Went back to the doctor.

Today was my follow-up visit for my blood pressure. My BP was 132/81. She was really happy with that. I told her that it had been being in the 120's/70's most of the time, except when I have one of my "episodes" at work where I suddenly get a funny-nervous feeling, and then get all hot, then my face flushes, then my pulse seems to race, my nose closes off, and I have a hard time catching my breath. At those times, it's been in the higher 130's/80's. She said that BP reading wasn't so bad either considering I had been having readings in the 160's/90's.

She thinks now that I may be having an allergic reaction to something at work. I only have these episodes at work, so she said that it may be the air conditioning. She left me on the BP meds until I can figure out if it's the air at work. She said that sometimes mold can circulate through the air system and affect people like I'm being affected.

Hopefully that's it!!! I feel much better now! Thanks, everyone, for praying for me and my family. It's hard on a body when you think something may be wrong and you can't figure out what it is!!!

I appreciate all of you!!

Martha

A REALLY Good Movie!

I just watched “Becoming Jane”. Here’s a link to the movie trailer: http://video.movies.go.com/becomingjane

This movie is about Jane Austen and her attempt at happiness. I have all 6 of Jane’s Novels on my book shelf….I’ve flipped through them a few times, but have usually liked to just watch the TV versions of her books. Her books (and the movies) always have such in-depth love stories and wonderful descriptions of the characters. You'll understand why if you watch this movie.

I won't give the mushy details and ruin it for you.

I just wanted to share this with those of you who love a good love story. It really would be a good one to rent!

Who do we Vote for?

A couple of friends of ours that have a blog write thoughtful sentiments on Sundays…reflective things that focus on religious aspects of life and things that are going on in our world.

I’d like to try something kind-of like that too!

Something has really been weighing on my mind a lot lately. The state of our world…our country….our futures as Christians…..the futures of our children. We’re in the big middle of an election year. Who do we vote for?

Democrats & Republicans are arch enemies….rivals in every sense of the word. Why? Is it their beliefs?…the issues they fight for? Lets see…Go to: www.democrats.org and www.rnc.org, (You can look up each party’s beliefs and political issues there).

In all honesty, both parties want to tackle the same issues. Who isn’t going to say that they want to make education and healthcare better, or boost the economy? It’s in the fine details as to how each party is different. I’m just not educated enough (yet) to explain what those differences are. So…...please go to the websites and look for yourselves.

I just want to know what is going to be done to make the “ISSUES” better….the War (how long are we going to stay? Are my boys going to be drafted?), Education (should I enroll my kids in public, private, or home school?) Healthcare (are costs going to keep going up at such a pace that we’ll have to take out 3rd and 4th jobs to cover expenses?), Minimum Wage (is the cost of living going to be raised enough so that someone making min. wage can afford a place to live, food to eat, healthcare, gas for the car, and a little extra for savings?), Social Security (will it be there when I hit the designated age, or should I plan on saving back every cent I earn now at 31 so that I MIGHT-MAYBE be able to squeak by in my old age?)…..the list goes on and on. I want our world to become a better place. I want to know that my children are going to have a GOOD & SAFE world to grow up in. As a parent, that’s what I want for our country…to become better, not go backwards and become worse.

I know what I think and feel and to be honest, I can’t truly claim to be of any party at the moment. I’ve heard it said before “What party would God choose to be part of?”…I don’t think that God would join any of them. I think that his brand of “politic” (if we can even use that word in the same sentence as God) is what it always has been, to love one another as he loves us...to be good to one another…to look out for each other…to turn the other cheek when someone wrongs us and to forgive freely. God did give us the ability, though, to devise this democratic government that we live under. He had to have seen what it would become. We have to trust that we have the wisdom with his help to make the right decisions where our country is concerned.

Well…, I don’t see a big hug-fest between the Democrats and Republicans in our near future, so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what our country decides to do come November. All I know is that it’s a BIG decision…one that will shape the rest of our lives and our kids’ lives. We need to make completely informed choices, so everyone, please find out anything and everything that you can about each candidate. Until then, we’re in this thing together! Let’s make it count!

A Squealin' Good Time!

Mark, the kids, and I just got back earlier today from our 4-day vacation to Pigeon Forge, TN! Being two proud and strong-willed people, we bravely decided that we could and WOULD take our two wonderful boys to one of Mark's favorite places in the whole-wide-world! (Needless to say, we invited Mark's parents to go, but they declined stating that they wanted to stick around and watch our houses while we were gone. My mom and Step-Father were out in their truck, so they couldn't come in to go either.) None of the Grandparents were available......that was their way of saying...."Nu-uhh! We're not going on VACATION with 2 screamimg kids!"


Boy........proud we once were.......now in the bleary-eyed glow of the aftermath......we are merely shells of human beings.......sorry-excuses of parents.......worn to the very bone and frazzeled all completely out!


Our smallest child started the trip off in an adorable mood! SWEET! CUTE!!! CUDDLEY even! (see pic. below)
We loaded up, stopped at Nana's and Paw-Paws to say our "see you laters", and down the road we went! By the time we hit Hampton, Mack was screaming, Creston had his blanket on his head, Mark had gotten a migraine, and I was ready to go back home!!!!!!!!!


We have some friends that stated not too long ago that they were basically scared to take their two sons (very close in age to ours) anywhere long-distance like that without the aid of MANY more family members. Now we see their point! ((Mental note: No more Vacations unless there are at least 5 adults for each child!!!)).


Mackie did finally fall asleep. Creston went potty in his first rest stop! Mark's headache went away, and we finally got there!
We decided to try out a new place this time. The Twin Mountain Resort (Hotel, Cabins, Camping, ect.). http://www.twinmountainproperties.com/ It was actually very nice. On the river, back off of the main drag. Nice rooms, nice pool, good rates. I would reccomend it to anyone.


We got setteled in to the room and were getting ready to go to Dollywood! Then it started to rain!
So..........we went SHOPPING instead!!! I actually finally found MANY great deals! I never do! I've always been the one to kick myself over someone else's good buys, but this time, I got the deals!!! Yippee! Found lots of fall clothes for Mackie and some jammies for Creston!

It did stop raining that evening, and we found ourselves at an amusement place called the TRACK. Mark apparently went here lots when he was growing up. He and his parents would take him camping in PF. He wanted to get Creston on the go-carts with him.

Creston loved them and Mackie loved watching the people and carts go round-and-round. This was one of only a couple of places that Mack didn't scream his lungs out at. All in all, it was a good trip. Mackie did have some good times where he was once again cute and cuddley...(meals were not these times, but we learned to eat fast and ignore his ear-piercing shrieks~fellow diners, however, just stared like we were secretely killing the child before their very eyes...they couldn't understand why we didn't make him stop yelling........Heck...if they knew how to make it stop, we would have welcomed the assistance!!!).

Below are some pictures of Creston on another ride at the TRACK, Creston-me-& Mackie swimming, our trip to Cherokee, our attempt at a family photo-op without the aid of another person to take the picture, Mackie in one of his cute moments with Daddy, and a picture of Creston in a go-cart with the employee chasing him down to stop him because he didn't know how to quit going "round and round" when it was time to get off of the ride! Enjoy the pics., and I'll post a link to all of our pictures soon.

Again, needless to say, it will be a little while before we go anywhere with the kids alone again. We learned our lesson................There's safety in numbers!

Carrie & Joe came to visit!

This evening, my friend Carrie and her fella Joe came to visit us! The boys love their "Auntie Carrie" and like Joe really well too! Carrie brought the boys a little waterfall pool and we made her blow it up!!! (Not very nice of us, huh?) We all ate burgers and hot dogs, and dessert and then went inside and got lazy! (Everyone looks plum worn out!)
Carrie and Mackie!!! (Sorry about the red eyes! Can't figure out how to take that out yet!)
Joe, Mackie, Carrie & Creston!
I've been friends with Carrie since we were in band in Jr. High. We both played the Clarinet! Time sure does go by so fast!

Thanks for coming up guys! We had a really nice time!

I added my favorite Music Links from YouTube!

Since I have no idea how to add just music and not link to the actual videos form YouTube, I went the YouTube route and have put some of my favorite songs on the side bar for your listening (and viewing) enjoyment!

(Some of the videos are "interpretations" of the songs, so just listen to those and dis-regard the images).

I added Favorite Websites too!

I got all excited and added some of my favorite websites after I added the music stuff. This blogging stuff is really addicting!!! I was told a few weeks ago by several who knew of my blood pressure issues that "Martha....you need to get a hobby!".......to which I replied....."I've got 2 kids and work 4 days a week! I don't have time for a hobby!"

I guess I'll make this my hobby! I love to find new applications, so if anyone knows of cool ones, or picture posting sites, just let me know! Again, if you've got a site that you want me to add to my blog list, or site list, just let me know!!!

Martha

Creston & Mack!

Here is the final picture in the year-long growth pictorial of Creston and Mackie. I've tried to get this picture taken on the 12th of every month, but some months, it's a few days later! They've just grown so fast! Soon, they'll be in school, then driving, then graduating from college, then getting married, then having babies of their own, then having us live in their basements because we're old people!!!! Hope they let us have Cable and twin remotes, .....or some kind of dart guns so that Mark and I can continue to harrass each other late in life!!! We'll just have to wait and see what the future holds!

Amazing Sunset!

This evening...Creston was outside playing and hollered, "Mommy! COME Wook! COME WOOK!" I went to the door and he was standing on our back porch and pointing to

the view that is pictured below! Just Amazing!

Mackie's SECOND Hair-Cut!

I have pictures of Mack's first haircut several posts down, but this one was an actual full-fledged haircut! Mark had been wanting to cut off Mackie's cute fluffy curls for months now, and I protested that he was a baby and I wanted him to leave them.........till he was 1! For some reason, I thought that this reasoning would hush up everyone involved and that would be that. The weeks leading up to Mackie's first birthday, however, were not hushed ones. They were full of the voices of my husband and in-laws stating rather urgently, that "Mackie NEEDS a haircut!".

He turned 1. Now, much to my dismay, he's getting his haircut.

BEFORE: This is Mackie with his cute little head of curly hair! A Little Angel! A Little Cherub!!!! So sweet looking! So innocent looking!

Here, he is being "wet down" so that Paw-Paw can see better to cut away the pretty little curlies... Here, Daddy is holding Mackie in what appears to be a "choke-hold"...
Here, also to my dismay......Mackie appears to be enjoying the attention...
This is the "fluff & Dry stage of the cut...
AFTER: Here is the finished product! A Completely different looking baby......no....slash that.......now he looks like a little boy....oh me! He does, however, look a little bit ticked off at the world by this point! That's my little boy! Let 'em know you don't like it!!!
I will admit, it did turn out better than I had expected it to. He does actually look pretty cute still! I just loved those little curls so much! (He does still have a few on top, though!! YAY!!) They grow up way too fast!

Mackie's FIRST Birthday!

He's finally a year old today! Time sure has gone fast this past year, but we've enjoyed every minute of it! Well......maybe not the screaming,crying,teething, and sleepless nights, but you take the good with the bad!! :o) Just call us the hard of hearing, bleary-eyed Parlier people!!! Little Mackie is a completly different person than Creston was at 1. He's walking already, and that's enough to make a world of difference all by itself!

Make a Smilebox postcard

We had a nice day today. We invited several friends and family over to celebrate with us. Mackie enjoyed himself thoroughly (especially the cake part!). I'm attaching ALL of the photos in a slideshow. You can click on the slideshow itself and go to see the bigger pictures!

Thanks everyone for sending your happy birthday wishes to our little-BIG guy!

Merry Maids.....toddler version!

Here our little fella's are getting the house ready for Mackie's Birthday!

If only they would be this happy about cleaning in 15 years! We'll see how they feel about it then!!!

5th of July Cook-out!

We invited some of our family over to Mack and Dorothy's house today for a 5th of July Cook-out!
Other than dealing with the rain most of the early part of the day, we had a pretty good evening!
Sorry there weren't more pictures. If anyone else has any they'd like to send to me to post, I'd be happy to stick them on here! :o)

Here they are!!! (You can click on the slideshow and it will show you the pictures in a bigger version).

4th of July!

Here's a few pictures from our 4th fun!

As I pointed out to Mark, the above picture is one of the only ones that I think we have ever taken where he isn't smiling his "fake" smile. The reason? Because he and his buddies at the FD were playing a joke on me and thought themselves very funny!......very long story!!! :o)

This picture below is how Creston usually responds to any loud noises....fireworks, guns, loud music, Mackie screaming...... Mommy and Mackie-doodle!!! He actually liked the fireworks and didn't scream once while they were going off. He got bored with them after about 5 minutes and needed to splash himself with Creston's sippy-cup.
These fine men are the ones who thought that it would be funny to "pull one over on Martha"! Shane Robbins is standing, Travis Spencer is sitting, and then there's good old Mark, and then "Cracker" (Matthew Crawford) is looking on.

We all had a good day! Mark had to work, but the boys and I met him at the Boone Station#2 and the FD hosted a Picnic for it's members. Good food. We got to watch some interesting people just down from us shake their booties till I thought that I'd have to go in! Creston made a few friends and tossed a football with them. The fireworks were really pretty. Got home around 11ish. Now I'm typing on this blog!!! Better get to bed!!! HAPPY 4th of JULY!!!

Watch Our Boys Grow!

The cadipeelir is hungry, mama!

While mowing the yard, Creston was on the porch eating french fries and watching me go back and forth. I noticed him waving his arms at me and so I stopped and turned off the mower. I asked what was wrong, while noticing that something non-porch-step colored was laying on the step. He explained that there was a "cadipeelir" and that it was hungry. He stated that he had given it a french fry. Made perfect sense to him!

When I got done, I went to the steps and the french fry was gone. I asked if he had squashed the bug, and he said no and pointed to the railing. I then saw the f.f. and also that the bug was climbing up to get to it.

The little thing must have been hungry, because it got up there to it and climbed all over the thing and seemed to be eating it.

All of the bugs will now come to Creston for food! Oh me!