college

So, I've been trying to get help from the state to go back to college for several months now. They have this program for people with disabilities who need help getting jobs or want to go back to college. After several months of testing and meetings I was denied because we make too much money. Of course we don't make enough for me to pay for it myself. They expect us to live on much less than is humanly possible. I was very upset. I'm not giving up though. There are other ways to get to college. So, now I'm working on getting my transcripts and other paperwork I have to gather only to find out that I owe MTSU money from 11 years ago. This is very frustrating and discouraging. All I want to do is go to college. I don't think that's asking too much. I will succeeded though. I want it too much to give up now.

My garden

I can't believe how excited I am about my garden. I just planted it about two weeks ago and already things are blooming. I have green peppers, peas, broccoli, musclin,tomatoes, strawberries and several spots to add my herbs when they are ready. I have been growing the herbs in the house and it's so exciting to get up each morning and see in the kitchen window how much they have grown over night.
I don't know what it is about growing your own food but I have this feeling of accomplishment. I feel like I'm doing something important for my family. 
I'm doing a square foot garden. Each plant has it's own square foot and I didn't have to till the ground because it's on top of the ground in a box.

http://www.squarefootgardening.com/whatissfg This is a great site with lots of info on square foot gardening.

I really believe I get my love for gardening from my grandmother. She could grow anything anywhere. I hope she would be proud of me. My mom told me last week that of all of her children I am the most like my grandmother. She was big into genealogy and gardening and so am I. 

Let's hope my thumb is super green this year and everything grows in abundance. 

Tori

Spring break is coming in 10 days. We weren't going to do anything special until my sister Tori called and invited us to come to Va. for the week. I don't think anyone can understand how huge this is! In my 11 years of marriage and her 17 years of marriage (excluding the year she lived in TN while Mike was in Korea) we have not really lived close enough to spend our vacations together. Now granted, Newport News isn't exactly close but it's so very much closer than Anchorage AK!! I was only able to visit Tori in Ak. one time for about a week. I wasn't able to take the family because it would be a couple thousand dollars to do so. Now, we can drive for about 12 hours and I can take the kids with me to spend time with their cousins. Tori and I have talked about this for such a long time. How one day we would be close enough that the kids would be able to know their cousins and how we were going to shop together and do home improvements together etc.

Tori is my best friend in the whole world. Well, besides Jason and my mom. I'm so excited to spend time with her and to have a relationship with my nieces and nephew. Granted things might not always be hunky dorey (sister's can get snotty)  but, for now it's the best thing ever. Love you Tori! See you soon.

It's cold outside!

I can remember a time when I didn't get cold and didn't wear a coat in the winter. Before I had my thyroid removed I would go all winter in just sweaters and hoodies. I never wore a coat for several years.
Now over the last couple of years I have actually been getting cold. It's such a strange thing to me. I bought a new coat yesterday. I love it and it looks really good but I feel weird having to wear it.
It's been very, very cold the last couple of weeks. We have been down to the single digits a couple of times. The last three days we have had flurries and the wind just goes right through you.
Owen and I were putting groceries in the back of the car yesterday and it was so cold it brought tears to our eyes.
So, I can't decide which is worse. Never getting cold but having hot flashes or having to get used to this "cold thing". Geeze I feel cold just thinking about how cold it is out there right now. Brrrrr....

Christmas 2009

We have had quite an eventful Christmas season. My sister Tori and her family have been here for several weeks and we have enjoyed spending time with them. We went to our friends Lisa and Earl's for an awesome, crazy mystery dinner. All of the foods had mystery names and we had no idea what would be on our plate until she put it in front of us. It was creative and so much fun. Good job Lisa! We also went to the Opryland Hotel with the Bennetts. It took forever to park and it was very cold but it was so pretty and we enjoyed spending time with them. The boys both had Christmas parties on the last day of school. I decided to help out with Zander's and went to Owen's class just to say hi. I have decided that next year when Lala starts school I am going to have to choose one class per holiday. It's a lot of work trying to go to all of them in one day. Jason's office party was a lot of fun as well. I look forward to it every year. I get to dress up, get a sitter and enjoy a night out with my husband. The people he works with are so much fun!




 Although it was crazy and hectic Christmas day was fun and memorable. We stayed Christmas eve at my parents house. There were 15 of us in all. Jason, the kids and I went and looked at Christmas lights and we opened our pj's and ornaments. We woke up way too early Christmas morning to open gifts. The kids were very happy with their gifts. We were able to get them some great stuff thanks to black Friday deals. Jason and I were pretty happy too although, we had already opened our gifts to each other. Yes, we are worse than kids. It was fun to sneak in our room, lock the door and open everything with just the  two of us.
So, all in all we have had a great month and are now very tired. Who knows how long it will take us to recover from this one.

Teenagers...

My sister Tori and her family are here for the holidays and are also making the move from Alaska to Va. They will be here until New Years. Right now She and Mike are in Va. trying to buy their first house. Mike's mom and I are taking turns watching their kids while they are away. I've had them all weekend and I think we've had some fun. Joseph is 12 and my boys have really enjoyed spending time with him, playing video games and monopoly. Lynn and Makenna are 16 and 10 and they have been spoiling Lauralynn rotten. She has been loving every minute of it.
However, teenagers are messy and they eat a lot! This house looks like a tornado went through it and they are completely oblivious to the disaster! Teenage boys don't like to bathe and when you tell them to they do a lousy job of it, therefore, they smell bad. You have to tell them how to shower step by step and to brush their teeth. I find it interesting that they are starting to like girls right at the time when the are the least clean and hygienic.
As for the food, holy cow! Six kids go through a lot of food! I'm seriously scared for my boys to turn 12. Tori did bring a bunch of food with her but I have been to the store a couple of times also. I don't think we could have afforded 6 kids. Three suits us just fine.
Now, on the positive side. I have so enjoyed having my nieces and nephew here. They are so funny! They are so good with my kids and we have done lots of fun stuff together. The girls helped me do lots of baking and we had a great time. Jason took all of the boys to a rock and mineral show and they had a good time. We've done lots of shopping and gone out to eat. I hope they have enjoyed themselves. I love having them here and I'm so glad they are going to be closer.

Mekayla

Yesterday was my baby girl Mekayla's birthday. She would be 14 years old. She was stillborn. Mekayla had potters syndrome. That's when the baby doesn't develop kidney's or a bladder. They don't typically live outside of the womb. They are fine inside of the mother's womb because she can flush out their kidneys for them. Mekayla was due on the 23rd of November. I felt her die on the 27th and my doctor induced labor. I had her at 2:03 in the morning of the 28th. My labor was so easy. She only weighed 5lb. 14oz. I think that was such a blessing because I had already been through so much. Mekayla had black hair and her lips were scarlet red. She was so tiny and beautiful. I got to hold her as long as I wanted to. I'm so thankful my mom was there with me. And I'm thankful the spirit was there with us. It was a beautiful experience and I know with all of my heart and soul that we will be together again. I miss her so much and I wish she was here with us. I think she would have long dark hair and blue eyes and she would be athletic and have a beautiful smile. Having her and going through what I did with losing her has made me a stronger and better person. I look forward to being with her again one day.