Today...

Weekly writing assignment from Mama Kat: Today I will...

Today I will have a positive attitude. I won’t dwell on the things I cannot change, but rather embrace the things I can.

I will find things to smile about and reasons to laugh.

I will do at least one thing for me.

I will let the people I love know exactly how much they mean to me, for I’ve come to realize that tomorrow is not promised.

Today I will thank God for the many wonderful blessings in my life.

For you and you and you and you and you...

Okay, I have a confession to make. I’ve been a bit of an award hoarder lately. In fact, I have five that have stacked up over the last month (or longer) that I’ve yet to pass along. So, without further ado, it’s time to spread these around to some deserving bloggers:

First of all, thank you to Missy and Licha for this little blue ribbon:

I’m not sure the word “hottie” really describes me, but I appreciate the gesture! You girls always make me laugh.

Here’s the description of this lovely award:

These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

Okay, so I’m not going to list eight. I have too many other awards to pass out. But I would like to send this one to:

Kim at The Child: Kim is the beautiful mother of Deaglan. I LOVE reading about her day-to-day life as a mommy. She’s thoughtful, creative and true to herself. Not to mention a wonderfully supportive blog friend.

Next, my cousin Jen honored me with a Say It Forward tribute on her blog. This is supposed to be a shout-out to a fellow blogger who loyally leaves comments on your posts.

I can think of none so loyal as the wonderful Jenners. Not only does she faithfully follow a billion blogs, she leaves thoughtful, often in-depth comments on each one. AND she faithfully responds to the comments you leave her. She’s an honest, hilarious, chocolate-loving, game-playing, not afraid to be who she is kind of woman. And I admire her for it.

This little award was bestowed upon me by the lovely Kim:

It’s supposed to be passed along to a blogger who shows a great attitude on their blog.

Bethany at My Life in Black and White has one of the kindest dispositions of anyone I’ve ever met. She’s sweet, sincere and honestly grateful for all of the blessings she has received in life. She’s currently expecting her first child (a little girl!) and I know she is going to be a wonderful mommy.

Incidentally, Bethany gave me the Kreativ Blogger award last week, prompting me to list seven things I love before I pass the award to another deserving blogger. So, here we go:

Warm, sunshiney days - Thank goodness it’s finally spring in the South! I’m loving the beautiful weather.
Gerber daisies - The bright, happy colors make me smile.
Looking through old photo albums - I love looking back and reminiscing on different times in my life.
Random road trips to the beach - I often get the spontaneous notion to hop in the car and head to Destin for the day. The past several months it’s been too cold to enjoy the beach, so I’ve walked around the shops and indulged in sea food – but now that the weather is nice, I’ll be able to hit the sand and soak up the sun.
My family – I firmly believe that I have the BEST family in the entire world. Sure, we’re often dysfunctional, but we make each other laugh and we support each other though all of life’s trials. To all of you – parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, etc… - thank you for making my life a little more interesting and a lot more bearable. I LOVE YOU!

Okay, so that’s only five, but this post is getting ridiculously long and I still have another award to give away. So, for the Kreativ Blogger award, I choose this guy:

Andy at Wild ARS Chase: Andy has to be one of the most creative guys I know. He’s pee-your-pants funny and will blow your mind with some of his regular features. He blogs about everything from infomercials to celebrity gossip and everything in between. And he has mastered the art of using pictures to illustrate a story.

Okay… last one, I promise! Last week, Jenners deemed me “A Blogger’s Best Friend”

The "A Blogger's Best Friend Award" shall be given to your most loyal blog readers. Thus, the award should be given to a follower of yours who takes the time to comment regularly on many of your posts. In addition his or her blog should be creative, funny and always entertaining. Upon receiving this award, pass it along to two fellow bloggers who fit this criteria. Congratulations!

So, who get’s this one?? Drum roll please……

Lacey at Don’t Make Drugs: Lacey has been one of my favorite bloggers for quite some time. She’s is uber funny and definitely fits the “always entertaining” requirement for this award. She just finished school, is in the process of buying a house and loves animals as much as I do. Not only is Lacey hilarious, she’s a loyal commenter on my posts. She always seems to be able to relate to the things I’m going through. I love it. I makes me feel a little less crazy!

So there you have it. Sorry for the incredibly long post… I guess it would be easier to just pass these along as I get them. I promise a much quicker turn-around next time.

Hello again...

Remember me? It's been awhile. I just want to start by saying that I am so very behind on reading your blogs, and I'm sorry. I'd love to say that I'm going to sit here for the next several hours and play catch up, but I'm not going to lie to you like that.

I got home from Mobile last night. I'd been down since Thursday - spending the majority of my time at the hospital with my family. My grandpa is still very sick and continues to be nonresponsive. The neurologist told us that he has slipped into a deep coma, and he's afraid he won't come out of it. I don't think any of us are ready to deal with that possibility yet. We're trying so hard to hold on to hope. But at the same time, I know we need to be prepared to deal with whatever happens. It's just so hard. I pray we will all have the strength we need to get through this.

I was lucky enough to pull baby duty Friday morning so my aunt could go to the hospital with Mama. Her kids are precious. Blaize, her fiery four year old, is hilarious. He has declared me his new best friend. His favorite questions were, "Hey, what you doin?" and "Where that dog?" I had to keep assuring him that Toby was outside. His sister Calleigh, who is a few months shy of two, proved to be quite the little instigator. She would swipe whatever Blaize happened to be holding (a book, the remote, a pillow) then run off, laughing hysterically. Keeping up with them is a full-time job. I have the utmost respect for my aunt and uncle! They must end each day utterly exhausted.

I wish I had taken some new pictures... the best I have to offer are from last August:



And yes, Blaize is always that excited. About everything. And the fact that both of them have their mouths wide open should be a hint that they love to talk. To everyone. All the time. Even strangers. It must run in the family.

I'll never forget...

Weekly writing assignment from Mama Kat: Why won't you forget? List six true sentences that begin with the words 'I'll never forget...' Then use all six of your sentences in a paragraph, poem, or longer descriptive piece.

I’ll never forget your hands – rough from years of hard work, stained with grease from working on cars. The smell of Lava soap. Hands that provided for your family. Hands that nurtured, loved and occasionally disciplined. Hands that once held me upside down by the ankles and shook me when you thought I was choking on a peppermint. Hands that I held this weekend as I watched you sleep in your hospital bed.

I’ll never forget your voice – loud and authoritative, yet somehow comforting. A voice that takes me back to childhood. A voice that told some of the best stories I’ve ever heard.

I’ll never forget your bookshelves – lined with classic westerns. Tales of cowboys and Indians, great loves and bar fights. I can see you sitting in your chair, absorbed in a story. Always reading.

I’ll never forget your smell – a mixture of aftershave and peppermint. Warm, inviting, familiar.

I’ll never forget your smile – though often absent in pictures, always present when watching your grandchildren. A smile of true joy, delighting in moments with family.

I’ll never forget you – the strongest man I’ve ever known. A man who would go to the ends of the earth for the people he loves. A man who taught me that families stick together, provide for each other and never give up. A generous, selfless, goodhearted man who will forever hold a very special place in my heart.

Not much to report

Thank you all so much for your kind words and prayers yesterday.

So far, not much has changed. They did a CAT scan yesterday and said it didn't appear as though he'd had a stroke, which is good news. However, he still has not been able to wake up, and his pupils are not responding to light. They're supposed to run an EEG today to monitor his brain activity. Hopefully we'll hear something soon.

Edited to add: They neurologist is doing the EEG this morning, and is also doing a lumbar puncture to check for meningitis. We're in day six - still nonresponsive, although the doctor said there has been a slight improvement in his vitals. Doc said it could be days before there are any more improvements - weeks before he's able to leave.

I need a favor, friends

Happy Monday. I hope you all had a good weekend. Mine? Well, mine was rough. I’m afraid I need your prayers again, dear friends.

Early Friday, my granddad was rushed to the hospital as he gasped for breath and his heart rate skyrocketed. My granddad — the strongest man I’ve ever met. A retired Marine with a booming voice and solid body. My granddad, who I’ve never seen sick a single day in my 24 years.

Grandma said that he’d been fighting a cold for awhile, but refused to go to the doctor. By the time he arrived at the hospital, his “cold” had become full-blown pneumonia. He had a lot of fluid on his lungs, which was putting an enormous strain on his heart. They quickly moved him from the ER to the ICU, where he’s currently still hooked to a ventilator, heavily sedated.

They said he appears to be doing better. His heart rate has dropped from the upper 160s to around 95, and his oxygen saturation is back in the 90s, which the nurse said is a good sign.

They pulled him off of the sedative briefly yesterday to see if he could respond to some simple commands. They asked him to squeeze their hands and open his eyes. He could do neither. They think he might have been consciously trying, though. Each time they’d ask him to do something, his heart rate would increase, but nothing else would happen. Maybe it just takes time.

As worried as I am about him, I know that if anybody can beat this, he can. He’s a fighter. He’s stubborn and hardheaded (in the best way possible) and has never been one to give up. I have faith.

Plus, now he has all of you thinking about him and praying for him, too – right? That’s got to count for something.

From Cheerios to Chicken Tetrazzini

Hebba (aka: JeepGirl) is a fabulous list-maker. I’m serious. She makes lists for everything. I wish I could be that organized! See, I start making a list and somewhere along the way I lose focus or get sidetracked. Not Hebba. That girl is a list champion. One of my favorites is her periodic list of current addictions — and as I’m strapped for something to write about today, I thought it would be a good time to viciously steal kindly borrow her idea. So, without further ado, here are the things I can't get enough of:

Banana Nut Cheerios – Holy cow. These things are amazing! I’ve always been a Cheerios fan, usually gravitating toward Honey Nut, as I love anything with even a hint honey. But these bad boys are delicious. I pack them in zip lock bags for afternoon snacks at work, or grab a cup to munch on when I’m loungin’ round the house. At 100 calories a serving, I could do a lot worse. Plus, aren’t Cheerios good for your heart? Oh, Cheerios, how I love your banana-ie goodness. (Side note: I actually hate bananas, but love all things banana flavored. Oh, and banana pudding… I love that stuff!)

Gatorade Rain – The really light purple colored one. They say it’s “berry” flavored, but it doesn’t really taste like berries to me. Tastes more like cold, refreshing spring rain, flavored with a hint of heaven and caught in a bottle. Ha! Okay, so maybe it’s not really as delicious as heavenly rain -whatever that tastes like- but it’s pretty dang good, if you ask me. (Which you didn’t, so I’ll move on now….) Burt’s Bees Honey Lip Balm – Perfectly moisturizing, without being sticky. Plus it smells like honey. Need I say more?
Victoria’s Secret Sweet Daydream body fragrance – YUM! This stuff smells delectable. It’s a blend of apple, raspberry and vanilla. I keep a thing of body lotion in my bathroom for after-shower use, a tube of hand and body creme in my purse, in case my hands get dry when I’m out and about, and a tub of the body butter at my desk. Excessive? Probably. But the body butter is great for moisturizing your hands without leaving them all greasy, which is good when you’re typing all day. You don’t want a slippery keyboard! Or at least I don’t.
Cupid – Have any of you watched this new show on ABC? Basically, Cupid (you know, the god of love) gets kicked off of Mt. Olympus for making too many casual matches. So, he’s sent into the real world with the task of matching 100 people so he can return to his godly home – oh, and all of the matches have to be “true love," not just random hook-ups. Sappy? Predictable? Unrealistic beyond belief? Yes. But still charming.

Adam Lambert – Look, I know there are a lot of people bad mouthing this guy right now. Saying he’s weird or criticizing his sexual preference. But you know what? The bottom line is that this boy can sing. And not only can he sing, he can put on one heck of a show. He delivers week after week. And if he happens to like boys, well, that’s none of our business. What about Freddie Mercury, from a little band called Queen? Or Elton John? Or Boy George? Or Lance Bass? Or Clay Aiken? Leave him alone and let him entertain us, because he’s doing an amazing job. I’ve watched his last few performances more times than I can count. Love him.

Cooking – I’ve actually cooked two meals this week. That’s a record for me. At my house, leftovers last forever because it’s usually just me. And Toby totally doesn’t appreciate my chicken tetrazzini. Unlike Paul, who recently appeared on the Maury show. He apparently loved someone's chicken tetrazzini. Too bad that someone was his girlfriend's best friend.