Where did it go???

I am wondering where the year went, no i am wondering where the last 10 years went.
I know when i was young , i couldn't wait to get older, Now, i just want everything to slow down. All my kids(except the last one) are grown with kids of their own, well Misti has a dog, but anyway i don't know how this all happened so fast.
As i reflect back on years gone by and remember all the fun times with a lot of family members who i do not have anymore it is sad . But i know i was blessed to have them in my life. they were special to me.
And i guess i was always my Daddy's baby, but i wish things would have been different so i could have spent more time with him.
And oh my Momma , there isn't a day that goes by that i don't wish i could talk to you just one more time, you always had time to listen.
But now i am the Mom who is listening , and let me tell everyone this is the hardest job i ever had, but i love it. I am so glad my kids know they can talk to me, i honestly believe that our kids are our greatest gifts from God. Even when we got Shania, all i could say is are you kidding me God, what are you thinking, i am 46 years old and you hand me a baby 10 months old to raise. But as usual he was right and it has worked out just perfect. a lot of people think we have missed out on life raising another child at our age, but they don't really understand, yes we could have had a lot more financially and have traveled more and just been able to get up and go when we wanted, but that wasn't in God's plan. And i am thankful everyday he thought of me and Danny when he needed someone to take care of a little girl.
As Shania would say life is like a box of chocolates you never know what you are going to get.( she just saw the Forrest Gump Movie).

family photos

The family at gulf shores,and we had had a ball.

Beach days

I can hardly wait to go! Our trip to Gulf Shores is what we all look forward to every year. To say it is relaxing is an under statement.

We are sad because the Ronnie group doesn't get to go with us this year, And we are having family pics made again and they won't be in them, but things change.

We do have a new family member going "Brad" so it will be fun. I think we make him a little nervous, talking about all the jelly fish stings from last years, but hopefully those little critters won't be there this year. I did not get stung but everyone else did, But you have to get in the ocean to get stung and i don't get in very often and never very deep. Knee high water is just fine with me.

When you think about laying in the sun all day and complaining about your sunburn all night is a little dumb, but love it love it love it, and can't think of anywhere I would rather be>

Misti playing hard to get, what she doesn't know Blaine doesn't really care!!!!!!!!

Our serious shell finders!

Sydni Showing us her cute side

Happy------ is warm weather outside

I come to life when it gets warm outside, I really think I am one of the people who needs to head south for the winter. But i have to say our winter wasn't too bad ,it just hung on forever.

I am ready to go to the beach, it is always exciting with Danny looking for places to go fishing(this man never quits). Even on the drive down he's looking for lakes or ponds. Ponds are something he doesn't get to fish in much living in Missouri, and I know he misses it. When we go back to Oklahoma, things have changed so much he can't find a place there. Times change!!!

Then you have pictures and pictures, because you see Misti is quiet handy with a camera, you get pictures of Misti's feet ,strange guys walking on the beach,Julie digging for shells and on and on.........

Me I just sit around enjoying the sunshine, trying to not get mistaken for a whale!!!!! And eat (because Blaine is a wonderful cook ). But wait I am in luck I have a new son-in-law who is also a mighty fine cook. I have got it made... I just have to watch out for the whale fishermen..................

My Mom's Birthday

Today my Momma would have been 88 years old, and I miss her just as much as I did, the day she passed away. Somehow we always think that momma will always be there, she was there the day we were born, and thru every skinned knee and heart break in our life. So you always think it is forever.

Oh there are lots of regrets, moving away from her, not going to see her as often as I should have. We all get caught up in our own little world, and get too busy for the small things in life and then we have to live with our regrets. You move away to make a better life for yourself and to make more money, wondering if you will get the chance to say hello or goodbye again in person.

Life is short and we need to tell those we love how much they mean to us,I did this with my Mom,but mostly after I finally moved her to Missouri. But by this time her mind was almost gone, and she didn't always know who I was.

Some of my greatest regrets, have been not taking the time to see loved ones or even talk on the phone to them. We moved to Missouri from Oklahoma 24 years ago, and on a Sunday the week before we moved, My Brother called and wanted us to come to his house, but, Ronnie was going to be baptized that day so we couldn't, and he understood and was very happy for Ronnie, And little did I know I would never talk to him again. He was struck by lightning 5 days after we moved. My sister called me in June of 1999 and talked for a while, but I had to get off the phone because of business, I never spoke to her again, she died in August1999. Oh if I could only turn back the clock.

We can't go back no matter how bad we want to, and even as i speak to my kids today I know they always think there is tomorrow, but sometimes there isn't.

But my mom was the greatest, and I miss her!!!!!!!

Not Just another Monday

Well, Today is a big day for Shania,she is getting her first pair of glasses. It is always hard to tell if a child really wants to look like her friend,or if they think glasses are really cute!

I guess i will know after Shania wears them for a couple of months.



It was also like this when she decided she wanted braces, what she didn't understand everyone is different, including their mouth. Her idea let"s go tell dentist i want braces did not work. She had to wear a retainer first because her mouth is too narrow, well.......the dog got the first retainer because somehow it always comes out in the middle of the night, it must be our ghost taking it out, It couldn't be Shania's fault. And the second one barely ever makes to her mouth,in fact she told me she couldn't find it. I guess we will have a ghost or a dog with a good-looking mouth, but not Nia.



Somehow I think this will be the same with the glasses. We will know for sure if Patches(our dog) walks in with glasses one day, which might not be bad, since he can't see very well either!

Those who walk thru your life

There are so many people who come into your life for unknown reasons, and leave their mark, and certain days you miss them terribly.

I happened to watch the pageants on tv , so I am anticipating the Missouri USA coming up, I know a lot of people do not like pageants(mainly because they do not understand)and that is okay.
If 23 years ago pageants,the pageant system would have been for little girls, the way it is today, we might never have been involved either, But they weren't. I know two girls that turned out great because of the lessons learned in pageants.

Misti Moore Preston & Emily Yates were two of them, and the person that I often think of is Ann Plotner.She was Misti and Emily"s biggest supporter. Even if they did not do a great job at a particular pageants, Ann thought they did! And there was no changing her mind.

We had so much fun back in those days and have the tapes of the girls singing their hearts out or clogging.
But the experience served them well and each of them have gone on to great things, And have i said how proud of both of them?

But I want to get back to the subject, what can i say about Curt & Ann Plotner, They are the reason we live in the Ozarks, by taking us out of Oklahoma (with a failing economy) and giving us the chance that they did, We are where we are today, And I miss them!!

The moral of this story is never forget where you came from, and don't forget the people who got you to the place you are.

Mamograms

Let me tell you , mamograms are not fun. It had to be a man who invented the way to have this done.
I have had several before, but I knew i was in trouble when a little lady with BIG hair(you know what i'm talking about Misti) rounded the corner telling me, honey i'm not going to lie to you it Hurts. Then i got to listen to her story about she had always had sore breast. Sometimes, when she just walked across the floor, it nearly killed her.I was sort of left speechless, and for me that is saying a lot.
all i could think of was the fact mine don't hurt, But my shoulders are killing me from carrying these things around all the time!

You know I read in the bible that God gave women the pain of childbirth, Because Eve ate from the apple tree, and then told Adam to, and being a man , he did . So now we get punishment, But what I don't understand why do we need breast, or big ones, they are always in the way, and they hurt little ladies and my shoulders.

But all in all it did not hurt me as bad as it the lady , who felt the need to tell me her problems.

Another night with Julie

Well we spent another evening at urgent care. The things that happen to Julie never cease to amaze me.I took Julie to the walk in clinic on Saturday(because she had a lump under her arm) and she was worried and came for me to check it out.

Well I might be mom but I am not a doctor so off to the clinic, as we sit down to wait ,I told Julie , we probably should have gone to urgent care at Cox Hospital, but before we could make up our mind( we are very slow in this area) they called her back , well those people nearly scared us to death! Told her she had to have all these test. They would make the appointments and let her know.

All you can think of is CANCER so we worried all night. So Sunday morning we ask for prayer for her. I called her as soon as we got out of church, and she felt better but the place was still sore, and her neck was hurting. Well always trying to be a doctor without the education ( but remember mom always knows best) I decided she couldn't have Cancer it had to be mono.
So she going to go to regular Doctor on monday.

Well she called back saying ,she gone to get her hair cut and it really her to lay in the shampoo bowl, because of her neck. So I told her to meet me at urgent care, so off we go again. I wait in the waiting room thinking the worst, mad at Tyler because he didn't drive her to the clinic, just knowing this was something horrible.

The she comes out smiling, the doctor told she was using the wrong deoderant,that this has clogged up her pores and it will take care of its self. And she was good for another hundred thousand miles. I think we could here Brad laughing all the way from Arizona.

The sore neck is because of sleeping wrong because of the arm.

God answered our prayers, and I learned he has since of humor.

Oh the life being a mom!!!!!!!!!

6 weeks left of school

Well I was informed today(as she was walking out the door ) there is only six more weeks left of school. GREAT I am soooooooo excited.

I informed Shania how nice it would be for her to be home more and help me around the house, She being Shania quickly opposed this idea, then informed me she would be in the pool all summer. Typical, teenager!

Last night was wed. church, Dan the man stayed home to do yard work. I love wed. night church so informal , you get a chance talk with everyone and catch up on everything. Shania loves to go, because that is the night to pick on Ron. Ron is our youth director, who does a mighty fine job.

Then of course we get to see Miss Kiley Edwards (our pastors little girl) which none of us have had a hand in spoiling, except of course Larry & Joan. haha.
Also it is the night you don't have to cook at home we all eat at church, which by the way I have no idea what Dan had for supper, I forgot to ask him, oh well.

I really believe life is what you make, In my life God has thrown me some challenges But as my aunt Billie Sue has always told me he never gives you more than what you can stand.(close though).

He has not given me every thing i ask for, but what was best for me. When God decided to make me a mom for the rest of my life(and I do mean an active mom) I thought he really had it in for me.
But he was right again. I really do enjoy going to a track meet when it freezing cold outside, (actually I left Danny to watch the track meet and went the warmth of the concesssion to work).

So from now on I will trust him totaly.

He has also led us to a church family, and has opened a whole new world to me and has taught me so much.