Life In a Small Town

Day 28- A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then? 2009 2010 In the looks department...I don't think I've changed a bit. Well...I have lost 20 lbs, but that doesn't really show here. In the life department.... I've gone from being a single mother of 3 to a married mother of 4. I've gone from living in a little 5 rooms/2 bath house to living in a 7 rooms/4 bath house in a wonderful housing edition. I've gone from having a "Vampira" to having a "MIL". I've gone from having a 16, 11, and 10 yr old, to having 2 boys that are WAY bigger than I am, a daughter who thinks she knows more than me, and a step-son with an Associate's Degree. I've gone from sleeping alone in my bed everynight to being spooned by a man who thinks I'm the most wonderful thing in the world. Overall...I have to say, life is pretty dang good as I close out this year! I don't think I could ask for much more.

Day 21- A picture of something that makes you happy Oh, there's so much that makes me happy. You saw yesterday what makes me happy. And of course, my kids...for the most part, make me happy,(especially right now when they are all ASLEEP!!! lol), and friends, and good health...etc etc... But here are a few other things that make me happy. Maggie wearing the cat house makes me laugh out loud EVERYTIME! Colorful Sharpies make me happy a Bloomin' Onion and a Wallaby Darned make me happy! McDonald's Mocha Frappe makes me happy oh, there's so much more "stuff" that makes me happy. shopping movies tv on dvd getting to watch tv all curled up in a blanket a good book McDonald french fries What can I say...I'm easy to please!

Day 20- Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future Well, seeing as how I just got married 6 (almost 7) months ago, I don't foresee that ever happening again. I think this time I got it right! Going out for my birthday--we'd been dating about 6 weeks. Molly at that same dinner! Our first Christmas together 2005 Christmas 2006 Thanksgiving 2007 Faculty Christmas party 2008 Christmas 2009 Wedding Day May 28, 2010 Thanksgiving 2010 Yeh... I think I've found my happily ever after!

Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have This one is kinda hard for me. I'm not really a dreamer, a goal-setter. I know I should be. They tell us in all our professional development meetings that we need to set goals to work towards, but I tend not to think too long-range. I'm more of a "plan ahead, but not too far ahead" kinda person b/c I've found that in my life, things seem to change too often, and very quickly. I do better at flying by the seat of my pants! And also...when I do plan, and things don't stay on schedule, it really irritates me. So dreaming about what I want for the future...nah, I don't do it so much. I think about what would be nice to have happen, but life is too uncertain. I just go with the flow. So, let's see....I guess if I think about it, my plans, dreams, and goals would be.... Immediate: to get through this day at my family Christmas with no hurt feelings, and without hurting anyone else's feelings. Short term (next year or ...

the prompt for today was...oh, I can't even remember, but I do recall that it was something I didn't really wanna write about. Oh yeh...something about who would you trade lives with for one day and why. BLEH! So...tonight I just leave you with this:

Today's prompt was for another picture of me......but I can't do it. My heart is heavy for a precious precious little girl right now. Her name is Hannah, and she's 10. She started coughing and running fever yesterday. She's got the flu AND pneumonia. She didn't respond to treatments. They flew her by chopper to Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock. Her lungs were 3/4 full of fluid. They put her on artificial heart and lungs to give her body a rest while they pumped out her blood and cleansed it so they could put it back in. She was so very critical last night...not sure she'd pull through. As of about 1am, she was stable, but still critical. That's the latest news I have on her. Hannah is the daughter friends here in my town. Her mother and I were in Junior Auxiliary together for 3 years. Hannah is a member of the Crown Club...the group we started for JA daughters who wanted to serve our community. I was her leader. She gave her life to Christ 2 ...

Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play Well, I can't do this one. I don't have an iPod. I use to have a cheapie mp3 player, but have not seen it since we moved in here 6 months ago. Didn't know how to make it "shuffle" anyway. So.... what can I write about today? How about just stuff? Today is payday, and let me tell you, it couldn't get here soon enough. I've got so much shopping still left to do. In fact, I'm taking a personal day off school tomorrow to get some done. I need a Secret Santa gift for Friday, plus the rest of the stuff for my class party, and a gift for my aide. I haven't gotten Greg's gifts yet either....he won't tell me what it is he wants. "Tools", he says..but what kind? Not a big set, just the normal stuff. Like I know what that is??? lol We have our family Christmas on Saturday at my parents' house. I've got the stuff for that, but have not wrapped a single thing. Plus stuff that n...

Day 14- A picture of you and your family From our family reunion this past summer. Left to right: my SIL, Brother and their daughter; my "aunt" (by love, not blood), my Phoenix sister's step-son, step-daughter, and a step-grandson by another stepson; my 2 sons in back, and daughter in front by my grandmother and me; my nephew by my other sister behind me on the right; my Phoenix sister holding the dog; my mom beside her, with her sister (my aunt) and my tall cousin behind mom; my other sister (mother of nephew) and her hubby and baby boy on the end, and my Phoenix sister's step-daughter's fiance and their babygirl in front sitting down. Phew! Phoenix sister's hubby was taking the pic, and of course my dad was not there, nor my hubby.

Day 13- A letter to someone who has hurt you recently Dear Jeanette, I know that over the years we have not seen eye to eye on lots of things. We've always gotten along, had good times, and loved each other. When you joined our family and became my sister, I treated you no differently than I did Shelli. I've been there for you through marriages, childbirths, divorces, deaths....all of it. I know you love me, and I know that when you say biting things, it's not to directly hurt me. Your sarcasm and sharp tongue are the way you cope with your insecurities...always putting others down, trying to look smarter than everyone else. I get it. I do. We all know that's just how you are and we overlook it. You've even admitted being jealous of certain things and I admired you for doing so. But this summer, when you got mad over something trivial, and you and your husband made a big deal over it all, and then you told our mom that your husband "has a hard time tolerat...

Day 11- Another picture of you and your friends My college roomie and I, our senior year (1988-89) Me and one of my besties in High School, and still one of my besties today. This is one of my besties that got me through some of the hardest days of my life in the past 10 years. We did not know each other in high school, even tho we went to the same one and she graduated with my brother (and our school wasn't even that big) but became friends in 2001 while working on a reunion together. I don't know what I'd do without her!

Day 09- Something you’re proud of in the past few days I am proud of the way my patience with my beautiful little handful of autism has progressed. At her best, she is the most precious little girl you've ever seen. At her worst, she is a spitting, scratching, kicking, biting, screaming banshee. And her personality can flip faster than you can blink an eye. I've never felt comfortable with "special needs" kids. It just isn't my thing. But she is the one in a million exception. Her little face makes me smile, and even when she's at the height of a full out fit, all I can think about is how much I love her.

Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you I may not be the most religious person around, nor the best Christian, but my faith and trust in God has always sustained me and has gotten me through the most difficult times in my life. There is no question that He has "supplied for all my needs, according to His riches in glory." (Phillipians 4:19) He is the first one I go to for help, and in praise. I know that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Phillipians 4:13)

Day 06- Favorite superhero and why Bubbles, from the POWERPUFF GIRLS is my favorite superhero. She's cute, and blonde, and she kicks butt! Kinda like me! LOL It use to be Batman..cuz, well..he was hot! And I've always liked Spiderman, too. Cuz he had that cool theme song (spiderman, spiderman, does whatever a spider can...) But now, it's definitely Bubbles all the way! (and her nemesis, Mojojo! I love him, too!)

A Picture a day for 365 days...a year's worth of fun! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! I decided to add my DecJoMo entry for today in with this one. As you can see...I've written everyday since Wednesday!! I'm really trying! 331/365 Sunday, November 28 DECORATING DAY 332/365 Monday, November 29 SOMEONE NEEDS A HAIRCUT (note to self....call groomer for an appt.) 333/365 Tuesday, November 30 ANOTHER LONG DAY 5:45pm and finally packed and ready to leave school for the day 334/365 Wednesday, December 1 REALIZING YOUR BABY HAS GROWN UP DAY Trey's senior ring arrived today. Didn't he start Kindergarten just a few weeks ago? 335/365 Thursday, December 2 LION's CLUB AUCTION BEGINS TODAY Our local Lion's Club (of which hubby is a part) hosts a Christmas Auction every year the first week of December. This 3 day event provides them with the funds they will need for their projects in the comin...

Day 04- A habit that you wish you didn’t have Hmmm..habits. What are my bad habits? Let's see.....(being practically perfect in every way makes it hard to find a bad habit! LOL) well, I do pick at my fingernails and tear them off (as opposed to biting them.) I did that last night while watching Toy Story 3. Now they are all way too short and sore! :( and I've become a control freak... do it my way, when I tell you to, the first time, or it drives me crazy! and umm...... well, maybe that's all I'll share right now! That's 2 things...double the amount asked for...LOL

Well look at me....3 days in a row so far, and it's not even bedtime yet!! Today's prompt is.. Day 03- A picture of you and your friends oh man...I can't settle for just one! I'll have to share a few! First...me and my teacher besties...This is in Vegas this summer. Not good of me at all...new camera/hadn't learned how to use it yet! Me and my far away BFFs.... Trea and Susan--Trea lives in Kansas, and I live in SW Arkansas, and we met up at Susan's in Oklahoma City in Feb 2008. First time either of us had met Susan in person, after all being friends "online/through diaries" since 2000. and of course my Barb..down Alabamy way Some of my Memphis friends.. me and Jennelle....but now she's a Minnesota friend! Don't know if I could ever get the courage to go up there..BRRRRRR me and Janita....meeting for breakfast during my honeymoon! The Memphis Mafia..back in the day My online-turned-real life friends that I've been blessed to meet "for ...

See..here I am again! 2 days in a row. Of course I won't mention that I just now thought of it...at 10:30pm while in the shower! or that I didn't even make it home today til 8:00pm. But I didn't want to NOT do today's journal prompt since I stated yesterday I was going to try and be committed to doing it. I'm glad it's an easy one! Day 02- The meaning behind your blog/screen name My blog name on here....well... The blog title is "Life in a Small Town". I live in a smaller town. Prolly really small compared to some of y'all. I grew up in a bigger city...45,000 pop then...closer to 80,000 now I think. Left there after college, and have been living in smaller towns ever since. While married, the town I lived in, the one my parents and sons live in, had a population of 1400 people. I think it's up to nearly 2000 now. My current town is about 10,000 or so. It's about the right size for me. Now. At this stage of life. There was a time when I wa...

Well, since I totally missed NoJoMo in November, I thought I'd take the daily prompt and try to do it during December. I know....look at me, always trying to be different! But I really want to make time to write a little something everyday, and unless I'm doing a goal oriented type thing (like Project 365) I just don't always MAKE the time...so maybe this will help. So..for my DecMoJo...I shall start with this: Day 01- A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself This picture is from Thanksgiving last week. It's the most recent one I have. Now...15 "interesting" facts about me, that you may not already know (which might be kinda hard since I use to do these kinds of things all the time..but I'll give it a shot): 1. Greg and I dated nearly 5 1/2 years before we got married. 2. As much as I thought I wanted to get married early in our relationship, by the time he proposed, I wasn't so sure. I'm very glad I did though. It's ...