Puppy Love....

I tend to name our pets based on what I like in real life.  Like, for example, my beloved miniature Chihuahua was named Gus, after my favorite character from my favorite movie “Lonesome Dove”.  Then there was the beautiful gray kitten we had last summer who I named “Lee Greenwood”… for obvious reasons.

We had our first litter of bloodhound puppies last week.  There are six males and one female.  I was thinking that we should give the female a really special name since she’s outnumbered.  So, I decided to name her something very important to me.  Something that pops in my mind first thing every morning.  Something I could not live without. 

Her name is “Fancy Cake”.   #fatamyprobz

 

 

Happy Birthday, Karlie

Seventeen years ago today was Good Friday, and we got our very own little Easter surprise.  Well, she wasn't so little.  She was 3 weeks early but she weighed 9 pounds.  She was chubby and beautiful, and we were thrilled.  We had no idea what her name was though.  I found out she was a girl VERY early.  I had a friend do an ultrasound at 13 1/2 weeks, so I had plenty of time to get a name.  But nope.  No name. 

When we first found out we were having a girl, Willard said he liked "Abigail".  He rarely mentioned liking ANY name, so I thought we should probably use that.  I asked him what middle name he liked because I couldn't think of anything that flowed well with Abigail.  He said, "Let's just name her Abba Gail".  Um, no.  Scratch that. 

Then we picked out Chandler, but that was when "Friends" was so popular and there was a male character named Chandler, so everytime I told someone the name, they'd say, "ohhh, I thought you were having a girl..."  Sigh... scratch that.

So I struggled.  For months, I struggled.  The day she was born, I was in a panic on the way to the hospital.  I gave Willard a list of about 10 names and told him to pick his favorite 3, and then I'd choose the winning name.  He narrowed it down to Kendall, Payton, and Karsyn.  Well, I guess you noticed her name isn't any of those. 

Hunter and Haley Rae are named after Willard's side of the family, so I really wanted to name Karlie after my side.  Momar's name is Suzanne, so that seemed like a good middle name.  I had liked the name Karlie before I was pregnant with her, but a friend of my was pregnant and due a few weeks before me and she was planning to name hers Karlie.  Well, her Karlie was actually a Noah and he was born 3 days before my Karlie. 

My dad's name is Charles and my father-in-law's name was Charles, so Hunter had TWO Pap-paw's named the same thing.  He tended to call my dad "Pap-Paw Charlie" except he had a speech problem and it came out "Pap-Paw Karlie".  Wah-lah.  When that finally clicked with me, I knew that had to be her name. 

So, at 1:36 p.m., our sweet Karlie Suzanne was born.  She was chubby and... wait, I already said she was chubby, didn't I... she was precious.  She was my calm after the storm (the storm being Haley Rae, but that's another blog).  She brought joy to so many people.  She wasn't planned.  I mean, I knew I wanted more kids, but Hunter and Haley were so little and I wanted to space them out.  But looking back, she was right on time.  My father-in-law passed away when Karlie was only 2 months old and my mother-in-law has told me time and time again how Karlie saved her. 

Fast forward to present day, and she's still my sweet girl who has a heart as big as the world, especially for old people.  She loves babies too, but she "awwwwws" just as loud when she sees a cute little old person. 

She's not chubby now, but she's still beautiful.  Happy Birthday, Karlie!

Good news for Dale Jr fans...

Dear Dale Jr. Fans -

On Monday morning before last (the Monday BEFORE the Daytona 500), I stopped at the store for gas.  I got gas, got breakfast for me and Aubree, a couple of drinks, a pack of gum… and my total was $88.88.  My first thought –

Yay!  Maybe this is a sign that Dale Jr. will win this week. 

Unless you live under a rock, you’ve undoubtedly heard that Dale Jr. DID INDEED win the Daytona 500.

This past Monday morning (the Monday AFTER the Daytona 500), I dropped  Aubree off at daycare and picked up the receipt that shows my balance or credit at daycare.  Folks, I had a credit of $88.  

BAM.  

Let me just put it out there... Dale Jr. WILL win this weekend at Phoenix.

You’re welcome.

I Heart My Community

Back in August, DHR placed a 16-year-old girl and her 4-month-old baby with us.  It was supposed to be for a day, but then it got extended for a week.  After a week, things were going well and we agreed to be their permanent foster home.  Ultimately, they were with us until last Friday, before moving back home. 

(I can’t use their names because of DHR rules, so that’s why I refer to them as “the girl” and “the baby”.  I’m not trying to sound detached, it’s just a rule.)

The girl had not been in school in a couple of years and when DHR told her she had to enroll at Danville, she was NOT excited.  She assumed she’d stand out as the new girl and be shunned because she has a baby.  Well, she was right about part of it.  She stood out, alright.  The teachers all took her under their wings… the kids included her like she had always been there.  She went into school that first day expecting to have to fight anyone who made an ugly comment about her being a teen mom.  Instead, they asked to see baby pictures and couldn’t wait for her to bring him to the school to visit.  She went to volleyball games, football games, basketball games… I remember looking down at her during a volleyball game and seeing her cheering as loud as anybody in the whole gym. 

The first Sunday I told her she had to go to church with us, she wasn’t too happy about that either.  Again, she expected to be looked down upon and she told me right away that she didn’t want to leave her baby in the nursery with strangers.  It didn’t take long for her to see that those strangers treated her baby like a prized possession. She was prayed for more than she can even imagine, and the ladies at church even bought diapers for me to send back home with her so she didn’t have to worry about buying them.

When I told her I needed the baby to go to daycare a couple of days a week with Aubree while I worked, she nearly freaked.  She was adamantly opposed to daycare.  Now, after 5 months, she wishes she could keep him going to Sheila’s Daycare because it’s so obvious how much they love him.  Miss Sheila couldn’t even talk about him leaving foster care and going back home without tearing up. 

I know the past 5 months were not easy for this young girl.  She was forced to adjust to a different way of life.  A lot of teens would have rebelled against all our rules, but not her.  She loves her baby and she knew the best thing she could do for him was make the best of this situation.  It turned out good for her, but a lot of that is because she felt so accepted here.

So, to my friends … to the teachers at Danville… the folks at Danville Baptist… the daycare workers at Sheila’s…. THANK YOU!  You made a difference in the lives of two special people.  You helped make a good experience out of something that could have been really, really bad. What could have been the longest 5 months of their lives (and mine!) resulted in a beautiful thing.  They’re bonded to us now.  They’ll always have a connection to our family and to our community. 

I’ve always been proud to be from my hometown of Danville, Alabama, but never more than now.

My Secret To Staying Warm....

There is no one in the whole world who hates cold weather more than me.  Seriously.  It makes me miserable and angry. 

It is currently 10 degrees outside in ALABAMA and I'm feeling just fine.  I feel like I need to share my secret with you because I know many of you share my hatred of the coldness. 

Here goes...

I haven't had a hormone pill in 4 days.  And ladies, my inner solar source is cranked up.  There is nothing to make you toasty like a good 'ol fashioned hot flash.  Miss 4 pills in a row... it's like perpetual warmth. 

The problem is, the amount of estrogen in my body closely correlates with the amount of niceness in my body. 

Soooo...

My mood? Eh.

My patience level? Relatively low.

My marital status? A little shaky.  He says he's going to melt the pills down and inject me in my sleep.

But I'm warm.  I'm so warm.

 

Goodbye 2013!

As 2013 comes to an end, I started to think about a few observations I made over the year.

·        My mom has always said, “Don’t buy me gifts… if y’all are all together, that’s all I want.” I would think… bologna… but it hit me this year that that’s the truth.  Every year could potentially be the last year that my kids all wake up in my house and have Christmas morning together, and that makes me sad.  I just want us all to be together… even if it means kids are piled here and there and everywhere.

 

·        No matter how often I say, “I HATE WALMART”, I still find myself wandering around in there and complaining about it at least once a week.  I swear they must pump in some kind of hypnotic gas through the vents that makes us forget how much we hate it.

 

·        Leggings are not pants.  They’re just not, y’all.  The End.

 

·        Whatever medical disorder makes it impossible to stay awake past 10 p.m. is what I have. 

 

·        Pretty on the outside does not always mean pretty on the inside.  Some of the ugliest people I know are quite attractive to look at.

 

·        Magic Erasers are truly magic.  If your children ever write on your wood kitchen table with a SHARPIE (I mean, hypothetically , since my precious angel children would never do that!), a Magic Eraser will take it right off.  Amazing. Hypothetically, that is.

 

·        The people who claim to “hate drama” seem to always be the ones right in the middle of it.  If you have to profess your hatred for drama, then you probably don’t hate it at all. 

 

·        With all the non-traditional Christmas meals these days, I didn’t get to eat ham or turkey.  So now I’m wondering if nobody eats ham/turkey anymore, it is still considered traditional? In any event, I need some turkey.  Can someone help me out, please?

 

 

·        And finally…. Two statements that I’m trying to make my motto, even though sometimes I think I’m crazy….

NEVER SAY NEVER.

WHY SAY NO WHEN YOU CAN SAY YES.

 

I hope you all had a great 2013 and I hope 2014 is even better.

Roll Tide.

 

How I accidentally became a Lee Greenwood fan...

If you know me, you know I'm a Lee Greenwood fan and I'm soooo excited about his Christmas concert this Friday in Huntsville.  I am about to tell the story of how I accidentally became a fan. 

Back in 1983 or 1984¸ me and my best friend, also named Amy, begrudging went to a concert with her parents…having already decided that it would be full of old, boring people listening to old, boring music.  At the time, I was more into stuff like Michael Jackson.  Look, I was 14 and I needed to be cool... 

I don’t remember who I sat by or what we ate for supper.  I just remember when Lee Greenwood came out…

SHA-ZAM!!!

OMG.  That voice.  I was mesmerized and had never heard a voice quite like his.  For the next several years, I went to every Lee Greenwood concert that I could get to.  I must have seen him in concert at least a dozen times in the next 4 years.  I literally slept on sidewalks outside of concert venues to get front row tickets. (For you young whippersnappers, this was before the internet).  

In June of 1990, three weeks before my wedding, I won a contest on a radio station and got to spend the day at Opryland, including lunch with Lee and a concert afterwards.  I won the contest by writing a letter telling them WHY they should pick me.  I spent hours on it and ended up with an 8-page letter written in 5 different colors of ink.  Looking back, that was probably the first time anyone eluded to the fact that I might be a tad bit obsessed.  Haha.  They had no idea!

I almost didn't post pictures because it's so bad, y'all.  So bad.  No comments on hairstyle, please.  But here I am with Lee in 1990.  

A couple of years later, ON MY BIRTHDAY even, I got to meet him again.  Best birthday present ever.  

Over the next 20 years, I was still a fan but my opportunities to see Lee in concert were limited.  A couple of years ago, he came to Huntsville for some kind of benefit concert and it was hysterical how many people contacted me about tickets.  People were blowing up my phone and my Facebook with "Did you know Lee Greenwood is coming to town??" messages.  I ended up going with my three sister-in-laws and we had a blast.  I added one of his band members on Facebook and he was able to arrange a meeting for me. I got to meet him for a quick picture (which did not save on my phone...thank you, technology).  

I did KINDA get a picture of me and Lee, I guess.  Does this one count? Someone pointed out that he is cutting his eyes down at me like he's thinking, "There's that crazy chick again".  I prefer to think that it's more like, "I love her. She's such a big fan.  I wish all my fans were as great as her".  But you know, whatever.  Choose to believe whatever you want.  

And then last year, I went to Tunica and saw him there.  I was hoping for a another picture opportunity.  Unfortunately, that same band member was apparently a little freaked out by my stalker traits, craziness, intensity (yeah, intensity is a good word) and BLOCKED ME on Facebook.  Oops.  I'm pretty sure if there's a "watch list" for obnoxious Lee fans, then I'm on it.  

So, now I just listen to Lee when I can, watch for any potential upcoming sightings concerts, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.  

So, there it is.  I'm just a normal (okay, somewhat normal) 43-year-old, married, mom of 6, who has a strange fascination with Lee Greenwood.  

When I heard about the concert this week, I arranged my schedule so that I had nothing going on the day of the pre-sale except getting tickets.  I got online at exactly 10:00 but only managed to get 3rd row.  I guess front row went to sponsors? I know, I know... 3rd row is awesome if you're an average fan.  But when you're THE BIGGEST FAN EVER, only front and center is acceptable.  I'm going to carry a pocket of money and try to buy out front row person for sure.  

Now, I need some reader participation... Can you all send positive thoughts my way? The following two things are very important:

(1) I need all my kids to be healthy on Friday.  If anybody is puking or running a fever, I'm going to be SO MAD.  

(2) I also need a Meet-n-Greet pass so I can get an updated picture of us.  If you've got connections to WDRM or WAAY-TV and can get me a pass, I would be your best friend forever.