Possum & Squirrel

Well looks like it is snowing all around us.
Jonathan & Makayla sent me these pics of their snow. Possum (Jonathan) looks like he got bit by squirrel (Makayla) on his face. Also these are the fruit loop straws I sent them last month. Melanie said that when Jonathan heard they were getting snow, he ran and open the curtains so he could watch for it.
NaNay loves and misses you both !

P.S. I think I'm going to live, I don't know when I have been this sick. I don't think my surgery was as bad as what I have had and to add to it , I worked everyday, went to 3 ballgames and hosted a Dr. for three days. Talk about spreading germs! SORRY!

MeLeah & Maddie

Thank goodness we live in the south!
I got these pics from Meleah today. Both MeLeah & Maddie have been sick, but she decided they would get out and have a little fun. They lefted the very hot days of Arizona to very long cold days of Kansas. I think they have had snow since they moved there in December. MeLeah must be about 5 months "PG" in this picture. I miss them dearly, thank goodness for email.

TGIF!!

Well, What a week!
I thought Friday would never come. With Beverly leaving and over 100 phone calls for the job it has been a rollercoaster. Kirk and I spent all afternoon returning calls to girls that seem to have no clue. Most of them could not even say Chiropractic (cowpractic) much less answer the phone. Maybe if we could run an office by Texting we could get a better crowd. I did learn one thing from all these unemployed people, most of them have a new car but no job. How do you figure that? When I was growing up, you got a job first. Oh well, I hope we can do a better job with our kids. I was up until 2:30am looking at resume's because I thought I could sleep in only to be woke up at 7:ooam by the phone. On a sunnier side, we hope Kyle gets to play ball today, with all the rain his last two games were rained out and today's game is being played later to let the fields dry out. I have coughed all night and have sore throat, I guess it is my stress levels. MeLeah called and she hasn't been out for days due to snow, so I guess rain is not so bad. Kyle went to Lana Hunt's B'day party last night, he is really growing up fast. Where did my little, sweet KyKy go? Kamren, bless his heart he just wants a friend. Melo has been home all week and I didn't get to see her or the kids. I guess little Avery is growing so fast, Mother keeps me posted. Do the pics above make you wish for one more good time at the beach? The beach is calling my name. I look at these pics and can't believe have our kids have grown, they all still have their baby faces. Thanks again my sweet friends for so many fun memories!

Let's Play Ball !

It's that time again!

Baseball season is here and the boys are ready to play. While we were on the cruise, Dad put up a batting cage for the boys and they are so proud of it. Kamren gets off the bus ready to go hit. Kyle played his first PCS EAGLES game Monday night with a 13-3 win and then his next two games were rainned out. He will play school ball thru March, then off to the Hooks Travel Ball Team. The coaches met last night and we will have two months of tournaments to make it to Disney World Series.

Kamren starts his first year in confederate next week and he can't wait. Our summer is planned before it gets here, full of BASEBALL!

We Love watching the boys play ball. Pray that both boys stay safe and healthy.

My Family of Friends

What a week!

It has been one week today since we returned from our cruise, and from getting news of Beverly's sad goodbye. It's hard enough to get off the boat and back to the norm but to then hear of a loss so great. Life does goes on. What would I do without Family? I have a REAL Family, a Chiropractic Family and my close wonderful Family I see everyday and do most everything with. I do miss the Chiro Family that I just spent a week in paradise with, we are connected mostly by our spouse and see each a couple times a year. Dr. Ken & Bridgette have been around as long as Kirk & I, and we have so many memories of our times together. Dr. Drew & Molly are new on our list, I have known Drew since he was in college but just met Molly and now I somehow feel a connection almost like they are my children. Dr. Shawn & Ashley were with us on our first cruise honeymooners and now have a child. Dr. Bo has been around forever and is just one of our family. James & Rhonda came into our lives only by the grace of God. James was about to take his life because of the pain he was in but he found Chiropractic and it saved his life and they have been a strong voice for us ever since, doing all his work for free.(James is a Lay Pastor). When we are together we try to soak up each other's time as much as we can not knowing when we will see each other again only to talk by phone or email.

Then I think of my blood family that I miss so badly at times I have to block them out. I try and talk to them daily to try to ease the pain of not seeing them. When we are together it is so important to me to take pictures and make the memories last until the next time together. Each day when I look out my kitchen window I am reminded of my Dad and how he climb the highest branch of our tree and hung the swing, built the tree house and put up a batting cage. Then I see the woods that Matt and myself cleared. These memories put the glue in my spine.

And then God blesses me with my Family of friends here in Dothan that I depend on daily. What would I do without you guys, you are like my mom and dad, sister and brother altogether. You guys fill the void in all the above. I am as I type this blog on a conference call with members from all three families and just to hear their voices seem to make this nasty day all better. I was reminded earlier today when reading a blog from Abby Maddox of how much we need these memories to get us through our everyday lifes. I have so many, many memories from all three families of our cruise, sports and watching our children grow and no matter how far apart we are we will have our memories. I thank God daily for all of you! I guess I said all of this to say: even when I don't have my Mom & Dad or Melo, Matt & MeLeah God gives me all of you. When I don't have the Grandbabies I have your children to fill the space, Kyle & Kamren to keep me busy. Baseball has begun and we will have another family, we are always bless with people to love and spend time with. Life here on earth is so short and I want to make every second count.

Cruise Pics

A few pics from the cruise. The brown three story house is the one Kirk walked through the screen door. Remember Do. Bo with Stacy and Kirsten from Seattle, Ken & Bridgette, Drew & Molly from LA. That is me and Kirk Parasailing. The Island of Belize.

Welcome Home!

Wow!
What a wonderful, relaxed, fun filled week. Thanks to my wonderful parents who allowed us to take a trip without the boys. I missed them both but was so glad they chose to stay. Our boat was full of OLDER Saints. For once I felt young again, and not the oldest one in the group. Every where we went, no matter what time of the day we were surrounded by the older crowd. Maybe there is hope for us all. I knew when we left Dothan we would have no worries about the boys, they were in good hands. Six days without e-mails and phones was wonderful, but the moment you pull into port the cell phones began to ring, some good and some bad.
I have to admit I could not wait to hear my boys voice and to talk to Melanie, Matt, MeLeah, Mom & Dad. It seems as if the only time I get my parents in Dothan, I am going somewhere. I could not wait to just sit and talk to them awhile. Dad had worked all week putting the boys up a batting cage and Mom had been busy with Aunt Lynda. Jonathan & Makayla had gotten their package and Madison had been very sick. Back to the REAL world. Back to work, school, homework, and baseball, baseball and baseball. This is our life and I think my parents were really tired of all the running back and forth with two boys. All of this becomes a natural everyday thing for me and I really don't know what to do if we are not running.
The one piece of news we were not prepared for was an e-mail sent to us on Monday while we were on the cruise (thank goodness we could'nt get e-mail on the ship) that our one CA other than me had taken a new job after being with us some 11 years. This would give us three working days to replace her. HELLO! We had been to Paradise and suddenly jerked back to the real world. I was so very tired and sick from the last day on the boat, from the bad rocking of the storms that I found myself wanting to climb into my parents lap and become a child again. I just wanted to retreat to some kind of safe hiding place, I was numb, totally lost for any kind of words much less try to think of some kind of answer for what we had just been told. Kirk had called to check in on the way home and she said ,by the way did you get my e-mail? Not only did I have this problem, report cards came home that very same day and Kamren's was deadly. I don't remember much about my parents last night with us because all I could think of is what do I do first and where do I start. I do believe that God takes care of his own and he will provide, but sitting back and waiting is not one of my strong points. I just wanted to load up and leave with my parents. What a great week we had to come home to this. I am looking for the good in it but not finding it. I ask myself, is it worth taking time off to pay for it in this way? Yes, over the last 15 years I have seen dozens of girls come and go and I could see it coming, and everyone can be replaced, but Bev was like family and I don't care to replace her, I just can't make myself think of hiring again. Yes, I know things could be worst and I know I will be there to pick up the pieces with work and Kamren, but for now I'm lost without words. I want to go home! I need Daddy to make it all go away.Could I please just go to sleep and wake up for it all to be over. We never out grow our need for parents. When life gives you lemons, yes we must make lemonade, but I don't have the receipe today. Yes, this is the real world. Welcome home!

2008 Ortho Cruise

Well, as you can see one of us had a blast. Our trip began leaving Dothan Feb. 8 driving to Dr. Julie Hunt's in Clearwater to spend the night. On the way down Kirk ran and hid from three cops, we were like 2 teenagers hiding in the dark, Kirk was so intense it was crazy how he was shaking, then he would talk to Dr. Bo or Ken and brag about it and then ten miles down the run he comes another cop. We get to Dr. Hunt's new three story beach home and we were on the third story and he goes to walk out the wrap around porch and he walks right through their screen door, the door flys of the door and Kirk is stopped by the railing.
Saturday,9 we drive one hour to the port and set off on our cruise. I was at one point the only female other than Dr. Hunt in the group, Bridgette had gotten sick on the plane and we did not see her for a while. I did meet Dr. Drew Hall and his wife Molly, she was a delight to be with. Drew was like having two Kirk's, they were made for each other as you can see in the pic's. The first day at sea was great with lots of sun. Day 2 was spent in Cozumel, we rented a Jeep and thank goodness we had Dr. Bo to drive us around. The roads there are very bad and washed out and no room to meet other cars. We drove around the Island. The first stop was at Playa Maya Beach were Kirk and I Parasailed, why I don't know but after I got up there it was beautiful. We then drove down to Coconut Island to look for Dr. Bo's hidden treasure ( he has a GPS Treasure Hunt he goes all over looking for hidden treasures, you find them, sign them, take the treasure and leave something in it's place). We did find one out of two hidden there. We then went down to this beach were the ocean had uncovered a Coral Reef and when the ocean comes in it forms these beautiful water sprays that you see in the picture of Drew and Kirk trying to stop it up. As we were leaving the beach Kirk sees this beautiful HUGE rock and vows to bring it home, so here we go through the guards with this rock(Coral) wrapped in my towel, we acted as we did'nt know him but he got through. Cozumel looked very much the same it did 2005. Back to the boat to get ready for dinner and Karaoke. After Kirk's act on stage he was ask to sing with the boat dancers the next night and won that night's contest.
Day 3 Belize, we had to catch tender boats to get to this Island which took about 30 minutes each way. We also had to be back on the boat each day by 3:30pm which did not give us alot of time since some of us can't get out of bed early(Kirk). Drew and Molly had already gotten a Jungle Tour before they came on the cruise so it was Bo, me and Kirk today. We rode over in the tender boat and were met at the dock by locales offering tours, we took the snokel and private beach. We were put on another small boat and drove 20 minutes to this beautiful Island that looked much like the Blue Lagoon. Kirk and Bo were then took out some 20 minutes out in the ocean to snokel and I was lefted on the Island alone to sun. Dr. Bo and Kirk made a treasure spot and hid it on this Island nameing it Doc Ortho and Viking Nole. They entered it in the world wide GPS Treasure Hunt. We were then loaded back on the boat to go back to dock were we had 10 minutes to shop before catching the tender boat back to the ship. Back on the ship we got dress for dinner and the Karaoke and Adult Savager Hunt. This was also the night Kirk was to sing and dance with the ship's dancers as you see below, he was Steven Tyler. We had teams of five and a number, we were number 11. A item was called out and male or female was told what to find, you could only get these clues from your team. The last clue was( 1 male bring up with your number, a purse, wearing high heel shoes, no shirt, necklace, wearing a bra, eye brows painted with ladies lipstick. Kirk and Bo were so scary!
Day4, we were at sea all day. The day began with lots of sun as we leave Belize and Cuba but as the day goes on we hit STORMS!!!!! and I mean STORMS!!!!!! we were tossed around so much, you could not walk, sit or lay with out the rocking. We were forced to spend our last day getting sicker and sicker. This was the night Kirk was to sing in the final top ten Karaoke Contest and he was sooooo sick he could not even eat his last BIG meal. I don't think many people could eat we were all toasted. We all made it down to the bottom of the boat for the contest and boy was it ever rocking, we would get up to walk and it was a task just to get up. Kirk was the last to sing and somehow he made it through and did fine. We tried not to go to our room until we had to. Bo, Kirk and I were in staterooms(a Jail Cell would have been bigger) with NO WINDOWS on the 3rd and 4th floors so when we got in our beds they rocked and swayed ALL night. I thought at times we were going to sink. The next morning we had to be up and off by 8:00am. Back to the real world. We had a great time and I met a new Friend who was very much like me, alone and without kids(other than our big kids Drew and Kirk) and worried about not having anyone to hang with. Thanks Bo, Drew and Molly for hanging out with us. This is just a few of the memories we will have forever.

Parenting

The old saying you " you pay for your raising through your children" has really hit hard with this sweet child. Kamren never misses anything, can be the most loving child and the next second turn on you. I don't know what is going on in school, I have done everything in my power but go to school with him and I am at my wits end. Each morning begins with him being sick or hurt somewhere and each day ends much the same. Today it started with a sore throat and ended with a tooth ache. Because we are leaving Friday I rush him to the dentist for him to say it was just a bad bite to a Apple. While waiting at the Dentist office I go through his backpack to find his folder full of bad notes and grades only to be told later by family it's all my fault. I don't spend enough time with him. Do mother's ever do anything right? I sure don't. I end every school night doing homework, to be ask by family "do you ever sit down and help him" yes this has upset me just alittle. Oh well I guess I'll never get it right. All Five of my children are different, but I think Kam is about to break me.
On the sunny side : when Kamren is not trying to get out of school, he is throwing ball, shooting hoop and his new thing is working out with weights. He is Kirk made over with his IPOD shouting out music while he works out. I know he lives in his brother's shadow and has to try and out do Kyle in everything and the funny thing is he runs a close race.
Kyle is busy with school and baseball, and getting ready for PCS Antellbella Gala.

Melanie's family was saved from the deadly storms last night and MeLeah is getting snow.
Crystal went back to work Monday and little Avery went to a Nanny.

3 days until will sail!

Phone calls from the kid's.

MeLeah called yesterday and they were going out to play in the snow. Madsion has a new game of hiding her binkies. So as Meleah was talking to me and putting her boots on at the same time, guess what her toes found? One of Madison's binkies.

Melanie called on Thursday to tell me she had found a new play ground for Jonathan & Makayla during their snow months. Chucke Cheese! The babies were having a blast.

Matt called to let Avery talk to NaNay and update me on their Dr. visit at Children's in Birmingham. Avery has vesectercour reflux and they will treat him with med's for a year.

I am busy getting ready to sail and can't wait to see mom & dad.