Focusing on the Positive Fragments

~ Work was exhausting this week, but I am looking forward to the weekend!
Tomorrow we're going to visit both sets of parents (and the baby Hayleigh will be there!!).
Saturday, we're going to Byron's family reunion.
And of course, Sunday we'll be celebrating Father's Day!

~ Today we went to my stepson Tyler's baseball game.  Shelbie's boyfriend Dusty came with us.  The team won, beating a team that was favored to win.  Afterward we all went to my MIL's house for a cookout.

~ You wanna know what puts a damper on all of that?  On the way home, we stopped at a store and Dusty got out and threw up his dinner. Then, on the way back to the truck, he took his hat off to wipe his forehead and I saw several bald patches.  Talk about reality slapping you in the face....
He had chemo this morning.  This was, I believe, the fourth time this week.  Right now he is doing chemo 4x a week.  It's called "Hell Month".  Then he enters a maintenance phase.  But during this period, his body has NO time to recover from chemo before it's time for another treatment.  It's so hard to see a strong, active teenager going through this.  He's seventeen.  This should be the time of his life, with no major worries, just enjoying the last of his carefree childhood time.  But cancer ended that.  And it sucks.

~ Anyway...focusing on the positive.  He had a good time and has a great attitude and good spirit about all of it.

Hope y'all have a good weekend and a wonderful Father's Day!

Go visit Friday Fragments' summer home at Unknown Mami's place!

Get Your Frag On

Once again, I am EXTREMELY glad that it is Friday.  Like, so glad I could kiss the calendar.

School's out for Summer.  Happy about that as well!

We had a really good time on Thursday evening.  Byron and I and all of my kids went to my parents' house for dinner.  My son's friend Nic also came along.  AND...my Mother-in-Law came!  This was her first time visiting my parents' house.  We had BBQ ribs and baked potatoes (cooked by me), yellow and zucchini squash (cooked by Shelbie), and a delicious strawberry dessert (made by my Mama).
I love how my mom and MIL hit it off so well.  They are peas in a pod.  They even like the same BIZARRE snack - a banana sandwich.  WITH MAYONNAISE.  *GAG*

Tim's friend Nic and my parents' dog, Ace

I haven't been thrifting in FOREVER and we're planning on going tomorrow.  YAY!
Then I get to see my Hayleigh-girl, and Byron and my Dad are planning on going fishing.
That should be....interesting.

OK, sorry for the short frags but I'm dozing off and having dreams of monkeys in hospital beds.  I'm not even kidding.

Have a great weekend!

Summer's Coming: Fragments de Friday Free for All

~ Whew, am I glad it's FRIDAY!  This week at work kicked my behind.

~ A friend posted this on his Facebook wall last week, and I found it SO inspiring:

"They can't kill your dreams, so they assassinate your character. Remember, those you don't love you can't hurt you. It feels good to be surrounded by loving friends and family. Everyone isn't so fortunate. #Grateful" 

My dreams will NOT be killed!

~ My girls only have three more days of school left.  I am very much looking forward to summer!  Although, I am slightly in denial that Shelbie will be a SENIOR next year.

~ Is it any wonder that I think my son, Tim,  is the coolest kid guy ever?  How many 20 year old guys do you know who have tea parties with one-year-olds?

I love their expressions.  =)

~ From the "Ya can't make this crap up" files:
I got this email the other day that I just had to share with you all.  I didn't respond at first, so she even re-sent it to follow up.  Can they possibly be serious?

"Cyndy,
We write articles for KennyMyers.com. I came across your site, and thought your readers might be interested in a new article that we wrote. It's called “10 FAMOUS LAWYERS NAMED KEN YOU MAY DEBATE”, and you can find it here:http://www.kennymyers.com/blah/10-famous-lawyers-named-ken-you-may-debate/. If it is something you find interesting and think your readers would as well, you can possibly consider mentioning it on your site. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you for your time and I hope you enjoy the article." 


 ....They didn't even offer compensation for this weirdness.
After the follow up email, I replied very simply.

~ The other day my Mom posted a couple of pictures on Facebook from our wedding "reception" party and I wanted to share them with y'all.

Sigh....I adore him.

Such good memories.

Cake Smash!
I love him like a Fat Mama loves wedding cake.
I still love him just as much as I did on our wedding day!
Which was 2.5 months ago.
Hee hee!

~ Check these out ....

On Sunday I am making my first blackberry cobbler of the season.
We are LOADED with blackberries 'round here!  YUM!

Alrighty, my friends!   

Keep calm and Frag On, 
and have a fantastic weekend!

P.S. Those of you who have had some problems with seeing my photos,
could you please let me know if you can see these?
There are 5 photos total, not including the Frag & Free for All Buttons.
Thanks!

Family, Friends and Frags

~ I worked a weird schedule this week.  A co-worker asked me to switch a day with her.  She is the same one who switched with me in March, enabling me and Byron to run off and get married last-minute, so I was happy to help her out.  I worked Monday and Tuesday, was off Wednesday and Thursday, and I work Friday night, then I'm off Saturday and Sunday.  It's like having two weekends in one week.  Kinda cool!

~ Dusty is Shelbie's boyfriend.  He has cancer.  His mom is Heather, my friend from high school.  I LOVE her.  She also drives me crazy.  BUT...when she calls and asks me if I can do her a favor and take Dusty to his chemo appointment?  I can't say no to that.
It is so surreal to hear her explaining that the length of the appointment depends on his blood counts and whether or not he needs a transfusion....sigh.
He's strong. He can fight this.  That's what I keep telling myself.

~ Tonight (Thursday night) we went to my parents' house for dinner.  Hayleigh was there and OMG.  She is at my FAVORITE AGE (between one and two).  She is SO funny, cute, adorable, etc......I just wanna freeze her!  She sings, dances, talks, plays,  And my kids adore her.

~ This weekend we're going to the Springs to celebrate a friend's birthday and Memorial Day.
I can't wait!  I love this time of year.


~ More and more every day, I realize that my husband is the perfect man FOR ME.

Hope y'all have a great weekend!! 

Super Silly Sleepy Fragments

~~ I had a really great week at work.  The icing on the cake was, I got my first official written positive feedback from a patient.  She is a former ICU nurse from another local hospital.  I also happened to walk in and overhear her on the phone telling her husband how awesome I was (in fact, she threatened to fire him as her caretaker and replace him with ME).  Sometimes, I love my job!

~~ I worked Wednesday night and stayed up all day today (Thursday).  We had errands to run, then I just hung out with the hubby, MIL and the girls.  I got silly-tired in the evening.  We were all cracking up.  I even had my totally NON-giggly husband giggling.
{In fact, I have laughed a LOT this week.  I guess I'm just easily amused......}
On the way home, I was just bleary-eyed exhausted.
However, I am currently at the point of Past Tired.  I've been up for 31 hours now, and am sitting in my bed on the computer.  Please send Mr. Sandman my way.

~~ I am incredibly blessed, and was reminded of that today.  I had two people I love dearly, do something for me that showed me how very much they love ME.  It was overwhelming.  And wonderful.

~~ Y'all, this is dead-on accurate.

~~ And I just plain LOVE this.

~~ My Mama posted this on my Facebook.  It reminds me so much of our home.  I love it.

~~ My friend is pregnant with her first baby and this is how they announced it to her Mother-in-Law.  I LOVE it!!!

Wishing y'all a wonderful weekend!  

Pretty Much

** Thank you all for your comments on Shelbie's artwork!  I showed them to her and she loved it.  =)


** My sweet hubby is taking me away to the beach for my birthday!  Y'all - I turn 40 on Saturday!  WOOT WOOT It honestly doesn't bother me AT ALL.  We have a lot of fun plans and I'm excited!  St Augustine - my favorite place on the planet - I can't wait!

** I am so blessed with an AWESOME Mother-in-Law this time around.  Not only that, but my parents actually have a relationship with her- so much so, that we are all celebrating Mothers' Day at  MIL's house.  I'm cooking! This is so much nicer than dividing time or alternating years.  It's all one big, happy family!

** Also, I pretty much have the best son on the planet.  He is 20 years old but he still tells me he loves me every time we talk on the phone - even when he's at work, surrounded by guys.  And he says it FIRST.  He is also taking care of our pets while we're away this weekend.  He pretty much is awesome.  Proud Mama right here!

** So, that's pretty much all I've got.  I'm out for the weekend.  Wishing you all the best, and a wonderful Mother's Day!

Happy Frag-Day

I am so happy that Mrs 4444 is using my button idea!  It came to me last Friday as I was composing my fragments and I just thought it was TOO cute.

Remember I told you that I stopped drinking soda?  I haven't fallen off the wagon yet - AND I have lost 3 lbs since quitting DIET soda.  Go me!

Last night there was a curriculum fair at Elayna's school and an art show at Shelbie's school.
The main draw of the curriculum fair (for the kids, at least) was a teacher/administrator dunking booth.  It was rainy and cool and I felt bad for the teachers!  But they were good sports.

Both Shelbie and my stepson, Tyler, had art in the show.  I am going to do a whole post featuring Shelbie's artwork (she had quite a few pieces, plus I have a framed piece of hers from last year that she gave me) because I am just SO proud of it!  But I will share Tyler's two pieces here:

The boy likes fish.

This is my yard right now.

It has rained, and rained, and rained, and RAINED.  I am OVER it.  Our road is darned near impassible; if we didn't have a four wheel drive, I really don't think we'd make it.  Enough already!  Mama needs SUNSHINE!

Had we not eloped, we'd have been getting married tomorrow.  Here on our property, the aforementioned wetlands.  I can't imagine how stressed I would be right now! I'm more happy than ever that we eloped.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Also linking up with Stacy's Friday Free for All!

Just a Little Random Fraggin'

~~Well hellooo my friends!
I had a very good Friday.
My mother-in-law and I went to lunch together, just the two of us.  I just love her, such a sweetie.  We had a great time.  Then we picked Elayna up from school.

~~Then we all (hubby, MIL, me, Tim, Elayna, and Shelbie) went to Tyler's baseball game.

Then MIL, hubby and I and the girls went to a pizza place for dinner.

YUM!!!

I am so glad the weekend is here.  My girls are here, my son will probably be with us tomorrow - we are going to my parents' house to help with yard work, since my dad is not well right now.

~~~~To DD- Drink on, my friend.  Cheers.  Keep digging.  MUAH. (PS - really? up at 3:20 a.m. commenting on my blog?  CRAY CRAY!!!!)

Have a fantastic weekend!!!!!

My Fun Friday Fragments

I had a pretty good day today!


**The hubby and I got up and ran errands.  I finally got all of the most important things changed to my new last name.

**Then we picked the girls up from school and ran more errands.

** I got an iPhone today.  It's my first. I really liked my Android (it was a Galaxy), but they did an update recently and my phone has been glitching ever since.  So I decided to give the iPhone a try. I'm having fun playing with it and getting used to it so far, and totally annoying people by sending them Emojis.

**When we got home I cooked a yummy dinner; "Philly" cheesesteaks and fries.

** I realize this may not sound like a lot of fun, but hey - I'm a simple girl!
And just hanging out together is fun.  We all crack each other up!
I'm very happy to get my name changed too; it feels like the final closing of a chapter of my life that REALLY needed to be closed.

** Also, I've been in a bit of a funk lately; over exhausted and stressed due to my Dad's surgery and life in general.  But a great friend helped me a lot just by talking to me, and today made me feel even better.

** My friend also sent me this.  She SO gets me!

My dad is doing GREAT.  He went home from the hospital on Tuesday.  We all went over there last night; I took them burgers so my mom wouldn't have to cook.  He is walking around the house and yard just like he always did - and this was less than a week post triple bypass surgery.  AND HE IS 76.
I come from strong stock.

OMGosh, y'all, speaking of Emojis, my son just sent me this.  

I love that kid!!  He cracks me up!

I'm such a crazy combination of old as dirt and yet, staying current.  I was recently reading something printed on a package and because I'm OLD, I had to hold it out far from my eyeballs in order to read it.  But because I am CURRENT, I tried to stretch it out to make it bigger with my fingers as if it were a touch screen.

DORK!

Hope y'all have a great weekend!

Good Friday Fragments

' 

You know what I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around?
The fact that my son, my firstborn child, turns 20 tomorrow.  TWENTY.  That alone is mind-blowing, but here's the kicker - when I was twenty, I had just given birth to him!  He was about 6 weeks old on my twentieth birthday.
Mind=blown.

My dad's surgery got postponed from this past Tuesday till today (Friday).  Of course, I have a doctor's appointment and other important stuff that I have to do today. But - I'll get it all done and spend as much time as possible at the possible and IT WILL BE OKAY.  REPEAT AFTER ME.  IT WILL BE OKAY.

When the aforementioned TWENTY YEAR OLD Tim was just a sweet tiny tot, he had several surgeries; tubes in his ears twice, tonsils and adenoids removed, and then the big one, brain surgery.  Back when his very first surgery ever was scheduled I was beside myself; I knew the tubes were a 'minor surgery' but when it involved my baby boy going under, it didn't feel minor.  Well, the surgeon's office called the week before the surgery and informed me that they were going to postpone the surgery due to the doctor's schedule and I promptly burst into tears.  I felt like I could not go an extra MINUTE worrying, I needed it OVER AND DONE.  I am not usually a crier at all, especially around strangers.  The nice doctor's office lately said, "Um, hold on just a minute", and then came back to the phone and told me "Never mind, your son's surgery will proceed as scheduled." Score one for the hysterical crying Mama!  I told my mom she should've tried that when they rescheduled my dad's surgery......

I'm not trying to make you jealous or anything, but my husband puts the toilet seat down AND changes the toilet paper roll.  He also takes the trash out....AND puts a new trash bag in the can.  All of this without being asked, much less nagged.  Back off ladies, he's taken.

Looks like our Easter is shaping up to be a good one!  I originally figured we wouldn't do much of anything.  Instead, provided my Dad is recovering well, we're having a bunch of people over from both our families for a combination Easter/Tim's birthday celebration.  It will be fun celebrating with my great-niece Hayleigh, who is one year old!

Speaking of families  -  Byron's family and mine blend together so well.  Tonight my brother arrived in town for Dad's surgery, and we all met at a local pizza place for dinner.  At the last minute we invited my Mother-in-Law to join us.  She did, and we all had a great time.  It doesn't feel awkward at all for both families to be together, and I love that.  Same goes for Byron's son Tyler, and Tyler's girlfriend.  I love hanging out with all of them!

I post both of these every Easter - I just love 'em!

This goes out to my son; no matter how many birthdays he has, he'll always be MY baby!

And don't forget to visit Mrs 4444 for more Friday Fragments!

Darned Near Perfect

Today was basically, in my world, a darned near perfect day.
I worked last night and came home, fell into bed, and slept for a few hours.
Then it was time to pick up the girls.  Hunter's son T had a baseball game after school, so we went to watch him play.  My son came too - which I just loved.  He doesn't know H's son that well and it just warmed this Mama's heart for him to come to his baseball game.  Hunter's son's girlfriend was there too, along with her mother, and we all hung out.  It was a blast. Oh AND the team won.  Bonus!

Afterwards, we all went out for dinner and Hunter's mom met us there.  My son Tim got to the restaurant before we did so when we got there, he was sitting chatting with Hunter's mom, just the two of them.  So funny.  Hunter and I LOVED that.  Over dinner, Tim and Hunter's son bonded over making fun of me.  Thanks, guys!  And Shelbie and T's girlfriend talked more than they ever have before.  It's such a great group of kids!  I love teenagers....and my little pre-teen too, of course.  (and holy crap I just realized my son won't be a teenager any more as of next month!  Yikes!)

Dinner was a blast too, and delicious.  Latin food....YUM!
Tomorrow will be fun too - T has another game.  This one is out of town.  H and I are going, and taking Shelbie and T's girlfriend with us.  Poor Hunter will be totally outnumbered! Ha!


Speaking of Hunter.
I could write a whole blog about the stuff Hunter says.  Today we were buying plants from Walmart.  We got caladium bulbs, one of my very favorites.  H says, "What kind of plants are they again? Chlamydia?"
Um, no, babe.  BIG difference.  And just now about something on TV - "UGH.  That is GROTESQUE." I heart him.

I made these Cookies & Cream Cookies this week.  HIGHLY recommend.  I took some to work and everyone who tried them LOVED them.

We'll be planting trees and plants this weekend (LOTS of chlamydia).  AND...I'm getting CHICKENS!!  It's been many years since I've had chickens and I've wanted some more for so long.  I can't wait to finally get some!

We're also on a mission to take out some of the hogs that keep coming up in our yard.  Nasty, destructive critters - but delicious!

Hope y'all have a great weekend!

Quick Frags

I totally made a typo on that subject line at first.
A very offensive typo.

Its not my fault.  Today I treated myself; I got my hair, eyebrows, and nails done (love making a itty bitty bit of money off of my blog!).  Darn nails are making me type things I have NO intention of typing!

this is pre-eyebrow-wax. ignore the caterpillars.

I deleted my Blog Facebook page today.  I doubt anyone even noticed; I rarely even log on there, much less post or interact in any way.  I may put a blog page on my personal Facebook.  Not quite sure yet.  If you want to find me on my personal FB, I'm not hard to find at all.

I really, truly appreciate the kind and non-judgmental support that I've received from all of you regarding the divorce and Hunter and all that good stuff.  I have made some wonderful relationships via this blog and I appreciate them!

We have a fun, friend/family filled weekend planned.  Tonight my best friend, Danielle, came over and saw my new home for the first time.  I LOVED visiting with her.  Tomorrow Hunter's mom is coming over and we're all going to Hunter's son's baseball game.  Sunday my niece and her family are coming over.  All of this adds up to a pretty perfect weekend for me!

Hope yáll have a good one too!!