The Soundtrack of My Life *so far*

I got this little interesting activity from E-Dog's blog. It was fun to do, I followed the directions except where noted.




Instructions:

1. Open our library on your Zen, Ipod, or other MP3 player.
2. Put it on Shuffle.
3. Press Play.
4. For every question type the song that's playing.
5. When you go to a new question press the Next button (but you can listen to the whole song if you want to).

Opening Credits:

Got My Own Thing Now ~ Squirrel Nut Zippers

Waking Up:

There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart) ~ The Eurythmics

Falling In Love:

Butterfly ~ Crazy Town

Fight Song:

Sledgehammer ~ Peter Gabriel

Breakup Song: *okay I'm doing two for this one because this first one just doesn't make any sense*

Freakshow On The Dancefloor ~ The Bar-Kays

Okay this one makes more sense....

Wannabe ~ The Spice Girls (don't even start, I LIKE them!)

Making Up Song:

Turning Japanese ~ The Vapors

Life's Okay Song:

Everybody Wants to Rule the World ~ Tears For Fears

Mental Breakdown:

Closer ~ Nine Inch Nails

Driving:

Blue (Da Ba Dee) ~ Eiffel 65


Flashbacks:

It's A Sin ~ Pet Shop Boys

Happy Dance:

Living Dead Girl ~ Rob Zombie


Regret:

Laid ~ James

Final Battle:

Stomp! ~ The Brothers Johnson

Death Scene:

If You Want To Get To Heaven ~ The Ozark Mountain Daredevils
* I shit you not, that was the song*

Final Credits:

Evil Ways ~ Santana

Back from Arkansas

Hello everyone! The family and I are back from our holiday trip to Arkansas. It was an extremely nice Christmas vacation down south and I didn't have one panic attack. Now, some in my family may say I am overly protective of my children, but I don't believe it for a second. We flew down to my parents this past Saturday. It was a day early for us because usually we don't make it down there until Christmas Eve. The whole family was there this year. *except my brother, his wife, and their kid.* Let's see.....in all there were 21 of us for Christmas....then the missing ones came in and there were 24 in all.

Brad got me the Totally 80's trivial pursuit game so we played it two nights in a row. The guys against the girls. Wouldn't you know it, the guys beat us both times. We even had all our pie pieces and were in the middle, they just got their last question right before us. Ugh! We'll never hear the end of it now.

Lyanna and Kenzie had a blast. They love being with their cousins. I wish we were closer so they could spend more time together. They all just played and played and played.

Brad went duck hunting with my brother and my dad. They saw the ducks but never got to shoot at any. We made duck gumbo from the ones they shot last year. We also had bar-b-que and catfish. Mmmmm mmmmmm good! I miss that southern food. We brought a pound of b-b-q home with us to eat later. Don't know if any of you are familiar with Craig's in Devall's Bluff, Arkansas...but, in my opinion, they have the best b-b-q ever. It really has to do with their slaw, but that doesn't travel well....

We were planning on staying down there til Sunday but with the crappy weather forecast decided we better get home early. We flew in on Thursday. It is nice to be back home, however much I miss my family. I LOVE my bed!!! I slept so well last night. It was like sleeping on a cloud. The girls were very happy to be home as well. They missed their stuff and their beds.

I hope everyone had as lovely a Christmas as I did. Ho- Ho- Ho!

Some fun Christmas-ee things to do!

Merry Christmas! Here are some fun things to do if you find yourself with a little extra time....like that's going to happen.

1. Decorate your own tree!

http://www.janbrett.com/trim_a_jan_brett_christmas_tree.htm


http://blackdog.net/holiday/christmas/tree/index.html

2. Christmas Tetris

http://www.kinderplanet.com/xmastetris.htm



3. Create your own Christmas Story...Starring YOU!

http://blackdog.net/holiday/christmas/story.html


4. Coloring Pages.....color online or Print them out

http://blackdog.net/holiday/christmas/coloringbook/index.html

5. Santa and the Evil Elves....this game is hard!

http://games.zeeks.com/arctic-antics-9017/?page=play

7. Christmas Quiz: I got 11/14 for a 79%

http://familyinternet.about.com/library/game/quiz/quiz3/blchristmasquiz.htm

The Deer Slayer

I don't write too much about my husband, Brad. For some unknown reason he doesn't like people "all up in his business". So, to honor his wishes I usually talk about myself and the girls and other things that interest me. Today is different. This post is all about the manly man I have married.

My man went out and got dinner for the family yesterday. He got up at the butt crack of dawn, dressed up in his camo duds, drove out to the farm, sat his ass in a tree in the cold and............shot his first deer. Or as he so quaintly phrases it:

He slew a deer.

That cracks me up...he didn't kill the deer or shoot the deer, he slayed the deer. Pictures of a deer/dragon keep popping up in my head. Too many fantasy novels and games of D & D in my youth I suppose.

Not only did he slay it, he dressed it as well. That in itself is a big deal for him...he is not so good around the site of blood, and the inside of a deer does not smell quite so nice as the outside (and the outside is not that pleasant to begin with).

So...in honor of his huge manly accomplishment (I am so proud of you Baby!) here is Brad with his first deer. I want you all to know that I am truly proud of him, none of this is meant as sarcasm at all. I love venison and can't wait to eat some!

This is only a test...

I borrowed this from E-Dog who borrowed it from someone else...please continue to pass it on. It's very cool, but I didn't get what I thought I would...hrmmmm what do you think this says about me?

You are The Tower

Ambition, fighting, war, courage. Destruction, danger, fall, ruin.

The Tower represents war, destruction, but also spiritual renewal. Plans are disrupted. Your views and ideas will change as a result.

The Tower is a card about war, a war between the structures of lies and the lightning flash of truth. The Tower stands for "false concepts and institutions that we take for real." You have been shaken up; blinded by a shocking revelation. It sometimes takes that to see a truth that one refuses to see. Or to bring down beliefs that are so well constructed. What's most important to remember is that the tearing down of this structure, however painful, makes room for something new to be built.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

These are for Velvet Girl....

Here are two photos I took today: The first is on the Canon Rebel: very expensive digital camera with all the doo dads and buttons and accessories (sp?). It is a picture of a picture of the girls with Santa. I know...I'm too lazy to try and go and scan it and deal with the freakos at Wally World.

This one is another beautiful sunset at the end of my street. The clouds were just so breathtaking on this day, I couldn't resist taking a shot. I took this one with my digital pocket size canon.

I have done ...this many!

Got this from E-Dog. Pick what you have done and bold 'em. Just like my blogger friend Ian I will answer all questions about bold thingy's in comments. :) Here I go....

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse of the moon
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour

What happend to #98????

99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

What have I been up to?

Well, I have been a busy person since that last post I made. Brad and I flew to Atlanta for the SEC Conference Championship game. It was my first time in Atlanta. I had been to the airport but never stayed in the city. It was fun and interesting to say the least.

The fun started at the Akron airport. Dumb ole me, I totally forgot about the whole "no liquids on the plane" thing. Here I am with my body spray, shampoo, toner, lotion, etc. Not to mention the various liquids in my make-up case. So....they pull me to the side, go through my bag. I WAS going to take my bag with me on the plane...but now I had to check it.

Not that bad, the security peeps were nice, and didn't treat me like I was an idiot. We had plenty of time because our flight was delayed an hour.

Made it to Atlanta and went to the baggage claim area. My bag never showed up. I cried...we go to the desk. They run a check and find out, my bag never got on our plane. It was still in Akron. I just have a hard time understanding how that could happen. Even after I checked the bag, we sat in the terminal for an hour. How could they not have put my bag on the plane with everyone else's bags. There were people checking in after I checked my bag. The woman at the desk assures me that my bag is on the next flight and they will have my suitcase to me that evening.

We get on the train and ride to our hotel. It is super nice. Sit down in the lobby bar and have a drink, then I go upstairs to rest a bit.

We met my cousin and his wife there and they were going to have dinner with some of his family. We decided to go out on our own and try to find this little Indian food rest. we had looked up on the internet.

We totally go to the wrong place and end up going to three different places before we found anything that looked promising. Atlanta is very strange. There doesn't seem to be any one place that has a rest/ club/bar area. In Little Rock there is the Riverfront. In Marietta we have Front Street. Everywhere I've been seems like there is one area where you can go and find some place to eat, a bar to hang out in, etc. Not in Atlanta...at least not where anyone was telling us to go.

We walked around a little bit and found an awesome restaraunt/sportsbar and had a really nice dinner. Right before I was going to offically freak out on Brad. I was tired, hungry, and I didn't have my luggage..I was border line panic attacking for sure.

Went back to the hotel and hung out in the sports bar. Most of the people there were Gator fans but that was okay. Everyone was very cordial and we had a blast hanging out and good naturedly ribbing each other. There were many calls of "Orange...Blue..." and "Wooooo Pig Sooooooie!"

I went to bed around midnight and was called at 2 am by the person bringing my luggage. Did I want her to bring it up to my room. Hell no! I said half asleep. I'll get it in the morning.

Next moring comes and we are getting ready to go out before the game. Brad starts looking for our tickets. He can't find them. We go through everything, empty out the suitcases, purses, pockets..everything. He thinks he left it down in the lobby bar when we met my cousins and gave them their tickets. We call the front dest and no one turned any in. They give us replacement tickets to the aquarium.

One more time we look and just before we give up hope the tickets are found behind a notepad in the folio Brad was carrying. Much happiness and relief is felt by all.

I have to say that the aquarium in Atlanta is AWESOME!!! I could have stayed there most of the day. The Beluga whales are so very cute, and they have the scariest looking crabs I have ever seen. They are about 4 feet across and look like giant ass spiders...or something from Alien. Very cool, oh and the sea horse exhibit was absolutely beautiful. I bought the girls some really cute t-shirts there.

We walked through Olympic Park. It is very nice... We walked around some, saw the Hard Rock, watched part of the Christmas Parade... had lunch. Then got ready to go to the game. We went to the pep rally before the game. It was fun, got our picture made together. Then off to the game.

We had really nice seats. That is an great arena. I don't think there really are any bad seats. We were in the upper deck but it wasn't steep like some places. You didn't stand up and feel like you were going to fall flat on your face in the middle of the field. The people sitting all around us were nice and we all had a great time at the game even if we lost.

Went back to the hotel after the game and had a drink in the bar, went upstairs and ordered room service *chocolate cake and coffee to drown our sorrows* and then went to bed.

Got up early next day did a little shopping and heading for the airport. *I boxed up my liquids and the hotel was so nice to ship them home for me so I wouldn't have to check my bag going home*. We made our flight with no delays, and were home and with our kiddoes by 6 pm I do believe.

Lots of fun and it was our first whole weekend away from the girls. I didn't freak out and they were very good for the grandparents. Although, I think the grands were glad to see us back. The girls do wear you out.

What I Want For Christmas...Really!:Part 1

I have been just surfing the web for fun today and got lost in my browsing....

Here are the things that I would think would be super cool for Christmas.... I was going to include more things but once again the upload for piccys isn't working so this will be continured.

When I worked at Shorty Small's, we had this pinball game in our game room. One of the other waiters and I spent hours on this thing. We were always trying to beat the other's high score. We even had our customers cheering us on. I need this....

2007 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible: I'm not even going to say anymore

Because I'm a girl and they are a girl's best friend.....well that's what the song says

Sunset on my Street

A picture for your viewing pleasure. I took this last night at the end of my street. It was absolutely beautiful.

Happy Thanksgiving / Anniversary

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I have had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday. We stayed here in Ohio and celebrated with Brad's family. His Dad, Step-mom, Brother, Nephew, and nehew's girlfriend all came over to our house for the big feast.

Yes! I had Thanksgiving dinner at my house this year. It was my first time to cook the Thanksgiving turkey. I was so worried that I would mess it up....but I didn't! I did mess up the cake I tried to bake. I was going to make something sweet for my Lyanna Cole, a cake without eggs. I was supposed to use self-rising flour, I used all purpose. DUH! it looked like a round brick. I ended up throwing it out in the back yard and yelling Happy Thanksgiving birds!

We also trapped the opossum that has been stealing all the cats food at night. Brad bought a trap that trips and locks the possum inside. He took it to West Virginia and let it go. I hope it did't have any family over here...it might take it a while to get back over the Ohio river and all.... I was going to tell our guests that we had trapped it for Thanksgiving Dinner and see what their reaction would be. Hee hee.

On another note. I looked back over the blog and realized that I have been writing here for over one year now. WOW! how far i have come since then. I am definitely not an overly anxious, stressed out mom. I'm just stressed out mom now. And only that some of the time...one year ago I would never have been able to host Thanksgiving at my own home! .....

Some thoughts

Just some things I've been thinking about...

The new Playstation 3..... I can't believe the uproar over this thing. Did Sony really believe that mob rushes and muggings wouldn't happen? When they didn't have enough product for the Japanese market, didn't they know the same thing would happen here? People are crazy.

I went to the site and looked at the videos and screen shots for the new games. I have to admit it looks bad ass. It is so real looking it's scary. One of the games is a zombie shot em up and I don't think I could play it. It would give me nightmares. The sports games, I have to say, looked awesome.

But what I really started thinking about was how realistic they were...

People get hung up playing video games right now....how much more so now? It all looks so real, I keep thinking that people will begin to lose their grasp on reality and dive further and further into the fantasy. I can truly see this happening.

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

I got sidetracked from finishing this on the day I was writing it so....that's all I have to think about today. So sorry for getting your hopes up...or maybe not.

Wooooooo Pig Soooooie!

HOW BOUT THEM HOGS!

What a spanking we put to Tennessee tonight. It's so good to see an Arkansas team doing so well. This is the best Razorback team since I can remember. I am sooo hoping that Texas loses tonight! Looks like it's going to happen...

Brad and I are definitely going to Atlanta to watch the SEC conference championship game. That should be sooo much fun!

You gotta listen to the fight song....it is so funny, Brad and I were crying we were laughing so hard. You don't even have to know what the real words are to laugh at this. It is HILARIOUS! Just click on the flag below....it is worth it.

I didn't even know the words to the fight song until Brad and I got married. Now I know it better than he does. This version is from a radio show in Arkansas that we used to listen to all the time. It's one of the characters from the morning show. Shirley Q. Liquor...

New Blogger

Dear Blogger Readers/Posters/Friends..

Have any of you changed to the new and "improved" Blogger where you sign in with Google?
If so how do you like it?

I am curious as to how much better it is than what we have now...

Because...as it says "you can't go back to the old style" if you switch

Changing things Up

I am trying to do some new things with the blog. I've added a list of the books I am reading. I've also added what we are watching on Netflix at the moment. I'm trying to put a new image up, but am having a little trouble....I think I had problems doing this when I first started. I bet I can get it right....

In Between Days

Continuing from "Two Lives":


So...there I was: 30 years old and divorced. Not what I had planned for my life at all. "The Plan" was to be married, two children, nice home, nice job, etc...by 28 years of age. Obviously, I had to come up with a new plan.

The new plan: not to have a plan! I decided to just date and be free and have some fun. It was extremely hard at first. Everytime I went out I would feel guilty....like I was cheating. I had a hard time dealing with the fact that I wasn't committed to one person anymore.

Dating in your 30's is weird. I dated younger guys, older guys, and guys my same age. Only one of them wanted to just date and have some fun without getting all mired in seriousness. I had just gotten out of a totally serious relationship. I wasn't looking for that again. For some reason everyone I dated wanted to get married. I've thought about it alot. What was the deal? I thought guys were supposed to be the ones who DIDN'T want committment...

I think part of the problem was that everyone I dated had never been married. They were looking for "the one", I was so far from being anyone's "one" there wasn't even a chance for them. I just wasn't in the same place they were and it was hard on them.

Now, I did really, really like a few of the guys I went out with. Maybe at another time things could have been different. I truly believe that every one of them, and everything I went through was leading me to when I would meet Brad. Preparing me to know when I had met the person who was right for me.

I did some very brave things while I was single. I had to prove to myself that I COULD function again on my own. I took two massive road trips. Once I drove all the way to Detroit and back, and once I drove to Chicago and back. I even drove through Chicago during rush hour traffic. I was so proud of myself....but I still had to have my friend come out and parallel park my car for me when I got the their house....

I made some stupid mistakes, but I think we all do... like I said..I had to go through some things to get me to the point where I would know that Brad was the right person for me. I got my own apartment...lived on my own for about a year..then had to get a roomie because I just couldn't afford the rent on my own.

I bought a Mustang. :) Very nice dark red, gray leather interior, black detailing, black drop top. Sooooooooo cool. I loved that car so much. My dad loved it too. He went with me when I bought it. The first time I looked out the dealership window and saw my liscense plate on the back of it I about passed out. I know that sounds silly, but I had always always wanted a red Mustang covertible. It was my dream car....and I had it!

I spent A LOT of time on the computer. Probably too much time, but it had been my escape while I was having my marriage problems and I still went there for my social outlet. There isn't much to do where I was living. I was so not into the club scene anymore and I knew everyone my age where I lived. I dated quite a few guys I met online. It could be scary but you just have to be careful.

I watched t.v. again, movies again, I even worked part time at a video/book store. That was fun, but they were dicks about being sick. I had strep throat, 103 fever, and they told me I had to come in to work. Nice huh? I quit instead. I did alot of reading...a lot of soul searching.

What was I looking for? What did I need to change about myself? Did I want to even get married again? I really thought during that time, I was going to be an old maid. I was going to be the creepy old teacher who lived in the haunted looking house. The crazy woman who had 100's of cats running around and chased little kids off her lawn. I had given up the thought of having any children. I wasn't too happy about it, but I had come to peace with the idea.

It was a fun time, discovering myself again. It was a hard time, dealing with the financial burdens of being single again, the emotional baggage, the whole dating scene at 30. It was definitely a learning time for me.

Arkansas Trip

I spent last week in Arkansas with my family. It was the best trip! We were going to fly down there on the 28th, but the airplane was in the shop. So....we took our first big road trip with the girls. They did so well, I was proud of them. It's not easy for a two year old and a one year old to sit that long in a car seat. We drove from Ohio to just outside Bowling Green, Kentucky on Thursday. Spent the night in a motel somewhere in Kentucky. That was interesting.

We got a double room (could you imagine two adults and two babies in one big bed?) Brad slept in one bed with Kenzie....I attempted to sleep in the other bed with Lyanna. She was so wired it was impossible. She thought the room was the coolest thing ever. All that girl wanted to do was wander around the room and check out everything. It was all I could do to keep her in the bed. She finally went to sleep, but woke us all up around 5 am. We got a nice early start on Friday morning thanks to our little alarm clock.

Drove the rest of the way to Arkansas on Friday. Pulled in my parent's driveway at 2:30 in the afternoon. They were so happy to see us and I was so happy to be there. With my anxiety levels dropping, it seems so ridiculous that I was so freaked out about going home for so long. I'm glad I waited til I was healthier mentally, it made for a much nicer visit Im sure.

Brad went up to Fayetteville for the ballgame *Woooooooo Pig Sooooooie!* then drove back to Ohio on Sunday. Poor thing he was wiped out by the time he got back.

My dad had taken Tuesday and Thursday off from work so we could all go out together and do things. On Tuesday we went to the "Pumpking Patch". We took my 5 year old nephew with us. The he and the girls had a GREAT time. They played in the hay, talked to all the animals, and just ran and ran and ran around in the fresh air outside.

On Thursday we went to Little Rock and went shopping. It was nice to go shopping there again. I just love that mall. I don't know what's so special about it. I've just always loved it since I was a little kid.

We also took all the nieces and nephews to a Halloween Carnival. Lyanna won "Cutest Costume". I'll have pictures of them in their costumes later on.

Brad flew down on Sunday and we all flew home Monday morning. The girls did very well on the flight back too. They are good little travelers! (must be the Arkansan in them)

Overall it was a wonderful trip home. The visit was very calm because it wasn't over a major holiday. There wasn't an overwhelming group of people there and my mom was able to play with girls a lot and get in her "grandma" time.

I am really looking forward to Christmas and seeing everyone again.

*I hate the photo upload thing...I had more pics to put up but they won't load*

I am Back!

Hello all! I am back from a much needed week long vacation in Arkansas. I hope my absence didn't freak anyone out. I know when someone in my online group of friends/bloggers drops off the face of the earth for more than a few days I get worried.

I am slowly getting back in my routine and will write more on the "two lives" and my vacation home.

Two Lives

I said I would elaborate on my "two lives". I really do feel like I have had two lives, the life I had when I was with my first husband, and the life I have now with Brad. *Sorry Bernie, I don't think I have any pictures of me with pink hair*

When I met my first husband, Jim, I was in my early 20's. I hadn't finished school and did not have a clue what I really wanted to do with my life. We dated for about a year and 1/2. What we really wanted to do was just move in together. My parents freaked out when we talked to them about it...so he and I discussed it and we decided to just go ahead and get married. We loved each other...so, it seemed like the thing to do. I was 24 and he was 22. We had a huge church wedding with all the bridesmaids and groomsmen and the boofy dress and cake and pictures and stuff. It was absolutely beautiful. The reception was very toned down....in the church fellowship hall, with punch and cake and cookies... no booze in my family!! (said in a gruff trying to be funny voice).

Should we have gotten married, in hindsight...no freaking way. Am I glad that we did, yes I am. I learned so much from that time in my life. He and I were such good friends. We had a blast together. We went to all kinds of movies, we read comic books, played video games, played card games, went thrift store shopping, cooked, watched t.v. shows together...we just enjoyed doing alot of the same things and doing those things together made them even more fun.

I was so outgoing when we met. I had a huge group of friends and was quite the clubbing, party woman. He was not a big socializer and so I became isolated from my friends and lost most of them. As a result, I became more dependant on him for my "fun".

It's easy to remember the bad things that happened in the marriage, but I really really try to think about good things. He was probably the most intelligent person I will ever know. He probably is up there in the genious level. I think that's why he had such a hard time figuring out what he wanted to do with himself. He had so many options available to him, he just couldn't pick one, so instead he did nothing.

We also had three amazing retrievers. I loved those dogs like they were my children. Chapal, Cayenne, and Cosmo...those of you who are familiar with comics should know the name Chapal. It was taken from Spawn. Cayenne is just what you think: pepper. Cosmo was from Seinfeld. One of the shows we watched religiously. I am not even going to go into detail about what happened to them. It upsets me way to much and is too depressing.

I was in nursing school when we met, during our 7 years together, I quit nursing school, went back to college and graduated with my BA in English. He also graduated with his degree in history. We were homeless for about two months the 4th year of our marriage. We had been renting a house and the landlord sold it out from under us without telling us...we had to move out and couldn't find a new place in time. I lived with my brother and he stayed with friends..it was really weird at the time and it was over Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday. We bought a house together and went to Florida on vacation with his family. I loved his family as much a my own. One of his sisters even lived with us for awhile. We were poor, but it was okay. We were living the lives of young people free to do whatever they wanted, no kids, going to school. It really was a lot of fun, even being poor.

As we got older our ideas of what we wanted out of life began to change. I wanted to teach school and was working very hard at getting my certification. He decided that he wanted to make more money and took a job that put him on the road most of the year. I think in a 6 month period I saw him 4 times. I wanted stability, a nice home, a family, a "real" job. He decided that wasn't important to him. One of the things I remember him saying was "how could anyone get any kind of satisfaction/gratification from teaching?" He wanted to be mobile, able to travel whenever the urge hit him. The idea of settling down in one place and having kids wasn't what he wanted anymore. He didn't like what I was becoming and I really didn't like what he was becoming either. We just didn't fit anymore...and because of all this and more, we ended up getting divorced. It was very sad, and emotionally difficult. There wasn't any fighting or cheating or any nastiness like that. It went very quickly.

I had lost my best friend, and the person who I had thought was going to be my partner forever... The things I had loved to do so much now became dull and painful for me. I quit watching television, I quit going to movies. I gave up my comic book reading, and sold my cards. I didn't go thrift shopping and wear funky clothes anymore, and I quit doing fun things with my hair. Maybe it was because of the divorce and the loss, but maybe part of it was because I was finally growing up.

*I will continue this....*

I was reading some of the other blogs I have in my list and they got me to thinking...the one that really got to me was Bernie. I think there were about 3 different posts that I hadn't read before that were all dealing with the past and just life in general. How we meet people randomly, how different things affect us long term..etc.

I feel like I have had two lives. The one before I met Brad and the one since. I'm going to answer the meme that several of my blogger buddies have done and then I may elaborate more on the "two lives" thingy.

TEN Random Things You May Not Know About Me:
1. I was married before Brad for 6 years.
2. I can play the french horn.
3. I was almost an RN. I had one semester of school left but dropped out to go back to college and get my English degree
4. My two younger brothers are identical twins.
5. I am a fount of useless trivia type knowledge.
6. I have played English Handbells since I was 9 years old
7. I was a goth type girl in college..but that was before everyone called it goth..most people just called us the weirdo/freaky people. When my first husband met me I had pink hair....
8. I have a large collection of comic books...from the early 90's. Mostly Marvel titles. My ex ripped off a lot of my rare comics when we divided our stuff up
9. I can not do math...of any kind. Seriously..I have to double check addition, and I couldn't tell time on a regular clock until I was around 16.
10. According to my friends here in Ohio, I have an awesome southern accent.

NINE Places I've Visited:
1. Merida, Mexico
2. Tampa, Florida
3. New York City
4. Gettysburg, PA
5. Mobile, AL
6. Reno, NV
7. Cancun
8. Washington, D.C.
9. Hot Springs, AR

EIGHT Ways to Win My Heart:
1. Really listen to me
2. Be open and honest
3. Bring me Flowers, yes that does work.
4. Laugh with me
5. Take pride in yourself, but don't be cocky
6. Love children
7. Surprise me sometimes
8. Educate yourself, and love God

SEVEN Things I Want to Do Before I Die:
1. Go to Greece
2. Publish something that I have written
3. Be a Grandma
4. Learn to snow ski
5. Be a good teacher
6. Learn to drive a stick..I know I know...
7. Teach my girls to be strong, intelligent, loving, successful women.

SIX Things I'm Afraid Of:
1. Something bad happening to my girls
2. How I will react when the first really close family member dies. I have been very lucky that the only close person I have lost in my life is my dad's mom. Unfortunately she and I lived across the country from each other and our relationship wasn't as close as it could have been.
3. Failure of any kind
4. Anthing that flies and has a stinger
5. Closed in spaces
6. Suffocation

FIVE Things I Don't Like:
1. Overly Loud people who try to be the center of attention
2. Strawberry ice cream or cake...UGH!!
3. Cleaning chemicals on my hands..it freaks me out
4. Most Country Music
5. Folding Laundry

FOUR Ways to Turn Me Off:
1. Be an ass in front of my family
2. Ignore my feelings
3. Lie
4. Be too dependent

THREE Things I Do Every Day:
1. Make my bed
2. Read
3. Wash my hands

TWO Things that Make Me Happy:
1. Laughing with my girls
2. The smell of Fall

ONE Thing On My Mind Right Now:
1. My upcoming visit home in two weeks. I want to have a good visit with my family but am a little aprehensive because the past few times with the family have been stressful for me...stupid anxiety...

Sparkly!

Scroll images by bigoo.ws

Just messing around with some stuff I found. I like the sparkly letters, but all the blinky thingies kind of get to me after a while.

Kids Can be Just so Darn Cute

I have to talk about my oldest daughter today. She just did some things recently that were just so cute! At least to me...

She has just rediscovered Elmo. She really loved watching Elmo when she was a year old and then just kind of fazed out on him. Now she is asking to watch her Elmo videos again and last night she went and picked out her Elmo doll to take to bed.

As she was walking to the stairs she passed the hall table where I have two bud vases full of roses from our garden. She put Elmo up to the flowers so he could smell them. "There Elmo, smells good", she said and then proceded to climb up the stairs to her room. It was one of the cutest things I've seen her do in a long time. I guess you would just have had to have seen it for yourself.

Tonight we took them both to Wally World to get new shoes. They have outgrown their sneakers and needed new ones. After shopping we went to Ci Ci's to eat and then to the pet store. Kenzie loves to look at all the animals. She likes all of them: fish, snakes, tarantulas, lizards, puppies, mice, rabbits, birds. She runs from one cage to another saying hello to each animal. Brad asked to see the Basset Hound that was there and got in the little booth with Kenzie to play with the puppy. She LOVED that dog. She kept saying "Hi, little guy! Hi little guy!" She was giggling and loving on the puppy. When we left she cried her little heart out because "Little Guy" wasn't coming home with us.

I know she misses the cats being in the house. She used to love on Helen and Randall. She would bury her face in them and lay on them. I know they miss being inside with her as well. Allergies just suck. Poor little Lyanna.

Oh something else Kenzie has started doing..she calls Brad. Daddy Brad or just Brad. It's pretty funny, but it's driving him crazy. Hee hee!

New addition to my blog: My Netflix list of the moment and Books I am currently reading. I tend to go back and read things I've read before *usually a long time ago* so some of them you may go "huh?" but that's okay. I have accepted that I'm kinda weird, specially when it comes to what I like to read.

I just finished reading the 4th book of the Theives World Series, a set of books I read when I was in Jr. High. I have to admit it's a lot different reading it now. I am now finishing a period romance by Anya Seton. I don't usually read romance novels but I really like Anya Seton. If you like medieval settings and drama I HIGHLY recommend the novel Green Darkness. I LOVE that story. I think I've read it four or five times. It is rather long and takes a while to get through. Very good love story and I never knew the author was a romance novelist until a few years ago. I thought she was just a period writer. I was suprised to say the least.

Anyway....I am currently reading The Sword and the Mistletoe, The Eye's of the Dragon, The DNA of Relationships, and The Bathtub's Overflowing, So Why Do I Feel Drained. I know, I can't just read one book at a time....I get bored.

Sunday Night, I'm Gonna Beat my Husband's Ass, Football

I play my husband's team today in my money Fantasy League. It has gotten down to our two secondary running backs. I am winning by one point. It has been back and forth all night. It gets a little tense around here when we play each other. I think it's fun. Specially when I win. Nothing's finished yet...I'll let you know. * I really do think I'm gonna beat his ass though*

My mother-in-law and I went shopping on Friday. I had a babysitter for the day so we took a girl's day out. It was nice, I made myself buy a new outfit and I wore it today and got lots of nice compliments. I have to make myself buy things for myself sometimes. I just find it easier to buy things for everyone but myself.

We were discussing my post partem problems and how women seem to be more prone to having nervous/panic/post partem problems. She had a theory as to why that happens. What if that is one of nature's ways of making sure the mother stays close to the home and takes care of her children/family? It makes sense. Your body chemistry is just supposed to work that way. I think she's on to something there.

Because I haven't had any amazing thoughts lately, I am going to leave you with a poem today. This poem is dedicated to my friend Leahe. Many years ago in my past life *my first marriage* I went to visit her in Asheville. I had a lovely time and we went on an awesome hike in the mountains. This is the poem I wrote when I arrived back home. She just now bought her first computer and sent me an email today. I'm so proud of her joining the cyberspace world! So here is your poem Leahe, I love you!!

North Carolina Afternoon

Through the rhododendron
like a cave of green
Spots of light are dancing, fleeting,
Sparkling in the rocks from marcasite
Sky and lush covered mountains
kissed by clouds
Warm breezes
Smell of damp, rich , earth,
green and clean and fresh.
Buzzing of the bees
around blue and white stars
Peeking out the underbrush
Moss covered bark
and a huge patch of blueberries
I could stay here forever.

Monday Night Ain't Nobody Scoring Football

I'm sitting here watching Monday Night Football. This game is going NOWHERE! I can't believe it's 3-0. One good thing: I am kicking much ass in both my fantasy leagues. I am currently the high scorer this week in my "serious" league and second high score in my "funzie" league. I love when I win twice. I also got my new jersey today. Every year my husband and I have played we get the jersey of one of our players. I have L.T., Culpepper, *didn't get one last year for some reason*, and Chris Cooley this year. Chris is not my main man on my team but he's the first Redskin I have had on one of my teams and I have always been a Redskin fan. I got that from my dad. Anyway, I did the happy dance when we came home from eating out and the UPS box was leaning up against the door with my new jersey....my husband loves me. He thinks it's awesome that his wife loves football as much as he does.

We are doing better with the whole allergy thing. The cats are still outside and they hate it, but they are getting used to sleeping in the garage. We went and got a second opinion on the whole asthma thing. The second doc agreed with the first BUT she is open to more options in treatment and I like that. Instead of getting a nebulizer and a small fortune in drugs, we are trying Singulair..or however it's spelled. Zyrtec at night and we now carry the epipen with us wherever we go. It is scary to think that something your child might eat could potentially be fatal, but there are things that could be worse.

We had an really great weekend. Sunday there was a huge airshow at the airport where we have our plane. We went out to the hanger and set up the baby gate for the girls and pulled the plane out of the hanger for the show. Had some of our friends to come out and cooked out on the grill and hung out and watched the crazy pilots do their flips and turns and loop de loops. I don't know how they do it. I thought I might puke just watching them. It was a beautiful day, but kind of hot. The girls had a great time just playing. I think we are going to make it a yearly event.

Not much else going on around here...I might just have to write a story or something....

Oh and I signed up for Netflix tonight....

Here are two new pics of the girls:

For my Brothers

I am going to get to my brothers...hang with me.

Today is a day that will always be a day of remembrance for me. A day to look back on the past and take a moment to honor those who gave their lives. It doesn't matter if they were passengers on a plane, civilians in a building, or the brave men and women who were Emergency Responders. They all deserve to be remembered. I also want to honor the men and women of our armed forces who are willing to lay their lives on the line to support our rights to live in a free country, hopefully one day without fear of being attacked for those beliefs.

Where was I on September 11, 2001? I was in Arkansas. I was at home instead of at school because I was sick. One of my friends called me and told me to turn on the television.

I wasn't anywhere close to what was happening, I didn't know anyone who was in the towers or the Pentagon. I was "safe" in my own home. It didn't matter, I was shocked, scared, and left with a feeling of disconnection.

Five years later I still feel shocked that anything like the attacks that day could have happened. I still feel scared that something like that could happen again.

I am so lucky to come from a family that believes in service. My brothers and I were always taught to help others when you can. We all took that to heart in deciding our professions.

I became a teacher, not very glamourous or dangerous...although there are times when it seemed dangerous.

I'm proud to say that one of my brothers is a firefighter and my other brother is an Officer in the Army National Guard.

I am so proud of both of them. The youngest has served in Iraq, and helped in the Katrina Relief Effort immediately after the storm.

The oldest brother has fought many fires in our hometown, some of the fierce and dangerous.

They are my heroes. They are brave, strong, loving, caring men.

I love you guys!!! I couldn't have asked God to give me two greater brothers.

1st Official Football Sunday 2006!

The Good with the Bad

The past two days have been a mix of highs and lows. My parents were here on Tuesday from Arkansas. They had been up in New Jersey visiting my step-granpa. They were only here for the one day before they had to leave. Wednesday morning was tough on me. It affects me very deeply whenever they leave. I am extremely sad because I miss them so much and I know that the girls and my parents are missing out on so much by not being around each other more.

So...I was deep in the blues Wednesday morning. On top of the blues I am fighting a nasty UTI. The medicine I take for it is pretty strong and I feel naseous and icky because of the whole thing.

Brad called me that morning after my parents left and had an idea...why don't we take the plane and go to Colombus for dinner for Indian food. I hadn't been up in the new plane yet so I was apprehensive about it, but I knew I had to do it sometime so I said "okay". His Dad and step-mom agreed to keep the girls overnight so we could go.

Took the girls over to their house around four, got up and off the ground around 4:30. It was a beautiful day for flying. I had a pretty good time. The ride was smooth and the area is so beautiful. It was a short flight, only about 40 minutes.

We took a cab to the Indian Oven. Dinner was sooooo good, and we even ordered some food to go. Got back to the plane around 7:00 and we were back at home by 9:00. Very romantic evening. My blue day was made rosy. I had a wonderful time and I'm ready to fly again!

Today ended up being a crappy day. Unfortunately it is also Brad's birthday..I'm going to pretend his birthday was yesterday...we did a much better job of celebrating things yesterday.

Today I took Lyanna to the allergist. She is allergic to cats, eggs, and peanuts. AND..the doc wants us to treat her for asthma. We are at a loss and are feeling very overwhelmed by it all.

From what the doc said and from what we have been able to read in a short time, we have to get rid of one of our cats and the other two will become strictly outside critters. My oldest cat Helen would never be happy living outside so she is going to have to find a new home. It's heartbreaking for me and Brad. I have had Helen for over 13 years. I love her so much..but I love my daughter even more. I want them both to live happy healthy lives, even if Helen's isn't much longer.

We are going to have to do some things with the house as well...some of the carpeting is going to have to go, and I don't even want to think what the next trip to the grocery store is going to be like. The doc said NO EXPOSURE whatsoever to those three things...

Things are going to get interesting around here....

So Fitting....

I snagged this quiz off Dinergirls blog. How appropriate for me. I LOVE IT!!

'What will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com

What did he say?

I was watching the Fox News the other morning and one of the anchors said something that caught my attention. I know what you are thinking.... it is sort of funny.... wasn't I paying attention in the first place? Yes, but the story wasn't what stuck out to me at the time... it was just the usual talk about Iraq and what we are doing and why we are doing over there.

BUT.... the anchor said: "......in a thumbnail...". Instead of "in a nutshell" he said "in a thumbnail". The interviewee didn't skip a beat, he knew exactly what was meant and answered appropriately. When did that little phrase come into being? Has it been around for awhile and I've been oblivious, or did the guy make it up?

It works... a thumbnail can substitute for a nutshell in that particular phrase....but why? What's wrong with saying "in a nutshell"?

I don't know why this intrigues me so much...I guess I just think it's very interesting how computer lingo creeps into our every day vocabulary. More and more it is used in ways not related to computers.

Another phrase I thought about this past week is "still pause". As in: "I need to go to the bathroom, still pause the movie til I get back."

Yes, I used to say that. Now I have cut it down to just "pause". Why did people say still pause before though? It was rather redundant. I don't know why I thought about it...but it cracks me up thinking about it. I'm weird I know...

Remembering

There are a lot of news shows right now showing Katrina Damaged areas 1 year later. I believe it is a good thing to bring people's attention back to that area and the people there. So much still needs to be done there, people still need help.

Another great event happened over that weekend last year. My daughter Lyanna Cole was born. It is good to think of both because during times of great turmoil and sadness, miracles and wonders do occur.

One year before my daughter Kenzie Claire had been born.

We celebrated their 1 year and 2 year birthdays on Saturday. In honor of their days I am going to tell the stories of their births. It may get a little long, but I want to put it here in honor of them.

Kenzie Claire Smith: August 27, 2004: 7lbs 10oz: 20 1/2 inches

I was beginning to have problems with my blood pressure right around my due date (Aug. 30). Due to these problems I had been on bedrest for about a week. Your doctor, Dr. Cabaniss, decided that it would be better for you if we went ahead and induced my labor.

I was admitted to the hospital on Thursday the 26th of August. They settled me into a birthing room, got my I.V. started and gave me a drug to help get things moving along. It was a long restless night for Brad and I. Poor Brad had only a small love seat to lay down on and I was just excited and restless about your arrival.

Early on Friday morning the nurses started me on the drugs to get the labor going full swing. Not much happened for a LONG time. We sat around and visited with your NaNa, Pop, Granpa, and Grandma. We watched "Finding Nemo" and "Starsky and Hutch'. I was given some kind of funky drugs that made me sleepy and loopy, I didn't like that very much so when they wore off I was very happy! The nurses gave me yummy popsickles and things were going okay.

I guess around 3 pm or so I began to have strong contractions. Brad and I wanted to do things as natural as possible. I wanted to try not to get an epidural so we were doing our breathing exercises. It was going really really well. I had my death grip on the bed and Brad's hand. He was counting with me and trying not to think of how much blood I had squeezed out of his hand when...things got kind of weird.

You decided to make things interesting and flipped right side up again, putting pressure on my diaphragm to where I couldn't catch a breath anymore...considering that was how I was keeping from totally losing it, not being able to breathe was a bad thing. Your blood pressure dropped and buzzers and lights and all kinds of alarms started going off. Nurses ran in and started checking all kinds of things....they made me turn over on the bed and get on all fours. It helped the pain some, but not much....it was supposed to help you flip back in the head down position because you were definitely on your way out.

The doctor said it was time for an epidural that because I was in so much pain and I needed to be able to rest, she recommended that I get one...so after about an eternity....the anethitist came in and gave me one. After that, and some oxygen, I was able to rest.

The next thing I knew it was time to start pushing... The craziness from before had really put a toll on me and I was more tired than I knew. I pushed and pushed and pushed, probably for about 45 minutes. Doc C had to get the vacuum thingy out to help.

You were finally born at 6:22 pm. The nurse lay you on my chest and Brad cut your umbilical cord. It was very a very stressful birth on you and me. You were turned head down, but you were facing the wrong way. Your little chest and face were bruised and you still weren't breathing all that well. They wisked you away to the nursery and put you under an oxygen tent for a few hours. After a few hours you were fine.

I wasn't doing too well either. It seems during the birth something caused me to start bleeding and I lost too much blood. When the nurses came back in to check on me I fainted. It was scary for a few days. I had to have 2 pints of blood and they kept me at the hospital for almost a week. Finally they deemed me well enough to go home and Brad brought us home.

I really don't have a very good memory of what happened during the actual birth and afterwards for about a month because I was so weak. You are going to have to ask your Daddy about it more.

That is the story of Kenzie's birth day. It was scary, exciting, and a miracle!

Lyanna Cole: August 26, 2005: 8lbs 11oz : 20 1/2 inches

Your Nana and Pop were here from Arkansas for your birth. Doctor Cabaniss thought for sure you were going to be here early...but you were still a no show and the grandparents were going to have to leave. I was not real happy about that, because your sister's birth had been so scary.

Unlike the first birth my body was already starting to get ready. I was dialated and soft *things you will learn about one day when you have a baby*. Brad and I went to see Doctor C one last time. She told us that she didn't think it would take much to put me in labor this time, so we said okay, lets induce again.

I went into the hospital at 6am on Friday, August 26. The nurses did all my paperwork, hooked up my I.V. and gave me a small dose of pitocin to get me going. That one small dose was all it took and we were going!

Once again Brad and I were trying to go as natural as possible. I didn't take any other drugs this time. We put our breathing exercises into practice and we did a great job! Your daddy is a very good coach. I did opt for the epidural this time. So, when my contractions were strong and steady, they gave me one.

Nana, Pop, Brad and I watched the morning shows, The Price is Right and we started watching the noon news when I started to have very strong contractions again and I NEEDED to push.

I told Brad it was time to push! He was so funny, he said "you can't push yet, there's nobody in here." My response to him was: "well then you better go and get them because it's TIME!"

He moved real fast then! Nana and Pop left, the two nurses came in and started getting the room ready for you. I kept telling them I needed to push and they told me to just do it. So I pushed all by myself this time. I was kind of worried because the doctor wasn't there yet and I knew you were coming.

Doc showed up and I pushed a couple more times and out you came! I pushed a total of 12 times with you...about 15 minutes total!! You were born at 12:47pm. You were loud and healthy! No problems this time at all. The nurses lay you on my chest and Brad cut your umbilical cord. I got to hold you and cuddle you before the nurses did all their stuff with you. They gave you right back to me and I got to nurse you right away.

Granpa and Grandma showed up shortly after with Kenzie. She was so happy to see you and gave you a big hug. It was an awesome, exhilerating experience.

That is the story of Lyanna's birth. I hope you enjoyed reading about both the girl's birth days. I thank God everyday for bringing them into my life. I can't imagine what it would be like without them. They are a joy and a wonder. I love you both more than you can ever know!

Biological Warfare

My goodness, it has been a rough few days. Thursday afternoon I began feeling naseous. No biggie, I thought, just a typical stomach ache. I've been having tummy troubles ever since I was about 5. I'm used to them. This time that was not the case. It got worse and worse. I lay down on the couch in the living room and prayed that Brad would be home soon so he could watch the girls. It was all I could do to get up and change them, the poor things.

He made it home and all hell broke lose. I got so sick, puking more in one night than I have in probably twenty years. Then Lyanna began to puke too. Brad was trying to get Kenzie bathed and in bed, I was trying to rock Lyanna and soothe her, but it is hard to soothe someone when you are just as sick as they are.

Lyanna and I ended up laying in our bed on top of three different blankets with Brad to watch over us. It was horrible. Of course Brad got whatever it was the next day.

Luckily it was only a 12 hour bug....but my goodness it drained your whole body of all your energy. Ugh!! Luckily Kenzie never had the puking....

We are so glad that it has run it's course through the family and we hope and pray that whatever kind of bug it was never comes back.

As Brad said, that's the kind of thing that could be used for biological warfare.......it would just totally debilitate a large group of people in close daily contact with each other. Nasty nasty bug!

I would't wish that on anyone.

Oh my my, Oh hell yes...

Yay!!! I have the video up and I found another one someone else at the same concert made as well. If you like Tom, here ya go!

Click on this first photo to see a 1 minute clip of Tom shaking his maracas.

Click on this second photo for a 5 minute clip of Tom singing Refugee.