25 Random Things About Me

I updated #24. Couldn't help myself!

I got tagged on facebook to write 25 random things about me and I can't figure out how to do it. Since I have not posted in over a week I decided to do it here.

1. I was born 12 minutes to 12 on March 12th.

2. I started to school in Cuba and learned to read and write in Spanish before English. Can I speak it now? Nope! One of my many goals is to relearn Spanish again.

3. Fractured both my feet at drill team camp and didn't know it for 2 weeks.

4. Was in the Rose Bowl Parade - all 8 miles of it.

5. Have lived in 9 states, 1 country and been in Dallas for 35 years.

6. Saw my dad graduate from college. LBJ was the speaker.

7. Like to dip my potato chips in cold water.

8. Have been legally deaf since I was in my 20's. This has made interesting "wrong" interpretations of song lyrics and funny looks from people when I sing them!

9. A witch doctor told my fortune one time. Among other things, he told me my husband was just around the corner. I met Tom a very short time later at a restaurant called "Mr. Greenstreets" Moohaha!

10. Tom and I married 4 months after we met.

11. Our honeymoon was in Las Vegas and between the two of us we hit 7 - $100.00 jackpots.

12. I have lived in the same house for 26 years and it looks it.

13. I have become totally disorganized and clutter is swallowing me up. I need a jumpstart to clean and purge.

14. Was told many times when I was younger that I looked like Lynda Carter (Wonder Woman) now it's Diane Keaton. Ha!

15. My Bone Density test says I have the bones of a 21 year old. I told my Dr. I wish I had the body too!

16. Even though I work, I cook dinner on the average 6 days a week. That's probably why I don't have the body of a 21 year old and why my house is disorganized!

17. I have worked in the same laboratory for over 20 years.

18. Love to tease my family and friends. Maybe it's really taunt?

19. Am very fond of cats. We communicate well. Skipper could say "mama".

20. Have a daughter who looks like and acts like me. "What goes around. Comes around."

21. Am going to write a story about a creepy event in our lives. It would make a great Lifetime movie. Maybe Diane Keaton could play me?

22. Talk to my mom everyday. She is my "best girlfriend", we laugh a lot!

23. Have the most wonderful husband, kids, family and friends in the whole world. Love them dearly!

24. All I ever really needed to know I learned in kindergarten, "Boy's Are Stupid." My brother is smart most of the time, but climbing a ladder to the second story of his house at 1 am in an ice storm with nobody home to pick up the pieces except Dawson? Hellooooo!

25. Am really really bummed that the Dallas Cowboys are not playing in the Super Bowl! Think I will hit Walmart today. They had Romo jerseys on sale for half price.

Maybe next year?

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary Steve and Judy!

My brother and my sister-in-law's wedding anniversary is today. The amount of years they have been married is on my calendar at home but I can tell you it's been a looooong time. They will be celebrating together in Tulsa and what a better way than watching their first grandchild improving by the minute. I pray Harper wakes up and sees her grandparents for the first time on this special day. Love you both.

Prayers For Harper

My brother just told me he found out a new blog that has been started called Prayers For Harper. I just went in and there are already 75 prayers on it. Go here to view. I am so amazed and thankful of all the people that are praying for and supporting my "Great Niece Harper" and the comfort you are bringing to my family. I was encouraged by Steve's update. They will post more to fill you in when they can.

Harper in Tulsa NICU

I know most of you who read my blog also read my family's blogs. Steve has been posting updates here. Kelly and Steve and Judy made it to Tulsa last night about 5:30. I talked to him about the time he got there, Kelly was with Harper and Steve was waiting to see her. He was truly overwhelmed with the support they were met with. Some of Kelly's blog followers and friends met them at the hospital. At this point Harper is holding strong. We are all thankful that she has not had to be put on bypass (yet). This is a critical time. Please keep the prayers coming for continued improvement and strength for all!

My blog may disappear every now and then. I am trying out different backgrounds and haven't settled on one yet.

Dear God

Please watch over my niece Harper born just today and guide her safely to Children's Hospital in Little Rock. Her tiny body needs help. Please help her lungs to heal. Give Kelly, Scott and their parents strength at this most difficult time.

Update: Harper is in Tulsa. See http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/ for all the details. Kelly has touched so many hearts around the world, I almost expected to see headlines on Yahoo this morning! Thank you everyone for supporting her.

Waiting On Harper and Baby Memories

My niece Kelly is due to have her baby girl any time now. My family and I think half the nation has been following this miracle unfold since last spring. We are all anxiously awaiting Harper's debut and I find myself checking her blog and facebook many times during the day to see if it's time! I think my brother Steve (her Dad) has been pacing the floor for a couple of weeks now.

This brought back memories of Molly and Jackson's births. I had an uneventful pregnancy with Molly. Nausea lasted one week and I was able to work up until a week before she was born. About 3 weeks before I had her I played in a member guest golf tournament with Tom, Mom and Dad. My doctor told me I could play golf as long as I could see to putt!

The picture is an old Polaroid. Since you can't make out the faces, I'm the one with the biggest belly!

I was in labor with Molly a very l-o-n-g time. My contractions started on a Wednesday evening. Thursday morning I went and got Tom a tee time at the club and then to the grocery store. I remember having a contraction in the store, my face turning red with the pain. Through out the day I had them off and on. I didn't eat dinner thinking we would be heading to the hospital soon. I took a pad of paper, pen and a flashlight to bed and wrote down the times of my contractions waiting for them to get 10 minutes apart. (My signal to go to the hospital) I look back now and think what a DORK I was. Finally about 2 am Friday morning I hit the 10 minute "it's time to go". Molly wasn't born until 4 pm that Friday. The Dr. preparing for a C-Section after such a long labor, decided to try forceps first. Out she came and I remember him saying "I knew that was a stubborn little girl!"

Molly's First Hospital Picture

Jackson took much more work to get here. At three months I started to dilate. The Dr. did a cerclage (sewed my cervix shut) and put me on bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy. I also developed gestational diabetes. Being on a diet when your pregnant stinks! Molly was 5 and if it hadn't have been for my mother I don't know what I would have done. She came everyday during the week to help around the house. She cleaned, cooked, looked after Molly and ME! I am truly lucky to have such a loving mother. On Father's Day, six weeks before his due date I started leaking water. I was put in the hospital. During the second night I went into labor. Even though I knew I was going to have a C-Section (he was breach) they let me go through labor all night long. I found out later that labor stimulates the babies lungs to develop. He spent almost 2 weeks in the neonatal ICU. He weighed 4lbs 13 ounces.

They took his first picture when he was almost 2 weeks old.

Notice the blankets are the same in both pictures? 5 1/2 years in between the kids! The doll is 8 inches tall. Gives you a better perspective on Jackson's size!

I have two grown, beautiful, healthy children now. You never forget the details of their births, the miracle of creation and the pure JOY you feel hearing their first cries. Looking into your babies eyes for the first time you know your life will never be the same again. It will be so unimaginably better!

A Visit With Chris and Carrie

Yesterday afternoon we went to visit Chris and Carrie and see their new home. It's in a lovely area situated in East Dallas near White Rock Lake. I just loved their house. They have it decorated so cute, it's ready for a magazine shoot! I wish I had taken more pictures but I got caught up in visiting with them and the photos didn't happen.

Chris and Carrie

Mom, Tom and Molly

We decided to go to Matt's for Mexican food. I have never been there and was anxious to try it especially after my sister-in-law Judy told me how wonderful the Bob Armstrong Dip is. I have to tell you she was absolutely right. It's a mixture of cheese, ground beef, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, and the most divine mixture you will ever put on a corn chip! All of us enjoyed our meals from the grilled tacos, enchiladas to Chris's chicken fried steak. I'm giving them 5 stars!

It was a gorgeous sunny day and actually hit 84 degrees. Mother Nature has had us on a roller coaster ride this winter. Today the high is supposed to be in the 40's and we have a chance for freezing precipitation tomorrow. As we say in Texas, "If you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes. It'll change."

Clutter Control

I have really enjoyed reading every ones blogs this year. I love the crafts, decorations, recipes, inspirations, and just reading about the everyday events going on in your lives. I love peeping into other peoples homes and have to admit that I am in awe of some of them. Everything is so put together and clean! Well I have a confession to make, I am drowning in clutter! I could be the poster child for clutter. I am not normally into New Years resolutions because I think everyday can be a first day of new beginnings and changes for the better, but this year I vow to get this mess under control.

Step 1 - Magazines

I have so many magazines it could be made into a horror flick. They are stacked in baskets in my laundry room, kitchen, window seat, and on a shelf over the microwave. Some are craft magazines but most of them are recipes. I have fallen for the "Real Simple" magazine and have lots of issues scattered around with "post its" marking pages I'm interested in.

Kind of defeats the whole purpose of making things simple doesn't it.

Did you ever pick up one of these little books at the grocery check out?

I must have had 100 of these on a shelf. I am proud to say that I have been going through them and tearing out recipes I would really like to try and then tossing the book. Out of all these I think I have torn out about 15 recipes that I "might" make someday. Lesson learned - Tear out the must keeps and toss the magazines before they overtake your home.

Step 2 - All that clutter on the kitchen counters. (No pictures, you would Gasp!)