Thirteen Shows that at one time were my favorite shows on television

You tell me why blogger only let me upload 9 of the 13 shows that at one time was my very favorite on TV.

In no particular order...Pinwheeel, Saved By the Bell, Just the 10 of Us, 90210, Scarecrow and Mrs. King (because I am Alyssa's sister), Another World, Dawsons Creek, Friends, Cosby Show, Cheers, The Wonder Years, Facts of Life, and Hey Dude. What shows do you miss?

"All I Ever Have to Be"

When the weight of all my dreams
Is resting heavy on my head
And the thoughtful words of help and hope
Have all been nicely said
But I’m still hurting, wondering if I’ll ever be the one
I think I am - I think I am

Then you gently re-remind me
That You’ve made me from the first
And the more I try to be the best
The more I get the worst
And I realize the good in me is only there because of who You are
Who You are…
And all I ever have to be is what You’ve made me
Any more or less would be a step out of Your plan
As you daily recreate me help me always keep in mind
That I only have to do what I can find
And all I ever have to be
All I have to be
All I ever have to be is what You’ve made me

I heard this song again the other day and it really blessed me. I hope you remember it too and it provides some encouragement. Have a great day!

Where does the time go?

Here is Carley's 7 month pict that we had made a couple of weeks ago. Time is sure flying.
Also, Carley's first tooth FINALLY broke though. YAY tooth! I would get a picture, but it is too hard. She does not like to show it off very often. She is doing much better at her child care and I am doing much better too. It is still hard though. I love how happy she is there and how much of an easier baby she is when she gets home. She is really learning to roll with the punches better and not be so picky. I must admit, motherhood is still kicking my tail though. :)

The post below, continued

Blogger wouldn't let me add another picture below so I am just continuing the post here.

One of the coolest parts of the week was that Cody's uncle came through town. This is one of Cody's very favorite people and we hadn't met before. He is a sweet guy and it was fun to get to visit. The neatest part for me was that I have never met any one in Cody's family that he looks like. Cody looks a lot like his uncle and so does Carley. (because Cody and Carley are twins). They all have the same eyes, cheeks, and very similar noses. I guess this is what Cody will look like in a few years.

Here is Uncle Sonny, Cody, and Carley.

Man, where did this week go?

It is already Friday. Where did the week go? It has been a crazy one. Here is what I can think of that is new with us.

1. Carley is doing good at the home care she goes to each day. The lady's name is Granny and she keeps 4-5 teacher's kids. She is wonderful. I will tell you though, leaving Carley broke my heart for the first few days. But each day I pick her up she is in a good mood and she comes home in the best mood. So, I think Carley is adjusting and so I guess I need to suck it up and adjust too! :)

2. Still no elephant. Keep looking for another if you don't mind. We are desperate for a back up!

3. Also, I did not win the house. I just knew I would, but sadly, I got my hopes up for no reason again. It was a beautiful home and I know it wanted me to live there.

4. Last Comic Standing is over. It was so funny this season. It is rare that Cody and I find a show we both LOVE. It was fun to watch it together. I thought Ty should have won though. Did you?

5. Why is there not one single happy couple on Days of Our Lives right now? Not one. What is up with that?

6. Being back around work friends has been great. I have a new sense of energy being back at work. I really love what I do and who I am around.

7. The new school that I will be at this year is still under construction. They keep saying it will be ready for the 22nd when kids start, but I am getting more and more sure that it won't be ready until then! It is so frustrating, but at the same time it stops me from taking my job so seriously.

8. I am part of a group that is starting a new class on Wednesday nights at church. I am so excited about it. We are going to fellowship and eat at the beginning and then have a time of uplifting worship. It is nice to be excited about Wednesdays again.

9. I learned how to make hair bows. I know for most of you crafty people out there you are thinking, "that is so easy". Clearly you have not met me. I am horrible at things like this, but I have made Carley hair bows. Infact, I made 4 hairbows the other day for the price of buying one!

I have other things to post, but blogger won't let me post pictures. Oh well, I will do more next week.

Hope all is well with you.

I survived

Today was Carley's first day of day care. I always knew it would make me sad to leave. I figured I would drive off with the whimsical tear glistening on my cheek. Instead, I cried. I cried and cried and cried and cried. Man, I didn't think it would hurt so bad. I read one time that being a mom means your heart walks around in someone else's body. I felt that today. My heart was with Carley.

Carley did good. She loves Granny (the sweet lady who keeps her) and enjoyed watching other kids. I just think it was overwhelming for her to be gone from me for so long with all new kids around her.

Being a working mom is a blessing and I enjoy my job so much. I was so glad to see Carley when it was time to pick her up and tonight she and I had the best evening just playing and rocking. I have said it before, I have the best of both worlds because I have a job that I love and a family I love coming home to each day. It is just amazing the overflow of emotions you have when you leave your child. Is it weird that I just want to strap her on my back and tote her around with me for the next 18 years?

10 Years...

Wow, this weekend was my 10 year High School Reunion. I wasn't going to go because I was chicken. Friday night some of my HS friends called and were asking why I wasn't coming and giving me a hard time because I live in town and wasn't going and they came in from other states. Point made so Saturday I sucked it up and went. We did a tour of good old Lubbock High Saturday morning then a picnic at the park. That night some of us ended up going to dinner. It was good to see so many. Here are some things that struck me....

1. People are sweet. It is so true. It was great to see how happy we all were for eachother. All of our lives look very different. It is interesting to me. But, we are all so happy that the others got the lives they wanted.

2. 10 years is a long time. Over 80 % of the people there are either doctors, engineers, or lawyers. Granted, I went to a high school that is known for academics and few schools in the state can touch us in the number of National Merit Finalists, SAT scores, and acceptance to prestigious universities, but still knowing that the girl I sat next to in Biology is now a Pediatric Surgeon, our class president is a white collar crime political attorney in DC and living 2 blocks from the white house, or the guy that made our contraband unofficial senior shirts can now deliver children blows my mind.

3. There are a lot of gay/lesbian/bisexual people that I graduated with and even a guy who had some surgery and is now a girl. Because I live in Lubbock, I forget that sometimes. I was reminded this weekend what a sheltered city I live in and how rare it is to be open about that here.

4. There is something special about seeing people you were kids with having kids. It was great to play with some of my friends' children and see what great parents they are now. It was fun hearing the girl I was in Kindergarten with talking about her son starting kindergarten this fall. Wow.

5. Time heals so much. I can remember classmates going through traumatic divorces of their parents, giving up children for adoption, losing loved ones, and a million life altering moments. It is amazing what they look like 10 years down the road and how they have moved on from it all. People really are so resilient and I firmly believe that God is there through it all.

6. Faith...so many lost their faith. It broke my heart. Friends that were active in youth groups and churches then are not now and it made me sad. I wondered what happened and where it all changed. At the same time, I have so much faith and hope that they will come in contact with Christ's love again.

7. Change happens. Next year, LHS has an enrollment of over 2400! That is a lot for Lubbock area. A LOT! I can't believe it. There were 1500 when I was there and now there are 2400. The halls are one way too. What is that? The gymnastics gym is now the library, the library is computer rooms, and so on and so forth. The world is an ever changing place and schools are no exception.

8. Some things never change. The auditorium seats are still uncomfortable, the halls still smell like school, the pictures hanging on the wall are still there, and it is still the place where I have so many memories.

I know this post was tedious to most of you. Some of you out there went to LHS so you maybe understand more, some of you hit your HS reunion this year too and maybe you sympathize. Either way, it was a good weekend of remembering some of the people who saw you through some great moments and some lousy ones. Either way, "once a Westerner, always a Westerner".

To Ebay or not to Ebay, that is the ????

I enjoy shopping Ebay and do it somewhat often. How can you not love ebay?

Well, I am wondering if you have ever sold anything on ebay? Is it hard? What profit does Ebay get? Have you ever had any negative experiences with it? Is it time consuming?

Why the ebay questions....Well, I am currently the highest bidder on an elephant lovey. Meet Carley's BEST friend, Ely Fant. Carley and Ely take all of their naps together. He is very much a necessity at bed time. Well, now that Carley is starting a home day care, I want a "back up" that I can leave there. I am so afraid that when we are rushing out the door, I will forget Ely and Carley will have even more trouble napping. I have been to Target several times looking for another Ely. I have been online and no luck. Finally, I find another Ely Fant on Ebay. Guess how much I am currently bidding on an $8.00 lovey....$51.00. YEAH, I am crazy. However Carley is more crazy about Ely.

So here is my second question if the first doesn't apply to you....what is the craziest thing you have ever spent a ridiculous amount of money on out of desperation??

Side Note....I got out bid. PLEASE be on the lookout for this little lovey at your Targets and other places that have the "Just One Year" Carter's brand. If you find it, I will pay you BIG for him. HELP! We are desperate!

Meet Airhorn

Meet Airhorn...he is a fire department clown who teaches fire safety and he is the father of my child. hehehe. One of Cody's favorite things to do (why I do not really know) is to volunteer for the FD as a clown. There are 4 of them. They do great work by doing skits and demonstrations at various locations around the city. Cody can make balloon animals, do a few tricks, and bring smiles to the faces of lots of kids. Anyway, lots of people have asked to see pictures of him as a clown so here you go. He had a "gig" on Saturday.

Do you not love his sesame street clown outfit that my mom made him?

Okay, this post is over, stop clowning around and get back to work....

Pictures from the past week

Ladies and Gentlemen, I proudly present the graduates of Parent and Me Swim Class Session 3.

Carley and me

Drew, Carley, and Ellie
I can't believe how big Carley is getting.
Emily Hope, her dad Chief, Carley and her Daddy.

Look at these precious daddy's girls!

Our dog, Ali. I never post pictures of her and she gets jealous. She is smiling for the camera.

For embarrassing pictures.....

You can click on my dear friend. Mandy's blog, and see some embarrassing pictures of us from the late 80's and summer of 90. Why did I ever have a perm and HUGE glasses?

Happy Birthday, Cody!

Tomorrow (Sunday) is the birthday of my wonderful husband! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Cody! I am daily amazed that God brought us together and that you decided to accept His challenge! I am so thankful for Cody and the way he is such a wonderful father and husband. I hope this year blesses you more than you can imagine. I am so excited to share this day with you!

Thursday Thirteen

Here are 13 things about this week:

1. Every thing is good to go with Emily's adoption at this point. What a blessing!
2. Carley has had a big week. She crawled backwards. She tries to crawl forward, but has no luck. It is so cute.
3. Carley says "mamamamama". I think it is directed at me, but it is hard to know. But it is her first word and she says it when I leave the room or when she wants something so I think it is my name.
4. Cody is doing great on his paramedic hours. He is almost finished with the hospital stuff. This week he got five 8 hour shifts done which is impressive since he also was at the station all day Tuesday and will be there tomorrow.
5. We are finishing swim lessons tomorrow. It has been so fun. Carley is not quite doing back flips, but she splashes well. The best part has been spending time with friends in the class.
6. I am done watching The Hills. It is boring to me now. I need to start cutting down on some of my shows any way. So, good bye to LC and Jason. I wish you well.
7. I am spending the weekend with my family. I am so excited. Family time is so great.
8. Mc Donalds has $1.50 hamburger happy meals on Thursdays! HOW GREAT!
9. Days of Our Lives is getting really good. You need to watch it!
10. A super Target is opening close to our house on October 8th. You metroplexers don't know what it is like to only have one Target in town.
11. Cody and I bought a raffle ticket to win a house. Can you imagine? I know we won't win, but I like to pretend.
12. Clinique Bonus Week. I love it.
13. Saturday night we went on a triple date with 2 other couples and then Carley spent the night at Pops and Nana's. We got Carley at church the next morning. It was amazing how quiet the house was without "Disney's Lullabyes" playing in the back. It was our first night away from her. We missed her so much. Thanks Pops and Nana!

I have been waiting to post this....

This is such a funny story to me. I hesitate to post it because I know that lots of different people with different personalities and senses of humor read this blog. But the funniest thing happened in Walmart and I have to share. I ran in to get a bag of salad and a can of formula. I was in the self check out line behind this man in his 50's. He was acting very nervous. I thought maybe he was just scared of the self check out. I was wrong. He bought a kind of energy drink called Rockstar and a box of condoms. I would not have known this except the condoms wouldn't scan so sensor went off and the manager had to type in her code. The man was so embarrassed!!I got so tickled at the story while I was scanning my items. I thought, "Where is someone I can laugh about this with?" When I went to grab my receipt, I saw that he left his. I took the liberty of scanning it and posting it for your viewing pleasure. Is this not the FUNNIEST receipt you have ever seen in your life?

2 items, a rockstar and condoms. I love it!

Emily Hope is here!

I have posted several times about our friends (and Cody's chief) who God is blessing with a child. Well, with great and tearful joy, I am so excited to say that Emily Hope was born last night. Her birth mother has completed the first two steps of the adoption process. She signed the paper that she did not want to hold the baby and she signed the paper that the baby could leave the hospital as soon as it was healthy. The baby is perfectly healthy and should be in the arms of her mom this afternoon! :) WHAT A BLESSING! The final paper has to be signed on Sunday evening, 48 hours after the birth, saying that the birth mom relinquishes her rights.

Please, please say a prayer for these specific things.

1. Emily continues to be healthy and the transport to Lubbock and to their home is successful.
2. The Chief is in Maryland at a conference! He is trying to get home, but has run into some travel issues. Hopefully he will be home soon. Pray for his travel and sanity and that the family will be together soon.
3. I just spoke with Mrs. Chief and she is so excited, nervous, overwhelmed and everything else! This day without her husband is hard, but she is surrounded my friends and family. Pray for her as well.
4. Pray that the last paper is signed without a hitch and that all goes through.

What a blessed day!

Proverbs 13:19 "A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul"

Thirteen Good Things This Week

1. HUMPREY'S! Those teething pellets made a world of difference. I remembered that we received some at a baby shower and they are great. Carley has slept through the night again and is back on routine! YEAH! (my fingers are definitely crossed as I type this)

2. Bluebell Chocolate Covered Strawberries ice cream-- It is a new flavor and it is SO good! We are addicted.

3. Carley and I are in mommy and me swim lessons. We have lots of fun playing with Yvette and Ellie & Kelli and Drew.

4. My parents kept Carley for a couple of hours on Saturday morning so Cody and I could go see Pirates of the Caribbean II. The movie was good (not great, but definitely good) and it was awesome to go without our friend Carley!

5. My old roommate Jodi (Gray) Beaver had a beautiful baby girl named Reagan Noel in Houston this week. I can't wait to give her hugs! Both Mommy and baby are doing great!

6. Cody took Monday off to hang out with me and Carley. It was so fun. We took a much needed family nap. I loved it.

7. I am in a Ladies' Bible Study on Monday nights and I am enjoying it so much. The book we are using is called "Having A Mary Heart in a Martha World". It is very challenging and very good. Monday night's discussion was especially thought provoking and touching.

8. Carley had a good 6 month check up. 28 inches long and 18 lbs! WOW! I know! She is so precious and we just love her.

9. It has rained almost everynight this week. I love falling asleep to the rain of summer storms. It makes me feel like I am not in West Texas.

10. I rented High School Musical this weekend. It is a must see for cheesiness! The love story and the songs could not be any more predictable. It is in the Disney section if you rent it. I did work on learning the dance at the end if anyone wants to perform with me.

11. Sams Wholesale -- What can I say about Sams? We found so much stuff we needed there this weekend. It was great.

12. So far so good with the adoption for our friends of Emily Hope. Please keep this in your prayers. Everything is good to go right now.

13. Last Comic Standing - If you are not watching it, you need to...FUNNY STUFF! The finals are next week. Everyone needs to watch.

That is a rundown of the week. Hope all is well with you and your family.

Teething Advice???

Carley is in full swing of teething. For a while she has been drooling a lot and chewing on everything, but now we are in full blown teething. Stuffy nose, fussiness, can't sleep, low grade fever, and all the other things that go along with it. It has been a really hard few days. We went to the dr to get her 6 month shots on Friday and she said Carley has the swollen gums and should have pearly whites within the next few weeks.

What worked for your kids to take the edge off a little? Any ideas? I could really use them and I could really use a night of sleep for Carley!

4th of July and Family Fun

Here are some pictures to recap the last week or so!

The day of Alyssa's gallbladder surgery I kept Lauren and Carley. I dressed them alike. They were so cute. This is the best one of them looking at the camera which isn't saying much. Obviously, the only way I could get them to look the same way was to turn on Sesame Street and take their picture from behind.

We had fun with the O'Rears in Lubbock. We tried to get pictures made of Lauren, Camryn, and Carley together. They are hilarious. There is not ONE where they are all looking at the camera or even remotely smiling. Alyssa and I were exhausted by the end. It was really funny. I will post them when they come in. Here are some that we took on the 4th. You can just imagine what the studio ones were like! Look at Camryn's face in the first one!

They here are some more from the 4th. The babies slept through the parade. It was so cute.

And the best part of the 4th of July was meeting Elise Catherine King! She is precious and beautiful and so is her mom!

Blogger won't let me post the picutre of Elise. I'll try later. UGH!

6 month pictures

Six Months Old!

Six months ago this Wednesday, Carley came into the world. We went from a couple to a family. I can't talk enough about how blessed I feel or how honored I am to be her mom. Here are some of my favorite things about Carley Alyssa Nelson right now.

• She has started lifting her arms to be picked up when she cries or when she wants us. It is precious. I can't resist those little arms!
  
• Carley can now roll to what she wants. She just keeps turning from back to tummy to back until she gets there. Luckily it takes her some time to get there, but needless to say she is getting more mobile every day.
  
• She is trying to crawl. Instead she just moves backward instead of forward. She looks so confused at why her toys get farther away instead of closer!
  
• Carley LOVES to float in the water. She is as happy as a clam in the water and I love it too!
  
• I have learned that all good and bad phases come to an end when it comes to sleep. So, I know that as I write this, Carley could change her mind at any moment and decide not to do this anymore, but for right now, Carley puts herself to sleep! It is so awesome. I just lay her in bed with her paci, her hot pink and green elephant lovey, little satin blanket, and her CD playing and she puts herself to sleep. I haven't had to rock her 5 days for any naps or night sleep. Also, for 4 weeks and 2 days in a row, she has slept all through the night without needing her paci put back in or flipped over. Like I said, I know this will change again, I am just thankful for it right now. In fact, she will get her 6 month shots next week and not sleep through the night for two weeks after the shots.
  
• Carley's hair is getting lighter and lighter. She looks more like her daddy every day with her blue eyes and blonde hair.
  
• Carley talks and laughs like a little animal. It is high pitched, loud, and random. It is so precious to me.
  
• Carley has gone to the church nursery 4 times. First time, she was awesome. Second time, we got paged to come get her. Third time, awesome. Fourth time, she cried but made it though. I wish she didn't cry in there at all. She doesn't cry when we leave her, only after being there awhile. I do love getting her from the nursery and she gives me this hug like, "Where have you been!".
  
• Carley LOVES bath time and is learning to splash. It is so fun and we all get wet. :)
  
• Carley sleeps in my arms during church service. I love this time so much. It seems like the weeks are so busy that I don't take the time to hold her and watch her sleep like I did when she was little. I love her sighs, the sound of her paci, and her little hands holding onto me while she sleeps. It is one of my favorite hours of the week.

We had her 6 month pictures made this morning. They are precious. I am not at work so I don't have a scanner. I'll scan them soon and post them. Who knew one little person could change your life so much in six months?

Update

Thanks for your warm wishes for my hostess techniques. Why do we, as women, always make it about ourselves? What will we wear? What will our house look like? Guests are such a blessing and they never judge, do they? Dinner was great. We had a great time. Please keep them in your prayers. I am not going to post their names to protect the adoption privacy. They are going to name their baby Emily Hope when she comes. Please pray for them. Their faith humbled us so much yesterday. Emily is supposed to be here by mid July. :)

Also, keep my sister in your thoughts as she is about to have surgery next week. My mom, Carley and I are going up there to help with my nieces. I am excited to see all of them again, I just wish Alyssa was feeling better!

Not quite June Cleaver more like Roseanne

One of Cody's chiefs and his wife have been trying to have a baby for 17 years! After 3 failed adoptions, they are three weeks away from becoming parents. The birth mom has signed everything, the paperwork is in place, all things are a "go". As you can imagine, they have several hesitations about buying too much stuff or having showers until their baby girl is in their arms. The chief's wife is a manager at Mardel. I saw her last week and she asked me some questions about what she would need for the first 24 hours of the baby's life with them. I started giving her some ideas when we just decided it would be easier for me to show her what Carley has and then they can make their own choices after they take a look. One thing lead to another and I invited the chief and his wife over for dinner and to talk baby stuff. What was I thinking? I am not the hostess with the mostest by any stretch! I don't do centerpieces. I try to keep a clean and tidy house, but fall very short. I don't enjoy dressing up for things or setting a formal table. Now I am having Cody's boss and his wife over for dinner tonight. They are an amazing Christian couple. They are completely unassuming, unpretentious, and not the kind of people that would care about Martha Stewart at all. None the less, here are my top 13 fears of what might end up being said tonight at supper:

1. "Wow, I have never had this type of meat blackened before"
"I didn't mean to blacken it, I just burned it on accident"

2. "I am so glad you didn't go to any trouble over our meal"
"Actually, this is the best I can do"

3. "Cody, it is funny that a fireman's wife burned the kitchen cooking supper."

4. "Ashley, did you just finish working out"
" No, I just prefer clothes that are elastic during the summer"

5. "Ashley, most 28 year olds don't have a large pimple on the side of their face, what do you think caused this?"

6. "Ashley, now I can see why you chose not to be part of the Fireman's Wife Auxiliary Club. We aren't your type are we?"

7. "Ashley, I am so glad you are resting this summer and not worried about housework."

8. "It is so nice to have a relaxed dinner. We always get invited to nice, fancy, gourmet meals, it is so nice to just have regular old stuff."

9. "Ashley since Carley is almost six months old, how much longer do you think it will take you to lose your large pooch. Most women look like they did before they are pregnant by now."

10. "Ashley, how many times have you made cookies and taken them up to the station?"
"ummm....none"

11. "Cody, after spending the evening at your home, we are putting you back on probation."

12. "Ashley, I think you spilled something on your shirt". I look down to see salsa where it always ends up..not in my lap, but on my chest. Every time!

13. "This was so fun, let's do this every month."
I then pass out at the thought of all of the pressure.

Yankee girl

For Father's Day I had Carley's picture made in a Yankees onesie and in a toboggan that Cody bought her before she was born. He was so surprised. Here are a few of my favorites. Denae, thanks for doing this for us and doing such a great job!

Thirteen Things I Should Be Doing Right Now Instead of Blogging

Carley is napping and I am blogging. Instead, I should be...

....in no particular order....


1. Emptying the dishwasher - We are completely out of spoons
2. Wrapping Cody's Father's Day Present
3. Calling 3 people back -
4. Finishing this book I am reading called "The Next Big Thing". It is about this overweight girl who goes on a reality show to lose weight. It is really funny.
5. Folding the laundry
6. Fixing the paint on my toe nails
7. Showering.... you know how I am about that...
8. Of course reading the Bible, praying, having quiet time with God
9. Paying bills
10. Mailing Birthday cards to.. 6 people with birthdays in the next week!
11. I have a Pilates for after C-Section video. It KILLS me.
12. Baking something fabulous
13. Playing fetch with Ali who is sitting by me with her toy.

What should you be doing other than reading my blog??

The Beauty of Friendships

You know sometimes you hear a quote and it just sticks in your mind. When I was a Junior in college a girl that I was in club with named Keely shared a quote that her mom used to say to her. It really stuck with me. Here is the quote:
"People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you will know exactly what to do".

I think of that quote often and blogging with you really makes it hit home for me. When I look at my list on the right hand column of friends, I can't help but laugh at the forty names! And I laugh because I became friends of yours in lots of different, random, but blessed ways. Of course there is my sister who had to befriend me because we shared a bed, a bathroom, and most significantly, parents. Then there are the people on the list that I know through her. You were her friends first, but somehow you became intrigued how two sisters can be so alike and different at the same time. Then you decided to care about me as a person and now, I consider you my friends as well.

Then there are the friends who I grew up with back in the day. Those who knew me when I had a perm and red Sally Jesse Raphael glasses or the years of teenagerness that followed. You might have been a neighbor on my street, a best friend in HS, a roommate at camp, a youth intern, or better yet, I was good friends with your older sibling so you had to like me because I was at your house all the time.

Then we go to college. On the list is my roommate my freshman year who ate pop corn and cool whip with me, my arch rival for Freshman Class Secretary, fellow members of the John Denver fan club, my roommate my Sophomore year who survived pledging with me, fellow camp counselors, former campers, my roommate my Junior year who let me sing with her at night, fellow Alto II's in Sing Song, surgeons, safari members, beetles, jailmates, chili peppers, and crayons (let's forget about Annie, okay) The lists could keep going forever. You were around for some big moments in my life and a time that reshaped me. I made a lot of mistakes, but came out a better person with lots of hilarious stories and special friends.

Then we move back to Lubbock where I reconnected with people on the above lists, and made some new amazing friends. Some of you shared in the time when Cody and I were meeting, dating, engaged, and newly weds. Some of you shared with me in hormones, pregnancy, domino pains, and adjusting to life with Carley. You have prayed for me and with me often and for some reason, you decide to stick around.

I love the list of bloggers. For whatever reason you are on the list and for whatever reason you decide to stay friends with me, I am thankful! The season of your frienship keeps growing and lasting longer than I deserve. Thanks for daily being in my journey.

Thursday Thirteen

Because I still secretly live in a twisted ACU mind set at times, I thought Thursday Thirteens were only for Kojies! Then I saw non Kojies and non ACUers posting and I realized it is for everyone!
So here is my Thursday Thirteen - 13 great things about this week.

1. I found out who the 3rd pregnant person is and I am not her! :) Congratulations to all of my pregnant friends out there. Some of our other friends just found out they are having a boy and our other great friends just found out that October will bring them a little girl! What a blessing babies can be and especially long prayed for pregnancies.

2. School's Out For The Summer - My contract for the year is officially over. I am so thankful. It is great to be home for a bit and hang out with my favorite person under 20 lbs.

3. Dawson's Creek reruns - I was never a fan of "The Creek" when it was on, but I got addicted a couple of summers ago to the reruns. They are awesome. Is almost the end of the show and they are getting really good again!

4. The Hills - LC = Love her! Heidi = Hate her! I thought LC got off very easy at the beginning of last night's episode. I am anxious for next week to hear from Jason again.

5. the pool - Carley and I have been swimming a few times already at the pool in my parent's neighborhood and she does so good. I just love it. It is so relaxing. I kind of feel like
Norm" from Cheers at the pool. I have been going there for 16 years so most of the people I enjoy seeing again during pool season. I love the pool.

6. Air Walk Flip Flops - They are not the most attractive, but they are the MOST comfortable. When Alyssa was here a couple of weeks ago, we both got a pair at Payless. Do yourself a favor and go get some. They are AMAZINGLY comfortable.

7. I saved $8.75 yesterday at Walmart with coupons. I love coupons. They make me feel like such a super savvy savings shopper!

8. Walking - Now that work is over and there are so many hours of daylight, I have been able to find lots of time to go walking. Walking puts me in the best mood. It just makes my whole body feel better.

9. Peas and Green Beans - Carley's 2 favorite foods are peas and green beans. It is so random. She gets super excited when I put one of them on a spoon. I have been trying to get her to enjoy instead of tolerate cereal for awhile. I kept mixing it with some applesauce or pears to get her to eat it. She would fuss every time. Sure enough, I mixed the cereal with some peas and the girl was giddy! What a random kid I have!

10. Naps and Nighttime - Carley is being a really good sleeper right now. 9.5 to 10.5 hours at night and at least one 2 1/2 hour nap a day plus 2 one hour naps. At night she goes down easily. Naps are sometimes a little harder, but when she is out, it is awesome!

11. DVR - You warned me I would love it and I do. Summer has let me appreciate it even more. Right now the Today show is paused so I can type and then I will catch up in a minute.

12. Cody's mom and dad went to court last week and she was ordered to pay back child support for her 3 kids. She hasn't paid a dime since 1990. She owes 7 years for Cody, 9 for his middle sister and 16 for his youngest sister. The DA stuck it to her good. I hope for Cody's dad's sake that she does pay and that he can use the money to help Cody's youngest sister out. Can you imagine how much she owes him? It is unbelievable. Good job to the courts for punishing people who do not pay for their child support.

13. The best thing about today so far is catching up with my blogger land friends. Thanks for reading and I hope you have a great day!

It comes in Threes.....

1. Jessica G.
2. Leslie M.
3. ???

I have been wondering and wondering who #3 is. Any predictions or confessions? I know there is a 3rd out there.

I would like to know who you think might be #3. The winner gets a hug.

Also, don't make and smart comments about it being me. It is swim suit season and I don't think my hormones could handle it! :)

#3....Who should it be?

I'll fess up...

I am watching The Hills, you know the spin off for LC from Laguna Beach. Is anyone out there going to be watching it?

I need some new TV to get me through the summer!

Summer is here (almost)

Well school is out and I only have to work a few extra days. So here I am at work not working and instead wishing it was still the weekend. We had a great weekend! Alyssa's family came to town. My nieces are so precious! They were awesome. Camryn is the best baby I have been around. She has such a sweet nature and is super laid back. She rarely fusses at all. She is so sweet and cuddly and I just LOVED holding her. Lauren is hilarious! She told us she wanted to be called "Loey" instead of Lolo as a nick name. She introduced to people at my own church like she owned the place. She was so loving and said such sweet things. It was so cute.

On Saturday Carley turned 5 months old. I cannot believe it. Here she is chilling in her bouncer. She loves to sit and hang out right now. She loves for us to read her books and to play with her bunny and lion. Her favorite toy is her feet. I can't believe how big she is getting. The downfall right now is she loves to roll over in the middle of the night and then gets stuck on her back or her side and doesn't want to flip back. So she calls us in there to put in her paci and flip her back over. Obviously, we have things to work on. Here is her new hairstyle ( a pony tail on the top of her head which is usually accompanied with a large bow)

Yesterday, Carley went swimming for the first time with Kristin, Danae, and me. We had such a good time. Carley LOVED the water. I figured she would be scared. She had one of those yellow rings where your legs hang down. She just chilled in it for 50 minutes! Then I took her out to reapply sunscreen (much to her dismay) and she fell asleep in my arms for 45 minutes. Then we got back in the water. Some of you know how much I love to swim and I love the pool. It is the greatest place on earth! I am so glad I have a baby who loves the water. ( right now at least) Here are her swimsuit shots. I am sure Sports Illustrated will be calling us soon. Who wouldn't want a centerfold with thighs like this?

Finally, here is our Mother's Day picture. It has been so long since I have taken the time to post pictures. Time goes by so fast. I am so glad summer is here (except for a few more days of work) so I can hang with my little buddy and her little thighs!

A Good Week

Here are some good things about this week:

- Some girls from our class went to go see "Stick It", the gymnastics movie. Other than the fact their bodies made me sick, it was so fun to go to a chick flick with my favorite chicks.

- Carley has a new hair style . I think it is precious. I will post pictures soon. This is not a big deal to most of the world, but I love playing with Carley's hair.

- Some girls from our class are signed up for Mommy and Me swim classes this summer. It should be hilarious.

- THIS IS THE LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL!

- My replacement credit card came this week.

- Some of my family will be together this weekend. I cannot wait! I will post pictures later. I'll just say that I get to be "Aunt Cee" again and I am PUMPED!

- I found 5 dollars in some shorts.

What good happened for you this week?

Valor

Webster defines Valor as "strength of mind or spirit that enables a person to encounter danger with firmness : personal bravery". Yesterday Cody, his truck company, and two other truck companies received medals of Valor from the City for their bravery at the propane fire a couple of months ago. (see blog history for the story).

I have been thinking a lot about the word "valor". In my mind it has a place with antiquated words like chivalry, gentleness, purity, and other words that seem to belong in medieval times that we do not see carried out that often. Why have things changed? Have they?

Sometimes I think we are too busy to look for subtle good deeds. The quiet small acts of people just doing their jobs do not grab our attention like the loud attention seekers (like me) who love praise and find ways to demand it with all of our actions.

Yes. Cody fighting a fire and risking his life to save and help others, is WAY more than a subtle good deed. I love Cody because in his mind, he was not showing valor or bravery, he was just doing his job to the best of his ability. After the ceremony, I asked him what he was thinking and his comment was this, "You know, sometimes, it is nice to get praise for just doing your job well." In this busy world, we do not always recognize a job well done and if we do, we rarely comment on it.

So this week, say something nice to someone who is just doing their job to the best of their ability. Look for acts of bravery, valor, gentleness, and chivalry and recognize them.

And finally...WAY TO GO CODY! I am so proud of you! :)

Literally losing my mind

This week, I have lost

• a roll of 100 stamps after using one
• Cody's Yankee Hat
• an important receipt for work
• my CREDIT CARD! (which I have already cancelled)

What is up with that? I NEVER lose stuff. I am the one who makes fun of others when they do that. I NEVER do this. What is up with this week? Where is the island of lost stuff? Have you seen any of it?

Man, am I getting old or is it motherhood or what???

Well...

What did you think of Gray's Anatomy last night?
Favorite parts?
Least favorite parts?
Predictions?

I am dying to talk about it!

We gave in...

The Nelson's are now the proud owners of DVR. We can record, pause, and play back live television. So far....it is the greatest technology ever. We are addicted. I knew we would be if we ever got it, so we waited until the time was right. Now we have caught up with the rest of the world!

I would like to hear your thoughts on the best part of DVR/TEVO.

Back to the couch....

Carley at 4 months and my Mother's Day Present

Here is one of Carley's 4 month pictures. That girl is so fun right now. She loves to flip over and then flip back. She loves to play with her feet and kick them in the air. She is just a joy right now. Her thighs are hilarious! They have at least 3 rolls in them! She is just at a really fun age.

For Mother's Day I wanted a picture of Cody in his fire stuff with Carley. For the first pictures he had on his helmet and she wouldn't smile. He took his helmet off and she started cooing and talking to him. It was precious. Here is my favorite picture of all time! Aren't I am lucky wife and mom? I feel so blessed.

A Case For Blogs and other random thoughts

The debate on whether or not blogs are good for you has been a topic of discussion and posts around me lately. Well, I have the answer today. Last week I posted about Blue Bell Peanut Butter and Jelly ice cream. I would still be wondering if it was good or disgusting if it weren't for blogs. Jenn K. bought some, tried it, and posted her thoughts on her blog. I didn't have to buy it, I could just get an answer from a trusted source. That right there is my justification for blogs.

Onto other updates, my laryngitis is gone. Cody is well too. The retreat was great this weekend. It is always a joy to spend time with my friends and other ladies in the church. It reminds me of why we need the body of Christ. I was blessed to spend time with women older than me and younger ( I guess only Sara and Kristin are younger :) ). Good times.

Now, I am ready to discuss and hear your thoughts on TV again.
Grey's Anatomy: I am glad Meredith and George are speaking. That made the episode for me. I did not like the fight between Meredith and Derek in the stair way. I think they do better in elevators. She is right to say what she did. Where do you think the show is going to go with these characters. I am a huge fan of McVet. He looks like he might be a good character. I think that Meredith will move on with McVet and be very happy. I also think Derek and Addison will fall a part and then it will be Derek's turn to be sad and Meredith's turn to be unavailable. I don't know though. Any thoughts on last night's episode?

Desperate Housewives: Andrew Van De Camp may be the most ruthless character on TV. I thought Edie was totally out of line as well. It was a weird night. What do you think is going on with Lynette and Tom?

One last thing: I rented Brokeback Mountain and watched it on Saturday. I need to process it more before I can blog about it. Right now, all I can say is that I didn't enjoy it for a lot of reasons. It was maybe the most depressing movie, on several levels, that I have seen in a long time. Did anyone else feel that way?

Okay, the bell just rang, I am back to work.

Silent for Once

Well, I have laryngitis, so for once in my life I am silent. I know. You might think the world is going to come to a stop, but my voice is getting better and I will be chattering before you know it. Carley keeps looking at me like, "You are that loud lady that is always talking to me. Why are you quiet?" It is cute.

Here are the pros and cons of laryngitis:

-PROS-
- my cell phone battery has not gone to "low" since this started
- I got on a nifty t antibiotic that is helping a ton
- My AWESOME mom came over last night and packed Carley and I up and we went to her house for the night. She took the monitor! Last night was my first night since Carley's birth not to have the baby monitor next to my head. I went to sleep at 9:30 and woke up well rested at 6:30. AWESOME! I love my mom!
- People at work are leaving me alone because I can't talk. Only those that really need me or my friends that care are popping in. I like it.
- I am wearing my "Drama Queen" t - shirt today to emphasize my sickness. If my voice can't be loud, then at least my shirt can be loud!

- CONS-
- I feel like someone came in and scraped my throat up with a fork.
- I cough up gunk
- I can't return important phone calls.
- I can't sing to Carley.
- (This one will freak most of you out) Amy B. and I are speaking at the Women's Retreat this weekend. I know, "What were they thinking, asking those two to do two 40 minute sessions?" I am so afraid that my voice will be back and strong by then. Amy has offered to let me sit on her lap like a puppet and speak for me. If you knew that Amy was barely over 5 feet, this would make you laugh harder.

Any way, silence is golden my friends. Make sure you are taking your vitamin C!

2 random thoughts.

Random Thought #1:

We went to the grocery store on Saturday and I saw the new flavor of Blue Bell: Peanut Butter and Jelly. That does not sound good to be at all. I LOVE ice cream and I love Peanut Butter & Jelly, but I am sure those should become one. Has anyone out there tried it? Are you planning on trying it? What other combinations in this world are weird to you?

Random Thought #2:

Why is the "bearded other" on Lost on Desperate Housewives as that guy's SA sponsor? That is so weird to me. Lost is mind boggling enough. I don't need to see these characters elsewhere.

Follow up to last post:
Carley was AWESOME at the schools. She was so cute and smiled and laughed the whole time. Jennifer did a great job of being my assistant/nanny. Cody and I had all day Saturday together. It was so good, except Carley has used up all of her good mood on Friday and was a little fussy. Tonight we are going to dinner together. It is our first meal alone since 3/13 for breakfast. We are so excited. My mom, who is feeling much better, is going to keep Carley so we can eat. I can't wait. I loved all of your stories about what was bothering you today and thanks for your sweet words.

Hope you are having a great beginning of the week.