Happy 12th Birthday to my baby girl

And We're Off!

It has been a very good week. I lost 7 pounds!!! Yea, I'm a Loser! I am trying not to pat myself on the back too much because I realize that you always lose alot the first couple of weeks from excess water and such, but I also need to see the "glass half full" and be proud of the work I have done. It has not been easy. Old habits are hard to break.

My biggest downfall is sweets. A handfull of cookies will usually fix most anything, just ask any little child. Not really, though. It just makes me feel more guilty. This week, I have done well eating lots of fruit and peanut butter (yuk, if you know me), but it has satisfied my sweet tooth.

It is on to week 2, my lunch is packed for work tomorrow and I am ready to go. Just gotta stick with it, plan, go to the grocery, track my intake, and soon I will start the water, but not quite there yet, but it will come. One day at a time.

just kay

Today is the First Day of the Rest of My Life.....I hope!

Well, today is the day. What can I say??? I have had it with being big. I always say that I wear "party girl size" clothes, but really, I hate it that I have to wear plus sizes. I am embarrassed, I am sure that I embarrass my kids with my size, but mostly, I need to get healthy. I am so out of shape and out of breath, even that is embarrassing. Walking up the hill at work or up the stairs from the cafeteria, I am so short of breath. I am just too young.

I decided that I was the only one that can control my own destiny. I joined Weight Watchers. I need accountability and a community of people to give me tips, encourage me and to talk to. They say not to look at this as a diet, but as a "live it". I like that.

I know that it will be a tough, long road, but what do I have but time, anything is better than nothing. I am hoping that by blogging about it and showing pictures that are not photo-shopped or re-touched, that it will make me work harder.

So, hopefully next week I will be a Loser................just kay

Happy 1st Birthday, Stink Pot

Sarah and Parker got married

Well, Sarah has added to her family. She married her high school sweetheart, Parker.

my Summer Vacation 2011

This vacation has started out with a bang, Austin had his wisdom teeth taken out and had to take care of him for a few days, went to an office visit with Sarah to "see" lil' baby on the ultrasound. It is still amazing. I have never seen a 4D ultrasound before, so it was pretty neat. Then I went with Big D for a surgical consultation to have his belly button hernia repaired. He is going to have it done over Labor Day weekend, so he does not have to miss much work.

I did do something fun. I went with some friends from work and Sarah to paint a couple of pictures. The first was sunflowers, and the other was tulips. I love them. I wish that I was an artist sometimes. It is very calming to just blend the colors together and create something....even if the teacher is telling you what to do and how to do it. It is very relaxing.

It will be back to work next week, but I will be glad to visit with my work friends.

until then......I'm Just Kay

Happy Birthday Momma

My sweet Momma would have been 70 years old this year. My how time has flown. I miss you still. This birthday has been so bittersweet for me because a dear friend of our family, "Nana", went home to be with the Lord just the other day. She had been one of your prayer warriors, and it became all too real when she got sick and passed, how similar your situations were. I guess it was really the closest person that had died since you. My heart broke for the family, knowing that it is a hurt like I have never felt before. But I did imagine a great homecoming that you had planned for her. She was buried yesterday and it really made me think about how much I missed you.



Just Kay

Summer time

It has been such a long time since I got on here, but wanted to update you on the things going on in our lives.

Sarah is doing good. She is 27 weeks along with baby boy #2. She is going to have her hands full, as if she doesn't already. The doctors are hoping that she will hold off until the end of September. Noah came 2 months early, so we are hoping to not have a repeat of last summer.

Noah is the sweetest little thing. He has started crawling and he is BUSY! I think I liked it alot better when I could put him on a pallet on the floor and he would stay there, but it is very sweet when he pulls up to the chair you are sitting in and looks at you with those big huge eyes.

Austin is at Governor's School for the Arts. He has been there 3 weeks, staying in the dorm, and working hard. He is earning college credit and working hard so that is good. I did not realize how much I would miss him though. It is so quiet around here. He also got a part in the play Gypsy at the Germantown Community Theater, they start rehearsals in the middle of July.

Annabeth is enjoying being an only child for a bit. She pretty much stays in her room watching TV, playing on the computer and doing her summer reading. Did I mention that it is quiet around here

Dwayne is singing with his quartet. They have quite a few dates recently and he is loving it. He has filled in at a couple of local churches recently leading the music. Sometimes I think he really misses doing it full time, but he is loving traveling around with SHQ. He still feels like he is fulfilling his calling by bring the gospel in song.

Me, what can I say. I am working in the NICU, I stepped down from my management position and am back to being a "bedside nurse". I like it so much better. I can clock in, do my work, clock out and go home. Much less stress. That is really what I went to nursing school for. I still do extra stuff, but not nearly as much as I was doing. I also help Sarah with keeping Noah a day or so a week. I love being a Mimi.

I guess I will close for now, take care...........kay

Happy Father's Day, Daddy

For My Man's Birthday

Happy Birthday to the sweetest husband I know. I love you more than words can see. I hope you enjoy the attached video. It is a slide show to the song "Take it To The Cross" performed by Servant's Heart Quartet that Dwayne sings in. He loves to sing and it is fun to get to see him doing something that he enjoys so much. Happy Birthday .................just kay

Happy First Mother's Day to my daughter Sarah

We went to Louisiana for Mother's Day. We had a great time catching up with old friends. We stayed in Gulf Port, Mississippi. Noah loved the sand and the ocean. It was good to spend time with just Sarah and Stink Pot for a while. I love you both. God is in contol...........love, Mom

Easter 2011

It was Noah's first Easter. Unfortunately, Sarah had to work, so the Easter Bunny came to Mimi and PeePaw's house for Stink Pot. He had his first Ring Pop and he thought that was pretty good stuff. We took him up to the hospital to see Sarah after church. I know how hard it is to be working in the medical field and miss out on family stuff.

Anniversary Cruise

Happy New Year 2011

Noah you're my honeybun

Someone is Missing at Christmas

Sarah and Noah

Sarah has given me the greatest gift.........my first grand child. There is nothing like it.  Noah came 6 weeks early. It was so scary to see Sarah so sick. There was nothing I could do to fix it. That was very odd for me because I have always tried to "fix" things for her. She had the baby and he was a little fella. He stayed in the NICU for 3 weeks. Even though I work in a NICU, it is not the same when the patient is your grandbaby. He did very well, and came home weighing a whopping 4 pounds. He is now up to 9 pounds. I say that he looks more and more like me every day.....that round, plump cheeks, those rolls on his legs, dimples on his hiney.....all looks alot like his Mimi.

Sarah is working hard, fulltime at a restaurant, PRN at a nursing home, and also taking a medical transcription course. She is hoping to follow in Grandmomma's footsteps and become a medical transcriptionist and maybe one day be able to work from home.

She has had it tough, being that she is a single mom, but she amazes me every day in all that she does. I am very proud of her and love her very much.

Her and Austin jokingly (I hope) say that Annabeth is the golden child and that I love her best. I hope that they each know that I love them each the best in their own special way.

Being a mom is great, being a mimi is even greater.

Annabeth

Annie is the sweetest little girl I know. She is such a people pleaser. She will do anything in the world for anyone.....especially me :o)

She is doing so good in school, we are so proud of her. School has not always been easy for her, but this year, she is so motivated and wants to learn. I think that some of it is due in part to her being involved in "Leading Ladies" at school. It is a club that the teacher recommends girls who need help with self esteem. Since becoming a leading lady, she has really come out of her shell. They meet, play games, mentor younger students. It is really cool, and she is becoming a better young lady because of it.

She accepted Christ as her personal Savior a few weeks back. We were at a weekend retreat at Bro. Bobby's cabin and during the message, something he said touched her. Right there, that morning, sitting on a hay bale, she prayed the sinners prayer and accepted Christ. Me and her and Bro. Bobby just cried. He is such a good pastor and friend.

I love my Annie (as she likes to be called now) SO much!!!!

Austin

What can I say? He makes me laugh, he is very kind and sweet, and he makes me CRAZY! He is a 16 year old boy, driving a car, forgetting to call to check in, makes me CRAZY! He is very focused on his own life right now....friends, school, extracurricular activities. He is very NOT focused on his home life, chores, getting a J-O-B. We are trying to change that. We are trying to direct him into a successful path at college....he wants to go to college.....just wants a major that will be hard to get a job in and may not make much money. I am like the momma bird, I love my kids, but am looking forward to the day that I can push them out of the nest and watch them fly on their own (just kidding, sorta). Maybe that is why God allows the teen, high school years to be so trying and dramatic. I mean, who would want their little sweet toddler going off to school and moving out and getting married??? No one, they are too sweet. But who doesn't want their smart mouth, curfew breaking, sleeps all day long, can't remember to take out the trash, keeps you worried for hours on end when their phone is on "silent", to get the heck on out. I know that it will be sad, but then your relationship changes. I know with Sarah, I was as ready for her to move out as she was. Now we are more like friends. I like it.

Don't get me wrong.....Little Boy makes me laugh....usually I am laughing the hardest, during those times I am attempting to lecture him about something. He is just like Jeremy in the cartoon Zits. But I love him.

Cruising

Well, Big D has finally talked me into going on a caribbean cruise. He has wanted to cruise for a long time, but since I am so claustrophobic and motion sick, I have been afraid. Well, I am still afraid, but decided to give it a try. It seems to be a very affordable way to travel and my friends have taken great pictures of their cruises. We are leaving February 3rd, 2011. We are cruising to Cozumel and then back, we will be on the water 4 nights. We decided for a short cruise this first time, so hopefully I will not go crazy :o) I am getting excited, watching the website, researching everything that we need to pack, weather, what to do to prevent motion sickness. I just hope I can relax, take a deep breath and enjoy our vacation.