Bye Bye 2009!

Well..I decided to look through all of my pictures, and see if I could do a 2009 Year Review. We were all sitting around the table at work yesterday, talking about how glad we would be to see this year over....that this had just been a hard year, and wanted to just have it past us. I figured if we looked through our pictures, we would find we also find that we had a very good year, and a lot of things to be thankful for. I am terrible about not taking enough pictures..but here are a few from "some" of the good times in 2009! Alyssa's Field Trip

One of my very best friends, Shari started working with us!

CJ turned 40!

Aaron turned 16! Every picture I had of him, he was turning away! Teenagers!

Logan's First trip to the Zoo with his class.

Camryn's Ballet Recital

Aaron participating in the JROTC program..his Daddy was sooo proud!

Logan graduating from Kindergarten

Camryn receiving 2nd place for Accelerated Reader in her class.

Alyssa turned 10!

The kids attended Bible School..here is Camryn and my niece, Caitlin.

Making homemade ice cream at work..for 4th of July Cookout!

Rhonda, Matt and Cathy...grilling the burgers for 4th of July.

Rhonda and I turned 33!!!

Jamie, Jesse and my brother Dave posing at a Family Cookout!

Me...trying to play ball with a Spongebob Bat..we had a lot of fun!

My Daddy with ALL of his brothers and sisters at the cookout!

Nathan turned 13 and we went to the beach..he's laying out on the porch with a kitty at Nanny's (CJ's Mom).

Took the kids to the park...such a HOT day!

Logan turned 6...no shirts required for this kid...we were lucky he wore his shorts! ;)

Camryn turned 8!

Our BIG family, took our first trip to Myrtle Beach..Nathan posing with the girls from the Dixie Stampede!!

Alyssa, Logan and Hunter at the Aquarium!

Camryn, Logan, Corey and Alyssa...trick or treating at the hotel..and had the BEST time!!!

Stole this picture from Rhonda...most of us after the meeting!

Cathy and I went to SC to do some training..this is the office on the lake!

This is the view from the office...how relaxing!

Cathy and Debbie in the SC office..we had so much fun!

Logan received his GREEN belt in Karate (Tae Kwon Doe).

So proud!

Camryn, Me, Logan and Nathan on Christmas Eve!

I'm looking forward to 2010..and new resolutions...I'm looking forward to spending more time with my family and friends, and taking more pictures along the way. Happy New Year to all my Blogger Buddies!!!

So sleepy!!!

This morning at 1:00 am, our house phone rang. In the few seconds it was ringing my thoughts were, is CJ on call and I forgot, is something wrong with one of the boys, what has happened?!?! CJ's stares at the phone while it rings, I guess trying to figure out who's number it is and I yell, "ANSWER IT"! Then I heard CJ say, "Alyssa..is that you..don't do that anymore..you scared us too death"! LOL Camryn was having a coughing spell, and instead of getting up to come get me, Alyssa just figured she would call me from her cell phone! Ugh!!!

So, then at 2:00 am, Alyssa comes in the room to let me know Camryn coughed so much that she threw up...in the bed! Great!!! So, I had to get all of that straight and go back to bed.

At 6:30 am (luckily I was up), Logan starts screaming for me...he needs some drink! He said "I called you and called you last night and you didn't bring me any"!! I looked at that child and said, "Well, I was in here at 1 and 2, and you were fast asleep, you should've gotten up and asked me then"! LOL

This is one Sleepy Mommy today!!! They go to their Dad's tonight, so hopefully we won't have any excitement!!!

Back to Blogging

I can't believe my last blog was titled,"My First Private Blog" and was dated October 14th! I think I have become so "addicted" to Facebook, that I have seriously fallen behind on my blogs. Instead of trying to catch up on everything from October, I'll just move forward!



I'm probably the only person to admit that I am glad Christmas is over! We have so many places to be, that sometimes it's just to hard to enjoy! As always at Christmas time, I took very few pictures. It's hard to take pictures and keep up with Logan at the same time!



Camryn, Me, Logan and Nathan waiting on CJ. We were getting ready to go to his sister's on Christmas Eve!

Aaron, Me and Nathan! The kids were having fun with the camera!

Logan and Camryn finding their presents under the tree. They wanted to be ready when everyone got finished eating.

My cute Logan!

CJ's Mama got Logan his very own Park Ranger Uniform...just like hers! He was so excited! He loves to dress up!

My nephew Cole, and my brother Dave at my Uncle Mike's house Christmas Day.

Playing Charades at my Uncle Mike's.

The kids had a wonderful Christmas...the girls got a WII, a new comforter set for their room, clothes, makeup and tons of toys...Logan got a new bike, Toy Story Comforter Set, and tons of toys, Aaron and Nathan both got big remote control air planes, clothes and money. Everyone was happy and my house is still a mess! Why do all these toys have so many pieces?? I have seriously got to rethink how I am going to organize their room. I want them to be able to enjoy all of their new toys!!! If you have any organizational suggestions...send them my way! Hope you and your families all had a wonderful Christmas!

My First Private Blog!!!!

I changed my blog to private...and then I blog about nothing!! I had so much to vent about when my blog was public..but now I have calmed down and I am going to be the bigger person! Literally! Ha!

I've been upset with a "soon to be" ex-sister-in-law and an ex-husband... for completely different reasons. Bottom line is..with the SIL, I am going to have to learn that my brother is a grown man and he has to handle things the way he needs to handle things. I get so frustrated because I don't want to see him make the same mistakes that I made. He is such a good Daddy and has such a good heart. I just don't want him to let her take advantage of him. I guess it's the big sister coming out of me!

With my ex-husband, we have completely different views on discipline. Maybe if we were still married, there would be some happy medium...but it's not! He wants to run things like a military, and I'll admit I'm a little more layed back. With my kids going back and forth so much, I really do like to spend my time enjoying them and not so much on discplining them on every little single thing! So...we had a pretty heated argument this weekend and I'm still mad as all get out. I'm sure I'll get over it...but right now, I just want to be mad.

Not much else has been going on! The kids have finally gotten well! I was sick Monday night with a stomach virus and woke up Tuesday like a new person! I hope everyone is staying well! Remember Lysol is your friend! LOL I sprayed it everywhere when my kids were sick, and I believe it helped me! Hopefully, my next blog will be a little more interesting! Hope everyone has a great night! I'm heading home to makeup homemade soup for supper!! Yummy!!

Private Blog

I have decided to join everyone and make my blog private. Some things I want to discuss with my fellow bloggers, that I feel like I can't because I do not know who is reading my blog. My ex-husband even made the comment to me one time that I needed to watch what I put on my blog because you never know who is reading it, and admitted to reading my blog himself. In the past, I didn't worry about what I wrote but recently there have been things that I wanted to blog about, but didn't because I didn't know who may be reading it. So...send me your emails if you are interested in continuing to read my boring 'ol blog. However, if it's private, it may get a little bit more interesting! HA! Just kidding!

Just a little blog...

Well...I can't believe I haven't blogged anything in over a month! I lost my camera battery charger and haven't taken any pictures in forever....so I didn't have any cute pictures to blog about. I have found my charger...in my pocketbook of all places...and need to get busy taking pictures and blogging! BTW...my pocketbook is not that junky, I just grab my wallet or checkbook out and keep on going!

Last week, I actually took a week off from work. My first whole week since I started here 7 years ago! Alyssa was diagnosed with the swine flu and I spent the whole week at home with her, Camryn and Logan. Camryn and Logan tested negative but Camryn had started running fever and Logan had starting coughing, so in order not to further spread any germs, we spent a week at home. My Mama was amazing! She brought us lunch, rented the kids movies, brought them new books and coloring books, brought us milkshakes, brought us their prescriptions and all the ingredients to make homemade chocolate chip cookies!! My husband spent 3 nights at his sister's (he did drop off groceries every night) and the boy's spent 4 nights at their Mom's. Fortunately, I never caught it! I am now a big believer in Lysol because I sprayed it EVERYWHERE! Everyone is well and returned to school Monday...Thank Goodness!!! You know it's bad when your kids start asking can they go back to school! We were getting on each other's nerves.

So that I don't get another message in ALL CAPS, I will try to make sure I get back on track with my blogging! Hope everyone is having a great week!

Going to try it again...

Maybe I ate way too much at lunch...maybe my jeans are getting toooo tight...maybe I'm just having a yuck day...but I need to LOSE weight...again! I just went back and looked at my past blogs. I had made it to 13 weeks and my last post was a gain of 6 little stupid ounces. The week before, I had a total weight loss of 17.4 lbs!!! Now...guess what...I have gained every single, stinking pound back! I told myself that I wasn't going to do it and I did it. I gave in to food...again!

I have been really stressed this summer. To be honest, bills are just about to get the best of me!!! My husband and I have separate checking account and separate bills....and I am about to go crazy. Our fertilizer season has slowed down tremendously, and I don't know if I have mentioned, but I took a second job at my in-laws local grocery store. I only work on the days my kids are at their Dad's, and I do love being in the public, seeing old familiar faces. So, anyways, I thought this would give me some "me" money. But, it ends up going to another bill or gas or groceries...but not "me". So, I got tired of stressing over money and stressing over food...so I dropped the diet! One less thing to stress over, right?!?!

So...now what...the bills are a little better, and I'm not quite as stressed over them as I was..so, do I dare start another diet, or way of life or whatever you call it...hahaha. Am I going to be able to do it, am I going to be able to stick to it?? I won't know until I try...so now, what should be my first day, tomorrow or Monday. I'm thinking it might as well be tomorrow...wish me luck again!! If you have ANY suggestions, criticism, advice...give it to me!!!

Jamie's Blog

Hey Everyone!! Jamie asked me to send out a message to let everyone that she is still blogging. For some reason, it is showing that her last blog was 2 weeks ago! Not sure why it's not updating her blog status! If anyone has any tips, let her know! Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Fun Day with the kids....

On Monday, my Mama had a doctor's appointment in Greenville, so I decided to take the day off and spend with my kids! CJ was working and the boys were at the beach. So, after breakfast, we headed to Roanoke Rapids. We stopped by JCPenney's to return a skirt, and the kids picked out a new book bag for school. We then headed to Rack Room Shoes to pick out school shoes. After all of the fun in the shoe store, we went to Little Caesar's to pick up a couple of pizzas and headed to the park. The kids had a great time even though it was super hot! We decided that it was so hot that we needed a frosty! So, we made a quick stop at Wendy's and then headed home. It was nice to come home to the AC!!! Camryn, Logan and Alyssa at The Roanoke River Canal.

Alyssa

Camryn

Logan (come on Mama...let's go!!!)

Happy 13th Birthday Nathan!!!

Well.....it's official we have ANOTHER teenager in the house!!! Today, my step-son, Nathan is 13!!! CJ took the day off of work to spend with Nathan, and they are heading to the golf course in a little bit! Tomorrow, CJ, Aaron, Nathan and I are heading to the beach to see CJ's Mama! It's going to be just a quick overnight, trip but that's okay with me! What better way to celebrate your birthday then to be at the beach!!

Happy 13th Birthday Nathan!!! We love you!!!

Happy 4th of July!!!

We decided to cookout at work today to celebrate the holiday!
Rhonda and Matt grilling the hamburgers!

Me working on the homemade ice cream!! YUMMY!!!!

Rhonda, Matt and Cathy checking the burgers!

Some of us eating lunch! We invited the guys next door at the warehouse to come eat with us! We had hamburgers, chips, lemon bars and homemade ice cream!!! We all are in great need of a NAP!!! Donna is on vacation this week, and Shari had to be out today.....WE MISSED YOU BOTH!!! Hope everyone has a safe and Happy 4th of July!!!

Update on My Week!

I have managed to forget my camera every single day this week. I have been wanting to post pics from Alyssa's birthday party last Friday, but no such luck! The kids have been in Vacation Bible School all week, and will finish with their program tonight. Alyssa informed me she did not want to get on stage to sing and dance because she is stage fright! Camryn, on the other hand, can not wait.

I went to the eye doctor on Wednesday. My eye has been doing some crazy mess. The eye doctor told me it was a side effect from the Bell's Palsy, and I was blinking good and my vision had not changed. So, unless it got worse, there was nothing they could do at this time. My eye wants to get a little droopy and is driving me crazy. The only alternative is to do surgery on my eye lid to lift it, and he said it would have to get much worse before anyone would operate! Great! But..while I was there, I got contacts! I have not wore them in 10 years, and boy do I look different! 10 years ago, they found blood vessels in my eye, did laser surgery and told me I would never wear contacts again! Well, when I went 3 years ago, he said it was an option, but I decided not to. Well, Wednesday he said it was fine, and I'm wearing them. I wish someone would tell me that I'm not wearing glasses because I keep pushing them up! LOL CJ likes them, he said he felt like he had a new woman! LOL I don't know if that's good or not! LOL

We have a new driver in the family, as of this morning! Aaron turned 16 in April, but had to wait until today because of when he took driver's ed. CJ took the day off from work and carried him first thing. I told him, I didn't want to take this moment from him and Aaron's Mama, but one of them was going to take him TODAY or I was going to take him! Bless his heart, he has had to wait an extra 2 months, it was time to go! I remember going on my birthday! That was an important day! Aaron is heading to the beach with his cousin, Cody, in a little bit. He is not driving, of course! LOL CJ's Mama lives in Buxton, so they are going to spend the weekend with her.

Well, my blog went from birthday pics to VBS to contacts to drivers license! That's about how my brain is working these days, jumping from one thing to the next! Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!!

Alyssa's Birthday/Father's Day Weekend

We had a very busy weekend, as usual! Friday night, we had Alyssa's birthday party at Valley Pine Country Club. (I forgot my camera today, so I will have to post pictures tomorrow.) She had one of the best parties ever! The kids got along great and just had a really good time! They swam, they ate pizza, they swam, they ate cake, they swam, Alyssa opened presents and then they swam again! They were all at a good age where we good just sit back and watch them have a good time! One of her friends at the party came home and spent the night. She must have planned it because she had her pajamas! LOL My niece also spent the night, and Logan went to my Mama's to spend the night with my nephew.

Saturday morning, the kids headed to their Daddy's. Logan had his very first Karate test. (He will find out in class Tuesday if he passed.) I didn't go! I can't believe I didn't go. I wanted him to do his best and I thought he would do better with his Daddy. I was afraid if I went, I would mess him up. I was so upset all day because I missed it. I never miss things like that! Joey called as soon as he was finished, and he thought he did a good job. So, hopefully on Tuesday he will find out if he receives his yellow belt.

After the kids left Saturday, I headed to work for a little bit and then headed home to crash on the couch. LOL Later on that evening, we headed over to the in laws to go swimming and ride golf carts. We went to Severn to see Cathy's son, Taylor. He had just gotten home from the hospital. (Those of you that don't know, Taylor had an accident on his bike and broke his ankle in 3 places, including the growth plate. They had to send him to Edenton Hospital from Ahoskie via ambulance for surgery. He has a metal plate and several screws, and a hard cast right now. He came home Saturday. He's been in a lot of pain, but has handled it all really well! Bless his heart, he is going to have one long summer!)

Sunday, my child turned 10! OMGoodness! How is she 10? So much was going on when she came in, that I forgot to tell my child Happy Birthday! She asked me did I have anything to tell her! Talk about making you feel like crap! We went out to lunch with CJ's family for Father's Day! Our waitress found out that it was Alyssa's birthday and brought her out a little birthday cake and gave Alyssa her lunch for FREE!! We were all excited about that! The picture at the top is Alyssa blowing out the candle. After lunch, we headed to Wal-Mart and Game Stop so Alyssa could blow some birthday money. She couldn't find the game she was looking for, so she saved it until she could find it somewhere else. I was so proud of her, because I would have found something to blow it on! LOL If any of you see the NEW Hannah Montana Nintendo DS game, let me know! We then headed to visit with my Daddy for Father's Day. After that we headed to the pool. I think my house is starting to miss me! It's starting to show! LOL How does your house get messy when you are not even there?!?! Crazy!

So...that was my long blog about my busy little weekend!!!

Happy 10th Birthday Alyssa!!!!

I can not believe that my daughter is going to be 10 years old this Sunday! Where in the world has the time gone? She is having a Hannah Montana Pool Party tonight at Valley Pine Country Club. When I asked her what did she want for her birthday, she listed off...clothes, a bathing suit and money. She wants to take her money and go get a manicure! What?!?! What happened to toys?!?! She is just growing up way too fast for me! Hopefully, I will have some pictures to post of her birthday party on Monday. A bunch of kids at a pool, we'll see! LOL

Pre K - 2nd Grade Award Day

Well, we are almost finished with another school year! It's so hard to believe that my baby has completed Kindergarten. He just realized this morning that he passed his grade! Haha He does really well in school, other than behavior, so I don't know why he didn't think he passed. Here are just a few random pics from this morning's ceremony!


Logan walking in! He is just so little!

Hmmm...wonder what this is all about!

Hey Mama! Camryn realizing I was trying to get her picture!

Camryn receiving her award! She received 2nd place in her class for Accelerated Reader!

Oh WOW! We got Wal-Mart gift cards!

Logan receiving his Kindergarten Certificate.

CHEESE!!!! Oh, how I wish I would have fixed that belt! But, ain't he cute?!?!

Look at my cute little man!

Camryn showing off her gift card!

A closer look! She can't wait to go spend that $5! LOL I am so proud of her and I hope she continues to show such a genuine interest in reading. She was a little disappointed because she thought she came in first! It's okay, we'll get 'em next year!