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!

It has been a while......

I know it has been a long time since I have posted on this site.....but our life has taken a turn that none of us were ready for. I will try to update you on what has been happening....
November brought us to the end of band season. It was a fun season but we were so ready for it to end. Bailey finished up soccer season as well. She had a great season and really enjoyed it more than we thought she would. December was full of the usual activity for the holidays. Todd and I were involved in the organizing of the John Berry concert that happened at the beginning of the month. It was a fundraiser for our band program. It was definitely challenging but in the end turned out great. If you don't know who John Berry is...he is a country singer, mostly popular in the 90's. Some of hits are "Your Love Amazes Me", "Kiss Me in the Car", and "40 again". Part of the concert was Christmas music with his "O Holy Night" rocking the house. It was a true pleasure meeting him also. We had lots of visitors through the holidays as well. All of our parents came to visit during the months of November and December which was so fun for all of us. Along with having a wonderful Christmas, we celebrated Sarah's 16th birthday as well. It is so hard for me to believe my baby girl is 16 now. She truly has been a joy to raise though. I wouldn't change a thing, and I am so proud of her.
Now for the big changes.....in November, Todd starting undergoing intense testing for the issues he has been having with his legs. After five trips to Augusta, Ga to see a neurologist there, we were dealt the crushing blow of his diagnosis. Todd has been diagnosed with ALS, or as it is more well know Lou Gherig's Disease. For those of you that don't know much about the disease, I can tell you it is not a kind disease, and the prognosis is very grim.....so needless to say our family is having to deal with it as best we know how. We had the horrible task of telling the children what was going on with Todd. Needless to say it was not pleasant, but we have vowed to be completely honest with them through our journey. We are taking each day as it comes. Todd as of right now is feeling fine and to look at him you would never in a million years think something was wrong. So we will relish in this good health while we can. He has such a wonderful outlook on life and a positive attitude about everything. That coupled with his sense of humor is what is going to bring us through this. Don't get me wrong...we have our moments where we feel the pain of what is going to happen to us, but it has been our goal for now to not dwell in the negative and the sadness. With that being said, all we ask of everyone is to just pray for him and for healing or at the least slow progression. We did take a trip last week again to Augusta to go to the monthly ALS Clinic. We will only need to go every three months at this point but when you go to clinic days you basically meet with everyone on your "team". In other words, your dietician, respitory therapist, speech therapist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, clinic nurse, the neurologist, and then people from the ALS Association (social worker) and MDA representatives. Todd's joke is now he is officially one of "Jerry's Kids"....so next time the telethon is on or someone asks you to buy a shamrock to support MDA....PLEASE do it....it may be what helps my husband. At this point it all is very overwhelming as far as the information that they bombard you with, but we will weed our way through it slowly.
Well, I guess that about catches you up on what is going on in our world.....it is a lot and I could probably write all night, but I have things to do and people to talk to, so I hope this finds everyone well.
Please pray for Todd and for our family. People want to know what they can do for us....pray and stay positive!

Fall Fun

Well we have been very busy the past week. Last weekend, we were in Ocala, Florida for Sarah's big band competition. They did a great job and placed 3rd out of 30 bands and 2nd in their class. They received all superior ratings as well which for those that know nothing about band scores....that is awesome. It was sooooo cold at the competition.....45 degrees in Florida....brrrr. The day after the competition we went to Busch Gardens for the day. Bailey enjoyed a day with mom and dad while Sarah walked with her friends.

When we got home, the week was filled with lots of basic day to day errands and lots of aggravation.....car went into the shop and is costing us much more than we really want to hear. I had planned a trip to the north Georgia mountains which is my one thing I love to do in the fall. I had to cancel the trip because of the car, and it made me really mad. I pouted like a baby about it all Friday night which didn't make the football game all that fun, but it made me feel better! LOL.....On Saturday, I got up and decided I would still see if I could salvage my 'ruined' weekend. I found a corn maze about one hour from here so we headed out to attempt the corn maze. We had a fun day and I felt a little better about the weekend. Yesterday, we went to our church's fall festival. Bailey was excited to wear her halloween costume.....a jellyfish.....she was too cute. It kinda makes me feel sad cuz this is probably the last year she will do the halloween thing. It makes me realize how fast time has gone by......my babies are definitely not babies anymore.......so for now I will cherish the memories we make and know that both girls have had very good childhoods....broken cars and all!

HGTV.....Bathrooom Redesign.....

I have spent this whole week remodeling our bathroom. Since I don't have the cash to gut the bathroom and redo the whole thing like we really want, I decided to just make it livable for the time being. All for under $300, I was able to redesign the entire bathroom. New flooring, paint, window treatments, lighting and accessories! I love how it turned out and I am so glad I got it done while Todd was gone. Hopefully he will like what I have done.

He will finally be home tomorrow. I know he made it back into the States safely so that is all I care about. No moose once again, but he had fun and I guess that is all that really matters. I cannot wait to hold him in my arms again. I have felt like a part of me was missing all week.

He will be home tomorrow evening so I am gonna take the girls to the Georgia State Fair tomorrow while we anxiously wait for him to get home.

We had soccer pictures taken today for Bailey. She looks so cute in her uniform. She is really enjoying it so far. She has another game on Monday.

I guess that is all for now. I am tired and gonna head to bed. Hope everyone has a great week!

Soccer and Dances

Whew! What a week! I am so tired from all of it, but so fulfilled because my children are experiencing so much fun and excitement.

Bailey had her first soccer game this past week. She did SOOOO good for never playing soccer before. She was sitting on the ball before the game started, and I was like "oh boy, this is gonna get interesting". But once that whistle blew she just hopped up and got her head in the game. She played defense which I thought was a good choice on the coach's part being she had never played before. I just sat on the sidelines praying she would just not get hurt. Well, let me tell you that ball came down near her and she got right in there. She had a few good plays too. She learned a few things as well which was great. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Her team won 5-1. She was so excited and couldn't wait to tell Sarah and Daddy about it. She has another game again tonight so we will see if she does as well. It was so neat to see her involved in something.

Sarah had her Homecoming this weekend as well. It was Spirit week at school so she got right in on the festivities....twin day, tacky day/duct tape day, zombie day, red light day and finally spirit day. The football team won Friday night at the game which is always a good thing for homecoming. Band did great as usual. Saturday started off with a nail appointment, then hair appointment and finally the dance. Chase looked so handsome when he arrived to pick up our princess. Sarah looked fantastic if I don't say so myself. She was absolutely radiant and classy. Some of these teenage girls look like hoochies when they go to these dances. We took some pictures and the kids headed out to dinner. She and Chase went with one other couple to eat. I went out to eat with Chase's parents and when the kids were done, they met up with us again to get more pictures made at ABAC (our local college). Then they headed to the dance which they had an absolute ball at! I had a bonfire at the house and all the kid's parents came to it and then the kids joined us after the dance was over. We all had a great time relaxing and enjoying the laughter of our kids. We didn't get to bed till around 3:30 am. Sunday was spent recovering from lack of sleep! Sarah didn't want the weekend to end...but like all good things it did. She made lots of memories and that is all that matters.

So I sit here on Monday morning exhausted but fulfilled......funny how your children can bring you so much grief at times but seeing what my girls have been up to lately, the joys of being a mom by far outweigh the crazy times. I love being a mom and seeing our children happy....there is nothing in the world quite like it.

What we have been up to.....

Okay....so when I tell you band pretty much takes up our life.....I am not joking. For the past few weeks all we do on the weekends it band stuff. I feel like I am never home and that we are constantly at something band related. This weekend was no different. Sarah had her first major band competition of the season. The Blue Devil Brigade took home top honors....Superior Ratings, All 1's for scores, and a Sweepstakes win for the competition! They did fantastic and the kids were so excited. Bailey and I had fun watching the kids but we were sweating our bottoms off! It was like 93 degrees and humid! I felt so bad for the kids in their polyester band uniforms because it was so hot, so Bailey and I tried not to complain but it was hard.

Next week is Homecoming weekend so we will have the homecoming parade on Thursday, game at the stadium on Friday and then the dance on Saturday. So we will have a fun packed week/weekend. Sarah has her dress and accessories purchased. Going to get nails and hair done the day of the dance and then off to pictures and dinner before the dance. I am having a bonfire out here at our house after the dance for the kids to come and hang out. It is just gonna be Sarah and Chase and her friends Kaycee and Rob. I am gonna have the parents out while the kids are at the dance....so maybe I will get to relax a little next weekend....doubt it but a girl can dream.

Bailey has started soccer practice and she is doing quite good for never have played the game. She is realizing how tiring it can be too which is funny to watch her. Her first game is at the same time of the parade on Thursday, so I won't be at the parade but on the soccer field watching Bailey. That has been hard for me to have to now split myself between activities because I want to be there for both my children....hate that feeling. Bailey had her Pride Program this week for all the kids who made all A's for the first quarter. She is doing so well in school. The kids were treated to one of the original Harlem Globetrotters as their speaker. She got to ask him a question....and what does she ask? "What size shoe do you wear?"....too funny! By the way....it was a size 15. She was so excited she got to "talk" to him!

Todd heads out on his annual moose hunt on Friday. He will be gone for about 9 days. He loves this trip and has told me he thinks this is probably going to be the last year doing this because he thinks his dad won't be able to continue the hiking etc. because of his health.....I am more worried about Todd's legs this year too. I hope he will do okay with it. I can't wait to go to the doctor's in November to start to get some answers....I am fearful of what the outcome will be but in the same sense anxious cuz I want to see him finally know what is going on. Please continue to pray for him as things are not changing much and sometimes I think worse but in different ways. I know God has a plan for us and I trust He will take us through this, but I am human and I still have fears.

Well I think that catches you all up on things. Hope everone is well!

Playing in the Mud....

We had a really horrible rainstorm the other day that came through Tifton. The farmer's field across the road from us at one point looked like a pond. The girls and I sat on the front porch and watched the cars "flying" down the road in the torrential downpour. As soon as they would hit the intersection at the corner of our property, the cars would hydroplane. We thought for sure there was gonna be a wreck. So we sat there just laughing at how dumb people are....I know that is kinda sick, but we were looking for some form of entertainment and that seemed to fit the bill for the time. Once the rain let up, the little voices from the field across from us were calling the girls names....."come play in the mud"...."it will be fun"......so needless to say the girls couldn't resist. They had so much fun and were laughing so hard. I was on guard on the front porch with the camera, waiting for one of them to fall on their behind in the mud. It didn't happen unfortunately, but it was a small moment of childhood laughter that I got to experience with my girls....so it was priceless. We had a fun afternoon just enjoying the basics....rain and mud and laughter.

Just a thought....

No pictures to add right now, but just a thought. I saw a sign the other day that read......Before you speak think whether what you are about to say is true, helpful, and kind. That sign really has hit home for me. I struggle with this daily.....it is so easy to judge and criticize. I just thought I would share this with everyone to give you something to think about as it has for me.
Hope you have a good week.

Back to School

Well....I am officially the mother of a 5th grader and a sophomore...need I say more about my emotional state? I had a date with my husband this morning for breakfast and I ended up crying through most of it cuz I just can't believe how quickly time is flying. It just doesn't seem right that my children are growing up so fast. I know every mother in history probably has said that, but it is sooooo true. And until you are a mother, you just don't get it.....

Bailey met her teacher last night and seemed to like her very much. I was happy to see that she had several kids she knew in her class that she goes to church with and some that she knew from when she was in the primary school. So the change to the new school should be fine for her. I will see how she did this afternoon when I pick her up.

Sarah started at the main high school campus today as well. I pray she does well there. Her biggest fear is the drama that revolves around girls! She just doesn't want to deal with it, but it is gonna be there and how she deals with it will be the test. I still am numb to the fact she has only three more years left before she heads to college.

Well that is the quick update for now.....back to a routine and back to life as only I know it.

Have a great week!

Crazy past few days....

So we have had enough excitement to last us a while. Suncya we headed to St. Stimons Island to see my dearest friend Betsy and her family. They live in Texas so this is usually the only time I get to see her all year, so I was looking so forward to this trip. We got there Sunday morning and had a great time at the beach together. Kids had a blast. On our way back to the condo, Todd pulled into the complex and a woman decided to back out into our convertible.....crap!!!! So we spent the next hour dealing with police report etc. Had a great rest of the day, although my stomach was in knots because I am ticked my car is ruined. Went out to eat at the Red Barn on the Island and it was yummy. The next morning, Todd and Rick went out on a shark fishing trip and had lots of luck. Caught quite a few sharks with the largest that they got to the boat being about 4 foot long. While the guys were off fishing, we took the kids to the beach again and they had a great time! Bailey attempted skim boarding with the boys and Sarah decided tanning was the name of the game for the day. We headed to Barbara Jeans for a dinner of "she crab" soup and their famous crab cakes. We said our goodbyes and headed back to Tifton. Drove through some hellacious rain but all went well.....until we got home. We arrived home to find out Reilly was gone. The kids were really upset and I was trying to stay calm for them. We looked everywhere we could and to no avail she was no where. A really bad storm came through that night so we were of course really worried about her. Tuesday morning I went out on a search for her, reported her missing with the animal shelter, the local vets, the microchip company that is in her, and we posted signs up everywhere. Still no luck finding her. I then start going into freak out mode cuz I am realizing she may not be come home. Another storm comes through and now I am really worried about her. Still no luck all day. Wednesday morning we go on another search for her and she is still no where. I go home and decide to start painting the kitchen to get my mind off things....storm starts brewing outside again. The phone rings about 3:00 and I answer it. A woman down the road from us calls and says "I have your baby!" I started screaming and crying like a 5 year old cuz I am so excited. We went down to get her and the woman said she had been there since Monday and that she didn't feed her cuz she figured she would go home if she didn't do that, but that the storms we had made Reilly go hide underneath her deck and she couldn't get her out. When she finally did get her, she called the number on her tag which was our vets office and the gave her our number. So happy ending after all the drama!

Today had to get up at 5 am to take Bailey to Macon for her 6 month check up.....drove an hour and a half to be in the office for 7 minutes to here the doctor say, "it all looks great", and then drive home for another hour and a half. Got home and had to go get an estimate on the car which was $3300. Got home and insurance appraiser came to look at car and he says close to $4000.....so we will see what happens next.

I am exhausted after this weekend/week of events because my brain is mentally shot, but this too shall pass. And as my dad told me, "Nadine, your life is always exciting...there is always something going on....you need to write a book!" I guess this is as close to a book as I will get for a while cuz I am too tired and too busy to find the time!

Here is hoping this weekend and next week will be better. Sarah starts drivers ed this coming week. The girls have only 3 weeks left before the first day of school....can't believe summer is over already!

Bailey and Jet

Bailey has had a fabulous week at her horseback riding lessons. She has loved every minute of it. Her horse's name was Jet. Jet was kinda a temperamental horse which is what was funny because that means the right horse was put with the right child. Bailey learned so much and even had to "cowgirl" up on occasions where she just wanted to give up and cry. Ms. Michelle, her teacher, said she was so proud of the way Bailey did this week and would love to have her continue on in the lessons if she wanted to.....which Bailey wants to so bad it is sick....so is my stomach when I think of the cost of keeping her in it....what is a mom to do????

Anyway, I thought I would share a few pics of her on her horse.

Bailey's Camp Days

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted.....we have had a ton going on and were out of town for part of the time. We had an absolutely fabulous time in NY. I cried like a baby when I left and it has taken me about two weeks to get over my homesickness. You would think after living away from NY for over 20 years I would be over it by now, but I am not. My heart is always in NY. It was so special having both my sisters with me as we visited with my parents. It hasn't happened in a LONG time so the time together was very special to me. I am the sentimental sappy one of the family, so bear with me. LOL

Bailey attended a day camp all last week here in Tifton. It was called Camp Winshape C3. She had an absolutely fabulous time. She was soooooo tired at the end of each day. She would fall asleep in the car on the 5 minute ride home almost every day. She took three classes while there. She took fast foods, which I think was one of her favorites, a painting class and a drama class. The kids were at camp from 7:45 until 5:00 each day. They learned so much and most of all had lots of fun. She starts horseback riding camp on the 6th of July and is so excited about that. We got her cowboy boots the other day for her....she looks too cute.

Sarah is counting down the days until band camp. It is hard to believe it is only three and a half weeks away. The kids will be back to school before we know it. She has been practicing her driving and will start Driver's Ed on July 20th. Her boyfriend, Chase, and her have kept busy just hanging out or going to the movies etc for most of the summer. She was able to go to the beach yesterday with a friend, but they got rained out and headed home early.

We are a going to South Carolina at the end of this week to go visit Todd's dad and Carol because Todd's brother is coming down for the 4th of July. The kids will get to see their cousins which will be fun for them.

Then we are headed to St. Simons Island the following week to see my girlfriend, Betsy, and her family. We will spend a few days there with them.

Todd is headed to Augusta again on Monday for a follow-up on his last doctor's appointment. Please keep him in your prayers as I am sure he will have the needle test done again on him....an EMG...I just pray we get good news.

I guess that is all for now. I think that catches you all up. Once again, I am sorry my posts have been few and far between, but once summer is over I should get back on track. Hope you all are having a good summer! Happy 4th!

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And so it goes....

Well.....I guess the time has come for me to accept that Sarah is spreading her wings....
She got her learner's permit on Tuesday. The whole family piled into the car yesterday as she went on her first excursion. The good news is that we took out no mailboxes or any other object around us. She actually did quite well, but you can tell she is nervous. I just don't think I am gonna do as well with her when she drives away without me or Todd in the car.
We have spent the first week of summer being complete lazy bums......sleeping in and just doing basically nothing during the day. I really have to kick myself to get moving. I know we should be enjoying it, but my to do list is too long to be doing this. I did finally decide what color I am going to paint my cupboards in my kitchen....I will post pictures when it is done. I will leave it a surprise until then. Hopefully this week, I will get more done. I will need to start thinking about packing for our trip to my dad's starting late next week. The key is trying to get my two girls to understand they can't bring everything they own. The airlines are charging per bag now, so we are going to have to really limit it. I am excited about this trip because like our trip we took with Todd's family last summer, we are going to have our whole family together next weekend. Both my sisters will be there so we will all get to be together which NEVER happens. I can't wait to see them! Hopefully Todd will get to fish some too....something he hasn't done since last summer as well.
Well, pray for us as Sarah embarks on this new journey......
Have a great week.

Week events

We have had a busy week here. This past weekend was the culmination of it all. This past Friday, Bailey had her Honors Program. She was on Honor Roll all four quarters for the year! She was so excited to get her trophy. She worked hard all year to get it and we are so proud of her! After her program, I checked her out of school so we could hurry up and drive to Albany to pick up her gramma at the airport. We then took her out eat at her favorite restaurant, Mellow Mushroom.

Saturday we all got up very early and drove to Jacksonville, Alabama to see Sarah perform in her concert for the Jacksonville State University Honor Band. She did an excellent job in her performance. Sarah was placed in 5th chair out of 13 flute players in her particular band. That is two better than she was in last year. She had a great time but was thoroughly exhausted when she got home.

Sunday, Mother's Day, started off with our trip to church. Todd was able to attend church with us before he headed to work for one of his busiest days of the entire year. My mother in law and I just spent the day hanging out on the front porch enjoying the beautiful weather. We headed to Longhorn around 5 to have dinner. Todd was able to join us for dinner which was a nice treat as usually, Mother's Day is one of those days that I never see my husband.

Yesterday was the preschool graduation. It went very well and now I only have two days of work left before I retire......LOL Todd brought me home a lounge chair for the back deck so I can sit and read as my retirement gift. I can tell you, I am gonna take advantage of that starting on Monday!!!

Well I think that catches you all up on our happenings. I hope all is well with everyone.

Hugs!