South Carolina State Fair 2007

Lamar and I took the children home for an extended weekend during the state fair. The closest fair to us here in Virginia is in Richmond, about an hour away, so we decided to drive 400 miles to go to the one that we like. Make since?? We all had our fill of fair food, rides, exhibits and all around entertainment. Grace rode the first few rides with her daddy and then she was off on her own. The swings were her absolute favorite. She was screaming as they spun around by the end of the day. Baby Walter just enjoyed being outdoors, as did Pop.

Story Time

Baby Walter loves his bumbo seat. He is able to sit up and look around at everything that is going on in the room. He is getting really good at holding his head up, so this allows the use of the seat much more! Grace enjoys reading to her baby brother. Here she is reading "Barbie's Fairitopia." I feel as if I am losing brain cells each time I read it! I prefer the classic children's stories much more, but to each his own I guess!

Cinderella

Grace decided that she would like to be Cinderella for Halloween. Nana Su and Lindsay took her shopping for her Halloween costume. She came home with it all. The gloves, shoes, tiara, necklace (affectionately known now as "the bling") the purse, and the dress. She is set to go! Thanks Nana Su and Lindsay! What would we do without you!?!

Baby Walter at Rest

Baby Walter sleeps really well, during the day!

Random Around the House

These are pictures taken around the house as we adjust to two:)

Happy Birthday Grace

Linda Grace turned three years old on September 25th. She is officially old and sassy. She decided that she wanted a princess cake. I asked her what a princess cake looked like. She said pink. So I set out to make a princess cake for my very picky three year old. Sure, I have a newborn at home that wants to nurse every two hours. I have time to make a cake, right:) Anyway, the princess cake (or my rendition of one) was a rousing success. We took Grace to the Painted Lady Tea Room for dinner with PawPaw and Janet. She (Grace) decided that she wanted to wear her purple dress and have a "perfect cup of tea" for her birthday. The waiter humored her and brought her iced tea in a china teapot with her very own teacup. After dinner we came home and opened presents. Between these and the big sister presents, she won't need anything else until she is 15. Happy Birthday Princess Grace!!

Baby Uncle Walter

Pictures of Baby Walter

Finally!!

Baby Uncle Walter/Tyler William on the Phone is here. He was born on Wednesday, September 5th at 6:19 PM. He weighed 8 pounds and 10 ounces (OUCH!) and was 21 inches long. Lamar almost had to deliver him in the tunnel here during rush hour traffic. It was a rather eventful trip.

I had a doctor's appointment that morning. The doctor told me that I was at 4 cm. She gave me the option of walking around the hospital for a while and coming back, probably to be admitted. Well, Lamar had to fly and I really had some things that I needed to do at work, so we declined the offer. Lamar went to brief and I left for work. I started feeling sore around noon, but I worked through it. At about 3 PM, I told my assistant that I was not feeling well and was going home. I called Lamar and left him a voicemail telling him that I thought that we would probably be heading for the hospital that night. I picked up Grace from school and headed home. Lamar called and I told him not to hurry; my contractions were only about 15 minutes apart. I packed Grace's bag for Nana Sue's house and got my things together to go to the hospital. Lamar got home, asked if he had time to shower and grab something to eat. I told him that he had plenty of time. He took a shower, but decided that he wanted to go to Taco Bell for something to eat on the way to the hospital. We dropped off Grace and then all of a sudden my contractions started at 2-3 minutes apart. We hit Tidewater Drive and then the blessed tunnel. Five o'clock traffic at the Downtown Tunnel. My contractions were coming every 90 seconds. I told Lamar that I did not think that I was going to make it.

We made it to Portsmouth Naval. Lamar dropped me off at the ER. They took me upstairs to the fourth floor (Labor and Delivery) This is where the real fun began...

The wonderfully efficient corpsman (NOT SO MUCH) told me to have a seat in the waiting room. Still contractions are 90 seconds apart. Lamar got a little nasty (THANK GOD) and they took me back about 10 minutes later to a triage room. They connected me to the monitors and checked me. I was at 5 cm. I asked for my epidural. The nurse told me that she did not know if they were going to keep me or have me go walk around (UM...WHAT!!) She left the room to find out. Right about that time, my water broke. I told Lamar to go get the nurse. She came back and noticed that the baby's heartrate was a little lower. She asked me what my last labor was like after my water broke. I told her fast! She checked me again and I was at 10 cm (in five minutes) Walter's heartrate dropped into the 60s and then all hell broke loose. Monitors ringing, doctors and nurses shouting, me SCREAMING!!! I was not fully effaced, so the MD decided to go for a c-section. I told him just to get the baby out. The DO came in and checked me again and said that he would push the leftover shelf out of the way and to start pushing. In about two pushes he was out. He was placed under the baby warmer and given oxygen. Then they took him to observation for a while.

So that is my birth story for Baby Uncle Walter. Absolutely NO pain meds and no preparation for natural childbirth. This was pretty much the equivalent to dropping the baby in the field and continuing to pick grain. I did not have an IV. I was still in my clothes, and he was born on a gurney. At least the DO came in afterwards and introduced himself as the person that delivered my baby boy.

Until I get pictures posted, please refer to:

http://web.mac.com/curtis.hardy/Walter_Robert/Real_Birthday.html

Back at Work...WHAT!!

Yes, I have returned to work...at 37 weeks pregnant!! Yes, I am completely nuts. I have gone back to Children's Harbor, which is where I worked when we first moved to Norfolk. The center in Chesapeake needed a senior director. It was posted in the paper, and I applied, just for the fun of it. Well, they called me and offered me the job. They knew that I was pregnant and probably did not expect me to come until after the baby was born. I however am completely BORED! Grace has returned to Children's Harbor Ghent in the two year old classroom, better known as the Green Team, and I am in Chesapeake. So far, we are both loving it. Baby Walter will be able to go to to Ghent when he is old enough, so he will have the benefit of the same education program that Grace had as a baby. I think that this is the best move for all of us. So, yes, I am crazy, but loving every minute of it!!

Beach

Our family (Dad, Janet, Walter, Justin, Curtis, Diane, Rachel, Brandon, Me, Lamar, and Grace) went to Garden City beach this year for the second annual family beach extravaganza. You will not find any pictures of me here. I was 33 weeks pregnant and not going NEAR a camera! We had fantastic weather. Uncle Walter turned 21 while we were there, so we had a birthday party for him. We took Grace to the pier countless times. She rode the rides down at the mini pavilion. Her favorite part was the restaurant that had "real live" mermaid swimming in a pool inside. It was one of those touristy restaurants with the huge seafood spread and the works. There were two girls swimming in a pool inside in mermaid costume giving out jewels to the children waiting in line. I think that Grace may have found her first job:)

As Previously Promised...

Shot from the leap into the coffee table.

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Congratulations to Jacque, Zach, and "Baby Crazy Crumbs," AKA Regan Olivia Dewey. Regan was born yesterday evening, weighing in at 7 lbs and 13 oz. She is absolutely adorable (from the pictures!) Baby Tyler William On The Phone is hoping that she will date younger men!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY REGAN

Love,
Grace and BTWOTP

www.crazycrumbs.blogspot.com

First Major Injury

Well, Grace and I made her very first trip to the emergency room for treatment today. She was in the den and did a nose dive routine onto the coffee table. What what she doing, you might ask...Running, Dancing, Skating....no she was stretching. I kid you not. I would not have believed her if I had not seen it happen. She was stretching on the couch, went to stand up straight, tripped and landed head first on the coffee table. She split about a half an inch cut in her eyelid, just below the eyebrow. And you all know how much head wounds bleed. That is what scared her the most. So off we went to the ER for some attention. Had it been anywhere else but on her face we would have left. She spent the waiting time dancing around the ER waiting room. Definitely a trooper. I am beginning to think that she is one of those people with the disorder where they do not feel pain. They can put their hand on a hot stove and not notice that it is burning. Anyway, we left with a super-glued forehead to show for it. She was very brave and kept asking the doctor if he was in Norfolk. Funny girl. I have taken pictures and will post them when Lamar uploads the camera. Side note...my computer is still in the shop, so posting will still be slow!

Computer problems

My computer is down. It is back at Best Buy. Posts will be slow until it returns. I am at the mercy of Lamar's MAC. Thank you, Honey!

Check Up Appointment

I had my 24 week appointment yesterday. I have gained a total of 14 pounds. The doctor is still happy with that number. Blood pressure is still really low and still measuring 24 weeks. Everything appears to be on track. On a side note, BTWOTP had been pretty still over the past several days. When the nurse put the doppler on to hear his heartbeat, he kicked the doppler. Guess it ticked him off. The nurse jumped and almost threw the doppler. She shrieked, "Oh, goodness!! They are usually not that strong at this point!" HAHA. He is VERY strong at this point. I am not a big milk drinker, but he is definitely getting his calcium for those bones somewhere:)

From the Mouth of Grace

Well, she has done it again. She never ceases to amaze me! Grace has now decided that she wants a black baby. She told my grandmother and now me that she wants a black baby. I told her that there is not really a whole lot that I can do about that. I think that I will get her a baby doll. I did not realize that she was even noticing those differences yet. Imagine my surprise!

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Yea!! They did it!!

Julie and Derik got married this past weekend (May 5th). The wedding was absolutely beautiful. I am sure that pictures will be available soon:) I got to see many old friends that I have not seen since college. It made me realize how old we are all getting! Derik and Julie are now enjoying the beauty of the Caymans!

Congratulations guys! We love you both.

Jennifer

Well....

What do you think it is......


It is a BOY! We are a little shocked, but very excited. He looks great, although he was a little uncooperative after the "money" shot was taken. In fact the US tech said, "yes, it is DEFINITELY a boy....all boy!" We just laughed. No flags on this ultrasound for any problems, and my triple screen came back negative. All good news. His heartbeat was 141. I have gained eight pounds. I think that I would like to stop there. No such luck. He already weighs a whopping 13 ounces. Normal for this stage...8 ounces. He measured 20weeks and 1 day, so maybe he will be early like his sister. I think that I will go with September 9th. The sooner the better for me. He was very active the entire scan, but that only means that we got to see alot of him:) I got back to the doctor May 22 for the glucose (YUCK!) The rest is all good for now. And for all of my predictors...you were right:)

Jennifer

Angels Above

Grace has another angel above to watch out for her on Earth. Lamar's aunt, Judy Bankhead, (affectionately known as Ju-Ju) passed away early this morning. She has been sick for several months, but no amount of preparation time diminishes the pain of loss. Ju-Ju leaves behind a loving husband, a devoted "baby" brother, two wonderful children, and two of the most precious granddaughters that you have ever wanted to meet. Please keep them all in your thoughts in the upcoming weeks. We will miss you, Ju-Ju.

Jennifer

And Now....On a Lighter Note

Aaaaaah....I feel better already!!! Amazing what a picture can do to lift your spirits.

Go Tigers....and Hokies!

VA Tech

Living here, we cannot escape the coverage of the past week. This was sent to me from our admin assistant at Children's Harbor. Virginia Tech is a member of the ACC, so as a tiger and fellow ACC member, I found this poignant.

Two Year Old Quotables

We should really all write a book....

Grace came running into my bedroom this afternoon talking about the baby. She was saying that we needed to go and buy it. I asked her who was going to buy it for us? She said that she didn't know. I asked here where do we go to buy a baby? She said the gas station....

Oh, Grace...if only it were that simple...

What Do YOU Think It Is?

So, next Monday, (April 23rd) we got for our big ultrasound to look at the baby. Of course, the radiology tech will measure the legs and arms, check the head and body, and look at all of the structures to make sure that they are doing what they are supposed to be at this point. S/he will also make sure that we are still on track for the due date of September 13th. Let's ALL cross our fingers that they move the date UP! We will also being finding out (hopefully) if Baby Tyler William on the Phone(BTWOTP) is a boy or a girl. As long as BTWOTP cooperates. Grace was not the most cooperative child at the time, but she finally showed us the goods. So anyway...what is the point of this post?

We would like to get your ideas and guesses on what this baby might be? I "knew" that Grace was a girl, but I do not have a feeling either way this time. So, what do you think?? Post your comment:) You do not have to be a blogger to leave a comment.

Happy Birthday!!

It is a little late coming, but then again, we were all in South Carolina for a while......

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!!

Boy, you are getting OLD!!!

Love,
Gracie
(The Monkey in the Mirror)

**Thanks to Jacque for the great picture:)

Doctor's Appointment

All went well today for the 15 week appointment. Heartrate is in the 150s. The "big" ultrasound is now scheduled for April 23rd at 1:00 PM. We are planning to find out what this one is too, dependent on baby's cooperation. Last time I had to get up and dance around the room to get Grace to show us the proof of boy/girl. I am WAY too much of a planner to wait until the doctor says in the delivery room, "It's a....!" Nope, there is NO way!!!

Incidently, Grace is NOT excited about the idea of a baby. I have been looking at half day preschools for her in the fall to give her something to do a couple of mornings a week. Well, yesterday, the director of the preschool at our church asked Grace about her new baby. She put both hands on the side of her face and shouted, "no baby!" Nice huh??! Each time we ask her about a baby in her house, she says no. She has always been a dirt, trucks, frogs, outdoor kind of girl. I did ask her what we should call the new baby today. She said "Baby Tyler William On the Phone." Ummm, what? Can you IMAGINE the attempts at learning to spell that? LOL We are considering several different ones, but I guess that Grace has put in her two cents:) I will have to tell the baby about this one day.

Slacker

While looking over the blog, I just realized that I have not put up any Christmas pictures. Most of the pictures are stored on Lamar's computer, but here is the one that was from the Christmas cards. Ho, Ho, Ho (three months late)

Happy Birthday Aunt Laurie!!

Happy Birthday To You!
Happy Birthday To You!
Happy Birthday To Aunt Laurie!
Happy Birthday To You!

Happy 26th Birthday Aunt Laurie...and in the words of wisdom from Uncle Walter that he shared with me..."you are now officially closer to 30 than 20:)"

Gotta love the wisdom from the Uncle Bubba!!!

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday G-G! We love you and hope to see you soon!

Love,
Grace

Doctor's Appointment

Well, we just got back from the doctor's appointment for baby Butterbean. All looks well. We got another ultrasound, so we were able to see the butterbean this time, too. Baby is still measuring right on time for an arrival of September 13th. S/he has arms, legs, and distinguishable eyes. S/he was also dancing up a storm. We even got a little wave for our trouble. I have a picture, which I will edit in later once I scan it in. It is not the best. The DR hit capture just when the baby pulled its legs in, so of course, still looks much like a blob:) Heartbeat of over 140 though. That is good too. We return in five weeks.

Angels In Heaven

I have another guardian angel in heaven to watch over me each and every day. My Gladys, my daddy's grandmother passed away on February 1, 2007. She had a wonderful life and leaves behind many family and friends who love her and miss her. I have many special memories of "my Gladys." She came to see me in the hospital the day that I was born. She would hold me when I was little. She let me use her walker to learn to walk and after that, she let me use it just to play. I could climb up in her lap and take the best naps. She shared her yogurt and her jello with me. She liked to watch me dance in Gammy and Pop's den, while she clapped her hands. She liked to hear me call her name. I will miss her very much, but I am glad to know that she is in Heaven looking down on me everyday. I know that she will take good care of me from there. My mommy let me put one of her pretty pink flowers from her many family and friends in my room so I can look at it each day and remember her happily. I know that I am still little, but my mommy and daddy said that they will tell me stories about my Gladys often, so I will remember her. I love you my Gladys and I will miss you every day.

Love,
your Gracie

First Doctor's Appointment

My first doctor's appointment was last friday. They gave me a preliminary due date of September 13th. That puts me at seven and a half weeks. We saw the "baby" and the heartbeat, which was up to 175. All good news. I return to the doctor on February 5th for a follow up. Considering all of my asthma problems, they keep a close eye in the beginning. If all checks out on the fifth, then they will cut me loose until week 16. We will keep you all posted.

Stupid, Stupid TRICARE

Well, so my first doctor's appointment was yesterday...or so I thought! WAY WRONG ANSWER!!! Lamar and I got there to discover that we had been enrolled into the "NEW OB CLINIC CLASS." Ummm....What!?!? I am pretty sure that I am NOT a newbie to this whole pregnancy thing. Anyway, I had to sit for about two hours to listen to the woman on a power trip talk about all of those icky first trimester woes, what you will look like in your second trimester and the joys and wonders of labor and delivery. HELLOOOOO! I completed the real life course in 2004. I was just a little bit perturbed!!! Long story short...got woman on a power trip in trouble with her boss, (she claimed that she had called me to tell me that it was not an appointment), got blood drawn, and scheduled a REALLY, REAL doctor's appointment on February 5th. They ASSURED me that I WILL see a doctor that day, and I will come home with a picture of the ultrasound to prove it. Don't mess with a woman on the hormonal roller coaster of the first trimester!

Stupid, Stupid TRICARE...

WeeWee Chronicles-Day Three

Well, we spent the day in Hampton and Chesapeake today...and when I say day...I mean about seven hours. We had NO accidents all day. Grace let us know when she needed to go potty. She even went by herself while here in the house. HipHipHooray!!!

Would have posted yesterday, but blogger was having SERIOUS issues.

Wee Wee Chronicles-Day 2

We had a great potty day today. Grace went each time by herself. She still gets very excited, but she rarely asks for a reward anymore. The funny part is that she will go, dump, go again, dump, go again, dump...do we see a pattern here??? Now I have to teach her to go all at one time. We are doing well though. No accidents on the floor today...well wee wee accidents anyway....

WeeWee Hits-8
WeeWee Miss-0

Bottom Line +8

Way to go MONKEY!!!

Wee Wee Chronicles-Day One

Well, I must say that Day One of potty training, affectionately known as The Wee Wee Chronicles has gone exceptionally well. Granted, Grace spent most of the day running around the house in just a shirt, but it seems to have worked for us today. Of course, I would choose the coldest day of the year to start trying. The last four times she has not even asked for a reward. She even woke up from nap dry.

WeeWee Hits-10
WeeWee Miss-2

Bottom Line +8 for the day. Not too shabby!

WAY TO GO, MONKEY!!!

The Wee Wee Chronicles

This new addition will appear on the blog daily. Because of the news of the new baby, I am determined to have Grace potty trained by September. Actually, I would like her to be good and trained as to prevent any backsliding when the baby does come. Today is day one. It is 11:45am. So far we have used the potty three times and received the mutually determined reward of a bag of mini M&M's. She has also been twice on the floor, but the last time, she managed to stop mid-stream and finish on the potty. Hopefully we are getting somewhere. I am seriously considering cloth diapering the second one. I have a friend in South Carolina that is doing it and she loves it. Larger up front cost, but huge savings on the other end. We will see. Anyway...keep your fingers crossed for the monkey in the mirror. Hopefully we will get the hang of it quickly:)

Welcome Home Gladys!

My (great-grandma) Gladys came home from the hospital yesterday. She has been in there since Christmas Day. She didn't even open any of her presents. She is one of my favorite people in the world. I like talking to her on the telephone and borrowing her walker when I am in Chapin at Gammy and Pop's house. That thing is really fun. I am glad that she was able to go back to her house and her room. I hear that she got a new bed for her room...the remote control kind:) Maybe she will share that with me as well as she shares her walker:) Welcome Home Gladys!! I love you!

Love,

Grace

The Monkey in the Mirror

Way Behind

I know, I know. I am WAAAY behind. Hopefully I will be able to catch up on Christmas, New Year's, and some other really big stuff this weekend. We have had some family issues going on which have prevented updates. It will be worth the wait. Stay tuned................

The AWWWWW Factor

Grace and I were sitting in the den last night watching Christmas shows and eating popcorn. You know...the old shows like "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," and "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." We were sitting in the den with all the lights off, the space heater and Christmas tree on, wearing slippers and pjs, and watching. Lamar had to fly late.

Ok, now that I have set the stage, here is the content of the conversation...

Grace slides over next to me: "Mommy?"

Me: "Yes, Grace, what is it?"

Grace: putting her head on my shoulder and whispers, "You are my best friend. I love you."

Me: "Do you want a pony? A hot air balloon? Anything you want...it is yours!"

Okay, so the last one did not happen, but that is what I was thinking. Moments like these make all of the Oscar award-winning dramatic and tragic moments (translation....Grace kicking and wailing on the floor like someone has burned all of her toys in one big pile and kicked her dog) worth it.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Congratulations to Lamar!! He was named Junior Officer of the Year last night at the All Hands Christmas Party. He as a little bit surprised:) We are happy though.

Getting Back on Track

Well, I am finally catching up. Our life is back to organized chaos...what it has always been. We are finished with the kitchen, and I could not be happier. The cabinets are beautiful as are the countertops. We put a table in there are well. We are so excited. Lamar's big inspection at work ended today, so we will be seeing alot more of him for a while.

Our "Hail and Farewell" from this squadron is tomorrow. I can't believe that we have been in Norfolk for over three years. We have really come to love it. Most people would rather be on the west coast somewhere, but after living there, we have discovered that we are definitely east coast people. As I posted before, we will be staying here in Norfolk for Lamar's next tour. He will be going to HC-2 as an instructor. He is excited. I know that we are going to continue to be happy.

I have taken two of the tests that I have to for the career switcher program. The Praxis II and the VRA are behind me. I still have the VCLA and the CLEP test for history to go. I hope to start the program this summer. It is an intense six week program that gives me a teaching certificate on the other side:) I thought that would always be a good thing to have considering the moving potential that we have for the future.

I guess that is it. We will be home in SC for Thanksgiving. Give us a call. We would love to see you all:)

Love,
Jennifer

Milkshakes

Grace loves milkshakes. She also is really enjoying the new table in the kitchen. We have never had a kitchen table before. We have always sat at the dining room table. Now that the kitchen is FINALLY finished, we can have all of our meals right there. I never realized how much I missed the table in the kitchen until we got it. I promise to post pictures of the completion by the end of the week.

Fashion Sense

Grace came down the stairs the other morning with all of her costume jewelry and her pocketbooks attached to her in some way. She came into the kitchen and explained to me that she was, "going to work to make some money. Give me a kiss, Mommy. I will be back later." She is TOO FUNNY! And quite the imagination.

Halloween Spread

See what happens to your hips when you eat too much Halloween candy!? Actually these are Grace's gaucho pants. She decided that she HAD to put them on herself. She ended up with her whole body in one leg and the decorative strap of the belt over her shoulder. The funniest thing about the entire event was that she would not let anyone help her put it on right. She wore her "hip hugger" dress for about an hour.

Happy Halloween

Halloween

Grace was a 50's girl for Halloween. She had a very good time with the whole trick or treating thing. I subbed at the area Methodist preschool Halloween week. They "trunk or treat" there. The staff clears their cars from the parking lot, and the parents of the kids come and hand out candy from the trunks of their cars. It is a really cute idea. I was in the preK class, and Grace was in the two's. She loved it! No pictures of that though.

Later that afternoon we carved the pumpkin. Grace decided that she wanted a sad face for her pumpkin. When I started to cut it, she cried, "no, mommy, don't hurt my pumpkin!" I explained to her that I was cutting it to make her sad face. She really did not like the insides of the pumpkin. She knew that it was orange...and she knew that it was "yick."

After the carving we went to Nana Sue's house to trick or treat with Lindsay in their neighborhood. She came home with a bucket full of candy. She was only interested in the "M&M's." She calls them "mayonaise." Don't ask.

After Nana Sue's house we came home and trick or treated in our neighborhood with Tyler and his mom and dad. Grace and Tyler rode in the wagon. By the third house, they had that thing down. Grace did try to go into everyone's house while she was getting candy from them. She came home with LOTS of loot that Mommy and Daddy have helped with. Halloween always ushers in the season of extending waistlines and hips:)

TAGGED

TAGGED

My friend Rebecca tagged me with the red words. The idea is to finish each sentence. I finished them and added a few. :)

I am: a mother, a daugther, a proud wife of a navy pilot,a granddaughter, a friend, a sister

I want: to wake up each morning with all of the possibilities before me and no regrets from the day before, to write a children's book, to become a teacher, to be as good a mother and wife as my mother was.

I have: a wonderful home, an attentive and caring husband, a loving family, a great support system, a fantastic daughter

I wish: I had more time during the day to get it all done, I lived closer to my family and friends from childhood, Clemson would have had a better season this year, my mother was still alive.
I hate: I don’t hate. I may not like everything or everyone, but I don’t hate.

I miss: my mother.

I hear: the raging storm outside, the Muppet Christmas Carol, Leila's squeaky toy, Grace's singing Ring Around the Horsey, Lamar typing on the computer.

I wonder: if I am doing the right things in life, if Tommy Bowden is the right coach, why certain people in my family could be so hateful towards others.

I regret: some of the decisions that I made early in life, not telling my mother everything that I wanted to before she died.

I dance: often with Grace, whenever Lamar will.

I sing: every chance that I get. I love to sing. My mother had a beautiful voice. If mine comes close, I am a lucky girl, with Grace in the car, to Lamar sometimes at night.

I cry: in private when no one is around.

I make with my hands: dinner, lists (I am a BIG list person)

I think I can: live through a career in the navy, be a good mother to my children, complete my teaching certificate work, have a happy life.

I write: not as much as I type. I type everything...the blog, in Word documents, emails. Thank goodness for Mary Lil:)

I need: much less than I thought I did long ago. Material possessions are WAY overrated. The love of a child and a husband, the support of a family and encouragement from them all is really all you need.

I should: not obsess about the future as much as I do. I can't control it, but I am always concerned about leaving Grace too early.

I start: and finish all books. I can't start one and not finish, no matter how BAD it might be:)

I finish: most of what I do. I believe that you should try your best to see new projects to their fruition.

Now I tag Julie and Lamar.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Happy Birthday, Aunt Julie! Sorry that the Tigers did not win for your birthday present yesterday! That was REALLY bad. I will be home for Thanksgiving about a week early, so I hope that I get to see you! Tell Mr. Derik that I said hey. Maybe he can take me to Chucky Cheese again:).

Love,
Grace