Friday, February 27, 2009

Baby Books



My oldest daughter Megan has been wanting two certain books for the baby. You know the one that's three days past her due date. One was Goodnight Moon, and the other one we couldn't think of the name of it. Until Tuesday when http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/ posted on her blog about the exact book. Love you forever.




So yesterday morning I set out to find these two books for Megan to read to baby girl. Megan had been down the last couple of days, just plain out miserable. So unknown to me she had gotten up and went shopping about the same time I did. When I found the books I texted her and caught up with her at Hobby Lobby. The look on her face, in which I haven't gotten so good at this stuff yet as carrying my camera with me everywhere. But I truly believe it helped to lift her spirits.
She has an appointment today with the mid-wife. So prayerfully she will be ready by then. If not it's going to be a really long weekend.
Will keep y'all posted.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

My Three Children



I'm wondering how can three children from the same parents be so different. Megan my oldest has always been laid-back, easy going. But not lazy, whatever she puts her mind to doing, somehow it will get done.
Never into any trouble for the most part. A good head on her shoulders most of the time. We had our normal teen-age years, you know the ones. Nobody can tell them anything, they know it all. But I don't think the rough part lasted more than a year.
And now she has grown into an intellegent, beautiful woman, that's going to be a Mommy any day now.


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Then there's the middle child, the only boy, Michael, he's 18. Like a torpedo, full speed ahead. When he was younger I always said from the time his feet hit the floor in the morning until his head hit the pillow at night he was non-stop. And now he is so head-strong, and argumentive about everything. You could tell him the sky is blue and he would argue with you that there was some white in it too. Every day it seems we butt heads about something, and most of the time it's the most trivial things. But he just has to argue his point, to no end. And getting to his point. Oh my it's never ending. I think sometimes he could make a preacher drink because I know there's days I've thought about calling Megan and tell her to fix
me one. Where did I go so wrong with him? Why did he have to be the one
to be 100% like his Dad?  Why couldn't he have been more like my side
of the family?  Quiet, easy-going, laid-back? I know they can't all be
alike.  But he could have been a little like my side of the family.
Maybe he should be a lawyer
since he likes to argue so much.




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Then the youngest one. A girl, Makayla. A surprise to all of us when I had her. She's another torpedo, for lack of another word. Wide-open all the time never slows down until she goes to sleep.
She's only eight but sometimes I think she's already a teenager. Her moods, oh my goodness. You would think she was hormonal already. Five more years until she's a teenager.
She has a best friend at school, which happens to be a boy. They were in class together last year, and this year. Field trips, playground, lunch, it doesn't matter. If you see one, you see the other.
Then this year, the buying each other stuff started.
They had to buy each other Christmas presents, which I thought was cute. Then came Valentine's and yes we had to buy a present again. Yesterday she comes home from school, and they've exchanged phone numbers. They know everything about each other. I have never seen two people so young talk about so much.

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How will I ever survive her teenage years?

Monday, February 23, 2009

Still waiting

Well no baby was born this weekend. Megan's actual due date is tomorrow, but we really thought just maybe she would go in labor this weekend. So yes technically she's not late yet.
But anyone that knows me, knows that I'm a now person, I have "NO" patience. But this little girl is definetly teaching us all to be patient.
I just hate seeing Megan so miserable. She's carrying her so low it's putting a lot of pressure on her  back. Just pray that she delivers soon, and all goes well for her and the baby.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Yard Sales

I started to write this as a comment on my niece's blog http://s2bgriff.blogspot.com/ on yard sales. Maybe that's why I love Spring and Fall so much because yard sales are in full swing then.

I even got Megan to go to a few but she hasn't learned the art of negotiating yet. lol In other words, if I see something I want and don't want to pay what their asking I offer a lower price. Trust me if it's late enough in the day, they will take it. Because as you know, if you have ever had a yard sale, you really don't want to pack all that junk back up and find somewhere to store it until the next time.

I have a story that happened to us that truly one man's junk is another man's treasure.

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My husband and I hadn't been married long and I was just getting him to go to yard sales with me. We had also been thinking about going camping. So while out at yard sales one morning he saw on old Coleman Lantern that they wanted $7.00 for. Only difference from the picture is that it was yellow.  I almost talked him out of it because we hadn't actually been camping yet. Well he bought it and brought it home and remembered he had been looking at camping stuff on ebay. So the one he bought was an old yellow one still in the box had never been used in mint condition. So out of curiousity he went on ebay just to see what it was worth. There was some on there going for 3-4 hundred dollars. So we figured why not, go for it. So we placed it on ebay, and made $950.00 off of it.
We're also big fans of freecycle, and I had saw on it one time an old turntable in a handmade wooden cabinet. I thought it was something my husband would like. Well after two moves and a few year laters he still hadn't refinished the cabinet. I convinced him to get rid of it. I was going to put it back on freecycle. He said let me check ebay. So he put just the turntable on ebay, and got $260.00.
So the next time you see something at a yard sale that might remotely look like it's worth something. Check ebay before doing anything with it. It can definetly change the way you see junk.

The Number 19

Hard to come up with anything to blog today. The only thing we're all thinking about these days is when will Megan have the baby.
Well she got her wish about yesterday. She wasn't born on the "19Th". Even though at this point I don't think she would really care. If you ask her about having the baby, she would tell you yesterday wouldn't have been too soon for her.
OK the "19Th" you ask?
I was born on November "19Th", which I would think was a good thing. Then their Dad and I got married on December "19Th". Enough said on that one. lol You will see why. Our divorce was final on July "19Th" seventeen years and three children later. Then he married their step-mom on January "19Th". I have also remarried but not on the "19Th", close the 20Th. But the rehearsal was on the "19Th". The date I chose would have been my Mom and Dad's "50Th" wedding anniversary, so to me there wasn't a more perfect date to pick.
And as Megan says try as they may. Her and Denny got married on May 5, 2007, add it up 5+5+2+7 = 19. lol
That's all the ones that I can think of. I'm sure if there's more Megan will be sure to let us know.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

The Life were Given

I have a lot of words swirling around in my head and hopefully I can make all of it make some kind of sense. And I don't mean for this to be depressing and I hope it doesn't come out that way. And it's not meant to drill anything religious down you. We all know right from wrong and have our own opinions of the hereafter. It's just something to get us thinking.

Every one's days are numbered. Every one of us has a terminal illness. It's called life. Although we want to believe that death only happens to other people. Things happens sometimes and makes us realize that our life is at stake.
Ask yourself how you want to live.
What would you do with your time if you found out that your days were numbered. Because they are. We just don't know what the number is.
No nothing directly has happened in my life this week. My kids step-mom's sister-in-law thirty-five years old passed away Sunday morning very unexpectedly. She had two sons, eight and ten years old. It's hard to fathom what those two boys are facing.
A little over a year ago I lost my brother unexpectedly to any of us. And what I remember most about his funeral is that several people coming up to me and commenting how strong a person my Mom is. How she held it all together while standing by the grave of her youngest child. I don't think I could do it.
Then last November we lost a lady in our church that was like a second Mom to everyone. She had the most courage I have ever seen in one person. Even though she knew she was dying of lung cancer. She never stopped giving and loving. She never gave up on life. And that's the way it should be.


I come across blogs by reading a blog being followed by someone I'm following and then one that their following, etc.
Here is one I found this morning http://half12.blogspot.com/ and I can't imagine the courage these people have found to tell about the lost of a family member. I will list the rest of the ones that have found a place in my heart at the bottom of this blog.


http://taranewby.blogspot.com/


http://sweetcarolinebaby.blogspot.com/


http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com/


www.thelukesponbergfoundation.blogspot.com




And I'm sure there are plenty of others.

But as in an email I received this morning:

"We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. "You have to laugh and find humor every day.
""You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!"
"There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability.
The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunity in change.
""Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets."
And it ended with the words to "The Rose" In which some of y'all are probably too young to remember.

Here are some of them because it's pretty long............


It's the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance
It's the dream afraid of waking that never takes the chance
It's the one who won't be taken who cannot seem to give and the soul afraid of dyin' that never learns to live


So why wait? Why not cherish every crooked stitch of your life before another moment passes? As I told my son on Valentine's Day, we should tell the people we love, that we love them everyday, not just one day out of the year.



One last link because this has already become a long post http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EMailMinistry/message/1287

A Thousand Marbles


So with all that said I'm going to go spend time doing what women do best. Shopping and if I get wet by the rain so be it. And if I see something I like and can buy for my granddaughter that will be here any day now. I'm not going to worry if Megan will like it or not. Silly but, No worries, Be Happy!!!!!

Make the best of your life because it's the only one we have.

Love y'all

Mean It!!!!

Monday, February 16, 2009

Charities

I have been told that I need a hobby, and to do more for myself. So the things I enjoy doing most of all is cooking (mostly baking, or making candy at Christmas), crocheting, reading, and genealogy. So I've been looking around online at different charities that I can crochet for. I'm not sure which one/ones exactly yet. But I have it narrowed down to making crocheted scarves, and/or lapghans for rape victims. And/Or small baby afghans for terminally ill babies. So far I haven't found any groups locally. But that's fine, it shouldn't cost that much to mail such small items. I haven't commited to any as of yet, so if anyone does know of any groups that are truly in need for these items. Please let me know. I think it's going to be something I really enjoy doing. I guess I'm becoming a true Grandma. lol

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Valentine's Day

I told my husband not to  buy me anything for Valentine's day. He asked me was this a trick. I said no, I don't need the candy, and the flowers die. So why waste the money.
So instead when I checked my email this morning this in part is what he had sent to me. Some is just a bit much to share.


"You did not want me to buy you anything. The gifts I'm giving you are for a year so when you answer some of these please keep that in mind. Also the kids are not a part of this so do not use them as part of your answers . So to express my love for Valentines this year I give you the following items:


[1] Know that I am praying for you


[2] You get to pick one (possibly more we'll see how the years goes on, Rome wasn't built in day)personal traits about me you would like to change or improve. You also get to choose avenues in which I am to improve them(i.e. Books, Videos, Classes Etc.).


[3] I want you to get away for a day a week at my expense and do something for you. I know your saying where is the time , but do it while the kids are in school.


[4] Get out and find a hobby. Cake decorating classes, crocheting club something. Once again my expense. Just get out and do it.


[5] Quit looking for a job.


[6]Think of something different each month we can do together. NO KIDS. Just a date.


[7] Make a list in order of importance of things you want accomplished in and around the house. (A honey-do list)


[8] Make a list of some major things that would make life easier for you around the house I can help with. (A chore list)


How much better could it get than that? And yes Megan before you ask, we went to Lowe's today and started looking at what all we need to FINALLY remodel the hall bathroom.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Journal Jar

I gave my Mom and Mother-in-law a journal jar this past Christmas. Not exactly like the one pictured
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here in which I didn't realize at the time that people makes them and sells them. I got the idea from a genealogy group email. I thought it was silly at the time, but since then Megan has given one to her Mother-in-law. My Mom has told others about it and I've had to send her copies of the questions. Now I just wish I had knew of it while my Grandmother was still living. Oh the stories I'm sure she could tell.


My Mom tells me occasionally some of the questions are silly, some questions brings back memories that she had forgotten, or the most recent one yesterday our opinion of the difference between traits, and characteristics.


I put the questions on individual cards and placed them in a jar as the picture shows. But she has been putting the answers in a journal book. I can't wait until she is finished. I'm really hoping to somehow make copies for any of our family that wants it.
I encourage anyone that has ever thought about wanting to know more about their parents childhood. Or their true thoughts of raising you as a child. lol  Give them a journal jar. It doesn't have to be in a jar. You can buy a journal book and give them a copy of the questions and let them answer them in the book. It's very simple, just google journal jars. I still have a copy of the questions I used, just leave me your e-mail and I will send them to you.
Happy Journaling!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

My day

I spent my day with two of my most favorite people. My Mom came over this morning and we went and picked Megan up. We had breakfast together and then just walked through different stores. (Babies, and Bellies, a consignment store, etc) Looking at what else, other than baby girl stuff. Maybe we walked Megan enough that it will help her go into labor. lol But we know that's an old wives tale just like being born when it's a full moon. In which that was Monday night so she's not going to be born while the moon is full. I told Megan the other day that the baby would be late being born because she is late to "everything". Needless to say she didn't find that very funny. She is one miserable hormonal pregnant woman right now. And I know I got on her nerves today because of being so protective. But this is my first grandchild, I will try to be better once she's here. I promise.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

How it all started: My Mom

When I think of my Mom I remember her always being there for us. She was a stay at home Mom or as they were known back then was a homemaker, or a housewife. When you think about that now, a homemaker; in a way she was. She made sure the house was clean, the meals cooked, the kids bathed, washed and ironed the clothes, helped with homework, and whatever else needed to be done. She made the house feel like home. Somewhere warm and safe, no matter what we faced at school, and life in general in our later years after we got married and moved away from home. I never remember going shopping for clothes until maybe high school when it was just me and my younger brother at home. My Mom sewed, so she made mine and my sister's clothes. But I thought they were just as good as the store bought clothes my brothers got to wear. I guess we never knew any different so we didn't think any differently about it. I remember when my brothers asked for Converse All Star shoes and my Dad saying you're paying for a name. But yet they are still around because Michael has had some of them. So they must be pretty good shoes. lol
Daddy worked shift work so my Mom had to cook at different times of the day depending on the shift he was on. But I never remember hearing her complain.
Sunday afternoons when Daddy was at work was always bologna sandwiches, chips, and ice cream coke floats. I thought that was the best meal there could be. Because Mama splurged and bought chips and coke, that was the only time I remember having either of them. That was later when probably only three or four of us was at home. Every Wednesday was hamburgers. We ate chicken and hamburger a lot because even today it's the cheapest to fix. I remember having a vegetable garden and helping out with it in the summer as soon as we were old enough. So we always had fresh vegetables. She even took the old bread and made bread pudding. It's hard to describe but it was so good. I remember it had butter and cinnamon/sugar on top of it and definitely no raisins. I ask her now and then for the recipe and she tells me "you don't need it". Because I take after my daddy's side and have always been overweight, whereas my Mom is just the opposite.
Please don't think we were ever poor. We weren't but we weren't rich either. But she knew how to stretch a dollar and make sure we had what we needed.
I don't remember her making us do that many chores. Even back then I loved to cook but she didn't like us in her kitchen. I'm the same way now, I don't want anyone in my kitchen making a mess. We were required to keep our rooms cleaned. I guess she figured if we messed them up we needed to clean them.
I see myself in some of her ways. Like I would rather do something myself, that way if it doesn't get done right I only have myself to blame.
Maybe that's why it's hard for her to sit still even now. She has always been chasing kids, and taking care of chores for most of her life. She got married the first time when she was only fourteen and had her first child my oldest brother when she was fifteen. Before then she was the oldest of seven so she helped her Mom take care of her younger brothers and sisters.
I believe she was more the disciplinary one. Or so when it came to me. Because my Dad never spanked me. Maybe because I was a girl not really sure. Because I remember him spanking the boys.
Apparently Mama has always been hard to buy for because I remember more than one Christmas, that Daddy gave her money. But it was really neat how he did it. There would be this big box under the tree for Mama, this was when I was older and can remember it. She would unwrap it and there would be another wrapped box, and it kept on this way. Not to mention the bricks in it to make it heavy. Through about six boxes until the last one was a small match box, not even sure if they even make them now. There would be a folded up $50.00 bill in it. In which back in the late 60's early 70's that probably seemed like a lot. One other time stands out and he did the same thing but in the match box was a new wedding band. She doesn't like gold jewelry would rather have silver. She doesn't like real flowers either. I assume the flowers is because they die and to her that's a waste of money. So one year Daddy gave her silk ones for Valentine's Day that sat on the dining room table for years. Not sure if she still has them or not. I'm sure she does somewhere.
Back then we never knew what germ a phob was or we would have probably thought she was one. She definitely likes things to be clean. The way you see her house on special occasions, it is the same way on an ordinary day. Constantly spotless. I remember coming home from school and she would be cleaning the baseboards or washing windows. That's two things that I do very rarely. But her house is and has always been clean from top to bottom. Even with six kids in the house.
Megan wonders what her secret is, and maybe that's it, that she stays busy and that keeps her so healthy. She's 73 and can run circles around most of us. Meaning she still cleans all day and keeps one very active little girl and takes it all in stride. And if there's nothing to do inside and it's a nice day you can find her outside finding something to keep her busy. And we very rarely see her tired. But then again I say we come from a line of very strong women. She is, and her Mom was also. Her Mom lived to be 93 and there wasn't many a day that I remember being around her that she wasn't busy doing something. So girls in our family it looks like we have a long, busy, healthy life ahead of us.

How it all started: My Dad

I've been told that I think I grew up in a Beaver Cleaver family. And for the most part I think maybe it was.
I say most part because one day my Mom said well there was your Daddy before he started going to church. Not long after they got married. She has a picture of him holding a string of fish with his shirt off and a cigar in his mouth. He loved to go fishing when he wasn't working.
I never heard my parents argue. I'm sure they did, but they never did it in front of the kids. Or maybe like Megan, says of her and Denny they disagree but they never really argue. I can remember my Dad walking away and closing the door to their bedroom. And I believe that was his way to walk away before it was an arguement. Then later he would come back out and everything was fine.
My parents never raised their voice at us. I'm sure with six of us in the house we gave them plenty of reason to. I know I did as I got older.
I can remember soon after I got my first car and my Dad had a sprained wrist. That was the first time he had fallen at work. Which at the time we didn't know he was sick, just thought he had somehow fallen down and hurt his wrist. He was in the backyard changing the spark plugs in my car. He went in the house for something and I thought I would help him so I took all the covers off of the spark plugs. He came back and all he said was "go see if your Mama needs you in the house". In which I didn't know until years later after marriage that I made his work harder by doing that. But he finished with his one good hand and never said another word about it.
I remember to this day the one time when I was older, after marriage that I lied to my Dad to his face. When I think about that now it hurts that I can never go back and tell him the truth and that I'm sorry for doing it. If you want to know what it is I will tell you but I don't think it's something I want to put in a blog. I miss not being able to tell him that I love him. He never told us, because men just weren't brought up that way back then to express their feelings. But we knew that he did. Just by the way he treated us and took care of us.
Daddy worked at what is now International Paper and I can't remember him missing work much. If he was sick he would at least go in until they could call in a replacement. I never heard him speak an unkind word to anyone or about anyone. I think that he believed in the saying if you can't say something nice about someone then just don't say anything at all about them.
He provided the best he could for us. We didn't have all the things our kids have these days, one they weren't invented yet, the other we couldn't have afforded it. But he took care of what we needed. Yes we were brought up strict, the way the church believed back then. Probably too strict, and that's why you don't see a lot of the kids brought up back then, in church today. It was basically church, and home.
Last Saturday would have been Daddy's 81st Birthday, and even though he's been gone for fourteen years now. I don't think there's many a day that goes by that I don't think what if. Michael was only three, so he doesn't remember that much about him and he never got to meet Makayla. He didn't get to see Megan and Denny get married, and how happy she is. He would love Denny because yes Denny is a lot like him. Denny is quiet, and a hard worker. He takes care of Megan and makes sure she has what she needs. He's a person you can love and respect because of his values. And now me about to be a Grandma. I wonder what he would think and say about it. Because I can see Megan when she was about five or six combing his hair and putting hair bows all over it and he never said a word. He just sat there and let her do it.
We miss you and love you Daddy



To be continued: My Mom

Monday, February 9, 2009

Drag Racing

Well my daughter ( Megan) thinks I have a lot to blog about and at times I guess my life can be quite interesting. lol In which as soon as Megan has the baby I'm sure there will be a lot to talk about.
But one thing that is on my mind today that I can't get off is what I saw last night. Whereas I can hear Megan saying "Mom are you really that naive"? I guess I am. But last night while standing outside in my driveway, two cars went flying by drag racing. Maybe I'm getting old, or I'm just not use to country life yet. But, why can't kids realize how dangerous drag racing can be? I stood there and listened just knowing I would hear a crash. Because we're really not that far out in the country. All I could think of was that they were going to reach the curve about a half a mile from my house and some innocent person coming from the other direction would be hit head on. Because they were going so fast I just don't see where it would have been possible for them to stop. Then I called my husband because I knew he was on his way home. I told him to please be careful because I don't know how far they raced before slowing down and if they only slowed down long enough to get through town and start again. When he got home he said he didn't see anyone racing. That we're only two miles from town and they knew when to slow down. I said, what we're they thinking? He said kids don't think or see the danger. Why do you think boys car insurance is so high until they are 25? So I guess I am naive, sheltered, old, or whatever you want to call it. But it's still dangerous.