Buddy Cox

So, we went down to south Arkansas for the weekend. David's dad lives in Humphrey, for those of you that don't know where Humphrey is, well the closest "BIG" town to it is Stuttgart, Arkansas-"The Rice & Duck Capitol of the World". Anyhoo, one of the highlights of going south to visit (besides spending time with David's dad) is hanging out with Buddy Cox. He's a very good friend of the family, and one of the funniest people I've ever met. He's always always got a "good one for ya" a good joke that is. It's never a joke you can tell your mama later either! But it's always funny! He is David's "go-to" man for Boogie. See, Buddy used to be a Duck Guide in Stuttgart. A professional guide, people paid him to take them duck hunting! Can you imagine? Anyway, in order to be a great duck guide, you have to have a great dog. So Buddy is VERY familiar with labs & how to train them. We were at his house twice this weekend working Boogie. I interrupted their work to take these pictures - I think it's the only one ever of David & Buddy together. One day I'm sure they'll be glad I took this. Anyway, I'll blog more later about our weekend...and life. me

Ft. Riley, KS

We just found out late last night that Eddy will be stationed at Fort Riley, KS when he completes A.I.T. in November! God is truly awesome! I have been so concerned that they would immediately send him somewhere far far away. With the baby due in January I was also fearful they wouldn't get him back in time to be with Desiree for Hunter's arrival. As soon as he told us we immediately "map quested" it & he'll only be 5 hours away. That means, when I get to missing my son, Dez & the grand baby, we can hop in the truck on a Friday afternoon, be there before we know it & spend the entire weekend with them giving them all kinds of love. I am so thankful that he won't be halfway across the world with his wife & new baby...he won't even be halfway across the county. Heck, Kansas is just a hop-skip & jump away. Thank you Lord, for answering my prayers yet again. me

Since I'm Posting Pictures....

Since I'm posting pictures, I just HAD TO ADD this one! Isn't she adorable????? me

A Glimpse Into How I Spend My Afternoons....

And now I'm learning how to post VIDEO'S!!!! This one is David teaching Boogie not to "break", but to leave on HER NAME only! (He's actually pretty good at this training stuff!) me

One More Pic

Just one more.....I couldn't help myself!

me

Boogie The Duck Dog

I DID IT! (Well, I think I did...) I've been wanting to figure out how to put pictures on my blog. I love taking pictures. I have so many on my computer at home. I hope someday to get copies made of them all & put them in photo albums. I like being able to pull albums off the shelf & look thru pictures of days gone by. Anyway, if this actually works, expect more pictures in future blogs. SO - this is Bayou Meto Boogie, or "Boogie the Duck Dog" as I like to call her. I've been thinking a lot lately about how fast our kids have grown. This puppy of ours however, she's growing up right before our eyes. The picture on the left was taken a couple weeks ago.... the one on the right, April! WOW! Talk about putting things in perspective. Stay tuned...me

My Baby Girl

So, we got to have dinner with our Brittni on Monday night. One of the few things she doesn't have at her new apartment is a washer & dryer. So for now, I can pretty much count on her needing to do laundry at least once a week! Thank God for small favors...(and all the big ones too). She's just growing up so fast. And she is such a beautiful young woman. Who would have thought her daddy & I could've made something so sweet & precious? I'm really proud of her independence, and thankful for the good head she has on her shoulders. Where oh where has the time gone? me

Overview of Our Weekend...

Do you know what's great about Monday? Looking back at the past 2 1/2 days (yes, I count Friday evening as part of the weekend), and feeling good about how we spent our precious time together at home. For those that don't know us, we are not an adventurous family...so don't expect hiking the Himalayas or jumping out of airplanes, or feeding the homeless in Africa. That being said....we had a good weekend. Friday evening Dez & I made fried chicken & mashed potatoes & gravy for dinner. I called & invited Britt (what’s a little harmless bribery?) but she had to work. Then David, Dez & I made a trip to Wally World to pick up some junk. We also spent part of Friday night online, looking up tips to train Boogie & found out that we should’ve started training her with a whistle from the very beginning. So, Saturday morning we were off to Tractor Supply to purchase said whistle for his future training sessions with Boogie. Let me just say, I at first I thought the duck calls were loud & going to drive me crazy, then I saw a commercial on TV for a free call from RNT down in Stuttgart & ordered it as a surprise...turns out it was some kind of goose call (MUCH louder than a duck call)...but now I know that there is something even louder still....and that is a training whistle! Of course the minute we got in the truck he had to open it & try it out - inside the truck with the windows rolled up. Let me tell you, my ears are STILL ringing, and I MUCH prefer the duck calls! And crazy? Well, I’m already there! We also made a trip to Missouri to purchase our regular $10 in scratch off tickets…and no – we were not winners! Then it was home to work a little on the home made blueberry wine we’re experimenting with. Other than very messy, sticky & time consuming, I think we’ve got it mastered. I’ll let you know in a few weeks how it turns out! The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, mostly because late that afternoon I announced that I would LOVE a little nap…and then, well, the rest is history. We did wake up BRIGHT & early Sunday morning…our bodies would not allow us to sleep another minute. After breakfast we decided to take Boogie to the lake & work her in the water. I am SO glad we did. The water was absolutely perfect. Not too cold at all, just right. She did so good too! Some little kids & their dad came down to watch her swim out & fetch the dummies. David even let the kids throw a few (because they wouldn’t shut up & stop asking). I was a little nervous for her. We had quite the audience there at the end. Crowds of people tend to make her want to show out & not obey very well. BUT-she did amazing. She even did a double retrieve & didn’t miss a beat! After she worked & played & got a bath & swam til her heart was content we got out & went & sit at the picnic table for a rest. It was then that we noticed a crowd gathering at the water’s edge. It was a church group there to celebrate the baptism of three young boys. David & I quietly witnessed it all take place from our picnic table & I sent up a prayer of thanks to God that we got to share a small part of their very special day. We left the lake with a smile in our hearts & one VERY tired puppy! Later in the afternoon my mom, sister & niece came by for a short visit. Then the rest of the day was spent on laundry & getting ready for the work week. Sunday evenings are reserved at our house. Britt usually comes over with her laundry & we (the girls) watch Drop Dead Diva & Army Wives together. I’ll use any excuse I can to get to spend time with my daughter & am not ashamed to say that we have cable & she doesn’t. SO – if I can’t bribe her with fried chicken, I am defiantly not above bribing her with cable TV & her favorite shows. When it was 10 minutes til showtime, I finally called to see where she was & it turns out she had to work last night too! All was not lost though, she did come by on her break to give momma & daddy a hug & let us know she’s doing fine in her new apartment. She’s also lost quite a bit of weight & is looking beautiful (although that’s the only way she ever looks to me, BEAUTIFUL). We are so proud of her making it on her own, though it may take me a while to tell her so. I’m just still not used to her being gone (and THAT'S another post in itself too). This whole "circle of life" thing is going to take some getting used to, of that I'm sure! Well, enough rambling for one sitting....I'll be back later for more...me

Still Thinking About Eddy....

So....like I said earlier, I am missing my Eddy terribly today. And because I'm missing him, I'm also thinking about his next trip home. Which is actually only 2 weeks from tomorrow. He gets "Gold Status" which means he can leave base & do whatever he wants for the weekend, and since that following Monday is Labor Day, he's free that day too! So he doesn't have to be back in Virginia until Tuesday. That gives us 3 whole days to spend with him. Three days sounds like plenty of time to get all the hugs & love in I can....except - we have a VERY large family, and so does his wife. And EVERYBODY, and I do mean EVERYBODY wants to get to see Eddy this time. And everyone lives in different cities scattered across NWA...so they'd spend his entire time home in the car driving around to see all the different Nee Nee's & Papa's & Grammie's and Grandma's, aunts & uncles, cousins, etc. Not to mention his in-laws. So Desiree' & I came up with a plan. We picked one day (Sunday before Labor Day), and we've invited EVERYONE to our house. Can you say "stress me out please?" I'm talking 30 plus people....at-our-house. At first I thought we'd just do kind of a "drop-in" & visit deal. You know, everybody's welcome from noon to say 6 or 7 pm. Oh, and everybody bring a dish, cuz I don't want to try cook & feed & do dishes for 30 some odd people. Then I realized if the meat came at 2 & the dessert at noon, and the potatoe salad at 4... a drop-in party is not gonna work. Oh, and Eddy has a few requests for his Nee Nee's, he wants Nee Nee Debby to bring lasagna, and his Nee Nee Brenda to make him an apple pie. And Dez wants her dad to fry a turkey, and my sister offered to do a brisket (I'm rambling here, I know , I know...sorry) Anyhoo, the menu planning -or lack of -has my head spinning. So that is on my to do list for this weekend. Sit down with Dez & figure out what we're gonna have everyone bring, so that together, it resembles some type of the good ol southern home cookin the Army doesn't provide Eddy with. Did I mention I have no idea how we're gonna squish all that family at the dining room table? Oh well, that'll all work itself out in the wash. All that matters is that God's giving us an opportunity to spend good quality time with family. And what more can I ask for than that?

Missing My Son

So today, I am definitely missing Eddy. Not that I don't always miss Eddy-but today I seem to feel it deeper somehow. For those of you that don't know, Eddy is in the Army & currently stationed at Ft. Eustis, Virginia. He graduated from basic training at Ft. Jackson, SC in July, and is now doing his A.I.T. (Advanced Individual Training). This is where they teach him to work on the Blackhawk helicopters. His class starts at 3 in the afternoon & goes to 1 a.m. 5 days a week. He was very worried that the written part of class would be difficult for him. He's a hands on kind of guy, and very mechanically inclined, but in high school, his grades were horrendous! He HATED homework & taking tests. I am happy to report that his grade in class is a 94! Turns out, if Eddy is INTERESTED in what it is he's studying, he's actually pretty intelligent! He's one of the top in his class & we couldn't be more proud of him. That's not to say that we actually encouraged him to join the Army. Oh nooooo. He does not come from a "military family". Other than cousins, there isn't anyone in our family in the military. When he came home & announced he was joining the Army, David & I both FREAKED OUT! We thought he was c.r.a.z.y. and told him so every chance we got. We told him NO (as if our 21 year old married son was asking for our permission), we begged, threatened, cried, screamed, even tried to bribe him out of making what we thought (at the time) was the worst decision of his life. This would not just effect him we told him, it would effect everyone who loves him, especially Dez, his wife. Nothing we said would deter him though, and by the end of March he'd signed his name on the dotted line. At this point, there was nothing left for us to do but give him our blessings & support. (Begrudgingly I must say). Since then, much has changed in our lives....let's see, first & the MOST important, they have found out they're expecting a BABY! Hunter Lee should be arriving sometime in January. Her due date is January 3rd, but we all hope he'll hold off just one little bitty day. How exciting would it be if he was born on mine & Eddy's birthday? Three generations of January 4th. After Desiree found out she was pregnant, she asked us if she could come live with us while Eddy is away at training. I know she misses him more than even ME! And can you imagine being pregnant with your very first child & your husband being gone? So of course, we welcomed her with open arms. We also had a death in the family a couple weeks ago, and they let Eddy come home for the funeral. Guess what? The day after was the appointment for the ultrasound to find out if it was a boy or a girl & Eddy got to go! Isn't God awesome? To take something sad, like a death, and still let something good & wonderful come from it too? I think it finally sank in that he was going to be a daddy when he saw his son wiggling around on the monitor. They went out & bought baby clothes as soon as they left the doctors office.
Anyway, my baby is growing up. He is different now. So much more serious, responsible, mature. And aren't those all things you wish for your children? Of course. It just that it's all happened so fast. And sometimes-just sometimes, I wish for those days when I was the center of his life. When his happiness depended on whether or not I made him pancakes for breakfast & if we could go to the park later that day.

Feeling much better about the day....David got sent home from work due to the rain, so at lunch I made a run to the border & brought him some crunchy tacos home. Spending just that little half hour with him has brightened my day! He almost always brings out the very best in me. This past June was our 22nd wedding anniversary. Depending on my mood, sometimes it feels like we've been together waaay longer than that, and other times...I can't believe it's been that long. Time certainly flies when you're having fun...and raising babies, and living life. But - technically, we've been together since I was 13 & he was 14, SO - we've definatley spent the majority of our lives together. David is my soulmate, my best friend, my better half and my cohort in crime! I can't imagine my life without him & and happy to say, until God brings him home, I won't have to! We have dedicated our lives to each other. Our children are young adults now, we've raised them the best we knew how, and we find ourselves more & more in the company of just each other. (And the other love of his life, his trusty duck-dog Boogie). I read about empty nesters that find themselves unfamiliar with each other once the kids have gone, they have nothing in common & don't even know each other anymore...somewhere in the craziness of life they've grown apart. And it makes me sad. Because with me & David, well, this is a brand new chapter of our lives. We have so much we want to do. And THANK GOD-we want to do it TOGETHER! Yes, there is a big part of me that misses both our kids living at home, going to school, the crazy schedules of football & softball games & practices, homework, etc. (And that's a whole other post in itself). But if I just step back, and take a good look at my life, and am totally 100% honest with myself....I love where we are right now, this phase of our lives & our marriage, our relationship. And ya know what? I can't wait to see what's next! me

Rain, rain, go away....that's how I feel today. It is raining...and has been for hours. It's one of those days that when the alarm wakes me up, I want to shut if off & SLEEP THE WHOLE DAY AWAY!!! Unfortunately, that is not an option. Today is the cut-off for the next paycheck. And when you work in sales, well, you can't call in sleepy & not go to work. So, I rolled out of bed, got dressed, and repeated this over & over to myself: "You will go to work, you will be AWAKE, you WILL make some sales, and YOU WILL LIKE IT!!!" I also have to remind myself to be thankful to have a job. And I am....it's just today-well....sleep seems so much more FUN! :)

I finally did it! Today, I started a blog. Now, I am not new to the great big world of blogging...I've been keeping up with my friend Char & her whole family through her blogs. To be honest...I'm kinda addicted to blogs...and the whole "blogs I follow" thing...I click on one of those, then click on one they follow & so on. Now I'm keeping up with the lives of several COMPLETE strangers daily-thru their blogs. All that being said, I've decided I'd like to start "keeping up" with my life...and my family's life. So hang on...IF I ever get this figured out, you may never get me to shut up! See ya soon...me