Back to Family...

So, Robert did not get the special agent position that he interviewed for. There were a total of 6 people who applied and interviewed, including him. 4 other agents from his office and one agent from the Vicksburg office. One of the other agents from his office, Carrie, got the position. Congrats to Carrie!

Robert was a little disappointed, but is looking on the bright side. Although he did not get the position (which would have meant day shift), he is still going to try to go back to days. Probably in the next several weeks!

May not sound like much to some people, but to our family we believe it will make all the difference in the world! You see, my hubby has been on weekend nights (Th-Su 6p to 4a) since Robbie was a little less than a year old. So going on 4 years now!!! His mother has agreed to help us out, and until Evan gets a spot in Head Start, she'll watch Evan for us during the day and Robbie will get off the bus at her house in the afternoons. It really IS time for us to be a family, 7 NIGHTS A WEEK!

I am looking forward to dinner as a family, where Robert is no longer rushing to get out the door. And, with him being on M-Th, we'll have weekends together (except when I have to work) and won't have to cut short a visit or turn down a party or outing just b/c he has to get ready for work. :o)

I may complain about him a lot more than I should. But I love my husband and APPRECIATE the sacrifice he has made for our family. My children have never attended day care of any kind. And they are just fine! Robbie started Head Start last year at GES and LOVED it! He has also transitioned seamlessly to his new classroom at D'Iberville (Gilbert Mason Center) this year. We are hoping that Evan gets a spot soon as well.

I am forever grateful for my hubby and my babies. I love them with all my heart!!!

Timing...

Just a short post to say that I will always hold to my belief that e.v.e.r.y. thing happens for a reason. We may not ever know those reasons, at least not until we see our Jesus face to face. But they are still reasons nonetheless...

My heart is heavy for the family and friends who lost such a bright light on Friday. I did not know him, but I pray that all who have been affected by the loss of Latrell Dunbar are granted a peace that passes all understanding...

At the same time, my heart is glad for a different reason. Just when I had resigned myself to giving up on ever finding a friend I haven't talked to in YEARS, VOILA! Facebook to the rescue... I stumbled across a post where my best friend was now "friends" with this person. And so I am happy to be reconnecting and catching up with a friend who knew me over half my lifetime ago.... :o)

Sticking to it (or not...)

If I had all the answers I'd be a multi-millionaire.....

I can openly admit (although on occasion I try to deny it) that I am morbidly obese. No big secret, right? People can tell by looking at me that I am not, never have been, and most likely never will be supermodel material...

I don't need to be a supermodel. But I do need to get healthy so that I can be around to be mama to my babies for as long as God has designed for me to be. I have a severe problem with sticking to a plan. I've got to get over that and get on with the business of making my health a priority.

I am open to any ideas/tips anyone is willing to share. Thanks in advance. :o) One thing I hope to do is to chronicle my progress on here. I know about where I am weight-wise, but need to get on an accurate scale and mark my number. I know I need to lose a whole person. But I also know that by losing that person, I will more than likely find myself. :o) Wish me luck!

Fighting....

With MYSELF!!!

This morning I woke up around 4:15a and had the beginnings of a headache. So, I took a couple of Tylenol, laid back down, and decided NOT to go work out. A few minutes passed. I was STILL awake b/c I could hear my neighbors moving around upstairs. I figured I wasn't going to ever actually go back to sleep. So, I got up, got ready, and hit the door....

30 minutes on the elliptical. Yay! Not too shabby for someone who wasn't originally gonna' work out at all this morning. :o)

I must admit that last week I only went 3 times. This week I hope to do better. Wish me luck!

Amy

HALLELUJAH!

We FINALLY have some GREAT news!!! Someone came to look at the house this past Saturday. On Sunday, our realtor called to let us know that we had an OFFER. On Monday, he called us again to let us know that we are now UNDER CONTRACT!!! Hopefully things will continue to go well and we should close by the end of February. :o)

Trying to pack up our entire life and family and getting rid of stuff we no longer or never used is a BIG job! It's not like we're moving 1,000 plus miles away or anything. But we ARE downsizing from a 3 bedroom 1,647 sq ft house to a 2 bedroom 1,280 sq ft apartment. Wish us luck and say LOTS of prayers b/c we're gonna' need them!

We are looking forward to a fresh start and hopefully a more relaxed, less stressed family life. Notice I didn't say zero stress, but I am hoping that we will have more time for each other and more time to do fun stuff with the boys. One plus of moving to our new place is the POOL!!! Can't wait to take the boys swimming this summer. :o)

2010 was not a great year for us. We are hoping that 2011 will be MUCH better! And if there are any volunteers out there that would like to help us move, just let me know! ;o) We would be happy to return the favor in the future if any of you make a move.

Happy Weekend, Y'all!

Amy

Don't Wanna

I don't wanna' rush things and it will be here soon enough.....

But once the Thanksgiving festivities are over, IT'S ON!!! :o)

So looking forward to the Christmas (Yes, I said "Christmas", NOT "Holiday") season!!! Christmastime was one of my mama's favorite times of year. And she was NOT a last minute shopper, that's for sure. She would actually pick up things here and there throughout the entire YEAR, so that well before Christmas, her shopping was done. This was never more evident than the year she passed away. I can remember walking into our house that Saturday morning at 5am, after a 5 hour road trip from Oxford.... Amidst all the family, friends, and tears, were all of our Christmas gifts, wrapped and tagged. That was just the way my mama was.... Always putting others ahead of herself. Gosh, I miss her terribly, and can NOT believe that December 8th will be 15 years. But she loved this time of year and so do I. :o)

So, like I said, once the Thanksgiving festivities are over, IT'S ON!!! :o)

Random Stuff

Hard for me to believe that it's OCTOBER already! Of course, we're always busy with work and taking care of the boys. But we've got some other things going on this month too.... :o)

My sister's friend gave Ginny and I her tickets to the Rick Springfield concert at the Hard Rock last weekend. We had a great time! It was nice to have a girls' night for a change.

Later on this month, I am hosting a Scentsy party at our house. Looking forward to some more time with friends and selecting a few Christmas gifts while I'm at it.

Finally at the end of this month, we are going to a 1st birthday party for the son of a former student of mine. I am told it will be a costume party and that there will be hay rides and tons of fun for the kids, plus trick or treating in the neighborhood.... :o)

November brings my sister's (Ginny) birthday, Thanksgiving, and then my birthday at the end of the month. November 30th... Two reasons to celebrate that day! My birthday AND the end of hurricane season!

Now I'm not a big fan of the stores putting out Christmas stuff before Halloween.... But once Thanksgiving is over, bring on the SHOPPING and the holiday cheer!!!! :o) I am a member of our hospital system credit union, so I do the Christmas Club where I have them take a certain amount of money out of my check every pay period. The money adds up, then we get it out at the end of October. Even with all the crazy stuff we've had happen to us, I SOOO look forward to Christmas shopping now because I know I can enjoy it and won't have any holiday credit card debt to worry about after the first of the year!

Rounding out the end of this year and beginning the next.... Robbie will turn 4, yes four!! on December 31st... Time has really flown by.... We'll probably be having his party the weekend of Jan 8th... We're thinking about a bowling party this year. Hopefully he'll love it!!!

If anyone is actually reading this, what holiday traditions/plans do y'all have? Would love to hear them.... :o)

Letters.....

I was going through some things, trying to get rid of stuff that's been hanging around far too long.... When I ran across a letter I wrote to my mom in July 2000, a little over ten years ago, after she had been gone almost 5 years already. It's hard to believe that in less than 4 months, she will have been gone from here for 15 (yes, FIFTEEN) years! I would like to share the letter here.

Sometimes the memories just come flooding back. We try to fight them to no avail. You haunt our daydreams and our night dreams. We miss you fiercely, yet we must continue on with our lives. We have never let go of the love we hold in our hearts for you.

Days turn into weeks turn into months turn into years. We all experience an indescribable ache deep down in the depths of our souls. How have we come this far without coming unglued? We press on with the day-to-day routines we have shaped into a fine art. When a memory of you comes back, we often fight it because we know the tears aren't far behind. But then we remember how completely and irrevocably you changed our lives just by being a part of them. We let go and we cry till we just can't cry any more.

Letting you go was the hardest thing we have ever had to do. Accepting the fact that you aren't ever coming back to us was the second hardest. The only thing that keeps us from falling apart completely is knowing that the love you had for us lives on within each one of us.

You always said that our faith would get us through times when nothing else could help. We believe you. Our faith in God has carried us through some of the darkest days we have ever known. You instilled that faith in us and we hope that we can do the same with our children.

Mom, you were and still are an inspiration to us. You sacrificed a lot so our needs and our wants could be met. We appreciate that, but most of all we still love & miss you like crazy.

You are always in our hearts!

Love,
Your Girls
(Penny, Amy, & Ginny)

I wrote this letter on 07/06/2000. I don't know that I ever shared it with my sisters. But I do know that they love her and miss her just as much as I do. We were 27, 21, and 16 when she left us, so we've done a whole lot of growing up in the past 15 years......I just hope that she would be proud of the women we have become.

Blessed

With all the crap going on at work lately and dealing with the stresses of trying to sell our house (we all know what the market is like right now...), I haven't been feeling very blessed lately....

Well, God must have known that I needed a good swift kick to remind me that every minute we have on this earth is a gift. And that we need to cherish those moments. My problems, however BIG they may seem to me, are teeny tiny in comparison to what many other people out there are facing.

Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to finally meet Kaytie and Avery in person today. Who knew that dinner at Pizza Hut (coupled with a keen sense of hearing) could make a grown woman (me) cry?!? What beautiful, precious angels.... I know Shyla & Phillip would be so proud as would big sister Haylie!

In 2 days, it will be the 2nd anniversary of when we lost those 3 sweet spirits. As we remember and reflect, let us thank God for every moment and every memory.

God Bless,
Amy

Why?

WHY do people want to try their hardest to ruin someone else's happiness?

Whether it be happiness in a relationship, a family, a career, etc...

Just WHY????

Let me just say that I feel like a total outsider at work. I love my job and I love that I am asked by our manager and our system director to branch out and help with new technology, special projects, etc. And I am NOT leaving. But I feel like I don't have a single friend in the pharmacy where I work. We've got some back-stabbing, talk about you when you're right around the corner, people where I work.

I have always been an emotional person. I wear my heart on my sleeve. And hard as I try, I have extreme difficulty hiding my feelings. Any advice y'all can offer on "How To Deal" would be much appreciated!

Thanks for reading!

Amy

We Never Know....

People have their reasons for the things they do or don't do.

Sometimes they share those reasons with us and sometimes they don't.

As much as I rely on Facebook to keep in touch with family out of town and friends, I found out something this week that I did not know.

On the one hand, it breaks my heart. On the other, I can't even begin to understand what it's been like to walk in those two pairs of shoes for the past 19 plus years.............

I love them both with my whole heart. We've lost touch and reconnected a number of times. But they will always be like a second mom & dad to me.

I wish each of them all the love, happiness, and fulfillment their hearts can hold. After all they've been through, they deserve it.

Happy :o)

I went to work this morning, then left at a little before 9:30 a.m. to go meet my stepsister, Cindy, for breakfast at Denny's. This may sound like nothing special to the rest of you.... Let me explain why it was such a BIG DEAL to me:

I have not seen Cindy in person since right after my mom passed away in December 1995. So it's been a VERY long 14+ years... For a couple of years now, I have been back in touch with her, my other stepsister Sandra, and my stepbrother Scott. Say what you will about Facebook, but I still think it's FANTASTIC!

I was nervous about seeing her at first. And when I saw her, she told me "You couldn't look more like your mama if you tried!" I take it as a compliment. I don't mind looking like my mom. :o) And I cried when I hugged her. Not a teary, mess up your makeup kind of cry, but a cry nonetheless....

And then, once we sat down and really started talking, it was like we had just seen each other 14 days ago instead of 14 years ago. Plus, Robert and Evan came to meet us for breakfast, so Evan got to meet his "Aunt Cindy" for the very first time!

I am hoping that sometime later on this summer, we will be able to see Sandra and Scott as well. That's when I feel like "all will be right with the world". I don't want to dwell on why we went so long without seeing one another. Hurt feelings, water under the bridge, whatever... None of that matters anymore.

So, if you're thinking about meeting up with a long lost friend or family member that you haven't seen in quite some time..... DO IT ALREADY! Family reunions ROCK! (Even if they only include a couple of members, and even if they only last an hour or so.... ;o)

Haven't...

1. Posted since January
2. Yet lost the weight I need to lose to get to a "healthy" number
3. Been to the gym at all this week
4. Quite adjusted to the time change yet
5. Been feeling well today
6. Had a girls' night in forever....
7. Seen a movie at the movie theater in several months
8. Gotten tired of coming home from work and hearing Robbie "spill the beans" about everything they've done that day
9. Put the boys to bed yet
10. Forgotten and NEVER will forget my FIRST LOVE. Yes, by God's grace, I've been fortunate to be able to move on and get married and have a family. I love my husband and our boys with all my heart. But that does NOT mean that my memories of Chris will ever fade. Here's to one of the cutest, funniest, most "people-loving" guys I have ever known! Our loss 19 years ago was Heaven's gain. And we WILL see you again. This I KNOW for SURE!!!

~Amy Beth

I never knew...

that cancer could move so quickly....

My great uncle (my Paw Paw's brother), Uncle Jimmy, was just diagnosed with cancer in November. He had a cancerous spot on his lung, cancer in the lymph nodes in his chest, and a small spot on the back bottom left of his brain. They tried radiation for a couple of weeks, but he was still too weak to start the chemo. On Christmas Eve, he was hospitalized for pneumonia. On Monday, Dec. 28, he went home on hospice. He passed away Friday night, 1/1/10. He was only 67 years old. And that's still way too young to die in my book......

My heart aches for my Aunt Mamie, my cousins Lisa and Gregg, their spouses Louis and Kim, my Uncle Jimmy's grandkids, Jimmy Louis & his wife Dana, Brandon, Brittany, Cameron, and Jason, and his great grandkids, Levi and Presleigh, and all of the rest of us (including me, of course) who knew and loved him. Words can't fix the hurt. It is so ironic and so sad to me.... As everyone else around the world is celebrating the BEGINNING of a new year, new decade, etc. we are mourning the END of my Uncle Jimmy's life here on Earth. But I believe he's in Heaven with the angels and God, and I look forward to seeing him again when God chooses to call me home.

Uncle Jimmy, we love you. We miss you. We will ALWAYS remember you.

Amy Beth

Today

Let's see.... Where do I begin???

1. Robert and I were just crazy enough to get out in this crappy weather to head to Hattiesburg (of all places) so that we could take the boys to a friend's daughter's birthday party at Chuck E Cheese.
2. We (really I, cause I don't do late very well) were a bit concerned if we were going to be on time or not. Well, we were right on time. AND, other than our friend and her children, and her cousin, we were one of the first to arrive.
3. We sat our stuff in several chairs to save our places. She gave us the boys' tokens and we went off as a family to play some games before the pizza arrived. Luckily at a certain point, we decided to check back to see if the pizza was out. No announcement was ever made for us to return to the table for pizza. (Every other time I've been in a CEC, whether for a party or not, I have heard them make an announcement when it's pizza time.) Otherwise, if we hadn't checked back, the boys would have had no pizza. As it was, other attendees (mainly the adult extended family members) ate most of the pizza before the boys ever got their first bite.
4. BTW, forgot to mention that one of the attendees (a "lady" that I don't know) had the audacity to pick up MY purse and Robert's camera and move it to the next chair, WITH me standing right there, WITHOUT asking me first, so her daughter could sit in what was supposed to be our chair.
5. I've always (and Robert has too) thought that a child's birthday party is supposed to be about the kids. Well, our kids didn't even get to sit with the other children at the party. We were basically banished to the far end of the long table and had to fend for ourselves.
6. If you can't tell by now, we (and I DO mean WE) are NOT happy about the way things went today. Especially since we drove over 90 miles ONE WAY to be able to attend this party!
7. I totally understand that things get hectic and the host/hostess can't always chat for any real length of time with any one particular guest. But we really got the brush off today. I'm not sure I ever even heard a "Thanks for coming!"
8. I AM thankful, that in spite of everything else, our boys had a decent time and are too young to understand the snub that happened to us today. Plus, the gift we selected was a huge hit with the birthday girl. And it's not that sweet angel's fault that we were treated the way we were.....
9. If you want to comment, please feel free. If you have any birthday party disasters, etc. to share, go ahead. It'll help get my mind off the fact that we basically wasted a whole lotta' gas to go to Hattiesburg for a party, and had to stop at Newk's in D'Iberville on the way home to get a decent meal. (By the way, the Newk's Q sandwich was FANTASTIC!!!)
10. This is the only blog I'll do about today's fiasco. Anything else will be all about Christmas, my oldest "baby" turning 3 on the 31st, etc. etc....

Amy

Speechless....

about the tragedy at Fort Hood, TX.

Thoughts and prayers go out to the injured and deceased and their families and friends.

My stepbrother was stationed at Fort Hood in the early '90's. My stepdad and I went out to visit right after his son was born in July of 1993. I was chatting with my stepbrother on FB just a little while ago. He originally was supposed to be deployed overseas again, but ended up not having to go. Some of the guys that he was supposed to be with were some of the ones who got shot. That's all I know for now. Just please continue to pray for all the innocent people affected by this tragedy. God hears our prayers!

Healthy You (Me)...

Went for my Healthy You visit on Thursday. My cholesterol level is rather high, enough so to warrant the Dr. prescribing a low-dose of a cholesterol-lowering medication. (Thank goodness for generics! I can get my Rx at work for a little over $2, almost $5 less than our insurance copay of $7 for generics.) However, if I am diligent enough with diet and exercise, I won't have to be on the cholesterol med long term.

I am also supposed to start taking Fish Oil 3 caps/day, a fiber tablet, a multivitamin, and Flax Seed (Rouse's sells some kind of "meal" that you can sprinkle on your oatmeal, yogurt, etc....) I intend to follow my Dr.'s instructions, 'cause he knows what he's talking about. And I like that he was very open and honest with me about my cholesterol, as well as my weight and BP. My BP was slightly elevated, but not to the point of needing medication. With diet and exercise, it will be easier to control. As far as actual weight loss, I do qualify for the surgery, but am currently opting to try diet & exercise first. If, in a couple of years, I still haven't lost a significant amount, then I will definitely consider my options! I want to do whatever it takes to be here to watch my babies grow up and have families of their own. But I know if I try hard enough, I won't necessarily need to rely on surgery....

I am also going for my very first mammogram on Dec. 2nd. Our insurance will cover one per calendar year once I turn 35. So my appt is 2 days after my 35th birthday. Nothing to be alarmed about. Nothing was found during the exam at the Dr.'s office. Just a baseline routine screening. :o)

I am proud to say that I am also still going to the gym 4 to 5 times a week. I fully intend to keep it up, because that is pretty much the only "me" time I get! ;o)

Just wanted to give y'all an update on me... I hope everyone has a fantastic week! Robert and the boys and I are looking forward to Halloween with The Toncreys and their other friends. The only drawback to all the fun is that Sunday morning (after partying, trick-or-treating, sugar-filled candy, etc...) is when we set our clocks back an hour. I realized today though that our boys will still be thinking it's an hour later than it actually is, so I am on a wing and a prayer when it comes to being able to sleep in an "extra hour" Sunday am.... LOL!

It's becoming...

a part of my daily routine now!

I joined the gym last Tuesday, 10/6. I worked out that day and the next, skipped Thursday & Friday, went after work Saturday AND Sunday, even went on Monday, my day off from work, and yesterday afternoon after work. So far, since I joined, I have been 6 days out of 8. Monday I almost talked myself out of going, but I went anyway.

I haven't yet begun to tackle the food issue... Portion size, types of food, etc. But so far I am being consistent with going to the gym. Yay me! And next Wednesday at 4pm, I have signed up to meet with a trainer (included in my $10 membership), who will help me design a workout program that is best suited to meet my needs. Super excited about getting some direction from someone who knows way more than I do!

I also have not set any specific goals yet. But hopefully will do that sometime in the near future. Right now, I am just happy that I am sticking with the workout thing. I was especially pleased with myself on Monday, b/c I REALLY tried to talk myself out of going. But I learned one thing for sure: I personally can NOT work out on an empty stomach ever again! I'm not saying I need to eat a five-course meal or anything like that, but I need at least some nourishment before tackling the exercise thing....

In closing, I know this post may seem trivial to some of you who are going through some really sad times right now. Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you. If you ever need a friend to listen, I am here!

Amy Beth :o)

Member of the planet :)

Finally joined the gym today! Got a good workout in, so at least that's a start... I want to be able to do more things with my family. And I don't want to be so darn tired every day when I get home from work... If things work out, I am hoping to go at least five times a week, most likely MTW after work, then early afternoon on Sat & Sun... I'll have to figure out what works best and how much Robert is willing to compromise with me. Planet Fitness does not have a child care center, so I will be relying on Robert to take care of the boys while I work out.

Wish me luck as I begin my journey yet again....

Have a great week, everyone!

Amy Beth

Beautiful Weather and Some Quality Family Time!!

Yesterday morning, I went over to Singing River Hospital to help complete their pharmacy inventory. Once we were finished, a coworker/friend and I went to lunch. Then instead of going back to work, I went home early. The weather here yesterday was absolutely gorgeous! So Robert and I decided it would be a great time to take the boys to the park.

Evan enjoyed the swings for a while, then he kinda' hung out watching all the other kids. There were several other families there. And one of the older boys (a 9 year-old) kept commenting about how Evan was looking at him funny... I told him not to take offense (and he didn't) b/c Evan can often times give just about anybody "those looks"...

Robbie really enjoyed the slides this time, and was much more adventurous than when we were there last time. One of his favorite things seemed to be the "tunnel" slide. And, fearless child that he is, before we knew it he was climbing up the "rock wall"!

We were there for at least an hour, maybe closer to an hour and a half. I think we probably wore Robbie out, b/c he didn't give much of a fight when it was finally time to go. We went home to take potty breaks and rest for just a bit. Then it was off to Pizza Hut for dinner. The boys were very well behaved and we had a nice time.

I have learned that sometimes the simplest things, like coming home early or going to the park, can make you forget about all the other "stuff" going on.... I am thankful for my family, for my friends, and for all the beauty God has given us in this world. :o)

Happy Wednesday!

Amy