Saying Goodbye to 2007...

and HELLO TO 2008!

This has been one crazy, fun, insane year!

Let's see dh and both turned 33!

The kids turned 15,11, and 8!
Which equals no babies....booohooo!

I have a bittersweet relationship with the New Year.

I love new beginnings, second chances, and renewal. But, I hate watching my children grow up..... Do you know Bee will be 16 in 2008? WTH? I can remeber when I was 16 years old. Time really flies!

It seems like just yesterday, we were toasting to 2007 and now 2008 is upon us...

Let's see, what happened in 2007.

I bought my very FIRST HOME!

I finally got an expedit and I love it

Jaree decided she wanted to be a cosmetician when she grew up

We were invaded by little nasty alien creatures knows as Cicada's

I realized that my oldest son Bee was not a baby anymore

Bee went to his very first Homecomming dance

I became an aunt yet again to Ms. Aya


Although we had a lot of fun in 2007, it had it's down. I lost two important people in my life. My uncle Marion and my aunt Beverly. I had several bouts with depression this year. Dh and I had some rocky times. The kids drove me nuts, especially my teenager, found out who my real friends were, and found out what makes DANA tick!

This year was full of both laughter and tears,

But through strife we find strength...

2008 will have it's good times and bad times as well, but God is Good, he is real, and he will bring you through...


I made some really good friends through blogging, I don't have to say anything you know who you are....Most of you have been with me since I started blogging and I love you dearly...

to my cyber sistahs

I LOVE YA AND HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

PEACE AND HAIR GREASE!!!LOL

Jaree's Christmas

According to the boys, this year was Jaree's Christmas. So here is Jaree's Christmas: This couldn't be further from the truth. Jaree just got more quantity wise, but the boys gifts were FAR MORE expensive.

Bee wanted money (alot, alot, alot of money) and a video ipod. Jariel wanted a cell phone, a video ipod, 2 remote control cars, games for his psp, a nerf gun, and the flytech dragonfly....that was not cheap! LOL

Even though Jaree got MORE, she really got LESS...KWIM?












By now I am used to all the complaining, this year I told them if they don't like what they have, we can always give it to charity. They straightened up real quick...LOL

More pics soon!





ETA: WHY DIDN'T ANYBODY TELL ME, it would be that freaking hard to find a African American baby alive doll, went to 6 different stores for that dumb doll, it would be nearly imposible to find bratz life with the bratz dolls, because it's in the electronic aisle, and that I would lose my mind trying to find the littlest pet shop paws off diary because WALMART, keeps it on the end caps, and that the bratz snow lodge ice cream making machine, requires a VISIT TO THE DAMNED GROCERY STORE on Christmas morning. Yes, Jaree drove me crazy!!!!!

Whew.......its been a blast!

a very busy blast...

What has been going on since the last time I blogged!

Let's start with the good:

The children had a very, very, very wonderful Christmas!!!!
My living room looked like Toys R Us sent a shipment of toys to our house, instead of Toys R Us...LOL

Let's start with Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve, my siblings, our kids, and I, always meet up at my parents house around 5pm. We have a light dinner, we have a champaigne toast, we exchange one gift (which is usually pj's), we sing Christmas Carols, and have mimosa's and egg nog coloda's, oooo so yummy. I even had a tequila shot. Why, did I let my uncle talk me into that. I was toasted guys. Usually, a wine cooler will make me tipsy, so just imagine I had 2 mimosa's, 1 egg nog coloda, 1 shot of tequila, and one glass of champaigne. I was feeling no pain when I left....LOL

Santa Claus, almost didn't make it! Truth be told, if It was not for Bee (my oldest son), there would have been no Christmas for Jaree and Jariel. He took all of the toys from the attic and set them up. He says he tried to wake me up several times, but I was sleep. I didn't even here him. I woke up at 3am, still fully dressed and in my coat. Baptiste had to work Christmas Eve and he didn't get home to 1am, he said he took one look at me... and he took a whole lot of pics. Let's just say, those pics got deleted really quick...

I did have enough energy to bake cookies, brownies, and rice crispy treats. I don't know how they tasted, but they were made.....LOL

The kids woke up around 8 am and woke me up, before they went down stairs. I got up, hangover and all.....LOL NOw these kids are so different than I was when I was little, they couldn't put me to sleep with anesthesia on Christmas and I was always up by 3am , tearing up my gifts....



Jaree was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo happy!
Of all five billion, 999, 365, 989, 156 toys she got....she zoomed in on one item

BABY ALIVE!!!!! If I had only known! Well, I can't say that, she was excited about her Bratz Kids SEcret Snow Lodge Ice cream maker, and her littlest pet shop paws of diary!

However she received the following from us, cough ...I mean Santa....LOL

1 Baby Alive doll, with extra food, diapers, and clothes
1 Sky wishes My little pony
1 Littlest pet shop diary
Bratz Life
Bratz kidz icecream maker snow logdge
Bratz Magic Makeup
Bratz Full Body Makeover
Bratz Pampered Pups
Walking Bratz with dog
Bratz Fashion Stylist in Makeup Artist, Nail Tech, and Beautician
Bratz Winter Kids
Bratz Winter Doll
Food for Easy Bake Oven
Bratz Make up kit
Big Kidz Bratz Music Stars
and last but not least
The shaker mp3 player


Now, why is 95% of that, still in its package.

I guess you are wondering what could the boys possibly have gotten, because Jaree's list was so long.

Well, Jariel rec'd

One new cell phone, with mp3 player, camera, and video recording
The shaker
Camaro gas car
The Terraniac by Tyco
Fly tech Dragonfly
Some Huge whopping nerf gun
100 dollars
1 pair of air force one gym shoes
short list, but more expensive than Jaree


What did Bee want? Money!!! 500 dollars! Sweet!

Dh and I always exchange gifts in January, but I was shocked to recieve a full body back massager, money, Passion fruit pop basket from Victoria SEcret, smells sooo yummy, and a promise to get a manicure and pedicure on Friday!

So I had to go and get him some Antonio Banderas cologne, a case for his laptop, and a 100 dollar gift card too Guitar Center, his favorite store. He was so happy.

I hope this means I still can get my camera in January....LOL

That is what I really wanted for Christmas, my camera finally bit the bullet!!! LOL

The kids got so much stuff from my mom it was ridiculous, mainly clothes, my mom does not believe in buying toys, she says that is our job.....LOL My sister got them all gift cards, so they have been bugging me to get to Target, my brother got them absolutely NOTHING....not even a Merry Christmas, but I already expected that. I did get all three of his kids gc's but it's all good. My mil got them a whole bunch of stuff, as well as their aunts and great grandma.

Now here's the kicker, their god parents all called and want me to come get their gifts today....

I guess I wasn't thinking I bought all that crap, because now I don't know where I am going to store this stuff!!!!

They don't need a nother toy or clothes, or shoes for 25 years.....LOL

They enjoyed it though.

They got in on the gift giving too, each one of them spent their own money and bought family and friends gifts!!!! I teach them that it is better to give than to recieve. I don't think Jaree quite gets it yet....LOL



Later that night, went to mom's for some good food, good company, and good conversation. My mom had it decorated so elegantly. My mom really should have been a interior decorator, she has such good taste...

Now for the bad.....

Jaree had yet another seizure a few days before Christmas. IT WASN'T A BAD SEIZURE, like last time, but now she has to go back on trileptal. Which is something I hate. I have an appointment today to see her neurologist, and I am going to express my concerns. I don't feel Jaree has epilepsy, she has never had a seizure, that didn't accompany a fever. They are all febrile seizures. So please pray for my baby!

Also, do you ever feel like you step 2 steps forward, only to take 10 steps back. Well, you should always follow your first mind. Something told me to stay at my mom's, while my dh and the kids visited his family, but instead I went. Only to regret it later. First of all, when I got inside my sil's house, you could cut the tension in the room with a knife. Everyone was dry and acted like they didn't want to speak to me, and I don't KISS BOOTY, OH NO....NOT DANA!!! So, once I spoke and said Merry Christmas to everyone, I went into another room with the people who I felt comfortable with. As soon as my Bee, walked into the door, my younger sil was all over him, take your hat off, do this, do that..... Hey, he's a teenager leave him alone. She starts talking about his clothes, oh we don't do skulls.....because he had on a hoody with a skull, that zipped all the way up, with a matching shirt and pants, and skull earrings and necklace. He looked damned GOOD, if you ask me. She just kept picking at him, so long story short, I checked her really good and she didn't like and decided to leave. In my mind, I was thinking where the hell is Baptiste, because after all, this is his family, he claims, he didn't hear what was going on....but sometimes, you should put your own family in their place, because when I do it, you may not like it. I don't PLAY when it comes to my kids. Mess with my kids, you are likely to get hurt. She was just badgering him for no reason!!!! I just don't get it. This particular sil normally doesn't act like that (when she's by herself),but when she gets with her family she pretends to be TOUGH TONY and it pisses me off. Keyword, PRETENDS, she won't bust a grape at a fruit fight! I gave her a real good tongue lashing and continued on with my day. Some people can dish it out, but can't take it, kwim?

However, she picked the wrong kid to mess with!

My kidz are always WELL DRESSED, WELL GROOMED, and WELL MANNERED! I think that his family thinks that we are too extravagant. But what I do with my kids is not anyone's business. I just think she's A HATER!!!!

I came home and talked to dh about how I felt and it's like he's OBLIVIOUS to what's going on. It makes me so mad sometimes. I want to SCREAM! But he said, whenever I or our kids feel uncomfortable, we come first and he will leave! But, I somehow have my doubts. But, I am not going to get into that. Long story short, my dh needs to cut the freaking umblilical cord already, he's a total MOMMA'S BOY! LOL That can be so trying sometimes!!!!!


Last but not least, after I left my mother's house, my crazy brother and my mom got into a HUGE FIGHT, over none other than MONEY!!! He owes my mom so much money, but continues to borrow money and my mom finally said "HELLLLL NO"....lol

and this was all on Christmas.....LOL

Can't tell you enough how forward I am looking to the NEW YEAR!!!

Sorry for the long post, maybe I should have posted a disclaimer or something...

Hope your Christmas was Merry and Bright....

Dana

Ups and downs of winter

Had a slight break today...so I decided to blog! Another one of my goals is to blog more. I seem to always feel better after I do.

So I am participating in today's blog challenge
Challenge for today is:
What are three things that you enjoy most about the winter season? What three things do you dislike?

Interesting thing, because I always have had a love/hate relationship with OLD MAN WINTER!

If I had to choose three things I love about winter:

1. Time indoors. Time to reflect, to get reaccquanted with family, more time for reading, scrapbooking. Hot chochlate, chili, beef stew, chicken pot pies, (btw, I only eat these foods at winter)fuzzy socks, flannel pjs, and fleece blankets.

2. Snow fun! I love to go to war with kids, I can throw a mean snowball. Just call me Sammy Sosa baby!!! LOL Sledding! Sledding! Sledding! and more Sledding! Building a snowman with the kids.

3. More snuggle time with dh. When you're cold, you tend to snuggle with someone to get warm. Who better to snuggle with, than my baby! LOL

Now there's a downside

1. Driving in the snow and even worse driving in an ice storm. It's horrible, I try to never drive in any of these conditions, if I don't really need to.

2. Shorter days and being cooped in the house with kids. That is why I love summer!!!!LOL

3. The cold, The cold, the cold. I live in the MIDWEST...the windy city. We have really bad winds. Which makes it a whole lot colder than it actually really is...We may have 20 degree weather, but if we have a windchill factor of -8 then that is what it feels like.....LOL


What do you love about winter, what do you dislike?????



What a great challenge!!!! Loooooooved it!

Until next time.

Dana

Trust

....one of my biggest flaws is that I am toooo trusting.

My parents tell me this..
Baptiste always tell me this...
My friends....


And now it has all come back to haunt me.

Make a long story short:

I befriended a group of children that live next door to me. It's 10 children in all. 8 whom live at home. They are a little less fortunate than we are, so I always try to help them out. They come to my house, they use the computer, they eat, they play the video games, and I welcome that. I have always had this NURTURING and MOTHERING nature, far before I became a mother. I was babysitting at 8 years old. Ok.

Well, yesterday, I went in my room to look for the kids gifts. 2 video ipods and a cell phone. To be exact. Because I kept all the toys and big stuff at my mom's. Because my children are nosey as hell! Well, there nowhere to be found. I tore my room up, looking for it. Still can't find it. So get this feeling and I decide to confront the sister of the person I suspected. Sure enough, the first thing she said was "was Jane X in your room". I never mentioned any names.... She then told me, she would look around for the items and call me back if she found them....

Still NOTHING!

If you are wondering why I decided to confront the sister, we are really close, she is 20 years old and knows how her siblings are....

The mom, would have just beat the hell out of them all, without asking questions, and I did not want that.

I HAVE NO PROOF, that Jane X, stole anything...

Just a gut feeling....

and when I get these...they are normally TRUE!

It is my own fault. I am out of 500 dollars, because I have to replace it....

But, I take it as a lesson learned...

I am too trusting and to never allow anybody free reign over my house.

Sometimes, people mistake your kindness FOR WEAKNESS....

I don't know how I am going to make this up, it is only 5 days before Christmas, I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY, but I have to make something HAPPEN!

2 of the gifts were for Jariel. My child that has a heart of Gold. And that hurts the most. He is so humble and never asks for MUCH. He's been that way his entire life and because he is so modest, I almost always get EVERYTHING he asks for. I cried my eyes out yesterday! Because, of all the people for this to happen. I would have much rathered them steal from ME. NOT, my BABIES...

This is not the first time, something has gone missing out of my house. I am kind of ashamed to even tell you how much WAS missing, before this incident.

But, I hate to think that SOMEONE, that I considered to be like a daughter to me, TO STEAL from me...that is a HURTING FEELING...

I have to chalk it up as a loss....

but I am truly devastated by this...

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas....

.....Just like the one's I used to know.

What is the perfect Christmas to you?

For me, it is not about the gifts? It's not about receiving anything.

Christmas is not just a day for me, It's a feeling!
It is truly the happiest time of the year for me...

I really get into Christmas! Decorating, cooking, baking, ginger bread houses, I love it.

What would be my Perfect Christmas?


Snow on the ground, you know the really white snow that glistens...
Singing Christmas carols with my family
Going to my mom's on Christmas Eve, which is a HUGE family tradition, for egg nog coloda's, hot cocoa for the kids with tons of marshmellows, having my mom read "THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS" to the kids, and being able to open one gift, which is always BRAND NEW PJ'S, to be worn to bed on Christmas Eve. My siblings and I always head to my parent's for this..

Baking cookies for Santa.....
Making all different kinds of cookies, chocolate chip, peppermint, butter, sugar, and oatmeal and raisin. Making really good fudge! Making all different assortments of rice crispy treats and cornflake treats!

Watching the Christmas story over and over on Tnt! Priceless.

Being around my family...

The look on my children's face on Christmas morning...

All the thank you's and kisses I receive from the kids......"Thank you mommy and daddy, a gazillion times...

Going out at night to throw reindeer dust so that Santa can find his way to our house.

Being blessed to still have both of my parents...Who are healthy and so full of life! I thank God for that!

Still having CHILDREN, in my household, who I can play Santa for. Our children are only children for a short while, before they are all grown up and that is so scary for me. My oldest child is 15 years ...... They grow up so fast! Jaree is the only child that still believes in SAnta! I probably have another year or two, before that is over..... So that makes me sad.

Believe or not, I love the hustle and bustle of shopping. The thrill of the hunt. Running all around to find that perfect toy, for me this year, it was that darn blasted Baby Alive doll in African American. Hello, toy companies, African American people do exist, can you send more ethnic dolls to Wal-mart.....LOL

I love gathering all the kids up and driving for hours to look at all the cool Christmas decorations...

Keeping my radio on 93.9, listening to all the cool Christmas carols...
My favorite Christmas carol is :This Christmas, by Donny Hathaway....Chris Brown just remade it. While, I love his version too, I love the original.


Then on Christmas day, IT'S ALL OVER! so quick! Sometimes, I get a little sad.


One of my fondest memories of Christmas, was the year I got my CABBAGE PATCH TWINS, oh my God! That was the best Christmas. My mom had her friend build me a crib and dresser, and the dresser was full of clothes and diapers, and crib, had a musical mobile. I was too excited. It was also the year, I got my puppy Dutchess! I got so many other things, because my mom always WENT ALL OUT for Christmas, but I remember that day, because I woke everyone up at 4am, to come look what Santa had brought. My grandmother, really made a big deal out of those twins. She played with me all morning! She always made me feel so special, and that EVERY WORD I said was IMPORTANT. I remember getting into so much trouble too, because Dutchess kept crying, and I put her in my bed and she took a huge dump right in the middle of my floor.....LOL She was only a baby... I sometimes, wish I could go back to that time. Come to think of it, all of my Christmas' as a child were SPECIAL. There was not one, that I can think of that was disappointing. But even as a child, it was not the gifts. It was being around my FAMILY. Fellowship! Sure, I was so excited, anticipating what Santa would bring me that year, but I can honestly say, my fondest memories, were not the THINGS I RECIEVED....BUT THE MOMENTS....

the moments I had with my Grandmother who is gone on to glory...
going to visit my Aunt Plump (no that is not her real name it's Virgie, but that is her nickname) and having my older cousin Darcel play dolls with me, she is now dead.... watching my uncle and aunt get toasted and dance the bop together , now they are gone, laughing at my uncle James, who could not drive to save his life, almost hit our dog, each year, because he was doing 100 up the drive way, now he's gone, laughing at my uncle Roger, who would get so sloppy drunk, that he would say every thing in three's "Hello, Hello, Hello" How you doing, How you doing, How you doing", then he would go outside and slip on the ice and lay there, like nothing happened.....priceless! Sneaking into the champagne with my favorite cousin SEan, who was murdered back in 1991. Laughing at my uncle Bill and my dad, as they argue over topics that didn't even MATTER, then laughing because my uncle Freddy D would agree with both of them, "Wendell (my dad), you right, you right".....Buster (my uncle Bill) you got a point there", Now we all know they both can't be right. Watching my uncle CArl, snooping around to see if any one's watching and then sneak a sip of his Martel.....my aunt Josie didn't like for him to drink....listening to my uncle Marion talk plenty of CRAP when he's winning a game of Bid Whist, slapping his cards on the table, he just died on 7th.


While those are moments that I will never get back, they are MEMORIES THAT I WILL CHERISH FOREVER.....

Better than any gift I could ever receive...

If I can say something to touch you today...

Know that life is not about THINGS.... Life is about the MOMENTS...

LIFE IS SHORT, LOVE ONE ANOTHER, LEAVE THE PAST IN THE PAST, AND ENJOY THE MOMENT....

Have a safe and Merry Christmas....

I probably will be super busy over the next couple of days, so I don't know that I will be blogging much after today, but I just wanted to say to my blogging sistah's

I love ya!!!!!!

Until next time

Resolutions

My good friend Adrienne, blogged on this very subject. You can read it here. She had some really great resolutions.

Do I make resolutions? Yes! Do I stick to them? NO!


But this coming year, I really plan to stick to my GOALS, DREAMS, AND DESIRES....
Maybe, if I look at it in this light, or using this terminology, I will stick with it.

One of my biggest Resolutions, this year:

Is to spend more time with family. Life is so short. We had so many deaths in the last couple of years, that you start to realize your own mortality. I am a family oriented person, but I don't see my family like I should. I am not speaking of my immediate family, I see them all the time. I am talking about my aunts and cousins. My extended family.


I plan to schedule outings, for the family, atleast once a month. Movies, museums, zoo,dinner, skating, bowling, get togethers at home, things like that.


Life is PRECIOUS, I want to spend mine, surrounded around people whom I love and who I know love me.



Another one of my goals, is to finish my MASTER'S DEGREE. I only have 18 hours. Why I haven't completed it, I don't know. I will take my time, take a class or two, and see how it works. But, I know I need to go ahead and get my Master's. My parents are definitely riding me, about this. LOL



Another one of my goals, is to take more DANA TIME. To focus on me. I am always so entralled in my husband, my kids, my parnents, friends, siblings, nieces, nephews, that I barely take the time to focus on ME. As most of you know, I battle with depression, and I need to take the time to get DANA toghether.



Another one of my goals is to start BELIEVING in myself more. I have alot of THINGS that I am talented in. I am a hell of a writer, I have great business skills, I am damn good BAKER, I really need to get off of my butt, and get my business up and running. 2008 is my year!



Like Adrienne, I didn't scrapbook as nearly as I would have liked too. I will definitely be scrapping more in 2008 as well as submitting, which is something I have never done!


This year, I want to learn to knit and sew.....
My mil says she will teach me as she does both quite well
Watch out Adrienne.....LOL


My last goal is to get more health conscious, I am overweight. I need to lose about 35 lbs. I need to start eating right and exercise. Because I want to be here for my family. Don't get me wrong, I am not severely overweight, because people laugh when I say that, you know to BLACK FOLKS, THICK is in.....LOL But, I know I need to lose some weight. You know when your body isn't right, and I think I would feel alot better about myself if I shed some of this excess weight, I have gained 3 kids later. LOL I don't want to go back to my high school weight, which was 110 lbs. No way. BUT 125, to 145 is right up my alley. I am not trying to get back into the daisy dukes and stretch pants....LOL No halters and tube tops for Dana, but I want to start shopping in the front of the stores and not the back. I am size 14-16 and would love to be a size 10. So I need to do what needs to be done! Stop talking about it and start being about it. So, dh and I bought two memeberships to L.A. Fitness. I am a great swimmer, so I was told that is a great source of exercise, because it works every muscle in your body. We both have personal trainers and we start this Wednesday. I don't want to do it the easy way, I have been to the "fat doctors", where they give a b 12 shot and fat burners and water pills. I dropped 45 pounds in 3 months, and kept losing weight rapidly and started to look like skeletor from Heman, so I had to quit.....LOL This was few years back, but this time around I am going to do things the right way.


So ...now that I have told you my goals, what are yours?

Until next time...

Dana

After a very long and sad week....

.......DANA IS READY TO PARTY!!!!!!

This week was so EMOTIONALLY DRAINING. We laid our dear sweet uncle Marion Odell Pleas to rest on Saturday. I am so drained! My surrogate baby little Marion, took it soooo hard! Oh my God, at one point I thought we were going to have to call the ambulance. He's only 19 years old, and his biological mother died when he was almost 3. She died in childbirth, along with his sister. His father was never a part of his life much before she died and THEN NOT AT ALL, after she died. So my uncle Marion and my aunt Plump adopted him. So, basically, this is the only FATHER little Marion has known, HIS GRANDFATHER/FATHER. So he is clinging to his GRANDMOTHER, my aunt Virgie, who is already in her 2nd stage of Dementia. He kept saying I love my grandparents so much! He broke EVERYBODY down, including the FUNERAL DIRECTORS, who have seen COUNTLESS funerals. It took us forever to leave the mausoleum, because he just layed across, my uncles casket and cried and sobbed. We finally, had to just remove him! I was just getting over the stomach flu and still woozy, so this just about did me in....LOL

I was sick as 5 dogs and 10 cats, Thursday and Friday. Saturday, I had only got 3 hours of rest, because I was up throwing up my gutts. The funeral was at 9 in the morning. I still had to get up, get 3 kids ready, and do Jaree's hair. I just pulled my hair back in a pony tail. It was no way, I was trying to curl my hair. I just wet and pulled it back in a pony tail and just wore it wavvy. Something I hate to do. I was so sick and all of that crying, just sent me into a massive migraine. I hardly ate anything at the repast, and was sooooo weak. I got to my aunts house and laid in bed and took a nap. All of a sudden, I felt someone lay in bed with me, (now I am one of the scariest people in the world! I was scared to open my eyes, because after all it was my uncle and my aunt's bed, finally, I opened one eye, and it was little Marion, he layed on me and went to sleep too!) He has always been my baby. I took care of him at a very young age. He is my surrogate son after all! I love him so much! I love him just as much as my own children. He knows it too! My kids don't even say that he is their cousin, they say that he is their BIG BROTHER, and they all rallied around Marion, kissing and taking care of him.

I thank God, that we have such a close and supportive family, because we got through it together.

Now, I am ready to go out and shake a tail feather, and get my grown and sexy on....LOL.

I am like my dad......I NEED A DRANK! not a drink, but a DRANK! lol

Wednesday, all the girls are going to get together at my cousin's house for drinks and movies. Just the girl. I have 19 cousins, that are all my age, and we always get together and act a fool!!! Even after we left the funeral, my cousin Tonya, had us in stitches, because she can act just like Tina Turner. So we were re-inacting part of the Movie "What's love gotta do with it", and we did "Proud Mary", I thought my aunt Plump was going to bust a vessel, she was laughing so hard, but she NEEDED that. We can find humor in anything!

I would like to thank you all for all your well wishes and prayers. Some might say, that it is over, but it's really just the beginning......

Today, I am just going to relax!!!!! I had 10 children at my house, Saturday and Sunday. My nerves are frazzled! I am going to kick back and DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! and enjoy it!

Until next time....

It's Friday Baby....

and you know what that means...

Throwback Friday


This video I chose, was one of my favorite songs as a teenager. Hell to this date, this song is still killin...LOL

Allow me to take you back, How back.....way back...

A time when dressing like a boy was sexy, rocking an a-symetrical hair cut or a feather was cool! Box cuts and high top fades were too cool!

This is my all time favorite female rapper. She was my idol.


I knew this song word for word. Still do ....


so with out further ado I give .....


hell I will just give you a hint

L-Y-L-L-Y-T-E

I AM THE LYTE!

Adrienne you betta bring it...

CHAAAALLLLLLLLLLENNNNNNNGE! lol

Just to let you know I will not be posting this weekned. Won't be back until Monday, the funeral is Saturday and I will be relaxing on sunday.

Love you all...

cya soon!

It's Friday Baby....

It's time to go back, how far back...lets go back to the day when dressing like a boy was hot, a-symetrical haircuts and box cuts were hot, the days of yo mtv raps...can you go that far back. WEll, this is to this day one of my favorite female rappers. I still know every word of this song.


Chaaalllllllllenge! Adrienne you know I love you girl! But you betta bring it!


I am the lyte....l y l l yte.....LOL


Sit back, step inside my time capsule and enjoy!

This weekend will be busy for me, the funeral is Saturday, so more than likely I won't be blogging again until Monday!

Have a safe and fun weekend.

Love ya....

I was so inspired by...

this post by BonnieRose, that I decided to post 10 of my own greatest joys in life:

1. The birth of all 3 of my beautiful children. They bring so much joy into my life. It's hard to imagine life without my children.

2. Finding out I was having a girl after having two boys first! I was so ecstatic.

3. The day dh and I got married. I was so happy. So, so happy. My face hurt from smiling so hard.

4. Spending time with my mom. She is truly my best friend. I love her dearly.


5. Snuggling with my dh. It just feels soooooooooooooo good. Kicking back in the bed or on the sofa snuggling with my baby. I love him so much.

6. Bathing.....I love to bathe. Kicking back in the tub, with some great bubble bath and nothing but my thoughts. So relaxing and stimulating.

7. Spending time with my siblings. I love them sooooooooo much. We have so much fun together.

8. Joking around with my dad. When I was a teenager, my dad and I had a love/hate relationship going on, but now as a grown woman, I love my dad soooo much, he is still very protective, but SUPER FUNNY. No one makes me laugh like my dad.


9. Hanging out with just the girls. Girls night out. Every woman should plan these outings atleast once a month.

10. Graduating with honors from College. I was told by someone that I would never amount to anyting and I was sooooo honored to prove that person wrong!!!!!

These are some of my greatest joys....
some BIG...some small
but all give me great joy...

Thanks for the inspiration Bonnie~~~

Feeling a little blue...

not depressed....just blue. It's really hard for me to get in the Christmas spirit. I am not even done with my shopping which is so unlike me. Usually I am done by now. I still have to get 3 more gifts for Jariel and 2 more for Jaree. Bee wants money, still have to pick his card. After the passing of my uncle things have literally gone to shit. My room is soooo messy, the floors need washing. I am not a total neat freak, but my house is always presentable. I would hate for someone to pop up now. LOL

I am going to muster up enough strength to mop all the floors and clean my room. I will dust this weekend. I am just not feeling it .....

The kids know it too!!! They tried to cheer me up by getting me to sing Christmas carols, a family tradition in our family. Felt good for the moment, but soon after the reality of my uncles death hit me. All the drama surrounding his death is just UNREAL.


So much is going on, keep me and my family in your thoughts and prayers.....



Dana

My uncle passed....

away peacefully yesterday. Please say a prayer for our family. This is a very difficult time for us being that this is right around Christmas. He passed from lung cancer and complications of pneumonia. He waited until everyone left, to go home to shower and get dressed, he held out. He did not want us to see him die. He died only 3 minutes after everyone left. He fought a good fight. Now he's at peace. He's not suffering. He has gone on to be with the Lord. Uncle Marion, you will be very deeply missed and never forgotten.

Until we meet again sweet uncle...

Dana

Today's the day!!!

I woke up late, haven't checked Adrienne's blog yet, so here it goes. I loved this group, and let's just say this is my dh and I's break up to make up song....LOL

I am not dead.....

LOL....

So much has been going on... I just have not had a chance to do anything. But, today I said I was going to make sure I got some Dana time... Guess where I am? If you guessed Panera Bread you are CORRECT! Yes, I am eating as I am typing...LOL

Since the last time I blogged, my cousin Cherrone was admitted to the hospital, because she had to have her gall bladder removed. She was in so much pain and I can so relate, because I had to have the same surgery. I was even worse, because I had gall stones, with bilary colic, which means I was throwing up Bile.....It was horrible. I would rather have 10 babies at one time than to have GALL STONES...LOL

Also, my uncle Marion, was admitted to the hospital with Pneumonia, he has double lung cancer and he is terminal. They are going to start hospice care at home. This is sooooo hard for me, because my uncle Marion, was so funny. He looks and acts just like Bill Cosby and just to see him like this is heart breaking. What's even more heartbreaking is to see my aunt and my nephew Marion (he's really my cousin, but he's always called me auntie, because of the age difference)he's taking it sooooo hard. I mean he just broke down on me. Marion is 19 years old and I have helped raise him, because his mom died when he was 2 years old. I have always looked after him. I was only 16, but I took care of him like he was my own and I have always looked after him. He sometimes even calls me Mom, but I always remind him that he has a mother, and she loved him dearly. My aunt and uncle Marion adopted him and raised him as their own. Marions deadbeat ass dad was never a part of his life, so all he has is his grandparents..... so imagine how he feels...no mom, no dad, and he's going to lose the only father he knows, his granddad. It's heartbreaking.... So please, say a prayer for my family!!!!!

As for me, I have been doing well. Depression free. Staying prayerful! Talking and walking with the Lord. If not for God, I would not be here. I swear. So much has been going on, with me, that I do not even want to get into right now, but I just pray!

On a brighter note, I have been enjoying my children. WE have been snowed in the last couple of days, so we have been watching movies. Finally got a chance to see the MESSENGERS and it scared the living crap out of me. Now that is one scary movie!!!!! LOL We took the kids to go see This Christmas with Chris Brown and it was sooooooooooooooooooooo Good. Jaree is growing up so fast, because she has a big ole crush on Chris Brown. Her dad is less than thrilled, that his little princess is growing up.....LOL


Dh and I finally went to go see WHY DID I GET MARRIED? Oh my God, why did I wait so long to see this movie. It was soooooooo good. I will definitely be buying this movie when it comes out on dvd. Angela, was the best character in this movie. She reminds me so much of myself. Fiesty and not taking no crap!!!! LOL


Today, I am going to chill out relax and help Jariel with his project that is due Friday. I swear I sometimes feel like I am still in school. These teachers come up with the craziest projects.....LOL

I just wanted to let everyone know that I was alive and well...Just taking a break from things and spending time with family.

Much love to all my blogging sisters out there...

To my sister Adrienne, I am praying for you, I love you, and you will get through this.....stay strong, and know that you are in my thoughts, my prayers, and you are sooooooooo loved girl!!!!!!


Until next time...