Car Accident

I found a tiny Eiffel Tower for the fish tank.

The kids and I were visiting Zac in Covington over the weekend. We didn't do much on account of the rain and cold, but it was nice to hang out. Zac and Sean bought me an electric stove heater, which is probably the best thing ever.

I was going to head back to Mississippi on Sunday, but Dad was going to church Sunday night and Mom had to work, so my assistant manager said I didn't have to help with the floorset. I decided to stay a little longer and leave Tuesday, even though it was rainy. I'm always careful in the rain.

I was about 20 minutes from Mom's. I turned off my cruise control, like normally, and it wasn't raining very hard. Suddenly, I drove through a puddle and the Blazer started sliding. It veered left, then right. I tried to keep the wheel sturdy, but I started spinning. I had Zac on the phone, using my earpiece so I could be hands-free. We weren't really talking. I had one thought... If I die, my babies will be stranded and scared, all alone with nobody to help them...

I spun around, and we slammed sideways into a cement divider between the interstates. I braced myself for impact, but we just hit so hard. The rear and passenger windows shattered instantly. I was hysterical, my kids were terrified and crying, there was glass everywhere. I told Zac I crashed, then called Dad and told him I was in a wreck. Zac and I have an app on our phone where we can track each other. It came in handy when I was working in Jackson and couldn't navigate the back roads. He found my location and told Dad.

I was facing on-coming traffic, at night, in the rain, completely freaked out and terrified. A car pulled nearby and a man came and knocked on the window. He told me to come sit with his family while I waited for the police, so he carried Jac while I carried Leah and Toby across the interstate. His wife and daughter were so kind and patient. Normally, they wouldn't have stopped, but tonight they did. His wife said their car broke down earlier and he was already wet from being in the rain. She said, "He saw you and said he just had to stop."

Firetrucks arrived first, then an ambulance, then the police, and finally Dad and a tow truck. I declined a trip to the hospital. Looking back, I suppose we could've gone to get checked out, but none of us were hurt or dizzy, no broken bones. I was just shaking from the adrenaline. Jac only had an abrasion from his seat belt and Leah had a small scratch on her neck. I've got super awful whiplash and flashbacks that will haunt me forever. My car is now totaled and I'm not sure what we're going to do for transportation... I'm overwhelmed, scared to drive, and I can't sleep. My mind keeps racing, thinking about what could've happened.

The good news is that it's snowing outside and it might stick. The kids will be happy to see a frosted ground in the morning. 

I'm just so lucky. This accident could've been so much worse, but it wasn't. My babies are safe tonight. I can hug and kiss them and tell them I love them.

2013 - A year in review: 2012

A year in review: 2012

1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before?

Worked Black Friday, started homeschooling.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions and will you make more for next year?

I did eat better and I spent more time with the kids. Gonna hold on to that one.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Not this year.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No.

5. What countries did you visit?

None.

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?

More hobbies.

7. What events from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory?

Jac had his tonsils removed, we went to Florida. I learned to play the ukulele.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Getting through Black Friday overnight.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not taking Jac out of public school sooner.

10. Did you suffer an illness or injury?

I cracked a filling and had to get it replaced.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

A curriculum.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Jac for being so brave during his surgery.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

My nephews.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Bath & Body Works, Christmas, food.

15. What did you get really excited about?

The beach.

16. What song will always remind you of 2012?

That Taylor Swift We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together because I heard it like a billion times at work.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

-Happier or sadder? Happier, I think.

-Thinner or fatter? Fatter.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Work out.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Eat junk.

20. How did you spent Christmas?

With the flu! But we did manage to visit Zac's family and some friends.

21. Did you fall in love in 2012?

With food, ha.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

New Girl, Once Upon A Time, The Office, House, Dexter, True Blood, Weeds.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

The bullies on the bus and in the classroom and the teachers who sit back and do nothing.

24. What was the best book you read?

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

25. What was your favorite musical discovery?

I like Katy Perry right now.

26. What did you want and get?

Sushi.

27. What did you want and not get?

A flu-free Christmas.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

Brave, Hunger Games, Dark Knight.

29. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?

I worked. 29.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Not getting sick. Jac spending so much time missing school from his tonsils.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?

Jeans? I dunno. Comfy.

32. What kept you sane?

Hanging out with Emily, smelling candles.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

You know the answer.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

"Legitimate rape"... Yeah.

35. Who do you miss?

My friends in Louisiana.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

New co-workers.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.

Don't work in retail during Black Friday.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

"I'm wide awake."

New Year's Eve 2012

Christmas has passed and I've got no pictures from this year. In my defense, I had the flu, which was passed to Jac, then Zac, then Leah. We spent Christmas laying around, taking medications, eating soup, and watching Christmas movies. We're mostly better now, though both kids have a cough that won't go away. We were able to make our trip to Louisiana. I forgot to make my to-pack list, so I forgot a few things that I wouldn't normally forget: Jac's nebulizer, for example. Luckily, he didn't need it.

So far on this Louisiana trip, we've visited Mawmaw and Marie, then Joey and Jessie. It's the very last day of 2012: New Year's Eve, which means tomorrow will make two whole years for me being cigarette-free.

Resolutions for the helluvit:

• Stop being a chubby bunny and work out every day. EVERY day.
• Draw.
• Crochet more things.
• Read a book a month or more.
• Spend more quality time with the kids.
• Drink more tea and less coffee.
• Get tattooed at least once this year.

Random Update

Zac left for Sean's tonight and won't be back until Friday evening. He started working as a valet again, so I'll only see him on weekends until we get the apartment.

The kids are in bed, probably still awake watching The Nightmare Before Christmas and I'm thinking I might work on Mom's shawl she requested, then take a bubble bath, watch That 70s Show and enjoy the quiet... the lonely, lonely quiet. Tomorrow, I'm going to take the kids to the mall and go look at lights in the park when it gets dark.

Olga sent me a Christmas card and I feel bad that I didn't send any cards to anyone this year. I even received a gift package from Katie with so many lovely things! She sent me a few books, so I'm going to read a bit in the tub later on.

Last week, Zac and I took the kids to get their picture taken with Santa and the Disney stockings  I ordered a while back finally arrived.

Thankful for...

I never really had a chance to sit and jot down what I'm thankful for this year, even though I'm thankful all the time. So I'm putting a few things here so I can look back on it.

My family: Zac, Jac, and Leah. I'm so incredibly lucky to have a husband who loves me the way and as much as Zac does. He's so thoughtful to me and genuinely cares about me. I've never had that before him. My children love me, which I know most children love their parents, but they actually like being around me. I'm always being hugged or kissed or snuggled by one or both of them and it's just amazing. They each have a personality that makes them fun and loving. They're best friends with each other and the four of us are so close.

My parents: They really do a lot for Zac and me and the kids. They have bought us groceries, they've paid for our car repairs, and have really taken care of us when we needed them to.

My friends: I don't have many friends. I could count the ones I consider reliable on one hand, but they're the best. They're there when I need them, even if it's through a computer. They are full of advice and opinions and honesty and creativity.

My job: I've had about ten jobs since I started working at 17, but I never felt completely happy at any of them until now.

Black Friday 2012

Black Friday has passed so I've caught up on my sleep. 

Granny and her husband, Robert Earl, came for Thanksgiving, along with my Uncle Jason, Carlton and his family, and Sean. I slept most of Thanksgiving day, but was able to visit everyone before heading off to a seven-hour overnight shift.

Work was a tad boring, but busy. I was a bag-prepper, so I basically stayed behind the register and prepared the different-sized bags by putting in the cardboard support for the bottom and a coupon so the cashiers could grab-and-go. I really love my job, though. Maybe one day, I'll try for assistant manager or sales-lead position.

Also, we have an Elf on the Shelf. His name is Tinsel.

TV-Binge Overnight

I'm attempting to stay up all night for the second time in a row to make my Black Friday shift easier, but it's really not that easy. Yesterday, I fell asleep around 2am and woke up around 4:30am. Zac found CSI: Miami on Netflix for me to watch, so that's keeping me occupied, and I've finished the kids' scarves. I'm trying to enjoy having this time to myself, but it gets lonely. The sky is getting lighter, so the sun should be up any minute.

I gave Jac the week off of school for Thanksgiving holiday. Zac is off of school as well and he'll start working next week.

Mom bought the kids bunk beds as an early Christmas gift, plus a pair of new mattresses and bedding. Leah doesn't think gravity applies to her, so of course she fell off the ladder. I asked her what happened and she said, "Up, up, up! Weeeee! Ouch." I'm guessing that translates to "I climbed the ladder, fell, and hit the ground." Both kids have been sleeping together on the bottom bunk, even though there have been no reports of nightmares. I think they just like that I can put a sheet up as a curtain so they feel like they're camping.

29

It's my birthday again. It's been a long day and I have to work in the morning. We're releasing the Forever Red fragrance on Wednesday, so I'm debating dying my hair red for the launch party.

Also, happy late Halloween! We took our ghost and pumpkin trick-or-treating and have enough candy to fill Christmas stockings and Easter baskets. Yikes!

I finished Christmas shopping already, plus put the tree up. I'm not looking forward to Black Friday, but hopefully I can work the overnight shift.

Random Update

I went to bed around 11pm the other night, then woke up feeling refreshed around 8:30am. It's very bizarre for me since I haven't been to bed that "early" since Leah was a baby. I plan to go to bed sooner from now on, but with the new episodes of Dexter and The Walking Dead, it's difficult to get sleepy.

Zac and I spent last week purchasing and carving pumpkins, looking for Halloween costumes, and arguing with our own pumpkins about costume choices. Jac spent most of the month wanting to be a ghost, but at the last minute he changed his mind and wanted to be Luigi. He was less than thrilled when we bought the ghost costume anyway, but he finally came around and is excited to be a ghost, especially since we found a ghost Trick-or-Treat bucket to match, as well as a pumpkin bucket to match Leah's "Princess Pumpkin" costume... even though she had her own drama of deciding between a cupcake, a crayon, and Rainbow Brite. She decided Princess Pumpkin was "too, too funny" to pass up. I'll post a picture later.

It's finally cold outside! Halloween is Wednesday and I'm trying to get into the spooky spirit, but when one sees red and green next to the orange and black, it's hard to feel festive. Not that I'm not excited about Christmas, too, I just wish the holidays weren't squished together so close in the seasonal aisles.

Food, Fair, Fun

I attempted homemade gingerbread (recipe HERE), which smelled absolutely amazing in the process, but didn't taste very good (to me). It was more bland than I expected. I prefer gingerbread cookies, though. I plan to test different recipes in order to make another bread for Christmas.

Zac and I brought the kids to the fair for our sixth anniversary. It's been three years since we've been, which means Leah is the same age Jac was then. Weird.

Meanwhile, I got around the making the kids their annual check-up at the doctor's. Jac is completely healthy, but has to wear temporary glasses for his 20/30 vision. Leah is borderline anemic since she's a picky meat-eater, so I've doubled her vitamin intake. They both had dental appointments and no cavities and Jac's adult teeth are growing in correctly after losing his baby teeth.

Crochet and Putt Putt

My fingers are numb and sore from crocheting so much. I've finished Jordan's blanket, but need to work on an identical one for Aidan. The entire project took about three days to complete, so I've got some time before Christmas to get started. The thing is I'm probably going to have to take Jordan's apart because it won't lay properly. It's very bumpy and strange-looking. I figured out how to make a diagonal color transition in a granny square, so I'm going to redo the letter part. I also found a tutorial on how to attach the squares as they're being crocheted, so I won't have to stitch them together.

This week has been nice. The weather is cooler, which makes me excited for fall. I'm still waiting on leaves to change colors. Zac brought us to Mac & Bones so they kids could play putt-putt and eat ice cream. I made a hole-in-one, which, to me, is super fantastic. Jac attempted golfing instead of putting and Leah carried the ball to the hole to gently tap it in.

Florida Trip 2012

We're back in Mississippi and I'm already missing our vacation. We had such a fantastic time! The beach was absolutely gorgeous, the weather was perfect, and the water was just beautiful. We didn't even get sunburned.

We borrowed Mom's car for our trip since it's roomier than ours. When we were about a mile from our hotel, the car overheated, so we had to creep along with our hazard lights on. We arrived at the hotel and called a tow truck. Luckily, the beach was within walking distance just outside our hotel, so we didn't need the car.

The kiddos weren't too thrilled to be in the ocean as much as they enjoyed the sand. Zac tried to carry them into the waves and both had a meltdown, complete with screaming and clawing. So, Leah and I buried Jac up to his shoulders instead.

We walked the shoreline and found a shallow area where the waves weren't so big, so the kids ended up enjoying the water. I found a few seashells (and a few dead fish).

We walked to the pier and watched dolphins swimming around. We even saw a baby shark and a school of sting rays.

I bought a pair of sandals and I believe they're the first pair that haven't caused blisters, even in the heat. We went to a few shops and even rode a Ferris wheel.

Zac lost his goggles when he went too deep in the ocean, THEN he lost his glasses trying to find his goggles. Oh, the humanity. I had to drive us home. It made for a good story, though... right? We stopped at a restaurant called Peg Leg Pete's on our way home. Best seafood ever.

Uke

Zac bought me a ukulele for my birthday! It's early, but that doesn't matter. I love it!

To The Beach!

We're going to the beach tomorrow! I'm so excited! I'm not taking a laptop, so I'm going to update our trip when we get back.

I've got our suit cases stacked on the fireplace, ready to go. The kiddos are laying in my bed, fighting sleep. When Zac gets home from class, he's going to load up the car so we can leave first thing in the morning. Dad keeps reminding me to tie a rope to the kids' inner tubes so they won't float away and to coat them in sunscreen so they don't get cancer.. Always the optimist.

Homeschooling, Crocheting, Reading

I'm officially homeschooling as of today! I've created a "school zone" behind the sofa in our sitting room so everything is organized.

Lately, I've been crocheting a lot. I made Abbi a scarf last week for her birthday, but decided to try something a little more difficult... so I made a Pikmin. I also made a mermaid, but she's so creepy-looking, that I don't want to keep her.

It's hurricane season, so Mississippi has been getting rained on something awful. I'm loving the rain, though. What better weather to curl up with a good book? I actually finished reading The Birth Order Book by Kevin Leman. It was really interesting. A lot of what he wrote about middle children applies to me, so I felt like I was reading a story about me.

Abbi's Birthday

Abbi turned 10, so we went to her party at the park. I crocheted her a scarf in her school colors. She loved it.