Bittersweet

I can't believe I don't have to go to work today. It's been nice to know I can get some things done and I don't have to stress about making sure I get enough rest because of having to go back right away. I do miss my friends, tho....

New Life

Tomorrow is my last day at AT&T...for 30 days leave of absence...to go out on the truck with the love of my life. My team is the absolute best. They had a potluck, which I knew about, and brought me presents, which I didn't. They got me a 2011 road atlas which is perfect because the one I had before is from 2004 and I've been eyeing the new one but hadn't gotten around to getting it...a fancy journal which is big enough to use as a scrap book of our travels...pens, sunglasses...and best of all this amazing pink baseball cap that is sooooo me that it couldn't have been better if I'd picked it out myself!!!

New Year's Resolutions

I resolve to eat healthier, drink less beer, exercise more, send birthday/anniversary cards....and, most importantly, not be so hard on myself when I slip up. I just have to remind myself that all I can do is the best I can and that will be good enough. I think if maybe I'm nicer to myself I'll want to be a better person and the rest will fall into place. Whacha think world?

Xmas 2009

Santa was pretty good to us this year even though he was broke by the time he got to us. I got a foot bath and electric kettle. Matt and the boys got some videos and games they'd been wanting along with way too much candy...can you have too much? Shayne spent christmas with us again this year as last year. Alex made it home right before a big snow storm hit his college town in the mountains. Jason is his usual sweet, quiet self.

We found a doctor for Matt who really seems interested in helping us. Matt gets to swallow a camera some time next month to check his small intestine since the top and bottom parts are okay. They found a spot on his lung that they said don't worry about but they're going to check again in 6 months which has me worried. Sigh.

Work is fine. I'm coming up on my 5 year anniversary on Feb 7. I've never worked anywhere this long before...quite an accomplishment for me. Next goal: get Jason graduated and moved on to his next big adventure, whatever that may be.

Update on Jason

Jason finally got his driving permit...I tease him and tell people to stay off the road now! ha! He was a bit worried to take the test because it's been so long since he had driver's ed but he did fine. He snatched the keys away from me right away and drove us away from the DMV. He's not happy about driving a stick shift but I told him he just needs practice and he'll be fine.

He's in 11th grade this year, taking general college classes along with his high school classes. Only 3 years to go.

Update on Alex

Alex is really enjoying college life. He's focusing on philosophy, creative writing and
Japanese. So far he really likes his classes and teachers. He did say that college English classes are a lot harder than high school!

Sunday he went with some friends along the Appalachian Trail for a few hours. He's meeting all kinds of wonderful new people and doing new things which is wonderful.

Tomorrow he's getting a new roommate. He got along fine with his old one but Derrick met a guy with whom he has more in common who was not getting along with his roommate who has
more in common with Alex...whew! Alex isn't concerned. He's pretty much going with the flow.

where does time go?

So, like, wow! we just got back from the university open house. It was great and I'm so jealous of Alex and this new life he's jumping into. It was just like yesterday that was us going out into the world. It all went by so fast. Now I have to stop and remind myself that in a few short years we will be going into the next phase of our lives, the kids will be gone and we get to start over acting young but being wiser.

Good News!

Alex got his acceptance letter to Western Carolina University which he will start in the fall...I'm so proud!

I DID IT!!!

I had to mark this date and tell everyone that I finally touched my toes today! I've been working out, trying to get my body back (pre-medical-B*S*-fiasco) and I was just able to bend over completely to touch the tips of my toes. Yea! Next goal is to touch the floor.

Shame on me!

Look how long it's been since I last posted! Life is good for us right now. The boys are doing well in school, Matt's off in Louisiana hauling sweet potatoes (yuck!) and livestock. I'm finally working part-time, the point of which was to have time to do more at home but so far I've only really caught up on my favorite TV programs!

Here's a pic of our recent trip to Virginia for Matt's late father's family reunion. In order: me, Jason, Aunt Kay (Matt's dad's sister), Grandma holding the most spoiled little poodle I've ever met, Matt and Alex. Looks like Jason's almost taller than Alex in this pic. I don't think he really is, though....yet. And look! I'm finally wearing jeans! yea!! I'm feeling very heavy right now so I'm still wearing big clothes but I'm working on it. Yesterday I did aerobics in the morning and in the evening the boys and I went to this very nice park with a lit, paved walking path. We walked a bit over a mile. We would've gone another round but I hadn't changed into proper walking shoes. Maybe tonight we'll go again.

It's finally starting to feel like autumn. I went to let the dogs out and the air was crisp and cool. You could smell the changing of the season. Poor Matty is missing it again. Maybe next year.

Good News!

Jason got into the Early College High School program for the coming year! We're all very excited and proud. :)

beach pics

playing hookie...

I played hookie from work today and went to the beach... walked about 2 miles down and 4 miles back....I swear, it really was twice as far coming back! Got pics of a washed up jellyfish, a little crab that looked like it's pincers were ripped off and had a little bite out of it's side but it was still kicking. I got 2 FULL sand-dollars and then won 35.00 on a scratch off lottery ticket! Not a bad day at all!

Summertime!

Yes, summer is upon us once again. Yea! The sun is shining (well it's overcast today)the birds are singing and I finally get a day off. Oh, well, I have to run the boys up to get haircuts and I've got about a billion projects going here but.... I live for it. I'm trying to get some goats to help out around the yard as I can never seem to keep a lawn mower running for any length of time and it gets very expensive to keep paying the gardener. Will let you know how that goes.

I've added a link on the right over there for y'all to see Craig, Trish and the kiddies.... ALL the little kiddies! I keep telling them we know what causes that! http://rndllfam.blogspot.com/ (I didn't know I could add that in my blog! cool!

Also you can BUY AVON FROM ME over there. Please buy avon from me!!

I'm finally re-doing the bathroom floor. It's been bare fiberboard since one of the Hurricanes (Bonnie I think) about 9 or 10 years ago. I was filling up the tub and walked away from it for just a sec and then in typical-Kari-like fashion got distracted and completely forgot about it. Only to discover a while later my bathroom floor completely flooded and the carpet ruined. (who puts carpet in a bathroom anyway???) So I'm laying pretty little sticky tiles of vinyl. It was only 20 bucks so if I screw it up at least it's better than what it was and I can always have it done professionally later....much later....like when I win the lottery! ha! Or maybe I can convince my stinky baby bro to come out here and help me. Matty's a great guy but I 'bout have to beat the hell out of him to get any laborous help around the house. He's just not a fixer-upper kinda guy. What's a girl to do? Do it my damn self, that's what! ha again!

Update

We're fine here. Just waiting around for vacation. We're all very excited about it. We're going to try to leave Thursday night (april 5) after work and Matt's just going to drive straight thru so we should be there sometime Friday night. He'll probably just want to eat and go to bed but he'll be fine by morning. He's used to it.
I'm looking forward to showing off all 3 of my men to Grandma and Dad, Aunt Sue, Uncle Ted and hopefully a cousin or two. They won't recognize the shorter ones! I almost feel weird calling them boys now because when I say that I think of them as being about 3 and 5. Jason will be 15 on Wednesday and I just can't believe it! Just yesterday I was carrying him around on one arm and I must've blinked because he's about 3 inches taller than I and is just starting to get the first little fuzz of mustache. Speaking of facial hair....Alex....my gawd!! I don't know where he gets it from but he is the hairiest teenager I've ever seen! Thick, dark hair everywhere! Even on his back! And he gets a 5 o'clock shadow! He's thinned out alot but you can't tell because he's still self-conscious of his weight and wears baggy clothes. They're both just so adorable and are turning into just the most incredible people, in spite of their parents!.....maybe because of? lol

More pics

So I guess it goes Anna, Bekah, Craig, Trish and Kaid.

My new nephew: Quinn Michael Randall

Pics in order...I hope.

You should see mama Trish, papa Craig (my baby bro), sis Bekah,

sis Anna, bro Kaid.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Howdy y'all. I know it's been a while since I sat down and actually wrote something. I could say alot has happened but it's really just the daily struggle of being on my own again because Matt has gone back over the road trucking. I think I said that in a previous post. It's difficult but it's definitely time for us to finish what we started before I got sick. It'll be worth it because when he comes home for good we'll be in a much better place financially which will allow us to concentrate on us instead of the constant worry about money. And we'll be getting ready to get the kids out on their own so that will be a whole new adventure altogether!

You'll all be happy to know that I'm doing much better physically. I'm completely off the methadone but I still take a small dose of neurontin at night and motrin thru-out the day. I can pick things up off the floor if I'm careful and I can paint my own toenails. That was a big thing for me. I really hate to say it but going back to work full-time forced me to get well. I still have a way to go but I can "see the light at the end of the tunnel" as Matt likes
to say.

So I had to take the day off Friday because Jason got into a fight on
Thursday and I had to have a meeting with the principal. He got
suspended because it's school policy but everyone, including his
teachers AND the school cop said he was in the right because this kid
has been bullying Jas and others for a long time. Jas has such a kind
heart that he holds all his anger in and it finally came out. Jas was
bumped and bruised but he got his licks in good on the other kid... and
this kid was BIG. The suspension is really no big deal because he's
already taken all of his end of semester tests, so he was off Friday,
Monday is a holiday (MLK day), off Tuesday, Wednesday (which both
teachers said they aren't really doing anything exciting, goes back
Thursday to get whatever he did miss, then Friday is a teacher work
day! He has a book report coming up so I said he'd better write one
helluva good one!

In taking the day off, I decided to run the dog to the vet to get his
nails clipped because they were out of control crazy long, way past
due. I took him to our normal place but it was full of all new girls. I
told them that they would need to medicate Buck for the nail clipping
because he has a really serious THING about it. They said, "You
mean a muzzle, right?" I said, "No, I mean MEDICATION. If you
just muzzle him, he'll come out of it and bite you." Don't listen to
me; I've only known him for 13 years and you've known him for all of
13 seconds, but you're the expert, right? I signed the paperwork
saying it was okay to sedate him but when I picked him up they said
they didn't. I was like WOW, and nobody got bit? She's all, "Well,
no, I don't think so, but next time I think we'll sedate him."
AAAAAAAHHHHHH!! Stupid girl! He's old, you know! The stress
of not sedating him might give him a heart attack! Next time I'm
going to INSIST and if they don't want to do it I'll take him some
place else.

Buon Natale!

If I'm not mistaken that's Merry Xmas in Italian. I remember we said it all the time over there this time of year. Hope all is well for everyone. I've been very busy with the kids and just trying to maintain with Matt gone so sorry if my writings are sparse. We're all doing well. Not really much to report. I hope everyone has wonderful holidays and sending y'all happy thoughts for the new year. I won't send Xmas cards this year but hopefully I'll get around to it by Valentine's! I'll try to get all 3 of my men up to get family pics by then.

Matt's new job

Matt left this evening for Indianapolis to start a new job driving over-the-road again. This time he won't be leasing so he won't have to work quite so hard and for so long and he'll actually get paid vacation time. We've decided to go ahead and finish what we started before I got sick. We had a plan. Since then we've just been trying to get by and now it's time. I've really gotten used to him being at home so it's going to be a real adjustment again but it's not like he's leaving the country, like my poor little baby bro' :( and I can call him every night. We don't see alot of each other during the week anyway because often he's asleep by the time I get home. I hope to get an earlier shift soon. Well, really, we're all doing okay. It'll be nice to get caught up on the bills and have spending money again. My love to all.