I love you a bushel and a peck...

On this day ten years ago my grandmother "Nana" went to be with the Lord. I miss her so much, but I'm so thankful for all the great memories I have of her.

Growing up, I lived in Florida. Every year at Christmas time we would make the dreaded 10 hour drive from Orlando to Cullman. I despised the drive, but I sure did love seeing my cousins and grandmother. My grandfather died before I was born, but I hear he was fantastic! We always stayed at Nana's house. And she would always be waiting at the door for us to pull in the driveway. She'd come out with arms open wide! As soon as you got inside you'd smell something baking. Oh, if I think real hard, I can still smell her house. Uuuummmm!! We had so much fun at Nana's. I remember all the talks me, mom, and Nana had in her huge yellow bathroom. Her tub was sunken in the floor and I loved it. She always put a plastic bag over her head to take her shirt off so she didn't get makeup on it. And whenever you walked in her house and called out for her she would respond "woo hoo". Usually my cousin Bethany would spend the night with us and there were countless times we would all lay in the bed late at night and play Patty Wood. So, I'd have to really search my memory bank to remember how to play, but I know it made for hours of enjoyment. My grandmother had a "formal" living room. You know, the kind of room where all the breakables lived. The room you were NOT supposed to play in. The family room had been added on sometime after the house was originally built. Therefore, the formal living room had a window in it that used to look outside. It now opened into the addition. That window made the best "drive thru window" when Bethany and I would play waitress. Her entire house converted into Cracker Barrel Restaurant on many occasions and her Reader's Digest magazines served as the perfect menu's. There was never a dull moment at Nana's house. Every morning she would make homemade biscuits and I got to help. She even let me eat some of the raw dough. YUMMY!!! We ate like kings and queens when we were there. The kind of meals you had to unbutton your pants when you were done. Nana had a big red storage building behind her house. Magical tea parties and hours and hours of playing house happened in there. We never got to close to the fence though. Next door to my grandmother lived a very very big black dog named bear. And to a small girl he seemed as big as a bear!

Not long after we moved back to Cullman my Nana got sick. She had Alzheimer's. What a terrible terrible disease for the loved ones who are no longer remembered as well as for the person who can't remember them. We moved her out of her house and into my aunts house. We all worked shifts taking care of her. We did that until the day she went home to be with Jesus. I'm thankful that she is no longer suffering and her memory is sharper than ever, but I'm sad for me. I'm sad she never got to meet my husband, or come to my wedding, and I'm sad she will never meet my children. She would have loved each and every one of her grandchildren!!! And they would love her too!!! Nana had a song she would always sing us. It went like this. "I love you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck Nana pana Nana pana Nana pana". Taylor may never meet her, but I promise she will know about her and she will know that song!!

I love you and miss you so much Nana pana!

I'm a mommy too!

Mothers day is coming up very very soon. God made moms very special. They are the glue that keeps the family together. They always seem to know where I put my shoes and it usually doesn't take more than a look to make you straighten up and act right. I'm more excited about it than usual because this year I am a mommy. I can't believe it. I remember several past mothers days when I thought it would never happen for me, but now look. My prayers were answered and here it is 2010 and I'M A MOMMY!! There's no other feeling in the world like it. I thank God for Taylor every day.

I know most everyone thinks they have the best mother in the world, but I especially think mine is head and shoulders above the rest. I remember my childhood when we would sit on moms bed and play beauty shop and it was awesome. However, some of the best times we had were when I was older. I had lots of friends, but my mom was always the best one. She would always hang out with me. She attended many football and baseball games with me. We shopped until we dropped and laughed so hard the entire time. I always knew I could tell my mom anything. She would give honest advice and even if I only realized it in hindsight, she was always right. I love you so much mom. Even today, a mother myself, there are times when I just need my mommy!! That will never change.

I have a daughter now and I'm realizing more and more every day the feelings my mom had about me. She is growing up so fast and I'm sure before I know it she will be starting school, driving, and one day dating. It makes me sick to my stomach to think about that, but I hope I can be the kind of mother for her that my mom was for me. My best friend!

I NEED cake!

Ever since Taylor was born my one very small sweet tooth has been replaced by a mouth full of gigantic sweet teeth! I love cake. Red Velvet to be exact. I prefer it to be homemade with homemade icing, but lets be realistic, I don't bake and even if I did I wouldn't now because I have a baby hooked to me at all times. Therefore, I settle for Duncan Hines. I don't mind. It certainly appeases my cravings for cake. Well, I have had a fresh box of Duncan Hines moist deluxe Red Velvet cake and cream cheese icing in my pantry for several weeks now. That is a world record for the amount of time a box of cake has sat unbaked and uneaten in my house since my baby was born. Why hasn't it been baked or eaten you ask? Because I'M OUT OF EGGS and desperately need to go to the grocery store!!! Until yesterday that is :) Now some background information you need to know is that since Taylor was so premature they really encouraged us not to have her in large crowds or around sick people until she was at least six months old. That means Wal-Mart was way out of the question. You can't go into Wal-Mart without meeting every other person in Cullman County and finding more snot nose kids than you can count. Meaning I have to wait until Robbie is home and can watch the baby so I can go grocery shopping. And before we start bashing Robbie for not going to get me eggs...he always offers to go or stop on his way home from work to grab a few needed items. Thanks honey :) But for some reason we hadn't been for some time and by now we were so far past stopping for a few things I knew it would be a big trip. Plus I enjoy going, it gets me out of the house every now and then and gives Robbie some time with his baby girl. Time which, as he describes it, sometimes goes over like a fart in a space suit, but it's needed none the less. Anyway, yesterday was the day. $394.00 later we are all stocked up and I HAVE EGGS! I will be enjoying my Red Velvet cake today! Once again, all is well with the world!

I have baby fever....WHAT???

So, if you know me or know anything about my pregnancy you may be laughing out loud at me. Or possibly considering slapping me in the face. It's ok, I'm considering it too. I have no idea where it's coming from or why it's there, but I have got baby fever like crazy!! I love my baby girl and would go through everything all over again, but lets be honest, pregnancy hated me. I started throwing up at seven weeks and had the privilege of doing it multiple times a day until the day I delivered. I was hospitalized several times for dehydration, had the flu, got stretch marks so bad my stomach is unrecognizable from its previous state, and delivered 10 weeks early. WHEW! I must be nuts to consider doing it again! Anyway, I'm not pregnant and who knows if I will ever get that way again, but everywhere I turn someone is pregnant or trying to be and it makes me have that itch. Taylor needs a sibling, right? For now I'll just take a deep breath and add it to my list of prayers. God's timing, not mine.