I Still Worry About Him. I Always Will.

I just thought I'd give a little update. I really have nothing relevant to blog about, except for my progress on my laundry room. That will take a little longer than I have right now, so I'm saving it for tomorrow...or Saturday. I am really making progress and can't wait to show you!

All the activities have begun for school to start back. And, since I work at an elementary school, things are really getting down to the wire. We have lots of construction going on. They are totally revamping the bus loop and the car lanes, as well and the rest of the parking lot. They are also working diligently on the new offices that will be on the other side of the school. It has been interesting to see the progress. I just hope it is all ready before school starts back on Aug. 12.

I am a 12 month employee, meaning that I work year 'round. No summers off for me! I do get vacation days, but I use those when I take a notion to take off. (Notice how I used some Southern speak there "notion"). We are usually too broke to go on a full week vacation! Oh well, such is the way of life.

Justin still has not heard from the interview that he went on a couple of weeks ago. He said that he HAD heard that the lady went on vacation after the interviews, so hopefully, she has not made any decisions yet. I really hope he finds something soon. I worry about him and his new family. I guess all mothers do. You think that when they get out and on their own that you can loosen the reigns a little, but you just worry about them more. I guess it's because he is there, and I am here. I talk to him almost every day, though. But, it's just not the same. I hate that he is so far away (even though it's just an hour). Maybe once he gets a job I won't worry as much...

but I doubt it.

Facebook Responses To My Monday Memories Post (FUNNY!)

For my Monday Memories this week I posted the following photo which shows 2 of my boys doing dishes when they were much younger:

I also thought I'd have a little fun and post the picture on Facebook, knowing that these 2 sons would see it because I made it a point to tag them in the photo. Here is the reponses I got on Facebook:

Ashlee Davenport
hahah look at chase! very cute(:
Yesterday at 6:34pm · Delete

Chase Rowell
yeah thanks mom
Yesterday at 8:06pm · Delete

Justin Rowell
Yea, for real. o_O
Yesterday at 8:10pm · Delete

Sandra Parris Rowell
I thought you boys might like this memory! I love you. :)
Yesterday at 9:17pm · Delete

Justin Rowell
That's not me. It's Harry Potter.
Yesterday at 10:45pm · Delete

Chase Rowell
thats not me its mcully culkan
Yesterday at 11:45pm · Delete

Justin Rowell
Mom just mislabled the picture.
Yesterday at 11:45pm · Delete

So, they have tried to pass it off as Harry Potter and McCauley Culken doing dishes in their underwear! Too Funny!!

Don't you just love when you can do this stuff to your kids? :)

Monday Memories: Doing Dishes

Justin & Chase doing the dishes back in the day...

wish they still did them! :)

Chase & Justin NOT doing the dishes!

Road Trip Around Little River Canyon

We went riding on our new motorcycle yesterday. Boy! Who knew that riding a motorcycle could be so tiring! We had a nice time, but I was glad to get home. We went on some winding roads around Little River Canyon and up and down a few mountains. It was nice to get out and ride for a while. Kevin's brother, Bruce, got a motorcycle last week, so it was fun riding with him and his wife, Charlene. The picture in my header is one of the awesome views that we saw yesterday.

But, today I just want to stay at home. I am a homebody. I like to be at home. I guess it's because I have to work everyday, so I like to stay home on the weekends...most of the time. Today I plan to get back to working on my laundry room. Hopefully, I will be finishing it up soon. I have been painting it. I bought some lime green and hot pink acrylic paint the other day. I plan to paint some "sayings" on the wall, and I may even get creative enough to paint some butterflies or something. I also bought a hot pink floor lamp. If I have enough room in there when I get done, I plan to make a "reading corner" just for me. Doesn't that sound wonderful?!! I'm so excited about it. I can't wait to show you the finished product.

Now I leave you with a few picks from our road trip yesterday.

Have a nice Sunday. :)

Hubby and Me

My Boys' Grocery List

When I came home from work today, my boys had a request. It was a simple, "Can you please go to the grocery store today?!" I guess that means that they were hungry and nothing that I had in the fridge or the pantry was very appetizing to them. Their request had some stipulations with it, too. So, I decided to share their "grocery list" along with my thoughts on each request.


1. Anything we can eat when you're not here.
(So, that would be anything that I buy, right?)

2. Snack food, such as snack packs, lunchables, dunkaroos, peanut butter crackers, peanut butter.
(Snack packs/lunchables are not worth the price when it would take more than one per TEENAGE boy to know that they even ate anything! Dunkaroos may be a possibility. Peanut butter crackers and peanut butter, that I can do.)

3. No more hotdogs or noodle cups.
(Do you sense that they have eaten A LOT of these?! :) )

4. Foods to eat late at night.
(Again, wouldn't this be ANYTHING that I buy?!)

5. Cereal and milk. REESE'S PUFFS, LUCKY CHARMS.
(My boys go through A LOT of cereal and milk. They view cereal and milk as a snack. They can easily go through a box a day. Therefore, we ALWAYS run out of cereal and milk before the week is up.)

6. Drinks: Yoohoos.
(When I told them that Yoohoos don't last long enough for as much as they drink them, Jordan had an alternative. Purity or Mayfield chocolate milk. Did you notice how he mentioned the highest priced brands? But, I can't really argue against them wanting milk, now can I?)

7. Orange juice in the carton, NOT the pulp kind.
(Again, VERY specific instructions. lol)

8. Ham & cheese
(Because anytime that they are hungry and I don't want to cook, I tell them to fix a ham sandwich.)

So, what is on your kids' grocery list?

Here We Go Again

I briefly told y'all the other day that Justin and Chelsea had gotten moved, and he was looking for a job. Well, he told me today that he has an interview in the morning at a place that makes auto parts. He said that it was only 3 days a week, but I told him that it was better than nothing! So, please say a little prayer that this will work out for him. I believe he is finally starting to grow up and realize his responsibility.

If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you know that I have been through so many emotions with him. If you would like to catch up, it all began here. I then, I found out this! He finally got a job as noted here. What I didn't tell you is that he got sick on his 3rd day of work, so that was the end of that. They moved to Scottsboro, anyway. There's no way he could drive back and forth to work here. And right now, his water pump has gone out on his car, so we've got to go there and get that taken care of this weekend!

I've also offered to buy them a convertible crib (converts to a bed as the baby grows). A dear dear fellow blogger, Brandy, at http://doodleandbean.blogspot.com has generously offered lots of baby stuff to them. I pray that she gets a tremendous blessing out of it. There are still wonderful people in this world. So, please just say a little prayer for Justin and Chelsea. I pray that this interview is the break that they've been needing. Stay tuned for an update

Monday Memories: Still Missing Her

This is a picture of my mother-in-law and my niece, Riannon. This was taken last year (2008) after Riannon has graduated from high school. It is the last time that I saw my mother-in-law. She passed away the next week when she suffered a heart attack at the wheel of her SUV.

Today would have been her 69th birthday.

Ramblings On A Saturday

I guess it's about time to do a "real" post. Don't get me wrong. The others that I've posted have been real, but it was just a few things that I threw together. I haven't really written anything in a while. I have just had blogger's block. But, I decided to sit down and just start writing and see where it leads. So, here goes...

My sister-in-law threw a wedding shower for Justin and Chelsea. We labeled this one for family members. My friend, Penny, is going to throw one for friends. The shower turned out pretty great. They got some dishes, towels, kitchen knickknacks. I got them a waffle iron (per Justin's request), and a creamer and sugar bowl. They got a few more things that I can't remember right now. Since they didn't have a traditional wedding, Chelsea wanted a wedding cake so that they could freeze the top for their first anniversary. Connie was unable to find a suitable round cake on such short notice, so I came up with an idea. I bought one of those small cakes that the Walmart bakery makes. These are about 3 inches across. It was about $6. Then, I went back to the cake decorating section, back in crafts and found a small topper of a bride and groom. I placed the topper on the cake and put it on display at the shower. Afterward, they were able to take the cake home and freeze it. I think that they both liked it.

Speaking of Chelsea and Justin, things are moving right along. They have decided to move onto her parents' property in a mobile home. They have been painting it and getting it ready. I'm sad that my son is living over there. It takes about an hour to get there. But, I keep telling myself that it is only an hour away. He is still looking for a job, but has had no luck so far. I have committed myself to buying a baby crib for them when I get my next check. (I only get paid once a month!) We are going to get one of those convertible cribs that grow with the baby and eventually turn into a full size bed.

On another subject, I have been painting my laundry room. It was just dingy white. I have begun painting it Sassy Violet. I have decided to turn it into a girlie room, especially since I'm the one that spends the most time in there! Hey, I figured that I should do something to make laundry more fun. With all these males around my house, I deserve at least one girlie room. So far the results have been great. I can't wait until I get it done. I'll post a picture soon.

Chase has been going to football workouts all summer. It won't be too long until football season. Of course, that means that school will be starting back soon. Chase will be a senior this year. :*( Let the stress begin!

Jordan will start band camp next week. We are not sure if he will be playing saxophone or bass guitar. Of course, he will play bass guitar in the show choir again, but that won't start until after the first of the year. It will be interesting to see what our marching band show will be this year. It is always awesome, as well as the show choir show. Our high school is getting a complete renovation/rebuilding done. Both the band and the show choir will be housed in our new fine arts center. It's been a long time coming. These 2 award-winning programs deserve the best.

Things will begin getting hectic for me with the starting of school. I will be doing the bookkeeping for 2 separate schools this year because our massive school has split into 2 separate entities. The only difference for me will be separating everything and doing things twice. I'm up for the challenge. I have to work out a routine to stay on track with everything. I guess we'll see how it goes.

Well, I'm off to go check Facebook now. Someone beat me at Typing Maniac this morning, and I am trying to regain my title. So, now it's time for you to show some love and leave me a comment to let me know you were here. I'll return the favor. Have a blessed day!

Some of My Favorite Commercials Out There

I just love a good commercial. There are some very creative advertising guys out there. Here are a few of my favorites.



I love the catchy tunes of these commercials...


"Baby Come Back!!"


What are some of your favorite commercials?

Random Post: Lighten Up

Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.

Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died.

If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?

I think animal testing is a terrible idea; they get all nervous and give the wrong answers.

There is a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.

Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils ... - Louis Hector Berlioz

Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

Why don't they make the whole plane out of that black box stuff.
-- Steven Wright

Last week the candle factory burned down. Everyone just stood around and sang, 'Happy Birthday'. -Steven Wright

Monday Memories: Danceline Days

Me, Kelli, Sharon, Stephanie, & Melissa

This is the senior danceline members for the 1986-1987 school year. I stay in touch with Melissa and have recently reconnected with Stephanie on Facebook. We had some good time. I was on danceline my 10th-12th grade years. I was actually on the first danceline that my high school had. They had majorettes before this. We went on many fun trips. We performed in Coca Cola's 100th year celebration in Atlanta. We also performed at the Superdome during pre-game & half-time of a New Orlean's Saints/Atlanta Falcons game. Our band has always gotten superior ratings and has performed in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade 4 times so far (although I missed out on these). My son, Justin, was in the band when they went to Los Angeles and performed in the Hollywood Christmas parade. My husband and I made this trip with them. It was a blast. Justin also went on a Bahamas cruise with the band. The band attended another Bahamas cruise this past year that Jordan went on. And no, unfortunately, I did not attend the cruise trips. But, it just goes to show the confidence that the band leaders put in all these band kids to be able to take them on such neat trips. There are 200+ members in this band. I have posted a half-time show from my senior year. Enjoy!

Born Too Soon

That day is here. I'm not even sure that I can do it justice in words, to even be able to express how I felt that day, July 11, 1990. It was the saddest day of my life. I know that I wrote about it back then, on paper. I have that paper somewhere. I'm not quite sure where, but even if I found it, I feel like it would even be too personal to put down here on this blog where I have shared my heart and soul on so many other things. Most of you know that I have 3 boys, now almost grown. What you may not know is that I have a daughter, too. I say "have" because, even though she is not here on this earth, she still exists, in Heaven and in my heart.

Back in early 1990 I found out that I was pregnant. I already had one child, Justin, who was born in February, 1989. Even though we never really planned any of our children, we were excited to be having another one. Since we had a boy, naturally, we hoped for a girl. Things were going well. I began to feel the baby growing and moving inside me. I had had an ultrasound and saw the movements, the legs, the arms, the face. We were unable to tell what the baby was during the ultrasound. I remember having morning sickness that would last all day. Things were progressing right along until...

I remember going to my mother and daddy's on July 4, 1990 to celebrate Independence day with a cookout. During this time, I began to notice a leakage that I attributed to my bladder being pressed upon by my baby. It became more noticeable when I realized that I actually needed to change my clothes due to the wetness. I made a doctor's appointment, still thinking that it was nothing more than a leaky bladder.

My sister-in-law, Connie, went with me to the doctor on the day of my appointment. My husband, Kevin, had to work. I still was not too worried. Little did I know that my world was about to be turned upside down. She waited in the waiting room while I went back. I had the most wonderful doctor. He was a little old man who had such caring and compassion. He decided that we should do another ultrasound to see what was going on. All during this time, the baby was moving, as usual. After the ultrasound, I went back to the room to wait for my doctor to check the ultrasound and give me the verdict.

When my compassionate, caring doctor came into the room, the news was not good. He told me that the amniotic fluid was leaking out. He said that sometimes these things will correct themselves and seal up, but sometimes they don't, and labor would start...too soon. Medical technologies must not have been advanced enough to correct this condition at the time. He advised me to go home, and put my feet up and take it easy. He told me to be aware if I started having contractions. We were both hoping that it would seal up.

I walked out of that office stunned. I didn't really know how to tell my sister-in-law, but somehow I did. Things after that were a blur. We didn't have cell phones back then, so my husband didn't find out until we got back home. We took measures to get and keep me off of my feet as much as possible. All the time over the course of the next few days, I could feel the baby moving, as it always had. It broke my heart, just knowing what was probably going to happen. I cherished those movements, and I cried my heart out. We didn't have a home phone during this time. My parents would stop by and let me know that my doctor had called to see how I was doing. This meant so much to me.

We decided to go up to Kevin's parents after a few days and stay with them. His mother could help me with Justin while he continued to work. And then, on July 10th, it began to happen. I started having contractions that evening. We made our way to the hospital, about 40 miles away. They got me in there and hooked me up to everything. Sure enough, I was in labor. I was 22 weeks pregnant. I remember the nurse coming in there to talk to us. She told us that babies that were only 22 weeks along just don't make it. I had come to terms with that. It wasn't much longer after that that I delivered a baby girl. It was not like a normal labor. Of course I had the contractions, but when I actually had her, I hardly even knew it. They took her away. It was 12:14 a.m., and there I was.

Kevin and my mother were there with me. One of them went out to see what was going on. Awhile later, the nurse returned and asked me if I would like to see her.

I said no.

Kevin and mom said that they had seen her. Mom told me that if I didn't see her that I would always wonder about her. I asked the nurse what she looked like. She told me that she was fully developed, but just very small. I agreed to told her that I would see her. She brought me back this beautiful baby girl wrapped in a blanket. And oh so tiny. She was as small as the little baby doll that I once played with as a child. Her whole had was only the length of the top knuckle of my thumb to the tip of it. And her feet were just as small. I was taken aback when a breath of air escaped from her lungs as I was holding her. The nurse said that they do that because air gets trapped inside.

I'm so glad that I got to spend this little bit of time with her. They moved me from the maternity to another one. One that wouldn't constantly be reminding me that there were other mothers there who had just had healthy, full-term babies. They gave me a little book titled, "When Hello Means Goodbye". I remember reading the stories and poems inside it and just crying and crying.

I went home on the morning of July 11, 1990. We had preparations to make. A local funeral home offered to do a graveside service. We went and picked out a dress, although I can imagine how big it must have been on her. I never saw her after that night in the hospital. They gave me 2 Polaroid picture that they took of her, although the quality was not that great, they are the only physical images I would ever have of her.

Her graveside service was held on July 20. I remember feeling such a sense of loss that even the mundane everyday stuff felt weird. And then, all these other people I would see at the grocery store and other public places were going about their business, not knowing that my world had been turned upside down. It was such a surreal time in my life.

I could go on and on about how we were finally able to move on. But, you can see from my blog pictures and posts, that life does go on. We move on, but we never forget. Today would have been her 19th birthday. She would have graduated from high school this past May, and we would be preparing for her to go to college. But, that wasn't in God's plans. Instead, I've ended up with 3 boys and a grand daughter on the way. God knows what He's doing.

And now, I would like to share one of the poems from the book that I mentioned. It was written by Kate McNassar who had lost her grand daughter, born too soon...

Until you I never knew there
were so many babies.
I see them everywhere...babies in arms,
at grocery stores, church, the park, on our block.
I am guessing but somehow know
some are just your days had you stayed.

Mothers stare sometimes because I do...
one looked curious so I asked,
"How old?" And she was one month
later than you born.

I shall always see you...little girls
at ten...later the blush and
bloom of teens...then the coming
of grace and dignity of woman.

But wait, lest I forget in fleeting time
how soon I shall know you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRITNY MADISON ROWELL
I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH

What's In A Name?

So, we have established the fact that I am going to be a grandmother in November. Yes, I know. I'm too young to be a grandmother. But, somehow it has happened. So, now comes the next task at hand.

What do I want to be called in my new role?

Definitely NOT mawmaw! There's nothing wrong with this, for others. But, my husband's mother was mawmaw, and her mother was mawmaw. It just sounds too old for my tastes, because as I said before, I'm too young to even be a grandmother!

Definitely NOT granny! That's my mother...and she had specifically told my sister (upon finding out that she was expecting her first grandchild) that she did NOT want to be called granny. Well, much to my mother's chagrin, my sister's husband thought it would be funny to start calling her that. So that's what she is to this day. It sounds too old for me, too. My grandmother on my daddy's side was my "granny". My grandmother on my mother's side was my Mam-aw. That's not for me, either.

I want a cool, hip...shall I say 'GROOVY' name. I thought about Nana. But, that just seems like a cop out to me. It's just seems like "the other" grandmother name if you don't want the traditional ones.

I voiced my concern to a co-worker the other day. She told me that I should be GiGi. She said that I looked like a GiGi. This name didn't really make much sense to me until I looked at this site. It could stand for "Groovy Grandma". But, it seems like it would be hard for a baby to start saying GiGi, but I'm sure she would catch on as soon as she could.

I even took the quiz on the site. It said that I was a traditional, "old-fashioned" grandmother and "grandmother" or "grandma" is what I should be called. NO!! I don't think so!

Another co-worker I talked to said that she was simply, "Granna". I just don't know. That sounds too much like "granny" to me.

Please note. I have no intention of offending anyone who has their grand kids call them mawmaw or granny, or any of the others. They just aren't right for me. And, I also know that it absolutely will not matter when this lovely child begins acknowledging me as her grandmother with WHICHEVER name she chooses to call me.

So, please let me know if you have any advice or names that I should consider? This is all still up for debate.

You Guessed It!!

I don't think I fooled anyone. My hint was just too good! Yes! Justin called me yesterday and said that they had been to the doctor, and Chelsea had had an ultrasound. It's a girl!! Wow! After having 3 boys, I say it's about time we had a girl around here! I may have to have some pointers from some of you. I mean, I was once a little girl, but I don't know that much about caring for little girls. But, I do know this. I know it's gonna be a blast! And, I'm excited!!

I Wonder

Do you know what the image implies? I'll give you a moment to think about it...**Jeopardy Music Plays**

...

...

...

...

...

Okay. Time's up! Let me know what you think.
Come on! Take a wild guess!

I'll post the answer tomorrow.

Monday Memories: At The Skating Rink

Here a picture taken at my teenage hangout, the skating rink. It was called The Carousel Skating Rink. You could find me there most Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday nights. I have a lot of memories at this skating rink. I was probably around 14 or 15 in this picture. Now, this skating rink has become a sleep center, and it has moved into a new place with a new name (Mega Skate), although it's been there for many years now. I remember my friends and I "trucking" to the likes of Loverboy's "Turn Me Loose", and the Commodores' "Lady, You Bring Me Up When I'm Down".

Most of my teenage dating came from the guys that I met at the skating rink. I think this picture was taken on my birthday, hence the bow. The boy in this picture with me was NOT my boyfriend! He was just a neighbor of mine named Patrick. But, you see that hunk spinning the records above us? I DID date him! ;) And yes, I DID say "records". His name was John. I wonder where both of these guys are today. I haven't heard anything out of them since back in the day...

That cake didn't even have a chance...

Good Intentions...

Why do I do it? I LOVE to read about organizing and home decorating. I love to think of projects that I want to do in my home. But, that's my problem, reading and planning about these things are mostly the extent of it. I need to do less planning and more DOING. Sometimes, I start a project, and it stays "in process" forever. One such project is my kitchen. A couple of years ago, I decided that I wanted to paint the cabinets red and have an apple theme in there. Well, I got the cabinets all painted, but have yet to paint the rolling cart that holds the bread and cereal, and the snack cabinet. They are still the same awful green color that the cabinets used to be! But, you want to know the kicker? I am tired of the red/apple theme now! I want a coffee theme. I have kept the kitchen "in process" so long, that I have gotten tired of the red! I think I am crazy! I have taken steps to enact a coffee theme. I have begun painting the walls a beige coffee color. I plan to paint the top cabinets either white or dark brown, and the bottom cabinets are definitely going to be dark brown. I just wonder if I can get this project completed? After all, I am a master at procrastination. Stay tuned...

Weight Loss Wedensday: Week 2 Completed

I'm a bit discouraged today because when I weighed this morning, I had gained back 1.4 pounds. Weight loss is such a struggle! I thought I was doing good, too. I had started walking more and drinking more water. I had cut way back on the colas and sweet tea, limiting myself to only a couple a day. Then, to step on the scale this morning and see that I have gained was such a downer.

I thought about giving up. But, I decided that that is what I have always done. I have always just decided that I would settle with how I was. It's too bad that I can't just be happy with the body that I have. Albert Einstein once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Is that what I'm doing? Maybe. I know I should change things up more. I need to try harder. I need to make it a point to walk or exercise EVERY day, when AT ALL possible.

I also know that women's bodies are complicated. One day we are retaining water, and the next day we're not. OH! IT'S SO DADGUM HARD!!! I also know that a large part of weight loss is mental. There are so many factors to consider!! It just makes me want to throw in the towel. But, I can't. And I won't. Not this time. I must be determined that I can do this!

So, dear blogger friends, here I go on another week. I will strive to do the daily exercise. I will strive to consider how EVERYTHING that I put into my mouth is going to help or hurt me in achieving my goal.

And, I hope that I come back next Wednesday with a minus on that scale.