Blue Heron Crafthouse

EBATES.COM

2012-03-28T15:02:00.003-04:00

Get paid to shop online? Sounds fabulous. Free to join? Even better. I've earned over $18 on two purchases less than $100 each just by going through Ebates.com first. Its that easy. Give it a try!!!

10 Simple Ways to Slow Down & Make Your Child's Day [hands on : as we grow]

2012-02-29T21:14:00.000-05:00

10 Simple Ways to Slow Down & Make Your Child's Day [hands on : as we grow]

5x7 Folded Card

2012-02-02T10:27:00.001-05:00

Candy Birthday Wishes Birthday Card

Shutterfly offers exclusive graduation announcements and invitations.

View the entire collection of cards.

Salad in a jar

2012-01-22T11:54:00.001-05:00

I saw this idea on pinterest and decided it would be a great way to reuse those pesky spaghetti sauce jars. I hate throwing them away. So... I made my own version of those salads on pinterest. The ones on pinterest put the dressing in the bottom, but I am just going to take my dressing with me. In these jars, I used tomatoes, portabello mushrooms, cucumber, fresh spinach and leafy green lettuce. All on sale, might I add. I am going to make a 7-layer version next week. So, long story short, heres my lunch for the next 3 days. I will add grilled chicken and dressing when its time to eat.
**to get the sauce smell out of the jar, I let them sit in water with a little vinegar overnight.

Homemade Laundry Soap

2012-01-06T15:25:00.001-05:00

So, after reading positive reviews of meg, Jessica and holly's experiences with their homemade detergents, I decided to give it a whirl. Here are some pics... More to come later!

Prayers for Thomas Sullivan, age 5

2011-12-19T20:30:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share a little about some dear friends of ours back in Alabama. Their 5-year-old son, Thomas, was recently diagnosed with a grade 4 medulloblastoma. This tumor was discovered on a routine eye exam and he has undergone surgery to remove it. The pathology report came back late last week and confirmed what the doctors' worst fears were. A grade 4 medulloblastoma. Here are some reports from the parents:

12.08.2011

So had an interesting turn of events today. Took Thomas for his routine eye exam. Doc saw optic nerve swelling and nystagmus. This along with Thomas's decrease in balance, sleepless, and the vomiting got us a visit to the er at children's per pediatrician and eye doc. Looking at an mri and/or ct scan of the brain.

12.09.2011

Baby boy is in mri. From there directly to surgery to remove the tumor. Doc said of Looks to be the size of a plumb.

Thomas is out of surgery, in recovery, and is extubated. All of the tumor removed except a small amount that was adhered to the brainstem. Pathologist looked at the tissue and said it looks like medulloblastoma (which is malignant). Not 100% for sure yet. Will be taken to picu within the hour. He's moving all his limbs and eyes are moving well.

12.12.2011

Just met with the oncology team. They showed us the before and after MRI. That tumor looked huge in my babies brain. Anyway, they, like us, are waiting on the pathology report. Dr.Reddy, the oncologist, also told us all the whining is a normal response and will get better. Also met with speech therapy for an evaluation. She seemed pleased and positive by what we told her. I have noticed that Thomas cannot open his left eye on his own. He has to use his fingers to pull his eyelid up. Let's hope that too is a temporary response.

12.19.2011

So we talked to the Oncologist this morning and have given it a little while to sink in and this is what we've got.

She told us some stuff we already knew and some new stuff. I had looked online to do a little research and came to the conclusion that websites would do 1 of 2 things. They would give their version of what they thought a medulloblastoma was and the proper treatment for it was. Or they would basically copy somebody else's thoughts on it. Alot of the ones I saw were the same exact thing, just on a different site. The problem was that the ones that gave what they thought to be the explanation of the tumor were contradicting other explanations. Which makes you ask, who is right and who is wrong? Since I didn't know (that's why I went there to look), I decided not use the internet as a reliable source. The Oncologist reaffirmed that decision. She says there is a whole lot of wrong information out there and yes, she is absolutely right.

Before treatment, we're going to have to have a lumbar puncture to test the spinal fluid for cancerous cells. Obviously, they're going to put him down for the procedure. While he's down, they're going to go ahead and put a port in. It will be just below the skin and will provide access so they won't have to stick him with needles all the time.

Then she went over our treatment schedule with us. Basically, the first "treatment" will last about 42 weeks (7 different 6 week sessions). It will start off with radiation and then go to chemotherapy.
Radiation (6 weeks): Mon-Fri, a few hours a day
Chemo 1-6 (6 weeks each): Will start out with a few days in the hospital to receive the the dose of chemo and then he'll go home to get better before the next round.

Judging how this will go on until next Thanksgiving, us spending this Christmas in the hospital doesn't seem that bad anymore. Before we can go home, his physical, occupational and speech therapies have to get better. He is still not wanting to use his right arm. He was right handed, so we want him to start using it before we leave. We will go home for a couple of weeks to allow his incision to heal and we will probably have some out of hospital therapy during that time. Once the radiation starts, his healing abilities will suffer dramatically. So we'll want everything healed up before then.

I managed to get Heather to leave yesterday for a couple of hours. She went home to find some movies that were still packed away from our move. Apparently Richard, our cat, was starving for attention when she went in the house. She said the long drive was emotionally relaxing. Which made me feel better about pushing her to go.

We would like to take some time to say thank you. We really do appreciate the prayers and everything you're doing for us and our boy. Please know that, in the future, if there is ever anything we can do, let us know. Accepting the generosity of others has been something we've had to learn how to do. We're finding that swallowing our pride and accepting the help has been very humbling. Thank you for all you do.

-Daddy

I am just devastated for this family. Its just not fair. Please help me pray for his healing. I know that this is all in God's hands.... but I'm having a really hard time with the whole thing.

This child's father and Chris were firefighters together when we live in Springville, AL. They are such good people and would do anything for anybody. Thomas is at Children's Hospital in Birmingham, AL. My kids are going to make him some cards to send his way.

You can see the facebook page that was created for him here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Prayers-for-Thomas-Sullivan/260237500697738

Just help us pray for him, please.

Thanks and God Bless -

Water Rescue Training

2011-05-15T22:12:00.000-04:00

Here are pics from Michael's Field Trip on May 4, 2011. This day also happened to be a training day for the Water Rescue Division of the Technical Rescue Team of Lady's Island Fire Department. Chris and a few other guys started a Water Rescue Team last year after two holiday drownings at Hunting Island State Park. Chris has also done Public Education presentations at Beaufort Elementary School this year. These children are familiar with him, especially the ones from Michael's class, so it was really neat for them to get to watch the team in action. There are lots of pictures! Enjoy!

Ariel Tornado pics from Shoal Creek, AL area

2011-05-10T21:48:00.001-04:00

These are pics that my dad took from our friend's helicopter. (click title) They were taken just days after the tornadoes hit. Such devastation is just heartbreaking. My prayers go out to the people affected by these storms.

RecycleBank

2011-04-12T21:42:00.000-04:00

This site is really neat. They show different ways to recycle ....

I particularly like the article about recycling bottle caps.

Part of the article states that the Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawaii (B.E.A.C.H.) found that "plastic bottle caps are one of the top 10 items found during marine debris clean-ups and are the second most littered item after cigarette butts."

WOW! Michael's class at school collects these bottle caps. I think they are for counting purposes... however, they aren't being thrown away! Or littering our beaches!

Check out the website. The link is above... Click on the title... :)

Best Friends

2011-02-05T23:01:00.002-05:00

Saying goodbye is always hard... knowing that we'll see each other again one day makes it a little easier. Our friends, Darla and Tim and their 3 children, B, C, and H moved to California right after Christmas. We've known them for over 5 years. They were our neighbors when we lived at Camp Lejeune, NC and then ended up in Beaufort after Tim went on to be a Drill Instructor. We were lucky to have them close for such a long time... Here are some shots of the best buds:

We miss you all sooooooo much.

Summer Vacation 2010

2011-02-05T21:28:00.001-05:00

I haven't blogged in sooooo long, but I want to try and get back in the habit. We are all always so busy doing this or that.... I just haven't had time.

To recap the last year or so... we'll start with Summer Vacation 2010... WHY? Well, most of the pics I want to share from Christmas 2009-Spring 2010, are on my "dead" computer at my dad's house. Hopefully, the "doctor" can find what is ailing it and get it back on its feet.
Summer vacation:

I had accepted my current position at Werner, Royal, & Csakany, OB/GYN and had just finished my last week at Beaufort Orthopaedics, where I had worked for the last 3 years. The timing for this new position was perfect... I finished my last two weeks at Beaufort Ortho and then had my already planned week of vacation and then started at WRC. So, my mom and Lynn had come from AL to Hunting Island, SC, where we were all going to camp for the week. Dad and Glenda were to come a few days later. Of course, every time my mother comes here, the weather is either unusually cold or raining. We did get to spend some time at the beach in nice weather. The second night, it rained HARD. If you've ever camped in a camper, you know that the awning has to be tilted somewhat to let the water flow off easily. We did just that, but it rained so hard, so fast that the water pooled anyway. We went to let one side of the awning down a little more and WHOOSH, the whole awning came crashing down... bent right down the middle. Now, Beaufort is a little off the beating path, so camping stores that would stock this type of item were impossible to find. We did call about it, and were told that one could be ordered and would arrive in 3 days. Well, Mom and Lynn were headed out in two days straight to Michigan for the remainder of their summer vacation. They decided that if we could get it to roll up correctly and stay in place, they would just get a new one in Michigan. Thank goodness for insurance. That thing cost over $1,000!
So, escapade #1 was all over and done with and we were going to enjoy the rest of our time no matter what. Dad and Glenda were scheduled to come in later that evening. We spent some time at the beach and then went back to camp to get dinner started and wait for Dad and Glenda. They finally arrived and were getting set up on their campsite when escapade #2 happened. Lindsey had an old pair of rollerblades that Andrew wanted and they came to SC with Gram and Grandad. Andrew wanted to try them very badly and wasn't patient enough to wait for an adult to go with him. Fine, Andrew, go ahead... just BE CAREFUL. Not 2 minutes later, I hear a commotion outside the camper and then hear my dad call for me to COME NOW. Uh oh... something must be wrong. I took one look at Andrew's poor arm and nearly passed out.

It looked as if he had another elbow!! Obviously, it was broken. Now, remember I used to work for an Orthopaedic office, so I still had an inside connection for this type of problem. I called one of the docs I worked for and asked him to meet me at the ER. Its so nice when you know people!! He was waiting for us when we got to the ER. No waiting in the lobby for me!!! He had already informed the staff that we were coming and they were waiting there to take x-rays of his arm. Of course, we all knew that it was broken, we just needed to know where exactly and just how badly. It was displaced, but thankfully, not near the growth plate. No surgery required. Whew...
Now, to get that bone back in place... again, SO awesome to personally know the doc that is doing this reduction. He felt up and down Andrew's arm (numbed it up first) and then just pulled it and BAM it was back in place. Looked like a normal arm again. He got a nice, big ole cast and got his scrapes all cleaned up and we were out of there!! In and out of the ER in less than an hour.

Poor guy... he was in so much pain that night. I slept in Mom's camper with him so that he could sleep propped up on the couch. We kept him dosed up with tylenol and he made it through. He had to keep the cast for 3 weeks... boy was I glad to get that nasty thing taken off 3 weeks later. GROSS. His arm was all healed up and he didn't have to wear another plaster cast! YAY!! He did, however, get a brace to wear since football practice was starting. We sure didn't need another broken bone. This arm (his right) has been broken twice now. You could see the calcification from the last break on his xrays. The breaks were very close to the same place. He's all fine and dandy now. Never slowed him down.

Left: This is his arm still in the cast at his appt to get it taken off. You can see where it was broken.
Right: His arm all better.. wearing his brace.

There is never a dull moment around here. At least not when my kids or me is around. Something is bound to happen. Before this incident, I came around the corner to find my youngest two like this:

Jonathan (the instigator) - up top holding on to the bedsheet and swinging Michael back and forth. Michael: gullible enough to do what his brother told him too. Geez... its surprising we don't have more ER visits. (knock on wood)
Here are some not so dramatic pics from our vacation:

Ah...memories.

2010-03-02T21:04:00.000-05:00

Andrew had baseball practice this afternoon... yes, even in this miserable, cold, wet weather. I was surprised to find out that they were practicing and that the filed wasn't muddy at all!! So, anyway, we were a few kids short and its so early into the season that the other coaches are busy helping coach first base, pitching and umpiring. SO... I got to coach third base today!!! Woohoo!!

It brought back many memories of when I was first playing softball. These 9-10 year old boys are actually pretty good... some of them have played before and that sure helps the ones that haven't played so much. Andrew actually got a decent hit tonight!! I was very proud. I hope that he sticks with it and listens to what his coaches have to teach him.

I really like his coach this year. He seems to know what he's talking about and doesn't push the boys too much yet. I can't wait for the season to start... I sure miss watching games. It will be different though, learning the rules of baseball rather than softball. Thus begins our baseball journey.... hopefully it lasts through school and high school and maybe even into college!!!

Girls Night Out!

2010-02-26T21:52:00.000-05:00

Went to a Japanese restaurant tonight with a bunch of my friends!!! Had a great time... here are some pics.

Top L-R : Hollie, Rachel, Alice; Bottom L-R : Kim, Gloria, Darla, Megan

Update....

2010-02-25T21:14:00.000-05:00

Lets see - today I:

Got up @ 7:15, drove the kids to school, left Beaufort at 7:55, drove to Hilton Head Island, worked in our Hilton Head Island office, got off @ 4:00, drove like mad back to Beaufort, got home around 5:00, went to pick Michael up from his first day at gymnastics, took Andrew to baseball practice, got home at 7:45, cooked dinner (thanks Nana for the rotisserie chicken!), bathed the kids while cooking dinner, ate dinner, cleaned the kitchen, put the kids to bed, started a load of laundry.... and here I am. WHEW!!! I feel like I've been on the tilt-a-whirl!!!!

Michael is taking gymnastics with his friend Hayden... I'm hoping he will be able to use some of his energy!! He did crash right after dinner tonight.... :) Poor baby, he had a hard day at school too... he fell and busted his eye/head on the wall. The school nurse called me in Hilton Head, an hour away and told me about his accident. She said that he was fine and that she had cleaned him up and put some ice on it, but he would def have a bruise. I called my good friend Darla to go and pick him up.... it worked out anyway, since she was the one that would be taking Michael to gymnastics. (Hayden is her son)

Jonathan is on the waiting list for baseball... we're hoping that they find a spot for him too. His birthday is next week... we're having a party for him on Saturday. Of course, he wants to invite EVERYONE! So, if you want to join us, come on!!! I can't believe he will be 7!!

Andrew started practice for baseball season tonight... he enjoyed it and will learn a lot this season. Its been a few years since he played tee-ball.... which, to me, isn't really baseball anyway. I'm excited for him to learn how to play better. He did very well during football last season. I'm hoping that he grasps baseball as quickly as he did football. He's growing up, that's for sure!! He'll be 10 in July!!!

Needless to say, we've all had a very busy day!!!! It will sure be busy for the next few months. With two kids involved in extra-curricular activities (possibly 3), we're sure going to be running around a lot!!

Oh, and Chris was at work today.... I don't realize how much I depend on him to help out until he's at work!!! A new day tomorrow and hopefully a night out with the girls tomorrow night!!! Looking forward to it.... that's all for tonight... take care all!!! God Bless... :)

Life as I know it....

2010-02-23T22:32:00.000-05:00

My day usually begins rushed.... I'll be the first to admit that I am NOT a morning person. I am definitely a night owl.... I can stay up late and not be tired... however, I usually try to go to bed before 10:30. My office is about 1/2 mile from my house, so I don't have to get up too awfully early. Leave it to me to get up at the LAST possible second. Just enough time for a shower, hair, makeup, pop-tart for the boys, dress the boys... out the door we go! Luckily, the school isn't but a block away either! Still - I am rushed. I know, I know... if I would get up 15 minutes earlier, I would be fine. I guess its just not in my regime... :)

I work for three Orthopaedic surgeons that keep my coworkers and me very busy. On a normal day, with one doctor, we'll see around 25-30 patients. On a two doctor day, usually every Wednesday, anywhere from 75-100 patients come in and go out. It gets extremely hectic!! I'm just thankful that I don't work in a general practice clinic. We don't see "sick" patients. Sometimes, I'm sure there are some that come in sick and that's how we all end up sick... but the appointments they come in for are for various Orthopaedic issues.
So, from 8:30-5:00, sometimes later, that's where you'll find me.

After work, its dinner either at home, at the in-laws house or out. I have the best in-laws anyone could ask for. By the time dinner is done and cleaned up, its bath time and bed time for the boys!! Let me tell you, that is usually a pretty hectic (and wet) time in our house! I didn't know water could end up in so many places in the bathroom. Leave it to the boys...

Once the boys are in bed, I can usually be found parked in front of the computer on Facebook or blogging... or yes, feeding my fish and tending to my farm. (on Facebook) Right now, I'm parked in front of the computer, blogging and listening to the best thing since sliced bread - Pandora.com. I am absolutely in love with this website. I have my noise canceling headphones and my keyboard and I'm happy! Oh - sometime between work, dinner and bed, I usually squeeze in at least one load of laundry. I have one pair of scrub pants that I like and I wash them every day! They are starting to get a little thin, so its probably time to replace them.

My day begins again the next morning around 7:00 a.m.... thank God for coffee.

On the weekends, I play laundry catch up... although it never seems to be "caught up". There is always something here to be washed.... with three boys and a husband that is a firefighter, something is always dirty. When its warm enough, especially during the summer, our Saturdays are usually spent at the beach. We leave early, pack a lunch and come home around 2:30... get cleaned up, take a nap then go out for dinner. Saturdays in the summers are my favorite. I'm so thankful to live here in Beautiful Beaufort by the Sea. Not a day goes by that I don't ponder the glory of the Lord's creation.

On Sundays, we go to church, sometimes out to eat afterward or over to the in-laws for lunch. Though our weeks are pretty busy, we tend to have a pretty laid back weekend. I try to enjoy every minute of every day that I am blessed enough to participate in. There are days when I think that everything is just going to go wrong... but I always know that things could be worse. We have a roof over our heads, three healthy children, a loving family and support system and live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. What more could I want? So, life as I know it here in Beaufort is pretty darn good. I wouldn't trade it for much....

Mary Alice Jones - February 23, 1929-November 22, 2003

2010-02-23T20:46:00.002-05:00

It started out as a feeling
Which then grew into a hope
Which then turned into a quiet thought
Which then turned into a quiet word

And then that word grew louder and louder
'Til it was a battle cry

I'll come back
When you call me
No need to say goodbye

Just because everything's changing
Doesn't mean it's never
Been this way before

All you can do is try to know
Who your friends are
As you head off to the war

Pick a star on the dark horizon
And follow the light

You'll come back
When it's over
No need to say good bye

You'll come back
When it's over
No need to say good bye

Now we're back to the beginning
It's just a feeling and no one knows yet
But just because they can't feel it too
Doesn't mean that you have to forget

Let your memories grow stronger and stronger
'Til they're before your eyes

You'll come back
When they call you
No need to say good bye

You'll come back
When they call you
No need to say good bye

-Regina Spektor - The Call
click on the title of the blog to hear the song... :)

Oh, poop! (not for those of you with weak stomachs)

2010-02-22T19:29:00.000-05:00

For those of you who don't like to hear about other peoples' kids' poop.... then don't read any further!!

So, every night after dinner (and every other meal), it takes my younger two about 3 minutes to decide that they need to use the bathroom... #2. Get this - Jonathan is in the bathroom and of course, since we only have one bathroom, Michael also needs to go. He waits patiently and asks his brother to hurry up because "he needs to poop too!" Shortly after this, I hear Michael whimpering outside the bathroom door... I go to find him on the floor taking his clothes off and one plop of poop on the floor and one in his pants.... I get him up and get the clothes off of him. I finally get Jonathan to unlock the door and take the poop and dump it in the toilet.... Michael then says, "Aww....Mom, do I have to take a bath now?" "Yes, honey," I reply, "you have to take a bath." While running the bath water for Michael, Jonathan is still trying to finish up his duty and get out of the way He seems to be having trouble getting clean so I decide to help.... As I'm wiping... it just seems to never end... I asked him how in the world he ended up with so much poop on his bottom and all he could say was, Well, Mom.... I just poop big!"

At this point, I'm rolling laughing at the whole situation..... Needless to say, we need a bigger house with at least one more toilet... :)

Auburn Homecoming 2009

2010-02-12T21:09:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting to go to an Auburn football game for a long time now... I hadn't been since my cousin Jeremy was playing for Mississippi State back in 1995/1996. We went to Auburn when MS State was playing there. Now that my sister, Rebecca is marching in the band at Auburn, I only saw it fit that I at least get to see her march once this year. So, I packed two of the kids up and away to Alabama we went! Andrew and Chris went to a Jacksonville Jaguars game that same weekend with his pee-wee football team. Another neat experience. Here are some pics from the Auburn game!

I'm so proud of my sister!

Me, Lindsey and Joey at the Tiger Walk!

Watching Bec play at 4 Corners!

Rebecca after the game with Michael and Jonathan.

Michael playing with a shaker....

SNOW 2010!!

2010-02-12T20:42:00.004-05:00

I've been told that this is first snow that has stuck to the ground here in Beaufort since 1989!!! We looked outside an hour ago, and nothing. Then at about 8:00, it started snowing and now @ 8:30 THIS!!!

Christmas time...... wait, already???

2009-12-07T22:11:00.000-05:00

Here we are, yet again, less than one month away from Christmas. Time passes by so quickly. Seems like yesterday, I was preparing for LAST Christmas!!

Andrew, Jonathan and Michael are excited that they are almost halfway through the school year. They are all doing well and love school.

We traveled to West Virginia for Thanksgiving. Chris' family (minus an uncle) all live in southern West Virginia. We travel there every Thanksgiving. It usually snows, so we get our fill of snow during that time!!

We always stay home for Christmas. This year, we haven't even decorated yet!! We are trying to buy a house and we are supposed to close this Friday. So, we decided not to decorate until we get done with the house buying. No sense in decorating and then taking down and redecorating again! The boys are excited about Christmas - of course, they want everything that it advertised on tv.... well, to be honest, I haven't even started shopping yet!! I know, I know.... shame on me. I always say that I am going to start the January BEFORE Christmas, yet I'm always the one shopping on Christmas Eve. Maybe one day I'll learn...

My desktop computer crashed a few weeks ago, so I'm using the laptop... not too bad, except ALL of my pictures were on the other computer! Hopefully Dad will be able to salvage my files from the hard drive. Life does go on... stinks to lose that info though. Its like part of my life is missing now -

As I am typing this - Michael has one of the shakers we got at the Auburn game and is swirling it around in the air... then he takes it and tickles the dog with it... now he's lying on top of her. She is not happy - crazy dog, she sure puts up with a lot from these boys. She is such a good girl though.

I'm going to try and dig up some pictures of all of us to post on here...

Until next time...

Thanksgiving...... a time for thanks and a time for reflection..

2009-11-21T23:08:00.000-05:00

For me, its not just about the turkey on Thanksgiving, nor is it about the pumpkin pie, dressing, vegetables, etc.... Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for everything that we have been blessed with and a time to remember those who touched our lives in a way that will never be forgotten.
I have much to be thankful for: my incredible family, my husband and 3 healthy children, a place to call home, food on the table, a stable job, a reliable car - just to name a few. The list sure does go on. The Lord has blessed our family in more ways than one and continues to bless us each and every day. We are very thankful for what we have and know that what we need will be provided.
It occurred to me today, that it has been 6 years since my grandmother, Mary Alice "Maw Maw" Jones, went to be with the Lord. It really seems like yesterday we were eating at Main Street Pizza on a Wednesday night. Of course, she ordered that salad with "RAYNCH" dressing. I always think of her any time someone orders ranch dressing. I have so many wonderful memories of Maw Maw and would like to share a few....

I remember when we all (Mom, Janice, Maw Maw, Lindsey, baby Rebecca and me) were at Century Plaza shopping. We always ate at The Dragon (Chinese) for lunch anytime we went there. I'm sure this was probably a school clothes shopping trip... I so enjoyed those. Upon leaving the mall that day, we all piled into Mom's van and went to back out of our parking space. There was this funny lump we backed over, so Mom pulled back into the parking space to investigate. We opened the sliding door of the van to discover that Maw Maw had left her purse outside the van and Mom had backed over it. I remember her fussing that her new glasses were in that purse and of course, had been smashed. I'm not sure what was so funny, but we were all so red in the face from laughing! Its one of those "you had to be there" moments, but I will never forget it.

I remember when we used to all go to Fort Walton Beach, FL. I'm talking ALL of us. Janice, Pete, Steven and Scott, Maw Maw, Mom, Dad, Lindsey, Rebecca and me. All in one condo.

I remember a time when we ALL went to Gatlinburg. ALL to include everyone above, plus Doug, Vicki, Emily and Micah. We were always such a close knit family.

I remember getting together at Maw Maw's house for each and every holiday there was!! Especially Christmas Eve @ Maw Maw's house. It was such a special time for all of us.

I remember being at the beach one summer - now, keep in mind, Maw Maw didn't really like to get wet because she said her eyelashes were too short to keep the water out of her eyes. But, she would wade in the surf a bit to cool off. She was standing about calf-deep in the water facing us standing/sitting on the shore. About that time, a wave came crashing from behind and knocked her on her knees. Before she could correct herself, another wave came over her soaking her entire head. Lindsey and I got so tickled watching her... she was laughing the entire time!!

I remember telling Maw Maw that I was pregnant with Andrew. She was hurt at first that I didn't tell her first. But, she got over that, because she quickly told me that she would be taking care of the baby while I finished high school. She was so excited that she would get to buy a carseat. I don't know what I would have done without her. I didn't work, so I could afford day care. I wanted to finish school and she made that happen. She told me that she wanted me to be able to live as much of a normal teenage life as I could. I thank God every day for that opportunity.

I remember birthday parties when she would bring gifts for all three of us and not just the birthday girl.

I remember being able to tell her anything.

I remember going to Chattanooga with Maw Maw, Gaynelle and Gaynelle's granddaughter Emma. We spent 3 days there touring the sights. We stayed at a really cool Holiday Inn that had a water slide in the pool. Maw Maw was so worried the whole time that we would get hurt. When we got home and were waiting on Mom to come pick us up, Lindsey tripped over the carport wall (about a foot off the ground) and broke her arm. We were gone that whole time and nothing happened. The minute we got home, she managed to break her arm.

I remember skipping school and spending the day with Maw Maw and baby Andrew. (probably why I had the truancy officer after me) :)

I remember when she worked in the office at Springville High School and we got to ride home with her on Friday afternoons. We thought we were so cool getting to go to the high school office to wait for her to be done.

I remember summer days when Mom would haul the lawnmower over to Maw Maw's house to mow her grass.

I remember 4th of July and Labor Day parties @ my parents house. Maw Maw never drank a drop of alcohol that I know of and would always be teased that she should drink a beer. I have a picture of her "opening" a can of Coors Light.

I remember disagreeing with her when she would keep Andrew. I regret it now... I just thought that I knew what was best for him. We butted heads a few times about different things. Now, it brings new meaning to the phrase "You don't know what you've got until its gone." I wish I had never had any cross words with her and that I could take it back.

I remember when she got sick - she was supposed to have back surgery and woke up not being able to breathe. Of course, being the person she was, she didn't want to take anyone, so she waited 1/2 hour before calling Christy to come check on her. Turns out, she had pulmonary edema and a major blockage requiring a triple bypass the same day. Time stopped.... I got the call that she was going to have to have surgery and rushed to the hospital. She faired the surgery okay but had a long road to recovery. This is when I REALLY wished I had spent more time with her, thanked her more for the things she did for us, told her I loved her more and many countless other things that I should have done or not done.

The years since haven't quite been the same since she passed. Not a day goes by that I don't think of her. Buttermilk skies - my children - ANY children - all remind me of her. She had such a contagious smile and love for people. It is this time each year that I think back and reflect on all the happy times we all shared with her. She was my rock. So it is now, that I post this blog in memory of Ms. Mary Alice "Maw Maw" Jones. February 23, 1929 - November 22, 2003.

Remember to tell those you care about that you love them. Life takes unexpected twists and turns at the drop of a hat.

Until next time -
Alice

***For those of you who are who ever experienced her Banana Pudding, the recipe is below.***

4-5 Medium Ripe Bananas, sliced
1 large package or 2 small packages of instant Vanilla pudding
3 cups of COLD milk
1 medium sized tub of whipped cream
1 box of Nilla vanilla wafers
Serving bowl (I use a bowl on a pedestal)

Save about 14 pretty wafers for later decorating
Mix pudding according to package directions
Blend in the whipped cream with the pudding
Place a layer of wafers along the bottom of the serving bowl
Place a layer of banana slices along the bottom of the serving bowl
Pour a layer of pudding mixture, probably about half
Place another layer of wafers and another layer of banana slices
Pour remaining pudding mixture on top of the layers
Use your saved 14 wafers to "stand" along the outer inside edge of the bowl
Crush 1-2 wafers and sprinkle on top.
Refrigerate 1-2 hours or until good and chilled.
ENJOY!!

I will get her chocolate icing recipe on here soon. :)

Lets get started...

2009-11-03T19:43:00.000-05:00

I'm relatively new to this blogging thing - so bear with me. First off.... to catch everyone up to the present. I am Alice - married to Chris Williams, mother to Andrew (age 9), Jonathan (age 6) and Michael (age 4). We live in the beautiful city of Beaufort, SC - about an hour south of Charleston and 45 minutes north of Savannah, GA. We also have a dog, Bailey (age 4) and two cats, Wally (age 6) and Ernie (age 5). Chris and I were married in November of 2002 in Springville, AL. Chris later joined the Marine Corps and moved our family to Camp Lejeune, NC. We lived at Camp Lejeune until Chris was deployed in September of 2007 at which time I decided it best for everyone to move to Beaufort. You see, managing our three boys alone was a very scary thought - besides, we wanted to live in Beaufort anyway. Kathy and David (Chris' parents) whom I love very dearly, already lived here in Beaufort. So - my best friend Katie and I packed up the house and kids and moved everything to SC. Poor Katie had come for a visit to NC - boy was she in for a big surprise! I couldn't have done it without her. Chris returned from his deployment safely in April of 2008. He still had 7 months left in his tour with the Marine Corps, so he stayed behind in NC to finish up. He moved home with us in November 2008. I work for three Orthopaedic Surgeons in a small private practice in Beaufort. Chris is a firefighter for a local department here. We are in the process of buying our first home (yay!!) and hope to be moved by mid-December. Thats about all you need to know in catching up... I'm sure there's stuff in between that will come out on here sooner or later - but thats another day. For now - its off to finish laundry and get the kiddies off to bed. Work/school come early tomorrow! TTFN - ta ta for now!