tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91240751460321845762024-03-14T01:37:37.366-07:00Peace, Love, and Pictures...-janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153643633570937539noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124075146032184576.post-88353109256515722012013-01-17T12:51:00.003-08:002013-01-17T12:52:57.469-08:00all you need is love...ahhh love....there are so many different ways to love and be loved. over the past year of my life, i have certainly seen the ups and downs of many relationships. some were my own relationships, and others were those of loved ones and friends. there have been tears of joy and tears of sadness, and i've learned the truth about people i thought i knew. i've lost treasured relationships and gained new ones because of love and the way it goes.<br />
the truth is, relationships are work. hard hard work. and you have to be willing to do that work. you have to be willing to admit when you are wrong and be gracious when you are right. it doesn't come easy for anyone. if anybody says differently, they're lying. i'm not just talking marriage. i have found that even in my friendships and relationships with relatives, you have to do the same. invest in it what you hope to get back. treat others the way you want to be treated. it's that simple. be honest and open and kind. be fair and be respectful. be generous and hopeful and faithful. <br />
i'm no expert, but i certainly am a believer in real love and i know that i value the people in my life who value me. i treasure my husband, my children, my family, and my friends. and i'm a better person because of them. relationships should challenge you and make you want to be the best version of yourself. they shouldn't make you doubt who you are or the choices you make. <br />
love is difficult, but it is all you need in this life....xoxo<br />
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<br />-janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153643633570937539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124075146032184576.post-50454051355968492572013-01-09T11:23:00.004-08:002013-01-09T11:23:59.635-08:00HAPPY NEW YEARWell, here we are....2013. It's been so long since I've written. Honestly the past year blew right by me, and was gone before I knew it. Our holidays were fantastic and we got to spend two whole weeks with Gary here, doing all kinds of family stuff together. Stuff that we all missed. We had dinners together, we had family movie nights, we went out with our friends, we spent time with extended family. It was fantastic. Seriously fantastic. I wish it didn't have to end but unfortunately, he went back to work on Monday and the kids and I have fallen back into our crazy daily routine here.<br />
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As for Gary's job, he is now working in Shreveport, Louisiana. His company did not get the job in Tampa as we had hoped, when his time in Pensacola was through, so they've sent him to Shreveport for the next several months. But....there is good news. Rather than him living there permanently, his company has agreed to fly him home every weekend. So, we do get to see him Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Which is certainly better than only seeing him once a month : ) Right now, we are taking things as they come, learning to go with the flow, and be grateful for the time we do have together. This has all been such a learning experience for us, and we are hanging in there.<br />
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The kids are growing up fast, both of them becoming such different little people. McKenna is loving second grade and has a wonderful teacher this year. She finished a few months of gymnastics and loved it but she gets bored easily and was ready to move on to something new. So for now, we are doing Girl Scouts (Brownies) and soon she will start horseback riding lessons. I think she is going to love them. She's started her orthodontics and is currently wearing a top and bottom expander. We have to turn a key on each of them on a regular basis and it has caused her a bit of pain and discomfort but overall she has adjusted pretty well. I'll be glad when this stuff is over though. But that will be a few years.....<br />
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Our sweet little Michael is doing much better after a really rough second half of 2012. Poor thing was suffering from bellyaches and headaches constantly and had some very strange things going on in his body. After running tons of tests and lots of bloodwork, he went through an upper and lower GI in order to determine that he could possibly have Crohns Disease. Basically, his colonoscopy showed postitive signs of Crohns, but his genetic testing for Crohns was negative. So while the doctor can't diagnose it with 100% certainty, he also cannot rule it out. The plan of action has been to treat him with a medicine that is specifically for Crohns for 6 months, see how he reacts and then take him off of it and see what happens. If his symptoms go away, then we're clear and hopefully his intestines have healed all together. If not, then they'll do another colonoscopy and go from there. He has been such a trooper through all of it. He's been poked and prodded and had blood drawn a thousand times. He never complained, he never fought any of it. He had to fast for 48 hours and did better than Gary and I did. It's hard to see your little one go through something traumatic like that, but in the end, we are grateful that his medical issues can be treated and dealt with pretty easily. He's been on the meds for 2 months now and is doing FANTASTIC. He is like a different kid. And he's growing, eating, and just happier all around. Our fingers are crossed that he will stay healthy after going off the treatment.<br />
Other than that, he is loving preschool, learning a lot and enjoys playing trains and cars and swinging on our swingset.<br />
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Like I said earlier, we are taking things one day at a time. 2012 proved to be a very challenging year for my entire family. But we made it. We're still here, and we're ready for bigger and better things in 2013. I'm really hoping to write more this year.<br />
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Until then, xoxo. <br />
-jana-janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153643633570937539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124075146032184576.post-68084216928592393952012-06-04T11:19:00.002-07:002012-06-04T11:19:43.080-07:00hello againwell, it's been too long since i've written, once again. there have been a few times where i've started to write and then get side tracked in the middle of it, and have to start over another day. <br />
<br />
truth is, i haven't really wanted to write that much. because i always start talking about how much i miss gary and then get all teary eyed and can't finish what i want to say. this is like therapy for me, and if i'm going to let it all out, it's usually about how much i miss him because that's what is on my mind the most.....so i give up and go play with the kids or take pictures or find something else to distract me. but today i just need to get it out....i need to let it go... i never knew that this 10 months of being apart would have such an effect on our lives. i mean, sure, i knew that i'd miss him and that we'd both get lonely from time to time and the kids would miss daddy. but it has trickled down and changed our lives in so many ways. it's changed me. changed me in that i never realized how much i was dependent on gary, how much he took care of me. i've always thought of myself as being such a strong independent woman and boy was i off. there were a lot of times when, as a stay at home mommy, i felt as though i was taking on the world by myself. i'm sure there are other moms who feel that way, too. it's like we do EVERYTHING, isn't it? now that i've been without gary for 4 months, i admit whole heartedly that i do not in fact, do EVERYTHING. there are so many little things that i've had to learn to do while he's away. which, in all actuality, isn't a bad thing, i guess. i know how to flush our a/c pipes to keep the garage from flooding. i know how to operate our sprinkler system now to keep our lawn up to the HOA's high standards. i know how to grow vegetables in my own garden, something i have never had any interest in, but have totally fell in love with. i know how to take both kids to the pool by myself and actually ENJOY it and ENJOY them. the list could go on, with such things as taking out the trash and recyclables, hanging stuff on the walls, changing the light bulbs and a/c filter and killing all of the dreaded palmetto bugs and getting the lizards out of the house. it's been an interesting 4 months to say the least. last week our garage door decided to break (soon after the sprinkler system meltdown), and i've never felt so incompetent and useless. i couldn't tell you a single thing about a garage door or how it works. i got so mad and frustrated with myself. why didn't i ever try to learn to do things around my house? why don't i know anything about home repair/improvement or yard work or my car? because i have a wonderful husband who always did that stuff for me. and god, do i miss him. in a way its good that i have had to learn to do this stuff because if we come into this situation again, i'll be much better prepared. but i would so much rather have him here, drinking a cold one in the garage, working on the sprinkler system and changing the oil in the van for me...the fact is, we are partners, we function as a whole, a unit, if you will. we married each other so that we could take care of one another and walk through life TOGETHER. and right now, it just sucks to be apart. it's what we had to do, and yes, we are grateful to God that he has a job, but it's not ever something we saw happening to us. it's like we are living separate lives right now, and there are days when that is really hard to swallow and both of us just want it to end. i know, i know....it could be worse, i'm just having a pity party. there are people in the military and single moms who do this sort of thing all the time, and i do have a new found respect for them. i applaud them. but....we are not military. i am not a single mom. this isn't how we envisioned things going. this wasn't part of "our plan" or what we signed up for. it's been so hard for me to let go of what i cannot change and cannot control. it's just frustrating. we are surviving, sure. we see each other once every 2-3 weeks and thanks to my parents, just enjoyed a nice weekend in new orleans by ourselves. but it's still hard. putting the kids to bed at night is always when i miss him the most. i'm counting down the days, weeks, and months until he's back home and we can get back to our life TOGETHER. <br />
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our kids are handling things so much better than i am. they miss daddy every day, but it's amazing how resilient and compassionate they are. mckenna just knows when i'm having a rough day and will give me an extra hug or tell me that i'm doing a good job. michael's always making me laugh, and he keeps me on my toes. not sure what i'm going to do with myself next year when he's in school every morning. he'll be starting VPK with our beloved "Miss Trish" and he couldn't be more excited. mckenna is going to be in 2nd grade and is very much looking forward to summer vacation and our trip to missouri. she can't wait to go fishing with daddy and go water skiing for the first time. it's the first family trip we are all taking together. us, my parents, and my brother's family are all going. and not only that, but we get to hang with my best friend and her family, too, as they are graciously hosting all of us. gary will be flying there from pensacola to meet us and it will be a whole week of just being together and that is what we need the most right now. <br />
because TOGETHER is what our life is all about. -xoxo<br />
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Here are a few pics from our recent NOLA weekend<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfk-iW8UJqHxeHaPaXGIbmDBRH6OkOd4izRkzP-cHDJ5v-oAzjb3mzS8_9aaX1mbzwUSFdi6c1Eq4F_iYDWXWwMYQSEvevEN1bfaSU1yj93slgTzHhE4Wfp3uO9odg67BpjAz3QJkQDa7/s1600/nola2012-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfk-iW8UJqHxeHaPaXGIbmDBRH6OkOd4izRkzP-cHDJ5v-oAzjb3mzS8_9aaX1mbzwUSFdi6c1Eq4F_iYDWXWwMYQSEvevEN1bfaSU1yj93slgTzHhE4Wfp3uO9odg67BpjAz3QJkQDa7/s200/nola2012-15.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gary checking out the beads for our krewe</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRrALjQ0cUHKbeRymWuBkQ8oerZhfK8FOs4KDLSTMb3KzLkahVi5MmTZxSO2eh-912zIqTPa-sCViFo01Xzt7osy1HXfKmTVhnjDCpFYiW9zYS7OJ8qqBqCS5SUcL6KdG343Ceo0ifBVO8/s1600/nola2012-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRrALjQ0cUHKbeRymWuBkQ8oerZhfK8FOs4KDLSTMb3KzLkahVi5MmTZxSO2eh-912zIqTPa-sCViFo01Xzt7osy1HXfKmTVhnjDCpFYiW9zYS7OJ8qqBqCS5SUcL6KdG343Ceo0ifBVO8/s200/nola2012-20.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My very first hurricane at Pat O Brien's</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgJT5ExVPjxB3R3vprYeud6kOXsd4zn1XRJTkMSnGYW6sySC5KZh6ZgFkIVoOiu1xeLamLCWDfP4h48xRNyFsUNdQEAaWCaCI6Eo0FmZdrZtz9flg9Fa_yLV8sfMeYO85MfLsfKH7dI8e/s1600/nola2012-37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgJT5ExVPjxB3R3vprYeud6kOXsd4zn1XRJTkMSnGYW6sySC5KZh6ZgFkIVoOiu1xeLamLCWDfP4h48xRNyFsUNdQEAaWCaCI6Eo0FmZdrZtz9flg9Fa_yLV8sfMeYO85MfLsfKH7dI8e/s200/nola2012-37.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gary having a beer at the Crescent City Brewery</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjispIG_kQ375XKYwV2I6Mow_h0A_ZoUmegQwondqRCOy4IsDjfzfi3DJXg7fGVQ2H5gKm1EoAZr6F0PJMYhiumnNmBDh0Rwz2xmRJO-WtNCOJe1zbaNdVFbrMuZ2t7MP-WHMsq30xQo2u-/s1600/nola2012-38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjispIG_kQ375XKYwV2I6Mow_h0A_ZoUmegQwondqRCOy4IsDjfzfi3DJXg7fGVQ2H5gKm1EoAZr6F0PJMYhiumnNmBDh0Rwz2xmRJO-WtNCOJe1zbaNdVFbrMuZ2t7MP-WHMsq30xQo2u-/s200/nola2012-38.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beers on Day two in NOLA, who would've thought after the hang over on day 1?<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<br />-janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153643633570937539noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124075146032184576.post-87878367308272469742012-05-01T17:50:00.001-07:002012-05-01T17:50:38.157-07:00SunshineHad a great time this past weekend celebrating McKenna's 7 birthday. First on Saturday with many of her little friends and then on Sunday with our family at home. I truly felt like she was surrounded by nothing but love all weekend. I don't think she stopped smiling the whole time. She was worn out and so was I but it was all worth it.<br />
I felt like the theme "you are my sunshine" was so perfect because McKenna is like that for me. Whenever I'm down or sad or having a rough day, I can always count on her to do something that cheers me up. It's been like that since she was a baby. Even now, when she can tell that I'm missing Gary or struggling with Michael, she'll give me an extra hug or tell me a joke or something to put a smile on my face. I love her for that. She is my sunshine, for sure.<br />
And I can't help but think about the other "sunshines" in my life. These past few months have been so crazy with Gary being gone. Often times, I write on here about my parents and the rest of my family because, let's face it, they are just the best. But I've yet to write about my girlfriends. <br />
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My friends have come through for me in more ways than I can count. They've been there to listen to me cry, to watch my kids, to have dinner with me, or a girls movie night in. We meet for coffee and a treat at Panera or meet to take the kids to the playground after school. We love to laugh and we have all kinds of inside jokes and special memories that will last us a lifetime. We like to go out and pretend we're young and wild and free, and then whine to each other the next morning about how we shouldn't have stayed out so late because we're too old for this crap! I can tell them anything and trust them to keep it safe. They have husbands that I adore and kids that mean the world to me. <br />
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As I've gotten older and wiser, I realize that it definitely isn't about how many friends you have, it's more about the quality of the friends you have. These ladies I've met here are some of the kindest, most compassionate, honest, and giving people I've ever known. I can honestly say that I would be in bad shape right now without them by my side. They are my sunshine on a daily basis. And I love them all so very much. <br />
Hope ya'll have a little sunshine in your lives too<br />
: ) -j.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIZX_hGU_Rh9UvHgJp2om_HX60zIX_liSalznVWrNePICkP7Ooq8sAWz9VNQnl0poQysir5OjnkfUWUY9kBozS4tnf7V1_6fdG3q8zlB27LuuewjENG_mKp-7W6VH5htBrSbvVCBOjsok/s1600/IMG_8455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIZX_hGU_Rh9UvHgJp2om_HX60zIX_liSalznVWrNePICkP7Ooq8sAWz9VNQnl0poQysir5OjnkfUWUY9kBozS4tnf7V1_6fdG3q8zlB27LuuewjENG_mKp-7W6VH5htBrSbvVCBOjsok/s320/IMG_8455.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<br />-janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153643633570937539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124075146032184576.post-58271348182883568642012-04-25T18:13:00.002-07:002012-04-25T18:13:37.367-07:00Birth DayWell my baby is seven today....Can't help but think back to when it was just Gary, me, and this new little person we loved more than life itself. God, we were terrified we might do something to hurt her or upset her or screw her up for good. Little did we know how much our lives would forever be changed by her sweet little soul.....<br />
I was pregnant with her almost immediately after our wedding. I think it was two months after we got back from our honeymoon. We were fortunate to not have any trouble conceiving and overall, I had a pretty easy pregnancy. I remember finding out we were having a little girl and being so thrilled. I couldn't wait to dress her up in cute little outfits and take her shopping with me and watch her dance recitals...At 38 weeks, I ended up with pneumonia and was pretty sick. On top of that I had some issues with my sciatic nerve so by 40 weeks, I was done. DONE. But our little princess wasn't quite ready to make her debut. My mom and I tried everything short of taking castor oil to get my labor started. My dr. allowed me to go 14 days past my due date, and my induction was scheduled on day +14. Because my parents lived in Florida at the time, my dad was waiting to come home until I went into labor. My mom was already staying wtih us to help us with any last minute preparations and just in case I went into labor on my own. I wanted her to be there with me, and thank the Lord, she was able to do so. Once the induction was scheduled, my dad went ahead and flew home and I swear, it wasn't after he'd been home more than a few hours that I started labor. It was as though McKenna was just waiting for her Pappy to get to Ohio and be there for us...<br />
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So, no induction afterall, right?! Wrong. Got to the hospital and after they broke my water and gave me labor inducing drugs, she still wasn't in any hurry. Ended up having a c-section after a full 24 hours of labor. I was exhausted, and so was Gary. But then, in that one single second of seeing McKenna's face and holding her that very first time, nothing else mattered. Nothing would ever compare to that one single moment. Nothing will ever exceed the amount of love that consumed me, for Gary and for this little baby we created. I couldn't believe she was ours. <br />
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In the first days at home with McKenna, I'm not gonna lie, I was a bit foggy. So was Gary. And again, without my mom's help, I'm not sure we would've made it. She changed diapers, let us sleep during the night and gave us every single piece of advice we asked her for. Things started to get easier as we settled into a routine. Mom went back to Florida and Gary went back to work. I decided to not go back to work and there I was, home all day, taking pictures of her to send to my parents , and dressing her up in the thousands of outfits we had gotten for her as gifts. I bet I changed her clothes 3 times a day! <br />
<br />
When I think back to the three of us, living in a teeny little house, just scraping by, making ends meet, we were just living on love. We couldn't have been happier. May sound corny but it's true. Gary was working a lot of hours in a job he didn't like and I was going to school 3 nights a week and on the weekends to finish my masters. Nothing mattered except how much we wanted to take care of McKenna, keep her safe,and protect her from this crazy world. We wanted to experience everything with her, and we took her all kinds of places to let her explore and discover and enjoy everything and everyone around her.<br />
<br />
Becoming parents changed us for the good. It strengthened our marriage, it opened our eyes to see what was important, and it made me realize that this is what God put me on this Earth to do. Parenthood has it's ups and downs. Some days are good and some days are crazy bad. But every night when I put McKenna, and now Michael also, to bed, and they say, "I love you sweet Mommy", I thank my lucky stars for every blessing I've been given and for the road that led me right here to this spot today.<br />
Happy Birthday to my saving grace, McKenna.... I love you sweet girl....-janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153643633570937539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124075146032184576.post-12753017072632878012012-04-05T18:20:00.000-07:002012-04-05T18:20:43.593-07:00Oh how I've missed you....Geeesh. I can't believe it's been almost 2 months since I've written on here. Once again my dreams of writing on a daily or even weekly basis have been shot down and totally put on the back burner. It seems that whenever I think I will have time to write, something happens or someone gets a boo-boo or needs more milk, or the phone rings, or the dog needs out, you get the idea....But so much has happened in our lives since my last post and I'm anxious to fill you in on some of the details....Writing for me has always been good therapy, so brace yourselves. I've got a lot to say : ) Although, I guess since most of you are on facebook, you probably already know most everything about me and us, but bear with me as I elaborate a little....<br />
<br />
Since my previous post, Gary has gotten settled in to life in Pensacola and the three of us are finally into a decent routine here at home. Although I still hate that he's away, I've learned to accept it and try to see the positive in it and move forward from there. I remember when he got his apartment and moved in, I just couldn't get my head around the whole thing. An apartment? For my husband of 8 years? 8 hours away? And I'm happily married? Strange, yes. Overwhelming, yes. Emotional roller coaster, yes. All of the above. But I learned very quickly that you have to roll with the punches and keep on truckin'. Some days are harder than others, but we are managing and surviving here in our little corner of the world. My parents and my best friends have helped me in more ways than I could ever write and sometimes I think they don't realize how much they get me through the bumps in our road.....I thank God for them every day and I know it makes Gary feel a little better to know that we have people looking out for us here. <br />
The hardest part in all of this for me has been all of the little things about Gary that I realize now I took for granted and got annoyed with for no apparent reason.....Which is probably a good thing for our marriage because I find myself now being so much more appreciative of him and the father and husband and friend to me that he is. I miss him sitting by me on the couch in the evening and how he is so slow to fast forward through the commercials on the DVR. I miss him sitting out in the garage taking a nap, which used to drive me insane. I'd be in the house with the kids fighting and there he is just snoozin' away, all cozy and happy in the garage. I can't tell you how many times in the past two months, I've walked into the garage and just wished I'd see him sitting there asleep in his lawn chair. Oh, and the snoring.....Believe it or not, I miss the snoring next to me, sometimes within seconds of us going to bed. I used to be like, "Are you kidding me? He was just talking to me, and now he's snoring?!" But oh what I wouldn't give to have him there next to me at night....<br />
As for Gary, people ask me a lot how he's doing in Pensacola. And truthfully, I think it is much harder on him than us. My good friend, Jaime, recently told me this and I think it's so true. She said, "Remember, you have one person to miss and he's got three." I never thought of it that way, but when she said it, it resonated with me. It's kinda funny, actually. He's always telling me how he misses the noise in the house and the chaos that is our little Michael....All the while, I'm begging for quiet and alone time and what I wouldn't give for a meal by myself!<br />
But anyways, his job is going well and I'm so proud of him for being there and doing this. He is doing what needed to be done for our family, and regardless of how hard it is on us, we both knew that God led him to it and it was what needed to be done at the time. I truly believe that it will make us stronger and better people. <br />
And now for some fun stuff....We have a new puppy that was a HUGE surprise for our little ones. Emmie is her name and she is the sweetest little thing. In fact, I think my dad may be more in love with her than we are. She is 14 weeks old, getting better on the house training, and as playful as can be. It has brought such joy to the kids, almost too much if you ask me. I can't say that I love the delightful squeals and hilarious (and LOUD) laughter at 6 am, but I guess it could be worse ;-) Momma just needs her coffee before anything LOUD in the morning!!!<br />
School is winding down for McKenna, I can't believe she's going to be going into second grade and will be turning seven this month. What happened to my little baby?! She's just like her mommy , busy planning what kind of birthday party she wants and what the theme and color scheme will be. The apple doesn't fall from the tree in this case! Michael is loving his little preschool class at the YMCA and just keeps asking me, "But Mommy, when can I ride the bus?" Baby steps, little man....Mommy is nowhere near ready to send you off on a school bus....I can barely stand the fact that he is growing out of the cuddles in the morning and the "Mommy, hold me!" phase. Like most of my other mommy friends, I'm sad to see them grow up so fast, but I know it's my job to let them go and be the capable, responsible, little people they are meant to be. <br />
Well, that's it for now. It's Thursday night and that means "Swamp People" is on TV. I just wish Gary was here to watch with me and talk in his best cajun accent that I love....<br />
Good night ya'll.<br />
j.-janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153643633570937539noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124075146032184576.post-73320683196553740982012-02-09T18:39:00.000-08:002012-02-09T18:39:05.394-08:00tiny danceri remember when i first found out i was having a daughter, i was thrilled. a little princess i could dress up and go shopping with, and share secrets with.... and in my case, i was also happy that i'd be able to teach her to lay down a good bunt and shoot free throws just like i did. <br />
however, as mckenna has started to become her own little self, it has become clear that she is not the super star athlete i had hoped she'd be. don't get me wrong, she is a super star, no doubt. but she has zero interest in playing softball or basketball or any sport for that matter. "those are for boys" she says. at first, i struggled with it because i so badly wanted to coach her in something, anything. but as time went on and i started to see how much joy she got out of acting, dancing, singing and performing, i realized that it isn't about what i want her to be. this is up to her. and it's my job to encourage, nourish, and support whatever it is she chooses to do.<br />
how on earth i created such an artistic little thespian is beyond me. every day i watch her and am amazed at the imagination and creativity that flows from her little brain. she loves to put on plays (in which she is the set designer, producer, director, and of course star of the show), write music, play the guitar, and play dress up. i'm posting some pics of her in her jazz dance class. each week she smiles from ear to ear the entire time she's there. it makes me happy from the inside out to know that she is doing what she loves. i can see her name in lights someday, and i just hope she scores her momma some good seats for the show : )<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiloFOitq4ZILThZ8yOKnsHRpMr0Gz7nDesGhnhVJuaHs9pAItIu6clb9HYPhdtBIk2IEPauCVOZSmR36cYAJzk8fGXJaaepm-kJhaU4XmKiVc_CaLrwnoqlUeovLNIGV1yuMRh6rv_nNBZ/s1600/jazz-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiloFOitq4ZILThZ8yOKnsHRpMr0Gz7nDesGhnhVJuaHs9pAItIu6clb9HYPhdtBIk2IEPauCVOZSmR36cYAJzk8fGXJaaepm-kJhaU4XmKiVc_CaLrwnoqlUeovLNIGV1yuMRh6rv_nNBZ/s320/jazz-17.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>-janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153643633570937539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124075146032184576.post-46413480296675805862012-01-24T18:32:00.000-08:002012-01-24T18:32:57.105-08:00Yo Ho Yo Ho..A pirate's life for me...You may not know this, but my dad is a pirate...Yep, you read that right. El Papitan, as we like to call him. And he's the coolest pirate I know. He leads a krewe of about 20 of us as we invade the city of Tampa each year with thousands of other pirates, armed with cherry bombs, tattoos, beads, and maybe even a little rum. Gasparilla 2012 is upon us and I cannot wait to celebrate with my very best friends and family. It's a time for us to act like we're young again, partying all day and screaming for beads as if they were made of real gold. We laugh, we yell, and if we're lucky, we make it to dinner (although I've yet to do so....) <br />
This year our friends are flying in from Ohio for their 4th Gasparilla, and we've added other new Krewe members as well. I am looking so forward to forgetting about all of the stress of our everyday lives and just having some good ol' fashioned pirate fun. My man is going to be in town, my brother and sister in law are coming up, my parents will be there, and I will be surrounded by the best friends I've ever had. Can't ask for much more than that. <br />
To my fellow pirates, a great big ARRRGGGHHH to get the weekend festivities started off right! <br />
(excuse the poor quality pics)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our very first pirate experience. 1st Gasparilla for the Daughertys/Ryans/Slaters. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Krewe last year. Except for the guy and girl dressed like actual pirates. No idea who the heck they are : )</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Jose Gaspar ship coming into the city. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gasparilla 2011 , showing off our awesome bracelets.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our 2nd Gasparilla, rainy, rainy, rainy. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Ahoy mateys - Littlefoot (my pirate name)-janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153643633570937539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124075146032184576.post-80764574737659737802012-01-17T18:40:00.000-08:002012-01-17T18:40:17.808-08:00PensacolaA few lessons learned during my trip up North with Gary....Lesson number one, I learned that all the cool kids say P'cola (sounds like picola) and don't bother with the rest of it. Second, I learned that there really is a place called "Florabama" which holds a church service on Sundays complete with bloody marys and picnic tables. Now that's my kind of place. It is literally located in both Florida and Alabama. Kinda cool. And lastly, I was reassured that there is no beach quite like Ft Myers Beach. Never has been, never will be any that compare. Don't get me wrong, the sand and public beaches were nice and well kept in Perdido Key,Orange Beach and even Pensacola Beach. However, I wasn't all that impressed with much else. Not many shops or restaurants or cool little bars like "The Cottage" or "Beached Whale". Perhaps it will just take time to get to know the area a little better. So for now, I'll keep an open mind.<br />
<br />
Gary and I were successful in finding him an apartment (yay!) although it took up the majority of our time while we were there. His new place is right by the base where he'll be working and I made sure there was a WalMart nearby (hey, WalMart is important, people!) Not to mention, his nephew lives just a mile or two away and he'll be able to visit them often. The apartment will come furnished with everything he'll need. All he'll have to bring is clothes and food, so that is a big relief. He won't have to mess with moving any furniture or buying any linens or dishes or things like that. They're going to put bunk beds in the extra bedroom so the kids will have a cool place to sleep when we go to visit this spring and summer. And there's a pool and playground at the complex to keep them entertained. We both think he'll be happy there, and it's a huge weight lifted off of our shoulders.<br />
<br />
When we weren't apartment hunting, Gary and I truly enjoyed being together. I think that so often when you are married with young kids, you forget how to be husband and wife and can only identify as "mommy" or "daddy". We haven't spent 4 whole days together by ourselves since before we had McKenna. Almost seven years ago! It was good for us to re-connect and remember why we're here in the first place. We had a two hour dinner one night at a restaurant. That never happens. Another day we just got in the car and took off driving down the beach, listening to music WE WANTED to listen to and not "Toy Story 3" on the kids' dvd player in the back seat. We stopped to put our feet in the sand and take pictures. He also took me to meet the guys he'll be working with and see the buiding he'll be renovating. I feel better knowing them and being able to picture now where he is when I'm talking to him. There's a "comfort" in familiarity and it eases my mind a little bit. <br />
<br />
Most importantly, we laughed. We had fun. We let go of most the stress that's been hovering over us for the past month or two. We put it aside and took the time to just "be". We trust in God that He will get us to where we need to be, even if this isn't what we had necessarily planned. This morning, I said goodbye to him, and hugged him tight and felt happy for the first time in a long time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbh6tVElFFhC9UoHMICFYe0B8qOAFgcrrITbagSqXBGfvxjtnVKQu1tXhPvt8ur9QekerngzWxp48z0whx3fWAV7EUVNgK5gS5BxtqdEUCO1ioN8qhzO4xc2Pq5nqPAGX9ScqEsGNV-ct/s1600/IMG_6808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbh6tVElFFhC9UoHMICFYe0B8qOAFgcrrITbagSqXBGfvxjtnVKQu1tXhPvt8ur9QekerngzWxp48z0whx3fWAV7EUVNgK5gS5BxtqdEUCO1ioN8qhzO4xc2Pq5nqPAGX9ScqEsGNV-ct/s320/IMG_6808.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half in Florida, Half in Alabama. There were about 300 people at the church service.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5V1Db_jPEJ17cF42MaZMLNJMHwXnSVo08k69GKvKwJ3BXLiVqRsejivWUnqsO2N206SXrtvVM2zhT0UAAw-WRQoqtXOx0JxPSMQfulr5kAoFjREolzoWf_DvBsb69UAB4qgVW4v1e0Gbz/s1600/IMG_6860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5V1Db_jPEJ17cF42MaZMLNJMHwXnSVo08k69GKvKwJ3BXLiVqRsejivWUnqsO2N206SXrtvVM2zhT0UAAw-WRQoqtXOx0JxPSMQfulr5kAoFjREolzoWf_DvBsb69UAB4qgVW4v1e0Gbz/s320/IMG_6860.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watched the sunset in downtown P'cola</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYQACuxgoryVFnjayffYILamQB_qXmKwHxUrMea1kKflssJBxUoF-4w55geK1sIMwfR6HWwCt8n4UBIcZ-292AUwJwncXfoqxvwKubOQyfzknb9gubAOjmDyWTUeXiXtu7oSXk6zU9ukq/s1600/IMG_6912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYQACuxgoryVFnjayffYILamQB_qXmKwHxUrMea1kKflssJBxUoF-4w55geK1sIMwfR6HWwCt8n4UBIcZ-292AUwJwncXfoqxvwKubOQyfzknb9gubAOjmDyWTUeXiXtu7oSXk6zU9ukq/s320/IMG_6912.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He searched for just the right shells to take home to Mac. Such a good daddy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7jy49Gx9wnHp9iIxOQaTnFuSMQMDtYtjtyj4waHfKhBQkDxL2MEASwq1vuA-WMrnjBt-NgP9cH7m8zMdGSP09QdOARSXmq-FS9o9R_SULUNcbAp_w8Wg-OuOTzsK6ulRBse07V1P6g62/s1600/IMG_6943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7jy49Gx9wnHp9iIxOQaTnFuSMQMDtYtjtyj4waHfKhBQkDxL2MEASwq1vuA-WMrnjBt-NgP9cH7m8zMdGSP09QdOARSXmq-FS9o9R_SULUNcbAp_w8Wg-OuOTzsK6ulRBse07V1P6g62/s320/IMG_6943.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beach at Perdido Key</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpPIcvANg7DxIPbheCzx8vXw8D6CUbyNyEs3SAtNeVHKYIDxBaYkX5ASuWwW2p54fSQLW-lh9PPRQnq1jQ5LYgPV0oK3PEPgCUVoVaR_Pb6vjFtkamsMylOTAngyiI_1XYua_y5sZdpqPw/s1600/IMG_6972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpPIcvANg7DxIPbheCzx8vXw8D6CUbyNyEs3SAtNeVHKYIDxBaYkX5ASuWwW2p54fSQLW-lh9PPRQnq1jQ5LYgPV0oK3PEPgCUVoVaR_Pb6vjFtkamsMylOTAngyiI_1XYua_y5sZdpqPw/s320/IMG_6972.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Quietwater Beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTxFSUKXTK3PNmHfcNHPur30yCwiCeQ93exIf3BKbHeWV3pi20xkcXdiJsS_-Rq8Iq6SLE3ID78iOvnTogno6nMikFKSmWyV32zvxISGsJ7XheLtzVDBevH5xypCnQ4Gra-wW0u0_Heaf/s1600/IMG_6979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTxFSUKXTK3PNmHfcNHPur30yCwiCeQ93exIf3BKbHeWV3pi20xkcXdiJsS_-Rq8Iq6SLE3ID78iOvnTogno6nMikFKSmWyV32zvxISGsJ7XheLtzVDBevH5xypCnQ4Gra-wW0u0_Heaf/s320/IMG_6979.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look close on the right, there were tons of fish surfing each wave, very neat!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUysPuS8-qNJSw76lcdgygNxdKatPcl9xGXVDOAHX_x_VQu36MYOSlcVDmbwhk9IxT8gqdQrSq1fJ0N3UuJJArW8I8bPoWMe5T3qUp426ONnCQhYZNrAIS3jAGI8kzaefyMxHpTN5aNGYY/s1600/IMG_6983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUysPuS8-qNJSw76lcdgygNxdKatPcl9xGXVDOAHX_x_VQu36MYOSlcVDmbwhk9IxT8gqdQrSq1fJ0N3UuJJArW8I8bPoWMe5T3qUp426ONnCQhYZNrAIS3jAGI8kzaefyMxHpTN5aNGYY/s320/IMG_6983.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See you soon Pensacola. Take care of him for me : )</td></tr>
</tbody></table>-janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153643633570937539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124075146032184576.post-35808208924322245242012-01-12T18:49:00.000-08:002012-01-12T18:49:31.043-08:00Hello AgainWhen I started this blog, I thought I'd be posting every day. Boy was I wrong. I figured it would be theraputic to release my stress by writing on my blog each night....But now here we are, halfway through January and I've written once or twice. There is just no time! <br />
The new year has gotten off to a fast start for us. I've been busy with my photography, finishing up my first wedding shoot, getting McKenna and Michael back into our routine, and prepping for Gary to head to Pensacola. We are heading there this weekend for about 4 days to find him an apartment. Kind of weird to be apartment hunting for your husband when you are in a perfectly happy marriage....But, this is the hand we've been dealt and now it's time to move forward. I'm hoping that by visiting the area where he's going to be, I'll be able to get my head around it and accept the change a little better.<br />
This weekend will be the first time I've been away from my little ones for more than a night. Well, actually, I was in Ireland for 10 days when McKenna was 1 but that's it. Never been away from my little man. Not sure what I'll do without hearing them say "Mommy!" first thing every morning or Michael say "I love you sweet Mommy" each night at bedtime. I won't have to pack lunch or play with Toy Story action figures or chase them around our "loop" in the kitchen. What on Earth will I do with myself?! What will I watch on tv if I'm not watching Nick Jr. ?<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I'm grateful to have parents that are willing and able to keep the kids for us. They are beyond excited to spend 5 days with MawMaw and Pappy. In fact, I'm wondering if they'll want to come home when I get back....I'm sure they'll have lots of fun and do all the cool things that they don't usually get to do at home...That's what grandparents are for, afterall, right?! My kids are so lucky. They hit the "grandparent lotto" with my parents. I hope someday I can be as good to my grandkids as they are to mine.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Tonight, the four of us spent some time out in the backyard before dinner was ready. Just goofing around while I took some pictures. I know Gary's only going to be gone for a short time, but right now, it seems like forever. I just want to hold on to the moments that he is here now, and bottle them up so that when I miss him, I can take them each out and remember. Remember how good of a daddy he is and remember that he is my rock and together, we can get through this.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Here are some of my "moments" from tonight...</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOvif3qMiAqPN58uNiIT26FLls0Z1sY8Lzge6wFfHBE7UwE-dgLZ_IE4KSQcCaLjKOlj1H55zCoq3slOuRZDW8Wl7sMY8_cuW8PMf7y347qqg21xbkfptjcfY-ZeO0qFf98NbEFP4MW8b/s1600/IMG_6693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOvif3qMiAqPN58uNiIT26FLls0Z1sY8Lzge6wFfHBE7UwE-dgLZ_IE4KSQcCaLjKOlj1H55zCoq3slOuRZDW8Wl7sMY8_cuW8PMf7y347qqg21xbkfptjcfY-ZeO0qFf98NbEFP4MW8b/s320/IMG_6693.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McKenna is such a joy. She smiles and my heart is happy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgmnyuZt_oisgzMC_-7lkulKLBNH-3otDNK1EWheDg6RXfKJ4K67GGG_kMCQmylas1xGqi_HcxIOmqvsTZ0zaXEJh667qSvURdAL8J3Y1tK2FjtBkpEVtKR_p-PiQAW-O-IOeHfgwyBQ3/s1600/IMG_6701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgmnyuZt_oisgzMC_-7lkulKLBNH-3otDNK1EWheDg6RXfKJ4K67GGG_kMCQmylas1xGqi_HcxIOmqvsTZ0zaXEJh667qSvURdAL8J3Y1tK2FjtBkpEVtKR_p-PiQAW-O-IOeHfgwyBQ3/s320/IMG_6701.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay I admit it. He has me wrapped around his finger....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NHKaQFp3xh1cHYorCcI_fUlq2wif0yGucpZprH9DQl0GzO-sxcKft_rPzpQyOIzpoN7SownmUgAaZ5iMjufejoUb9EZs2VArYfNO1wGA_s8QQetRfBsHH8BxuGNRQW5c4r7fOuuDNJ0b/s1600/IMG_6704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NHKaQFp3xh1cHYorCcI_fUlq2wif0yGucpZprH9DQl0GzO-sxcKft_rPzpQyOIzpoN7SownmUgAaZ5iMjufejoUb9EZs2VArYfNO1wGA_s8QQetRfBsHH8BxuGNRQW5c4r7fOuuDNJ0b/s320/IMG_6704.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whaddup? !</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghM5TP9CPgtI9vPFstQINiTh_h1eNH7EEDqOddKiXCsWCM6ak6Ske1laz0GLoybrr8puSLUGzt1M3yk1yEN28gdBCw6I1MJPxS6j2RoGj-L3ENAMw3UMrJTyFKbhM7cJZ1KVZl4UVFyDHH/s1600/IMG_6710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghM5TP9CPgtI9vPFstQINiTh_h1eNH7EEDqOddKiXCsWCM6ak6Ske1laz0GLoybrr8puSLUGzt1M3yk1yEN28gdBCw6I1MJPxS6j2RoGj-L3ENAMw3UMrJTyFKbhM7cJZ1KVZl4UVFyDHH/s320/IMG_6710.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hangin' by her toes, she is so proud that she can do this now.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnD9AO9wtiNU24HsyjHVIB1LM-6euASwHNCU94D695AAfMXch2p0SCa4nO6jy9nHLn2XfUAuzDwDIBgRzAZ_QJZETFNfaakNf0LFzY4GbPM7CNn7Qt6rZaAV2mUGI0BX0fodyLtVjG23dY/s1600/IMG_6720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnD9AO9wtiNU24HsyjHVIB1LM-6euASwHNCU94D695AAfMXch2p0SCa4nO6jy9nHLn2XfUAuzDwDIBgRzAZ_QJZETFNfaakNf0LFzY4GbPM7CNn7Qt6rZaAV2mUGI0BX0fodyLtVjG23dY/s320/IMG_6720.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm beginning to see more and more of these eye rolls....Hmmm...Not sure how I feel about this.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48H0kmudTAfjLt3ODE-Hy8d1udDf4yNTYs5RJ7MudRpoAcvPmywFHbRYIhHIyz04cqjE1hBU90ki-p9vYN5hKTxG0dcpjetFRLxnAiepg4VvBOqIX-sTAgB5b0lcJJFVwIOra4YthxoKB/s1600/IMG_6757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48H0kmudTAfjLt3ODE-Hy8d1udDf4yNTYs5RJ7MudRpoAcvPmywFHbRYIhHIyz04cqjE1hBU90ki-p9vYN5hKTxG0dcpjetFRLxnAiepg4VvBOqIX-sTAgB5b0lcJJFVwIOra4YthxoKB/s320/IMG_6757.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rare photo with mommy : )</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGanpJ4u9Wm_Kz-LNkJoW-sCdijbtDISy5lsaQOENE5wvykhFPxZVjk_wV-Z1bgatLavMKV1eFnP63WzktqsjBw7Gdov_51gDfc_uouoD6-e9OEZiIKJGIElwHelsuxYNrcMGZ3Wpb4iex/s1600/IMG_6774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGanpJ4u9Wm_Kz-LNkJoW-sCdijbtDISy5lsaQOENE5wvykhFPxZVjk_wV-Z1bgatLavMKV1eFnP63WzktqsjBw7Gdov_51gDfc_uouoD6-e9OEZiIKJGIElwHelsuxYNrcMGZ3Wpb4iex/s320/IMG_6774.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this picture....He is the good in our life.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>-janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153643633570937539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124075146032184576.post-57127780447720408382012-01-04T10:55:00.000-08:002012-01-04T10:55:31.058-08:002012....Changes, Challenges, and even the chills!Well, here we are. 2012. hard to believe, isn't it? the new year is upon us, and for the Slater family it means big changes.<br />
Some of you already know this, but for those who don't....we found out in late December that Gary's job is going to be taking him to work in Pensacola for much of the coming year. He'll be leaving in a week or two and will be living there until the end of September. His company will fly him home once a month for weekend visits, and I'm sure we'll both be making the 8 hour drive there and back often...While it does have some advantages for Gary in his career, it's going to be a pretty big adjustment for the kids and I. We are used to having Daddy there every night for dinner and bath and bedtime and playtime, and when I think about him being gone, I just can't get my head around it. I miss him already and he hasn't even left yet.<br />
They say that God only gives you what you can handle, so I'm trying to have faith in Him and trust that He knows best. For now, we are just asking for prayers for our family to adjust to the change and we are trying to do as much as we can to make this easy for the kids. McKenna is looking forward to visiting Daddy at a new beach and seeing a part of Florida we've never been to. Gary and I have a strong marriage and a healthy relationship and I know we'll get through it. But still, sending some positive thoughts our way couldn't hurt, so thank you in advance!!! I read a quote the other day that spoke to me and what we're going through. It went like this..."Sometimes good things fall apart so that even better things can fall into place." That's the way I'm trying to look at this and so far, so good.<br />
<br />
Ok enough about that and on to a lighter topic...It's winter in Florida. Last night we actually had our coldest temps so far! We were below freezing in some areas around here and I even got some pics of the ice on our grass. Crazy! One of my most favorite things to see when it gets cold here is the way that people cover up their plants and bushes with blankets so they don't die when it dips below freezing. Driving down our street you can see house after house with comforters and sheets covering all of their landscaping. It's quite a sight. The first winter we lived here, I remember telling Gary, "You should see our neighbors yard, they have their laundry hanging out to dry all over the front yard." He just laughed at me and explained that people here try to keep their stuff from being killed by the cold. And now, 4 years later, as I sit here typing this, we have blankets covering our orange tree out back!<br />
McKenna keeps asking if it's going to snow, and it breaks her heart when I tell her, "probably not." For now, she'll just have to settle for the fake snow we see at Disney World : ) This morning for school she wore three layers: a winter coat, a hat, gloves, and a scarf and was still complaining of being cold. Good thing the winter here only lasts about a week. Back in the low 70's this weekend and we'll be headed outdoors somewhere to enjoy the gorgeous, cooler, weather. Because in a few months, we'll be begging for lower temperatures and a breeze to cool us off...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bkHM2VaiKoI/TwSfpaqB9_I/AAAAAAAAC7s/JVnrDz4G4Q4/s1600/IMG_0198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bkHM2VaiKoI/TwSfpaqB9_I/AAAAAAAAC7s/JVnrDz4G4Q4/s320/IMG_0198.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael wearing his winter hat for the first time this year : )</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zn-C96l4zhU/TwSfsfxFLnI/AAAAAAAAC70/lFtljh0TnUg/s1600/IMG_0213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zn-C96l4zhU/TwSfsfxFLnI/AAAAAAAAC70/lFtljh0TnUg/s320/IMG_0213.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A house down the street has their bushes out front covered up. This is what every house looks like on my street.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4j1QYK6dY0E/TwSfw6uFJzI/AAAAAAAAC78/F7DfaxL_NDc/s1600/IMG_0214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4j1QYK6dY0E/TwSfw6uFJzI/AAAAAAAAC78/F7DfaxL_NDc/s320/IMG_0214.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our precious orange tree from Gary's mom....Hoping it survives...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRlELWYWQWM/TwSfzbl_dII/AAAAAAAAC8E/VNQ82BDyDzQ/s1600/IMG_0217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRlELWYWQWM/TwSfzbl_dII/AAAAAAAAC8E/VNQ82BDyDzQ/s320/IMG_0217.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ICE!!!!!!! it was on our grass this morning.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>-janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153643633570937539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124075146032184576.post-60630025096207890892011-12-29T06:30:00.000-08:002011-12-29T06:30:57.398-08:00Where did the time go?These last two weeks have flown by. I feel like I blinked and Christmas had come and gone. Every year I tell myself to just soak it all in, and then every year, I find myself thinking, "where did the time go?" Who's with me?!<br />
This Christmas was a good one, though. There were some good times with good friends and family. From a boat parade with the Hindmans to Christmas Eve with the Weavers/Mayfields and Christmas night with the Ryans. We made a ton of memories, laughed a lot, and well, to be honest, even cried a little. <br />
Christmas morning this year was awesome. McKenna and Michael were both at a great age for opening presents. They were so excited about every single thing they opened. One by one, they opened their gifts, and tore through that wrapping paper like crazy. When it was all said and done, the living room was full of boxes and bows and about 30 new toys for mommy and daddy to find a place for : )<br />
I'd have to say that McKenna's favorite gifts have been the LeapPad from Mawmaw and Pappy and the learning laptop from Miss Millie. She also liked the Barbie Vet Care Center from Santa but we haven't been home much for her to really use it all that much. <br />
Michael's favorite by far has been his race track. That's all he wanted from Santa and he's played with it all day, every day since. He also loves the little bucket of 25 toy story aliens and his LeapPad. <br />
Among other things, Mommy got a new coffee maker, some beautiful new necklaces, and a much needed jewelry armoire. Daddy got a fire pit, a bottle of scotch, and a very cool present from my parents, a chance to do the Richard Petty Driving Experience at Disney with my Dad and brother.<br />
One of my fondest memories of this Christmas has to be McKenna giving out the presents she picked out for everyone at her school's "secret santa" store. She takes such care and is so thoughtful when picking things out and she gets so excited to pass them out. This year she even asked to shop for her great, great aunt jackie and great great uncle john, which I thought was pretty neat. She picked out little figurines for each of them, because she said, "They have little figures all over their house." <br />
But I have to say, my most special memory is going to be having a sleepover at my parents house on Christmas night with my brother, Sara, and Harmony. It was like we were kids again. We laughed until we cried, stayed up late, played games, watched movies, and enjoyed seeing our little ones play together. My parents made an awesome dinner that night and the next morning we all went to breakfast. I can't tell you the last time we've all had such a great time together. No rushing, no schedule, just being together and that is what the holiday is all about.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Now the time has come to start taking down the tree, put the stockings away, and clean up the aftermath of Christmas morning.... Thank you to everyone who sent gifts to my kids and Christmas cards for us to read, for all of the cookies and treats, and certainly all the memories...It's time now to look ahead to the New Year and what it will bring. I will look back on this year fondly and remember how truly precious time is.....<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0R9CgdJOICw/Tvx5geQXnjI/AAAAAAAAC7Y/p9WX0iQT1J0/s1600/IMG_6259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0R9CgdJOICw/Tvx5geQXnjI/AAAAAAAAC7Y/p9WX0iQT1J0/s320/IMG_6259.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">here we are with the gifts McKenna picked out for us...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>-janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153643633570937539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124075146032184576.post-25980470858590143652011-12-19T18:36:00.000-08:002011-12-19T18:36:03.700-08:00Fa la la la la....I love Christmas. Everything about it. I love the smells, the sounds, and the sights. I love giving gifts, baking cookies, and being with my loved ones. This whole month has been filled with fun things to do and memories that will last us a lifetime. <br />
<br />
This past week had it's ups and downs, for sure. But I'm choosing to only write about the good stuff. Because truthfully, that's what matters. The kids have survived the flu, we have presents to put under the tree, food to put in our bellies, and a pretty nice roof up over our heads. So really, how can we complain?! We can't and we won't. We are blessed.<br />
<br />
After starting the weekend with gingerbread house making at my mom and dad's, Gary and I then went to our first "Ugly Sweater Christmas Party" and had a blast. My dad was the d.j. and as usual, he rocked it. We had a few too many beers and stayed out a little too late, but oh well...we don't get to do it that often....Good times with great friends.<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Yesterday we celebrated my sister in law, Sara's, college graduation. We like to call her "Smidge" because quite frankly, she is just a teeny tiny little thing. Seems like yesterday when I met her for the first time. She was so young and so sweet. I always thought she was a perfect match for my brother. And now, here they are, years later, with sweet little Harmony to complete them. It's a beautiful thing. I treasure the time we get to hang out with them because it doesn't happen as often as we'd like. Even though we're only 2 hours away from one another, life always seems to get in the way. Spending yesterday at their house, watching the kids play, telling stories, laughing with each other, and celebrating Sara's accomplishment puts a smile on my face and joy in my heart. Great, great way to end the weekend. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Christmas is only 6 days away. I'm so excited for it, I can hardly stand it. Today my mom and I baked cookies with McKenna and Michael. After a rough start with some tricky Oreos, the day was a success overall. I ended up covered in flour, my floor had a layer of sprinkles on it about 2 inches deep, and my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. Not to mention I have about 10 dozen cookies and sweet treats stocked in my fridge. Yay! </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">We finished tonight off by taking my parents out to dinner as a thank you for all the help they've given us lately. I can say with 100% certainty that we'd be lost without them. Whenever we need something, they are there. Whether it's good or bad, they don't question. They're just there. I love that I can count on them and I am so grateful every single day that God chose me to be their daughter. I'm a lucky girl : )</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Tonight I will go to bed knowing that I am part of a family that is full of love and compassion. Thank you all of you for being so special to me and for being there when I need you the most. xoxo</div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFg92JYBTuRMxkoior13qh3Aqi-QHDy1ni_2EeCidjrDwJ8GWBZyn8ZZrUSl9U87m67L3cGRPgaLhFydFEI5bIlVlHL7_Z0hKfXPWkvCbfB06bR3WYGDxnJJNekJd2cGKN7-zB2buCNjVO/s1600/IMG_4913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFg92JYBTuRMxkoior13qh3Aqi-QHDy1ni_2EeCidjrDwJ8GWBZyn8ZZrUSl9U87m67L3cGRPgaLhFydFEI5bIlVlHL7_Z0hKfXPWkvCbfB06bR3WYGDxnJJNekJd2cGKN7-zB2buCNjVO/s320/IMG_4913.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">after the oreo fiasco, we deserved a beer : )</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXZ_hEeAbOARr-ytnw28ZaZozdf3m5nhJS6cdMd6TzL0xuVwcGyeX3SrGI95C6Kwoo_XZl4Qbt4lOQZnZnMDHuFBuRWBsQfK5HrRlKfPzajZ-y8xpTTCQNwaABc-EXq4H7RD2B6wI8c_0/s1600/IMG_4836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXZ_hEeAbOARr-ytnw28ZaZozdf3m5nhJS6cdMd6TzL0xuVwcGyeX3SrGI95C6Kwoo_XZl4Qbt4lOQZnZnMDHuFBuRWBsQfK5HrRlKfPzajZ-y8xpTTCQNwaABc-EXq4H7RD2B6wI8c_0/s320/IMG_4836.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this is always the best part of baking, isn't it?!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4otcAMWQ5rJCUvxB8hl6J1IXEI9_g4B3zEfBcoNfiHzEvld1tnY3bpO0S1VR9KloMj53k-bjCoK6yoFQbo0KZ6lBLJrSuNw_ROM1s_DKifpKtIirzbNcdPOcTPri19t3ISQCAD7K2JDlW/s1600/IMG_4843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4otcAMWQ5rJCUvxB8hl6J1IXEI9_g4B3zEfBcoNfiHzEvld1tnY3bpO0S1VR9KloMj53k-bjCoK6yoFQbo0KZ6lBLJrSuNw_ROM1s_DKifpKtIirzbNcdPOcTPri19t3ISQCAD7K2JDlW/s320/IMG_4843.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mom's original Betty Crocker Cookbook....She's had it for as long as I can ever remember. It's barely hanging on...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2IeKFoiC6wjmIrGDVW6u86acPFX3j-0A9J3cQwSQF1lGNigHB30RCvh9naxTQCjNPlOzjvmXmrxjkr5Op-gHqORziSknAw-PayWWWngaYT53wvCLdSWYebKJq6IJiixIMmi13mzP6cMX/s1600/IMG_4846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2IeKFoiC6wjmIrGDVW6u86acPFX3j-0A9J3cQwSQF1lGNigHB30RCvh9naxTQCjNPlOzjvmXmrxjkr5Op-gHqORziSknAw-PayWWWngaYT53wvCLdSWYebKJq6IJiixIMmi13mzP6cMX/s320/IMG_4846.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mom and mckenna mixing the dough for pecan balls, my grandma's specialty : )</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSY_lXpvMbdcQGkJRuTSGwPByahp63gGKvy_c8XMkdtOBgDCTB6w8377Q2qEdj25wUPGpBpfVDKUZXRZriLU_E__ToN6L1BMhYftx4YMm0cXYr64dDhWrxBa_Tsf7MCr3dCjYEZshSSPci/s1600/IMG_4884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSY_lXpvMbdcQGkJRuTSGwPByahp63gGKvy_c8XMkdtOBgDCTB6w8377Q2qEdj25wUPGpBpfVDKUZXRZriLU_E__ToN6L1BMhYftx4YMm0cXYr64dDhWrxBa_Tsf7MCr3dCjYEZshSSPci/s320/IMG_4884.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my dad left work early to come help us....what a good pappy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_i6z0sl7x4RhGKrIGV2tB7zPvQ4mSdkDyEf_RH9ubClyjV5YQQdYMe_SkBYSKQm8xYx1kNkWxaiqp_09xlrseEARbUYocmVp-8Qg8breUrBP_5vXwvAyhv-zq3WMFOZru6JjR8Ybsn-o/s1600/IMG_4891.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_i6z0sl7x4RhGKrIGV2tB7zPvQ4mSdkDyEf_RH9ubClyjV5YQQdYMe_SkBYSKQm8xYx1kNkWxaiqp_09xlrseEARbUYocmVp-8Qg8breUrBP_5vXwvAyhv-zq3WMFOZru6JjR8Ybsn-o/s320/IMG_4891.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">michael loved the decorating part...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisxG6aWs_cdLZxQr0_E2lz0CCZ-K0EWmN5e5FBf2GbOhQBv_wNFFV5KhAz_JI97CZ1kAatJ92hYnL8CbytcTceimokSuDboDC9kpx6H0HiJM9dBw_saZg03S5DhwIeC9-QyuINrgrouU0S/s1600/IMG_4899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisxG6aWs_cdLZxQr0_E2lz0CCZ-K0EWmN5e5FBf2GbOhQBv_wNFFV5KhAz_JI97CZ1kAatJ92hYnL8CbytcTceimokSuDboDC9kpx6H0HiJM9dBw_saZg03S5DhwIeC9-QyuINrgrouU0S/s320/IMG_4899.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">being silly with pappy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2BnzWsthOoj10UENjoG04o5TiC5yXnCYd_UAUHKSlEtC0M-gKyjt-ZvEL_kL0n4Xa7RGgLUeQ82PKyQMykxhzG6DvSiTJmt33jPe_rxL2T4NsHkJsT2Wy6AC498IO9js0WvGOFIz-_JyQ/s1600/IMG_4911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2BnzWsthOoj10UENjoG04o5TiC5yXnCYd_UAUHKSlEtC0M-gKyjt-ZvEL_kL0n4Xa7RGgLUeQ82PKyQMykxhzG6DvSiTJmt33jPe_rxL2T4NsHkJsT2Wy6AC498IO9js0WvGOFIz-_JyQ/s320/IMG_4911.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">you may be able to see the cookie under the layers and layers of sprinkles....</td></tr>
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</div>-janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153643633570937539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124075146032184576.post-16693384640293675222011-12-14T18:17:00.000-08:002011-12-14T18:17:23.225-08:00On the Mend and Missing Daddy...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4z3zrlvfh6eH3ieKD4TODcUJxPVMmUKhjTXtA-ohP81KxKNXWEMhUhzOOhYSQqk5v0XlXQyEx38UE4ZE_eN4IMT14DCYBBI6rzbQx4N8F2-EmwdiSYEO1l-E1RpLm7g7TNh8qK4Spy2sj/s1600/IMG_4501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4z3zrlvfh6eH3ieKD4TODcUJxPVMmUKhjTXtA-ohP81KxKNXWEMhUhzOOhYSQqk5v0XlXQyEx38UE4ZE_eN4IMT14DCYBBI6rzbQx4N8F2-EmwdiSYEO1l-E1RpLm7g7TNh8qK4Spy2sj/s320/IMG_4501.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McKenna resting on the couch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Every night at dinner time, each member of our family shares their "high" and their "low" from the day's happenings. It's a great way to get them talking and see what's on their minds. Tonight it was just me and the kids for dinner, and I thought I'd share a little bit of how it went....<br />
McKenna went first and said her high was having pancakes and sausage links for dinner. Who can argue that, right? Her low was that she misses her daddy. We all do, he's pretty great...<br />
Michael went next and said his high was also having pancakes for dinner, because to be honest, he usually copies whatever McKenna says and we remind him to think of something on his own...When pressed for an original idea, he said that his high was getting a sticker at the dr.'s office and getting McDonald's for lunch. I can relate, I was pretty excited about the McDonald's too : ) His low was that he had a time out for being mean to his sister.<br />
Then it was Mommy's turn. It was tough to pick my highs and lows for today. Usually there's one clear thing that happened but today, not so much. One of my highs was that by dinner time, the kids were feeling much better. Another high was that I scored a free movie rental from the Redbox because who doesn't love a good coupon, right?! Another high is that we had gorgeous weather yet again, not too hot and not too cold with a nice breeze and the sun shining. <br />
Then there were my lows....First low is easy. McKenna tested positive for flu. Second low is simple. Gary is gone and I miss him every single minute of the day. But my third low takes the cake, I think. While getting a prescription filled at Walmart today, I pushed the kids up and down the aisles in the stroller. We go down the shampoo aisle and McKenna starts looking around and says to me, "Mommy, you know what you should ask Santa for Christmas? A new hairstyle." <br />
Great. Even my 6 year old thinks I need a makeover. Merry Christmas to me!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1jZRdgp1Bi8P-YYohjZVG9O0gjUHo53zupiXdrRttR6nUlPtMS1_cLibk0ll45I7gfK33Tr8JQBOxhp5j7M-C4bV5RNRAQKPRuPcPgGOfHdtxic15gbxfCJ4M3NNgXIe06QEbx25Ioe9-/s1600/IMG_4489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1jZRdgp1Bi8P-YYohjZVG9O0gjUHo53zupiXdrRttR6nUlPtMS1_cLibk0ll45I7gfK33Tr8JQBOxhp5j7M-C4bV5RNRAQKPRuPcPgGOfHdtxic15gbxfCJ4M3NNgXIe06QEbx25Ioe9-/s320/IMG_4489.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael is looking and feeling so much better</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our drug supply, thank you Lord for the Tamiflu and Albuterol...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>-janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153643633570937539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124075146032184576.post-62919452002063819562011-12-13T17:44:00.000-08:002011-12-13T17:44:38.212-08:00So much for the flu shot...As many of you already know, my little Michael has had a very rough couple of days. What I thought was croup ended up being influenza a. Poor thing ended his weekend with nothing but barking coughs and gasps for air, not to mention a consistent fever near 103, no appetite, and a complete lack of energy. This is particularly frustrating considering I took all of us to get flu shots this year. I know, i know, it isn't guaranteed to protect you from it 100%, so spare me the lecture. But....I would've done anything to just trade places with him. It is a truly awful thing to see your little ones hurt and not be able to help them. At the dr. on Monday morning, he was at his worst and there was nothing I could do to make it better. I wanted to cry. In fact, I did cry. The dr. told me he would be ok, and she was right, he was. But in that moment, I couldn't help it. I wanted it to be me instead of him. <br />
After a day of breathing treatments, steroids, tamiflu, and ibuprofren, he was feeling significantly better. His fever broke, and he was back to smiling and talking, and sitting up. Still not eating, but hey, it was an improvement. I could see little glimpses of my funny little dude every once in a while and I began to relax a little. Today, although very whiney (is that even a word?), he is better still. Coughing a little and tired, but almost back to normal. Oh the power of antibiotics. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So now, we wait. Wait to see if anyone else in our house falls victim to this nasty flu. Although McKenna is showing signs of being sick, she doesn't seem to be near as misersable as Michael was and hasn't had a fever yet. We go back to the dr. in the morning, and I'm going to have her checked out just in case....She went to bed tonight complaining of a stuffy nose and headache, so we'll see and we'll pray for good health. Afterall, it's no fun to be sick at Christmas....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAZRels9yOz6Dl9fkS48MVj2KYG-WVXdyrMoxdnBi9lIuP-ubBcYipGFvNEWxVAQlJQo6fNy5dMTYIFlPRgbwxqnSz0RT18Ni2YnJzatpkuQVrm2EHiZDsMVUD3hdYbf0ZoX3hjzFvaFF/s1600/IMAG0181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAZRels9yOz6Dl9fkS48MVj2KYG-WVXdyrMoxdnBi9lIuP-ubBcYipGFvNEWxVAQlJQo6fNy5dMTYIFlPRgbwxqnSz0RT18Ni2YnJzatpkuQVrm2EHiZDsMVUD3hdYbf0ZoX3hjzFvaFF/s320/IMAG0181.jpg" width="240" /></a></div> This was Michael on Sunday, when it all began.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hfy9wCy1GLiNUcmzs-pJxdBKoTsY_FOGsVc6NkTls1BFXh1CKKJ-a0GldMbMVJ6RDWaBl70jcuaZgI6ZKe9-E3XQOfeGWaEU2I0vpDIE9TbpKr-fij83AkqWuDsbZSX27MVxa07fviQ8/s1600/IMAG0183-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hfy9wCy1GLiNUcmzs-pJxdBKoTsY_FOGsVc6NkTls1BFXh1CKKJ-a0GldMbMVJ6RDWaBl70jcuaZgI6ZKe9-E3XQOfeGWaEU2I0vpDIE9TbpKr-fij83AkqWuDsbZSX27MVxa07fviQ8/s320/IMAG0183-1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div> At the dr.'s office Monday morning, waiting to be seen...His condition got progressively worse while we were in the waiting room.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SSCpAyYLkZW6WNAsedi8-DKrKOMVYESfbgCWVpEEEPfcgbJjW1Vc4GLDvPUz9vmd-qTSyw2mdMnQ0e819rwlVM75SpJBfa5f1Lp0YYDhz0L4N2GvMiXr-XxP7txvjSHp845g5v_Src5k/s1600/IMAG0184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SSCpAyYLkZW6WNAsedi8-DKrKOMVYESfbgCWVpEEEPfcgbJjW1Vc4GLDvPUz9vmd-qTSyw2mdMnQ0e819rwlVM75SpJBfa5f1Lp0YYDhz0L4N2GvMiXr-XxP7txvjSHp845g5v_Src5k/s320/IMAG0184.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>By the time we were called back, the nurse immediately hooked him up to the breathing machine and called for the dr. He was pretty much incoherent through the treatment, and was struggling to get his breath. We waited about 15 minutes and they checked his oxygen to see if it had improved.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizXw-fB3yDFP0ygliY5zzJ-z_lhwgpUurXjVlNU2bVjVsP-z9fdsw5kvI4qrQiwjrgJp9m2AmvFbDFTraN3JcXR16w6GA2c99tVS7fPPEiCMmBS39b46HgiRz5gCe93WjAWwb3HFOHsE5I/s1600/IMAG0189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizXw-fB3yDFP0ygliY5zzJ-z_lhwgpUurXjVlNU2bVjVsP-z9fdsw5kvI4qrQiwjrgJp9m2AmvFbDFTraN3JcXR16w6GA2c99tVS7fPPEiCMmBS39b46HgiRz5gCe93WjAWwb3HFOHsE5I/s320/IMAG0189.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This was McKenna at bedtime. Asleep on the couch with a headache and stuffy nose. Keeping a close eye on her before going to the dr. tomorrow. STAY AWAY FLU : (-janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153643633570937539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124075146032184576.post-2965663685214826532011-12-13T07:31:00.000-08:002011-12-13T07:33:55.939-08:00Welcome to my blog!I love to write. And I love to take pictures. So here I am, with my own space to do both. Please join me in my daily adventures as a stay at home mommy to McKenna, 6, and Michael, 3, and my newest gig as a photographer. I'm not here to give advice or judge, just felt that it was time to let my creative juices start flowing and see what comes out. Here goes nothin' and please stay tuned...-janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153643633570937539noreply@blogger.com1