And, the busyness continues!

Hi everyone!

After being gone weekend before last (President's weekend) for the Stone Mountain/Snow Mountain trip, we headed out of town last weekend as well.

Michael graduated from high school in 1986; and the only reunion that the class had thus far was the 5 year. The officers of his class are bound and determined to make the 25 year (which will be 2011) reunion one worth waiting for. Enter Facebook -- and the success of locating a lot of the classmates. That led to the gathering that was last weekend. It ended up being 12 classmates that showed up...but the goal of that meeting was to schedule future meetings to actually organize and plan the big 25 party. They're attempting to work on getting email/phone number lists for the people that have been unsuccessfully found before now. The class was around 120 I think, so even though it's relative a small group, I think they've only located around 50 thus far, so a daunting task of finding the other 70 or so lies ahead of the group.

Anway, we headed to Michael's hometown last Friday, and spent the night with one of his classmates. On Saturday, we spent catching up with old friends. Saturday night we had a dinner meeting to discuss what those future plans consist of. We will meet at least twice a year each year prior to the reunion in 2011. I graduated the year after Michael, but I did not know most of his classmates, because my family had just moved into town prior to the fall of my senior year. It was neat meeting some for the first time, and certainly nicer to see some of them again after 23 years. I'm looking forward to helping Michael plan this event. I think it will be a great thing!

This Saturday, a co-worker and I are running in a 1 mile fun run...not really a race, but an event to raise money for heart disease awareness. She and I are also involved in an office Biggest Loser contest. She and I are teammates, and there are 2 other teams that we are competing against. Right now, we are in 2nd place. We've been working out together pretty consistently 3 to 5 days a week now for over a month. She's getting ready to go to Las Vegas for a girls weekend (April 23 -26), and I've got our 20th anniversary cruise to Cozumel, Mexico coming up (April 25 - 30), so we both have a goal that we're shooting for. Wish us luck. The contest actually ends on my 40th (OMG!) birthday, which is April 17th.

In case some of my readers (do I still have any out there?) aren't on facebook, I'll take this opportunity to mention that Michael's leg surgery has finally been scheduled, and will happen next Wednesday, March 4. Hopefully once he's fully recovered, and we return from our trip he will go full speed ahead into looking for a more stable job, one that has even a hint of benefits. Yes, we are thankful for the one that he has, but we both think that the time has passed for being happy at his current job.

Time away for bliss and fun

This week sure went by quickly, did it not? No matter to me, really; I'm actually elated about the upcoming fun, and time away our family has planned for this weekend.

Both Aaron and Zack are members of a youth fraternity called DeMolay International, a Masonic-sponsored organization. Michael is one of the chapter's Advisors. Tomorrow night is their Valentine's Dance, and all members and advisors are "encouraged" to attend. So Michael and I will be two of several chaperones at the event. I think they'll have a good time (and us too, I suppose). :) It's a dress up affair, therefore I hope to get some pictures to post.

On Sunday, the four of us are going up to Atlanta to spend the night here: http://www.stonemountainpark.com/lodging-camping/hotels.aspx for an afternoon and evening of relaxation. They have an indoor pool and even a spa for us to use. Monday we are going over to Stone Mountain Park, which is just 5 minutes away from the hotel. In the park they have an area where we can have lots more fun. Looking at this link, http://festivals.stonemountainpark.com/mini-section/default.aspx?season=christmas&id=113, will give you an idea of our plans. We have never been snow skiing, and I know it's far from the luxury of that, but it will be the next best thing (and lots cheaper!).

Robbie is back at home and doing wonderfully, much better than what the doctor anticipated for her. They were able to burn off the tumors that were on her liver. For now her liver is cancer free. I say *for now* because she is at very high risk for the cancer to return, considering that this is the 2nd time already that her liver has been plagued with the disease. The last time they removed 40% of her liver (do you remember that?) Also, we hope to get results of Michael's biopsy next Tuesday, when his next appt. is scheduled. I'll keep you posted.

I look forward for this family getaway. I'm pretty sure we all do. We have been through the ringer lately, and need some time away desparately. I'll *see* you guys on the flip side.

Happy Valentine's Day! Show your loved ones that you care, not just tomorrow, but every day!

A new look!

You notice anything different? Of course you do (that is if anyone is still checking in on me here). I can't take the credit for it though. Jennisa at http://onceuponablog.org designed it. Didn't she do an awesome job? And in my opinion, she is VERY reasonable for all of her services. If you're looking for an overhaul (like I was) or just need some ideas, go check out her website. I know you won't be disappointed in what you find.

Has it really been since Christmas Eve that I put a new post here? That's pretty pathetic, I guess. Amazing how time flies, right?

Here we are in the middle of February, and I've got nothin'! Well not really...a lot has been happening, but most of you I've kept up to date via text messages and/or emails.

We're still waiting on Michael's biopsy results from last week. He's got a follow up the middle of next week to get final answers (we hope it's a final one anyway - we've certainly been waiting long enough). I pray that the answers come quickly and whatever is going on can be fixed just as quickly.

Graduation time for Zack is rapidly approaching. We've got the invitations, cap and gown, and senior portraits ordered. We've got the ads complete that will go in his school yearbook (you know the ones where you send in "that was then, look at him now" photos. He's staying busy as always, with debate and his many clubs. As a matter of fact, next week is the Beta club convention held in Atlanta. He has made it to the Nationals again in Debate, and will be going to Albany, NY with 3 other teammates near the end of May (well, if they can get enough funds raised -- apparently the program is pretty tapped out this year, though I'm not surprised with everything else happening in the economy these days!). He has been invited to read an essay that he wrote for a scholarship competition. He'll be reading it at the county Republican convention meeting, and will possibly go on to read it at the district and state levels as well. Time is passing by at rapid pace. We've got his enrollment and housing deposit sent in for his dorm next fall. Even though he will be awarded $27,000 annually in scholarships in tuition money (we're still lacking just under $2,000 a year for total amount of tuition), none of that includes room and board, so he has continued to follow through with filling out and competing for additional monies. Too many to count really. We should find out something no later than May 1 for most of them, with some of them promising notification by April 10th. We'll continue to keep our hopes up, and pray that he'll be awarded quite a bit more, so that he won't have to apply for much student loans.

Aaron's soccer season will begin in the next couple of weeks, which means our life will begin to get a bit more hectic soon with practices, and soon to follow with games beginning.

We are going on a cruise! Our 20th anniversary is March 25, and we have booked our trip for April 25, an all inclusive 5 night cruise from Mobile, AL to Cozumel, Mexico. We're trying not to think too much about the "what-ifs" in our life right now that could throw a big wrench in our plans.

Merry Christmas!

Here it is, nearly 10:00 a.m. on Christmas Eve, and I'm anxiously awaiting 11:00 to get here, so that I can go home and enjoy the holidays for the next four and a half days. Christmas shopping finished now for well over a week, Christmas dinner purchased from the grocery store, the anticipation of this beautiful season is building to a crescendo now.

I pray that each of your families has a very Merry Christmas, and that 2009 brings you nothing but happiness, prosperity, and peace.

Until 2009 -- Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

On Zack and college...

Ok – so I guess it has been a month since my last entry. No real excuse, just slacking again I guess.

The school year is flying by already. A little more than eight weeks into the first semester, and things seem to be going pretty well. Zack’s progress report a couple of weeks ago proved he is taking his senior year seriously. Even with 2 AP classes and a 2 period Humanities class, he’s keeping all his classes above a 90% average.

He’s even been accepted to a very prestigious private university – and even better than that, a mere 30 minutes from home. Go here http://www2.mercer.edu/default.htm if you’d like to browse the site. Obviously, with this prestige comes a high price, right? He was even invited to the university’s scholars weekend that only a select few receive. This is a weekend that the invitees compete for one of only 30 coveted presidential scholarship awards. The awardees receive a scholarship for a full four years of tuition, which is current $28,000 a year. We’ve told Zack that this could be a long shot…first of all, a very competitive school to begin with. But this scholarship competition is HUGE. I think we all understand if in fact he isn’t a scholarship recipient that the chances of him going to this university is slim to none. So we shall see!

He’s also been accepted to the three other universities for which he has applied. Those three are all public universities in Georgia. This means the state’s HOPE scholarship program will be available at his disposal. This program allows any student with at least a 3.0 GPA, full tuition to any PUBLIC school in the state. Consequently, it only pays for $3,000 a year for any private school. You see the difference? HUGE – right?

He is taking the SAT again this Saturday. Although he had great scores when he took it this past May, he thought he’d take it again to attempt to raise his scores even further, therefore raising his chances for the scholarship aforementioned above.

Zack is still dating Arrie, now for nearly 21 months. I thought this past weekend though that the time had come for their relationship to end. Zack broke it off with her, not really giving us a lot of details other than she was continuously doing things to annoy him. After only two days, and seeing how miserable he was (literally – he wasn’t sleeping, hardly eating, and spent most of his time moping around the house), he had a long talk with her, and they got back together.

He is currently doing some community service for his Humanities class for 2 hours a week. This year the class requires each student to go to different schools in the area to help assist teachers in tutoring, making copies, etc. He is enjoying it immensely, but I think its because it gets him out of the hum drum of every day life at his own school. Next semester these same students will be required to search for and find someone locally that are in current positions of what the students themselves wish to become. Zack has decided that he wants to major in political science for his undergraduate degree, and go to law school. Of course anything at this point is subject to change. He still has ten months before he even begins college, much less declare a major.

I guess this entry ended up being all about Zack. It was long overdue though. I have been meaning to write about his college decisions for awhile.

I hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of Fall. We’ve had some beautiful weather the last few days, and I hope that the trend continues, at least for a few more weeks before getting too chilly for short sleeves.

We’re having a family portrait done this weekend in our yard. We haven’t had one done in over 7 years, so I thought that it’s definitely time. After all, this could be the last one in a long time considering that Zack will be a high school graduate next May.

Any suggestions on coordination of outfits? I’m still trying to figure this one out…

Until next time!

Labor Day 2008 (a weekend that I never want to relive again!)

This weekend was supposed to a weekend of some relaxation, some sight-seeing, some shopping, and probably some good eatin' -- and doing all that sans kids! Our plan included spending the weekend nights at Michael's brother's house in North Georgia, and driving into Helen during the days -- http://www.helengeorgia.com/, a beautiful mountainous city just 15 miles from his brother's home. But those plans all went out the window last Saturday morning around 4:00.

It all went down like this...

The boys were scheduled to go on a church youth whitewater rafting trip, leaving this past Saturday morning at 8:00. Michael and I were planning on pulling out of the parking lot right behind the church bus to our own destination. Friday night came, and we finished packing -- each of the boys with separate bags because of the middle schoolers and the high schoolers, although going together, were not going to be spending any time together once they got to their destination. We all went to bed, anticipating what our weekend was holding for us.

I woke up at 4:00 to the sound of Zack wretching in his bathroom down the hall. I should have prefaced this all by saying Aaron had been sick just 36 hours before with the same virus. I helped Zack back to bed after giving him some tylenol for his fever, which was 103, and some medication for nausea. Then I woke Michael up telling him our plans for the weekend were now null and void. We all three went back to sleep and Mike woke up in time to get Aaron up and to the church in time for his departure.

After getting up, I decided to get weighed in at Weight Watchers -- down 11.5 lbs in 10 weeks, thankyouverymuch!, have my eyebrows waxed, and head to the gym -- in that order. I knew that I would probably be spend the rest of the day de-funking the house thinking that the virus was probably thriving, in our home. And I was sure that I didn't want it. When I came out of the salon for the waxing appt., I realized that I had a flat tire. I called Michael, who in turn came and took care of changing to the spare. We both drove to a place down the road that would repair the tire for us. It was at this stop where I realized that I was not feeling so well. I had a headache coming on, my body was beginning to ache, and I was suddenly feeling very fatigued. I told Michael as much, and told him I would see him at home when he got through.

By the time I got home, I couldn't get in the door and under the covers fast enough. Michael was home just 30 minutes later. I was covered up head to toe, joints hurting so badly I could hardly move, burning up with fever, and had chills. I had tears rolling down my cheeks when he came into check on me. After getting me the meds and the fluids I desperately needed, I slept til 4:00 that afternoon. (I had gotten home around 11:30).

When I woke later, Zack was already beginning to feel like himself again. I still could hardly move, nor did I want to try. My first trip to the restroom post virus-attack, my legs were like jello. Michael had to help me walk. I was so sick, ya'll. Sicker than I have been in a very, very long time. Michael heated me up some chicken noodle soup and brought me a bowl in hopes that it would help build my strength back up. I ate it, and ate it heartily. I was hungry, and still very, very weak.

After eating the soup and drinking ginger-ale, I also ate a popsicle. I did begin to feel like I was going to pull out of it. We all watched tv, the guys played cards, while I was still lying around on the sofa. I went back to bed around 9:30, woke up at 1:30 shivering so badly that I couldn't stop my teeth from chattering. My temp had spiked once again - 102.5. I woke Michael up, begging him to pile more covers on me. The shivering would not stop. My back was spasming -- I was in so much pain, I didn't know what to do. He finally brought me a heating pad, and started placing it in different places on my body intermittently. The chills finally stopped about 30 minutes later - no lie. I thought I was dying!

Believe it or not, just 7 hours later, I felt like that the virus had finally run its course, and I was feeling alive once again. I still was weak, but was beginning to feel good again. We were all waiting for Michael to catch up. Thank God that he did not!

A Labor Day weekend that I don't ever want to repeat! No thanks!!!

Senior Class of 2009