Prom 2010

Well, Sarah attended her first prom this past Saturday, and she was breathtaking....just a mom bragging. She had a wonderful time and the best part was that she was home on time...in one piece. We had an after prom bon fire at our house that the kids all came back to. She went with an absolutely wonderful group of people, which put this mom's mind to rest. She is already looking forward to next year! Just thought I would post a picture for all of our out of town family to see her. Hope you all have a great week!

Life As I Knew It

It has been a while since I have posted....and that is because life as I knew it has come to a screeching halt. My life has been turned upside down and sideways, and I am still trying to get a grip on all that is going on.
I started my new job at Moultrie Tech, and so far I am enjoying being a part of a work environment again. The drama and politics I could do without, but then we all know that none of that can be avoided, especially when you work with women. I am slowly getting used to this full time schedule, and I can tell you that I truly miss my freedom that I once had. I now have been on both sides of the fence, and I can honestly say I loved being home with my children and being able to get all that needed to be done during the day completed, so I was able to spend quality time with the children and Todd. Now I feel like there are not enough hours in the day for me to get it all done....I know this will all begin to fall into place. It is just gonna take me reprioritizing my "to dos" and learning to delegate more. I truly feel for single moms who have to do it all themselves because the guilt is riding my conscience constantly! And I have wonderful help at home...so I feel for those moms out there that don't have that.
I have also enjoyed spending some time with family as they have been down to visit. My sister and her husband were at our house at the end of March, and then my dad and Sharon came to see us for a couple weeks in April. Sharon retired finally, so they are able to now live without restrictions of time commitments. We did get an opportunity to go to Jekyll with them for the weekend, and it was a nice break. It was hard for me to leave each day to go to work, knowing they were at the house....but they were very understanding and helpful with things around the house.
Todd had his quarterly visit to the ALS clinic last week as well. He really is doing great. All the therapists are impressed with his lack of progression. I know that this can change on a dime, so we are taking each day and rejoicing in the normal day to day living. But overall, we had a great visit. Thank God for blessing us so far.
Bailey and Sarah are both doing well. They both made honor roll for all four quarters of school as well as receiving other awards. Sarah took a trip with the jazz band to record a cd, which will be out soon for anyone to purchase....it was a neat experience for her to go through. Bailey performed in her play "Tink's Peter Pan" with the role of Wendy. She did fabulous in it and is already looking forward to next year's play. Both the girls are counting down the last few days of school. They are out on the 21st. Sarah has prom this coming weekend and is so excited. Bailey is looking forward to field day at the end of this week.
I personally am looking so forward to the 22nd of this month. Our family will be leaving on my dream trip.....Ireland. I cannot wait to see what it is like there and to be able to experience it with my family. I am so tickled to be blessed with this opportunity to be able to go there. I hope it is all I have dreamt it to be and more.
I hope all the moms out there have a wonderful Mother's Day and that all of you that are blessed to still have your mom around, take a moment to thank her for all she has done for you.
I will post again when I find the time to breathe!
Hugs to all!

Whew.....

Whew....what a whirlwind it has been over the past two weeks. I feel like they have flown by since my last post.....so here is a quick synopsis of what has been happening.

I got the job I was interviewing for. I am now officially employed by Moultrie Technical College as a Career Advisor with the Green Tift Program.....first day is this Thursday. I am very nervous and of course worried about my girls, but it will all work out. I am gonna be praying an awful lot the next few days.
Bailey starred in her school play as Wendy from Peter Pan. She did a fabulous job and remembered all her lines. She was a natural at it....I hope she sticks with drama as she is definitely in her element when she is on that stage.
Sarah travelled to the University of North Florida for master classes in jazz and also to record a cd which we will be allowed to purchase at a later date. I will post it when it is available. She had a blast and learned tons.
My sister, Melissa and her husband, Steve, came to visit us for a few days. We had a good time just hanging out and being together. I was sad to see her go home so soon.
I guess that is about all.....the girls will be on Spring Break next week so they will have some down time.
I hope everyone is well. I will update as I have time.

Life Decisions....

Well, not a lot has been going on in our "family" world. Just the day to day routine that we have...school, running errands, being a taxi for the children's many activities, etc.
What I am struggling with right now is this "going back to work" thing. A lot of people would not understand why I am struggling with this because they have had a job day in and day out and they know no better. I, on the other hand, have been so blessed to be able to stay home full time with my babies for the past 16 years. I know most people would think....come on already, get a job and move on...the kids are growing up and you have to worry about the future. But until you walk in my shoes, you can't judge....isn't that what they say. As a mom, you sacrifice everything for your children, and your children are the only world you know. And despite what the common misconception is...I am not eating bonbons and watching soaps all day. I am extremely busy as an at home mom....in fact I am rarely home. And I know, in the end, Todd and I made the right decision with me putting my career on hold for our children. My children are wonderful human beings with great respect for others. They are smart and they are responsible. I truly don't think things would have turned out the same if I had worked during their early years. I pride myself in knowing the my children never have to doubt that mom is there for them at a moment's notice and that they are very secure in their knowing they are truly loved. It is rare to find a family unit like ours nowadays. Divorce and unhappy marriages are the norm for the majority of my children's friends. The secure environment that Todd and I have provided for the girls is one that is rare.....we worked hard for it and had some really tough times, but we made it through. So with that being said.....how do I move on to this new phase of my life and take everything that I have known for soooo long and not think it is a scary endeavor?
With Todd's illness looming over our home, it is obvious that I have to think about the future and what I will have to do to not only care for him but also for my children. I don't quite know if I am ready to move into this phase, but like it or not it is here. I need to get settled into the working world while things are still good for Todd, so we can all transition slowly together. I have two interviews this week coming up, and all I can think about is "what if...." as far as the kids are concerned. I am giving up the freedom to come and go as I please. Vacations and days off will now have to be worked around not only Todd's schedule but mine as well. Carefree summer days with the girls are going to be a thing of the past....and oh so much more. Bailey and Sarah will have to do without me in certain situations and it just doesn't sit right with me. I know this too shall pass and everyone will adjust as we go through this together, but I can't sit back and not look at this with bitter sweetness. It is not only an end of my life as an at home mom, but also in a way a bidding of farewell to my girl's "child"hoods.
So as I go into this week, I am turning not only another year older, but also starting a new chapter of my life. I just hope and pray that this book of life I am writing as I live each day has the happy ending I am praying daily for.
Look out working world....here comes Nadine. Hope you are ready!

Weeks Happenings

We have been soooo busy....then again when aren't we? I feel like that is all I ever write in my posts, but that is the life of a mom with kids I guess. Let's see.....where should I start?

At the beginning of the month, the girls and I set off for Atlanta to take Sarah to her audition for the Governor's Honors Program. It is a very selective program that the state of Georgia offers to high schoolers....mostly upcoming seniors...but Sarah was nominated in music by her teacher and she is only a sophomore. She made it through all the interviews and then on to the State Level interviews/audition. She felt like she did pretty well, but she is going up against kids that go to fine arts only schools, so the competition is tough. We will find out if she made it at the end of March. If she does make it, she will attend Valdosta State University for a six week program in the summer where she will take college level classes with a declared major of music and a minor in education. She will have classes Monday thru Saturday, and will live on campus in the dorms just like a college kid does. I hope she makes it because it would look soooo good on her college applications, but part of me doesn't want her to make it because I don't know how I feel about my baby being gone away to "college" for six weeks without me....that means I have to admit she is growing up!!!

We did have fun in Atlanta before and after the audition. We drove around our old stomping grounds and relived some of our memories while doing it. We ate like crazy at all the good restaurants that we miss since we have moved to Tifton. And we went prom dress shopping while we were there as well. Sarah found a beautiful dress and accessories, so she is ready to go to the prom in May.....my wallet on the other hand is awfully empty!!

Then this past Thursday, Bailey and Todd went to the Father/Daughter Valentine's dance here in town. They had sooo much fun, and looked fabulous, if I don't say so myself! Bailey got to go shopping to pick out her dress, get a "mani-pedi", and then got her hair done in lots and lots of curls. She thought she was the princess. My prince looked pretty spiffy too! I teased Bailey that she would need to beat up if anyone was hitting on her date. She assured me she would take care of it. They had a great time together and made lots of memories. I was so glad they got to have that time together.

The day after the dance, South Georgia went into the history books as having a record snowfall!!! Yes, the girls were soooooo excited and loved every minute of it. They built a snowman, had snowball fights, and just played around in the snow like they were three. It wasn't quite the snow that we are used to seeing in NY, but for down here, it was AWESOME!

I have been finding time lately to get back into my scrapbooks. It has been so long and I am soooo far behind, but I am loving being able to utilize my creative side again. I also have been looking for a job, which is scary to me being that I have been an at home mom for so long, which I have loved. I guess that is why I am so scared....it is me having to close that chapter of my life and I don't like it one bit. I do have a job prospect on the horizion. I will see what happens in the next few weeks. I so wish I had all the money in the world that I could open up a store like I have always wanted to, but that is not an option for me right now.

Todd has been doing well. No major changes....which is a blessing! He has cut back his hours at work and is only working open shifts which has allowed him to be home every night for dinner and time for him to rest his body...which is what the doctor has ordered. I just hope an pray we stay on this path of no change for as long as possible.

Finally, I am in the process of booking our trip to Ireland! I am so excited. It has been exciting to plan it, but frustrating too because I can't seem to find a travel agent who wants to give us what we want.,...for them it is all about commission and not about making a happy customer, so I am falling back on my travel schooling and booking it myself. We are planning on going the last week of May. The kids are going with us, so it will be a full blown family vacation....hopefully the trip of a lifetime.

I guess that is all for now. I hope this finds everyone else well. I will update when I have time! Have a great week!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Well, it has been a busy few days.
Last week, Bailey found out she is going to have one of the lead roles in her schools play...Peter Pan....she will be Wendy! She is so excited and nervous all at the same time.
I spent the weekend in Atlanta, scrapbooking the entire weekend with some old friends. I had a blast and got a ton accomplished. Gave me the kick in the pants I needed to get started again. I also got to go to Archivers which is a huge scrapbook store up there. I was in paper crafters heaven.....I had to force myself to leave! It was a very enjoyable weekend and gave me the much needed break I had been craving for. Looking forward to going again in July!
Sarah has her Governor's Honors Audition in Atlanta this weekend, so we are going to head out tomorrow when the girls get out of school to spend the weekend up there. We will prom dress shop before and after her audition time which is on Saturday afternoon. She is nervous about the audition but as I have explained to her she already has accomplished so much by being nominated and making it to this level as a sophomore....normally sophomores don't make it this far, so I am proud of her already. If she makes the program, that would just be extra icing on the cake!
Todd is heading to S.C. to finish up his car that he and his dad have been restoring. He is hoping to finally be able to bring it home this weekend. I hope he is able to, but we shall see.
Healthwise, Todd is doing well with no major changes at this point. We continue to rejoice in his current good health.
We will be booking our trip to Ireland probably next week! I am so excited to be going all together as a family. May will not get here soon enough! I still can't believe we really are going! Dream vacation come true!
I hope this finds everyone else well! Will let you all know how Sarah makes out this weekend! Have a good one!

Ya Ya Sisterhood 2010

Friday night was the annual Ya Ya Sisterhood Event to support Women's Health here in Tift County. Last year we went as Revenge of the Nerds....this year's theme was Women of the World. We choose China as our country. It was a wonderful night of fun and fellowship with the girls. We laughed and danced the night away after eating a yummy dinner. I think we all looked fabulous in our 'kimonos', which were actually robes that one of the girls, Kim, found at Belk's on the clearance rack. She scoured two Belk stores to get one for all of us. Kelli, Leslie, Tonya and Kim decorated our table which looked awesome as far as I was concerned. There were lots of really unique table designs there. It always amazes me the level of some people's creativity. The best part of it was that it was for a great cause and money was definitely made for the foundation....especially off our table just in the bar tab alone!

I wish I could come up with some sort of fundraiser that would be as successful as this one is to support ALS and MS. These diseases affect my closest family members, and I am always one to dive right in to whatever we are facing....I know I could come up with something if I put my mind to it, but I just don't even know the first thing about starting a fundraiser. Maybe that is just something that will come eventually.....in fact, my fortune cookie from the YaYa event that I got at our table said, "You will become a prominent public figure and community leader." What do you think? Politics aren't remotely my thing, but advocacy is. Who knows what the future holds for us.....I guess we will just leave that all up to the Big Man upstairs, and in the mean time get my wheels turning......

Have a great day!