LPN HAS BEEN; VICKI, REGISTERED NURSE!!!

Cheering in Knoxville

2011-01-29T21:50:00.000-05:00

whitefin day 1 Ohio

2010-11-22T18:08:00.001-05:00

My beautiful granddaughter at cheer competition in Cincinatti, Ohio.

Update on Doug

2010-11-13T09:24:00.003-05:00

Doug and I went to the dr Thursday for another chemo treatment. He goes Nov 30 for another CT scan and then back to the dr on Dec 2 to see if they are going to continue treatment or just do comfort measures. It is getting harder for him to breathe. The fluid keeps building up around his lung and they have to keep draining it off. He tries not to complain, but I see him struggling to breathe and it hurts me so bad. I just wish I could breathe for him. He is my world and I love him so much. I don't know what I would ever do without him.

2010-10-29T07:54:00.002-04:00

Wow! Has it been a long time since I've posted something or what? I'm still working at the hospital and I'm now expecting my 6th grandchild. I can't wait to find out if it's a boy or girl. My husband Doug has cancer and had chemotherapy and radiation but it didn't work. He ended up with another tumor. Now they are trying a different chemo and hopefully it will work. But he is so sick from it. His white blood cell count drops every time he has it and now I have a sore throat and I'm so afraid I'll make him sicker. When it drops like that he has no resistance to infection. All we can do is pray for him. He is my world and my soul mate. I love him so much. I hate to see him suffer. I just pray that God gives him peace and strength and that His will be done. Help me to be a good wife and to do everything I can to keep him happy and comfortable.

2009-06-14T15:51:00.002-04:00

I finally got the pool cleaned up. It was dark green. Now it's finally clean and Doug and the kids came over to go swimming. I got in with Hannah for just a few minutes but then we got out because Hannah doesn't really like the water. So we went in to dry off and get dressed and went back out to make pictures. Here's the kids and Doug:

Hannah decided to go to the porch to pet Troy instead of getting splashed by everybody:

Oh no! It's the loch ness monster:

Help! It's about to get us!:

Some of my flowers:

Hannah thinks they're all crazy:

The cheerleader (think she wants to be like Rebecca):

This was too perfect! Billy's jumping over Shelly's and Doug's heads:

There was a strange creature in the pool. I still haven't figured it out:

Let's take a closer look. Can you help me figure it out?

Name

2009-05-24T08:32:00.002-04:00

Okay, I've chosen a name for the puppy. Thank you Rebecca for the suggestion. His name is now Jasper. As you know, I'm a Twilight freak, and Jasper was in the movie. But then again, I'm a Christian, and I'm anxious to see the walls of jasper. So as I sit here at my computer with Jasper in my lap, I'm getting all kinds of kisses from him. He's so glad to finally have a name. As for Troy, he wishes the new dog would just disappear.

2009-05-22T22:28:00.002-04:00

Got my income tax check yesterday. A bit smaller than I expected, but still big enough to accomplish what I wanted to do. I got a poodle. I've been wanting one for quite some time now. So guess who made pictures? He is so funny. He had never been on the floor before, just in a cage. So when he runs he usually gets his feet tangled up and then he falls over sideways. He's so tiny, and he's already 3 months old. The lady said he probably won't be over 4 pounds, full grown. I haven't named him yet. I thought about Bitsy, but kind of girly, right? So I was singing itsy bitsy spider to him and thought about Spyder. What do you think. Suggestions? Anyway, here he is:

Goodbye Chevy...Hello Dodge

2009-04-14T15:45:00.002-04:00

We have owned a Chevy Venture van for 6 years so we could haul all the kids around. I lovingly named it the "kidmobile". We definitely got our money's worth out of it. But all good things come to an end, and so did our "kidmobile". We drove it Easter Sunday with all the kids going to church. It did fine but it had almost 101,000 miles on it, the brakes were about gone, and the a/c had quit working. I know, it would have been cheaper to fix these things, but with that many miles, there's no telling when something big might happen. So we had seen some advertisements for cars on tv, and started watching the on demand channel that advertised cars. I also looked in the paper and on the internet and we decided to go to Burgin Dodge, as they seemed to have a better selection. Well...they had a white van that was in our price range but it had quite a few flaws and high miles. It was a 2005 Caravan. We asked to see some more and he showed us a 2008 Grand Caravan with only 35,000 miles on it. It has everything I wanted. So what if it was $3,000 higher. I wanted it. That's my biggest downfall. If I see something I want, I buy it. Anyway, I made several pictures of it this morning, so here it is. I love it!
Side view:

Front view:

Back view:

It has lots of cupholder space:

Second row of seats:

Third row of seats:

Rear a/c:

It has heated side view mirrors and so much storage space it's unreal! And get this! The back windows roll down! God is so good blessing us with this van. It will be paid for, I'll just have to stop buying so much stuff like camcorders, laptops, etc. Also, we'll have to start eating at home more. If we ate at home any, it would be more than we do now. But I just praise Him for everything I have. It's not the fanciest thing in the world, but it's fancy to me.

Another Weekend

2009-03-15T20:28:00.002-04:00

Rebecca and Nicholas finally got to come up and spend the night on Friday. Doug brought Billy, Shelly, and Hannah over to play with them. Here are some pics. My crazy grandkids, minus Billy:

Billy and his dad:

Hannah getting nerdy:

Rebecca getting relaxed and laid back:

Nic batting with a broom?

Penny, this one's for you:

Billy and Shelly love each other:

My bed on Sunday morning (how could Billy stand it?):

Cheerleading

2009-03-01T21:53:00.003-05:00

I don't know why my photobucket won't let me upload the videos of Rebecca and Nicholas's cheerleading from yesterday. Maybe it's too long. It let me upload a 15 second thing with Shelly in it, but not the expeditions. Anyway, Rebecca's team got 1st place and Nic's tteam got 5th. So here's the up and coming cheerleader with the help of Rebecca and some of her team members:

Sunday at the Carter Household

2009-03-01T20:51:00.002-05:00

I had Billy, Shelly, and Hannah last night and today. And of course, I had my camera ready. So here goes.
This was last night, and he finally smiled for a picture:

Shelly likes my Snuggie:

I woke up around 5:30 this morning and noticed Hannah wasn't in her bed. I got up and was going to look on the couch to see if she was there. Good thing I was watching where I was going. She got her blankets and came to my bedroom and laid down in the floor:

Billy got up this morning and started playing with his game boy in Hannah's bed. He's just like his MeMe, not a morning person:

Shelly and Hannah like to lie in my bed and watch tv:

Here's all 3 of my angels:

Doug had surgery on his foot and he still has over a week before he can put weight on it. It's been almost 3 weeks now. He can't walk on crutches without falling either:

Hannah likes his wheelchair:

Me and My Dog and Shelly too

2009-01-07T15:37:00.002-05:00

On New Years Eve some of my neighbors were shooting off really big fireworks. I had to work, of course. Anyway, when I called home that night to talk to Doug he told me that the lady down the street called and said that Troy (my dog) was down there running around scared to death. He put on his shoes and jacket and went down there but Troy was gone by then. I searched high and low for that dog. I made daily trips to the animal shelter, put up flyers, went door to door, searched on foot and driving, even passed his picture around at church. Every day I would go outside, several times a day and call for him. I know if he had heard me, he would have come. Finally, I got up on Monday morning dreading another disappointing trip to the animal shelter. I also dreaded the tears that I knew would come since that's about all I had done. I looked out the kitchen window and there he came running up the fenceline. (He dug out from under the fence). I went running out the front door in an old nightgown with holes in it and kind of short. I was jumping up and down and probably showing my butt to every neighbor I had. I brought him in and woke Doug up. Shelly, Billy, and Hannah were here and Shelly raised up in bed and she was so happy. He had been gone for 4 days and 5 nights. I had just about accepted the fact that he had gotten killed and I just hadn't found his body. Shelly was all smiles all day. And of course I made their picture together:

He looks awful clean to have been outside running all that time, but looks can be deceiving; he stinks. But then he's a dog and it's been raining and he smells like a wet dog. Maybe that's why he stinks. Anyway, he is now microchipped, his collar and rabies tag is on, and I'm having another tag with my address and phone number on it. But I really don't think he'll run off again. But in the event he does, I'll be ready!

Ribbontail Sharks

2008-12-08T23:41:00.002-05:00

As I put in the previous post, I video taped Nic's performance in the cheerleading competition also. I don't know if he will be competing next year or not. He has decided he wants to play baseball. He's only 6 so he'll probably change his mind a million more times. But there will be more competitions this year, so be prepared for more videos. Here's the Ribbontail Sharks starring Nicholas Gates:

Zebra Sharks

2008-12-08T23:08:00.002-05:00

We went to Sevierville this past weekend to attend the Premier Athletics Cheerleading competition. I reserved a room for what I thought was Friday night. I put in the wrong date and it was for Saturday night. From now on I'll call and reserve the room myself. Not only do you have to pay $10 for the service of having one of these places book it for you, but the money is non-refundable and you can't change the dates. So we had to pay for Friday night. So we decided to stay Saturday night too since we had already paid for the room. The competition was Saturday and Sunday, so we went to both days. On Saturday, I tried to videotape Rebecca's performance but the batteries went dead in my camera. So it's a good thing I went on Sunday. I bought new batteries Saturday night and changed them before I used the camera each time. I also taped Nic's performance but I haven't uploaded the video yet. I will post it in a separate blog. You won't have any trouble figuring out who Rebecca is, since she's the only one I centerd on. Here you go. Hope it works:

Bail Out

2008-11-24T17:54:00.001-05:00

This is a funny interview on Jay Leno. The lady's name is Wanda. I don't know who she is, but she sure is funny, and true too!

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Merry Christmas!

2008-11-22T22:43:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Babies and Curtains

2008-11-07T22:11:00.003-05:00

The other day my son was getting ready to take the kids home and we couldn't find Hannah. Now you would think an 18 month old wouldn't be that hard to find. The front and back doors were locked, we looked upstairs, in closets, under beds, we looked everywhere! Finally her dad found her standing in the corner behind the tv in the computer room. She was so cute. She was standing there real still and quiet as a mouse. I didn't get a picture of her because I couldn't find my camera. But she went back there a few days later and I caught her.

Shelly likes to pose like a big girl:

I got new curtains for the bedroom upstairs, I think the girls really like them. Don't quite know how the boys like pink, though.

Seance (or however you spell it)

2008-11-07T21:37:00.002-05:00

Okay, this was a little wierd. Rebecca and Nicholas came up to spend the night, then Doug and the kids came up for supper. We were all sitting around the table, when all of a sudden Billy wanted everybody to join hands. I thought he wanted to pray. Was I ever wrong!!! He then asked that all the lights be turned off. Of course I told him no because then we wouldn't be able to see what we were eating. So then all of a sudden he started chanting and swaying back and forth. It was hilarious! I can't wait until his mom sees it. Anyway, you know me, I had to get it on film:

Forgiveness

2008-10-12T20:43:00.002-04:00

I have decided that this world is getting worse each day and the way things are going, I don't think the Lord will be long in coming. So I have searched my heart and have realized that I haven't really been ready to go. I have had unforgiveness in my heart and I need to forgive the people that I have bad feelings toward and who have bad feelings toward me. It has taken me a long time to be able to get to this point, but I'm finally here. I was going to wait until I got an apology from some people, I think you know who you are, but I don't want an apology that isn't from the heart. I forgive you if you never apologize to me. How can we expect to be forgiven if we don't forgive? If we have one bit of envy, unforgiveness, or any hard feelings in our hearts when Jesus comes back, it won't be pretty. So I have decided to cleanse my heart of all these feelings. I don't want anything that anybody has, nor do I have hard feelings toward anyone. And if I have wronged anybody, you do have my heartfelt apology. I will not bring this particular matter up again.

Homecoming

2008-10-05T13:59:00.002-04:00

Today was homecoming at church. We had such a great time. There was lots of good singing and preaching. Just a wonderful time in the Lord. And not to mention the good food and fellowship after church. I took my camera but didn't use the flash inside the church because I didn't want to distract anybody. So a couple of the pictures look really dark. And the one of Danny singing is kind of blurred. But here goes:
Our choir:

Danny visiting his home church and listening to the good singing:

The choir doing a special:

Our very own "Golden Girls" singing a special. From left to right is Linda, Kay, and Debbie. Judy is on the piano:

Danny singing a special (this is the one that blurred):

Kelli singing a solo:

Here is the best pastor in the world! It is my honor to introduce Dr. Mike Goodson:

Then came the food in the fellowship building:

This is Jimmy, Barbara's husband. He's a nut:

I think about every seat was taken:

Jason, Lori, Destiny, and Brady sat in the kitchen so they could sit together (looks like Jason stood):

The food was great! Tammy (our resident Indian) was getting seconds:

The fellowship building lives up to it's name. Lots of good fellowship. If some of the faces look long, it's only because they were about to pop from all the good food:

Rumblings???

2008-09-24T17:03:00.004-04:00

I got this in my email. I don't know if it's true or not, but thought it would be worth the post just in case it is. I looked it up on snopes, and it said right now it just appears to be email chatter. But...just in case...

Subject: DNC Action Alert~ Rumblings
From the RNC Network, fyi
Hi all
Let me share some info with you that I have gotten from excellent sources within the DNC
On or about October 5th, Biden will excuse himself from the ticket citing health problems, and he will be replaced by Hillary. This is timed to occur after the VP debate on 10/2 There have been talks all weekend about how to proceed with this info Generally, the feeling is that we should all go ahead and get it out there to as many blog sites and personal email lists as is possible I have already seen a few short blurbs about this. The "health problem" cited in those articles was aneurysm. Probably many of you have heard the same rumblings. However, at this point, with this inside info from the DNC, it looks like this Obama strategy will be a go. Therefore, it seems that the best strategy is to get out in front of this Obama maneuver, spell it out in detail, and thereby expose it for the grand manipulation that it is. So, let's start mixing this one up and cut the Obamites off at the pass. Send this info out to as many people as you can - post about it on websites and blogs - etc etc

Today's Fishing Trip

2008-09-22T20:36:00.002-04:00

Just as I figured. It was super hot and I didn't catch a thing. I did have a fish on my hook one time, but I guess that's the "one that got away". Doug caught a blue gill and a big catfish, but he threw them back in. I got to drive the boat a little. I went really fast. So fast that my pink Walters State hat blew off and when I tried to get it back, I ran over it with the boat and it was not to be seen anywhere after that. Anyway, I have proof that I went. OF COURSE!!! I TOOK THE CAMERA!!!

Here is Doug judging how far back he needs to go to get the boat in the water. When he got it in, he was trying to get in it without getting wet by walking on the tongue of the trailer. Well guess what? RIGHT! He fell in. I wish I had gotten a picture of that. He has gotten so fat that he couldn't get his legs untangled from the trailer. His phone was in his pocket so I guess that's ruined now.

I finally got on the boat, after getting Doug untangled and breathing again.

Finally! We're actually out in the lake, instead of sitting on the side trying to get the boat started! That boat is very tempermental.

This is our next boat (dream on Vicki, dream on).

We actually made waves!

Doug had to bait all the hooks. I ain't touching no little fish or worm!

Looking out over the "bow of the ship"

The water was real calm, unless the wind blew or another boat went by.

A couple of old hippies, before the one lost her pink hat.

"This is my good friend Mr. Croc. Actually it's a piece of wood, but I pretended it was a crocodile. And what a beaut it is!

I thought I had found a huge marijuana bush, but it was just a tree.

A fisherman hard at work.

Doug's fishing poles.

The bottom of my fishing pole.

The top of my fishing pole. (interesting, huh?)

I'm queen of the world!
So much for our fishing trip. And I wasted $5.50. We didn't even get stopped and asked for our fishing license! Oh well, wonder if I'll go again? Time will tell. But if I do, I'll be the one getting the boat off the trailer.

Fishing

2008-09-21T21:29:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow I am going fishing with Doug. I hate to fish. I actually went to Walmart today and bought a one day fishing license. I haven't been fishing in years, so hopefully it will be relaxing for me like I hear so many people talk about (yeah, right!). Doug has had so much trouble with that boat after putting so much money in it, I don't want him going by himself because he can't walk 10 feet without getting out of breath, much less load and unload a boat. Of course if I'm driving the boat, we'll be speeding all over the lake having fun instead of sitting still fishing. Oh well...time will tell. I'll let you know how it goes. Until then, I'll pray for rain.

Today Has Been Good

2008-09-11T21:47:00.003-04:00

Today has been good to me. I worked last night and survived the night. Then I came home this morning, finally went to bed after playing on the computer for awhile, and slept til about 3:00pm. I got up and messed around for a while, then Doug suggested that we go out to eat (again!). So since I never tell him where I want to go, we went to Golden Corral on Clinton Hwy. I suggested that while we were out that way that maybe we should go on out to Clinton to see our friends Sandy and Robert, Lillian an Monroe, and hopefully Mary and Bucky and the kids if they were there. We pulled into Sandy and Robert's driveway and no one was home. But I saw Ryan in Lillian's driveway, so I knew that Mary and Bucky was there!!! IT WAS GREAT TO SEE EVERYBODY!!! It's been a really long time since I've been with them and it was such a treat for me. I sure do wish we lived closer so I could see them more. I miss them so much. But at least I got to see them. So all is well with the world tonight. All is at peace with me. I feel good!

Nic's First Day of Kindergarten

2008-08-26T17:29:00.002-04:00

My little Nicholas is growing up so fast. He started kindergarten this year. He did not want to go right up until the minute his mom and dad took him to school. This is always hard on Moms everywhere. I remember when my kids went to school. It was a hard thing to do. Especially Bambi. She was my first. I didn't really know what to do. But anyhow...back to Nic. After he got in the school he was fine. He has Rebecca's kindergarten teacher so he's pretty excited about that. He got to take his Spiderman lunch box with him. Here he is getting ready to go in. Isn't he adorable???

Then his mom gave him a big hug before she left. (How did she do that without tearing up?):

After he got in he found a friend. Hey! This might not be so bad after all!!!

Shelly's Fish

2008-08-14T21:45:00.003-04:00

My husband, Doug, and my son, also Doug, took my granddaughter, Shelly, fishing for the first time the other day. My husband didn't catch anything. My son caught a catfish. What did Shelly catch? A large mouth bass. HER FIRST FISHING TRIP!!! She was so proud and excited! My son made a picture of her and her catch with his cell phone:

Also the other day they came over and my son had worked the night before and he was so sleepy. I guess you can see that Hannah is a daddy's girl:

Also, Shelly found one of Hannah's old pacifiers and gave it to her. She didn't know what to do with it at first. Then she stuck it in her mouth and tried to bite the rubber off of it. She had it in her mouth upside down:

Did you hear about that Hungarian weightlifter who snapped his arm while lifting weights at the olympics? The back of his elbow was in the front. Check it out:

I can't wait til Doug takes Rebecca fishing. But Bambi said her kids can't go in the boat. So he'll have to fish from the bank.

Cades Cove

2008-08-05T17:43:00.004-04:00

Today we took a trip with the church to Cades Cove. Actually it was called a "Senior" trip, but the preacher said you don't have to be a senior to go, so I went. I will NEVER be a senior. Anyway, we had such a wonderful time. It was a great day to go and the deer up there will practically walk right up to you. Too bad I didn't have anything to feed them. That would have been awesome. Anyway, our first stop was at the picnic area to eat. Everyone wasn't in this picture, but it was when we first arrived:

This is Calvin, our cook for the day. He sure knows how to cook:

Heather is one of our newer members, but she is already taking an active role in the family:

The food was awesome!

The stream behind the picnic table was beautiful and so serene:
Heather and the kids enjoyed wading in it:

Judy and Willa Mae enjoyed the fellowship, as did we all:

I'm glad I'm not the only camera fanatic in the crowd. Dena also enjoys taking pictures:

This is David, our driver for the day. He is a VERY GOOD driver:

Mrs. McKinney, Pearl, and Willa Mae have been dubbed the "Three Stooges" by me:

This is inside an old Methodist Church:

Then I guess Judy and Heather were picking out cemetery lots:

Some of the graves were only marked by stones, and there were so manychildren buried there. I guess it was due to the lack of health care in the early 1900's:

Then like the good Baptists we are, we went to a Missionary Baptist Church:

I really didn't like the hornets nest hanging on the side of the church:

The scenery was beautiful!:

A young girl taking an oath to be a junior park ranger:
Now for the best pictures! The deer! I couldn't believe how close they came:

A young deer was across the street looking at it's mama on the other side:

And here's Mama on the other side of the street from her baby:

There was an almost newborn that we said looked like "Bambi":

This one's mom was close by, also:

These are two separate bucks:

Last but certainly not least is the baby deer doing a dance for us:

Is It Hannah Carter, or Hannah Beethoven???

2008-08-03T23:22:00.002-04:00

My youngest granddaughter has been discovered (by none other than her lovely MeMe) as being a gifted pianist. Yes that's right, Hannah Jane Marie Carter is going to be the next major composer. As you can see, sometimes you have to completely rest your body in order to really hear what is going on in your head:

And sometimes, you even have to have others to get close so you can mentally hear their tunes, also:

Then you must put it all together and get it in the right time to see what works best:

I know...all this seems like so much trouble to go through, but as you will soon see, it is painfully worth the outcome. Film at 11:

More Pictures

2008-07-20T23:42:00.002-04:00

I got some pictures of Rebecca and Nicholas, but they were all in the swimming pool. I think they would stay in the pool all day every day if I let them. First is the two of them:

Then Nic was blowing water out of the "noodle":

My camera must be pretty good. Check out the details in the water that he blew out:

Nic is definitely not afraid to jump in:

Here's Rebecca holding Nic up:

Rebecca looking pretty:

You would think by now Rebecca would be used to being in the water, wouldn't you?

Then she got brave and made a great olympic dive:

Then Uncle Doug and his kids showed up and the party began!

Even Billy made a couple of jumps:

Hannah was content to just sit on the chair with me:

Well, leave it to me to leave somebody out. Where was Shelly in all this? Right here with everybody else. I just didn't get her picture. Oh well...

Pictures Are Back!

2008-07-20T15:17:00.003-04:00

Okay, I can stand it no longer. I have to post pictures of my grandkids. Billy, Shelly, and Hannah were here Friday night and Saturday, and Rebecca and Nicholas were here on Saturday night and Sunday. But the vote is in and it is unanimous. The little kids all want to be here at the same time so they can play together. LUCKY ME!!! But I don't mind. I didn't live close to my cousins growing up and I want them to be close. They were all here together for a little while on Saturday. I finally got them all to sit still on the couch to get their picture made as a group:

Hannah is learning to climb the steps and she is getting quite good at it. I'm going to have to watch her like a hawk!

But when she got caught, she just sat there like she was so innocent:

I have a what-not shelf that doesn't have anything on the bottom shelf. Now I have a beautiful what-not:

Shelly and Hannah had on look-a-like clothes:

Billy had on a green soccer suit (clothes were compliments of Granny):

I think he looked really handsome:

Then they all posed for a picture with Granny. First is Rebecca:

Then we have Billy:

Then of course there's Hannah:

And then we have Hannah with her sister Shelly:

Ane then Shelly the ham had to be in the pictures with Nic:

I guess you can tell that the kids had been eating spaghetti.I know there weren't but a couple of pictures of Rebecca and Nic. But they're still here and out in the pool. So I'll be making another post of them. Have a good day. I'm going to the pool!

Recipes

2008-07-09T20:42:00.002-04:00

I've been thinking about eating natural growing vegetables, such as poke. I have found some recipes but would like to hear from others who have eaten the plant before. I have found that it can only be eaten in spring because of the toxins in it as it gets bigger. I was just thinking that I could buy large quanties of stuff like flour, meal, beans, stuff like that and eat cheap and still have some grocery money left over. We could probably eat for a month on what one weeks grocery bill is now. Now that's a thought. And I may start riding my bike to work regardless of the weather, saving on gas. I would buy a bicycle to ride but I'm not that gung ho on saving gas. They have scooters that get over 70 mpg. My Honda only gets 50. The Yamaha probably gets more because it's smaller. But I'm not going out to buy a scooter. I'm not that desperate yet. What would we do if we lost all electricity, water, etc...I printed out instructions today on how to purify water to make it safe to drink. Don't know what's gotten into me. I guess I'm just preparing for hard times ahead. I'll miss the a/c, computer, tv, and all the stuff that will go with it. I guess I'll miss it as much as anybody. But life will have to go on and I'm sure alot of people would die because they were allergic to the hard work that would have to be done in order to survive. I'm trying to psyche myself up to be ready if that happens. I don't know if it's a premonition or what. But you have to admit, it would be good to be prepared if it did happen. Anyway, send me your recipes! I want to try them!!!

Back To Work

2008-06-26T08:44:00.003-04:00

I go back to work tonight. Bah, Humbug!! I was off 21 days and have finally gotten used to sleeping at night like a normal human being. I finally got the pool cleared up and have enjoyed it for the last 2 days. Now I have to go back to working at night and sleeping all day long. For the next week. Then I'll have another week off. But now that we've had a new electric heat pump installed so we won't freeze next winter (we had the gas taken out due to the price) I need to work some overtime. Doug put his boat in the shop and it's going to cost over $1,000 to get it fixed. And that's from sitting and not being used since he got it. When we do get it back, he will take it out and maybe even live on it, who knows?? Not really but it will not sit in the back yard and let everything freeze up on it again (we thought it was just a cable). So I guess I'll be working extra for awhile. That's one good thing about the nursing shortage, you can get in as many hours as you want. I still want an office job, but that doesn't pay as much so I guess I'll stay where I am until the house is paid for. And then it will be time to die because I'll be too old to enjoy retirement. My laptop has been in the shop getting the damage fixed that the guy from craigslist caused when he took the vista off it and put xp on it. First of all, it was an illegal version of xp. Secondly, he messed up alot of my settings. And the surf button still doesn't work. If you ever have computer problems, go to digitek computers on Clinton Hwy in Powell. They are a Christian run business and are very reasonable. I would have asked Bucky to fix it, but he probably has enough to do. But he's good too. Oh well...I guess I'll get a few things done around here and then go back to bed for my power nap before going back to work.

Vacation

2008-06-19T16:14:00.003-04:00

Okay. I'm in my third week of vacation. Exactly what is wrong with this picture? I'm still home. Oh, we made reservations to go to Pigeon Forge and stay for 3 days and 2 nights. Even paid for it up front. First, we got there, checked into our tiny little room, I was unpacking our stuff and noticed I hadn't seen Doug's shirts that I told him to leave on hangers. I asked him where they were, and he casually said that they were still hanging on the closet door at home. So I finished unpacking, and asked him where his c-pap was (his machine that helps him breathe when he is sleeping and also miraculously stops his snoring). He left that at home as well. He jokingly told me that I would have to take a double dose of my sleeping medication that night. Well, like a fool, I had to tell him that I forgot to bring it. So that evening we went for a swim in the pool that only went 5 feet deep and had a few bugs floating on the top of the water. Couldn't stand it long, so we went back to the room. That night, Doug slept a little, but kept waking himself up snoring. Needless to say, I didn't sleep much either even though I had bought some Melatonin at Walgreens earlier in the day. We both got up the next morning and went for our free breakfast in the Pancake House next door, where the waitresses wore bibbed overalls and the place looked really rustic. A little too rustic for me. Every time I tried to eat a bite of pancake, I kept hearing that lady on the news that checks the ratings of restaurants and tells them to "Clean it up!" I couldn't help but wonder what the rating of that restaurant was, and kept imagining them checking the warm syrup before they brought it out and dipping the dead cockroach out of it. Or sifting through the flour to get the rat droppings out of it. The pancakes tasted wonderful, but I only at about a third of it, if that much. My hard candy that was in my purse was much better. Oh...back to the tiny little room. Doug took off his shoes and was walking around barefooted. The bottom of his feet ended up black! He had to wash them before he went to bed! Now I remember! We stayed at this same motel last time we went there. And we ended up with black feet then too. When we finished our running around (shopping), we went back to the motel, packed our stuff and checked out. I told the guy behind the counter how nasty the carpet was, but he didn't seem to mind. After all, they could rent it out again that night and get double the money because I had already paid and it was non-refundable. Next time we take a vacation, I think we'll have plenty of money saved up and go to 6 flags or something and stay in a decent motel.

The Three Stooges

2008-06-09T10:26:00.003-04:00

The kids were here again this weekend. It was so hot!!! We went swimming 2 days in a row. Rebecca, Billy, and Nicholas are the three stooges:

Poor Hannah doesn't like the pool:

Hannah did like sleeping in the recliner with her PaPaw:

She climbed up in a chair in the dining room and posed for me:

Billy ate 2 bowls of lucky charms with a super big spoon:

And we have another stooge to add to the group. Shelly decided to join Nicholas in being silly with Oreos:

Rebecca's Trip

2008-05-30T17:23:00.003-04:00

This morning Rebecca left to go on her trip to Washington, DC with about 1100 other safety patrol students. They left from Knoxville Center Mall where there were 25 tour buses. It was really a site to see because they got a police escort out of the place at 7am. There were 2 police cars and 3 blue hawks in front of Rebecca's bus and police cars spaced out between buses all the was back. At one point, all you could see was buses with no end in site. I forgot my camera so I didn't get any pics to post. I only made one picture on my phone, and I don't know how to download it to my computer so you lucked out this time. She has already called and talked to her PaPaw, and they weren't even there yet. I wish I had been up to talk to her. Anyway, they'll be back Monday evening. So until then, have a good day.

I thought I would add something funny about this. I was at work telling my co-workers about a parent getting hit by a car while waiting for their child to leave on the bus. It was almost 4 am and we were all getting a little giddy. Louise just looked at me all serious like and said, "Well, where were all the safety patrols?" When she said that she started laughing so hard she was crying. At that point we all fell apart and needless to say, it was a tearful night the rest of the night. I don't think I have laughed so hard in a long time. Everytime something was said, we would say something funny about it and start all over again. Just goes to show you, the police were there, but how many people have you ever heard of getting hit by a car when the 5th grade safety patrol was in charge?

Birthdays and the Graduates

2008-05-29T17:30:00.002-04:00

Wow! Time sure does fly. Hannah is one year old now. Seems like yesterday I was driving to the hospital to see my newest grand daughter who had just been born. We didn't think her bruises and bumps would ever go away to get her picture made. But they finally cleared up enough that her mom took her and got them made. So here is my big one year old (she doesn't even take a bottle anymore...sniff, sniff):

Isn't she just the most adorable thing you've ever seen? And if you say no, I might just have to hurt you. Of course the rest of my grandchildren were just as adorable when they were 1.
Nicholas graduated from pre-K and he got to get his picture made in a cap and gown. Isn't he handsome?:

Billy graduated from kindergarten and is now a big 1st grader. He was so happy when they made his picture. This is my other handsome little man:

I am so proud of all my grandchildren. I love each and every one of them so much. They are my reason for living.

Work

2008-05-18T17:16:00.002-04:00

Last night was a good night at work. It wasn't too busy and we still had time to visit with each other and have a good time. For once and I had all my work caught up by midnight. We all brought food and had a good time celebrating the graduation of Danielle and Lori. Lori was already an RN but went back to school to get her bachelor's degree. Danielle has been a nursing assistant/unit secretary working her way through UT and graduated with a bachelor's degree in nursing. She is studying now to take her NCLEX exam to get her license:

Lori was off last night but came by to eat and visit:

Kara came by for a visit. She used to work with us but now is doing a traveling assignment in another state:

After everyone ate, we all got kind of lazy. From left is Penny with her back to the camera, Geri, Danielle (still studying), and the other Lori:

Louise is a great nurse and has the highest education of all of us. She has a Master's degree. She is great! She doesn't let her education go to her head. We can always count on her to help us out and answer our questions. She is wonderful with her patients:

Stephanie is one of our newer nurses on day shift. She is so sweet and quiet. We're going to have to break her in. We've been trying but so far, she's still quiet:

Cheryl is an LPN on day shift. She has been there since they laid the first brick. I guess she'll be there til the cows come home:

Penny is one of our CNA's on night shift. She is so funny!:

Sandra is another day shift LPN who has been there forever. She was tired and decided to relax before going home (you can tell that nurses always practice good posture):

Tom was charge nurse on day shift and Louise was charge on nights. They were working together discussing the patient/nurse assignment. As you can tell, Tom was really thinking hard:

Cheryl and Abbie posed together. Abbie has recently gotten her master's degree in nursing and is going to be a nurse practitioner:

Abbie likes to chew her gum. She is a nut:

So this was my night at work last night. Now I must go and finish getting ready for church. Have a good day.

For My Friend, Kevin

2008-04-29T14:24:00.004-04:00

Let me begin this blog by saying this is not about religious beliefs. I have mine, my friends know mine, and that's the end of that. The purpose of this blog is to let a dear friend of mine know that I hate to see him hurt.

Kevin, my friend and co-worker, has lost the love of his life, Mark. Mark gave up the battle to cancer early Friday morning at home with the ones he loved, including Kevin, Kevin's mother, and Mark's parents. He left this world as he slept. Mark was to be taken to his family's hometown in Ohio and cremated.

Kevin went above and beyond by caring for Mark during his illness from diagnosis until his passing. When Mark was in the hospital, Kevin only left his side to come to work. I can only hope that I can be as faithful a partner to my husband, or he to me if needed, as Kevin was to Mark.

Kevin, I hate to see you hurt, but I know it can't be helped. We both work in the healthcare business and know this happens, but it never prepares us to give up someone we love dearly. I never met Mark, but I know he must have loved you as much as you loved him. Remember the good times, even though I know the last days will never leave your thoughts. We can all be taken from this life at any time, sometimes it seems too early.

As the flowers appear to be dead in the winter, they come back in the spring. They only sleep in the winter. So remember that Mark is only sleeping and this is his winter. You will see him again in the "spring". I know I can never bring him back, which is what you desire, but if there is anything at all I can do to help ease your pain, please let me know.

I love you and I would do anything I could for you. You are a dear friend and I'm not ashamed to tell anyone that. Just know that my thoughts and love are with you always.

I love you...Vicki

First T-Ball Game

2008-04-27T11:17:00.003-04:00

Saturday was Billy and Shelly's first t-ball game. It was hilarious! All those little kids trying to act like pros. One little boy hit the ball and the coach told him to run so he did...right toward 2nd base. And Shelly was hilarious at one point, but more about that later. Hannah didn't feel good so she mostly just sat on her mommy's lap:

But then she stood up and decided to watch some of the game:

When they first went into the dugout, they all sat there like pros (or was it loverboy?):

Catcher for the team is none other than Billy:

Shelly played outfield

It was so funny, Billy was calling for the next batter, calling strikes, and calling people safe at home plate. Who needs an umpire with him around?
First up to bat was Shelly, who singled but made it home with an RBI from another player:

Seventh batter was Billy, who also singled:

Now for the video of all. Shelly was trying to mark her place of where to swing the bat and accidently tapped the ball and it fell off the T. Everyone started laughing at her and she got embarrassed and refused to hit the ball. One minute she was smiling and the next was just too funny. She is a funny girl anyway. This is how she is all the time, not just when she's embarrassed. When she doesn't get her way, also:

NO PICTURES!!!

2008-04-18T08:37:00.002-04:00

Okay, I'm going to try to do this. I'm actually going to make a post without pictures. I have been off for 8 days and have to go back to work tonight. I really don't want to go back. I feel like I haven't had any time off. As far as relaxing, I haven't done that. We are rearranging the upstairs (the kid's room). We took the bunk beds and made them into what they were originally meant to be...bunk beds. I had broken them down and put them up there as twin beds. It took so long because I had put slats and things on the wrong bed and we had to keep taking them apart and changing things out. But now it's done. Next we are going to put the entertainment center and tv from downstairs in the computer room up there and get rid of the tv that is there. Now that's going to be a job. That entertainment center is HEAVY!!! And the tv is a 32 inch. Can we say "Goodbye back"? Anyway, when we get done we'll have more room down here and the kids can go upstairs to play (except Hannah, and she's a little young to be climbing stairs). I haven't weighed this week because I haven't really stuck to my diet. So I'm going to try to get back on it and lose some more. I'll close now and scream because I'm in picture posting withdrawal. LOL Until next time...

Odds and Inns

2008-04-13T21:50:00.002-04:00

Finally all the kids got to be here together. The 3 little ones had a great time outside blowing bubble and playing on the little trampoline thing:

You'd never know, but Nic is under those blankets:

Oh! There he is!

Rebecca is learning how to sew. She wanted to suprise her mom with a new apron. She sewed the entire thing by hand:

She worked on it for 2 days:

It was cold outside today, so I made Nic wear his jacket. Nothing would do except for him to go out and blow bubbles:

The people who live next door have solved the fuel cost prices and show their love of wildlife at the same time:

We were watching old videos on tv today. It was fun to see the kids as babies. Since I don't know how to change VHS to digital and put it on here, I just made pictures of the tv. First we have Billy. Don't be blinded by the reflection:

Then we have the original star of the Nana movies, the lovely Rebecca:

Don't know what made the shadow, but you can still see her smile:

Here's her and her mom on Christmas Eve at Mamaw's:

There were a few videos of Nic as a baby, but I didn't have my camera out right then. After that, I got in to digital cameras and forgot about the video camera. SHAME ON ME!!! I missed out on movies of babies! I'm gonna have to start filming again so I'll have it to look back on when they're grown and don't have anything to do with me.

T-Ball

2008-04-13T21:28:00.002-04:00

Billy and Shelly are playing T-Ball this year. They haven't had a game yet, just practices. But I finally got to go to a practice and guess what I took with me? Right! The camera! One of these days I'm actually going to make a post without pictures. Here's Shelly rounding second, heading to third:

At third base getting ready to steal home:

Running toward home:

Finally, at home plate! What a long run for such short legs:

Billy running toward first:

Going to second! RUN BILLY!!!

HOME RUN!!!

Then comes batting practice. Check out that form!

Yeah! She hit the ball!

She has the swing that just doesn't stop:

Up to bat next is Mr. Billy Carter:

"I'm going to put it right out there over the fence":

Look out! Here it comes!

Meanwhile, Hannah's happy just taking a bath:

And eating the ducks:

My Babies and Their Babies

2008-04-01T08:40:00.002-04:00

My son, Doug, brought the kids up on Friday and stayed awhile to play Nintendo:

I had bought this car for Billy when he was a baby. It's now on it's 4th trial of being ridden around and abuse:

The horn is gone now so she has nothing to blow:

Sometimes she can look really bored:

But she's still a happy baby, even if she did keep me up til 3:30 the next morning:

Shelly was enjoying watching a movie:

Billy just danced to the music:

Then he got bored with the dancing thing:

Hannah decided to help herself to the stuff under the bar:

I thought Shelly was going to come to my rescue. Boy! Was I ever wrong!

Billy enjoys playing wrestling on the Nintendo:

I think he has a beautiful smile:

Now here's a rare photo, one that you may not see again for quite awhile, my daughter, Bambi. The hickey on her head was from a suction thing I've got:

Rebecca now has pink and purple braces. She also got all that beautiful hair cut off:

Nic likes to take bubble baths with the rubber duckies that light up, but then they all do:

After Billy, Shelly, and Hannah went home, I couldn't find my keys. Shelly had said she didn't want to go home. So she hid my keys thinking she wouldn't have to go. But her daddy and mommy came to get her anyway. Doug found my keys yesterday morning in the garbage can in the bedroom. She is so sneaky! But I love them all, no matter what they do. They're still my babies.

SHE WALKS, SHE REALLY DOES!!!

2008-03-27T22:51:00.000-04:00

What else but pictures?

2008-03-17T22:53:00.002-04:00

Hannah loves playing with hot wheels:

Rebecca wanted to make a picture of herself:

Then she finally got it right:

Yep, Doug has gained all his weight back plus some. "Why?" you may ask. Because this is what he does ALL THE TIME:

Nic enjoyed playing Mario Kart on the Nintendo:

Here is one tired Nana enjoying a moment of rest, but thoroughly enjoying her grandchildren. I love them all so much!!!

Flying High

2008-03-17T22:47:00.002-04:00

I got this on video tonight and I just had to post it. I never did this with my kids. I would be afraid I'd miss them or they would move. But leave it to my son to do it anyway:

GAMES, GAMES, GAMES!!!!!

2008-03-15T22:22:00.002-04:00

First of all this weekend, Billy, Shelly and Hannah came up to spend the night with us. Hannah doesn't take a bottle anymore except at bedtime. She's such a big girl. She loves her sippy cup. I bought a Nintendo 64 off Ebay for the kids. It's an old system but it works great and the kids love it. I didn't know how to work it but it sure didn't take them long to figure it out:

Then when Nicholas came up, he figured it out in no time too! And these kids are only 5 years old!

Shelly wanted me to take a picture of her pajama top, and being the good MeMe I am, I did:

I don't know what she was doing here, but she seemed to be in deep concentration:

Billy was having fun trying to dodge the camera while he was watching TV in my bedroom:

Poor Hannah was so tired that she went to sleep in the high chair:

Nic really takes playing his games seriously:

Rebecca just likes to pose:

Always the cheerleader:

She called this one her mug shot:

I bought an air hockey table a LONG time ago. I opened it yesterday. Some assembly required, no instructions included. I wish I could have put it together for Billy and Shelly to play with it, but that would have been impossible with three little ones here. So finally Rebecca and I figured it out and put it together ourselves. No help from anybody. Who needs men?

I think they enjoy playing it. I can't wait for Billy and Shelly to be able to play it. I think they'll enjoy it too. At least now I have something for the kids to do when they're here besides playing on my computer.

Looking For Office Job

2008-03-09T09:59:00.003-04:00

My contract with Fort Sanders will be up in July. That is when I can move on without having to pay back my scholarship. I love my job there but I have worked there for 25 years and too many things are happening to upset me. I am going to try to find a job in a doctor's office. I told Doug this morning that I was going to try to find an office job and he said "Why, what happened last night?" Does something have to happen? Well, it did, but I don't want to tell him that. I'm tired of dirty old men pawing me like I'm ripe for the picking. I'm sorry, but regardless of what people think, nurses are not whores. Well, not all of them anyway. I feel like if I have an office job, there will be less chance of this type of behaviour happening. I'm not a piece of meat and I just don't appreciate being treated like one. Administration is not helping matters any by changing the rules whenever they want something done different. Oh well, I guess I've vented enough. I'm going to bed now...ALONE!!!

"Movin' On" in sign language

2008-03-09T09:25:00.002-04:00

I don't think this is ASL, I think it's signed English. But it's still a pretty song. I just hope this girl is good enough that my friends can understand it. Enjoy!

Couple's Retreat, 2008

2008-03-02T14:17:00.002-05:00

This year we had the opportunity to go to our church's couples retreat in Gatlinburg. Well, we have the opportunity every year, but I had to work last year. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and fun with other people we have come to know and love in our church family. And it is a family. I took my camera but some of my pictures aren't the best in the world. When we first arrived, we were greeted by Mama and Papa bear:

And here we have Debbie, Kay and Preacher Mike. This was not the mood for the weekend. I don't know what was going on, but it was anything but boring:

I was trying to get pictures of people coming in, but for some reason, Bryan, Tammy and Kim were going out (this is one that blurred):

I did get Harold coming in, but missed his wife, Mary:

Friday night we had a wonderful time of fellowship and prayer:
It got kind of warm so the Debbie's Bryan turned off the fireplace:

Our very own "Golden Girls" sang for us. From left to right is Linda, Kay, and Debbie. The preacher gave them that title. I wish I had put my camera on record mode. They sing so beautifully:

Another picture that blurred. The preacher presented Calvin with the coveted "Moose" award:

Another time I wish my camera had been set to record. Tammy and her sister Rachel sang another beautiful song for us:

We all enjoy giving Christy a hard time, but to be truthful, it couldn't happen without her. She works so hard to make sure we have everything we need. Then it doesn't stop there, she makes sandwiches for everybody:

Everyone had more than enough to eat. It was wonderful! Thank you Christy!

Sunday morning, Mary, Linda and Christy did the work of preparing breakfast before Johnny brought the lesson (the preacher went home early that morning to bring the message at church):

Look out Kenny, Christy has a knife!

Now for scenic pictures. There were cabins all over the place:

Even in the far distance were cabins:

The cabin behind us had a walkway going across, appearing to go up the mountain:

This is the cabin we stayed in:

Of course, the picture of our cabin was decorated with Doug and Paul:

The mountains in the distance were absolutely beautiful with the snow on them. Another one of God's beautiful paintings!

Doug and Paul with the snow covered mountains in the background:

I don't have a clue what Doug was doing here"

I know I had a great time and I'm already lookng forward to next year. For now though, I hope you enjoyed sharing in my joy. God bless us all!

Shelly's Birthday

2008-02-27T23:29:00.002-05:00

Sunday was Shelly's 4th birthday. She had a Hannah Montanna birthday party. When she and her dad walked into the kitchen, everyone yelled "SURPRISE!!!" and it scared her. For a long time, she just kept her face hidden. She stayed on her mom's lap just about the whole party. Even being the camera hog she is, she wouldn't look at the camera or even smile until the party was over.

Poor Rose. She was sick and her medicine reacted on her and made her feel even worse. But she's always there for her kids. It doesn't matter how bad she feels, she always comes through for them. I'm so glad she's my daughter in law.

I even made a picture of Shelly's new boots, but she still wouldn't get off her mom's lap:

Of course, when I first came in, Hannah was sitting on the couch reading a book. She's so smart!

Uncle Jake was there (Rose's brother). He's always great to have around kids. He keeps them entertained. Here Billy enjoys a bird's eye view from atop Uncle Jake's shoulders:

Hannah watched for a long time:

Finally the temptation got to be too much:

Everybody enjoyed watching her open gifts more than she did. She was still shell shocked by the big SURPRISE!!!

She finally decided to start getting into the party a little more:

Shelly even decided to crawl into one of the gift bags to retrieve a gift:

Hannah was afraid of the balloons but for some reason liked this one. I guess so she could scare everyone that she was going to put her eye out with the stick:

Shelly got a Hannah Montanna doll. Guess who loves Hannah Montanna?

This is a rare moment. Hannah usually cries when she even looks at Aunt Bambi. But she even let her hold her at the party:

Then the exciting time to blow out the candles on the cake:

After everything was over, Shelly played peekaboo:

And here is Hannah sporting the newest fashion statement in Haircuts By Shelly and untucked onesies:

Rose still hasn't found the hair.

More Pictures of Kids

2008-02-17T21:00:00.002-05:00

All I have from this weekend are pictures of Billy and Shelly. Like I said in the previous post, Nic was sick so they didn't get to come up. So...here goes:

She used to wake up with a smile. I guess that's what growing up does.

At least Shelly was happy!

Hannah's eating real food now. Check out the teeth. Can she ever make a mess!!

Shelly likes to pose, even at the dinner table.

Billy didn't want to eat, so he just laid down in his chair.

I think Hannah needed a nap. She sure looked tired.

That bib is awesome! It is plastic on the outside and has a pocket to catch all the food that doesn't go in the mouth.

Points

2008-02-17T12:44:00.002-05:00

Well, Billy and Shelly have gone home and Nicholas is sick so he and Rebecca didn't get to come up this weekend. I'm going to go see them one day before I go back to work. I had bought them a bag of Sweet Sixteen sugar covered donuts. Well, after Billy and Shelly had a few, Doug hid them so there would be some left for Rebecca and Nicholas. So now I have 1/2 bag of uneaten donuts. I just love this diet. You can eat anything you want as long as you stay inside your points. One of the donuts has 1.5 points. That's based on 3 of them having 5 points. It's actually 1.66666666...Well, guess what I had for breakfast this morning?!? I ate a donut! It was so yummy! But I stopped there. And I have to drink 4 bottles of water a day and I'm already working on my 3rd. I haven't had any soft drink or tea. And I'm not missing it that much. Of course, my water has crystal light in it. That doesn't count as points. But then, unsweeted tea and diet drinks don't either. Anyway, I'll drink the caffiene after I get done with the water. I'm eating a ham sandwich for lunch which is only 2 points. It's that deli sliced ham you buy in the tub (5 slices) and light white bread. It's more than enough to fill me up. Anyway, I'll update next week on how much I lose or don't lose. Bye!

Update on Downsizing

2008-02-16T10:28:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was my weigh day. I've lost 10 pounds! In just 2 weeks! I'm so excited! I'm slowing down now to about 1 pound a week though. I guess the first week was mainly water weight loss. But I can tell a difference because I don't look 9 months pregnant and my clothes are a little looser (or is it my imagination?). Whatever it is, I'm happy with it. I have the kids this weekend and it's hard not to eat all the junk food they eat. But I'm trying to be strong. More news later on. Film at 11. (LOL)

Another Day At My House

2008-02-05T20:29:00.000-05:00

Shelly likes to listen to music on my MP3 player:

You can't tell it here, but Hannah actually hates her car seat. I bought this neat little thing that covers her up except for her head. It keeps her warm. She's about outgrown this car seat but I'm not throwing it away. I did that after Shelly was born and then Suprise!! Along came Hannah and I had to buy stuff all over. I'm not gonna be caught off guard this time.

Hannah is just like the other kids, wanting to get on the computer:

2 of my girls:

My other girl, after playing with her brother:

All the kids like Troy, even Nic:

Nic and Rebecca like to wrestle with each other:

He also likes to try to eat her clothes:

An exciting day at my house:

Downsizing

2008-02-05T20:02:00.000-05:00

Okay! I did it. I joined Weight Watchers. The online one. I don't know if you can go to meetings or not or if you have to pay extra for that. I joined on Friday but had the kids the weekend so didn't start the diet til Monday. What did I do on Monday? Went over my points by 3. But that's okay. I'll have to get used to it. I'm drinking more water, and my tea is now sweetened with Splenda (sugar is so much cheaper). So far today I still have 12.5 points to go and I've already had supper. WOOHOO!!! Maybe I'll eat a big piece of cake! NOT!! At least I can eat something I like that I normally wouldn't eat while doing this. One problem...I threw everything away that I wasn't supposed to have. Oh well...maybe next time you see me, I'll be slim and trim. NOT!! The average on this diet is 1 pound per week. It'll take me forever! I'm posting a couple of pictures but you won't see my face in them. I'm ashamed to show it.

Front View:

Side View:

See, told ya I was fat!

Healthy Lifestyle

2008-01-15T01:46:00.000-05:00

I decided that I was going to start living a healthy lifestyle (I'm still trying to figure out what's healthy about it.) I quit smoking in May, which I know is a good thing. I still get cravings, but they pass quickly. I won't start back. Since then, I have gone from a size 12 to a size 16 (not a good thing). I also decided to start eating better and only taking medications that the dr gives me. No more diet pills ordered off the internet. That is good I guess, but I had so much more energy when I was taking them. So now my house is really nasty. Anyway, in November I got strep throat, which put me in bed for a week. I really felt stupid because kids just breeze right through it. Had to get a shot in the hip (ouch) and take a bunch of pills. Got better and things were going great. Last week my neck started swelling and got sore to the touch. Then all of a sudden, one morning I woke up and my throat was real sore and I felt like crap! Went to the dr. and got put on another bunch of antibiotics (no shot...YEAH!!). It wasn't strep throat but some kind of bacterial infection (Yuk! little microscopic bugs! Probably from the nasty house). Still taking the pills for that. I was getting out of the shower yesterday and drying off when all of a sudden I felt a sharp pain in my lower back. OUCH! It hurt but I could still get around. I went on to bed to take my nap so I could work last night. I woke up and when I started to turn over, it hurt so bad I couldn't. I yelled for Doug and he helped me turn over. I couldn't go back to sleep so I finally got up (not easily). I am bent over when I walk now and I groan alot. Instead of going to work, I got dressed and went to the E.R. Saw the nurse practioner and got 2 shots (double ouch!!) She wrote me prescriptions for pain pills and muscle relaxers but by the time I got out, it was too late to get them filled. So here I am, can't sleep for the pain and not really caring about sleep. I just want to quit hurting. As if that's not bad enough, she put me off work for 2 nights. Not good when you don't have enough sick time built up to cover it. Guess I'll take vacation time.
So I'm wondering if a healthy lifestyle is worth it all. I'm gonna have to start smoking and ordering more diet pills online so I can get healthy again. I'm really not but it kind of makes you wonder if it's worth it.

Pictures

2008-01-05T22:32:00.000-05:00

Rebecca and Nic at my mom's:

My sweet Mama:

My sweet Rebecca striking a pose:

2 of my favorite girls:

Nic won't hug my mom. I don't know why. She loves him a bunch:

He just shows himself sometimes:

Rebecca isn't afraid to hug her:

It was just like Christmas all over. Presents that hadn't been opened:

My personal favorite as a gift:

Playing a fishing game:

And guess who can almost stand up now by herself?

But she still falls down:

And there's my baby boy (almost as big as his dad):

As much as I love my grandbabies, I know there will never be another as good as good ole Mom:

And Hannah got to meet Troy:

And of course, Troy loves her:

Christmas Day, 2007

2007-12-26T23:38:00.000-05:00

Christmas Day was at my house. I always cook for the family. That was real fun after working all night. But I thoroughly enjoyed it! Counting the kids, I fed 12 people that day. I love cooking for alot of people. But I cheated this year. I bought the honey baked ham. I sure wish Bambi and Jeff had come and brought the kids. But she doesn't like to take them out and away from their toys on Christmas Day and I don't really blame her. When she was little we always went to Doug's grandmother's to eat, and the kids had to leave all their stuff to go eat. So it's really better I guess.
Hannah is getting tired of the exersaucer. She mostly just stands in it now:

Shelly loves margarine. She asked for her roll to be buttered, then licked it off:

So many people have passed away this year. Mary Nell died on Thursday. I am so thankful that my mom is still able to be with us this year:

My beautiful daughter in law, Rose. She is always so pleasant to be around:

My mother in law, Elizabeth. She treats me as good as she does her own daughter:

My son, Doug, relaxing in the recliner:

Rose relaxing with Hannah:

Rose relaxing without Hannah:

My mother in law and my mom knew each other before I ever met Doug. They enjoy talking:

Young Doug was "helping" Old Doug with the GPS he got for Christmas. (It still isn't in the car yet):

Hannah walks all over the place as long as she has something to hold on to:

My sister, Gerry, her daughter, Kelli, and Kelli's dad, Paul, came up also:

Evidently Gerry thought the food looked good from the smile on her face:

Paul wasn't bashful. He helped himself to everything. I'm glad he did. That's how I want people to be at my house:

And finally, Gerry, Paul, and Kelli's pride and joy. Justin, Kelly's son. (If I had those eyelashes and he had a feather up his butt, we'd both be tickled):

Where was Billy in all this? Mostly on the computer, but also relaxing with PaPaw:

Christmas Eve, 2007

2007-12-26T23:18:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve this year was a busy one for me. I went to Doug's mom's party and had to leave 30 minutes after it started because I had to work. Therefore, I didn't take as many pictures. But never fear, I did take some, and even took my camera to work.
First we have Jessica in her Santa hat:

Next we have Ashley, Jessica's half sister:

Then we have Brittany, Ashley's half sister, no relation to Jessica. Figure that one out! Isn't she beautiful?

Doug with Shelly:

I accused Doug's brother in law,Bill, of being drunk:

Crystal, Bill and Melody's daughter, with my sweet Hannah:

Yummy!! Time to eat! Something I didn't get to do:

Jessica's brother, Jeff, with his son:

Then it was off to work. Lonianne was happy to be getting off:

Debbie was about as happy as I was to be there:

I HATE LIARS!

2007-12-11T20:52:00.000-05:00

This morning I was once again lied to by my manager at work. Telling me what I want to hear then telling me something different when there's some brass around. Then she says she didn't say it to begin with? Please! She knows she lied and I don't cater to being lied to. So I have made a decision. In June (when my 1 year contract is up), I'm changing my status to occasional. That way I won't lose my seniority but I only have to work like one day every 6 weeks. Then I'm going to find a job that pays better. UT has great benefits but is so far away. I'd really like to get closer to home. But not much to choose from here in the boonies. Oh well, that's 6 months away. I guess I'll just stick it out til then.

More kids!

2007-12-09T22:40:00.000-05:00

We had decided to keep only one set of grandkids each weekend I had off in order to preserve our sanity. But Doug would go into Billy withdrawal if he didn't see his "best buddy" often. It's really sweet, especially now since Shelly is saying that I'm her buddy and she loves me and not PaPaw. But Rebecca and Nic came up Saturday and went home tonight. It was really a nice visit with all of them. Of course I made pictures. (You never would have guessed!)
Hannah likes banana popsicles:

Billy likes the new Bear toy that I got for Christmas this year. Actually tells "Twas the Night Before Christmas" to the cub it's holding:

Shelly likes them all:

Hanna doesn't really care. She hasn't experienced this thing called Christmas yet:

She's content just to be happy and get attention:

Billy loves to play with his baby sister, even if it means getting in the baby bed:

Finally! Rebecca and Nic arrived and she got attention from someone besides MeMe:

Rebecca looked so pretty in her new dress:

She was ready for church and Nic was still in his pj's:

Another candid shot:

Nic didn't want his picture taken:

He looked so handsome in his suit! Was he trying to look sexy?:

But he just wouldn't smile:

He did know how to act silly though:

Finally got a smile out of him. But that was only because we were playing with the timer on the camera. He thought it was funny:

And of course here's Doug, my own personal couch potato:

Sickness and Health

2007-11-28T22:48:00.001-05:00

It seems the devil is really attacking our church. I guess maybe he may be after all the churches. His time is drawing near and he knows it. We have several sick in our church and also friends outside of church. Please help me in praying for the sick and suffering. Mary Nell, church member, is very ill and is praying that God will take her soon. She is terminal and in much pain. I pray that God will give her peace. Stella, one of our few charter members, has been diagnosed with cancer. She is caring for her husband, who has Alzheimer's disease, and is very scared about what the future holds for her family. It doesn't sound good for her, but I don't know all the details. My friends Mary and Sandy's grandfather had a stroke on Thanksgiving. He is improving but has other health problems as well. I pray that he may have peace and happiness and know that his family loves him dearly. My sister is struggling to work on her job, as her back is so bad that she sometimes cries with pain when the workday is done. I pray that God will strengthen her back so she may be able to help others. There are so many others who are sick. I can't name them all. May God's will be done in all these situations. Always remember the sick, especially during this time of year. Be thankful for your health, even if it isn't that great. It could be alot worse. May God bless you all.

Turkey Trot

2007-11-19T21:57:00.000-05:00

Today Rose called and told us that Billy's class was putting on a program at school tonight. Well, you know me, I had to get the camera and go! It was so cute and Billy did really good on his part! His dad worked last night and has to work tonight after having classes all day at UT so he couldn't make it. He felt bad about it because he said that was Billy's first program at school. But there will be more. Poor little guy, forgot to wear his belt. As you can guess, the name of the program was Turkey Trot. Each group of kids had on different colored shirts. Billy's group was pink so of course, Shelly had to tell me that was for girls and Billy shouldn't be wearing it. It's taking my video forever to load, so I'll add it later and go ahead and put the pictures on here. It started out with Shelly spotting us:

Next, Hannah saw us:

Then Shelly decided to come and sit with us. She had to have her picture made:

Then the lights went down and the music began! The show was a BIG HIT!!!:

In case you didn't notice, Billy is the one in the pink shirt, on the front row, next to the blue shirts. But you'd never have guessed. I forgot to do the red eye thing before I uploaded them. Sorry 'bout that.
Guess what!?! The video got done!

My Week With Nic

2007-11-18T23:44:00.000-05:00

While Bambi and Jeff were gone to Denver, I got to keep Nicholas. At first I thought "Oh Lord! What have I gotten myself into?" 6 DAYS OF NIC?? Boy! Was I ever wrong! We had such a good time, and he actually minded! When he's by himself, he's a different kid! Anyway, I made a few pictures, not that many, since he's most of the time sitting in front of the computer. I bought some powdered doughnuts for us as treats. We both love them. Notice the white lips?

He liked to keep his spiderman pj's on as long as he could:

Dora, one of his favorite shows:

Told ya he likes powdered doughnuts:

Hope he doesn't get mad, but I like to take candid pictures:

Rebecca came on Friday. Her dad, Shannon brought her up after school. She was my life saver. I had strep throat and a temp of almost 104. She helped me so much!

Bambi's Trip To Denver

2007-11-17T09:30:00.000-05:00

Last week my daughter and her husband Jeff went to Denver for medical testing on him, since he works at Oak Ridge. Anyway, she got quite a few good pictures and I thought I would post some of them on here. Know the difference between the Great Smoky Mountains and the Rocky Mountains? TREES!!! As you can see, our mountains are much prettier than theirs:

They said there are alot of elk up there:

Jeff on a rock:

Bambi on a rock:

Personally, I like the picture where she's not posing:

"Big He Man Jeff":

Jeff on a bridge that swung in the wind:

Bambi on same bridge:

Herd of elk:

Jeff and Bambi together:

Beautiful snow capped Rockies:

The Molly Brown Museum and House (she was on the Titanic):

I am happy to report that Jeff's medical testing turned out good. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

MADE IN THE USA

2007-11-05T20:30:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm on my soapbox now. I have a new gripe. Why can't we find anything, especially baby toys (teething rings, etc), made in the good old USA? Because we pay the people in China $0.17/hour? I know companies are out to make a buck and save everywhere they can, but I would be willing to pay more to buy stuff made here in the United States. All I can say is, Christmas is going to be anorexic this year, mainly because I've made more bills than I make money, but also because I'm doing my best not to buy products made in China or anywhere else except the U.S. I used to put people down for not buying foreign made products, but now I understand their point. I'm afraid to buy for my grandkids because they may get some kind of lead poisoning or something. Then the lady at Walmart got an attitude with me when I said something about not being able to buy stuff made in our country. Let me say this to her: PPPPPPPPFFFFFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(I don't know how to spell how a raspberry sounds). I know things can be found made in USA, I'll just have to look for it. I found that some of the Little Tykes toys are made here. They even have a place on their web site that lists all the toys made here. It just takes one bad product and one child for a disaster. I don't want that child to be one of my grandchildren. I love them too much. And if anyone has anything against that? Kiss my booty! I'll just love them that much more!

Drew or Shelly? (or Billy or Hannah or Rebecca or Nicholas)

2007-10-28T22:20:00.000-04:00

Okay, we'll start out the weekend post with the lovely Hannah:

Even her brother is helping take care of her (or is she teaching him bad habits?):

Aunt Bambi is calling her the "bat baby" because she likes to hang upside down:

Billy took a nice relaxing bubble bath:

I told Shelly that everybody at work said she looks like Drew Barrymore in E.T., so she spent the day trying to be a model and pose and wanted me to get just the right picture. So here's my collection and see if you can tell which is the real Drew:

Gotta admit though, with just a little work, she could win a Gertie Look Alike contest.
Then came the other grandkids. Rebecca is so lovely when she first gets up in the morning:

The two of them like to pose for pictures:

Rebecca is getting limbered up for the upcoming cheering season:

Of course, she still is a Hannah Montana wannabe:

Imagine how it feels to fall down these steps:

Here they're playing a shopping game. Rebecca is ringing up Nic's purchases:

But the cashier got very tired:

So now you see a typical weekend in my life. This is what my life revolves around. My grandkids. I am so happy that Mary told me about this site even if I'm the only one who ever looks at it. I'm sharing my babies.

David's Bride

2007-10-28T22:02:00.000-04:00

Some of you may remember the post I did on a couple at our church who had a wedding ceremony after they had been married 50 years. David and Florence Corum are their names. David had said he had always wanted to see his bride walk down the aisle to him. His sweet bride, Florence, passed over into Glory Land this evening. She was in St. Mary's Hospice in Halls. He never left her side. He stayed with her 24/7 in the short time she was there. She didn't want for anything that he wouldn't get for her. Theirs was definitely a marriage made in Heaven. One day they will be reunited on that Heavenly Shore. She was a precious lady in every sense of the word. She was also a wonderful Saint and a true Christian. We will all miss Miss Florence.

Nic's Birthday Party

2007-10-19T22:04:00.000-04:00

Today Nicholas turned 5 years old. In a way it seems like he should be older, in a way it seems like he should still be in diapers. Bambi was so afraid that no one would come to his party. So we went by and got Billy and Shelly and took them. We had to take my mom and Doug's mom too, so we didn't have enough room for Hannah. Anyway, when we got there, there was one of those moon walk things that are filled with air and everything. Quite a few kids were there and older kids too. We all had a ball! The party had a spiderman theme, as you will soon see. I am not posting all the pictures. I took the red-eye off my camera, and the pictures turned out really lousy. Nic got alot of gifts, but I must say his favorite was from his mom and dad. A Nintendo Wii. Personally, I think he's a little young for it, but that's what he wanted, so they got it for him.
Here are my two favorite boys in the thing out back:

Nic and Shelly had fun jumping:

Even this "old kid" had fun jumping:

Don't really know what Rebecca was doing:

I had to put this picture of Shelly on here. Check out all the blond hair:

Then came the time for the yummy spiderman cake:

After Nic blew out all the candles, we all sat down for cake with extra yummy saliva where he kinda put the candles out by blowing raspberries at them:

Guess you could say he was really hungry:

Billy ate all his cake:

Shelly looked like she was saying something real important:

Poor Rebecca...sitting there with fork and spoon and no cake:

Nic handing his mom one of his birthday cards:

THE GIFT!!! A Nintendo WII:

Billy stayed occupied eating a second helping of cake:

You should have seen Nic when he opened his WII. Well, you can! Here it is!

Pictures of All the Kids

2007-10-16T23:36:00.000-04:00

Well, as I promised, I have some new pictures of Rebecca and Nicholas. But of course I always make pictures when Billy and Shelly are here too. It just seems like most of the time Nic is on the computer, and Rebecca and I are usually doing girl things. But here are new pictures of them all.
Here is Rebecca, following in the footsteps of her Nana:

And a rare picture of Nic coming down the steps instead of being on the computer:

But alas! He was coming downstairs to get on the computer anyway:

He did take a minute to let me pick him up (on the way to the computer):

And Rebecca enjoys holding Hannah when they're here together:

Hanna was making these cute faces where she was sticking out her lower lip to cry and I was trying to get a picture of it. But I had the red eye reduction on the camera, so by the time it made the picture, she just looked real solemn:

But when we put her down in the floor she was happy. What you don't see is when she go the sock to her right and put it in her mouth. It was Shelly's dirty sock:

And here's the camera hog again:

Doug's Blog

2007-10-16T22:47:00.001-04:00

Doug and Rose took the kids (mainly Hannah) to have their pictures made. If you're interested, they're really cute. Go to http://tacobelldoug.blogspot.com/

My New Toy

2007-10-11T14:15:00.000-04:00

Never let it be said that my son will out do me. I love his new car. So I went out this morning after I got off work and bought me one like it. Only mine's blue instead of red. I'm gonna have to go without a few meals, but as fat as I've gotten, it won't hurt anything. So here's my new Nissan Sentra (then I'm going to bed):

Poor Troy. He's wondering what kind of car he'll have to get used to next.

Doug's New Toy

2007-10-03T22:11:00.000-04:00

Well, my son got a new car tonight. Not a "new used" car, but a brand new one! With all the bells and whistles on it. He doesn't even have to have a key to start it or unlock it! It is so cool! Now I want one like it. It's a red 2008 Nissan Sentra. And of course I have pictures.
Back view:

Front view:

Side view with the proud owner:

And what post of mine could be complete without a baby picture? So here is Hannah doing her thing on Mommy and Daddy's bed:

Land of the Rednecks

2007-10-02T19:14:00.000-04:00

This past weekend Rebecca and Nic didn't get to come up because Shelly had chicken pox. She had her shot, she is just one in the less than 1% who got it anyway. It was a very mild case. Just little pink, raised spots that turned a brownish color and faded. They were almost all gone by the time she went home. But the dr said it was chicken pox. So I guess it was. I can't wait for Nic and Rebecca to come up. I miss them so much. Nic even talks to me on the phone now. Something he refused to do a while back. Billy and Shelly and Hannah got to go to church. They don't usually get to go because I don't keep all 5 at one time now. Shelly had picked Billy out a shirt and tie to wear. He was so proud to be dressed up like he sees his daddy sometimes:

And here you can really tell he loves his sister:

Doug is really losing alot of weight. He probably won't appreciate it, but here he is in shorts that fit him last month:

Now for the good part. Being from the south and all, I must say I'm proud to be a redneck. Tonight I fixed a gourmet dinner of Banquet Salisbury Steak, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, and Great Value Turnip Greens. All with a side of Sara Lee bread. I thought it would be nice if Doug and I had a candle light dinner. We had never had one before. So I put out the good china and set the table, complete with candle:

(In case you didn't notice, the candle is a rare #4 candle. Since this was a special occasion for us, I used only the best.)

Guess I'd better go for now. It's almost dark outside and I need to light the lanterns so I'll have something to read by. Y'all come back and read some more, y'hear?

I'm A Camera Fanatic!!!!

2007-09-24T10:09:00.000-04:00

Last weekend was a good weekend with the kids. Somehow, I just don't get as many pictures of Rebecca and Nicholas as I want. I guess I'm just busier when they're here. Plus Nic is most always on the computer. But then, so is Billy. I think next weekend I'll just concentrate on making pictures of Rebecca and Nic. So my next post will just be of them. I may take my camera to work with me tonight since Anna's working and I don't have any recent pictures of her. Maybe I'll do a post on my life as an RN. (a new RN that is). So here are the pictures of the kids that I made last weekend. I know you probably get tired of seeing my grandkids, but they are my life.
This is only one of the camera hogs, Shelly:

In this one her mouth was dirty, but she's a kid, what can I say? She was still happy

And she loves her "pet" monkey:

Hannah enjoys the exersaucer I got her:

And Shelly enjoys the rocker I got for Hannah (It holds toddlers too):

And Billy (on the computer, as usual, along with Shelly, the camera hog):

Billy gets as close to PaPaw as he can when he sleeps:

And he could also make a good advertisement for a toothpaste commercial:

Alot of moms and grandmothers would like to do this to the kids. I don't have to. They do it themselves:

Rebecca looks prettier every day (she's growing up too fast. She's just 10):

Here is my daughter, Bambi, Rebecca's and Nic's mom with her hubby, Jeff:

So much for my grandkids. Now, when I got home from work yesterday, there was this huge spider web next to the driveway. It was so perfect, I had to make a picture of it. And the creator of the web was in the very center. OK! I'm a little too camera crazy. But here it is anyway:

Babies Can Make Even the Stongest Act Stupid

2007-09-18T18:51:00.000-04:00

This is a video that I have been trying to post for a long time. I guess it was because I was using Internet Explorer. It posted fine on Firefox. Anyway, this is when Hannah first started laughing.

Classes over at work

2007-09-18T10:07:00.000-04:00

My classes for work are over, for now anyway. I think I still have to take the critical care classes. I'm happy to say that I passed the classes and now I'm ACLS (advanced cardiac life support) certified. Now if we have a code on the floor I can run it at least until the ER doc gets there. I love codes that we get back. It gets my adrenaline going. I love trying to revive people, although I don't like to see anyone having to go through that. Am I making sense? Probably not. Let's see, I do not like seeing people getting their chest pounded on and ribs broken, but if they have chosen to have that done if something happens, it excites me. What doesn't excite me is seeing someone who is 145 years old with a terminal disease who choses to be a full code. That means they want everything done. I remember the first time I got to defibrilate someone. I was so disappointed. I expected them to jump high off the bed like they do on tv. He just jerked a little. Oh well...so much for my sick choices for excitement. I'm just glad I passed the classes and now I can concentrate on being an RN. I'm going to work a couple of weeks on day shift so I can get the feel of really doing my job with all the doctors and families and stuff. I need to get busy on my nasty house now. Have a good day!

Lyrics

2007-09-10T18:08:00.000-04:00

Okay, this is a sick song...but it's hilarious if you read the words while he's singing.

I bought a gerbil at the petting zoo
If Richard Gere can do it I can too.
I get undressed, I start to lube
I stick the gerbil in the end of the tube.

Wondering just how he'll feel
Will he like it better than his little wheel
Careful now, he's right beside me
One more inch and he's inside me.

Go...gerbil go!
Burrow harder, burrow deeper
Be my little chimney sweeper
One thing I forgot about
How am I supposed to get you out?

So now my gerbil's on easy street
It's warm and cozy and there's plenty to eat
The situation is beyond my control
Gotta find a way to get him out of this hole

I try crowbars, I try wires
I almost had him with a pair of pliers
I try cheese but he's not biting
I wish this wasn't so exciting!

Go...gerbil go
Jesus, I am such a sucker
Please get out you furry fgrrrrrrrr
I think I am getting ill
Suddenly he's very. very still.

Now it's too late, my gerbil died
I guess I have committed gerbicide
Here's some advice, it's very clear cut
If you love your gerbil...don't stick him up your butt
Don't stick him up your butt
Little furry gerbil in your booty hole...

The Gerbil

2007-09-10T18:05:00.000-04:00

Just in case you didn't see it, here's the gerbil video. Sorry, it didn't come with closed captioning. But I'll post the lyrics on the next blog. It's too funny!

New Pictures!!!

2007-08-21T18:14:00.000-04:00

New pictures of the Carter Jr kids. First, a group picture of Billy, Shelly, and Hannah:

Then we have the handsome Billy looking like the typical ladies man:

Here's Shelly looking innocent, but her eyes are like, "what can I get into next?":

Last but certainly not least, the one and only Hannah, the sweetest baby girl in the world:

Gerbil

2007-08-13T12:06:00.000-04:00

This video is so funny. I guess you have to have a warped sense of humor to enjoy. So I hope your sense of humor is as warped as mine.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=136cNGNd7Yg

Sweet Baby Hannah

2007-08-10T17:55:00.000-04:00

I was working last night, and my beeper went off. It had Rose's phone number on it for me to call. I thought something must have happened, so I made tracks to the nurses station to call. I dialed the number and got her voice mail. Oh no! I thought. It must be something bad if she can't even get back to her phone. I kept thinking of Shelly, because she had some surgery the day before. I thought maybe she was having a delayed reaction to the anesthesia. Well, I got another call then from my son's cell phone. I answered and he assured me that nothing was wrong but that Hannah rolled from her back to her stomach by herself. He was so thrilled and so was I. I think I was more relieved that nothing was wrong. She shouldn't be rolling over all ready! She was just born last week (seems like). Now it won't be long until she's sitting alone and crawling. Then she'll be walking, then she'll be in school, then dating, and then OH GOD!! I DON'T WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT!! And my babies Rebecca, Billy, Nic, and Shelly will be doing all that before Hannah does! I don't want to grow old and I don't want them to either! I want them to stay my babies. Today was Billy's first day of kindergarden. I'm gonna have to call and see how that went. Well, gotta go to work. Have a good day.

More Pictures

2007-08-07T20:35:00.000-04:00

We had a great weekend. Billy, Shelly, and Hannah stayed all weekend because Rebecca and Nicholas were on their way home from Wisconsin, where Rebecca had been competing in a cheerleading competition. I can't wait to see them again. Anyway, my sister Gerry, Paul, Kelli, and Justin came up and we grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. They were so good. The kids didn't eat all that great, but Justin and Shelly had a good time running through the house screaming at the tops of their lungs. Anyway, here's a picture of Billy holding his little sister. He appeared to be in Heaven while Shelly was being a ham:

Shelly liked the little baby doll she got at Walmart:

As Billy did his wrestling figure:

One of Hannah's favorite past times, eating her clothes:

Finally, the kids and Paul and I got in the pool. Gerry or Kelli wouldn't get in:

Justin and Paul, PaPaw:

And they absolutely love each other to death:

Justin gave Paul some big splashes:

Another picture of PaPaw and grandson:

He wasn't very happy about getting out of the pool:

Kelli, mom to Justin and daughter to Paul and Gerry:

And last but certainly not least, MY GRANDDAUGHTER, SHELLY:

Rosie's Blog

2007-08-01T09:42:00.000-04:00

Rosie O'Donnell has once again made me sick with her stupid blog. I check it every once in a while just to see is she has anything interesting on it. So far...no. Her latest blog is a "poem" trashing Paula Abdul. Nothing about the content about Paula, I don't like Paula either, but "do you know who I am, I'm famous"? And what happened to poetry today? I thought poems were supposed to rhyme. Not just hers, most poetry doesn't rhyme. But my main gripe is her next blog. She is shown on her web cam with her daughter on her lap (which is fine). But on over in the video she is seen flossing her teeth, scratching her head (probably getting the flosser in her hair), putting it back in her mouth, wiping it off on her shirt, putting it back in her mouth, putting it up to her nose, then putting it back in her mouth again! C'mon Rosie! It's bad enough that your daughter looks like she hasn't had her hair brushed in a year, but where's your hygiene? For a look for yourself, go to http://www.rosie.com/blog/wp-content/themes/rosie2/fs2.php?vid=http://blip.tv/file/get/Rblog-20070729home_again305.flv
Be your own judge.

Picnic At the Park

2007-07-22T20:45:00.000-04:00

Hi again. Saturday we went to Concord Park (me, Doug, my mom, sister, ex-brother in law, Paul, Billy, Shelly, Hannah, my step-brother's granddaughter, Taylor, my neice, her son, and present "friend". We had a good time. We had sandwiches of all kinds, chips of all kinds, drinks and a bunch of stuff like yummy cookies. Here are some pictures I made.

My sister's grandson, Justin

Sister Gerry with ex, Paul. And she finally got to meet Hannah.

Billy and Shelly had a good time playing on this thing

Justin was too small and Taylor was too tall

Lucky PaPaw had bathroom duty

Just so happened there was a boat show and a live band

Billy had a good time dancing to the music.
We had just gotten home and Rebecca and Nicholas arrived. Poor Nic! His dad took him for a haircut and he came back with a burr. But he's still the same sweet boy he was. I think he minded better than the girls. Rebecca and Taylor got to go swimming alot and give each other makeovers. They are actually quite good at applying makeup. And they're only 10! I hate it that I didn't get pictures of Becca and Nic and Taylor. Next time they come up, I'll make it a point to do that. I was busy playing with Nic because he didn't have anybody to play with. So we went swimming on Saturday, and he had a ball standing on my shoulders and jumping off. He's like a little water dog. Today we just played games while Rebecca and Taylor swam.

The Weekend Begins

2007-07-20T22:52:00.000-04:00

Today Doug brought the kids over. They'll be staying for the night. I'm not keeping all 5 this weekend. But that's okay. Maybe it will help preserve my sanity. Of course I went wild with the camera. We'll be going to Concord Park and having a picnic tomorrow. Then Saturday, Rebecca and Nic will be coming up. My stepbrother's granddaughter, Taylor, will be coming also. She is the same age as Rebecca and she acts just like her. So Rebecca will finally have someone here her own age to play with. I'll keep Nic occupied. I'm going to attempt to post some pictures this time. They are all of Doug, Billy, Shelly and Hannah. If you look at Doug's arms in the pictures, you can see his poison ivy. He's had it forever. It still looks bad but he said it's clearing up. It looked really bad before, then the dr put him on Prednisone and he had an allergic reaction to it. So it's just clearing up on it's own. Doug came over one day when I was going to work so I got to see the kids before I left. Here's me and Hannah:

Billy loves to hold his little baby sister:

Shelly wanted to pose with daddy and "baby" Hannah. She said this is her "mad" face:

Shelly just can't be around her without touching her:

Doug worked last night and was worn out, as you can see:

Next blog will have a movie included. (If I can figure out how I did it last time.)

Blah But Busy Day and Weekend

2007-07-09T22:30:00.001-04:00

Tonight is not a great night for me. Not that I haven't enjoyed everything I've done today, with the exception of one thing. But that one thing has gotten me very down. I just don't know what to do anymore. I'm tired of walking on eggshells trying to keep from making people mad. When does anyone ever care about my feelings? From here on out, I will say what I feel to certain people and if I make them mad or hurt their feelings, oh well. Tough. It seems like I've lived my life for others, which isn't a bad thing, but it's time I thought about myself for a change.

We went out to eat at Pizza Hut with my son and his family tonight. Hannah sure is growing. She was a little fussy. Doug (my son) has poison ivy all over him. He went to the dr today and he called me and said (in a very whiney voice), "I got a shot". Poor baby. Just like a man. :) Guess that'll teach him to go rolling around naked in the woods. Just kidding. He's been working hard on a fence and put a tent up in the back yard for him and the kids to camp out in. Somehow, he got into some poison ivy. Well, I guess better him than the kids. At least he got 2 extra nights off from work due to it.

All the kids were up here this weekend for the whole weekend. Came up Friday and went home Sunday. I think they all had a good time. They went swimming, played games on the computer and did just about whatever they wanted to. Hanna got plenty of attention. She was such a happy baby. But I felt like I was correcting them too much and didn't want them to not want to come back. So Saturday night I prayed for patience with them. And the good Lord heard me. Sunday they wouldn't eat lunch, so instead of fussing at them for not eating, I told them no tv if they didn't eat. They still wouldn't eat so they didn't get to watch tv the rest of the time they were here. You just wouldn't believe the things they found to do. They actually went outside and played football, found toys they hadn't played with in a long time, they had a ball. Shelly even tore the horn off a toy car and walked around beeping the horn without the car. It was a good weekend, except when Billy fell down the steps and scared everybody to death. No one saw him fall, so we really don't know what happened. But he's okay, a little bit of boo boo on his ribs, which I'd say are pretty sore. But he could have broken his neck and been killed. I'd die myself is anything happened to any of my grandbabies.

Oh well, I guess I'll close for now and go to bed because I'll have to get up early and go to class in the morning (will classes never end?). Hopefully I won't have bad dreams from my mood. I made a picture of all 5 kids. I'll try to post it sometime. Hannah was asleep. But the rest were bright eyed.

Billy's Wrestling Impressions

2007-07-03T22:45:00.001-04:00

My son made a video one night of his son doing wrestler impressions. He doesn't really do the moves, Doug asks him what this one does, and Billy does it, and so on. The very last one is very cute, some may think a little sick, but funny anyway. He is trying to get a lot of votes on it to get it posted on the main page at break.com. If you would go to the link and watch it and then vote on it, he sure would appreciate it. The site is http://my.break.com/media/view.aspx?ContentID=324102

I got my license yesterday. About time. Now to get my badge changed...

60th Year Reunion

2007-06-28T22:41:00.000-04:00

Today was the 60th reunion of my mom's high school class. So few are left that they just had a picnic at Concord Park. It's been a long time since I've been down there. It's really a nice place. I'm going to take my grandkids and my sister is going to take her grandson and we're going to go there and let them play. Lots of ducks to chase, too. We'll just have to keep an eye on them because they could very easily get to the water and drown. Her ex-husband (father of her daughter)will be going too. Seems like love may be in the air. He did tell me that he never stopped loving her. He's changed so much since they were married. He's a much better person now. Even goes to church every Sunday. That's a complete turn around for him. I'm proud of him. If they could be happy together, I wouldn't mind seeing them get back together. Anyway...back to the subject. Of course I took pictures. LUCKY YOU!! There was a man there who taught me so much about my camera. He had one just like it. Taught me how to crop the pictures and all.
Arrival, Rule High School, class of 1947:

Next is the playground for kids:

Saw a beautiful German Shepard (I've always wanted a purebred German Shepard):

Met up with a couple of Rotties that were rescued by the Grainger County Rottweiler Rescue Center. They were real friendly. Happy to have a new home:

Quite a few of the class showed up:

Mama talking with the classmate who helped me with my camera:

Lots of ducks for the kids to chase:

My 2 best friends. My mom and my sister:

Then me and my sister, Gerry:

I left the last two pictures big on purpose. Because I love them.

My First Movie

2007-06-28T00:42:00.001-04:00

Fun With Dick and Jane (couldn't think of anything else)

2007-06-27T22:31:00.000-04:00

Doug brought the kids over to go swimming. He kind of had his hands full since I was inside taking care of Hannah:

Then they finally came back inside where Billy and Shelly had fun with the computer:

Doug loves holding his baby daughter, he couldn't put her down. He hates to leave her:

He finally gave her up and let me hold her:

She sure does yawn alot:

She makes the cutest little faces:

The most peaceful part of the day was when everyone went to sleep:

And yes, folks, she smiles now. She wasn't quite 2 months old in these pictures:

If you didn't know better, you'd think she was laughing out loud, but no sound:

I'm Back and Legal!

2007-06-27T21:44:00.000-04:00

I switched my telephone service from Comcast to Vonage. Just as good service for less money. Problem:When Vonage contacted Comcast to have my phone service discontinued, evidently they got PO'd and turned off my internet also. They came to my home and picked up my modem without leaving another one. Doug went there to get a modem and they refused to give him one compatible with phone. Said that was for Comcast Digital Voice customers only. So I went to Circuit City and bought a modem. Wouldn't connect to the internet. So I called Comcast. They told me my internet had been canceled. I hit the roof! They reconnected my service and asked for the MAC ID off the bottom of the modem. I gave it to them. Still no internet, hence, no phone. I called them back, gave them the number again, and got transferred to south Florida! Finally I got hold of someone here. They said there must be a problem in the line and it would be Wednesday before they could get out to fix it. So the guy finally came out today, called in the number again and voila! It works! Go figure. I will never again recommend Comcast for a dog! After over 20 years of service with them and never being late on a payment, all that crap is ridiculous!

So I've been taking my laptop to work with me and checking to see if my license for my RN has gone through yet. As of 3AM yesterday morning, it still wasn't there. I went to Mama's and got on her computer last night. THERE IT WAS! I'm legal now! I was jumping up and down and squealing all over the place and she got upset with me, it seemed. Not quite as happy as me, I guess. I came home and told Doug and he didn't seem real excited either. I told him that I guess no one could be as excited as me because they didn't know how hard I worked for it. He said he knew how hard I'd worked and I told him no one could know unless they had done it. So many times I was so stressed out I wanted to quit but wouldn't. I was so happy that I made a picture of the computer screen:

I know, stupid, but I did it anyway.

2007-06-13T19:08:00.000-04:00

I got my letter today from the state board telling me I had passed. But they can't issue my license until they receive my criminal background check. EXCUSE ME!!! I had that done before school was out. About 3-4 weeks before it was out. I'm calling tomorrow so I can find out what's going on.
I got to keep all my babies again this weekend. Friday I kept Billy, Shelly and Hannah. Shelly had said that she wanted to go to church and I'm not going to deny any child a trip to church. So I got Rebecca and Nicholas on Saturday kept all 5 of them. I got one picture of me and Shelly. I guess you can tell I was worn out, but it was worth it:

Oops!

2007-06-07T22:51:00.000-04:00

I forgot. The pool liner is in and ready to swim in! I just hate to see my water bill this month. Have a good day.

WHOO HOO!!!

2007-06-07T19:34:00.000-04:00

I guess you can tell from the title of this blog that I'm very, very happy! I had to work day shift today. There is a 1-900 number you can call and give your credit card # to and get your state board results. My cell phone wouldn't let me make a 900 call, the phones at work wouldn't, and another girl's cell phone wouldn't. So...I called my sister, gave her all the info she could possibly need. Put my phone on vibrate and went back to my class. Well I didn't feel my phone vibrate. So when I checked it, I had a text message on it from my sis that said "Please Call". So I left right in the middle of class and called. I PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought I was being quiet but the whole class heard me and thought I had gotten news that someone in the family had died. Marlene came out to check on me and when she went back in, she told them I had passed. I hugged people today that I don't even know. One of the girls that was in my class hasn't taken her boards yet. But I got the news that her brother passed away Sunday. I know she has to be devastated. They were so close. He wasn't even sick.
On a lighter note, I don't feel so bad about having gray roots once in a while. My idol, Cher, has always had long black hair (or so I thought). She was never seen in public without a wig. I have located a picture of her without a wig. Doesn't quite look as young. But she's still my idol. Here's her picture:

Maybe not as young but still as pretty as ever. She's still my idol.
Oh, I need to make a correction: I didn't pass my NCLEX, God passed it for me. Can't wait to get my license!

Patty Please Read

2007-06-06T22:30:00.000-04:00

Hey Patty,
I need to speak with you as soon as possible. It's important and you won't be disappointed. I'm switching to Vonage and if I tell them that you referred me you will get 2 months free. So I need to get some info from you. My email is level3op1@comcast.net. Talk to you soon, I hope.

Pictures!!

2007-05-28T12:14:00.000-04:00

I warned you that I'd be posting pictures. So beware, cause here goes. Here is Hannah's new baby bed. I got it for $50. I think it's well worth it. I'm NOT going to give it away:

You really can't tell it, but she's looking at me. Doug finally took the hint and made a picture:

Isn't she so sweet?:

Awake and squirming:

Shelly is proud of her new sister:

She was looking at her in the baby bed and said "I love you so much, baby Hannah." You'd never know it though:

Of course, Billy had Dad playing Wheel of Fortune on the computer (notice ducky on the desk):

And of course my mom got to hold her newest great grandchild (she has 6 now):

Rebecca and Nicholas came up. Seems like forever since I've seen them. Rebecca's hair is so long now:

And the poor old pool! I'm going to have to get that liner in it! It's pitiful:
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Shelly got her 3 year old pictures made. She's a ham! This one's a pin up:

As you can tell, she can fake looking innocent:

This is her dad's favorite:

Here is Shelly with an attitude:

So now you've seen all my pictures I made this weekend. I made a movie but I haven't downloaded it yet. I made one of Billy and Shelly playing in the water, but it got deleted by mistake :(

Weekend At MeMe's

2007-05-28T00:16:00.000-04:00

This weekend I got to keep Hannah along with Billy and Shelly overnight. I was thrilled! She is such a good baby. I started looking for the baby swing and couldn't find it. I looked in the attic, in the basement, in the garage. No swing. So I figured I must have let my sister use it for her grandbaby. Nope. So I guess I gave it away. I ordered another one yesterday. And guess what my son said about it. This time don't give the stuff away, just hang on to it. AGAIN?!? I guess the present I gave him for Christmas got lost. (Private joke) I would dearly love to have more grandbabies. I'm going to have to buy a greyhound bus to haul them all in. I just don't want to get too old to keep them. Hannah is a perfect child, just like her brother and sister and cousins, Rebecca and Nicholas. All of my "babies" are perfect. We went to Walmart to get formula, and met Sandy, Robert, Mary, Bucky, Lillian, her mom and dad (granny and gramps), Justin, and Ryan. Sandy got her hands on Hannah first. Then Bucky. As soon as Mary saw Bucky with her, she came running up with her arms held out to hold her. It was so sweet. These people are my best friends in the whole world.

I have called Comcast. My phone and internet go down every night around 9pm. Then it may come back up around midnight. I'm over it. They said they can't come out to fix it until Wednesday morning. GRRRRRRR!!! I'm going to tell them to take their phone/internet modem back and put me in a regular modem. It's been nothing but trouble since I got the phone. Then I'll call Vonage and have them put in their phone modem. Vonage is 24.99/mo and Comcast is 33.00/mo. So I'd actually be saving money. I don't know anybody who has Vonage, so if you do, please let me know how reliable it is. I don't want to jump from the frying pan into the fire.

I go back to work full time on Thursday. And I'll be making RN pay! I'm so excited! As long as I'm "orienting" I don't have to take a full load of patients. And also my pay doesn't come out of the floor's budget. It comes out of human resource's budget. I told them I'm going to milk it for all I can get.

I was going to post some pictures. But that's another thing about my internet right now. It's slower than the turtle, Bill Slowsky. If you've seen Comcast commercials lately, you know who he is. So I guess I'll post pictures next time. So get ready!

Until then, ta ta for now (ttfn) Love ya!

Rambling (again)

2007-05-24T00:02:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is the last night of my refresher course. Not that I've studied. I think it's a waste of money. They make it sound so simple, and they teach so many different strategies for different kinds of questions, it would take 20 minutes on one question to figure out which one to use. At least if I pass my test the first time, I get reimbursed by the hospital. If I don't, I get reimbursed by the company giving the class. So either way, I get my money back. I have scheduled my test. It may be soon, it may be 6 months from now. You'll kow when I post it. 2 of the people from my nursing class were in this class. It was good to see familiar faces. I go back to work full time on June 4. I worked this weekend as a graduate nurse. Also had my first dealing with death as an RN. Doing all the paperwork and listening for a heartbeat so the patient could be pronounced. Of course, I can't legally do that yet, but I did listen and had the RN to listen and pronounce her. But soon I'll be doing that. Too soon. I like to see people get better and go home. Oh well, it's about bedtime. I'll post more later.