do I hear chickens?

It's here,

the whole reason we moved to London, Ky....

The World Chicken Festival!!!

18th Annual September 27-30, 2007

The festivities kicked off last night in downtown London. Our church youth has a food booth that I am hoping to help run when I get up and running.
I at least want to get the family out there one evening to see the activities. According to the chicken festival website, the festival has been voted as one of the Kentucky Tourism Council's "Top Ten" Events and the Southeast Tourism Society "Top 20" Events. It has also been voted"Best Festival In State" by KentuckyMonthly Magazine.

WOW!! I'm proud to be a part of this! CLUCK CLUCK!

Is this all there is?

I'm still here, and yes, in the same spot..... my bed. At this point I should have bed sores and a walker.
I'm on day 5 of the yuckies. I went to the doctor today to make sure I wasn't dying of something I wasn't aware of.
I woke up this morning with a sore throat so then I knew I could be dealing with a whole new animal. She tested me for strep and it came back negative.
She came to the conclusion that I got too dehydrated on Saturday and that my body was depleted of electrolytes. Thankfully that meant no more ginger ale, now it's Gatorade time with a dose of a daily multivitamin. (why didn't I think of that sooner?!)
It has seemed to help. I don't seem to be so tired and nauseated since the Gatorade and multivitamin.
At this point I'm gonna have to take up weight training just to be able to walk around. My legs feel like jello! On the up side, I have managed to lose a few pounds, but this is not the recommended way to doing it!

Round II

It's 9:45 PM on Monday and Isaiah is now vomiting!
Just as we thought it was over and we had the bad food out of us.... now we're thinking virus!
WHAT IS GOING ON???

I'm still in bed with a headache from the devil and feeling a little nauseated. Cleaning up puke doesn't help matters any.

*** (five minutes later)***

I had to take a vomit clean up break. I hate to see my children sick and hanging over the toilet!!
This could be a long night!

Our prayer tonight is that we all make it through as peacefully as possible!

sick as a dog

It's Monday, 10:30 AM and I've been in my bed since Saturday at 6:00 PM. That's 40 ours I've spent in my bed.
It all started this past Friday. I got up late and did't eat breakfast and then all four of us went to Mr. Ghatti's for lunch. Chris and I had the salad bar that didn't look so fresh. I told him after I ate it that maybe it wasn't the smartest thing to do. Not long after eating I got sick to my stomach, a headache and just nauseated. It never went away all day Friday. I told myself it was due to not eating well that day. I woke up Saturday morning feeling fine. I went to Lexington to meet up with my girlfriends for lunch and shopping and felt fine until about 4:00. I had a headache and my stomach started to feel upset. I went through Chic-Fil-A drive thru and got a diet coke and chicken sandwhich, hoping to calm my stomach and make my headache go away.
As I was driving home the nausea set in a little more. Chris called me around 5:00 and told me he was on his way to camp to speak but didn't know if he was gonna make it because he was sick feeling. "Great!" was my thought. Ends up he wasn't able to speak due to "nasty" coming out both ends!!!
I got home around 6:00 pm from Lexington and got straight into my bed. By 7:00 my head was over the toilet doing something I had not done since I was a child.....throwing up!!
I was freaking out inside. I didn't know what to do or how to react. I serioulsy had not thrown up since I was about 8 years old, and it was coming up hard!!! I called Amy to warn her I was sick since we all ate together and most of us had a salad. She said she felt fine. So, food poisoning was now in my mind. Chris and the kids got home and for the next few hours he and I were sharing the single toilet. I have never felt pain in my stomach like I did that whole night. I had major pains in my upper stomach. They were sharp, strong, intense pains. Chris said he too had these pains that he'd never had before when throwing up. I think Mr. Ghatti's gave us food poisoning. Some friends of ours from church came and got the kids for the night so we could die alone!
My body cramped from head to toe from all night Saturday until Monday morning. I took phenegren Sunday night to release the pain and slept a very long time!! My stomach is feeling more normal this morning, but my head feels like it's going to explode! I guess I got dehydrated and that's why my legs where cramping the way they were. I couldn't lay still in bed from the intense pains going down my calves and through my thighs.
I'm hoping by tomorrow morning I'll be able to get up and walk. Right now when I get up I get very dizzy from my head hurting so bad.
All I know is, I don't EVER want to do this again. As for Chris, he does this once a year. He got over it much quicker than I did. He was able to go to church Sunday night while I was still laying in bed dying! He's been cleaning house today like a mad man. I don't know how he's doing it. Maybe it's becuase I ate a sald twice the size of his.

Up and Running

I got my power cord in today and now want to share some Florida pictures with you.

Above are my parents, Mason, Isaiah, Lakin and Gracie after a crab hunt!

I think these 2 of all the kids are the only pictures we got all week of all of them together!!! They had a wild time!

powerless

I'm behind on my blogging and blog reading due to the fact that I, once again ,managed to vacuum up something that I shouldn't have. This time it was my power cord to my laptop.
Without it, my laptop doesn't work. Chris brings his laptop home from work at night and I use his for now. I ordered a new power cord on ebay and it shipped out today. I hope to get it in the next day or two!! At that point I will be able to send some pictures out of our Florida vacation. Needless to say, Chris was a little disappointed that I managed to suck up another item of importance. Maybe he'll take away my vacuuming privilege again.

last night

Well, it's our last night at the Sand Trap house. It's been really nice. The weather was great considering we had at least 40% chance of rain every day. We only got rained out from the beach one day. The island is beautiful and the shops are super neat! I can't wait to come back but with Chris next time. I hate that he had to miss out on all this water, sand and sun!!
We'll hit the road early tomorrow and travel for a good 6-8 hours and then stay the night somewhere in Georgia. I'll talk to you once I'm back in Kentucky.

rainy day

I have taken all the pictures I can take on my digital camera. I forgot my cable to download any pictures while here. Which really aggrevates me because my plan was to download the pictures off the camera so I could send some to Chris while we're gone as well as put them in my blog.
Now my camera is full and we still have 4 full days left of the beach. BUMMER!! I ony have about 30 pictures which really isn't enough for a vacation!! I hate when I do bonehead thigns like that.
Today was a rainy day. It has come on and off. We were able to play and lay out for a few hours and the rest of the day has been spent lounging around, reading, sleeping and a trip to the local piggly wiggly.
You just never know what kind of weather you're gonna get at the beach, especially at hurricane season.
Well, over and out for today!

St. George Island

We made it!! After about 13 hours of total driving (broken up into 2 days) the Jones family has arrived at St. George Island, FL. The ocean is rough and dirty due to the hurricane that is headed our way. We managed to get a little over an hour of sand time in this evening. The sun is shining without a cloud in the sky so far. This evening was a gorgeous evening for the first night of being here. We only hope for the next 7 days to be as sunny and cloudless but the weather forcast isn't looking like that will happen. Once I get the camera out on the beach tomorrow I'll be sharing the much awaited photos!!

Not looking good

The kids and I leave tomorrow morning for a ten day trip to Florida and I still feel horrible.
I've been sick to my stomach since I woke up Tuesday morning. I went to the doctor yesterday and was told I have a cold and that I have fluid in my ears and a swollen throat. My stomach is so nauseated that I've not had an appetite. I better lose weight is all I can say! I've eaten pretzels and soup for the most part.
If I'm not feeling better by tomorrow I don't know what this trip will be like.
The doctor gave me a Z pack which usually kicks in really quickly for me. But not this time.
I took some sudafed earlier to see if I can dry up some drainage and maybe my stomach will stop being so whoozy! Please pray I'm feeling better by tomorrow morning or this could be a long trip. We plan to drive 3-4 hours from London tomorrow and stop for the night and then do the rest of the trip on Saturday. Remember, there will be my parents, 3 toddlers, and a 6 year old. PLEASE PRAY!!!
FYI: I'm not pregnant!!!

no good, very bad, rotten day

I woke up this morning feeling like I'd been hit by a mac truck.
My head hurts, stomach hurts and I have zero energy. I went to my Tuesday evening bible study at the park and that made me feel worse in the hot weather. By the time I got home I was just nauseated. I took a hot bath and that was not a good idea either. So I've been in bed since about 7:00 PM. I'm hoping I'll sleep really well tonight! The kids and I leave Friday for a 10 day vacation to Florida!! We've got to get feeling well in this house!

Happy Day

I woke up this morning to an anniversary card in the bathroom from Chris. It was a sweet simple card. I kinda felt bad because I think this is the first year I didn't even get him a card.
When I got to church I thanked him for the card and told him he did more than I did. After church we went to a Mexican restaurant with another family from church. I celebrated our anniversary by taking a 2 1/2 hour nap today. I guess I'll be up until 2 AM again. We have no idea what we will do tomorrow on our day off. I've talked about going to Somerset, KY for the ShoutFest concert. Jeremy Camp and Super Chick will be there along with others. It's a free concert but I'm afraid it may be super hot and super crowded! We'll just have to see how the day goes. I definitely want to cook something on the grill along the lines off corn on the cob, chicken and garlic bread!! YUM YUM!!

7 years

Chris and I went to Richmond, KY today to eat at Red Lobster and go to the mall there and shop around. We went out to celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary. Our anniversary date is tomorrow, September 2, 2007 but it was on a Saturday that we were married. It already seems too long ago. Chris was supposed to get a babysitter but didn't attempt to call anyone until yesterday so we couldn't get one. For the first time we celebrated with a night out on the town with the kids. So honestly, if felt like a usual night. You know, fussing, fighting, spanking, threatening (the kids that is) and potty breaks. Usually Chris' parents are in town this time of year, but things were different at his moms work this year. I guess after so many years of marriage and children this is just the way it becomes, no gifts, no cards, no I love You's. Now that's sad!!!

fridge of the fritz

Around 11:00 this morning I was trying to decide what I wanted for breakfast. My usual is cereal but I wanted something different this morning and decided on a very unhealthy frozen pastry thing.
It was God lead because when I got the frozen thing out of the package I noticed it wasn't very frozen. I opened the freezer back up and noticed it was not running and the ice cream was melting out of the box into the freezer. I called Chris and told him the fridge wasn't running but things in the freezer where running. He got home about 11:45 and started checking things out. He tried adjusting the freezer setting and it wouldn't kick on and we tried the breaker as well. We called our land lord and told him the problem. He said he'd have a guy right out.
Around 12:30 a very different man (who I believe is a cross dresser by his very high voice) came and opened the fridge. He asked who had turned the fridge off. Chris and I just kinda looked at each other. The dial had been turned to zero which is the same as off I guess. It not only controls the fridge but also the freezer.
I felt so dumb. We'd gone all morning ( or longer) without the thing working and then a repair man comes for 30 seconds and says it's turned off. I sure hope our land lord (or us) isn't charged for this one. I told Chris that Isaiah had been playing in the fridge yesterday and must have found the knob and turned it. The "fridge man" took the setting adjuster knob off so that this can not happen again. Again, I sure hope no on is billed for this senseless act. I was a little embarrassed by the time he left.
We only lost a tub of old ice cream and my fudge bars! I didn't need any of that anyway!
I told Chris it would have benefited the repair man to call asking us to check the setting knob. They must assume most adults already know to do this!

Lets get together tonight

"Lets get together tonight" was the title of an email I received yesterday.
Out of curiosity I opened it and of course it was for singles.
With Yahoo mail you can get a lot of junk mail. Most of it is filtered so why this one came through I don't know.
Once I opened it and read that it was not just for singles but for black singles I decided I was not qualified and opted out of the blacksingles.com emails!
I got a laugh out of this one, thought you might too!

I give God Glory!

I had to take both kids to the doctor this morning. It's conveniently located so we walked right over. They've both been coughing, sneezing, congested and rotten. Gracie hurled chunks of hot dog this past saturday evening while in the bath tub but never ran a fever. I think all the snot drainage is making her belly hurt. Isaiah has sounded like a seal for the past two nights and isn't letting any of us sleep.
Luckily they don't have ear infections, it's just allergy related and possible viral. The doctor, which Gracie doesn't like at all, perscribed them a strong allery medicine of some kind.

Later today we'll be going to church to witness the baptism of one of our new couples at church.
Beth and Jason and their 7 month old son Caleb started coming to CCC about 6 weeks ago. Beth ,as well as 4 others, where baptized about 4 weeks ago and her husband Jason has decided to make the same decision as well. They are a super caring young couple who are wanting to do work for the Lord. AMEN!!
Beth is a young stay home mom so I think she and I are going to start a Bible study for new Christians. I feel as though I can be a mentor for her and help her along the way. God is gradually bringing women my way that are seeking friendships as well.

I also got together with a group of women last night for a relaxed bible study at our local park. A young lady in my Sunday school and Wednesday night class invited me to join the group. It's a mixture of about 6 ladies who are single, married, minster's wives, teachers etc all from local christian churches. We study, vent and a laugh! What fun!!! I give my God the glory for these events happening in my life!

Proverbs 31

I've had a hard time getting and staying into the word since my move.

My timing's out of whack, my study books are packed away, and I've been plain out lazy.

I've always had a hard time just picking up my bible and reading something. I have to have tools to help me stay focused Thus, I usually read a devotion book of some kind. I was reading some good ones, but have no idea where they are in my boxes in the storage unit.

So, I decided I needed to do something until I started the women's study at church.

I've been using the Proverbs 31 ministry online. I get a daily devotional sent to my email address and they've been encouraging.

I encourage you to also use this free tool! It's a simple, short, thought provoking time with God.

today's forecast

London, KY Weather!


May 30, 2007:
Just moved to London, KY . Now, this
is a city that knows how to live! Beautiful sunny days and warm balmy
evenings. What a place! I watched the sunset from the porch while lying on a
blanket. It was beautiful. I've finally found my home. I love it here.


July 28, 2007:
Really heating up. Got to 100 degrees today. Not a problem. Live in
an air-conditioned apartment, drive an air-conditioned car.
What a pleasure to see the sun everyday like this.


August 3, 2007:
Had the backyard landscaped with hardy plants today. Used lots of decorative rocks, and some succulents ...the yard is a breeze to maintain! No more mowing the lawn
for me. Another scorcher today, but I love living in London.


August 5 , 2007:
The temperature hasn't been below 100 degrees all week. How do people
get used to this kind of heat? At least it's kind of windy because we're on a hill, but getting
used to the heat and humidity is taking longer that I expected.


August 7, 2007:
Fell asleep by the pool. (Got 3rd degree burns over 60% of my body.)
What a dumb thing to do. I learned my lesson, though.
Got to respect the ol' sun in a climate like this.

August 12, 2007:
Morgan (our cat) sneaked into the car when I left this morning. By
the time I got to the hot car for lunch, Morgan had died and swollen
up to the size of a shopping bag and stank up the $2,000 leather
upholstery. I told the kids that she ran away. The car now smells like Kibbles and
Bits. I learned my lesson, though. No more pets in this heat.

August 15, 2007:
The wind is awful. It feels like a giant freaking blow dryer! The home air-conditioner is on the fritz, and the AC repairman charged $200 just to drive by and tell me he needed to order the parts.

August 18, 2007:
Been sleeping outside for 3 nights now. The monthly house
payment is sky high and we can't even go inside. Why did I ever come
here?

August 19, 2007:
It's 101 degrees. Finally got the air-conditioner fixed today for a
cost of $900. The temperature gets down to 78 degrees, but this
freaking humidity makes the house feel like it's about 95 degrees. I hate this stupid
city.

August 20, 2007:
If another wise person cracks, 'Hot enough for ya today?' I'm
going to strangle him. By the time I get somewhere, the
radiator is boiling over, my clothes are soaking wet, and I smell like
baked cat!

August 21, 2007:
Tried to run some errands today. Wore shorts and sat on the
leather seats in the ol' car. I thought my butt cheeks were on fire.
I lost two layers of flesh and all the hair on the back of my legs and
butt. Now my car smells like burnt hair, fried butt, and baked cat.

August 22, 2007:
The weather report might as well be a recording. Hot and sunny.
Hot and sunny. Hot and sunny. It's been too hot to do anything for
two months, and the weatherman says it might, just might, cool down next
week. To what? 95?? Doesn't it ever rain in this desert place?
Water rationing will be next, so I might as well watch $1,700 worth of
cactus and yard plants just dry up and blow into the air.
Not even cactus can live in this heat.

August 23, 2007:
Welcome to HELL!!! The temperature got to 102 degrees today.
Forgot to crack the window and blew the windshield out of the car.
The installer came to fix it and said, 'Hot enough for you today?'
My husband e had to spend the house payment to bail me out of jail!!

LONDON!!

What kind of a sick demented idiot would want to live here?

did you say sale?

My body is somewhat sore today as I anticipated. My upper arms and lower back started tightening up before I even fell asleep last night. It's nothing major, just enough to be felt when I move.
As I also anticipated, I was awake last night until about 1:00, therefore Isaiah and I slept until about 10:00 this morning. I'm telling you, this is getting ridiculous. I get frustrated at myself at how much I LOVE to sleep. It consumes me. The kids and I got on my bed today to watch our 4:00 Little House on the Prairie episodes (because Isaiah loves to see Warwa) and I started dozing off around 5:00. I had to make myself get up and start dinner at 5:30. I didn't want Cris to come home to me and the kids asleep at 6:00.... again.

I had a girl from church call me this morning inviting me out to a massive yard sale type event.
She called to tell me she bought about 400.00 retail of baby stuff for under 100.00. So I asked "Where?" At the Laurel Co fairgrounds they have a roofed building and inside were just racks and rows of everything kids from 1 month to whatever older kids sizes are. Boys on one side and girls on the other. It's put on by a group called Wee Peat. It was all used/new clothes that kids grew out of, shoes, toys, cribs etc. It was such an organized set up. I was impressed but could only handle the excitement for 30 minutes do to the fact it was 99 degrees outside. I came out of that building soaking wet but with a smile on my face and a few items in my hand. They will be having another one of these things around Spring, I'm definitely putting my kids' clothes in this one. It was a big deal!

NO!!! GET BACK!!

Tonight I attended a three hour basic self defense class along with about 29 other women. Let me tell you, this is fun stuff.
This has to be the best stress relief I've ever encountered!
I gave it my all and was punching and kicking the lights out of the two padded trainers!
I can't wait until next week's three hour lesson. The class is put on by local R.A.D trainers and is a free course held at our church. Which is really awesome since it's about 120.00 a session. It's also very empowering to be prepared for weirdos out there!
We got to kick, punch, block and yell! And these are some of my favorite things!
We met in the very hot gym at the church. There's not any air conditioning so sweating was a must. It was great exercise and now I'm all jacked up and can't sleep!! Looks like another late night of internet surfing and channel surfing! As I type this,1 1:09 PM, Isaiah is still wide awake watching Zach and Cody.
Judging by the jello feel in by biceps and triceps, I think I'm gonna be a little sore tomorrow. I may just need to stay in bed!!!