Write to Remember

Remembering teaching Robby to drive!

2009-02-14T15:54:00.000-08:00

Since I have this site to remember things I'll most likely forget, I have to remind myself to add stories about the boys as well as the girls. Even though the boys are older, they still manage to do some silly things I'll want to remind them of when they are raising their own one day!

So Robby has his learner permit, and Raleigh decided to let him drive the entire family into Orange Park today in our very expensive Dodge truck that is like a small Army tank! Anyway, he does a fantastic job eyeing all of the speed limit signs and has a very steady foot.

However, he is such a literal person that we have to chose our words carefully when directing him. We needed to stop at Walmart to buy a gift for the birthday party we were going to and Raleigh told him to turn at the next red light to pull in to Walmart. You could CLEARLY see the HUGE blue Walmart sign, but he continued right on past it while Raleigh and I both were yelling, "Turn here, turn here!" He drove down calmly to the next light and turned in a neighborhood to turn around. We were asking him if he heard us say to turn at the red light and he says, "yes, but that light wasn't red, it was green...the next light ahead was red." Okay, so note to self, use the term, "traffic light."

2008 in a Nutshell...well, a COCOnut shell!!!

2008-12-31T17:39:00.000-08:00

Rang in the 2008 New Year in Washington D.C.

Came home from vacation to find out our cat, Bella had her 5 kittens...IN OUR BED!!!

Raleigh traded his Jeep on Craig's List for a Harley Davidson Motorcycle.

Emma, Mallory, Brandon and I start Gymnastic lessons!!

Emma Louise (Gambill) Smith passes away at the age of 97. The kids' Great, Great Aunt...Emma was named after her.

Raleigh and I take a summer trip to Vegas to be in an Elvis Wedding!!

Annual camping trip to Yogi Bear park in Cherokee, North Carolina...the kids' favorite.

Emma starts 2nd grade...my favorite grade EVER! That's when I made the decision to be a teacher.

Mallory wore the cutest, handmade dress, by me and my mom, to Pre-K (her last year before Kindergarten!)

Brandon begins 6th grade...his last year of Elementary school!!

Robby is officially a highschool student, a FRESHMAN in the 9th grade!!

Brandon scores 7 touchdowns during his 3rd football season...3 of them were HUGE...an 80 yd, 65 yd, and 40 yd touchdown (all in 1 game!).

Attended Friday night Varsity Football games to watch Robby play the snare drum in the Highschool drum line!!!

Emma, Mallory, and I take horse riding lessons together.

I competed in my first triathlon at the tender age of 37!

Robby goes to the Homecoming dance with a SENIOR!!

Ran a 6k on Thanksgiving morning with Raleigh, The Outback Distance Classic.

Emma got her EARS PIERCED!!!

Ran a 5k with Raleigh and the boys, Festival of Lights.

(picture coming soon...need to download it from camera)

Robby turns 15!!! Driver's Permit!!!! WOW!!

Our 2008 Christmas Card Photo.

We were truly blessed in 2008. Thank you dear Heavenly Father.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING Family and Friends!!!

2008-11-27T17:43:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a wonderful day with your loved ones, both family and friends. We had a busy day. Raleigh, the boys, and I all went running in the Outback Distance Classic. Raleigh and I ran the 6k and both had our Personal Record run...course it was our first running race....haha.

RESULTS are IN!!
My 3.6 mile pace was 9:58!!! Single digits WHEW!!!
Raleigh's 3.6 mile pace 7:44!!! 7th out of 74 in his age group!

Brandon and Robby ran the Joey Mile fun run...they both did fantastic! Brandon ran the mile in 6:55 and Robby finished at 7:23...faster than I can run a mile that's for sure!!!

Then we came home and began cooking and entertaining.

I'd love to blog more, but I am exhausted and can't put good sentences together. :)

Here's one quick photo of our little pilgrim doing her famous "pretty pose."

May we all continue to see God's abundant blessings not only at Thanksgiving, but throughout the year.

It WASN'T about Winning, It was about TRI-ing!!

2008-11-15T17:35:00.000-08:00

I guess the idea of doing a triathlon crept into my head after being advised not to do long runs from my foot surgeon. Instead, I was told I should swim and ride a bike for exercise. When I first looked into TRIs, I DID NOT like the idea of swimming in the ocean. Not just because of sharks, but for the many other creepy things that lurk around in there, and not to mention taking in a big mouthful of salt water would be disgusting. However, one day I was looking at races in the area on active.com, and I found an all women's SPRINT triathlon. I knew little about TRIs, and didn't know anything about what a Sprint tri was. I was glad to see the length of the race significantly shorter than what I knew about the "real" triathlon called the Ironman. Though it was shorter, it was still "meaty" enough to feel like I would have accomplished something once I finished it. The swim was .75 km (about 1/2 a mile), the bike route was 12 miles, and the run was 2.75 miles. I signed up and payed $50.00 to torture myself..haha...then I started training. Raleigh was such a supportive husband. We were already running together, but then he started riding bikes with me and swimming. We swam in the lake and then in a pool IN OCTOBER and I found out I was HORRIBLE at the freestyle stroke. Raleigh would say, "how do you live in Florida and not know how to swim?" And I would reply, "there is a big difference between swimming and freestyling!!!" We went swimming at our Pastor's house, and his wife has been an avid swimmer for many years, and she would say, "watch Raleigh do this, watch how he does that,...blah blah blah, Raleigh, Raleigh, Raleigh." He made me ill with how well he could do the freestyle stroke. Funny thing is, I didn't care about how I would swim half a mile. As long as I was moving forward, I would be okay. The difference between Raleigh and I is I just wanted to finish (not particularly last, but I knew I wouldn't be first). Raleigh on the other hand would like to finish in the top 10, so he won't enter one until he's trained longer. He even asked me once when we first started training if I was prepared for the fact that I might not win. hahahahahahahahahaha this still cracks me up. Of course I knew I wouldn't win, and I really didn't care who I lost to. I was only out there for myself and the feeling of accomplishing a goal.

So, the day of my birthday, October 24th, Raleigh, Brandon and I headed down to Orlando. We arrived at the park for a meeting with the man who organizes the events, and he took us on a tour of the track we would be taking. Brandon kept asking me if I was nervous, and I honestly was not. I just wanted to get out there and get it OVER with!

The next morning, October 25th, we woke up at 5:15 AM!! Over 300 women entered the race. It was such a cool feeling walking around and setting up and seeing all of the women out there of every age and stature. The swim started at just after 7:00. It was cold, dark, murky water.

I knew this would be my weakest event, and it was. I was one of the LAST 6 people to get out of the water.

I probably invented a few new strokes while I was out there. I did the side stroke, back stroke, breast-stroke, freestyle (my version), a little regular swimming, and a few others that have not been named. The heat I was in was the last to enter the swim, so I really felt WAY behind when I finally made it out of the water.

But Raleigh and Brandon were there on the shore cheering me on and running with me to the 1st transitional area where I would get ready to ride my bike.

I am very confident on the bike. I had borrowed a friend's road bike and it was FAST! I loved it!

I immediately caught up and passed several women. Our ages were written on the back of our right calf, so as I passed each woman I would look at their age and think to myself, "HA! I'm 10 years older than her!!" Okay, I know, it's not about winning...haha. The bike route was beautiful. It weaved in and out of some really nice neighborhoods and was visually appealing the whole way. It made the time go by quickly...plus I was riding so fast..remember??!!! As I finished up the ride, Brandon was waiting down the road for me to take pictures and yell, "GO MOM!!" So sweet.

I dismounted the bike, carefully as to NOT fall over in front of the crowd, and ran to put my bike back in the transitional area. I changed into my running shoes and took off on the last leg of the race!

I felt good as I started to run and knew I could run 2.75 miles. I had probably trained in this area the most. The run took us back in a campground area and we ran on limerock. Only thing is, it started to DOWNPOUR! It felt good to run in the rain, and thank goodness I wore a visor, but the road was covered in puddles. I had to practically zig-zag the whole way. But I continued on and tried not to let Raleigh down. He begged me to run the whole way and ONLY walk about 20 yards if I had to in order to catch my breath. I ran the 1st two miles without stopping and walked for a very short distance then ran the rest of the way. I was greeted once again by Brandon as I ran out of the woods towards the finish line and he jogged with me for the remaining 25 yards or so. I finished the race with a smile and felt great.

Raleigh asked me how I felt, and I was like, "I'm fine" and I think he knew then that I didn't PUSH myself to finish faster. He was proud of me, but I knew that if it was him finishing, he would be near death to be closer to the top...haha.

The important thing is I ENJOYED the triathlon. I did not want to finish the race and then never want to do one again. I pushed myself, but not to complete exhaustion. I finished in an hour and 47 minutes, 13 minutes under my goal of less than 2 hours!

Swim 1/2 mile: 22 minutes
Bike 12 miles: 46 minutes
Run 2.75 miles: 31 minutes

I'm happy with that...we'll see how I do next time!!!

Emma KATE is 8 !!!

2008-10-23T17:24:00.000-07:00

I really did want a girl. I loved having 2 boys because I loved watching brothers be brothers, and then I got selfish and wanted a baby girl as well! I thought I could control my own destiny, read a bunch of books, and tried to calculate the right "time" to conceive a girl. Needless to say, I miscarried a baby in the early weeks of pregnancy during the month of December 1999. I truly feel it was because I was trying to control my own fate instead of letting God determine what I needed. So, I tried again, this time leaving it in God's hands, and in February of 2000 I found out I was pregnant again.

I still remember the day I found out I was indeed having a little girl. The nurse said to me, "Well, you will be having ANOTHER GIRL in the house" (meaning in addition to the ONE other girl which was ME!) I tell you, the word ANOTHER sounded so long, and drawn out that I just knew she was going to say BOY...which I was prepared for the slogan, "My Three Sons"...and there was something cute about that too! But, I was having a girl and could not wait to begin buying hair accessories and PINK stuff!!!

Emma was born late in the afternoon on October 23rd, 2000. She weighed 7lbs 8oz. Her first name was chosen from her Great-Great Aunt Emma Louise; her middle name was chosen from my first name, but spelled with a K because it looked "prettier", Katherine; and her second middle name, Faith, was chosen because I kept saying throughout my pregnancy, "I'm going to have FAITH that it is a girl!"

My mom saved the outfit I wore home from the hospital, back in 1971, and though it had a few "rough spots" on it, I could not have imagined her coming home in anything else. I now understood how it felt to love your children the "same but different." Something my mom always said to me, and I never believed her...I did now.

Emma proved to be my saving grace when I went through a divorce just 7 months after she was born. I took her to bed with me and just stared at her when I couldn't fall asleep. I held myself together and took care of her when I wanted to lay on the floor and not move. She made me smile, her and the boys...and today she is still that sweet little girl.

On a lighter note, I have learned a lot about Emma over the last 8 years. She was meant to be my MOTHER'S daughter!!! I tease my mom all the time that she must have whispered all of her crazy quirks and fears into Emma's ears when she was a baby because she is the mirror image of my mom. Lately my mom and I laugh and say that Emma was probably hiding, crouched down somewhere when God looked for her to send to her and found me instead. Then when it was time for me to have a daughter HE found the one my mom was supposed to get!!!!! She has the same squishy nose like my mom. They look a lot alike as children, and their mannerisms are remarkably similar. Emma is scared of loud toilets, she used to sing songs about anything she saw throughout the day, she wears her feelings on her shoulders and cries at the drop of a hat, she wants everyone to like her, and will go out of her way to apologize EVEN if it WASN'T her fault. She is frightened of airplanes, she won't get her ears pierced because she has NO pain tolerance...I could go on and on...Yet, I would not want her any other way. My mom is a remarkable lady and has a heart of gold. I love laughing about all of the traits they both share.

My mom started a tradition a few years ago to send a tea cup and saucer she has picked out from an antique store to the Florist, and then the florist fills them with flowers and delivers them to either school or home. It is such a delicate, precious gift and I know Emma will enjoy having all of the various tea cups to collect....thanks mom!!

Emma,
I hope you had a wonderful day. I just want to make you smile in all the ways you have brought laughter and joy to my life. You continue to grow into such a sweet young lady. Your beauty comes from the inside out. I can't believe you are 8 already! Keep the love of Jesus in your heart and know that I am so proud to have been chosen by God to be your mother. I love seeing the world through your eyes and pray you always see the beauty and excitement of life as you do now.

Happy Birthday,
I love you!!!

MOM

It is CRAZY busy around here!!

2008-10-07T17:38:00.000-07:00

I must confess...I wasn't sure what to blog about next...I wanted to continue with the accident story, but I just haven't had the time to sit for over 30 minutes to give the detail and time to the post that I want to.

Here is what I've been up to...and I'll post pictures soon.

1. Training for a Sprint Triathlon I'm competing in on October 25th, the day after my birthday. I've been running, riding a road bike, AND swimming, one each day at least 5 days a week!! I'm thinking of inventing my own triathlon that is called triathLONG. It would be a Friday, Saturday, Sunday event where you would swim on Friday, bike on Saturday, and run on Sunday...because putting it all together for a beginner is gruelling!!!! :)

2. I've been a regular at the Varsity Football games because my son plays snare on the Senior drum line. It is a lot of fun and a bit surreal to think I am a PARENT of a highschool student. I can't believe I've been out of highschool almost 20 years.

3. I've been going to Brandon's football games on Saturdays. He got LEVELED the other day and caused all of the people in the stands to go running to the rope to check on him...you'd have to have seen the hit to appreciate how bad it looked.

4. I've been taking horseback riding lessons with Emma and Mallory every other Wednesday. I am just as much of a beginning rider as the girls are. We are having a great time together...just us girls!!

5. The usual...working full time, careening 16 five year olds for 7 hours, then straightening my classroom only to come home to clean my own house, cook dinner, give baths, sew patches on Brownie vest and Raleigh's work shirts, help Robby with Algebra homework (EVERY night), pack lunches, iron clothes, wash clothes...on and on and on...LOVE IT...thank you JESUS. I can honestly say I believe my sweet friend I work with who continually tells me I will miss this time when my children are older and doing their own thing, living their own busy life.

I went to Emma's Brownie re-dedication ceremony the other night and it was so precious. I'll have to post the pictures of me in my uniform and her in her uniform, both of us in 2nd grade...too cute.

And the most exciting thing going on in my life right now is that I've gotten back BUSY for Jesus!! We are attending church regularly again, and last night we went to a Bible study at our friend's house. The boat has pulled back around and I have grabbed onto the ski rope and I am back "in his wakes" holding on tight!!! I'm so glad our Heavenly Father is a God of second, third, and unlimited amount of chances. I am so blessed.

Well, I'm off to watch the Presidential Debate. Another big deal and weight on my mind...this is quite a strange Presidential race.

Good night and God Bless!!

4 Years Ago Today

2008-09-13T16:19:00.000-07:00

Four years ago I became a statistic. I became one of the thousands and thousands of victims to an accident involving a drunk driver. Thankfully, though, instead of the drunk driver serving time for taking the lives of three innocent women, we survived. It could have very easily turned out tragically different if God had not intervened and saved me and my 2 very close friends. Incidentally the drunk driver was fatally injured and died on the scene. It went something like this:

The week before September 13th, 2004, we had just moved into our new house and a hurricane had caused the electricity to be out for several days. I had just had Mallory almost 5 months ago and she typically rode to school with me so I could breast feed her on my breaks during class. I was attending school at night to complete my bachelor degree in Elementary Education.

The day of September 13, 2004, we had just recently got electricity back on and had begun to get our new house organized. We had finished eating dinner around 5:00 and my friend Kim was coming to pick me up in her Dodge Caravan. Raleigh didn't ask me to take Mallory to school (she could usually make it the 3 hours I was gone without a feeding...if he would have asked me, I would have taken her though) and I didn't ask Raleigh if he wanted me to take her (he would have said, "sure"). So she remained safely at home with her daddy. This was God's way of protecting her because she would have been with me any other night.

Kim arrived just after 5 and I teased my friend, Taryn, that I wanted "shotgun"...I don't fuss for the front seat much anymore..haha. So, I was in the front seat and had my books sitting on my lap while Taryn sat right behind me. On the way to school we stopped at a local jiffy store and got drinks and gum. When Taryn got back in she did not put her seat belt back on but planned on putting it on after she got her stuff situated. We were on a two lane highway, and when we came over a hill I could see a vehicle coming back and forth into our lane about 200 yards away. I remember telling Kim, "that guy keeps coming all in our lane" and I remember her saying, "I know." It was 5:45 on a Monday night and we were about to be hit by a drunk driver.

I vaguely remember running off the road because I can recall feeling the van bump along in the grass as Kim tried to avoid being hit.

***This is what I was told happened after that***
The drunk driver looked as if he was playing "chicken" and followed our van into the ditch. Kim swerved back onto the highway and turned a hard left in hopes that he would strike the back of our van. But he only swerved back onto the highway with her and the vehicles struck head on at an angle with my side and his driver side bearing the brunt of the hit. After the vehicles struck, they ended up in a V formation.

I don't know how long it took for me to come to, but I remember telling Kim that I couldn't breathe and I could hardly see, everything was fuzzy and I could only see the white of the airbag. I remember looking over to the window next to me and seeing what I thought was someone walking up to the van.

Turns out it was a man named John Loftis who worked as a Paramedic Training Officer for a local fire department. He radioed the nearest fire department to alert them of the accident and ambulances were on their way to us immediately...another factor in the success of our accident was that we didn't have to wait for a civilian to call it in to 911 and for it to be dispatched.

I can't remember being pulled out of the van, but they did have to cut the dash away because since Taryn had not yet put her seat belt back on, I had been pushed into the dash and my seat was not able to release and go backwards.

I do remember waking up in the ambulance while they were waiting on the helicopter, Trauma One, to arrive. Funny thing is that I woke myself up with this rattling strange breathing...kind of like waking yourself up snoring, and when I did come to, I told the paramedics in the back of the ambulance that I had gum in my mouth...This still cracks me up that I thought this was important for them to know...They said, "Oh, well let's get that out of there!!" Then the paramedic told me I had been in an accident and I was hurt "pretty bad." He said he felt I needed to be airlifted to the hospital. He was telling me the bones he knew I had broken, my ankle, my arm, and about internal injuries I probably had suffered. Funny thing is, I couldn't feel a thing. No pain what so ever.

I remember when they put me in Trauma One. Kim was already inside on her stretcher and they loaded me in next to her. I remember her telling me, "Hi, Cathy" and me smiling back and telling her, "Hi, Kim"...crazy, huh??

In the helicopter I just kept thinking over and over that if I could just keep looking at the bolt right above me then I was still alive. (I truly feel like they should give victims who have to ride in Trauma One a complimentary ride after they recover because I didn't get to see anything else but the bolt!!)

When they got me out at Shands Jacksonville, I can remember light misty rain hitting me in the face...another thing God had his hand in....holding off the bad weather so we could be airlifted.

In the Trauma room they had all three of us in there together, Taryn, Kim, and myself. Taryn was screaming in pain as they tried to set her two broken femurs. They were asking me questions about Raleigh's phone number, and Kim was yelling to the nurses that he was already on the way to the hospital...I remember thinking, "how come I'm not feeling a thing and how does Kim know my husband is on his way???"

Poor Kim, she was alert through this entire accident. She remembers his face, his hair, the sound of the impact, looking over at me and seeing my compound fracture, then beginning to assess her own injuries. Her phone rang within minutes of the accident and it was her husband calling to say, "hello" before we went in to class, only to find out we had all been seriously injured. He actually was able to make it to the scene of the accident before we were airlifted, then he went to pick up my husband and take him to the hospital. Raleigh remembers feeling left out as well because no one would give him details and the hospital's chaplain had only called him and no one else.

When Raleigh arrived I was still in the Trauma room and he noticed my vitals right off. He asked what kind of pain medication I was on and they said, "none, because we haven't figured out what is wrong with her yet." He said I was as white as the sheet I was laying on and I did not have ANY freckles. Turns out I was bleeding from a tear in my spleen. They were waiting on consent to do the surgery to remove my spleen and after giving Raleigh a brief description of what we need our spleen for, he said, "yes, do the surgery." A lot of people die from this injury because doctors are trying to save the organ, some figure we are born with it so we must need it, when in fact we can live without it!! Thank goodness they didn't try to save mine!!

The doctors came out later to tell Raleigh I had made it through the spleen removal and exploratory surgery on my abdominal cavity, but I was not out of the woods yet. In fact, I remained 50/50 chance of survival for about 4 days.

Okay, this post is LONG ENOUGH. I'll blog about what it was like to wake up the next day in intensive care. I have so much more to say and will continue to post in the next few days. It was a time in my life that affected me physically for over 3 months, and took years to heal completely. I have so many more stories to tell, but I can only type for so long!!!

For now, here are some photos of the accident scene.

Our vehicles, Kim's is the maroon van, his is the green cherokee.

His driver side.

My passenger side.

Kim's van

6 Year Anniversary

2008-09-07T13:49:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos from our Anniversary. We spent the weekend in St. Augustine eating at Raintree (the same restaraunt we had our reception at) and staying at the Hampton Inn on Vilano Beach. We even woke up at 6:15 this morning to watch the sunrise!!! I plan on updating this blog with wedding photos, but I just wanted to get a post ON the date of our anniversary. We dined on Brushetta, chicken pasta, and steak...and magaritas of course!!

GNO

2008-08-23T07:34:00.000-07:00

That's Girls' Night Out for us "old folk".

Last night, Emma had plans to go over to Mckenzie's house with a few friends to watch The Cheetah Girls: One World, and Mallory was sulking wanting to go with her. Instead, I called my friend Amy, and she sent her daughter, Brynna, over for a GNO!

Mallory knows Brynna from doing gymnastics with her and they are both 4 years old. I felt sorry for Brynna because Mallory kept asking, "what is your name again" all night long....Sometimes she would call her Jenna, sometimes I would call her Brooke (her sister's name)...she probably thought we were a bunch of DOE-DOEs!!!

They had a great time together. The first thing they did was put on their LIPSTICK. We all know you can't go on a GNO without lipstick on!! Then we had pizza, popcorn, and brownies!! Oh, and coke too!! Sorry, Amy, I hope Brynna didn't get a tummy ache!!

Then we turned on the Cheetah Girl movie and they danced in their cheetah attire...they both had some great moves!!

Mallory had a great time with her friend and forgot all about her sister....Thanks Amy for lending your daughter!!

First Day Photos 8/18/2008

2008-08-19T18:10:00.000-07:00

I love the first days of school. The new clothes, fresh haircuts, new materials...it's all so fun to me. In fact I had the hardest time sleeping the night before. I felt like those kids in the Disney commercial that were "too excited to sleep." I'm paying for it, however, 2 days later...My body is exhausted. I took a bunch of back to school photos. I hope you enjoy them. I find myself taking pictures for several days after school starts because I like their outfits so much!! In case you are wondering (and I must brag on myself), I DID make Mallory's dress. I am so glad my mom is willing to stay up into all hours of the night with me as we work through the instructions...it always seems so easy at first until you start sewing the pieces together. This dress happens to have a LINING!! I have never put a lining in before and I must say that I am really good with a seam ripper! But I was determined to finish the dress for my sweet little girl who went to bed asking, "are you done with my dress yet, mommy?" I couldn't let her down. Thanks mom for your guidance and for not letting me give up!! I love you!!

Here is my crew on Monday morning...

Robby is in the 9th grade!!! He wants to work with computers and networking...I think he would be great at this because he is not intimidated at all by the technical side of electronics.

Brandon is in the 6th grade, his last year of elementary school!! He drew a blank and couldn't come up with a profession this year.

Emma is in 2nd grade, my all time favorite grade!!! She wants to grow up and be a veterinarian. She is really into Bindi the Jungle girl and doesn't understand why we all can't be around the various animals like Bindi is.

Mallory is in her last year of Pre-K before Kindergarten....She has grown so much this summer! She wants to grow up and be a "fairy."

Dropping off Robby at the highschool. Come December he will be driving with a learner's permit!!

Brandon and Emma...a RARE photo of HIM giving her a hug...

Mallory and her Pre-K teacher...Mrs. Johnson, some of you may remember her as Mrs. Feagin. She has taught little ones for 30 years!!!

Emma and her teacher, Mrs. Lane. She is such a dear friend of mine and she is an awesome teacher. Doesn't she look sooooo young!!

Mommy and Mallory...I couldn't help but sneak peeks at her all day...She looked so darn cute!

Emma with her shoes on this time...I was rushing out the door in the earlier photo. Being a teacher kid you have to get up really early so we weren't able to go outside and get a photo...it was still a little dark! So here she is when Raleigh brought her to school...she was very excited about all of her new stuff!!

Another picture of Mallory in her dress??? Imagine that!!

Back to School Shopping

2008-08-17T09:32:00.000-07:00

I can remember when Robby started Kindergarten and I was so excited to go to store after store to find SEVERAL cute outfits, NEW shoes, and school supplies to fill up the NEW backpack. Then I would come home and lay everything out and label crayons, pencils, and everything else that belonged to my little man. It was fun and I wasn't stressed. That was in 1999.

Present day, 2008, I have 4 children to shop for.

It's not fun, and I am stressed.

Brandon knows exactly what he wants. He has wanted a new pair of Puma's for several months and he was easy to please. We were on a mission to find the perfect pair of Puma's, and we located them with ease at Journey's. Robby has no idea. He knows what he doesn't want, but what he wants changes from store to store. I know what I want him to wear....FLIP FLOPS...you can wear them at the Highschool. I would wear nothing else if I were him...I could have bought him a black pair and a brown pair and he would have been set. Robby doesn't like flip flops...he doesn't like the feeling of his feet not being covered up. Robby doesn't like a flat shoe. Robby doesn't want a shoe that looks like a skate shoe. Robby doesn't like a round toe shoe. Robby doesn't want a shoe that looks "fuzzy". Robby doesn't want the same shoe Brandon has...it goes on and on. In fact, as of now on Sunday afternoon, he does not have a new pair of shoes (everyone else does). We are optimistic about stopping at Famous Footwear and finding the perfect Adidas. I went there last night with my mom and we took some pictures, with my cell phone, of the shoes they had and he seems to be excited about one in particular. I'm sure he'll start school tomorrow with a brand new pair of shoes that COVER his feet.

Then there is the "several cute outfits" issue. I told Raleigh I would not go school shopping next year unless I had $5,000 to spend...haha. Oh, did I mention I was trying to shop for 4 children on $700.00???

Side Note---I am thankful for having the money...I don't want to sound ungrateful...Especially in today's economy...Gas being at $4.00 a gallon, milk costing $5.50 a gallon, groceries in general are up almost 16%...And our cost of living hasn't increased enough to cover such inflation...So I do want to stress that I understand there are some families unable to get their children new school clothes, shoes, and supplies...I am thankful for my $700.00 allowance!!!

However, it's difficult for me to control the desire to "dress them all to the nines" and purchase every Billabong, Quicksilver, Hurley, Limited Too, and what ever else brand name piece of clothing they bring to me and toss into the buggy. Brandon was so funny because he said, "mom, I found tons of shirts (at Bealls Florida) and they are all 25% off!!" But 25% off of $26 and $32 dollars isn't the $8.99 price I like to spend on shirts at Ross ;)

Thankfully, I managed my money well (after returning a few pieces the next day) and all 4 children have several COOL and CUTE outfits, fresh new school supplies, new backpacks, and soon all will have new shoes. I am happy with the outcome (after stressing out Friday night for spending too much in one store) and what matters most is my sweet little dears are happy as well.

It wasn't quite as fun as it was back almost 10 years ago, but since it is still such an exciting event and time to get ready to start another school year, I couldn't help but smile and enjoy the moment of labeling all of the new supplies and laying out all of the new clothes.

My wish is for every child to go to sleep tonight with the excitement of starting school tomorrow keeping them awake!! :)

My favorite school picture

2008-08-08T12:44:00.000-07:00

As the school year creeps around the corner, I can't help but be super excited for Emma. She is entering my all time favorite elementary grade. I can remember so much about my 2nd grade year. It went to Doctors Inlet Elementary School and had a teacher named Theresa Long. I met my very best friend the summer before I started 2nd grade, her name is also Teresa, and I decided at 8 years old that when I grew up I wanted to be a teacher. Of course I changed my mind over the years, but as you all know, I eventually fulfilled this dream and love the career I have chosen. I look forward to this school year and I know Emma will love her teacher since she is one of my very good friends and I had the pleasure of teaching her son last year in kindergarten.

Oh, and back to this picture, it has always been my favorite school picture. I even like it more than my senior year photo. I love the innocence of it I suppose. I can't wait to compare it to Emma's.

So Blessed

2008-07-31T16:51:00.000-07:00

Raleigh got me 2 rose bushes on the 1st year anniversary date of my car accident. He and the children gave them to me and told me how happy they were that I was still here and that these roses would remind me of that daily.

I just hoped, back 3 years ago, that I would not kill the rose bush...that would not be good.

To my sweet surprise, one of the rose bushes has taken off! And it is to God alone and his blessings of rain!! In all seriousness, I looked outside the other day and just had to take a picture of it. The roses that were all in bloom just reminded me of God's abundant blessings. He saved me from that accident and I have enjoyed life's blessings in a whole new light. I am so thankful to have this rose bush as a constant reminder of God's love and the love of my family.

The Winners Are...

2008-07-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

Mom and Taryn!!! Great Job!
Thanks, Jill, for the wishful thinking...yes, that is what friends are for, to keep a positive outlook..haha!

So here's how it went....

At 4:00 am Mallory comes meandering into our room to assume her normal position...right in the middle of her daddy and I. As she is climbing over Raleigh in the darkness she mumbles in the sweetest sleepy voice, "am I still going to get m-n-ms?" Raleigh and I chuckled and we were all back asleep. Then at 10:00 am, when we rolled out of bed, I went looking for Emma. She was just getting out of her bed and I was praising her for staying in her room all night and I asked her, "Did you wake up in the middle of the night?"...she said, "yes", I said, "Why didn't you get in our bed?"....she said, "because I didn't want to eat cold green beans!!!" hahahaha I thought that was so funny that she even thought I would make her eat that for breakfast...I've NEVER done it before!

When it was time to hand out the m-n-ms, I just couldn't bring myself to not give Mallory any, she was sulking and hanging her head down when I announced Emma would get m-n-ms, so I said, "Okay, since Mallory stayed until 4:00, she gets 4 m-n-ms, and since Emma stayed in her bed until 10:00, she could have 10 m-n-ms."

So that's how it went...since then, the girls have still been sleeping with us. They say their room is scary...if you have seen their room, you know it is the most beautiful, whimsical room in the house. Who knows how we will ever get them to STAY in their beds.

Thanks for commenting...I was laughing at what you guys had to say...you were all right in your own way!!!

P.S. I figured the look on Mallory's face when I took her picture would be a definite give-a-way. Raleigh and I cracked up over her facial expression in that photo.

Bribing with Candy....horrible I know!

2008-07-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

So, every night we sleep with 2 little girls between us. Not to mention one who kicks, grinds her teeth, and talks in her sleep. With school around the corner I was trying to bribe them into staying in their bed aaallllllllll night. So I told them both that whoever slept in their bed and did not come get in our bed would get m-n-ms in the morning. Mallory was excited but Emma decided she didn't like m-n-ms anymore anyway (this is my chocoholic!!) So I said, "fine then, you will have to eat COLD green beans if you get up." We giggled and I tucked them in bed and wondered if it would work. Here are the pictures I took of them (Mallory wanted me to take her picture) and you comment on who you think stayed in their bed ALL night until 10:00 the next morning.

I'll give you the answer after a couple of people vote! I think it'll be fun to see the different guesses...You have a 50/50 chance of getting the right answer!!!

We're all HUMAN

2008-07-19T15:55:00.000-07:00

This is another funny word Mallory uses to describe people. Instead of using him, her, them, they, you and so on, she calls people "human". We hear her say things like: that human, what human, a pretty human...Last night we were watching movies and it was getting late. Mallory wanted to stay up and watch her Barbie movie again but Raleigh and I were ready for bed. We told her she could watch the movie with Molly and Sugar (our dogs) or she could watch it with her stuffed animals, and she replied with the cutest little pout, "No, I want a HUMAN to watch it with me." I guess I'm only human...haha!!

July 17, 2002

2008-07-17T18:22:00.000-07:00

Six years ago on this date Raleigh asked me to marry him....more to come. I need to go find the pictures and scan them...but I wanted to post and let him know how much this date means to me. I love you!!!

*****Okay, so I looked through tons and tons of pictures and I can't put my hands on the pictures of the night he proposed. So this is how it went.

Raleigh has always been so accepting of the children and he even included them in on the big night. We went to eat at the Santa Maria in St. Augustine. The kids had a great time dropping food to the fish and we had a wonderful dinner. Emma was not quite 2, Brandon was 5, and Robby was 8. After dinner we went on a horse and carriage ride around the old town of St. Augustine. When she stopped under the "kissing tree", Raleigh kissed me, asked me to marry him, and gave me a bag of rose pedals with my ring tucked inside a box inside the pedals. He then gave each child a gold i.d. bracelet with their names on it and we later inscribed our wedding date on the back of them. The lady at the front of the carriage said, "that makes my 7th proposal so far." We knew it was meant to be because the number 7 was such a prevalent number in our relationship. I'm so thankful he chose me and he would still choose me today!! And I love the father he has always been to our children. Thank you, Raleigh, for including them in on such a romantic evening.

Though I didn't find the pictures I was looking for, I did find a letter he wrote to me just 11 days before this night. I should read this every morning....It reads, word for word:

7-9-2002
11:30 pm

Catherine,

Thank you for being who you are. I would have waited in a single file line for years for a soul mate like you. The book of poems is a true gift from you and I have picked one so far that I feel is a true connection of how I feel about you. Listen as you read.

The things I Promise to be for you.

A place you can come to for comfort.
Eyes you can look at and trust.
A hand to reach out and clasp.
A heart that understands and doesn't judge you.

A supportive shoulder to cry on.
A long walk anywhere you want to go.
And for anytime when we're apart;
a close and caring intimacy that you will always know.

A door that is always open.
A caring, gentle hug.
A time that is devoted to you alone.

A reflection of my love.

Give me your all Catherine as you are doing and I will always lift your spirits. Time is precious and I give my time to you.

Always loving and thinking of you,
Raleigh.

I look so forward to spending much more precious time with you, Raleigh. We make an amazing team!!

Happy 4th of JULY!!

2008-07-04T12:03:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic Fourth of July. Here we are Thursday night at the annual street dance they have in our town. It was so nice to visit with my all time favorite babysitter, Chrissy and her two boys. Chrissy was, hands-down, the best babysitter I ever had for my children when they were younger. She became a part of my family and will forever be special to us. It is so strange to see her chase her little ones around instead of mine!!

Then on Friday morning we went to the parade.

Here are the firetrucks and the traditional squirt of water for a relief from the heat.

Then there is the guy who rides the bull with the ducks who follow right behind him throughout the entire parade!!

The Shriner's always do a fantastic job and show up with many different types of fun cars.

One of the best treats thrown were Popsicles!! Forget the hard candy, these were great!!!

Mommy and Mallory...Love the smile, it's hard to get one out of her when you bring the camera out!

And finally, near the end of the parade was this adorable float with a real live little model of the Statue of Liberty...Isn't she cute???!!!!

I hope you all had a very safe and happy 4th. We later went to our friend's house and had a cookout and pool party. Then the kids lit sparklers and small firecrackers. When it got dark enough, the big boys brought out the bigger fireworks and we had our very own display. I was actually very impressed by the quality of the fireworks we had. I was waiting for the law to pull up any minute because they were pretty impressive. Thank you, Amy and Jason, for opening your house to our family. We had a great time and enjoyed spending the evening with you all.

The "Pretty Pose"

2008-07-01T07:22:00.001-07:00

Our Little Mallory has quite a personality. If you've been around her long enough, you've probably seen, what she calls, her "pretty pose." Here are a few snapshots of her doing what she does best, no prompting, just Mallory!

She uses the pose in group settings....

Mallory and her cousins from North Carolina. These are my brother's children that I don't get to see very often. Their names are Landon (up front) and Zachary (by Robby). They are such funny boys with lots of energy. I am so glad I got the opportunity to see them. Thanks, mom, for bringing them by for a visit!!!

"Posing Pretty" in her bathing suit...

Getting her cousin Aleah to flash the "pretty pose."

Again by the campfire....she can pull off "the pose" with chocolate on her chin from eating Smores!

She's even sooooo talented that she can pose while sitting down as well!!!

My motto on this day, "If you can't beat 'um, join 'um!"

Mallory and I flashing the pretty pose on the rocks down by the river near our campsite.

Love you Mally!!!

Steps to a Healthy Heart

2008-06-30T16:53:00.000-07:00

Here are the steps we would run each evening after dinner settled. There are only 168...I thought the sign said 368...it feels more like 400 steps that's for sure. When we all first start them at the bottom, we started strong and we were able to run, then your heart feels like it has swollen 5 times its normal size, and it's hard to get your breath back and you lose your fast pace, to say the least. Except for Robby, he runs up those stairs like a bunny rabbit!

Here is a picture taken from around the middle of the 160 steps (the last 8 are at the very top by the falls). Kinda reminds me of Heaven for people who love hiking...instead of "the light" at the end of the tunnel...it's the path at the end of a rock staircase ; ) !!!

Here's the view turned around...from the bottom to about halfway. Robby is trying to slide down the wooden side-rails...not too bright, but they are worn down and smooth from people holding on to them. You can barely see Raleigh or Shawn (Raleigh's brother) standing there in the white area (that's the parking lot).

Brandon enjoys hanging out and taking photos with me...in fact, he took most of the pictures of the stairs. On this day we didn't race (as you can tell with the flip-flops). This was the last evening we were there and we took Raleigh's brother and his wife, Janice, and their children with us. For those of you who know Shawn, he was cracking me up because he was really working hard to get up the stairs....he kept saying, "Crap! I'm getting light-headed!"

Mingo Falls....this picture does not even do this place justice. It is such a short hike (after the brutal stair climb) to this fall, but it is so pretty in real life!

Bottom of Mingo Falls near the bridge we stand on...the boys always go off the path and start climbing up the rocks.

Here is Emma being "brave." She climbed all the way to HERE on this HUGE tree. She was pretending she was riding a horse. Usually she won't climb much further than this, but since her older cousin was there, she actually CAREFULLY climbed past the tree and onto the slippery rocks...big deal for my little scaredy cat!!

See, I told you! Emma climbed ALL the way to the slippery rocks to have her photo taken! This is Raleigh and his brother, Shawn. My 4 kids and Shawn's two girls, Victoria and Aleah.

And this is my sweet son, Robby, standing at the bottom of the stairs, WAITING, like he always did, on his mother to get there....He was either at the top of the stairs, or bottom, just waiting, with this sweet, sweet smile....almost as if to say, "Ha-ha, what took you so long?"

Where do I BEGIN????

2008-06-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

I just got back from my week in Cherokee, North Carolina and uploaded all 200 and somethin' photos to my computer. I wish I would have remembered to bring my USB cable on vacation with me so I could have blogged about the pictures I was taking while I was there. But, technically I'm still on vacation...teacher schedule...gotta LOVE it!!!

So, I will slowly be posting about our fun times, we had a lot of them...and lots of laughs. In the meantime, I'll be washing sheets, blankets, towels, darks, whites....you name it I'm washing it. Between the 6 of us, and fresh dogs laying on blankets, I've got a lot of laundry to do.

I'm not complaining though because in just a week I'll be off again, this time with my husband and friends, to Las Vegas!! Raleigh's partner at work is getting married to a sweet friend of ours and they want a Vegas style wedding. We are all really excited. We leave on Tuesday and fly back home on Saturday. Say a prayer for me because I haven't flown since I was 5 and I have NO memory of flying. I'm just a little nervous.

I look forward to writing more about the mountain trip. I hope you all are enjoying your summer break!!!

Nobody ever told me!!

2008-06-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

I might be embarrassing myself a little when I post this, but I wanted others to know in case no one ever told them either.

DO NOT eat a breath mint before you go on a run!!!

We went to Mingo Falls to run the 300 steps for exercise yesterday evening, and I thought it would be a refreshing taste to have a breath mint in my mouth while I ran. I know, you runners are saying, "Dummy!!!" I could not catch my breath and it felt like my heart was going to pound out of my chest. Not to mention I was dying laughing at the sight of my husband trying to beat his 2 young sons up the stairs. It felt like I was on top of the ALPS trying to catch my breath. The air was so cold to breathe in because of that stupid mint!!! Needless to say, I lost the race up the hill...real bad!! So, this is my attempt to let anyone else know who hasn't been told. If you want to have a fresh pallet before you run, take a swig of water before you run instead, stay away from wintergreen or spearmint!!

"This is Weird"

2008-06-23T07:10:00.001-07:00

That is Mallory's favorite word to use, "weird". She uses it all the time to describe things. It's either "cute" or "weird". In order to enjoy this post, or understand the background, you should go back and read a post on my old blog at:

http://writetoremember.sampasite.com/zike-family-site/default.htm

scroll down and read the post titled, We only have ourselves to blame!

Then come back and read this one!!!!

THIS IS WEIRD

We were on our way to North Carolina, and we stopped to have lunch and get gas. It was one of those gas stations that has Subway inside, and this one had Steak and Shake attached to it as well. I know most of you have been in one, there is also LOTS and LOTS of "gifts". They had phone accessories, souvenirs from South Carolina, and a small section of stuffed animals.

Well, I had walked the girls to the bathroom, and on the way out they "ran into" the stuffed animals. I just wonder if they were strategically placed just outside the walkway from the bathroom...huummmm. They were the ones where there is a little horse, cheetah, puppy, or kitty inside those little cloth purses and the animal's cute little face sticks out the front of it. Of course the girls stopped and picked out their favorite one, though they had 15 others in the camper (I told them to pick a "few" to bring camping).

Now even though Emma has been "working" and has money to spend, I didn't want her to spend it at the JIFFY on a stuffed animal when we weren't even in the state we were going to be vacationing at. What kind of special meaning would this thing have from a Jiffy Store??!!! So she was fine to wait and see what she would find this week in the mountains. But behind her was Mallory who had her little heart set on this "cute" kitty, which looked a little something like this:

I SAID, "NO." Can you believe it???? I told her, no, and we went into Steak and Shake to order lunch (her Daddy was filling the truck up with gas)...you need to know he wasn't with us.

While in line for lunch, she is bawling...you know with the lips stuck out, snot and tears. She kept asking me over and over for that "cute" kitty and I finally told her I was going to "wash her mouth out with soap" if she asked again. GASP (It always worked for me when I was a kid). She dried it up and I wiped her face clean and she was sitting with me waiting for our food. Oh, I had also told her I would go out to the camper and get her white kitty and she was happy with that.

Then, DADDY WALKED IN.....

He went up to the counter to order his lunch, and she says to me, "I need to tell daddy something." I say, "What are you going to tell him?" (I knew exactly what she was going to "tell" daddy...but I think she meant to use the word, "ask") She just smiled her Cheshire grin and shrugged her shoulders. So I said, "sure, go see Daddy."

I motion to Raleigh that she is coming and mouth, "tell me what she says." Mallory taps on daddy's leg and wants him to bend down, she's got her hand next to her mouth so she can whisper....hummmm can anyone else guess what she is whispering about??

I walk over and say, "What did she just say?" He says with confusion, "something about a kitty." UUUGGGGHHHHH. I led her BACK to the chair we were sitting in and explain all over to my bawling daughter that we are NOT buying the kitten. If you could have heard her little voice say, "but that kitty is so cute" all while her face is all contorted and tears are streaming down her cheeks...it was sooooooo hard to stand my ground, after all, didn't most of us have a collection of stuffed animals??? But, I didn't get it for her, and to my surprise, neither did her knight in shining armor!!!

I got her white kitty out of the camper and off we go on the road again. She is sitting up front between Raleigh and I, eating her lunch and drinking daddy's drink. She puts the drink in the cup holder and says, "THIS IS WEIRD." And I replied, "What's weird, Mallory?"

Her response, "You guys didn't get me that kitty."

Totally out of our character not to buy her what she wanted.

P.S. I am reading a book called, Raising Unselfish Children in a Self-Absorbed World by Jill Rigby. This was only the tip of the iceburg!! I've got a lot of work to do to erase the habits I've already created. Wish me LUCK!!

Okay, who am I kidding?

2008-06-23T06:58:00.000-07:00

This is just a little post off of the "texting" blog I wrote Saturday.

I was laughing at myself this morning because here we are in the top of the mountains of Cherokee, North Carolina and I can't wait to get on line and blog about something funny that happened with Mallory yesterday. I guess I could revert back to the old days of writing in a journal with a feather pen, but typing an entry is so much faster and easier.

Thanks to Aunt Rhonda for mentioning the unlimited texting plan, I just might bring that up to Raleigh. If it's good for his sister (who cracks the whip!!) then it's got to be good for her brother to use with his kids!! But I did have a little bit of understanding for Brandon's new age addiction to technology when I woke up and wanted to grab my lap top!! ; )

Anybody else have something they just can't live without that was bought at Best Buy???
I'm sure most of us will find we fall victim to the Bill Gates inventors of the world!!!! : )

The new age of TEXTING

2008-06-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

I thought I would blog about this because although it is not funny now, it will be a great story to show Brandon when he gets older and has children of his own.

Our boys both have cell phones. Believe it or not, we LET them ride their bikes and enjoy being young boys, the same way Raleigh and I grew up running around the neighborhoods we lived in. Anyway, they use their cell phones to check in with us or we call them to come home. To my surprise, (that's what mother's do...we don't expect our children to abuse their privileges), my son, Brandon has been using his phone to TEXT message his friends and receive text messages. Luckily for him, his father opened the phone bill while he was at work. Here is the breakdown:

Received text messages: 615
Sent text messages: 536
Amount added to our regular cell phone bill: $259.57

And yes, this was in 1 month!!!!!

The thing is, his friends LIVE in our town so he could have easily called them on the home phone and it would have been free and harmless!! Is that so hard in the 21st century??? What an old, old person I am. How did I survive my childhood without texting?????

Needless to say, he doesn't have a phone anymore, and he is my chore child for the rest of the summer. He can not complain not ONE bit!!! I don't think he realizes how much money that is and how long it would take him to work on his own to pay his father back (mowing lawns...etc).

What's really funny is that I told him we were going to get a print out of what he texted and what the text said that he received and read it around the campfire this week while we are in the mountains on vacation. I think he must have sent some messages to a "girl-friend" because he said he was going to put his head in the river and put a rock over it...he's laughing and embarrassed at the same time.

I love you Brandon, and this WILL NOT be the last mistake you make. Just make sure you learn from your boo-boos!!!

P.S. Robby is feeling like the golden child right now!! :-)

Emma's 1st Summer Job

2008-06-16T17:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our good friend Aleshia, Emma has a chance to earn money over the summer doing something that she loves....feeding horses!!! Every day at around 5:00, we go to a barn with 6 horses and give them fresh water, food, hay, and clean out the stalls if there is a BIG mess. Emma chose her three to feed: Oreo, Trigger, and Sky, and I feed the other three: Duke, Magpie, and Bear. She could not wait to come home from Nay-Nay and PaPa's house on Monday so she could go to work. Mallory was supposed to help, but her pictures will be at the bottom. As luck would have it, she just happened to fall asleep in the car before we got there. So she stayed in the air-conditioned car while Emma and I bled sweat and tears out in the hot summer sun! Emma didn't even care. She did not want to leave and kept looking at the list to make sure there was nothing else she was supposed to do. She is excited about making some money and changes her mind every day on what she will spend it on. She gets paid 10 dollars each time she goes out there. Right now she feeds them every weekday afternoon and then on the weekends she will feed them in the morning and in the evening. So she has a chance to make 90 dollars if we are home a full week to do it! Way to go Emma! Keep up the hard work!

Here are the pictures from her first hard day at work. I took a lot because she was just soooo cute! I wish I would have thought to take the ones of her cooling off at the trough where the horses drink in the arena. She was sticking her hand down in that big tub of water and putting it all over her face and hair. She's a real cowgirl!!!

Here she is greeting Sky when she first got there.

Getting the bags full of feed makes it really easy to grab and go!!

Feeding Oreo...YUM, YUM!!

Introducing herself to the new horse, Trigger.

Shoveling POOOOOO!!!!!

Okay, so this picture was staged. Only because I missed her doing it the first time on her own. All I can say is, "PPHHHEEEWWWW!!"

Okay, here is what Mallory was doing when we got there:

And this is what she looked like when we left...over 45 minutes LATER!!!

She looks real concerned about making the big bucks!!

And FINALLY, here is how Emma felt when she got back in the car:

The End!

Job Well Done Emma!!

Father's Day 2008

2008-06-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

I will blog more about my wonderful weekend at my mom and dad's house. This picture was taken on Father's Day, the ONLY day Raleigh has had off in 5 days!!! He is smiling at Mallory because she is giving her "pretty pose" for Nay-Nay. My dad is standing behind me. I will blog more about these two amazing men later, I've been on the computer for too long already. I just wanted to get this picture up!!

If you can't BEAT 'em, EXERCISE

2008-06-15T20:53:00.000-07:00

You know the saying, 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'...well I've just kinda put a little twist on that saying. Truth is, I have been wanting to join my friends who are jogging, but I've never felt I had the right 'runner's form' and my ortho doctor has actually advised me not to run. She did however say I could train to run 3 miles at the MOST....Okay, so there's the window I needed. Now back to the saying, "if you can't BEAT 'em, EXERCISE!!"

First of all, I need to go back in time. I meant to blog about this on Friday, but I haven't had the time to sit with time to myself and let my thoughts out. I was packing to come to my parents' house for the weekend. It was my mom's birthday on Saturday, and of course Father's Day was Sunday, so I thought I'd kill 2 birds with 1 stone and spend time with both of them this weekend. Raleigh had been working since Thursday and would be until Sunday, then he was to meet me at my mom and dad's to join us for Father's day. Anyway, have you ever tried to pack for a short weekend trip for 4 kids, 2 dogs, and yourself. All the while, my two girls are loading up on what they want to bring in the car and to play with at Nay-Nay's. The car is packed down like we will be there all summer and the kids are loaded up for the trip, and my chest is so tight I can hardly breathe. Then the slight bickering starts and I'm ready to pull the car over and BEAT all of them on the side of the road. Instead, I slam on the brakes a couple of times to scare them all and I turn the radio OFF and we ride in silence while I try to calm down. I know my children must think I am a loony bird. After a few miles, I turn the radio back on and the rest of the trip was uneventful (it takes about an hour and 15 minutes to get there).

I was still quite frustrated when we arrived and I asked my mom if she would serve lunch to the masses while I went for a jog down to the Publix store and back (about a 2 mile trip-there and back). This was the first time I had jogged since I got my ankle surgery and it was 1:00 in the afternoon. But I had to exercise. I needed that jolt of endorphins to elevate my serotonin level or I was going to blow up. And so, there I went, jogging, with my mom's i-pod on my ears. I LOVED IT!! It was just what I needed. I got back around my children and I was able to diffuse an argument my girls were having without even raising my voice.

You see, a few of you who know me already know that I have been on Zoloft since Mallory was about 3 or 4 months old. My OBGYN put me on it back in 2004 because I felt so frazzled and at my wits end all the time. I felt like I was falling apart and I just couldn't hold things together. I was in a new marriage of only 2 years, I had just had my 4th child, I was going to school full time still (I was even nursing Mallory while trying to take on-line tests and do on-line projects), and Raleigh was the only one working so he had to work a lot of overtime, therefore I was home with the kids by myself....very difficult time.

Fast forward to 2008...The weekend of Mother's Day, I decided I was going to quit taking my Zoloft. I had been exercising quite regularly, and I had already cut my dosage in half for over a month, in addition, the children are all older now, my marriage is much more solid, I have a job of my own and I just feel like I'm at a more stable and sturdy point in my life. So I quit taking my medication and I have stuck with exercising to lift my spirits and keep me healthy, both mentally and physically.

I know that was a LOOONNNNGGGG post, but that is the story behind, 'if you can't BEAT 'em, EXERCISE'...so now if you see me running, walking, or riding my bike, just honk and know that I am well within my soul!!! And my children are not getting spanked because I have found an outlet. I walked and jogged a total of 6 miles this weekend and feel amazing. I think being addicted to exercise won't be such a bad thing at all!!

Chonda Pierce

2008-06-07T07:14:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to see Chonda Pierce with my great friend, Jill. Chonda is a talented Christian comedian who sings and plays the piano as well. She was very uplifting and a blessing to my soul. I love when Christians aren't afraid to open up and spill out their shortcomings for all to see and be inspired by. I appreciated Chonda's candidness about her life and I walked away a better person because of her relationship with the Lord. Her message was funny, sad, shocking, powerful, and heartfelt to say the least. If only we were all comfortable enough to bare our souls to each other the way that she did. If you don't have an accountability partner that you can talk to and hash out what is going on in your life, both happy and not so happy, you should find one. Find a person you can trust with your pain and joy. Even in a day of where everyone seems to talk behind peoples' backs and cast judgement, there is a special friend out there for each of us. Thank you to my dear friends who are that person to me. Who I can trust with my SELF and they still love me and want to be my friend :)

P.S. While you are visiting, check out the song Shackles by Mary Mary on my Playlist below. Chonda sang it last night and the first thing I wanted to do was add it to my blog music...GREAT SONG!!!!

Why doesn't everyone want the teacher schedule???

2008-06-05T19:34:00.000-07:00

I love being a teacher. And I especially love it at summer time. I can't imagine having to worry about what to do with my 4 kids over the summer if I had to work. I'm only kidding about why everyone wouldn't want to be a teacher. I know we all have our strengths in different areas. I just can't imagine a better schedule. I hardly ever have to take a day off of work and I still get so much time off. I cleaned my classroom up today...more for the custodians than for myself. We have to move every piece of furniture, NEATLY, into the middle of the room. They will come in and clean the carpets then move our furniture back to one side of the room, then we have to go back in before school and set our room back up. I love it because I look forward to changing my room around every year. But I'm sure it can be frustrating for those who don't look forward to change and would leave their room the same year after year. Anyway, I am excited about being home with the kids this summer. Here are my pros and cons about summertime!!!

PROS:
-staying up LATE! I am a night owl and I love not having a bedtime schedule!
-sleeping IN!!! Goes hand in hand with staying up late!!
-flip flops (for everyone!!!) I hate socks...I hate washing them and matching them up!!
-shorts and t-shirts....no more worrying about dress code for the kids or myself!!
-working around the house...I can finally put my energy into spunking my house and yard up instead of my classroom!!
-blogging...hopefully I'll get to blog more and post some photos!
-time with MY kids...just like the house, I am excited about spending time with my own children and putting my energy into the 4 of them instead of the 17 who don't genetically belong to me!!

CONS:
-"MOOOMMMM, I'm bored"
-"MOOOMMM, I'm hungry"
-"MOOOOMMM, I'm hot"
-"MMOOOMMMM, I'm thirsty"

I could go on and on about just those 4 cons. Robby and Brandon will want me to take them to a friend's house or have a friend come over, EVERY DAY. Emma and Mallory will eat me out of this house because they are simply bored. Brandon will go through every carton of orange juice, cran-grape juice, grape juice, milk, or any other beverage I put in the fridge simply because he is bored. Robby will sleep and play video games until he is married and has a family to take care of...I hope one day he will get bored, especially bored of playing video games!!

In all seriousness, I do hope you all have a great summer and enjoy the time with your little ones, and bigger ones (they are growing up fast!!).

Chef Brandon

2008-06-01T15:03:00.000-07:00

I can't help but brag on my other son today! Brandon is my second oldest child and he is just full of energy and spunk. The girls and I slept on the couch bed last night and Brandon slept on one of our living room chairs (it fits 2 grown people in it). This morning he barely put the leg rest down and stood up before he said, "I'm going to ride my bike." He hadn't eaten breakfast, brushed his teeth, or even peed yet!!! I wish I had his energy. Anyway, the end of the year for me is a stressful time and I had spent most of the day up at the school putting together those end of the year books that Kindergartner's trot home with on the last day of school. I had walked in the door at 5:00 and the first thing out of Brandon's mouth was, "What's for dinner?" UUUUGGGGHHHH...I wish I had my own personal chef like Oprah! I gave him a look of exhaustion and said, "give me a minute, you are asking too much of me." Isn't that horrible??? I can't believe I even said that to my child. My job is to cook for them and I felt he was asking too much...eventually I would have gotten up, but he was starving and wanted food NOW!! So then he says, "Mom, you sit there, I am making dinner tonight." And he went in the kitchen and made macaroni and cheese and hot dogs!!!! He fed the family (Raleigh was at work) and was cracking me up talking about drizzleing hot dog juice over the hot dogs, and adding some garlic salt to the mac and cheese. He was really taking his job seriously and said he loves to cook! Cool!!!! Maybe I am well on my way to having my own personal chef! I may not be as rich monetarily as Oprah, but I feel richly blessed!!! Thanks Brandon!

Feeling 14 and awkward again

2008-05-31T21:22:00.000-07:00

My main reason for writing in my blog is to remember things in my life, whether those things are life changing, funny, sad, cute, special (you get the point). Tonight I want to write a letter to my oldest son who went to a birthday party this evening, not just an ordinary birthday party, but an "IT" crowd birthday party. One that made me feel 14 all over again just by dropping him off there.

Dear Robby,
Several days ago you were invited to a birthday party where a young girl you've known since 6th grade was turning 14. You have been worried about whether she wanted you there or not all week, and she did. Though she has a boyfriend, I could tell that her friendship meant a lot to you. You wanted me to help you get ready, help you spike your hair just the right way, you even brushed your teeth, applied deodorant, and put on cologne without me having to ask you to do so 30 times. You looked so handsome. I took you to Walgreen's and together we picked out an appropriate card for a young teenage girl and bought her a gift card for Old Navy. I know you've been to several birthday parties before, but this one was for boys and girls who would be dancing, then watching a movie. I wasn't supposed to pick you up until 11:30!! I thought about you the entire time you were there. I talked to God and prayed that you would feel comfortable, welcome and accepted. I felt like I was 14 again. That awkward age where you still don't know how you want to walk, or talk, or DANCE!! When I picked you up, I sensed a little reservation and lack of excitement. "It was okay," you said. Of course there was a specific young man there who oozes COOLNESS. I laughed with you when you said, "He just walks in all cool, and the girls go crazy, I try to be cool and it hasn't worked for me yet." The part I like most is that you laughed at yourself. Then you went on to say how this young man told a young lady, "...by the end of the night you are going to give me a kiss." You were floored at this statement without me having to tell you to be. I love that you have such respect for each young lady that you meet. As of now, you have not been in a serious relationship and I am so proud of you for that. I told you tonight that one day a woman or young lady will see who you are through your heart and not just through the way you walked in "looking cool". I know with all of my heart that you will be a wonderful man, you are already well on your way. I shared with you tonight about how I was a big dork in 8th grade and you laughed and said, "Well mom, I'm learning from the best." I love that we can talk and laugh together. I know this is such an awkward time in your life. The only way I would understand it any better is to have been a boy myself. But I am able to be there for you and try to explain what a girl with a heart for God will want from a boy. And I know you are that boy. I see so much good in you. Keep your heart in the right place and don't try to be someone that you are not. You are perfect and right just the way God made you. Being "cool" will only get you so far in life, but having a pure heart will open doors to a life that is beyond "cool". A life God has planned for you already. Stay true to yourself and be confident in the man you are turning out to be. I am watching you and though it seems I stay busy with your brother and sisters, I pray for you and want the best for you. I love you son and I want you to know this always. Take your candle, Robby, and go light your world!!!

Love,
Mom

This is what they'll look like in 30 years!!!

2008-05-24T06:13:00.000-07:00

I take this adorable group of young ladies to gymnastics every Thursday afternoon. Emma, Chloe, Mallory and Kelsey. My two are the 1st and the 3rd, and the other two are a co-worker's children who are sisters as well. I look forward to Thursdays at the gym with them because they are so funny and so cute together. Plus I've learned a lot from their confidence. They wear their Leotards with PRIDE, without SHORTS!!; they don't even recognize their little poochy tummies that we so often hate on our own bodies; they are not scared to try something new (unless it's Kelsey on the uneven bars hanging on for dear life); and there's no where else they'd rather be..their caught up in the moment and they are not stressed out about what to do next. Well, fast forward about 30 years and they might just look like this:

I need to get a new photo, I didn't realize I was the only one sporting the leo! This is Aleshia, Christin, myself, and Jill (our coach, Malinda, is behind us). We have been taking the adult gymnastic class on Friday evening since the end of January!! I must say we have each come a long way and have worked on building our confidence levels. The first 3 of us sport a LEO on Fridays (we are still working on Jill) just like the little ones mentioned above, HOWEVER, our leos are paired with SHORTS and even tank tops over them at times!! I look forward to spending time with my friends and keeping in shape in a unique way. It's not just cartwheels and forward rolls either, we are doing round-off back handsprings, back tucks, aerials, and uneven bar work! It is quite challenging at times. I told you I had extra curricular activities!!!

Change is Good

2008-05-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

I decided to change my blog address to blogspot because I could not quite design my other blog the way I wanted to. I have looked at a lot of blogs and I like this site best. I hope I am able to navigate my way around this one much easier. Thanks for following me here or just dropping in. I love blogging and I love reading your blogs too!!