Friday, July 31, 2009

OOOH, I hope I win!!!

I could SOOOO totally use this in the car with my kiddos!!! We have a set at the house but one of them isn't working anymore and it's just too hard for them to watch the same one. BLAH!! Sooo, I hope that I win this one. I'd love for you to check out THIS blog ...... maybe you will win it and will let me use it instead!! Hahahahah!! :-)

Thursday, July 30, 2009

I almost turned into MADEA today.....

Oohhhhh ya'll...... I thought I was going to have to re-enact MADEA GOES TO JAIL today!!! I was afraid that I was gonna get to make one call and that was it!!! The "lady" at vital records at the Mad Co Health Dept almost caused me to get UUUGLY!!!!! I thought they were gonna have to call the "po po"!!! I wanted to do a drive by, pick up her car with a fork lift and iron her head in a presser in a matter of moments!!! HELP ME LORD!! Here's what happened...........
I had to go to the Health Dept to get a copy of Luke's birth certificate so he can play Fall TBall. Now remember, I've done this TONS of times and it's never been an issue. I know how to fill out the form -- what I'm getting is his CERTIFICATE OF FOREIGN BIRTH....it can't be filled out like a normal request. The lady that usually helps was working on something else so I get "OL GIRL"!!!




Well........



"OL GIRL" WANTED TO ARGUE THE LEGITIMACY OF LUKE'S "FOREIGN BORN" ALABAMA RE-ADOPTION STATE ISSUED BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND WHETHER "GUATEMALA GOT IT BACK BECAUSE THEY DON'T KEEP NOTHIN' FROM OUT OF STATE"!!!! Yeah, I'm serious! Keep reading, it gets better!!!




HELLLLOOOO....IT IS STATE ISSUED.....I KNOW THEY CANNOT GET IT FROM A FOREIGN COUNTRY AND I CANNOT FILL IN COUNTY OF BIRTH ON IT SINCE IT IS NOT A STATE OF AL COUNTY.



All the while, the poor woman I usually deal with was sitting at the other desk in ABSOLUTE SHOCK!! Mouth open and everything!! She tries to explain it all to "OL GIRL" only to be shot down by her too..... "I ain't sayin' nothin' else about it. I tried to tell her and I ain't gettin' in it. Montgomery can make that decision. Wellllll, fortunately for "OL GIRL", nice lady recovered from her shock and handled my stuff from there on out. She rescued her dumb as a box of rocks co-worker from this stressed out ADOPTIVE MOTHER.....WHICH SHE WAS ALSO HAPPY TO POINT OUT!!!



Just glad Madea didn't have to go to jail today!!!



Wednesday, July 29, 2009

MY serenity prayer......

GOD,
PLEASE GRANT ME SERENITY TO NOT STRANGLE
MY TEENAGE SON!!!
AMEN

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Deana's Caring Bridge site -

You are welcome to view Deana's journal by setting up a free account with Caring Bridge and going here:



Monday, July 27, 2009

Deana's battle is over.......

There are no words:


Dearest family and friends,

It saddens my heart to let you know my dearest Deana has spread her angel wings and is flying above us all now. Deana left us gracefully and peacefully around 1:30pm central time today. There is no doubt that she is now looking down smiling upon us all. Here in Houston it is sunny for the first time in days, very likely due to Deana spreading God's curtains of storm clouds, and letting the sun shine through.This last week had been tumultuous and Deana's beleaguered body just could not keep pace with her soaring spirit. Ever the consummate fighter, Deana left this world awash in love from her dear loving parents Bruce and Martha, her brother Ryan, Aunt Laurie, niece Kylie, best buddies Missy and Debi, our precious Zboyz Zane and Zachary, all of you and me. She touched so many lives. It's important--VERY important--for you to know that YOU have touched ours. I will never forget the love and support you've shown our family. I will continue to raise my Zboyz to be compassionate gentlemen, impressing the importance of love for fellow man.I also want to acknowledge the relentless support and adoration of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center's and Scripps Memorial Hospital's staffs. All of Deana's doctors and nurses hold a special place in my heart. Thank you all for trying so hard to save our Deana. Some marvelled at how I remembered everyone's name and face. How can I forget the dear souls who cared so well for my wife? God bless you.I also want to publicly recognize my colleagues and managers at Cisco Systems. My company has been Deana's stalwart supporter, always at my disposal, always at the ready. The Cisco TS and CAP family rallied around mine when we needed it most, allowing me to spend quality time with my bride, keep my Zboyz safe, and give us piece of mind. So Chris, Mike, Paul, Curt, Joe, Emma, Alison, Jill, and fellow CAP managers, God bless you all.Deana told me just weeks ago I was her guardian angel. Now she is mine. I will miss her dearly and now yearn to go home to be with my Zboyz, where I am needed most. I will most likely return Thursday, but will not leave Houston without my wife.My best friend Brad arrives tonight, and I look forward to seeing him. He and his wife Michelle have been there for our family like so many. Brad and I were each other's best man, and would walk on fiery coals for one another. I love you bro.To my brothers Lee and his wife Ewa, Grant and his wife Jillian, and Mark, to my parents Opal, Jack and Doug, and to my grandmother Opal, thank you all for being there for Deana, our Zboyz and me. Deana loved you all so very much.I have learned so much through this ordeal -- no doubt we all have. In my profession my peers and I "prevent the preventable" through Lessons Learned, sparing valuable customers, Cisco or its partners from any shortcomings experienced elsewhere. In that very vein, these are the following lessons learned in Deana's triumphant ascension to Heaven:1. Have blood or platelets? Donate them. There is no greater gift you can give another human, but a chance at life.2. Hug your family. Do it often and for no reason at all. You will all feel better.3. Family and friends are everything. Without them one is lonely. With them at your side, ALL things are possible.4. Never, ever quit. No matter what, rise to the occassion. It's what makes life worth living.(Details on darling Deana's funeral are forthcoming. I will leverage Caringbridge to share that information).


God bless you all,Jack and in spirit, Deana


Sunday, July 26, 2009

Give-Away to come........

I AM GOING TO BE GIVE AWAY A BOW HOLDER.......
CONTEST DETAILS TO COME!!!!
STAY TUNED!!!


Hairbow holder.....

Well, as many of you can atest to, Sydney has more hairbows than she has hair!!!



I LOOOOVE HAIRBOWS!!!



As a result, she has quickly filled up the sweet "Angel" holder that and Aunt Tammy/Amanda made her. Soooo, on a whim, I decided to try my hand at making her a BIG ONE!!! And I must say, I'm pretty darn proud of the way it turned out!!! There are a few things I would do differently and I wish I had made pictures in stages but I didn't even think about a picture till the end!! All total, I think it took me about an hour or so to make.


Materials from Michaels:


flat wood sign - $2.99



felt letters with wood backing - $2.40 (total)



black glossy paint - $1.99



4 yards satin ribbon - $3.52 (total)


Grand Total: $12.00 (approx)









Pretty good, if I do say so myself!!! :-)




Monday, July 13, 2009

WE ARE HAVING A BLAST!!!


Just a few pics for now......hope that'll hold ya till later!! :-)






















Friday, July 10, 2009

OFF TO THE BEACH.....

Going to try to post my GT's first trip to the beach while we are there!!! WE ARE ALL SO READY TO GO!!!!

Saturday, July 4, 2009

My MIL is now resting with Jesus....

Alan's mother, Faye, is at PEACE with Jesus on Independence Day. While our hearts are heavy, we can't think of a more fitting day to become FREE from pain and suffering! Please pray for our family in the coming days.







We will miss you, Gran!!



Wednesday, July 1, 2009

BioMom's can but Adoptive Mom's can't???

No, this isn't a riddle.....it's not even a bad joke! It's a double standard and it frustrates the heck-a-mighty out of me!!! BIG TIME!!
Why is ok for a biomom(which I am as well) to be INSANELY frustrated with their kids but Heaven forbid that an ADOPTIVE Mom might be?
Why is it okay for my BIOchild to have traits and idiocincricies that drive me UP THE WALLS but my ADOPTED children aren't allowed to make me crazy?
Why is okay to fuss about the above mentioned tendancies with Biochild and people laugh it off but if I say anything about it with my ADOPTED children I am immediately reminded that not too long I ago I was hysterical b/c she wasn't home. Or in shambles because she didn't want to have anything to do with me?? Get my drift????
Why is this a double standard?? Let's just say it..... ALL THREE OF MY KIDS MAKE ME ABSOLUTELY, UNDENIABLY, UNBELIEVABLY CERTIFIABLE from time to time!!! It's got NOTHING to do with the circumstances in which they became my child. It has nothing to do with how hard I "worked" to get them here (Did I mention that AJ was an IF baby?).
I am HUMAN. I get tired. I have good monents with my kids. I have hard moments with my kids. I laugh with my kids. I laugh at my kids. I scream at my kids. I scream with my kids!
That is life........