Table Talk: Getting Nowhere Fast

Many of the stories my dad has told me over the years have involved his cousin Harvey. They are only 6 months apart and were thick as thieves growing up, often getting into mischief together.

This one particular instance, they were out on a pond in a little row boat, doing some fishing. They were facing each other while they fished. Suddenly one of them looked over the edge of the boat to see a snake's head popped out of the water and staring straight at them. They screamed and both started wildly paddling.

Only problem was, they were still facing each other. One was paddling one way, the other paddling the other way. In their panic, they didn't realize they were getting absolutely nowhere. When they finally realized what they were doing my dad said he looked down and there still sat the snake, staring at them. He said "I swear that snake was laughing at us."

Table Talk: The Time My Dad Chased His Cousin With a Knife.

When my dad was in his younger years, around 6 or 7, he happened to be hanging out with his cousin Linda one day. They were walking down the sidewalk when my dad suggested she jump on his back. Unfortunately she landed too far up, causing him to fall forward and scrape his head on the concrete. First he started bleeding then he started seeing red. They argued for a while, eventually making their way back to the house. Somewhere along the fight,  dad started chasing Linda through the house. They ended up in a bedroom and dad cornered Linda by a bed. He went to kick her and she moved out of the way just in time...for my dad to kick the bed instead. Just when he thought he couldn't be any more mad! Blood was boiling at this point. "How dare she move! She made me kick the bed!! She should have just sat there and let me kick her!" He then grabbed a big butcher knife and the story ends with him chasing her down the street, knife in hand.

The good thing about this story is 1. He never caught her. 2. This story had been told to me once before by Linda herself. She had a glint in her eye and a smile on her lips.

My dad told this story again tonight. As an only child, his cousins were like his siblings. Many good times and good stories have come from being with his cousins.  

You found out WHERE!?!

Here I sit, a little over 10 weeks or (2 1/2 Months) pregnant. I've been meaning to write this down before my pregnancy brain completely wipes out the memory of how this all went down. It will happen, I just know it.

It's not a terribly long story, but here it is.

I had suspected I was pregnant for a few days previously. Some things just weren't adding up. Of course, when you're trying to get pregnant, you think you're pregnant every single month. I didn't put much thought into buying the pregnancy test cause I had done it pretty much every month previously. I had gone to the store with my parents when I purchased it. On our way back we ran into traffic and came to a complete stop. It was then that I announced that I erm...needed to use the facilities. Luckily we were right next to a restaurant and were able to pull out of traffic to get to it. As I got out, I thought to myself "Wouldn't it be funny if I found out I was pregnant HERE?!?" I had an inkling it would be positive, but I was almost certain it would be negative. So I went ahead and grabbed my test and marched right in. I made awkward eye contact with the waitresses as I went in and made a bee-line to the ladies room.

Lo and behold it was actually positive! I couldn't believe it. I was almost frozen in place. Had an out of body experience. My body went cold all over. It had finally happened again. 7 years in between Matthew and David and now there will be 6 years in between David and this little one.

I still can't believe I found out where I did. Because I found out I was pregnant at HOOTERS!!!

I just can't make this stuff up. This is my life.

Table Talk: James Garner

My Mom and Dad told us about a time (before they had kids) when my mom and him were boarding a plane. They were going past first class to get to their seats when suddenly my mom stops and starts babbling uncontrollably. She had recognized James Garner sitting in his seat, reading a book. 

Mr. Garner looked up and seemed very startled at this woman babbling at him. It's safe to say my mom was star-struck. Unfortunately she got so nervous that she completely forgot his name!

Afterwards, when they were all seated and in the air they saw people approach Mr. Garner and ask for his autograph, which he graciously signed. 

My mom never asked for his autograph because she jokes: "He probably thought I was crazy!"

Table Talk:The Giant

The past 8 months, my family and I have been living with my parents in Conroe, Texas. They were having some health issues and requested we come down to help. I have really enjoyed being around my family. Most nights we have dinner at the table and after everyone is done eating, the adults sit and talk. We tell stories and laugh. I really love it. Tonight we got to talking about movies. The story that follows was told by my mother, Tanna Hughes.

When she was a little girl, her family was driving when they came across a sign that said a movie was being filmed up ahead. So her daddy just drove on up and parked the car right outside a tent they had set up. She mentions that this was a time where people didn't make such a fuss over celebrities and movies being made. They were the only ones there, beside the crew and actors. 

The crew showed them around and let her mom sit in Liz Taylor's chair! Afterwards, the cast came over. Rock Hudson kissed her mother on the cheek and she just about fell over! She thought he was just the bees knees.

They also got to meet a very young (approx. 18-19 years old) Liz Taylor. She said she remembers her being very shy about coming to meet them.

I love hearing these stories my parents share with us. 

The Story of David

David Bowen Shoemaker was born on May 11th, 2008.

Tomorrow he will be 5 years old.

I realized I had never written out his birth story. I still need to because right now I want to write about my pregnancy with him. Let me tell you....it was a crazy ride!

It all started when Matt decided to join the National Guard. He had talked about wanting to join for years. But we had Matthew and he was still quite young and I was afraid he would miss out on all his firsts so I never gave him my consent.

From the time Matthew was 3 we had been trying for baby #2. For years nothing happened. I knew I could get pregnant, I got pregnant so easily with Matthew. I just couldn't figure out why it was taking me so long to conceive again.

Matthew was 6 when Matt brought up wanting to join the Army again. We were having lunch at the local pizza shop in Maryville, MO. At the time I realized I didn't want to hold him back from his dream and Matthew was getting older so I told him to do it, join the Army. I told him we'd just try again when he got back. I laugh just thinking about that now because that's not how it turned out at all.

Matt left for basic training on Matthew's 7th birthday. With basic training and A.I.T. (where they train him for the job he had in the National Guard) he would be gone for 8 months. So we decided to stay with my parents in Arizona while he was gone. I knew having him be gone that long would be hard but I really had no idea just how hard it would be.

About 2 weeks into the 8 month stay I start complaining to my sister-in-law, Adrienne,  about having body aches. She instantly perks up with "You are pregnant!" I just brush her off because we had been trying for over 3 years. I was certain I was not pregnant. A couple of weeks (if not days) later she bought me some pregnancy tests. I just rolled my eyes. I told her "fine, I'll take these just to prove you wrong."

Well, imagine my surprise when I get back to my parents house, take the test and it shows up POSITIVE!

I was elated. I couldn't believe it was actually happening...finally! I then realized that Matt would miss my entire pregnancy and possibly the birth of our second child. What a roller coaster of emotions that was!

Later that day I picked up Matthew from school and told him in the school parking lot. His reaction? "I'm not changing diapers." {He totally did though.} He had been asking for a baby sibling for a while and I was so happy to finally give him one.

In the end Matt was able to see me 4 times during my pregnancy. Once when he graduated from basic training. (I was only a couple months along) Another time when we found out we were having another bouncing baby boy. Again when I was about 6 months along. And finally in the end he made it home 48 hours before I went into labor.

That last week or so before he made it home were some of the hardest days of my life. I wanted him with me for the birth so very badly. He was there, and with his help I was able to give birth to the best Mother's Day present I could ever ask for.

David was born healthy and screaming at 8lbs. 15oz. The joke was if he hadn't pooped on the doctor he would have been an even 9lbs.

Now here we are, 5 years later. Our life wouldn't be the same without our David. He has brought so much joy {and mischief} to our lives.

Happy Birthday baby boy. I love you.

Journey to Health

I think it's safe to say I have struggled with my weight my entire adult life. I probably would have struggled with it during my teen years, but I'll be honest...I did drugs. So eating was not a priority to me, therefore the weight stayed off. It wasn't until I became pregnant with my now 12 year old son that the weight started piling on. I did not make healthy eating choices. It was from then on that I started the terrible habit of eating for comfort. I would eat if I was happy. I would eat if I was sad. I would eat if I was confused about a problem. I always thought everything could be solved with food. I self sabotaged. I really wanted to lose weight but deep down I hated myself for the way I looked therefore I punished myself with more food. It was a vicious cycle.

This continued for years. I am now in my early 30's an have finally found myself in a place where I just want to change. I'm tired of feeling the way I do. I know the only way I'm going to be able to change is to end that vicious cycle.

So on New Years Day 2013 I started going to the gym.

I have not gone everyday. But I have gone quite a lot since then. I take Yoga at least once a week and I try to get my cardio in by walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes a day. I am proud to say that just the other day...I actually jogged. I was so excited, I started looking around at the other people at the gym. I just wanted to scream at them "DID YOU SEE WHAT I JUST DID!!!"

I know I have a long road ahead of me. I try not to pay too much attention to that blasted scale. With my thyroid disease, it doesn't want to budge much anyways. So I've been paying attention to how all this exercise is making me feel.

To tell you the truth, at first I hurt. A lot. For a good month or so I was constantly in pain. My muscles hated me. I could hardly walk one day. But I pushed through it. Yes, I am still sore most days. But I FEEL stronger. I can walk to the park with my boys without feeling like I'm going to die when I finally get there. And that's why I'm doing all of this. I want to have a healthier life. I want to be able to play with my boys. I want to give them the mother they deserve. I just wasn't doing that before.

This is the beginning of my journey to a healthier me.

I'm not there...but I'm on my way.