Last Update Til Next Year...

We only have a few hours left for 2008. I remember when Michelle and I used to stay up all night "Rockin' with Dick Clark". My kids don't even know who he is! It wasn't so much Dick Clark as a chance for Michelle to see Prince perform or me to see Rick Springfield. I can't remember the last time I stayed up to ring in the New Year, what a minute I don't when I last stayed up long enough to watch SNL the heck with staying up until midnight. Annie is staying with Cricket tonight so she can go to Grandma's house tomorrow. My wonderful Aunt Peggy fell and broke her wrist yesterday so Annie thinks she can get there and make everything better for her. Peggy seems to be feeling alright, I think just a little inconvenienced. Brance has Dillon over spending the night.

Heather and her children went with us today to the mall. The kids were so well behaved it was almost unbelievable. Brance wants new $100 tennis shoes but he doesn't want to spend his money but thinks I should easily use my money. He decided to buy a projector at Belk tonight to play his games on but I think he has just about decided he wants to return it and get his money back.

Michelle is on her way to Disney. Angel, my friend, is also on her way to Disney. I want to go too! Michelle and I think the best part about the trip is planning. It sure isn't the eight hour drive with Brance and Annie. Actually my favorite part is eating. I really can't allow myself to eat for an entire month before we go so that I can over indulge while I am there. I eat the appetizer, entree and dessert. I'm drooling just thinking about it. Wow, I better change the subject before I start chewing on something.

Beulah is sleeping peacefully on the sofa between Ricky and I waiting for one of us to go to bed,

Happy New Year!

I'm ready to go back to work

I still have a few days off and my kids are driving me crazy! On Christmas Eve Annie broke her tooth. This morning we went to the dentist. After he fixed Annie, Brance said he has a tooth ache, needless to say $225 later we were able to leave. We went straight to Wal Mart for new electric toothbrushes. Dr. Chester told me to buy Oral B with the circulating brush. He said it works the same as the one he uses. If my children will just put the toothbrush in their mouth it will do the work. He also recommends a new brush at least every three months. Obviously that isn't a problem for me but it is with Brance and Annie.

We bought new paint brushes for me to begin painting the trim in Brances room. I don't want to paint, clean my house or do laundry, I just want to sit around and read a book. Ricky went back to work today. My mom is cooking a ham for dinner to eat with my zipper peas.

I have been enjoying the kids laptops. Ricky told me to get one for myself I just hate to spend the money. Today Brance's bad attitude has caused him to lose his laptop until tomorrow. Annie has lost hers because she refuses to clean her room. She saves everything. I don't save anything at all. Her room has everything she has every made or been given. If she scribbles on paper she wants to keep it. I told her to put everything she doesn't want on her bed and we will take it to Goodwill tomorrow and drop it off. I spend hours sorting through her stuff trying to decide what to give away and what to donate. It is a lot easy just to donate it. I have sold some stuff on ebay but I have decided my time is worth more than I make selling stuff then hauling it to the post office.

I must return to my other live downstairs, the one in which I clean and do laundry.

Until next time...

Happy Birthday Jesus!

We have finally made it to Christmas Day! What a week we have had. Saturday we went to Perry for the Morris Family Christmas. I had the best time with the entire group ever. Breana, Eric's oldest didn't get to come and we really missed getting to see her. My nieces and nephews call me Lissy but Breana calls me Aunt Melissa and oddly, I like it! I finally got to see Jacob again. I haven't seen him since he was born and let me tell you I am ga-ga over him. He is beautiful. All the kids; Cydney, Grayson, Jacob, Lyndsey, Kailey, Hayden, Breana and Walker are a lot of fun. Walker and Hayden with their little selves are just the cutest thing you have ever seen. Walker has the vocabulary of an adult and Hayden looks like a little college guy. Michelle took a lot of pictures that she is suppose to send to me so that I can post them.

Sunday Annie had the Christmas Program at church, she was Mary and had a bible verse she memorized and said really clearly and loud. After that we went to Grandma's house. Our first Christmas without Papa. We had a nice day. All the cousins got along much better than usual. We also brought wood in for Grandma. Papa would have really enjoyed seeing us do that. We got home pretty late Sunday. Oh, I just that I was ga-ga over Jacob until he was at Grandmas. He went to sleep in my lap and slept there for a little while. Needless to say I am now totally over the moon for him.

I worked both Monday and Tuesday. Ricky has the week off. Wednesday night we went to Christmas Eve service at our church then to Ricky's brothers house. His name is Vernon but my kids and I call him Bubba. It began as a joke and it just stuck. Ricky's dad says is sounds like a black boy. Rickys brother and sister with their families all came, Blake the oldest nephew brought a girlfriend. Rickys mom and dad are divorced and they both came. Before we left for home Tammy took some pictures of all the kids and I got her to take a picture of Rickys parents with his siblings. The last time a family picture was taken was sometime in the 70's! Tammy is going to copy them on a cd for me so I can post them.

I have a New Year's Resolution that I think will be pretty easy to keep. After the New Year I am going to change my blog page. My friend Nicole changes hers according the season and I just haven't figured that out yet. Michelle says if I change my page I will lose all my pictures and right now I don't have new ones to post until I get those from Michelle and Tammy.

We have been up since 5:30 this morning. I did try to lie down for a little while but you can't sleep in this house with everybody yelling my name. Ricky has snoozed on the sofa all day. I have picked up wrapping paper and packing and have it all in boxes waiting for Ricky to take out. Can you believe it is Christmas and more than 60 degrees outside.

I had such a great time in Perry that I am hoping I can get all the big kids together this summer for a few days so that we don't have to wait until Christmas to see one another again.

That's enough for now, Annie and Brance got laptops for Christmas and I'm playing on hers and she is ready to have it back.

Merry Christmas!

I can't keep up with myself...

My Aunt Judy says Michelle and I are the two busiest people she knows. I can't keep up with myself. It seems that every time I think I have a moment to myself, Brance and Annie pop with something they have to do. Before I know it I'm getting in the bed and my entire day is gone.

Let's see if I can remember anything from the week. Monday was Boy Scouts, Tuesday I think we had the night off and I went to bed at 6 pm. We were doing Secret Santa at work and my Santa sent me an onion pizza. I know it should have been a joke but it really hurt my feelings. Any other time in my life I would have thought it was funny but I am a little on edge and I took it the wrong way. Wednesday we had Awana, my Santa gave me some horribly tacky earrings. Thursday Santa sent me a diet coke once again I have my feelings hurt. It was also my company Christmas dinner where 10 different girls stood up to read part of a poem about me my Santa wrote and she revealed herself. My really good friend, Jaime. Friday was Ricky's company party. The kids ended up with Darlene after I once again got my feelings hurt by Ricky's mom. Talk about wearing your big girl panties! Saturday Annie and I picked up some stuff that I had order at Lifeway in Alpharetta. After waiting for an hour it wasn't ready, so I decided to buy some different stuff and the clerk didn't want to take my coupon because it had expired while I waiting at the counter for them to find my original purchased items. I was a little rude to her and she finally took my coupon. We went to church on Sunday and my week is off to a pretty good start.

Brance went bowling with his scout group last night, I got to actually sit in the bathtub for a few minutes. Ricky took Annie shopping at Wal Mart for Christmas presents. I have asked for an elliptical but I didn't see one in the truck. She bought gifts for Cricket and Brance. I think they just forgot about me.

We don't have church this Wednesday but it is Ricky's niece Brandi's 17th birthday so we are suppose to meet at the Mexican restaurant (YUCK!). Annie has piano Thursday. The kids get out of school early Friday so we will leave for Perry to have Christmas with the entire family. We will come home Saturday night because Annie's Christmas program in Sunday morning. We will leave after that to go to Grandma's for Christmas. I really just want to stay at home. I have asked Grandma to spend the night with us for Christmas but who knows what she will do.

Well I am at work so I really need to quit playing before I get in trouble.

A lot has happened in the past week...

Lets see, Ricky took JB home and spent the night with daddy after Thanksgiving. I got two trees put up and decorated but I didn't feel so good so I laid around most of the time.

Last Wednesday Michelle meet me at Americas Mart downtown. We didn't get to visit long enough but our time together was still a lot of fun. After the mart, Darlene and I went to IKEA, then stopped at North Pointe. Needless to say I was beat! I left my phone in the car, the first time ever and my papa passed away while I was inside. I drug through Thursday and went to Marietta on Friday for visitation and Saturday for the funeral. I am glad papa is finally at peace but cannot imagine what life is going to be like without him in it. I know it has to get easier and I am confident that it will, I just am so sad.

I got to see a lot of friendly folks at the funeral home and cemetery. My dad and Margarett came to the funeral home on Friday night. It was nice for my dad to see my cousins that he hasn't seen in more than 25 years.

After the funeral Saturday Ricky and I, Brian, Michelle, Michael and Brandi went to eat at a place called Pappadeaux. The atmosphere was nice, the food good, the price really high for me. It was all worth it because I was with my brother and sister. Annie's piano recital was on Saturday. Heather took her, Alice, Kay-Kay and Aunt Gayle watched her. Alice took her back to Lori's where she and Brance stayed until we got home.

Our church was playing on the square and was asked to stop playing from the catholic church. Apparently they had something going on and we were just too loud!

Annie and I have just finished our mile walk/run. We crossed the highway and ran down Bubba's driveway and back to our house. It is much harder than it looks. Bubba's driveway is gravel and pretty rolling. It has been many year since I ran in cold weather. At least I feel exercised now!

We have a busy week ahead. Boy Scouts tonight, nothing Tuesday, Awana Wednesday, my work Christmas dinner Thursday, Ricky's work Christmas dinner Friday and back to Grandma's Saturday. I have a lot of laundry and housework to do in between.