3rd one

I have been sitting here reading my old blog and I can't believe I am coming up on my 3rd Christmas without my Mamaw. Some days it feels like she's been gone way longer than that and still some days it feels like yesterday. This time of the year is really hard b/c it was our favorite holiday. We both LOVED Christmas so much! I haven't been able to bring down her singing Santa from the attic or play the snowman she loved so much. The snowman sits on my bar year round but hearing "Rocking around the Christmas Tree" is too much! It really sucks b/c the kids love that Santa and snowman!! Maybe next year Santa can come down to visit again.

Maybe it would be easier if my family was still close. I remember every Christmas morning I would wake up and see what Santa brought me and open my gifts. After I was done my grandparents would start cooking for everybody to come over and eat. I would play with all my stuff waiting for my cousins, aunts, and uncles to get there. I miss those days. We don't get together anymore... haven't since Mamaw went into the nursing home. My kids don't know what a "big" family is like. Their were 9 grandkids there every Christmas morning when I was little. They only really know 2 of their cousins... when they have 14 more. :( I don't understand how a family that was once so close can just drift apart and be OK with it. I now know she was the glue that held us all together and since she's gone we fell apart. Why does being an adult have to be so hard?

Yes once again I have gone and dropped off the face of the earth. Sorry for that. I just can't think of much to say.

I have been working alot. I am using most of that money for Christmas. I have a big dent in that already but I'm finding it super hard to figure what to get my 13 year old son. Any ideas?

Halloween weekend we (the kids, my younger sil and I) went to my older sil's house. We went up Friday night and then the sil's and I took Lauren and Abby (niece) trick or treating and sil's hubby took Hunter and Cody (nephew) to some haunted houses. Once we all got back to the house we loaded up and drove home.

Last Friday my mil, younger sil and I went to my older sil's house for a girls sleepover. Sat. morning we got up early and drove to Branson for the day. We hit the outlet malls and the Branson Landing (very cool) and then drove back to sil's house and stayed another night. I had a blast but not sure if I will go to Branson at this time of the year again... CROWDED is all I will say!!

Tomorrow my mil and younger sil are going to drive up to Little Rock and hit a few stores. Sil is wanting to eat at Olive Garden.. yummy!! :)

I am wanting to make a trip to Monroe before Christmas but I am thinking I will wait till after Black Friday. Yes I plan to be out like a crazy person that morning lol!

Next Friday night I will be with 2 of my besties at The Zac Brown Band concert! We weren't going to go but I WON tickets so Mary bought another ticket so we could all go. :) I am so looking forward to going... we have a ton of fun together!!

Well I need to run and check out a few things and then get the kids toward to bed. I will try not to be gone so long this time.

a little bit of everything

The kids and I went to Little Rock Wed. to shop for school clothes, shoes and a backpack. Hunter got a few pairs of jeans and some shirts to go with them. Both of them got a pair of shoes. Lauren found her a backpack. She had already found a lunch box BUT the backpack she got has a matching one that hooks to the backpack so I think I am going to order her one as a surprise.

We also went to the Little Rock Zoo while we were running around. I have pictures but blogger and/or my computer is acting out so I will have to post them tomorrow!

Tomorrow we are heading to the pool. It's been almost a month since our last visit. Hunter had his wreak and was scared to swim with the road rash and then Lauren got an ear infection so now that they are both healed we are going.

Sat. is the annual golf tournament for my 2 cousins that passed away. I would LOVE to go but it's over 5 hours away now and it's not looking like we won't be making it. :( It got moved last year so we didn't make it then either.

Well it's after 1:30 am and the kids are going to be ready to go to the pool as soon as it opens so I need to run. Night!

100th post

I have been dreading writing this 100th post b/c nothing is really happening around here but here it goes.

Lauren and Hunter are both out of school and fighting like cats and dogs most of the time. I am grateful for them having their own bedrooms. I did see on another blog something I really need to try... she is making her kids hug for five minutes when they fight. That would kill mine.

The pool opened but the kids don't know that yet. The water is still so cold. I know they won't care and I don't plan to swim but I hate to start going so early b/c then they get tried of going. Come August the pools the only place to be here in Arkansas and even then it feels like your swimming in a warm bathtub.

We had talked about taking a vacation this summer but hubby doesn't have any vacation time left and since he's working as a conductor and not an engineer the moneys not as good. We decided to wait till next spring and try to do something big. We are going to do somethings close by throughout the summer. My sil, her kids, my kids and I are going to Wild River Country one day this month. We are aiming for the week of Hunter's birthday.

We are waiting for report cards... they aren't going to be mailed till the 5th. Hunter goofed off the 1st semester and worked his butt off the last nine weeks so we don't know if he made it out of 7th or not. He made 2 100's on his semester tests so we know he can do it... it's his want to that bites!

Lauren was on the Honor Roll all year. Hunter says it's easier in the 2nd grade but even back then he didn't give it his all. I hope that she will always love school b/c it sure makes things better. Hunter HATES it and it makes the school year hellish!

Jenny got a picture of Nate standing up outside the hospital last week. How awesome is that! What a wonderful God!!

I also can't believe it's been 2 years almost since this...http://brandyb.wordpress.com/2007/06/11/shes-gone/

Well I am going to run outside and play with the kids. See you later.

26 more days till summer!!

This weekend has been a little busy for us. Friday after school the kids and I left for Conway. My nephew's birthday party was Sat. and we always go the night before and stay. Friday night we took the kids roller skating. I did leave my sil with the kids for a hour so I could run to Kohl's and look for a shirt to wear to the Kenny concert. I found a shirt and a pair of black Sketchers on sale for $18.00. After I got back to the skating rink I let my sil and 4 year old niece go home. My baby girl LOVES to skate so I decided to stay and let her do that. Around 10 my nephew fell so I decided that was a great time to head out. Once we got to the house I needed to go to Wal-Mart so her and I left the kids with her hubby and we headed to Wally's. We got what we needed and went back to her house and finally the kids, her and I went to bed around 2 am. Sat. morning we got up, ate donuts, got ready for the party and waited for everyone to get there. After it was over the kids and I headed back home. We pulled into our driveway at 7:00. Of course I am to anal so I had to unpack, wash clothes, run the vacuum, clean the bathroom and get the kids in bed before I could sit down and relax. I got into bed around 11:30 last night. We all slept in this morning.

This afternoon the kids, hubby and I went over to my mom's house for a fish fry. My uncle and his youngest daughter came in from Kansas for a few days. So my other uncle, his wife and kids, my aunt, her hubby and kids, my Mamaw B and us were all together and we had a great time visiting and eating. My aunt took some pictures of my family so I am going to post one. We weren't really dressed for pictures but oh well. Enjoy!

Out with the old and in with the new...

I can't believe it's 2009 already! The kids, Lady and I went to visit with my sil and her family for the last few days. We all were up last night and got to watch the ball drop together. We (sil and I) played way to much Wii. We are both VERY sore from 2 days and nights of bowling and tennis lol. I have either pulled something or have major heartburn going on... I am thinking it's something pulled as I am getting other aches.

I am thinking this was the Christmas for the Wii for my family and a few other families we know. We have been having a blast Wii'ing here at the house. Our mii's were fun to make and are so cute. The girl had to have eye makeup on her mii. They are both saving their money for Wii games. I am happy with the bowling myself lol. The girl wants Sing it so I am sure that will be fun too. The boy is thinking wrestling for his game. Well the dryer stopped. Later!

I have a few

so I thought I would tell you all about the big shopping day. As soon as I dropped the kids off at school we headed out. I had a few stops in Little Rock I needed to make so we went to Academy for the things I needed in there. I also needed to run into the mall for an ornament with all of our names on it. (Dd was very upset when she was putting the tree together b/c we had an ornament with hubby, me and the boy on it dated 1996. She wanted to know why she wasn't on there. So now we have one with all 4 of us with 2008 on it.) After those stops we went on to Conway. We met up with my sil there and started our shop til you drop day. We hit Kohl's, Shoe Carnival, T J Maxx, Belk's, Target, Payless and then we decided to take a break and eat lunch. After eating at The Market Place we went back to shopping. We started at Best Buy, Home Depot, Kirkland's, Old Navy and ended the day at Hallmark. The best thing was after I got home and went to Cabalas.com to get 2 things for hubby I was D O N E!!!!! :)

Since the kids stayed at my mom's for the night I got everything wrapped and under the tree. Saturday morning the girl had a Christmas party at Church so I went and got her and took her to that. Today the kids, my mil and I got up and went to Church and then drove to Conway for my niece's 4th birthday party.

As soon as we left my sil's house the girl said she didn't feel so good. About 30 minutes later she was throwing up. She has been doing so every 30 minutes or so since. Looks like she will get a few days off from school... she has a dentist appointment Tuesday for some cavities and 2 teeth are going to be pulled. Fun days are ahead of me. ;) I need to run and check on her again. Till then.

Playlist

I am sure you have noticed I put a playlist here. The songs I put there each have a meaning and I would like to share them with you.

Rascal Flatts' Fast Cars and Freedom ~ Is the song hubby says reminds him of us.

Jamie O'Neal's Somebody's Hero ~ Is one that I see in my mind of my grandma and me.

Trace Adkins's Then They Do ~ Reminds me just how fast my kids are growing up.

Kelly Clarkson's Because of You ~ This one has parts from my childhood feelings.

Kenny Chesney's Where You Be Today ~ Is for my two cousins gone way to soon. Miss You Blake and Bradley!

Reba McEntire's You're Gonna Be ~ Is for both my kids!!

Billy Currington's Walk a Little Straighter ~ Parts of it for my parents.

Brad Paisley's Letter to Me ~ Has many things that hit home with me.

Brooks and Dunn's Proud of the House We Built ~ Of course that's me and hubby. We meet when I was 16.

Rodney Atkins' Cleaning This Gun ~ Will be hubby one day all to soon! ;)

Martina McBride's Blessed ~ Is how I feel about my life, most days.

Trace Adkins' Your Gonna Miss This ~ Would be for my 12 year old boy.

Kelly Pickler's I Wonder ~ Again my parents.

Rascal Flatts' Bless the Broken Road ~ Once again hubby and I.

Jimmy Wayne's I Love You This Much ~ Would be more about my dad but also my mom.

Billy Ray Cyrus's Ready, Set, Don't Go ~ The kids!

Joe Nichols' I'll Wait For You ~ For my one and only!!

I hope you enjoy them as much I as do.