches too short, and light blue crocs. Y'all, it was pitiful! But it gave us humor in the heat of the sun!

We enjoyed the concert a lot! We liked Keith Urban the best! There's just something about him...

I know, I know....

it's been a long time since I last blogged....AGAIN! I can't even begin to put into words how hectic the last two weeks have been at work. I miss my kids and husband. I've been at work for over 12 hours the last two days and working on close to 11 today. But at least I have the next four days off for the 4th of July holiday! Speaking of which, I hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday! This is short, but I'm tired and my brain is warped....

Silly String madness

Sorry it's taken so long for me to blog since last time. Things have been crazy at work, ball season has still been going on, and we just stay so busy. But here I am! And here is a video of Brody's ball team spraying their coaches with Silly String. The kids enjoyed, and I think the coaches did also. They had their ball party at the minor league ball game, and they really enjoyed it!


Here's the team ready to get their coaches!


Here they are ready to run on the field!


Brody and his best friend Ryan talking ball with Reece.



I was so proud of Brody for taking his hat off during the national anthem!

Someone please tell me....

that my child is not the only one who has to roll her eyes at me? Parents, do your children roll their eyes at you? She's TWO for crying out loud!

Prayers needed

I know I've mentioned little Sully before on my blog. His leukemia seems to be coming back, so he and his family need your urgent and contstant prayers. What a heartbreaking thought to know this little 13 month old is in the fight for his life! Please pray that God's will be done!

And say a prayer for Matthew Wiese also. He's still in a coma, and in the fight for his life also. God has used this sweet boy in so many ways, and I just wish He would waken him to prove even more miracles! I know his family is so thankful to still have him, but how heartbreaking it must be at the same time. They are genuinely sweet and faithful people, but they still need your prayers.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!!

YEA! The Tigers did it! We won the county tournament championship! First, let me say how proud I am of the way our team handled everything! And I mean everything!

We were sailing along in the tournament in the winner's bracket, with two games to play on Friday night. We won the first game easily, which would then pit us against the second best team in the county. Well, there is no better way to say it than they beat the crap out of our team. We couldn't catch a ball, stop a ball, hit the ball, nothing...they simply outplayed us. Kudos to West for a game well played. That was our first loss of the season, and that of course threw us into the loser's bracket. We were scheduled to play one game on Saturday. We get there and lo and behold the tournament was running behind. Which I might add, this was the most unorganized event I have ever been to. So we sit there for 2 hours waiting to play. And the team we are supposed to play has decided they don't want to play a 3rd game that day, they want to wait until Monday night. So we have all gathered at the park for no reason, a waste of two hours. Fast forward to Monday night, and we play that team and beat them soundly. I mean bad. Which brings us back to the team that handed us our only loss of the season. We must beat them twice to win the tournament. I must throw in at this point that I am in Virginia on travel at the time, so I don't get to see any game on Monday. Our team plays their hearts out and whips that West team by double digits. They played the way they should have on Friday night. After that game, our coaches have to make a decision....do you play a 3rd game or wait until Tuesday night to play the final? Our coaches made a wise decision....our boys and girls are on a roll, so play ball! No need to waste time and another $2 to get into the park. The West team gave them a hard time the first couple of innings, but then the Tigers pulled away and beat them badly again. GOOOOO TIGERS!!!!!!!! The 2008 5&6 year old County Champs!!! We are so proud of these kids! They played awesome all year!

What's the point?

Why do celebrities get married? I mean seriously, how many celebrity couples make it? Take for instance Rene Zellwegger and Kenny Chesney. They were married in May of 2005 or 2006, and when I heard the news, I instantly said "I give it 6 months". It lasted 4. By September, they called it quits. Why do any of them bother to go through the whole process? None of them are going in to it for the marriage, they only want the wedding. The same could be said for us "normal" folks, but it's mostly true for the celebrities. And how many times does Liz Taylor have to be married? She's making a mockery out of it. And Charlie Sheen? If some of these people would put the same amount of time into a project or charity that actually meant something, they might do a little good. Oh well...

Still in it....

Walker's baseball team is still in the hunt for the county tournament championship trophy. The first couple of games they played were really good, good hitting and good defense. But Tuesday night, you would have thought they never stepped out on the field before. No one could field the ball, they were throwing it all over the field, not catching it.... Thankfully, the Tigers woke up and pulled away and beat the other team soundly. We play again Friday night, so I hope they decide to play the way they know how!

Go Tigers!!!!

BTW, Brody's team got put out on Tuesday night. They played their hearts out!

Bad Situation Diverted...

Now don't get me wrong, I am really sad for Brody's team because they lost their first game. But at the same time, am I ever thankful because we avoided that dreaded match-up with Walker's team. The Yankees played their little hearts out, but got beat by one run. Brody had 4 hits, and I was so excited for him. They play tonight against another Ardmore team that we SHOULD beat. I hope so!
Walker's team won big, as expected. He had 4 hits, including a home run. I hope this continues...

GO TIGERS and YANKEES!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is it wrong....

of me to want Brody's team to lose their first game on Saturday? I have such a dilemma. County tournament starts this Saturday. Brody and Walker are in the same age division, but they play on different teams. Brody plays at 12:30, and if they win, they will turn right around and play Walker's team. Please keep in mind that Brody's team is a first year team, and most of Walker's team is third year. HUGE difference. Walker's team will crush Brody's team, as they have done to all of their opponents this year. I just don't want my sons pitted against each other. Who would I root for? I guess I should quit worrying because Brody hasn't won the game yet. Maybe they'll lose....ok, I didn't mean to say that. Oh I have such a headache over this....

County Champs!!!!!

Walker's team was declared the 2008 regular season county champs on Saturday. They went undefeated in the pre-season and the regular season. Congrats to the team and their coaches!!!

County tournament starts this weekend!!!!!

Playing cards

We had some friends, Troy and Tiffini, over this weekend to play cards. Well, it turned into a free for all, anything goes card game. Tiff received some therapy, the topics of conversation ranged from one end of the spectrum to the other, and there was lots of bickering between me and Troy. We fight like cats and dogs, and he even said that if I was his sister, he would have taken me down! :) Bring it on Troy! I ain't scared of you! Then Kevin got aggravated at me, Tiff and Troy because we talked too much during the card game. He claimed we could make a card game go an hour longer than it should because we spend too much time yacking. Avery broke Troy's very expensive sunglasses, and surprisingly enough he didn't blame me for it! All the boys had a good time rough housing, and Cierra was my star babysitter! At least we can say it wasn't a boring night!

My baby's birthday

Avery blowing out her candle

Avery at birth

Last Saturday, on the 17th, my baby girl Avery turned 2. We celebrated with a luau with family and friends! There was so much good food...grilled shrimp, chicken kabobs, ribs, fruit, cheese...all kinds of Hawaiian-related food! The party was a success!!! Thanks to all who came out and celebrated with us.

Having Avery turn 2 just reinforces how fast time flies! Seems like yesterday that Walker TOLD me and Kevin that he wanted a baby sister. Little did we know that at the time I was pregnant with her. It was almost like a God whisper in Walker's ear. The pregnancy was great for the most part. I did have gestational diabetes, but I was able to control it with my diet. Her birth itself was smooth sailing. Only after I was out of recovery did I start having problems. My uterus quit clamping down, so I started bleeding profusely. The nurses hit panic mode because I'm losing this blood, and they call in another nurse that has to be the equivalent of an offensive lineman in the NFL. She proceeds to tell me how she is going to have to push my uterus down herself to stop the bleeding. She instructs me to hang on to the bed rails as she does this. Keep in mind that I've just been cut wide open, and I have 20something staples in my incision. She balls her fists up and presses down on my stomach with all her strength to get my uterus to clamp. It finally does, and then she proceeds to run her fists all the way down, over and over to push all the blood clots out. I wanted to curse the woman, but she was practically saving my life. There was not enough morphine in the world to help with the pain, but I'm thankful for her and what she did for me. Then to top it off, I was on iron pills for 8-10 weeks for low iron and my lips and skin stayed white for about 5 weeks cause I had lost so much blood. And it was worth every bit of that pain and pill taking because I have such a sweet baby girl.

My new niece...

I have a new little niece Kristen! She was born 5-14-08 and weighed 7 lbs 15 oz. Isn't she precious!!!! The pic is of her sisters Savannah and Allison and mom Carmen and Dad James! Aunt Gin already loves you, and I can't wait to see you!

Little Sully...

A couple of posts ago, I told you about little Sully. He was getting sicker and sicker. But it seems God is answering our prayers for now because Sully's blood test showed his Leukemia blasts have gone from 20% to less than 1% over the last 4 days. That is AWESOME news. It may change in an instant, but for now his parents are able to play with Sully and see him smile and have him drink whole milk again. And he even moved out of the ICU. Please continue to keep this little fella in your prayers. God hears our prayers, and He is working a miracle right now. Keep praying hard!

Another weekend has come and gone...

Where does the time go? Friday was my mom's birthday! We got her some really pretty jade stone earrings and took her out to eat at Sarge's! It was very delish! Another day at the ball park Saturday...Walker's team won big again, and Brody's lost big. :( But hey, I still think they have done so good with them being a first year team. I have NO complaints! Well, I do wish Brody would run a little faster. There was actually a picture of him in our local newspaper, with the caption under it that he was "racing" to second base to beat the tag. I laughed of course, cause Brody doesn't race to get anywhere. He is the most laid back kid I've ever seen. But he's still cute out there..

I had a great Mother's Day. We had baby dedication at church, so we were finally able to "dedicate" Avery, almost 2 years later! :) Then we had lunch afterwards, and I took a long and much needed nap with the kids. I have to thank the Sunday School teachers and their school teachers for having the kids make Mother's Day gifts. If they hadn't, I would have nothing. My husband leaves a lot to be desired in that department. He didn't actually go out to get my cards until 7:30 Saturday night. hmmmm.... I love him, but he's not setting a very good example for the kids. Don't get me wrong, I would much rather have the homemade gifts from the kids than blowing money on something I don't need. But to wait til the night before to even get a card is a little disappointing. Oh well....at least he did clean up some yesterday.

But overall, it was a great weekend! I hope everyone else was able to enjoy it as much as I did.

Mend my broken heart

I know I've mentioned in a previous blog about a little boy Ethan Powell who lost his battle with Leukemia. There is another little boy I'm following that I found out about through Ethan's website. His name is Sullivan, and he goes by Sully. He just turned 1 on May 1st, and he has grabbed a hold of my heart. For days he was on a vent, and he was finally weaned off of it in time for his first birthday. He had a great day! And then a day or two later, they got word his Leukemia was coming back full force. WHY? Why does this little boy have to suffer just like Ethan? I do not understand. I find myself in tears all the time over him, and I can't take it. I don't know HOW his parents and family deal with it so closely on a daily basis. Why has God burdened my heart so heavily with these babies, and why did God create me with such a fragile emotional state? I don't know what lies ahead for Sully, but from what I've been reading on his website, I don't think it's good. Only a miracle can help him. So I ask you to please pray for Sully. Pray hard! This baby needs your prayers. I've included a link to his site. PRAY PRAY!

http://sullivanfarrar.com

Fun at the ball park???

All the nights spent at the ball park watching my sons play ball are supposed to be fun! It's my oldest son's last year in the 5-6 year old league, and it's my younget son's first year. So there is emotion abound! But while there watching one of the two playing, I still have to keep up with the other son and my daughter. The boys don't require much attention, just what you expect..."momma, can I have a dollar for the concession stand", "Son, get out of the mud", "Brody, stay where I can see you", "Walker, quit pushing that boy around".....
But Miss Priss on the other hand, that's a whole different ball game (no pun intended). The girl is 10 days shy of turning 2, and she already acts like Mariah Carey. She is never satisfied, nothing is ever done right, and you must cater to her every need. It doesn't help that her daddy coaches both teams, so he is not able to help me. And my mom and stepdad are always there, but she's getting to where she has her moments that she doesn't want them. So it's mainly a do-what-I-can-to-make-her-happy hour. Take last night for example, we pull in the park and she realizes where we are so she instantly starts the chant "Ont cotcorn"...which translated in to adult language is "I want popcorn". So we have to listen to that for 10 minutes as we unload the truck and trek up to the concession stand. Lo and behold, there's a line! So guess who's not happy and she lets everyone know... We finally have the treasured popcorn in hand and all is well. At least for 2 minutes. I get our chairs set up, and she's not happy that they're in the sun. So, I have to hold her while she's eating and I'm shading her eyes from the sun. But wait a minute, I don't have my left hand on the bag of popcorn like I SHOULD have known to do. I mean, what kind of mother am I? So she proceeds to whine until I make it right! Then her sippy cup is in the wrong holder...it's supposed to be in the right side. DUH! I can't believe I didn't know that either! So anyway, all kinds of whining goes on for the next 47 minutes until the umpire says those magic words "GAME OVER!!!!!" Thank you God for the man in blue!

Weekend Notes

It's a shame that my memory is so bad, that I'm sitting here trying to figure out what we did this weekend. I can't remember anything these days. Let's see...
Brody had ball practice Friday night, and we also watched a 7-8 year old baseball team (that has some of our friend's kids on it) play it's biggest competitor. Our team won thank goodness. But I also have to say that while I was proud, I was a little taken aback at how serious a couple of the parents were acting. One carried on with his loud mouth the whole time, and then one of our friend's didn't speak to me when I said Hi. It's not like I said it in passing. I actually went up to him, patted him on his arm and said hey. He never responded. So I told his wife about it, and he apologized to me the next day. Thanks Chris! You know I still love ya! I also have to say that I made a little jab at the team because they were spraying silly string all over the place after the game. Which is fine and dandy after you win a championship, but I think it's a little overboard after a regular season game. It don't matter how well you play in the season if you can't finish it off at the top in the end. But I do wish them well no matter what!
Walker and Brody both played games Saturday, and they both won. Congrats to my boys! I worked the concession stand afterwards, and lemme tell you, that is a job in itself. Trying to make sure enough food is cooking, while helping the customers and then trying to keep an eye on the boys as they run the entire ball park. I was give out afterwards!
I took the boys to Cheney Jo's (my little cousin) 2nd birthday party after the games. She had such a good party, and the boys had a ton of fun.
Kevin and Walker went to church on Sunday, while I stayed home with Avery and Brody. Avery had been running a 103 fever and Brody was very congested with lots of goo coming from his eyes. So we vegged out while they were gone, and as soon as they got back, Kevin got a call from work. So he was gone the rest of the day. Me and the kids went out for awhile and enjoyed the nice weather. I actually cleaned up the flower beds and got them ready for planting. It's amazing how much better they look already!
That was about it for us. I hope you all had a great weekend!!!

Daddy's Girl

Friday night was a night full of mixed emotions! We dropped Walker and Brody off at Tucker's house for his birthday party. Me, Kevin and Avery were going to go to Athens to the BBQ cook-off that Kevin's boss was participating in to eat dinner. Troy asked if Avery could stay with them and that would give me and Kevin some time alone. We don't get that very often, so it was nice being able to talk in a normal tone and not having to talk above the screams of 3 kids. :) So we went. The food was great! Shaun, you are an awesome cook and you make the best shrimp around! I called Troy to check on Avery, and he said she was sitting on the potty. Now you should know that she showed the slightest bit of interest about 3 months ago and then just said NO all the sudden. So I let it go and thought I would just let her start back when she was ready. I'm on my 3rd kid now, so I'm not panicked at all. So I'm sitting there talking to Troy on the phone and he yells, "She peed, she peed"! Or something along those lines.... I was so excited that she actually peed, but then again I was sad because she did it for Troy of all people? Nothing against him, but what in the world was she thinking? Anyway, I'm proud of my little Avery for doing that. We pick her up later that night and she's all hugged up on Troy and won't have a thing to do with her daddy. I can see the absolute heartbreak on his face. He tries to play it off, but I can read him like a book. We take her home and she only wants me. Kevin can't get her out of the car, take her in the house, rock her to sleep or anything. She won't have any of it! The next morning Troy brings the boys home, and Avery is still asleep. He asks to wake her up, and we let him. He takes her straight to the potty and sits there with her for a good 7-8 minutes waiting on her to potty. It was actually very sweet, but still killing her daddy on the inside. About 10:00 that morning, she finally gives in to her daddy. All is well! The day is saved and we can continue to have a good weekend. Thank goodness because he was getting hard to handle!

Kids say the darndest things!!!

Kindergarten has been an adventure, to say the least. Walker has learned so much in these months, and I am very proud of him! They write sentences and spell the words out based on how they sound. As I was going through Walker's book bag last night, I came across some sentences that he wrote yesterday. Here is what he wrote, along with the correct interpretation.

"I see a pig"

"I see a pruty dog" ( I see a pretty dog)

"My Dab is niss" ( My Dad is nice)

"My dog is clen" ( My dog is clean)

AND DRUMROLL PLEASE...............

"My mom is drty" (My mom is dirty)


Yep, I'm dirty. I asked Walker about it to make sure I was reading that right, and I could tell by the little monster grin on his face that I was. When I asked him why he thought I was dirty he just shrugged his shoulders, smiled and ran off. But I don't take offense to it. I think it's cute!!! So parents, be prepared for what lies ahead when your children go off to school!!!!

Happy Birthday!!!!

Today is Kevin's 33rd birthday! He's becoming an old fart like the rest of us. His birthday is a little bittersweet though because he is a pall bearer at Donald's funeral today. I'm hoping a trip to Sarge's tonight will make up for it! For his birthday, I got us tickets to see Rodney Carrington when he comes to Huntsville. We can't wait to see it! He is so funny! A little raunchy at times, but funny nonetheless. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY Kevin...

What does that dream mean?

Have you ever had the same dream over and over? Or at least a dream that has to do with the same thing? I have had a reoccurring dream for as long as I can remember about a tornado. It's in the same house, with the tornado forming in the same way and coming from the same direction. My house in the dream is quite large with a basement, which can be accessed by stairs or a chute of some sort. Strange, I know. Well, in my dream last night, we had over 200 people trying to squeeze into my basement to take cover from the tornado. And then some out in the greenhouse??? I don't think that glass is gonna protect you!!!! Anyway, the tornado came and the last thing I remember is everyone scrunching down to take cover. I have no idea if anyone lived, died or what? I hate this dream....

When it rains, it pours...

We got the news this morning that Donald (Kevin's friend mentioned in a previous post) passed away early today. It saddens me that his life ended this way. I don't know his religious beliefs or if he was saved by God's grace, but I can only hope that he was. Kevin was upset when I told him. He just recently lost his grandmother, and that hit him terribly hard also. But we cling to the things we do have and the hope that we will see them both when we die. Please say a prayer for this family....

Brody and his best buddy Ryan! I call them Trouble 1 and Trouble 2 (you know, like Thing 1 and Thing 2). They are so cute!

Weekend Wrap-Up

It was another busy weekend for us! Both boys played ball in Ardmore Saturday morning. Walker's team won big, and Brody's team lost their game. They lost by 7 runs...sounds like a lot, but it really wasn't. The other team is all 6 year olds, and Brody's team only has one player who has every played before and 3 four year olds on the team. So I thought we did extremely well! And they had a good time!
Our sweet babysitter Jessica kept Avery for us so she didn't have to get out in the cold. They had a great time together. She painted Avery's fingernails and toenails a flourescent orange, which Avery loved! She has been showing them to everyone and saying that "Jeka" painted her nails! It's so cute...
We had a surprise birthday party to attend for one of our friends, Chris Hughes, on Saturday night. He was so suprised! I think he had a good time! All the kids were there playing together so that gave us adults time to socialize, which is so nice. :)
We had church on Sunday, and then we all took a much needed nap. During dinner that night, we got a call from my friend Christie saying that her cousin Donald was in ICU on life support and would not make it long. This was terribly upsetting to Kevin because he and Donald were best friends through elementary and middle school. They took him off life support last night, and I have not heard anything since. So please keep that family in your thoughts and prayers!
I also want to mention Matthew Wiese. I have not been able to go visit him in several weeks. I feel bad about that, but with sick kids and school and ball, I just have not had the time. But I have got to make a more concerted effort to get over there. I still pray for him daily and think about him all the time. They need help with giving him his physical therapy every night. If anyone is interested, please let me know if you can help, and I will put you in contact with the right person. I promise you that you will feel God's presence when you walk in that house and you will most definitely receive a blessing. Continue to keep Matthew and his family in your prayers.
Off now to do a little work....

Another night at the ball park

Walker had a practice scheduled at 5:00 last night, but when we got there, no fields were available. So they walked down to the batting cage to practice and do a little fielding in a fenced in area. Not sure what good that done. Other than to blow another $20 at the park to feed the kids! :) Then we watched a 7-8 yr old team play a game against East. Ardmore won that game, so we were very happy for them.
Brody has a practice scheduled for 5:30 tonight, but I'm secretly hoping it gets rained out to give us a small break. We'll have to be at the park tomorrow for a few hours, so just to be at home doing nothing will be nice. Unless we have to take cover from a looming tornado!
Until next time...

That piece of fish cost WHAT?

We had a retirement lunch today at Connor's for a co-worker. Lucky him! I have been dying to try Connor's because I have heard the best stuff on that place. The waitress went over the specials for the day and then the fresh fish of the day...either Salmon or Sea Bass. I chose to eat the Sea Bass. The food is good, she brings me my ticket.....and that's where the fun stops. My little piece of fish costs $27.00. Are you kidding me??? It was good, but it sure wasn't that good. I sit there in disbelief. My ticket was $42.37 total, just for me. That included my fish (which should be made of gold), a $1.00 fee for swapping from broccoli to asparagus, sweet tea for $2.25, $3.00 for a side salad and the tip added in for a large party. I was actually nauseated at that point, and still am somewhat. How can you possibly charge that much for fish at lunch??? Needless to say, I suggested to the waitress from now on that she and the other waiters let the customers know up front how much their food is going to cost them if it's not on the menu. And I also wrote them a letter that I'm going to stick in the mail tomorrow. It may not do me any good, but at least they'll know that someone isn't happy.

Inflation at the Ball Park

It's spring time so that means that baseball is gearing up. But so are the prices!!!! Don't get me wrong, I love being at the park watching my boys play ball. But it costs a fortune to be there. Hamburgers are $2.50, popcorn is $1.00, etc... Hamburgers are up 50 cents from last year, and I don't think they are any bigger or taste any better. So what gives? We have to pay $10 per child for concession fees before the season starts, and then they make a killing on the food and drinks they sell. I know the Booster Club has to make money, but do you have to break us while doing it? I know, I know..you're sitting there thinking to yourself "Just don't buy anything". Well, it's hard not to when you're there 4 days out of the week, and you're there at lunch time and dinner time. What am I gonna do? Let my kids starve? So until the season is over, I will just suck it up and keep dishing out the cash.

UGH!

I am so tired of crying! As I said in my earlier post, I cried all day yesterday over lil' Ethan. And then I start out doing good today, but then I read my comments that a couple of friends have left and it makes me start crying all over. What is wrong with me? Maybe it's PMS... Whatever it is, I am SICK of it! :)

Why?

Why? It's a question we all ask when something terrible happens. Especially when it involves children. A friend of mine told me about Ethan Powell, a little boy in Louisiana who was fighting Leukemia. She gave me his website, and I checked it almost daily so I could get updates on him. He was diagnosed at 2 months old, and he was such a little fighter. His last bone marrow test came back negative and said there was NO LEUKEMIA! What a blessing that was! But then he started to develop an infection and he started retaining fluid around his heart and lungs. My heart would break every time I logged in and read those updates. It just kept getting worse and worse, and finally his little lungs couldn't take anymore, and they shut down. Little Ethan died in his parents arms on Saturday morning. His short life touched so many people, and he touched mine more than I could ever tell you. Even though I prayed so hard for him all the time, I can't help but think I let him down. Maybe I didn't pray enough or maybe I prayed the wrong prayer. Why did God take this little boy? Why do his parents have to live without him? Why did he survive leukemia, but then ultimately die from an infection? Why did God put Ethan in my heart? I spent the majority of the morning yesterday crying over this little boy. There's a reason God burdened my heart with Ethan. It may never be clear to me why or it may hit me like a ton of bricks. But whatever the reason, I have to trust God's purpose in it.

I also want to mention Neil Elkins. His cousin-in-law just told me that he was diagnosed with Leukemia yesterday, and he will be spending a month in the hospital. I don't know where or why or any details. But please remember him and his family in your prayers. He has a wife Tisha and a 3 yr old daughter Saige.

I didn't know it was such hard work

My friend Vikki told me she had a blog. It reminded me of how I wanted one also. I don't know why I do... maybe it's to vent my frustrations, to share stories of my kids, or just to run my mouth with senseless rambling. Whatever the reason, I now have one. It was no easy feat, let me tell you. Setting up this blog was probably supposed to be real simple, but I seemed to have turned it into a near possible act. What should have taken 5 minutes took close to 20. But hey, I never said I was computer literate. But anyway, it's done!!!! I will gladly pat myself on the back in a little while...once I see that this first blog actually does post on the front page :) Thank you Vikki for reminding me just how bad I wanted a blog!