Pray for me and me and me.... Selfish thoughts....

So if you are reading this, I need your prayers. I will be on my way to Nicaragua at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. (Well, Houston first, then Managua, Nicaragua.) Pray for lots of things. I want to serve with a joyful heart and be used however God sees fit to use me. I want to come back a changed person, more humble and a true servant to others. Pray for the team's health and safety. And pray that things will go smoothly with the airlines and customs for the whole team. I will miss my family SO much. Pray ESPECIALLY for Chad and my family. Chad has never been left with two boys by himself. My mother will be helping and Chad is taking off from work for 3 days, but I know that he will still have his hands full.

Open House for Brennan's school is Thursday, and I will not be here. My mother is going to go with Chad and Brennan. It makes me so sad that when I return Brennan will be starting kindergarten. Today was my last day with him before he officially becomes a student. We have reached a new milestone. I need prayer for that, too.

Thank you all who are reading this and are willing to pray for my family and me.

It's that time!!!!! (Almost....)

So it's that time. Getting packed and ready for Nicaragua. The packing seems to be turning into an ordeal. My bag is getting smaller while my list keeps expanding. I am really excited about my trip and I know that it will be a life changing experience. My preacher called me last night and told me about a video on You Tube and it is exactly what we will be doing and close to where we will be. It just brought tears to my eyes and made me realize all over again why I am going.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66YuaXEHTr8

High School reunion! Pictures and more pictures!

Having fun!

Dana and me. Best friends in the 6th grade. She left our sophmore year to attend Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science.

Paula and me. One of the funniest girls I know.

Chad and me. Can never get enough of self portraits, right?

Ernestine and me. I just love this girl. I was always behind her in EVERY class, because we always sat in ABC order. We got to know each other well over the years!

Peyton and me. We started off in private school together and ended up with a public education....how does that happen?

I never get to dance..... good times, good times.

Mandy and the other Mandy.

Josh Shearer and me. We've been friends since we shared a crib at church!

The wildest and craziest girl I know, but I love her always!!!!

Enjoying the night with NO curfew. (Thanks mom!)

Randi and Mandy and our hubs.

How come this looks familiar?

The girls!!! (Or some of us.)

Kristy and me.

Jody Owens in the middle....we always knew he'd be something fabulous...like a big-shot lawyer... and that's exactly what he is!

I was too busy talking.....

Karis and me.....

Some of us girls.....

Trey and me. He was one of the meanest people I knew in high school.... LOL

I love these guys!

Yes, I am drinking WATER.

Robin and me.

Ashleigh Welch and Tony Bahou. (Yes, that is the guy that used to be on TV-- and, no he didn't graduate with us- he was with Ashleigh)

My three very, very, very best friends from high school. We did everything together. ESPECIALLY Randi and me. (The one on the opposite end from me.)

Chad and Miles, Monica's husband, talking the night away. (What Chad does best.)

Bonnie and me. One of my besties from school.

Monica, Adrienne, and, Randi---three of my best friends from jr. high and high school.

Chad and me getting ready to leave.



So, as you can see I just had my high school reunion. Good times were had by all. Even Chad who always feels a little out of his element when he doesn't know anyone. I had a great time catching up with people I hadn't seen in SO long. It was AWESOME. I was starting to dread it, to be honest, but I am so glad we went. More memories with people I spent my entire youth with. What's funny is most of us haven't changed at all over the past 10 years. There were a few exceptions-- people who had grown a little more rounder than before, but who of us hasn't over the past 10 years? It will be REALLY interesting to see what we will all look like at the NEXT one.

Ben Stein's article....

So, here on my blog I feel like it is my personal space to say what I want and share what I want. This article was something I actually came across when I was on Facebook. Ben Stein wrote it, and I couldn't have said it better myself.




http://spectator.org/archives/2009/07/24/weve-figured-him-out

It's that time, and I'm not ready.....

Yes, I bought all of Brennan's school supplies today AND picked up his registration packet to register him for school, and YES, I am very upset about this. I even had a small meltdown in the aisles of Wal-Mart while buying the school supplies. The kid drives me INSANE 90% of the time, but he is my child and I love him and I am SO not ready for him to grow up.

And I also took Ethan for his nine month check-up (only I was a month behind, so it was more like a ten month check-up) and that also upset me because his next check-up will be his 12 month visit. Which means my youngest is almost one year old. So, now, I will find someplace nice and quiet to cry my eyes out while my children nap.

"My Sister's Keeper"

Today I went and saw a movie for the first time in MONTHS. My sister-in-law and I decided to go see "My Sister's Keeper". WOW. It is a very powerful movie.

Here is a little background on the movie: It's based on a novel by Jodi Picoult. I read it two summers ago after a friend let me borrow the book. If I recall, I read it in about three days. (Of course, that's when I had ONE child.) But it was THAT GOOD. I couldn't put it down. It was also a very controversial book. A girl is diagnosed with leukemia and her younger sister is "genetically engineered" to be a perfect match for a donor. The youngest sister goes throughout life having surgery after surgery and having all sorts of things done to her so she can save her older sister's life. At age 11 she goes to a lawyer so she can sue her family to the rights to her own body. "Medical Emancipation" is the term used in the book/movie. It takes you through all of that during the course of the movie/book. It was very powerful. Especially if you have children. I actually envisioned, for a moment, what it would be like to have a sick child. Of course, I know that my feelings didn't even scratch the surface of how I would REALLY feel.

Alec Baldwin played the lawyer representing the youngest sister and he did an excellent job. He is such a good actor. Cameron Diaz played the mother. Really good acting throughout the whole movie.

I left out of the theater feeling emotionally drained. And tired. It was such a good movie AND a good book, but I just don't think I could ever watch that movie again........ However, if you're up for a good tear-jerker I highly recommend it.

25 FIRSTS....

Again, off of Facebook.... I really need to be getting ready to go somewhere....

1. Who was your FIRST prom date?
Stan McCoullough

2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love?
no

3. What was your FIRST job?
First Baptist of Byram Daycare-- afterschoolers

4. What was your FIRST car?
1990 Dodge Spirit. a.k.a. "The Squeakmobile"

5. Who was the FIRST person to text you today?
My sister-in-law, Lindsey

6. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning?
probably Ethan, because he woke me up fussing over the baby monitor

7. Who was your FIRST grade teacher?
Miss Folks

8. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane?
Somewhere in Alabama

10. Who was your FIRST best friend & do you still talk?
Naomi Myers-- we occasionally talk

11. Where was your FIRST sleep over?
I'm not sure about first.... I think it was at Monica Odom's house in 3rd grade...

12. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today?
Chad.

13. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning?
Brushed my teeth.

14. What was the FIRST concert you ever went to?
Steven Curtis Chapman. I think.

15. FIRST foreign country you've gone to?
Mexico

16. FIRST movie you remember seeing?
Feivel the Mouse.

17. When was your FIRST detention?
7th grade. Nelson Holman threw paper down my shirt and I got in trouble for turning around and telling him to leave me alone. I was devastated that I got into trouble. Even more devastated that I got DETENTION>

18. Who was your FIRST roommate?
Uh, Chad. After we got married.

19. If you had one wish, what would it be?
That Chad's student loans would vanish.

20. What is something you would learn if you had the chance?
How to play the piano

21. Did you marry the FIRST person who asked for your hand in marriage?
Yes.

22. What was the FIRST sport you were involved in?
Running track.

23. What were the FIRST lessons you ever took?
Swimming

24. What is the FIRST thing you do when you get home?
Take of my scrubs and wash my hands compulsively

25. How old were you when you had your FIRST child?
22

ABC's of Mandy

Okay, so I saw this on Facebook, and well, it's Friday afternoon. What else do I have to do while the boys are napping? Besides clean, of course. I'll do that right before Chad gets home....

A - Age: 27 -- 2.5 weeks from turning 28

B - Bed Size: Queen

C - Chore You Hate? Putting up laundry

D - Dogs Name? Dixie Kate

E - Essential Daily Items? Lipstick

F - Favorite Color? Blue and pink

G - Gold Or Silver? Silver

H - Height? 5'8"

I - Instruments You Play? Currently, none. I've attempted piano and clarinet

J - Job Title? Dental assistant

K - Kids? Brennan, age 5 and Ethan, 10 months

L - Living Arrangements? Home owner -- husband, two sons, and a dog.

M - Mom's Name? Marcelle

N - Nicknames? Mandy

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth? Yes

P - Pet Peeves? Oh yes. I'll start with tardiness....

Q - Quote From A Movie? Don't watch many movies these days

R - Right Or Left Handed? Right

S - Siblings? Clayton, 25 and Brent, 23

T - Time You Wake Up? Too early

U - Underwear? Victoria's Secret and yes, I wear underwear at all times (kinda)

V - Vegetable You Dislike? Radishes-- ick.

W - Ways You Run Late? My husband and my children

X - X-Rays You've Had? Dental, chest, stomach

Y - Yummy Food You Make? One of my strengths is cooking. I make a few good things (not to brag-- at least my husband tells me so). I love to experiment and see how I can play around with a recipe. One of my favorite things to cook is chicken spaghetti (comfort food!) and Swiss enchiladas.

Z - Zoo Favorites? Flamingos.

Found!

I finally found it! The perfect little black dress to wear to my high school reunion! I knew it could be found-- and at an affordable price! Yay! Thank you, Belk closing sale.

My tiny, tiny tomato

Just picked an actual red cherry tomato that I grew. Then I ate it. It tasted like a tomato. Who knew I could actually grow something that tasted like a REAL tomato???? Who knows what I'm capable of next?

Words of faith?

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.

~ 1 Peter 3:15, NLT

This is the verse emailed to me today. Very fitting. Yesterday I spent my ENTIRE day with an addict. A total addict. As I have grown and become a little wiser, I have come to realize part of my "spiritual gift" is that of discernment. I can tell within five minutes of meeting someone what they are about, and what they are thinking. I knew what this girl was about. I knew she was about total drama and all she was after was monetary gain and prescription drugs. The monetary gain, of course, was not because she wanted new clothes or anything of the sort. She was solely out to seek drugs. Sparing 95% of the story- we ended up in the emergency room. She was desperately seeking a high, and she was going to go about any means to get it. I usually have no compassion for people selfish and stupid enough to take advantage of others or "the system", but I felt really compelled to help this girl. I certainly had naysayers- and normally I would have been one of them. I spent my entire afternoon with this girl and I prayed for words of wisdom to give her. Finally, I realized it's not up to me. God was going to have to move in me to get through to her. After faking passing out on the floor to call an ambulance (so she could obtain more drugs) and begging me to take her BACK to the hospital, I finally had to leave her. I have an uncle who is very addicted to drugs. He has lost almost EVERYTHING. I haven't spoken to him in over 2 years. I saw the same thing happening to this girl. She's going through a very bitter divorce, and she has 2 daughters who won't have anything to do with her. I know she has been dealt a bad hand, but who hasn't hit rock bottom, or been to the depths of despair? Very few people I know have had that "perfect life". I tried to talk to her and reason with her. She has not left my heart. She is so beautiful, and she was "supposed" to start a promising job tomorrow. I hope all is true and I pray that it's not too late for her. I didn't leave her in anger, but I left her with someone wiser, who could guide her even better to the ultimate WISE one. I have faith that she will get through this dark time in her life.

Disappointment....

I went to the final meeting for our Nicaragua trip last night. We got the run down of the week and what to expect. However, I was a little disappointed. We received our list of assignments, where we will be stationed all week, and I was NOT put in the dental clinic. The team going this year is a small team- smaller than usual- and there is not even a dentist from the states going. I am the only dental assistant going, and I was put in the pharmacy. It broke my heart a little. I tried not to complain because I feel so blessed to be able to even go, but I was so looking forward to doing dentistry in the mission field. Then it really made me upset to know that I was the only dental person going on the whole team and I got put in the pharmacy. So, trying not to complain too much, I questioned it to our team leader. Somehow, (even after the pages and pages of personal information, employment information, reference information, AND education information) it slipped by that I was a dental assistant. Not quite sure how, I thought that was the point of giving them that info, but he was very excited to know that there was a trained dental assistant going. So, he told me that he was going to try and swap me out with someone in the dental clinic so I could be put in the clinic. I don't mind working in the pharmacy at all, but in the pharmacy, there is not very much contact with the patients. Some are working in the back and some are just passing out pills. I love talking and interacting with patients, and even though we don't speak the same language, I really am looking forward to hearing some of these peoples stories and about their family life. (Since there will be a translator.) So, hopefully it will work out that I can be put in the dental clinic some. If not, I still know that I am going on this trip for a reason and I know and pray that it will still be a life changing experience.

It's a hard-knock life....

I know there are people who have much bigger loads than I do, but here is how my week has been so far: I am sick with one of those delightful summer colds, Chad pointed out that the main family car we drive is about to hit 200,000 miles this week, and my washing machine is on the fritz again--I think it's on it's last leg. Oh, and there's no money in the bank. And it's only Tuesday. Well, at least I know where my heart is. I guess I better get my prayer journal out and make use of the few minutes of quiet time I have. Life could be worse.

Fourth of July weekend....

My aunt Beth from Dallas came for a long overdue visit from Dallas. She is amazing and we love her so much. She is actually the daughter of my grandfather's second wife. She grew up in Africa and she has an amazing, wonderful attitude and is always so upbeat and such a beautiful person. If you can't tell from the few pictures, her signature color is purple. Purple everything. Clothes, nail polish, anything she can get in purple. We will miss her, but we had such a good family time and fellowship this weekend. We gathered at my cousin, Micki's house, who recently moved here from New Albany. I only wish I would have felt a little better. I didn't feel as though I socialized as much as I usually would have. I love my family and am so grateful for all of them!!!!!

Meanwhile, my youngest brother, Brent got to spend his July 4th in New York City and got to see the Macy's firework show up close and personal. So jealous am I.

Mandy vs. Victoria's Secret....

To all you men who may read my blog (if any), you may want to close your ears (or should I say eyes) to this post.

So, I am a huge fan of V.S. Yes, their unmentionables are sometimes WAY overpriced, but I have found that there is NOTHING more comfortable. Sometimes, it's worth the extra buck or two... or several....

Well, I can't remember exactly when this first occurred, but it may have been as long ago as before my pregnancy with Ethan. So I went to V.S. just to browse, and decided it had been a while, and I would get fitted for a bra. I've lost and gained weight repeatedly over the years, and my chest usually falls in line with the weight gain/loss.

Here is my first story with V.S. : So I get fitted for a bra, and the woman argues with me over my bra size. She tells me I am a size this, and I tell her I am a size that. She says there is NO WAY, I am so tiny, so I can't be any bigger than this. I say, well, I may look tiny and a size this to you, but I really do wear a size THAT. I was getting really annoyed with her (I mean, could she just measure me already?!) and Chad was in my peripheral vision laughing his head off. I have never really been self conscious about my chest size, but I know that I am not a busty woman. I have been pretty much okay with that. Until now. This lady would not stop with the small chest comments. So, she finally fits me, and we come to a compromise. I was bigger than what she said, but smaller than what I said. Okay, I'm over it.

My next incident occurred just last week. I was out at Metro because I wanted to run by Burlington. Well, V.S. is having their clearance, so I decided to stop by. I was just browsing (again) not really in the market to buy anything. Well, I purchased one of their fragrance products that I had fallen in love with last year because on this particular day it was marked down to $3. So, of course she has to try and talk me into buying something else. So this is what she says to me: "Feel free to keep looking around. Did you notice how much we have on clearance? Have you ever worn any of our bras before? I mean, I think you might be big enough to fit into one." I kid you not. She thinks I MIGHT be big enough to fit into one? She then realized what she said and tried to backtrack. She started commenting on how tiny I was and that I didn't look like I could have given birth to two children. Whatever. I'm over it. Again.

So today, we were out shopping. Decided to stop by V.S. at Northpark. I found one of the type bras I wear on sale for $15-- normally they are $50. I didn't really know what size to get since I have stopped nursing, and have, well, shrunk. I asked someone to measure me. So she takes me in the back to the dressing rooms. As she wraps her measuring tape around me she says: "Man, you sure are tiny!" WHAT? What do I say to that? I mean, I have been insulted ENOUGH. All I could say was, "Yeah, I know that, thank you." Of course, my big mouth tells Chad who seems to find it HILARIOUS.

Okay, so I am over it. Yes, I was big and busty during pregnancy and nursing, but dang. Give me a break. Victoria's Secret, you sure do need to keep your mouth shut. Pun intended.

Summer Part II.....

Flossing his teeth like a big boy!

Stuck inside while everyone is out there!!!!!

The dog is so tired and spoiled rotten!

My dad and youngest brother, Brent.

My mom and Brent.

Caught! Again.

Brent and me.

Brent and Brennan. Brennan wanted to see Uncle Brent in one of his uniforms.

He loves Brent!

My two favorite little boys.

Swimming.

Brent and his girlfriend, Melissa.

My mom, Brent, and me.

Yes, we are rednecks around our house. They both lost their clothes at some point....

A look of guilt.... on both their faces.