Humidity

It is that time in TN again where you can't make it to your car without dripping sweat. This isn't to taken for lady like expiring. It is your nasty, homegrown SWEAT. My Mom asked me the other day if we shouldn't all move to a climate that was nicer and didn't have so many allergies. Sounds good to me!

The week before the 4th of July Ronny grilled his first Boston Butt. I have to say it was very delicious and Uncle JR would have loved the skin. Needless to say there was only enough left for maybe 2 sandwiches! Ronny had to work on the 4th. That was his weekend to work. This weekend he will be off though!

Monday we took the kids back to the childrens museum. The kids had a blast and on the way home after Ronny's doctors appointment we stopped by the mall and they took their first ride on a carousel! It only cost $2 for all four of us so that was even better!

2 Kids, 2 Dogs, Hives, Asthma, 3 acres of yard, Bushes that need water and a hubby who is working 13 hour days

This week has been a little like hell on earth. My Mom keeps reminding me that I have survived but it makes me very thankful that 2 years ago the 18th I was not made a widow. This is what our living room, dining room and office look like after 8 days of Ronny working long days, me being broken out from head to foot with horrible hives and being stuck in the house due to 110 degree heat indexes. We don't have closets or an attic and I do clean but since my kids and I are home constantly I am not going to constantly police their play. The good Lord knows we spent more money than we should have going to Wal-Mart this week just for a change of scenery.

Catching Up

The last few months have been pretty busy around the house. The kids are getting to the age where they are into everything. Just last week Dakota Grace learned how to open the refrigerator and BJ climbs on everything. Ronny is working 12 hour shifts at CCA. This week he works monday-sunday with only wednesday off and then he is off for 7 days straight! BJ had his surgery last week and that went well and we are looking forward to the appointment for DGS tonsils to be checked in August. She has had another flair up and I know she feels miserable. Mom and Dad are driving across country. They saw James for 1 day and now at my Grandma's for 1 day and then to Yellowstone for 2 days. They may go on down to Zion National Park too. As for me, I just found out that I have lost 26% lung function and 50% of my small airways so I am in for some additional tests. The good news is that I received a letter from our insurance company that I met my detuctible! I am so relieved! I have had hives since saturday and found out that I am allergic to the asthma medicine. Please pray with us that they can find a medicine that will give me some relief. Since I don't breathe well we feel that the bloating in my stomach that makes me look about 5-6 months pregnant is actually air that isn't escaping. We have survived almost 2 years since the last accident at CCA. Thankfully we are still a family and though financially we have been ripped apart we are making it. I will never strive to be debt free again. I have found that making ends meet is enough and God will provide. I shouldn't pray that he will provide but then think I have to have all this money for him to do it.

I Do Not Plan

I have found that I am really not a planner and don't like to set a lot of rules. It seems like people like to join groups and follow rules. That is so not my personality. If I do anything to "Go Green" it because it is practical or economical. If I make a menu plan for more than one day out it is totally theoretical depending on what ingredients I know I have in the house and usually includes tons of options. Lately I have found that I really like to cook and try new recipes. The oatmeal muffins I made where a flop but the country fried steak I made on a whim because the steak I had looked like they would be tough ended up great!

BJ is still climbing on everything and after watching his sister climb into and out of his crib I caught him trying to figure out how to get out! I am just not ready to have two kids who can get out of their beds. I can just imagine getting up and night and finding him unloading my cabinets or dumping a bag of cereal on the floor!

Tonight we built a small fire and let DGS roast marshmallows. BJ was the only one who would eat them! It was fun and next time she thinks we should roast hotdogs and she can eat at her table in her play house. I just can't get over her big imagination and asking 100 questions and wanting explicit details and about anything and everything.

5 Day Weekend

Can you tell the excitement that goes on at our house each day? BJ has started to climb on everything. Yes, even on the kitchen table. We find ourselves picking him up and telling him no countless times a day. He has started wrinkling his nose at us and puckering his lips when he gets caught doing something he knows he shouldn’t. It is so hard not to laugh because he is just so darn cute. His sister found this old pillow and gave it to him. She thinks he should be her baby and she keeps trying to make him a bed on the floor so she can put him to sleep. So far he is not falling for it.

Ronny is going to be off for the next 5 days. He decided that he wanted a little mini vacation before he started schedule change number 4 in 6 months. Hopefully this one will not be too bad but we are not holding our breath. He will now go to work at 2pm and get off at 10pm each night instead of 1:30pm to anytime after 10:30pm. So potentially he will be working less hours each week. This is a good thing since he is salary! The bad part of the schedule is that he will have to work 7pm to 7am when someone needs a day off. We have been promised that on the days he works this schedule he either won’t have to be back in until 7pm to work a second cover day or the next day at 2pm. So much better than the constantly rotating schedule that the police department and sheriff’s department had us on. Which might I add that no one has ever stayed in that position at either department since Ronny left in 2006.

Ronny and BJ have the croup but we hope to still enjoy the nice weather that should be here in the next day or two. I have a bunch of steaks in the freezer that need to be eaten! Hopefully we will have perfect grilling weather. The kids are starting to eat more. They each scarfed down an entire piece of pizza last night!

I know, I know it has been a long time

The last month has gone by pretty fast and with 2 toddlers I have spent most of my free time trying to catch a little sleep and just maybe a shower here and there. This past week the weather has been absolutely beautiful so the kids and I have been playing outside a lot. The dishes, laundry, floors and clutter will just have to wait. Tomorrow it will be cold and it can all wait. The kids are only young once and all this bottled up energy needs to be let out of its container! BJ is absolutely climbing on everything. He had joined me on the front porch after Ronny headed to work and while I was talking to Daddy BJ decided to climb up on the top of the jogging stroller. I caught it just before he hit his head. If you look at some of the up to date photos of the little man you will notice what has started to become a permanent bruise on his forehead!

Yesterday we spent time at Overton Park after Ronny's doctors appointment. There were quiet a few people there but all were rather well behaved. We were very surprised since the park in Jackson when busy has lots of unsupervised mean kids. So the kids were able to swing and go down the slides to their hearts content with out being pushed and shoved! We then took a walk down one of the trails! I love living in the country but wish we had a place like this in our county. The only park in Bolivar that is safe would be in the full sun and has only slides. Go figure.