We Can Explain!!

I am awake early this morning. It's only 7:30 and I have already colored.....I mean conditioned my hair and have had my first of many cups of coffee. I am going to hang out with my best friend Jacquita. ( fake name of course ) We have no definite plans and that usually makes for the best kind of day. I love her because I do not Feel like I have to act a certain way around her. She loves me as is. We have been close friends since she and I started visiting our now adopted children's birth mothers in prison. We both fostered through the same Christian ministry and the visit was part of the agreement with these prison mothers. A once a month visit to try and create a bond between them and their baby. Sometimes it worked but obviously .....thank God .....in our cases it did not. Both of these mothers had severe drug addictions and are still living that lifestyle. My daughter was born in June and hers in November. She was not planning to foster again through that ministry but the director of the program called me the day before Thanksgiving and asked me if I thought Jacquita and her husband would be interested because their was a baby girl that needed a home. I called Jacquita and asked her what she thought. She was not so sure about it...her husband said it was a no brainer. We have a home and she needs one. ( Men are dumb!!)

At that time I was the one that picked up the babies from the hospital and took them to their new foster family, so that is what I did on Thanks Giving day. I said I was just bringing the baby by to let her see her but that she didn't have to take her. I was certain enough that she would keep her that I packed all of my newborn things in the car the night before so that she would be repaired. I cannot imagine that little girl with anyone else. She acts just like Jacquita. So I always tell people that we are such close friends that I delivered her baby.

In future posts I will tell of the MANY spy trips we have been on and some of the things we have gotten ourselves in to. Some you won't believe. We act like immature 12 year old girls and our husbands think we are idiots. She is as close to me as my own sisters. I leave you with a picture of us. This was taken over the summer. Those are real handcuffs put on us by a real bail bondsman. Don't ask cause we aren't tellin!!! Did I mention she is a pastors wife? Yeah....it figures...I know!

I Tied One On

A feed bag that is. I made fettuccine alfredo tonight with killer bread and cupcakes for dessert. I am now feeling the need to lay prostrate before the lord and repent for my wicked ways. But I do believe that would mean I would have to lay on my stomach and folks.....that ain't gonna happen soon.

J and I made the cupcakes together. She was so proud of her accomplishment. C was gone with her fiance tonight so we were missing one at our Valentine dinner at home. We did all go out last night together for one last Valentine dinner as a family before she is married. I have cried for two days now. I hope I stop soon. I've never felt this alone before. No one to really talk to about how I am feeling. I'm happy and heartbroken at the same time. I am not a person that looks forward to the day my house is empty. I love doing things for other people and really don't care to have too much me time. I love serving my family....it's what I believe moms are about. Not to be slaves but to show them how to give of yourself and put each other before yourself. I see how gracious God is when I see how my children are turning out and I know how many times God covered up my parenting mistakes with his mercy and grace. I cannot comprehend how God can love me even more than I love my own children. But then again he is a really big God.If you ever wonder how can God hear us all. Go into the kitchen and see how much water you can hold in the palm of your hand....then just think that God measured all of the water on the whole earth in the palm of his hand. That is a mighty big hand and tonight I am holding on tight to it.

I Need Smelling Salts Ya'll

Heres another pic from the shower. My girls my sisters and my neices. Love them all!!

My mom called me yesterday and proceeded to remind me that the wedding is in 3 weeks. Needless to say this brought on a flood of tears. I was on my way home from the hospital where I had been most of the day helping baby boys grandmother. Both he and his sister were sick and the ER was the best plan. All is well now. Anyhow, I blubbered the whole way home. My sister warned me that this might happen. I hope I cry it all out now and not the day of. I will be on the front row and I don't know what I will do if I get into one of those ugly cries where you snort in between heaving breaths. I have joked that I will have a flask in my cleavage......I don't drink, but I am beginning to understand why Jesus turned the water into wine at the marriage celebration.......it was probably to sedate the hysterical mother of the bride. Even so Lord come quickly!! ( BEFORE MARCH 7TH WOULD BE GREAT!!!)

A week after the wedding we are headed out on our 2 week....that's 14 days folks....vacation and we are SO excited about it. One stop is Niagara Falls. We are staying in the Hilton that is right next to the falls so we will have a beautiful view. Then we are going to Stamford CT. for some snow tubing. Then to NYC. We are doing one of those on off bus tours. We bought the three day one that does the upper and lower side, Brooklyn, a two hour boat tour, the state building and a night tour and some other stuff too. We are taking J to the American Girl store to pick out a doll that looks like her. She's gonna love that....almost as much as me.

I think we are going to the zoo in Central Park. After that we are headed to Boston and Philly then on the way back home we are staying in a cabin in Tennessee for 4 days. The grand finale is a night or two in Savannah and going to Paula Deans.....I don't want to admit how many times I've eaten there.....It's shameful.

All of these places will be great, but the thing I am looking most forward to is spending time with 4 of the 5 people I love best in this world. I love my family.

Story Day

I think that occasionally I am going to tell what I think is a funny story. Usually these will be about my family but someday when I get the permission of my best friend....I will have to tell you what she did in my van!!!

Today's story is about three of my great aunts, Willie Mae, Jane and Burdie. They all lived together and every evening after their dinner they went for an evening stroll in their neighborhood. This particular evening they were walking and as they passed by the nursing home at the end of their street they were approached by some of the workers. I believe I failed to mention that they had a tendency to walk in their house dresses. The nursing home workers believed these little old southern women to be escapees of said nursing home. They made them go inside with them and these poor old women had to call family members to explain that they had not escaped but in fact lived down the road. I can imagine my Aunt Jane had some colorful words for these people. You never knew what she was going to say......I must get that from her.

Another funny one is my mom eating a piece of peppermint candy and falling asleep with it in her mouth. When she woke up she couldn't find it and thought maybe she had swallowed it. Then later she went into her bathroom and looked in the mirror and it was stuck under her chin!!! What a nut!!! My mom ain't right.

Good For Me

I am at my prewedding goal weight!!! I have worked so hard for this. I still have 10 pounds left til my overall goal weight but I was afraid to lose too much for fear that my dress would be too big. I finally found new pants last week. Such a big deal for me.

I got C's and the bridesmaids bouquets done today. I still have the guys, the large floral arrangements and 19 table centerpieces to do. Makes me want to cry.

Tonight I was standing on the ladder looking into my attic. When I moved the piece of drywall at the opening something fell and hit my in my lower back. Being the wimp that I am, my mind automatically thought it was a lizard. I proceeded to step off the ladder from about the third rung from the bottom ( not close to the floor at all ) then I fell into the end of a baby gate and now have a big blue bruise on my leg. I also foresee some soreness in the groin area in the morning. My daughter Shelby got herself a good laugh and also heard me say a naughty word.....which made her laugh even more. Mean ole girl!!

Sleepless In Orlando

Last night was rough! I did not fall asleep until 3 am. I tossed and turned and tried to relax but I just couldn't. Baby boy stayed the night with us but I don't think that had anything to do with it. I believe the culprit may be the orange soda I drank before bed. I looked at the label this morning and it has caffeine, never knew that! Needless to say I feel like I have been pulled through a knot hole backwards this morning.

C's wedding shower was beautiful and we had a good turn out. Now we are focusing on floral arrangements and all the last minute details that are involved. The invitations have been sent out and people beginning to RSVP. I keep reminding C it is not to late to back out now.....we can just have a big party instead of a wedding. I don't think she's buying it. Just making sure!!

J cracked me up the other day. She came in the family room and announced that she wants to go to Chucky Jesus for her birthday....you know, where a kid can be a kid? I had to explain to her that it was Chucky Cheeses. That girl is so funny.

Well I will leave you with a few pics of the shower. Got tons to do today.