"Handy Nanny"

Fifty in Florida!

2009-06-21T00:24:00.000-05:00

May Mayhem........

2009-06-06T15:57:00.004-05:00

I really wanted to blog about my month of May before now! I wanted to journal what an absolutely crazy month it has been. When I say my life is crazy busy, well....I'll just let you be the judge of it!

May 1st - May 5th
Chrissy, Steph, and I left in the early evening for Tampa! Girls weekend! We stayed in a hotel on St. Pete Beach. It was something that we RARELY do and was very needed. We had a very relaxing stress free trip.....I guess. Chrissy was in horrible pain from what we think might have been a rib out of place, Steph had terrible blisters on her feet from walking in the sand, they both had some guilt leaving behind husbands and children. Not me! I've been there and done that, now it's sort of about me! We think Steph's blisters might have something to do with the chemo in her body. Regardless, it was some great girl time!

May 6th
Home but.....I started out of the house at 7:00 to pick Steph up for chemo. By 10:30 it was concluded that she would skip treatment because her counts were borderline on her being able to receive treatment and if there is a chance that they will be doing surgery soon because of the tumor on her ovaries she needs to be off of Avastin for a month.

May 7th - 9th
Up very early on the 7th because Jarad was scheduled for surgery. Sat at the hospital until 10:30 but had to leave to pick up my Dad so that we could head for Mattoon, Illinois. Several of my dad's brothers and sister were getting together to clean out Grandpa's old shed. They were also going to celebrate Mother's Day with my grandmother who will be 96 on June 1. My dad hadn't been home in 2 years. I didn't realize that he was no longer comfortable driving that far by himself. I volunteered to drive him if he wanted to go home to see Grandma. We celebrated on Saturday by having lunch with her then headed back home. We got home late on the 9th.

May 10th
Mother's Day! My children honored me well! I worked like a dog getting the house in order for the arrival of our company.

May 11 - May 14
Up early to grocery shop because we were having company by 2:00 p.m. and the house was empty of anything edible! John works for Kenneth and was coming to town on business but this time he brought his lovely wife, Mary. Mary and I have spent several days together every March the last 3 years. I was excited to have them stay with us and be a part of our chaos! We had great fun with them and she was so content just hanging out here with all the kids and grandkids.

May 14 - May 18
John and Mary left around 11:00 and Kenneth and I headed out the door at 11:30. We were headed to Las Vegas for 4 nights! Our trip was very eventful, it was hot, we won money, spent time with Dan & Shelly, and saw Jimmy Buffett! What a great trip! We got home at 11:30 a.m. so I was able to do laundry and repack my bag. That evening we went and watched Drew & Claire graduate from Preschool! After their graduation, Kenneth & I were able to meet John & Robbie for dinner and to catch up a bit!

May 19 - May 21
Kenneth took Steph and I to the airport to catch a plane to Houston. She had appointments later that day, the next day, and the day after. All I can really say about this trip is there was a glitch in everything we did. Nothing went smoothly. Nothing felt right. Nothing was accomplished. We know nothing. Nothing. But, Steph & I were together, uninterrupted....we love that....reminds us of the "ole days"! She will find out something June 9, so we wait. We were picked up at the airport by her wonderful father-in-law, J.L. We were also met by Steph's dad, Ed! What a pleasant surprise! We didn't get home until around 10:00 p.m. I was so excited to see that Drew had fallen asleep at our house and would be spending the night! I was going crazy without seeing all my babies!

May 22 - May 24
Woke up early! I pushed my suitcase to the side and pulled out a new one! Packed for 3 days, fed Drew breakfast, got him ready for school, and headed to the preschool. Saw Chrissy and the kids briefly, hugged tons, kissed a bunch, told them all that I missed them! Looked at Chrissy....told her that I missed her the MOST! Jumped in the truck with Kenneth and we headed to Mangum, Oklahoma! We were going to visit his dad, brother, and sister-in-law plus attend his 40th class reunion!
Had a great trip! I always love seeing my Oklahoma family! My sister (in-law) Donna is the BEST! We headed home late Sunday afternoon because we didn't want to drive on Memorial Day. Got home just in time for bed!

Home Sweet Home!

I do not want it to go unsaid that I LOVE my LIFE! I thank God for my life, the people in my life, my health, my energy and I know that I'm doing what God wants me too! This gives me the most amazing amount of peace in my life! I see him working everyday in my life which gives me such comfort!

Here are my very awesome brother-in-law and sister-in-law!Here is my father-in-law, my niece, and her cute little Trayden!

This is my father-in-law again with his great grandson and special little buddy, Koy!

Happy Mother's Day to my MOM and my GRANDMA, and my AUNT MARILYN!

2009-05-10T10:04:00.002-05:00

This post is to honor my mother just like my daughter honored me! I write this blog for my mom! How do I honor her like she deserves? As a child you write little love notes so that she knows even when you aren't telling her or crawling in her lap. I will add that I was still crawling in her lap crying when I was in high school. I know.....!! But, as you become a young adult the little love notes stop and you know that to honor your parents for the job well done you should live by their example. I am so much like my mother! I always wanted to be just like her! She is hardworking, kind, giving, affectionate (huggiest mom I know!), selfless and BEAUTIFUL! I love her with all my heart and feel so blessed that I was with her yesterday! We don't live close in miles but always close by our hearts! This picture was taken yesterday. I know I shouldn't tell her age but how about this very HOT 72 year old? We were celebrating Mother's Day with my Grandma who will be 96 next month! Grandma is my dad's mother. She is so sweet I just want to hug her to pieces! Where do you think I get that from?
I also want to honor my Aunt Marilyn! She is my dad's sister and daughter to my beautiful Grandma! I think it is no coincidence that my mom's name is Marilyn, too! I haven't met a Marilyn yet who isn't absolutely beautiful and amazing. I think it is so neat how when I'm with my Aunt Marilyn I see how similar we are. For two people that didn't spend tons of time in each others presence it is scary how alike we are. This weekend we found each other finishing each others sentences or saying the very same thing! It was comical! Aunt Marilyn is the mother of two boys and grandma to one beautiful little girl and two handsome little guys! She is an amazing mother, mother-in-law, and grandma! Oh yeah, can't forget an amazing wife! Uncle Jerry is so blessed to have her to love! Again there are no words big enough for HER! I love her and look forward to our pact we made of having contact every week! Aunt Marilyn, thank you so much for all you do for our MARSHALL family! It is very large and I admire how you stand strong and faithful to everyone! You honor your mother well!

Happy Mother's Day you BEAUTIFUL ladies!

29 years ago today..........

2009-04-24T16:17:00.005-05:00

My children will immediately recognize the above sentence. The number changes every year but it is usually heard a multitude of times during the day of their birthday. So as I'm starting this post I'll have you know that I was 3 hours into my labor of my first born, Chrissy. You know.....that really funny, witty, god loving girl of mine that writes not 1 but 2 blogs (www.stephsgonnawin.blogspot.com & www.claireandcocosmommy.blogspot.com)

This will not be posted until later so I'll be showing you our new pics we took tonight! We are so excited to be sharing our evening together along with some very special people. We are meeting for dinner at 6:30 and then on to see Jesus Christ Superstar!

I would love to give Chrissy the most amazing post ever because she is so deserving. But, as a Mom, I know that I'm very biased. To me she is everything I ever dreamed about my little girl being and becoming! How is it that my daughter is so bright, articulate, caring, giving, and absolutely gorgeous? I say over and over how blessed I am.....she is one example. Don't worry Jarad, you are another way that I have been blessed! The people that God has put in my life are truly my biggest blessings and I love to daily tell HIM thank you.

I have been able to spend today with her and have loved every minute. We started with spending the entire morning looking at houses with my wonderful son-in-law, Big Daddy! Are you supposed to like your in-laws so much? We love OURS! Big Daddy is on a mission to find a bigger love nest for his family. We ended up having lunch with Mr. Nanny,Cohen, Steph, & Big Daddy's Momma, Connie. Connie was house hunting with us or maybe I should say I was house hunting with THEM!

After lunch, we picked up Claire & Drew and headed to Coldstone Creamery for a little birthday celebration with the kids! Ice cream for ALL! Steph was even able to join us.

Which leads me to tonight.....
Chrissy & I had the most wonderful time meeting up with our friends Susan, Delphia, & Allie! Dinner was good, conversation was better! We then headed to see Jesus Christ Superstar...WOW!! The music was amazing! I especially loved when Susan leaned over and said, "Hey, after the show I have a question about Desperate Housewives". That is why I LOVE Susan, I laugh. Chrissy and I enjoyed our evening together, we enjoyed our time with the girls, and we are especially thankful to Big Daddy who held down the fort while she was away! Now I'm ready for our girls weekend!

Dynamic Duo!

2009-04-12T20:56:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is a big day for ALL of us! Jarad will start his first day working for his Dad! Mr. Nanny is in need of some more help at his company. He needs someone who can be trained quickly, who is familiar with the business, and on and on! While we were in Florida, he mentioned that he would love if he could get Jarad to come on board. He knows that Jarad loves what he is doing so wasn't sure if it would even be an option. Fast forward.....he starts tomorrow! Mr. Nanny is looking forward to working with his son.

As a mother, I am so happy to see everything falling into place. I didn't think our family could get any closer but our bond is so strong right now. We daily talk among ourselves, maybe not to each and every family member but our conversations get passed around so we do know what each and every one of us is doing and feeling! I see and feel God working in our lives. We know how blessed we are and don't take one minute for granted! I love how excited Jarad is to work with his Dad. I love how excited Ashley is for her husband to be happy! I love how supportive she is! I love how excited Chrissy & Brian are for Jarad! I love that there is absolutely no jealousy between my children and their spouses!

So.........I'm praying that this will be a win win situation for Mr. Nanny & Jarad and they will continue to grow in their relationship like we have witnessed in the last 2 years!

I also have to share the thing that I'm most thankful for and that makes me very proud........that Chrissy, Jarad, Brian, & Ashley are so supportive and so not jealous of all the time Mr. Nanny & I spend helping those other people (Scot, Steph, Drew, & Levi) that WE LOVE so much! Those crazy kids even offer to help when they see a need that needs to be met! We ALL consider those "other people" our family and enjoy when they are in the middle of our chaos, too!

So tonight when I go to bed, I will be praising God for working so hard in our family! Once again......I'm so blessed.

Easter at Nanny & Mr. Nanny's House!

2009-04-11T21:30:00.003-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

We decided to do something a little different this year. We got together today to have an Easter Egg Hunt for our little ones! Mr. Nanny and I filled eggs with candy & money. Mr. Nanny hid them ever so well. Even though the kids enjoyed hunting eggs, they were soon forgotten for the waterfall. Chrissy, Ashley, Steph, & I discussed today how these kids never tire of playing in the smaller waterfall. They will play for hours and never get bored. We all sat outside and watched them play and enjoyed the sun! Jarad had won Easter dinner from Honeybake Ham so along with the ham, green bean casserole, cornbread dressing and carrot cake I made hash brown casserole, macaroni salad, broccoli & cauliflower salad, and wheat rolls with honey butter. Chrissy brought along a family favorite, mandarin orange jello salad! The food was great and the time spent together was even better!
This is last years picture of the smaller waterfall. They love to wade in the little stream that flows into the bigger waterfall/pond! Cohen looks like a baby!

Vacation is GREAT but....this is the BEST!

2009-03-29T20:30:00.002-05:00

We are back from Miami and the Keys! I rested and Mr. Nanny worked! His industry has gone out of control and he is in CONTROL! I'm so PROUD of him. I sure wish he could have rested more. These beautiful babies came over to catch up on Nanny & PaPa time. Mr. Nanny took us out for steak because that is what this little beauty asked for! She so has him wrapped around her finger!

Of course, with looks like this he gets every little thing he wants!

My point......notice the new bunnies from Price Cutter!

Right before bed having their bedtime snack!

Now they are fast asleep!

My Forever Friend, Steph...

2009-03-27T08:11:00.002-05:00

For those of you who might switch over to my blog from my daughter's (www.stephsgonnawin.blogspot.com & www.claireandcocosmommy.blogspot.com ) please stay tuned to my thoughts on my friend, Steph. It has been incredibly hard to be away from Steph's family at this very stressful time. I hardly go minutes without thinking about them and wishing I were there with them. I have an incredible amount of faith and even though the timing of Mr. Nanny's business trip coincided with the M.D. Anderson appointment I knew that there was a reason that we have been separated. I have been waiting for the perfect time to talk about my amazing forever friend and it is getting close. Not today, because if Mr. Nanny wakes up and looks over were I'm sitting and happens to see that the tears are falling it will drive him crazy! He will say, "Are you reading those blogs again"? So maybe soon......

Where in the World is Nanny?

2009-03-27T07:56:00.007-05:00

This little girl and her daddy took us to a great big plane!We stayed at the Doral where this great golfing event happened right before we arrived there!

We played with this great couple that we see ONLY once a year but love "em"!

I watched this last night........

with Mr. Nanny!

And this is my view this morning from our room......

2009-03-09T18:00:00.000-05:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

SURPRISE!!!

2009-02-09T12:04:00.002-06:00

I'm so humble.........
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I hardly know where to start. Probably have to be, Chrissy. What an amazing daughter, to decide that she wanted to have a party to honor her aging mother. To the ones who wanted to help.....Steph, Jarad, Ashley, Brian, Pam, Connie, you guys ROCK!
I actually found out about the party several days before. Chrissy was so upset that I knew but as usual, Chrissy did what Chrissy does best. She decided we wouldn't focus on the ruined surprise but focus on what I didn't know. So after she got over her initial disappointment she said, "You have no idea where or what other surprises are in store."
I didn't....
I couldn't imagine....
I thought I knew who would be at my party.
I knew our best friends would be there: John & Robbie, Jim & Kay, Dan & Shelly, Marvin & Marilyn.
I knew, of course, that it would be Chrissy's family plus Connie, Jarad's family, & Steph's family...ALL of THEM! They love and honor me everyday of my life, I promise!
Pam & Steve, they are just like family. Can ALWAYS count on them!
These are all people who are consistently in our lives. People who contact me or other people in my life to make sure WE are okay. I can't say enough about how much these people mean to US!
Everyone else.......Wow!
I couldn't stop the tears as I looked around the room and saw so many people who have touched my life and are so special, in their own way, to me. This post would be way to long if I listed everyone. It makes me proud to say that there were at least 80 people who would come to a party in my honor. Just a few.......
Donna, Dana, Clint, & the boys...You know that my love for you is unconditional. I love you always! Our memories are precious and many! I'm so humble that Clint upon hearing of my party decided their family would be there. Nothing any more important! Wow! All the way from Oklahoma!
Delphia & Susan....You girls know that I live for our monthly lunches. I NEED to see you every month or life doesn't seem balanced!
Linda & Bob Reynolds....I'm so honored that you would attend when you are fighting the biggest battle of your life. Cancer strikes again..... Thank you for sharing my big night, I will never forget. Holly Melton & the girls......Thank you so much for coming. It was just last year when we talked about your husband, Jeff and I both turning 49. We were excited to think that the next year Jeff and I could celebrate together with a big 5-0 party. My heart broke when you had to let him go months later to cancer. I'm sure he was with us........I love you.
And last but not least, my Dad, brother Gary, sister-in-law Jay, Amber, Noah, and Jonathan. You are all so special to me and I'm so glad you were there to share fifty with me. Gary, you are not far behind! I love, love, love you guys!
So thank you for making me feel so special! Please, if you read my blog and I didn't mention you it is not because you don't mean the world to me. I cherished every face I saw and each person has a special place in my heart.
Special memory from the party......
Before my arrival, packed house, my dad looks around and says to my brother and his family, "you know, none of these people would be here right now if it wasn't for me!" Well said DAD! Thank you Dad and Mom for giving me LIFE!

I LOVE "Chemo Days"!

2009-02-06T10:57:00.003-06:00

Okay, I know, you think I have really gone over the edge over this age thing. Seriously? Let me explain why I love "chemo day". Every other Friday Steph and I come to the cancer center so that she can get her dose of poison. So far I haven't missed in the 15 months she has been having treatment. This is something that I pray that most of you will never have to experience. I pray that my forever friend will be healed and we can stop coming here. Maybe only to visit. I pray that when we do get to stop coming here that she and I will be able to find this piece of time for just US! That is why I love "chemo day"! Me and her, sitting here with only each other to talk to. Absolutely no children are allowed so that means zero interruptions. Unless you count the nurses who are constantly checking her vitals and hooking up her poison. So please understand I haven't lost my mind, not yet........

Post from Angelina Jolie.....

2009-02-05T00:03:00.004-06:00

This week (so far) has been one of reflection for me. It's the last week before I turn FIFTY. I think it looks better if I spell it out versus using the numbers. On one hand I have been so tired this week, unmotivated, and feeling so rushed. Rushed because I know that I'm on the down slide! I feel like time is running out for me to get ALL of those projects done that I meant to do before the kids graduated high school! I'm also questioning for the first time how important those things really are. Who am I KIDDING? I'm questioning everything this week. WOW, really just because I'm going to be fifty.

This week (so far) has also been a great week! Monday I had lunch with Mr. Nanny, my favorite daughter-in-law, Ashley, and cute little Livi! We also went shopping after lunch. I just love those girls! Even though I have felt so TIRED, I had a wonderful lunch on Tuesday with 2 of the greatest gals I know Susan and Delphia, and of course, the most amazing one I do know, my daughter, Chrissy! Chrissy and I started off our morning, after dropping off the little ones, shopping at Office Max. You would not believe the addiction we share. This deserves it's own post! Probably pictures, too! OOhhh, get ready, it's sick! If the day wasn't already wonderful, I picked up the oldest grandson, Hunter after school so that he could spend the night. Before I tell you how he made my day (okay, maybe my week) let me just tell you when we get together it is nonstop talking! We enjoy sharing stories and he loves to show me all the neat things that my itouch can do, what we love to drink, eat, do and just in general LOVE! I love our time together! I picked him up and he asked me how I was doing. I replied with the usual, oh fine. I stopped and said, "No Hunter, I'm really not. I'm feeling so tired and quite frankly I think I might be somewhat of a whack job because I think it is all in my head because I'm turning FIFTY!" He ever so sincerely said, "Oh Nanny, you are just like Angelina Jolie, you just get prettier as you age." I threw the car in park, ran around, pulled him out of the vehicle, just to give him a great big hug and kiss! Not really, that wouldn't be safe at all! But, let me tell YOU I sure felt like it! Have I mentioned that I love that boy?

Are You Smarter Than A Two Year Old?

2009-01-27T16:57:00.004-06:00

I just have to share about two very special little boys in my life! They are only 3 1/2 months apart and both of them couldn't be any cuter! But, first just let me tell you that it is so cold outside and there is snow/sleet on the ground. I'm sitting by my fire and listening to some great music on my ipod. This is not a typical day for me.....
Back to my cute boys......
They are both so smart and so different and so similar. Did that make sense? I know, it didn't.
Cohen: I wish you all could see every teacher's face when we walk into his preschool. I kid you not every teacher purrs! He is the sweetest little boy you have ever seen. You ask, how can a little boy be so sweet? You need to see him for yourself. But then again, if you know his Daddy...... He really is so much like him. So the other day when Chrissy and I picked the kids up from school and took them to the park I had Cohen in my car. Drew and Claire are inseparable! So Cohen is in my car and we are driving down the road and apparently he is looking out the window because he starts yelling "Play ball, play ball"! I look over and we had just passed the church where Claire and Drew play ball. I asked him who plays there and he says, "Claire". This was so amazing to me because he has only been there about 4 times and I can't believe he recognized the building from the road. The rest of the way to the park he pointed out all kinds of things to me like the helicopter and the train tracks. Talked, talked, talked the whole way! You also are in for a big treat if you hear him sing the Alphabet song! Yes, he sings it all the way thru! Too Cute!!! I know Chrissy doesn't want to jinx herself but he doesn't wear diapers any more and is doing amazing!
Levi: My adopted grandson. Levi and his brother, Drew belong to my best friend, Steph and her husband, Scot. I couldn't love these boys any more than I do, promise! Levi is an early talker. He has the cutest little voice you have ever heard! I love to ask him how old he is. He says ever so seriously with his cute little Angelina Jolie lips saying, " I don't know how to hold my fingers up". When Drew says, "I have Spiderman and he goes fast". Levi says, "My guy goes faster"! That amazes me that he knows how to use his words so well and he was just turning 2! He loves for anyone to read to him. He will bring you a book and want you to read it. He especially loves to look at the book that Chrissy made me of her family. He points everyone out and makes comments on several of the pictures. He knows how to count to 9 and knows all of his colors. Everyone calls me Nanny but he has decided to call me Nan.
To sum it up......there is nothing any better than being with these little people! When I'm with them all I want to do is KISS their little faces!
Hey Mom, Englebert Humperdinck is playing on my ipod! Yes, I did put him on there in honor of YOU! He has always been your favorite so it reminds me of you! Love it!!!!

Blast from the Past!

2009-01-21T18:38:00.002-06:00

Chrissy is doing a project for my very soon 50th birthday and she needed pictures of ME through all the years. Well, here I am! I had to throw a few pictures up because I knew my Mom would love them! Let me just tell you, it doesn't matter how old you get you are still your Momma's baby!

This is me and my big brother, Bill with my Grandpa Janes (my Mom's dad)!
Me and my brother with my MOM!

Thanks for being my Momma! I love you!

A Day of Hope and Great Conversation

2009-01-20T23:09:00.005-06:00

I've been planning on updating my blog because I know Mom is getting tired of checking it and wondering what I'm doing in my free time! Not really, we do talk on the phone. So today when I had this great conversation with Drew, I knew I needed to blog! I shared with her on Sunday about Claire and the "quarterhouse" steak that she ordered. You all know what I'm talking about because you come to my blog from Chrissy's! I picked Drew up at 1:30 today because he and Claire do the Computer Bus for an extra 30 minutes on Tuesdays. They love it! On our way home, I told Drew that today was a very exciting and important day. He asked why and I proceeded to tell him that today we have a new president. He said, yeah I know, Barack Obama. He then let me in on the secret that they learned about this event at school today. He then proceeded to let me know that there is another very important man to remember this week. I said, Oh really, who. He said very proudly and distinctly, Martin Luther King, Jr. I thought it would be a great time to test his knowledge of what he had learned. I asked him what MLK had done that made him important. He said ever so smartly, Well, once he had a dream! He was trying to tell everyone about it! It's so funny what Claire and Drew pick out of a whole conversation as being important.

SSHHH!!! Mr. Nanny is sleeping.......

2008-12-28T01:43:00.002-06:00

Here is the tree in our bedroom! It's decorated in greens, purples, and gold!

Should I be RUNNING backwards?

2008-12-28T01:16:00.004-06:00

I am so far behind on posting on my blog! So I will make baby steps and at least post pictures of my decorated kitchen and eating area. Please ignore the unfinished fireplace, it really drives Mr. Nanny CRAZY! I just haven't decided how I want to finish it out and yes, I know, it's been 3 years! In this picture you can see the teacup ornaments! I love this tree!

Mom, I wish you were here to have coffee with me in the mornings!

2008-12-21T21:00:00.001-06:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

How It ALL Started.....

2008-12-21T19:43:00.003-06:00

I think I'm finally getting in the Christmas spirit since we are home from Houston, where my forever friend received good news! I have been decorating my house for the holidays and have wanted to post all the work that I have done so my Mom can see it! I have been telling her but pictures sure do help! So the biggest tree in our house and I do mean big was decorated by my family. This is the one tree that we do together. The ornament below was one that my Mom gave me when I left home. This hung on my tree as a little girl. It meant so much to me, to be so far from home and from my Mom, to have some of the ornaments of my childhood. Then, to add to that, my Mom was the first person ever to buy me an ornament She gave this one to Kenneth and I on our wedding day, August 26, 1978! Once again, my Mom was instrumental in my love of ornaments and then the decorating! This is for you, MOM!

These are the cute little elves that come over to help decorate that really tall tree!

Keep in mind that the big guy is close to 7 foot and you still can't see the top of that tree!

Here's some more cute elves that help out at Handy Nanny's house! Great worker bees, let me tell you.........

Mr. Nanny and I like some snuggle time with these cuties!

Here is some of the Christmas decorations in this room with the big tree!

Another angle.........

The tree in all it's glory!

You may wonder how do I get all these elves to my house to decorate. Simple.....I feed them! They are suckers for my chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, & corn! Notice my Dad at the table...he rarely passes this menu up! I don't make him work, he raised me!

I will try to post the rest of the house in the next few days! It won't be much longer and I will be taking all of this down, agh!

#1 Grand baby!

2008-12-09T22:02:00.004-06:00

Can you believe this is "The 1st Grand baby"? He has grown into such a handsome young man! Tomorrow when he wakes up at my house he will be a TEENAGER! Mr. Nanny, Hunter, and I went to his favorite restaurant tonight (Ocean Zen)! It truly is a dining experience. Equally an experience that we had to have him read the check because we are too old to see the fine print! I can't believe that it has been 13 years since this little guy changed our world! We are so proud of the nice young man he has become. We love you Hunter!

P.S. Can we say spoiled? He will be celebrating tomorrow evening with his Mom and little brother and on Saturday with his Dad, Step-mom, sister and some friends! The celebrations never end!!!!

This is who my daughter is named after......

2008-12-07T06:33:00.026-06:00

Miss Mary (who is quite contrary) deserves her very own post! Yes, this beautiful girl is who our daughter is named after! We started playing together when my family moved down the street from her family in August of 1969. We lived 2 houses and a church apart. We literally grew up together like sisters. If I wasn't at her house, she was at mine. We preferred her house because she didn't have to share a bedroom! I'd like to add at this point that I did learn how to dust properly due to her mother's great instruction! Thanks, Joyce! Oh the stories I could tell about our childhood.... I digress. So, while we were visiting my Mom & Tom for Thanksgiving we were able to run to Miss Mary's house for an evening of fun! She has the most handsome husband and the yummiest girls you ever did see! She is truly BLESSED! Did I mention that she didn't get married until she was 40 and THEN started having children? I can't even describe how I feel when I'm in this home! So let me take you on a tour of this beautiful, house full of love, home!

This is the tree in her family room! My favorite room! The view out this window is of the lake on the golf course. Beautiful!!!

Miss Mary's hunky husband has his own office with his very own tree!

This tree is in her kitchen/dining area! She's inspiring me....

Yes, even a tree on the screened in back porch!

Tree in Formal Living Room!

Tree in Formal Dining Room

Dark headed Beauty's tree in her bedroom!

The tree in Nana's room! I think it's my room but the girls said it was Nana's.

This tree is in the upstairs sitting room, the girls called it "The Loft"! So uptown!

This is Miss Mary's bedroom! Absolutely gorgeous! Love, love, love it!

Blonde headed Beauty's PURPLE tree in her bedroom!

This is blonde hair beauty.....

and this is her little sister, dark hair beauty!

This is a very long post and I didn't even show you her basement! Of course, it's decorated in grand style, too! I'm just so proud of those 2 little girls that played together on Pembroke street! That would be me and Miss Mary! We followed in great footsteps, though! Love and miss you, MC!

Thanksgiving with my Momma!

2008-12-07T05:46:00.005-06:00

This was an extra special Thanksgiving for me this year. We had Thanksgiving with my Mom and my stepfather, Tom! So what makes this so special? Well, I haven't had Thanksgiving with my Mom since I was 17. Yes, 32 years have gone by without being with my Mom. I remember in the beginning it was truly unbearable to be without her. Oh, the tears that I shed..... I married soon after high school and Mr. Nanny just happens to be from Oklahoma, where his family's' tradition runs deep! We also lived within 3 hours of his parents and Mom was in Florida. So it was great tradition that all of Mr. Nanny's family would get together and the women would cook, the men would hunt, and the children would play. Years went by and the male children started hunting and the girls would help in the kitchen. This was the way that it was and we never considered another option. Last year was the first year we didn't go to Oklahoma. Things change.......the children now are married with their own children. The distance is greater than 3 hours. They have in-laws that would like to see them (mostly the babies). Mr. Nanny and I decided that we wouldn't start the Thanksgiving tradition at our house because our kids do have in-laws and this definitely makes things easier for them to not have to be everywhere. We get together with our kids almost every week. But, most importantly, I missed my Mom! My mom has always been a mom and a best friend. I never wanted to disappoint her and I still don't. I just love being in her presence. Spending time with her I'm in awe that she is 72! She does not look 72! She has never looked her age, always a beauty and boy, was I ever so proud to call her my Mom! She is a woman of strength, that's where I get mine. A woman of faith, I watched her pray a lot when my 3 siblings and I were teenagers! My mother was born to nurture! I witnessed this once again when we had to run into town before we had our Thanksgiving meal to take food to an elderly lady who doesn't have anyone. She is a customer of my mothers and she is all alone. So I guess to sum it all up....I am my Mother's child! We used to finish each other's sentences, share clothes and hang out on dateless weekends together watching TV, playing cards or coloring with paint pens (yes, it really is an adult thing)! I knew that someday when I had a daughter I wanted to have that same special relationship with her that I had with my mother. I think I accomplished this because Chrissy and I are inseparable! Now how about some pictures of that hot great-grammy and our ever so handsome PaPa Tom........

This BABY changed EVERYTHING!

2008-12-04T15:53:00.002-06:00

Today I was driving Drew to his preschool and we were listening to our new favorite Christmas song, "A Baby Changes Everything" by Faith Hill. A beautiful song about the birth of Jesus! We turn this song way up loud to get the full benefits, that's just what we do. When I hear this song, I think about Mary and what she was going through and how Joseph stood by her. Truly a miracle and I love miracles! Drew yelled "Nanny" so I quickly lowered the volume and said, "Yes, baby doll".

"I was a baby once. And I changed everything".

I can't even begin to tell you the thoughts that went through my head about how true that statement was and for many many people! Life has never been the same since November 16, 2004. I choked out a "Yes, you did". The rest of the way to school tears just streamed down my face and I couldn't stop them. I will never listen to this song again and not think of all the children in my life that have changed everything for me, baby Jesus included!

Angels do Exist!

2008-11-30T18:36:00.008-06:00

Today when we got home from our trip, more details later, we walked in and this is what we found:

The music was playing in the kitchen.......
This is the tree in the kitchen!

This is the tree in the Formal Living Room!

This is the tree in our bedroom!

This is the tree in the Media Room!

So who did all this for me? This girl http://www.stephsgonnawin.blogspot.com/ and her awesome husband! Thank you so much, Steph! I know how rough last week was for you, following chemo and I appreciate this more than you will ever know! I love you, forever!

God Blessed Me Today, I Promise!

2008-11-19T21:20:00.016-06:00

Today started early with a very cute smiling guy waking up very early ready to start his day! I was trying to convince him to whisper so he wouldn't wake his sister but he wanted to love on her, too! Can I just tell you this kid loves coffee! Wow, I have to guard my coffee with my life! We all ate breakfast at 7:30 and had snack at 9:30. My Dad, PaPa Melvin, came over to visit and he enjoyed the kids so much. He was very impressed when I was looking at the Sunday fliers and I asked Cohen what this picture was and Cohen replied, "Ipod"! The kids were wonderful while I worked on laundry and picking up the upstairs. They played together and then went their separate ways. Claire played on the computer and Cohen kicked back on his Mommy's old bed with the small DVD player watching JoJo's Circus. We had lunch and then Cohen and I laid down for a nap. He protested but I started singing my "Night Night CoCo song" and within 3 minutes he was out! Truly!! They played outside with PaPa after Cohen's nap and when they came inside PaPa scooped them up some cherry ice cream! Claire and I worked on puzzles for quite some time and by 5:00 they were in the bathtub! Cohen was so proud because he washed his hiney, pits, neck, & his belly all by himself. We had dinner by 6:00 and by 7:00 Claire asked to go to bed. So we loaded upstairs after getting milk and Claire's medicine and crawled into their Mommy's old bed to look at the stars left from Mommy and her best friend, Kimmy! I'm so sentimental I can't take them down! Cohen immediately started saying, "Sing Night Night song, Nanny"! Tonight he sang along with me! Precious!!! Cohen fell asleep at 8:00, Claire about 5 minutes later. This is good because we have Mother's Day Out tomorrow and Drew will be here by 7:00. I had a wonderful day and feel extremely blessed today for many reasons. Chrissy, I hope you read this soon! Know that we are doing great here, your mother-in-law is wonderful (she called and offered to help like she always does) and when I asked Cohen where his mommy and daddy are he said, "went bye-bye" and just smiles! I'm so happy that they are happy! Enjoy your away time!!! Kisses to you and my handsome son-in-law!

Cohen enjoying his bath!

Claire with her mouth full of bath water!

Cohen immediately grabbed Claire when he choked on the water!

Cohen and Claire eating their dinner! Cohen couldn't shovel it in fast enough. I have never seen him eat so fast!

Good Night!

Sleep Tight!

Another Drew & Claire story.......

2008-11-18T21:55:00.002-06:00

Tonight Drew was telling Claire he had to go home. Claire was fine with him going home but she wanted the marker that he had in his hand. She had one but it was a little smooshed on the end. Drew's was much better for drawing a dinosaur with cavities! So, Claire was asking ever so nicely for the marker when the conversation turned to this.........
Drew: You have to say "please" in Spanish!
Claire: Nanny, I don't know how to say "please" in Spanish!
Drew: I'm sorry but you have to say "please" in Spanish!
Steph: Drew, do you know how to say "please" in Spanish?
Drew: No.
We laughed forever.........

(Mom, I can't wait to see you..........)

"The Jesus People Are Here"!

2008-11-12T21:09:00.006-06:00

This morning Drew and I had driven thru McDonalds so that we could take breakfast to that really cute family that we know (http://www.claireandcocosmommy.blogspot.com/), when Drew yelled out "The Jesus people are here!" Even though it was morning rush hour, I whipped my head around to see what or who he was talking about. Out of the corner of my eye on the property of McDonalds was a nativity scene already set up. I laughed to myself and once again thought between Claire and Drew who needs to pay for entertainment! I recall last year that Joseph was referred to as Josie and Mary! And I remember very distinctly last year when Drew and Claire were talking on the phone, Claire talking about a caterpillar that she had that would soon turn into a chrysalis and Drew said ever so confidently, "I have a Christmas List, too"! Does it really get any cuter than that? Well, let me tell you that it really does. There is nothing cuter than Cohen, who just turned 2, when asked who is the president of the United States and he replies, "Barack Obama"! It actually sounds like Rock Amama but if you could see his cute little smile you can't help but kiss that beautiful little face! Which is exactly what he wants, our little love bug! Have I mentioned that Mr. Nanny and I get to keep these cutie pies for about a week? I'm sure there will be pictures and stories to tell! Oh.....and to my beautiful mother, I have the kids on video saying there prayers and "hi" to their Grammy! I've not posted a video before but I'll work on it! This cute picture is of our ever so cute, Cohen praying!

We have a climber.....

2008-11-05T22:07:00.003-06:00

In case you're wondering if I'm talking about a plant that survived the freeze we had, I'm not! I'm talking about Livi! Of all the grandbabies, she is the only one that is on a mission to climb on top of or in anything that looks like fun! Seriously, she couldn't be any cuter! Jarad, Ashley, Brian, Cohen, & Kenneth took off on Sunday to our land in Conway. They all had a blast together and my day was made by spending a little one on one with Livi! Chrissy and Claire were having a little girl time and I'm sure Claire was also enjoying the one on one!

Sarah Ravencroft for Prez!

2008-11-04T23:14:00.003-06:00

I betcha didn't know that we had a female RUNNING for President! Drew and Claire were running around telling us that they were voting for Sarah Ravencroft for President! Drew's parents informed me she was a character on Scooby Dooby Doo. We laughed pretty hard on that one. My day started early so that I could take Drew with me to vote before he went to school. He crawled right up on my lap and insisted on connecting the lines. He thought voting was very easy, right? I hear that we have officially elected a new president, Barack Obama. Look on the bright side.....Oprah believes in him and hey, I wouldn't want to answer to Oprah! She's watching........he better get busy! Goodnight!

Today Matters......

2008-11-03T10:51:00.025-06:00

I think I have decided that my everyday slogan will be "Today Matters". I choose this because it made my forever friend, Steph want to own her very own cute, tight fitting shirt that states very simply "Today Matters". One of her players was sporting this very trendy shirt from an upscale shop from downtown when she decided she wanted one of her own. Player (who I adore) gifted her the shirt. We realize that every day is a gift from God and it MATTERS! My goal is to make sure I don't miss a thing! So from this day forward I will not worry if my posting is mundane or that it doesn't matter because to me it DOES!

My blessings from last week and there were many..........

This was the first week that Hunter was able to come over right after school. Now that football is over he will be with us right after school until Wednesday morning, when I take him to school. He got to the house in time to help me make an apple dumpling dessert. He's quite handy in the kitchen! I cooked a roast, sweet potato casserole, salad, and some veggies. Steph and the boys ate with us, also. We left around 7:00 and headed to the mall where we got this lined hoodie that is warm and COOL! Isn't he handsome? I love that boy!

Wednesday was my stay at home day with Drew. I love these days! Ashley & Livi stopped by to visit and after they left Chrissy & the kids brought Drew and I some of that great cuisine that is purchased from a window! They were there until probably 3:00. Okay, back to these cute pictures.....Thursday started with the annual costume parade at Mother's Day Out! Cohen is dressed like a cowboy and then we have our superheroes' Drew & Claire as Batman & Batgirl! Chrissy has mentioned on her blog many times and I will iterate, We LOVE our Mother's Day Out program but especially the people! They are truly angels of God!

Chrissy & I took the kids out of school at 11:00 so that we could take them out to Mr. Nanny's office for a retirement luncheon. We were joined by Jarad, Ashley, & Livi. We aren't sure how it happened but we managed to get a picture of PaPa with his babies! We must have bribed them, surely....

Chrissy picked up the kids from school and brought them home so that we could do some fun Halloween stuff! Chrissy made sugar cookies with the kids while I worked on dinner for the 23 people (kids & adults) that I fed later that evening! Here are some of the goodies that we made......

After dinner, all the kids took their little ones out trick or treating. Kenneth and I stayed behind with a few others and relaxed until the candy eating crew came back! Here are some pics of our little trick or treaters..........

Ashley, Alivia, & Jarad, cute huh?

Drew, Garrett, & Claire - cutest superheroes you ever did see!!

I tried to get a picture of the whole gang....

Levi and Cohen just being cute!

So to sum up my week, I feel so incredibly blessed and know that God is with me everyday! When everyone has gone home, I just sit and BE in my beautiful home and thank My Heavenly Father for all that I have and all that I can do.

Times Are A Changing.......

2008-10-29T09:37:00.016-05:00

Does your life just fly by? Mine does and I don't like it! Maybe it flies by because we cram so much into a day. One thing I do know and I say it constantly....I'm livin' my life! What has happened in October? Just let me highlight some of the best times!

We watched the oldest grandson, Hunter play football every Tuesday night! He also spent every Tuesday night with us. Have I mentioned that I love this boy?

We also went to Las Vegas and spent 4 days with these crazy people! Let me proudly introduce Mr. Nanny's brother and his wife. She may be my sister-in-law but I love her like a sister. We treasure any time we get to spend with them. Back in the day, we spent all holidays and vacations together. Now that our kids are grown and we have grandkids things are a changin'!

Much to Claire & Drew's dismay the pool has closed! How crazy that they were still swimming in October? They love the pool, especially because it is heated! We closed the pool on October 23rd. Here's a little before and after, how sad!

This is Jarad being Jarad! This is what it looks like now......

Spending time with my babies.........

Drew loves to spend his days stripped down after preschool lets out!

Cohen is having a bath in the kitchen sink. My little secret is that this is a great place to put my little ones while I'm cooking!

On Sunday, PaPa went and picked up Claire so she could see the fish at Bass Pro. She came home with a new coat and Prancer!

Which reminded her that Christmas is near, so we pulled out a Christmas show (before Halloween!

The things I love about the fall......

And it's all inside of my favorite place............

We have fallen.......in LOVE!

2008-10-24T06:31:00.003-05:00

This boy holding this baby hiding the face of a beautiful girl is Jarad! Jarad is my baby boy and I still fondly refer to him as such! So for all you young momma's (what he always called me) out there the answer is YES, your baby is always your BABY! Even when he is twenty six and a daddy, and a husband. So Jarad called last night and had to change his mind about our attending the Sarah Palin rally. They moved her speaking back an hour so that would put him getting out of town too late. He is leaving today for Atlantic, Iowa to quail hunt. This will be the first time that Mr. Nanny will not be going with him. I'm not sure that I feel great about that! Refer back to the "always your baby" part! Once I get better at this blogging thing I will post way better pictures, I'm sure. But, back to this one.....so the faces that you can't see are my beautiful inside and out daughter-in-law, Ashley and youngest grand baby, Alivia. My love for Alivia is a given! Falling in love with a new baby is never hard! But Ashley......picked by my son to join our family! I publicly announce and will always stand by the fact that we think she is PERFECT! I thank God. He picked her just for Jarad! I love so many things about her. I love how they are best friends. I love how she mommies. I love her assertiveness. I love her loyalty. I love how she loves her parents and sisters. I love how she sings. I love how un-materialistic she is. I love her faith in God. I love how she reminds me of ME and love that Jarad picked someone with similar qualities. I love how she has bonded with Mr. Nanny and that they do things just the two of them, actually it's usually 3 (Alivia) of them. I'm sure I could go on and on if I was truly awake! So just let it be said, WE LOVE HER!

2008-10-23T00:05:00.000-05:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

What I Do.....

2008-10-22T22:00:00.004-05:00

As I'm sitting here reflecting on my day, trying to get the energy to get up and finish cleaning the kitchen, I realize that I should be tired. My day started with me crawling out of bed and joining Mr. Nanny downstairs for a cup of coffee that he made! At 7:00, I woke up the oldest grandson, Hunter (who spends 1 night a week with us because he wants to!)so he could get ready for school. At 7:05, Drew is dropped off by his dad, Scot, who declares that he is running late and after kisses and I love yous runs out the door. I make Drew breakfast and run back upstairs to throw on some clothes. At 7:30, Drew, Hunter, & I head out the door to take Hunter to school. Yes, Drew goes with us even though he has the option of staying at home with Mr. Nanny! We stop at Starbucks for Hunter's Wednesday morning treat from Nanny, yes iced coffee and a muffin. We drop Hunter off at school and yes that 7th grade boy gives me kisses and I love yous! Drew sitting in the backseat says, "Nanny, Hunter sure is a good boy." Drew is our wise one...... Back home at 8:30 and more coffee for me! I spend some time checking email while Drew is watching his shows and doing flips on and off my bed. Jarad stops by and tells me that he has an opportunity for he and 1 other person to go see Sarah Palin on Friday on the MSU campus. He wants to ask his dad. I'm jealous. I'm intrigued and wouldn't mind to see her in person. It's now 10:30 and I must get in the tub because I have to be out the door by 11:30, with a 4 year old dressed and ready. Thank goodness I've had 4 cups of coffee by now! Leave the house at 11:40. Drew informed me he was having pee pee issues. More time in the potty room than I expected. Left the house and headed for the Highway Patrol office! No, this Nanny isn't in trouble with the law! Drew's PaPa Ed works for the patrol and they were having a fundraiser for Drew's family. Drew's mommy, Steph (my forever friend) has Stage IV colon cancer. We met Mr. Nanny (Kenneth), Chrissy, Claire, & Cohen there! It was very heartwarming to see and meet the people who helped raise money for Steph's foundation. People who work with Ed that may or may not personally know Steph are there giving time and money. So humbling.... Chrissy, the 3 kids, and I took off for a shopping trip to the mall. By now probably around 1:30. The kids have pictures tomorrow at their preschool and we wanted to get them something new to wear. Something a little fancier than what they usually wear to school. By 3:30, we had purchased outfits, visited Build A Bear, and had a snack at the food court. I had invited Chrissy and the kids to come home with me for dinner due to the fact that Brian (awesome son-in-law) left today for Phoenix to visit his dad and step-mom. I immediately started cooking dinner so that we could eat early. I made a new recipe tonight called Autumn Lasagna, salad, apple wedges, and bread/butter. I also made a new pumpkin pie recipe but everyone left before it had cooled. Kenneth, oops, Mr. Nanny has never cared for pumpkin pie but said this could change him into a pumpkin pie lover! I fed 5 adults and 4 little ones dinner tonight! It's times like these that I love and know that I'm so blessed by God. It's also times like right now when I'm sitting in our very quiet house that it is so clear to me that I do love the chaos and the quiet is equally as cherished! Oh yeah, Jarad asked his Dad to go to see Sarah Palin and he isn't available so I was asked next! I don't have a problem being second choice! I'm thrilled to be invited. Hmm....now what should I wear?? My Sarah Palin suit or at the very least my new Sarah Palin glasses?

Here We Go.......

2008-10-21T14:42:00.004-05:00

I will now attempt to tell everyone in my life, if they're interested, what goes on in this crazy house! I also hope to share all of the wisdom of my many years on this blog. I live everyday for God and my loved ones. I try really hard to serve everyday of my life! I encourage the people in my life to do this. It truly is what it's all about. There are 2 very scary things about blogging to me. The first is that I have been out of school for so long that my sentence structure and punctuation have suffered terribly. Please don't judge me! I really was a pretty good student back in the day! Second, I really don't need another thing to distract me from all that I have to do in a day! So on this note I think that I will stop my first blog so that I can finish putting up groceries, cooking some dinner for Steph and the boys (and hubby of course), fold and put away laundry and go to a football game. Was that a rambling sentence? I'll work on that.....