2nd Annual "Grandkids Easter Egg HUNT"....

I love that we have children...they are some of my favorite people in the world. 

When they were little I always tried to make the holidays fun and memorable for them. 

NOW, they are mostly grown and moved away and making memories becomes 

different...and that is WHY GOD GAVE us GRANDKIDS!!!

I love these 4 little boys more than anything. They are my joy, my happiness...and the loves of my life!! They make my world turn and I don't know how I got so blessed to be THEIR grandma!!

We decided 2 years ago, to start a annual Grandkids Easter Egg Hunt. All the grandkids 

get to come and hunt for eggs and "surprises". We have Easter Dinner and enjoy some 

fabulous family time! This year, we had 2 more grandkids....what a blessing it is to see

our family growing!

This little guy is 4 1/2 and he loved finding all of his blue eggs!

Landry was more impressed with the swings than he was about the eggs laying around in the yard.

Kayson is fascinated with the trampoline...he is 2 1/2 and loves to do tricks on it. 

Landry...taking flying lessons with his dad

Kenron loved counting his eggs after collecting them

Kayson couldn't get enough of finding all of his green eggs scattered about

Kim and Mike counting the goods

Dayna showing proof that she's found her stash

Everyone looking for the lost 2 eggs....good news, they were never LOST...just HIDDEN REALLY WELL!

Baby Landry sporting his new sunglasses and eating his bubbles

Mas was not impressed with his shades

Kayson this the "GQ" look

Kenron said, "Look at my glasses, Grandma"

Love me some family time with my kids....really, NOTHING is better than this...NOTHING!

Halle was a great spectator

Landry ready for dinner

Kayson loves the bike and pretty much anything to do with the "great outdoors". 

"Look mom, I got cars bubbles"

Jack has some serious talent here!!

The fabulous "yellow egg" team

Max thinking "Awe...a little R & R!"

I think all the grandkids enjoyed their Easter Egg Hunt....they were ALL SMILING!! 

Love my little men that make life a better place to be! I hope they all, always know

that they are the apple of my eye and the joys of my life!!

Like Two Ships Passing In The Night...

Is it possible to miss someone you never knew?....to love someone you never met?....and to long to have a lengthy visit with a person you wouldn't recognize?

I think it must be....because I do!! I miss someone I never knew, love someone I never met and long to sit beside her on the beach near the ocean, soaking in the sun and watching the waves splash on our feet....I miss my sister...a sister I've never seen in this life. She was born a year and a half before me, and died just 6 short hours after she came into this world. Her name was Melanie. My parents named her after the beautiful, kind hearted, courageous lady in the movie "Gone With The Wind". From the time I was a little girl I have imagined us being the BEST of friends. The kind of sisters that were always laughing together, playing together, going places together, raising our children together, crying together, looking out for each other and growing old together. My mom said that she and I looked a lot alike when we were born. We had very similar features and both had dark hair....I guess in my mind that made me think we would be just alike and for that reason, I have always longed to have her here on earth with me. During the happy times, I've wanted to call her on the phone and tell her all about what was happening in my life. During the hard/sad times....I've wished for a hug from her. In a way, we were like to ships passing in the night....I was preparing to come to earth as she was coming back from earth...just passing from one life to the other, but in a different direction.  I am sure we had lots of long talks, sister moments and good-byes before I came to earth, and often....oh SO OFTEN, I wished I could remember just ONE of those times. I know I will someday get to be with her again, and as anxious as I am for that day....I want to live a LOOOOONNNNNGGGGGG life here on earth with my family, and hope that our day of reuniting is YEARS away. So for now Melanie, I will just miss you and work hard so that one day, when I'm old, grey and wrinkled, we can embrace once again at the "pearly gates"!  

Bathtime and Slumber Parties....

We got to have a "Grandma" slumber party a few weekends ago. These two little guys

were so excited to have a bath and then sleep in their new "Lightening McQueen Slumber Beds" that they could hardly wait for night time to come. When I put them in their adorable beds, they giggled and giggled. They were so happy and such fun to have sleep over. We got them all snuggled down in the beds after their baths and Kayson says, "Watch movie?"...so we spent the next 90 minutes completely sucked into the "Winnie The Pooh" movie until everyone was fast asleep!

Memories I will cherish forever!! Love these little monkeys!!

Visitation Rights....Grandma Style~

You don't know what joy is until you become a parent...AND THEN you don't know what

REAL JOY IS until you become a grandparent. I have 4 handsome grandsons whom I ADORE with every fiber of my body. They are the light of my life, the sun on my cloudy day, the apple of my eye and the sweet that satisfies my sweet tooth! Being a grandma is the BEST! Last week, my daughters came for a overnight visit and some much need "mom and daughter (and grandbaby)" time. 

I have to say, I needed it more than anything. 

We had dinner....and Landry enjoyed his VERY much~

We had nap time and snuggles...

 We smiled...ALOT~

We visited until WEEEEEE hours of the morning.... 

We pondered on lifes most important things...

We played....in the water~

 We went for a drive in the car....

 We saw the pretty lights at Walmart.....

We went to the movie...in the dark~

....and then we had to say "See You Later" (good-bye is too long)....

It was so much fun having the babies out for a visit...AND the girls too!

I loved every second of our time together!

I can't wait to do it again!!

I love these little babies more than words can say!!

Life...it can be thought provoking~

Today I'm going to put myself out there and write about something very personal, something that not many people know about me and even more will never know about me. I suffer from  "SAD", otherwise known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression that occurs during the same season each year, my season happens to be winter (which is most common). 

              "It is believed that SAD affected people react adversely to the decreasing amounts of sunlight and the colder temperatures as the fall and winter progress. Seasonal affective disorder is about four times more common in women than men....Seasonal affective disorder seems to develop from inadequate bright light during the winter months. Researchers have found that bright light changes the chemicals in the brain. Exactly how this occurs and the details of its effects are being studied. While those specific mechanisms remain undetermined, factors like low vitamin D levels in the blood are found to be associated with a higher occurrence of seasonal affective disorder. Although there is no specific diagnostic test for the illness, it is understood that symptoms of seasonal affective disorder include tiredness, fatigue, depression, crying spells, irritability, trouble concentrating, body aches, loss of sex drive, poor sleep, and decreased activity level.The symptoms of seasonal affective disorder typically tend to begin in the fall each year, lasting until spring. The symptoms are more intense during the darkest months."

While many people anticipate the arrival of winter, with excitement of the new fresh falling snow, the skiing, the snowmobiling, building of snowmen and forts, snowball fights, colder temperatures, sweatshirts, scarves, hot cocoa and curling up in front of a warm fireplace....I anticipate the coming of winter with fear, anxiety, sadness, anger and hatred (yes, hatred). The falling of snow can literally make me cry as if the world were ending. The idea of having to drive in a storm or on snow covered roads can send me into a full blown panic attack (being in several car accidents during the winter months has made driving absolutely terrifying for me). Dark, overcast, foggy and/or gloomy days make my life feel hopeless and are very trying at times. On days like those,  I often find myself staring off into the "nothing", thinking "too deeply" about life, and just wishing the days away. There are days I literally have to fight with myself to NOT crawl back in bed (I've succeeded in this endeavor), its a struggle. I don't talk about my struggles (in fact, I rarely, if ever, share them)...in public I will always "put on the happy face" and "pretend" as if I'm a "normal" (is there really a "normal" though??), hoping that by so doing this, I won't bring on unwanted attention (I HATE ATTENTION and have never wanted it!!) or let on that I feel like running away from the world. I've heard it all.... "just don't let yourself get into those dark places, SAD isn't a "real thing", embrace the cold and snow because we will have the heat soon, cheer up, move on, get out more, find new hobbies, tell yourself that your happy...." REALLY???....do these people think I LIKE TO FEEL THIS WAY???...NO, NEVER, not at all!! I am typically a happy person (at least I like to think I am....guess not everyone would feel that way). I like to laugh, I like to let my hair down, I like to sing at the top of my lungs when I am driving alone, I like to be busy and have projects to do, I like to do the same things that other "happy" people do....BUT winter is just SO hard sometimes. There are those people that have said, "....if its so bad, why don't you move?!"...Well for many reasons:  I like where I live, I like my town, I like having my family being close, I like my house, the summer months...so relatively speaking, its a good place to live and I won't be moving! I have dealt with SAD for years,(living in different areas even), I would dare say its been 25+ years. Some years have been worse than others. I've discovered that everyone has struggles and issues in their lives. Are mine worse or more difficult than anyone elses?....NO, they are only different. I've tried many things to "HELP" me get through the dark days. I use a special "light therapy" every day from the middle of November until late April. I exercise daily, (regardless of how I feel). I try to eat healthy, steering clear from high does of sugary foods. I also use herbal oils and daily meditation....all these things help...but don't CURE the illness. I'm grateful for the good days, for the sunshine and blue sky days, for the days I can bundle up and walk outside. I'm grateful for the days I can smile and for the times I can laugh. I am grateful for people who try to understand, who validate my feelings and that understand that SAD is "real", and that winter isn't "fun" for all people. I am grateful for hugs, hello's and smiles from people who don't even know I might be having a bad day. I don't want sympathy, I don't want pity, I don't want a pat on the back and to hear that "everything is going to be okay"....I don't want to be treated like I "have a problem". I am sure there are those who are asking right now...."SO WHY ARE YOU WRITING ABOUT THIS??" Well....let me tell you why I am writing about this...I want others to know that SAD is REAL and can affect all walks of people, THAT people who seem happy, may not really be what they seem to be all of the time. THAT just because life's battles have been won in your life today, someone else may not have won their personal battles today. I'm writing this to say, BE a LITTLE more KIND, BE a LITTLE more UNDERSTANDING to those you are around, BE a LITTLE more PATIENT...you never know when someone is fighting a battle that you know nothing about. Life takes each of us onto paths that cross the lives of others...share your joy, your laughter, your time, your smiles, your kind words. DON'T be quick to judge someone else, DON'T be quick to say something hurtful that you will regret later...remember that my battle today might be yours tomorrow....TREAT OTHERS the way you hope to be treated. I'm writing this to say that, "I know that the sun will come out "tomorrow", that life gets better, that all days aren't "dark" and "gloomy"....I'm writing this to say that  I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel, that spring and summer will come....that winter won't be here forever...I KNOW all those things, and so do many others who suffer and fight and deal with SAD....WE just have to take one day at a time, just like everyone else. Tomorrow is a new day, and often, its a better day. 

Remember to..."BE someones SUNSHINE when their SKIES are GREY"

   

A Miracle...9 years in the making~

After nine years of trying to add a little one to their sweet little family, 

Daynalee and Jack finally got to see it happen!

November 17, 2014 was a BIG day in their lives. 

It started early in the morning with smiles and fresh hair do's..a little pain, but not much.

 Then came the epidural...after having the 1st one fail, they put another one in....which

brought smiles to mom and dad alike!

 BUT THEN...16 hours later, LOTS OF PAIN and hard work...and still NO BABY

the doctor decided that baby was too big and just wasn't going to come easily....

SOOOOOOOO off to have a cesarean section ASAP!

 Jack got all decked out in his "smurf" costume and waited for the nurse to come and

get him to be in the operating room with Dayna....he waited, and waited and WAITED for what 

seemed like FOREVER!.....

 At 10:57 on NOVEMBER 17,2014

"Jack Maximus Ady" was BORN!!

He was the MOST ALERT baby I think I've ever seen. He was taking the world in, 

a little at a time, studying it, then moving on to the next exciting thing.

He weighed in at 8lbs. 11oz. and measured 21".

He had his daddy wrapped around his beautiful long finger, immediately! 

Max (the name he will be called by) didn't hardly even make a peep 

as the nurses poked him and checked him out.....he was perfect! 

 THEN I GOT to meet this little angel. I immediately fell in love. He was 

so fresh from heaven and he just brought such love and peace into my life. I am so 

happy to have him in our growing family. He has a very special spirit!

Jack just beamed with pride as he watched little Max and you could see the special bond

between them. This daddy couldn't be any happier than he is RIGHT NOW!

Max got to meet his beautiful mommy and turned to find her as she spoke to him.

He recognized her voice right off...it was a sweet and special moment to experience.

The first family picture!!!.....There isn't a happier family on the earth!

 After 4 days, Dayna and Max finally got to go home....

Little Max is as good as gold, seldom cries unless he's hungry. He's an adorable

little hunk and brings love and joy to everyone he meets!

He REALLY IS an angel, and has a very special spirit! 

Heavenly Father has big plans for this little guy that waited so 

long to get here.

Welcome to our family sweet, and beautiful baby Max!

We love you SO much!!! 

CUTE?.....NOT hardly!!!

Back to summer....oh that seems sooooooooooooo long ago......

Halle woke up one night to the sound of "noise" by her back window. We thought for

sure there was someone in the back yard (only because 2x already during the summer, THERE WAS 

someone snooping around in the back yard, in the dark of night)...Deron went outside to check it out. Not a human in sight....BUT 5 racoons playing around in the plumb trees....having a midnight

snack I presume!! I had been wondering for several weeks if we had some creature lurking 

around because the bird feeders were knocked out of the every morning.....there were weird

things that happened in the yard that only a "creature" could do...but I just couldn't figure out what KIND of creature we were dealing with. The morning after our sitting of the racoons, we bought a live trap to capture the "CUTE" little guys. With having a garden full of produce just waiting to 

ripen, I didn't want these bandits to clean it out once it was ready to harvest...needless to say, 

they had to be relocated. The first night we caught one. I was always under the impression

that raccoons were cute, happy, fun loving creatures.....LET ME TELL YOU, 

THEY ARE NOT! This raccoon would have eaten me alive had I let him out. He "growled", he "barked", he "hissed" and even LUNGED toward me....not the cute little critter 

that was on the Disney Pocahontas movie, FOR SURE! This thing was a little DEMON!

The neighborhood kids all came over to see him....no one had ever seen a "live" raccoon before...

so we were a pretty popular place for a few hours.....we were like a "one animal zoo"...

After 3 nights of constant captures, we quit catching them.....they either moved on, or 

got smart and wouldn't take the bait....BUT SOMEONE else wasn't so smart....

YES....we caught our very own skunk! UHG!....

At this point, I had to let the neighbors know to keep their dog from going into our yard because 

I didn't want the nasty little creature to spray....right by my bedroom window!....The neighborhood kids were all over wanting to come and see THAT CREATURE TOO. I took them back to see it from a LONG DISTANCE away, and told them not to bother it or it would most likely 

spray them. Most of them abided by my rules, but there were a few "new comers" to the neighborhood that weren't very good listeners. Thank goodness the kids that have been here for years

made sure (they were my little POLICEMEN) that no intruders visited the backyard where the 

skunk sat captured in his cage. 

It was interesting to watch the skunk and the way it lived. Not once did he seem to even mind 

being in the cage. He dug up all the dirt from where he was sitting...the lawn as well, and built himself a burro....strangest thing I've ever seen!! I have to say, it was a happy day when we finally 

were able to get rid of him....AND NEEDLESS TO SAY, we didn't set the trap again!!!

I couldn't stand the thought of catching another skunk!!