Full Time

This week has been crazy busy! I am working 4 days this week, and that's a lot for me! I'm also on call this week and weekend! I have had an ongoing headache for 3 days and I'm PMS-y! YIKES! The good news??

Charlie's sand for his new sandbox is coming tomorrow! He's going to be so happy! I can't wait. I have to get some pics so that I can post them! (First I have to figure out how to get my camera software onto my computer...hmmmmm)

That's all for now!

8 Years

8 Years.

It was 8 years ago today that my uncle Tim passed away. I think about it all the time. My sweet, fun loving uncle, who was taken much too soon. Even though people would characterize him as "mentally handicapped", us as his family did not see him that way. There are a lot of things that remind me of him everyday.

Everytime I drive by the cemetary on 68th st, I think of him, because that's where he is now.

Everytime I think about March 11th, I think of him, because it was the day he died.

Everytime I see an Emerald, I think of him, because his birthday is in May.

Everytime I see Jeff, his old roomate, I think of him.

Everytime I see something about Jurassic Park, I think of him, because that was the movie we watched together.

Everytime I see Glenn Moredyk, our music director at church, I think of him. Glenn walks and is shaped just like my uncle was. :-)

There are alot of things that remind me of Uncle Tim. He was a big part of our lives and in some respects, he still is. Even Charlie knows him, by his picture. It hurts my heart to think about him never getting to meet my Uncle. He was such a loving guy, he had a huge heart! For a long time I wondered if there was something I could have done differently to prevent his death, but I know that I would have done something if I could have.

(*For those of you who don't know, my uncle was in the back seat of my car when he had a massive heart attack. He died instantly.)

I know that it was God's plan for him to only live till he was 37, but it still leaves loved ones here behind to wonder what would have been if he was still here. It makes me so sad because he would have loved hanging out with all his great nieces and nephews! I have no doubt that he would always want to have one of them on his lap at coffee time. He loved kids, so it's sad that he's never going to meet the kids he would have loved so much, and would have made him so happy.

But in other ways, I know where he is and that makes me happy. My uncle is in heaven, and part of me wants to believe that he is holding and loving our baby until we can get there. That is what gives me hope when I get sad and reminiscent in times like these. I know I'll see him again someday!

His favorite thing was to have hamburgers and chocolate milk. So I didn't have a hamburger, but I had some chocolate milk for him today.

Love you Uncle Tim! Save me a place up there!

Show off.

Charlie has been told many times that he is advanced. I'm not trying to brag, because I'm positive there are things that he is not going to excel at! But for at least 6 months, he's been able to count to 10. I finally got him to do it for me, without trying to just grab the camera! He was a little preoccupied by the TV being on (I know, Mom of the year!) But at least he did it!

For you all to enjoy!

He finished it in this one:

Maybe I'll be able to get him singing his ABC's next time!!

Hattiesburg, MS

Steve and I just went on a trip to Hattiesburg, Mississippi for some more Katrina relief. Can you believe it? After 5 years, people still need help. We went with our church's Master's Builders group. We left friday night at 6PM and arrived around 10AM-ish in MS. Marv and Donna Helder were there to greet us! Sunday we went to a local church that had 12 people in the congregation! Can you imagine that?? There was literally 12 people! A 5 person choir! When we walked in, we tripled the congregation! It was pretty unbelievable. Some of the guys went driving around sunday afternoon and went by Tiger's rehab facility and Brett Favre's house. They were pretty psyched about it! Jenni, Jaclyn and I stayed back and did some hair and then took naps. (I know, a rambunctous crew)

Monday morning we started working. The guys went right away and us girls stayed back and planned the dinner for that night. We went to walmart to get the necessary groceries to make dinner. We went back to the camp, made dinner then headed out to join the guys.

We had two sites this year. One started as a concrete slab and one started as an open field. By the end of the week, one house was ready for drywall then paint, and the other was up and needed the roof on. I think they will be able to be livable pretty quickly! We got to learn about one of the homeowners. He is a single guy, about 60 years old. He lost some of his house in Katrina. By "some" I mean that his roof is half caved in. He is still LIVING in that house! He also has had some health issues and in now in a wheelchair. He has to drag himself up the stairs to get into his house! Can you imagine?? I wish I could see his face when he actually gets to move into the house we built with the RAMP into the front door. It's such a rewarding feeling, doing that for others.

On friday, after we got dinner ready in the morning, us girls went to see how we could help. We did a few odds and ends, but then most of the easy work had run out for us. So we decided to spend some time with Donna before we left. We went out for chinese food for lunch and then we headed over to the mall and got pedicures! It was the first time Donna had gotten one, so it was a real treat for her!

We had a great time that week. We had a lot of fun times and TONS of laughter! Talk to any of us girls and we will tell you about some serious inside jokes that we had!

And Now for Jaclyn, Jenni, Janelle and Donna:

Random Policeman we met at Cuppy's coffee: I been born and raised here in mississippi 32 years and I ain't seen snow... but 3 times!

Donna: We got all week!

Donna: Canoe Canoe!

Mason: I can't get any work done around here with all these girls in the way!

Jennie: Get your own corner!

Jennie: I'm going to go try and be victorious...

Jenni: Hey! Hey! You! You! I cuubafhydbaweuyvbinaskfe.......

Janelle: Those are Ginormous! Is that a word? I don't know, but I say it all the time!

Janelle: OMG Batman!

Jaclyn: I am Kanye's sister, Kan-Yeaka!

Jaclyn: Did she just say this is a sh*tty pan?
Jennie: No, she said Shine-y! Donna wouldn't say sh*t.
Donna: I say Sh*tty!

I love you girls!!