Seeing Red

Well, Jim's surgery went GREAT! He went into surgery around 7:45 a.m. and was finished by 9:45. We were able to go back and see him around 10 a.m. I wasn't aware that bypass patients aren't able to breath on their own for about 4-6 hours because they are kept asleep until then. We were only able to visit him every 2 hours and for only 20 minutes (plus we could only go 2 at a time). However, the first two visits were uneventful. He was still asleep from the anesthesia and on a breathing tube. But by 4, he was awake and talking to us. He even said he felt better already! He was joking with us and being ornery. When Mom told him she could only visit every 2 hours and that she could only stay for 20 minutes, he said, "Well, I'll have to do something about that!" She smiled thinking that was sweet...until he finished the sentence and said, "I'll make sure they change it to every 6 hours!" We all just cracked up! The long recovery time is going to bother him, so hopefully he's patient and rests as much as possible. But, he did great and all is well. They did leave the aneurysm, however they said it shouldn't be a problem since they basically routed around it.
Well, Kylie has gotten a second red note in two weeks! I know this is a stretch for her to remain in a structured environment for 1/2 a day, but she really needs to get used to it now before kindergarten. I called her teacher and we had a pleasant conversation, so hopefully we can work together to help Kylie mind!

Tidbits

Well, we are once again in Little Rock....tomorrow is Jim's quadruple bypass and I just pray that all goes well! I am nervous--I know it's "procedural" at this point, but you never know, especially with the aneurysm. So, say a prayer. I know that we are nearing the end of this exhausting process and that hopefully tomorrow's surgery will make him feel much better! However, I am a little disappointed in my visit so far. Ok, I was really craving PF Chang's. So, I thought we could find the LR one and get some take-out. So I ask the girl at the hotel desk if it was close or not. She tells me no that it's actually quite a distance from here. I was bummed. I really wanted some lettuce wraps. But, I knew Johnny Carino's was close, so I decided to just do a repeat of last week's visit. THEN, we pull up the LR location on the internet after we had already called in the JC order and guess where it is at.....3 BLOCKS FROM HERE! Ok, maybe it's far away if you had to walk alone, in the dark with your legs shackled together! But not when you have a car! HELLO! I am bummed. Oh well, JC's was good. Still bummed though.
On another note, I got my Stats and Research grade...an A-! Yes, I got an A. I was floored! But hey, I worked my butt off and although I didn't get as much out of the class as I would have wanted, it wasn't due to a lack of effort. So, I will take my A- and be very happy! :)
The class I am in right now is going alright. It's a much better topic I must say! Although, there is this crazy thing our professor does on each email he sends us. Instead of signing them "Sincerely" or "Best Regards", he signs them with a title of a song. So, the first time we get an email from him, it says all of this real important school stuff, then he signs it "Free Fallin', Mike". I am like, "WHAT?" So, I thought, you know--that's kind of cool (after I got it that is).
Well, it's late (Ok, it's 10 pm, but we have to be at the hospital early) and I am exhausted. I am not sure what my deal is lately, but I have been literally on the edge of exhaustion.

Visit to the ER

Well, Kyle called me around 3:30 saying that Jim had had a heart attack and the ambulance was on its way to my parents' house. Scared me to death! So, I jumped up, ran upstairs and grabbed Jordan and we headed to the hospital. We actually beat the ambulance there. Jim and Mom arrived in the ambulance 20 minutes later. He's doing fine right now. They are going to keep him overnight, then tomorrow try and determine a way to get him to Little Rock to have his quadruple bypass. They still aren't performing the surgery until Thursday, but they need to get him there so that they can do the blood work, etc the day before the surgery. Anyway, he was talking when I left the hospital this evening, but he's tired and sore. I just pray that this surgery heals him on Thursday. He is not himself at all.
So, we've had an eventful evening so far. I still need to study for my quiz tomorrow and answer my discussion question, so I am going to keep this short. Please pray for Jim and that he has a successful surgery on Thursday and makes a speedy recovery. I know he is ready to feel better.

Barnyard!

Well, we went to see Barnyard today at the movies. It was cute. Kylie also got an Easy Bake Oven for her birthday from Karla and Billy and as soon as we got home, we had to make something in it. So, we have a yellow cake baking in her oven right now...we'll see how this turns out! Wait, there's the timer! Be right back...Ok, back and the yellow cake w/chocolate icing was fantastic! Kylie is a regular Betty Crocker!
Well, here's a picture of Lionel, Laurie, and I at yesterday's wedding...the pictures went great. I was scared at first. I was trying to take pictures and the flash wouldn't work! I was so worried because the chapel is dark and I was afraid nothing was going to turn out. But I changed the batteries, adjusted a few settings and they came out just fine! Thank goodness! Well, I need to study for my quiz on Tuesday, so that's a wrap for this evening....

White Wedding

Well, today is Laurie and Lionel's wedding! I'm the official photographer and I am so nervous about these pictures--they are indoors and that is my weakness. But, I am not going to sweat it. I will just take all my disks and snap as many pictures as possible! So, pray that my batteries don't die, my camera works, and that I don't trip and fall with all of the walking backwards that I will be doing! :)
I'll be sure and post a pic of the new happy couple after today.
Tonight is a cookout at Robert/Kim's house. Robert is starting a labor-intensive job on Monday and we don't really know the next time we'll see him! So, we are going to send him out with a bang! (Ok, actually burgers and hot dogs, but hey!)
Tomorrow we are going to see Barnyard..."It's a cow farm, there's gonna be cows outside!" The kids are excited. This is actually Karla and Billy's belated birthday gift to Kylie since they couldn't make it to the party a couple of weeks ago.
And now for the greatest news of all!!!! WE GOT A NEW CAMPER! And let me just say this thing is awesome--even nicer than the barn (I know the standards are low on that!). It's a 38 foot 5th wheel with slides and it is absolutely beautiful. We hope to get to go camping within the next few weeks in it. I am absolutely pumped! I was really, really wanting it, but it was pretty expensive, so I didn't really know if we could pull it off or not. But it all worked out in the end and we ended up with a great camper at an AWESOME deal. Thanks Mom and Dad! As soon as we get it up here, I put some pictures of it on here to show it off--we are ready for the lake now!

Thelma and Norma

Kyle's favorite commercial right now!!!

Honda Redemption

Well, I got my response from Honda about the CD's and the CD player in my car. Score one for Tara! They called back Tuesday while we were in Little Rock and left a message saying that they would gladly buy me 6 new CD's to replace the ones that were messed up from the CD player. Plus, the dealership called today and said they would put the new CD player in tomorrow afternoon! Yeah! No more ruined CD's. So, kuddos to them for making the situation right--that's all I asked.
Well, not much to report on for today--just a typical business day at work.
Kylie is doing wonderful at preschool--I hope by saying that I don't jinx her, but her coloring is great, she's being good (for the most part), and she seems to really enjoy it. I just pray that she keeps up the good work!

Matters of the Heart

Well, we are back from Little Rock. Jim had a catheter ran to his heart to see if there was any way around the aneurysm to deal with the blockage in his heart. The doctor was considering putting in a stent through the aneurysm but warned us last week that the procedure is very risky (in terms of life and death). So, we approached today with fear and uncertainty. Because we knew that if they couldn't put the stent in, then that meant there wasn't much they could do. About an hour into the procedure of taking pictures and contemplating how to deal with the aneurysm, the doctor stopped and called us in a room. He told us he just didn't feel confident about proceeding with the aneurysm issue and felt that we had only 2 choices left. He could continue the medication or he can have a quadruple-bypass surgery. He has chosen the surgery knowing that is his only hope of feeling better. So, we will head back to Little Rock next week for his surgery. We are happy with this prognosis because we brought him home safely and we have hope of some help for him! So, pray that the surgery goes well and that he finally feels some relief.
I also started my class tonight. We headed back from LR as soon as we knew the situation in time for me to make class. This class is definitely "touchy-feely" which is a nice and welcomed change to the previous ones this summer. The books we are reading are great--filled with awesome information to draw both personal and professional reflection.
I was going to attach a picture of the kids on the first day of school, but as you will see it's not here. Why? Because in my efforts to be quiet and not turn on tons of lights when I got in from class at 10:30 pm, I stuck the disc from my little camera into the slot where the big camera's discs go! I got Kyle out of bed and he tried for 10 minutes with a plastic butter knife to fish it out and it ended up falling further into the computer! So, hopefully my Uncle can take the computer apart and retrieve the disc...I am such a nerd. When we get the disc out, I'll put a 1st day of school picture on here!
I'm tired, so that's a wrap for tonight.

4 Year Old Interpretations

Last night, we were down at my parents' house and the kids decided to put on a show for everyone. Their first song they sang is "My God is so Big"....well, I don't know if you know the lyrics or not but here's the way the chorus goes:
"My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do!"

Well, the kids get up and sing it for my parents, grandparents, and aunt and uncle. Kylie is singing at the top of her lungs:
"My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God can do for you!"

I was ROLLING! She was definitely not singing the motivational version! :) However, today was her first day at preschool and she got a star! We were so proud of her! She even said she really liked her new school. Weston seems to enjoy 1st grade as well. I still cannot believe I have a child in 1st grade--time sure does fly! I bought a book today called "Let Me Hold You Longer" and its message is one that I will cherish. It is about remembering the "lasts" because we tend to embrace the firsts, but don't remember the last times. I can apply that thought in several areas of my life. And usually it's the "lasts" I wish I could remember. There are dates, times, moments that stick out because I made a mental note when it "first" happened, but I fight to remember the last time I saw someone, talked to them, or did something. I know that when my Aunt died a few years ago, I struggled to remember the last words I said to her, the last time I talked to her. For it is when someone is actually gone that we wish we could have back those last moments, wish that we could cherish the time. Whether it be losing a family member, losing a friend, or even a soulmate, it seems we get caught up in the moment of life and we wake up one day and it is over. Then, we struggle to hang on to that last memory with them.
I pray that I remember.

If you read this Tuesday morning, please say a prayer at 10 am for my step-dad. I hope all goes well tomorrow and I know it will be because we are all praying.

Failure to Launch

Well, we rounded out the weekend with a great movie! We bought "Failure to Launch" and it was the cutest movie. My favorite quote was "Guys who drink Kahlua and creme are not power guys!" You have to watch the movie to get it. I don't know why I liked that quote, but it was funny!
Well, the kids start their new schools tomorrow. My family has a pool going as to how soon I get the call from Kylie's preschool telling me she has done one of many things (bite, kick, hit, talk back, scream....you get the point). I sure hope she minds! She has got to learn a few things before Kindergarten next year! So, start praying and cross your fingers.
Also, tomorrow we are off to Little Rock for the night. Jim has some medical stuff to get done and I really think I need to be with my Mom during the procedures. More on that later. Just again, please pray for him. Specifically at 10 am on Tuesday. That's when they will start the procedures.
Well, I promised myself I would get to bed early tonight so that I don't reset the alarm--I can't in the morning. I am going to start taking the kids to school since the daycare doesn't open until 7 and Kyle has to be at work by then. So, I am forced to drag myself out of bed on time now!

Saturday Clean-Up

Well, today we plan to get some things accomplished around the house. First, I wanted to get Kylie's 4th birthday pictures taken. Yes, it's past the birthday, but I wanted some shots of her for her "birthday cards" that we mail to friends and family. So, we headed out to the pond, driveway, and down to Mom & Jim's house to take some shots. Here's the birthday card that I made her--there were just too many cute shots!
Both of the kids start school Monday--Kylie will go to a new preschool and Weston starts 1st grade! They are pumped. I start school on Tuesday. I am ready for a new professor and the "feel good" classes!
Well, back to the weekend!

Honda Hell

Ok, let me start by saying I love my car, but I am not happy with it. First, I had a new transmission put in it in January (I bought it in September, so I only had 4,500 miles on the car). Secondly, the CD player starts acting up and I first complained about it in January. It would make this "fingernails on a chalkboard noise" and then just spit out the CD. Well, I was told that they needed to recreate the problem before they would replace it. Fine. So, June comes around--again, I complain. Same story. So, last Friday I am listening to my new Julie Roberts CD. My favorite song comes on and I am just singing along at the top of my lungs, until....the CD SKIPS! WHAT? I have only played the CD in my car. How could it be skipping?? So, I ejected the CD and looked at the bottom. There, on the CD is a scratch in the shape of a perfect circle. I was fuming! So, I pulled out Dierks Bentley....same thing only worse! The Wreckers--same situation. I am just livid at this point. My CD player that I complained wasn't working correctly 8 MONTHS AGO is now messing up all my CD's! So, I call the dealership last Friday and I get the "I'll have to call you back" line. Fine. So, no call by Monday and I call back again. Same song, second verse--"I'll have to call you back". Fine. At this point, they have until today to get back with me, then my other personality will be released. So, I received no call ALL week and today came. I called and let them know everything and anything I thought about the situation. Well, the CD player replacement is on order. Great. However, what about my CD's? "Sorry, we can't do anything about that." Oh, really? WRONG. I made them print out a service list of visits and logged issues when I brought in the car--proof that January was my first complaint. I get the Customer Service number and as I pull out of the driveway I let them know what I thought about the dealership and that they WOULD be buying me new CD's. The guy I talked with was really nice. He said I would have to probably mail in the ruined CD's (Ok, I have no use for them at this point!!) He said that he would assign a Case Manager to my situation and they would be contacting me by Tuesday to resolve. So, hopefully I have made my point and will get my CD's replaced. Basically, it's principle (and some dang good CD's I must say).
On a serious note, if you are reading this, then stop and say a prayer for my step-dad. I'll give more details on Monday. For now, just know it's not good.
Well, that's about it for this evening...we have canceled all of our plans this weekend (to spend time with my Dad), so tonight, I am going to sprawl out on the couch and do absolutely NOTHING. No research paper. No presentation. Nothing. And I couldn't be happier... :)

D-Day

Well, I can honestly say I did not want this day to come, but it's here! I am officially finished with my paper and presentation and I am ready to just get this day over with. Amanda and I are meeting at Starbucks and heading up north right after work (we have to go to the campus for this class for some reason instead of FS campus). So, pray for me that all goes well!
Well, yesterday was Kylie's birthday! We went to eat last night at Red Lobster (her choice) and she ate so good! She had a great time and made us sing Happy Birthday to her at the restaurant. Poor kid, I forgot the candles at her swim party the other night, then the cake they brought out last night didn't have a candle, so for her 4th birthday, she didn't get to blow out a single candle!
Here's a picture of Kay Lynn and I yesterday at her 40th birthday bash at work!
On another note, I am totally bummed out-Windfall was not picked up for the fall, so the last episodes are this month! :( I loved that show (or maybe I just loved 1 hour of doing nothing??)
Anyway, I am sad!!!

Super Kids on a Super Budget!

Ok, for the record, my kids are deprived...they just like the simple life I guess. Sure, we have "simplistic" living quarters, but they don't lack in the toy department. However, they felt the need to "make" Superhero costumes out of typing paper while they were at my Mei-Mei's this evening. Here are the results...Superman and Supergirl! :)

Cramming:
This week is all about how much can be crammed--crammed into 7 days, into each evening, and into a day at work. I feel like I have spent every waking moment on this stupid research paper, yet I still have a presentation and 6 more pages to go! I didn't even go over to Mei-Mei's last night for dinner for the college kiddos. I can't afford to miss out on quiet time in the barn cramming every possible detail into this paper so I can hit the magical 20 page mark. However, I stayed home last night and what happens? IT RAINS! Not just your nice shower, the horrible storm with tons of lightning....so, I sat there with no family, no TV (satellite was out), and the computer unplugged because I couldn't afford to lose what I had already done on this paper. I just stared at the ceiling, mulling over the fact that I was WASTING precious time! There was nothing I could do though. So tonight, the heat is on...I am typing so fast my fingers are numb! You should see this paper/presentation! I am even impressed with myself...there is hope for a B in this class after all!
Tomorrow is my boss' 40th birthday...Kay Lynn is turning the big 4-0! I wish I had time to make her a slideshow, but obviously not. We did order her a cake and decorated the building and her cube with embarrassing photos and tons of black stuff. She'll hate us for sure. It's worth it though! :)
Tomorrow is also Miss Kylie's 4th birthday....and we just had our dental visit and came home with a clean check-up. My pocketbook is cheering!
Well, I have to get this paper knocked out....I promise when it's over, I'm cramming again....this time it will be Chunky Monkey ice-cream though!

Kylie's Birthday Party

Well, last night was a huge success and the kids had a ball! There were about 10 kids there to swim and Kylie and her friends had such a great time. The party started with swimming and sliding down the water slide. Kobe went down the slide! He is getting so brave...the swim lessons really paid off. Then, Kylie opened some presents and ate cake/ice cream. Perhaps the most hilarious part of the evening is when one of the little guys dropped his pants and peed about 3 feet from where Kylie was opening presents. He just faced the crowd, dropped trout and peed right in the grass that led to the swimming pool! We were all cracking up! The kid never missed a beat--I don't think he realized that everyone was laughing at him! That was definitely a moment for Funniest Videos! Kylie got tons of great presents--dance clothes and shoes, golf clubs, new school clothes, and of course some Bratz! She thinks she is already 4--she doesn't understand that she still hasn't made it to her birthday. I am going to try and take her birthday pictures sometime this week, but this week is going to be extremely busy. Tomorrow night my Grandma is cooking dinner before Alyssa, Chad, and Jordan start college. Alyssa and Chad are moving on Friday to school. We will miss them! I can't believe they are old enough for college-I remember when I changed all of their diapers (wow, I just told my age!). Tuesday night is Meet the Teacher for Weston. Wednesday is Kylie's actual birthday and we plan to take her to dinner. Thursday is the dreaded day--my research paper is due. Plus, Kylie's Meet the Teacher is that night. I hate that I will miss it! This weekend we are headed to the Blues Fest--we had such a blast last year. We plan to get a hotel room to avoid the dreaded drive home. Karla and Billy are coming as well.
Oh, never underestimate the power of a blog--we have a 2nd gate up! No more torn up fence. Now, for the opener... :)
Well, it's late and tomorrow is just another "Manic Monday"!

Bunco Badness

Well, tonight was Bunco night. Ok, first of all the group is made of mostly Sunday School members, however a fly on the wall would've thought they entered the wrong house. Let me just say we had a blast and the conversations were NOT dull. First, Kelley kicks it off with her stick of "Head On"....I'll leave it there. Then, it was downhill from there. I think Andria and Missy wanted to hit their knees and pray for some of us, but deep down, they were laughing just as hard as we were. Jenny's husband Wade came home early and hid out in the other room, but you know had to have been dying at the conversations he was hearing because we were entirely too loud!
Tuesday evening, Kylie asked me where she could get some of those brown dots that Weston has on his face. It took me a minute to figure out what she was talking about....then I realized, she meant his freckles! I told her that God gave those to Weston and that she would have to take that up with God. She didn't really understand what I meant and went back to telling me that I needed to get her some of those dots. What she doesn't realize though is her porcelain skin is absolutely beautiful!
Well, tomorrow night is her big birthday party. So far, there are at least 10 kids coming over to swim, so it should be a fun and busy evening. She has been looking forward to this since the day after last year's party! :) I can't believe she's turning 4. It seems just yesterday she was turning 1. I know this is all going to pass too fast. I just pray that I cherish as many memories as possible.
I am experiencing some serious arachnid issues this evening. I walk in the house and went to the bathroom and when I turned on the light, a spider was on my chest! Then, as I am sitting here, a huge one just crawled under the table. I am calling my bug guy first thing Monday morning--YUCK!
Ok, now to the paper. I really want to knock this thing out tomorrow. It's looming over me like a large, dark cloud that is about to just let loose at any point in time. I really need to put it behind me so that I can enjoy my week. That's all for now...tomorrow's blog will have tons of fun pictures from Kylie's birthday party!

Broken

Ok, I really wish we could get some things around here "fixed". First, the gate opener I invested $500 in STILL doesn't work and we can't even determine why. It's frustrating to pay that kind of money for something and still have to get out and open a gate (especially when it's snake season). Not to mention, we now have TWO gates. Well, the 2nd gate is actually a fence--we are still waiting to FIX the gate and by that I mean replace it with a real gate panel. But guess what? That means getting out twice just to get to the road. It's hot, there's horse poop, and I shouldn't have to open a gate when I HAVE A GATE OPENER! Hey, the biggest FIX I need though is the house. Two years later we still leave in a metal building. Frustrating. Ok, I'll quit complaining. People have problems that are far worse than mine. Not sure what got me on that topic--just ready for the dust to settle.
Kylie is officially registered for dance class! She is going to be thrilled! Tonight, I went and ate with several friends who got together to visit with a couple that used to live here but moved away about 3 years ago. It is so amazing how much all of our kids are growing. Lily (Mike and Andria's little girl) is getting so big! She is the cutest thing as well....of course there's the small incident with Conner that put him in a cast, but hey, that's a minor detail!

Dog Whisperer

We all have our job hazards. My job hazards would include carpel tunnel syndrome, eye fatigue, headaches, depression.....well, I could go on. However, my husband's job hazards are very similar to the postman's job hazards. You see, he goes into the yards of customers to perform various technical maintenance responsibilities on their telephone lines. However, today he was met with hostility. Not by the owner, but by her precious 6 Jack Russell Terriers who obviously considered him a threat. Well, they proceeded to rip up his clothes and bite him a few times before he finally was able to get free. I can see it now....the tall guy standing in the yard shaking his leg profusely trying to detach the little bratty dog that refuses to let go! Ok, sorry Kyle, I know it's not funny! :) He finally broke free and went back to the office where they bandaged him up. Now, we just wait to see if the Rabies sets in....
Anyway, it's enough to make me stick to my desk job. Hey, I couldn't stand it if they chewed up the BCBG heels! :)

Slave to the Paper

I am trying, I am REALLY trying to get this research paper done! I HATE it though. Kylie's party is this weekend, so I really need to get my paper out of the way so that I am not worried about it and trying to cram it in when I should be worried about the party. I just hope there is a payoff attached to this degree. I couldn't stand to know it was in vain!
Well, I switched Kylie's preschool. It was really a knee-jerk decision, but I feel good about it. I am really worried that she just isn't getting enough where she's at. At 4, I would expect her to be able to write her name and know her letters. But, she doesn't and that really concerns me. She is already one of the youngest in her class, so she's already at a disadvantage. I don't want to hold her back, so I decided to try a new preschool. I don't think the current preschool director was happy with me, but I have to do what's best for my kiddos. Hopefully she will make the transition smoothly. She is pretty social.
Ok, back to the paper....it's not going anywhere.

Back to Church

Well, we are going back to church tomorrow. After about a 4 month hiatus, we are going to give it another shot. We haven't necessary been avoiding (ok, maybe a little), we have actually been busy. However, we do need to get the kids back in the groove and I think my "issues" with it have had enough time to die. So, we are gonna get up and get back to it. If we don't find that we are happy with our SS class when we go back, we are going to switch and try another. I just don't want to get out of the habit of going again. But, with school it's been hard this summer to go. My summer classes have been very demanding. So, we'll see what happens!
We went bowling tonight with some of the guys from Kyle's work. My high score...an 80!! :)
I am not your best bowler. But, it was fun--it was Cosmic Bowling (lights out, glow in the dark pins, and strobe lights as well as loud music), so we had a blast!

Research and Statistics

Well, this class is officially the worst one yet! I cannot stand Research and Statistics! I stink at stats--remember, I am an English major!!! The research wouldn't be bad except that this class is only 6 weeks long and the first four have been spent with my nose buried in the stats book! I have to seriously get cracking on this stuff (however, here I am blogging away, huh?) .
Oh well, just pray for me....I need to get this stuff done and soon. But Kylie had Morgan's birthday party tonight, tomorrow night is bowling night. Tomorrow morning I am supposed to take Laurie's bridal portraits as well. Sunday is Carrie's swim party. Tuesday night is Emma's birthday party as well as Kyle's mom's birthday. Next weekend is Bunco on Friday night and Kylie's birthday party on Saturday and Jordan's birthday on Sunday!
Ok, enough of that--it's making my head spin.
Kylie is going to take dance lessons this fall...we are hoping to break her of her "shake a booty" moves and replace them with more graceful (and appropriate) dance moves. She doesn't really know yet that she's taking dance lessons yet...that's party of the birthday surprise. She's also getting a little set of golf clubs. They are SO cute and tiny! Weston's lessons are still going alright--he just doesn't pay attention very well. He has his head in the clouds most of the time.
Well, we are at Robert and Kim's house visiting, so I should probably go and be social--I am just trying to do 2 things at once because at this point, this is the only way I will get anything done!