Blind

I've been trying to start this post for days and every time that I would start to type I would get too angry and upset that I would put it off because I don't want to sound like a bitter person, but today I'm just going to let my fingers type and let my heart do the talking.
As most of you probably know my pappaw Drum is blind. This all started about a month ago when he lost vision first in his left eye. He was hospitalized for 2 days then sent home. The doctors really weren't sure what happened, but the conclusion was he had a stroke that had left him blind in one eye. Not good news, but we were ok with that. He could still drive, go to town, see his grandbabies, take care of himself, etc. Then not even a week later his vision started to fade in his right eye. Back to the hospital he went. All kinds of tests were ran. There was no sign of a stroke, but what else could it be?.............so the doctors kept him on strong blood thinners for days, treating symptoms of a stroke. He was now a blind man, but we all had hope and faith that since he was on these blood thinners maybe his vision would slowly come back. No sign of that. He was then sent to the rehabilitation floor to learn how to live as a blind man before being sent home. Once home he had more doctor's appointments where we learned the devastating news that he is 100% blind and his sight will NOT come back. All of our hopes were destroyed with those few words. All that we could do now is try to figure out what caused his vision loss. It wasn't a stroke. The doctor did a biopsy for a rare disease called temporal arteritis. The test results came back this week and he tested positive for the disease. Basically it's a narrowing of the blood vessels, especially the ones to the eyes, and it can lead to blindness. If caught in time though his blindness could have been prevented.
I want someone to blame this on...........someone to yell at and let all of my anger out on. I'm pissed! This isn't fair! Why did this have to happen to my pappaw? Why now........just a year after my mammaw passed away? He was just beginning to enjoy his life again! He was by mammaw's side for nearly 5 years while she was sick. WHY!?!?! Seeing him struggle to get around his own home just kills me! He was a man that everyone called when they needed help with something. Now he has to be the one asking everyone for help and you can tell that he is having such a tough time coping with this. He is trying his hardest though!
I know that it could be worse. At least he's still here with us. At least he can still walk and talk. But it's still hard! It's just hard seeing him have to rely on other people for his care now. I just have to keep telling myself how thankful I am that he's still here with us. It's going to be a huge healing and adjustment process for him and us. Hopefully each day will get a little better for him. I think when he's better we'll all be better too! Please just continue to pray. Miracles do happen!!!

Some pictures for now.........will update later

Pappaw glad to be home with his GRAND-babies!

Ashlyn, Brennan, Alaina, and Reid at the Cody Thanksgiving

COUSINS!!!

Pappaw Jerry with all of his Grandbabies

Ashlyn dressed up as an Indian for her class Thanksgiving play.

She was a little upset that I was leaving without her. =(

More Affordable Elf

Our family's Mr. Peep's

I posted this last year, but I thought that I'd put it up again for anyone who may have missed it. I did this last year and it worked like MAGIC in our house! I just wish that the elf could stay with us year round. Too bad he has to leave us on Christmas Eve. =(

No, this isn't a creepy little elf "peeping" in your window (wink, wink). It's a fun new family Holiday Tradition! Bare with me here. I promise you'll love it!Mr. Peeps is an elf sent from Santa's workshop to watch if your kids are "Naughty" or "Nice". He arrives with a poem and goes home with Santa on Christmas Eve. And the best thing about this elf is that you don't have to pay +$30 for the real Elf on a Shelf. You can buy an elf from the dollar store and then read this poem with him. The poem reads:

Christmas is approaching, and this is the day

Santa has sent Mr. Peeps to your house to stay.

He sent this small elf to your house and mine.

Soon after Thanksgiving, He must be on time.

Mr. Peeps has a purpose. His purpose will be,

To whisper to Santa all of the good that he sees.

Soon after he gets here, he moves only at night

To high places, low places, he stays in plain sight.

In the kitchen, for instance, he sits high on a shelf.

Mr. Peeps can sit anywhere, for he is an elf.

He holds very still when he thinks you are watching.

His magic is precious, it fades with one touching.

He sits on the tree on Christmas Eve day.

He knows that Santa is soon on his way.

He waits and he waits without making a noise.

He waits until Santa arrives with the toys.

So you better be nice and mind what you say

Because Mr. Peeps will tell Santa when he comes with his sleigh.

Once Christmas is here and Santa has come,

Mr. Peeps must leave, for his job is well done.

But, he will return next year on the very same day,

To watch your behavior as you work and play.

- Sharon Reynolds

Isn't that fun?? A great way to help your kids be good this season. So pop on over to your local $1.00 store and see if they have any "elves".

Britt and me in the Mountains on our anniversary

Brennan and his blankie

My little witch and gorilla

Life These Days

Sorry it's been a while since I have posted. I've had so many things going on that I feel like I haven't had time to breathe, let alone sit down at my computer and let out all of my thoughts and emotions. If only we lived in that ritzy class society where I had a chaeffeur to drive me to and from work everyday because that's basically my only quiet time throughout the day. It's my time to refect on certain things in my life. It takes me a little more than half an hour to get to and from work. Some people may not like having a long drive to work, but me I kind of like it because of the alone time and the time that I have to pray, think, sing, cry, or call friends to catch up. It's my only moment of peace throughout the day other than bedtime, and bedtime sometimes isn't even peaceful for me anymore.

Ashlyn is FINALLY getting adjusted to school. It only took her two and a half months! SHEESH!!! She is definitely going to be a homebody..........doesn't want to leave her mommy or daddy for any longer than she has to, well unless she's going to nana and pappaw's house. That's her second home. =) Last week the teacher sent books home with the kids whom she felt were able to begin reading, and do you know that my baby can read! I'm so proud of her!!! She's taking gymnastics and dance this year and LOVES every minute of it!

Brennan is my fearless one. He has new bumps and bruises everyday. He is not afraid of a thing! He is my little love bunny. He’s started this thing where he’ll grab my face and just kiss me………such a sweetie pie!!! He eats non-stop………never full. I believe that he will be one of those boys that is going to eat me out of house and home. =) He's started getting really attached to his blankie. It's been in his crib since he was born, but one day a few weeks ago he went in his room and grabbed it out of his crib and started carrying all around the house. Ever since that day he hasn't put it down. I think that it is adorable, but Britt can't stand a little boy having a blankie. He thinks that I am the one who pushed the blanket on him.........whatever! It's not like he'll be in school carrying a blankie around. He's only 18 months old for heavens sake!

Let's see......what else has gone on in the last 2 months. I've been sick, sick, sick......which is one of the reasons why it has been so long since I have posted. That, and having two wild children running around. I had a bad case of vertigo one week. I had never had it before. Let me tell you it was not fun. I felt like I was on a cruise ship that hit a terrible storm combine with one of those rides that spins around and around. Not a good combination! The next week I had the swine flu. =( YUCK! Then this past weekend I'm almost 100% certain that I had strep throat. My throat felt like I had swallowed sand. Everyday it was getting worse and worse but I didn't want to go the doctor AGAIN so I just gave it a look myself and sure enough there were blister all over the back of my throat. I dug through our medicine cabinet and found 2 Z-Packs with 3 pills left. Today I feel like a new person again. Oh, and I forgot to mention that I also had pink eye while I had the flu. LOL! This just sounds so funny typing all of this out!

I'll try to do a better job of keeping up with my postings. Can you believe that Thanksgiving is just around the corner? I can't wait to eat all of that YUMMY food!! Gobble gobble! =)

Emotions

Last week was such and emotional roller coaster. Ashlyn started her first day of school on Tuesday and she did great! I was worried about how I would handle her starting Kindergarten and seeing her walk into that classroom..........coming to the realizatin that my baby is growing up faster than I want her to and before I know it she will be in middle school, then high school, then she will be out of the house and in college..........gone. Being a parent is truly the best gift that God can give! The love that you feel for your children is truly amazing. There is no love like that............NONE! You will simply do anything and everything to make sure that they are safe, and when something does go wrong your heart simply hits the floor. That happened last week.

Brennan had been sick with a fever of 104 since the Friday before last. I had taken him to the doctor, and the doctor looked him over and did some bloodwork. He told me that he felt like Brennan had a 48 hour virus and that he should be feeling better by Sunday..............just let it runs it's course. By Sunday he was still sick, but his fever was a little lower. Monday I of course kept he out of daycare. His fever had broke and he was playing, finally back to his old self again. Tuesday I took him back to daycare. That afternoon I got a frightening call from them that when he woke up from his nap he had a fever of 104.6! How could this be? He was fine yesterday. I called Britt and had him rush to pick him up. I left work and met them at the doctor's office. The doctor looked him over once again and said that he felt like he had developed a sinus infection and that he was going to start him on an antibiotic. I had an eerie feeling that it was not an infection at all, but the flu. I questioned the doctors diagnosis, but he insisted that my child did not have the flu. Britt then jumped in the conversation and asked if we could just have a flu test to confirm. The doctor was hesitant, but told us that he would do one just to make us feel better. Twenty minutes later he came in with the news that no mother wants to hear...................Positive..........the swine flu! He was shocked. I was shocked. I was sad. I was mad. I had so many emotions running through me at that very moment that I didn't know what to say. He started Brennan on 2 flu medications and an antibiotic to ward off any kind of infection like pneumonia. He also started Ashlyn, Britt, and me on flu medication as well since we had all been exposed to this rapidly spreading virus that you are hearing about on every news station that you turn to. Why did he not do a flu test on Friday? Brennan had all of the signs. Another sign that is a fever that will go away for a day or two and then come back. How did the doctor not know this? Tuesday night Mom came over and Brennan's fever was 104.1 with tylenol and motrin. He didn't even have enough strength to open his eyes and he was throwing up because his fever was so high. We were both in tear and our nerves were shot. We were ready to take him to the ER because we were worried about him becoming dehydrated. I was worried sick. He finally began to take in some fluids and by Wednesday he was taking a turn for the better.
We have all been flu free so far. I'm just praying that Ashlyn doesn't get it! I don't know if I can go through seeing another child of mine suffer like that again. Check out this page for swine flu information swineflufacts .
Also, Ashlyn had brought a book home from school yesterday titled, I'll Love You Forever. We read it at bedtime and I bawled! It is a great book and if you have kids you definitely need to go out and buy a copy of it! Here's a link to the story - I'llloveyouforever . Get a box of tissues.

A New Chapter Begins...

First Day of Kindergarten

Get out the tissues!

World, I bequeath to you today one little girl in a crispy dress, with two blue eyes, and a happy laugh that ripples all day long, and a batch of light blonde hair that bounces in the sunlight when she runs. I Trust You'll Treat Her Well.

She's slipping out of the backyard of my heart this morning and skipping off down the street to her first day at school. And never again will she be completely mine...

Prim and proud, she'll wave a young and independent hand this morning, and say goodbye and walk with little-lady steps to the nearby schoolhouse...

Gone will be the chattering little hoyden who lived only for play, and gone will be the delightful little gamin who roamed the yard like a proud princess with nary a care in her little world. Now, she will learn to stand in lines...and wait by the alphabet for her name to be called...

She will learn to tune her little-girl ears for the sound of school bells, and for deadlines...

She will learn to giggle and gossip...and to look at the ceiling in a disinterested way when the little boy across the aisle sticks out his tongue.

Now she will learn to be jealous...and now she will learn how it is to feel hurt inside...and now she will learn how not to cry. No longer will she have time to sit on the front porch steps on a summer day and watch while an ant scurries across a crack in the sidewalk...

Or will she have time to pop out of bed with the dawn to kiss lilac blossoms in the morning dew. Now she will worry about important things...like grades...and what dresses to wear...and whose best friend is whose. Now she will worry about the little boy who pulls her hair at recess time... and staying after school...and which little girls like which little boys...and the magic of books and knowledge will soon take the place of the magic of her blocks and dolls.

And she'll find her new heroes. For five full years I've been her sage and Santa Claus...her pal and playmate...her parent and friend. Now, alas, she'll learn to share her worship and adoration with her teachers (which is only right).

No longer will her parents be the smartest and greatest in the world. Today, when the first school bell rings, she'll learn how it is to be a member of the group...with all its privileges, and, of course, its disadvantages, too.

She'll learn in time that proper young ladies don't laugh out loud...or keep frogs in pickle jars in bedrooms...or watch ants scurry across the cracks in a summer sidewalk...

Today, she'll begin to learn for the first time that all who smile at her are not her friends. That "the group" can be a demanding mistress... and I'll stand on the porch and watch her start out on the long, long journey to becoming a woman.

So WORLD, I BEQUEATH TO YOU TODAY ONE LITTLE GIRL in a crispy dress, with two blue eyes, a happy laugh that ripples all day long, and a batch of light blonde hair that bounces in the sunlight when she runs.

I TRUST YOU'LL TREAT HER WELL.

By Dan Valentine
From the book "American Essays: Sentimental Classics Designed to Make the Heart Sing"

It's the Most Wonderful TIme of the Year!!!

Well other than Christmas that is! Campmeeting is here in full force and I LOVE IT!! Nothing is better than...

Two full weeks spent swinging on your front porch and socializing with friends and family that you don't get to see nearly often enough!

Eating country ham sandwiches and drinking the best milkshakes ever made!

Listening to the best gospel music around!

Hearing my daughter's laughter running from tent to tent because she is chasing her boyfriend around!

Hearing my son throw a tantrum because he wants to throw rocks and be pushed around in his car night after night!

Going to the shack to buy the cheapo toys that your children think are better than gold! =D

My list could go on and on, but I'll stop here for now. I'm just so thankful that I grew up where I did and campmeeting is part of my life! I couldn't imagine my life without it! I really mean that!!! Some of my best childhood memories were made there and I'm sure that some of our best family memories will be made there also. Ashlyn and Brennan absolutely LOVE IT! I'll try to get some pictures up later.

Myrtle Beach Days

Toes in the sand...

Drink in the hand...

Sun shining down...

Smiles all around...

This weekend was the freaking AWESOME!!! Our weekend started by getting pulled over by a HOT State Trooper 2 miles from Ocean Lakes! Just Lovely!!! We flirted our way out of the ticket though. He let us go with a warning. We told him that the single one in the back, Ida, was loving being pulled by him! He grinned and then shined his light on Brennan and told him he didn't know how lucky he was to be riding in the car with all of us. Ha! Too funny!

Saturday we laid out and played on the beach all day. Brennan thankfully took an snooze out there so we didn't have to go in for his afternoon nap. That evening we went to my favorite restaurant........Miyabi! YUMMY! It was Hanna's Birthday so we couldn't end the night without going to the Crazy Pelican. Sunday we went to the pool for about 3 hours and then headed back to the house to pack and clean up for our dreaded trip back home. =(

I swear I am such a beach girl! I could move down there in a heart beat if I didn't have to leave my friends and family. Just the thought of my parents ever selling our beach house makes me tear up! That can NEVER happen! It's my home away from home! I love it so much! I wish I was there right now! Geez!

Fun Weekend!

Y-M-C-A

Doesn't Ashley look thrilled to be on stage for her birthday?!?!? HA! =)

Amber onstage for her birthday also!

We had a great weekend! Friday night we went out for Amber and Ashley's birthday. We started out at Vinnie's and ended the night at Jokers. We had a FABULOUS time! Saturday Ashlyn wasn't feeling well so we just hung out around the house. Sunday the kids played all afternoon. It was a nice end to a great summer weekend! I'll try to post updates on the kids soon. Brennan is changing by the minute.

Beach Pictures

Beach Bums

We headed off for a nice relaxing vacation trip to the beach this past week. HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who ever thinks that going to the beach with 2 kids, well actually 3 for half of the week, ages 1, 2, and 5 is relaxing then you need to give me some of whatever you are on because I NEED IT!!! We did have a nice trip, but our beach trips have a whole new meaning now that we have kids. They just aren't quite as laid back anymore.

Our friends Marty and Jenna, and their little girl Reese stayed with us from Friday to Sunday at Ryan's/Metal Roofing System's place since no one was there over the weekend. The first day there Marty and Britt decided to go play golf so Jenna and I got the BRIGHT idea to load up the wagon, because the house where we were staying is about a block from the beach, and lather the kids down with sunscreen and go out to the beach. We didn't want to waste our beautiful day! Well............Brennan started screaming his lungs out as I started getting him ready for the beach. We finally were on our way. Jenna was pulling the wagon loaded 4 chairs plus all of the beach toys in one hand and Reese in the other hand. I was lugging Brennan in one arm and my HUGE beach bag loaded down with sunscreen and 3 beach towels in the other plus Ashlyn's hand. We made it to the beach and then............Dun dun dun........there are steps. We couldn't get the wagon up, but oh yes, we did try! We tried to carry this heavy ass wagon up those stairs with a baby on one hip and a wagon on my other side while men were watching but not offering us any assistance. WHAT THE HECK!?!? I'm sure they were getting a good laugh out of our disaster. Finally we just said forget it. We parked the wagon and unloaded what we could and made our way onto the beach. Ahhhhhhhh.........We'd finally made it. Peace at last. Yeah right! HA! Brennan HATED the sand. He HATED the water. He wanted to be held the entire time that we were down there. Ashlyn wanted me to build a sand castle with her and play in the ocean with her, but I coudln't because Brennan was attached to my hip. It was AWFUL! Once Brennan finally fell asleep I flagged Jenna down and she ran back to the wagon to get the baby tent that we had brought along to set up on the beach. She struggled to get that thing set up, and once again the men just sat and watched while she was fighting with this tent. No one offered any assistance. She had to ask one of them to help her. HOW RUDE!!! After all this I softly lay him down in the tent and do you know that I don't even get my hand off of him and he wakes up screaming again! By this point we had had it, so we packed up and went back to the house. I was ready for a drink by this point and time. The next day was a little easier with the boys help.

The 4th turned out to be a great day other than Ashlyn getting sick with what we believe was strep throat again. I don't know why our vacations can't be smooth sailing anymore. She was sick from Saturday to Monday with a fever and complaining of her throat hurting. I called and had what felt like a planned scavenger hunt to get her left over antibiotics back down to the beach to us. Once she got her first dose in her she felt better the next morning.

Sunday, Monday, and up until lunch Tuesday we packed up and stayed at Ocean Lakes with Mom and Dad. My old stomping grounds. Oh how I LOVE this place!!! Everything finally started calming down with the kids. Ashlyn was finally starting to feel better. Brennan was finally beginning to like the sand and the ocean a little better, and would at least let you sit him down on a blanket without pitching a royal fit. Maybe it was also better because we had Nana and Pappaw there to help keep us sane. Once it was finally time to leave we didn't want to come home. We wanted to stay! But, all good things must come to an end. I had to take a notary class yesterday so we had to come home on Tuesday. =( We are definitely hoping to make a few more trips this year. At least one more with the kids and one without. Ahhhhhh......the beach life! Gotta love it!

1000 miles a minute...

That's what pace I feel like my life is at right now. We are going going going constantly! I have a feeling that it's probably going to be like this for the next 18 years or so. We've had graduations, dance recitals, numerous birthday parties including Ashlyn's big Princess Pool Party! We've been to Chuck E Cheese, had kindergarten screenings, gone through one bout of strep throat with Ashlyn, then the next week Brennan was sick with a terrible viral infection that left him with a 103 fever all weekend long. It's been BUSY, but we are surviving!


We got Ashlyn a trampoline for her birthday and she was thrilled about it! Mommy was even more thrilled! Let's keep this a secret between us blogger friends, but I asked for a trampoline for my 30th birthday! HA! I didn't get one, but my little 5 year old did so I can jump until my little heart is content. It's all about losing weight and having fun at the same time......right??? I just have to wait until the kids are in bed because Ashlyn FORBIDS me to jump while she is on there with me! She is terrified that I'm going to bounce her to the sun and back. =) Brennan loves it too, even though he STILL ISN'T WALKING!!!! The child is spoiled ROTTEN! He wants to be carried everywhere 24/7! He just sits and bounces as Ashlyn jumps. He grins from ear to ear! I'm just waiting to get out there on it and try my back handsprings and flips. Do you think that I'll still be able to do those or will I break my neck? Maybe I'll have Britt get up there with me the first time and be my spotter. LOL! I need someone to come video this!


We are in the process of searching for a new car. Mine is getting on up there on the miles, and since Ashlyn is starting kindergarten that will be one less daycare bill for me to pay. I'm wanting an SUV, but nothing too big, but something that does have the third row seating. We are leaning towards either the Toyota Highlander or the Nissan Pathfinder. I'm just hoping that we can find something soon because I am very impatient when it comes to car buying and I'm ready to find me a new vehicle before it gets too far into summer. My air conditioner is starting to go out in my car and we either need to get it fixed or find me something new in a hurry! I can't take these 95 degree days without air conditioning much longer!


I hate playdough! Sorry, but it just makes such a mess. You end up find little dried up pieces all in your carpet and it just DRIVES ME NUTS! When Ashlyn plays with playdough she goes outside to do it! Well, I found this cool bath toy for her birthday. It's like playdough, only it's soap instead of the playdough and it comes with 3 different colored soaps and all the molds and rollers. I thought it was a BRILLIANT idea for us moms who don't like messes. Well let me tell you..........Don't go out and buy this product! The soap is gooky, slimey, crap that doesn't form worth a sh*t! It was $20 down the drain. Just let your kids enjoy their playdough. It's much better and easier to clean up than this cheap mess I bought trying to take the easy way out! =)


My 14 month old little cutie pie is such a MESS! Brennan is Trouble with a capital T! He is into EVERYTHING! And the more you tell him no, it just gives him more ammunition! He bit me last week and I still have a bruise on my left arm to proove it. He is the laid back baby until he reaches his breaking point, and that's the point of NO RETURN! He was at that point when the nice bite mark appeared on my arm! Ha! He finally had his allergy testing last week and turns out that he's allergic to eggs and grass, and he only has a slight allergy to both. No major allergies. That was wonderful news! The doctor told us to keep doing what we're doing. We can continue to give him foods that contain eggs, but we may want to hold off on giving him whole eggs, and if we notice him starting to react differently to things containing eggs then we will need to pull eggs out of his diet all together. With the grass issue there is really nothing that can be done about his constant rash everytime he's out in the grass other than what we are already doing. She seems to think that once he starts walking and is not constantly in the grass with it irritating his overly sensitive skin then his eczema will start looking much better.


Off to work now. Til next time!

My Little Girl is 5!!!

This can't be right! My little girl can't be 5 years old already! It just doesn't seem possible. She wanted a princess pool party, so a princess pool party is what she got. We even had a visit from a real princess! I called tow differnet princess entertainment companies out of the Huntersville and Charlotte area and both of them were completely booked for this past Saturday. I didn't know what to do because Ashlyn was positive that a princess was coming to her party. She'd already told all of her friends at school that one would be arriving. I was in PANIC MOOD! I called my friend Hanna and asked her if she knew of anyone that would want to dress up as a princess for just 15 minutes on Saturday, hand out treat bags, and do the honor of placing a crown and a sash on Ashlyn. She called her cousin Jordan who is a student at LR, and at first she thought that we were OUT OF OUR MINDS, then when I told her that I'd pay her $50 for the job she was all for it! Isn't funny what a little money can do for a poor college student? =) She was a SUPER DOOPER TROOPER! She played the roll to a tee! All of the kids loved her and Ashlyn even said, "She was the prettiest Cinderella EVER!" That should make you feel good Jordan! I'm honestly, DEAD SERIOUS, so no one else better steal my idea or I'll be PISSED, thinking of starting one of these princess/super hero businesses out of the Hickory area. These people are raking in the money! They charge $150 for a 30 minute session, $200 for a hour long session, and $300 for a 2 hour long session. And all of them were booked when I called for her party! This is not a bad idea at all people!

Ashlyn's Birthday Party