Look at my son

He loves to dance and the boy is his best friend Andrew who's dad just passed of the massive heart attack...

The girls are my nieces....

They think they are going to be on somebody's video one day.....LOL

Dog tired and good news

I am soooo happy to report that dad pulled through the surgery just fine!!!

He woke up grumpy and hungry ....THAT'S MY DAD!!! LOL
I am so tired.

He had to be at the hospital at 6am! Which meant I had to be up by 5am , which made Dana a sleepy mess!!!!!

His surgery was just over 4 hrs...
i was a nervous wreck, but was not trying to show mom...

My sister was there...
My two half brother's were there
and my aunt Josie was there...

I kept dosing off, so they were laughing at me!!!

We didnt leave until 8pm and I was so tired!!!!

I came home to a sick baby....
Jaree has a super sore throat, she was crying and feverish yesterday...
gave motrin and allowed her to sleep in my bed...

She's still not feeling well...
I may just have to take her to the doctor....
Poor child...

Continue to keep us in your prayers

Prayer Request

This handsome man on the left is my daddy! He is having surgery tommorrow to repair an aortic anuerysm . He has to get a stint put into his artery.

He is such an ACTIVE person. He doesn't exactly let any grass grow under his feet!! He moves around like a teenager. He does more than I do!!!!

I love him so much and I am praying that all goes well on tommorrow.

5 years ago he had a QUADRUPLE BYPASS and he was walking around the next day....
Trust me he is strong, but I still pray for him...

He is my one and only daddy!

Tbanks in advance

These are some of the photos I took the day of the funeral with a couple of Cordell's (my friend who passed). It was a solemn day, but I think we look good! LOL

I was extremely exhausted that day, but managed to stay with LaVelle all night!
We sat talked and reminisced and had a good time.

I antiqued a couple of the photos, added a vignette, blurred edges ...
I have been having fun with my new camera.

Although these pictures were NOT taken on my camera!!
I just edited them.

On another note...

I was reading Keisha Campbell's blog today and was so saddened....
It seems someone said some nasty things about her daughter Mira....

I cannot believe that people can be so heartless and cruel to attack a CHILD...
What has happened to our world?

Children are innocent!
They don't deserve to be ridiculed by adults.....

It's sad that people can be so MISERABLE that they would attack an innocent unsuspecting child!

It angers me so much!
If someone would ever attack any of my children in that manner I don't know what I would do.

We kind of put ourselves out there, when we give people an open door into our lives and give them a peek at our families, but you would think that children would be off limits..

Attack me...
Leave my babies out of it...

And the things that were said wasn't even true..

You can read it here

It's a shame that people can't find anything better to do than tear someone down....

I am very sensitive when it comes to my children and I would be IRATE...

On a brighter note.
I have been hearing a lot of things about the Bind it all and I think I am going to buy it...
Does anyone know if Mikes, joann's or hobby lobby carry it????

Until next time

I am still alive, breathing and kicking...

I sure would have much rather been around blogging and enjoying life...
but instead...

I was helping a good friend of mine prepare for a funeral...
Her 44 year old husband died from a massive heart attack last week Thursday...

At around 1am the kids were knocking on my bedroom door frantically to inform me that the ambulance was taking someone away in the Felix house...

They mistakenly told me it was my good friend LaVelle....

Instead it was her husband Cordell

I immediately jumped up put on some clothes and ran next door...
I found out that it was Cordell and that he had been vomitting and that they suspected he had contracted Salmonella Poisoning because he had just eaten a gyro with tomatoes...

They got him in the ambulance and LaVelle (who doesn't drive) was going to drive their car behind the ambulance...
Baptiste and I said we would take her....
I went with no shoes.....
because we were originally going to just drop her and her son Xavier off....and then pick them up when they were ready...

Baptiste walked them inside....
and quickly came back to the car...
He told me I needed to come inside, because they were doing CPR on Cordell....

Thank God, Baptiste had on some flip flops, but had a pair of gym shoes in the car...
I put on his HUGE FLIP FLOPS and went in to comfort my friend....

I knew it was BAD when they asked us to go inside the QUIET ROOM.....
and it took forever for the doctor to come tell us the news.....

We stayed with LaVelle the whole morning and helped her make all the arrangements.....
They have a total of 16 children together 7 togehter...she has 3 from a previous marriage and he had 6 from a previous marriage....

The youngest child is 8 and it was so hard to break the news to them...

The funeral was yesterday and ...

I AM DRAINED PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY....

We had to do so much running around, making funeral arrangements, florists, getting insurance papers together, cooking.....IT HAS BEEN ROUGH...

I AM PLUM TIRED....

Yesterday was so hard. Just to see his children in so much Pain.....
It broke my heart....
I plan to be blogging more...with something more upbeat, but if you were wondering if I fell off the face of the earth.....this is where I have been

Please say a prayer for My good friend Lavelle Felix and their children....

Thanks!!

Treachorous weather!

We have had tornadoes, high winds, hail storm, massive rain....
What is going on...
We are right now under flood watch!

Craziness!!

Today is work out day! I am so not looking forward to it, but I have not been in a week. Had lots going on! I need to get back on the stick. I can feel I have gained weight!! So I will be working extra hard today!

It's been so gloomy around here. No sun in sight! Only in the 70's today! Which is something I love1 I hate 90 degree weather...
In fact, fall is my favorite time of year! I don't like real hot or real cold weather. I will take my weather mild please! LOL

I have to do laundry today....arghhh!

I hate doing laundry, but it's a necessary evil!
I have 4 loads!!! Ouch!!!

I must also clean my room, it's a hot mess right now...
I don't know why it's so hard to keep my room clean, but it is.......
I can keep everything else clean, but my room.

I have been organizing my scrap room, getting prepared to scrap tonight, after my work out! I have been working on Jariel's album, finally finished Jaree's album, I will take pics...
I am really happy with it....

Baptiste injured his back, so he has been in a lot of pain, but he refuses to go the hospital. He was in so much pain yesterday, I was crying for him! He is so stubborn!!! I am going to insist he goes today!

I did pick up the latest copies of MM, SS, and CK....
After I am done cleaning I will dive into those mags....

I need to go by Archiver's today! They got the new passport line and I am so interested in seeing seeing it!!! We'll see!

Did you know they are remaking the Incredible Hulk AGAIN? Why? I thought it was the sequel, to the one that came out a few years ago, but it's a total remake. Kinda a crazy for them to remake a remake.....LOL

Anyways I am off to get some work done....

Will post some more later

Dinner and a movie

Baptiste and I went to see the Strangers.......sooooooooo scary. And it was a true story!!! Wow!
We try to take time for ourselves atleast twice a month without the kiddos....

It's a must! and a treat!!!

We went out to Red Lobster and then to the movies...

We were so stuffed from REd Lobster that we didn't even buy anything to drink...
We had : Lobster Rolls and Crab Cakes for Appetizers....
We had Rock Lobster, 12 fried shrimp, shrimp scampi, and 12 garlic shrimp on a skewer, over rice pilaf and baked potato !!!
I had 2 pina colodas
Garden salad and those AWESOME CHEDDAR BISCUITS!!!

I ate every bit of my food. As I was starving before we left!!!!

Baptiste asked if I wanted popcorn and I was like where the hell am I going to put it....LOL
I don't have a reserve stomach!!!

We went to the movies and I was scared out of my wits!!!!
What makes it even more scary is the fact that it is true!

Hated the ending! But, hey, it's a true story so you can't exactly alter what happened.....LOL

I am such a horror movie queen!!!!!
I want to see THE HAPPENING....looks so scary!!!! Comes out this Friday.
My kids love horror movies too!!!

Dh, not so much!!! But I have totally desensitized my kids...LOL

Today, dh and I are going to Borders and then over to Panera Bread...
Mom took the kids summer shopping.....
So they are alllllllll gone until late tonight...

Bee starts summer school tommorrow and I want to strangle him!!
We are out of 300 bucks because he didn't do what he was supposed to do in school! I so want to kill this kid. He has to take Geometry! I want to kill him!! F both quarters....

He is so going to pay us back!! And I had to pay 50 dollars for bus transportation...
Teenagers!!! Argh!

WEll, I need to start getting ready Baptiste will be getting off work in a few hours.....

Until next time..

Beach fun!!!!

We had soooooooooo much fun yesterday. First off all, 20 minutes into the trip, the kids decide they don't want to go to Navy Pier, they would rather go to Indiana Dunes. It's a little further, but we decided to go. And we had a blast. The waves were huge, with riptides, but thank God all 3 children can swim and husband and I swim well, because Jaree was drifting and Jariel had to swim out and save her. So we went a little closer to shore. The water was ice cold!!! But we got used to it after awhile...

The kids walked up the mile and a half stairwell to go to the other beach!!! Crazy-ness!!!



I walked up a 150 foot sanddune! And it was steep!!!!


Bee was so exhausted and I thought I was going to die, after finally getting up there.....LOL


Jariel, Jaree and Katie went up another sanddune.....I couldn't make it...

Do you see our name in the sand???




The lovebirds....Katie and Bee

My favorite shot of the day!!!!!


Look at all my boys!!!

Brought along my nieces Cherelle left, Khadejah middle and Keyah right!! Aren't they beautiful??

Fun shot, they all stuck their tongues out at me...


We found a blue wall! Had to take a picture on it...LOL

Love the shot of Bee and Khadejah!


Look at Jariel!!!!


Jaree in a two piece, she is getting so big!!!


I so caught Baptiste off guard!!!

Another one of my favorite shots!!! The kids just took over the life guard post! LOL


I love the this picture too, looks like a post card

The boys digging a whole to bury the kids in ....LOL

Jariel and Jaree getting buried alive....

Almost buried!!!


These two are attached at the hip, always together.....

You would think from the pictures that they love each other....LOL


More of my nieces


Can you believe he was co-operating, who usually hates me taking pics....LOL

This is one person who loves the camera!!! LOL

We left at dusk and boy were we tired!!!
Hope you enjoyed the pics all taken from my S5...I love it!!

Dana

I am off to the beach

It's going to be high near 90 today and you know what that means to the Brooks family....

Beach time...

I am off to Wal-mart to buy food! Sandwiches, chips, fruit snacks, fruit, cookies, juice and water!

New bathing suit for Jaree!!!! 

Batteries for the cam!!!

And a cute tote bag!!

Can't wait!!!

Will post pics later...

Dana

Stormy Tuesday

Today we have warnings for severe weather....
and wouldn't you know it, Baptiste works the late shift!!!

I hate thunder and lightening...I am deathly afraid of it!!!
Today will be a day spent at home, organizing and getting prepared for the summer...
time to put away the winter clothes and pull out the gazillion totes of summer clothes...

Summer has finally arrived here in Chicago!!!
Besides the severe weather today....

We will reach the 90's by Sunday!!!

Time to go to the beach!!!!
Can't hardly wait!

Baptiste is off Thursday and Saturday!!!! We will definitely be doing something with the kids

More than likely we will hit the Shedd Aquarium Saturday and then the beach...

I cannot wait!!!!

I have been having so much fun with my new camera!!!
Now I am just waiting on my ipod touch!!!
I am starting to become a gadget freak just like Baptiste...

By the way, that was Jaree sleeping the video and that was a ponytail not a wig!!! My niece Cameshea was not too happy about him messing with her weave....LOL

Well I am off to get some things done...
will post later

This is what happens when you have too much time on your hands!!!!

I went shopping with my mom today and returned home to find this on my computer...

Baptiste has no sense....

I was laughing until I cried!!!!

I don't know why I married this nut...

This is a total mockery of none other than MYSELF....

He makes me sick...

This is a fool!!!!
Look up fool in the dictionary and you will find his picture...

The kids thought it was hilarious...

Hope this does not offend anyone....
But this was too funny not to share...

This is the reason I haven't blogged!

I've been too busy trying to learn how to work my new camera. Love the way it takes pics. Canon is truly the best when it comes to digital photography in my book anyways. You would think it was a DSLR, which will be next on the agenda. I am not good at manual settings and I am having a hard enough time with this very elaborate and high tech point and shoot. Which also has manual settings. I was lost when they started talking about aperture and ISO speeds....LOL I so need to take a photography course.....

The house is super quiet!!!

Kids are gone......
Baptiste is gone ....

and I am home by my lonesome, just enjoying the day.....

I have been comtemplating a move.....
I just purchased my home, but cannot stand the area.....

And I have to think of my children first....
as much as I love my home, and God knows I love my house!!!
I love my CHILDREN MORE and they are not happy here anymore....

Maybe things will blow over, but still this house doesn't feel like home anymore....
Maybe I need to move to a rural area with very few neighbors......LOL

I haven't even been creating lately....
My mojo is gone.....

Too busy making sure no one is trying to fight my kids....

Anyways....
I am off to go read , relax, and take a late afternoon nap....

Will post more later....