Flash Sideways

New Year...how long has it been?

2012-01-26T18:26:00.000-08:00

So wow, looks like I haven't updated this thing in quite a while! My baby is now 16 months and my last post was when I was probably 5 months prego so you do the math :) When I noticed it had been that long, I figured I better update it somewhat... I didn't want to bother my hubby to ask him to make me another custom header so I just picked one of the new blogger templates that The Cutest Blog on the Block has now -

http://thecutestblogontheblock.com/free/blogspot-templates.html

So here was one of the hundreds of pictures taken during our first ever "family photo shoot" I just have to say, trying to take pictures outdoors in the 90 mile an hour wind with a one year old was not what you call "good times". Trying to make sure everyone was actually smiling was a bit of a challenge to say the least. Anyway, I have no family pics in the house of all of us together so I thought, we need at least one! Maybe that'll hold us for a few years. And maybe those will hold the grandparents over until I remember to send them more pictures.

Well, I'm not really compelled to write anything else. Shocker :) Thanks for visiting and in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening and good night!

Baby Gender Reveal Party!

2010-06-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

Here's a few pics of our "Baby Gender Reveal Party" we had on Saturday. It was a fun way to find out what we're having and I'm so glad our friends and family could be there with us! We decided to divide the table into half girl/half boy to make it fun.

Everyone that came had to pick what they thought the baby would be and my niece and step-daughter gave out girl and boy stickers accordingly. We had pink and blue punch to choose from and I found these cute popcorn favor boxes at Hobby Lobby and decided to get some candied popcorn in pink and blue. The pink was "watermelon" and the blue was "blue raspberry" flavored. I thought the blue tasted better. :)

So Andrew wore pink since he thought it was going to be a girl and I wore blue since I had 3 dreams that was going to be a boy. We finally cut into the cake and saw the blue icing! Baby boy! It was so exciting!

We divided the "winners" and "loosers" into groups and took their picture. We gave out lottery tickets as a prize to all who guessed it was a boy.

WINNERS!

LOSERS :(

My New Therapy

2009-08-11T19:13:00.000-07:00

So I was sitting in the parking lot of Baskin Robbins waiting on Andrew to come out with my double scoop of World Class Chocolate (since I was not dressed to grace even strangers with my presence), and I noticed this place next door that does massages, ear candling, body wraps and the last item on the window said, "infrared sauna" which caught my attention. What is an infrared sauna and what makes it different from a traditional sauna? I went home and googled it and found out that an infrared sauna uses infrared heaters to emit infrared radiant heat which is absorbed directly into the human body, unlike traditional saunas which heat the body indirectly via air or steam. It detoxifies and raises metabolism while penetrating muscles to reduce pain. It is also suppose to improve skin tone and reduce stress. So I thought I'd give it a whirl.

I went for the first time last Monday and made a big mistake by not bringing something to read. I nearly went mad without something to take my mind off the fact that I had paid money to sit in a box and sweat all over the place. So I went and bought a couple of books for the next session on Wednesday. Some soothing music plays and the sauna smells like cedar which takes me back to vacations in Colorado and New Mexico. There is just something about it that I cannot explain. It was just so relaxing to be alone and read, listen to the music and be absorbed in my book. It loosens my back muscles and increases circulation which what my discs need. The next day, I felt so great! I had so much more energy than I have had in a long time. It burns around 500 calories per session so I can't wait to see how this helps me as I start up my workouts again. If you need to de-stress or just grab some alone time or time with the Lord, I highly suggest trying it out!

3rd Time's the Charm

2009-07-01T19:36:00.000-07:00

So I've seen a new Chiropractor for the last 6 days. And yes, I am well aware that no one on earth cares to read about my back problems! But I wanted to make sure I write down my experience so I can remember it and track my progress. Just the quick re-cap of the last 6 months.

So after seeing a bad chiro who was afraid to adjust me and a neurosurgeon who didn't sound confident in anything helping, I did a TON of research on my own. I came across a Chiropractor in Little Elm. He had very extensive information on his website and graduated as the salutatorian of his class. And after much prayer, I felt like he was the one I should try. He incorporates a variety of treatments into his practice including spinal decompression, chiropractic adjustments, electrotherapy, cold laser therapy & physical therapy exercises.

After my consultation, I finally felt like I had found someone who truly cared about helping me. And it made me feel better knowing he would incorporate many things instead of just relying on one single treatment. (And for the last 2 months, I have been doing exercises and swimming faithfully and nothing seemed to help the pain for longer than a few hours.) He made it clear that it would be a hard 8 weeks and that would only stabilize my condition. However, he said, "I like a challenge and you are not the worst case I've seen". So I felt like I was in good hands.

So after 6 appointments, here are the things I have noticed:

I can stretch to my right side again without any pain!

(I couldn't bend to the right at all; my body just wouldn't budge!)

I don't wake up in the night!

(I used to wake up to lift myself up when I needed to change positions because of the pain)

I don't have any aching muscles in my neck or radiating down my butt or hamstrings!

(This is one of the most significant changes I've noticed. )

I now only feel pain in the disc area upon bending or moving certain ways. He says that it will start to heal now as we add in exercises and spinal decompression. Thank you to all who have prayed for healing. God IS truly at work and I know He will use this experience for His glory and purposes. Please pray that God would continue to heal my discs and that I would be able to get back to living my life! There are so many things I know I need to do but I know He's teaching me through this and I'm thankful that He knows what I need better than I do. I'm reminded of several verses:

Proverbs 14:12 - "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death"

Isaiah 53:6 - "All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way"

Proverbs 19:21 - "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails."

My ways and previous decisions have failed. I put my trust in these previous doctors/chiros. Then I put my trust in myself that I could heal it with exercise and diet. I have had to relinquish every ounce of control to my creator and trust that He has a plan for me.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11

Thankful

2009-04-21T08:16:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we took Caroline to see the new Hannah Montana movie. So just as I thought, it was cheesy and silly and unrealistic as most kid movies are. However, there was one part that caught my attention. After her dad has taken her out to the country to get her away from the rockstar lifestyle, she starts to realize how much her dad's done for her over the course of her life. She writes a song for him about a song he used to sing to her as a kid. It made me think of my parents. How much they must have sacrificed for my sister and I. I know they had each other but I know there had to have been difficult times. I'm sure there are even things they went through that I don't know about. But through everything my family endured, we always knew we had each other. I knew no one loved me like they did. Sitting in that hot, germ-infested theatre, God was showing me just how much He had blessed me. I was blessed with an example that most kids can only dream about. An example of love, protection, gentleness, discipline, hard work and Christ-centered purpose.

Mom and Dad, thank you for always doing your best to be an example of Christ's love in your world. You have blessed so many lives other than just mine. Thank you for always encouraging me to achieve my dreams and use my gifts to glorify God; to be an example to others and a light to this dark world. Thank you for your commitment to each other and to our family. I'm so blessed yet feel unworthy of such love.

Things I Love

2009-02-10T08:03:00.001-08:00

In honor of Valentine's Day, I thought I'd put together a list of all the things I love. Here's my top 20 - not in any particular order however, I think you'll know which ones are most important to me :)

1. My Husband

2. The smell of rain

3. Dr. Pepper

4. My family

5. A clean house

6. Tortilla soup

7. Cold case files

8. Scrapbooking

9. Feeling productive

10. Singing

11. My dog

12. Hosting a party

13. Decorating

14. Flip flops

15. Giving gifts

16. Hitting snooze

17. Coke floats

18. Color of flowers

19. Being outside

20. My Savior

I'm Not 70 Anymore...Those Were The Days!

2009-01-01T19:12:00.000-08:00

Well, we're gearing up for my grandmother's 90th birthday and I'm excited to be able to celebrate that occasion with her and alongside my family. So tonight, I was on the phone with my mom for a long time talking about our crazy wacked out dreams and what they could possibly mean. She has this dream that she finds out that her dad is alive and in the hospital (he actually died when when she was 8) and she's just now realizing that she missed all this time with him. And she's angry and upset that most of her life has been spent without him. So I think that this is maybe a suppressed fear she's having because she was so young when he died. She really wasn't able to comprehend or experience the anger or depression that you would typically experience when you loose a loved one because she, in her words, "was too busy trying to make everyone else happy". To hear my mom talk about what she was feeling and going through, it just breaks my heart. It's just unimaginable.

So in talking about what she went through loosing her dad, I also found out that when he died, my grandma was out of town because her mother had just died the day before! So there she is dealing with the loss of her mother and the very next day, she learns of her husband's sudden death. So she has to leave and was not able to attend her mother's funeral because she had to come back and deal with the loss of her husband. I can't even imagine going through something like that. It's almost like a movie script. Unbelievable.

While thinking about this, my mom started to mention all her mother had been through before that. She and my grandpa Jack were high school sweet hearts and he left to go to Howard Payne University two years before she graduated. In the mean time her family had to move to Lampass from Bradshaw. She lived 12 miles out from school so she and her brother drove the only car into town. When her brother Carolton made the football team, he had to stay late for practice so she got a job as a waitress in a cafe after school. Then she and her brother moved out of their parents house. Her mother helped take care of an old lady so that she and Carlton could have room and board at her house.

Grandpa Jack had not written her in about two years. During this time, my grandmother met a man while she was a waitress. One day, a friend of grandpa Jack's came by and asked if she was dating and she told him she was. He told her not to do anything stupid because he knew that Jack still loved her. He finally wrote her himself and told her the same thing. He had also told her when they were dating that he would NEVER marry a divorced woman. She wrote back and told him she was very lonely because all her friends had moved on or were married and so she married this new guy. My aunt SueAnn was born a year after they married and then he left them.

When Jack came home from Howard Payne, my great-grandmother was asking him when he was going to settle down since he was 28 and he told her the only girl he ever cared about was my grandmother. She told him that she knew where she was working and drove Jack over to see her. My grandmother said that when she saw him after 7 years her heart stopped. she had always hoped he would come back into her life but she knew that he said he'd never marry someone who had been married before. That day he asked her to marry him! After they were married, they had daughter, then a son and then their surprise - my mom when my grandmother was 40 years old!

It's so interesting and amazing to hear your family stories and the things that could have been if just one thing had been done differently. If her first husband hadn't left her, I wouldn't be here. If my grandpa hadn't wanted to be an instant dad, I wouldn't be here. It's also amazing to think of a woman who has been through so much and seen so much in her lifetime and is still an extremely active citizen of her town. She still goes to church. She is a active part of the senior adult choir. She drives her friends (who are much younger than her and scared of loop 289) to the Lubbock airport. She works in her yard, which is one of the best kept yards on the block in my opinion. She plays cards with her friends every Thursday. It's pretty incredible given she's turning 90 soon. What an incredible journey to not only live through the heartache and trials she's experienced but to persevere. To keep on living, no matter how hard it may be. To remember that Jesus is Lord; that he will protect and comfort us no matter what this life may bring. What an amazing testimony of God's grace and faithfulness.

Is it December already?

2008-12-03T19:52:00.000-08:00

Judging by the recent weather changes and that fact that Thanksgiving flew by so quickly, I guess it's time to change my blog background to something a little more festive and Christmas like. Hope you like it. If Andrew would show me how to design a layout in PS and if I had the patience to learn, I'm sure it would look something like this one. :) So I'll just let thecutestblogontheblock.com keep on designing for me. They've always got something new and cute on their site.

So we decided that we should attempt putting up Christmas lights this year. Since we've lived here over two years and never once put up lights, we thought it was time. Surprisingly, it only took about an hour and a half to put them up in spite of the freezing cold wind and the mounds of tree branches in Andrew's way as he navigated across the roof. It feels good to be one of only two houses on the street that has lights up. If I had known it'd only take that long, I'd have done it every year! Anyway, there's just something about seeing your very own home lit up all bright with a Christmas tree in each window. Ok, yes I have one main tree in the living room. Caroline has two little trees in her room and Andrew has a "man" tree in the office. Now I can put out all of his star wars, vintage cars & random "tacky" ornaments that wouldn't dare go on my beautiful tree in the living room! :) See Exhibit A - the hideous lamp that lights up and says the phrases from the movie "A Christmas Story". If I had that lamp though I must admit, I'd probably put it in my window!

I know it's crazy but I would seriously have one in every room if I could afford it and my husband didn't tell me I'd be certifiably insane. "Kevin, what is it with you and Christmas trees?" Oh how I relate to Kevin McCallister. Everytime I see the different ways you could decorate a tree, it's all I can do to not buy another one! I saw a light & dark turquoise tree with silver accents the other day and thought, if only I had a room with turquoise! My mom was down after Thanksgiving and we decked he house out with all my decorations and it looked 100% better than it did last year! I need her to come help me every year! Looking at the picture of my fireplace this year, I think it's
pretty much a 180 from previous years to say the least. Isn't the board my sister made so cute?! I love it because if you don't know the movie, it still applies to the season! :) Well, that's all for now. Thanks for stopping by!

Yesterday is Gone

2008-11-13T17:40:00.000-08:00

Quick! Turn up that song you're hearing if you're reading my blog! It's an awesome song by Switchfoot if you haven't heard it yet...called "Gone". Such simple lyrics but what an incredible message that I too often forget. "Gone...like yesterday is gone...like history is gone...like summer break is gone...my high school dreams are gone...my childhood sweets are gone...nothing lasts in this world." I needed that perspective today. I have to remember that nothing in this world will last forever. From dust we were made and to the dust we will return. We can take nothing with us. Like that country song says, "I've never seen a hearse with a luggage rack". Everything we've worked so hard for will go to someone else. I was just reading about that last night but I can't remember where in the Bible. :( "All the riches of the kings end up in wills" - Switchfoot.
All this makes me want to fulfill my mission and purpose in this life all the more. There are so many things I know I'm called to do and I pray that God would make me uncomfortable until I get out and DO IT! I long for that feeling of being out of my comfort zone...because in my experiences, that's when I know I'm doing what God called me to do. It's not when I'm wrapped up in a blanket watching a movie on the sofa. I don't think God has called me or any Christian for that matter to be "comfortable". Our comfort is not God's priority. He wants us to love and serve others; to give just as He gave for us. What he asks of me won't always be easy or fun and will I'm sure at times be scary. But I'm going to pray for the strength to follow faithfully - no matter when, where or how much it may cost. May I seek to live like there's no tomorrow, and know that every moment I borrow SHOULD always bring me closer to my God.

You Want Me?

2008-11-06T19:57:00.000-08:00

What can I say about today? Probably lots more than anyone with a life would want to read. Who on earth cares what I think? I guess I'll never know for sure but all I do know is that God always sends people to you that can benefit from your wisdom or experience. Whether indirectly or directly. They are there. If you don't see them, all you have to do is ask God to show you who they are.

I've had an incredible last few weeks. God recently spoke to me in an unlikely place and I just knew this idea did not come from me! He began to open my eyes to an incredible need in this world. A need to encourage, counsel and inspire people. People who can relate to me and my experiences. I was scared but knew that I had to do it. And it was only a few weeks after I decided to take that step of faith and be obedient to what God was leading me to do that He lead someone to me. And then more people! I was astounded! I won't bore you with the details but I've had some incredible experiences that I know are sent directly from the Lord.

I've always had a God-given passion for encouraging people and I feel like I'm finally able to put that passion to work! I knew that career assessment test at HSU my freshman year would come in handy someday! Even though I'm not a certified "counselor" or "psychologist", I feel like I'm able to do just what God wanted me to do without having to go to school for the rest of my life! I am amazed to be in a position to counsel, mentor, encourage and inspire others. What an incredible blessing and gift from the Lord! But with this gift comes incredible responsibility.

"...Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more." - Luke 12:48

I ask for your prayers as I continue in this journey the Lord has lead me on. Please pray that I would always seek and relay God's words and not my own and show His love and compassion to the people He brings into my life. I appreciate your prayers more than you know!

"Don't You just love New York in the fall? "

2008-08-24T23:13:00.000-07:00

Well, if I had ever been to New York, I suppose I would love it in the fall. I long for leaves to start turning, weather to start cooling, grass to stop growing and routine to settle back in. I've updated my blog with a new fall background and put up some songs from "You've Got Mail", which by the way, is a movie that stirs up precious old memories and makes me long for fall even more. And I guess, makes me want to blog...yes...being on my computer typing away puts me in a different realm and I feel a bit like Kathleen Kelly typing away muttering a word here and there and shaking her head as she sorts through her wandering thoughts. Dang. Where is that movie? Now I want to go dig it out and watch it except that I have no dvd or even a VCR in here now. Plus the fact that it's 1:17 am. That's what I get for taking a 3 hour nap. But now that I've been productive for the last few hours...at least online anyway, I guess I better retire to bed.

McDonald's tonight...working out tomorrow.

2008-08-24T20:19:00.000-07:00

So, yes we had McDonald's tonight. And yes we're planning on kicking our workouts into high gear tomorrow. I know everyone says that including me, but this time there's a bigger reason for doing so. Besides loosing weight and being able to fit into more than 10% of my clothes, I have to do this for my back. And also for Andrew! He's listened to my crying and complaining about my pain for far too long.

Back in high school I had my legs clipped from underneath me during a basketball game and I landed on my back herniating two discs - one on each side of my back. I visited a chiropractor for a while and that seemed to help for a few days at a time but we were never sure how to heal it. Eventually I went off to college and it stopped bothering me so much. Most of the time I didn't even have any pain at all. But a little over a year ago, I was walking my dog Brinkley, which by the way weighs nearly 100 pounds. I can't say exactly how or when it happened but somewhere in between his sudden bursts of energy, he jerked it out of line again. Even though he's the root of all my problems - hurt back, dirty house, etc. I can't stay mad at him!

So you may be asking why I didn't go to the doctor when it happened a year ago? Well, I did go to a chiropractor again and this time there was a new technology called "decompression" which supposedly works wonders and I'm sure it does. But when your insurance doesn't cover "elective procedures" and you'd be out about $4,500, that just isn't a practical option. If I had that much money just camping out in my bank account, I'd go tomorrow morning and give it a whirl. But, I had to move on to the next option.

I went to a neurologist or an orthopedist, I can't remember which one. Anyway, he thought I should have steroid shots - one in each disc. Well, it seemed like a good place to start except for the fact that my deductible is about $2,500. Again, don't have that kind of cash just lying around. (I totally need to get that changed but I wanted lower monthly payments so that's the price you pay:( Anyway, I researched that as well but quickly found out that they only work about 50% of the time and even then, it will eventually wear off since it doesn't address the main issue of healing the disc, it's simply something to help relieve the pressure, thus alleviating the pain.
So, since I want to figure out how to heal the discs, I put that on hold to explore other options. I feel like such an old woman! Why am I blogging about this? No one cares about an old lady's back pain!

So I've researched everything from modified yoga and the best tennis shoes to diets and vitamins to both relieve the pain and heal the discs. So I bought a back support pillow for my office chair, some new tennis shoes, back specific vitamins and a yoga dvd.

Everything I've researched says that strengthening your core will help the disc heal by themselves. So I'm giving this 6 weeks before I make an appointment with a back specialist. I'll post an update then!

Caroline's Baptism

2008-07-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome everyone! Andrew and I wanted to create this page for Caroline's baptism so those of you who couldn't make it could experience this amazing joy with us! She was baptized on Wednesday, August 6th at LakePointe Church in Rockwall.

There is nothing in this world that compares with knowing Christ as our savior and redeemer! I can't imagine living one day without His peace, joy and forgiveness. Who alone can fill our emptiness, heal our wounded souls, mend our brokenness? He is our rock and refuge in times or trouble, our comfort in times of sorrow and the giver of a truly meaningful life. So I don't know what could be more exciting than a precious little girl accepting the Father's love and grace. John 3: 16

For those of you who don't know the story, here you go! Last Easter weekend, we were watching a Bible cartoon about the death and resurrection of Christ on tv on Saturday afternoon. She asked my mom some questions about Jesus. My mom answered her and told her that all we had to do was believe that he was the son of God, ask for forgiveness of our sins and invite him to live in our hearts and we would be with Jesus for all eternity after we die. Then Mom, Dad, Jessica and I all talked about when we were saved.

After dinner mom and Andrew were going to read the rest of the Easter story to Caroline and Jaycee. Mom saw that she had written on her chalk board wall, "God I want to be in your life," which is so perfectly simple yet profound. My mom came and got me. So Andrew and I read a book with her before bedtime that helps you lead your child to Christ. (We had bought it a few weeks earlier after she had been asking questions about Jesus.) After reading it, we asked her if that was something she would like to do. She said she had already done it earlier in the afternoon when she was in her room! She repeated a prayer after Andrew and was so excited afterwards. We talked with her about baptism and she wanted to be baptized just as Jesus was baptized to symbolize her new life in Jesus.

So please keep Caroline and all of her family in your prayers. We are so excited to see how the Lord uses her life for his glory. Thank you to all of you who have been praying for her, we all truly appreciate your encouragement and prayers more than you know.

Alfie, Chea, Caroline, Andrew & Cristin

Bradshaw Grandparents












Corley Grandparents












Bradshaw Great-Grandparents










EVERYONE!