A pain in the back:(

Ok, on Wednesday, the kids had a snow day! Fine, while they played, I snow blowed and shoveled. Everything was fine. We built forts and igloos and had a good time. The kids played outside longer in the snow than they do during the summer...go figure! The next day, I get up, get the kids ready for school, and then I take them to school, everything is still fine. I come back home, eat some breakfast, and watch some TV. Now the fun begins! I go downstairs to wash my hair and as I am bent over the sink, my back just doesn't feel right. After I finish my hair and stand up..BAM it hits me hard, I pulled something in my lower back.

I try to go back up the stairs, which takes a long time and I tell my mom somethings not right. I go and sit down on the couch. It's uncomfortable but tolerable at this point. I go to rub my eyes and what happens? My glasses break!! Great, now not only can I not walk well, I can't see either! These are the only glasses that I have, so I slowly get ready to go to the eyeglass place and see about getting them fixed.

When I get to the store, I barely make it across the parking lot. I walk like a grandma, but I make it and they can only super glue my glasses and tell me how much it costs to get new ones. great, what a pain!. I finally make it back to the car and when I get home I cry because it hurts so bad. So, for the rest of the day, I lay on the couch with two heating pads on my back and try to get comfortable. The story gets better, so stay with me.

Around 6pm, I can't take it anymore and I ask my mom if she has anything that might help. She gives me a low dose muscle relaxer. So, I take it. About a half hour later, I get up to go to the bathroom and when I get to the door, my legs give out and I yell for my mom as I hit the floor. I pass out(which happens to me alot) for a few mins and when I wake up, my mom talks to me and ask if I'm okay. For some reason, I can't feel my legs, which freaks me out and makes me cry harder and my mom freaks out and calls an ambulance. As many times as an ambulance has come and got me, I should own my own! Anyway, they cart me off on a backboard and I leave my house screaming all the way, because they are jerking me all over and the pain is horrible and I still can't feel my legs. They feel like weights! I was scared to death. Turns out, I had a bad reaction to what my mom gave me. When I got to the er they gave me morphine, which made me feel wonderful and forget about my back! They tell me it's my siatic nerve being pinched. Boy it hurts!!

So, now for the last three days, I have been laid up on the couch, on pain meds and trying to get better. So, thanks for hanging in there for my story for today.

Don't forget to spring forward tonite.

The Reunion Part 2

Well, the reunion was fun. I'm not sure how many were there but I know it wasn't even half our class. The same people got together in their groups just like the old days. The skinny got fat and the guys got bald and some had receding hairlines. Some people are very successful in their careers and some are SAHM's. Some are divorced and remarried, the high school sweethearts are still married, and almost all of them that were their have children. Maybe at our 30yr. reunion some will have grandchildren!

Three of our classmates have passed away. Two were by suicide and one was by illness. Alot of our classmates are MIA. I wish a few more would have showed up. Five people in our class have served our country and have made it back. I thanked them for their sacrifice.

All in all it was a good night and I enjoyed it. Here are a few pictures.


Melissa, Leslie, and Amy

Kelly Kent

Amy Hodge(my BF in HS and Marvins cousin)

My Sweetheart!!

Twenty Years 1988-2008

Okay, tonight is my 20 year high school reunion! I can't believe that I have been out of school for that long. I hate the fact that I'm getting older. I wish I could go back and be that kid again, younger. High school was not really important to me at that time. I blew it off and never worked to my potential. I barely made it to graduation because my grades were so bad. I have report cards from way back and I can't believe I was that stupid. If I was given the chance to go back in time and change one thing I would go back to high school and work hard and get the grades I needed to go to college.

I am looking forward to tonight to see people that I graduated with. I haven't seen most of them since our 10 yr. reunion. We were still finding our place in this world. Some of the people that are coming our people that caused me hurt and pain. But, as a Christian, I am forgiving and if God sees that I need to talk to these people, I pray that he gives me the strength.

I will post tomorrow and let you know how it went. Here is my graduation picture.

My 8yr. old babies!

My Twins turned 8 yrs old on Feb. 16th. It's hard to believe that they have grown that much. It really does seem like yesterday that we brought them home. When they were born, we could hardly tell them apart and now they are so different. We are so blessed with 4 beautiful, happy, and healthy children and we are doubly blessed to have twins. It's so cool to be a mom of twins! They are the last of my children and even though it was really touch at times, I would not trade it for anything. They have helped me grow as a mom and have given me so much. They are still buddies and sometimes have seperation anxiety when they are away from each other. They are so different in their personalities. Lauren is very passive and caring and compassionate. She loves to clean and really loves High School Musical. Lyndsey on the other hand is very dominate and is part girly-girl and part tomboy. She likes to be alittle bossy but Lauren puts her back in line by telling her SHE is the oldest.



So, Happy 8th. Birthday Girls! We love you very much.

PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!

Tonight was one of the best nights I've had in a long time. My daughter, Ashlee, has been going through some rough times over the last month. When she goes to bed, she comes back to me crying, and not knowing why. For those of you that know Ashlee, know that is not like her. She has always been a happy kid but something was going on and it was very frustrating. She was a mess and I was so scared because I didn't know what to do. It was like she was being tormented. I would pray with her at night and she would be able to calm down and fall asleep.

Well, tonight was the same thing. She was crying really hard and telling me she hated what was happening so we went into my bed and I laid down with her and I told her I would pray for her again, so I did. After I prayed, I began to talk to her about how much Jesus loved her and that He is there with her and after a few minutes of talking to her, she said she wanted Jesus to save her! So right there in bed together, she prayed to receive Christ! She hugged me tight and said thank you mom, I feel so much better and I feel Jesus. After we talked a little more, she fell asleep.

Praise the Lord for his answer to prayer! At church on Sunday morning, we prayed for family that was not saved and I said my girls and two days later, Ashlee was saved. I am so happy!

Before and After

Today, Matthew got his braces off! He wore them for almost a year(11 1/2 months) His teeth look so good. Their straight and white and look awesome. He now has to wear two retainers for 2 years. Here are the before and after pictures.

Welcome to 2008

Wow, another year is here! I am a little behind in my blogging but I'm back and ready to go.

Let me back track to Christmas Eve...First, about a week before Christmas my family was thrown for a loop when some news was shared with the family and trust was broken. So, I did a lot of crying that week and asked God for some wisdom and direction and He came through for me and the situation is being worked out and I hope that the trust can be rebuilt. So fast forward to Christmas Eve. My Mom, and sister, and I with Matthew, Ashlee, and Lauren went to my Sister-in-law's, mother's house to have dinner.(Marvin was home with Lyndsey, who was sick)It was a great time with alot of good food. Our church was having its first "baptist mass" at midnight, so we started to head home so we could go to the service. It was cold and icy as we were walking to the truck and I told Matthew to walk with "Memaw" so she wouldn't fall. So, everyone was in the truck, and I was getting in the truck and I had one foot in and my other foot slipped out from under me and I fell backwards, I couldn't grab on to anything so I fell right down on my back and my head hit the pavement and I knocked my self completely OUT!!! Everybody freaked out and came running to me. My brother said I was out for at least 5 minutes, so they called an ambulance and I woke up strapped down to a backboard with all these firemen around me and I was taken to the hospital. Did I mention that I was in Sterling Heights and was taken to some hospital in the boonies? My mom rode in the ambulance and my brother took the kids home and gave Marvin his GPS so he could get to me. It was CRAZY!!! I didn't have any of the kids presents wrapped so my sister did it all for me. So, I ended up with a concussion, and I slept alot the next few days.

It's always something with me. I have ridden in an ambulance so many times I should drive one! So, New Years Eve was uneventful except for the HUGE snowflakes. We went to Malinda's for some DDR, and Guitar Hero competitions. It was alot of fun.

So, I am not making any resolution's this year. It's a waste of time. I am on the weight watcher plan again and I am once again working hard to get in shape. My 20 year high school reunion is at the end of Feb. and I refuse to go looking the way I do now!

During the kids' Christmas break, my dad took all of us to the FRIDGE. It's in Oakland County and it's a outdoor, frozen toboggan run. The kids had a blast, so here are a few pictures of the fun.

Kimberly Marrs Vincent..one year later

This is my cousin, Kimberly Marrs Vincent. On Sunday, it will be one year that she passed away tragically from an accident in her home. When I see her picture, I still can't believe someone so pretty and young and full of life is gone. Her twin boys, Brett and Dylan, have had their 4th birthday since she died and her husband, Terry has faced all the "firsts" since she has been gone. I know that he is still grieving and will grieve for along time so remember him and the boys this week and pray for strength. I catch up with Terry on the computer every now and then and he seems to be doing as well as he can but I know he misses her terribly.

Remember to cherish your loved ones during this CHRISTmas and love them and hold them close, because we don't know what tomorrow may bring. And remember too that is "Merry CHRISTmas", not Happy Holidays. Keep CHRIST in CHRISTmas!!!

Alzheimer's SUCKS!!!

I believe, without a doubt,that one of the worst disease's you can get is Alzheimer's.

Imagine waking up one day and not remembering your loved one's name, how to tie your shoe, how to talk, how to walk, how to go to the bathroom, how to communicate what you want...that's what Alz. does. It robs you of everyday things we take for granted. I have experienced Alz. first hand when it reared it's ugly head at my in-laws. Marvin's parents were struck by this dreaded disease and it eventually took their lives. It sucked! They were the best people you could have met. Marvin's children, Vivian's children, and Kenneth's children were robbed of the best grandparents in the world, who would have loved them and spoiled them. Everyday, I wish they were still here, so they could see them grow up and to make memories with them. But God needed them more and I know they are walking with their Lord right now, and that's what makes me smile.

So, today at church, it was announced that one of our beloved members, is in the first stage of dementia and Alz. That SUCKS!!!! He is one of the sweetest, kindest, nicest men in the world. He would do anything for anybody and is very well loved and respected. He is a Godly man, husband, father and deacon. He has always been an encourager and helper and rock.It tears me up to know that someone so special is struggling now. I ask myself why? Why does this happen to good people? Why does it have to happen at all? Why? Why? Why? I am going to ask God that when I see Him face to face. I'm angry! Cancer is treatable, Diabetes is treatable, weight problems are treatable! Why can't this be treatable? Nothing can be done to stop this from happening and it makes me mad!

So, please pray for my friend, Dale and his family, as they deal everyday with this and they will put all their faith and trust in the Lord and that He will care for them and their needs.

Remember too, to tell your loved ones how much you love them and make happy memories and love and forgive and be kind to one another.

Money, Money, Money

Okay, for those of you that know me really well, you know that I have never been a good steward of my finances. I have had a money problem most of my life. As the years have gone by, it has got worse and I take full responsibility for it. I have done some pretty bad things because of my money issues, such as lying to my husband, my parents and to myself. It is so true that the LOVE of money is the root of all evil. I guess you can say I have a love/hate relationship w/ money. I love it when I have it and hate it when I don't. I look back and I see how much money I have wasted over the years and I probably could send at least one of my kids to college!

My parents have bailed me out more times than I can count and If it wasn't for them, I would be out in the street. I have literally made my dad cry because of the messes I have gotten myself into. That broke my heart to see what I have done to him. For that I am truly sorry.

Last year I was diagnosed as bi-polar. My doctor says even though that's what I am I can still be normal. People are under the misconception that because you are bipolar you are crazy. I know for a fact that I am not crazy yet.(lol) I will though be on meds for the rest of my life, partly because of it being hereditary and partly because of anxiety. One of the actions of being bipolar is over spending,impulse shopping, the need to have money and a bunch of other things. I am not saying all this to justify my problem but to know that there is I reason that I do what I do. In the last week, I have faced the fact that I can't have the control of the money in my family. I have finally given that responsibility to Marvin. I made him open up a separate account and I am going to close up our other account so I can't have access to it unless I go through him first. When you help someone who is an alcoholic, you take the alcohol away, I have a money problem so I am taking the money away from myself. I have a loving, supportive husband who will do anything for me and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him.

It's going to be hard and I may be a bit hard to deal with at home but I know that my family is there to support me, to love me and to pray for me.

That's what's on my heart today. Thanks for listening!!

Pep Band

Matthew plays the snare drum and joined the pep band at school. Last Friday, he marched in the Homecoming Parade for Allen Park High School for the first time. Marvin and I were so excited. My parents came to watch him and Malinda and Tyler were there and so was Jennifer and the kids. (They didn't just come for Matthew:)

When he came around the corner I took pictures while Marvin videoed. Matt saw us and gave a small smile, the kind like he was embarrassed but glad to see us there. I got a little teary eyed, I was so excited and proud!!! Marvin ended up following him all the way down Champaign! Do you think he was proud too!?! It was a lot of fun. Here are some pics.

I didn't cry

Well, the kids all got off to school and I didn't even cry when Matthew went off to middle school. They were all excited and ready to go so Marvin and I took them and dropped them off and then we went to breakfast and enjoyed time alone together.
I Hope Matthew is doing okay. He is the only one I'm worried about. I won't know until 4 today because he has cross country practice after school.

Middle School Boy

So, today I take my little boy (He seems little to me) to the middle school to get his schedule. I tear up thinking that just yesterday he was in my lap drinking a bottle and now he is going into junior high! As we are walking through the school, we are in small groups with 8th graders giving tidbits of information about the school, I watch my little boy turn into a young man growing up and me unable to stop it. Where did all the time go? Gosh, it's so true that they grow up before you know it and if your not paying attention you'll miss it. I need to cherish him more and appreciate the young man that he is becoming.

So, next Wednesday when I take him to school, I will try to hold it all in until he is out of the car and waking into that big building, then I will let the tears fall to know that my little boy is growing up.

My life

Sometimes I wish I could go back and redo my life. I have so many regrets and made many mistakes that I wish I could take back. I went to a funeral today and some of the things that were said really made me think.

One of the things that was talked about was Proverbs 31. If you are familiar with the bible then you know it talks about what a wife should be. Boy, do I fall short! I wish I could be half that kind of wife. I decided that I am going to try harder to be that kind of person.

Do you ever think about your funeral? I know it sounds morbid but it happens to all of us at some point. I always wonder who will come and what they will say about me. Will people that I hurt remember the hurt or will they remember the good. I once heard somewhere that the date of our birth and the date of our death doesn't really matter. What matters is the dash in between. How we lived our life and if we loved and cared about people. I want people to remember me by a person who tried to do her best and tried to be someone who cared about people. I want my family to know how special each one of them is to me and how much I loved them. I want my friends to remember the good times we've had and the laughter that we shared. Not the times where I might have said the wrong things and hurt them and didn't realize it or apologize.

My husband and my children are the reason I go on each day. I don't know where I'd be today if it wasn't for Marvin. He has been the best husband I could have ever asked for. He is a great father to my kids. I have taken him for granted so many times. I truly am blessed to have him in my life.

My children. I can say so much about them and how each one of them is special to me.
Matthew, my firstborn and my only son. I had him for two years before I had Ashlee and it was so much fun. He and I were buddies. We did everything together while Marvin was at work. He is so much like Marvin. It is sweet to see them together.
Ashlee. She was a perfect baby. Always happy and smiling. She was the first girl in the family after my niece, Amber died, so it was a blessing to have her. Lauren and Lyndsey, the twins. That is special enough! Being a mother to twins is a blessing in itself. They are so close to each other and it is neat to see them interact. I always tell Lyndsey that she will always be my baby because she was the last one out! She laughs when I tell her that.

Well, I'm not sure where all this came from, I just started typing what was on my heart. That's what a blog is all about. I guess my main point was to live life to the fullest and make every moment count and try to live with no regrets. Be loving and kind to one another and Love the Lord will all your heart.

The good ole days of Summer

I thought this was interesting. My kids can never find anything to do! When i was a kid most things on this list was true. I wish i could go back to that time and be a kid again.


TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because,
WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or chat rooms.......
WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

If YOU are one of them?CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.
While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were.
Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!