Sunday, January 18, 2009

Reminiscing...

This morning an old friend from high school (I know that makes it sound like ages ago, haha) tagged me in 2 pics on Facebook. So, i looked at all of the pics from her high school days at ACA. So, after lookin at these pics it sent me back remembering things gone by. Memories are wonderful things. You can remember joy, excitement, and happiness, but also sadness and sorrow. A lot of times memories tend to make things seem better than they actually were, or bad things worse than they actually more. So for some things I remember...

-I don't actually remember my Papa Hoschar (dad's dad) i do remember a few things about the summer we stayed with him when our house was moved onto our land however. I was about 3 i think. I remember playing cars on his front porch, driving my cars along his porch railing, and the cars falling in the bushes. Mom would tell my sister's to get my cars they'd say, "Why do we have to get them?" Mom would say, "Cuz she's too little". I remember my sister push mowin my Papa's small city yard, and me following her with my bubble mower I got for my 4th birthday. My Papa apparently had hours of prayer & devotions in the mornings, I remember peeking through the keyhole of his bedroom trying to see him, one morning.

More recent things (these are NOT in order)-

- I remember tons of walk a thons at LBA
-I remember (perhaps) my first day of school ever. Walking into the classroom with my mom, and Mrs. Patti Cox (the kindergarten teacher at the time) saying "wow she already found her seat" or something to that affect (because i found my desk right away
-I remember in 4th grade being embarrased to death when the boy I liked announced to our whole tables (the desks were in groups of 4 or something) that we liked each other.
-I remember the first boy I ever liked, and he liked me. I was 4, he was 5.
-I remember my first day of high school & my first day at GBS! I was SOO scared, I was like shaking. Dad walked me up to the high school floor. And stayed with me, until I saw people I knew (Tara Campbell & Sandra Holden)
-I remember finding out that I was going to be an aunt for the first time
-I remember the day September 11, 2001. I was in junior high at LBA. They didn't tell us what happened, but they brought a memo in from the office & our teacher, Mrs. Burkett gasped when she read it. We were guessing all kinds of things- a schoolwide lice epidemic, a war, etc. Then, kids started going home early. 9/11/01 didn't affect me all that much, since i was only 12 and didn't even know what the twin towers were.
-I remember the eve of the first Bush election, staying up listening to 700 WLW & Billy Cunningham (who was at that time for "Georgey Bush")
-I remember saying "If Bush wins I'll run around the outside of our house 20 times, shouting" (Pretty sure i never did that)
-I remember when I went to Bush rally the day before the 2nd election. That was SOO exciting (and the most awake i've ever been at 5 am)
-I remember when I heard that Sedona had been born. I was at my sister Tonya's house in N.C. & it was like 4 am. Needless to say, neither me nor tonya could sleep after that.
-I remember the going away party we had at LBA for long-time 2nd grade teacher, Miss Peteroti (and i remember when i was in Kindergarten or 1st grade thinking her name was Miss Pepperoni)
-I remember how in 3rd grade, I could never get the list of seat work (aka busy work) done.
-I remember in 4th grade on my "Ohio" project getting a "103" because I put "too much effort" into it and another girl got "105"
-I remember in 6th grade, our teacher letting us make prank calls on her cell phone during class.
-I remember the same teacher getting mad at us and slamming the yard stick on the overhead projector and breaking it (the projector) before leaving the room.
-I remember in 6th grade, the only time i got in trouble. One morning before school I found a hashbrown in my desk, I asked my good friend, Tara C, what i should do with it, "Put it in Jason's locker" I did. He put it in Garrett's locker. I got in trouble, "not because i did a joke but because it carried". I remember standing on the walk at recess (the punishment) and almost crying when another teacher asked "why in the world are you here for?"
-I remember the many pilgrim/indian dressup days at LBA, when in the younger years I usually dressed as a cowgirl or indian, when i got older i came as a pioneer (cuz i loved the long flowy dresses)
-I remember arriving at many LBA christmas programs in the standard Christmas Program Black Skirt & White Shirt, and being SOO proud to be a LBA student.
-I remember how our class was known as the "most spiritual" class at LBA & also how the first kid to ever get kicked out of LBA was in our class.
-I remember when my aunt had my cousin (now 11 y/o) going back to see him. She promised me i could hold him all day the next day but in the night he turned blue and had to be taken to the hospital
-I remember locking my sis & one of her former bfs out on the back deck once ages ago
-I remember when my sister's got married (in June & September 2001)
- I remember not crying at all through my sister, Tonya's (first one to get married) wedding, reception, or cleaning up the church afterward until I read a letter she wrote us (on the way home) that made everyone cry, including me.
- I remember the night I heard that Glen Payne, from the Cathedrals, had died.
- I remember the many trips to "Rite Aid" with my oldest sis Jess, after she was out of high school & just working (she would always buy me tons of stuff). I remember sneaking a giant size Hershey bar in the cart, her buying it then getting mad at me that I didn't tell her about it.
-I remember the Christmas Dinner at church when Bill (now my brother in law) had asked our pastor's wife to seat us at our table (he was just beginning to "date" "like" whatever, my sis jess) we got there first and found his nametag was by dad's with a empty seat then Jess. I promptly moved his nametag next to Jessica's (we knew he didn't want to sit by dad)
-I remember the evening after my freshman year, high school, awards ceremony. I hadn't expected to get any awards, but had placed 1rst or 2nd in every class. I remember then determining to keep it up & get valedictorian with 4.0 gpa.
- I remember when i found out i had made an A- in either choir or computer in high school. I cried all the way home (because A- was NOT 4.0) we got the situation fixed, however.
-I remember all the morning's of NOT wanting to go to our high school choir PR services
- I remember my 8th grade graduation, my relatives from W VA came in-cousin Joseph was sick, coughing, they gave him Benedryl or something & he slept the whole service
-I remember the agony of waiting for Cam to be born (he was a week late)
-I remember the sadness & disbelief when I learned a beloved (to everyone) teacher GBS high school was leaving (end of JR year)
-I remember the shock & sorrow when I found out my K-8 principal, Mr Dean Truesdale was in the hospital and later passed away
-I remember a dear, old lady from church whom I always called "Grandma". I also remember when she died, a long time ago
-I remember playing Army, McDonalds, Christmas and much more with Stephanie Jowers (Arnold)
- I remember the years and years of carpooling to LBA with Margaret Jowers & Stephanie.
- I remember later on when Daren Berkebile & Nate Jarasat joined our carpooling.
-I remember the sadness when in 5th grade my best friend that whole year, the last week of school told me "I'm tired of hanging out with you" and started hanging out with the most popular girl in the class.
-I remember when (in high school) Craig (my brother in law) called us to let us know his mother had passed away (with cancer). I remember traveling down to N.C. for the layout & funeral.
-I remember high school graduation, it was soo hard to believe i actually made it & was graduating. It was so bittersweet
- I remember senior trip. too bad our class had to wait that long to truly bond & grow close. I remember the evening devotional times we had on SR trip in our Gatliburg cabin. I remember how i always went to bed before everyone else (who stayed up half the night)
-I remember how in high school, i somehow always was friends with seniors, they would leave and i'd have to start over again the next year. I remember senior year my best friend was a non-GBS person. I remember the months of hurt when that person let me down.
-I remember orientation week to GBS college. I was SOO scared I wouldn't make friends & didn't know many people. I remember the joy when i made a good friend. I remember the sadness & hurt when that friend abruptly changed towards me & let me down that next spring (what hurt worse was I had told her how much the friend my SR yr had hurt me and she did the exact same thing to me). These are "ancient" history now, but they are still huge memories for me that would be unfair to leave out seeing as how they helped me come to the person I am now.
- I remember March of 08. when i got that letter from Christ College (of nursing...) and knew it said either i was accepted or rejected. I froze when i got it before opening it.
-I remember all the preparation for nursing school. All the shots, DRs visits, CPR class, all the trips to the college for random things (uniform trying on, registration, meeting my advisor, pre registering, etc)
-I remember the excitement when I learned another GBS girl (one my my bffs bff) was going to Christ College too.
-I remember praying that summer for God to give me some good, true friends. (since all my best friends had either let me down & hurt me or just kinda drifted out of my life/losing touch, not seeing each other etc)
- I remember the joy when i realized God had given me 2 really awesome totally different best friends.
-I remember all the studying and schoolwork last semester
-I remember how i didn't try as hard as I should have, but God still rewarded me
-I remember all the prayer's that went out finals week & the happiness & joy i felt when i learned I had achieved my academic goals for that semester.

I could list more, but you get the point. It has been a while since I last posted, but after posting TONS of Christmas posts not one person commented so i just didn't feel like posting. I do know some people read this however, 2 people who don't have blogs, told me they read this/or do when they have time. I know this is a different sorta post, but some of these things were floating through my head all morning, and i just had to get them out in writing. Thanks for reading...

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Almost forgot-the pic of my pic!!

I almost forgot! Here is the pic of the picture I got for Christmas. It's in a mat & frame but i zoomed in so you could see the details better. I described it in an earlier post so I won't now. If you want to see it better just click on it to see it big.

My last Christmas Post- A few random pics

I bought dad that shirt for Christmas. Didn't know if he'd wear it but I liked it. He put the hat on (he got at a flea market) and got one of his guns to make this goofy pic to send to Jose (a friend in Mexico)

At Jess n Bill's the Tuesday after Christmas. Cam in his big gift from his mommy n daddy and Bill's parents (i think)

My 2 cuties wearin the shirts i bought them for Christmas. I bought Sedona a Wall-E shirt. I also bought the kids each a little "Mack" truck (from "Cars") with 3 cars on it. You can't tell that Brice is almost 2 years younger than Cam in this pic can you? lol, cuz Cam is so tiny & brice, let me just say, he LOVES to eat!!

well, that finishes my Christmas posts! Finally. so now, when I go back to school all i have to worry about is posting new stuff that happens!!

New Years-we didn't do much. The week after Christmas Tonya stayed with us since Craig was gone on a trip all week. That was pretty fun. but we didn't really do anything for New Years Eve. New Years day we went up to Wilmington and ate at a buffet that dad(and us) really like & did a lil shopping (in the few stores that were open)

well, that's all for now. hope you enjoyed all many posts and pics, hope i didn't overwhelm yaal. I have to leave in...2 hours for church and i need to practice piano & pack the rest of my clothes to take back down to my apt tonight.

Please pray for me this week if you think about it. I start school Monday, and have classes Monday,Tuesday,Thursday, and clinicals on Wednesdays. I was looking at the syllabi onlin this afternoon and it seems that this semester is going to be a LOT harder so any prayers i would be grateful for!

More Christmas


Sedona & Papa
Cam with a gift that he had really wanted!!

Brice with 2 of his favorite gifts. Baby bottle pop & mop

Sedona opening her gifts beside Papa

Christmas Pics

All the gifts while they were spread out (when we were organizing them) I had to take this pic to prove how much we had under that tree!!

In Christmas-es past when my sister's were home Tonya was always the one to wake us ALL up. she was always the most excited about Christmas. Mom says when Tonya was little she would unwrap things throwing paper over both shoulders while Jess would take her time & try to not rip the paper. Well, now that the girls are gone, it's just mom, dad, and me on Christmas mornings. This year we just set a specific time to open gifts, to allow mom enough time to get dinner on. So we got up and got ready. The big part was diggin out ALL the gifts under the tree to find ours. After we did that we put the rest back, and started unwrapping, taking turns, mom, dad, me, etc. we actually didn't take any pics while unwrapping, sorry, and i didn't actually take a pic of all my stuff either, sorry again. Dad took a pic of me with stack of gifts before i opened them but it was a bad pic (= not posting it). I did get a lot of nice stuff though. Mom & Dad cut down on their spending this year, but you never would have known it to look at all the stuff I got. Mom & Dad gave me a choice earlier in the year between something that I would "really like" or something I needed, becuase the couldn't get them both. Well, of course i chose the something i would like, because just getting something you need isn't as fun. Well the thing they had in mind (a hammered dulcimer) was more expensive than they thought, so they didn't get one. But when we were in Tennessee for vacation this summer we were in a lil christian bookstore and there was a really cool pic i liked, but it was too expensive. I LOVE patriotic stuff if yaal don't know and my room at home is decorated in it. It was a pic of Jesus with the symbols of America & Christianity, and he's crying. I REALLY liked this pic when i saw it, so i told my parents when they went back down just the 2 of them in like November or something if they still had it they could get it for me for Christmas. well, i really didn't think i would get it, but sure enough I unwrapped it on Christmas. Oh, and the thing i needed, i got that too (since they couldn't get the dulcimer). So anyways yeah, later Christmas morning, Tonya & Craig came out, then Jess, Bill, & the kids. We ate lunch. Then after lunch was over & at least cleared off the table we went 2 the living room for round 2 of gifts. we decided to do all the kids (sedona, cam, brice) first and get that cleaned up then the adults would go around and open ours. So, I helped Brice open his gifts. He loved the little packs of hotwheels (out of all the big things he liked the little things) also, tonya bought the kids a baby bottle pop sucker to go with what she bought them and that was another favorite of Brice's. That and a cheap toy mop mom picked up for Brice somewhere. Lol. After that we unwrapped our gifts, I got a "nursing" desk calender & perfume from jess n bill, and 2 shirts from tonya n craig. after that i pretty much played with the kids the rest the day I think. It was a good Christmas overall! :)
Mom's stack of gifts from me & dad

Tonya & Craig

Cam (before dinner)

2 lil cuties on Christmas
Waiting patiently for dinner so they can get their gifts afterwards.

I had Sedona sit on a can of that popcorn that they have out at christmas ya know with the 3 kinds in it?? well, dad got some as a gift from some parts people he uses (for work) so i had her sit on that in front of the fire

Christmas Eve Stuff

It's been a tradition in my family as far back as i can remember to give stockings on Christmas Eve night. Usually we buy candy/mints/gum and other little gifts pens/notepads/chapstick etc. Since my sister's got married, obviously just dad mom and I do it now. The first few years after the girls got married they bought mom's stocking stuff (mom buys mine and dads). The past few years however, I have bought mom's. The past 2 years I think i went with my sis tonya shopping for mom's stocking stuff, because 1-i don't like shopping alone and 2- i wouldn't know what all to get. So this year on Tonya's last school day before Christmas Friday, Dec 19 (she got out at noon) i drove down and picked her up and we went shopping all afternoon. She's a faster gift wrapper than me, so we wrapped most of mom's stocking stuff and half of mom's gifts from me & dad. Lol. When i was little I would beg to open a gift on Christmas Eve & my parents would let me. Now that I'm older i'd rather just save them till Christmas day!

My stocking & gifts
Somehow, I didn't get a pic of mom's stocking, well i did but it must have gotten deleted. Anyways this is mom's pile of stocking gifts.
Dad's gifts. It doesn't look like a lot since they're all piled together.

My gifts. It looks like i got the most since i spread them all out but i think mom actually got the most, by 1 or 2.

Self-portrait I took in front of the tree

In one of his sermon's our associate pastor mentioned a family in an illustration that you couldn't see the bottom 2 feet of their tree they bought so many presents. well, when he said this mom & me smiled at each other, cuz that was about the case with us. LOL. This might not look like a lot, but i stuffed all them gifts under there, and let me tell you there were gifts all around, under, behind the tree stacked up pretty solid.

Before Christmas Stuff

Here are a few pre-Christmas pics.



Our Christmas tree a few weeks before Christmas

Our very Christmasey living room.

Most years mom and dad buy each other some small stuff, but dad usually buys something big for mom.This year they decided to buy "each other" a big electric fireplace. Dad has always loved fireplaces, but we've never had one. So they bought this big one, it looks really nice in the living room, it can give off heat, and looks like a real fire w/o all the mess of a real one (it's also easier just to turn it off, lol). I was going to post pics of the living room before and after, but gave up looking for before pics, so sorry. Also, mom and dad put their money the church gave them for Christmas together and bought a nice light for the dining room. We just had a plain light on the ceiling before. It's amazing what a difference just 1 little light will make in a room, Again i gave up looking for "before" pics so just imagine what the room looked like! lol. Anyways this stuff was bought and "installed" (by dad) before Christmas hence the blog title "before christmas stuff"

The fireplace
Our Pretty dining room table with the new light

Old Pics-Thanksgiving (i know, i know)

The view from one of my kitchen window's in my apartment. Lovely, I know. Lol, I'm on the top floor so... :)

So, I know I'm quite late in posting this, sorry! Lol. I was saving pics on the computer from my camera, when i discovered these pics, so i decided to post them. They're all from Thanksgiving with the exception of the top one. Thanksgiving, we celebrated at my house with my parents, and oldest sis, Jess, Bill, and their kids. My other sis was in N.C. with her husband's family for the holiday, and also for Craig's brother's wedding that weekend. So here are the pics. Sorry they're so late! lol. but i thought i should post Thanksgiving before Christmas.
Day before Thanksgiving Jess came out with the kids. This is Cam in my room with my disco ball


The table with all the food

Lookin at a book at the table b4 dinner

Cam, in mommy's chair, waiting for dinner

Glaring at me... lol

Cam eating & playing with cars :)

That afternoon. I took this pic while i was holding him, i thought his expression was cute!

Me & my lil cutie!
My sis wanted to have homemade ice cream, and it was cold outside so we made it in the kitchen. Brice decided to help push the ice down with the little stick thingy

Then he wanted to help clean up the water he helped get up all over the floor

Soo adorable!

I think this picture is precious of my mom holding Brice while they both are sleeping (Thanksgiving afternoon). Guess Thanksgiving tired Brice out.

Well, thanks 4 lookin at these pics even though they're a month late! Now, on to Christmas...

Saturday, January 3, 2009

School...ughh...

So, Monday I start school again. This break has gone by way too fast!!! I am DREADING school, but looking forward to it in the sense that I will be getting another semester behind me. I am also SCARED!!! Some people have said that this coming semester is our hardest semester, and someone who has been through the program told me it was the 2nd hardest semester. I only have 3 classes. Anatomy & Physiology 2 with lab, and 2 nursing classes-one is about math & drug administration, because we get to give out meds, the other is the main nursing class that i am really scared about. I would appreciate it if yaal would pray for me as you think about it. I know this semester is NOT going to be easy, and i can use all the prayer i can get! Thanks soo much!

This semester I get Fridays off instead of Mondays, so I can go home on Thursday afternoon instead of Friday afternoon, but i have to go back sunday night instead of monday night, which is REALLY gonna stink! Last year when i went 2 GBS i had to go back on Sunday nights, i got used to it, but i prefer goin back on Mondays. Oh well, at least I get one day off a week, and for that I am thankful!

I will try to post sometime this week when i get a chance about Christmas and all, maybe tomorrow afternoon if i think about it. If i don't post before i leave for my apartment I can't post the pics on mom's camera as well as mine, just be lookin for a post soon (i need to post so i can be done with it before I get bogged down with work for this semester) and i know i'm always like a month behind everyone else posting stuff..haha, oh well..

have a great Sunday everyone & thanks for your prayers!