Finding a Diet!!! One that works!

OK so I have been on the net for a good part of the day today trying to research diets that actually work. I am trying to find something that will work for me but something that I know I can/will stick to. I have read up on the South Beach Diet as well as the 1000 calorie diet/1200 calorie diet. This is one of the hardest parts I think is finding something that actually works! I am open for ideas!!!

Pics of Josh's wrist!

This was the gash that wrapped around his wrist! It took 11 stitches.

The little gash at the top cut all the way to the tendon but thank the Lord it didn't actually cut the tendon itself. It took 2 stitches I think. Then the gash on the right the doctor had to do a skin graft on and it took 10 stitches. The gash on the left took 10 staples and the little hole at the top left took 1 stitch. His arm looked aweful and was bleeding like crazy.

Here is the finished product of the gash around the wrist...11stitches later.

Finished product of all the other lacerations. In all there were 24 stitches and 10 staples!!! It was rough. I am about to call and check on him this morning.

An Interesting Night...to say the least!!!

Well what can I say...last night was definitely interesting. Josh and I were sitting outside on the picnic table talking and he came inside and shut the door, well it didn't shut good (the lovely part about an old house) and out of the corner of his eye he saw it coming back open at him. Out of instinct he just put his hand up to push it back closed and his hand went through the glass pane. Now, if you know anything about old houses, you know how thin the glass is and how easy it is to break. I have been concerned about that door for a while b/c you just about have to slam it to shut it. I have been worried that the panes were going to break one time when the kids were shutting it. Anyway he sliced his hand open REALLY bad!!! I will post pics. I had to get his hand wrapped so he could apply pressure and he almost passed out on me. Then I had to get all the glass up so the kids and the dog wouldn't get in it. By the time I got him to the hospital it was aobut 8:40. They came in and looked at it and wrapped it so the bleeding would stop. The doctor was trying to clear out some patients so he could work on Josh but we couldn't understand why. The doctor started stitching him up about 10:45 I think and didn't get finished until about 20 min after 12. Then we realized why he needed to clear everyone else out...it took over an hour. We got home around 1 or so but didn't get to sleep until about 2 something. In the end he had 24 stitches and 10 staples. I will post pics on here.

So much to do...

...and so little time to do it in. Ugh...I feel like I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I have our little get-a-way this weekend, then I have to take care of Eli's tuition next week for school, then we have to go register him on my birthday, then we have VBS later that week. July is going to be a VERY BUSY month for us. In a way I hate that because it just means that it will pass by that much quicker and I just don't want to rush my baby starting school. I really am not sure how I am going to handle this one. I don't want to cry and make a fool of myself but it is just SO emotional. I will tell you just how hard it is, Josh is even struggling with it. He just can't wrap his mind around the fact that Eli is no longer a "baby". He is such a big boy. Like last night he went in the kitchen and poured all of us a glass of tea. He does chores...like making his bed, folding clothes, loading/unloading the dishwasher. It's aweful...and there is absolutely NOTHING I can do about it.

Anyway...enough about that before I cry sitting here at the computer!!! LOL! Work is beginning to pick up so I have been pretty busy there. I love having a job that is full-time but I only work 4dys a week. It is so great to still get those 3dys a week with the kids and still get a full-time paycheck. I sometimes think I would like to go back to being a stay-at-home mom but then I remember how BORED I used to get sitting in the house looking at those same walls day in and day out. My 3dys a week are plenty for me! Sure I could clean...but come on, you can only clean SO much! Trust me I know...lol. That's why I feel I have the best of both worlds...I am still a working mom that gets to spend almost 1/2 the week with my kids. It's great!

My next project is to lose weight!!! Haha...yeah I know I have tried that SO many times before. However this time, for health reasons, I HAVE to be successful. My health is OUT OF CONTROL. I am only 26 (nope not quite 27 yet) and some days I feel like I am 40 something. Not that 40 something is old it's just older than I should feel. Anyway, I am going to start walking in the evenings and eating MUCH healthier. So instead of a New Year's Resolution, I am making a Birthday Resolution since my birthday is less than 3wks away. I am going to lose back down to AT LEAST the size I was when I got married, if not the size I was in highschool. I AM DETERMINED!!! I want to be able to keep up with my kids and at this rate there is no way that is happening.

Well until next time, have a blessed and awesome day!

SCHOOL!

Well in just a matter of a little more than 5 weeks, my babies will be starting school and preschool. I just don't know how to feel about that! Eli will be in 1st grade and will be actually going to school instead of homeschooling. Wow! Amazing that he is already in 1st grade! I can't believe it. Now I am shopping around for uniforms and getting ready to register him. Man, my babies are getting too big! Well, I guess it's something that I better get used to, right? I just don't have babies anymore...:(!

Holiday Weekend!

Finally a holiday falls on a Saturday! Josh is actually going to get off on a Saturday! I can't believe it! Well we have planned to go to Memphis Friday evening when he gets off and spend the night at my Dad & Angel's and spend Saturday with them. I am excited because we don't get to see them much! Daddy has already bought fireworks which I am sure will be huge! He doesn't really know how to do small things...lol! For instance, he went to the store a few months ago to buy a "FEW" tomato plants. He got there and picked up 5 cartons of plants. Well when he gets home he realizes that there are 9 plants in each carton. Therefore, he has purchased 45 yes 45 tomato plants...LOL! I laughed my head off when I found out. And YES he planted them ALL. I think 2 died but the rest are fine. WOW...is he going to have some tomatoes on his hands. Haha! Anyway we are looking forward to a good time with family!

It's been a while!!!

I know it's been a LONG time since I updated but I am back. We have had a busy few weeks! I think the last time I wrote we were transforming the LAB at church into a kids/youth sanctuary. Well that is completed and it looks awesome! The kids were so excited and have thoroughly enjoyed the new space!!!

Since then a lot has been going on. We had our fundraiser at the end of May for VBS this year. Olan Mills came and took pictures and we sold certificates for $10 each. It was a HUGE success! Best fundraiser ever! I will post the pics we had made...they were GREAT!

The past few weeks for sure have been VERY hectic. The week of Thunder on Water, Connor got sick. We took him to the doctor that Tuesday and they said he had an Upper Respiratory Infection and he had to have a breathing treatment. They put him on antibiotics and cough meds. Well the fever progressively got worse and he stopped eating and drinking. The fever would go up and down so we waited a while since he was already on antibiotics before we took him back to the doctor. By Sunday, his fever was 103.8 and just wouldn't come down. We took him to the weekend clinic at his doctor's office. They said it was Strep. He couldn't culture it b/c the lab isn't open on the weekends so he was going by just looking at it. It had all the signs of Strep so he gave him a shot of Rocephen(sp?) and changed his antibiotics. He said that if he wasn't MUCH better Monday to bring him back in.

Well Monday came and he was not better. He was just crying with his throat and wouldn't eat or drink anything. My mom took him back in to the doctor's office Monday and his doctor decided he needed to go in the hospital. She said he was dehydrated and they needed to start IV fluids and antibiotics. When we got in the hospital they ran bloodwork. We spent the night in the hospital and he seemed to be doing better the next day. When his doctor came in she told us that when they did the bloodwork, they found out he has Mono and not Strep. It looks like Strep as far as the throat symptoms go but it is viral which means antibiotics do not help. In fact, sometimes they can do more harm than good. We got to come home but he is on limited activity b/c Mono can cause swelling of the organs and they can rupture if he falls or gets hit hard enough. No riding bikes, wrestling, etc for at least two weeks. And because his immune system is down he can't have his school vaccinations for the next two months. However, he did have a checkup last Friday and she said that his throat was MUCH better! Praise the Lord! He is quickly getting back to his old self! We are believing for a quick recovery!!!

Well I guess that is it for the updates! Maybe it won't be so long before I write again. Here are some recent pics of the family...enjoy!!!

Wow...it's already MAY...I can't believe it!!! Well another month has passed and it never ceases to amaze me how quickly they fly by. Great things are happening!!! They are in the process of knocking walls out and transforming our new worship area for CLICK and J29 which are the children and student ministries at church. It's going to be GREAT!!! Tomorrow I am going up there to help paint. I am so excited!

We are also having a fundraiser for CLICK. Olan Mills is coming to take portraits and for $10 you get a certificate that entitles you to a family 10x13 portrait or a "Just for Kids" package for ages 16 and under that includes 1-8x10, 2-5x7s, & 8 wallets. That's really good pricing for professional portraits especially by Olan Mills. The dates are May 29 & 30 and if anyone wants more information, they can email me at click4jesus@earthlink.net or CLICKKids@cableone.net.

Well Mother's Day is Sunday. Make sure to tell your mom or even those "mom" figures in your life just how much you appreciate them. There are those in our lives sometimes that aren't our "natural" mom but they have been present throughout our lives and been there for us when we needed them, so don't forget them this Mother's Day. I think of people who have lost their mother's every year on this day and I realize how blessed I am to have mine still here with me. God has blessed me in so many ways!

Well time to rally these troops and put them to bed...they are so wired so this may be a big job.

I have included a picture that my step-mom posted on her facebook...just got a kick out of it...I didn't even know she took this pic. Thought I would share it!

This was definitely one of the BEST days of my life! He had just come in on the plane from Iraq!

A Full Weekend!

Well we had a full weekend last weekend! Friday I went to Grenada with Josh, took him to work, then went to run some errands. I met Momma at Wal-Mart to pick up the boys. They had been in Memphis for a few days. We took them to ball practice that evening then went to the auction after that. Then Saturday the boys and I went back to Grenada with Josh where he dropped us off at my grandmother's on his way to work. We spent the day with her and ran some more errands while getting ready for my cousin's 17th birthday party. Danielle is going to be 17 Thursday...I just can't believe it! I will add some pics to this post that were taken at her party! We got home then went to my Aunt and Uncle's house to help my Aunt prepare for the party. We had a great time at the party. We grilled hamburgers and had rotel dip...yummy! Then of course we had cake and she opened her gifts. We spent the rest of the afternoon just enjoying the great weather! The boys went outside and played ball....football & baseball....if it's a ball my kids love it! They had a great time. We stayed outside until just after dark when the "skeeters" as we call them here in Mississippi started biting. We got home around 10 or so and we were beat! After church Sunday, Mimi (my grandmother) cooked lunch so we went over there and ate. Oh, it was so good. Chicken w/ chicken gravy baked in the oven, turnip greens, corn, mashed potatoes, butter peas, cornbread, and crescent rolls! It was wonderful!!!!! Then after eating we went outside AGAIN and watched as the boys...young and older played ball! then they brought out the 4-wheeler. Candace rode the boys around and while riding ran up on a snake! It was just a rat snake but still to me, a snake is a snake! My uncle killed it and of course had to bring it up to the house to show it off. YUK! We finally left there around 4 I guess and rested for the remainder of the day! Needless to say we were very tired Monday morning! I love all that family time though! There is nothing better than having all the family together to play games and just have a lot of fun! We should do it more often!

Danielle at her party! She will be 17 on Thursday- 4/9/09

Josh and I at Danielle's Party-4/4/09

Jerry and Chasity at Danielle's Party-4/4/09

Me and Chasity at the party-4/4/09

My baby girl, Pyper last night sitting on the back of the couch...her favorite spot-4/6/09

It's been a while!!!

Well it's been a while since I have written. I have had so much going on. We went on vacation the 1st of March. We went to Birmingham, AL and took the kids to the zoo there. They had a blast. And of course while we were there I HAD to visit the Galleria Mall. It is HUGE!!! Then we went up to Memphis to visit my dad, Angel and my brothers. We ended up going to the Memphis Zoo as well. Go figure! We had a GREAT time and it was good to just get away for a while! Josh had a good 2 wks of much needed time off. He wasn't ready to go back but who ever is after vacation time.

The boys are starting t-ball this month. They are supposed to have their 1st practice tonight if it doesn't rain it out. I am so excited. Eli was a little upset that he had to play t-ball for another year but I didn't want him to be the smallest one in the next league so we left him in t-ball. Plus he will be on the same team with Connor and it being Connor's 1st year I think that will be good.

I have been busy doing things for CLICK. We are getting things ready for VBS this summer. Believe it or not it's a LOT of work! I love every minute of it though. It's great! Well that's what has been going on with us. Will update again soon! Talk to you all later!!!

My Week in Review!!!

Well where do I start? I guess last Friday is the best place. The boys were in Memphis with Momma and I got a call 1st thing Friday morning around 6 that Connor had right at 103 temp. I met my mom at the dr's office and found out that he had what we were pretty sure was a viral infection but she gave us an antibiotic just in case he continued to complain with this ears and throat. Well Saturday rolled around and he started coughing. By Saturday night the fever was still going up to 103 and his cough had turned to a croupy sound. We got literally maybe an hour of sleep 10 min at a time Saturday night. Momma kept the boys here while Josh and I went to church. When we got home from church, Connor wasn't much better and it only got worse Sunday night. I had already been about 48 hrs at that point on about 2 hrs or so of sleep. Needless to say that didn't change much. Sunday night was even worse. He got to a point he couldn't breathe and was panicking and I was VERY close to taking him to the ER. We gave him some cough meds and took him into the bathroom with the steam going and he seamed to calm down some. The fever stayed up pretty much all night. First thing Monday morning I took him to the dr and that is when she said she wanted to admit him into the hospital. He wasn't breathing well and the cough was terrible. He was dehydrating and just wasn't well at all. We went straight over there and they had to take blood which was AWEFUL b/c he got so upset that he got short of breath and couldn't breathe. They gave him a breathing treatment and put him in the Oxygen tent. He was so pitiful and crying. I was alone at the time so it was all I could do not to break down with him. Josh was still at work. He had to work half the day b/c others were out and I promised him we were ok. In retrospect I think I let on that I was better than I was. Anyway the nurses wouldn't even start his IV right then b/c he was so short of breath. Once he calmed down they finally came in and started it. My grandmother came to be with me until Josh got there so that was good. It was still all I could do not to break down. He was just lethargic and very pitiful that first day but then seemed to pep up later that evening. Tuesday was a lot better but they still wanted to keep him one more night just to be sure he was on the uphill. Then came the worst...his IV became infiltrated so they had to remove it and start another. This was even worse than the first time. Luckily Josh was there but by this time I was so exhausted and emotional that him screaming "Please Mommy no" just broke me and I was crying right along with him. And it doesn't help that he has my vains and they roll and blow. It took two sticks that time and it took FOREVER. By the time it was over he could barely breathe and was crying so hard that I couldn't take it! Once I had him moderately calmed down, I broke!!! I had to go to the bathroom until I got myself together. He continued to improve and I sent Josh home Tuesday night so he could work Wednesday. I stayed by myself Wednesday night and he got even better and we got to come home Wednesday afternoon.

Wednesday morning however they called me at the hospital and said Eli had 103 temp. Momma took him to the dr and he has the same thing...THE CROUP!!! We have made a home-made tent at home. Last night though his fever went up to 104 so I was up half the night trying to get it down. We are working on getting Eli better now b/c I don't think my emotions or my body can handle any more hospital stays. Hopefully he will be better after today! Well that has been my week in review. I am needless to say COMPLETELY exhausted and TOTALLY ready for our vacation in a couple of weeks. If we can get the kids completely well, we plan to go to Birmingham, AL and take the kids to the zoo and stay in a hotel. They are SO excited!!!

Kids!!!

I love my boys!!! There is just nothing like coming home to them and having them run up to you and throw their arms around you. They act like they haven't seen you in weeks, when they jsut saw you the night before. They make my day!!! I love the sound of them playing(when they aren't fighting with one another...lol). I love the sound of them splashing in the bath tub. I love the sound of them saying their prayers at night. I wouldn't trade a thing for my babies. I would love to add a little girl to the mix but I am not sure what the chances of that are but oh well. I can't understand anyone who could abandon their kids. Mine have made my life so much more complete!!! I love my boys so much!

Been a Long Time!

It's been a while I know. I have been busy and then Connor got really sick and then of course passed it on to me but of course I didn't shake it as well as he did. It started last Thursday as a nagging cough and then Friday got worse and I started running a low grade fever. By Saturday I was aching all over and couldn't breathe w/out coughing. I went to an urgent care facility(what a nightmare) and spent half the day! They tested me for the flu which was negative then tested my blood to see if it was bacterial which it was not. The doctor said that it was a flu-like viral infection that manifested flu symptoms. I felt horrible. He gave me cough meds and said it would have to run its course. He went on and gave me a script for antibiotics in case my fever went up. He didn't think it would. Well that night I just got worse and Sunday my fever went up to 101. It was aweful. By Monday, my fever was 102 and I had to go back to the doctor. This time I went to our regular doctor. She said a secondary bacterial infection had come in on top of the viral infection and I was dehydrated. She threatened to put me in the hospital but I begged her not to. She gave me an antibiotic shot and a breathing treatment and took me off work until Thursday at least. Needless to say I have NOT felt good at all. I am MUCH better but I am still very tired and weak. I cough a lot still but it will take a while to shake that. I have not been that sick since I had Mono when I was 18. Crazy...I am definitely going to start taking vitamins. Everyone else has managed to fight it off. Josh struggled with a little cough and sinus infection but he got over it quickly. Connor's didn't last long either b/c he got a shot and we caught it right at first. And Eli well he has not even shown signs of getting anything. He has amazed me as far as not getting sick goes. It's what we have to deal with as long as we live in Mississippi and we deal with Mississippi weather. Ain't it GREAT! LOL!!!

Updates!

Well it's been a while. Things have been SO busy. I have not had a whole lot of time to get on and do anything. For an update on the allergy situation, I went to the allergist and they found out a lot actually. I am not allergic to any foods however I am allergic to ANYTHING that stings pretty much. I am going to have to have allergy shots for the next 5 years and if you know me, you know that is no small thing for me. On top of that I have to carry an Epi-pen around with me EVERYWHERE I go in case I get stung. That's the insect allergy. Then they found out that I am allergic to MYSELF...yeah I know I laughed too. I had no clue there was any such thing. It's caused by an auto-immune disease. I have to take antihistimines 2x's per day to stop the hives and lip swelling. They are going to do blood work to find out what auto-immune disease it is. They said there are several of them. It's not as bad as it sounds. We have laughed about it more than anything. The end verdict is I will live and I will be OK.

The 50th anniversary was incredible. Everything went GREAT!!! It was beautiful. There were a few glitches the night before but aren't there always. I will try to post some pics if I get a chance. If not, there are some on my facebook and myspace pages.

Connor is pretty sick. He was in Memphis with Momma over the weekend and they weren't supposed to come home until today but they had to come home last night b/c his fever went up to 102.8. We had to take him to the dr today. They tested him for strep and the flu (both of which were neg.) then did a chest xray to rule out pneumonia. The xray was clear but he does have a pretty bad upper respiratory infection and bronchitis. He got a shot which made him EXTREMELY MAD!!! His fever is still up though it just won't go down. He should be better tomorrow though...at least I hope so.

Well gotta go for now but I will be back soon...have a great night!!!

50th Wedding Anniversary

Well the time has come. This weekend is my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary and we are having their party Saturday. This started out as a small thing. It has TOTALLY blown up into a HUGE party!!! Well what can I say these things usually happen this way. If it weren't for my stepmom, Angel, I don't know what I would have done. It's getting down to the wire and I am so nervous about getting everything done and everything being just right. Well we will see how it turns out...more people are RSVP'ing than I expected would. We are up to a guest list of around 55 not including the 14 members of the family. It's crazy. I am so super excited for them though...it's not often that a couple reaches 50 years in a relationship. WOW...it's awesome. I only hope and pray that Josh and I get to celebrate our 50th. They are definitely my perfect example of TRUE LOVE! It's awesome!!! I am including some pictures...the first is their wedding picture from 1959 and the other was taken last month.

ALLERGIES!!!

I HATE ALLERGIES!!! I have broke out in hives almost every night this week. We have no clue what is causing it! I am so sick of it...it is miserable!!! I have an appointment next Thursday with and allergist and they are supposed to be doing a bunch of allergy tests which means yes my favorite thing...NEEDLES!!! Yeah that STINKS! You should have seen me at the hospital the night my lip swelled up a few weeks ago. They put that IV in and let's just say I am glad I was laying in the bed when they put it in. Josh is taking off to take me up there. I am not looking forward to the process but I am looking forward to finally finding out what the heck is causing this mess so I can avoid it! It is extremely frustrating not knowing what to stay away from! I worry about everything I eat! Well anyway maybe we will have it figured out next week!

Eli's 6th Birthday!

Wow...I can't believe that he is 6. It seems like just yesterday when we were debating on whether or not to go BACK to the hospital after spending half the night before up there. He has always since day 1 been on the go. 1st baby and he came in 5 hours! He was holding his bottle at 4mths, crawling at 5mths, and well those of you who know him, you know he's been that way ever since. He is reading now. Yeah I know hard to believe! He is homeschooling and doing GREAT! We got him Guitar Hero III for his birthday. He has been wanting it for so long. He got a PS2 for Christmas and the 1st thing he wanted to know is if he could go buy it. Of course it broke his heart when we told him no b/c we already had it to give to him today. We are going to give it to him this evening when we get off work and then we will take him out to eat wherever he wants to go. He moved from the nursery at church to our group "CLICK" this past Sunday...I almost cried! I never believed anyone when I was younger when they talked about how fast I was growing up but now that I have my own children and I watch them growing up right before my eyes, it's unreal how fast time goes by. The years seem like months and months seem like weeks. Well anyway...he's a big boy now but he still got up this morning and crawled in my lap and let me sing to him and tell him Happy Birthday! He also told me that he would always be my baby!

Back to Work!

Well I am headed back to work today after a 5 day break! Hopefully for an uneventful day! We are going back to 4-8hr days instead of 4-10hr days. I am soooo glad! Those 10hr days will kick your butt! I thought it would be great to still have Friday off and get the 40hrs all at the same time but it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. 10hrs in front of a computer was not as easy as it sounded. Well anyway...here I go back to work! Kinda looking forward to it though! I also should know something today about my appointment with the allergist. I have been breaking out in hives all weekend. Don't know what's going on with that! Whatever, I guess I will talk to him/her about that when I get there. Well talk to everyone soon!

New Year!!!

Well it's a new year! We are looking forward to the things this year has in store for us. We know God is going to continue to do GREAT things in our lives. It's gotta be a good year...I mean Ole Miss won the Cotton Bowl for goodness sakes! Now if only the NY Giants could make it to the Superbowl again and repeat last year, that would be really GREAT!!! I can't help it, yes, I am a girl and I LOVE FOOTBALL!!! I guess it's a good thing since my husband is a sports freak. I love sports but there comes a point when enough is enough...I told my friend the other day(her husband is another sports freak by the way) that if I had to watch ESPN one more time, I wanted to shoot out the TV. Haha! It's all year round for him! Anyway...we took our puppy, Pyper(a westie) to the groomers today for her 1st haircut and she looks adorable...see for yourself...

Isn't she absolutely adorable! She doesn't think she is a dog...she thinks she is one of us! I love her so much!

The kids are growing so fast. Eli's birthday is Tuesday and he will be 6...WOW!!! He is homeschooling and doing great! It's amazing how quickly he picks up on things. Connor is 4 and just as mischevious as ever!

I have some physical challenges that I am working through right now. I am having to see an allergist. I have had two occurences within 2 weeks of each other where my lip has swelled. The first was my top lip and it took several days to go down. Then it was my bottom lip which resulted in an ER visit and IV steroids for about 5 hours. They are getting more frequent and more severe and they can't tell me exactly what it is. At first they said fish and shrimp but I haven't had that in months so we know it's not just that. I am waiting on the Dr to call with my appointment. We will update as soon as we know something.

Also I found out on my visit regarding my lip that my triglycerides are entirely too high...348 when they should be less than 150...so that means possible medication but I think we are going to try to control it with diet. I will overcome both situations...it's difficult but I think going to this allergist will definitely help. The hardest thing is not knowing what NOT to eat!

Have a great night and a great new year!