My Sister

If your already confused just keep reading. I'm going to tell some stories- completely true stories.
When I was a sophomore in college the following occurred: I was at my mothers house, probably home for the summer and a girl, whom I had gone to high school with, came over to pick up her brother who had spent the night with my brother. While she was waiting we stood around talking. We had attended the same school for many years and she was the grade below myself. In a school that had no more than 50 people in each grade. As we were talking she looked over and saw my senior picture hanging on the wall (you know the formal one with the black "cape" or whatever) she said "Do you have a sister?" What? What is she talking about? She proceeds. "The picture, is that of your sister?" "Um, no that's me" I say. She attempts to recover. "Oh, it doesn't look like you. You're so pretty in the picture." Huh? She went about her merry way after retrieving her brother, probably never thinking about this incident again. I however was completely baffled. We went to school together. A really really small school. Where would I have hidden a sister? And maybe at the time of the incident I looked different than I did in the photo, MAYBE, but she knew me then AND could I have looked that different for your first assumption to be that the picture is not me at all but a sister. I told this story to a few (hundred) people the next few years and all but forgot about it...until yesterday.
I was staffing a case with a co-worker in my office. This co-worker did not know me before I came to Warren-Yazoo, which will be two years ago in May. He was sitting in a chair facing my desk. I have this picture on my desk



As he was getting up to leave he took a step closer to the desk, leaned over and then asked "Is that your sister?"
"Um no, that's me and my husband."
Can someone say Deja Vu.
"Oh well you just look older there. Maybe its the black and white. You just look more mature there, I guess"
Again, do I look THAT different to you, right now, standing here in my office,let alone working with me for almost two years, that upon seeing that picture you can't fathom that it MIGHT be me so your best GUESS is that its of my sister!!!!

I don't know how to wrap this up, only to say that I know I don't get "gussied up" every day like I do WHEN I WANT MY PICTURE TAKEN but seriously folks, is it that different. Do I need to bump my stupid human trick from clapping with one hand (for real) and change it to "not appearing as self in photos" And furthermore should I take these incidents as compliments or insults. Or neither but just random, similar occurrences.

Happy Valentines Day

Okay so I'm a day early but at least I'm getting it BEFORE it happens. I have always liked V-day. Oh side note- does anyone remember circa 2000 when Valentines Day was promoted by feminists to see the Vagina Monologues. Is it just me? I remember poster and fliers everywhere on my college campus. I was so easily influenced that I almost went to see it:) I wonder if any of you ever saw it? Anyhoo. This year I was very excited that Valentines day was on a Saturday so Jeremy and I could take the whole day and do fun date stuff. Apparently other people thought it was a good day to, to get married. Those people are my brother and future sis-in-law. And this Saturday they are going to be wed in Gatlinburg TN. So that's where we will be. And we are very very excited that they are going to get married, even if it is spur of the moment:)
In other February news (because lets be real this will probably be the only post I crank out his month): I inherited by marriage a very busy Feb. 2 sister in laws birthdays, one brother in laws birthday and the in-laws wedding anniversary. and its a short month at that! I'm still not used to having things besides Valentines in Feb. So to all the aforementioned. Happy Day. And happy V-day!
Hope y'all have a good one. Whether you celebrate V-day or not. I know there are some haters out there.

"What's New Pussy Cat whoa whoa!"

!!!RANDOM POST ALERT!!!!

So there are so many benefits of a song title as a blog post title. The number one is that hopefully you will sing it in your head all day. Ha! Number 2- I can potentially "smoke out" local readers, you know if i hear them humming/singing this song. Also it helps when you can't think of anything else.

So what's new with the Beavenators is not a whole whole lot. My mom and sweet niece came to visit me and Jeremy over MLK holiday. It was awesome. When they left I unexpectedly squalled my head off. I recovered after a nap and then thought a movie would cheer me up. We went to see Marley and Me. Great movie, NOT I repeat NOT a pick me up movie. UGH! Sometimes you just need to cry I guess. Fellas I know you feel me on this one! I will say as an aside the movie made me love my dog more. Crazy I know but for real it did.

In other news through a series of strange events I have become a personal shopper for babies. Not really but kind of. There are 4 count them, FOUR baby stores at the outlets in Vicksburg. They are as follows, Carter's, OshKosh, Gymboree and The Children's Place. I visit these stores innocently enough, you know buying presents for one friends child and then subsequently call/tell everyone i can think of/see the good deal I got. This usually ends with other friends that are mama's saying "oooh could you get me thus and such". OF COURSE I CAN! Another excuse to go back to a baby store and spend someonelse's money!!! I mean does anyone think that this is NOT fun. And if they do I simply ask, "have you seen baby clothes lately?"

Jeremy and I want to take a trip either spring break (sooner) or summer (later) and I was wondering if anyone would like to plug a vacay or destination. Let me tell you our idea's. We've done the beach thing and are not opposed but were wanting to branch out of the panhandle of florida beach trip. We like the outdoors enough, are open to camping but would not want a trip where we had one activity after another (No adrenaline junkies here) but also not NOTHING to do or see. We would like to drive but cheap flights are not prohibited. We have thought about Montana for no other reason than it sounds cool. We would like to go places neither of us has been which, if we stick to this, rules out Alaska- okay that's not really an option but Jeremy's been there and I'm so jealous;Wyoming/Yellowstone, Gatlinburg/Smoky Mtns, New York City, Charleston SC. Random but really we want to do something fun and different. Your ideas and suggestions would be greatly welcome.

If your still reading... Thanks! Sorry for the randomness, I tried to warn you!
In other news I use too many exclamation points!!! and that drives Jeremy crazy!!! and he has officially made me paranoid about it! I never knew I overused them!!! until I met him! and my grammar ain't worth poo! so boo! nor can i spell so hell. but I can rhyme all the time.

The New Year and a new part!

I am T minus 2 hours and 23 minutes until the first FULL FIVE day work week is over for the new year. And this is what I am doing, blogging. But just a quick line to say its been a good week. A little slow at work but that has given me a chance to stay ahead of the paperwork monster that is my life. I have tried to implement some new habits like MAKING myself do certain things and then rewarding myself afterwards. This blogging would be an example of what happens after a reward, I keep rewarding and just plain induldge. Before you know it no more work is getting done. I am such a child. Therefore I chose to give myself tough love and no more rewards. I am still trying to figure out how I can be efficent and sane at my job. This is probably a life long skill that will take me years to figure out. For me its really REALLY a big change, to be proactively productive. So the longer this blog goes and the more I write there is a mixture of feelings, old shameful stuff that shakes it finger in my nose telling me I am bad and should get back to work. A rebel is present also that says #@#& you shameful part I'm still typing and we're gonna keep typing forever! But I have to acknowlegde there is a new part that is present. A much quieter smaller newer part that says it feels good to do work and feel ahead of that paperwork monster. And typing on the blog (right now while avoiding paperwork) doesn't feel as good as it used to.
Hello little guy, I'm glad you are here. I need you. Keep talking.

Last post for 2008!

So it's December 31st and I thought i would write one more post for this year. Sorry for the out of date header- that'll teach me to do something seasonal! Hopefully it will get changed soon but in the meantime here is a brief (not really) update. I know I haven't posted since October so let me say that Thanksgiving was great. We traveled to Chattanooga and saw family and friends. I lost my voice which is always entertaining for others and extremely frustrating for me! It was a nice long trip but it was good to get back home and get ready for Christmas!
Jeremy and I do the real tree thing. I am surprised that more people don't honestly. I never had one (real) growing up so I LOVE everything about a real tree, the look, the smell etc. Last year it took us awhile to pick one out but this year we were like seasoned pro's. We went to the place (home depot)and picked out the tree in like 5 mins. Then I even asked the guy if we could keep the trimmings and he was very friendly and obliged me. I had aspirations of making my own real wreath from the trimmings.So I'll give you 2 guesses what happened to those trimmings. Okay I'll just tell you. They are still in the storage closet where I put them that first night. Oh well maybe next year.
We went back to Chattanooga the weekend before Christmas to celebrate with my side of the family. It was a very nice, laid back trip. We got to see great friends (hello hollingsworths) that we hadn't seen in a while and see their sweet baby for the first time.
So we were both off work the whole week of Christmas and it was WONDERFUL! I really really want my job to just be hanging out with my husband. Can someone think of something that would generate income by letting me do that. I'd appreciate it. Jeremy asked for an XBOX 360 for Christmas and he is really okay with getting only one thing so with a little finagling he got his wish. I got more than I could imagine or want and if I typed it all out I wouldn't be able to convey how I felt receiving it. It wasn't in the items specific but in the effort and thought that my sweet husband went to surprise and spoil me. He's all about the build up, that's what he says, about the way you open presents. So he had me open in a specific order. At one point I got a little veclempt and misty eyed, a few gifts later real tears and at the end a complete boo hoo! It was great. I will say that the boo hoo was when he showed me an antique sewing table that was his parents and they were giving it to me. They had brought it over when we were out of town and put it in the guest room. I had been banned from that room but I thought it was just for Jeremy's gift wrapping purposes. So that morning when I saw that table I lost it. It was great.
More than anything this Christmas season I have been overwhelmed with the realization of how BLESSED I am. Everything, everything I have it a gift from God. My salvation, my health, my husband and family and their love for me, a job that is not in jeopardy due to the economy and is most of the time rewarding. We have transportation (and really really cheap gas) and a roof over our head. Beds to sleep in and covers (and heat) to keep us warm. Lots and lots of food to keep our bellies full. I trip and stumble almost every night over piles of laundry. We have so many clothes that its difficult to keep up with them all. And many many more. so I guess my New Year's resolution would be that I would be able to hold this feeling of being overwhelmed with blessings and be able to continue to feel it throughout 2009 and all my life really.

Waiting

I'm currently waiting for 5 o'clock to roll around so I can go home and see my hubby! - 19 mins and counting.
I'm waiting to take my LPC test on Saturday. Hurry up Saturday.
I'm waiting to get home so I can avoid studying and watch the office. hurry up 8pm.
I'm waiting for tomorrow so I can have my big cram session, for real.
I'm waiting for Saturday 12:01 so I can be DONE with stinky test and studying.
I'm waiting for my ALL my sweet pregnant friends to have their sweet babies so I can love on them. DON'T hurry up babies keep baking a little longer.
I'm waiting on Thanksgiving and Christmas so I can see and be with family.Yay family!
I'm waiting to grow up and be an adult (when does this happen?)
I'm waiting on God, to open doors and show me His will, praying for faith to walk through it, wherever it leads.

12 more mins till 5 o'clock! Hurry up life. Not really.

Blog Action Day

So apparently today is blog action day where blogs are "uniting" to discuss poverty. I have not written a post (boooooo!) but Charles did. Please go check it out. It's what I would have written, only better. Thanks Charles!

Asking for prayer

Let me first say that everyone is okay (mom always said you gotta say that first) but I just found out about some recent trauma a family member has experienced. It is my cousin's ex-husbands son, Zach ... I know distant but its also my little cousins brother and once you love someone you never stop. Anyhow the story goes something like this: Last Friday morning like 2:30am Zach (in his early 20's) was visiting a friend at the friends on campus apartment. The friend was a off duty security guard at UTC and Zach supposedly asked the friend to see his gun. As a sidenote Zach's dad is a police officer and has been Zach's whole life so there would not be a curiosity about guns. The friend reportedly emptied the gun of the bullets and then stepped out of the room.When he returned Zach reportedly had the gun pointed at his head and fired. Anyhow the story is different depending on who you ask but original media coverage said it was a suicide attempt. Since then the doctors have said based on the entry/exit of the wound it could not be self inflicted as well as Zach's own admission that he did not shoot himself (mumbled between meds and surgeries) as well as the psychologist assessment that Zach is not suicidal. I have posted a link on my blog roll where his family is keeping updates through the caring bridge website. I say all this so that you can pray specifically for Zach's healing and the Lord's will to be done. On the website Zach's mom reported that Zach told her he didn't want to die. When she asked him why he thought that he told her the doctor told him he would likely die because his brain is hanging out and part of his skull is missing (removed because of swelling). Who knows if the doctor said this or anyone for that matter at the hospital but that is his fear. I can not imagine having the awareness that I may die!! He is battling infection right now but if you think about it please just send up a prayer for him, Zach Leamon.
Thank you.

Hair of yester year

This was before digital photos THANK GOODNESS!Someone went through the effort of scanning it so it could be in a facebook group. I feel compelled to purge myself now here on my blog of this awful hair color! What was I thinking!!! I know there are a million more pictures of the rainbow of colors that has been my hair but again they're mostly all pre-digital. It surprises even me when I see an old picture that shows me with different hair color. I have stuck to this color for so long... defiantly since I've lived in Jackson and of course since I've known Jeremy. Can you imagine how much persuading I would have had to do if this would have been my hair color when we met.









Maybe one day I'll scan some more pictures from back in the day and do a bigger post on my previous hair misfortunes. Until then may this tide you over. And hopefully not give you nightmares!

New look

Not sure if i love it but its something different so... we'll see. I am still working on this post about music but I think I am building it up in my head to be this epic post or something and then freaking out under all that pressure- geez! So maybe it will come soon or not at all, who knows, but that has been the biggest reason for the posting hiatus. I know you were so curious.

Hubby's Home

He was out of town for work for a few days this week and got back home last night. I feel so much better. It's completely ridiculous how incompasitated I feel when we're apart but what can I say I love every minute that we're together. The night times apart are pure TORTURE, an empty bed stinks- its so cold and lonely- and its a different kind of sleep, definatley not as sound. And it sucks worse when you're the one that gets "left" at home because your mind is not occupied with out of the ordinary things (like the spouse's who is out of town). And so I was "left" at home with my thoughts which can be dangerous. I think of all the what if's and things I could have done or shouldn't have done and get nostalgic which makes it WORSE! I would like to say I did better this time than in the past but I still hate it. Gracie, the hyperacitve lab, found TWO roaches by the door on two different evenings- I don't do bugs- but I had to- what is up with that. She missed him too, so much so that she pooped in the house! I know she's two y/o and that's completely uncalled for but what do you do- she was beside herself in agony. I realized while he was gone the harmony that our life is together. How much I truly enjoy doing things with him and for him. Our morning routine for example is nice and cozy and sweet sounding, someone makes lunches while someone else irons the clothes. My morning routine and every day period without him is like "the most annoying sound in the world" from dumb and dumber. Its painful and you just want it to stop.

Baby- You are the biggest blessing God has ever given me and I'm so glad your home baby!. P.S.You can never leave again! just kidding- kind of!

Humerous Homonym

So some of the Beavers were gathered for our weekly Sunday lunch yesterday. After lunch my nephew, John Keil (will be 4 y/o in Sept), was in the playroom.He came into the living room and handed his dad one of those kids meal prizes asking him to open it. I'm assuming he thought it would be crayons because it was rectangular and wrapped in cardboard. So Nathan opened it up and it was a cassette tape. John Keil inquired what it was and Nathan replied "its a tape buddy." He then took his prize and walked off. Not two minutes later he came back into the living room with the cassette tape in one hand and the inerds (the part that makes it have sound) hanging down to the ground. He stated in a exasperated tone "It's not tearing off! It won't tear off!" He thought it was sticky tape not listening tape becuase he being born in 2004 has never incountered a cassette tape! I tired to tell him it was like a CD that you listen to- then he said "Oh!" like 'Why didn't you jokers say that in the first place!"