Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Patchy
I love the Fall and all the activities that come with it. I usually try to cram in so many activities that by Halloween day we are all sick of costumes and candy. This year, however, I feel like we are just busier than ever. This morning I realized today was literally our last day to be able to even go to a pumpkin patch (since Jeremy will be out of town again tomorrow), so as soon as we were done with work we packed the girls in the car and got to the pumpkin patch an hour before they closed. It wasn't a huge place (actually, it was the same place Joey went on her field trip), but it was perfect for Lucy to run around hugging the pumpkins and chasing the girls through the hay maze. We bought one large pumpkin for $10, because I felt we should pay something for letting us hang out at their patch, and then headed to Aldi where we bought 6 more pumpkins of the same size for $9. Haha!
Monday, October 27, 2014
Field Trip
Today was Joey's first ever field trip. She got to go to the pumpkin patch and couldn't have been more excited about it! Jeremy was able to go along as a chaperone and take pictures.
He finally told them to just play and not hold hands. I can't blame the kid though. Joey is cute, super funny, and she likes princesses as much as she likes superheroes and digging in the dirt for bugs. What's not to like?!
The whole trip was exciting for her- getting to take the school bus, playing with friends all day, getting a pumpkin, and getting to have a picnic at the park! Plus, her school day was 2 hours longer than normal, so she thought was extra great, since she's always ticked with us when we come pick her up from school as she says she hasn't been there long enough.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Being Prepared
The past couple of weeks I have felt myself getting more and more anxious. It is a combination of things- I am on the cusp of the busiest time of year at work, the girls are getting busier and busier with school, we've been working on lots of house projects, etc. But mostly I think it has to do with Ebola, or rather being unprepared. We are being inundated by the news right now with stories about Ebola and every little detail of what is going on with the cases of Ebola here in the US. And now I am adding one more story to that.
I understand that the chances of contracting this virus are slim, however I am tired of people telling others to stop worrying about it and blaming the media for causing fear and panic. It is very easy for people in other states to sit back and say people are freaking out over nothing. That would be true if the CDC and other health officials had been able to keep Ebola out of the US, or at the very least contain it to patient zero. However, when there are now 2 nurses who have contracted the virus, and 70+ other health care workers, and hundreds of others who were exposed because one of the nurses flew on an airplane, I think there is some justification in the upset over this. These people live and work close to where I live. They potentially could have children that go to school with my kids, shop at the same grocery store I do, etc. People have every right to be concerned about being exposed to this. I am not in agreement that people should freak out to the extent that they are boarding up their houses, but they do have a right to be concerned, especially with the way this was handled.
Time and again in history we have seen disasters that have proved we are not ready for them. 9/11, Katrina, Ebola. (Obviously those are just a few I am naming because those are ones that have had a direct impact on me.) We have a personal responsibility to be prepared for disasters, but our government agencies have a responsibility as well. I think we have failed on every level with this and I for one am thankful for the public outcry and the media covering this as it forced everyone to stop and realize that things need to change. We can contain this, but everyone needs to come together and get a better plan in place, and I think that is happening now.
This has also forced us to look at ourselves and evaluate how prepared we are as a family. We fell very short of where we needed to be. So I got over my fears of canning and forced myself to learn. Why was I so scared? It is so easy! I even canned chicken! Our food storage is still not quite where it needs to be, but it's better than it was. And we are now working on getting water storage and first aid. This is all stuff we should have already been working on, but at least we are now getting our act together and will be prepared for whatever may come in the future.
It is true that "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear", and I think that all of this has helped us- the government, state and local health departments, and us individually and as families- realize we need to be better prepared.
(Check out the link below. Comforting, huh?)
http://us6.campaign-archive2.com/?u=9432bfb2c8acd4a5f9e05590b&id=0e7a5b121a&e=415d7c100a
I understand that the chances of contracting this virus are slim, however I am tired of people telling others to stop worrying about it and blaming the media for causing fear and panic. It is very easy for people in other states to sit back and say people are freaking out over nothing. That would be true if the CDC and other health officials had been able to keep Ebola out of the US, or at the very least contain it to patient zero. However, when there are now 2 nurses who have contracted the virus, and 70+ other health care workers, and hundreds of others who were exposed because one of the nurses flew on an airplane, I think there is some justification in the upset over this. These people live and work close to where I live. They potentially could have children that go to school with my kids, shop at the same grocery store I do, etc. People have every right to be concerned about being exposed to this. I am not in agreement that people should freak out to the extent that they are boarding up their houses, but they do have a right to be concerned, especially with the way this was handled.
Time and again in history we have seen disasters that have proved we are not ready for them. 9/11, Katrina, Ebola. (Obviously those are just a few I am naming because those are ones that have had a direct impact on me.) We have a personal responsibility to be prepared for disasters, but our government agencies have a responsibility as well. I think we have failed on every level with this and I for one am thankful for the public outcry and the media covering this as it forced everyone to stop and realize that things need to change. We can contain this, but everyone needs to come together and get a better plan in place, and I think that is happening now.
This has also forced us to look at ourselves and evaluate how prepared we are as a family. We fell very short of where we needed to be. So I got over my fears of canning and forced myself to learn. Why was I so scared? It is so easy! I even canned chicken! Our food storage is still not quite where it needs to be, but it's better than it was. And we are now working on getting water storage and first aid. This is all stuff we should have already been working on, but at least we are now getting our act together and will be prepared for whatever may come in the future.
It is true that "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear", and I think that all of this has helped us- the government, state and local health departments, and us individually and as families- realize we need to be better prepared.
(Check out the link below. Comforting, huh?)
http://us6.campaign-archive2.com/?u=9432bfb2c8acd4a5f9e05590b&id=0e7a5b121a&e=415d7c100a
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Great Weekend
We had such a great weekend. Nothing adventurous or anything, but definitely exciting. We were able to watch conference, Ole Miss beat Alabama and State beat Texas A&M! What a great day for football in Mississippi! I made homemade wings, and canned homemade salsa and strawberry jam, and the girls played outside in the awesome weather for about 4 hours straight. Today we watched more conference, made homemade cinnamon rolls and potato soup, the Saints won, and Jeremy is very close to being finished with the built-ins in the "conservatory"- yep that's what we're calling it. We're fancy. Anyway, what a great weekend !
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| Love the Conference Center Board I made. |
Monday, September 22, 2014
This Guy
Last week Jeremy and I took our first kid-less trip ever since having kids. It's been a little over 7 years! Normally I do not like to travel without the girls. I worry about them, I worry about the sanity of the people watching them, and I worry about something happening to Jeremy and me. For MY sanity, it is really just better to travel with kids. But this was a trip where we decided we just could not take the girls with us.
Last Sunday, as Jeremy was traveling to New Orleans to attend his friend's funeral, we got word that his grandfather was not doing well, and the doctor was not giving him long- a few weeks at most. My mom offered to watch the girls for us so that we could go see him and say our goodbyes. I actually really debated for a long time about whether or not to bring Shelby. I didn't want her to be upset at missing the opportunity to say goodbye, but in the end, I knew it would be much more upsetting for her to see Papaw in his condition.
We left Thursday night and headed over to the nursing home early Friday morning. When we got there we learned that they had taken Papaw over to the hospital for x-rays. We thought it would be quick, but after visiting with Mamaw all morning and going to eat lunch we decided to head over to the hospital to see what was going on. They STILL had him in a tiny room in the ER, and would only let 1 person back at a time. When Jeremy came back in the waiting room after seeing him he told me, "If they hadn't told me what room he was in I would have walked right passed him." I knew right then we had made the right decision about leaving the girls at home. Jeremy was right. Papaw looked nothing like himself. A shell of himself. He is battling Alzheimer's, pneumonia, kidney failure, and as we learned Friday, Parkinson's. After hours in the ER they decided to admit him again. We spent some time with him in his room. He tried hard to talk to us, though we could only make out about 1/8 of what he was saying. At times it was clear he couldn't remember who we were, but a second later we could see that glimmer in his eye that told us he remembered.
We had really good visits with both Papaw and Mamaw. It was very hard leaving Papaw, knowing that was likely the last time I will see him alive. Jeremy is going to try to go back sometime this week. I am very grateful to have known this guy. He is kind and caring. He is brave- he fought in WWII at Tarawa and Guadalcanal. Read about him here- http://tarawaontheweb.org/jordan.htm . He introduced Jeremy to the awesomeness of peanut butter and bacon sandwiches. Right now we are praying for comfort for him- that he won't live out his last days in pain. He is just a great, great man, and we love him very much.
Last Sunday, as Jeremy was traveling to New Orleans to attend his friend's funeral, we got word that his grandfather was not doing well, and the doctor was not giving him long- a few weeks at most. My mom offered to watch the girls for us so that we could go see him and say our goodbyes. I actually really debated for a long time about whether or not to bring Shelby. I didn't want her to be upset at missing the opportunity to say goodbye, but in the end, I knew it would be much more upsetting for her to see Papaw in his condition.
We left Thursday night and headed over to the nursing home early Friday morning. When we got there we learned that they had taken Papaw over to the hospital for x-rays. We thought it would be quick, but after visiting with Mamaw all morning and going to eat lunch we decided to head over to the hospital to see what was going on. They STILL had him in a tiny room in the ER, and would only let 1 person back at a time. When Jeremy came back in the waiting room after seeing him he told me, "If they hadn't told me what room he was in I would have walked right passed him." I knew right then we had made the right decision about leaving the girls at home. Jeremy was right. Papaw looked nothing like himself. A shell of himself. He is battling Alzheimer's, pneumonia, kidney failure, and as we learned Friday, Parkinson's. After hours in the ER they decided to admit him again. We spent some time with him in his room. He tried hard to talk to us, though we could only make out about 1/8 of what he was saying. At times it was clear he couldn't remember who we were, but a second later we could see that glimmer in his eye that told us he remembered.
We had really good visits with both Papaw and Mamaw. It was very hard leaving Papaw, knowing that was likely the last time I will see him alive. Jeremy is going to try to go back sometime this week. I am very grateful to have known this guy. He is kind and caring. He is brave- he fought in WWII at Tarawa and Guadalcanal. Read about him here- http://tarawaontheweb.org/jordan.htm . He introduced Jeremy to the awesomeness of peanut butter and bacon sandwiches. Right now we are praying for comfort for him- that he won't live out his last days in pain. He is just a great, great man, and we love him very much.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Just...sad.
This week has been sad.
Back in junior high, one of Jeremy's good friends committed suicide. I can't imagine being in junior high and trying to cope with that kind of a situation.
About eight or nine years ago, one of Jeremy's very best childhood friends passed away. It was sudden and tragic. Jeremy is a very loving, sentimental person, and this was very hard on him. I don't think I had seen him cry like that before.
This week, another of Jeremy's best childhood friends- the BROTHER of the friend that had already passed away 8 or 9 years ago (the three of them did everything together)- passed away. Again sudden and tragic.
It is so hard to see Jeremy sad. We tried to find all of Jeremy's pictures of him and his friends, but they've either been misplaced or lost in one of our moves. He has been reminiscing and telling stories and just trying to remember fun times.
I just want to hug him.
Back in junior high, one of Jeremy's good friends committed suicide. I can't imagine being in junior high and trying to cope with that kind of a situation.
About eight or nine years ago, one of Jeremy's very best childhood friends passed away. It was sudden and tragic. Jeremy is a very loving, sentimental person, and this was very hard on him. I don't think I had seen him cry like that before.
This week, another of Jeremy's best childhood friends- the BROTHER of the friend that had already passed away 8 or 9 years ago (the three of them did everything together)- passed away. Again sudden and tragic.
It is so hard to see Jeremy sad. We tried to find all of Jeremy's pictures of him and his friends, but they've either been misplaced or lost in one of our moves. He has been reminiscing and telling stories and just trying to remember fun times.
I just want to hug him.
Monday, August 25, 2014
The End and The Beginning
Summer has come and gone. I feel like we did so much, yet not enough. Moving is hard, and I still feel disorganized and out of place. But we love the new house and we are loving Rockwall. We especially love living closer to mom and dad and we feel incredibly lucky to get to spend time with them.
Mom and dad joined the club at the marina, so we have been having fun going boating with them.
So even though we still should have warm enough weather to swim for at least another month, summer is officially over and school started today. I was honestly super worried about how Joey would do. The past few weeks at church she has cried and not wanted to go to her class. It's so not like her, and I am sure it can all be attributed to the move, but I was very worried she would be clinging to my legs as I walked away from her class. We spent all last week getting ready- haircuts, new clothes, new shoes, school supplies, meet the teacher, etc. Then last night Jeremy gave the girls blessings and we put them to bed. They both woke up super excited. After her bath, Joey came in to the kitchen where I was making breakfast and I said, "Joey! Are you so excited about school?!" She said, "YES! YES! Yes, yes, yes! I'm so exci- WAIT! Wait, wait, wait, wait. What if I have to poop at school?!" I died laughing. Oh my gosh that kid cracks us up all the time. Anyway, we went to drop Shelby off first and she told us we could just drop her at the door- we didn't have to walk her in. What a 2nd grader. Then we dropped Joey off. Moment of truth! She went right in, excitedly put her backpack in her cubby, and sat right down and played with the play-dough. Both the girls had great days. Lucy was a little lost without them at home, but I think she will get used to it.
Mom and dad joined the club at the marina, so we have been having fun going boating with them.
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| Shelby showing off on the tube. |
Here I am water skiing. This was only the second time ever I have been and I got up every time. Obviously my form isn't great, but I was pretty proud!
So even though we still should have warm enough weather to swim for at least another month, summer is officially over and school started today. I was honestly super worried about how Joey would do. The past few weeks at church she has cried and not wanted to go to her class. It's so not like her, and I am sure it can all be attributed to the move, but I was very worried she would be clinging to my legs as I walked away from her class. We spent all last week getting ready- haircuts, new clothes, new shoes, school supplies, meet the teacher, etc. Then last night Jeremy gave the girls blessings and we put them to bed. They both woke up super excited. After her bath, Joey came in to the kitchen where I was making breakfast and I said, "Joey! Are you so excited about school?!" She said, "YES! YES! Yes, yes, yes! I'm so exci- WAIT! Wait, wait, wait, wait. What if I have to poop at school?!" I died laughing. Oh my gosh that kid cracks us up all the time. Anyway, we went to drop Shelby off first and she told us we could just drop her at the door- we didn't have to walk her in. What a 2nd grader. Then we dropped Joey off. Moment of truth! She went right in, excitedly put her backpack in her cubby, and sat right down and played with the play-dough. Both the girls had great days. Lucy was a little lost without them at home, but I think she will get used to it.
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