Turn your sound on!

So, a few months into RSVP and us being back in Midland, I spoke with a customer about little Braxton, and she told me how she had gone through the same experience. Her name is Lisa Moon and is just a very sweet lady and I was overwhelmed with her openess and her kindness. Her random act of kindness will never be forgotton. She immediately went out to her car, and got a CD out and gave it to me. It was a beautiful song called Glory Baby by Watermark. I don't know who they are or if anyone else does, but she did! She told me not to listen to it until I was ready. I didn't know what exactly it meant, but I later found out.

Get a tissue, turn on your sound (yes Janai, I am talking to you) listen closely to the words and you, too, will understand! If you see Lisa out, tell her that she is a strong and amzing person & that I told you so!

She now has had another little baby (#4) and he is just adorable! I have loved getting to know her through the store and through mutual friends. Thank you Lisa!

My First Tag!

So my long time friend Jennifer, decided to tag me! What does this Blog verbage mean? It means....A chance for you to get to know me! Yippee! Here goes!

Favorite Food? Chick-Fil-A

Quirks? I am obsessive with Parties and how well they go!

How would a person you love describe you in 10 words or less? Outgoing, Interesting, High-Strung, Planner, busy, loving, high maitenence, short, involved, busy body

Any regrets? NOPE!

Favorite charity? The Charity of Darby Brown who helps fund two little children that were born with no clothes on ther back and no bows on one's head. She spends every day making sure that they are both clothed with the best and the biggest bow on one's head!

Favorite blog? Mine! Just can't get enough

Something you can't get enough of? Money!

Worst job? My current one! My boss is a sexual harraser and has made me have three kids with big heads, and doesn't wash his own laundry! But he is cute and his kids turned out so cute, so who can complain?

Job you would pay NOT to have? Wiping Elderly or obese people's butts! I can barely handle Baryn's!

Where would you like to be a fly on the wall? The White House!

If you HAD to spend $1000 on yourself, what would you buy? An automatic start for my car, so that it wouldn't be so hot by the time I get to my car!!

Guilty Pleasure? When do I have time for this one?

Favorite thing about house? Location, Location, Location! The toy room for the kids, and my office that nobody knows is there!

One thing you are bad at? Skiing- snow & water

One thing you are good at? Planning a trip!

What is one thing you would change about your circumstances? I would love to have all 3 of my kiddos under one roof!

Who would you like to meet? W - he rocks

What is the hardest part of your job? Everything! We are sooo busy, it just stays CRAZY!

When are you most relaxed? When the kids are asleep!

What stresses you out? B-R-A-D-E-N

What can you not live without? Money

Why do you blog? So people can get a good chuckle, and to show off my beautiful, talented, amazing kids!

Who do you tag? Katie Butts and Jennifer Harris

Hello, Goodbye!

Well, I had a great weekend in Dallas! Jessica (my co-worker) & I flew to Dallas on Friday for Sorority Market & had great success! We got alot done & had some fun too! After a shopping spree in Plano, I took her to the airport Saturday night & then my friend, Jennifer Garner Dickens, came & got me & we went to meet up with Victoria Patel & some of her friends for dinner & drinks! I went home to stay with Victoria so that I could attend her daughter, Leila's very 1st dance recital! As most of you know, Leila is Braden's #1 girl & is definitely tied with Ashley, who is Jennifer's daughter! We had a busy weekend, but loved seeing all of the kiddos! I stuck around until late Monday, and then came home, just to say "hello & goodbye" to Boo Boo as he is now packing to leave for Houston today for 2 days for some meetings! Poor Braden & Baryn, they are so confused as to why we are all leaving! 1st Dan & Sylvia, then me, now Chad!

And I want to wish Bubba a Happy Happy Old person Birthday! Have a good one! Have you noticed that I am still not catching up to you?

Did you see my boy? Yea, he is 5!

My boy, had a great year on the 7-8 year old team! He can barely read, but he can sure play a hell of a game of baseball! We are so proud! Can you tell?

My Girls!

Last night was so much fun! In honor of my hush hush birthday, one of my girlfriends got a group of girls together & we all went out for dinner & drinks! It was a great group of girls who usually don't go out for one reason! Kids & the lack of ability to leave them with their spouses! They all have 2 kids under the age of 2 & so that explains that! Two little ones are hard, especially when they are twins, in Janai's case!

We laughed about how our husbands have to have back up! We don't get back up! So what the deal? You know my husband is very good with the kiddos, I DO have to give him props, but whenever I am at league or out with friends, he is over at his parent's house. When I am out of town for the weekend, he is over there! Well, Well, Well "Boo Boo"! I am going out of town on Friday & WONT BE BACK TIL MONDAY AT 5! Whoo Hoo! I can't wait! Oh & by the way, your parents will be out of town for the 1st time, at the same time as me!!!! Good Luck!

Back to my Girlfriends...they are the best & I am so glad that they are in my life! Vickie, Laura & Jennifer I have known since high school, but not really "known" til I moved back to Midland & Janai fits in perfect to our group since she is married to a Midland guy! We all laughed & joked about the same people from way back when, we even have all shared the same scrawny, trashy but hottie mover! (not a "butt" hottie) What are the chances! Even Janai is way in the loop! I sure do miss her at work since she had her boys, but I will settle for a dinner date!

So, Thanks girls for a great evening! I am sorry that it takes something like a birthday for all of us to get together, but our guys have proven that it can be done, even if they have to call in for reinforcement, so let's do it again, REAL SOON!

LOVES Y'ALL!

Ups & Downs!

Last week has been a lot of ups & downs! Sunday was my notoriously hard mother's day, & then the next day was my "Really over 3o" birthday! It was going well as long as nobody knew! Then my dear friend, Jennifer Garner Dickens over at Bon Bons & Boo Boos http://daysofdickens.blogspot.com/ from Plano decided to reminisce about our longtime friendship! I was in tears! Several of you readers, decided to be nosey & see what she was about, and found out my little secret of having a birthday! Our friendship has grown so much since college! She & I became close when Kirby was way too busy for her Midland friends at A&M! We have had so many laughs! We do alot of Girls Trips & this has become our saving grace! We are soooo different, yet so much alike! She has always been there for me & I love this about her! So here is my props to my dear friend,........ I love you lots & thanks for always being there for me! and by the way, my son wants to marry your daughter, but only if he can keep Leila Patel in the picture! He loves her, too! He is male!

So, One day is sad yet happy and then the next is happy, yet sad! Welcome to my world!

I will work on having happier bloggings since many of you have commented on my "My Normal" section! My life is such the entertainment, usually, so I will try to keep it that way! Hope all of you have a great holiday weekend! We are having homecation & it ROCKS!

This Aggie Showed them Up!

So, a couple of weeks ago Chad & I received an email that the new Baylor football coach was coming out to Midland for a Dinner and to sign up to attend. I emailed a friend of mine who went to Baylor, as well as her husband to see if they wanted to go. I didn't want to be the youngest ones there like back in 1998, when Chad & I were the youngest by 40 years! I called on Monday (the deadline for reservations) and the lady told me, they were sold out! SOLD OUT? How many Baylor people could there be in Midland? Apparantly, more than we thought! So Chad, the actual Baylor Grad, decided, that since there were so many so people going, then, maybe he should be there! But they were full, so he called to the Country Club & got them to call Waco for one of their members, to get tickets.....and so we did!

So we go tonight, a great date night, and they have a great turnout! HUGE! Could of been bigger, but not enough room. So, they send all their real important people up to talk & gather the troops to get excited about the new Football Coach, Art Briles. Very nice West Texan! He is going to lead the Bears to a Bowl game! Yippee! So they go throughout the night having Trivia questions, & all I want is a darn Football for Little Man! These questions are how many yards did so & so run in his first game in 1972? I WASN'T EVEN BORN! So how am I suppose to get a stinkin' football? As I am telling Chad that he better win me a football, the last question of the evening was... When is the opening football game & against whom? WELL! Since I am a planner, It is Braden's 6th Birthday weekend & I already have reservations for that Game & have done my research, as well as Pre-planned my already ordered Christmas Card Picture around this particular game, I raised my hand ever so quick, and answered..."Even though I am an Aggie, I am proud to say that it is Wake Forest on August 28th!" Whoooo Hoooo! I just won Bee Dub a football! Yeah! Then we were able to get Coach Briles to sign it, as well as Walter Abercrombie, who was some Big Wig Running Back from the 1982 Championship Team! Then one of my customer's son is going to signthat I met over Spring Break, as he is a current player on the Team, Sam Sledge.

On the way home, I was so giddy about this ball that the Aggie won at the Baylor Dinner for my Little Man! As we were discussing when to give Braden the ball, tonight or for his Birthday, Chad said, "I am gonna put this in my office!" It has Braden's name on it from Walter, but Chad is taking it to work! I told Bee Dub when we got home, that this football will be his the day he gets accepted to Baylor! I will get him something really big when he gets into A&M! We have 13 more years!

Have a great day!

My Normal!

On this Mother's Day, I reflect on what has become "normal" to me.

• Normal for me is trying to decide what to take to the cemetary for Christmas, birthday,Valentine's day, and Easter.
• Normal is that extra choclate Easter bunny sitting on the counter because you always get your children a choclate bunny, and this year you still bought one for the one who is not here.
• Normal is taking a happy family trip to Disneyland or Disney World and wanting for your kids to experience everything that makes them happy, because you know that your angel would of had the same expressions.
• Normal is avoiding the cemetary side of town, cause it causes so much pain just to see the area.
• Normal is questioning if you are the only one feeling like this?
• Normal is going everyday with your family not understanding why you are so different, but you know that it is not their fault they dont understand.
• Normal is trying to stay so busy that you dont have a second to think about what happened.
• Normal is trying to avoid a funeral for fear of you being more upset than the immediate family of the deceased.
• Normal is feeling like you can't sit another minute without getting up and screaming cause you just don't like to sit through church anymore. And yet feeling like you have more faith and belief in God than you ever have had before.
• Normal is going to bed feeling like your kids who are alive got cheated out of happy cheerful parents and instead they are stuck with sober, cautious people.
• Normal is having tears waiting behind every smile when you realize someone important is missing from all the important events in your families' life.
• Normal is not sleeping very well because a thousand 'what if's' and 'why didn't I's' go through your head constantly.
• Normal is having the TV on the minute you wake up and the last thing on before you go to sleep at night,the need for noise because the silence is deafening.
• Normal is being afraid of your death at the same time of being okay with it since you will get to go see your angel again.
• Normal is every happy event in my life always being backed up with sadness lurking close behind because of the hole in my heart.
• Normal is telling the story of your babies death as if it were an everyday common place activity and then gasping in horror at how awful it sounds, and yet realizing it has become part of our normal.
• Normal is each year coming up with the difficult task of how to honor your child's memory and their birthday, and trying to find the balloon or flag that fits the occasion. Happy Birthday? Not really.
• Normal is not having a joyous anniversary since it is your angel's birthday. How can you be happy on a sad day?
• Normal is being impatient with everything, but someone who is stricken with grief over the loss of their child.
• Normal is your child already knowing about death since the age of 3.
• Normal is a new friendship with another grieving mother and meeting for coffee and talking and crying together over our children and our new lives.
• Normal is crying at every program your child is in because you know that your angel could of been up there singing and dancing, but he's not.
• Normal is explaining to your child's teachers at a religious school that if they talk about Heaven, then expect to hear about a brother whom they have never met, and to believe that child, cause he is telling the truth.
• Normal is trying to explain to people why I talk about my angel so much, and not having them feel uncomfortable.
• Normal is forcing yourself to spend Holidays with other family members, though all you want to do is be with your kids and husband.
• Normal is being so excited to have your third child but still wanting your second back.
• Normal is not wanting friends to tiptoe around you when discussing kids or pregnancy.
• Normal is not having patience with your oldest because they don't understand why they shouldn't take things for granted.
• Normal is having people call your son by your angel's name by accident and then reassuring them that it is okay, cause it really is, because that means that they think of him too.
• Normal is being happy, but so fearful of someone who has just told me that they are pregnant.
• Normal is trying not to be pissed off when someone says that they have experienced death of a close family member like a parent who was elderly and had a FULL life, and saying that they understand. NOT REALLY!
• Normal is seeing the funeral home employee around town and wondering what he is thinking of you, since he watched you dress & hold your angel while trying to stay calm for his sake.
• Normal is having your husband walk into a room, notice that your eyes are puffy and him knowing exactly why you have been crying.
• Normal is wondering this time whether you are going to say you have 2 or 3 children because you will never see this person again and it is not worth explaining that one of them is in heaven. And yet when you say only 2 to avoid that problem you feel horrible as if you have betrayed that child.
• Normal is trying to explain to your child that their brother is in heaven, but we go see him at the cemetary.
• And last of all normal is hiding all the things that have become normal for you to feel, so that everyone around you will think that you are "normal" and you havent changed, but you really have.

I have always been the happy friend & the outgoing person, So this is probably your first time to see the real me since August 1, 2005. These things are what is 'normal' for me now.

What the HECK?

After my post yesterday, here is how my day went...

• get to work around noon (running errands before then & got 2 kids off to school clean & dressed!)
• answer cell phone at 1:15- Braden has 101 temp, come get him at school
• Pick up Braden with possible strep - per Nurse Hodge
• Get a sno-cone (always makes you better)
• come home to take a nap ( Braden, not me)
• Baryn catches ride home with Grandma, time for nap
• Braden's temp elevates and he starts shaking, so time to cuddle up with mommy
• cater, cater, cater, love on, love on, love on ( He was so sweet sick, for like the 1st time)
• watch Baryn in one room, tend to Braden in another
• put Baryn & Braden down, Baryn wakes up screaming numerous times (2nd night in a row for a kiddo who never wakes up once put down since she was 9 weeks old)
• Braden up throughout the night throwing up uncontrollably
• wash, wash, wash, get no sleep, change sheets, change sheets, change sheets, get no sleep
• Braden up at 6:30am, cuddles in bed with mommy (2 hours early for him & ME)
• feed, dress & get 2 kids out door to Drs. (Braden had appt., Baryn was convienently worked in)
• 2 sick kids, 2 prescriptions to Walgreens
• Chick fil A (makes everything better)
• Mommy had quick meeting at her store
• LONG nap for kiddos while mommy gets work done via computer & phone at home
• clean house a little
• Dinner & play time (feeling better) followed by 7 pm bed time
• Grandma sits while Grandpa & Mommy goto Hospital to see Uncle Bob & Grocery store
• Baryn awake crying, calm down & put back down (only does this when sick)
• 9pm hasn't come a minute too soon, sit & write on Blog & take it EASY!

This wasn't so much for all of you, as it is for my significant other who is able to get a full night's sleep, comfortably at a posh hotel with NO Screaming, Puking, Pooping, Hungry, Whiney Kids FOR 5 DAYS straight!

• I love you Chad, but get your ASS home!!!

Just a quick post!

I just wanted to keep everyone up to date with what is going on!! Last week was busy busy busy! The store is constantly crazy with customers, Baryn is on the go, Braden is suceeding greatly at school and at Baseball, & Chad and I are still married, so not much change in our lives!!! Tuesday, I started feeling an erie feeling in my stomach and just didn't know what it was, by Saturday, I was miserable & then Sunday, I felt like I was hit by a mack truck trying to recover! I still don't feel up to par, but I am coping! I really don't have a choice as Chad has left us again!! He went to Denver to try to help fulfill my retail therapy addiction I have! ( He went to make some sales) Sales=money in my pocket! My Mantra is "As long as I keep spending, I keep him motivated!" Sale, Sale, Sale Boo Boo! He won't be back until Thursday, just in time for Bee Dub's game!

Yesterday was Uncle Bob's surgery to remove his Prostate Cancer, and as of 8pm last night, everything went well. For those of you Midlanders, this is Bobby Duke's dad who is our closest "family member" that my family has. Mom & Dad were at the hospital for 8 hours yesterday & will be there again, today. I was just too weak from my bug to go, plus Monday, I juggle 2 kids so I did not get to make it. I will go & check on all of them today. Thank you for all of your prayers & calls! This is just an erie reminder of Dan's 2 prostate cancer surgeries, as well as his colon cancer surgery. He is doing well & so I have all the faith in the world that Uncle Bob will pull out just fine, like a Marine!!

Did I say "quick?" oh yeah.... That is about the catch up for this week! I will report back soon!