Day Eight-A Picture That Makes You Laugh

These two pictures of my son make me laugh.  He is not one to make faces like these so that's why I laugh when I see these. In fact, I have these two pictures hanging in my bedroom; they are the first thing I see when I wake up.  My son has always been a comedian, seriously.  He has the funniest, off the wall stuff he seems to say all at the right times.  If he's in the room you will not stop laughing.  I thank God for giving humor to my son.  When my son and his fellow soldiers had come back from Iraq (both times) I had his friends come up to me and tell me that if it wasn't for my son's sense of humor, they don't know how they would have gotten out of some situations.  For instance, one soldier told me that when they were all taking fire and it seemed like a very bleak situation, Adam would come up with the funniest remarks which, in turn, would give everybody a chuckle, which got everybody thinking again.  Then things didn't look so bleak. 

Here's another picture that makes me laugh.  Brother and sister being silly. 

I found these videos on you tube years ago which I think are very funny and I watch them every once in awhile just to laugh. 

The best laughter is usually spontaneous!

Day Seven-Most Treasured Item

I don't really know if you can call kids items or not, but my children  are my very most treasured gift(s).  They are irreplacable.  Here's all three when they were little:

Hahaha...this is a Christmas picture.  I made those matching outfits.  We were on our way to a Christmas party and I had worked on those outfits for a week.  And the kids never gave me one fit about wearing them.  They were good sports. 

Here is a picture of the two teasures I have left:

These treasures have caused me great anguish and heartbreak at times, but they have also given me the greatest joy a person can feel.  I love them beyond words.

Day Six-Trading Places; Valentine's Day, Vigil at Planned Parenthood

I have thought about this all day and frankly I'd like to trade places with myself if I could.  See this girl:

At 21 she had all her life and dreams ahead of her.  It was the best time of her life (other than having her children, of course)!  There's nothing like having the freedom to come and go as you please, a little money in the pocket and time to travel and have fun.  Yes, if I had to trade places with somebody is would be my 21 year old self.  I'd have a re-do and I'd do things a lot of different.  I have always tried to live without regrets, but they eventually find their way into your life.  And the older I become the more regrets I seem to have.  So that's why I'd like to go back to being that 21 year old fun-loving girl. 

To present day:  DH brought me home a plant, a magazine and Almond Joy candy bars!  Sweet.  I shared my Milky Way bar with him that I had bought earlier.  We don't usually do anything on Valentine's Day.  We're free to do what we want, when we want, so holidays like these are really no big deal.

Yesterday, however, we went to DS's house so I could give him the present I got for him.  Ihop is right across the street from his house so we went over there for dinner.  DS said he'd pay for it...that was a treat!  He knows the manager of the place and DS got 50% off the bill.  Not bad! 

Today I participated in my first ever vigil in front of Planned Parenthood.  Planned Parenthood is now performing abortions on underage sex trafficking girls.  It's disgusting what PP does.  They are not a center to help women.  It's a business, plain and simple. 
Go here to see the videos:  http://www.liveaction.org/traffick

Day Five-A Picture of Your Favorite Memory

This one is absolutely hard because I do not have one memory in particular  that stands out from others.  All the time I have spent with my children have been the best memories, although there were times I wanted to pull my hair out.  I love them so much and so deep it hurts at times.  Before my daughter passed away life was sooo good.  It was fun and I felt like a mother duckling.  After Katrina passed, I have felt as if a dark cloud moved in over me and it has never really gone away.  Here is a family picture of us when life was so grand:

We must have been having fun that day as the smiles on our faces really tell the story.  If we could just turn back time.....

Day Four-A Picture of Your Night

DD came here this evening so I could give her her Valentine's present.  She had mentioned a couple of weeks ago that she'd like to have Point of Grace Cookbook.  That's what she got.  I told her she'd have to cook me and her dad dinner now and she responded by saying I had to buy all the ingredients.  Geez. 

Tomorrow I will run my son's present over to him.  When I told him if he wasn't home I'd leave it hanging on his door, he kinda mentioned that I'd embarrass him, but what are mothers for anyway?  Hahaha.  Deep down I know that little present would put a smile on his face!  ♥

Day Three-First 48 Memphis; my Cat is Hyperthyroid

Today you will learn about the cast of my favorite show.  I watch a lot of crime shows, so this one was kinda hard.  But here it is:

Sgt. Caroline Mason is upfront and doesn't pull no bull in her style of interrogation and I like that.  She is able to get on the same wave length, if you will, with criminals and wear them down.  This season we (the viewers) have not seen the Memphis team on The First 48 and in doing some research on it I found out that Memphis City Council has suspended filming because it has put a bad light on their police department.  I say, they've got to be kidding.  I thought the Memphis team was the best team they had on the show and they will certainly be missed.  I just hope that the Memphis City Council will see the ways of their mistake and chose to unsuspend (is that a word) the filming and bring the team back. 

I also like to watch Dale Hinman's show called Body of Evidence.  She is a criminal profiler, but has worked in the FBI and I think she was a police officer, too.  Her husband is an ex Prince George's County Chief of Police (the county I live in) and I remember him from back in the day. 

I also watch Dr. G Medical Examiner. 

My dad worked for the Secret Service, my son is a county police officer and I wanted to be a police officer when I was young, but at that time they had height regulations and I was too short.  Just as they changed the requirements I started dating dh.  He was concerned if we got married and had kids while being a police officer, would I want the kids to be motherless if I was shot and killed while working.  Secretly, I think he was the one who was most worried, so I chose not to enter into police force.  I did however, work for the District Court and Parole and Probation. 

I have a cat name Katerina who basically lives next door.  The neighbors told me she was vomiting and other stuff LOL so I took her to the vets and she tested to be hyperthyroid.  She is the kind of cat that does not like to be touched.  She allows you to pet her head only when she says it's okay.  I bought meds for her; it comes in a pen and it rubs on the inside of her ear, but again, it's going to be a job just getting that done.  My neighbor said that he will try to give her the meds in the morning while he feeds her, but if that doesn't work out we'll have to come up with another plan.  Katerina is twelve years old.  But she looks like she's in great shape.

^..^

Meow

Day Two

Day two is a picture of the person you have been closest with the longest.  Aside from the fact I have siblings and were very close to them at a point in my life, dh is the one I've been closest to for the last thirty-two years.  (Thirty-three if you count dating.)  Ironically, I went to school with his sister and then years later ended up working with her.  One day the two of us were out riding around and she drive into a VW Bug. She called her mom to come get us and that's when her brother (my dh) showed up.  Weird, huh?  We bought a house that had lots of land around it because we planned on having a lot of kids.  However, when our firstborn daughter was three and half years old she was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, which is genetic disease that is fatal.  Dh and I found out we were both carriers.  Our son was two at the time and we were advised never to have anymore children.  That's the first time our dreams were broken.  We did decide to have have one more child..our last.  She is a carrier of cf, but she doesn't have it.  Our son is not a carrier...he is okay. 

When our daughter was 12 years old, cystic fibrosis took her life.  More broken-ness.  You never get over the lost, ever.  It's with you every single day. 

Stay tuned for day three.

Thirty-Day Photo Challenge..

One of the blogs I follow 'A Look Into a Scatterbrain' is doing a 30  photo day challenge.  Acutally, there are 31 days listed..LOL  Here's the rules: 

So start off by making a photo album and naming it "The 30 Day Photo Challenge"
It's all about being creative everyone!

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with ten facts

Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest

Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show

Day 04 - A picture of your night

Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory

Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day

Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item

Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh

Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most

Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most ****** up things with

Day 11 - A picture of something you hate

Day 12 - A picture of something you love

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist

Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without

Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die

Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you

Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently

Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity

Day 19 - A picture and a letter

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel

Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget

Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book

Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change

Day 25 - A picture of your day

Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you

Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member

Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of

Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile

Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss

Day 31 - A picture of yourself

So, she started this yesterday, but I guess being a day behind isn't so bad, huh?  This is my day one; ten facts about me:

1)   I have four siblings.
2)   My oldest child died at age 12 from cystic fibrosis.
3)   I drive a 15 year old purple Ford Escort station wagon.
4)   I am hypothyroid.
5)   I sell books at half.com
6)   I love making things.
7)   I own my house (the bank doesn't).
8)   I ride motorcycles.
9)   I am taking the Dave Ramsey Financial Freedom course to get out of debt.
10) I own ten cats, two beta fish and one beagle dog.

Depression; Back Went Out

Depression has a way of holding onto a person and not letting go.  I watch those 'depression hurts' commercials on tv and I so feel their pain.  It's true about depression..it not only hurts you, your physical well-being but those all around you.  It's especially hard in winter when the days are short and dark.  Give me the sun and summer any day.  I want to see the flowers and green grass.  I want to ride in the car with the windows down. I want to grow plants in my garden.  But until then, I just plug along and try to get up each day and try to feel like I accomplished something.  Even it's only one thing like load the dishwasher.  It's pathetic, I know, especially when I was so busy when I was raising kids.  I could juggle a hundred different things at one time.  When I sit back and think about those days I can even amaze myself at how busy I stayed and how much I loved it all.  Now, I wake up and wonder if I can even get one little thing done.  I suppose a to do list might help push and motive me.   I wonder if I can motive myself to sit and write one everyday..LOL.  

Then yesterday I threw my lower back out.  It hurts.  I've never really had back problems but twice within the last six months my back has gone out.  That's all I need is a slipped disc. 

DD came down last night to watch the superbowl.  I made some little hot doggie things.  I cut bite size pieces of hotdogs and wrapped them in dough and we dipped them in mustard.  It was good and I will probably make them again. 

I have a cat that lives next door.  Strange, I know.  My neighbor said the cat is not doing so well and now I have to make an appointment to take her to the vet.  The cat is twelve years old, too. 

Until later...