23thirty

Giveaway from A Time for Everything via iHeart Organizing

2013-06-03T18:19:00.000-05:00

Do you budget? Do you use a cash envelope system? You need to check out the amazing Envelope System made by Melissa over at http://www.atimeforeverything.net.

She has an Etsy shop where she sells these along with other VERY cool items.

She is visiting Jen at iHeart Organizing to give not 1 but 2 Cash Envelope Systems!!! 2 lucky readers will win a Cash Envelope System. Hop on over to Jen's blog at http://www.iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2013/05/iheart-cash-envelopes-giveaway.html to enter to win!! Good luck!!!

JMD

Magnabilities Monday

2013-04-22T14:05:00.005-05:00

Summer is coming. It's Flip Flop Time!!!!

JMD

www.jmd.magnabilities.com

April is Autism Awareness Month

2013-04-05T14:28:00.002-05:00

Check out this sweet magnet from Magnabilities for Autism Awareness.

And look how beautiful it is in a pendant with a necklace.

I am so proud to be a part of a company that supports awareness.

If you would like to buy this or see what else I have to offer, check out my website.

JMD

Influenster VoxBox

2013-03-28T10:31:00.000-05:00

When I was notified that I qualified for the Influenster Sugar 'n Spice VoxBox 2013 I was so excited! I anxiously waited for my 'box of goodies' to arrive. They did not disappoint! Take a look at what I opened my box to.

Included in my box was:

Nectresse Sweetener

Colgate Optic White Toothbrush, Toothpaste, and Mouth Wash

Belvita Breakfast Biscuits

Vaseline Spray & Go Total Moisturizer

Dickinson's Cleansing Astringent Towelettes

and coupons for the items in the box.

Nectresse is a 100% natural sweetener. It tastes just like sugar but without any calories. In the past, I have used Splenda, which Nectresse is from the maker of Splenda. I love Nectresse sweetener!! It comes in packets as well as a container. You can try this in coffee, tea, water, over cereal, oatmeal...anything you want to sweeten and not have to worry about any calories added. Nectresse will definitely be a staple in my pantry.

Colgate Optic White is a teeth whitener. The toothpaste comes in three flavors: Sparkling Mint, Cool Mild Mint, and Enamel White. I received the Sparkling Mint flavor...very nice!!

The mouth wash came in the same flavor. It is enamel safe which is a big thing. Some mouth washes burn my mouth so bad that I can't keep it in my mouth long. This mouth wash is refreshing and doesn't burn.

Now, the toothbrush is my favorite part. It is the coolest thing! It has whitening cups that wrap around my teeth and the bristles polish my teeth. I love this toothbrush!!

Colgate Optic White whitens more than 3 shades based on twice daily use for four weeks with results starting in one week. I am currently in week one and I cannot wait to see the results in four weeks.

I have an oily face. So, I was very excited to try the Dickinson's Oil Controlling Towelettes. It doesn't dry out my face. The wipes are a blend of Witch Hazel and Aloe, so it is soothing to my face. They are fragrance free, oil free, and acid free which keeps my face from burning when I use it. The wipe is mesh, so it washes away dirt and oils. It has spun lace fibers that clean deep into pores. These are dermatologist recommended too. I love that I can throw some packets in my purse and use them anytime I want.

In my box was a pack of belVita Breakfast Biscuits. Mine were Cinnamon Brown Sugar, but they also come in Golden Oat, Blueberry, and Chocolate flavors. Oh man, I would love to try the chocolate ones!! I am a choco-holic. Each pack has 4 biscuits in it. These biscuits release energy regularly and continuously to fuel your body throughout the morning. They are so crunchy and flavorful. Very good. I like that they are in packets so if I am running late I can just throw them and a yogurt or fruit in my purse and I have breakfast on the go.

My favorite product out of the whole box is the Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturizer! It amazes me that someone thought of this. You just spray it on and rub it in. It is not greasy or oily. It is very light. It comes in three choices: Total Moizturizer (which is what I received), Aloe Fresh, and Cocoa Radiant. Total Moisturizer is infused with pure oat extract for healthy soft skin. Aloe Fresh is infused with pure aloe for healthy fresh skin. And Cocoa Radiant is infused with pure cocoa butter for healthy glowing skin. I love this product so much that I want to go get the other two types! My bathroom will be stocked with these. Go get yours today!!

I am so happy that I had the opportunity to get this Influenster VoxBox and try these products.

JMD

*Disclaimer: "I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."

Everyone Is Watching It

2013-03-26T12:52:00.001-05:00

For awhile now, I have been hearing about a show. I hear people at work talking about it, family members talking about it, strangers talking about it. So, of course, I had to see for myself. This show is one of the most hilarious shows I have ever seen. Which show am I talking about?

(source)

When I first heard about Duck Dynasty, I thought "It is just a reality show about a bunch of hillbillies." So, it took me awhile before I started watching it. I.AM.HOOKED. If you watch this show, you are one of millions of people that watch it. If you do not watch the show, just watch one episode. It is soooo funny!!

Everyone has their favorite character on the show. A lot of people share this favortism with me. I absolutely love Si. He is a Vietnam Vet. He tells it how it is. He carries a big jug of tea and a cup for it at all times. You will not see him without it.

(source)

If you watch this show, let me know what you think about it.

JMD

*Disclaimer: I have not been compensated for this post. All are opinions and they are my opinions only.

I'm a New Magnabilities Consultant!

2013-03-05T09:36:00.000-06:00

Have you heard of Magnabilities? If you or someone you know wears jewelry, then you will LOVE Magnabilities!! They are imterchangeable magnetic jewelry with endless possibities.

You start out with a necklace, ring, bracelet or earrings. Then you choose a magnetic insert. Now you have a beautiful piece of jewelry that represents YOUR personality!

There are hundreds of inserts to choose from to fit anyone's likes. To change the look, all you have to do is change your insert and you have a whole new look. You could have a necklace, ring, bracelet, and earrings to match every outfit!!

And it even gets better than that!! You can design your own insert!!!

So, check out my Magnabilities website at www.jmd.magnabilities.com today to get started!!

You can order from my website and have it delivered straight to you.

If you would like to earn free products, book a party!! Anyone can host a Catalog Party!!

If you would like to earn additional income, become a Consultant!!

Also, like my Facebook page for announcements and special deals.

Like It - Shop Online...Love It - Book a Party...Want It All - Become a Consultant!!

JMD

5 Random Things

2013-02-21T09:28:00.000-06:00

I have been struggling with topics for my posts here lately. Halie over at Penguins, Pasta & Polkadots did a post of 5 random things about herself. I love reading posts like this and learning about people. So, I decided to do one too.

5 things you'll find in my purse...
1. Chapstick
2. My iPad
3. Bath & Body lotion
4. A mini flashlight
5. Hand sanitizer

5 things you'll find in my bedroom...
1. My fan. I CANNOT sleep without it
2. 2 bookcases filled with my husband's books
3. Our dog....LOL
4. My jewelry armoire
5. My cpap machine....I have sleep apnea

5 things I've always wanted to do...
1. Swim with dolphins
2. Go to New York
3. Go to Las Vegas
4.  Be a stay at home mom or work from home
5. Learn sign language

5 random things I'm currently loving...
1. Pistachios...I can't get enough of them!
2. My new office chair
3. My new medication for my RLS. It's a patch! Unless you have RLS, you wouldn't understand.
4. My iPad. I am on it constantly for anything and everything.
5. My iPad case. I recently dropped my iPad and shattered the screen.  Thank goodness for insurance protection. It is a must and well worth the money.  This case protects it and has a keyboard!!

5 weird quirks I have...
1. I must have the toilet paper roll rolling from the top, not the bottom.
2. I MUST have coffee in the mornings or I can't hardly function.
3. I have to make lists for everything....Groceries, To Do, Packing
4. When I am looking at the guide on the TV, I have to start at channel 2. I can't just go from the channel I'm on.
5. If I see a TV show that I like, I won't watch it unless I go back and watch all the episodes from the beginning. Like, Modern Family, I saw season 1, but for some reason stopped watching it. Now I won't watch it until I can go back and watch from season 2 on.

5 random songs from my running playlist...
1.  I Knew You Were Trouble - Taylor Swift
2. Gangnam Style - Psy
3.  Some Nights - Fun
4. Baby - Justin Beiber
5. These Times - Safety Suit

5 favorite TV shows...
1. Bachelor/Bachelorette
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. Scandle
4. Revenge
5. Raising Hope

What are some random things about you??

JMD

The Taste: Tuesday at 8|7c on ABC

2013-02-18T15:11:00.000-06:00

Have you ever judged a food dish by taking just 1 bite? Are you watching the new show The Taste? It is a cooking reality show starring Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson, Ludo Lefebvre and Brian Malarkey. The season started with 16 contestants, in teams of four, all competing for their "spoon" to be chosen as a favorite. The teams are coached by the four culinary superstars, which happen to also be the judges. These culinary superstars taste a spoonful sampling of a dish prepared by each team. However, they DO NOT know which team has prepared which spoon and they decide on their favorite and least favorite. The judges could end up sending one of their own team members home. This show is fast paced as the contestants only have an hour to prepare their sampling. This week's episode is the Sandwich Challenge. Tune in to watch. http://abc.tv/Z3jimp

JMD

Homeschool - I Want to So Bad, but...

2013-02-18T09:42:00.001-06:00

Our little man, T, is 5 and will start kindergarten this year. Something about that has been weighing heavily on my heart. I want to homeschool him so bad, but I can't. I work a full time job just to pay off debt. It breaks my heart that I cannot be a stay at home mom and be with our son, or find a job working from home. I read a lot of blogs that are about homeschooling and I see the awesomeness that it brings, but I get sad knowing I do not get to do this for our son. My husband and I are following Dave Ramsey's plan and have been on it for 3 years now. We have paid our debt down, but there is still so much. We are still on baby step 2. I just wish I knew what I could do to make this happen.

Do you homeschool? Are you in debt? How do you do it? I would love to hear some advice from you?

JMD

Now We Know Our ABCs

2013-02-18T09:01:00.000-06:00

I saw this over at HeartonGuard and thought it would be fun. Here goes...

Age: 37
Bed size: Queen
Chore you hate: Dusting
Drink of choice: Diet Coke
Essential start to your day item: A cup of coffee
Favorite color: Pink!
Gold or silver: Silver
Height: 5'4"
Instrument(s) you play: I played the trumpet when I was in high school.
Job: Account clerk at the local university
Kids: 2 -- 16 year old Z and 5 year old T
Living arrangements: My hubby, sons, and a dog.
Mom's name: rather not say as I'm keeping this anonymous... no real names here... :)
Nicknames: Babe, Baby, JJ
Overnight hospital stay other than birth: I stayed in the hospital for a night when I had my hysterectomy.
Pet Peeve: Rude people!
Quote from a movie: "She thought she was the bees knees 'til she landed flat on her butt." - Shag
Right or left handed: Right
Siblings: 2 older sisters, no brothers
Time you wake up: 5:00am
Underwear: Yes.
Vegetable you hate: Turnip Greens
What makes you run late: Procrastination. Sometimes I just don't feel like getting ready.
Xrays you've had: Teeth and my lower back
Yummy food you make: Chili, Taco Soup, Spaghetti.
Zoo favorite: I love seeing the Bald Eagles at our zoo.

JMD

Bloglovin

2013-01-31T14:42:00.003-06:00

I am now on Bloglovin!

Come follow me there!

JMD

Grand Prize Voting!

2013-01-29T09:04:00.000-06:00

About a week or so ago I told you about winning 2nd Place in an Organizing Challenge. I was so happy!!

I won a cool Off the Floor Rack It! I cannot wait to use it!

Well, this week is the Grand Prize Week. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners from all four weeks are competing for votes to win the Grand Prize. Would you help me win and go vote for me here? I am #8! Thank you so much!!

JMD

I Won 2nd Place!!!

2013-01-23T13:37:00.000-06:00

I am so excited!!!

A few days ago I posted asking you all to please vote for me because I was participating in an

Organization Challenge.

Even though I did not win 1st place....I won 2nd place!!! Wahoo!!!

Man, I was really trying hard, working my friends, calling and texting and emailing trying to get people to vote for me. My husband and I desparately need a ClosetMaid Closet System in our master closet (the 1st place prize). But that's okay.

For getting 2nd place, I did win an Off the Floor Rack-It valued at $100. Totally Awesome!!!

And with pink being my favorite color, I picked out Fuschia because they come in !

I cannot wait to get this bad boy hung up in my craft room and organize it.

I will post pictures when I get it all set up, but until then here is a picture from their website.

And if you voted for me, you do not know how much it means to me!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

JMD

The ABCs of Me

2013-01-21T20:19:00.000-06:00

Melissa over at After We Tied the Knott filled this out on her blog and I thought it was so cool that I would join in the fun!!

A - Available or married?

Married.

B- Book?

Currently I am reading my Sociology book for my college course.

C- Cake or Pie?

Strawberry Pie.

D- Drink of Choice?

Diet Coke.

E- Essential Item?

Sadly... my iPad. I am on all the time.

F- Favorite Color?

Pink.

G- Game to play or watch?

Football. Especially live. Go Titans!!'

H- Hometown?

LaVergne, TN

I- Indulgence?

Chocolate.

J- Job?

Account Clerk at the local University.

K- Kids and names?

Z and T

L- Life is incomplete without?

My family

M- Music group or singer?

Safety Suit

N- Number of siblings?

Two

O- Oranges or apples?

Apples.

P- Phobias/Fears?

Being trapped.

Q- Favorite Quote?

"Even a fake smile will make you feel better. It changes your breathing pattern and lowers your brain temperature." Anonymous

R- Reason to Smile?

I am loved.

S- Season?

Fall.

T- Tattoos?

Three.

U- Unknown fact about me?

I would love to open a candy store.

V- Vegetable you love?

Carrots

W- Worst habit?

Biting my nails.

X- X-Rays you've had?

Teeth. Back. Shoulder.

Y- Your favorite food?

Chocolate

Z- Zodiac?

Virgo.

Your turn!!

JMD

Pay It Forward

2013-01-18T11:02:00.000-06:00

"2013 Creative-Pay-It-Forward: the first five people to comment below will receive something from me within the calendar year. Your gift will be a surprise and will arrive without warning.

The catch? You must post this invitation on your blog, as well.

Ready? Go!"

So, here is what I would like you to do:

1. Comment below that you would like to receive something from me within the 2013 calendar year.

2. IN YOUR COMMENT, include the name of your blog and that you would like to participate!

3. In order to participate, you must post this in your blog too... remember: Pay it Forward!!

4. Finally, email me your full name and address for mailing your gift. (Don't add it to the comments as I don't want spammers to get-cha!)

JMD

Vote for Me!

2013-01-18T10:49:00.000-06:00

Hi! I am asking for your help. I have entered an Organizing contest and the person that gets the most votes wins. Guess what they win!!! $250 towards A ClosetMaid Closet System!!!! I would love to win this and with your help I have a chance. Just go here and scroll down. I am #78, "The Closet Under the Stairs". However, the number could possibly change, so make sure the title is "The Closet Under the Stairs". Thank you so much for your help. Have a great day!!!

JMD

New Year's Organizing Revolution

2013-01-17T19:43:00.000-06:00

I have been following this Organizing challenge for the past three weeks and wanting oh so bad to join, but have procrastinated. But not this week! Oh no, when I saw that it was about organizing closets I jumped in! There is a closet in the hallway that leads from my living room to the master bedroom and the stairs that go up. My stairs stop half way up and turn, then go the rest of the way up. The closet in the hallway is under the stairs and with the stairs being the way they are, it makes the closet be an "L" shape. I have to admit another reason I jumped on organizing this closet was the fact that we had a tornado warning last weekend and we had no where to take cover and it scared me.

Now on to the pictures! :)

Here are the before pics.
Please don't judge.

Yeah. We could not even get our big toe in there, much less try to get in there in case of a tornado.

So sad.

So......I went to work!

Pulling stuff out.

Throwing things away.

Putting things where they belong.

Putting things in the donate pile.

I wanted to show you my progress.

This is half way through.

Now, remember when I told you this closet makes an "L" shape?

This picture just above is looking straight back, then it turns to the left.

Full.of.boxes.

I kept working.

I realized a lot of these boxes were my scrapbooking things and movies.

I took the scrapbooking boxes to my craft room and I put the movies on our bookshelf.

This is what came out of my hard work...

Drum Roll Please.....

WOW!!!

I am so excited!!

Now we have plenty of room in there for when tornados come.

I love seeing side by side pics

so here is a little recap.

Before

After

Before


After


No before pic of this because I couldn't get to it for all the stuff.

The box you see there is for emergency things like a flashlight, batteries, whistle, etc.
I am going to add a case of water, pillows and blankets.
Also, I will be adding a backpack for each member of the family with emergency supplies and things to keep them occupied in the case of emergency.

This is the finished product. What you see in the picture below is
1) too many jackets, but that's my husband's fault, sorry
2) I used a bucket to house all of our gloves
3) I put our suitcases in the back for storage
4) the box next to that is my iRobot
5) and the big white box is my wedding dress
6) the items to the left are my exercise equipment for my Wii

If you will, please go here and vote for me.
My # at this time is 78.
The title is "The Closet Under the Stairs".

Thank you for stopping by!
JMD

FitBit One Giveaway

2013-01-16T15:37:00.000-06:00

Oh man!! Some lovely ladies are having a giveaway and boy is it awesome!!! It is called a FitBit One. If you are trying to lose weight, maintain weight, get in shape, etc., the FitBit One is for you! This thing sure is little, but it does oh so much!!! During the day, it tracks your steps, distance, calories burned, and stairs climbed. Then at night, it measures your sleep cycle, helps you learn how to sleep better, and even wakes you in the morning. Like that isn't enough, this bad boy will sync wirelessly to your phone, computer, or tablet. So, with all that said, head on over to Kristyn's, Amber's, Lauren's, Halie's, Melissa's and Natalie's blogs to fill out the rafflecopter for your chance to win! Good Luck!

JMD

Bento, Monsters: 400th Post Giveaway

2013-01-14T09:38:00.001-06:00

Ming over at Bento, Monsters is celebrating her 400th post. She is giving away an awesome set of Bento items to a lucky winner! The items included in her giveaway are: one sandwich box, 2 packs of picks, 1 pack of silicon lace barans, 1 pack of plastic barans, 1 cutter, 1 pack of silicon cups and 1 pack of assorted deco pics. Her blog is chocked full of Bento pictures that are uh-mazing!!! So, go on over and check out her blog and enter to win a Bento set. Good luck!!!

JMD

Bento, Monsters: CuteZcute Giveaway

2013-01-11T06:01:00.001-06:00

Bento, Monsters: CuteZcute Giveaway: BentoUSA has kindly sponsored a set of CuteZcute cutter for this giveaway. The set includes one outer face cutter, four animal fac...

SodaStream

2012-07-02T12:48:00.001-05:00

Have you heard of the SodaStream System? If not, you need to know what this is!!! It is a device that allows users to take ordinary tap water and carbonate it to create carbonated soda (or water) to drink.

I bought Jad one for his birthday. There are different types of the SodaStream. I decided on the Genesis. It wasn't the top of the line, but it wasn't the bottom either. The machine comes with the carbonator (that I already installed before I took this picture), two bottles and caps, and a pack of 12 samples. There are over 50 flavors to choose from. I started with buying Orange and Cola. I was very happy about the sample pack because it allowed us to try flavors that we probably would have never tried.

One of the things I love about SodaStream is the fact that we do not have to lug in anymore heavy bottles or canned drinks anymore. We do not have to worry about storing all those bulky 2 liter bottles and cases of canned drinks anymore either.

(source)

To set it up, all I did was pull it out of the box, insert the carbonator.

I washed the 2 bottles and caps and we were ready to make some carbonated beverages!

Jad and Tanman made our first bottle of Orange. It is so easy to make the soda.

All you have to do is fill the bottle with tap water up to the line indicated on the bottle.

Then screw the bottle in to the cap holder on the device.

Give the button three pushes to put the carbonation in the water, unscrew the bottle.

Then you pour the syrup in the bottle.

Gently turn the bottle over and under a couple of times.

Then pour the drink in a glass.

And Enjoy!!

Ummm...Amazingly delicious!!!! I am so impressed with this product!!

This would make a great gift to someone or yourself!!

JMD

*Disclaimer: The opinions stated in this post are 100% mine and I have not been compensated for this post in any way.

RC/Moonpie Festival

2012-06-16T10:30:00.000-05:00

If you are not from where I live, then you probably have not heard of the RC/Moonpie Festival.

It is held annualy in Bell Buckle, TN.

AND if you do not know what a Moonpie is....

You.Are.Missing.Out.

This year is actually the first year that I have been to the festival.

The weather was nice and we had a great time!!

Don't we look adorable??

Tanman got to make some awesome sand art!

Tanman L.O.V.E.S. trains!

So, when we heard the train coming we had to stop and watch it go by.

Daddy and Son watching the train.

There was a parade and Tanman loved it!

He had a blast running around gathering candy that was thrown.

Good times! Good times!

The above picture of Tanman playing a trumpet was a hoot!

I had to stop and use the porta potty.

Jad and my MIL were waiting for me with Tanman.

All of a sudden, Tanman drops his hat on the ground turned up and started playing his trumpet

like a musician on the street trying to earn money!!

It was hilarious!!!!

When I came out I saw this.

A older gentleman walked by and saw him and started dancing.

It was the sweetest thing and made my day!!

As you can see, Tanman earned $0.25!

Pretty good for tootin' his own horn.

All in all it was an awesome day!!

Especially watching this little guy have a blast!

JMD

2 Years and It Is Not Any Easier...

2012-06-14T12:30:00.000-05:00

On this day, two years ago at 12:30pm, I watched as my Dad took his last breath and his heart beat its last beat. I would not take anything for the priviledge of being there, but oh how that moment plays in my head time and time again. Cancer took my Dad's life. I truly believe that every single person has been or knows someone that has been affected by cancer. Cancer is a monster that usually wins. If not at first, in the end.

My Dad was the strongest person I ever knew. He knew how to do anything and everything. His hands were so big and strong. He was rough around the edges but oh how big his heart was! He was a truck driver for over 30 years, but was able to enjoy retirement for over 7. He had over 3 million safety miles. That means that he drove over 3 million miles without having an accident. That is huge! He hated driving that big ole truck, but he did it for his family.

He was a cowboy through and through! He.loved.horses. He loved them since he was a little boy. I used to say that I bet he had a butt of leather from riding horses so much. One time, one of his horses had a baby and she wouldn't let the baby nurse. My Dad was in that barn every two hours for days feeding that baby horse with a bottle. Because of what my Dad did, that foal bonded with him and she loved my Dad so much. When he would come around she would walk up to him and put her head and neck around him as if to hug him. She is the sweetest horse (and the biggest!!) I have ever seen!! When I was younger, he built a big barn behind our house for his horses. He would "shoe" his own horses. I bet he rode a million miles on his horses. =)

Later in life he fell in love with motorcycles, so he bought one. He crossed this country multiple times on that bike. He rode with two of his good buddies. They would be gone for two or three weeks at a time. They would say that whenever Dad's motorcycle started heading back east (to come home), it was "hammer down all the way buddy." He loved home.

My Dad saw many things in his life and lived his life to the fullest and that I am so happy about.

He died at the age of 68, which I feel is a young age. Especially when he kept himself in good shape. My Dad first found out he had cancer in 2002 when he when to urinate and it was pure blood. The testing showed he had Stage IV bladder cancer. But what is amazing is the fact that the doctors were able to remove his bladder and create a new one with part of his colon. The "new" bladder learned to work just like it was supposed to. My Dad didn't have to go through chemotherapy nor radiation. What a blessing!

Then on September 11, 2009, I was at my best friends house that is in Ohio (I live in Tennessee). My mom calls me and says, "Happy Birthday. We got the results back about your Dad. It's cancer.  It is behind his stomach this time. They are going to start chemotherapy in a few weeks....blah, blah, blah." At that point, I really didn't hear anything else she said because for one I didn't even know he was sick again. Two, I couldn't believe she just said, "Happy Birthday" to me because obviously how could it be a happy birthday when the next words out of her mouth were, "it's cancer." Three, I was almost 400 miles away and I wanted to be holding my Dad right then. The diagnosis was not going to change in the next little bit, couldn't she have waited until I got home?

God works in mysterious ways. I was working at a dentist's office at the time and within a couple of weeks of finding out about my Dad's cancer, I was let go from my job. I was upset because Jad and I definitely needed the income. However, me losing my job was such blessing because when my Dad had his chemo treatments, I was there sitting next to him. He had to have a procedure a couple of times and I was able to take him.

This is when it really got hard because I watched as my Dad got weaker because of the chemo. Oh my goodness!!! How sad it is to watch what chemo does to someone. I wish so much that scientists could come up with a chemo that would just attack abnormal cells, not the good ones. The red mustache I had always known my dad to have was gone. He was already bald and what little hair he had on his head he shaved. =) So, that was not a big deal. But, seeing him without that mustache was sad.

His cancer went into remission in April of 2010.

May.2010. I don't know what happened, but that cancer came back and it came back with a vengeance. It had metastasized to his lungs and liver and other places I probably don't know about. He had to walk with a cane and he had to lie down a lot.

His family reunion has always been the first weekend in June. That year his brothers and sisters had moved it to the second weekend. My Dad wanted to go just like every year before and he did. He was only able to stay for about an hour and most of that was lying down on my aunt's bed. I remember lying down next to him on that bed that day. That day was Saturday, June 12th.

June 14th, Monday morning came and I was at work (I had started my new job on May 3, 2010). My brother-in-law called me at 9:30am and he said, "You know I told you that I would always shoot it to you straight, right?" I told him yes. Then he said, "You need to come on down here. Your Dad is not doing well." I knew my Dad wasn't doing well, but I didn't know it was that bad. So, I left work and drove so fast to my mom and Dad's house praying the whole way to God that he wouldn't take my Daddy. When I got there, he was lying back in his recliner and my oldest sister was sitting in a chair next to him. By the way, she and my brother-in-law had moved to Washington, D.C. a month prior to this and by the grace of God they had come down to visit and go to the family reunion. When I walked in, she told Dad I was there. He looked up at me with those big ole blue eyes. But he couldn't talk. He.was.very.sick. He was just lying there with his head turned to one side and then he would turn it to the other side. A little bit later, my middle sister got there.  A very good friend of my Dad's that my he had met years ago because her horses needed shelther in a snow storm came with her daughter, Courtney, that is a nurse and is a friend of my Dad's as well.

When my Dad woke up that morning, he vomited up black stuff (probably dried blood) and he told my mom it was time. It was time to call Hospice.

My poor sweet dad in the past was very resistant to pain. He had even broken a finger before and just let it heal on it's own. Of course, he never could bend it all the way after that. Well, when he could muffle up enough energy to talk, he would tell Courtney he needed morphine. When I think about this it saddens me because he must have been in so much pain.

Courtney talked to the Hospice representative and asked her to call in medication and oxygen for my Dad, as well as a hospital bed.

They were in route.

My Dad and his sister Ruby are very close. She had just been there that weekend for the reunion. She had left the night before to go back home to Texas. My mom called her to let her know that she needed to head back. She wanted to talk to my Dad. My mom held the phone up to his ear.  Aunt Ruby was telling him to hold on because she was on her way. He said, "You better hurry."

A little bit after that, my mom, my two sisters and I were sitting around my Dad right next to him. We were touching him and talking to him. He wasn't talking. Then, my mom whispered in his ear, "If you need to go you go, we will be alright." I thought I was going to lose it right there. I silently sobbed because I knew the inevitable was coming. Within a few minutes, my Dad's eyes shot open and he started breathing real hard and loud like he was fighting for those last breaths. We hollered for Courtney to come. She came running and put the stethoscope on him. My reflex was to tell him to keep breathing, so I was crying, "Keep breathing Daddy! Keep breathing!" Then I soon realized that was not going to happen. I looked over at my sister and said, "Is this it!?" I wanted my Dad to know I loved him, so I made sure I told him. He layed his head back and that.was.it. I looked over at Courtney and she shook her head no to tell me there was no heartbeat. All I could say was, "Oh Daddy. Oh Daddy."

The phone calls started.
Hospice was told to turn back. We did not need to see them show up. They were too late.
My mom called my Aunt Ruby. She was devastated that she didn't get there in time. But she was still on her way.

My mom called the rest of my Dad's brothers and sisters.

I called my husband that was on his way with Tanman.

Z was in the next room, but I did not want him to watch his Papa die.

My mom went in the room where he and my sister's boys were and told them.

This was something that I am not sure what to make of. Z had been outside when Dad's heart stopped. Z came in the house and when the door closes, it kind of slams. When Z came in and closed the door, my Dad's heart started back up. Courtney still had her stethoscope on him. His heart beat a few more beats and then stopped again. It was like he thought Hospice was there because he had been asking if they were there yet or if they were close.

My Dad had told my Mom a couple of weeks before that this was like a freight train. He couldn't stop it. He just hated that he wouldn't be able to be here to protect her anymore and that he wouldn't be here to watch his grandsons grow up to be men.

Time.stood.still. The first grandson had passed away at the age of seven in 1996. My Dad was with him now. The other four grandsons that he would not get to watch grow up to be men were 13, 9, 8, and 2.

When I had got there that morning, he said he was burning up, but on the outside he was really cold. So, when he passed we didn't have to feel his body go cold. I touched his hands and face as much as I could and I kissed the top of his head as much as I could because I knew the funeral directors would be there to take him away sooner or later.

I would never get to talk to my Dad again. Never. Ever.

My Dad had always told me, "I'm gonna live forever." He didn't realize that it would only be in our hearts.

JMD

Wordless Wednessdays

2012-06-13T11:55:00.000-05:00

JMD

Wordless Wednesdays

2012-06-06T16:26:00.000-05:00

JMD