The Summar Family

Not long ago,

2010-04-28T21:05:00.003-05:00

And yet it is so hard to remember that my little boys were so very sick. Thanks to all the MTMC NICU staff.....and you Debbie, you helped quiet so many new mommy nerves.

LETTER TO EDITOR: Adams' nursery benefited children | dnj.com | The Daily News Journal

2010-04-28T21:05:00.000-05:00

One of the best nurses that we had during our 5 1/2 weeks in the NICU with my "Whimpy White Boys" passed away late last week. the community has lost a quiet hero. Please read the below as written by a local Peds doc.

LETTER TO EDITOR: Adams' nursery benefited children dnj.com The Daily News Journal:

"On occasion, the death of a member of our community requires more than an obituary notice. We are fortunate to have fellow citizens who sacrifice for us for years in relative anonymity. Ms. Debbie Adams was just such a person, and the children of Rutherford County and their parents should pause at her passing to give her their thanks. For 39 years, Ms. Adams worked at Middle Tennessee Medical Center — many of them as the head of the neonatal unit. During her service, she was the person primarily responsible for developing the nursery into a unit recognized throughout Middle Tennessee for its excellence.

This accomplishment was fueled by her fierce dedication to quality care for her young patients. Because of her nursery's reputation, she was often asked by Vanderbilt's NICU to accept the care of sick newborns, when their beds were full. Ms. Adams did everything she could to assure that MTMC's administration, doctors and nurses provided quality care for every patient in her nursery.

She never sought notoriety or a 'thank you' from any of us, as she provided our community with a healthier place to raise our families. Our thoughts are with her family now, as we remember this remarkable woman.

Joseph A. Little, M.D."

Spring has Sprung pt2

2010-04-14T19:46:00.002-05:00

My husband has been working hard the past two weekends to save $800.00
worth of manual immigrant labor

Front flower bed sans flowers.....this was a wreck of a place 3 weeks ago

My fountain that I fixed.

Nathan spreading pine needles- he leaves one job and comes home to have me crack with whip, yep he is wearing a Burberry suit.......Immigrant help lurking...

I did this!

My new lilac tree that will be planted in out new burm......without immigrant help no less.

In an ode to my upcoming birthday, my "birthflower" if their is a thing...The Lily of the Valley. I accept gifts. And I will be 34! Holy mother of Mary

For Shawna, these were Terra Cotta color, faded plastic. So John spraypainted these black along with my arm and half of the neighborhood.

Spring has Sprung!

2010-04-13T17:56:00.002-05:00

Spring is in full swing around the Summar House!

We have started out first season of Flag Football! So far the kids are really loving it. They had their first game last Saturday. We are lucky to have one of the boys' cousins on their team.

We also have spent the last two weekends working in the yard. And clearly by "we" I mean Nathan and the kids. They have cleaned out all of the landscaping, treated it with chemicals and have placed pine straw in the place of mulch. Nathan says we are shaking it up a bit. We also planted three bushes outside our fence. I do not know why we did that but we did. I also had Nathan buy me a lilac tree. It smells so pretty and should be planted by the weekend!

I have also fixed the fountain! Now I have to have someone come and place electricity to it and get rid of the ORANGE extension cord.

My part of spring is planting all the containers! That was fun! I spent the past two afternoons with the kids outside planting pots. John was my big helper yesterday and EE was my helper today.

I am also so excited as is Millie- to have new steel gates ordered! They should be here in about three weeks! Then I will not have to worry about Millie making good with the neighbors.....

I hope that you all are enjoying your springtime activities!

Busy day!

2010-04-06T16:21:00.002-05:00

The past two days have been so busy~

Sometimes I wish that I could have a to do list that only had things to do with me and what I wanted to have happen and actually get that list completed! Instead my list is about 80% other people's stuff and only about 50% done at any given point. I suppose that having the kids home for two weeks will make a list long and being gone for one of those weeks is sabotage....

I have such a treat in having Nathan's brother and sister staying with us for the evening and with me for the day tomorrow. Nathans dad has Carli who is 17 and Cameron who is 14. What do you do with teenagers? Cameron will be going to cub scouts with Nathan and the boys this evening. Other than that I will cook dinner and visit with Carli.

Nathan's dad is in Chicago for a consult for his prostate cancer. We are hoping that he learns what he needs to know and that he faces this battle head on...

In other news, Nathan has full out nasty shingles. They are all over his back and are gross. Luckily due to his YOUNG age (ha!) he has not had that bad of a battle with pain as yet. However I find it really funny that he suffers from a geriatric disease. I think that he has shingles because of the stress that he has at work, with family and say no, not home! Poor man!

Where have you been?

2010-04-04T21:17:00.004-05:00

Hoste Easter at my house....

Made my final cake for cake class

Skiing in Park City UT!

Loved visiting the snow!

and this is all in the wrong order chronologically...ugh! More of my Park CIty UT vacation can be seen on Slide.com

Kids are back to school in the morning (can I get an Amen?) Nathan has shingles.....and did yard work all this weekend. I will be happy to get back on a schedule.

Another Cake

2010-03-10T10:06:00.003-06:00

OK so, I made a cake for my nephews birthday. It was a joint party with one of his girl friends. They are three and so cute. I must say, with the help of Melissa, we did a really good job for a couple of chicks that just started.

Then my mom has a group of friends that are just beyond glorious. They are just gems. So they all eat on Tuesday evening ie Steel Magnolias or Fried Green Tomatos. So they have started asking for diffent types of cakes. Now I am in course 2 and we do not have to make cakes each week. I will continue to make mom's friends cake until they are asking me for my old "fat" clothes....HA! Because I love them and they take really good care of one another and I do not have the heart to tell them no....So next week, chocolate/Peanut Butter.

What a busy week I have! We are redoing the yard. Our delightful neighbor is tired of our nasty bermuda grass growing over into his yard and honestly, we have so many clover, thatch etc, we need to do something. So we have decided to look into sod. We are also having the gates to our yard replaced with metal gates becuase the crack heads that built our fence were crackheads and our gates are "crap" honestly. We are also getting rid of Nathan's rock garden and the container garden and perhaps laying another aggrigate pad for tables or grilling space...who knows.

I also had to take Ethan's bike into the shop becuase he has hit something so hard that it bent the chain holder thing. Boys. I have also had both Parent/Teacher conferences this week. I have two children that are very smart and one that is a goof ball and just really enjoying himself all too much! I am thinking tha I work in a high school this Friday, and next Friday....we shall see.

In other news, nathan is leaving for a hiking trip on Saturday morning. He will be gone for a few days. He is so excited! Like a child. The boys are going to visit their grandparents. So with that happening. Melissa and I are having our own little scrapping retreat upstairs. So excited, like a child.

Sylvia Weinstock, eat your Cake!

2010-03-02T11:51:00.003-06:00

The more "refined" cake of new

This is where I started!

I have indeed come a long way baby! So Sylvia Weinstock, eat your cake and I will eat mine. (not really my mom and her friends are gonna eat it but anyway....)

Here is a comparison from where I came from 5 weeks ago

From the Ashes, Rise the new...

2010-03-02T09:48:00.000-06:00

Week 3 Cake

2010-02-23T11:11:00.004-06:00

Hi all! I gloriously submit my weeek 3 cake. It is a white cake, with buttercream filling. I made buttercream chocolate icing and decorated it with drop flowers. When I came home from class, Nathan complete with 6 brackets of braces ate 1/4 of my cake. The remaining cake will be eaten by mom & her friends at dinner tonight. We are also signing up for Class II. I am kinda liking it now that I have some idea of what I am doing....

I am also enjoying part of my day witha little nugget named Sarah who is graciously pointing out how dirty my floors are...So fun having a baby in the house! Especially this one!

Oh My Goodness!

2010-02-22T13:12:00.003-06:00

Was that sun that we saw in Middle Tennessee yesterday? Indeed it was and the Summar family spent a good part of the day outside because, guess what? It is overcast again today. It rained last night but is still 50 degrees today, the only parts of me that are complaining are my hair and my knees. We went for a 4 mile hike on the greenway yesterday and ended up at the Bark Park. O my goodness! I could live there. I think that I am going to become unofficial mayer of Barkville TN! That was so fun. The kids spent their time on the greenway rollerblading or biking, Nathan and I walked, picked up fallen kids and enjoyed some time in the nice outdoors.

The kids are almost done with the 2010 model of the PineWood Derby. They are coming along nicely, we race next weekend. I do not know who is more excited, Nathan or the kids... hmmm!

Nathan is also getting braces today. Yep that is correct, Nathan, my 35 year old husband is getting some heavy metal. This should be funny. The kids are gonna be so jeolous! They are at the stage where they are envious of the kids in their class that are getting Palet expenaders, so imagine when your dad get braces! The horror!

I am back to cake class tonight. We are making clown cakes that I made last week on my own. I must say, I think I did ok on my own last week, we shall see what I learn. Melissa and I have decided that we will take class 2 and see what happens. My cake this week, drum roll please, has chocolate icing! Oh yea, I am getting really good!

Year Two

2010-02-17T21:23:00.003-06:00

Well I was not going to write anything for fear of some water works-but there have been water works all day so, why not.

It has been two years since my daddy died. It on this day that, at the time, I did not know now profoundly my life would change.

I am not really certain that the second year is any easier than the first. The loss is still painful. I think the second year you know with all certainty that life will never be the same and the loss will not subside.

I will say that death often times seperates a family. And while we have all made adjustments to the loss of dad, we have made it through with our love and appreciation that we have one another still. We still have our GG and through her we have dad.

We are a Blessed bunch of people and I feel like adad would be really proud.

Hey No Clowning Around!

2010-02-16T20:46:00.002-06:00

OK so cake class was canceled this week because of the little bit of snow that we got. Well making a cake (just he white part of the icing not the decorations) takes me a good day so to have the class canceled was a blow to the schedule. I went ahead and made the cake that we were supposed to make in class and this is how it came out. I must say, I have impressed myself. So next week I will make a very similar cake however I am going to TRY and make chocolate icing! Exotic I know but we shall see!

Bite Me!

2010-02-08T21:27:00.003-06:00

Look what I did! I made a descent looking cake. It helps when you:

1-make the frosting correctly

2-understand instruction

So the cake says Bite Me. It is a cake! You are supposed to bite it. I am giving it to my mom and her Tuesday night friends, who all eat together. This way, I do not have to eat it, and I do not have to deal with kids who are bouncing off the walls after havin eaten cake.

High Hopes Dashed in an instant!

2010-02-05T12:59:00.004-06:00

Careers are made and broken in an instant or within a couple of tubes of homemade frosting. I think that my cake career is over....don't get me wrong but by the pics posted within, I feel certain that I will be writing checks for cakes for the rest of my life. I can BAKE a cake, no problem. I can even pull a "from scratch" number. I can make homemade buttercream icing as it turns out...I cannot however apply said frosting in any sort of manner that is appealing to the eye. I will continue the whole class, loyal friend that I am. I just do not see myself signing up for more tarte torture in the future. I can tell with every amount of certainty, I have no patience for this! Stay tuned.....this is only just begun.

Cake Part Deux

2010-02-04T13:55:00.002-06:00

I would like to give a shout out to my homies over in Japan! I had no idea that I had an international following. If you look at my last post, the comments, I think that that is Japanese. Since I do not speak not write Japanese, I am going to turn off my free for all comments. You will not have to comment and it will ask me to approve it or not. I mean lets face it no one that reads my blog needs Japanese Viagra.

Who knew that you could learn so much from a cake lady. I learned so much that if you think that you wanna save money by making you own cakes, go to the class at Michael's! It is like $20.00 and I feel like I have already gotten my money's worth. That being said, I have yet to complete my first cake. I have baked it and it has a crown (ack! I have to trim it off)- I have made two batches of icing....I will post pics when I am done......Probably next week.

Next Up!

2010-02-01T13:09:00.001-06:00

I have always felt that the more that you learn when you grow older, the better person you are going to be when you even older. Also the more well rounded you are as an individual, the better person you are in the end. Life is a never ending process of learning and showing thru your actions what you have learned.

That being said, I am starting a new endeavor....Cake Class. All that stuff about being a better person and learning and being well rounded, sounds good....however I am just hoping that I don't get kicked out of cake Class or have the cake monster as a teacher. I am a member of my scrapping group, and after 3 years they are used to me, my mouth and my sense of humor....I am safe there. I am a little nervous about being in a crafty in a situation with people I do not know moreover they do not know me (poor people).

Cake Class is at Michaels-It is every Monday in the month of February. Cake Class is 2 hours of frosting, cake and things that I should not be around. Why do I torture myself? I have heard that once you spend enough time around cake and icing and all that is YUM O that you then find it to be not so YUM O....I will let you know.

Now some people think that I am crafty, creative and can make and do things that some people cannot. I happen to think that I am crazy in some of the things that I think I can do. For every thing that I have made with some success, ther are more than a dozen things that I have 1- tried to make, or 2- attempted to make and it failed-miserably. I never dreamed that I would want to decorate a cake. However if it gets me out of the house, spending time with my friends, and if there is a chance that I will be OK at it, it is worth a try.

Now about the being OK at it....not a chance. I will do this course and probably not attempt another one. From what I understand and what I can see to be the truth perhaps....Cake decorating takes some amount of patience. Patience is a virtue..a virtue that was not graced on these old bones. I have NO patience and so far in life I have made it by just fine.

So come on Cake, let's see what happens to you!

A day of snow!

2010-01-29T14:25:00.001-06:00

I took these pics at about one o'clock today. It has only been snowing since 10am. They say that we are supposed to get about 5 inches. Yea Winter! Love it, now if Nathan would just leave work!hmmmm.

A Baby Shower!

2010-01-26T18:20:00.003-06:00

Brandy, Misty, Abby, Kelly, Katie and Me!

My Sister and Mother in law, Katie, Brandy and Linda-Me too!

Abby, her mom Rita and Kelly, Abby's sister!

I had a busy week last week, mostly cleaning my house. I held a baby shower for Nathan's cousin, Abby. Abby is expecting her second son in March. Abby and Nathan have another beautiful son, Dylan who is going to be such a wonderful big brother. We had such a wonderful time eating, visiting and showering Abby with lots of gifts.

Showering the Evolution....

2010-01-11T09:27:00.002-06:00

There has been so so many things written about the importance of showering as a parent. After you give birth to this, or in my case these, precious angels- your whole routine changes. We all know this! The showering, the need for showering the time of showering changes and the complexity of showering changes completely.

When the kids were small I would shower when they were asleep at night or shower when they were napping. Nathan would either be home or I would have the monitor close at hand. Not to say the monitor was on...but close. I could shower as long as the kids were asleep. At preschool age, I was the mom that dropped their kids off to school in my pajamas no hair done, no make up done just me. And while my kids did go to the "it" pre school in our town, you know the type, the one where you are seen and to be seen....I still was just me, scary! At pick up though I was a new woman, showered, hair make up the whole nine yards! And I was seen, just for probably being the wild mom who was very frank about child rearing. Weekdays my routine is: Monday, Thursday and Friday I take the kids to school, in my work out gear, then head to the gym....come home shower start the day. Tuesday and Weds I have to shower before school because I work at school and feel like I should probably smell better than the elementary school restroom. The weekends, Nathan is home so he can cut them off at the pass.

Point is no matter where we are in our years, as moms one of our only private times is in the shower. My kids know that when I am in my shower or if you hear water running, I am busy. I am probably not going to want to talk to you nor am I available for homework help when I am in the shower. Under no circumstances am I available for referring, goose egg nursing or arguing about who did what when and where! Now most people close and lock the bathroom door and go about their business. Well when I shower it happens to be the only time that Millie (our dog) is hungry. Her food bowl is in the bathroom & what am I supposed to do make her starve?? I think not!

My children also know that, barring a fire that they cannot fight themselves, I am off limits during running water shower time! They are also aware of the do not enter until the water has cut off & I am dried off policy. Only then can you yell from around the corner. I am determined not to scar the kids for life my seeing me in various states of undress...I scar myself each day so imagine being 8 and a male. Bless!

Imagine why last Saturday one of my little darlings started yelling at me from around said corner. Well when you have water in your ears, the shower running and the door closed (Millie not too hungry that day) YELLING! So I said WHAT?!?!? Then the door cracks open...garble garble garble! is stated! What?!?! I am smelling for smoke, wondering if they have tied their dad up..really what do you want?! SHOOT! Open the door John! What is wrong? What can you possible need that 1- dad cannot do for you or 2- cannot possibly wait until shampoo is out of my eyes? He says: " Mom can I play Guitar Hero?" "John-dear (thru gritted teeth) where is your dad?" "He is on the bed. Can I play?" NO!

So recap, my shower is interrupted, shampoo in the eyes, Nathan in the next room, water running, Nathan in the next room, Guitar Hero, door opening, Yelling! Oh my goodness. When I dressed and came out of the restroom-Nathan was still on the bed and had somehow blocked the sight of John entering the room, yelling at me, my yelling at John..etc...he looked at me as to say "What?" Then he said he was sorry.

So sorry that he will indeed be placing John in counseling for the sight he saw....Bless his heart.

Summar Christmas

2010-01-06T19:12:00.001-06:00

So Fun and Gone so fast!

2009-12-14T22:01:00.003-06:00

This weekend FLEW by! We started off Friday night with Basketball practice! So fun watching the kiddos play! Nathan was at the Sommet Center sitting courtside watching UT, MTSU, Vandy and Western KY play some hoops. Nathan had some quality time with his father! Such a treat for the both of them.

Saturday morning started off with a 9am game and two VERY excited kiddos! They played a great game but were really excited about their party! And party they did. We had a skate party this year. We allowed the kids to invite some of their school friends, we had pizza, cake and lots of fun!

Saturday night we joined a group of friends to celebrate Tracy's 40th Birthday! Really ?? 40??? how did that happen?? We went to Bone Fish and really had a wonderful time!

Sunday was another BIG day. The cub scout troop had a float in the annual Christmas parade. They had such a neat o float and won first place in the school or church division. Nathan spearheaded this float and is so proud of his cubs! We are looking forward to a Pack Meeting on Tuesday night and a break at last!

The kids are out of school on Friday! They will be out of school until January 11th! They are looking forward to Christmas, seeing their cousins and spending time around the house.

Enjoy the pics, I am going to wrap some more gifts!

Lordy Mercy!

2009-12-10T20:59:00.001-06:00

Holy Canoli!
I have been flying by the seat of my pants. I am normally a planner...Live and die by the calender in my iTouch! Well the past week, I have been taking it day to day. Get up and go go go. 'Tis the season, Correct??

In mthe past few days I have:
Written my annual Christmas up date, addressed, stamped and mailed my Christmas cards
finished some of my shopping, years past, I am so done shopping, not this time!
Ate with the kids at school for Christmas celebration luncheon
Helped in both of the kids' classrooms
Finished the Monster Tree
Finished trimmingthe exterior of the house with wreths and a sled on the from porch. No lights on the exterior because the orange extention cord is still in the house, covered-but still inside lighting up the tree.

I need to WRAP WRAP WRAP but alas, we are having a birthday party. A skate party for two cutie little boys who are turning 8 in one week. So for Saturday, Basketball, B day party, then we have a cousin who is turning 40. We are joining them for a night out! Sunday the Cub Scouts have a float in the annual Murfreesboro Christmas parade. Whew! What a fun time!

Cheerio Friends!

A 9ft Tall Monster

2009-12-01T20:11:00.002-06:00

A nine foot tall monster has landed in my living room. But first, I hosted Thanksgiving. I made place cards and everything.
I made pretty place setting and I did not cook! We were also fortunate enough to spend time with Daddy T's family. We all enjoyed sharing stories of our beloved Daddy T. All in all we had a wonderful holiday and enjoyed spending time with family.

Now onto the matter at hand. Melissa (my friend) needed a larger tree than the one that she had. I knew that mom had a 9ft tree and mine was 7ft. so I offered to give Melissa my tree and use my mothers 9ft. tree. A 9 foot pre lit tree. Here in lies the problem. Nathan set up the tree...so easy, such a snap. I then leave for the grocery tree is up just needs a fluff or two and then it is ornament time! I return from my grocery run only to find Nathan wrestling with LIGHTS! Lights, this is a pre LIT tree, no lights! Oh he states that it needs more lights! So within minutes, he had
shorted out all the lights, and we had a Pre DARK tree. After much more wrestling we had lights, three separate extension cords, one of which is the orange construction type that is racing itself across my living room floor.

And can we just for a moment talk about how LARGE and inappropriate a nine foot tree is for a residence..? It looked fine, rather nice at my mom's house, in mine? so huge! Takes up the entire half of the living room and most of the windows. The room has literally changed colors because of the lack of natural light. But then that brings us up to the point of the lights that radiate from the tree, they only matter at night. Ugh the vicious cycle.

Today I did the task of applying decorations. I went to the store yesterday and bought what I thought would be nice additions to the bow topper that I made for the manageable 7 ft. tree. I had to add some sparkle -some wondermemt to the bow that would no longer do. Perhaps at this point I should tell of my disdain for ladders. Seeing that I am only 5ftt 6in there was NO way that I would be able to arrange my bow madness unless it was by ladder. I can look at a ladder and fall off of it. They make me nervous..and I have convinced myself that I will fall from a ladder and get hurt. Anyway.....I did it, I go the topper on, the tree decorated cords everywhere and glitter all over the floor....great start to the Christmas season. Nevermind the fact that I have decided that the piece d'resistance is my flying pig that was carefully placed on the tree by yours truly.

Now onto the cards...that is a whole other story.

Flippin Doctor

2009-11-19T13:31:00.002-06:00

OK so, I was excited to log onto my blog today and see that my last post had a comment. Because really comments are the only way that I can tell if people are reading my little nuggets of wisdom. If no one is reading I may as well write a journal so that my family can pry the locks off of it when I am gone and remember why they are not sad that they did not get my humor. Anyway on to the comment. I think that it is just fine that that person is endorsing Viagra, and wants to pass it along to others. In some circles this is useful information, but this is MY blog and if you are going to sell such things on my blog, at least offer to give me a cut of the profits.

Onto today's order of business. I don't really look forward to much in my old age, I feel like I have seen and done so much what is left? Well alot, hello I am only 33! So a couple of weeks ago I was accompanying someone to my optometrist. Turns out that this someone needed to be seen by specialist. Andrea tells me " you will want to go to this appointment with so and so" Ok I say, I always go. She then states no you will want to go just to see the "foxy" (I think she said) doctor. Hello! I am in! I have been looking forward to today for long time. So he is hot and he is an eye doctor, BONUS! It just so happens that my best feature is my eyes so is he NOT not going to look at my eyes? Hell no, he is so going to look at my eyes probably call in the other male cute doctors to look at my eyes and then hire me as an eye model.....! And no I did not make a trip to Sephora just for new eye makeup perfume yes perhaps.

So I get up this morning and I am well rested. Turns out cucumbers only make you look like you should be relaxed but really just make you think that you look like an jackass, which you do. I come into my kitchen to yell at the kids, make my cup o Joe. Nathan is in here and I tell him I am taking so and so to the "HOT Doc" as I am now calling him. Aren't you jealous that he may sweep me off my feet and want me to run away with him I ask? He turns around with his suit jacket over his shoulder and tells me "Tell him he can have you." What?? This is the same response that my mom and dad would say each time I started dating someone. Tell him what?? No mention of a dowry splitting assets, custody or anything.

I also decided that I would set my eyes off with a good push up bra, you know do the right thing here since Nathan was OK with my leaving. I look down and I am sporting solid C cup as opposed to my B that I have worked so hard to get. That would be a B LONG mind you. Only thing is the lowest cut thing that I have is a turtle neck. Kind of pointless really. Actually I lied this whole paragraph is a lie. I do not have a push up bra and have not had one since college. I own lots of bras but nothing but a bra with scaffolding would pull these puppies up. I do have many many full coverage mommy bras. Did I tell you about the time that I bought my grandma a nursing bra on accident? I digress!

So Hot Doc enters the room: CRAP he is not hot! He is nothing, I mean he has great hair OK, he is married, so much for the steamy love affair on Nathan. He seems charming. Charming and Hot are NOT the same thing! I know charming. I am charming in my own wacko way. I know that I can be polite and nice and use my manners (and apparently write smut) but just because you can talk nicely to old people and chew with your mouth closed does not hot make you! I know that I have a good personality because on several occasions when my parents were trying to give me away to males (mind you HELLO was right there!) they tried to use the following selling points: she has great hair, she has good birthing hips, great personality and the best one "look at her eyes." As if they did not look at my eyes they would turn to stone. So I know the attributes of charming and well mannnered and while that is good in qualifying you as say a HUMAN, I think I will stick with Nathan.

See you Monday for our follow up HOT DOC!

So Nathan was gone...

2009-11-09T22:20:00.003-06:00

So this past weekend Nathan and two of his nearest and dearest went into the woods for a weekend of pooping in the woods, scratching, cursing, smelling and hiking. Although I am pretty sure that they went to the spa and then rolled in a cow pile just so we would think that they are so rugged and woodsmen like.....well I thought that they went to the spa...Then Daniel sent pictures of their trip.

The above picture is my Pampered Chef spatula. I believe I will be interrupting Monday Night Football to talk about well, I am just saying, that does not belong there.

Happy Halloween, aw heck I missed it!

2009-11-02T10:40:00.004-06:00

Ok so heck-I missed the bus on letting you all know what we were doing for Halloween. Perhaps it was beciase for the past two weeks, I have done very little. By that I mean docorated for Halloween on Halloween! How does that happen when Fall is by far my favorite time of year. I think that I have been so crazy busy (up to two weeks ago) that I forgot about the little stuff. I have so many projects going on that my home is a wreck....and what do you do when you have a wreck for a house? Keep wrecking it! That is what.....I am cleaning this week, also kids to the dentist, me to the doctor and we start Basketball on Thurday. Nathan and two of his friends are going backpacking for the weekend. Call the search team in...Then upon Nahtan's safe return, I am in the classroom all next week for 3 hours a day.

By the way Breckenridge was the hot spot for Halloween! We had a dinner at our house with friends then family joined the trick or treating crew. We have the candy drawer refilled for the year!

Those two on the end are my kids, one was an Cyborg Alein monster goul..and the other was a GI Joe person. I am no longer in charge of Halloween costuming: ever since I dressed he kids up as a duck and a frog.

The past two weeks...

2009-10-19T10:35:00.002-05:00

I am again going to apologize one again for your not being able to enjoy insight into my life. Over the past two weeks we have had a rather amazing life....

Last Saturday we left for Washington DC. I have posted the slide show without any explanation..so here goes-(Que Drum Roll). We went to DC for the internment of my father in law. He was buried last Tuesday in Arlington National Cemetery. More on that later. We headed to DC early for some education. The kids learned about and saw the following: National Air and Space Museum, Museum of National History, Museum of Natural History, WWII Memorial, Capitol, Supreme Court, Library of Congress, Union Station, Chinatown, Washington Monument, EOEB, White House, Vietnam Memorial, Reflecting Pool, Lincoln Memorial, Iwo Jima and Arlington and all the street, sidewalks and metro rail lines in between those points. Please keep in mind that we saw and experienced all of this via foot, and metro. We managed to fit all of this into 2 days. I must say, I love Washington DC! I loved the time that I lived there and I love being able to take my kids to enjoy that same city.

I really liked the fact that no matter how many times I tell the kids and my kids I mean Nathan, Ethan, John and Brandi (my niece we took) not to look at the bums, not to talk to the bums and don't EVER make eye contact with them! No matter how many times I gave them that advice, Nathan always got stuck with a bum. We had a bum talk to Nathan for an entire Metro ride, complete with kids asking "what is wrong with that guy?" mid conversation! We had one dude follow us talking to us and yelling directions to me for 12 blocks. DUDE I LIVED HERE! Shut UP! Nathan just walked and talked to the crazy dude! Holy cow! Bums have never been a problem for me because I ignore them or look the other way or tell them a firm NO! Nathan is a bum magnet. Is he afraid that he is going to hurt their feelings? Lordy mercy~

On Tuesday we laid our sweet Daddy T to rest in Arlington. Daddy T died in July and the wait is a long while to be placed in Arlington. Wait or no wait, it was a beautiful day, the type that Daddy T would have loved, nice cool fall day complete with sunshine. Perfect. We started services at the Old Post Chapel in Arlington. Then Daddy T's casket was loaded onto a horse drawn Caisson with 6 horses, 3 were riderless. There was also a riderless horse - with the boots turned backwards. There was a band that played all the way to Daddy T's final resting place. We were joined grave side by all of the Tomb Guards that were not on duty, two regimes of guards in formation, a bagpiper --it was a moving send off. He would be humbled. It was an amazing experience. I believe that if everyone in America and the world could have the amount of pride in our country that we had that day, I dare say we would not have many of the problems that divide our country.

What struck me the most was that most of the people that are around Daddy T in the Cemetery are younger that I am. They are in their 20's and have already died. The hardest part was after we were done at the grave site, we stepped away. Once we had cleared away, a young widow came to visit the site of her loved one. She sobbed her eyes out, she lost so much! My heart hurt so much for her. She has lost more that I hope to ever lose and she is just one person. The loss that is shown in the one small place in out little country is so profound that words cannot begin to explain all the emotions, memories, and images we saw and the loss that we as Americans that are "left behind" feel. So sad!

We returned home on Tuesday night. Spent most of last week recovering from my day in heels-hello blister! I did not hit the gym last week. Slacker I am! Today I am back at it. We had a weekend of visitors for the Middle Tennessee v. Mississippi State game (we lost). We were joined by my brother and his family from Texas. We also had some dear friends in from Mississippi. We had such a wonderful time --I go to love on 5 kids, that were not mine!

Speaking again of my kids, they - along with my hubby headed into the woods for Cub Scout camping weekend. They had a GREAT time camping...however cold it was. Good Times!

Well that is all for now. I promise once something happens that is fun and interesting I will write again...promise.

Washington DC Trip

2009-10-14T19:56:00.000-05:00

Drum Roll Please...

2009-10-09T08:06:00.003-05:00

This is before elbow grease and effort

This is after....notice cute drawer pulls-NOT my mess and unmade bed!

Last Weekend...

2009-10-08T16:42:00.002-05:00

I know I know! I have been hard to come by lately! I have had two kids home for two weeks. I finally find myself-by myself, with something to talk about.

Last weekend was the first weekend that we did not have something pressing to do, visit or accomplish. So since I sold my nightstand a couple of weeks ago and since Nathan emptied the nightstand before I sold it-meaning that he dumped everything on the bed that is now on the floor.....I decided that I would pull out a piece that my mom had in her storage unit.

So how in the world do you refinish an antique dress or is it a nightstand? Any way I decided that if I did not want to continue to walk on my nail polish, fingernail files, camisoles and whatever I should re-finish that thing. And I did! I sanded it, got some stuff at Home Depot and BOOM! a whole new piece of furniture. For the final fun, funky and unique touch, I have gone to Anthropologie (my fav store-if I were rich) and bought some new pulls and they don't match one another but they are to die for! I am going to put them on this afternoon and have Nathan help move it in my room! so excited.

I have also had this other piece from my grandparents house in my garage. This piece is structurally sound but it is a mess. So why not conquer it as well? Only this time I had to sand off the finish, manually because why would you but a sander? So if you seen me in the near future, feel free to take notice of my right arm, it has considerable definition, ahh who am I kidding-it is just an arm. I digress, I then decided that I needed to clean off all the dust, with the help of my kids, several masks, and some old towels, by now I am thinking what the heck have I done? I have ruined a fine antique..off to walmart to find a stain, because that is what you do right? You stain furniture? Sure why not! I found some stain that I liked.... remember I am going old school on this-no Internet research no last minute looking up information! Heck no! I can do this! I get the first coat of stain on and BOOM! It starts raining! I have not finished my second piece....I will and I am sure it will be cute although I have no place for it in my house, and cannot begin to look at the mirror that matches my incomplete piece. We shall see.

Once I get my nightstand in place, I will post a pic!

Now off to begin packing for our trip to Washington DC. We are headed to the capitol. We will lay my father in law to rest in Arlington National cemetery on Tuesday October 13th. From Saturday mid day to Monday we will be touring our nations capitol. I love Washington! I so appreciate it, and the time (my early 20's) that I spent there. It is such a great city and I cannot wait to share it with my kids! They are at the perfect age to enjoy the sights!

October and I have discovered H1N1

2009-10-01T20:44:00.003-05:00

Last Monday I had the kids over at my GG's house. We were climbing around, busy busy. Then a scream! Not just a brother get away and stop annoying me scream, a ACK! I am hurt scream! I turn around and see that Ethan's knee is split wide open and blood is running out along with fat! Who knew your knee had fat? Not Me I assure you and I probably have alot of fat on my knee. I digress! So we spend a good couple of hours in the ER. We got 5 heavy duty stitches, a review of how I should remove them in 10-12 days. He is fine, this is our 6th set of stitches in little boys...we are now good at it! And Kudos to EE for for being a big boy! Oh and I was a big girl as well.

Now onto the flu....I do not have it and neither do my kids-yet. And while I do pride myself in not being a germaphobe-I will admit that I have bought a couple of tubes of easy stray disinfectant and jelly germ stuff.

I have made THREE, that is correct THREE, trips to the Social Security office in the past two days. I have had the pleasure to sit and wait, wait and sit, fight with my kids in public, wait and sit....only to be turned down for my plea to change an address. As I sitting and watching the Social Security TV program, I am also aware for the vast array of people parading around me and the all seemed to have brought their offspring or someones offspring or borrowed offspring to make themselves seem all the more pitiful. These people are the unwashed, un mannered, un fanged, public! Most of them are searching for a government hand out. I just wanted to change an address, and I was asked to come back twice! I am not above sitting and waiting with the public. I am a huge fan of public transportation, hello NYC and Washington DC, I enjoy people watching....I look at the public as a quick study in anthropology. However a HUGE dose of the public is just beyond what I can handle at this point for a change of address.

So would you like to know what I did when we left the Social Security office? We, after washing our hands with bleach, is that bad? We went to Walgreens got our flu shot. I am convinced that all communicable diseases are spawned from the social security office or the local courthouse.

Which brings me to the next point. Have any of you ever been to your local court house? I know some people go to night court for entertainment. And while that does sound good and fun and whatnot....you can go and be entertained in the middle of the day at any courthouse USA. These people come from the gutters to stand before a judge and tell their deep dark secrets and this is only in like small court. People from the gutters also have diseases. and they bring them to court to bless others with!

Next week I am staying out of the public eye...because, I am certain that something is infecting my eye...thanks to the public!

Two Weeks Gone

2009-09-18T13:02:00.002-05:00

I have not blogged in almost or perhaps over two weeks. I am so sorry! I have been so busy. I say all of the time on this blog. I (at some point) think I will realize that this is my life and it will never calm down.

We had two full weeks of company from out of town. Two separate sets with two different things to do. I know that the Summar family had the best time. The house was clean, sheets were clean, and food was served. I have proven to myself that I can be a hostess.

Speaking of hostessing, I have my scrapping club coming over tonight. The best thing about this group of friends is....I do not feel the need to clean my house. This is my "let it all hang out" group. They are not going to come to my home and turn their noses up at a little dog hair in the corner. I love them for that.

This weekend is chock full of things that we have to do. We are getting ready for a HUGE yard sale next weekend. My mom and I will be working on that for the next week. The kids also have a Cub Scout event swimming Olympics I think it is called. We will also be going to Linda's for Sunday dinner. Busy times.

Since you've been gone!

2009-09-02T17:06:00.002-05:00

I have not blogged in a while. I have been busy. I have been busy cleaning! I clean my house several times a year. You know the clean. The clean that you actually take things apart and replace parts, put them back in only when you replace them, they usually do not fit and are really clean.

I have had a strategy in cleaning my house this time. Start at the top (upstairs) and work down to the most lived in soiled part of the house (the kitchen/heath room). Why am I working so hard at cleaning my house do you ask? I have company coming! I thought about forgoing the cleaning and go for the "I am a real person and you will like me in my mess." But then decided that my mom was coming to meet my company and would probably not appreciate my "laissez faire" attitude and invite them to stay at her home.

So in the interest of keeping my company, my company, I have decided to spend at better portion of the week cleaning my home.

I have never had house guests. EVER! In all my years of year of marriage we have never had a single person stay at our house. We had a couple of friends stay with us the weekend that we got married, but we did not even have a bed so does that really qualify as company?

The reason that we have never had company is not that we do not have any friends, it is that we live in the very place that Nathan grew up and we live near most of our family. I must admit I am quite excited to see what happens when my kids have a melt down and cast their bodies on the floor at their feet. I am sure that they will enjoy the glares that I throw at Nathan when he does something wrong. I am sure that they will enjoy the many wacky phone calls about various things, places and people that I know and have to talk about.

Yep by the time that they are done staying with us they will think that the Holiday Inn with the Holi-Dome is heaven! Ahhh I cannot wait!

A Short by David Sedaris...

2009-08-26T10:07:00.002-05:00

I know that many of you visit my blog to get your daily dose of funny. Well-I have nothing that is funny to tell really so I am borrowing something from a book that I am currently SLOWLY reading. The following in an excerpt from "When You Are Engulfed In Flames" by David Sedaris. You may have seen his work in your local bookstore or heard him on This American Life on NPR. I LOVE his works-I get his humor and I appreciate that he can find the funny in the most common of places.

I have enjoyed reading this book so much that I have not yet finished it. Not to say that I am not anxious to get to the end-I just have no time. And what time I do have to read is in the bed at night. I tried to read this book in the bed with the dog and Nathan. I was disturbing them both. Not because I cannot use my "inside voice" but because I was laughing so hard that I woke the dog up and made Nathan actually look up from his laptop (work) and make sure that I was OK. Much to his grumbling dismay, I was OK, just reading to which he huffed and continued on working......ah love in the Summar home.

Ladies and Gentlemen....David Sedaris:

"With a Pal Like This, Who Needs Enemies"

I've always liked the idea of accessories, those little pick-me-ups deigned to invigorate what has come to feel drab and predictable. A woman might rejuvenate an outfit with a vintage Hermes scarf or jaunty rope belt, but the options for men aren't nearly so interesting. I have no use for cuff links or suspenders, and while I'll occasionally pick up a new tie it hardly leaves me feeling "kicky." Hidden accessories can do the trick, but again they're mainly the province of women. Garter belt and lingerie-yes. Sock garter and micro brief-no.

It was my search for something discreet, masculine and practical that led me to the Stadium Pal, an external catheter currently being marketed to sports fans, truck drivers, and anyone else who's tired of searching for a bathroom. At first inspection the device met all my criteria:

Was it masculine, Yes, and proudly so. Knowing that no sensible female would ever voluntarily choose to pee in her pants, the manufacturers went ahead and designed the product exclusively for men. Unlike the regular catheter, which is inserted directly into the penis, the Stadium Pal connects by way of a self adhesive condom, which is then attached to a flexible rubber tube. Urine flows through the tube and collects in the "freedom leg bag," conveniently attached to the user's calf. The bag can be emptied and reused up to twelve times, making it both disgusting and cost effective. And what could be manlier?

What it discreet? According to the brochure, unless you wore it with shorts, no one needed to know anything about it.

What it practical? At the time, yes. I do not drive or attend football games, but I did have a book tour coming up, and the possibilities were endless. Five glasses of iced tea followed by a long public reading? Thanks, Stadium Pal! The window sear on an overloaded coast to coast flight? Don't mind if I do!

I ordered myself a Stadium Pal and realized that while it might make sense in a hospital, it really wasn't very practical for day-to-day use. In an open-air sporting arena, a piping hot thirty two ounce bag of urine might go unnoticed , but not so in a stuffy airplane or small, crowded bookstore. An hour after christening it, I smelled like a nursing home. On top of that, I found that it was hard to pee and do other things at the same time. Reading out loud, discussing my beverage options with a flight attendant, checking into a fine hotel: each activity required its own separate form of concentration, and while no one knew exactly what I was up to, it was pretty clear that something was going on. I think it was my face that gave me away. That and my oddly swollen calf.

What ultimately did me in was the self-adhesive condom. Putting it on was no problem, but its removal qualified as what, in certain cultures, is known as a bris. Wear it once, and you'll need a solid month to fully recover. It will likely be a month in which you'll weigh the relative freedom of peeing in your pants against the unsightly discomfort of a scab-covered penis, ultimately realizing that, in terms of convenient accessory, your better off with a new watchband.

School Picture Proofs and Benjamin Button

2009-08-19T15:16:00.003-05:00

I am now living with Benjamin Button. To the left is my husband. To the left is a man that can no longer talk like you and I talk. To the left is a man whom is very proud to have a dental device in his mouth. He can no longer talk like someone that likes -oh say females- he has a sudden lisp to everything.

My husband is Benjamin Button with a twist. He has hit the age of 34 and has decided that the thing to do is get a retainer and braces. I thought that he was going to come home and have a metal mouth. Instead he came home with two appliances. The Benjamin Button part is the part that-aren't we supposed to get the awkward straighten teeth part of our life over before we go to college? Nathan is out of college, has advanced certification, two kids, a full time (more than) job, a wife and a house and two cars.....Yet his wife of 10 years is blogging about his back peddling into puberty. I am waiting for him to really kick of the trend and shave his facial hair! Then he will probably be fired for looking like a kid or he will be put on the cover of Life Magazine for being such an accomplished 12 year old.

Alas! If you are a follower of my blog, you know that Ethan, John and I have problems remembering and taking school pictures. I have seen the proofs and this year is sure NOT to disappoint! They are disheveled messes! They have teeth missing, hair uncombed, eyes half opened-they are wonderful! I cannot wait to post them when they come in!

Until next time, smile for the camera.

Scred to Death

2009-08-18T08:39:00.002-05:00

When you are the ripe old age of 33, you often times have friends that have children that are older than your own. This is the case with me and one of my friends (whom shall remain nameless)-you feel as though you have had a hand in raising their kids too. It takes a village right? If not feeding burping or changing that child then for support of your friend, the parent. This friend has a child whom is the best kid. Honest, wonderful child, considerate, smart, well mannered-all that you could ask for... And then I was scared to death!

This wonderful child has entered PUBERTY! Now I have not seen this kid since the discovery was made. I am fairly certain that he is not sporting the five o clock shadow..however I am somewhat convinced that he is different.....acting!

I do not scare easily....I have twins. I am petrified of them changing. I remember the changes that I went through when I was 18. (Late bloomer) I know that my kids will not cry, slam doors, tell me that I do not love them...I should have thought of all of this prior to having kids. What oh what am I going to do? I remember my brother and the voice changed, moodiness, body odor---Oh what does life hold for me? Should I start telling them about proper application of deodorant? Should I just ignore the fact that I am going to have to face this at some point? How should I prepare? Rest assured, Nathan will have nothing to say to them about any of this. I am alone, all alone!

Anyone want a couple of the sweetest children that are bound to change?

Speaking of Nathan and puberty: Nathan has decided that one tour of braces duty is not enough. Today, Nathan is spending the day at the orthodontist-getting braces! I am doomed!

Let's Talk Yoga!

2009-08-15T08:13:00.002-05:00

Let's just take a moment and talk about Yoga. In my quest for a new body and a new mind (ahem), Melissa and I have decided to try Yoga.

Don't we see so many people with the cute little bodies state that Yoga is the go to tool? Don't we see stars walking down Hollywood Boulevard with their Yoga mats? Aren't we so used to hearing that it centers you, makes you feel more "in balance"?

Was I expecting to leave my Yoga class looking like Madonna, Gwenyth or Jennifer Garner? Well no. Was I expecting to leave class feeling more centered? Perhaps. Did I think that it would change my outlook on my little world? Kinda-I admit! Was I expecting to have a better attitude regarding my stresses? Well yeah!

So what happened you ask? Yoga pisses me off! I am not yet going to say that I hate Yoga, but I am not a lover of finding my center and acting like a tree. I have NEVER seen a Downward Dog, I do not like scorpions and don't wish to emulate one. I have never cared to be a warrior much less a warrior 2. I admit, I am bendy and I can flex -but all of my classical ballet training must be thrown out the window. The horror! Flexed feet and squared hips and I just do not calculate.

When I thought of going to Yoga, I thought we were going to meditate, stretch, feel better about ourselves. Well when I left, I only meditated on the clock and when Yoga was going to end. I did stretch, muscles that I wish I had never met. And did I feel better about myself? The room was mostly mirrors-what do you think?

Will I go back?Hmmmm.... Pilate's anyone?

Another Picture Day!

2009-08-11T09:08:00.002-05:00

So life would have it, school starts and it is by far-the busiest time of the year. It totally catches me off guard. I think that I am always messing up, forgetting something, or not paying for a HUGE ground breaking make or break scholastic event. Thus far-all three weeks, mind you, of school..this mom has been on the ball. I credit that to the fact that I have been so overwhelmed with to do's and must remembers that I have not screwed anything up yet.

This mommy has been to various health care facilities, overseeing care, buying school supplies, procuring new clothes, cleaning house (and by cleaning house-I mean throwing away junk from the kids room) There are so, so many things that must happen when the kids start school. I am so good that I have started going to the GYM! That is right- THE GYM! Can I just say, I am on the BALL!

So that brings us to the point of this post: the Gym call. Melissa (my BFF) called this morning to tell me that our workout was canceled. Not a problem with me! My legs are pissed at the 40+ squats we did yesterday. I digress....when speaking with M, she asks: "Are the boys freaked about school pictures today?"

WHAT? You mean that reminder that was sent home with both of the kids was not a joke? You mean that even though I am related (thru marriage) to the person who shoots the pictures, he is going to work with my kids at their school TODAY? Is it really 7:20am and I have convince John that an undershirt is not suitable for picture day? Oh the worry!

So I get off the phone (sorry M for hanging up on you) yell at the kids to meet me at Ethan's closet. When we convening at the closet for shall we say for the "clothing classic." I pull out two shirts making sure that they are not the same collared shirts that they wore last year. (that is how many we own) I pull them over the kids heads. Tell them to them meet me in my bathroom because you know my kids do not have a hairbrush in their bathroom. We do good to have toothbrushes in their bath. I brush their hair and tell them to finish up and meet me in the kitchen and we will leave.

I do not pay attention as to how much time has past ....until I smell them! That is correct, since and because they are 1-in a collared shirt and 2- because I put them in said shirt they are now "dressed up." Meaning we get in dad's cologne. And by get into, I mean spray at least 18 squirts on our little bodies. WOW! Then I let my eyes travel up their little bodies ( I was looking for a wet spot from the cologne-serious that bad) and see BAM! HAIR GEL! They literally look like they got out of the shower and the only part of their bodies that got wet was their head. I move closer to inspect and it is stiff and hard! Stiff hair on picture day!

BACK TO THE BATHROOM~ I yell! Now it is 7:28! School starts in 17 minutes! I comb their stiff headwear until it looks picturable. OK Load up in the car and let's go. I mess with the dog trying to get her to go to school with us. She will not enter the car. That is odd, she is always ready to GO-anywhere. I put her back in the house and enter the car. NO wonder why she will not get in the car. It smells like a car full of teenage boys that will not take a shower but will instead wear cologne. I roll down the windows tell the kids ONE squirt-thinking that their poor teachers, classmates and how lucky I am that by the time they get home they will be SO over the collared shirts that they will rip them off and I will be cologne free for the evening.

I have a school picture block. Every year I mess up this day. I will not let them take re-takes for fear that they will be even worse than the original and then I will be stuck. So I keep the first shot because who said school pictures had to be good pictures? Who said you had to NOT look like a homeless person? Not this mommy! These should be really good--

I tried!

The next figure in the equasion

2009-07-29T19:02:00.002-05:00

The next figure in the equation that I am try in to figure is WORKING OUT! I have never been particularly good at math- I can however work out. I have done it twice this week and WHEW! That is enough! But I believe that I will do it again.

Melissa and I have been partners in our quests for fitness. She just had a baby and I --well I just did something completely different. Melissa and I have made a commitment to go to the Y everyday (other than Tuesday) and work out. So we drop off the kids at school and head out for torture! Neither of us really love working out but it is so much better to have someone to talk to when you are sweating your shirt off.

Tomorrow we are going to Yoga. I have never done a whole class of yoga. Imagine- me the one who did ballet for 14 years, taught ballet, performed ballet and I have NEVER done a class of yoga! This should be fun! I am looking forward to being a pile of goop on the floor..is that a yoga pose?

In other news, the kids are having a wonderful first full week of school. It appears that I am helping in Ethan's class every Tuesday morning. I am not sure when I will help in John's class. It has really been so fun to watch some of these kids grow up with one another. We have kids in each of their classes that I have known since the first year of pre school. They really have wonderful classes and great teachers. I am a happy mom!

We finished last week with Talmadge's funeral. Over 1200 people came to pay their respects to Daddy T. We were so touched. We miss him each day but are so thankful for the example that he set for us. We will set out for Arlington for burial in October.

First day of Second Grade

2009-07-22T21:52:00.002-05:00

The kids started Second Grade today! Whew! It seems like not too long ago I was blogging about sending them off to Pre School! Now they are such big kids! They both have WONDERFUL teachers, good classmates and are excited about the year ahead. What more could I ask for?

On another note:

My dear sweet father in law passed away on Saturday. My kids and Daddy T were the most wonderful friends...they were the three amigos. Ethan and John have lost so much in losing their daddy T. They will no longer have their daddy T waiting for them after school, no more endless candy, no just for the heck of it trips to Chuck E Cheese....So many things that Daddy T did with those two that will not happen again. It makes my heart hurt to know what we have lost. Daddy t, upon my father's passing-stepped up to the plate and decided without saying that he should take care of the fatherly stuff that daddy used to take care of....So when I needed something, and even if I would just call to ask him a question, he just did it...poof done! I just knew it was because it was his way of letting me know that I was going to be OK. He stepped up to the plate when he knew my daddy couldn't. Finally, he never left my presence without telling each of us that he loved us. It is going to be really really hard to say Good Bye... O how my heart does hurt.

2009-07-14T14:59:00.000-05:00

in all honesty...

2009-07-14T14:18:00.002-05:00

So for that past few posts I have no had much to say. Mostly because we have been so incredibly busy that who has time time to think of neat insights, cute quotes, and catchy cliques-not me, although I think I just did. HA! Amazing!

For my kids, their summer is coming to a quick end. As you know, they go to year round school. So instead of them spending August in the heat complaining of the heat-they are putting their brains in overdrive and learning. Ahh-love me some year-rounded (ness) I will go and register them on Thursday, attend open house on Wednesday and BAM Thursday-I own two second graders. I have been told that, some of the teachers are looking forward to the "always at school helping" side of me. ha!

Furthermore if I can put my two cents in on the John and Kate Divorce, and the Death of Michael Jackson-ha! While I am so overly well informed on both of those topics I will NOT be an outlet for their business. However I do have a fun MJ story for you later...

My brother and sister in law are moving in a week! They will head to live in the 'burbs of Houston. While I am awful proud to have a brother who has a delightful family and a wife whom is the closest of my friends and an awesome job. I am NOT in any way shape or form ready to say see you soon. As you gather I do not do Good Bye! Not even with my daddy. I am also happy to report that my brother is going to get his second MBA, this time from Penn State in Materials Management. Lord have mercy! How much schoolin' does you need? I suppose we will be heading to the gulf coast of Texas alot now. Bikini time for me whoo hoo! Oh and the Penn State school and Texas address, internet people.

So here comes the title of the post in real time:

In all honesty: I am a fat ass, a lard ass, a buffoon, a heifer (although I think that has more to do with my attitude than my ass) an adipose mass? I have no clue. Not that anyone has told me recently that I am fat, I own a mirror (contrary to my hair) and sometimes look at myself and muttle something along the lines of "what are you waiting for a size 30 to look good?" Well NO! I was indeed waiting for a pain free, massive liposuction proceedure to be approved by the FDA. Not going to happen-Hoover said that they don't even have a vacuum for my hot mess. And for the record I HAVE NEVER BEEN A SIZE 30-not judging, just never been that adipose.

So to say it honestly: FAT Blah! and you know what? being fat will kill your fat ass! So in order to save my life and keep my kids well dressed, nourished and groomed, transported etc.-no offense Nate. I had a Lap Band placed in my body last Thursday. I worked for over 6 months proving that I was fat, talking about my fat, being counseled on my fat ( really look at me-do I look like I have an eating disorder?) Thursday was D day. Nathan, my biggest fan, was by my side, as well as my "fat" nurse, whom is not fat at all and quite cute, we are friends, skinny friends are fun. They like to pretend that they are fat until you show them a thigh- then they shut up. Fun, try it!

So this is my 15th time that I have been under General anesthesia. Remember the knees?? So by now my friends I know when they can give me meds and when they need to hold off. I told Dr Steeley if he could keep me up and I could watch I would be all for it... he said -I will take pics. He did. I will post them if I can....back to business. I have had nothing in my IV but saline. Glorified water. And they have this anesthesiologist that is like 15 (hello Dougie Howser!) I get all set on the table, and I think about MJ, the gloved one. I look up at the little man doctor and I tell him "DO NOT look at my stuff."He then assured me that he would not. Then I saw him raise the needle and start to give me the juice (without warning gasp I am not ready-hello have to tell skinny nurse friend not to kill me I have two kids!) and I tell him " OK bring on the MJ Juice." My skinny nurse friend said they laughed the whole time after that. I just hope that they did it correct!

So now, I am drinking 600 liquid calories a day, I have NO energy, I have no kids (they are at camp) and feel like a fat person who can only sleep with discomfort, whom has been sprayed by bullets (7 holes in the abdonmen) and that silly Dr. Houser put a tube that was too big in my throat and now I have a sore throat and tongue. I tell you....what! I had no idea how much get up and go food gives you.

Here's to a longer life- now raise your protein shakes that are fit for body builders (which is not what I am going for) and take a slow sip! It is a long road to skinny sista!

Hilton Head Vacay

2009-07-07T22:45:00.000-05:00

New Tiger Cubs

2009-07-01T10:18:00.000-05:00

All good things come to an end!

2009-06-26T08:01:00.002-05:00

As we head into the last day of our vacation...we are confused. It rained this morning, leaving the beach muddy. I have a feeling that we will be at the pool. We have really had a wonderful vacation. Nathan played 36 holes of golf. I went to the spa yesterday and had a one hour massage and a pedicure. What a wonderful treat! The kids have been water babies. They are tan as brown buscuits...they are bute as can be! I am looking forward to returning home, kissing Millie, hugging mommy and loving home.

This has been such a great vacation! I am still so proud that we can all vacation as a family and get along.

An Anniversary!

2009-06-19T07:07:00.002-05:00

Sweet Bella and John!

Firstly, this is our 10th anniversary! Ten years ago today, my parents gladly let me go and made Nathan sign a "No return, No refunds, and No exchanges!" policy. You know when you get married, 10 years seems so far away. And while it was a long haul with 2 kids, 2 houses, 1 dog, many dreams-I think that I am good for many many more years of marriage! Thanks booty for making our dreams come true!

Next--my mommy's new puppy will be released from the hospital today. As stated...Bella had Parvo and was in puppy ICU for 4 days. We are so happy to welcome Miss Bella home today!

Lastly, we are heading out very soon! I am so excited to witness the joy of the ocean once again with my kids. Me Mommy and Daddy T are headed down today. I also look forward to catching up with my sister in laws, I have not been able to talk to them for some time...so busy! Time to slow down! Vacation, Here we come!

Oh man!

2009-06-16T22:43:00.002-05:00

So many things that I need to get done this week. So many things that I have been putting off! And time is ticking!

We are all heading off to Hilton Head Island for a week of fellowship with family, sun, surf and memories to be made! We are staying in the same house that we stayed in when we traveled to HHI in 2007. The house is amazing and works out really well for a quaint party of 14! See it is not just the Summar clan. It is the Gilley (Nathan's mom and stepfather- Daddy T and Me Mommy) the Pope's (Nathan's sister whom is my age and her husband) they have two kids-Christopher and Caroline. Then we have the Walker family Nathan's younger sister and her hubby and their two kids! Whew! I am amazed and so proud that we can all travel with one another and spend a week under one roof. Not many families can do such a thing.

So back to all the things that I need to do. Normally if I were leaving for ONE WEEK that will happen in a few days I would have the suitcases out. Items in piles abound, lists all over the place, stress, planning packing the car, stress and packing the dog. Ask me what I have done in prep for our forthcoming trip? NOTHING! I have been playing with the kids. I have gone to the pool, had spend the night events, taken the kids out to eat, visited the assisted living place. I have done whatever I can NOT to pack or plan for this trip. I have to get alot of things done in the next couple of days.

So seeing that it is LATE! I am heading off to bed. Hopefully I can get my tires rotated, balances and clean the car out while the kids are at VBS in the morning. Oh and the kids are having a blast at VBS! The church has gone all out again! What a great time!

A Weekend Story

2009-06-14T12:02:00.000-05:00

Remember me?

2009-06-10T14:20:00.002-05:00

Hello friends!

I think that this has to the longest span that I have gone without blogging. Needless to say, I have been a busy lady. Since I was with you good folks last I have done quite a mess of things! Firstly I am the proud mom to two upcoming second graders! I can remember second grade! Now tell me how I have two second graders???? Time flies people, time flies.

Nathan and I took a break from Murfreesboro and headed west. We took the rather long but easy drive to Ft. Worth Texas. We have some wonderful people in the Ft. Worth area that were really excited to meet me. Nathan and I had such a blast, met some really wonderful friends and made connections that will be everlasting. I had forgotten how flat and vegetation free Texas is...but Texas is such a wonderful place. Now I have ALOT of reasons to head back. Thanks for making us feel especially "at home" and welcome!

While we were on vacation we got a call from our alarm system. We had a motion detector go off. We thought for sure nothing had happened! I mean really! The police came by, did a canvas and did not notice that our house had been broken into. Yep that is correct, no need to adjust your sets, this is the third time the house has been broken into. This time nothing was stolen, but with some of the new things that we have done to the house and purchases that have been made, it will be the LAST time that they can enter without incident. Our home is Ft. Knox!

While we were gone, we were met with our own little family tragedy. RubyJack, my mom's Great Pyrenees died. This is such a loss for all of us but most especially my mom whom loved that silly girl! But we know that RubyJack is up in doggy heaven with Grandaddy so we are comforted with that notion.

Ethan and John are spending the week at Cub Scout day camp. They are having such a wonderful time. They come home each day tired, smelly and talking 90 miles a minute about all the cool things they did that day. Ethan even caught 2 fish!

We have vacation quickly approaching! We are headed with Nathan's family to Hilton Head Island. We have rented a HUGE house and will have 6 kids with us. Our kids are the oldest! We have done this vacation before and we have such a blast with everyone. The house that we have is amazing. We are so looking forward to the surf, sand and family fellowship!

Happy BeLated Memorial Day!

2009-05-26T22:44:00.002-05:00

I hope that each of you had a wonderful Memorial Day! I hope that you took a second and thought of all military and their families. I thought of all my father's friends and my dad. I remain so proud of the career that he chose, the people that he served with and I am proud to have been a "military brat."

We had a great weekend. The boys (all 3) headed up the the lake on Friday after work and school. I headed up after I got some things done on Saturday. We had the entire family. We had mom, the four of us, my brother and his family, my cousin and her family. We also had Morris and Vicki here from Ocean Springs! What a treat to have them for a visit.

How we are back to the real world. The kids are done with school on Friday. I cannot believe that I have two second graders! They are so smart, they love school, and I cannot wait to see what happens next year. They are my delight and lately I have stretched so thin that I have not had a moment to admire them.

Nathan and I are heading to Texas on Thursday morning. I am nowhere near ready. We are planning a 5am departure. I am hoping that we can pull that off. We will be home on Tuesday. The kids are staying with their grandparents. Honestly after the three weeks that I have had, I am looking forward to 10 hours in the car.

Hello!

2009-05-21T19:57:00.002-05:00

OK firstly, we did get robbed again. Yes, we lost my new computer, my dad's camera and all the stuff that I mentioned before. Yes USAA really thinks that we are wonderful people who live in the ghetto. However we do not live in the ghetto because when you live in the ghetto, you do not get robbed! People have asked me some of the most insightful questions like:

Did you make sure that the doors were locked? (well who cares if they were locked, they were alarmed!)
Did you see any broken windows? (O man! I missed that!)
Are you sure that the alarm was on?
Did you hear them? (actually yes and I had coffee and crumpets with them)

Or we can make statements....

You should put your alarm sign up. (that was what the detectie had to say)
Maybe you thought your alarm was set and it wasn't. (insightful as that is but even the alarm co. knows it was on)

Finally~ No, we do not know how the people got in the house with the alarm on. We are now taking other measures to insure that our home is safe. The lovely people that robbed our house were in jail at the time we got hit this time.

Yes, It happened again!

2009-05-15T23:23:00.002-05:00

For the second time in the past 5 months, we have been robbed. The first time-we did not have the alarm set. This time, Thursday morning, we HAD our alarm set. We live in a wonderful neighborhood. We had ALL of the windows locked. Our house was secure. I have had two detectives, one patrolman, one alarm tech and the area manager for the alarm company come out and look at any way that these people came into my house. NO ONE can figure out how someone got in, stole all my stuff AGAIN and left.

This time they got:
My louis vuitton purse, same purse, as last time
My Louis Vuitton Wallett
My new ITouch
My Laptop
My father's camera

So on Saturday (in a mere couple of hours) we are going to home depot to get more spot lights, wireless cameras for the outside and inside of the house.

On top of all that stress and talking to the alarms company, the police, and detectives. My GG was in the hospital overnight. I believe that she is OK. I, on the other hand, am a VERY tired person!

Happy Birthday Mommy! I hope that #66 is a wonderful year for you!

What Lasts about 10 years?

2009-05-13T08:28:00.002-05:00

Well let me just tell you!

Our house is about 10 years old. We have been in this house for about 2.5 years. I am WILD about my house. I think that it is the perfect house for our family and I am so blessed to have such a wonderful neighborhood to live and raise our kids. That said.

What does last about 10 years?

Every major appliance!

In the short time that we have lived here we have replaced:

Year 1
the roof
Two HVAC units
6 windows
a new fence

Year Two
replaced hardwood and had to have the house sanded and refinished

I am sure that there are more, and I will be told of them once Nathan reads this.

The newest thing to happen: new dishwasher and disposal. Now I am not complaining but also in there was the purchase of two new cars...... or one new car and one that was slightly used.

So when I broke the news to Nathan that we needed a new dishwasher-he almost lost it. I told him that it was OK dishwashers did not cost $20,000! So now I have a new stainless steel dishwasher, complete with jets that may clean off food and perhaps does not sound like a 747 landing in my kitchen! So exciting!

I am so happy that Nathan did not offer to purchase me new dish towels instead of a dishwasher!

All God's Children were at my house!

2009-05-11T15:49:00.002-05:00

Happy Mother's day!

2009-05-09T23:18:00.003-05:00

Take a minute to show that you care,

Take a second to give a hug

Take a moment to listen

Take a lifetime to show how grateful

I love you mom!

Happy Mother's Day!

A Kid.

2009-05-08T11:56:00.000-05:00

It's Raining!

2009-05-05T19:40:00.003-05:00

It has been raining here for nearly a week. Everything is green and pretty and I am wishing that I had my container garden planted but I do not.

But what is planted- is my grass. And with rain comes tall grass and what happened 15 years ago? Nathan vowed to NEVER mow grass again. So we have a problem. My lawn mower man has not been by, I live in a Nazi-controlled neighborhood and I am pretty sure that come the end of the week and if Mr. Lawnmower has not shown, I will be pushing one of these around my front yard.

We do not own a motorized lawnmower. OH NO! That would mean that we would have to mow our own yard. But for some crazy reason we own one of these (see picture).

I am giving it to the end of the week before the neighbors start to drop by and look for us dead inside the house or we get a strongly worded letter in the mail in regards to the height of our grass.

I am still in campaign mode for an IPhone. I do not know if it will work and it is not looking very promising but I will continue to try!

I am 33!

2009-05-02T21:06:00.002-05:00

I am 33! I cannot believe that I am that old. I feel like I am 22, well not really because ugh 22!

I had a wonderful day with my family. We went out to Brunch after I took my sweet time getting ready. We headed up to Green Hills to shop. I really did nto get anything that was that out of the ordinary or crazy. I got some new kitchen towels and this is newsworthy because the last time I got new kitchen towels was when we got married nearly 10 years ago. I also got some new kitchen shears, since my other ones went missing. How do kitchen shears go missing I ask you. I also got some jewlery so sweet when the kids shop for you! And even cuter when they pick things out that they think will look good on mommy. I got to visit my fav store: Anthropologie! I did not get anything althought I would like to purchase the entire place. We almost got mommy an IPhone. But it was like $600 more than what I have now each year so I will stick with what I have thank you!

Anyway, a great day with the family!

Two Little Girls!

2009-04-29T20:02:00.004-05:00

RubyJack the only time that she was still at puppy school. Keep in mind that this little baby is only 4 mos old. She will be with sister Shannon this weekend while Nona gets with some friends.

Mom and RubyJack with the same haircut, awww so sweet!

John with baby Sarah. He loves babies and took her picture to school today to show Mrs. Lindsay

There is Ethan showing off his baby skills. Sweet Sarah!

And here is what the rest of Sarah's life will be like, 4 boys watching over her. No dating, no sneaking out, no nothing!

Intorducing Sarah Elizabeth Young

2009-04-27T13:05:00.003-05:00

Sarah Elizabeth Young

April 27, 2009

4:57am

7lbs 19 3/4 in

Mom, Dad and Sarah are happy healthy and a little tired.

Sarah Elizabeth Young

2009-04-27T06:25:00.001-05:00

A baby has arrived.

If anyone checks this from the Village:
Sarah Elizabeth Young arrived early this morning. Water broke early early. Baby born @ 4 somethin' she is 7 pounds somethin' @ MTMC.

Smooches!

2009-04-26T12:33:00.001-05:00

Look What I Made.

2009-04-26T12:02:00.003-05:00

I am so proud and impressed with myself for making my mom this album. It is not a baseball mit like mom thought but a mitten. It is our Park City UT trip. Each trip that mom takes with us, I make her an album from that trip......Good stuff

Out of Nowhere!

2009-04-22T16:19:00.003-05:00

OK so what I left out of the last post and because I can see into the future is, if you look at that window.....I have windows lining the entire back of my house. This makes for wonderful wren watching for us, but it makes for a rather unexpected death for my birds. Every year I have a couple of dare devils that fly into my various windows like kamikaze's and inevitably pass. So they will probably be born (or hatch) and die right here.....thus how I own an Eco system.

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

I was watching Martha today so I can feel bad about myself...and she had an earth day special. Apparently there is a new movie coming out about the planet that we live on....that would be Earth-Nathan. I am thinking that we should go and see it not only for the information and photography, but because every ticket sold between now and Saturday means a tree planted in your honor. I am feeling a little Green, not with envy or like Kermit but just GREEN-think Kelly Green.....

Nathan has been gone to Northeast Arkansas. He is doing due diligence on a hospital. Little known fact that well, CT Scanners and Ultrasound machines can be reposessed. We also now know that the Copier company can show up at a hospital and demand payment with a U Haul. Needless to say, Nathan's trip to AR was an adventure.

I am heading to church this evening. I am going to listen to a speaker whose parents live next door to mom and GG. I am anxious to see what he has to say. I have been following his fight with cancer for at least a year and I am anxious to hear his story and testimony.

Tomorrow night I am taking my mom and mother in law to the Country Club for a gathering and fundraiser for ASITIA. ASITIA is the program that I work with in talking and teaching High school and middle school kids abstinence education. I am so proud to be able to share this experience with two VERY important people in my life. I love teaching, I love working with this group and I really enjoy this ministry. So WOO HOO!

A Photo Essay! (applause)

2009-04-19T19:17:00.010-05:00

Last year I brought you chronicles o' baby bunnies that were birthed in the middle of my front yard. Thoughtful mother bunny who did not think of the Lawn Fairy. As you all know I put the soccer cones out and saved those furry lives.

This year, in my little eco system, I have birds. Lots of birds.

I have shown you this nest. I am waiting patiently on eggs.......but I think mommy bird is going to build on another story.

As I told you prior to this post (follow along people!) I decided to save money this spring by putting last years annuals in my garage for the winter months. I did not really water them so we shall now refer to them as: NESTING Material! As illistrated below!

This happens to be last years hibiscus....Opps!

Why can they not build with these? I have alot of these!

We also have inhabitants in each of these....the kids made these with some help from GG's sitters.

Ok so I have to get a little better with the picture adding thing here....I will do better! Never a dull moment around here.

Movie nite!

2009-04-18T18:25:00.002-05:00

I am exhausted!

I asked Nathan to clean my house today and he and the kids did a really good job! Although I am sure that it was a "green clean"-meaning that no chemicals were used in the cleaning of our house. But I cannot complain.

I was late for scrapping because of an emergent call to go to the hospital. Once that was taken care of and all was well, I had so much fun scrapping, er talking. No surprise there. But I tell you, I do not know what I would do without my friends. I sometimes like them better than my family. All in all, we had a wonderful night and I did next to nothing for running my mouth.

I got home late last night, then was up early this morning for 7:20 Soccer pics. We had an 8 am game. We lost (hello?) anyone playing aside from E and J and another kid? Nope! Really I am not competitive but they are like watching me at their age playing sports. Ethan SCORED! So fun! I am so proud! Yippee EE! Once soccer was over I headed off to the hospital for a 5 hour shift, came home, wallowed around in the bed, played Jenga and ugh... Trying to have a good attitude.

Tonight I get to have movie night with Nathan. We are going to watch Slumdog and Frozen River. It's going to be a late one folks! I am happy to spend some time with Nathan. I like him, I just do not see much of him. He is also headed out of town next week for work.

I am hoping that we have some good news at the hospital in the morning. I shall be there bright and early!

Chao and Cheers!

I die!

2009-04-16T22:16:00.002-05:00

Ok just went to Perez, Louis and Madonna are teamin up again for another ad campaign.

In the words of my good friend Rachel Zoe,

"I die"

Does life really get any better???

So I have Time...

2009-04-16T21:55:00.002-05:00

And I swear, I am TRYING to make it through Twilight. I am. I have quiet, I have time, I have nothing to do other than read and be a hip young gal. But I do not know if I can commit to reading all four books. I think I need to get back to my shallow reading. People have stopped me at the park, where I try and block out the kids. They have stopped me in waiting rooms-everywhere and they tell me "don't you love that book?" I state that I do, although I am only on the first page.

Hold on to your hats as to what I am going to read about next: The Tenement Cites of NYC! I know that you are fascinated, I am too. I have always wanted to go to the tenement Museum in NYC. Somehow the Sex and the City tour bus took my attention at the time and then the Pride Parade. I digress. Yep I am going to learn how people back in the days of my mom - ha-- lived.

Speaking of mom, a tornado update. The police presence is much less than it used to be, which is good for my "business" ;) The clean up remarkable, and the main roads are all open. So I do not have to drive out of the way to get where I am going. Nathan drives out of the way no matter where he is going. (he gets lost alot-and he grew up here)

In other news, we have Soccer Saturday, we still suck, did not play last week because of the tornado and did not practice this last Monday because of rain. So now we super suck and we have an 8 am game, UMMM YAWN! But Friday night we have scrappin' club. When mommy gets out of the house with sharp instruments not aimed at kids. I may have a glass of wine this month-after the week that we have endured.

Hello Nowell Family!

This is my (one of my) creative outlets. Since this blog is all that you know about me you probably have a pretty crazy picture of me. And that would probably be correct.

The Toothless and the Bird

2009-04-15T07:48:00.002-05:00

So I have no idea how to properly arrange pictures on this thing. So anyway I will keep it like this before they just disappear.....

I pulled Ethan's tooth in Church on Sunday so as Nathan says we got our spirituality and our dentistry out of the way. It was pretty funny, we had the whole pew cheering me on in my pulling. And needless to say, some of the people on my pew were not my family. My mom was probably mortified when EE went and showed her I had pulled his tooth during the offertory. However she should expect no less....it is me that we are talking about.

Pulling his tooth has won him the cutest kid contest. Normally this honor is held my one of our many nieces or nephews. Normally Nathan crowns the honor. However, I am going to tell you each time I see EE and his missing front teeth I want to kiss his little face. This puts him continually in a strange defense mode, not knowing if mom is going to attack him and be "uncool" at any moment.

Nextly we have my "saving money" bird nest. It is empty-no eggs yet. But sure enough those are my plants! Some of which are still alive. I cannot wait to see the color of the eggs that the Robin lays. I hear they are "Robins Egg Blue" we shall see!

In other news. The police has moved back a block in their Looky Loo monitoring. I take this as a good sign that the clean up and recovery is moving along well. Although we live so close to the affected area, we drive out of the way to stay out of the way for all the construction trucks, utility trucks and dump trucks.

It's that time of year again!

2009-04-14T15:15:00.002-05:00

Yep it is that time of year again, when I go out into the yard looking for babies-furry or feathered. Because, let's face it, I do not need any of the other type of babies. If you remember last year I had a nest of baby bunnies that we got to follow. We also had the psycho hummingbirds that would get caught in my garage. Who knew my garage was in the path of migration!

This year I think that we are going to follow a nest of baby birds. I saw a mommy bird, gathering some of my dead plants to make a nest. Thank goodness I had the idea to save money this spring by saving some of last summer's plants. Only thing is, you have to water them during the winter, missed that so now they are apparently bird nests. So I have a bush off the breakfast room and small porch that will house a nest. I am so excited! We had a rabbit in the yard yesterday. I wonder if the turtle from the pond will come for a visit again this year....ahh the wonders of spring!

Too close for comfort

2009-04-13T09:57:00.001-05:00

Easter 2009

2009-04-12T20:56:00.000-05:00

OK now I am really mad!

2009-04-10T10:26:00.002-05:00

The weather has been nice here so since I pay taxes, I decided that I would start walking on the Greenway. So for the past two days, instead of heading off to the Y I have been walking beside the Stones River and loving nature. Also watching the old ladies take in rounds of golf at the country club, did I mention the River??

But in order to really work out on the Greenway, you must zone out. To Zone Out, you must have a fair amount of Madonna. So I found my ancient MP3 player, loaded Hard Candy onto it and headed out for a 2.8 miles brisk walk. No dog, just me a Madge.

No too bad, I felt OK yesterday. Only had shin splints acting up last night but I decided that if I was not raining (I work out with conditions) I would head to the G'way again. So sure enough, it was not raining so I went to the for another 2.8 miles. Clearly 3 miles would set me off the edge. During my walk (brisk walk) I am thinking back to my trip with the Gals to Hotlanta, that involved Madge and her gals and a concert and dancing it out in ouer seats with a fair share of homosexuals to party with.....and BOOM! Those bastards have my MADONNA Pics from the Hard Candy tour! Freaks!

My Madonna pics were on my laptop that was stolen. Those people have just Malawi cursed themselves into Rocco (hood)~ I am really mad.

But in other news, I did head to court this week for no reason. Other than to find out that the morons (not Mormons, that is different) VIDEO taped themselves with our stuff! Nice! Really smart people. Not only did you get caught with my drivers licence sitting on your coffee table, you are on video with my neighbor's camera. Clearly they did not attend criminal college. Turns out the person who called the cops to tip them to the place with the stolen merch was on the video and got picked up for possession of stolen goods, agg burl, and all along he was "trying to do good."

In other news: we have a fairly busy weekend ahead. Nathan was supposed to be off today to really make it "Good Friday" but instead he is at work, closing the books or taking over the world. (Insert evil laugh here...)We have Soccer Saturday @11am. Please let us do better this week! Lord have mercy, we suck! And the kids know that they suck which is funny for me. They sit on the sidelines and yell at their team mates. I think that it is funny-but have to be O so concerned when they bet out of hand. They are so much like Nathan! Then we have Adams Laser Tag b-day party. I have never played Laser Tag, but I am sure that my walking 2.8 miles has gotten me into shape to take on a bunch of 6 and 7 year olds. Then we have Easter. Nathan's favorite PINK holiday. He loves the bunnies, chicks, and pastel colors. I get to listen to him gripe about how I make the kids dress, how we have to carry Easter baskets and act like we like one another. Come on, it is just for one day. I can do anything (aside from walking 3.0 miles) for a day!

I am sure come Sunday evening I will have plenty of pics of Nathan being disgusted to post, check back it will be fun! For 11 years he has made me miserable on Easter! Just listening to him inhail to speak grates a nerve, fun times! I should plan a revolt and have him dress in pink! Or paint his toenails for Easter when he is sleeping. O the imagination!

Trekking Thru Target with Oprah

2009-04-07T18:17:00.003-05:00

I watched Oprah yesterday. Ms. O was talking about mom's and all that moms have to deal with in their lives. The stressers of being "perfect" being "together" and not looking like we have just come from the underworld. And it struck me that each of the women that appeared on the panel, looked like she belonged in O magazine. I really think that in order to find real moms in their natural state they need to go to Target.

Oh and now I am just an At-Home Mom as opposed to a Stay at Home Mom. Because according to Ms. O Stay at Home mom's do not stay at home. We are the cornerstone of modern civilization and are therefore encouraged to mingle and mix with the mere mortal that roam- Wal Mart for instance. I remember working, very vaguely, a long time ago. Now I sit at a place that is NOT home and be a mom.

So since I have so much time on my hands-being a mom and all-I thought tat I would take in the crowd at Target. That, and I had to pick up some things for some chosen children. If you want to do a study in motherhood in its most natural form, go to Target between 9 and 11am any day of the week. It smells like pampers, they play the music of screaming babies and you are likely to be wearing vomit by the time that you leave. Not that you are not already wearing vomit seeing that you are a mother and all!

You can bare witness to all sorts of mothers. You have me for instance, the " I have kids at school mom" sporting sweat pants and a grin, because although I am purchasing things for my kids they are not with me and I am happy! You have the "Holy Crap I need diapers" mom who looks like she just got out of bed and needs a shot of espresso or brandy QUICK! The child that she remembered to remove from the car is still wearing clothes from last week. Then you have the "I am the Perfect mom" mom, who has taken a shower, has a full on face of make up, wears a name brand sweat suit just so that we know she has been working out, last week. She also has a matching diaper bag and purse because would Vera Bradley have it any other way, REALLY? She is the one that I think has a hidden nanny at home that puts her life together.

Then this is my favorite mom. The I am taking Motherhood super seriously. This mom, today, that I saw had ONE child. Yep only one. Had a cart, a purse ONE child and a BACKPACK! A backpack. What in the hell do you need a backpack in Target for? Is she planning on camping, moving into Target, did she have another child in the backpack. What in the world would you need a back pack for? If that was indeed her diaper bag she should hand that one to her husband, make him look like a camper and go buy a Vera Bradley.

Yippee!

2009-04-06T08:16:00.002-05:00

Not that I am happy to have my kids back to school after a two week break.Oh no! Not me. I was happy for them to be able to go back to school (wink wink) I think that they were ready to see their friends, see their teachers, and tell everyone about their adventures of Spring Break. But was I happy to see them grace the door to their school, oh certainly not!

Next, what is up with the weather here in middle Tennessee? Yesterday, we were happily wearing shorts, t shirts, enjoying the wiles of spring and today? Today? We are bundled up waiting on SNOW to come in! SNOW? Really in April? Where are we? Colorado?

Finally, my dad's first scholarship was given on Saturday. My dad has a memorial scholarship for a student to help with Pharmacy school. The monies were presented at a meeting in San Antonio. My brother was lucky enough to drive over to San Antonio and be present for the meeting and see the gal get her money. My daddy would just be grinning from ear to ear, to know that he helped someone excel in a profession that he so loved.

Melissa's Shower

2009-04-04T20:01:00.001-05:00

Spring is here!

2009-04-01T13:26:00.002-05:00

I always know that it is spring when:
1- I feel that I can take the kids to the park without an extra swipe of the deodorant
2- My mom's cat brings in a-or plays with a baby something or another.

So today I got up and for some reason, call it being seven, the kids FINALLY will let me sleep. Not past 8 mind you but much better than 6am. John wakes me up because he is hungry (SUPRISE!). I woke up from the craziest dream that had to do with a fishing tourney with my gal pals and designer merch-I digress.

So I decide that I am going to take the kids and a friend to the park, re-start Twilight, and then do the McDonalds thing just to get the kids off my back from being O so bored, remember we just got home from skiing, and they are bored. I tell them to think of all the fun they had last week, that should take up some time. Ah being a mom is the best

Better yet was the call that I got from the EMS service yesterday. How that we use our alarm (see notes on robbery) Ethan miss hit a couple of numbers and MEDICAL ALERT was called. Of course we only set the alarm when we are leaving and sleeping so they had to track me down on my cell. I cannot wait to see that bill. I think we will take it out of his college funding....

I get the distinct feeling that my husband is either going camping or planning on leaving me soon. I was working to clean our bedroom. (without the backhoe this time) and found that he had his tent and his sleeping bag tucked away beside the bed. I am going to have to keep a better eye on him and the bank account! He cannot leave that easy!

And finally the final sign of spring- mom's cat, the HUGE black one that only comes in to eat and sleep on mom's head caught and released a snake the other day. That is right a snake! When I went in for further inspection, it slithered into the monkey grass from which it came. At least she did not kill it and bring it home. Watch out baby bunnies, Pearl is out!

The Heart of the Matter....

2009-03-30T10:58:00.003-05:00

I do not know who is in charge of keeping my house clean, but whomever she is SHE should have been fired a long time ago. I think that firing her would be a good idea but before I could fire she apparently she quit! And by SHE I mean clearly me! Yep I quit, I do not recall the quit date but I do know that no one has picked up where I left off.

We all know tat htat kitchen is the heart of the home. The heart of my home bleeds DIRT. Just homemade dog fur, boy dirt and man dirt, certainly NOT me dirt! I have spent the past 3 hours slaving away at cleaning my kitchen. I never understood why when my mom cleaned she had to make a mess to clean then clean the mess up and then the original dirt as well. Now I get it. To the Interior Designer out there that thought that WHITE kitchen cabinets was "en vogue", can come and clean my boy stained, finger printed white cabinets! I am beginning to resign to the fact that my wonderful white pillars are merely speed bumps for the many males that run thru my house.

As I write, I am sitting in my toy laddened living room- messy un vacuumed, and dusty, I am listening to Martha Stewart talk for 15 minutes about potting soil. I feel even worse about myself. If I can pull myself from my low self esteem, un-Martha Stewart self, I shall go up stairs in my craft room. I will attempt to be creative in my most under achieving self, complete with boy dirt from my white kitchen cabinets under my fingernails whom have not ever had a proper manicure.

Thank God that I am having an event at my house on Saturday. I cannot wait to clean the rest of my castle!

Ski Trip

2009-03-24T11:25:00.003-05:00

Well we made it to Park City. Everyone is safe and sound. We are having such a wonderful time and have NEW snow to enjoy. They are expecting new snow tonight as well. All the kids (big and small) are enjoying the slopes. I do not think that I am going to ski this trip. I do not want to end up back on the OR table! Mom and I went up to Deer Valley yesterday, had a look around. Then we spent the rest of the day at the base of the mountain watching little ones come down the hill.

Today mom and I are shopping (I think). I have a great understanding of what my father had to do his whole life to get mom going. Breakfast in bed, many trips to the concierge lounge for snacks. She is spoiled! And there is nothing that Nathan and I can do to reverse the 40+ years of rotten.

We are taking everyone to the Olympic site on Weds. You can ride the bobsled for 200 dollars per person and go 80+ MPH. Not for me! But it should be fun! Hope you all are well!

How Lucky!

2009-03-19T21:51:00.004-05:00

I am sitting in the bed watching AC360. AC is talking about subdural hemotomas. Specifically regarding Natasha Richardson and her skiing accident. It reminds me of my husband and his adventure with a head injury. It also makes me so terribly thankful that he did not end up like Mrs. Richardson. Although their head injuries sound very similar. I am jsut so thankful that I have a 200 pound man with an operating head in the bed beside me.

We are heading out on Sunday to hit the slopes with the kids, mom, Kristi, Tracy Patrick, and Brandy. We are looking forward to a nice time in Park City Utah. I am really considering skiing at least with the kids. I may not carve up the side of a Double Black but I would like to show the kids my skills on the slopes.

We have had a Pack Meeting with Cub Scouts. The kids did cute little skits. We also have had the Pinewood Derby. Ethan won 3rd place! WHOO HOO! John got best design! So proud of them! We also started Soccer this week. I am not sure about our team this year, I am sure that we will have a wonderful time.

I am sorry that I have slacked off on my blogging. I have been a busy lady! I am looking forward to Scrapping Club on Friday night and working on a new project! Blog again slope side soon!

Well Hello there Stranger!

2009-03-10T19:33:00.002-05:00

It has been awhile since I posted. Needless to say I have been VERY busy (what else is new). I have had both of the kids parent/teacher conferences. I have some smart studious kids. Ethan is reading at a third grade level and doing well in math and John is at a late second grade level and doing wonderful in math. I could not be more proud! Both of their teachers stated that the boys are so well behaved, nice and considerate. YIPPEE!

I was supposed to head to court this week for my robbery. It has been put on hold so that all three of the people can face the court at the same time. So that is one thing off my plate for now.

I have especially busy with my grandmother. She is doing well, and continues to live at home with lots of help. I had to make some adjustments for her safety. But other than that, she is well, just a hand full.

For the first time that I can remember, the time change has kicked me in the butt. I have been so sleepy this week. I almost had to give in and take a nap today. That is BAD! And the change in the weather has been heck on my knees.

The kids are putting the finishing touches on their Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby Cars for Sunday's race. They are really great looking cars. I will take some pics on Sunday and post them.

What a Weekend!

2009-03-02T10:18:00.003-06:00

It snowed and it was WONDERFUL! That's correct, we had snow in March! Of course is was gone before dinner. But the kids (all three) had a wonderful time playing in the snow, building a snow fort, and having a snowball fight. They had a blast!

I really have not felt 100% as late so I stayed home and out of the snow. I hope that I am not getting sick. I just feel like 90% of my normal self. No clue what is happening. O well, I will be OK. I am cleaning the house today, well part of the day, aside from this blogging. HA HA!

I want to know where the law is that states that once you lose a parent, you never get a good night's sleep again? I swear ever since we lost daddy, I have YET to sleep restfullly thru the night. I thought that I was in the clear last week, I got 2 nights sleep and was a new person. Last night up all night off and on. So bad I was getting on Nathan's nerves, and Nathan has narcolepsy.

I must say, I have yet to start Twilight. Well I started it and got like 10 pages in and then had to stop because I had to time at that time. Then a social worker friend of mine suggested that I read The Girls Who Went Away. It is about the way that women whom got pregnant out of wedlock before 1973 were treated. It highlights the adoption process prior to Roe v. Wade. I cannot put is down! The manner by which these girls were treated is so wrong. I am amazed at how our society has changed, some for the better and some for the worse. Anyway, it is a really good book. I plan on reading Twilight~I just have so much to read. UGH

And true to my Bachelor watching habits, I have yet to watch anything this season or last season or many seasons for that matter. BUT I will watch the season finale. I am anxious to be caught up the happenings and the MOST AMAZING rose ceremony EVER! ha ha!

Whatever you put out comes back tenfold!

2009-02-26T09:04:00.002-06:00

Karma is so wonderful!

I love it! We have some people that have made my families life HELL over the past year. Everytime we try to do good for our family, they move in and undermind the situation.

Come to find out, all of the evil in the world has bome to bite them in the butt. ILOVE IT! Now don't get me wrong, I would never wish anyone bad. But when you are so tired and exhausted with the behavior of others, you get a sense of satisfaction from seeing that Karma is kick ing them!

Sorry but I love it.

Other than that, Nathan is off today. He is running around going to the dentist, haircut, new glasses (with my assistance) and helping with things that he can never seem to do during the weekend.

We had the main line to the house leaking water yesterday. Called the plumber and all is well.

New Connections!

2009-02-24T11:04:00.002-06:00

Finally Finally! I have a new computer! Over three weeks since those nice young men took my other computer. I got a new Toshiba, I am keeping Daniel employeed, same as my old one just have to load all my old programs. We also got Nathan a new Xbox and the kids new DS's. We have NOT told the kids that they have new DS's but they will get them in no time I am sure.

I hear that my long lost brother is now on Skype so I shall be able to Skype with him soon. I am also looking forward to seeing him soon.

In the meantime, I am patiently waiting for the Comcast (late) person to make us a complete digital family! We will have our phone, internet and TV all digital. Of course we are bundling it and saving some moola along the way. But the dude is late, I missed my workout (not that I am one to complain) but I have more to do than wait for someone to be late.

I have TWO snaggle tooth kids! Ethan lost one of his front teeth. I must say, he is soooo cute. I am cracking up at the fact that Nathan's mom, whom raised three kids will NOT pull a tooth. I called and asked her to get the kids from school. I mentioned that she could pull Ethan's tooth and she was mortified. Just so funny what makes others cringe. But I was woken up this morning my EE at my bed stating daddy just pulled his tooth. So FUN!

Anyway, I am beyond thrilled to be "on line" once again.

Ahhhh

2009-02-19T19:33:00.002-06:00

What a busy week we ahve had this week.

I have spent most of the week at Riverdale teaching Asitia for three hours a day. I have such a blast with those crazy kids! I think that they are the most misled people in our society. And while I know that some of the kids that I speak with are out in left field and convinced that I have come from Mars. There are some that you can see the gears moving in their head and light bulbs lighting up! So incouraging.

I have made a real effort to spend as much time with mom as I can this week. She has gotten so many sweet phone calls. Jason has been in Texas and I hope that he made it thru the week OK. I am sure that he has been so busy with his new job that he has nto had much time to think!

I am watching the MOST competative game of Sorry that the world has EVER seen! My boys (all 3) are such competative nuts. I do NOT get it. Oh well, they are being nice for now so that is all I can ask for.

Friday night I have scrapping club. I love scrapping club. I think taht I will try and get upstairs to the craft room next week when I am not in the classroom. Perhpas I will get another album done before the next vacay. We are heading to Park City UT at he end of March for some snow skiing. So I had better get my Dollywood and Gatlinburg!

Then Saturday night my mom is watching the kids. We have our annual "Village" Valentine's. This year we are staying in Murfreesboro and heading to the Five Senses. I am really excited to head out to eat with Nathan and all of our dear sweet friends.

Take Care....

2009-02-17T15:44:00.002-06:00

Well we have made it one year without dad. That is such a sad thing to comprehend. I believe that this has been the worst year on the books. Not just becuase of the loss of dad but because of the subsequent changes that we have had to make. However some good has happened in the past year.

I believe that my love for my mom and my brother is stonger than ever before. I believe that my faith in Nathan's strenth is much stonger. My family has had to deal with countless road blocks to get where we are today. We pulled together, we have added an angel and we have learned that we cannot make it thru life without family. I think that my dad would be so proud of how we have made it. HE would be be proud of the manner that we take care of his mom, and the selflessness that we have shown.

It is not just me that lost someone but an entire community. We have been so supported by the Air Force community, our church family and all of our friends. I join with them in their sorrow today as well.

I love you daddy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T15:40:00.002-06:00

We are not having much of a Valentine's day. We went to Sam's to buy mom some flowers and then we went to the YMCA and worked out. We have RubyJak now and she is just the cutest thing ever! We kept her overnight and she treated us like we were new parents. Other than the nursing. I was up every couple of hours to take her out. I am sort of sleepy today ha ha! The kids have spent time playing the Wii and working on their Pine Wood Derby car. We are going out next weekend for the Village Valentine's day. This event is always worth attending and such a nice time to spend with close friends. I think that Nathan and I are going to make mom some dinner and hope that she has a good day. O and play with RubyJak some more.

Happy Valentine's day!

If you Love it Let is GO! Please GO!

2009-02-11T10:22:00.002-06:00

On top of all the madness that is happening in my life, I have a bird. Not just like a parakeet, but a Wax Wing something or other. This bird only eats fruit (berries specifically) and fleshy insects. I hate this bird. But bird cannot fly so I have relented and kept the bird, Nathan likes the bird, I keep the bird. I have tried to get bird to fly to no avail. I hate him but I cannot stand for bird to become hawk food so I have bird. The weather around here has been bird friendly so I have bird in the guinnea pig cage on the back porch. The other night I was feeding bird and he flew away, well under the bushes a couple feet away. I tried to get bird, he left. Bye bye birdy! I checked for him that night and next morning. NO BIRD! Yipee bird is being big bird and I am happy to not have to handle crickets any longer. I go to the gym work out. And it is supposed to rain so I go out back to clean out bird's cage and there in the cage like it never left it that (excuse my cussing) DAMN bird!

Everyone thinks that it is O so funny that bird returned. I loved it and let it go and it came back. Now I know what it must be like to have your college age kids return!

Other than that, I have Valentines parties this afternoon. The kids have abe lincoln coming to school on Thursday and no school on Friday. So this is their valentine's day! I have a craft, I hate doing kid crafts with the class but always get assigned to do them. And I made 3 batches of Rice Krispie Treats. I am sooo good I made them pink and red! Ahh mom of the year I am!

Theft Update

2009-02-07T12:04:00.002-06:00

The close to another eventful week can not come quick enough. We got a call on Thursday that the police had found some of our stuff. I was so exited. I talked to the detective last night hoping that they had reovered my computer and my camera. I know that they DO NOT have my computer YET, and I do not know about my camera. I think that they have my purse and my wallet. I am thrilled about that but I am sure going to miss my old computer. They have two more ppl to catch and perhaps those poeple will give up what they did with my things.

I go and meet with the detective at 3PM today. I am rather excited.

Also in the Summar family news. Mom got a new DOG! I new BIG dog. She is the mommy to a 6 week old Great Pyrenees puppy. Her name is Ruby Jack. She is the cutest thing in the world and there are 9 more of them to be adopted. If I were not married to Nathan I would have 9 Great Pyrenees puppies. Nathan stands firmly in my way.

That is all for now. I will let you know what happens at the police station. Suffice to say in my 32 years on earth, this is the first time I will have ever been a police station. Something my parents should be proud of....

Now What?

2009-02-01T20:12:00.002-06:00

So now what? I am so glad that it is Sunday and we get to start a new week! I can only hope that THIS week is better than the last one was. I would say that it could not get worse, but then some thing worse will happen and UGH I will totally lose it!

So my last week in review.
Monday: go to check on GG find her asleep and sick on the floor call 911, get admitted in to the hosptial!
Tuesday: Hospital all day with GG
Weds: wake up to no school, and having been robbed.
Thursday: GG gets home from the hospital, we learn that her shower door is broken, have a family meeting about instating 24 hour care for GG.
Friday: Noah (my nephew) is placed in the hospital.

By Saturday, everyone was out of the hospital. Jason was supposed to have left for Texas, he left today. Mom made a quick trip to the lake and had a nice dinner with wonderful friends. We were able to watch the superbowl and work on Pinewood Derby cars. Monday should be a blur of phone calls and catch up from the week of hell!

In good news! I think that we have hammered out our spring break plans. I think we are heading out to Park City for some spring skiing in the Rockies! I know that my kids are rotten! Who when they were 7 got to FLY out west to go skiing for spring break. Not me, and certainly not my hubby. Which truth be told is probably the reason that they get to do something like that. My mom and my cousin and her family are all going! I am pretty excited! But with my luck lately.....

Never a Dull moment!

2009-01-28T21:53:00.003-06:00

Well Well...
We were Robbed.
Never would I have thought that in my neighborhood, in my house would I have thought that I would have said those words. I mean I LOVE my neighborhood! I LOVE my house. Now were are alarmed, re keyed and safe.

Nathan and I went to bed at 11PM Tuesday night and I got woken up at 6AM. The school called to tell us that there was no school. I went in to the kitchen to make sure that there was no school and I was going to look at my computer. I noticed that a piece of furniture was opened but thought well it just adjusted in the night and opened, walked into the kitchen and no computer. I went in the bedroom and no computer back in the kitchen, no computer...still( it was early)!
They got:
My computer
My Louis Vuitton purse and wallet (gosh darnit)
my phone (which I keep calling hoping some one will get the phone)
two DS's
2 games,
GG's wallet (becuase I was keeping it safe, nice how that worked)
all my keys,
the XBox 360
games

Good Lord! They got it all! But we are OK. They had to have been armed, we do not know how they got in, rest assured, I did not need this on top of everything else. But we have our alarm set!
What Butt Holes to take our stuff that we work so hard for. CSI Truck and stuff was cool, but would rather had not spent the day with them. HA ! I will give updates.

What a normal start to the week......

2009-01-27T16:14:00.002-06:00

As most everyone knows by now, GG is living at home with help 8 hours a day. Her sitter called me on Sunday and told me that GG had had an accident and went to bed. Not really a "normal" thing for GG to have that problem. I told the sitter that I would be by on Monday morning and check on GG before she came in to work. I was talking to Sarah on the phone, hung up and walked back to make sure GG was OK. She was on the floor sleeping! To top that off she had had another accident.

Needless to say got her up (actually I picked her up), cleaned her off, changed her clothes and called 911 to take her to the ER. She is sick and in the hospital. I was really scared to find her like that but I am glad that she is not hurt, no broken bones. Now we just have to find the cause to her ills and get her back up and running. Please remember Ms. GG in your prayers.

I am so thankful that my sister in law dropped everything and came to the rescue and helped make some decisions. My mom helped with the Ross kids and advised us on what to do. It was a very stressful day on Monday! Today, I had GG up and walking around the floor of the hospital. The nurses were amazed that she was up and walking and talking and even joking with our AMAZING pastor.

Our pastor is the wisest person, most well spoken and smartest person that I have ever met. He just gives such good council. Ok, so I am home for the evening. I am letting Jason take the night shift and I am going to make dinner for my family and have a nice evening.

My Dear Husband!

2009-01-23T10:00:00.002-06:00

My dear sweet husband must not value his life much. I almost ended it for him the other night. And since most of the people that read my blog are female I think that most of you all will agree.

Our closet is attached to our bathroom, and Nathan is is the closet changing clothes. Nathan wears a suit, tie and dress clothes everyday aside from Friday. Poor guy. So he calls out from behind the door and says, and I quote, " come here I want to teach you something." Teach me something in the closet? What I state? He says "I need to teach you how to hang up my pants."

I tell you, I do not hang up his suit pants, I only hang up his jeans. And I submit I have hung up more pants in the past week than that man has hung up in his life. He tells me I am not talking about my suit pants, I am talking about these. HE pulls out a pair of khakis! He does not wear Khakis. He has NEVER worn Khakis! HE HATES Khakis. I think he borrowed these pants from someone just to irritate me. WHAT ? you are concerned about my hanging up pants that you NEVER wear? No he says it is the hangers that you use he says that leave a crease in the Khakis that he never wears. Then he starts with jeans probably because I point out that I have not touched the khakis that are not even his and if he would like to talk about the jeans, he can walk with me because I have a new load of laundry that I need to fold and hang up incorrectly.

I tell you, that man is lucky to be alive! And he knows it and perhaps my showing him that rare BIRD helped.

What a Wonderful New Day!

2009-01-21T09:58:00.002-06:00

I spent most of Sunday being compelely insulted by a comment that was made about the new incoming President. Suffice to say, there is a whole population that lost their lives making America what it is today. To criticize anyone (much less the new leader of the free world) laying a wreath, and paying respect to the forgotten is just below good taste.

With that said, and I had to get that off my chest, I spent all of Tuesday close to the TV. What I saw was Hope! Hope is so powerful! What a sight to see history being made. What a time to witness an African American becoming the leader of our country. Our country that would not have let that man drink from the same water fountain that my mom would have been able to drink from. This is a moment in our history that we were allowed to witness and how blessed we are to watch! Although I do not share some of the political beliefs that Mr. Obama has, I have hope that he will make wise choices that reflect the vision that the majority of America envisions. It will take time, it will take patience, it will be a struggle. I thought that the entire day was filled with class.

Beyond the President, I have been a busy bee. I have spent more time in the family doctor's office than I care to ever do again. I have spent like each day almost doing something for GG or my family. They will soon, I am sure offer me a job. I will once again grace the doors of Dr. B's office for the next two days. Today the kids go in for their yearly check ups. I love their check ups, seeing how they have grown, what I can expect. And the fact that I do not have to go to a germy Peds office is so GREAT! Then on Thursday, it is my turn for a check up. Not so fun-but a must.

I must say that GG has calmed down, is at home and her sitter service is a heavens send! What a help they are. There is NO way that GG could be at home without help! If anyone in the Mid TN area needs a sitter service for any non-medical reason, CALL ME! I can hook you up!

I suppose I am headed back to church this evening! Kids will be mad that they must sing again. I do not ask much, just to behave and sing in children's choir. We shall see.

COLD, Brrrr!

2009-01-16T10:18:00.002-06:00

Blue color because it is cold. And speaking of cold, my kids are out of school today becuase it is cold. What? I have never heard of such a thing. Had we had known that you can close down schools for 2 degree weather, we would have gone on a trip! But instead we will stay in, do chores and look at one another.

But for the moment, my kids are PLAYING with one another nicely. I love nice play! It is my favorite. I know that it will not last long so I thought that I would blog while they are nice kids and not trying to claw each other's eyes out.

I cannot believe that all of the crew members and passengers of the plane in the Hudson River made it out OK. What a true miracle! What wonderful AIR FORCE training the pilot had and what nerves the flight crew had as well. Now if you have ever traveled aroung the NYC area, I just hope that those ppl after being in the Hudson took really good showers! The Hudson is Nasty!

We don't really have plans for this weekend which is really nice. We are going to be around the house. O and of course, watching Football.

Cheers!

Getting back into the Routine of things.

2009-01-14T16:00:00.002-06:00

So the kids are back to school. They went back on Monday. They had a nice break and got to visti two of their grandparents, went skiing and went to the the Titans game. Not a bad break.

We have moved GG home. She is still not feeling well. She seems to like her Nurse that Jason and I hired for her. Now we just have to make this an easy transition for her (and us). I suppose that if I was 91 I would want to be home, but being at the place she was (very posh) was not so bad. We shall see.

Wednesday night choir and dinner starts up again tonight. I am thinking that we will stay home. We have not really had dinner together as a family. I am looking forward to cooking and sitting with my kids and hubby and tonight I just may make that happen.

I am watching Oprah's show about happiness. I think that we are each in charge of out own happiness. I am happy today because I managed to get my butt to the gym! So regardless of what is happening in my CRAZY life, I am happy to be here and to be of some help to those I love. What makes you happy?

2009-01-10T15:44:00.002-06:00

As I am writing, I am watching the TN Titans play in the play offs. My cousin called yesterday and asked if the boys, all three, would like to go to the game today. You should have heard my hubby when I told him that they were going and for free. He was floored! We got to tell the kids too, they had never been to an NFL game. What a way to start off! I think that Nate took the camera, so I hope that he takes some pics.

The rest of the family is in Texas for a wedding. Jason is in his best friends wedding in Paris TX. So they loaded Nona in the Yukon and hauled her out there too. A nice 10 hours of 3 kids in the car, across a coulple of states trip. THey are all there and having a nice time!

That leaves me to take care of GG. GG has not been feeling well. I took her to the Dr. on Friday and they called back today and told me she has hepatitis! WHAT in the world! We are pretty sure that she has it from Lipitor that she is taking. I will take her back to the Dr. on Monday and have more blood drawn tosee if DCing her Lipitor takes care of the problem. But her fever broke, so that is good.

We are also moving GG BACK to her house. She is suffering from dementia. So she cannot recall wanting to go to Adam's place, and thinks that we put her there. Needless to say, we hope that she will be VERY happy when she is back at home. I have hired her a nurse to help in taking care of her and take some of the chores from Jason Sarah and I.

We have been a busy, happy family as late. We have been under a tremendous amount of stress, however we remain committed to keeping GG happy for as long as we can.

As Iwas blogging alot, now I just do not have much time with all that is happening. I hope that when the kids are back in school, GG is back at home, and I can get some things done! Blogging included.

A whole new year a same ol' me!

2009-01-04T19:42:00.002-06:00

Well we started a new year. I think that this year is going to be a crazy one! Who knows what is in store however I feel that since I have made it thru Christmas, New Years and visits from crazy people, I can handle just about anything. And I know that I am NEVER given more than I can handle.

Nathan and I are kid free! My kids are in Portland TN with their Papa Jack and Granny Jo! These are Nathan's dad and step mom. They have two kids too, however older that the kids love to play with. And since we have year round school, the kids get an extra week of playing. What a treat to spend time alone with your grandparents and come home rotten. (not so good for us on the back end.)

So with them gone, I am headed back to High School. I am teaching for 4 hours yep FOUR hours on Monday and anther FOUR on Tuesday. Although they are not my favorite lessons to teach (STD's and Pregnancy) I love teaching the message of abstinance. And this comes at a good time, I need a break from my life to revert back to akwardness of puberty and gross pics of vaginal leasons. O did I just say that??? Are you as shocked as my students.

I am also having a great time getting back to scrappin, although I have not started up again, I hope to and soon. I have a new Cricut and it is BEGGING me to come upstairs and play. I have hope that I am going to drag Melissa to the gym and make her and her in utero GIRL work out.

We shall see my friends. O and those are the skiing kids.....

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T23:25:00.002-06:00

I must admit, I am so happy to see 2008 draw to an end. It was not a good year. It was a hard year. We lost my daddy. The whole family lost someone so dear, sweet and special. 2008 will forever be marred with the memory of his loss.

But with the hurtful bad comes a load of good. We are all healthy and happy. We have a new neice, new things to accomplish, new hills that he conquered. SO no, not all bad, but 08 was not really good.

I am looking forward to what 2009 has to offer my family and yours!

We just got back from skiing in North Carolina. It was nice, little snow but perfect for the kids to learn before we went in with big bucks and take them out west. Turns out they are quite the skiers! I will post pics of our adventures soon. In the meantime, have a happy, safe and wonder-filled 2009!