Orange Beach, 2010

A few weeks ago, we took our annual family vacation to Orange Beach. While, we had the week of vacation, we weren't sure if we going to the beach or not due to the oil spill. But we made a last minute decision to go anyway with hopes that the beach would be oil free.

When booking our condo, it was very obvious that both the economy and the recent oil leak had hit the resort areas pretty hard. We stayed 5 nights for less than we stayed 4 nights last year.

We stopped at the USS Alabama Battle ship on our way there. The boys enjoyed it. Me, not so much. The experience gave me a glimpse of appreciation for what those soldiers sacrificed. By a glimpse, I mean...I don't think the appreciation I have is enough based on my own little tour of the battleship. All I know is that I don't know how they lived in such conditions: hot, cramped quarters at sea. Not for me! I am too claustrophobic to be going up and down those ladder steps.

The first 3 days were beautiful! The water was actually the clearest I have ever seen it. 2 of those days were red flags but the water was still beautiful with big waves. We enjoyed all the seafood we could stand...The Hangout, Original Oyster House, Live Bait to name our favorites. We played Putt Putt one night. Congratulations to me...I was the winner.

The 2nd day, 2 sharks came to the shore. They were about 4 feet long. We were actually in the condo and not on the beach at the time. I was reading on the balcony when I heard some commotion on the beach. As you can imagine, what few people were there were screaming to get out of the water. When I looked down, I could see the fins sticking up out of the water. I rushed to get my camera and took the best pics I could get from 8 stories high. They 2 sharks left as quick as they came. Not sure what brought them so close but we suspect it was a man's crab traps full of bait. He removed his traps and we never saw them again.

We also lots of sting rays and crabs. Not the little sand crabs but big crabs. JB had to scurry a few away from the boys.

As always, I hate to for our vacations to come to an end. I always look forward to this time. It allows our family of 4 to be together without any interruptions and creates so many memories.

Growing up, my parents always tried to take us on a vacation of some sort. We hope to continue to do the same for our boys.

To view pics, look at the side bar of the blog under pages. Click Orange Beach 2010. Posting pics this way will keep from the blog taking up so much space.

Summer 2010

August is a few day til being gone. And even though September still carries the summer heat, here in the South we still think of it as the beginning of fall.

Since my blogging has been scarce and sporadic, I thought I would just put into pictures what we did this past summer. We played a little golf with JB, we went swimming at Cypress Hills Tennis Club and caught a few fish along the way. Other than my surgery and the extreme heat, summer was filled with it's typical fun activities. BB finally overcame his fear of going under water and progressed in his swimming.

Not sure if it we hit record heat but it sure has felt like. With several weeks topping in the 100's, it's been one of the hottest here in the South.

Now it's time to look forward to fall activities that always bring fun memories.

The Shows of Then

The other day I mentioned on Facebook that "there is just something about having The Andy Griffith Show on TV that makes the world seem right...if only for 30 minutes at a time".

It's the 30 minutes of "all is right" that keeps me watching this show. But it's not just this show that appeals to me for the same reason. It's most of the "retro" shows. Leave it Beaver, I Love Lucy, Little Rascals and so many more. It's these shows that expose the reality of today's culture in that the world is not right.

While the TV shows of then may have been a little over the top with husbands and wives sleeping in separate beds, they did and still do at least entertain with values that I am not afraid of my children watching nor do they make me embarrassed to watch with other adults in the room. I can leave the room with these shows still playing on my TV and not worry about what my children hear or see. Unlike today's shows and even cartoons when I have to cover their eyes and ears and hope their innocence is not ruined by what comes up on the next scene.

And so what if the shows of then depicted husbands and wives sleeping in separate beds even though everyone knew that wasn't reality? I would rather that than what they depict to be actuality these days...same sex genders in the same bed, unwed teenagers and adults in the same bed, married adults in the same bed with someone else's spouse. The shows of then may have depicted a perfection that wasn't always real at least we didn't have to watch the actuality of today's digressing society. A society that glorifies such sinful and hurtful acts as normal and common.

The shows of then depicted men as being honorable and respectful and not some helpless, stupid, raging being with overactive hormones. The women of then were ladies whom acted as such and actually appreciated a man being a gentlemen. Wives of those shows respected and honored their husbands in front of their children and the rest of world. The husbands of that time loved and honored their wives in a way that their wives felt the same and not diminished or dominated.

I know for most of today's younger culture, I am old fashioned along with the shows of then. And I realize that the older I get, more old-fashioned I become...maybe not to the extent of sleeping in separate beds but to the extent of keeping your bedroom activities in the bedroom and not on my TV or movie screen....to the extent of honoring my husband and not putting him down at home nor in public...to the extent of appreciating a gentlemen...to the extent of feeling secure enough in being a wife and woman that I don't feel dominated nor diminished with my husband leading our household.

The shows of then may have depicted what seemed like a perfect world, I know that even then there were culture battles. There has never been a perfect world since Eve ate that stupid apple and there never will be. But if Hollywood would go back to that perfect world we long for in reality....then maybe just maybe we can enjoy that perfect world more than 30 minutes at a time.

5 Years Ago, Today

Five years ago today, love and chaos entered my world both at the same time, my boys CB and BB. And as they have grown these past 5 years, so has the love and the chaos. But I'll take the chaos that comes with this kind of love.

I've read this so many times and it still touches my heart every time I read it: "The days may be long, but the years are short." Each passing year, this becomes more realistic.

It's true...Time flies when you are having fun! It's been a fun 5 years and look forward to more fun in the years to come.

At 5:

BB: Career choice, policeman. Favorite Color, Blue. Favorite Food, chicken nuggets. Favorite Movie, Balto and Toy Story 2. Enjoys guns, swords and maps. Loves his dog, Stuffins Big Birthday gift from Mamma and Daddy, Bike. Current city, Greenville, MS

CB: Career choice, Baseball player. Favorite Color, Red. Favorite Food, chicken nuggets. Favorite Movie, Alvin and the Chipmunks the Squeakquel. Enjoys baseball, Wii, fishing and any sports related show or activity. Loves his dog, Murphy. Big Birthday gift from Mamma and Daddy, Bike. Current City, Greenville, MS

Recovery

It's been 2 weeks since my surgery. And I must say it's been a hard 2 weeks. My surgeon was right when he said I would feel like I've been beat with a tire iron. I've only had 2 major surgeries in all my 33 years of life...C-Section and this Cervical Fusion in my neck. If I had to choose between the 2...I'll choose a C-Section.

I was told that I didn't handle the anesthesia very well. I can't attest because I don't remember. I do remember being in pain when I did wake up for a brief moment and quickly finding the Morphine pump and then I remember nothing else.

The following days of recovery have a roller coaster. I one point my head felt like a bowling ball being held up by a wet noodle. And just when I think..ahhh, no more pain, no more stiffness in my neck....I wake up the next day to just the opposite...PAIN and Stiffness! I've been told that is typical of this surgery and it can be this way for about 6 weeks. UGHHH! But the pain free days seem to be more frequent.

I have been so blessed to have family and friends helping during this time. My in-laws were so gracious to keep the boys for 3 nights and my parents allowed the boys and I to take up residence for the week following the surgery. And furthermore, my dad brought the boys and me back to G'ville and stayed 4 more nights. A friend kept the boys which allowed them to play all day with their special bud, SS. My sister came over several days and helped entertain the boys and my sister-in-law took the boys for an afternoon to keep them busy as well. Needless to say, I've been spoiled for the past 2 weeks and I already miss them greatly.

I'm gonna try to slowly start back sewing soon if the pain free days continue to increase. Even though it's part of recovery, I can't stand just laying around the house and doing nothing. But at the same time, I can't over do-it either.

Thank you so much for the prayers, well wishes, and thoughts.

A Pain in the Neck

About 5 years ago, I had this pain in the neck and it's been a "pain in the neck" ever since, in more ways than 1.

It's ultimately how I found out I was pregnant. There was literally this severe pain in my neck. I was popping Aleve like candy and as a side note thought I should take a pregnancy test "just in case". Well, the Aleve had to stop because I was pregnant. I called my family physician, described the pain to him through tears. He diagnosed it as a "slipped disc" but only based on symptoms b/c he wasn't going to order an MRI since I was pregnant and especially since I had not seen my OB.

He called in some steroids and anti-inflammatory by hoping it would correct itself. The following week my OB took me off those meds as a precaution and told me to just "wait it out".

The pain did ease up and I had no problems with my neck throughout my pregnancy. The boys were born and 13 months later...there was that "pain in the neck". I was able to have an MRI this time since I wasn't pregnant. The MRI revealed a "protruding disc" on C6 with C7 slightly bulging. I was referred to a conservative neurosurgeon who wanted to treat it with steroids and anti-inflammatory meds. He thought I was too young to do surgery and wanted to hold off as long as possible. He literally stated, "If you can get 4 more good years before loosing 2 joints that's 4 good years."

Off and on for those 4 years, I've dealt with this pain in the neck. It would typically correct itself with Ibuprofen and a little rest.

The past month, this pain in the neck has become more severe and unforgiving. Ibuprofen is not working, prescriptin pain meds are not working, rest is not working despite my active 4 year old twins. Another MRI and Dr. visit with my neurosurgeon revealed that the pain in the neck has worsened to 2 herniated discs filled with bone spurs. And now this "pain in the neck" will be dealt with surgically. So, I have literally gotten the "4 more good years" that he predicted and hoped for.

My surgery is scheduled for July 1st and will take place back home. I'll have to stay with my parents for about a week to recover as I will not feel like riding the 2 1/2 hours to G'ville. My boys will be staying with my in-laws for a few days and then back with me for the rest of the week.

While I am ready to get rid of this "pain in the neck"...I wish he could rid me of a few other "pains in the neck" that obviously can't be dealt with surgically. Hmmm...anyone know a good psychiatrist for these?

Brilla Soccer Camp June 2010

This past week, the boys and I have been camping out back home with my parents. The boys participated in the Brilla Soccer Camp held at our home church. They both enjoyed it and I liked that it gave them some physical activity to do in the mornings. With the heat index reaching above the 100's here in the south...most physical activities are planned in the morning or late evening and sometimes indoors. They were able to do both...with some warm up activities outside and then some learning soccer drills inside the church gym. I liked that the camp integrated both physical activity/growth and spiritual growth.

The boys were so excited to have real cleats and shin guards. They thought they were ready for the World Cup despite them never having played soccer before. Just the uniform was enough for them.

The picture below was taken for the local paper. The lead boy in the picture is a cool friend of the boys.

You can see CB in the background on the right. While BB enjoyed the opportunity...he's just not as physical when it comes sports. Given the choice...he would rather be hammering or building something.

Hopefully there will be more opportunities like this involving church recreation and sports to teach our children the importance of both physical and spiritual growth.