December 28th (Wed)

Wow...I sure do feel better today! I was so sick over Christmas as well as my husband. We were in bed for 2 days. We are both feeling a better now. I am really glad that the stress of Christmas is over. My kids ended up having a fabulous Christmas. They both said that "it was the best Christmas they ever had!" I was relieved to hear that. My daughter made us...(me, Jon and Parker) one of those fleece blankets. She made it with her Grandma Jacquie...(sneaky little thing) I absolutely love it! It is so comfortable and she did such a great job on it. It must have taken her a long time to make 3 blankets. Parker made us one of those sun catchers that you hang in the window. Mine was a butterfly....really cute. I think the best thing of the day was when Kayla opened up her quilt that I made her...She really loved it. I am glad because it took me quite a while to make it and I was about ready to throw it out the window a couple times. It turned out nice I guess. I made a few mistakes on it but she can't tell and she told me that was her favorite gift...That made me feel good. I hope that she will cherish it always!! My mom has the kids for a couple days. Jon and I went out earlier to the store but we didn't really buy anything for ourselves. I wanted to spend my gift cards but there was not anything that I could find in the time that I was there. I think that I will be putting a little money with it and buying me a vcr or a new printer or something. Well I guess that is all...if anything interesting happens the rest of the day I will let you know...if not more perhaps tomorrow.

Merry CHRISTmas

I want to wish everyone a very Merry CHRISTmas from my family to your family. Please let us all remember the real reason for the season and thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for coming to this earth to die for us. It is so amazing when we think about all that means. Let us take time to enjoy the real meaning of Christmas and not get all boggled down with the stress that can come (and usually does) with this time of year. God bless everyone this coming New Year!!! Love The Blakemore's
Jon, Tami, Kayla and Parker Jack!! 

December 25.....12:45 a.m

Today was a difficult day to say the least. My son Parker was not feeling well and got us up at about 4 am this morning throwing up! He was sick all day long with vomiting and diahera. I was not sure that he would be well enough to enjoy the Christmas Eve festivities. He ended up feeling better so we decided to take him. Christmas Eve is really busy for us. First we have the Blakemore family Christmas with all the uncles, aunts and cousins..it is a really huge deal. We are never able to stay that long because my family Christmas is the same night. I probably wouldn't have bothered going except Parker was to read the Christmas story tonight. All the kids take turns reading it and this year was Parker's turn. He practiced it and practiced it so I really wanted him to be able to read it. He did a wonderful job reading it but it turns out that he was so nervous about reading it in front of everyone that he made himself sick over it. I wish he would have just told me that he was nervous...he did say.."mommy I don't think I can read the Christmas story" at dinner but I thought that was because he was not feeling well...little did I know why he was not feeling well. After he read the story he said..."mommy, I feel like my old self again" and then he was ok for the rest of the night. He is really excited about Christmas. My kids think that they are only getting about 3-4 presents.....they got more. Well I need to get to bed now and try to get some sleep. Morning comes awfully early and we have church today too. Perhaps more tomorrow then....

December 22, 2005

Well it is actually Dec 23 now because it is about 1 in the morning. Today was a good day. Mom took the kids to a movie and Jon and I got to get our Christmas shopping done. YEAH!!! I think I lack about one or two more gifts is all and I will get the rest done tomorrow. Talk about a relief off my shoulders!!

I lost my cell phone now. I can't find the thing anywhere. I need to find it and it is driving me crazy. I know that it is just misplaced because I looked up the activity on the account and there has not been a call made on my phone number in about 6 days. Please keep your fingers crossed that I find that darn thing. I want to get a new cell phone and give my daughter mine. I need to find it by tomorrow. I have prayed about it and I am hoping that God reveals where it is to me tonight in my dreams. He has done that before. Well that is about all. More perhaps tomorrow....

December 17, 2005 (Sat)

Well today was our Christmas with my husbands side of the family. It was very nice. We had tacos instead of the usual eats but it was ok. I like the traditional food at Christmas but it was a good change of pace. I got a gift certificate to the Valley and the Kayla got one to Claires and Parker got a gameboy game. We didn't get the parents anything and I think that they were probably wondering what was going on. We told them that they would get their gift on Christmas Eve. We all went in and bought them something really great but I can't say in case anyone is reading this that shouldn't be.

Parker might have broken his gameboy. He washed it!!! I know that sound silly but his sister did something to gross him out with it and then he ran it under water. We are trying to let it dry out and we will try again after church in the morning. Kayla is singing a special tomorrow night at church. She has been practicing and I think that she is going to do a fantastic job! The situation that I wrote about previously has worked itself out and I am happy to report that all seems to be going well. I got a little bit of Christmas shopping done on Friday. Jon will be getting his unemployment check on Wed and I will get the rest of it done then. My sister Becky called and we are going to go in on a gift for my parents so now I don't have to worry about what to get them. Yeah!! I never know what to get them anyways...Well that is about all... more perhaps tomorrow....

December 12, 2005 (Monday)

This morning was really nice. Jon let me sleep in while he got up and got the kids ready for school. I really enjoyed that. My daughter Kayla is a stubborn girl. She wanted to sing this particular song on Sunday and her friend also wanted to sing it. Needless to say it is a terrible mess with the moms in the middle. I am being blamed for some things that I did not do. I told Kayla to call back and tell her friend that she would sing another song but the mom was really rude to Kayla and basically told her not to call anymore, and that she didn't really appreciate what her and her mom did. What I did? I called last night and told her that I did not want to have a fight because the girls wanted to sing the same song. What I didn't tell her was that I had already called the person in charge and asked her if that song was going to be sung. It is usually sung by a man every year. Anyway it is a big mess. I tried to call the mom back to talk to her and let her know that Kayla would be singing a different song and her daughter could sing that song but she said forget it that her daughter wasn't going to sing now. I told her that this is ridiculous all over a song. Oh well I hope it works itself out because I am involved in a few things with the mom and I don't want there to be hard feelings. I wrote the mom an e-mail and apologized and told her that it was a misunderstanding. I think that Kayla manipulated the whole situation...maybe not intentially though. She is just stubborn and wants what she wants and it is hard to change her mind. Well her mind is changed now because I changed it for her. Drama, Drama, Drama....

Tomorrow I am going to work on that gift I am making for my daughter. I sure hope that I can get it done before Christmas...I guess if I can't then it will have to be for her birthday. Welll that is all from here...Til Tomorrow then....

December 11, 2005

Hello all,

Last night we went and saw that Chronicles of Narnia and let me tell you what an awesome movies it was!! They did such a fantastic job on that movie. My son Parker just sat there enthralled the whole time. I don't think that his eyes ever left the screen. I loved the references it made to Christ. It was so wonderful! I recommend this movie to everyone!!

Today we went to church and after church we went to my husband's aunts house for dinner...it was really good. We came home and Jon and I took a nap. After my nap Kayla and I went to see a play at my sister-in-laws church; in which Leah was in, Emily sang and Nathan directed. (They are my nieces and nephew) It was pretty good. After that we came home. End of story...I know not very fasinating right? I told you that my life is not all that interesting!! (lol)

Life will start to get pretty busy this week. First I have to finish work on a project that I am making for Christmas for my daughter, Wed I have Bible Study in the morning and then church at night. Thurs I have a Christmas party for a club at church in which I am one of the leaders, Fri I have to try to get some Christmas shopping done and Sat is our Christmas with my husbands family. Busy week.

Kayla is a little upset with me right now. Her class is going on a trip to Chicago in April and it doesn't look as if she will be able to go. They want a deposit of $125 by Thursday...I don't have $125...I haven't even had money to go Christmas shopping yet. The trip is not until April so I don't understand why they need the money now anyways. Also there is a Teen Retreat coming up at the end of the month which cost $110 and it doesn't look as if she will be going to that either. I feel bad for her but what am I supposed to do? I can't conjure up the money out of thin air now can I? I guess she will have to learn that life is full of dissapointments. That is about all for today....til tomorrow

December 9, 2005

The kids got their wish and there was a snow day today! We ended up getting 8 inches of snow last night. My sister had to work today so she still dropped my niece off at 6 am. I told her that we were going back to bed because this is a day that we should take advantage of and sleep in, so we went to my bed and laid down and that little girl would not stop talking!! Oh well, so much for sleeping in...I did get a little sleep when my son woke up and she went into the other room to play. Kayla made breakfast today. She made pancakes and did a fantastic job. She has been pretty good lately...I think it is because she still wants me to get her that cell phone. Went to the party at church...I really didn't feel like getting a shower and going but my husband basically made me..I am glad that I went. I get blessed every year. My family is going to see the Chronicles of Narnia tomorrow. Parker is so excited. He asked for the books for his last birthday and has been reading them. I am not sure if he has read the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe which is what the movie is based on. I am curious if they are putting more than one book together or if there will be sequels.Well that is about all today..I am going to go to bed. Til tomorrow....

December 8, 2005

It is cold, cold, cold. We are supposed to get up to 6 inches of snow tonight. I looked outside recently and the cars have about 2-3 inches already. Yuck! I hate winter. My kids are hoping that there will not be school tomorrow. If it keeps this up all night I think that they may get their wish.
Not too much else happened today. Jon came home from work early yet again.. not going to comment anymore on that subject, I am just going to put my trust in the Lord and let him take care of it. Not noticing much difference yet on the meds. Hopefully soon I will feel like my old self again. December is starting to get busy with Christmas parties and stuff. We have a dinner at church tomorrow . We throw this party for this adult care home. Most of the residents have mental disabilities and some have physical disabilities. I enjoy this every year. I was sick last year and could not make it so I am looking forward to it this year. Well that is about all for today...til tomorrow then

December 7, 2005

Today was a pretty good day. My husband came home from work early yet again. I tell you this is not a good time not to be getting all his hours in. Christmas is less than 3 weeks away and I am stressing out now BIG TIME!!! I went to bible study....I love it. I am learning so much through this Bible Study Fellowship. This bible study is for women only and I believe that there are over 500 women in it. Isn't that amazing? We are studying Genesis this year and we are studying the life of Abraham right now...It sure is encouraging that even the Patriarcs of the bible have fallen and made mistakes...it sure gives the rest of us hope. The important thing to remember though is although they may have fallen they got back up!! That is what we all have to do... We are learning about faith...this is an area that I am seriously lacking in...and to claim God's promises for ourselves. Like I said I am learning a whole lot...now all I have to do is apply what I have learned...not so easy to do let me tell you.

Today was the 2nd day that I have been on my meds...not noticing much difference yet although I am anticipating feeling better soon. Not much going on tomorrow but I will try to keep you all up on my mundane life...(lol) Til tomorrow then....

Monday...December 6, 2005

I saw the doctor today. I spoke to him about me and my down days all the time. He put me on a anti-depressent. I am not sure how I feel about being on pills but if they make me feel more like myself (or how I used to be) then I guess I will give it a shot. He told me that pain and depression go hand and hand and he wants me to join a support group that he is starting for people in chronic pain. I try to be happy-go-lucky but lately I am failing at this miserably. I have not been myself since my car accidents 2 years ago. I have neck and shoulder problems which really stink because I had back problems before this but I took care of that by having a breast reduction...now I have neck problems....go figure....just my luck...eh? Most people don't know how often I hurt...except for my husband and kids...I just try to get through each day the best I can...some days are easy others not so much...today is one of those days that I am not feeling so hot. I was supposed to go to a Christmas party tonight for my Beauti-control business associates but I just did not feel up to it...I was also supposed to go to the church and help decorate it but I was not up to that either. I took a pain pill that my mom gave to me and I am feeling a little bit buzzed....so I would say that right now I feel fine...(lol)

My husband came home early from work today...he missed yesterday and was sent home early today because of his back...it is still really bothering him. He is getting laid off on Friday..He is happy about it because he says that he needs a break...he works really hard at that job. He will be off for almost a month. He has to file unemployment on Thursay.
I signed up for a new family doctor today. I have an appointment to meet with him in a couple weeks. I don't have a regular family doctor right now because she moved and I had not gotten around to doing this....anyway everytime Jon or I have to go to the doctor we go to the clinic in which we are charged an emergency visit and I was getting tired of not having our own doctor to go to...I hope that I like him. I am going to talk to him about weight loss surgery.. I am hoping to get it done before summer. Well that is about all that has happened today....really tired now so I will be signing off....till tomorrow

Monday...December 5, 2005

Today was really different. First I took the kids to school and then came home and did some housework and folded laundry and by that time I was so tired!!! I could not wake up today to save my life...I mean I was physically awake but I was not coherent...I don't think that I was totally awake until I took Jon to the clinic this afternoon. He fell on Friday while getting out of the shower and he landed on the side of his back...I tried to convince him that he was not seriously hurt to merit going to the hospital/doctor...He stayed home from work today because he was not up to going....I ended up taking him to a clinic and wouldn't you know it....I was right!! Nothing wrong. Now we are going to have a big emergency bill when if he would have just listened to me in the first place....oh well....live and learn I guess...I am so tired and it is not even 9 pm...I sure hope that I am not coming down with something....more tomorrow....

Kayla is splitzfill with Daniel.....again

My daughter and her boyfriend....ugh!! They are driving me crazy!!! They broke up for about for a few months and then the other day he wrote he an e-mail that said he wanted to "get back together" with her. She was pretty happy about it because she really likes him and when he broke up with her she was crushed. Last night the brat wrote to her again and broke up with her again. Kayla in turn wrote him a really mean and nasty e-mail which in turn he wrote a really mean and nasty e-mail in return...but his mistake??? He sent it to my e-mail address. So what did I do? I wrote him back!! I told him that his e-mail was mean and nasty and that they are way to young to "go out" anyway. I was not happy that she wanted to "go back out" with him in the 1st place. I was really not happy that she had misused her computer privledges to send the e-mail in the 1st place..She is now grounded off the computer and off of instant messaging. I thought that she was mature enough to handle the responsibitiy but apparently I was wrong. I am seriously thinking about not getting her that cell phone now.

My little man

Here are a couple pictures of my little guy, Parker Jack. He is so sweet and loving and we are extremely close. He is the one person that knows when I am having a bad day or do not feel well...which seems to be more often than not lately. He will come and play with my hair or touch my face in the gentle way that he does. I tell him that he will make a wonderful boyfriend/husband someday because he is very sensitive and he tells me that he loves me and that I am beautiful all the time....now what woman does not like to hear those things? 

So Cute!!

So Serious!!!

My Beautiful Daughter

Here are a few pictures of my daughter Kayla. We had ourselves a little photo session one night...she is really photogenic. I like these pictures because they look just like her and show her different personalities. Isn't she pretty? She looks just like her mommy....me!!! (lol) No she really doesn't look like me at all.. I think that she resembles a couple of my husbands nieces but she has her own unique look. Remember if you can't see the photos well...right click on them and hit show original image...that should let you look at them more clearly.. Thanks for visiting.... 

 

 

Kayla and Stephie...

if you can't see the pictures very well...right click on image and click on show original image...it should become clearer...thanks for looking 

The girls

These pictures were taken last summer while my sister Selena was here. She lives in Tenessee and we see her about once a year. The kids like it when they all get together because they don't get to see each other too much so they have fun when they are together. 

My kids, my nephews and nieces

This is a picture that was taken in my mom and dad's back yard at a family get together.. Oldest to youngest....T.J., Stephie, Kayla (she is mine), Brandy, Parker Jack (he is mine), Arianna and Joshua

engagement picture

This is our engagement picture taken over 18 years ago. (sorry it is so shabby looking after all it is pretty old by now)Wow....I look different. I was so pretty back then...wasn't I? My hubby still looks the same..maybe a little older but not much. He is now 38 years old. That is almost 40!!! He looks just as good as ever to me. I still am crazy about him even after all these years. I only have a few things that I wish could be different and it has to do with his job. He stays in a job where he doesn't make much money and where there doesn't seem to be any future. He has been there for over 15 years and you would think that his company would reward him for his loyalty...not so....He hasn't had a raise in I don't know how long. I try to encourage him by telling him that he deserves better than that. I also try to encourage him to pursue something that he loves...like cooking. He is so good and he likes it...I think that he would really be good at it... I also try to encourage him to go back to school. I think that I am going to go back. I don't want to be poor the rest of my life. I just wish that he would step up and realize that his place of employment is a dead end. As it is he could retire in about 15 years with the company if it paid him anything but now he would be starting over with another company...I just wish he would realize that he deserves so much better than what he is getting at that job. I love him so much and want the best for him and my family. As it is he works in the auto industry and right now the auto industry in Michigan is suffering...so he really needs to start looking in another area....heh...maybe we could go back to college together and take the same classes...(as long as it is not cooking)that way we could help each other out on homework and stuff and what better way to spend quality time together...I think that it would great fun!! 

My family

This is the most recent picture that I have of my family. We had it taken to put into our church directory..it is a couple years old now...I guess it is time for a new picture. My friend Shelly got this new fancy, smancy camera for Christmas and is going to have a little photo shoot with my family so we can get an updated family picture. I like this one because I think I look good in this picture..I usually do not take good pictures. Actually I think that we all look pretty good in the picture. Parker Jack usually has his toothy grin on and Jon hardly ever smiles in pictures...I guess you could call that a smile...right? Kayla is the only one of us that is really photogenic...most all her pictures turn out great...it helps that she is a beautiful young lady. I don't think that I look like this anymore though. My hair is much longer and in desperate need of an update and I am a lot heavier....yuck!! oh well I am still me....

My teenager...ugh!!!! (lol)

My daughter is now officially in the youth group at our church. I am ok with it now but let me tell you that I really had a hard time with the idea that I now have a "teenager" She is only 12 but will be 13 next month. Why did I have such a hard time you ask? I am not sure, I think a lot of it has to do with letting her go....agonizing to the heart!!! Also now that I have a teenager I am officially old!!! Accordng to my daughter, I know nothing . We have always been extremely close and I feel her pullling away from me and it breaks my heart. Also she is starting to think that she knows everything and that we don't have a clue to how she feels, come on now, I was a teenager not so long ago so of course I know how she feels and what she is going through. I never thought of myself as old, as she tends to think of me and her dad, after all I am only 35 but I guess to a little girl (umm young lady) that feels ancient!! I do remember 13. That was a really hard age for me and I am trying to be sympathic...My mother must have been a saint!! (lol) I remember thinking that she didn't know anything and that I knew everything, I remember the mouthyiness of myself, however I didn't say a whole lot around my mom because I knew that I would have been in big trouble if I did. I remember but now that I am the mother??? It is not so easy to take. I love my little girl (umm..young lady) with all my heart but I am really tired of the disrespect that I receive from her. I know I never did that to my mom...maybe I should just relax and realize that it is time for her to grow up and let go of the apron strings a little......notice that I say a little.....not ready to let her go... I also realize that she is the best kid around others....at school, at school and church, ect so I must be doing something right...right?? She is wanting a cell phone for Christmas and I am torn....what do you all think? She is a straight A student and basically a pretty darn good kid so I think that she would take the responsibility seriously....I just don't know. I would covet your comments and of course all the prayers that I could get....