I cannot believe after 3 grueling months without internet, I am finally typing a post from my very own home!!! Now don't get crazy on me....I promise to post some inside pics of the house really soon. First things, first. Before we got internet through TimeWarner, AT&T cut us off and won't let me back in to my account, thus I've lost ALL my email addresses! There ought to be some kind of law against that.....maybe there is. If any of you are computer geeks and know how that information can be retrieved, I'd be mighty grateful if you'd pass that info along. Otherwise, I'd appreciate all my friends and family sending me your email address to stacydjames@yahoo.com.
P.S. I picked this new background for my blog because it's a reminder that spring is on its way AND because it's called "happy day" and this surely is a happy day. More to come............
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Reporting In
Well, it's been almost all month since my last post. Let me see if I can find news to report.....(pictures will have to come later)........
1.) I have been checking out all my fellow bloggers' blogs and found that a good many of you are having beautiful, warm weather while we are still getting snow. One day last week I was caught in a hail storm, under a tornado watch and sever thunderstorm warnings, with the skies dark for 5 minutes and sunny for 5..... The next day, snow. Alysa has had a blast sledding, but even she has had her feel for this year. We're looking forward to moving on to warm, sunshiny days and starting softball (her first year).
2.) I came down with a nasty sinus infection and Mark was out of town all week long last week, which meant to adult to talk to and no sympathy hugs. Poor Alysa. She was so good and took great care of me. I tried to be as upbeat and energetic as I could. But she was great about snuggling with me and "fetching" things that I needed. After taking her to school each morning, I would come back home and go back to bed. I have to say I rather enjoyed that part. I also read "The Hunger Games" in 2-3 days.
3.) Alysa participated in a dance camp at the high school and then performed last Friday night at a girls basketball game. It was so cute and fun to watch. They danced to "Too Cool for You" from Camp Rock.
4.) Mark finally put enough miles on his old white Ford that they gave him a brand spanking new, sparkling clean GMC club cab, fully loaded truck. He has XM Radio and was thrilled to find a Greatful Dead station....(yuck). He took me out in it on Valentines. I could have been riding in a lemo for all I knew. I do love the smell of "new car".
5.) We finally got all our furniture delivered! Well, we are waiting on a TV cabinet to come in from Ashley Furniture. Other than that, we're good!
6.) Believe it or not, we got home phone service last week. One battle won. But the more important WAR is getting internet. I waited the necessary time for AT&T to tell me if they could provide us with DSL or not, only to be disappointed when they said no. I've tried DirecTV satellite internet, but it's $199 to get started and then a monthly rate (between $50 and $80) and a 2 year agreement. Don't think so. So now I'm back to Time Warner, who told me back in December that we COULD get it but it would take about 1.5 months. We could have internet by now if I'd have said go ahead. But I trusted AT&T to pull through for me. So sad. TW is checking in on it for me and will let me know later today what their verdict is. If that fails, it's dial up or nothing. Life can be so cruel.
7.) Alysa got her ears pierced...finally! She's been begging us for years to let her (the original rule was "when you're 10"), we finally relented and told her she could do it when she was 9. Birthday time came and she'd talked herself out of it after watching someone else go through it and seeing the "surprised" expression on her face. She woke up a week ago and was contemplating it again. By noon, she had talked herself out of it... again. But Mark and I figured we should put a halt to this waxing and wanning and told her to just go get her shoes and coat....we're going and you will be thanking us when it's finally done. She was nervous about being "forced" - hahahaha - but she never even flinched and she DID thank us for gently encouraging her to follow through. She's so proud.....all day long it was "my ears are pierced....let's turn off the radio and talk....about my ears being pierced....aren't my ears beautiful?". So cute.
8.) Mark and I have started dating every week. This has been a long time coming. We are going to have to get creative, though, because while it is totally worth it and doing us so much good to get out alone, it can also get quite expensive. We've figured date night into the budget, but my practical side keeps thinking about all the other places that $ could be going instead. The up side is that we've found a wonderful babysitter just down the street. She knows we go out every week and we caught her before she's old enough to date or have too busy a social calendar. She and Alysa act like sisters together and it's great to watch them interact. For Valentines Day, Mark took me to a "Myster Dinner Theater". I've always wanted to do one but never have until now. It was so much fun....very funny. But, the food was slow in coming and not enough to fill everyone at our table of 6 and not really as tasty as we'd have liked. But the overall experience was great and we'd definately do it again.
1.) I have been checking out all my fellow bloggers' blogs and found that a good many of you are having beautiful, warm weather while we are still getting snow. One day last week I was caught in a hail storm, under a tornado watch and sever thunderstorm warnings, with the skies dark for 5 minutes and sunny for 5..... The next day, snow. Alysa has had a blast sledding, but even she has had her feel for this year. We're looking forward to moving on to warm, sunshiny days and starting softball (her first year).
2.) I came down with a nasty sinus infection and Mark was out of town all week long last week, which meant to adult to talk to and no sympathy hugs. Poor Alysa. She was so good and took great care of me. I tried to be as upbeat and energetic as I could. But she was great about snuggling with me and "fetching" things that I needed. After taking her to school each morning, I would come back home and go back to bed. I have to say I rather enjoyed that part. I also read "The Hunger Games" in 2-3 days.
3.) Alysa participated in a dance camp at the high school and then performed last Friday night at a girls basketball game. It was so cute and fun to watch. They danced to "Too Cool for You" from Camp Rock.
4.) Mark finally put enough miles on his old white Ford that they gave him a brand spanking new, sparkling clean GMC club cab, fully loaded truck. He has XM Radio and was thrilled to find a Greatful Dead station....(yuck). He took me out in it on Valentines. I could have been riding in a lemo for all I knew. I do love the smell of "new car".
5.) We finally got all our furniture delivered! Well, we are waiting on a TV cabinet to come in from Ashley Furniture. Other than that, we're good!
6.) Believe it or not, we got home phone service last week. One battle won. But the more important WAR is getting internet. I waited the necessary time for AT&T to tell me if they could provide us with DSL or not, only to be disappointed when they said no. I've tried DirecTV satellite internet, but it's $199 to get started and then a monthly rate (between $50 and $80) and a 2 year agreement. Don't think so. So now I'm back to Time Warner, who told me back in December that we COULD get it but it would take about 1.5 months. We could have internet by now if I'd have said go ahead. But I trusted AT&T to pull through for me. So sad. TW is checking in on it for me and will let me know later today what their verdict is. If that fails, it's dial up or nothing. Life can be so cruel.
7.) Alysa got her ears pierced...finally! She's been begging us for years to let her (the original rule was "when you're 10"), we finally relented and told her she could do it when she was 9. Birthday time came and she'd talked herself out of it after watching someone else go through it and seeing the "surprised" expression on her face. She woke up a week ago and was contemplating it again. By noon, she had talked herself out of it... again. But Mark and I figured we should put a halt to this waxing and wanning and told her to just go get her shoes and coat....we're going and you will be thanking us when it's finally done. She was nervous about being "forced" - hahahaha - but she never even flinched and she DID thank us for gently encouraging her to follow through. She's so proud.....all day long it was "my ears are pierced....let's turn off the radio and talk....about my ears being pierced....aren't my ears beautiful?". So cute.
8.) Mark and I have started dating every week. This has been a long time coming. We are going to have to get creative, though, because while it is totally worth it and doing us so much good to get out alone, it can also get quite expensive. We've figured date night into the budget, but my practical side keeps thinking about all the other places that $ could be going instead. The up side is that we've found a wonderful babysitter just down the street. She knows we go out every week and we caught her before she's old enough to date or have too busy a social calendar. She and Alysa act like sisters together and it's great to watch them interact. For Valentines Day, Mark took me to a "Myster Dinner Theater". I've always wanted to do one but never have until now. It was so much fun....very funny. But, the food was slow in coming and not enough to fill everyone at our table of 6 and not really as tasty as we'd have liked. But the overall experience was great and we'd definately do it again.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Holler Back!!
OK, here I am.....not completely back all the way yet because we STILL do NOT have internet on our little piece of land here in the holler. We barely got moved in before Christmas (and I do mean barely), survived the holidays (eyes glazed over), worked feverishly to get settled in, and then was hit with the worst ice storm in Kentuckys' history! WOW!! We were very blessed, though, because we never lost power, water or heat. Not all of our friends were that lucky. We have learned how to maneuver in the snow and ice rather well. Not much is going to keep me at home for more than a couple of days at a time. Anyway, as soon as we get internet (we're visiting the library now to stay up on things) I PROMISE I will get pictures of the house. We're still waiting on some furniture pieces but we're mostly all set up (barring home phone and internet). I love keeping up with all my buds, though, so you guys keep posting so I won't loose touch with what's going on with everyone out there. Love to you all! Oh, and "holler back"!!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Hoedown in the Holler
Send your own ElfYourself eCards
This one was just way too funny to pass up!
Enjoy the laugh!! Thanks Ashley!
This one was just way too funny to pass up!
Enjoy the laugh!! Thanks Ashley!
Thanksgiving in Virginia
Last week we traveled back to Virginia for Thanksgiving......fried turkey and all the trimmings. All of Marks' side of the family was there, only a few young un's missing. We had a wonderful time visiting, laughing and playing games.
On Friday, some of us went to the movie (Twilight) and on Saturday, Mark, his mom, Alysa and myself went to see this incrediblel old, wooden bridge built in the 1800's....called "Humpback Bridge". I'm told it's exceptionally beautiful in the winter when it's covered in snow, in the spring when everything's really green and bloomed out and in the fall when the leaves are colorful and bright. The town Mark grew up in is a tee tiny old mining town up in the Apalachian Mountains. Of course, the whole state is rich with history and I love seeing bits of the past, like this bridge, and trying to imagine what life was life back then. Just pondering it makes me realize even more how blessed we are today. I truly do not know how our ancestors survived in such primative circumstances. It's very humbling. Thanks to my family for such an enjoyable holiday.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Go Hokies!!
This past weekend was Alysa's birthday and we celebrated by making a trip to Virginia for a VT vs. Duke game. We met with Marks sister, Lois, and her family, brother Doug, Chris, and brother Alan and his girls - one of which, Kara, is in the VT band. In all honesty, I loved the time we were all able to spend together - mostly talking around Lois dining room table the next morning where it was warm- but it was so incredibly cold at the game, I really couldn't enjoy it much. In fact, I started checking the clock before the game even started to see how much time we would have to suffer. We took a bathroom break at half time and Mark and I got separated, which really didn't bother me at all because the bathrooms were warm and by the time we got back to our seats, the 3rd quarter was almost over. Yeah!! I love being closer to Marks family and spending time with them. But tailgating in a cow pasture while the wind is whipping the low 20 degree temperatures around and everyone huddles for as long as they can stand it and then disassemble to various automobiles is not my idea of quality time. The up side is that in the end the Hokies won, 14-3.... Yeah, Hokies!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
What's Going On
For the past 2 weeks I have been running, running, running. I know my life these days are typical days for a lot of you. But I come dragging in every evening totally exhausted! I will be so happy when the house is finished and we arefinally moved in.....for a number of reasons. First of all, because, well, we'll be living in our new home. We've been so excited watching the progress from the dirt pad to what it is today. And after renting for these past 8 months, it will be nice to see our money going towards owning. And I'm ready to get all the boxes unpacked and everything put in its place. I will say I think I've done rather well living with no decorative items, nothing on the walls, just the necessities, while all my "stuff" is still sitting in boxes right where we dropped them the day we moved in. Yikes! Those of you who know me, know this would normally make me go absolutely mad. And, I will be glad for life to slow down a bit and get back into a routine, where I clean on certain days, cook real meals and have a little more structure to my time. Right now I'm spending most of my time in my car, which I now call my "mobile office". I have run more errands, organized birthday parties, conducted "house" business, made dentist appointments, handled my church callings, checked in on friends and family, and on and on and on. I don't know what I would do without my Palm Treo - which I LOVE. We don't even have a home phone anymore because it just wasn't being used. In case you're interested, our target move-in date is December 15th. Yes, right in the middle of the Christmas holiday hustle and bustle, we will be packing, loading, moving, unpacking and putting away everything we own (except a number of items I fully expect to "get lost" or just plain do away with because I don't want to deal with it anymore), working around Alysa's school and activity schedule, Christmas shopping and mailing, holiday decorating...just a little, and possibly working part time for Mark (I know what you're thinking). After all of this, though, I have to say I am SO thankful for my life, hectic as it may be, my family, my friends, my surroundings, my health, the opportunity to build a home we never dreamed we'd ever own, and many more blessings I thank the Lord for every day. Life is a joy.
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