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

Persistence Pays Off!

Let me start by saying this: Certain things are better left unsaid. If you have any regrets, acknowledge them, then move on. But if there are people on this earth that mean THE WORLD to you, keep them in your life. Don't shut them out. Don't leave THEM behind. If somehow, along the way, you lose touch, look for them. Don't give up. If it's meant to be for your paths to cross again, you WILL find them. Maybe not TODAY, maybe not TOMORROW, and maybe not even for several YEARS, but you WILL find them!

Before Chris and his family moved to Ocean Springs, they lived in Jacksonville, AR. While in Jacksonville, Chris's very, very BEST FRIEND was Arrick (A.J.) Jones. When Chris moved to MS, I would hear stories about him and A.J. I had talked to A.J. a couple of times on the phone, but the first time I met him face-to-face was after Chris had passed away. We kept in touch off and on for several years, and then for a number of years (I'm not even sure how many...) we had no contact. Well, me being the persistent person that I am, I decided I was going to try to find him again!

I don't even remember how long ago I started seriously looking for A.J. again. But I will say this: Everyone has their own opinion about Facebook, but I think Facebook ROCKS! For the simple reason that just the other day, I FOUND the person I was searching for!!! Well, he doesn't have a FB page, but his wife does. And she has his name in parentheses beside her display name, so that's how I found him. I sent her a message telling her who I was and asking if I had the right person. She told me that yes, A.J. (who is now Arrick Sr.) is her husband and that they have been married for 8 years.

I then sent her a friend request, which she accepted. And we have chatted several times on FB over the past couple of days. I have yet to talk directly to Arrick, but I understand the reason why. He has only recently, within the past month, returned to the States from Iraq. And sadly, I learned that his mother passed away just a little over three weeks ago. My heart is hurting for the Jones family, for sure. Plus his wife just had surgery the other day and is recovering, so Arrick has been super busy being an AWESOME husband and father, taking care of their two children, a son almost 5 years old, and a daughter who will be 2 in a couple of months.

I told Michelle that I would love to chat with Arrick when he is ready. And that I would understand if he chose not to. She says she thinks he'll want to talk, it's just that he's been super busy. Plus, with having just lost his mother a few weeks ago, I feel it may take a while for him to be ready to "revisit" the past by reconnecting
with me. After all, the tie that binds us lives forever in our hearts and will forever be "17".

But persistence DOES pay off! And I am patiently waiting for the day that Arrick is ready to talk. I am looking forward to reconnecting and building a friendship upon a solid foundation. He has a beautiful wife and two precious children. I am so excited to learn more about all of them. I know Chris would be so proud!

Right now, I'm not sure exactly what I will say when I get to talk to him again after all this time. For now, I will pray that God brings Arrick and his family a peace that passes understanding. And when I do get to speak to him again, knowing me I'll probably talk his ear off! ;o)

Here's hoping y'all have a FANTASTIC week!

Love,
Amy Beth