My Grandmother (Granny)

As I have posted before, my grandmother is in the hospital, and has been since I think before Christmas. She had fallen and hurt her leg pretty bad, they had taken her to the hospital here in Mena for awhile, then the week before our family Christmas, which was Jan. 3, the transferred her to St Joseph's in Hot Springs.
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She goes thru ups and downs a lot. One day she's doing really good and we think she is going to get to come home soon, the next time something happens and it doesn't look good.
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Saturday afternoon, I get a call that my grandma had a mini-stroke that morning. They had her stable so I didn't NEED to go up. Of course I wanted to, but with two little ones, and at 5pm at night, I didn't feel like it was an option.
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Last night before bed I had decided that kids and I would get up earlier than normal and go to the early morning service, which starts at 9am (the 2nd service which is the one I normally attend starts at 1030am).
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Well we did, but when we got there, none of my family was there. I called my mom's cell phone and she informed that my grandma had been put in ICU last night and they didn't get her stable until after 3am!
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After that, I decided that instead of church, I would go to Hot Springs and see her.
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I didn't reconize her at all!! She was so pale and yellow looking that it didn't look like her. I had found out that the hospital was giving her 2 pints of blood A DAY, and it still was showing that she wasn't making any or receiving any. Her blood pressure is being all wacko and she is in pain but can't take any pain medicine.
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I would love to go see her more, but with the kiddos, it's hard. I have felt bad about it, but yesterday she told me that I needed to, "Take care of those babies!" It made me realize that, yes, I should go see her, but she understands and would rather me take care of my little ones. I think that's what makes it harder.
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I ask that you pray for her, and our family. Lord knows we need it!!

Whew...glad that's over!

Alright, so it's been quite awhile since my last post. And let me tell you, I have been quite busy this time!
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I agreed to keep my niece (my brother-in-law's little girl) starting this past week. I had to tell her momma that I just can't do it, Friday when she came to pick her up. I have this horrible stress headache since the first day I kept her, which was Wednesday. You know the one that is in your shoulders, up your neck, and into the back of your head...yeah, that one!
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I felt so bad that I couldn't console this poor little girl. She cried all but about 2 hours...not together mind you...from the time her momma dropped her off at 8am until she picked her up between 3pm and 345pm. She only had 2 naps which only lasted for about 20 minutes...I know she was exhausted!
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She uses her bottle as her comforter, so she ended up eating around 22 oz of formula the whole time I had her! Yes 22 oz and she's only about 3 1/2 months old. She constantly wanted my attention, playing with her, holding her, feeding her, which is fine...I understand that, she's a baby. BUT...I have mine too!!
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Sissy,who is 2, and Bubba, who is 6 1/2 months old, are pretty good at not needing constant attention. But they still need some, and when I would leave her side (my niece) to take care of one of mine, she would start siren crying!! My nerves were shot by the end of the day, and my stress headache was in full swing. This was every day for 3 days!
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I just couldn't do that to myself or my kids. And I know Hubby didn't want to hear me whine about it every day either! So I apologized but told her if there were times when she REALLY needed me, I would try and help. But couldn't do it all the time!
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Today is Saturday, and it's just me and the kids....awww, it's actually nice. Remind me not to take my "alone" time with them for granted again! It's nice to be able to just concentrate on them! We don't have anything planned today, accept lounging around, and maybe doing a little house cleaning.
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Tomorrow is church, and, as usual, I'm looking forward to it. I will try to do better with my blog posting. I notice that when I don't post in a while, I end up having one big long one when I do! Sorry!!
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Well hope you all have a good weekend and God Bless!!

My Recipe Blog

I was thinking the other day about how I would love to get new ideas for recipes when cooking on a budget, and how I would like to share mine.

Well, as I was reading one of my friend's blogs last night, she had wrote a post about a cookie of the month type deal. As I was reading a comment someone wrote about a recipe blog, I got the idea!

A Recipes on a Budget blog!!

Some recipes that either have had for awhile, or ones that I have come up with on my own, are included. If you would like to add some, let me know. I would be MORE THAN HAPPY to add them, credited to you~of course! If you have a bunch that you would like to add, Kristy, then let me know. I can add you as an author of blog.

You can e-mail them to me if you'd like: jordan2good@sbcglobal.net.

So get those recipes together and lets make an awesome Recipes on a Budget blog!!

Zone 56....whew!

On Wednesday nights, I lead singing for Zone 56 (5th and 6th grade co-eds) at church. The boys are always the "unruly" ones. They tend to like to talk instead of sing or listen during the devotion.
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Last night I decided I was going to try and cut down on the "unruliness" during singing. I got the bright idea to pull people up on stage with me if they were cutting up instead of singing. I mean come on. Really? Yes, we are there to praise and learn about God, not talk about skateboarding.
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I figured that if they can talk, they can sing. And they did! I pulled my first young man up to the front, embarrassed him, but when I let him go back to his seat, you better believe he didn't act up...as much. Before singing was over, we can 4 songs, I pulled one more boy to the front and made him sing in front of everyone.
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The kids thought that was just hilarious! It was, because the young man kept telling me he can't sing. To which I replied, "If you can talk, you can sing!" He didn't much like that.
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When my brother got up to do his devotion, the group of boys that were a nuisance during singing were, of course, a nuisance during devotion. We adults decided that we needed to split them up and it would quiet down. It did....a LOT!
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It's amazing how just 2 boys can be taken out of a group of 7 or so and it is a huge change. LOL
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I'm trying to learn the words to the songs we sing in there so I don't have to turn my back on the kids to see the tv screen. Not a good idea with 30-40 5th and 6th graders, right?!?!
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I helped with the younger kids (1st-4th graders) for a couple of months, but about 2 months ago God led me in the path of the older kids. I just hope that I can be a blessing to the kids, as they have been to me....stress and all! LOL

New love....oh so sweet!

I have found a new love!!!
In TV shows that is...
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CSI MIAMI!!
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I absolutely loooovvvve that show!
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I came across it one day while flipping thru the channels. I seen a couple of hotties, Adam Rodriguez~Eric Delko, and Jonathon Togo~Ryan Wolfe, and decided to watch a little of it. I got hooked!!!
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Every time that I see it on A&E...I watch, I've watched it on the internet, and I just realized that it comes on CBS on Monday nights. Yep, watching it then too!
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Hubby, as well as myself, can not figure out my obsession for this show, besides the hot guys. The story lines, I think, keep me intrigued. He actually laughs at me and tells me that I would put the show before my kids. Which is not ENTIRELY true!
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Do any of you have shows that you are obsessed with and just have to watch every time it comes on?

My Sunday

Well, here I am..alive, barely.
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I think I am finally getting over this stinking sinus infection! WHOO-HOO! Bubba still has his upper respiratory infection, unfortunately. With that he wakes up waaaaayyy too much during the night. So lack of sleep is a given.
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We still haven't done much of anything this past week. The joys of a stay at home mom. I have been able to actually clean my house, but that's about it. We did get to get out Friday afternoon though. We went to eat at Papa's with my former co-worker/spiritual advisor/friend and her daughter. It was nice being able to talk about "grow-up things".
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Today we had church. Our church has went to 2 Sunday morning services, Praise the Lord that we have to have 2 services to fit everyone, and myself and my uncle are the only ones that make to the 2nd service. My parents, my sister, my brother and his family, my aunt and cousins go to the 1st service. It's a little odd not having all my family in there together.
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Tonight my sister, my brother, and my SIL all went to a study group with our pastor. It was very interesting and I am very excited about it. Before I had left for church, I made sure and fed Bubba so that he could make it thru until we got home tonight. After our study group ended, we went into the sanctuary for church. My SIL went to check on the kids, my nephews and Bubba, and when she came back she said they needed me in the nursery because they thought Bubba was hungry, which I knew he was not.
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When I got back there he was fussy and was acting like he really wanted something. They asked if he could drink juice since I didn't pack a bottle. I said that that was fine. I happened to look over at Baby G, my nephew who was also in the nursery with DS, and he had a juice cup. I looked down at Bubba, whom I was holding at this point, and noticed that's what he wanted. G's juice cup! They asked if he could drink out of a sippy cup. I told them, "Yes, he learned how to on Sissy's sippy cup!" Which he just learned how to do about 2 weeks before today. LOL
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I then got the pleasure to return to the sanctuary to see a gentleman getting ordained. It was very interesting seeing as it was my first time to witness one.

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Anyone else every witness an ordination?

I've been slacking

I haven't posted much of anything in the last few days. Why? Well, because I haven't done much of anything!! Not even clean my house. I think today was the first time I actually felt like moving since Sunday. Every time I would bend down, my head felt like it was going to explode!
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My "cold" turned into a full-blown sinus infection...not pleasant I might add. Bubba is still sick, an upper respiratory infection, and too young to take anything. And Sissy, well she's still a wonderful 2 year old...ugghh.
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We did manage to make it to church tonight. I help out with Zone 56, which is 5-6 grade co-eds. Which let me tell you, is a headache in its self, but I love it. The girls in there are girlie girls, which I am getting used to, and the boys are mostly skater-type boys. No, I am not stereo-typing. Most all of the boys ride skate boards and that's their life.
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I have taken over the singing part, which is quite funny since I can't sing worth a lick, but I enjoy doing it. I just basically stand up there with 3-4 kids and lead singing. I have to yell at the boys, mostly, to make them sing and quit talking, but they don't listen to me. I don't think I intimidate them since I still haven't got my "full" voice back yet. Wait...just wait!!
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I have my wonderful, ahem, yearly women's appointment tomorrow afternoon. I was supposed to have it in December and forgot about it...imagine that. I remember when I was pregnant with both my kids, getting "that" done was almost as bad as getting checked for dilation. Almost...not quite. Yeah, makes me not want to go even more now that I think about it.
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Well, it's past my bedtime, and Bubba has decided he wants to play before going back to sleep. Yippee! Have a good one, and I'll catch-up with you later.

My Weekend...PIC HEAVY!!!!

This has been a pretty good weekend. Hubby got a long weekend off from work, and it has been a blessing. Saturday we had our B Family Christmas. There were only 2 members of our family missing. My grandmother, whom as I posted before, is still in the hospital, and my cousin R. Don't know where he was though, I didn't think to ask.
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I got some really good pics from the Christmas get-together. It was in the mountains at 'Pine Mountain Lodge', but we like to call it 'Mansion on the Hill'! It's a two-story house in the mountains that my grandparent's bought.
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Here are my favorites!!!

This is one of my absolute favorites!!!

They were intrigued by one another.




The 3 babies' 1st Christmas...and their mommies!





Sissy found these shoes and immediately had to put them on!
LOL


Another one that I absolutely love!!!
Hubby took this one of her.


Ms. Sassy Britches!


J was running from Hubby with the camera!
LOL


Too Cute!


Nana holding Bubba while Daddy was
making him laugh!


My cousin K putting Bubba to sleep.
She's the only one that can hold him and get him to sleep.
It's funny, I came down the stairs with him and she asked if I wanted
her to take him. I said, "Yeah, he's sleepy anyways." As soon as she took him
he laid his down on her chest. He knew who had him apparently! LOL
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After we got back to town, I took Hubby and the kids home and then I went to Wal-Mart to buy groceries. You know, it wasn't very long ago when we could take $100 grocery shopping and it buy enough food for 3 meals a day, including snacks and drinks, everyday, for atleast 2 weeks. Now $100 barely gets us enough for 1 meal a day, including drinks, for 4-5 days...how's that for the economy!
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Sunday, today, was okay. Hubby and I took the kids to church with his family. Afterwards we came home, picked up the house, and then Hubby fixed us hamburgers.
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I started getting a sinus headache, so I went to lay down with Bubba. Well, he woke up and decided to play. So I thought, "Well, Sissy hasn't taken a nap yet, I'll lay her down and let Bubba play with Daddy." So her and I laid down, and the next thing I know, Hubby was waking me up an hour and a half later telling me that it was time for me to go to my meeting at church.
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WOW....I was impressed that they played by themselves for that long with me being in bed! Hubby has done that with Sissy, but she is a lot older than Bubba too.
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Anyways, I left Sissy with Daddy and Bubba and I went to church. Not much happened there. Except they had to pull me out of church to feed him in the nursery. LOL
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We got home and Hubby had fixed supper. Then it was time for bed. I have had a sinus headache all weekend and am ready for it to go away! So sleep comes more often than not!!
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Well, I hope everyone has a good week. I'm gonna try!

Yow-zah!

Today has been such a fun day (hint of sarcasm). I just hope it doesn't depict what is in store for this coming year!
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For Christmas, my parent's gave me a gift card to Stage. I went late this morning and was going to try and find some church clothes for myself. Thing is, the clothes that are cute are too small, and the clothes that fit are to, well, old. I was hoping to find something that I liked, but the things that could have worked, were to expensive. I can't win for losing!!
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I believe that Sissy decided to share her Kool-aid with Bubba while I was doing laundry earlier in the day, which resulted in him having a belly ache. So for the past few hours, he's been a grouchy little man.
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Hubby had today off of work, as well as tomorrow, Sunday, and Monday, and I haven't seen much of him. Which can sometimes be a good thing. When I got home from my "wonderful" shopping spree, or lack there of, he left to go help a friend fix his TV. Which resulted in them playing the Xbox once the TV was fixed...for 4 hours! Now he is playing his PS3 while I have been watching CSI~Miami since about 5 or so. (I have acquired a new-found love for this show in the past month!!)
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Tomorrow we are having our Family Christmas, with all my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We are having it this late because someone or another had something to do every weekend in December. Now, unfortunately, my grandma is in the hospital in Hot Springs, and she is not going to be there.
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Some people are wanting to go ahead with having it tomorrow, some are not. Those that are not are wanting to wait until she gets out to have it. But those that say do it, are taking in to account that we don't know exactly when that will be. I'm on the fence about it all. I, as always, see both sides of the argument. Guess it doesn't matter though, because we are still having it. I will try and remember to take my camera and take pictures.
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As for New Years, we didn't do a dang thing. Hubby had to work until 10pm, and the kids and I went to church. We got home a 8:30 or so (we went to see Hubby at work after church). I had supper (Chicken Doritos Casserole) ready when he got home.
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Bubba was already asleep, and Sissy was almost there, by then. I went to bed and played on my laptop until a little after midnight. And Hubby went to his bed shortly after 11. Whoo-Hoo...partay!! LOL
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If you read that and are thinking, " 'his bed'?" Yes you are right. He and I sleep in different beds. We have every since Bubba was born. It started out that way because of him having to get up early in the mornings for work and Bubba was still waking up 5-6 times a night. Now when he tries to sleep with us, Sissy and myself, none of us can sleep. So yes, he has "his bed" and Sissy and I have ours.
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And if you are wondering, no, it doesn't affect other areas of our marriage ;) !!
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Anyways, I gotta get off of here and get Sissy to bed. Christmas tomorrow, is right during nap time...Yippee!!!

I resolve to...

I am making a list of my resolutions. Which, btw, I never have done before. I'm not very good at keeping promises that I make for myself. Others, yes, I can keep those. Most of the time. But it's easier for me to let myself down than others.
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So here I go:
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1) I resolve to lose atleast 30 lbs in 2009. (Generic, I know)

2) I resolve to organize the pictures that I take in 2009 better.

3) I resolve to worry less, pray more.

4) I resolve to have Sissy potty trained by her birthday, in October.

5) I resolve to get outside more when there is warmer weather.

6) I resolve to continue working on my photography skills.

7) I resolve to play more with my kids instead of cleaning up after them.

8) I resolve to stay more involved with church.

9) I resolve to let my hair grow out.

10) I resolve to not have as many resolutions for 2010!!