Not Much Longer Now: Due Date Nov. 28

My sister-in-law and aunt gave Chelsea and Justin a baby shower this evening.  I'm always worried that no one is going to show up, but my worries were unwarranted.  We had a good turnout, despite the rain earlier today.  They got LOTS of stuff!!  Now we've just got to get it all back to Scottsboro because I know it won't all fit in her Bug.  I was able to get them a convertible baby bed.  It's in a flat HEAVY box.  Maybe we can trust Justin to be able to put it together correctly once they get it to their home???  I told Chelsea to supervise!  They bought some baby bed bedding this week.  Justin is still working, too bad it is still with the staffing agency and not the company that he is working for.  I'm hoping that will change.  They let some of the "temp" people go last week, but not Justin.  WHEW!  He's still there and a guy that came in when he did + another lady who was there before the both of them were.  Let's just continue to hope that Justin will continue to have a job for awhile...and that they will hire him full time.

Justin and Chelsea (Boy, I'm getting tired of writing both of their names. Let's see how I can handle this.  Jusea (pronounced Jus see). I think that will work.)  Anyway, Jusea have been attending childbirth classes once a week.  They have been watching films.  Chelsea said that she is getting nervous.  I told her she would be fine.  I hope all goes well with the delivery.  I mean, you hear about all these horror stories, and you think, that could happen.  But, let's not think that way.  I'm just gonna trust in God to take care of her and Millie.  Maybe I should throw a prayer in there for Justin, too! :)

Show Some Love

Hey you!  Yes!  I'm talking to you!  I would really like to know who you are.  Something has brought you my way.  So, here's your chance.  You don't have to jump through hoops or anything like that.  This is what I would like for you to do.  Go to the bottom of this post and click on the "comments" link.  Simply type your first name, and where you are from.  If you don't have a blog, just post anonymously.  If you do have a blog, leave the link so that we can return the love to you.  Now, go ahead.  What are you waiting for? :)

<3

Wordless Wednesday

Random Thoughts

Hoping hubby gets to feeling better soon.

I hate when my kids watch "Family Guy."

We have a long drive to the football game Friday night.

Hoping there is a good turnout to Chelsea's baby shower Saturday night.

I'm gonna miss the Mid-South marching band festival Saturday because of the baby shower.  Poor Jordan, although he said that he doesn't care.

It's not very long until my grand daughter will be here!  Amelia Jane (Millie)--(Due Nov. 28)

I wish I could keep my house clean. Sometimes I feel like throwing in the towel.

I love Fall.  Too bad the weather doesn't feel like it yet.

I'm sad that it is Chase's senior year of high school.

Wishing Justin's job would turn into a more stable one.

Friday Night Lights #4 "Mud Bowl '09"

Friday evening our high school team headed to Etowah for the game. We had not beaten this team since 1981! Granted, we haven't played them every year since then, but it had been about 13 games. I remember all too well how they ran up the score on us a couple of years in a row a few years ago. This is the team that Carnell Williams played on before going to Auburn to play and then on to the NFL. It had been raining all week, and storms were in the forecast for Friday. It had not rained all day in Albertville, so I thought we were going to be okay. As we were driving to Etowah, the skies began to darken, and the guy on the radio said that there was a storm moving in around the area where we would be playing. We got there and took our seats on the very top. We continued to watch the black clouds moving in, and our team was out on the field warming up. Our band had elected to stay on the buses for the time being to avoid getting caught in a torrential downpour. Lightening and rain do not mix well with band instruments! Our football team went into their locker room to get ready for the game. It wasn't long thereafter that the storm moved in. Me and the people we were sitting with sought shelter underneath the press box. It rained and thundered and flash and streaked lightning for a good 30 minutes. We found out the game would be delayed, but would kick off around 8:15 p.m. (normal kick off time is 7:00). The field was an absolute mess! Our sideline was pure mud. Our boys didn't seem to mind! They played their hearts out, to the tune of a 14-13 win! And, while our band elected not to perform their halftime show on the field, they still sat in the stands and played the music to the show. It turned out to be a pretty good night. And, we broke the "curse of Etowah" that people had been speaking of all week.  I made pictures, of course!  So, I put together a little slideshow of the event.

Experience The Excitement of High School Football

Some of you have commented that you would like to experience the excitement of a high school football game.  Maybe you live in an area where it is not a big deal, or maybe you live somewhere that doesn't have high school football.  Well, I've come to your rescue.  Here are some videos that I took last week.  A few of them show the pep rally that was held at the high school at the end of the school day, and the others show things that happened during the game. It is an awesome experience, and I just wanted to share a bit of it with my readers. Oh yeah, if any of you are wondering what an Aggie is, our high school started out many years ago as an agricultural school.  So, an aggie is actually a farmer.  We use a devil as our mascot.  He's not THE devil, as some have suggested.  He's just the Aggie Devil.  So, enjoy!

That's my son, Jordan, in the black suit playing bass guitar.

And here are 2 videos from a game the week before. These show more of the atmosphere of the game.




So now do you see why I get so excited?!  And tonight we'll go and do it all again!

An AWWWWW! Moment

If you have kids or have been around them for very long, you know that there is usually a lot of fighting and fussing that goes on.  I have 3 sons, and mine were no exception!  There have been times when they have gotten into knock down drag outs.  But, I'm finding that as they get older, they are getting along better.  Justin texted Chase yesterday to tell him happy birthday without me having to remind him.  These 2 boys fought the most.  They are total opposites.  Chase is the sports jock, and Justin is the artsy musician.  They had hardly anything in common.  My youngest, Jordan, is a bit of a combination of the two.  He loves sports, but quickly found out that he didn't like to stand on the sidelines, so he gravitated to music and the band.  Jordan has mostly seemed to get along with both of his brothers, but they have all had those moments.

Well, I left out a very important thing that meant so much to me about the football game last Friday night.  As you know, Chase plays football, and Jordan is in the band.  Of course, the football players go into their locker room at half-time to strategize.  They do not get to see the band play their half-time show.  Since Jordan plays bass guitar, you can actually pick that sound out with all the other stuff going on.  Well, Chase said that when they came out of the locker room and was waiting on the band to finish their show, he could hear his little brother playing, and it made him happy.

Now, say it with me, "AWWWW!!!"

That made me happy. :-)

How Chase Came Into The World via Car

My middle son, Chase, turned 18 today. Wow! That just doesn't seem right. It occurred to me that this may very well be his last birthday at home. He is planning on attending a college in Enterprise, Alabama to learn how to build airplanes. Those plans are not set in stone yet, so we'll have to see about that. Anyway, I thought I would share the story about how Chase came into this world.

Chase was born in the car on the way to the hospital in the very early morning hours of September 15, 1991. I remember that we were watching the Miss America pageant, and I started feeling an ever-so-slight tightening in my stomach. Not sure that it was actually beginning to happen, I decided to go take a bath. By the time I had finished, I was pretty sure that I could safely say I was having contractions. I went into the living room and told my husband. I don't know where Justin was at the time. I think he was spending the night with Kevin's parents. Anyway, we called my mother because she had planned to go to the hospital with us. It seems like we waited on her FOREVER!!! In the meantime, my contractions were getting stronger and closer together. My neighbor called the hospital to let them know that we were on our way. My contractions were about 2 minutes apart! The hospital was in Gadsden, which is about 40 miles away. My mother finally made it to our apartment. It seems that my niece had been spending the night with her, and she had trouble waking up my sister when she took her home.

So, I was sitting up front with my husband, and my mother was in the back. I REALLY wanted to lie down, and the seat did not let back. We made a short pit stop at a store and I change seats with my mother. Just a little way down the road from there, my water broke, and I remember feeling such a wonderful release. The relaxation only lasted a few short moments, and then the contractions came with a vengeance!! I had grabbed my pillow before we left, and I remember just squeezing it so hard as the contractions came and went, came and went. I could REALLY tell that I was progressing in my labor. Luckily I had worn some stretchy maternity shorts! I had to pull them off! My mother looked back there and asked why I did that, and I told her that I thought the baby was coming. She said, "No. It's not!" But, my husband glanced back there, while driving, and said, "Yes! It is!"

A little farther on down the road, we were stopped by a policeman, either because my husband was speeding, or because he was running all the traffic lights, I'm not sure. My mother was screaming out the window, "Help us!" There is no telling WHAT went through that policeman's mind! lol My first thought was, "Oh good. We have someone who can help us!" But, this was not to be the case. I heard my husband, Kevin, say, "MY WIFE'S HAVING A BABY!! WE CAN HAVE IT HERE, OR WE CAN HAVE IT AT THE HOSPITAL!!" At this point, the policeman said, "Follow me!"

As we were being escorted to the hospital via policeman, I knew I could not hold out any longer. I had to push. Anyone who has ever gone through natural childbirth will know what I'm talking about. You just can't help it! So, I kept pushing, and my baby was born right there in the back car seat. It was dark, so I could not see what was going on. My mother was leaning over the back of her seat and asked what she needed to do. I told her to clean out his mouth. I remember reaching down there in the darkness, and I grabbed a tiny wrist. I remember shaking his wrist to be sure that he was okay. I could hear him softly grunting. I just kept shaking his wrist gently. It was shortly thereafter that we arrived at the hospital emergency room. I remember the ER doctor coming out there and straddling the little hump in the back floorboard and cutting the cord. He pulled the pillow case off of my pillow, wrapped up the baby, and took him into the hospital. Then, they came and got me.

They took me into an operating room where I waited on my doctor, whom they had called, to arrive. He came and took care of the un-pleasantries. I remember that I was shaking so bad. I thought I was cold, but I'm not sure if it was that or the shock of what had just happened. They brought me one of those heated blankets, and it felt so good. We were famous at that hospital that day. I had a healthy 8.5 pound boy. We named him Ryan Chase Rowell and decided to call him Chase.

And today he is 18 years old. It doesn't seem that long ago that all this happened.

I really wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

The World Lost a True Gentleman

Patrick dances with his wife.

Ghost

Dirty Dancing

One of the funniest skits on SNL ever

R.I.P. Patrick Swayze

You will be sorely missed.

May his family find comfort in the arms of God.

Friday Night Lights #3: We Couldn't Pull This One Out

If you've been keeping up with my FNL updates, then you will know that this past Friday night was a big game for us.  It was our big rivalry from the city next to ours.  We have wanted  needed to beat them for awhile now.  When I was in school, we beat them EVERY year.  It wasn't an issue.  But, somewhere along the way, the tide changed, and we didn't know what hit us! I was really hoping that we could turn it around this year, especially since Chase is a senior.  I had hoped that his senior class would see victory over Boaz.  But, it wasn't meant to be.  We had so many turnovers!  I think Chase's little faux pas last week was long forgotten, especially since he caught a pass and also SCORED A TOUCHDOWN!!  He redeemed himself from the missed catch last week.  His catch put us in position to win the game.  It's too bad that we had another turnover after that.  But, life goes on, and the games go on.  We go to Etowah next Friday night.  I'm not sure how good their team is this year, but I'm sure they are pretty good because they usually are. So, stay tuned for my next FNL installment.

A Jeans and T-Shirt Kind of Girl

I'm a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl.  I can even go as far as to say that I'm a "sweats" kind of girl, too. There is nothing like comfy, roomy, warm sweats in the winter. They are the ultimate in comfort clothes. Don't get me wrong.  I like to dress up every now and then, when I want to.  I hate having to wear something just because your workplace or some other place requires it.  I mean, what's so wrong with jeans, anyway?  I can dress up in a pair of jeans sometimes even better than I can in dress clothes.  Maybe it's because I'm limited in the amount of dress clothes that I own.  I'm slowly trying to build up a collection.  Of course, most of what I am supposed to wear is more of a casual-type dressy, you know, khakis and a nice shirt.  I just hate those days when it seems like I am repeating the same thing that I wore the week before.  I admire those people who dress nicely everyday.  They will even wear dress clothes on jeans day.  I don't know what's up with that!!!  But, to each his own. 

I have a favorite pair of jeans.  They fit just right.  It's too bad that they are too worn out to the point that I can't even wear them to work on jean day.  They have a few holes in them.  I tried "patching" them with duct tape because I've always thought that if you can't fix it with duct tape then it can't be fixed!  But, eventually the duct tape starts to curl, and then skin starts to show.  I can't have that!  I just have to make sure that I wear a LONG t-shirt with them and that it stays down!!  I'm not sure if I can even find any more jeans like them because I've had them for quite a while.  Even if I did, I it would be some time before they would have that nice worn-out kind of fit.  I tell you what, you just can't beat a good pair of jeans. 

So, if you see me out and about, don't be surprised if I have my old worn out jeans on.  Just let me know if my duct tape has failed me! :)

I'd love to hear about your favorite jeans.

It was nice having a day off yesterday.  Too bad that I went in to work, anyway.  I just stayed a few hours to get some things filed that I never have time to do.  It was nice going in this morning to an organized office! There are still a lot of things that need to be done, but it is manageable now.  So, what's up with this new Blogger editor?  I like to have spell check.  You know, just in case I spelled manageable wrong.  Oh well, just disregard any misspellings!  I'll do my best to be my own spell checker! 

Chase has moved on since the disappointing loss Friday night.  It's a good thing because this Friday night is a big rivalry.  We have GOT to beat Boaz.  It ain't gonna be pretty if we don't!  Ah!  Football in the South.  It's a lovely feeling.  All the school spirit is so awesome to see.  Jordan has been bassing it up. (As in playing the bass guitar at half-time.)  He's multi-talented because he plays his saxophone in the stands while the other kid plays the bass.  I'm so proud of my kids.  Can't you tell?!

Speaking of kids, we went and visited Chelsea and Justin while we were on our recent motorcycle ride Saturday night.  We surprised them.  Chelsea has been a bit under the weather.  I spoke to Justin yesterday, and he said that she was feeling a little better.  It's just about 2 1/2 months away and my new grand daughter will be here.  It is still so surreal to me.  I can't believe I'm going to be a grandmother.  I mean, I am NOT old enough for that, but somehow it is going to happen.  It is going to be a major change to have a little girl around.  Let's see how much I can spoil her! :) 

The new blog that I started with my friend, Penny, is going well.  I have had a lot of visits, but as of yet, only 3 followers.  I know that will come as time goes by.  A neat thing happened to me last week.  I had responded to a request in our local newspaper about wanting to hear from someone who uses coupons.  I haven't really talked about it a lot on here, but I am an avid couponer.  I have a binder and everything.  You can go read about it all here.  But, back to my news, one of the writers from the paper called me last week and asked me if I could stop by to talk to her about my coupon use.  I carried my binder, and we spoke about all the ways that I save money with coupons.  So, today my picture is on the front page with the article.  I just thought it would be stuck back there in the paper somewhere...I wasn't expecting it to be on the FRONT PAGE!!  You can read the article here.  (In case you are visiting later and need the perma link.)  I hope that it inspired others to use coupons.  It is a great way to save money.  I have been amazed at how much I can get free or almost free. 

So, that's about all that has been going on lately in my Groovy life.  I hope I didn't bore you to tears!

Friday Night Lights #2: A Tough Tough Loss

The game of football is a lot like life.  Things are not always gonna go your way.  It's how you deal with it that really matters.

~Sandra Rowell

In Alabama we take our high school football seriously.  Heck.  We take our college football seriously!  But tonight was a tough one.  My son, Chase, plays wide receiver.  It was the last 2 minutes of the game.  Time for the 2 minute drill.  Make a play, run out of bounds to stop the clock.  We were 24.  They were 28.  We were down within 20 yards of the end zone.  3rd down and they threw it to Chase in the end zone.  He couldn't hang onto it.  As a mom, I hated it so much for him.  It definitely would have been the winning touchdown.  And, I know that he was gonna feel so bad about it, especially since I kissed him this morning and told him to, "Catch one for your momma tonight."  Too bad it was the only one they threw to him all night, but it was also the most important one, too.  I know how he would have LOVED to have caught the winning touchdown.  But, it wasn't meant to be.  As I was driving home, I received a text from Chase.  My heart sank.  Two simple words that meant so much and made my heart break.  "I'm sorry."  I felt so badly for him.  I had my neice to reply to the text for me.  "I still love you.  It's okay."

 He came in just a few moments ago.  I saw the disappointment on his face when he walked in the door.  His dad and I told him that it was okay.  I gave him a big hug.  We asked what his coaches said, and he said they told him the same thing.  One of them told him that he would go to war with him anytime.  Another told him to hold his head high, that he played a great game.  And I say that it's time to move forward from here and start concentrating on the next game, which is a VERY important one for our area.  It is against our fiercest rivals from the city just next door to us.  Those Boaz Pirates are gonna take on us Albertville Aggies.  They have beat us for the last 6 years, and I think this year is gonna be the year that we turn it all around.  We've been gunning for them, and I KNOW they are gunning for us.  They have to come to OUR town next Friday night.  WHEN we beat them next Friday night, tonight's game will be long since forgotten.  It WILL be the game of this season.  I told you that we take this stuff seriously. So stay tuned...

What's Up With All These September Birthdays?

It seems like a lot of people that I know have birthdays in September, even my son, Chase.  Is this a coincidence?  I propose that it's not. Count back 9 months from September.  That will put you right around November/December.  It makes you wonder what all those parents were doing over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays! Or, maybe you can figure that out for yourself.  Isn't that neat?!

There are also a lot of birthdays in February.  Mine and my husband's are February, as is my Justin's.  Count back 9 months.  That would put it right around May/June.  Isn't that when a lot of marriages/anniversaries take place?  Coincidence?  I think not!!

Show Some Love, Please!

Okay, blog friends. My friend, Penny and I have a new venture.  It is an additional blog to this one called, "The Groovy Girls Rock The House!"  While this blog is more of my personal blog, the new one will be geared at the things we all struggle and go through while trying to maintain our homes.  I hope you all will enjoy it and find it informative.  When you visit it, please leave us a comment and let us know what you think.  Your support is very much appreciated!

Is It Just A Cold...or Maybe More?

So, I stopped by the grocery store today for a few things.  I got in line to check out, and there was a lady in front of me buying one thing...medicine for head and chest congestion.  It made me think.  As I approached the cashier for my turn I said, "It's gotta be a little scary checking people out that buy cold medicine."  With all the swine flu news going around, it IS a bit scary.  Heck!  I work at an elementary school.  It's pretty scary there, too.  I have tried to tell myself that the media is blowing this WAY out of proportion, but do we really know that?  The fact is, we don't know a lot about this swine flu.  There was a 12 year-old boy from Scottsboro (where Justin & Chelsea live) that went to the doctor on Monday after coming down with symptoms on Sunday.  The doctor sent him to the hospital...and he DIED!!  They have yet to determine if it was indeed swine flu, but they said that he was experiencing flu-like symptoms.  This is serious stuff, folks.  Just be careful out there.  Here is some info that helps to break down the differences between a cold and the swine flu.

Know the Difference Between a Cold and Swine Flu Symptoms:

Fever
Cold: Fever is rare with a cold.
Swine Flu: Fever is usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of 100°F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the flu.


Coughing
Cold: A hacking, productive (mucus- producing) cough is often present with a cold.
Swine Flu: A non-productive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with the flu (sometimes referred to as dry cough). 

Aches
Cold: Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold.
Swine Flu: Severe aches and pains are common with the flu.


Stuffy Nose
Cold: Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week.
Swine Flu: Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the flu.


Chills
Cold: Chills are uncommon with a cold.
Swine Flu: 60% of people who have the flu experience chills.


Tiredness
Cold: Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold.
Swine Flu: Tiredness is moderate to severe with the flu. 

Sneezing
Cold: Sneezing is commonly present with a cold.
Swine Flu: Sneezing is not common with the flu. 

Sudden Symptoms
Cold: Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days.
Swine Flu: The flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains. 

Headache
Cold: A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold.
Swine Flu: A headache is very common with the flu, present in 80% of flu cases.


Sore Throat
Cold: Sore throat is commonly present with a cold.
Swine Flu: Sore throat is not commonly present with the flu.

 Chest Discomfort
Cold: Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold.
Swine Flu: Chest discomfort is often severe with the flu.