Mostly BassAckwards

the little things...

2010-06-24T19:07:00.001-04:00

Who knew that the $10.00 pool from 3 years ago would still be a big hit?

Nice pools in the n'hood and yet - we're in the backyard playing in our baby pool. HA!

I did go and grab a fun pool for the kids for the backyard, but there's some leveling to do - our yard is NOT level at ALL....

So until then, sprinkler, slip and slide, and just somewhere to splash - is all they need....

New Beginnings...

2010-06-16T10:00:00.001-04:00

I can't believe it, he's graduating....

Right in front of my eyes, I watched this young man grab a diploma and literally walk across a stage that means ending one chapter and starting a new one.

He, along with his class, beamed with pride. All the while, I sat with proud tears rolling down my cheeks. Proud that I could be there at last minute to watch as the kid who used to chase me around the house when I'd visit, is starting to chase his dreams. Dreams that will come true for him as long as he keeps his focus.

Congrats Nick Nick! You have made me proud to call you my nephew, proud to hold the title of being your Aunt. Your dad would have been glowing with pride to be there. As I watched you walk across that stage, for a moment, I felt like he was right there - smiling down on you... I love you Nicholas!!!

life

2010-05-22T08:38:00.001-04:00

Not been in the bloggin mood lately... but I'll be back with pictures soon!

Lost my harddrive on my main pc, which meant I lost EVERYTHING. I hadn't completed a backup to my external harddrive for about 6 months. SUCKS!!

Life is chaos right now. Too much to even contemplate blogging about. Will be back soon!!

the last concert of the year

2010-05-02T07:45:00.001-04:00

The last concert of the year was a big hit!!

Above is a photo of his teacher, and below is a photo of his best "girl" friend. He says that's all they are, but it was fun to watch them flirt in between songs and during warmup.

The group did an amazing job, it was such a noticable improvement from the previous concert!!

Big E and I registered for next years classes, and it includes advanced Orchestra. He wants to put flames on his violin!

colors

2010-04-26T20:42:00.001-04:00

Tonight the sky was whipped with clouds, stacked on top of each other, and looked heavy with rain - but it has yet to rain this evening. The wind is blowing pretty strong; the colors of the sky are AMAZING as the storm clouds blow overhead.

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky. ~Rabindranath Tagore

oh - and I love my hair chick.

2010-04-18T15:49:00.004-04:00

She rocks my hair. I can't hardly style it as good as she can, but man she is gifted with those scissors in my opinion!! I gave her a picture, and she worked magic!

Misty ROCKS!!

finding my focus

2010-04-18T15:44:00.001-04:00

I found my focus on that flower there... with my good camera...

recently switched to iPhone and found a snazzy app that makes pics look aged; thanks to my cool friend Sharnee ... its not in focus, but the subject is clearly family...

my close friend Jenn took these pictures; I'm not at all a fan of being serious in candid shots - so I may look like a total GOOBER in both - but those are my boys - and we've been spending some serious quality time together. I realize now, more then ever, how very precious this time is with my kiddos.

headed uptown

2010-04-09T16:24:00.001-04:00

One of my bestie's came over today with her kiddo's and we headed uptown to ride the train for a while, and have a nice lunch at a super cool soda shop! Outside of the soda shop, and all across town during our train ride, we saw interesting stone work like this one below. Snapped this one with the iPhone, so it's not the best quality - but it's still pretty!!

Waiting on the train to pick us up and take us back to the car!

Overall, this spring break has been a blast for the kids and I!!!

The Final Review!

2010-04-09T07:48:00.002-04:00

For the past two weeks I've posted links to my Citizens Journalist Program review's for Nintendo and the Wii Fit Plus over at the WiiMommies site where this awesome program was offered! This is my last week to post a review on the assignment I was given based on my entry.

I’ve had such a blast getting to know the Wii Fit Plus Routines! I can tell already that my flexibility is getting better, and my muscle tension is less frequent. I haven’t been able to commit to daily workouts, but I have tried every other day at this point. I decided to give a mini review of each area that was assigned to me, so I’ll apologize in advance if it’s lengthy. I was assigned Lifestyle, Health, Youth and Form.

Go over to WiiMommies Site HERE to read my full review!

park - unedited

2010-04-07T14:44:00.002-04:00

These are ~~gasp~~ straight out of the camera (SOOC in fancy DSLR talk)

above: big E rarely glances at the camera, he's too busy running around...

little J is a red cheeked hot kid today - it's 90+ degrees in APRIL!!

not too long after these we hit the road, it was a little hot, and it was barely 130pm!

sometimes I have a few edits to make for over or under exposure, but these just looked colorful enough to post SOOC...

Your children need your presence more than your presents. ~Jesse Jackson

how was your Wii'k?

2010-04-03T23:31:00.002-04:00

Well, so far it's been a busy and active ~~week~~"Wii-k"! I mentioned in a previous post that I'm proud to be part of the Citizen's Journalist Program with Nintendo and WiiMommies for the Wii Fit Plus. I wrote my week two review HERE if you'd like to check it out!!

As the week came to a close, my brother arrived to build our playset for the kids. Little J couldn't have been more exicted to help!! Even big E was out on Friday for spring break and was able to pitch in too!

My brother and I, along with the kids and the n'bors kids, spent the ENTIRE day outside Friday!! Then Saturday morning woke to work more...

Today started early, my nephew arrived during the night and my mother arrived mid-day for an Easter family gathering. We were in and out alot from cooking, eating, and working on the playset. After all was said and done, my brother rocked that project!! 16 work hours later, the boys couldn't be more thrilled!!

click to enlarge

more blooms

2010-03-29T20:41:00.001-04:00

I'll probably post alot of blooms, because they're GORGEOUS around here right now!!!

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!" ~Robin Williams

that's how we roll

2010-03-28T08:56:00.002-04:00

Both boys got haircuts yesterday and had green gel put in their hair...

...and the youngest decided to take a super short nap, so mama and da boyz rocked the park!

Cuz, that's how we roll.

Blooms

2010-03-27T21:21:00.001-04:00

Nintendo Citizen Journalist Program

2010-03-26T13:39:00.003-04:00

Well, the good news lately is that I was one of 5 people selected by Nintendo and the Wii Mommies to do a review/journalist program on the Wii Fit Plus!!

I was so excited to hear that I was part of the Citizens Journalist Program that I literally did the happy dance, which was pretty ugly and I’m glad no one saw it. Just the same, I am stoked!!!

The Wii & the Wii Fit Plus and my assignment arrived exactly 1 day after I was notified of being accepted into the program! HOW AWESOME IS NINTENDO!!!???!!!

Read the rest of this post HERE.

falling apart

2010-03-24T19:21:00.003-04:00

everything seems to be.

I've been away for a while; and will prob. not be on blogville for a while yet....

music

2010-03-11T23:06:00.004-05:00

Often I'll hear a song a couple dozen times before I find a reason to like it. Usually because the radio has over played it. I rarely listen to country music, though I am quite broad in my appreciation of music in general. I like anything from classic rock, alternative, indie, to rap - yes, rap. Country music has a way of making me think of my oldest brother, who died in 2007.

Last night on American Idol, one of the guys sang "Already There" by Lonestar. The lyrics grabbed me. Even though the song was written about a father of a child - a father who is still living - who's away from his family, it made me think about Mike. It made me think about how very often I sense him all around me. I just loved the lyrics so I thought I'd post the part that hit home for me here...

Take a look around

I'm the sunshine in your hair

I'm the shadow on the ground

I'm the whisper in the wind

I'm your imaginary friend

And I know I'm in your prayers

Oh I'm already there

So turn out the light and close your eyes

I'm already there

Don't make a sound

I'm the beat in your heart

I'm the moonlight shining down

I'm the whisper in the wind

We may be a thousand miles apart

But I'll be with you wherever you are

Wordless Wednesday - I laugh EVERY time

2010-03-10T09:59:00.003-05:00

I laugh everytime I see this truck hauling around a bunch of "bimbos"...So I guess that makes me 12... oh well

a special picnic

2010-03-09T12:32:00.001-05:00

Special picnics with little J...

he decided to make me a special "salad pie".

There's a special way to smash it down, just in case you ever need to have this recipe. It requires alot of love.

Once you're done smashing it just right, you add the salad (grass).

Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!
~Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!<>

peace out...

2010-03-08T12:04:00.001-05:00

this little guy sat and watched as little J and I played in the sand for a long while...

then as quickly as possible, he said "peace out homeys".

oh sunny day

2010-03-06T21:19:00.001-05:00

AMAZING sunny day!!!

We spent some time enjoying it at the park, it was still a little cool - but the sun was out and very inviting and we had no choice but to let these boys out of the house!!

Nothing like a little dirt tossing...

and some balancing too...

Tomorrow's supposed to be even warmer!! It may just be Springtime around here very soon!!

The sun is the epitome of benevolence - it is lifegiving and warmthgiving and happinessgiving, and to it we owe our thanksgiving.
~Jessi Lane Adams

10 things...

2010-03-05T10:12:00.003-05:00

click to enlarge

A friend posted "10 things" that make her happy, and asked the same question of her readers... go check hers out HERE.

10 things that make me happy....

Friends - I love em'. They make me happy, even when I'm down... I think it's said that if you come across one true friend in life you're fortunate, and I feel like I've been a lucky lady to have found a handful!
Family Values/Family Traditions - We have a spectacular lil' family!
Sunrises - I love sitting at my kitchen table in the morning and watching the sun come up, lifts my mood instantly.
our lil' creek - we live near a little creek - and for whatever reason, I'm just in love with it!! I love hearing it, stopping by to see it, slowing down when we're near it. And recently, when it snowed, it just became a picture of nature to me!
Park Bench's - Sitting there, soaking up all of the sun, listening to my kids play and laugh, and even sneaking in a pic or two of a butterfly or squirrel...
Tree's - and all they represent. Not sure why this makes me "happy" but it does... tree's, just like the sun, have an amazing way of capturing my attention and just creating a feeling of peace.
Birds - we go to the lake alot, and see tons of birds hovering over the water front. Birds are so free and peaceful. I love watching them play!
Being an American - I love my country. I love everything it stands for, and believe that we as a country need to re-discover our roots, even still - I love it and love looking at our flag in the wind, and when someone sings our national anthem I get all warm and fuzzy.
A sleeping child, after a long day of play - Not much is more precious then that of a sweet sleeping child. (our youngest likes to sleep with a dampened baby cloth over his eyes, lol) I'm so happy when I see the peacefulness, it's like there's nothing in the world that could harm them because they're safe in your home and surrounded by your love.

Those are just 10 of the things that make me happy.....

Yes, another snow picture...

2010-03-03T09:54:00.001-05:00

The morning after it snowed, and we see the sun!!!
I know, yesterday's picture is VERY similar, but with no sun.

I lost count...

2010-03-02T13:47:00.002-05:00

I've lost count of how many times it's snowed. Maybe 4 or 5? Eh, it's been nice!! It's a pretty big change from the South East's usual winters of ice storms only! I've really enjoyed this winter. Watching it snow is so peaceful to me, nothing like a good snowy day and a book with the kiddo's, some comfort food and laughter! Call me strange, but something about the sky looking like a shaken snow globe makes me feel all cozy!! I love every season, I don't really have a true favorite; although, spring brings cherry blossoms and I LOVE those!!

Isn't it funny how when it doesn't snow, you often hear complaints about having none? Then when it does snow, you often hear complaints that it has?? Same goes with rain, and the temperature in general. Weather conversation is sometimes the highlight of the day, and I've heard that it's the most popular conversation starter when there seems to be a lull in communication.

I have a mindset that winter should bring comfort food, holidays and snow, spring should bring showers and blooms and spring cleaning fever, summer should bring the heat, swimming pool visits, and trips to the beach(yay), and fall should bring some of the most amazing rustic colors EVER!!

I'm not sure what's happened to me, but since losing my family members literally back to back in the past few years, I've become pretty grateful for little things in this life. I appreciate what the winter weather has done for ME. Slows me down a bit, and it MAKES me stop to appreciate even more what's inside of these walls. My family, our little family - rockin some snow days.

Now that's funny - to me, anyway.

2010-03-01T10:05:00.004-05:00

A relative sent me this recently by email, and I enjoyed it a bit. I had to clean it up some but here - enjoy. And if you don't enjoy it, well, I'm sorry about that part. I have a weird sense of humor.

If you are 30, or older, you might think this is hilarious!

When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning.... Uphill... Barefoot... BOTH ways. yadda, yadda, yadda

I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it! But now that I'm over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in Utopia! And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it!

I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!

There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox, and it would take like a week to get there! Stamps were 10 cents!

Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our butts! Nowhere was safe!

There were no MP3's or Napsters or iTunes! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself! Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio, and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and screw it all up! There were no CD players! We had tape decks in our car. We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished, and then the tape would come undone rendering it useless. Cause, hey, that's how we rolled, Baby! Dig?

We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, that's it!

There weren't any cell phones either. If you left the house, you just didn't make a call or receive one. You actually had to be out of touch with your "friends". OH MY!!! Think of the horror... not being in touch with someone 24/7!!! And then there's TEXTING. Yeah, right. Please!

And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your parents, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, the collection agent... you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!

We didn't have any fancy PlayStation or Xbox video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Your screen guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen... Forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!

You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your butt and walk over to the TV to change the channel!!! NO REMOTES!!! Oh, no, what's the world coming to?!?!

There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying? We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons!

We didn't have microwaves. If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove! Imagine that!

Our parents told us to stay outside and play.. all day long. Oh, no, no electronics to soothe and comfort. And if you came back inside... you were doing chores!

And car seats - oh, please! Mom threw you in the back seat and you hung on. If you were luckily, you got the "safety arm" across the chest at the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your head hit the dashboard, well that was your fault for calling "shot gun" in the first place! See! That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have no idea!! You guys probably wouldn't last five minutes if you were flashed back to 1980 or any time before!

happy days

2010-02-22T19:39:00.001-05:00

hanging out with the kiddo's at the lake, it's our first weekend without snow, rain, or freezing temps in a VERY long time!!

so, some rock tossing was absolutely necessary

and mama found her favorite place to park it!

mama's new 'do'

2010-02-19T07:25:00.003-05:00

I haven't had a new "style" in years; so last night I went and got the hair style changed a bit. I'm diggin it so far, it's definately different!!

BEFORE AFTER

That's right, rockin some bangs - I haven't had bangs since highschool!!!

Peaceful

2010-02-18T09:54:00.003-05:00

click photo to enlarge

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Valentines Day...

2010-02-14T15:37:00.003-05:00

Valentines Day 2010 began early in the morning for mama - I thought this year we'd do a little less commercial stuff and a lot more home baked/made goodies... So, I made the boys (and hubby) hand-dipped milk chocolate and white chocolate strawberries...

I made homemade sugar cookies and cut out hearts, then iced them with some red/white and sprinkles... and finally, used the remaining chocolate melts to dip some pretzels!

The boys each got a tiny gift bag with some Russel Stover chocolates and a little bear with a card, and hubs got his favorite candy in a box w/ a card; little J decided that he wanted to make a homemade card for daddy this morning, so we did that and then presented all of the homemade goodness to daddy as a super special Valentines Day surprise.... and mama got a ONE HOUR MASSAGE GIFT CERTIFICATE at a local Wellness studio!!! I am STOKED!!!

snow fight

2010-02-13T09:52:00.001-05:00

the snow is powder'ish (is that a word?), anyway - we just threw it at each other.... big E decided to sit this one out.

below, he's waving and saying "you can't get me!!"

oh.... but I DID get him!!!

a white blanket of lovely

2010-02-13T08:25:00.001-05:00

around 5pm yesterday it started to snow, and we ended up with 2-3 inches pretty quickly.

I woke up this morning and had to snap a few quick pics of how the sunlight was dripping onto the fluffy white snow on the trees.

it's so pretty outside!!

been layin low

2010-02-08T23:20:00.004-05:00

I've been laying low this past weekend. Had a strange attack of the gall bladder (pretty certain) and spent most of the weekend taking it easy and relaxing when I could. Hopefully this week I'll be back at it.

Oh, Little J decided all by himself to go from sitting to do "all potty deeds" to standing like a big man to go pee!!! Yay!!!! He also got a new bed and changed to it with no problems, and loves it!! Little man's growing too fast.

Random... I am gonna be honest and say, I did not watch the superbowl - neither of the teams really interested me, so eh. NO. I sat on my bed and watched lifetime movies and got occasional updates by looking at twitter or hearing my hubs downstairs. Instead I watched Identity Theft on LMN and related to it a bit. We have had our turn with that recently, and it sucks.

Well, that was a little random!!! Sorry about that! I just wanted to say HI to all my bloggy friends out there!!

this morning

2010-02-04T07:34:00.001-05:00

The above photo was taken at 7:05am this morning.

The below photo taken at 7:15am this morning.... where's my sunshine today???

Oddly, I feel about the same, I woke up and for a moment I thought "ok, I feel fine", and then wham - back to "blah, pain, and anxiety." I'm getting pretty tired of it.... But the sun was GORGEOUS when I woke!!

snowy days

2010-02-03T22:09:00.001-05:00

We had a little snow, and a little ice...

We may get more this weekend!!

Birthday wrapup

2010-01-30T14:03:00.004-05:00

I created a tiny slidshow of photos from our little party for Little J - go HERE.

4 years old...

2010-01-29T22:11:00.001-05:00

Oh Dear little J.... four short years ago, this very minute, they were showing you to me for the very first time EVER!! You were stubborn and I was finally convinced of it, and we had to visit the O.R. after almost 24 hours of labor... but you arrived none the less, healthy and peaceful.

Happy Birthday little man - you never cease to amaze me. We love you soooo much!!

my favorite things...

2010-01-24T07:00:00.001-05:00

Family

Each year for Christmas, my mom gets me a new Willow Tree figurine.
This year's addition is the one above, of a family of four.
And it hits the nail right on the head by saying "Family, A lifetime of love"

I just received this colorful Friends plaque in the mail, from one of the best friends I've ever had.
A true friendship is rare, and precious.
She lives completely across the country from me, and nothing has ever kept us from being "there" for each other.
Some friendships come and go, and some friendships stay and grow.
I'm SO grateful ours has stayed, and grown...

leg godt

2010-01-23T14:11:00.004-05:00

wondering what that blog title is?? It's Danish! Lego®, a name constructed out of the Danish expression leg godt, meaning "play well."

Every day when little J wakes, one of his first thoughts is "mommy, I need to play with my Lego's", and we do - A LOT of the day! Both boys love manipulating these little bricks and people and creating with their own hands what their very minds imagine. You can build almost anything out of Lego's.

We are lucky enough to have a Lego® Store at the nearby mall, and today we ventured out to add to their 'guy' collection. Each of the boys made 3 custom Lego people.

Little J's birthday is literally around the corner, and I picked up a silicone cake mold in the shape of a Lego® man. We're just Lego® crazy around here...

Gives life to the age old saying, "if you can imagine it, you can create it"...

and BAM!!

2010-01-21T08:53:00.003-05:00

just like Emeril Lagasse... BAM!! yeah, he put ketchup, mustard, and mayo on my pizza... but it was the most amazing plastic pizza ever!! He was really enjoying telling me the fruits/veggies he was adding!!

FINALLY and outdoor day!!!

2010-01-16T10:36:00.001-05:00

WOW, after several weeks of 20 degree days we're finally able to enjoy some outdoor time!! Little J was like a caged beast, when we told him he could go outside he was super excited!! Big E, on the other hand, had plenty of outdoor time at school during the day and opted to hang out indoors and check out some of his Christmas stuff that he hadn't even played with yet.

The neighbor's dog is always fun to visit at the fence!!

Aww.... Puppy, we missed you too!!

That's a photo of happiness and excitement!!

skywatch Friday

2010-01-15T17:06:00.002-05:00

What a delightful way to wake up this morning... Little J and I got downstairs around 7am and I started my coffee brewing, got his breakfast ready and sat down to check emails and out of the corner of my eye saw an amazing sunrise beginning...

I know there's some blog that actually hosts a skywatch thingy... but this is just me this morning watching a GORGEOUS sunrise!!

you can see (below) how the sun is peeking behind that house down below ours, and the rays of sunshine are stretching into the sky...

And finally... the sun pops up behind that house and its HUGE!! I took more pics, but I'm not that great at sunrises yet.... so that's all that really turned out!

the winds of change

2010-01-11T19:02:00.004-05:00

Ahh... serious changes around the BassAckwards household. Stay tuned for updates. It should be as refreshing as this blue sky in this photo. It should relieve stress for ALOT of people in this house... though it may create more work, I think there will be a sweet payoff!!

5 years!

2010-01-07T09:35:00.003-05:00

Today marks 5 years for my husband's heart attack and 3-bypass surgery survival! No words can explain how horrified I was to hear the words "you need to come to the hospital quickly, it doesn't look good" from the doctor who called my cellphone at 815am that morning.

He had went in for a routine physical, he asked me to schedule it after having helped a friend move and seemed overly exhausted. The physical threw the doctor a bit of a red flag, so for precaution he scheduled him for a stress test. This exhaustion didn't stop him from playing with our oldest in the back yard and running a relay race with him the night BEFORE the stress test. The stress test did him in, within 5 minutes he had a massive heart attack.

Pure genetics and a fairly sedentary lifestyle (his work is a sit down at a desk type of job). He was slightly overweight, I say slightly because maybe 20#. Otherwise, healthy. So, 815am heart attack, 230pm open heart surgery. There were many obstacles along the way, but the end result is that he's healthy and has a new lease on life. Now we live by the Mediterranean diet, 95% of the time, and he walks almost daily on the treadmill. So far, in the 5 years, he's been told his heart is doing GREAT! We even managed to have a baby almost exactly 1 year after his heart surgery!!

So - 5 years, and his heart is stronger then ever! Whoohoo!

Go GET a CHOLESTEROL TEST! Ask for a lipid profile to show you ALL of your cholesterol and make sure you're healthy!!

We learned alot from the American Heart Assosication books that the nutritionist provided us with after classes we attended. Read up, it's not hard to make some changes and make your heart a healthy heart. We eat this way, our kids eat this way - so we're passing it forward to our kids since genetics (for both of us) plays a MAJOR role in heart health in our families.

almost Wordless Wednesday - My husbands "gift" was MY gift!

2010-01-06T07:09:00.001-05:00

My husband is a gifted artist, and for Christmas, he gave me the gift of illustrated portraits of our children.

I posted these framed HERE.

sledding

2010-01-05T18:17:00.002-05:00

There have been about 3 Christmas' now where we've visited my mom's house and there's been snow. Two of those were when my oldest brother was alive to enjoy this with his kids. During our visit this year, his kids (daughter photo below - and then one of her with her brother down below all of these) were super excited to see the snow and just decided for old times sake to go sledding in grandma's yard!! 'H' couldn't get enough of it, even though it was about 10-12 degree's there!!

Big E took a couple of turns as well and had fun, then ended up with some battle wounds on his hand and took a break from the fun. Little J and I went down the hill a couple of times and he LOVED it!! Broke my heart that Mike wasn't around to see these kids do this. It's the little things in life that I think about, because the little things were the BIG things to him.

N & H are discussing this next race. There were a couple of times they went down sortof tandem. Either way, they both went down that hill laughing and having such a blast! Over and over and over!!!

There is no description for the windchill. It was BITTER. Big E came in with red hands, little J came in with a red face, and N&H had red faces too!

mountain snow and scenery

2010-01-04T21:31:00.002-05:00

We headed to my mom's in the NC Mountains this past weekend for a late Christmas celebration, and we stopped along the way for a few photos here and there...This bench just stood out to me all by itself, in the 10 degree weather.

This bridge is located in a place called Little Switzerland, where a recent ice storm snapped trees in half. It looked like a disaster area when we drove toward it. This particular scenic road was still closed. Here's a youtube that some local guy in that area posted after the ice storm.(yes. he's southern!!)

That is NOT an outhouse... but it makes for a pretty cool picture! From my moms backyard!

Those are gigantic icicles hanging from rocks that were on the drive up on the side of the mountain. The rocks usually drip water, and the water just froze in these gigantic clumps!!

A little birdhouse that looked so inviting and warm for a tiny family of birds, in moms backyard!

click any photo to enlarge

a year in photos

2010-01-02T08:59:00.003-05:00

click to enlarge

Our year in photos.... Now, on to 2010!!

a game plan?

2009-12-28T13:58:00.001-05:00

I visited a surgeon this morning, who reviewed my scans, and other tests. After 3 months (my first post about this problem is HERE)of visiting different doctors, for various reasons, but all for the same basic complaint - I may have a game plan. He explained to me that it's 80% likely that removing my gall bladder will solve my pain. There's that chance of me being in the 20%ile of people who do not get pain relief after gall bladder removal. I COULD have an ulcer, I COULD have IBS, or some type of gastro-intestinal issue. He does not feel like what I have is presenting itself in a very obvious manner, but it does fit most of the criteria for a diseased gall bladder. He was very understanding, and realizes that I'm losing my mind with this! My frustration level is pegged, and I'm tired of popping pills EVERY DAY!

He suggested I go back on the 2 meds that were previously given to me for a potential Peptic Ulcer, and said if my problems are resolved simply by taking those meds that he does NOT want to do surgery. However, if the pain still persists then I likely need my diseased gall bladder removed. That it functions at 62% makes it one of those decisions that I get to make on my own. Anything below 50% they suggest removal. It's close, and it's very likely causing me some of the discomfort I have on a regular basis.

I'm just ready to feel better. I'm ready to toss out the pill bottles. So for now, surgery is scheduled for late January.

Christmas 09

2009-12-27T19:33:00.001-05:00

Big E was so tickled, he received a Nintendo DS Lite with two games!!

Little J was just as excited to find out that he received STAR WARS LEGO'S!!!!!

"I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month."
~Harlan Miller

Christmas 2009 - Scrapblog'd

2009-12-26T16:33:00.000-05:00

what a surprise it was...

2009-12-25T10:49:00.002-05:00

Please do click to enlarge each photo... it's worth it

My husband is an artist. Do you see this???? This is what he does for a living. He took OUR best creations (well, ours along with the man upstairs, of course) and turned them into works of art.
And I may be biased.... but I believe that these are by far HIS best art creations yet.

My children. How gorgeous are our children. These portraits are absolutely the likeness of each boy.

Their simple expressions, and beautiful eyes. That says it all.

I had the best Christmas gifts EVER!!

the night before Christmas....

2009-12-24T23:44:00.003-05:00

....and all through my mind, was flashes of past holidays and memories of that kind.
I thought of our Christmas nights from when I was a just a kid, and appreciate now more then ever - all that our parents did.
It wasn't about the gifts, I won't lie, that was great. But the best memories are of baking cookies, writing letters to Santa, and staying up late.
Christmas specials on TV with my mom, and game (or three) of parcheesi with my dad.. and then off to bed we'd go with nothing but the next day's excitement to be had.
Waking up early, crawling down the hall. We snuck together as siblings, and we had a ball!
Our parents were wide awake, even though we thought they were otherwise. They were laying in their beds, probably so happy that we snuck to the tree to see our surprises.
Those days are forever going to live in my mind, as moments with family - unlike any other kind.
It's our turn now, to start this 'night before Christmas' fun, we baked and had cookies, and we watched a family show and had fun.
Our kids have no clue, what's under the tree. They didn't really make a "list", they'd seem content to wait and see...
The holidays are so precious, and moments are such bliss. I wish I could stop time, for weekends like this.
So... twas the night before Christmas, and all through this house, not a kid was complaining, not even a spouse.
The stockings were laid, under the tree with care (that's just what we do), and gifts were scattered around for the kids, the hubs, and me too!
The kids are all snuggled, warm and safe in their beds. And we'll peek in later, and plant sneaky kisses on their heads.
The morning will come, and coffee will brew. The kids will wake up and sneak a peek at a gift or two.
Christmas (for us) will be spent making memories, and sharing love. All because of our blessings from above.

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~Burton Hillis

a Christmas gathering

2009-12-22T20:59:00.001-05:00

A little bokeh effect (WackyMummy, that's for you) with the Cypress tree we gave our in-laws as part of their gift tonight. The lights in the background with the bokeh effect are from our big tree.

This cute little Cypress will be transplanted into my in-laws back yard and will grow up to 15 feet! It was such an adorable centerpiece for our Christmas dinner tonight

goodies for the celebration

Gifts for and from the family. We enjoyed our time with Mimi and Papaw tonight. To say the least, we had a BLAST!

enjoying the view

2009-12-21T08:46:00.002-05:00

Click each photo to enlarge

On our way to my Aunts house (previous post here) we stopped a few times along the road to take some photos. The above photo was taken at a cemetery near Burlington, NC. The way the tree looked was just so peaceful to me.

I was loving how this pond had the trees reflection.

This statue was centerpiece of the cemetery, along side was a weathered bridge that was over a little creek. There was a man there visiting a grave, so I didn't want to drive over there to take a picture of that... but either way - the snow covered cemetery had such a feeling of calmness and beauty.

This was a large farm that we drove past, there were cattle, sheep and emu on past where I took this photo. The red capped silo really stood out to me.

a very decorative family gathering

2009-12-20T21:01:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we went to my Aunt and Uncle's house in Snow Camp, NC. My Aunt is ABSOLUTELY the Martha Stewart of NC. Her house had 7 full size trees, 4 of them represented seasons. The tree in her master bedroom was GORGEOUS and represented fall, it was also on a spinning stand which made it magical! There were gorgeous draped garlands filled with floral inserts, ornaments and lights. Enough to make Martha Stewarts head SPIN, and my Aunt - made it ALL!!. Every ounce of her home screamed holidays, and it was such a cozy gathering. The snow outdoors just topped it off.

I was bummed that I took the wrong lens, I took our zoom lens and not the 18-55mm that takes wide angle pics. So, I made a little collage of the photos instead. I have the full size ones saved and they're gorgeous to look at, but the only tree I was able to get from top to bottom in the lens I took was the living room tree (green tree)...oh well! The day was wonderfully spent!

hanging out together

2009-12-20T13:14:00.003-05:00

The boys were REALLY into the game of Little Big Planet this morning. We decided to spend the day vegging out at home and doing nothing at all productive. Little J needs a haircut something fierce!!

our kids are growing up too fast...

above, I love the look on their faces, and even caught a Bokeh effect with the lights on the little fireplace tree... un-intentional really, but WackyMummy YOU have inspired me to try this effect out with our Christmas lights!

no snow... so sad.

2009-12-19T08:46:00.002-05:00

The first winter storm of 2009, and all we get is ice???

So I headed outside to take pictures of our ICE

More ice...

That's all we received... some drippy ice. Twenty minutes up the road, my dad's house received 2-3 inches of SNOW! My mom, 2 hours away received over a foot!

Below - my dad's house, LITERALLY 20 MIN AWAY!!!

winter is officially here

2009-12-18T15:07:00.003-05:00

This weekend, our first "winter" storm in the Carolina's. Looks to be a big deal, weather men are going nuts with the updates! Me, I'm sitting here in my PJ's (at 3pm, yes), sipping on something yummy and thinking of making that Potato Soup that's a big family hit.

Oh dangit!!! I have to run to Walgreens to get my frappin ink cartridge refilled. All you peeps who read this and get Christmas cards from me, they'll be late - most likely. But I did go ahead and pick a "Happy Holiday's" theme (Jennifer C, oddly we printed the EXACT same ones you did about 3 weeks ago!!) and they've been on my table to label for weeks now. I've been so scatter brained that I haven't even printed the labels, and went to do that yesterday and the ink was empty.

Random Tuesday Thoughts - remembering, H1N1 and happy hour

2009-12-13T14:57:00.007-05:00

Today would have been my brothers 42nd birthday. I laughed a little this morning, thinking of how I'd have called him and gave him hell about being old. I think today should be nationally recognized as I'm sure most anyone who's lost someone would feel. Why doesn't the entire world stop for a moment and become aware that today's the day we'd have celebrated? Anyway, I plan to make today all about pushing forward. I have the swine flu, but it isn't gonna stop me today. So - TAKE THAT PIGGY flu!!

Speaking of the flu.... I've sat around and thought about all of the ways to try to make light of this H1N1 situation at home. Even though it is, and can become, a very serious flu - I still have to smile, right?

So here's a few thoughts I've had:

Someone, quick, call a hambulance, we have a snoutbreak.
Bird flu, Swine flu, Mad Cow Disease - OMG it's Farmegeddon!
Should I go for my follow up visit wearing a pig mask?
I think I need some oinkment.
Feel like I'm gonna sneeze again, aaaachooooink!
Someone should make a movie: Pig Trouble in Little Mexico - maybe it could star Kevin Bacon

BassAckwards sidenote: My sense of humor is not intended to offend at all. I am REALLY aware of how serious the flu can be for anyone, and may have to go in for chest xrays tonight. Even the flu vaccine can be serious - some people have very strange, and life altering side effects. I just try to lighten the mood for myself, and though maybe you'd get a giggle or two as well. I hope none of you who read this blog ever get the swine flu, or any adverse reactions to the vaccine(s). I have a friend who was really blogbashed recently because of her 'sit back and laugh at it' approach to some things in her life, her sense of humor is amazing after all that she's been through!! I just want to say up front - humor is a must in my house these days, and that is why I try to see the lighter side of things as often as possible. We, in our house, know all too well how quick things can change. I'm making fun of ME, not anyone else ;-)

Lastly, I went by Steak & Shake earlier today to grab a coke. I may very well have strep throat developing along with this flu. It is a very familiar feeling right now. Rambling. So, as I'm waiting to pay for my NON diet coke (yeah, that's right, I'm a rebel) and I saw a picture of a Turtle Caramel Nut Milk Shake. YES. IT IS TRUE!!! And all of a zillion calories I'm sure. Oh man, I was drooling. So as I'm typing this I glance over at my coke cup and notice "Hand dipped happy hour, 1/2 shakes 2-4pm M-F" you bet your butt I'm going back. And YES, I'm gonna use my brother's birthday as my excuse. *selfish snort laughter*

sharing

2009-12-12T15:49:00.003-05:00

Little J and I began feeling gross last night around 5pm. His started with watery eyes, cough, chills, and fever. Around 6pm, same thing with me. We share like that.

I haven't had the flu in 7 years. In my entire life I've taken the flu vaccine 1 time, and that was when I was pregnant. When I had that vaccine I felt AWFUL for about 4 days after. My kids have had the flu mist 2 x's in the past 3 years. This year, nothing yet for either of them.

We both have had a fever all day, little J's reaching 101's even with fever reducers. His flu test was positive for type A. SO, this means it's likely H1N1. Tamiflu was prescribed, although it's proven that H1N1 is highly resistant to Tamiflu. Both of our symptoms are less then 24 hours old, and so it is worth a shot to try to shorten the duration of the flu, according to both of our doctors.

Since I have a compromised immune system, my doctors have told me to watch it with my fever. Little J can stand a fever of up to 103, according to his doctor - but for me, I can't go above 100.5. SO, we're both shoving down fever reducers, benadryl, tamiflu and running cool mist humidifiers.

Lets hope the hubs and big E don't get it.

**sidenote, the toddler is absolutely a trooper, and is playing as long as his fever is down.

a memorial ornament

2009-12-11T14:46:00.001-05:00

this was sent to our family, in honor of the donation of the gift of sight made by my brother.... Losing him has been one of the hardest things I've ever faced or dealt with. Yet, him being a donor means that even in his passing he has given to others something they may have NEVER received. So this ornament is proudly on the very front of our tree for everyone to SEE.

and we decorated the tree...

2009-12-11T11:41:00.002-05:00

click to enlarge photos

started out just as a regular tree with lights...

added in a few floral sticks, and some basic ornaments

some ribbons and flowers, and we have ourselves a tree!

counting my chickens...

2009-12-08T22:41:00.003-05:00

Just found out that I should get MY car back tomorrow!!! Not the car that was WRECKED, but MY car. The one that was towed in to because of a dead battery, and turned out that it was not towed properly and the 4WD was ruined. So after everything, and 1 wrecked loaner car plus 4 separate rental cars later - I get to drive MY car again!!! MAN I've missed it!!!

YAY!!!!

*sidenote - Nationwide has been my insurance company for over 15 years, and they really WERE on my side. They went to bat for me to help me handle this with the tow service. I'm just glad it's finally getting repaired!

**second sidenote & life lesson # 2,311,379 IF you own a Honda Element - get it towed on a rollback style tow truck IF you happen to break down.....

getting with the program

2009-12-06T14:33:00.001-05:00

Earlier this week I started decorating. Normally I'd have done that the week of Thanksgiving, but if I'm being honest - I just haven't had it in me! When we went to big E's orchestra concert we were able to see alot of houses that had outdoor decorations up and the kids really started getting in the spirit. So that was my cue to get with the program. Our tree is the last thing to get out, we're going to drag that beast out tonight and try to decorate it tomorrow night.

winter arrived overnight

2009-12-06T08:48:00.003-05:00

It's really begun to feel like winter around here over the past few days. Yesterday was just cold rain, and then in the afternoon it cleared. This morning at 730am it was 30 degrees outside, and that's cold compared to last weeks mild mornings of 50's and low 60's!

The yard was covered in a blanket of frost. I didn't even grab my camera to take a picture until the back yard was half thawed from the sun. So I grabbed a quick pic of the fuzzy icy frost before it melted away. It's the 2nd frost we've seen so far this fall/winter. I want SNOW!

I think today will be a comfort food kind of day around this house. I have pulled out the ingredients to make some chili!! Yum!

Winter Concert - 2009

2009-12-05T09:05:00.005-05:00

Big E has been playing the violin this school year, and this past week we attended the winter concert for the orchestra. They played 4 different music pieces, and I was able to record audio on two of them. I didn't take my 'big nasty' camera in, we took our point and shoot only. So... here's a picture of big E getting ready to perform, and here's "Dreidel" performed by the 6th grade orchestra!

Badongo.com is where I uploaded the mp3, it made it sound like it had some static... but it was the only audio hosting site I knew of!

Click this link to hear the audio recorded, hosted by badongo.com

sunrise

2009-12-03T10:13:00.003-05:00

What a wonderful way to start the day....

blew it....

2009-12-03T10:02:00.003-05:00

I didn't make it on NaPoBloMo.... I blew it! With only two days to go!! I'm ok with it. I'm sure no-one was keeping track but me :D So much going on this time of year!! Happy December!

Day 27 - humor is a must.

2009-11-27T21:36:00.002-05:00

This made me giggle ALL day. A friend sent me this and I had to share it...

I was so thankful for laughter and good humor today!!

Day 26... I am thankful...

2009-11-26T21:51:00.001-05:00

I AM THANKFUL THAT...

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings, I am thankful that I can hear.
There are many who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as long as possible,I am thankful that I can see.
Many are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising,I am thankful that I have the strength to rise.
There are many who are bedridden.

Even though I grumble at the clothes I wear,I am thankful for the collection of clothes I have.
There are many who don't have an assortment to wear.

Even though some hours of my day is hectic, when socks are lost,toast is burned, tempers are short, my children are so loud,I am thankful for my family.
There are many who are lonely.

Even though my face doesn't look so good like the pictures in the Fashion Magazine,I am thankful that I have all my features in my face complete.
There are many who cannot see, hear and talk.

Even though our breakfast table never looks like the pictures in magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced, I am thankful for the food we have.
There are many who are hungry.

Even though the routine of my job is often monotonous,I am thankful for the opportunity to work.
There are many who have no job.

Even though at times, I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and sometimes wish my circumstances were not so modest,
I am thankful for life.

~~ Author Unknown ~~

Wordless Wednesday - Sunrise

2009-11-25T09:01:00.002-05:00

Day 25

Taken w/ a Nikon D40 with a 55-200mm zoom, straight out of the camera - added a frame.

RTT - NaBloPoMo edition - Day 24

2009-11-24T21:52:00.004-05:00

So - I didn't do Random Tuesday Thoughts early this morning, and in fact, I normally post it over at my other blog, which has suffered long bouts of postlessness since random life chaos has been all in my world, and I'm really late posting this one but here I go.... Oh - and to read more randomness go over to The UnMom right quick...

Today my 3yo told me that he wanted to build a Lego® girl WITH boobies of course....

I took too much of my medication this morning, on an empty stomach and have paid for it ALL day with dizzy and light headedness. It sucked. And because of that, I'm really tired now.

It's supposed to snow at my mom's house on Thursday, and I'm going there for Thanksgiving of course, so we may get to see the snow fall!!

I'm watching "so you think you can dance" and can't believe it was 2 hours long tonight!

Why is it now that I've been in a wreck and hit by a Lexus SUV, that seems to be the ONLY vehicle I see all day long? Today, another white one almost hit me, it would have been a side impact - she ran the stoplight.

My family rocks.

My friends rock..... just sayin.

I'm loving Digsby for all my social networking needs (no they didnt pay me to do that) I use it to combine aol, yahoo, twitter, facebook, myspace and gmail. I'm a social networking junkie I suppose. But then, you probably are too since you're reading my blog. bahahahaha.

I can't wait to see The Blind Side, and plan to go by myself ~~Friday~~ Saturday. Exciting. Only those who know me know why that's so exciting. I'm pretty much a "wait until it's on DVD" chick.

I do NOT plan to be anywhere NEAR the mall on Friday, which is why you see my scratch thru on the previous post...This mama's almost done with her shopping, and did most ALL of it online with Etsy.com and a few other fav sites. Scored free shipping on most everything too!!

who you gonna call?

2009-11-23T21:43:00.000-05:00

When I went out to my mailbox I was surprised with TONS of advertisements for Chiropractors, Massage Therapists, Lawyers, auto body repair people. Over 20 envelopes addressed to both little J and I. Several free massage coupons, thanks to my accident. Evidently we're up for bids between all of these people....

I'm pretty thankful that I can walk to the mailbox, because I know of people who have been in car accidents that were less then 40mph impacts who have loss of use of their legs, or major back injuries. S for THAT yes, I'm THANKFUL.

Day 22

2009-11-22T21:41:00.000-05:00

Today - I'm going to be short and sweet...

I'm thankful for my awesome friends and my awesome family.

a well planned surprise....Day 21

2009-11-21T23:29:00.002-05:00

Day 21

Around 1pm today I was sitting at my coffee table clipping coupons and getting ready to make a grocery list and my phone rang, it was my friend Susan from CA. She and I have been friends for some time, she lived here and we met though a mommy/playdate type forum and our friendship grew from there. She and her husband moved to CA not long ago with a job change, and I've missed her SO much!! We rely on each other by phone, by email and by IM pretty much daily. We're seriously like bosom buddies, we may have been sisters in a former life... I can absolutely trust her with my feelings, opinion, and thoughts and I know that she's ALWAYS honest with me with her friendship. Those kinds of friends in life are keepers, and our living thousands of miles apart does not change our ability to be "there" for each other in almost every way.

She's in from CA to Virginia to visit her own family for the holidays, she along with her 3yo daughter Katie. I had sent her a email last week asking her what her plans were for this weekend because I really wanted to go try to visit her in VA and she told me that she was visiting a friend up in northern VA and wouldn't be able to meet with me this time.... I was selfishly disappointed.

However... I didn't know that she and my husband were planning a little sneak-a-visit of their own for ME!! When my phone rang, and I was clipping coupons, I saw that it was her and I answered, and I said "hello" and she asked how I was feeling and I told her like CRAP, and she said "wait, do you hear an echo??" I couldn't really make out what she said, and I said "what???" and then around the corner of my kitchen she walked. Honestly, if crying didn't hurt I'd have probably sat there and bawled my eyes out. And for a moment or two during her visit - I did. After my really CRAP week, it was the absolute BEST evening I could ask for. Dinner, drinks, laughter, and friends - that's what I'm talkin about people.

Our kids had so much fun hanging out too ;-)

The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart. ~Elisabeth Foley

it didn't work out...

2009-11-21T07:53:00.002-05:00

Dear "Last Week",

I just wanted to say you sortof sucked, you've had me thinking that I deserve better and I am not going to settle for that kind of drama again. (If I can help it).

First, you handed me a broke car... it had to be towed in because it wouldn't even start by using jumper cables and another car. So, it gets towed in. Then I had to borrow my dad's car, and basically spent the entire day driving or sitting IN a car. (Literally). After all was said and done, and I picked my car up the next day from the shop - it just didn't "smell" right.??!!?? Weird, I know....

So, "Last Week", I told you then that I wasn't going to take your nasty attitude, but did you listen???? NOOOOOO..... I found out that the "smell" in my car could be the rear axle or transmission - because the tow service towed my AWD vehicle in PARK. So here we go again.... I took my car back to the shop (where I work ironically) and they were kind enough to hand me the keys to a loaner car to use while they gave it a good look over.

I said out loud to you "ok, this is enough, that's the car we depend on - really??? do you enjoy all of this" and you laughed in my face on Thursday morning when I found out that not only was my husbands tag expired but we had not paid our city taxes yet (I forgot - that one is MY fault) so there I go spending nearly 300.00 that I didn't want to spend.... on my way to get the renewal sticker for the tag I was rolling up the windows in the LOANER CAR and didn't realize that little J's hand was holding the window ledge (he has NO window in MY car) and I rolled his four fingers right up for about 4 seconds. That's about how quick he screamed and then cried for several minutes to follow. Then I cried, and I yelled at you AGAIN "Mr. Last Week" to stop being such a bully to me... (yes, I know it was MY fault) His hand was fine in the end. And IF we ever have a four door car, I'll use that window lock button for sure.

Later Thursday you handed me the biggest bunch of CRAP. I thought I had my point across to you about how I deserve better, and how you couldn't beat me down anymore. I was pretty clear that I was done with your abuse and then like a true arsehole you tossed me a beatin. A rear end collision with our youngest in the car. After doctors visits, xrays, meds and pain, I have come to realize that you're not what is best for me. I'm SO over you. I'm done, we're done. I've moved on....

..... hello "weekend". Let's get to know each other well. I'm so glad you are here for me. The past is the past, and I'm moving on! I'm going to pick up MY car today with you, and I'm driving home in it - and we're going to have the best time together you and I. I love you WEEKEND!

Sincerely

~BassAckwards Mom

a shout out

2009-11-20T20:14:00.005-05:00

Day 20

I'm usually not the medication type. I prefer to TRY to heal w/o modern meds, but there IS a time and place for them (you know this if you've read about my gall bladder fiasco)... so, to the makers of Vicodin®, Skelaxin®, and 800 mg Ibuprophin - I'd like to kiss your faces and say thanks for helping reduce some of the pain my body feels. I'm not going to pretend I'm superwoman, I hurt like CRAZY and it really isn't what I expected. But the docs are saying that 40mph impact when I was completely stopped is fairly significant...

Long story short - whiplash SUCKS.

Either way, if I didn't have the medication it'd be pretty hard to function with the neck and back pain. So I'm grateful for modern meds!

day 19 - very grateful

2009-11-19T22:27:00.002-05:00

The price of a 2007 Camry...... appx $19,000.00....

like the one pictured below BEFORE it was crashed into... (that I was driving today)

The cost of the car seat our child was buckled in.... appx $279.99

The time it took for everything to change.... a split second.

What it felt like to turn around and see our child perfectly safe..... PRICELESS.

... and for that I'm THANKFUL.

We were driving a loaner car today, because my car was in the shop for some repairs. We were headed to pick up big E on our regular route and had stopped for a car in front of us when a SUV came plowing into the rear of this Camry at 40mph. This picture may not look like it, but the front AND rear of this vehicle got smashed and the damage is around 7000.00. The entire rear end will have to be rebuilt. This would have nearly totaled my 2004 Honda Element. What matters most is that little J is FINE. He has some very minor bruises, a cut lip from biting it as we were hit, and never even cried for a second. In fact, he instantly said "wow mommy that was really loud, I think your engine is broken!! Will you hold my hand, it is scary!" We were the middle car, the car in front of us got smacked by our front end pretty good, but the drivers of both the car that hit us AND the car that we in turn hit - are FINE. I'm going to be ok, I'm very sore, my face hit the steering wheel before the seatbelt yanked me with hulk like force back into the seat, so I have some back and neck problems - but it could have been ALOT WORSE.

lazy moments

2009-11-18T14:19:00.003-05:00

Day 18

I'm thankful for having a little time to myself right now. I needed a few minutes of 'lazy'. I put away my work (which I have ALOT of) and decided to read my favorite blogs, and goof off for 30 minutes. Got some Christmas shopping done online, and relaxed.... now - back to reality.

day 17 NaBloPoMo

2009-11-17T19:54:00.007-05:00

Day 17

Last night little J fell into the coffee table nose first. I'm so thankful that he didn't get hurt worse. He was doing a Lego Indiana Jones stunt move... sortof a duck, tuck and roll move and lost his footing and slipped into the corner of our wooden table and cracked the bridge of his nose pretty good. It could have been much much worse.

hanging on

2009-11-16T11:00:00.005-05:00

Day 16

This is the last leaf that was on our tree... it's officially naked as of today. When I took this picture the sun was blaring down on this tiny little leaf just hanging on for dear life after the aftermath of hurricane/tropical storm/tropical depression Ida ripped through here dumping 6-8 inches of rain in 4 days and lots of gusty winds. It was almost like the little leaf just needed to be noticed! Our tree wasn't bare until that storm hit. It funny to look up and see this one lonely leaf hanging tight after that storm. Such is the irony of life, and the storms we weather - sometimes we CAN just "hang on" - can't we ;-).

I'm thankful for most of the storms in my life, even though at the time I'm not very thankful. The aftermath of each circumstance and situation seems to build me. It's defiantly a crossroads with every storm, to decide which road to take. How to hang on, and survive without being beat down by the storms... that has become more important then stepping into the storms path. My emotional survival depends 100% on my attitude, my strength, and my will to see a positive outcome. This is a lesson that is REALLY hard to learn. Much much easier said then done, but I'm learning day by day ;-).

leftovers

2009-11-15T10:07:00.004-05:00

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~Melody Beattie

Day 15

lots of leftover mashed potatoes and devilled eggs...

leftover candid sweet potatoes....
leftover turkey, dressing, corn, green beans, gravy, potato salad, and even dessert....

I'm thankful for the leftover food (yummy!!)...

I'm also thankful for the leftovers of life. Sometimes life throws us alot all at once, and we handle what we can right then. What's "leftover" is usually bits and pieces to sort out, and I'm thankful for the many moments in my life over the past year where I've felt like my plate was too full and then found out that the leftovers were just bitter sweet in the end... Some days, I forget how precious life really is. Thanksgiving should really be EVERY day. (not so much the food - I'd be super huge and unhealthy...) Maybe that makes sense, but probably not. ;-)

giving thanks, early

2009-11-14T09:30:00.003-05:00

Day 14

We have big J's brother in from Texas visiting, so we're having Thanksgiving early with him. Today will be full of yummy smells in the house, like candid yams, turkey baking, cinnamon boiling in water to smell up the house for the season. We're also making mashed potatoes, devilled eggs, cranberry sauce, oreo pie, and banana pudding. My mother in law is making her absolutely yummy dressing, and they're bringing over green beans, corn, and gravy.

It's destined to be a yummy day!!! I'm so thankful today to have our family to celebrate with.

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.

~Edward Sandford Martin

sunset

2009-11-13T22:54:00.003-05:00

Day 13

Tonight while I was driving to pick up big E from his school club meeting, I was so thankful to see the gorgeous sunset. I pulled over to take photos. I took several, but I think this may be the better of them. I'm so thankful for such a beautiful ending to several days of rain!

The sky looked like beautiful lava pouring in all around me...

this photo is un-edited (minus the frame)

colors

2009-11-12T22:33:00.000-05:00

Day 12

I'm grateful for being able to SEE! I love looking at the vibrant colors of fall. This photo is straight out of the camera and I added a frame.

This tree REALLY is THIS red!! I drive past it daily.

wow the rain...

2009-11-11T22:05:00.000-05:00

Day 11

It's been raining ALL day, and heavy at times. I'm just thankful to have a home, to have heat, to have a cozy couch and bed. All too often I forget how fortunate we are....

I'm also thankful for all of those who serve and have served our country on this Veterans day...

quackers...

2009-11-10T07:28:00.004-05:00

Day 10

It's supposed to rain today. Alot. However, over the weekend we had AMAZING weather. We went to one of our favorite parks with a couple of packs of crackers and fed the ducks. The scenery is always so peaceful and calming. We went around 430pm and the sun was beginning to set as we were leaving.

We finally found the ducks, and we fed them "quackers"... HA.

Again, not one of my most focused photos... I'm working on that.

Stellan is SVT free

2009-11-09T19:36:00.002-05:00

Day 9

Tonight I'm thankful to read that Stellan is SVT free. If you've never read his story, go HERE to read all about it... it's been a long scary journey for Stellan and his family. The ride isn't over yet, there's still recovery ahead, but they were able to get his procedure done today and he's officially SVT FREE!

Absolutely. Undeniably. Amazing.

peek a boo

2009-11-08T23:23:00.000-05:00

Day 8

ooo I'm so grateful for fun moments like this one....out of focus... but still, adorable to me!

the last competition

2009-11-07T22:54:00.005-05:00

Day 7

I'm thankful to have been present to see my nephews last band competition of his highschool years. Today was the last time he'll play in competition since he's a senior.

Big E and I headed to Graham, NC.

With tearful and proud eyes, I watched.

I listened.... and I cheered. Loudly and obnoxiously. On purpose.

And then his solo made me get all tearful again.

I am so thankful I went to see this today.

For a moment, when the sun was it's brightest, and warmest shining down

it almost felt like my brother was there to watch his son...

Ava's Rule

2009-11-06T09:35:00.004-05:00

As I was scrolling through my google.reader today I was drawn to this beautiful girls photo and read this story. I was asked to share this story on my blog. Most of us who read blogs, have one, so if you have one and can take a few minutes to copy and paste this card - it could save a life. Pass it forward - please.

Click the image below to make it larger.

If you have a moment, read her family's blog and her story HERE.

mmmm.... that's so sweet!

2009-11-06T00:34:00.000-05:00

Day 6

So what am I thankful for?? Well, on a much lighter note....

I'm thankful for Halloween leftovers. Not that I'm shoving candy in my face all day, but it IS nice to have a treat to sneak every once in a while!

That's little J shoving his dum dum in my face. He usually gets sugar free suckers from the candy store, but who can resist the occasional dum-dum? Especially if it's one you scored all by yourself by saying 'trick-or-treat' on Halloween?

autumn colors

2009-11-05T21:03:00.004-05:00

Day 5

I'm thankful for the colors of fall. They lift my spirits!

a little behind...

2009-11-05T18:52:00.006-05:00

rewind to Halloween....

we carved a pumpkin, and I took photos of it with our point and shoot and I didn't think it was really possible to screw up a photo with a point and shoot camera, but guess what - I did!! I had the flash off. DUH. So, imagine a cleverly crafted pumpkin - by my husband who is a graphic artist ~~shameless promotion~~ and there you have it....

I didn't take ANY photos of little J!! I'm winning bigtime on this holiday so far, eh? Little J dressed as Robin (from Batman/Robin) and he was cute, of course ;-). Big J took this one with his cellphone while little J was playing Lego Indiana Jones before we left.

Here's the only two photos I took of Big E. He dressed as a 'slayer' and it really turned out to look alot like Neo from The Matrix. See the blueish sky in the background??? That quickly turned to crap and rain.

We headed to Union Street around 615pm (dark)- a big deal place to trick-or-treat in our area where they decorate the houses BIGTIME! Some houses even have a haunted theme, like "Nightmare on Union Street". This house had everyone stand in line to go up to the front door to get candy and the entire front yard is a makeshift cemetery and spooky place with dry ice and a wood shed where a guy comes out and teases you with a fake chainsaw. The chainsaw I could have done w/o, but otherwise, it was fun. I expected little J to get scared, but he only complained about the loudness.

After about 5 houses there, it started pouring on us. We decided to pack it up and come back to our n'hood and walk with an umbrella. Big E and the hubs did that while little J and I greeted a little over 50 guests at our door. Little J enjoyed seeing all the kids dressed up and hugged most of the kids his age before they left. I had purchased a bag of 50 pencils and each trick-or-treater got 1. So I ran out... that's how I know it was over 50. I'd say around 70! It was alot!! We emptied out our candy supply and shut the lights off at 930pm.

The rain was here and there, but never steady enough to ruin the night for the kiddo's. Big E came home with a heavy bag of candy, just from going to about 15-20 houses on our street. So, even though it rained, it was still fun for the kids.

Did I mention that Halloween is big J's birthday??? So, on top of all of that, we met papaw for lunch, and celebrated big J's birthday! We had white chocolate raspberry cheesecake + a balloon + cards, and a gift... busy day on Halloween!

blah

2009-11-05T13:44:00.002-05:00

that's about it... just blah.

alot to write about, just no real urge to sit and type....

4 posts "in draft" for 30 days of thanks.... but I have not finished them! HA!

maybe tomorrow.

until then... thanks for stopping by to read about my 'blahness'

I'll be back!

Happy Birthday - Day 4

2009-11-04T22:54:00.001-05:00

Day 4

Today's my neice's birthday.

There's not much more to write about that... I'm thankful to have been given such a wonderful person to call my neice. I'm thankful that she's a little piece of my brother walking around in this world. I'm thankful that she's happy, and had a great birthday!

fall

2009-11-03T19:47:00.001-05:00

Day 3

Last night around 2am, my stepmom fell down the stairs at their house. She broke her ankle in 3 places, and has been admitted to the hospital and will require some pretty significant surgery to rebuild that ankle.

I'm not thankful for her fall.... but I am thankful that her fall didn't end her life, it didn't paralyze her, it didn't deform her, and all signs point to a great recovery. I'm thankful for that. I'm thankful that my dad can rest his head tonight and know that his wife is going to be OK. I can tell my kids Gma D is going to be OK. Her children know their mom is OK. A fall down those steep stairs, could have easily been so much more damaging. It STINKS that she has to suffer with this ankle surgery, recovery time, and physical therapy to get back use of her ankle and foot... but I'm SOOOO glad that it wasn't worse.

thankful on day 2

2009-11-02T17:32:00.001-05:00

Day 2

Today, and everyday, I'm thankful that my children made it through the day without sickness.

I read about Stellan and how he's struggling and fighting with SVT, and it quickly reminds me that we should count our blessings. I know Stellans mom/family wouldn't want to have a pity party thrown their way - but they DO need support, loving thoughts and prayers. Stop by MckMama's blog if you get a chance.

30 days of thanks - Day 1

2009-11-01T20:14:00.000-05:00

I have enjoyed participating on NaBloPoMo in the past, and this year it's whatever you want to post about - so I'm doing 30 days of thanks again!

day 1

thankful... today's thankfulness is private. I'm not at liberty to post alot about what I'm thankful for, out of respect to the people involved. In short, someone very close to me faced something very big and scary - and I'm thankful that everyone is ok and they can put things behind them now and move forward without worries.

spider webs

2009-10-31T10:20:00.004-04:00

Woke up this morning and noticed fuzzy spots all over our back yard. I went out to see what they were and found that they were tiny palm size spider webs. First, that's just weird on Halloween, and second - how can I get rid of the critters that are making them? I'm not really a spider fan (was bit by a black widow years ago - eek)...... Here's just one of several, I'd say around 100, tiny little webs.

This one is not in focus very well...I'm really trying to practice using manual zoom on my camera lens, and all manual settings.... I'll have to go try harder!! Spider webs are hard to capture!