A Few Things

It's Thursday - finally. This week has been super long, probably due to the icy roads and all that jazz. But, down to business...

We got a new tv Saturday. Did we need one? No. Actually, we replaced our 51 inch projection style tv with a 52 inch LCD. Hmm, what does that mean? It looks prettier. So..of course we had to get HD tv - because um, who has an HD capable tv and no HD service? Yeah, I dunno. Anyways, that also meant that we got a new DVR. So, the TiVo is now in the bedroom. Oh yeah, it is. Which means....drumroll... I get to record WHATEVER I WANT!!! Yes. It's amazing. Hubs gets the DVR in the living room and I get the TiVo in the bedroom. The DVR will hold all the shows we watch together and then his junk...and the TiVo will hold only my stuff. So, what shall I record?! I already have a small list...remember these are shows that I don't "get" to watch in the living room...The list being...

• Brothers & Sisters
• Samantha Who?
• Cooking For Real
• Paula's Best Meals - or something like that
• 30 Minute Meals

So..what other shows should I record? We already watch Private Practice, Grey's, Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, House and NCIS...Yes, we are tv addicts but we don't watch all those shows every week. :) Leave your suggestions/favorite shows in the comments!
Now, also.. I've been thinking of New Year's Resolutions... Since it's right around the corner... Here is my list so far...

• Stop drinking so many cokes. Limit is 2 a week.
• Chocolate is not necessary every day of the week. Just 3 days a week - ha!
• Make some sort of cleaning schedule...
• Exercise at least 4 days a week...instead of whenever I make it in the gym. :)
• Save more $, save more $, save more $!!
• Love and laugh more. Be happy.

What's your list?

Our Stockings

Where to begin... We put up our very 1st Christmas tree on Saturday!! This is our very first Christmas together as a married couple - and the 1st Christmas tree we've ever put up! Needless to say, it was a whole lot of fun!! We played Christmas music and everything! :)

Also...this being our first married Christmas and all...I ordered us personalized stockings!! I was a little leary of the site at first - it's a "no-name" site - but they turned out great. Click here to visit the site...and below are pictures of our tree and stockings!

Thanksgiving Pictures

Well, it's Monday and I'm back at work... Hooray! No, in all seriousness, I had today off, but came in anyways because I was going insane at home. Not to worry though, I'm taking another day off sometime this month to compensate. ;)

I'd like to thank everyone for their prayers and their concerns. I know we all have days like my last post...it just seems like I've had more of those days here lately than I normally do. Ugh. Anyways, I just wanted to say a big Thank You. Also, I wanted to say a big Thanks to those of you who thought of me over Thanksgiving - that means more than you'll ever know.

So, Thanksgiving... As some of you may recall, this Thanksgiving was extra special for me - It's the first time in years that I've seen my mom and Aunt (and family). How did it go? It went pretty well. I have to admit, I was very nervous. I was so nervous, that I teared up a few times on the drive there. But, it all turned out alright. I don't really have any great stories or anything...but I do have a few pictures.

Here is my mom and me:

Think we look a tad alike? Ha! I have to admit, we do look a lot alike. I cropped out our bellies - Thanksgiving full bellies are not that cute!

And a picture of my grandma and me....


Isn't she the cutest in her red and black outfit? I love my grandma.
And one last picture... of my aunt's family....Notice, they can't all look at the same camera. :)

Why I Don't Believe...

In SANTA!! :)

A co-worker and I were just sitting here sharing our childhood stories of Christmas and Santa Claus... And it reminded me of the Christmas that I realized that Santa didn't exist... Now, that being said, if you're under the age of 10, please don't read this!! :)

I had a bad habit of following my parents around the house (or trailer) when I was younger (and I still do, just now it's my husband). That being said, when I was about 6 years old on Christmas Eve, I was following my mom around our trailer when she went to my parent's bedroom and flipped on the light switch. My mom gasped and turned the light off quickly, turned to me, and asked if I had seen anything... Me, being the little girl who always wanted to please everyone, said No, that I had not seen anything..when in reality I had saw an Atari. My mom seemed pleased with the answer, but then proceeded to find and scold my dad - for what I wasn't sure... Well, the next morning, Christmas Day, I ran to see what was under the Christmas tree, and there it was... an Atari - from Santa!! I knew immediately why my dad had gotten in trouble the night before...and knew that the kids at school were right...there was no Santa. :(

Don't worry, my parents had no idea at the time...

So, how did it happen to you? What's your story?

Lots of Pictures!

 This past Friday we were able to put some pie in the face of our bosses for a little fundraiser for Jr. Achievement... Here are a few pictures of that... BTW, I got the BIG boss, too. Think my raise will be affected this year? What about if I took my hand and stuck it in whipped cream and then smeared his face??? Maybe?? :

And last but not least... A pic of me and hubs from Halloween... He's a zombie and I'm a punk rocker - please excuse my outfit...I couldn't find the "right type of clothes." :)

Anywho, I hope yall had a great Halloween and stayed safe!! Hope your homes/yards weren't destroyed... Side note - we had someone else's yard lights in our yard and lipstick on our door - guess that's what we get for not being home!!

Cycling

First, just wanted to say Thank You to all of the comments on the last post - ya'll really are the best blog buddies! Me and hubs went on our first bike ride last night and had a nice time. We did, however, pick the same trail that my running group was running on... So, I got to see the group I usually run with out there running their last group run. It was nice in a sense, but it was also a little bit disheartening -maybe that's the word I'm looking for. Anyways, back to the bike riding - when did bikes become so complicated? Seriously. This thing has several gears and I'm not sure which one I'm suppose to be in - which one is the easiest!? We only did 3 miles last night (according to our new little gadget), but it was still a good workout and a lot of fun. Hubs beat me though. The other night after we bought the bikes, we had a little drive down the neighborhood in which I beat him by a long run...so we had a little competition going last night - and well, I L.O.S.T. LOL Big time. But, in my defense, I couldn't figure out the bike. So, maybe next time?

Orders From The Doctor...

I went to the Dr again yesterday for my legs. It's been two weeks since my last appointment and according to him, I should've been feeling pretty good by now...Well, that isn't the case. So, I went back to the Dr and this time he did X-Rays...(which yes, he should've done the first time)... And guess what? I've got a stress fracture in BOTH legs. Yes, you read that right - both.

So, I'm officially not doing the half marathon I've been training so hard for. I'm really depressed about it too. This was THE biggest goal (physically) that I've ever set for myself and now I feel as if I failed it. I just don't understand why my legs/bones wont hold up when other people's will... Stupid, I know, but it's whats going through my head right now. All I wanted was to do the race this weekend and to get that finisher's medal...But, instead, I'll get a race t-shirt which I'll never wear because I didn't do the race...Ugh.

Anyways, moving forward... I can't run until December and even then I have to start off slow. But the Dr does want me to do some sort of exercise and told me that I could start biking... Which I thought was pretty cool since my husband has been wanting us to start that.. So, when I called my hubbie crying because I couldn't run, he said not to worry, we were going to go get bikes. So, last night, we went to the sports store and bought ourselves two bikes and plan on riding them tonight! I'm so excited! :)

Handing Things Over

This morning I did a little search on daily Bible verses. I'm not sure what possessed me to do this, as I've never ever done this before... But I hit a few sites and I came upon the same verse twice. So, I've written it down and have posted it on my calendar. It's a great verse and it plays pretty well into my life right now. I thought I'd share... Please forgive me if I quote it wrong...as I'm just going by what I've found on the net.

Philippians 4:6-7

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I know it's hard not to be anxious or stressed out over things going on in our lives (atleast for me it is), but I also know that God doesn't want us to worry. So, today I'm really focusing on handing over my worries to Him and letting peace fill my heart.

Stop Running, Seriously?

So, as some of you may remember, I pulled a calf muscle a few weeks back while running and I've been struggling ever since. Well, I've been pushing through because I've only got around 3 weeks left till my half marathon (my 1st one ever)... Yesterday I could barely walk. I ran an awesome 5 miles Tuesday night, but when I woke up Wednesday - I was sure that something major was wrong. And there was/is. I've had really bad shin splints for a while now and they've not gotten better (because, I push through instead of laying off). I went to the Dr yesterday and he informed me that my leg muscles are so swollen right now that they're pinching my nerves - and that's why it hurts so bad and my toes are going numb. I'm dead serious when I say that I couldn't walk yesterday. I walked slower than a senior citizen who has a walker. Seriously. So, what's wrong you say?

I have the beginnings of Compartment Syndrome and had I not went in yesterday...had I waited, he would've had to cut open my legs to release the pressure and/or I could've lost my legs due to cell death. That's super scary! Now, the bright side to all of this is... He knows that I want to run this half marathon badly. He knows that as soon as I "feel" better that I'm going to start running again...So he told me to lay off the running for a few days - till atleast Sunday, use a heating pad as much as possible, take hot baths, elevate my legs as much as possible, and gave me a HUGE dose of steroids to take for a week. If I do all of this, I should be fine. I can run my half marathon - maybe even train some (just not as much) and then after the half - don't run for a good month. I'm okay with that. I just want to finish this race. Bad. This race means a tremendous amount to me - it's THE highest physical goal that I have EVER had. I didn't play sports as a child - I have a heart condition and was told that I would die if I did play. My parents were really protective of me...So this is huge for me. This is for me, it's MINE. So, yes I will run that half... and yes, I might have to walk a tremendous amount..but it will be worth it - for me.

Just please pray that my legs heal super quick and that I can do this half marathon and put it behind me. I really want that finisher's medal.

"Me, Right Now" Challenge

So, Hollie posted a challenge a few days ago - the "Me, Right Now" Challenge. The challenge is to take a picture of yourself - as you are, right now. Let me just warn you...the 2nd picture might become permanently etched in the back of your head - don't say I didn't warn you. There are SO many things wrong with the 2nd picture and it's one that I'd NEVER post out on the internet had it not been for this challenge.... That being said...


Picture Numero Uno - Tuesday right after work... Keep in mind, I get up at 4am because I work the early shift and have a commute... Also, I have no idea why the pink tint.








Now, the 2nd picture...There was some humidity in the air...and I ran 5 miles...Me just a few hours after this first picture...Picture courtesy of my husband who loves to poke fun of my "running beauty."

Now, I'm gonna have to ask Hollie how it is she looks so good after running...obviously I need help!! And HELLO - love my outfit - it's quite slimming, don't ya think? not.

Road Trip Pictures!

So, as promised.. our Branson Road Trip pictures... Bass Pro Shop..go-cart track..wax museum, and the "natural bridge" - a waste of $8.

The reason for our trip...

Go-Kart Track

Some Scary Man

I have no idea - but they're funny!
The Fonz!
hubs & The GodFather

Me & The GodFather
The King!
I rock this pose... ha.
The Matrix

Argghh!

Johnny Carson - we're tight!
Life is like a box of chocolates...
The Natural Bridge Sign... Cl, AR
The $8 rip off.

Birthday Pictures!

So, as promised here are SOME of the pictures taken from my birthday... These are just from the L R Zoo - I'm not gonna post the ones from On The Border or the bowling...as they are awful!! :) Enjoy!

Me, Kissing a Monkey.

A Baby Monkey and Momma.
A Giraffe!
Two Cute Monkeys!
Shy Orangatang. (sp)

Swinging Monkey.

Above: Look at those teeth! Below: Us outside the zoo.

Road Trip!

Let me just say that we had a GREAT weekend! A much needed, great weekend. I picked hubs up at the airport on Friday - for those who didn't know, my husband was in SF for a WEEK!! It was miserable, but it's over now! Anyways, Saturday we were just lounging around and he said that we should go to Bass Pro... I immediately say okay - I'm definitely always up for a road trip! So, as I throw some clothes in the washer/dryer and take a shower, he books us a room at The Grand Victorian in Branson. Little did either of us know before...Branson has a Bass Pro, too! Although - much smaller than the Springfield one.

Anyways, we left our house at 2pm and arrived in Branson around 4 something! We checked in our room, then off to Bass Pro we went! We got some really cute clothes for our niece, nephew, and cousin (camo stuff). AND I got a new winter jacket! It's a Columbia (never had one of those before) and my hubbie even picked it out and insisted that I get it! I've had my current winter jacket for 4 years now and it was time for a new one! Anyways, we then went to Olive Garden and had dinner... After that, we rode some go-carts and played some arcade games and pool!

Sunday morning, we got up and ate some breakfast and then went to the Hollywood Wax Museum! After leaving there, we headed back home, but stopped in Cli to see the "Natural Bridge." Let me just say - worst $8 ever spent! It's a rock! Ugh! Some bridge! Anyways, we continued home and when we arrived back to Cway, we decided we should go see a movie - Lakeview Terrace. All in all, a good movie -with a sucky ending. That's all I'll say.

So, as you can read, we had a busy and FUN weekend! I'll post pictures from my b-day weekend and this past weekend when I get a chance tonight!! Some great pictures coming up!

My Birthday Weekend

So, this weekend was my birthday weekend...and to make the blog a tad shorter..I'm going to use bullets!

• Friday night, my hubbie went and got my bday presents... I raided his truck as soon as he got home! I got 2 pairs of slippers! One were a pair of bright yellow, fuzzy ducky slippers and the second was a pair of ladybug slippers - the antennas bounce when you walk! He also got me a NICE giftcard to my favorite store - Maurices!! We then went out to eat at McAlister's (sp?) - a little bland, but I couldn't taste anyways - being sick sucks!
• Saturday morning, I got up and ran 7 miles with our running group - with a FEVER!! I was determined not to miss this Saturday's run - sick or not - so I sucked it up and ran it - in my worst time ever... But hey, I'm still proud of myself!
• After the run, I took a mini-nap and my awesome husband got me some much needed breakfast from Sonic! It was my birthday - and the eating rules don't apply!!
• After I cleaned up, we headed over to the LR Zoo and met his mom and her friend there. I love the zoo! I absolutely love the monkeys and giraffes! I took a ton of pictures - but my camera is currently in SF and I wont have it back till Friday. So.. I'll post them sometime this weekend!
• After 3 hours at the zoo, we headed over to On The Border - one of my favorite mexican restaurants! I had a huge margarita, ate lots of food, even tried some new stuff, and at the end - took two tequila shots! THOSE were my husbands idea!! But, props to me, the waiter said I was "Awesome" because I can do shots like a pro - must be due to those sorority days!! ha! Also, while there, I got presents from my MIL and her friend - the DVD "Maid of Honor" (really cute movie btw), another Maurices gift card, and this stuff!! I have never heard of that "stuff" before, and we've yet to try it out - but everyone else around here has heard of it and wants to know where to buy it! Ha!
• And so.. after eating, we went bowling at Millennium. I love bowling! We played two very long games, in which I lost both, but I had a blast anyways (pictures soon to follow this weekend). I also enjoyed some Mr Bud Light as well... Tally for the night, one huge margarita, 2 tequila shots, and 3 beer - not bad, not bad. And no praying time with the porcelain gods. Score one for me! ha! jk
• And last but not least, Sunday. I had to get up and take hubbie to the airport. More on that later. Then I spent all day in bed - with the exception of feeding the dogs, and getting more meds at Wal-Mart... I was running a fever and felt like poo. I barely managed a shower - although the water did not touch my head. I did however, catch some much needed Zzz's and watch some really neat shows on TLC.

Thankfully, today my fever is gone - well, I may have a small one... and I'm beginning to feel better. Yay.

I Enjoy Running In Hurricanes

As many of you know, I'm training for a half marathon (Oct 25th). This past Tuesday our running group was scheduled to meet for our short run (4 miles). Well, you'd think that with the downpour of rain (from our lovely friend Gustav) and nice little wind gusts, that we'd cancel... Oh no! Not us! I think we're the most dedicated little group I've ever seen! I thought about going to my parents and running on their treadmill, but the thought of 4 miles on a treadmill makes me sick to my stomach - I just wouldn't be able to stand it. So, I met up with the rest of the group and ran in the pouring rain!!! I was drenched by the time we finished! Cars honked, people waved, and I've heard a story about a nice SUV purposely splashing some of our runners!! It was pure craziness to be out there, but it was soo nice! I've been slowly improving my time and Tuesday was no exception!! So, I can now say that "I've ran in a hurricane" (kinda).

On another note... I turn 27 in 16 days (Sept 20th). I put it on my calendar here at work and every time I see it, I just don't believe that it's MY birthday. I mean, 27 year olds are suppose to be old and have kids! Right? Apparently, thats just something stuck in my head. I still can't get over it. I'll be 30 in 3 years...30. Geez. But, on a brighter and more positive note... this past weekend my sister and I went to a water park..and these guys ended up carrying our tube (it's a 4 person tube, up a hill, and up to flights of steps...it was harmless, just nice)... While waiting in line for the water ride, they start flirting with my sister...and then said something to the effect of "We saw yall and thought blah blah blah, look at those friends..." ...that's when I said, "No, we're sisters." (seriously, just making conversation.. I mean they were all of 21, maybe.) and so anyways, they asked what school we went to (ha, really funny...my sister is a SR in HS)... and I made a comment like "um no school, graduated long time ago" and they said "well we meant college" ... again "really long time ago..."... Can I just say, my sister and I are TEN years apart... I had no makeup on, but still... that was a nice comment.. for someone to say that I look younger than I am... I'll take it! I'm gonna be lovin' that when I'm 50!

New Hair Cut, Our Boys, And A Bug

So, this will be a really random blog...as I just wanted to share some pictures with ya!

As I blogged earlier this week, I got my hair cut... Not a lot of change, just shorter. This is usually as short as I will ever go - I have too big of a forehead and ears to go shorter! Notice the change in my hair color - it's lighter... I haven't done anything to it - just the summer getting to my hair! :) My hubbie had to take like twenty pictures (not joking) before I found one I liked...Notice I'm sportin' a Hogs shirt as always. :)

Here are some recent pictures of "our boys"...Rocky, Bear, and Duke! I was able to get these pictures while they were trying their best to get in the house - muddy paws and all!

And last.. as I was pulling weeds out of the flowerbed... we found this bug.. Christopher called it a "leaf bug." I know it kind of looks like a praying mantis - but it's really not. I couldn't get a great picture due to the glare from the sun...but it really does look like a green leaf. Sad thing is, later as I was spraying some weed spray...I think I accidently killed its baby .. I really, really didn't mean to and as soon as I saw him, I stopped spraying, but sadly it was too late. I teared up the rest of the night. We did move him from the area that was sprayed - in hopes that he would survive... but the baby didn't.

Long Saturday Run

I have a post that I'm working on that tells alot about me and what I'm experiencing right now...but that will have to wait, as I'm not yet comfortable enough to post it...Don't worry, it's not bad. Promise.

Today was week one's long run. We all met at 8am (I kinda wish it had been earlier) and prepared to run our 4 mile run. They told us the route we were running and we all just kind of looked around confused. I don't think anyone there had a good understanding of where we were going - including the leaders. So, we started out and I (and my sister) was running great. The temperature was perfect - all around great running weather. I felt great! My hip wasn't hurting me as it had been and I had 3 new songs on my shuffle. Now, there are three different groups running out there...the beginners (the group I'm in), the intermediate, and the advanced. From what I understood, we were all running different routes and we were the last group to get started this morning. So when I came upon mile 2 and saw runners coming from a different direction and running our same route, I was a little confused, but just shrugged it off. My sister was about 1/4 mile in front of me...there were plenty of beginning runners in front of me and about 4 or 5 way behind me. Well, I come to this hill and as I top it - I see NOBODY. In the distance, I can see two intermediate runners going a route that I didn't think or know for sure the beginners were suppose to take...I look back to see if somehow I can ask the leader and people behind me which way to go...and they're way too far behind me. So, I follow the two runners that I can see...Long story short - I ran half a mile too much.

When I made it to the finishing area, I asked my sister where she had ran and how long she had been waiting for me. She had only been waiting for about 5 maybe 10 minutes and she said that she ran the same route that I did...I asked one of the leaders if we were suppose to go the direction that I did...um, that's a big fat no... that's why I ran the extra 1/2 mile. I felt great the whole way through, just a little frazzled that it was so unorganized...But all in all, it was a great run.. and it only took me an hour to run 4.5 miles - not a sprinter by any means..but that means that I can definitely finish the half marathon in the 4 hours allotted time - which I had been worried about. :)

Just Some Info

So, I got a little update on the puppy (I'm obsessed, I know). The puppy's name is Roscoe and he has a blue collar. The girls had recently lost their last dog due to sickness, so Roscoe came at the perfect time and he even resembles their last dog! I'm glad he's doing well.

Today is day 2 of my 1/2 marathon training! Last night we did 2 miles...not so bad, but it was 102 outside! Add to that humidity - it wasn't pleasant! I'm not sure what the temp is outside right now, but I can guarantee that it's around the same temperature as it was last night. Tonight we're doing 3 miles...not too bad - I've ran alot of 5k's, but the thing is, I wont be able to run the entire thing - it's just too hot and I slacked too much last month. So, tonight will suck in that aspect. I don't really wanna remove myself from this recliner, cook dinner, then change and go, but I guess I should... But tomorrow is our rest day - thank goodness!!

Update On The Puppy

Okay, so it wasn't but a few hours ago that I blogged about the puppy. But, my dad just came and got him and told me a lil about the new family! This family has two girls, ages 11 and 12ish, and they live on a "farm." Which probably means, that they live on a big area of land with some kind of wildlife. My dad said that the puppy will have the two little girls to play with and that he can run all he wants on the "farm." That makes my heart soar! You can only imagine how happy this makes me! I just thought I'd give a lil update! And yes, I did cry when I gave him to my dad, but we all knew that was going to happen.

A Stressful Few Days

Well, I just got some good news. My dad found the puppy a good home. He didn't tell me anything besides that it's going to his boss and that his boss didn't need me to buy him any puppy food. So, that must mean he has other dogs, right? This whole thing stresses me out, in case you couldn't tell. I'm a big animal lover. I hate to see animals not being loved on or cared for. It stressed me out to know that nobody wanted this cute little dog and that he was either very lost or abandoned. I had knocked on doors throughout the neighborhood and didn't get any takers...And we're the only subdivision in that area. Go about a mile and you have the freeway... So I really don't think he was lost. I think someone dropped him off. He was very clean, but hadn't been fed real well. So I'm not sure what to think. I just know that I'm super glad that my dad found a good home for him. I'm really hoping he doesn't train him to be a hunting dog, but then again, he is a beagle. Maybe he WANTS to be a hunting dog. :) Anyways, you have no idea what this has done to me emotionally. I kept asking myself and God why He sent this dog to me. I knew the answer was because He knew that I'd find him a good home and that I wouldn't just leave him there after finding him. I couldn't turn him away. God knew that I couldn't take care of him and give him the home he needs, but knew that somehow I'd get him there. Atleast, I hope that's why God sent him to me. The little thing warmed right up to me. He followed me around from the start and licked my face every chance he got. I'm sure gonna miss him, but I know that he's not my dog. He's someone else's. Someone that can give him what he needs. I know that my dad wouldn't ever let me down. He wouldn't give him to someone that he didn't trust. So, I feel a ton better knowing that he'll be okay now. He wont have to go to a shelter - which I'm not so sure I could've actually done anyways.

Just one thing though... I'm really not looking forward to saying good-bye to the little fellow this afternoon ... in about an hour and a half.

Puppy Needs A Home

I found a Beagle puppy yesterday and can't locate the owners. He's about 10 weeks old and cute as a button - very loving and very playful! He looks like he hasn't been fed all that great... but he just needs a nice home and he'll be fine. Above are a few pictures I took of him - they're not that great because he moves and jumps around too much! We can't keep him - although we would love to. We already have 3 dogs - one which can be aggressive towards other dogs. If we can't find him a home very soon, he will be going to the F C Animal Shelter - and I seriously don't want that! So please help me out!

Why I Care

So, as promised, my story as to why I care so much about raising money for the Susan G Komen Foundation.... Around Christmas about 8ish years ago, my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer. At that time, I hadn't ever actually known anyone who had had breast cancer or really anything about it. Also, at that time, I didn't have a really close relationship with my grandmother - because she was my step-grandmother (silly, I know). Anyhow, that diagnosis was a big hit for our family. We'd never really had anything like that happen before to us (that I was aware of). Now, my grandma is a tough bird. At the time, she was still working for the Post Office and had made a name for herself in our county. You see, she was the first female postal worker in our county that had taken a huge walking route. Her route was a total of 17ish miles. She had to walk that every single day - just so that we'd all get our mail. Now, when she first said something to her boss, he had told her that he didn't doubt that she'd quit just like everyone else... Well, that ticked my grandmother off. She was not going to quit! Maybe all those men had quit, but SHE was not going to quit that route! So, she stayed with it and a few years back she retired from the post office. Now, she didn't walk that route the whole entire time, someone finally gave her a nice postal car thing a few years ago... But 95% of the time she had that route, she had walked it...in the Arkansas hot and humid summers, the unpredictable rain, sleet, and sometimes snow. Like I said, she's a tough bird.

Well, when this hit, I saw my grandma as someone that could possibly be brought down. But, she showed us differently (as always) and showed us that she would survive this thing. When she started losing her hair, she had my grandfather shave the rest of it off and when we went out in public she wore a wig so that she didn't embarrass us - but we soon told her that she didn't embarrass us at all - we were PROUD of her. She soon began tossing the wigs...and began wearing bandannas to protect her hairless head. She went through a lot of chemo, a lot of medicine, a mastectomy, and a lot of pain - but she got past the cancer and beat it!

After that, she began to soften around the edges and we became closer. She became my grandma - more than just a title but a feeling. We all became a closer family and we knew that no matter what came into our lives, we'd beat it and we'd have the strength of our family with us through the way.

Two years ago, my grandma asked me to walk in The Race For The Cure with her. I was not a fan of getting up early and going out into the cold, but I immediately said yes. That was the best day that I had had with her in a while - a very, very emotional day. I saw my grandma cry for the first time. I saw her rejoice in the fact that she had beat this thing called cancer. And I saw her show sympathy for others who were going through the same thing. She formed a bond with those ladies - a bond that will never be broken.

Last year, my whole family walked in that race. We all walked together (okay, so I ran at the end). Then we went out to eat - just us ladies in our breast cancer shirts and pants...out to Red Lobster. We could tell that grandma wasn't exactly herself. There wasn't anything wrong with her mood but you could tell that health wise - she just wasn't up to par. That next week, she was diagnosed with breast cancer again - this time in her other breast. She had only one breast left after her previous round with cancer and now it was infected as well. We were all in shock. We thought we had beat this and it wasn't coming back. I say we because it is definitely something you go through as a family. She lost her hair again, had grandpa shave the rest of it, did the chemo, took the pills, and then had the last breast removed. She beat the cancer again. But, after the cancer, she didn't feel right still. She had something wrong with her body - she had another surgery (not related to the cancer) and just healed from it. A surgery that removed parts of her intestines among other things... She was in the hospital for over a week. She couldn't even eat or drink. Like I said, she's a tough bird.

...Dog Days of Summer...

So, remember how I wanted to go to the lake this weekend? Well, hubs goes to charge the battery for the boat and it wont charge. So, we take the battery to Wal-Mart to "check" it and the guy at the automotive counter was just hilarious! Apparently he was just covering for someone who was on break and he normally works in the Sporting Goods department - the poor guy had no clue how anything worked in automotive. He took our battery and put it in the "checker thing" and put the leads to the battery and just kinda stared at. Then he kept looking at us and pounding his chest saying "I got you, man. Don't worry, I got you." LOL Anyways, long story short...30 minutes later we walked out with a new battery.

We then went out to eat at Larry's Pizza. I'm not sure if this is a huge chain or just something in central Arkansas, but just in case you've never heard of it before... You find yourself a seat, a plate, and a drink and sit and wait while the servers "parade" around with pizza. They come by your booth/table and announce what kind of pizza they have and if you want some of it, you just stop them... Anyways, the pizza there is very good - they have all kinds of different pizza. My personal favorites from there are chicken fajita and cheeseburger (the fajita pizza has salsa on it - instead of sauce, and the cheeseburger has mustard and pickles and such!! mmmm!). Anyways, if you ever have the chance to go to Larry's Pizza...do it!

Anyways, later that night we decided to rent a few movies. We got Jumper (love it! rent it!), Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (GREAT movie!), Fool's Gold (eh, I fell asleep), and Definitely, Maybe (another great movie!!). So, while we're watching one of the movies, my dad calls. They went to Branson this weekend and left one of my brothers in charge of watching Jackson their Jack Russell. Now, my brother will be 20 next week - you'd think he could watch a dog, right? WRONG! So, my dad calls me, asks if I know where my brother is...blah, blah, blah... Let's just say that I ended up taking the dog Saturday and he spent the night with us!! It wasn't that big of a deal - we've watched him before and he's a very well behaved dog - especially for a hyper Jack Russell!

So, Saturday... I go pick up Jackson.. and leave Christopher to waxing the boat - don't ask, but the boat must be waxed before taking it out... I thought this would be a quick thing..WRONG! He wasn't done till around 4pm and he had started at like 9am! Anyways, needless to say, we didn't go the lake on Saturday.

Sunday, after we took Jackson back around noon, we decided that it was FINALLY lake time. We head out to the lake, put the boat in, and get right past the Buoys and the boat "siren" starts buzzing. Seems that the motor isn't doing something right...it's starting to smoke! You can imagine my disappointment! LOL Anyways, we turn the boat off... Christopher tries to figure out what's going on.. and we decide to restart the boat and head back to the dock...only it wont start! So we used the trolling motor to get back to the dock..then when it came to loading the boat on the trailer..we had to get out of the boat and PUSH the boat back onto the trailer!!! Mind you that this is a big ski boat!! A practically NEW ski boat! ugh! Anyways, we got back onto the trailer...my dad came over.. and they decided that the water pump in the motor is out... A job that will take them about 6-8 hours and a part that will cost around $150. Double Ugh. So.. in a nutshell.. that was my weekend.

...The Rules To Fair Fighting...

All couples have difficult times...even Newlyweds. Every husband and wife will fight with one another at some point and it's important to remember that there are rules when fighting. Yes. Rules. Someone sent me these rules this week and I thought that they were so important and so true, that I'd post them. I think they are something that every couple should follow....

***** The Rules To Fair Fighting *****

1. First and foremost, calm down before trying to have a rational conversation or it will not be rational at all.

2. Stick to the current problem and never bring up past events to hurt each other.

3. If you want to discuss past things that have bothered you, do it at another time when you are both calm and in a way to share your feelings with each other to get to know each other better. (Hint one thing at a time.)

4. Never blame each other, because this puts the other one on the defensive. Use I statements like: I was hurt because or I would like or I did not like this because.

5. Never say something to intentionally hurt the other person.

6. Never use the word Divorce because this is a threat to the trust and security in the marriage.

7. Communicate your feelings before it gets to the point that one more thing will set you off.

8. Always respect each others feelings.

9. If your are wrong or sorry for something, SAY you are sorry or wrong. (This is a strength not a weakness.)

10. Don't be afraid to share your feelings with each other and always say I love you!!!