I love the Holidays. I especially love trying to decorate for Christmas and have lots of ideas but very low funds to get them accomplished. So I manage with what I have and I think it looks really pretty and it makes us feel all cozy and warm inside. I wish the decorations could stay up all year but its not the same feeling, is it? After Christmas it seems its time to get back to the old grind but I wish the feelings of the Holiday could last all throughout the year. This year we are in a new house and so I've had a challenge because this house is smaller and I don't want it to feel cluttered with just too many things. I'm posting some pictures of the den where we spend all our time together. Hope you find it as cozy as we do.
I haven't blogged in several months but a friend sent this to me by email and I liked it so much I wanted to blog about it and share it with anyone that is interested. This has been a peeve of mine for several years now and I refuse to allow the media and all the influences out there to take Christ out Christmas for me. I just thought this was a cool video and it makes me smile when I see it. What about you?
I start back to work this week. I'll be at a new school this year. I'm excited but also anxious. I had gotten into a comfort zone and now I'm feeling some nervousness beginning a new school year. I'm not prepared at all. My summer was filled with alot of stress hense the no blogging. We moved just a week ago and my house is still in a mess. I have storage issues like...there isn't any. I'm trying to be creative on a budget. A very small one. So if anyone has any ideas, please share. I am determined to get back on track and start living again. God is Good!
One of my most favorite blogs to read is We Are THAT Family. I love Kristen's style of writing. If you haven't visited her blog, please do.
Kristen shared something today on her blog that I wanted to share on mine. Death is Not Dying It's about a young mother that's dying of Cancer. Her name is Rachel Barkey.
Please take the time to listen to Rachel. I promise you won't regret it.
The summer is always an exciting time. The past few days have been full of end of the school year activities, a birthday party and a trip to Carowinds. The end of school was kinda bitter sweet for me this year. I'll be moving from Mitchell Road Elementary to Washington Center. I've loved being at Mitchell Road and have made some lasting friendships. I hate to go but I must so I'm anxious about the future and praying for a smooth transition. Payton will also be changing schools and I'm not quite sure where that will be as of yet. He is excited about wherever it might be though. He has had such a good time at Mitchell Road too and that is what I will miss the most....US being together. I've loved being at the same school and can pop in and check on him at anytime and see all of his special activities. The 3rd grade was a tough grade with all the homework 3rd graders have but he did fantastic. Payton made the AB Honor Roll for the YEAR!! I'm so proud of him for working so hard.
Wow, it's been a month since my last blog. I've been so busy lately but never seem to get done the things I want to do. I have alot of unfinished projects around the house that Mike and I have been working on. Ok, well Mike's been working on. I just keep adding things to his "honey do" list. Since I'm on Spring Break right now, I thought I'd do some spring cleaning. It's not going very well.
In the midst of my cleaning I'm taking care of a puppy, Jack. I LOVE puppies. However, I do believe this will be my last puppy. Mike doesn't believe me. They are soooo much trouble and I'm not very good with training. We are in the "crying all night" stage and I hate it. So much for sleeping during spring break. He is really cute though. See....
Don't you think he's a cuty? Kinda reminds me of "Marley" from the movie. Uh-Oh
I remember warm afternoons lying in the backyard watching the clouds, making mud pies and playing school with my dolls, playing restaurant in our utility room and being the waitress and the cook.
I remember playing Bum Bum Bum and Red Rover Red Rover, Learning to ride my bicycle all by myself, Climbing on our brick wall to be big enough to ride my brothers bike and then just falling to get off of it.
I remember buying wax finger nails and lips and whistles at Halloween and how I loved the taste. Spending 10 cents at the store and actually getting a bag of candy. Playing jacks and getting excited when I was able to actually win a game.
I remember summer evenings, catching lightning bugs and hearing the chirping crickets. Eating cold watermelon on a hot summer day and having the juice run all down my chin, seeing who could spit seeds farther,
I remember drinking Mountain Dew from a glass bottle and thinking it was the best in the world.
I remember playing jump rope, getting new paper dolls, the feeling I had on the first day of school every year, playing softball, shooting basketball, riding go carts and mini bikes, taking a hike up a mountain and sitting on top looking down on our community
I remember waiting for the Ice Cream truck at my grandmothers, Sundresses with skinny straps tied in a bow, Quick Tan (QT), Vacation Bible School and loving it, Myrtle Beach Grand Strand, White Lake
I remember slumber parties, sledding down the pasture, new love, the anticipation of Santa and the excitement of Christmas morning.
I remember the day I accepted Christ, my baptism at 9 years old, movie theatres with balconies, Drive-In's.
I remember Poison Oak and Calamine lotion, bees buzzing and stings, learning to drive with my daddy, Church revivals, swim lessons
I remember my mother’s home cooked meals and feeling safe and free from worries and a house full of love.
I started to write this post and then got caught up in a phone conversation and while I was chatting Payton sat beside me and was looking at what I was writing about. He took my laptop and started writing and wouldn't let me see until he was finished. I thought it was so cute that I just had to publish it anyway. He did ask me how to spell "picture" and "please" but other than that the next paragraph was written by him pretending to be me. He's such a sweet boy.
Payton hasn't felt good this week and yesterday he started running a fever at school so we came home. His fever was in the 100s today and yesterday.The dog in his lap is Abby she can be lazy sometinesbut we all love her.My husben took this picture of Payton and Abby don't they look cute.Can u please pry for Payton when ever u can.
No not for me but I definitely need another one. This one was for Miss Abby. She was dropped off at her favorite Spa yesterday and came back looking lovely and refreshed. You know how you feel when you're having one of those Bad Hair Days? The kind that just makes you want to stay home in bed.....or at least away from the outside world. Well she didn't tell me this but I know thats the way she felt. I can just tell. Abby came home looking pretty as a Princess and was prancing around acting all excited. She just loved her day and feels so much better. I posted her Before and After pictures because she is so proud.
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It was a sunny Sunday in June 2000. Mike had taken Sydney to the batting cage for some practice. Sydney was 6 years old and was loving baseball and Mike was having a terrific time being Sydney’s father and coach. I was a few days from my due date and was very anxious. This pregnancy had been a little different than my others and I had more aches and pains with this one but then again I was approaching 40. I had always heard that if you take a dose of Castor Oil when you’re close to your due date that it can put you in labor. So before Mike left I told him I thought I’d give it a try. He didn’t have much to say about it and I really don’t think he thought stuff like that could work so he and Syd head on out to the park.
After about a hour, I finally get up enough nerve and I take 1 tablespoon of the yucky clear liquid. It really didn’t have that much of a taste but yet it was terrible. I really don’t remember how long it took but it seemed like a matter of minutes before I started spending some time in the bathroom. I started having what felt like contractions the more time I spent in the bathroom. Mike and Syd weren’t gone very long and when they returned I told Mike what I had done and that we were probably going to need to go on to the hospital. I then return back to the bathroom and this time I was even having some “show” so I knew we had to go. When I came out of the bathroom, Mike had calmly changed into a pair of comfortable shorts and thought he was going to relax the rest of the afternoon. I was a little shocked that he wasn’t taking me more serious but then when I told him I wasn’t kidding around ….this was it. He jumps up and starts getting ready. My family lived about 30 minutes away so we called them and told them we were going to the hospital. Then on the way to the hospital, Mike called the doctor. My contractions were extremely strong. Mike pulls up at the hospital and goes in to get me a wheel chair. (Syd is still with us because my family is coming to the hospital and he will be staying with them) I’m thinking it is taking to long to get the wheel chair and I’m going to have this baby in the car so I try to get out and make it in by myself. Mike meets me halfway and I get a ride the rest of the way. I’m thinking OMG, what is taking so long. I’m pre-registered so why the delay. I’m having this baby right now. Mike even starts telling them how quick things are happening and if you didn’t already know this, my husband, Mike, is a Paramedic. I felt very safe and comfortable with him if he had to deliver as he’s delivered babies before but I knew he really wanted to get me there in time.
They get me in the birthing room and poor little Syd has to sit outside the door with the nurses. My family hasn’t gotten there yet and there is no time to wait. As soon as I get in there, I’m told I’m ready to start pushing…..but where is my doctor? She is not there yet so a intern comes in and is putting on gloves when through the door comes my doctor. She normally would have waited to come until the hospital called her but she said something just told her to come on. She said she was tying her shoelaces at the stop lights.
I was only at the hospital for 20 minutes when Michael Payton was born. My labor was the most intense of the 3 deliveries. I really thought something was wrong because it was much different than the others. In fact I was telling them that something was wrong and I couldn’t do this. I think the Castor Oil moved things along so fast that my body didn’t have time to prepare for the birth. By the time I was taken to my room, our families had arrived at the hospital and were very surprised to see that Payton was already here.
Payton is now 8 years old and I was fortunate enough to be able to stay at home with him until he started Kindergarten and since 1st grade I’ve been able to work at the same school
so we have been able to spend a lot of time together and it is so nice to be there during the day if he needs me.
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This is a short story about the birth of my second son, Sydney Cooper. But I’m going to back up a little bit and start the story nearly a year before his birth. In 1992, I had a seizure. It all began one morning as I was getting ready for work and I noticed my foot was doing something weird. Just a funny feeling but I brushed it off as nothing and went on to work. By lunchtime my foot and calf wanted to do its own thing. When I would take a step, my leg from my knee down felt like it wouldn’t straighten back out. I still wasn’t that nervous or scared at this point. Then as the next day started, my whole right leg was jerking like it was having a muscle spasm non stop. Even during my sleep it would make this jerking movement. I made an appointment with my doctor.
After his exam, my doctor wanted to refer me to a Neurologist and within a week I was seeing Dr. Ledbetter. My first visit was on a Friday and he ran some test and said he wanted me to have a MRI on the following Monday. He evidently notice something out of the ordinary because he started me on a seizure medication that day. On Sunday, however, I woke up early and went straight into a seizure. They never found out the reason and I never had another one but because of abnormal EEG’s I was on medication for 10 years. Because of this they didn’t want me to have anymore children and my husband had a vasectomy. I had always wanted more children and was saddened that that wasn’t going to ever happen, however God had something else in store. Obviously the Vasectomy didn’t work. The doctor said 1 in 500 doesn’t so YEAH I was that “1”.
My pregnancy was pretty normal just as it was with Layne. I was a little concerned because I was on seizure medication during this pregnancy but I had a really good doctor who was very reassuring and gave me all the possibilites up front. She also allowed for many Ultrasounds and even one in 3D to check for facial deformities which were a possible side effect of my medication. Everything was checking out fine. About 3 weeks before my due date, my check up showed that my amniotic fluid was low. So she puts me out of work and suggests rest as this can help build fluid back up. After the first week I was checked again and the fluid was still the same and since I was another week closer she said if I wanted to we could have a baby that day. I was so anxious for Syd to get here so naturally I said YES.
My doctor meets me at the hospital at 5:00 pm and they break my water. In a very short period of time my contractions start. I was actually planning on having a epidural for this one but when it came time to where I was asking to get it they couldn’t find the anesthesiologist to give it to me and by the time he comes in I’m in way too much pain. He tries to give it to me anyway and on the 3rd time he gets it right. (Unfortunately it didn’t take right away but I was feeling no pain after I had already given birth) As soon as I lay back again I’m informed I can start pushing so there was no way the epidural was working at that point. Sydney was born with just a few short pushes at 7:56pm (3 hours) and when everyone was busy taking care of him and finishing up with me I was feeling fine. He was the smallest of my boys at 6lbs 8oz and was only 18 ½ inches long but he was beautiful with a head full of black hair and just perfect. I can’t believe that same little boy is now a Sophmore in High School and is getting ready to drive. Where does the time go?
Next week will be the incredible birth of Payton and if you’ve thought my first two births were fast just wait until you hear how quick this little guy entered the world.
Proud Big Brother Layne and Sydney at 5 weeks
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I wanted to share with you the birth stories of my children. I have 3 boys ages 25, 15 and 8. People ask me all the time if it was easier or harder having them so far apart but honestly that’s all I’ve known so I couldn’t really answer that. I have been married twice so my first two are from my first marriage. Each birth was so exciting and it was hard to decide which story to tell first so I just decided to start with the oldest.
I was in the Navy and had only been married about 10 months when I suspected I was pregnant. I was stationed in Keflavik, Iceland and expecting my first child and being away from my family was not a happy time for me. My plans were to become a Nurse and I was going to San Diego for my training but my husband and baby would not be able to come with me because of the housing situation and I wasn’t a high enough rank to get housing at that time. So my decision to leave the Navy was a easy one because I definitely wasn’t leaving my newborn to go across the country to go to school. So I came home when I was 7 months pregnant. I then set out to find a doctor. Since I didn’t have insurance any longer, I found a doctor that would let me and the baby come home from the hospital on the same day if there were no complications. I didn’t have a clue about childbirth but I figured if other women did it I surely could do it too without any problems. Although when my mother would say “I’m just glad it’s you and not me” I should have questioned her more about that. I wondered why she would say something like that but dummy me didn’t question her. I figured it would be uncomfortable but ……yes I said uncomfortable…I never dreamed what it was really like. I should have thought about it a lot though because Layne didn’t seem to want to enter the world too soon. Every week going to the doctor to tell me nothing was happening was so frustrating. Finally when I had given up trying to predict when he was coming it happened. On June 12th , 1983 around 10pm as I lay watching Television anticipating sleep, Layne decided it was time. I felt a sharp kick and a small gush and knew something just happened but didn’t really know what. We called my mom for some advice and she said that Yes that sounds like what has happened. Well if I had waited a few seconds I would have known for sure myself that that is exactly what happened. All I could think about was that my baby was most likely going to be born on the “13th”. As I tried to move around and get things ready (why didn’t I have this ready anyway?? It’s not like I didn’t have the time) that’s when things started happening and happening all too fast for me too. I called the doctor and he said I could go to the hospital or wait awhile if I wanted. He figured I would have awhile before I delivered since this was my first child. Well I did wait for awhile, I waited for 2 hours until my pains became unbearable. We left for the hospital around midnight. So we get there and the nurses are taking their time trying to check me in all the while I think I’m dying and once again my pants are soaked. Finally we get to the Birthing Room and I’m thinking they should know it’s been over 2 hours now since my water broke. They’ve left us by ourselves at this point and I tell my husband (at that time) to go tell them. He pats my arm and says “It’ll be o’k, I’ll tell them the next time they come in”. Why do men do this? He got it real quick from that point on. I didn’t have a Epidural or any other drugs, not that I’m so courageous but because we didn’t have any insurance and I was thinking of what it would cost us. Well everything continued to move very fast and on June 13th at 2:04am Jeffrey Layne was born. In just 4 hours I had given birth to the most beautiful little boy I had ever seen and what joy he has brought to my life. Through the years Layne has been the little boy who could always make friends with anyone and always pulled for the underdog. He’s gentle, compassionate and always makes me proud. This year will be a milestone in his life because on October 17, 2009, Layne and Christina are getting married and after 3 boys I’m finally going to have a girl in our family. I’m gaining a daughter! I’m so excited and look forward to seeing what God has planned for their lives.
Next Wednesday I’ll share how Sydney became a part of our lives.
I am always looking for a great deal and where I can get the most out of my coupons. I stumbled across these deals at Bi-Lo yesterday and wanted to share. I got 12 bottles or cans of Suave products and used my Buy 3 Suave products and get $2 off coupons. These bottles of shampoo and conditioner were .74 each, hairspray was $1.30 each and the childrens shampoo was $1.21 each. After using 4 of my coupons this averaged out to be around .30 per can or bottle. The ACT Mouthwash is reg. $5.99 and it was on sale for $3.99, the Tylenol is reg. $6 and was also on sale for $3.99. I used a $2 off coupon for each of these items making them only $2 each which made these a great deal too. The Tums were $1.49 each and I had $1 off coupons making these only .49 each and last was the Pepcid. It is reg. $5.29 on clearance for $2.64 and I had $1 off coupon so I paid $1.64. The grand total for these products were close to $30 and I paid OOP $11.11. I think thats pretty good. Some other deals I found but not pictured were the Green Giant Frozen Veggies. They are on sale BOGO and after using the .50 off each this makes this product free. I also had $1.50 off coupons for Coffee Mate coffee creamer. They were on sale for $1.99 and I paid .50 cents. Woo Hoo!!! I love finding these deals. It's funny what little things can excite me. If you've found any good deals lately, please post them and let me know.
After doing some thinking about what memory to share I felt that for my very first post for the very first "Wednesday's Walk Down Memory Lane" that it would only be fitting to share about my very first Birthday Party. To begin, let me tell you a little about my childhood. I am the youngest of 4 and my mother was a SAHM and my daddy was a Preacher. We never had alot of money but I never felt like I was having to do without either. We always had a nice clean home, it was warm and cozy and momma always cooked us three meals a day. I have heard her say many times that there were days she didn't know what she would feed us the next day but that the Lord would always provide for us and he did. My home was a home where I always knew I was loved and I feel truly blessed to have been brought up in a Christian home.
One thing my mother didn't celebrate though like most parents do were our Birthdays. Looking back on this it seems really sad but I never wondered why and I never felt cheated. She would bake me a cake on that day but as far as gifts or having friends over...an actual party...I never had one. Not until April 2005. So on this day my husband and boys gave me a Birthday Party. My very First Party! Just having the party would have been plenty enough for me but as my gift they gave me a Easy Bake Oven. This was something my boys had always heard me say I wanted as a little girl but I never got. Well, I can't say that anymore and not only did I get the Easy Bake Oven but I also got a Barbie Cake. Can you imagine my surprise? I loved this party and just knowing that these men in my life that I dearly love, put this much thought into doing something like this for me, just made the whole thing that much more special.
