Playing catch-up....Christmas edition

I feel like I missed Christmas....

Do you all ever feel like that about a holiday?

I mean I know exactly what we did that day, but it was just a little underwhelming...for a few different reasons.

1.  I was supposed to work Christmas.  And while many people had commented "Oh that sucks," I was kind of looking forward to it.  You see I work on a pediatric "cancer" floor, and we were going to make it one Merry Christmas for all of our kids that were in there!  I felt like if I wanted to really get into the Christmas thing being super far from our family that would have been the way to do it!  However, I was put on call (which I loved spending the day with annie and the hubs, getting the last few things packed up for our trek to Texas).  This meant that I had no food to prepare for Christmas dinner....except well toast and peanut butter and some eggs.  And did you know that only about 2 places are open Christmas day?  So we ate a Furrs....which was pretty interesting awesome. And I spent a good bit of the day holding my phone in anticipation of being called in to work.

2.  It was Annie's 1st Christmas and I didn't go all out.  She didn't have Christmas pajamas, wrapped presents from her parents, or cookies left out for Santa. Again, I was anticipating her coming to see me at work to be our little family's Christmas celebration....   I also failed to read to her the Christmas story out of Luke, which I am most sad about....because let's face it, that's the real meaning of this season!

3.  We drove all Christmas night and half of the day after to get home to Texas....which in theory was an incredibly smart idea.  You see, annie is sleeping (or was sleeping until we came to Texas) long stretches at night...somewhere between 6-10 hours.  And it made sense to try and drive the distance to our hometown (about 13 hours) while she's doing the majority of sleeping.  Well we weren't anticipating the ice/snow storm that we encountered about 4 hours from home.  So we spent the early hours of 12/26 trying to stay warm in our car at a gas station in Tucumcari, NM.  And then when it started getting light again, we braved the scary roads and got the rest of the way home (even if it took nearly twice as long to get there).  Memories right?

BUT, no matter how off I felt about it, I would be wrong to not point out all the blessings from that day. I have a great job, a wonderful family, the opportunity to "come home" for the holidays,  safe travels at a time when many cars were not as fortunate, and a husband and baby who were good sports about it all!

And now for the best part of the post...PICTURES!

in the year to come...

Although I have many posts to write to catch up on what has been going on in our lives since my last post, I wanted to jump on the New Year resolution bandwagon.

I typically don't make any.  Mainly because I don't follow through and they usually involve losing weight, and I find it very annoying to try and get fit when the rest of the world is trying to do the same thing (mainly when it comes to the gym being overcrowded!).

However, I've decided that this year will be different.  I want to DO more, LEARN more, and CHANGE things for the better.  So maybe it's worth writing it all down, in an attempt to motivate myself in a month when I will need it!

And without further ado....because I know you all were on the edge of your seats!

My 12 or 13 Goals for 2012

1. Do some form of physical exercise every day that I am not working (5 days out of the week).  Preferably a walk outside so both Annie and I can get some vitamin D.
2. Try 12 new healthy foods (that would be 1 a month, does anyone have any suggestions to get us started?) Here's hoping that both Rhett and I like at least a few of them?!
3. Try to carve out 1 afternoon/night a month to have a date night with the hubs.  Being so far away from any family has made it difficult to justify leaving Annie to spend time with just us 2.  We know it's so important, and I really miss getting to go see movies!
4. Read 12 new books (that aren't mainly pictures books with a few lines that rhyme). Any suggestions?
5. Turn off the tv a little more often, or at least cut back on some of the mind numbing reality tv that I watch. (And when our contract ends with Direct TV maybe just get rid of it....again).
6. Get more comfortable using my sewing machine.  I want to complete 24 projects before the end of the year.  Thank you pinterest for the inspiration!
7. Blog at least once a week....if for no other reason than to document Annie's milestones for our family.  
8. Keep a better record of Annie's life.  I've done a pretty poor job during her first 5 months....here's hoping I do a better job over the next year.
9. Finish up the wedding and baby scrapbook that a sweet friend started for me!  (seriously all I have to do people is add the pictures!!)
10. Cook more healthy meals for us.  And try a new recipe every week!
11. Strengthen the friendships that I have made in Tucson and in all other aspects of life.  Also, I want to set aside time every week to talk/skype/email our family!
12. Become better stewards of our money.  If we hope to become a 1 income household in the next year or so, we need to budget better, save more, be better and more consistent about tithing.
13. Attempt to read the Bible in 1 year, but if that doesn't happen, at least spend time in the Word every day, growing, learning, and applying the scripture in my day to day life.

Phew...well if you made it through reading all of those I am impressed!  Here's to a productive and memorable 2012!

The heart of the matter

I write today to offer an explanation from this post.  Beware, it is very long.

The past month or so has been a whirlwind regarding my health.  Actually, I need to back up a little to explain where I am at now.

I was born with a VSD.  So basically all my life, my heart has made a "whooshing" sounds instead of the normal "lub-dub" that a heart should make.  It has never caused a problem or been a concern for me, other than the pre-medication before a dental appt.  (Ehh that's kind of a lie, but for this story's sake, it has always been somewhat benign.  Another day I will talk about my other health problems).

While I lived in Albuquerque, I had the opportunity to participate in a research study that also found a nearly undetectable ASD. However, my heart was still very healthy, and neither of these murmurs caused any problems.

Fast forward to August (of this year), and I went to establish care with an OB/GYN, because Rhett and I were looking to start trying for babies in a few months.  Upon hearing about my cardiac history, she felt that it would be best to be looked over by a cardiologist and have the necessary echocardiogram performed to verify that my heart was healthy enough for pregnancy.

I knew that there would be no change, so I happily made my appointment, battled the Monsoon to make it to said appointment, and plopped down on the table for them to press on my chest with a sonogram machine for 20 minutes.  During this time the tech said things like, "Wow, how come you never had this repaired?  We never see adults with these kinds of murmurs."  And then I start to feel uneasy, concerned that he can see things that may indicate my heart is not as healthy as I had thought.

Well, my fears were confirmed about 5 minutes after the test was over.  The cardiologist came into the exam room, and told me pretty bluntly that my heart pressures were more than double what it was 3 years ago, and that he wanted to send me to a surgeon to talk about repair.  I, of course, start crying, and the conversation continued like this (between sobs of course),
Me:  "What kind of surgery will this mean."
Cardiologist:  "More than likely Open-heart surgery."
M: "What is the recovery time for it"
C:  "About 2-3 months"
M:  "If I lost the 30 lbs I have gained since 3 years ago, will it go back to normal?"
C:  "Probably not"

I left the office a complete mess.  I went in thinking that it would be a run-of-the-mill appointment,   him telling me that everything was fine, but it wouldn't hurt for me to lose some of the extra weight I had packed on.

Well not so much.  obviously...

So I met with the surgeon a week ago (that was the important appointment I had), and he basically said that he thinks I will need the surgery, that it will be open-heart, but I could go back to work after 4-6 weeks, and the full recovery would be 2-3 months.  He also stated that during the operation he could repair both defects and not just the VSD (which was causing all the problems).  As difficult as this was to hear, I felt that God's timing couldn't have been more perfect.  He gave the OB the foresight to have me checked out, which revealed a fixable defect, that would have had the potential to seriously affect me and the baby I may have been carrying.

Pretty incredible huh,  God never ceases to amaze me in the protecting hand He has on my life.

Well the surgeon ultimately wanted me to have a cardiac cath to verify the need for surgery, because sometimes the echo can sometimes be wrong.

I had this done Friday.  And after a brief, drug-induced discussion in the recovery room with the cardiologist, it revealed that my pressures appeared better than they had previously on the echo, but my heart was still shunting blood from the left ventricle to the right ventricle at a rate of 1.46 (if you are confused just remember that your heart SHOULD NOT do this at all).  The actual cut-off point for surgery is 1.50.  So, I am just below the need for surgery.  However, my doctor did say that he would recommend surgery IF I wanted to get pregnant.

And then I passed out in the restroom right before I was discharged.  That was neat.  At least I didn't wind up with a bruise on my face like the last time I fainted.  That is my typical MO.

So that's where I am.  It looks like I will be having surgery, and it will probably be in November (with nothing confirmed yet), because I kind of want to get it over with!

Even after hearing that I will be forever changed through this operation, I feel so incredibly blessed through it all.  I know that through every trial and hardship, there is are reasons why we go through it.  God knows my heart (in more ways than one) and my desires for kids, but He also knew that I wasn't physically and mentally prepared for them, at least not yet. 

Through it all I have felt incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by loving people and many many prayers.  A special thank you goes out to my sweet husband, wonderful family, and all my old, new, and blog friends

I know that most importantly, my heart is in the Ultimate Healer's Hands.

ONE

One phone call changed our lives forever.

One day we will never forget.

One man that is missed terribly

One year ago today.

Please don't let One day go by without letting others know how much you love them.  You never know what tomorrow will bring.  

We miss you Steve.  You were an amazing man, and we will never forget your stories, smile, and laugh.  

Baby Pains

I have an announcement to make....

my womb is begging to be "with child."

I have come down with a case of what some people lovingly call...

BABY FEVER.

I have a few ideas about why this may be happening....

#1.  It probably has something to with this sweet addition to the family

 Welcome to the world Miss Hannah Joy!  Your Aunt and Uncle can't wait to spoil you rotten!

#2.  3 of my current coworkers are about to have a baby, and 4 of my old coworkers have or are about to have a baby.....and they are just sooo cute!

#3.  I no longer work exclusively with kids....which makes unable to remember that they cry, need things, and will prevent Rhett and I from going to the movies anytime we want!

#4.  I am approaching the end of my 20s, and hear the resounding tick-tock of my maternal clock!

#5.  This movie...

I mean seriously....can you watch this and not feel your womb yearning?

So I will be getting my baby fix Friday by watching the above movie in the theater....

And if anyone would like to send us their squooshy baby to love on....email me....and I will send you our physical address!

(By the way....parentals and family members of ours...please don't misinterpret this blog post as our announcement of pregnancy....We are indeed NOT pregnant!)

I choose Joy!

This is a 2 part post, so bear with me!

1.  At work I have to take a shuttle in because the parking situation is not ideal near the University of Arizona.  As I was getting onto the shuttle yesterday, the driver (who happens to be my favorite) commented to another passenger how I am always smiling.  I quickly thanked him, and commented on the fact that I don't have a very attractive angry face, so I don't want to scare everyone away even if I'm in a bad mood.

But that comment got me thinking.  Over the years, I have learned that a smile can greatly improve not only my mood, but those around me.  It is a conscious choice I make to plaster that smile on my face, because even if I'm not feeling the smiley-ness inside at first, it will quickly spread to those around me and in turn affect my attitude in a positive way.  I want to be a person that can be referred to as "always smiling," because I want to show that I feel joyful even if a situation may be less than ideal (like the partially awake state that is the beginning of every morning).   An old college friend of mine used to say, "Happiness is a choice."  And it truly is, as is Joy.

On most days, I don't feel that I have much to offer, but if I can bring a smile to another person's face, joy to their heart, and show the love of Christ through it all, than I have offered much more than I can ever hope for.

So I choose Joy!  What about you?

2.  When I saw the post title, I instantly thought of my soon to be born niece, Hannah Joy!  Her sweet mama Melissa, has had quite the pregnancy and will finally be able to get off bed rest.  Prayers were definitely answered, and as of tomorrow she will be carrying a term baby!  We can't wait to meet you Miss Hannah Joy!  Will you all just take a moment to pray for Melissa, Aaron, and their precious baby!  Pray for a safe delivery and healthy Mommy, Baby, and Daddy (and that Daddy doesn't pass out!).

I hope you all have a blessed weekend!

The story of the flaming pop tart...

Let me let you all in on a little secret.

My husband + toasters = bad news

Maybe I should modify that equation:

My husband + pop tarts + toasters = bad news.

Now, here's the story about the flaming pop tart.

I used to have a toaster. I had it for oh 5ish years (i think). It was a good toaster. It never let me down. It wasn't really expensive, but it got the job done.

Well, fast forward 4 1/2 ish years. I am now married, living in Tucson, and have a husband who doesn't know how to work a toaster. He tries to cook a pop tart one day, it breaks inside said toaster, and he basically mashes all the pop tart innards into the toaster.

Well instead of spending hours trying to clean it, or watch my husband try to electrocute himself, I make the decision that the toaster has lived a good life, and retire it to my trash can.

Now before you tell me how wasteful that was, please understand that my sanity and time is worth more than a 20-30 dollar toaster. Please don't judge me. I felt bad enough doing myself.

Ok anyways, fast forward to Christmas. My mother-in-law, Marmie, heard of our toaster plight and we got a fancy toaster.....

We were happy to have something to make our bread and pop tarts warms and toasty, PLUS it added our favorite disney characters to said pastries!

So my husband decided to use it upon our return to Tucson. It was a typical morning. Rhett was downstairs getting his lunch ready and fixing his breakfast. I was upstairs getting ready. Well, I started to smell something, but didn't pay much attention. I then headed downstairs to complete my morning routine, when Rhett shared with me a story of his recent adventure.

He apparently put 2 pop tarts in the new toaster, and then continued to get things ready. He made his lunch, stared at the wall for a bit, and started to get the juice out. He took the cap off the juice and then smelled something burning. He turned around and smoke was billowing out of the toaster. Knowing that 1. the smoke detectors were about to go off, and 2. the pop tarts were 2 seconds away from catching on fire, he ran and put the toaster outside.

He then proceeded to shake the juice up (without the lid on) and probably curse. Because honestly, that's what I would have done.

But by golly, those blackened pop tarts had mickey's face on them!

A time to reflect on all of my blessings

As this posts, we will be driving to Texas to see family and friends. This past year we have been so incredibly blessed and I just wanted to share these blessings with you all.

I am blessed....

-to have a wonderful husband who loves me even on my worst days!
-to have amazing parents. No matter how old I get, I can't imagine not needing my mom and dad. They are the reason I am the person I am today. They provided me with so much, and taught me so many amazing lessons.
-to have amazing in-laws.

• Amy, you remind me to laugh about everything. You have raised wonderful children and I am so blessed that your son chose to put up with me. I know you have been through so much this year alone. The love that you and Steve shared is something that many people never experience, and those memories will be there with you always. You continue to amaze me with your strength during the past year, I just wish there was more we could do! Thank you for accepting me into your life.
• James and Kara, you both have given so much of yourselves to us and I am forever grateful. From the moment I first met you both, I knew that I had been accepted into a wonderful family. Thank you for welcoming me and providing me with so much love!

-to have a strengthen relationship with my brother (in part because of his awesome wife). We fought so much, but you are still my brother. I look forward to the new chapter in our lives now that we both are married and getting along! And thanks for finding me an wonderful sister-in-law!

-to my wonderful sisters-in-law,brothers-in-law, nieces, and nephews.

• Melissa and Aaron - Thank you for just being down right awesome! You teach us so much about dealing with life during the good and bad times! I am so happy that you will finally be welcoming a precious little Wee Wag in the future! I can't wait to meet him or her! And tell him or her, how awesome their Aunt Kelley is!
• Jennifer - I think you are pretty much fantastic! Thanks for always making me laugh, and for having such an wonderful son! (Caleb, remember I'm your favorite red-headed aunt!).
• Robert - We are praying for you, and whatever you need, we are here for you! I look forward to getting to know you better!
• Lindsy - Can't wait to meet that little man in your belly! You have raised wonderful kids, and we are here for you!
• Danielle - you are a rock star! Need I say more?

-for our jobs. Even if I complain, I am incredibly thankful for having one, when so many around us don't!

-for having a roof over our head, food in our tummy (and on my hips, gut, and thighs), and getting to sleep in our incredible California king mattress again!

-for the little joys we experience daily! I have a wonderful Health Assistant at each of my schools, who bless me daily with different things. They encourage me and help me to feel welcome here!

-for amazing friends who continue to remember about us, even though we moved to another state! Thank you for keeping us in your prayers!

-for my faithful readers! It's one of the highlights of my day, when I have comments! Thank you for caring enough to read about my senseless postings!

-my silly Max. You are a doofus...but I still love you!

-for a wonderful and loving God. This has been a difficult year for us, but even when things were at the absolute worst, He provided every step of the way. I know that if I will just put my COMPLETE faith in Him, I will never be disappointed.

What are you thankful for?

This is why I love our family...

Rhett and his Marmie being friendly to the fellow drivers....while listening to their main man Elton John!

when something you hear really hits home

(Disclaimer: I'm not too sure if this will make sense, but it helped me to write it. So I apologize if I confuse you).

We have been visiting a church here in Tucson called Faith Community Church. We decided on this one because it is about 3 blocks from our apartment, and we have stayed because week after week, I am moved by what the pastor is teaching.

I feel blessed that during our most difficult times this past year, we have been assured of God's love consistently through sermons at church (in other ways too, but this is just one very meaningful affirmation of His promise). In the early parts of 2009 when Rhett first lost his job, found a new one, and we prepared to move to a new state, our Pastor was also preparing for his appointment to the El Paso district which required an out of state move that he and his family were not initially excited about. He preached about change, about God's plan not always being our initial plan, and trusting in Him even when things are incredibly overwhelming. That helped see me though the most difficult part of the move, the unknowns of jobs, house selling, and financials. And indeed God brought us through.

The sermons from the pastor at Faith Community Church have really touched my heart during the difficulty of dealing with Steve's (Rhett's Step dad) death. This past Sunday specifically, we had a guest speaker named Richard Exley. He started the message with personal stories of heartache, sadness, and death, but with ever sad story he talked about how God had worked in his life and brought him through it. Most specifically, he talked about how God places people in your life. He talked about how even though friends and family can't fix your problem or take your pain away, that they are placed in your life to support you through the worst times.

I can't tell you how important my family and friends have been to us during this time. The multitude of prayers that have been directed our way when we were looking for jobs, trying to sell our house, moving, and trying to make sense of Steve's death have been a comfort during this time. Without all of you, I don't know what we would have done. Even though you couldn't take that hardship, pain, and sadness from us, you were there when we needed someone to pray for us, to just let us cry, or to give us a hug. We could never express our gratitude fully and I pray we can be the kind of friend you need at your most difficult time.

To end with, Pastor Exley also gave an additional side to his message. He said that even though those closest to us can't take away that pain, Someone already has taken that pain from us.

our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ took all our sin and pain (past, present, and future) upon Himself. He knows the pain we feel, the hardships we are experiencing, because He has felt it all Himself.

Praise God that we have our family, friends, and Jesus.

And indeed, He will bring us through the fire!

Conversations with my Mother-in-law

or my Marmie as we like to say!

Last night, I was chattin' it up with her and I asked her how Robert (my brother-in-law) was doing. She said that one of his friends had come over and they were upstairs watching Watchmen.

I then proceeded to tell her that they show electric blue penis in that movie.

Yes....I went there with my MIL!

Rhett died laughing and I have to say that both Marmie and I laughed quite a bit as well.

Have you all ever had electric blue penis talk with your in-laws?

Well then....be jealous!

(I have also refrained from posting a picture of the electric blue penis...you are welcome...it scarred me when I saw it...I don't want to scar you)

For those odors in "special places"

This was just too funny not to post....

Aaron....you know what your getting for Christmas now

in times like these...

This past week has felt like a whirlwind of bad dreams.

On June 30th, 2008, I lost my (step) father-in-law.

Steve Alexander was driving to work (which happens to always be around 2 o'clock in the morning) and fell asleep at the wheel and died in a tragic accident.

He was a good man, a funny, loving, simple, respected, and faithful man. He loved the Lord, his family, and all those that he met. He worked hard to provide for his family, accepted my husband and his sister as his kids for the past 21 years, and treated Aaron (Melissa's husband) and me as his children as well. He enjoyed the life he had, and always made us laugh.

I know that he is up in heaven fishing with Jesus. I know that he no longer feels pain from his health issues. But even knowing all of this, doesn't take the pain that his absence leaves this family. My mother-in-law, Marmie, is hurting. Her soul mate is no longer by her side.

Please keep us in your prayers. This is a difficult time for everyone, but unfortunately we are dealing with the aftermath of Steve's death. He didn't have a will or a life insurance policy, and he had lots of "good" debt (house and auto). His drug addicted daughter from his 1st marriage stole his bank card the day he died and has now stolen more than $500 of money that was desperately needed to cover the funeral expenses and keep Marmie afloat. The next several months and possibly even the next year will be incredibly difficult for everyone, but as my sister-in-law Melissa said, "that's what faith is. Not knowing how we are going to make it through all of this, but trusting the Lord to provide for us all, no matter how impossible to situation may seem."

So that is where I am today. Life seemed pretty impossible yesterday, but today I'm hopeful. God never gives us more than we can handle, and I am fully trusting my life to Him.

My dad is a klepto!

So my parents and Rhett came into town this weekend and we had such a good time!  Lots of good food, good movies, good company, and good shopping.  We haven't seen my folks for a few months, so it was good seeing them!

So back to the original post. 

My mom and I met one of my old coworkers up at Tuesday Morning.  They were having a huge sale, and after that trip she was going to take me to pick out a wedding gift.  Well while in the store, Kim spotted a Hunter ceiling fan, that was marked down from originally $200 then to $100, and finally an incredible $50.  It was a beautiful fan, and with our new house we will need several of them.  So, with the help of my mom and Kim, I decided it was worth the investment!  So we loaded it up and brought it home.

Once we got home we showed my dad and Rhett and they were pretty impressed by my uncharacteristic bargain hunting skills.  However, my dad wanted one too.  We knew that store didn't have anymore like that, so we called the 2 other in Albuquerque, but alas...no ceiling fans!

Well my mom and I were going to go buy him one from Home Depot for Father's Day, but in we totally forgot by the end of the day.

Fast forward to today around 5PM.  My mom called to let me know they made it back to Pampa safely, and about a little surprise.

My dad had loaded up the ceiling fan in their car, without telling my mom, and they drove on home.  My mom had called to apologize (there is no way we will be getting that fan back, because none of us will be driving from Tucson to Pampa anytime soon!). 

My dad is nuts, but he definitely knew what he wanted and took it! Haha!  At least I finally got him a present that he will use!

a face punch of humility

NOTE:  This is long.  It may not make sense.  And I'm ok with that, because really, I don't make sense.  Now on to the post....

***********************************

When Rhett and I first got married, I was so excited to start our life together.  I felt like we had it together.  Marriage, college degrees, our own home, 2 jobs, a dog, great friends, awesome families, and a sense of comfort.  Then...

BAM

I got punched in the face with my friend Humility.

Rhett lost his job and spent the next 4 months trying to get one, and he was finally successful BUT it was in...

Tucson

So not only would Rhett have a new job, but we would be completely uprooting everything we knew to move to a bigger city further away from our families.

So remember that list at the beginning of the list?  See what was lost...

marriage

college degrees

2 1 jobs

home

dog

friends (we have great friends, but none fo them will be in Tucson)

family (we still have family but they will be far far away)

comfort

Ok now back to the story.

So now Rhett found a job in the far away desert of Tucson, we found an apartment to stay in until the new house will be ready, and the company that Rhett works for gave us a nice moving package that helped us get through this whole move thing.  So let's tally everything up again...

marriage

college degrees

2 jobs again

2 homes + apartment

dog

friends 

family 

comfort

Then...

BAM

I get another punch in the face from Humility

I can't find a job in Tucson; no one is hiring pediatric nurses.  Our house isn't selling.  Our home was broken into.  Life is just kinda crappy.  

I won't bore you with that list again, but just mark out job, add a marked out security, and add a large side of STRESS.

(At this time I've kind of lost the original point to this, so I apologize, but I'm about to make a huge shift in subject, well kind of).

Why do I tell you all this?  Because I know that this is a really stupid story, but I feel like I had too much Pride and Self-Assurance.  I (now) feel that everything that has happened, good and bad, stems from this.  I feel that if Rhett and I were spending more time in the Lord, we may have been bettered prepared for everything that happened.  I feel like it is God's plan for us to be in Tucson.  That we have served our purpose in Albuquerque, and He has incredible opportunities awaiting us in Arizona.  I feel like we (by we I mean more myself than Rhett, but since we are married I'm trying to include him) tried to control the situation and make life how we wanted it, not how God planned it.  So then things changed, and taught us things about each other, as well as ourselves.

Did anyone else notice how I didn't include God in any of the lists?  I realized it too after I finished writing the last one.  God should be at the beginning of all our lists.  Even before your spouse and family.  And He hasn't been for us, for me.  I don't view of any of the things that have happened to us as punishment from God.  I believe that God = Love, I believe in free will, but I also believe that we will ultimately be held accountable for all our decisions, good and bad.  I see all these events as Him reminding us that He is the Ultimate Planner, Boss, Decision Maker, and Assurance.  A much as I try to have control, it's futile.  

*************************

Ok so that's all I've got.  I have no idea if this makes sense, and it doesn't really matter.   While writing this, I feel like a lot of my issues seem a little more bearable.  I no longer feel like I want a pity party thrown in my honor.  

Thank you God for my wake up call (or as I lovingly like to refer to it, my punch in the face).

a little MIA lately

I didn't drop off the face of the earth, but my life's been a little crazy in both good and bad ways.  I will post about that more later, but now I'm asking for prayers.

I won't go into too much detail, so bear with me. 

A barely related family member has made some terrible choices as a person and for her 3 kids and now those 3 kids are without a consistent home environment.  Family is scrambling to do what's best for these kids.  There is equally difficult history with this ENTIRE situation, so this decision is not only life changing and difficult, but incredibly heart breaking!  Please pray for those 3 kids and all of our family in this decision.  We want to do what's right, but that also will not be an easy decision.  We need clarity, strength, and peace about any decision that is made.

Thank you all.  

GM

EDIT:

Praise God!!  There was no fed ex letter delivered to my dad today!  He doesn't think it means he's completely out of the woods yet, but the 2 dealerships that will close, will hopefully only add to his chances of keeping his GM franchise.  Now just prayers for the tens (to maybe even hundreds) of thousands of people that found out they will be unemployed soon.  My heart is breaking for them and for the owners' who have put blood, sweat, and tears into a company that is saying, "We don't want you anymore."  

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As some of you might know, my family has owned and operated a GM dealership for the past 85 years.  It grew to include a Toyota franchise in the early 90's.  

85 years, and we may find out today if they would be forced to close the GM part.  

Prayers for my dad and mom.  There whole life is this dealership.  My great-grandfather made it through the depression, my grandfather made it through the 70's, and my dad has continued building this dealership into an thriving business that it is (or was before the economy decided to roll over and die).

So today I'm on pins and needles for a phone call, that could change everything my family has ever known.

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And thanks everyone for their kind words yesterday.  A combination of 3 hours of sleep + tons of stress + unexpected criticism = a sad kelley about ready to give up.

But today is a new day.

Happy Mother's Day

I thought this would be the perfect way to tell my mom how much I love her...

and to tell my mother-in-law (marmie) and my stepmother-in-law how grateful I am that they have opened their hearts to me....



Thank you all for everything you do, and I pray that someday I can be at least half the mother that you all have been!

Happy Mother's Day

The people who loved me from day 1

Today I wanted to draw tribute to 2 people whom I love dearly, my sweet parents.

Due to my lack of blogging last week, I failed to post about my dad's birthday on the 26th and want to recognize my mom's birthday tomorrow the 1st.

My parents are amazing.



They have put up with so much the past 25 years of my life and been married even longer than that. Through the good times and the bad, they have always put my brother and me before any of their personal desires. By doing this, and loving us unconditionally, I feel so blessed. Thank you God for giving me such amazing parents.

I hope you both have a beautiful 54th birthday! I love you mom and dad!

Weekend Recap

Oh goodness...We had quite a (long) weekend spent in Pampa!  
And here's what we did!

1. The original purpose was to go with my future SIL to pick out wedding dresses....

Here she is trying on a beautiful dress (but it wasn't THE dress)

Danielle stated that she felt like a "dipped cone" ....

(not what you want to be looking like for your wedding....although they are quite yummy!)

but she looks so beautiful in the dress she picked out ( and no there will not be a picture...come on now!)

2. We got to meet Marmie's (Rhett's mamma) new puppy....Sue Ellen, Molly, Wooly Booly, Sallie May, Sallie Molly....we still don't know what her name should be...so we just called her whatever!  Rhett kept saying we were gonna steal her (sadly we didn't :()

isn't she so cute!

We also worked on getting her crate set up...good thing ol' steve (rhett's step dad) picked up 2 packages of ADULT DIAPERS on the side of the road one day (thinking they were cotton gloves)....



yes sirree...those are adult diapers!  gross huh!

3. We worked on those taxes even though I would rather have poked my eyes out. And we are apparently going to get a small refund....I will take that any day over having to give money to the government!

4. I fell even more in love with that handsome hubby of mine....when he sang his rendition of that famous Garth song..."Ain't goin' down till the sun comes up"


(I apologize for the shakiness...I couldn't stop laughing and let's face it...I'm no Steven Spielberg or I guess now I should say Danny Boyle)

So that concludes the majority of our exciting weekend...the rest will be used as blogging material throughout the week!