Where has 2009 gone?

I am horrible at keeping up with my blog. But my life is about to change so much that this will be a way for me to reflect and share my thoughts, so hopefully I will be able to keep up with my posts.



Where has 2009 gone? It seems like just yesterday we celebrated the new year. Now we are about to bring in 2010! I guess this has been a tough year for a lot of people. I mean, the economy isn't exactly nice to many.



Let's see in 2009 we got (world news):



1-Our first African American President is inaugarated

2-Lost Farrah Faucet, Patrick Swayze, and Michael Jackson

3-Steelers won the Superbowl

4-Sanford left SC to meet his mistress in Argentina

5-Cash for Clunkers

6-Healthcare

7-Swine Flu outbreak

8-Fort Hood rampage

9-Edward Kennedy dies

10-Sullenberger lands plane in the Hudson River



This is just a few.



As for me, things have been good until last week. We have had our highs and lows like everyone else. But my girls are happy and healthy and Chris and I are still happy and in love as ever.

We seem to be loosing family members and may I say it's not all by death.

I worked my first summer in 8 years this year. It wasn't so bad, I would've loved to have slept in and gone to the beach more. But I was fortunate enough to only have worked a few hours a day so we still had a good time.



The highlights of my year:

-the girls playing in the rain

-family gatherings

-new friends

-celebrating 10 years of marriage

-Vanessa's laugh

-Lauren's smile

-my sweet Bella (my dog)

-vacation

-watching Vanessa play soccer

-seeing Lauren cheer

-the excitement the girls have watching Tennessee football

-New Tennesse coach Lane Kiffin



There are so many good things that I could go on forever.



However, we got some bad news last week that has devasted many of us in my family. We found out that my grandmother has a mass the size of a baseball wrapped around her aorta in her abdomen and wrapped in her spine. We found this out the Monday before Christmas. The doctor says it is inoperable. So now we wait for them to schedule the biopsy to see what she actually has. My mom just has surgery a few days before we found out so this could not have come at a worse time. Not that anytime is a good time.



My grandmother is like a 2nd mother to me. My mom married and had me at 16, so when her and my dad split up, she was there to help raise me and my sister. She is the type of woman that would give you the shirt off her back. She always thought that my sister and I were the best ever(as all grandparents do). And my girls, oh how she loves my girls. If I thought she was crazy about me, boy, crazy doesn't describe how she feels about Lauren and Vanessa.



I have come to realize that the woman that has always been there for me, now needs me. She says she will not take any treatments so the chances of her being around next year this time is probably slim. It is hard to imagine her not being here. She can barely keep anything down right now and has difficulty walking or sitting up. The doctor says it is because of the tumor being in her spine and around her nerves.

We spent Christmas together as a family and she really didn't look good. The crazy thing is...she had these test run because she fell in a parking lot a few weeks earlier and thought some of her problems she was having was related to the fall. She also thought her gallblader was going bad because she was having trouble keeping food down and had pains in her abdomen. So was she shocked to get these results. She was alone when she got them. No one expected this!!



I could go on all night but I am finally sleepy! Keep us in your prayers as this will be a long journey for the entire family.

Fall Sports

Vanessa playing soccer (#18)

Lauren cheering

Lauren

Fall 2009

Well, it is fall and I love it. We have been so busy. Both the girls have been in some type of sport. So I was running somewhere everyday, sometimes 2 places in one night. Trying to juggle everything is rough. Fall sports have ended and we have more time to spend at home. Thank you Lord!
I am enjoying making soups this time of year. Our favorite is our homemade potato soup! It is yummy! It is the same soup that Rafferty's serves. It is a hit at my house.
The girls loved Halloween. I think between school parties, church, and Halloween night that celebrated for several days and have more candy than we know what to do with. I have given a lot of it away. Don't need the tummy aches and cavities.

I will post pictures of our fun but busy Fall!

Girl Scout Father/Daughter Dance

Lauren

Vanessa

My beautiful girls!

Fun at the river

Lauren, Vanessa, and Grandpa

Vanessa and Mommy

Lauren and Vanessa having fun

Playin' in the rain

Vanessa

Lauren and Vanessa

Lauren

Spring Fever

I have a really bad case of spring fever. It has been sooo nice the last few days. Now it's going to get cool and rain again. I am so ready for spring. That is my favorite time of the year. That and fall. I love sitting outside in my hammock swing and feeling the breeze. The girls especially like this time of year. They are able to spend their time outside playing. That also benefits me!
I need to do some major spring cleaning! This house needs a good once over. But don't all, especially when you have kids! I need to get my dining room back in order. I have had girl scout cookies sitting in there for about a month now. That is almost over and I can get things put back in place.
Hopefully we will be going to the beach for a weekend real soon. I can't wait! I love the beach in the spring. My dad has a condo in Surfside so we can pretty much go when we want as long as he doesn't have it rented.

Everyone has been doing very well. No one is sick again(knock on wood). I have been having some sinus trouble but I am now on an antibiotic so I am getting a little better.
Chris is getting ready to go back on that horrible swing shift at Bowater. At least he has a job. Not that much has been going on. Just the normal day to day things that keeps everyone busy.

The girls love dressing Bella up and riding her around the house

Vanessa all smiles!

Lauren being lazy while I was cleaning
They love dressing Bella up

Cold and Flu

Well, it has hit! Both my girls have been sick for the last week and a half. First, Vanessa was out of school all last week with fever, cough, congestion, and just feeling plain yucky. The doctor thought for sure she had the flu but the test came back negative. She did say there are some new strains that aren't picking up on the test so still thought she had the flu or viral infection. She was litteraly sick for 7 days. She gets better, we go out for our anniversary....then what happens? Lauren starts running a fever Sunday night. And of course when I took her to the doctor Monday...same as Vanessa. Negative flu test. She has been out of school all this week. And have I mentioned that I haven't been able to work since the Friday before Valentine's Day? So for almost 2 weeks now I have given meds, taken temps, and traveled back and forth to the doctor. Don't get me wrong, I want to be there for my kids when they are sick. We all know they always want mommy. BUT, not for 2 weeks. I have never seen them sick for this long. So needless to say, the last few days I have been disinfecting my house from top to bottom. I clean everything with bleach. I have sprayed every door knob, light switch, remote, and anything else they touch with lysol. Vanessa came home from school today and the first thing I made her do was wash her hands. Which is something that should be done all the time with all the germs that are in the schools. I'm thankful I work for such understanding people. Otherwise I would probably be fired by now. Hopefully this is it! No one else will be infected!

10 Year Anniversary

We will be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary tomorrow. WOW! Can't believe it's been that long. Seems like yesterday. We were hoping to go away for the weekend but with the economy the way it is and Bowater closing 2 weeks since Christmas, we figured it would be best to wait until we know more about what is going on there. Going away isn't going to make a difference, we are going out for a nice dinner Saturday.

What a week! Ugh!

Vanessa has been sick all week! Been to the doctor twice. Gotta love always paying those docs! Anyway...she has been out of school all week and will not go back until Monday. I can't wait for spring! I am soo tired of all the sickness! Well, gotta go take care of my baby!

Alisha

Lauren taken August 2008 Vanessa taken August 2008

The Latest News

Well, it has been a while since I last posted anything. I actually forgot about the blog. Just to catch you up...I got me a part time job in October at Pleasant Dale Baptist Church. I love that place and have started visiting there. The people are wonderful! I have really enjoyed getting out of the house after 7 years of being a stay at home mom. The hours are great. I go to work after I take the girls to school and I am able to pick them up in the afternoons. My schedule is very flexible. They are really nice and understand that family is a priority, so when the girls are sick they understand that I can't come in and work with my schedule.

Other news, Chris and I have started dieting and working out. We have both lost about 5 pounds in the last week.

The girls are doing great in school! Lauren has made honor roll all year and Vanessa has made a 100 on all of her spelling tests she has had. First graders don't get real grades on report cards but her teacher grades the test with A & B grades. They are both VERY smart!

I will try to post weekly but I may forget again. lol

Alisha