Saturday, December 31, 2011

Just another day...AKA Day 47 of 365

I had a ton of wonderful birthday wishes and for those I am thankful. Overall though, today was just another day. Had Lizzy here with us and the morning started out with turmoil. After things got settled, we had lunch and did some shopping, then came home. I have many feelings about the way today played out but until I sort them out entirely, I will not write publicly about it. Here's hoping that the New Year brings days filled with good memories and great happiness.

Friday, December 30, 2011

Still no car...AKA Day 46 of 365

They didn't manage to finish fixing our car and don't anticipate it being done until Monday. Good thing they gave us a rental!

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Angelo...AKA Day 45 of 365

Going to sleep in Angelo. Night:)

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Driving, driving and more driving...AKA Day 44 of 365

Today was the day I had to drive Emmy to Valera so she can spend the rest of the Christmas break with her dad and brothers. The drive there wasn't so bad as she and I sang together and talked. The drive back home was a little lonely as I was missing her already. Tomorrow morning I have to drive to Waco to take the car in for service, then when Jim gets off work tomorrow afternoon we will drive to San Angelo to stay the night, then pick up Lizzy first thing, hopefully, in the morning to bring her back here for the weekend. I am sure we will get out and do something on Saturday and then drive her back home on Sunday. That means a minimum of 24 hours in the car between 8 this morning and late Sunday night. I have managed to do something to my back again so at least the seats are heated so hopefully that will help, not hurt, my back. While I love all the kids, I sure wish someone would develop one of those "beam me up" devices so we wouldn't have to spend so much time in the car.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Sunday, December 25, 2011

On the improve...AKA Day 41 of 365

Feeling a little better today. Going to try getting out of the house tomorrow.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Merry Christmas...AKA Day 40 of 365

Still sickly so... Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Still sick...AKA Day 39 of 365

Have taken several maps today trying to kick this cold. Hoping to be better soon.

Cold, sick, yuck...AKA Day 38 of 365

Emily gave me her cold. I feel like death warmed over. Tomorrow is our Christmas so hoping to feel better soon.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Busy bees...AKA Day 37 of 365

Had another awesome day with my Kyle! We got lots of last minute Christmas shopping done. Had Five Guys Burger and Fries for lunch and oh my heck...YUM! So good it should be sinful. Have lots to do tomorrow so will be hitting the hay soon.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Tamale Time...AKA Day 36 of 365

Had a flippin' awesome day making tamales with Kyle :)

Monday, December 19, 2011

Kyle...AKA Day 35 of 365

Am so excited to have my oldest kiddo here for several days. I just wish Zach could be here as well. Tomorrow Kyle and I will tackle making tamales for the first time. Worst case scenario we end up having to eat out LOL Best thing about it all is I get to spend some good time with him :)

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Trying times...AKA Day 34 of 365

We have all said it at some point: "When it rains it pours". Well for a member of my family it has been pouring for a couple of years now. They have gone through a job loss, severe illnesses, losing their home, bankruptcy...the list goes on and on. It breaks my heart because they really go out of their way to help their family and anyone else that needs it. This week has brought on more bad stuff, this time the week before Christmas. If I could have anything for Christmas, I would want God to heal them physically, emotionally, financially and spiritually. I know there is a reason for everything, but God, please let whatever needs to happen, happen and allow them to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. (And by this I mean some positivity, not THE LIGHT, as well all need them here.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Christmas Spirit...AKA Day 33 of 365

I have been having a really tough time getting in the Christmas spirit this year. I know what the main reason is and that is to raw a spot to talk about here. Emmy and I were talking Friday morning and were talking about Christmas songs that we like to listen to and suddenly realized we hadn't heard Santa Baby yet. I pulled up my music player and played a few different versions of it for her. While I know what the true reason for the season is, I have to admit that hearing that song, puts a little bounce in my fun Christmas spirit. I have felt it a little more since then and am hoping it just continues so I can enjoy each of my kiddos, whenever I get to see them during Christmas break. I love you all very much and although it would be wonderful to have you all here at the same time, and we will again eventually, God has other plans for us for now.

Friday, December 16, 2011

We drove, or did we? I can't remember ;) ...AKA Day 32 of 365

Just arrived home from our Friday night drive. I slept part way home but I am just wiped out. I am overdue for my B12 shot. I was supposed to get it 4 days ago and I am really feeling it, for sure. Jim is about to give it to me so hopefully tomorrow I will be a little better. Have a lot to do tomorrow and going to be busy all day Sunday as well. Will pick up our angel girl on Sunday, then Monday will start another busy week. Here's hoping my p has a quick recovery with her back. The two of us have the strangest ways of hurting ourselves LOL. Love you so much, p!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Husband...AKA Day 30 of 365

My "husband" and I on our first cruise, his birthday present!


Kandy and her wonderful husband, Chris at Jim's party!



Another word was passed on to me last night on Facebook. It fittingly came from my "sister wife" Kandy. The word to inspire tonight's post is "husband". You see, Kandy and I share Jim. Not in the naughty sense, so y'all get your minds out of the gutter. Kandy has a wonderful husband, Chris. You see, Jim is Kandy's office husband, making her his office wife. He enjoys working with her and they have a great rapport. We emailed back and forth for a very long time before we ever met. When I need him to know something at work, I can email her and ask her to tell him, just in case he doesn't have time to check his email. We met for the first time in February, at Jim's 60th Birthday Party. She and I shared the secret of my gift to him, a 5 day western Caribbean cruise! I told her to make sure I could arrange for him to have the days off, prior to booking it. I really enjoy the emails back and forth with her and am thankful for her in a huge way.

An interesting little tidbit...As Emily and I were sitting in the car this afternoon waiting on Jim to come out of the prison, we were talking about Kandy. After sorting it out, she finally announced that since Kandy is Jim's office wife, and my "sister wife" then she must also be her "office mom". I found this so cute!

Another interesting tidbit, one that we have been trying to resolve for over 3 years now. Jim is not my husband, yet. We have referred to each other as husband and wife for a long time, but it isn't official yet. There is but one roadblock standing in the way. Ironically, that roadblock also involves him being a husband. It all happens when it is supposed to, I suppose.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Deb chose Goodness...AKA Day 29 of 365

As I sat at my computer tonight to do my post, I had complete and total blockage of my creative mind. I could think of not one word to write about. Not a single word. Finally I posted on Facebook, asking for one of my friends to give me just one word. Almost instantly, my beloved friend, Deb, posted this:

‎"Goodness," courtesy Mickey Mouse Clubhouse :)

I adore Deb :) Her amazing way with words were but the first thing that drew us together as friends somewhere in the neighborhood of 9 years ago. We had a common thread in our mothers that showed that there can be good things that come from a diagnosis of Paranoid-Schizophrenia. Deb has since lost her mother, I still have mine, but rarely get to see her as she is over an 8 hour drive away.

I find it fitting that Deb chose "goodness". She oozes the definition out of every pore. She is kind, loving, funny, spirited and caring just to choose a very few adjectives. I laugh at least once a day over something she has posted, and seeing as how laughter has been touted as the best medicine, I would say her fingertips also ooze goodness.

I admire her courage. I see her as fearless, although in reality, everyone has fear. When I picture Deb, I see her wearing a super hero cape. I know that sounds silly, but Deb knows that in order to make all your dreams come true, you simply must soak up all the goodness that comes your way and realize that your dreams will always come true when you are flexible with them.

Someday I will experience her goodness in person. That day will be filled with big squeezy hugs and some sort of fruity libation that we shall use to toast to a friendship that has become very dear to me.

Cheers to you and your goodness, Deb!

Monday, December 12, 2011

A Day of Recovering...AKA Day 28 of 365

Wandered around the house doing assorted straightening after the hurricane of a weekend we had. Jim had done a good deal of it on Sunday before we left so it wasn't nearly as bad as it would have been. It was a very relaxing day, done at my own pace. I was even able to slip in a couple of games of spades with my dad :)

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Emmy's 12th birthday sleepover...AKA Day 27 of 365

Well we finally made it back home from San Angelo. Had to take Miss Lizzy home after she came for Emily's birthday sleepover this weekend. We sure enjoyed having her here and Emily had a lot of fun having all the girls here. The 8+ hour drive after barely getting any sleep for two days is rough. Jim drove the whole time though so I know he is really really tired. We may be eating Chinese leftovers for awhile because I ordered way too much food. Good thing it will freeze well. Only one of the girls had any of the plain white rice that comes with it so we have 7 pints of rice. We froze them still in their packages inside a big Ziploc bag and I will take them out one at a time to make rice pudding :) I also still have half a blizzard There are still a ton of balloons hanging from the ceiling and I think I may leave them up as they look a little festive. Maybe it will help me get/stay in the spirit. Here are some pics from the occasion:







Saturday, December 10, 2011

Counting blessings...AKA Day 26 of 365

Before I lay my head down tonight:

Dear God,
Thank you for giving the ability to rear children that know how to be polite to one another as well as to adults, family or otherwise. Thank you for allowing me the pleasure or raising children that, although they may not like everything, will at least try all types of foods with an open mind and palate. Thank you for gracing them with social skills and the ability to know how to behave in public. Every time I am exposed to children who do not possess the above skills, please remind me to be patient with them and to guide them in a way that will prove to be both kind and encouraging. Remind me when needed that it was with your guidance that I was able to lead our children in developing the skills they need to be extraordinary young people who will flourish in the "real world".

In His name and with His love and guidance.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Have had a very productive day.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

So much to do tomorrow, going to bed.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Plain day...AKA Day 23 of 365

Today is a not much to say kind of day. Cooked a little, cleaned a little, knitted a little...not much excitement.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Say it ain't sew!....AKA Day 22 of 365

So yesterday I decided to try my hand at loom knitting. Since beginning about 24 hours ago, I have made one baby hat and 2 adult hats. So so (not sew sew) easy! It doesn't take long to finish one so that is a plus for me. I bought the loom to make scarves as well. Think I will give that a whirl tomorrow :) Pics to follow soon.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Pretty Day ...AKA Day 21 of 365

Haven't felt much in the spirit of the season but figured we needed to get the tree up. Jim dug out the tree this morning. I put it together and Emmy and her sweet friend Isabella were kind enough to decorate it :) They did a lovely job and I am starting to sing Christmas songs. Guess it worked.

After supper, I decided to try out my new hobby. By the time I was done, I had a cute baby hat to show for it. It wasn't perfect but then, neither am I :)

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Where I Come From, Rain is a Good Thing...AKA Day 20 of 365

After probably a year of praying, our part of Texas has recently been getting a good amount of rain. It's wintertime and the plants are actually growing because of all the good rain. Love getting it, hate driving in it. My honey was nice enough to drive the entire way to pick up Emmy this time because he knows that driving in storms makes me nervous. Love him for it! We arrived home safe and sound and here shortly will be crawling into bed. Thank You, God, for the rain and thank You for my amazing man.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Nom Nom Nom Nom Veggies...AKA Day 19 of 365

Drove the 30 miles to Temple this morning to pick up our first order with http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/. It was raining for about half the drive, light at first then not so light. I was scared I would be picking up in the drenching rain. God was watching out for me as by the time I got there it had eased up. I arrived early to help with the basket filling. It was a good time with some nice people. I ordered two baskets thinking they would be small since this was only the second time for this site and they only had 18 basket orders. This was our haul:

2 bountiful baskets: 10 bananas, 3 honeydew melons, 2 cabbage, 12 Fuji apples, 6 bell pepper, 6 zucs, 8 avocados, 13 kiwi, 10 Fairchild tangerines and 16 roma tomatoes. $30 at bountiful baskets...had we bought at HEB $55!

I would highly encourage anyone that lives in an area that bountiful baskets serves to consider contributing. You are getting fresh produce that hasn't been sitting around in your supermarket being squeezed by everyone who walks by at very reasonable prices.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Reaching out, quietly...AKA Day 18 of 365

When the people we care about are going through pitfalls it is hard sometimes to find the words to say to let them know how much we care and how much we love them. There are times when that someone doesn't really want to talk about it, or to even have to acknowledge that they are having a problem. For that person, you know who you are, I am here if you ever want to talk about it. I think you are a wonderful person and I am proud to call you my friend.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

An alien invaded my spinal column...AKA Day 17 of 365

The best I can say for right now is that an alien must have embedded itself in the lower portion of my spinal column and has been randomly probing it with electrodes that cause intense spasms. This has been going on ALL DAY LONG!

The area being affected is the one in green...seems fitting since the little green aliens are residing there for the time being!


Aliens, you are on official notice....CEASE AND DESIST IMMEDIATELY!

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Survivor... AKA Day 16 of 365

One might think that since tonight is a Survivor night, that tonight's post is referring to the TV show. Quite to the contrary, it is in reference to me being a survivor of yet another November. When I sat at my computer this morning, I glanced down into the lower left corner and upon seeing the date, a smile came across my face. Once again, I made it through November and kept my sanity. For well over half my life, November has been tough for me. It is a month filled with dates of sadness, where many tears are shed.

To share just a few, I lost the only man I ever called Grandpa in November when I was 15 years old. I still miss him so much.



Then a few days shy of a year later, I had my first miscarriage. Obviously I don't have a picture to show in tribute, however, I wear a tribute everyday in my tattoo. The two bees with angel wings and halos represent the babies I lost:

Then 9 years ago I lost the woman my daughter was named after, my grandma. I still talk to her almost every day:


As sad as I get every month over these events as well as others, I am happy to say I made it through. Thank you to God for seeing me through, but also to Jim for being so loving and understanding every year during this trying time. You are my rock.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

AKA Day 16 of 365




About 6 months ago, my honey and I bought my oldest son, Kyle, a Martin guitar because he graduated top of his class. It was a promise I made to him when he had just finished his freshman year, graduate valedictorian and you will get a Martin. You see, my son LOVES music. No, really, I mean it oozes from his every pore. So much so that I don't think I have ever seen him walk by any kind of musical instrument without at least smiling at it and touching it in some way. He can pick one up and within minutes seems to be playing it like he had been doing it all his life. I love to hear him play guitar because he seems so peaceful when doing so. He looks so calm, so happy. I love this side of him. He had just posted on facebook talking about how he loves the sound of a new set of strings, and he loves his Martin. I love knowing that we were able to provide something for him that he cherishes so much and that, when well taken care of, could give him a lifetime of pleasure. This knowledge brings me pleasure. He deserves it!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Colorful me....AKA Day 15 of 365

Contemplating my next tattoo. Have several designs rattling around in my brain, all tribute pieces to some very important people in my life. Just trying to decide on the basic design of each and then planning them out. Some of the ideas, without commenting as to what each one represents at this time: a set of balance scales (tipped slightly in my favor), hummingbirds, pink roses, a silver awareness ribbon with handwriting sample, an apple tree with an apple on the ground and a serpent crawling through the tree (double meaning LOL). This post was more about getting the ideas down so I don't forget them and can think a little more on each one and their individual meanings.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

On the road AGAIN??? NO THANKS....AKA Day 14 of 365

So very tired of the long drive. In the last 10 days we drove 4 times totalling 24 hours and have to drive again twice next weekend. Not sure what Willie found so appealing about being on the road again, but he can keep it!

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Lucky lady...AKA Day 13 of 365

Spent the day hanging out with my honey and my Zachman. Can't believe he is leaving tomorrow. Have loved having him here and will look forward to having him here for Christmas break.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Lots of leftovers....AKA Day 12 of 365

Had an enjoyable day filled with love and leftovers. I have really loved having Zach here and am sure going to miss him when he goes. Just trying to cherish every second.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Let them eat pie!...AKA Day 11 of 365

Last night's late night realization that it was only going to be the 3 of us for Thanksgiving dinner led to us deciding that we could cut into our pies any darn time we wanted. I am sure the over-sized piece of pecan custard pie that I consumed and the over-sized piece of pumpkin vanilla pie that Zach consumed contributed in some way to last night's Tetris marathon and the hysteria that accompanied it. That being said, I sure am loving having Zach here :)

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my family and friends. For each of you I am surely thankful!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Tetris induced hysteria...AKA Day 10 of 365

Nom Nom Nom grandlady! Who's Beezus? It's never gonna end! We're gonna be old and wrinkly! I can't do 65 lines in 2 minutes...Charlie Sheen can!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Old and wrinkly...AKA Day 9 of 365

Today, my 16 year old son, Zach, made me love him even more. We have a tradition of playing Tetris when we get some time together. It's a friendly, healthy competition that we really enjoy. We used to play for chores. We would make a list of chores, then whoever lost the round would have to pick from the chore list. This way we could spend the whole day playing if we liked and still get our house cleaned. Today we were having a terrible time with the higher levels, we each kept having to restart and our catchphrase became "It's never gonna end!" Then Zach said the sweetest thing: "We are going to be old and wrinkly, still playing and it's still never gonna end!" I saw "awwwww, that's the sweetest thing you have ever said to me!" He laughed and said "what?" with this silly voice, funny face he makes. I said "that means you don't think I am already old and wrinkly!" We were giggling about it later on and I said "That also means you think I will still be alive when YOU are old and wrinkly!" I really love this kid!

Monday, November 21, 2011

I got your nose...AKA Day 8 of 365

I was laying on my son's bed this evening with him and we were laughing, giggling and having a good time when I leaned up and "got his nose." It was then that I made the realization that no matter how old you are, when someone comes up to you and says "I got your nose", no matter how cool you try to be and play it off, the pressure of not having a nose will be too great and you will do anything to get it back :) I love my 16 year old and his silly laughter. I also love how shocked he still looks when I pretend to eat it instead of putting it back on his face. Hi laugh is contagious!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

They call it puppy love...AKA Day 7 of 365

So we managed to pull off another surprise for Emmy today. Yesterday, while she was in Odessa, we bought her a puppy. She has been asking for her own puppy for awhile. Our favorite produce lady was selling off the litter her baby had and we stopped to look at them. Jim picked up the runt of the litter and fell in love right away. She is an adorable black and brown chihuahua/rat terrier mix with the ends of her feet and her tail being tipped with white. We agreed to let Emmy name her but in the meanwhile I had been calling her Beezus. I think that's going to stick. :) Here are a couple pictures of the little lass.


Saturday, November 19, 2011

Seven year itch? Buy an electric back scratcher...AKA Day 6 of 365

Spent a glorious date day with my loving honey. We did some shopping, ran some errands, went to see The Seven Year Itch performed on stage and had a late supper. We really enjoyed each other's company so very much. Thank you, God, for sending me this wonderous man.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Salty or sweet? SALTY!...AKA Day 5 of 365

The day had barely begun when I got my first chuckle. In a joint effort, Emmy and I posted about it on her Facebook. I think this entry will best be served if I just cut and paste it from there, along with the comments that followed:

"Dear Brudder,

Remember when you and your lovely girlfriend were visiting our humble abode? Remember when you thought it was a sweet idea to grind the salt grinder for a really long time? Remember when you then walked away and left the salt in the grinder receptacle? Well, dear brudder, this morning I decided I wanted a little salt on my orange that I worked so hard to lovingly cut in two perfect halves. So, without looking at the salt grinder receptacle, I took the lid off and turned the grinder upside down. Now, dear brudder, my sweet yummy orange is covered in 1/4 inch of snow white SALT! BAD BRUDDER!

Lovingly yours,
Emmy
Like · · See Friendship · 16 hours ago near Marlin ·

Michael Bigbee and Kyle Wusterbarth like this.
Heather Eckert bahahaha Em....that is horrible kiddo :)
16 hours ago · Like
Kyle Wusterbarth HA! This cracked me up and made me smile real big, hahahahaha. Sorry about your orange, though :/
16 hours ago · Like
Jared Jones Hahahaha that has got to be the greatest thing I ever heard hahaha I'm sorry em but it is funny
15 hours ago · Like · 1"

Hee Hee. I admit it, I had a good laugh over these as the look on her face was priceless.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Ring ring is anyone home...AKA Day 4 of 365

Today was going to be kinda busy. I did my morning stuff then hopped in the shower. Did my face and hair, then got dressed. Was getting ready to head out the door when I realized I couldn't find my keys or phone or Jim's phone. I looked for over 10 minutes and was running late. Finally tracked down my friend Jerwyn on Facebook and had her call my phone so I could find it.As my phone rang, it was only then that I realized they had been in my pocket the whole time! Duh! moment or an early case of CRS? Will have to keep an eye on it.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Spic and Span or ear drops AKA Day 3 of 365

So I have been dealing with an annoying earache for a couple days. Had my honey check it out with his ottoscope or as I like to call it, his "ear thingy". Turns out there is an enormous glob of earwax compressed by my eardrum. The good PA rattled off something about my incessant use of q-tips pushing it back there, or something like that as I really couldn't hear him very well. The way I see it, I have two choices. 1. I could use spic and span to remove the wafted buildup from the floor of my ear, or 2. Use the prescription ear drops I had leftover from the last time this happened. Hmmm, wonder which I should choose???

P.S. Still gonna use q-tips. That is all.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Evil Demons Get Out AKA Day 2 of 365

This is Emmy's second day home from school with a vicious head cold. Have been giving her Zicam and that seems to have made the whole process faster. I believe she will be back at school tomorrow. This morning I took Jim to work and an hour later he called asking me to come pick him up from work. Seems a totally different demon was occupying his intestinal tract. I have spent most of the day trying to avoid direct contact with either of them. Will probably know by tomorrow if I have been successful. I hate getting sick and I am really hoping that they keep it to themselves and don't share with each other either. Knowing my luck they will stand up and yell "Switchies!" then I will have to endure each of them dealing with the opposites demons. Please, say it ain't so!

Monday, November 14, 2011

Starting over-Day 1 of 365

Well as of my last post, I had 11 days left to go on my "blog every day for a year" goal. Like many things over the years, I just stopped short. Not sure how to explain why. I could have gone back after a few days and written many posts in one day to try and catch up, but I didn't feel like that would be the thing to do. I could blame it on getting busy, or a million other things, but I am not looking to make excuses. Simply put, it was self sabotage. I could explain that more, but that would mean going back 13 years and explaining more that, quite frankly, I have been trying to put behind me for way too long. So here I am again, starting over. Sometimes I need a little inspiration about what to write. There will be times, without a doubt, that I will only write one line just to get a post down, but I will try to make those few and far between. Today I am dealing with a gorgeous child with a nasty head cold who asked me to make her homemade soup (I know she is sick because she HATES soup but knows it is good for her) so I am going to work on that for right now. I may or may not come back to this post today and add more, but if I don't, I will refuse to feel guilty about it. Instead I will hold my child while she says I don't feel good Mommy, and stroke her hair. Here's hoping it is a quick recovery :)

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Spent almost 4 hours going through boxes in the garage. Got rid of a ton if stuff and inhaled way too much dust. Will be back in there tomorrow.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Day 353 of 365

Here we are on day three of this &$*%& cyst. This one is taking its sweet time in rupturing. I am NOT a happy camper. I just want it to be done and over with so I can be my normal happy self again. It just wants to make me miserable. I think it is winning :(

Monday, October 24, 2011

Days like these remind me of why I hate that dang gyno in Odessa so much. May the fleas if a thousand camels infest his groin.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Day 351 of 365

I am so glad to be back in bed. Had a great weekend with Jim and Lizzy but I sure love my bed.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Day 350 of 365

I just love how some people insist on calling people names and believing that it speaks ill of the person they are talking about. The only person it truly reflects poorly on is the person doing the talking. Don't try to make yourself seem better (to yourself or to anyone else) by talking bad about others. The only people that will believe you are the ones with the poor self esteem around you that behave in the same manner.

It should also be noted that wasting time "hating" someone you used to love does not not mean you are over them. When you are really over someone, you simply don't care what they do either way. If, after years go by, you still aren't able to let go of whatever hurt and anger you may be experiencing, seek professional help. Just some friendly advice.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Day 349 of 365

Very long day and still a couple hours until it is over. Been up since 6. Cleaned most of the day and now we are on our way back to Marlin from San Angelo after dropping off Emmy and picking up Lizzy. So stinking tired.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Day 348 of 365

I finally decided to tackle some of the boxes in the garage. WOW! Am way dusty and cried out. I knew I missed my grandma but had no idea just how much. I talk to her often but it is nice when I get those little confirmations that she is listening. I love and miss her so much.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Day 347 of 365

As I was mulling over the topic of my daily post today, I had decided that I would write about addiction. Well as so often happens, something came along and changed my mind about that. I have some possible news that I am itching to write about, but can't really do so without "jinxing" myself so for now I will keep a lid on it. (For those of you that know me well, I am sure you are picturing me sitting at my desk jumping up and down screeching "but I wanna talk about it please oh please" but I just can't....yet :) So for now I will simply say, in this one situation, please God, let an overwhelming amount of patience come over me and remind me that good things come to those who wait. That is all.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Day 346 of 365

Well had one of those unappreciated days today. Kicked back in my recliner and took a half hour nap. Woke at 9 and decided to go to bed because I was tired and achey. Fell asleep instantly only to wake up a couple hours later with "tummy troubles" and now can't sleep. Oh the joy!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Day 345 of 365

Had a wonderful weekend followed by a productive Monday. Going to bed at a decent hour. Night all :)

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Day 344 of 365

Just read that one of my former students passed away early Saturday morning. He was driving and had a rollover accident. He was only 24. So sad for his family.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Day 343 of 365

What a day! Got lots done and Emmy has a friend staying the night. Hope the living room is still clean in the morning! WTG Texas Rangers in ALCS CHAMPIONSHIP!

Friday, October 14, 2011

Day 342 of 365

Had a wonderful evening with my honey and angelgirl :)

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Day 341 of 365

Got a little more done today. Looking forward to the weekend with my honey and my angel girl :)

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Day 340 of 365

I have a feeling that very very soon, I will start to pay for my raisin' as my granny used to say. I am the mother of an 11 year old girl...or as she likes to say 11 AND A HALF. That being said, she is currently bringing along all that being 11 entails. Mood swings, hormones, she's up, she's down. Yep, we are about to be the proud parents of a teenager. I remember those days of not knowing which way was up. Being on the verge of tears and having absolutely no idea why. Laughing up a storm one minute, then feeling like you want the world to disappear and take you with it the next. That is what we are starting. Now granted, she does have some real issues she is dealing with, and those are private so I will not be sharing them here, however much of it is just her changing body. What can a mom do? I just wrap my arms around her sweet self and remind her that she is not the first girl to ever feel like this, nor will she be the last. I also remind her that we love her, cherish her and will be here through all of the changes.

Being in the midst of all this is bringing up memories of that time for me. On that dastardly day when I started my period (12 years 6 months and 4 days old, July 4 1985), my mom was in the middle of one of many periods of depression. I had pretty much zero support in the area of what was going on with my body. I will not let that happen to my angel girl. If anything, I probably over compensate in the area of making sure she knows what is going on with her. At least she is aware that I am here and am not going anywhere. She also knows that she can bring any question to me at all and she will get an honest and very open answer. I have NOT always been the best mother, but I think I am making up for that. So glad that the judge agreed that a daughter belongs with her mother at this formative time.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Day 339 of 365

I am just really dragging today. Hoping for a big burst of energy.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Day 338 of 365

So so tired. Goodnight

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Day 337 of 365

Had such a beautiful weekend with my baby! I love you, sweetheart, more than words could ever express. Thank you :)

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Day 336 of 365

First off, I will not deny that I am actually writing this the day after it was supposed to be posted. I won't make apologies for that though as it was our anniversary and I was busy enjoying my honey, rather than posting. I will also admit that I am pre-dating it to make it look like I posted on time LOL

Woke up in the arms of my amazing fiance. The first words out of his mouth were "I love you, Happy Anniversary!" How could it not be a fantastic day after that amazing start? We lingered in bed for awhile, then got up and had a shower together. We dressed and packed and headed out for our day/night away. We stopped at Green's for fantastic hamburgers and amazing onion rings, then headed over to our favorite little honey store. They had just opened a winery called The Dancing Bee, and with a name like that, how could we not partake? We did a wine tasting for only $5 each and by each of us choosing different wines and sharing, we were able to sample 10 different Texas wines including their 3 house varieties. We were also given a sneak peak sample of their newest which should be coming out next month and I must say it was my favorite so we WILL be back for that. Normally I am not a fan of wine AT ALL, but I liked 3 different types and we picked up several bottles and some gifts for someone else. Clint (one of the owners) was wonderfully accommodating and so was our lovely hostess. Our next stop was a little out of the way as we drove all the way to Killeen, then headed back to Temple to check into our room. It was a wonderfully large room at the Residence Inn with a full kitchen and a comfy king sized bed. We decided to partake of some of our Killeen purchases (hee hee, gotta love field trips LOL) and then finally settled on our restaurant of choice for supper. We decided to head to BJ's Brewery and Restaurant. We were nestled into a cozy round booth and ordered avocado egg rolls for appetizers which were AMAZING. Jim had sweet tea and I had their home "brewed" cream soda, which was very good! He had a cup of New England clam chowder and I had a broccoli cheese soup that was to die for! We ordered "giant" stuffed potatoes. Now when it said giant, I had no idea and no way to prepare for what was about to be placed in front of us. MONSTROUS stuffed potatoes arrived and we each had about half, then brought the rest back to our room. It was raining so that was a plus!!! After we arrived back in the room, Jim watched a bit of the Tech/A&M game, then we headed out to the hot tub. It had stopped raining, but the rain had dropped the temp of the hot tub a little so it was more like a slightly warm bath, but it was perfect so that we could stay in longer. We had the whole area to ourselves and stayed in for well over an hour. We even got sprinkled on just a bit, but it was just perfect. To quote one of my favorite lines on a TV show "We don't go in when it rains silly, we make love when it rains!" No matter what Jim and I are doing together, we are always making love :) The last thing I remember of the evening is Jim wrapping his arm around me while we were spooning and drifting off to sleep after hearing "I love you, baby, pleasant dreams." I love this man so much!

Friday, October 7, 2011

Day 335 of 365

Our lives are filled with memorable dates. Some of them are sad dates for us, the date your favorite grandmother passed away, the date your marriage ended in divorce, the date your childhood furry friend goes to live on a farm. These dates often haunt us for years. Today however I am focusing on a good date. There are a handful of dates that warm my heart including the birth dates of my children. Today however I am thinking about the day three years ago tomorrow that forever changed my life.

October 8, 2008 is a date forever etched in my mind and heart. That was the day that I realized I had fallen in love with my best guy friend, and he with me. We had been friends for quite awhile and had known each other for several years before that. Before I ever even considered him my friend, he had saved my life, had helped with my children's health issues and had generally given me a sense of well being. I trusted him long before I called him friend, certainly long before we got "involved". I think that was how it was meant to be. I had come to a point in my life where I did not trust easily. I think God led him to our small town to work in our local health clinic and had allowed me certain health problems so that I could develop a rapport and then a friendship with Jim. He became part of our family. Did home repairs and improvements with us. Shared family dinners and movie nights. We went shopping together and just generally enjoyed each others company. Never in a million years did I think I would develop such feelings for him.

On that memorable day, Jim had let me know that he was considering taking a job in San Angelo. He had mentioned in several times before but I guess I didn't really believe he would go. On that day though, he sent me a letter that he wanted me to look over that he was considering printing in the local newspaper talking about how he had enjoyed his time in Crane and would miss all of his patients and the friendships that he had made. At the time we had been video chatting and he was watching my reaction. When I read the letter, I realized how serious he was. I fell apart and he saw me. I shut off the cam immediately and he knew something was wrong. Within minutes he was at my home to see what was going on. We agreed to sit down together that evening and figure out what was going on. After talking in the evening, we were just sitting together on the couch in total silence, holding each other. I looked into his eyes and in my mind was saying "if you just kiss me, I will know if this is real" After awhile he did and that kiss, that moment, was when I knew what home felt like. My head was spinning and I wasn't sure that I was even still sitting down, but I knew that I had found my other half. Less than a month later we were living together and starting our lives as a couple. Things haven't always been smooth, for sure, but that same sense of home is still there every time he kisses me.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Day 334 of 365

Lo.g day. Was falling asleep during Private Practice. Time to .snooze

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Day 333 of 365

Day didn't go quite as planned. Had hoped to be sporting freshly painted toenails but they were swamped so Em and I had to skip it. Went to open house to learn about the STAAR test and pick up Emmy's report card and meet the teachers. All of them said she was "awesome" "so sweet" "so smart" "wish I had 8 classrooms filled with ones like here". I am so blessed. We went out to supper after open house and then wound down with Survivor. Good day.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Day 332 of 365

In the "reason, season, lifetime" realm of friendships, that one was definitely a reason. Lesson learned: Always keep extra bricks and mortar ready to fix the cracks in your walls where the ill advised try to create big gaping holes. Strong determined woman -1...pathetic destined to be alone FOREVER loser- 0! Gotta try harder than that sweetie.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Day 331 of 365

Sometimes you have to shake off the day, snuggle up with your man and hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Day 330 of 365

Making our drive again this afternoon. Looking forward to having our angel girl home again. I hope she enjoyed her time with her dad.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Day 329 of 365

Enjoyed a wonderfully relaxing day with the man of my dreams. I am so very lucky to have him.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Day 328 of 365

Filled with so much love it is oozing from all over :)

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Day 327 of 365

What a wonderfully amazing evening! I feel yucky, but it just doesn't even matter. I am blessed in so many ways to be loved by such an incredible man. I loved him then, I love him now and I will love him for the rest of my life.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Day 326 of 365

You know I don't feel well when my ring is ready in Waco and I felt too much like crap to go get it :(

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Day 325 of 365

Took 4 naps today as well as nasty cough drops and nyquil. I feel like death warmed over. It's official, I caught the first head cold of the season from Emily. Love her, hate the cold :(

Monday, September 26, 2011

Day 324 of 365

I keep checking the mirror today because it seems some people think I have "I'm stupid" written on my forehead.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Day 323 of 365

Since Emmy still wasn't feeling well today, we skipped our usual Sunday morning routine of Sister's and I made french toast for breakfast. We watched a couple of movies and just enjoyed a chill day. I hate when it is cold season. There isn't much you can do other than treat the symptoms to try and make them more comfortable and wait it out. She started in with the cough on Thursday but wasn't really sick until Friday so today was day 3. That means we should be over the hump and she should be well on her way to feeling better. She was already saying during the day today that she was starting to feel better. Then, as is often the case, the day wore on and her symptoms were coming back. I find that often happens as you become more tired you start to feel bad again. Guess we will see how she is feeling in the morning to determine whether she is going to school or not. I hope she gets to go as that child loves school, but if she is still hacking and sniffling, there will be no school.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Day 322 of 365

Still have a sick baby. Hoping she is feeling better in the morning.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Day 321 of 365

Had a sick baby today :( Sure hope she feels better quickly and does not share it with us!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Day 320 of 365

I cannot be the only one that was crying at the end of Grey's.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Day 319 of 365

Nah, you can't tell we are all Bigbee's LOL

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Day 318 of 365

Today was a day that was filled with emotion and I'm not really sure why. I felt like I was missing something, forgetting something that I just couldn't put my finger on and it was driving me nuts. Being a confessed control freak, I find it difficult to deal with not remembering things. It takes me back to when my B12 was lacking and I was having severe memory problems. It's nowhere near that bad but it just freaks me out.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Day 317 of 365

Feel like I got close to nothing done today. Can see it will be an early night.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Day 316 of 365

All I will say about this day is I am thankful for the rain, but oh my gosh do I hate driving in storms. Don't think Smokey Joe got damaged in that hail storm on the way home, but I don't ever want to relive it.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Day 315 of 365

Had a wonderful exciting day with my honey. We slept in, then got up and went to Waco for breakfast out. Our next stop was the jewelry store where we paid off our engagement ring! Later we came home and took a nice long nap together then enjoyed each other's company for the rest of the evening. Love days like this!

Friday, September 16, 2011

Day 314 of 365

Made it home safely and even saw a little rain on the drive. Ready for good sleep :)

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Day 313 of 365

Okay friends and family! One of my extended cousins is starting up her Pampered Chef business and asked for volunteers to host a party. Since she lives in California and I'm don't, we decided to do a catalog party. So let's help this super lady out. Go to this website: http://www.pamperedchef.biz/doriwalker?page=home and pick out something you just can't live without! Remember that Christmas is right around the corner and there are lots of cool gifts and stocking stuffers! After you choose your first (of many) items, add it to the cart and it will ask you to put in your hosts name. Type in "Liz" and you will find me :) If you have any questions, pop me a message and I will find out for you ASAP! Let's all help out Dori Walker in her new endeavor! Come on all you Bigbees, we can do this!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Day 312 of 365

Hi, my name is Liz and I am a Big Brother/Survivor junkie. Now, having said that, I should say that tonight was like the holy grail of TV viewing for me. The season premiere of Survivor was followed by the season finale of Big Brother! I could never even try to be on either show for MANY reasons, but I have to say that the voyeur in me loves to watch these shows! I know, I know, it's cheesy sometimes, but I just can't help it. I am fascinated by human nature and the lengths that people will go for their 15 minutes of fame! More power to you, if you have the ability to do something like this!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Day 311 of 365

Today's post is about compression socks. For quite some time now I have been dealing with swollen feet. It seems to be mostly heat related, but who knows. I had blood work done and everything seems to be fine. I have been taking water pills and HUGE potassium pills and it helps some but there are some days my feet still look like they belong to an elephant. A short time ago I purchased some compression socks that are used for people with circulatory issues. Now first let me say that I am NOT a sock person. I would much rather be barefoot than in socks or shoes. However, these are really quite comfortable ONCE YOU GET THEM ON! The first few times I wore them, I had to have Jim help me get them on. Oh My Heck! It looked pretty funny, I am sure. Now I can put them on all by myself like a big girl :) If you have any circulation issues at all that are leaving you with swelling, I would highly recommend getting some of these. You don't have to spend a fortune on them either. Some go as high as $100 a pair, but I got these at Walmart in the men's department. This is what the package looks like:


I think they were about $7!

Monday, September 12, 2011

Day 310 of 365

My beautiful daughter, Emmy, had said to me not so long ago that she wished she wasn't such an emotional person because she thinks it makes people not take her seriously. I had to explain to her that although I understood what she meant, her being emotional is what makes her, her! She is a loving, wonderful young lady that has a caring level that goes beyond sympathy into empathy, just like her mom. It is hard sometimes to feel what other people around me feel. I don't mean I have to strain to do it. I mean sometimes you get to the point that you feel like if you have to feel so deeply what everyone else is feeling for even another minute, you may just explode. I often was that way, but not always. After each of the kid's births, I suffered with PPD. Luckily when I had Emily, I had the most amazing OB/GYN in the world who walked into the room for my six week checkup, took one look at me and saw it instantly. Told me I wasn't the bubbly person he knew. He put me on medication to help me deal with it and for eight months I remained on it. The problem was that it made me just medium all the time. I didn't get the lows anymore, but I also didn't get the highs. Trust me when I say that having NO emotions is far worse than having sad emotions.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Day 309 of 365

I had planned on doing a big emotional post for my 9/11 post, but after a day of sheer exhaustion from crying so much. It just wasn't in me. Started before we ever got out of bed. My empathy level for the victims, their families and our nation was through the roof and it was not something that I dealt with very well. We went to Sister's for our usual Sunday morning-mid morning, okay almost afternoon meal. They have a TV going all the time with news on it and of course it was all about that fateful day. I ended up crying there more than once. I did survive the day. My brother and I were video chatting later that day and he had my SIL both said that my eyes looked like his, raccoon eyes. They weren't dark, just shadowed, but oh my gosh they were puffy from all the tears.

All that rambling being done, I guess this post is simply about my heart going out to the entire nation for the loss we all suffered on that fateful day ten years ago.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Day 308 of 365

Today was a beautiful day! It wasn't too hot, it wasn't too cold. The temperature gauge still topped out in the mid 90's but after all the super high temps before, and with the breeze it felt nice. We had fun with the girls. After we woke up this morning, they decided they wanted to go see Zookeeper. We got everyone ready and headed out the door. After the movie we did a little shopping at Big Lots, then the mall where we visited my ring and got hot pretzels. After stops at Claire's and Bath & Body Works, we headed back home. Emily's friend, Shelby, headed home a little after and I made homemade pizza for supper. Sometime shortly after I must have fallen asleep because I woke up about 20 minutes ago. Now after a short post, I will be headed to bed.

Tomorrow's post will be a difficult one to make as it is the 10th anniversary of the tragedy that occurred on 9/11/01. Suppose I will cross that bridge when I come to it.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Day 307 of 365

Emily's friend, Shelby, is staying the night tonight. It is also homecoming so we went to their very small parade after school and are going to at least go to the first half and halftime of the game. Not sure how long we will make it after that. Looking forward to bedtime tonight as I could really use a nap lol

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Day 306 of 365

Well, here we are, together again. I was able to check many things off my to do list today so that made me very happy. Love when I feel like I have been productive. Going to start doing hot spot cleaning again next week. Going to make my schedule tomorrow so everything is already marked on my calendar as to what I will work on what day. I did meal planning for this week and it sure made things easier. Forgot how much better it is to just know what I am going to cook instead of trying to figure out at the last minute. Will get back to my schedule the way it was as it worked very well. Now that school is back in full swing it should be easy to get back on task.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Very productive day. As we know, productive days are often early nights. Sweet dreams.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Day 304 of 365

Is loving the fact that our home is going to bed early tonight. We all need our beauty sleep :) Night world!

Monday, September 5, 2011

Day 303 of 365

This was a very long day. Tried to make the most out of the time with Kyle and Lizzy while awaiting the return of Emily. We all had a great time together, and am so thankful we all got to have supper together so that Emily could spend time with her brother and step sister. The drive home provided the opportunity to talk with Emily about the weekend and then take a very much needed nap. So many things to take care of to make sure everything is okay.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Day 302 of 365

Enjoyed the time with the kids, but my heart ached to make sure my little girl was okay.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Day 301 of 365

Having a wonderful time with Jim and the kids that is being overshadowed only by the fact that some people are not looking down the line at the long term effects of their incredibly poor choices. This brings me such sadness :'(

Friday, September 2, 2011

Day 300 of 365

So excited to be in Angelo with Sweetie, Kyble and Miss Lizzy.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Day 299 of 365

I think my life has become a never ending cycle of laundry. Can't tell you how many jeans I have washed, shirts I have hung, socks I have matched and towels I have folded this week. I think there is someone living in our home that I don't know about because surely three people cannot produce this much laundry!

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Day 298 of 365

Had a semi productive day doing ordinary everyday chores. Am really excited to think that in less than 48 hours I will see my oldest child's smiling face! Love you, Kyle!

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Day 297of 365

I am just so tired :(

Monday, August 29, 2011

Day 296 of 365

Hi, my name is Liz and I am a multi-tasker. I have been this way for as long as I can remember. The truth is as much as I am a multi-tasker, there are times when I am a no tasker. This post is about the multi part of me though. Now as some of you know, I am having issues with my phone. It isn't charging properly and I will need to take it to Verizon tomorrow to see about getting it fixed. That little tidbit of knowledge is a precursor to the information you are about to receive. I am about to admit something that many of you are too embarrassed to admit. My phone is at my side always. Now when I say always, I mean ALWAYS. I have internet on it, email, list making apps, games. It does everything but cook dinner for us, although I do have dinner spinner on it by allrecipes.com. The point is, it even goes with me to the bathroom. There I admit it, I am a tinkling toilet texter. My newest obsession during this "private time" is words with friends. Well today, with my phone on the fritz, it made it difficult to do my business. I know that sounds silly, but I felt like something was missing from the experience. Now granted, it did make the experience quicker, but far far less satisfying. This makes me sad :(

PS. If you are one of the many people I play WWF with, bear with me, God willing and the creek don't rise, I will be back to playing at Mach speed ASAP!

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Day 295 of 365

Had to take Jim's laptop in for repair. Turns out he had a cracked LCD. THAT SUCKS!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Day 294 of 365

Well my p didn't have to surf or swim the last leg of her trip, but they did cancel her flight for the last part. Her husband did have to drive five hours each way to pick her up in Philly, but they made it home safely. We stopped in to see Shirley and Steve on the way home, then at Old Navy and back home. Em had her friend stay the night and I crashed early in my chair.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Day 293 of 365

Had a relaxing day then we ran several errands after the honeys got home. Got the little angel's glasses fixed, had some YUMMO bbq, picked up a few things at walgreens and Walmart. Had a nice drive home. Tomorrow we head back to Dallas so my p can fly home. Just hoping she actually is able to fly into Providence and doesn't end up having to surf or swim the last leg of the trip LOL

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Day 292 of 365

Today was a kicked back day of mostly relaxing. Did a load of laundry and grilled some sausage with potato salad and sauteed squash and zucchini. YUMMO! Tomorrow evening we have to go to Waco to fix angel girl's glasses and will have BBQ so L-Kay can get her brisket lol.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Day 291 of 365

Had a great day with my p again. After we dropped my honey at work, we hit the open road. We drove to Bryan and hit the produce store for some sweet berries and squash. Next stop was had, then off to Kyle field for pics of the stadium. On the drive to Snook, we stopped so she could "pick cotton" (the fluff that doesn't make it in the truck but blows all over the road) and to pick these baby melon things. In Snook we both tried chicken fried Bacon for the first time and I bought her a shirt to remember it! Next stop was the fried pie store for aggie pies (blackberry and vanilla) to bring home for dessert. We also washed the car, did the d box demo at the movie theater, and picked up Dublin Dr pepper. What a busy day out!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Day 290 of 365

Had errands to run today. Had to drive to Groesbeck to get a duplicate drivers license and hit the grocery store. Tomorrow we are planning on driving to Snook, TX. Eat your heart out, Bubba. Then we will come back through Aggie Land to hit a favorite produce store of mine :)

Monday, August 22, 2011

Day 289 of 365

Enjoyed the day playing catch up with my p (and my Pee for that matter!) Did a small tour of the town, prepped supper, colored her hair, and generally hung out. Made for a good day.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Day 288 of 365

I managed to pull off the second surprise on Emily in 4 days. First we surprised her on Thursday with a trip to the zoo to see a live Panda, then today I surprised her by telling her we had to pick up a friend of our neighbors at the airport because the neighbor wasn't feeling well. I told her what the person was supposed to be wearing and told her to help me spot her. After looking for a bit she finally said "I think that's her. Is that her? Wait, that's Auntie L-Kay! OH MY GOSH!" then ran across the airport, screaming and happy into Auntie L-Kay's arms. Both surprises had been planned for awhile and even though things slipped here and there, she never picked up on them so was completely surprised. I love when that happens and I get to see such joy on her beautiful face!

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Day 287 of 365

Spent a great deal of time this morning trying to catch up on sleep and get used to being in our home again. We got the extra bedroom set up with the furniture Jim's sister brought down about a month ago. It was the furniture Jim used as a child and I must say, after 6 decades, it has held up wonderfully. They just don't make things to last anymore. Tomorrow I have errands to run and I am sure it will be a great day :)

Friday, August 19, 2011

Day 286 of 365

We managed to lounge in bed for a couple of hours after waking and before heading into the kitchen to spend some more time with Dave and Marian before we left. I just really had a good time talking with them. We left Texarkana around 1 PM and headed to Burleson to drop in on Steve and Shirley for awhile before heading back to Marlin. It's always good to see them and no one gives hugs like Shirley, and I mean NO ONE! She looked better than I have seen her look in awhile. It did my heart good to see them, for sure. We arrived home around 10:30 and all of us were glad to be there.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Day 285 of 365

By far the best surprise I have ever pulled off for my Emmy. Her dream was to see a live panda and I managed to keep my mouth shut and pull off a return trip that was different than our route there in order to go through Memphis to see her first panda. It wasn't easy keeping it a secret and wouldn't you know the weather was NOT cooperating when we woke up at the hotel across the Mississippi line from Memphis, but we waited it out and managed to keep it a secret until we drove in the Memphis Zoo parking lot. I was so excited for her!


After visiting the zoo we headed to Little Rock to have supper with Jim's first wife and her husband. I will admit I was a little apprehensive but everything was really nice. I enjoyed meeting them both.

After supper we went to Texarkana to spend the night with Uncle Dave and Aunt Marian. This was the first time Emily and Jim met them. We had a wonderful visit and I hope it won't be another 6 years before I see them again.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Day 284 of 365

Amongst many tears for both of us, I said goodbye as we left my daddy's house. Of all the things I am not so great at, saying goodbye is by far the worst.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Day 283 of 365

Have had a great time here with Dad. Going to be hard to say goodbye tomorrow.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Day 282 of 365

Managed to knock out all of Emmy's school clothes shopping this morning while dad was at the Dr. Dad lost another 9 lbs which brings his total to somewhere around 60 lbs! So proud of him :) It has been really nice to spend this time together, just wish the boys were here, too :(

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Day 281 of 365

Had a great day with Daddy. He took us on a tour of downtown Macon. There are lots of beautiful old buildings, some of them were ones that survived when Sherman went on his tirade to burn everything from Atlanta to the sea. There is a house that still has a cannonball in it that came flying through the roof during the "War of Northern Aggression". Many of the streets are red brick and just gorgeous. We are thinking about going to Stone Mountain on Wednesday on the way out. I saw it years ago with my boys, my ex and my friend, Rich, but Emmy and Jim never have. Tomorrow we will do some school shopping for Emmy while Daddy is at the doctor.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Day 280 of 365

Arrived at Dad's house around 9:30. Had stopped at IHOP for breakfast and had some kind of allergic reaction. Not fun :( So very glad to see Daddy though.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Day 279 of 365

Driving... Lots and lots of driving.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Day 278 of 385

Even though I had planned well, this day was spent rushing around trying to get ready to leave in the morning. I did take time out for a pedicure though :)

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Day 277 of 365

Trying to catch up. So very tired LOL

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Day 276 of 365

I am really looking forward to our upcoming vacation. I look forward to being at each of our destinations. What I do not look forward to this time is the actual drive. The drive back won't be so bad, but the drive there is sure going to feel really long. The only thing that makes it better is knowing that at the end of that drive, I will get to give my Daddy a great big hug!

Monday, August 8, 2011

Day 275 of 365

Over the past several days, I have been learning more about my heritage thanks to facebook and our new family group. It's interesting to see just how many Bigbees there are out there and how we all tie together. We live in a time where families live on opposite sides of the country and rarely get to see each other. Keeping up with aunts, uncles, cousins etc has been made easier thanks to the help of the internet in general and social networking sites specifically. We can share pictures and details of our everyday lives in the blink of an eye. The miles may keep us apart, but it is good to know that we can keep up with the ones we know and love and even expand our family by learning about the "long lost" ones and growing to love them all.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Day 274 of 365

Today I am thankful for family, including those God blessed us with and the ones we chose as honorary members. Thank you all for being such amazing blessings in our lives.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Day 273 of 365

I am reminding myself once again that you cannot change the behavior of others, you can only pray that God changes their heart and they find a way to deal with their issues.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Day 272 of 365

Some people just do not realize the mental abuse they are putting on their children by their childish actions.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Day 271 of 365

Ran a few errands and helped a friend that is preparing to move away. Hoping they have a safe journey and things smooth out for them soon. Overall the mood of the day was somber for a few reasons. Hoping for a good night's sleep and a renewed spirit in the morning.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Day 270 of 365

Today I am thankful for good memories, good people and good air conditioning!

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Day 269 of 365

In looking for a certain piece I wrote this morning, I looked back through many different things I wrote years ago.

Written around March-April 2001

ANGER AND URINATION JUST DON’T MIX
This is a true story. I wish I was making it up, but I have to tell you that when this happened, although I tried not to, I laughed for about an hour straight and it became the running joke for a week. Although an unlikely subject to joke about, this story is dedicated to urination.
My oldest son, Kyle, received a scooter for his birthday at his party on Saturday March 17th. He also received a water gun (not from Mommy and Daddy mind you, as we NEVER give toys guns as gifts). The thing with toy guns in our house is we don’t care if they are toys, you don’t point them at anyone. We have instilled this in them since they were tots and my brother insisted that he be allowed to give them guns.
Zachary and Kyle were outside playing in the backyard when all of the sudden I hear Zach screaming and Kyle coming in the back door. This is a direct quote: "Mama, Zachary peed on my scooter" I tried to keep a straight face as I knew that I shouldn’t encourage laughter at this point, but it was very difficult to do. I asked the normal mother question at this point: "What did you do to him first?" In response I got the normal child answer at this point: "Nothing" I summoned Zachary into the house to get to the bottom of
this peeing incident. As it turned out, Kyle had pointed a fully loaded water gun at Zachary, and somewhere in his adventurous little mind Zachary decided that he would use his own personal "water gun" to get back at Kyle. Again, while I am listening to Zach’s side of things, I am trying to keep a straight face as I don’t want to make him think I approve of his reaction. I sent him into the living room to finish off the afternoon, at which time I couldn’t control the laughter any longer and the tears were readily flowing
down my face. I was playing canasis online with L-Kay at the time and was trying to type in exactly what had happened and why I was having such a delay in getting back to the game. My fingers didn’t want to work right, but she got the gist of the story and she in turn was laughing so hard she was crying, as were the other two players at the table.
For the rest of the day especially, and throughout that next week, we all took turns, cracking up at the mental image of Zachary doing what he did. Now, I know that to some people this may not seem funny, and to you I say, YOU HAD TO BE THERE!
God bless our children!

Monday, August 1, 2011

Day 268 of 365

Long deep cleansing breaths.

I refuse to let someone who is obviously half mental dictate the type of days I have, nor the level of my inner, or outer for that matter, peace. I cannot control the behavior of others, no matter how ridiculous it might be. I would, however, like to remind them that whatever they do today, will come back to haunt them in the future. If they would stop for a second and look around them, they would see it is already starting. All I can say is that I will continue to pray for you.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Day 267 of 365

UNFREAKINGBELIEVABLE!

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Day 266 of 365

Ran my errands early, cleaned out the school supply drawer, got supper in the crock then watched movies. Other than a wicked stomach ache, the day was okay.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Day 265 of 365

Nothing to say.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Day 264 of 365

Trying to plan this trip is going to make my gray hairs even grayer. Please God, give me patience, strength and most of all keep us safe :)

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Day 263 of 365

Lips that taste of tears, they say
Are the best for kissing. - Dorothy Parker

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Day 262 of 365

Wanting my daughter home with me soon. I miss her super great hugs and her warm spirit. I miss hearing her beautiful voice saying "I love you mommy". It's a very long time until the 12th :(

Monday, July 25, 2011

Day 261 of 365

Today was a "get nothing done" kinda day. Did wash one load of clothes, do grocery shopping and cook supper but that's about the extent of it. Will bless my house tomorrow. Did visit with my p a little bit. It was much needed :) Love you, p!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Day 260 of 365

Enjoyed the day with my honey. House will be quiet tomorrow.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Day 259 of 365

Short post. Enjoyed the day with my sweeties. Going to miss her when we take her back tomorrow.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Day 258 of 365

Dropped Jim at work at normal time then headed to Valera to pick up Emily. I enjoyed the drive because I knew a little blonde girl was on the other end lol. We made it home in time to pick Jim up from work, head to HEB to pick up stuff to cook for supper (Sloppy Joes and Coleslaw at Em's request) and hit up the Redbox. We ate supper then settled in to watch Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules and The Lincoln Lawyer. Emily slept through the second one as she didn't get much sleep last night. Glad to have her here, but the weekend is going to go way too fast :(

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Day 257 of 365

I had written a large page to post. After going back and reading it, I decided it was too personal to post and deleted it. In order to keep some kind of record of what it was about, I will simply write a single sentence as a reminder to myself.

When a friendship causes too much pain to be worth it in the end, it's time to let it completely go.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Day 256 of 365

Had a relaxing day. Picked up the house and it didn't take long. Watched some TV, talked with my brother and hung out. Then made carnitas and sauteed squash and onions for supper. YUM! Cuddled with my baby on the couch while we watched BB and then Storage Wars. We planned out a little more of our trip east next month. Now I'm about to hop in the shower and then hit the hay :)

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Day 255 of 365

Had a wonderful but short visit with Jim's SIS and her hubby. It was really nice to get to know them some. We were sad to see them go.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Day 254 of 365

Great evening with Tadpole and Allen. Hoping they will stay another day.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Day 253 of 365

Today was filled with preparations for our visitors to arrive tomorrow. I made a list tonight of the things that we didn't get to and *sigh* looks like I will be busy tomorrow right up until the time they arrive. Better hit the hay so I can function tomorrow. Sweetest of dreams to all. Love and miss you to my babies.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Day 252 of 365

So very tired. Feels way later than 9:15. Feel like a sugar crash without the sugar. Think I will kick back on the couch and snuggle with my honey. Tomorrow will be a very busy day.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Day 251 of 365

Was really looking forward to a relaxing weekend with the honey, then was going to hop right in with both feet next week after baby stepping my way through this one. So much for that :( This weekend will be a frantic dash of cleaning and rearranging furniture to make sure we can fit in the furniture that we just found out a couple of hours ago would be here on MONDAY FROM OHIO along with Jim's sister and hubby. Always glad to see family but a little more notice would have been nice :(

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Day 250 of 365

Five words tonight:

Peach Cobbler Ice Cream....YUM!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Day 249 of 365

Have had a long unproductive day after not a lot of sleep last night. Think I will just hit the hay. Sweet dreams all!

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Day 248 of 365

I had a very productive day. Got the laundry taken care of from start to hanging. Ran the dishwasher 3 times. Shined my sink. Straightened the living room. Worked on the counters. Cooked dinner. Now I am tired.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Day 247 of 365

I had a day where I think I was completely ADD. I couldn't seem to stay on one task. I stayed busy but nothing looked like it got done since I did a little everywhere. Going to shine my sink and try starting over with baby steps.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Day 246 of 365

After making the journey to take Emmy back, Jim and I took a more relaxed drive home. I managed to check in at many places on foursquare and just really enjoyed the drive. We came home and watched The Queen then Big Brother. We have been smuggling up ever since :)

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Day 245 of 365

Picked up Emmy Lou last night. Since we have to leave early tomorrow, we did our Sunday morning breakfast spot this morning. Afterwards we noticed one of the local antique shops was open so we browsed some then headed home. We watched The Garcia girls then decided to play Apples to Apples and Phase 10. I made chicken and rice with broccoli for supper. We all just really enjoyed the day together.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Day 244 of 365

Go here, read this and keep reading her stuff as she rocks :)

Deb's awesometational blog :)

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Day 243 of 365

Didn't really have much of a productive day, but I did get in some relaxation time. Had a yummy dinner and am now going to snuggle down on the couch with my baby and watch Big Brother!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Just another day.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Day 241 of 365

Have been having an amazing time with my honey. I got lots of errands done and had a very relaxing day.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Day 240 of 365

Such an amazing weekend with my honey. Yesterday we slept in until 9:30! I don't remember the last time I was able to do that. Then we got up and I video chatted with my brother and mom for awhile and we headed to Waco. We had brunch at Golden Corral, then shopping at Walgreens (where I picked up $31 in RR), Target, Hobby Lobby and then to Sonic for drinks for the ride home. Spent the later part of the afternoon video chatting with my bro, mom and my son, Kyle. Kyle was in Hobbs with his friends Wade and Bob and Kyle's girlfriend, Miranda. It was sure nice to see all of them, just wish we could have been there for the hugs. Then Jim and I settled down on the couch for some cuddles, movies and watched the Boston Pops fireworks on TV. More cuddle time then off to bed we go. Love it!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Day 239 of 365

Had a perfectly wonderful day with my honey. Started out with a bang and then everything else just fell into place :)

Saturday, July 2, 2011

At times we envision how something will happen, if it doesn't quite go that way we are stunned. This is where "we plan, God laughs" comes in.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Day 237 of 365

Going to miss that baby girl :'(

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Good day but calling it a night early. Tomorrow we make the drive to take Emmy for her summer visit with her dad. Going to miss the little imp.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Day 235 of 365

I have got to quit hitting save now instead of publish :(

Today was the day that Emmy and I finally got our girl's day out.  We have been trying for a few weeks but finally made it happen.  We headed out of Marlin to Bryan first thing this morning.  Emmy had never been to Bryan so thought it would be a nice change from Waco.  We found tangled at a redbox and picked it up as it hasn't been in Marlin for quite awhile.  Then we went to this great little produce place where we found HUGE strawberries, fresh figs and tuscan melons.  We had cracked into the berries before we ever left the parking lot!  We stopped by shipley's for a donut and kolache, then hit CVS and Walgreen's for 2 very short lists.  Afterwards we made it to the movie theater and along with 20 other girls and 1 man, 1 boy, we watched Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer.  When the movie was over, we saw they had a demo in the lobby to try out the D Box Movement movie seats.  They showed the new Harry Potter trailer and OMG we fell in love with the seats.  If you don't know what they are, check out youtube.  That is very cool!  Afterwards, we headed to the mall where we got our toes done and then had the best pizza ever!  Grabbed a quick drink after Emmy checked out Claire's and headed home to pick up the honey.  We all watched Tangled together and then just rested.  It was a great day!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Day 234 of 365

Got all Emmy's Pulmonary testing done today.  Not sure how long until we get the results.  She did say she didn't realize how bad she must be breathing until after her breathing treatment when she felt really good. Hoping it isn't full fledged Asthma, but I guess we will find out soon.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Day 233 of 365

Never imagined that smell of some of my cooking would send my little girl reeling back to memories from several years back.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Day 232 of 365

Hmmm seems my original post got lost somewhere in cyberspace.  It was a very short one that simply said:

Today was filled with 8 hours of driving and that's enough to wear anyone out.  Thinking about taking a trip in August to Georgia.  Must find a way to entertain an 11 year old that NEVER STOPS TALKING.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Day 231 of 365

It's been nice having Miss Lizzy here this week.  Tomorrow we will head back to San Angelo to take her back to her mom and sisters.  We had a very full day today with stops at Green's for lots of goodies, then off to Walker Honey Company for more goodies.  We then hit the mall in Temple to go see Mr. Popper's Penguins, then the girl's wanted to go to Claire's and they each ended up with a little something. Then we were off to CVS for our weekly shopping.  By the time we were headed home, we were all wiped out.  The kiddos watched a movie and I played on the computer for a bit, but now I think it is time for bed.  Night y'all!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Day 230 of 365

Great day and about to get better :)

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Day 228 of 365

It is just too dang hot in here.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Day 227 of 365

Sometimes I wish I was one of those people that could hide their feelings and emotions better.  Hate when my reactions hurt those that love me because they hurt when I hurt.  I'll be okay.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Day 226 of 365

So excited that tomorrow we have a surprise coming.  Looking forward to sharing that surprise :)

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Day 225 of 365

Happy Father's Day!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Day 224 of 365

Yesterday while on my drive to take Emily to her dad and the boys, I made two pit stops, one to CVS and one to Walgreen's.  Since I had been sick all week I hadn't been able to do my weekly stops there.  I did pretty well at Walgreens although it was a small trip.



Total Value of everything I purchased was $47.99.  Between sales and coupons, my total out of pocket price was  $13.60 and I received $9 back in Register Rewards.

It was like buying this:


And getting this for FREE!

But my CVS trip was by far the best :)

The total value of everything I purchased was $70 before coupons and sales.  After the sale price and coupons, including stored up Extra Care Bucks, my total out of pocket price was $8.20 AND I received $14 in Extra Care Bucks!  That was like buying this:


And getting this for free:

 While in reality, because of the new Extra Care Bucks, it was like they PAID me $5.80 to take my whole haul including: 5 liter bottles of smart water, 2 boxes Motrin PM Caplets, 1 5 ct Zyrtec, 6 assorted packages of Hershey's drops and pieces, 1 bag Halls drops and one 14 ct Prilosec. I also made a $1 donation to the Lou Gherig fund!

Friday, June 17, 2011

Day 223 of 365

Long day. Enjoyed most of it but glad it is coming to an end.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Day 222 of 365

Happy Birthday to my Daddy!  He turned 65 today.  Love you, Dad!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Day 221 of 365

I completely acknowledge that I am not writing this on the day posted, but the next day when the fever was gone.

Woke up feeling much better, took Jim to work figuring to run some much needed errands.  Stopped to fill up Smokey Joe and drove home, figuring to pick up the angel girl and have her run errands with me.  Well from a few minutes after I got in the door, the fever returned.  It fluctuated between 102-103.5 until late evening.  The fever started busting in the evening and I was sweating like mad, but happy to do so.  I felt SO much better.  Until midnight when 102 returned.  After another 800 mg of ibuprofren, by 7 Thursday morning I was down to 97.3.  Praise God!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Day 220 of 365

I know I am a few days behind but I am very very sick.  My fever has been bouncing as high as 102.6.  When I am better, I will catch up.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Day 219 of 365

I completely acknowledge that I am not writing this on the day posted, but 3 days later when the fever was gone.

Went to see Mary this morning at the clinic where she diagnosed me with a severe ear infection and gave me some antibiotics and antibiotic/steroid ear drops.  The fever was still around today and not in a small way :(

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Day 218 of 365

I completely acknowledge that I am not writing this on the day that is posted, but 4 days later after the fever is gone.

Woke up feeling a little better.  Got up and took a shower and Jim and Emmy dragged me to Sister's where we had the best meal there we have ever had there. Ran an errand and then came home, where the dreaded fever started creeping up on me again.  The rest of the day was no fun.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Day 217 of 365

Still feeling like warmed over dog doo today.  Not sure what has invade my body, but I feel like it is trying to zap every ounce of energy out of me.  NOT FAIR!  Running a temp so I took some 800 mg ibu and waiting on it to kick in and bring it down some.  Maybe more of a post tomorrow :(

Friday, June 10, 2011

Day 216 of 365

Going to bed. Took two naps today because I feel like crap. Hoping whatever invaded my body leaves tomorrow.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Day 215 of 365

Spent a good morning talking with my brother and my dad.  Brother is going through tough times right now so prayers and good wishes headed in their direction would be much appreciated.  Did some things around the house, then Emily decided it was her afternoon goal to beat the pants right off of me in Monopoly.  She did a great job as I went bankrupt and she had $71,590,000.  I'd swear she cheated if I wasn't the banker lol.  Afterwards I started prepping for supper.  Baked pork chops, au gratin potatoes, stir fried squash and onions and cornbread.  It was delicious.  I have been dealing with a roaring flareup with my chiari this afternoon so I am about to go sit back in my chair with an ice pack to the back of my neck.  Hope everyone has a beautiful night :)

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Day 214 out of 365

Had a busy day!  Sure loved hearing the girls giggling together.  It's such a sweet sound when it's just Em, but is joyous when doubled!  Really loved having Audrey here and am sad that she is leaving over the weekend and won't be home until after Emmy leaves. Am hoping she has a safe fun time during her time away.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Day 213 of 365

Have had a wonderful day with my angel girl.  She has been super excited all day waiting for this evening.  She is having her girlfriend Audrey stay the night.  It's been a noisy evening around here LOL.  Going to hit the hay and let the girls have the living room!  Sweet dreams!

Monday, June 6, 2011

Day 212 of 365

Today's post is about our awesome haul that we made yesterday at Walgreen's and CVS!

This is the haul from Walgreen's:




Total amount prior to sales and coupons would have been $224.45.After sales and coupons the total out of pocket was $83.70 and we walked away with $29 in Register Rewards for next time :)

That means we paid full price for this:



4 proglide razors, 6 Old Spice deodorant and a Wet/Dry Trimmer

And we got all of this for FREE:
8 boxes of Special K
4 bottles Gillette Body Wash
4 Gillette Deodorant
2 cans Fusion Shaving Gel
6 bottles Nivea body wash
4 12-packs Dr Pepper
4 Ban Deodorant
6 bottles Old Spice Body Wash
2 SoBe Lifewater
1 box Omega Smart Fish Oil
4 bags candy

Then we hit CVS and this was our haul:

The total value of everything before coupons was $68.54.  After sales and coupons we paid a total out of pocket of $32.47 and walked away with $13 in Extra Care Bucks :)

That means we paid full price for this:

4 12-packs coke products
4 bottles Fuze
1 bottle Honest Tea
1 Ban Deodorant

And got all of this for FREE:




6 plastic baskets
2 Colgate toothpaste
3 Honest Teas
13 bottles of Nail Polish

Not bad, I'd say :)