I'm period.

You might be wondering what I mean by my title. Well, this is Ross' new saying. I'm period. He says it like you would say, I'm serious or I mean it. It totally cracks Derek and me up! It is really funny to hear him say it...he is totally serious! "I'm period."

Today was my first day to teach the kindergarten class at church. Ross was with me of course and he was so excited that I was going to be his teacher. He sat by me the whole time with his hand on my leg...I think to let the other kids know that I was with him! He even told one little boy that he was going home with me! I felt popular! :) I enjoyed teaching the class. There was of course that one kid who did not want to listen to me or do anything that I said but that is ok. I am not there to raise someone else's child...just hopefully teach them something about God. I even saw one of my kids outside in the auditorium and she pointed me out to her mom...it made me feel good. That must be how teacher's feel when they see their students outside of school. Speaking of teachers, Ross' kindergarten teacher attends our church now and he was so excited to see her today.

There was a lady at church today who gave a testimony about the womens retreat she was at this weekend. What she said hit so close to home with me. She talked about how we are always in a hurry and how we don't really listen to God and what he is trying to tell us or show us. This is so true of me...I am in a hurry constantly - even when I am not late. I rush to work in the mornings...watch the clock all day until 5pm...rush home...rush around my house making dinner and cleaning and then to bed and back to the same thing again the next day. I have noticed this about myself recently...I always feel I am in a hurry even when I have no particular place to be. I want to slow down and enjoy things more and also stop and listen to God. I want to stop trying to be the one in charge and let Him take over.

Update on Andy: He seems to be fine but I am extra cautious of him now...constantly watching him and asking Derek if he seems ok. I just feel so bad about what happened to him. He has been getting extra lovin's though, so I am sure he is fine with that!

I may never get to eat a lettuce wrap again....

Today was suppose to be the day that we were going to Dallas to eat at PF Changs. This is our third attempt to do this. The first time my appendix prevented us from going, the second time it was hurricane Ike and today was probably the scariest of all of them. We were all getting ready to leave...I had just gotten out of the shower and got dressed...Ross was doing his usual - playing mario. Derek was fixing us lunch. Andy (our dog) started acting really weird. His back legs were spread out and they were trying to run. His front legs were still...he was confused and we were too. We weren't sure what he was doing - so Derek opened the back door to let him out in case he needed to go to the bathroom. He immediately laid down on his side and we could tell that something wasn't right. So we decided to take him to the vet. While I was looking up the number to our vet, Derek put him in his kennel. That is when it turned bad. He started convulsing so bad that his kennel came apart...not just the door but the whole thing! I of course was crying hysterically and Derek was trying to put the kennel back together and get him back in it. We both thought that he was dying and we were completely shocked because minutes before he was fine. Derek got him back in the kennel and I told him to just go to the vet and I would be behind him with Ross. The problem is that our vet was closed - luckily Mindy and Ken have had to take their dogs to the emergency vet before so we called them and they told us where to go...it was in Tyler - 30 mintues away. I got Ross and got out the door minutes after Derek left. I called Derek a few times on the way to check on Andy. He was fine at this point...just laying down in his kennel. Long story short, the vet said it was an epileptic seizure and that this may or may not be his first one. He is fine now. It was completely scary and I hope that it never happens again. The vet said he may never have one again or he may have more. Good news is that it doesn't hurt him...it is just scary for him and us. So we postponed our trip to PF Changs again and at this point I am not sure I want to go now! I am just so very thankful that he is ok. I prayed the whole way to the vet for him to be ok...I love him and he is like our baby. We are making a trip to the store later to buy him some of his favorite toys (which he will demolish in the matter of minutes). :)



Now that we know that he is ok, I have to share something funny. Ross was with us during this whole ordeal and suprisingly didn't freak out at all but he did tell Derek afterwards that his tummy hurt when Andy was having his seizure. He actually made me laugh while I was bawling my eyes out in the car. It was just me and him in my car and Derek was ahead of us. Let me rewind to when we left...Ross has this new thing with not wearing a shirt at home. He loves to sleep without one and even hang around the house playing mario without his shirt. And no, Derek does not do this (except for he sleeps without one) so we don't know where he gets this but anyways...Ross was not wearing a shirt. I knew this when we left but I didn't care. I had just gotten out of the shower and had soaking wet hair and no makeup...actually a bright red face from crying. We were over half way to the vet's office when I heard this gasp from the backseat. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw him shaking his head and looking at his stomach! I laughed and asked him if he just now realized he didn't have a shirt on...and he said YES! He immediately grabs my visor off the floorboard and covers up. He sees a cop ahead at a gas station and he says to me, "Is this appropriate?", I said "what? Do you mean you not wearing a shirt?" and he said "yes"...I told him that we really shouln't go out in public without a shirt but that it was ok b/c he is a boy. He then said, "So, I won't get a ticket!!!" He wasn't trying to be funny either...he was sincerely worried! Oh my gosh...I laughed so hard...I was crying too but he can make me laugh while I am in pain (read my post about the hospital) and he can make me laugh when I am incredibly sad and worried. I love that kid!

The BIG 2-8

Yep...I am 28 now! Actually as of Friday Sept. 5th! We didn't do much because I was/am still not feeling great from the surgery. We did eat at Olive Garden with Mindy and Ken but that is all I could do! I was completely exhausted from just going to eat! The good news is it gets better everyday! I am totally excited though b/c now I get to celebrate my birthday again...we are going to go back to Dallas soon so I can go to PF Changs and my friend Amber called me today and told me that she is taking me to get a pedicure at the spa here in Lindale! So...I still have some fun things to look forward to! My toes are so happy! I haven't had a pedicure since Mother's Day! Derek's gift was the best of all...he hired a maid to come clean our house!!! :) After being home not feeling well for a week...the house was in major need of some cleaning! I didn't have to do a thing!!! My parents bought me some new makeup...which I love! Ross' 'idea' for a gift for me was the best though...he just knew that I would want the Hannah Montana wig that he saw at the mall! lol...too funny! He is always wanting to get me princess stuff or little girl toys etc...I think he thinks that I am a big kid! I LOVE it! He told Derek that my hair is dark like Miley Cyrus and that all I need is the Hannah Montana wig! That boy is a mess!

I am disappointed in myself...

Ugh...I just finished watching the VMA's....WHY??? I don't really know! I feel like I need to take a shower and wash the disgust off myself! I guess I am old now and I am GREAT with that!

Time to catch up!

Man, I have been bad about blogging! We have been super super busy around here and I just haven't put any time aside to sit down and blog! So, I am going to post a few different blogs to catch up instead of one ginormous :) blog! They are below this blog!

Rockin' good time!

We have had so much fun with Rock Band! I love the Wii! We have had several people over to play it with us! Here are some random pics of a Rockin' good time! :) I know I am completely cheesy!

Dallas Weekend Part 2

After we left the Dallas World Aquarium, we headed to the Sheraton to check in and freshen up and then we were off to Ripley's Believe It or Not! I haven't been there since I was a kid. This was Derek and Ross' first time to go there. They also have a mirror maze which was a lot of fun! We also had wax hands made. Ross had his made in the spiderman web pose. Derek and I held hands and had ours made...I know we are totally sappy! After Ripley's we were suppose to head over to PF Changs...MY FAVORITE! I LOVE the lettuce wraps there...oh my mouth is watering just thinking of them! But, as luck would have it...we didn't get to go! As we were leaving Ripleys I had this excruciating pain in my stomach, started out like a cramp. It caught me off guard because I felt totally fine before that happened. I started feeling nauseous and just not very good at all. We were walking to the car and I told Derek that I wanted to go back to the hotel and lay down before dinner. We got in the car and the pain moved to my right side and it hurt to sit up so I had to lay back in the car. Derek told me that we should go to the hospital but I DID NOT want to go...we were suppose to be having a fun weekend and I was SUPPOSE to get my PF Changs ~ which I had been dreaming of for weeks! I told him to just take me to the hotel. We got there and I tried to get out of the car and I couldn't stand up...I let out a yelp like dog that had just been kicked. I started crying, the pain was SO BAD! I asked Derek which side the appendix was on and we both thought it was the left. I thought that maybe I had food poisoning. Since I couldn't get out of the car, we decided to head to the hospital. Derek went inside and asked for directions to Baylor. The pain would come and go at this point and on the way there, it was bearable and I told him to go back to the hotel b/c I REALLY did not want to go to the hospital. So, we turned around and went back to the hotel...I managed to make it to our room...barely able to walk. I tried to lay down, but I just was miserable. So, off we go again! lol ~ We get to the hospital and they put us in the waiting room - where you guessed it...the pain subsided again. I was about to leave but Derek said we should stay since we had already checked in. Well, it wasn't long before I was in pain non-stop! They took me to a room and a nice doctor came in and looked me over and asked me a few questions and said, "I suspect your appendix." I said, "No, it is on your left side" He lauged at me :) and said no. I didn't want it to be my appendix b/c I didn't want to have surgery. Well, this was around 8pm Saturday night. After several tests and several dr's and nurses in and out and some pain meds...they took me into surgery at about 4am on Sunday morning. Derek, Ross and I had not slept a wink! Poor Ross, I felt so bad for him but we did have his gameboy with us and that kept him entertained for hours! He had bloodshot eyes by the time they were taking me into surgery! He did so well though...he didn't complain at all. Actually he made me laugh a lot! Which was extremely painful! He is such a little character. He told me, "Don't worry, you aren't going to throwup" ~ like that is the worst thing that could happen! Then he told me "You will be fine, you will be ok, I mean, I don't know if you will be ok or not" I had refused the pain meds for a while b/c I wanted to be completely alert for the diagnosis. At one point I couldn't take it anymore and I was crying and had paged the nurse and she hadn't come yet...I was just rambling about how I needed pain meds and I heard Ross whisper "It is your only hope to live." Through all that pain, he could still make me laugh! I love that boy! Anyways, so we never actually got to stay at the Sheraton...our luggage had a nice stay there. But, we got to stay at the The Bay~lor...I hope we never go back! So, I had my appendix removed and have been at home all week recovering. It stinks! I still don't feel good. I have been told by several people that had theirs removed and the dr's that it would be about two weeks before I felt good again! Ugh! Well, 7 1/2 days to go! Here are some of the pics of Ripley's Believe It or Not.

Dallas Weekend part 1

We had been planning on going to Schlitterbahn the last weekend of August, but Derek and I just really didn't feel like making the trip b/c we would have to go there on Friday night after work and return early on Sunday. So, after some bribing...we convinced Ross that Dallas would be a fun place to go (he would get to go to KB toys and pick out whatever he wanted). Derek booked the hotels and I had no idea where we where staying but I was really excited to find out that we were going to stay one night at the Hyatt Regency Dallas...you know that tall building with the ball on top that rotates! I am such a big kid...I know! Derek knows how much I love to stay at nice hotels so he booked the Sheraton in downtown Dallas for Saturday night. Good job Tink! ;)



We arrived Friday evening and we didn't do much...just explored the hotel and played in the room.

Ross loved the decorative ball pillows...Derek and Ross had some fun pillow fights!








When there are multiple elevators, we always guess which one is going to open





On Saturday we headed to the Dallas World Aquarium - which was TOTALLY awesome! Ross was really excited to see the feeding of the sharks! We ate at a mexican restuarant there and it was delicous! I can't wait to go back! We stopped at some memorial place downtown and took some pictures.