Another crazy week with Maddox being sick!!

Most of this week has been dedicated to Maddox feeling better. Days off work, trips to the hospital, just a crazy busy week. He is actually doing much better now but I don't think that Randy & I got to spend any time this week together. It was just in and out, making sure Maddox got to all of his appointments and got his medicine on time. I am drained but still moving forward. As long as Maddox is improving...and he is....then we are doing the right thing. Randy had a sick episode this morning and I am just hoping that it was just something that will pass.

While we are on the subject of being sick...why is it that we have insurance but we are still paying on doctors bills?? It's absolutely crazy! That is the whole reason we have insurance to begin with! The antibiotic that we had to just recently buy was $80.00, plus each doctor's visit is $20...it all adds so quickly. I couldn't even imagine being older and having more health problems. I really think I'll be a citizen of Canada by then for the free health care. smile! GO WES AND MOM!!!

BARACK THE VOTE!!

I am so glad that you guys seem to be supporting Obama...he is the "new kid" on the block and had a lot of cynicism to face from the American public. Especially with the machine on the right wing trying to busily put the "RIGHT" candidate on the republican side. This year has been quite the year for a change (a word rightfully stolen from the Obama campaign and used by everyone) From the start Randy & I really thought his message was great. He can hold this nation together, I can see myself in Obama. He has the same spirit that I have, the same home for our nation. He will be able to bring people together, not polarize them. I thought it might be the generation I am in is sick and tired of not being able to do anything while the rich white men in control took over. I see now from the voting that in fact it is all people that are sick and tired of a small group of religious right people trying to push their agenda. Since when did religion become such a big part of politics? Since when are we stripped of our freedoms. I thought we were in America, land of the free, but I felt my voice slowly slipping away from me during the 8 years the Bush administration destroyed our pride in America, Economy, freedoms thanks to the Patriot act, and has imposed specific religion on the world. Not to mention starting a war that never needed to take place at all causing the whole world to look at Americans even worse off than they had before....as if we are trying to impose our beliefs and our thoughts on the rest of the world. So many people have died and reputations have been destroyed, lies have been told and people have gotten rich. All for a small cost of the AMERICAN PEOPLE. If had anyone to represent my voice right now in all of this mess that we are in I would want Barack more than anyone to lead the United States of America.

As much experience as Hillary has, and she has TONS, I just don't see her representing my thoughts and feelings. She is too political for me, plays the game too well....although Barack must be able to keep up with the best of them regarding politics I don't leave after watching him speak thinking that I just saw a show. Like the tear that Hillary produced before New Hampshire. I didn't feel it was genuine. It may have been...but I didn't feel it. I am proud that a woman is running for president and there are a lot of women that I respect and have a lot of admiration for. I don't feel the honesty and compassion from Hillary. These typically female traits that I look for are apparent in Obama which is a odd twist with the democratic candidates. I leave feeling like he is honest and being true to himself. I like that...other people like that...and I really have let out a sigh of relief that he just might win. That people are changing their minds...that gives me hope. Your e-mails have given me hope for this nation...and the hope that Maddox will live in a better America. If we can only start to try to dig ourselves out of this hole....

I want a leader that inspires me to contribute and gives me hope that we can change. We'll see as times goes on with this election. I am really excited about this process this year...and following all of it on the news. We have got to take a stand and make a difference this year.

MLK DAY / What are you reading??

I am settling in front of the computer after a fun filled morning with Maddox. His daycare is closed in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. We took our time getting ready this morning. I sat around playing ball with Maddox in our PJ's and indulged in a shower at about 9am. I say indulged because shower time in the mornings are just so hard to get these days. We went a few places to pick up some things for the house and then decided to go to Pier 1. I got a gift certificate and figured since Maddox was just doing so good we would go in there to see if I could find something to add to our home. HA! Maddox was all over that store, it was like someone flicked a switch on him and I think I had gotten a dirty stare from every single person in that store. I quickly realized that I was the highlight of everyone's shopping experience and quickly picked up my kicking and laughing son in my arms and as quietly and calmly as I could, left the store. He did great at home and we enjoyed our lunch with Randy. Not too bad for a morning out, it could have been worse. :) The joys of parenthood...

Maddox is sleeping now and there is laundry to do and hopefully I will be able to start on my new book. It is called "Three Cups of Tea. One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time". If anyone has read this book before let me know what you thought of it..or just let me know the books you are reading now. I haven't had much time to read but 2008 is my year to do the things I haven't had time to do before.

This afternoon the Children's Museum locally will be having an event for MLK day and I look forward to just exposing Maddox to the basics of this powerful and inspiring man. His words really touch my heart as I know they do millions of us around the world. Sasha's blog really had some wonderful web sites and a great post about Martin Luther King. http://headinghomeagain.blogspot.com/

The other day I was working in a hospital in Winston-Salem and as I passed their chapel I heard this music just flowing out of the room. I looked over long enough to see someone motioning to me to come in. I took a seat and realized that in this room, at this point of time...30 people of all races were together to listen to beautiful music and the words of Martin Luther King Jr. His words do live on... Towards the end they started to sing "We Shall Overcome.." Not knowing a single person there we all took each others hand and lifted them up to the ceiling. There were people crying, the song and words were so powerful. After it was done I looked around at the people around me..people of all different backgrounds all together in the same place. I wondered, is this the dream that Martin Luther King Jr. wanted for us? How much more do we have to go to realize the full extent of his dream and what kind of leader do we need to get us to that point? I left filled with hope and took a piece of Martin Luther King Jr. home with me that day. He had a dream, and with that dream he changed all of us.

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

The Lost Art of Blogging

How rusty my blogging skills have become over the past few months...what has been going on? I guess a lot of life.... with 2007 being full of moving to a new house, new jobs for both of us, a new car, and a very sick Maddox we had our hands full just by ourselves. It seems that now we are actually settled in I find I have the time to stay on top of laundry, dishes, and things that would seem like such a normalcy in everyday life became a BIG task in the face of doctors appointments, organizing the house, working, etc. How things can be placed in perspective now looking back. There are things that I enjoyed such as blogging about our daily lives, a way for me to vent my joys and frustrations. The ironic thing is that during our hectic time I might have benefited from blogging...if only I had the time.

Now my 27th birthday is around the corner...what a life that we are living, and what a world we are living in. Both Randy & Maddox are sleeping now. As the world lay still for a moment around me I relish in the peace that I have with me, my cup of hot peppermint tea, and the computers soft glow bouncing around the room. I might have lost the art of blogging for a few months, but I'm back.

In memory of the GREAT Uncle Josh

Admiration is a word that I'll use to sum up for how I felt towards my Uncle Josh. He was always just so cool and growing up he was larger than life to me. He lived in the most beautiful places, had the coolest friends, and always was himself. I can remember feeling like I needed to be one of the adults because I just wanted to hang out with someone as cool as Uncle Josh but I was never quite there until a few years ago. It's funny because I remember moving out to California and I knew he had a roomate...but it didn't dawn on me until maybe a few years later that they were dating. It was actually a wonderful learning experience for me to be exposed to that because it helped me to form opinions I carry with me through life. He was outspoken, funny, and a FABULOUS cook. I mean I can remember back to when I was a little girl eating his Thanksgiving meals...I would look forward to eating his food all year and when Thanksgiving came it was a feast. Dishes everywhere with only the best of the best foods placed just perfectly on the table. I can only hope that we will be able to try to match his Thanksgiving dinner to honor him and show how much we love him.

I remember the last time I saw him this summer and brought Maddox with me to New York. He & Maddox and really lit up when they were around each other. He was so proud that he and Grandma Judy were "GREAT" Uncle's and Grandma's and we would tease each other about that often.

That was one thing about Uncle Josh...he loved Grandma Judy SO much. They had such a special relationship and really gave each other a lot of support. Grandma was such a caring and open mother to him...they really had such a wonderful bond together. I love that in their relationship hope I can have a bond with Maddox like they had.

He had so many really good friends and family who really cared for him. It just shows how much people really loved him. It's a really special thing to have him as my uncle.

May he always have a window view of the world...

Donations in his memory may be made to the Long Island Association for AIDS Care

Childress Winery Trip

Maddox had a great opportunity to spend a week with Tee & Papa at Carolina Beach here in North Carolina! Randy and I went down as we could between our work schedules but it was a beautiful home. They really did good! We also got to see Jennifer, Joe, Papa & DeeDee there too from Tenn. which was a great time. They looked great and it's always so nice to see family that you haven't seen in a while. We love you guys! Thanks for the wonderful time.