Sad Brad....

I snapped this picture last weekend on our way to the movies. It was Saturday morning, and after all week driving to and from work Brad had to fill the Tahoe up with gas. Simple enough right?? I know you can't see it in very well in the picture, but the gas gauge is at $99 and change...and he still had to pump about $20 more to fill the tank. Now, I understand it's and SUV and requires more gas, but come on $120 for one week???!!! At least we can make silly sad faces and laugh...if you don't have laughter, what do you have??

Happy Birthday West Virginia

See that flag up there?? I love that flag!! I remember when I was a kid looking at that flag and wondering what the Pilgrims were doing on it! Now, as an adult I look at it and just feel the importance of the heritage that I was so blessed to be born into. Those to funny looking pilgrim dudes are actually representations of West Virginia's most popular ways of life, farming and coal mining. I'm not sure I've ever met a West Virginian who didn't have a farmer or a coal miner in their family, and most, like me, have both. It's funny, to people outside of the state the professions of mining and farming seem to have a negative connotation. Here, at home though we take such pride in doing things they way they have always been done. When I plant flowers in my flower bed, I use the same tools that my grandpa used in his garden when I was growing up. We here in West Virginia have a pride in our state that is seldom seen, (though my friends from Texas say they feel the same about there home state.) I've never known a place where a person's identity is defined by where they were raised like we do here.

Over the last few years there has been added attention focused on coal mining as a result of accidents like Sago, Aracoma, and Crandal Canyon. People look at the apparent dangers of coal mining and wonder why anyone in there right mind would do such a thing in today's modern world. Surely there is a better way to mine coal than to send men (and now women) into the middle of a mountain. Truth is, there is not a better way and while most of us here are accustom to this way of life, we are not blind to the dangers. We do what we do to maintain a way of life. A way of life that gives us the ability to live in this beautiful state and still afford the luxuries available in more populated areas. Like most hard working Americans, coal miners take extreme pride in what they do. They work hard every day, just like their fathers and grandfathers did to ensure that when we flip a little switch by the door the lights come on!

So bring on the "hillbilly" jokes, we think they are funny! Laugh if you must, but I love it here. I love the beautiful mountains that surround me every day and keep me safe from floods, tornado's, and hurricanes. I love driving down a random road and having complete strangers wave at me. I love knowing that my kids will always have someone in the neighborhood to look out for them when they are out of my sight. I love looking at old pictures of my town and seeing the way the coal community shot up around the mine. I love the fresh clean air and the rivers that run so clear you can see the rocks on the bottom. I love every hill and valley.

Happy 145th birthday West Virginia...I love you...do you hear me?? I LOVE YOU !!

Land of the Living??

Geeesh! Has it really been almost a month since I posted on here?? Gosh and Golly!! Is is just me or is everyone have such a bad time with their allergies this year?? I think everyone I know has been battling the green snot monster. I know we all have. Ethan had to start back on his inhaler four times a day instead of two..... and me?? Well...I've had it all....

Three weeks ago I had what I thought was a stomach virus. Not big deal. Although it was nasty I could do it. Just hang in there for 24 hours and it would all be a distant memory, right?? No? Well, how about 48 hours?? Most viruses don't last over 48 hours do they?? Lets just say that on day three of living on the bathroom floor, (my newly painted bathroom!!) Brad insisted that I go to the doctor. I was so weak....and since I couldn't even keep down a sip of water to take my medicine, my blood pressure was sky high!! After being examined by the doctor she said that she suspected that I had a bad Strep infection. How could I have strep?? My throat wasn't really that sore...but she was right. Strep had invaded my tonsils (what are those things there for anyway?) and I didn't know it. It had apparently been there awhile and had spread to my upper stomach, which was causeing my stomach to reject any and all forms of food or liquid! I began antibiotics and felt better in a day or two, at least I had stopped throwing up every thing I ate. After a week, I was still fevered. Still stuffy in my head, my ears ached, and my once not sore throat was so so sore! Back to the doctor again, and guess what?? A sinus infection. Yippy! I really wanted a sinus infection!! Apparently the antibiotic that treats Strep doesn't work so well on the sinus junk. So I had to wait till I had finished the one antibiotic to start the other, and by the time I started it my head was so stuffy that my ears popped when I swallowed!

So here I am, three days left on the sinus infection antibiotic and still not 100%, but hopefully getting better. I missed almost two weeks of work, YIKES!! Anyone wanna buy my groceries this month!??!! :) But at least I am back in the land of the living...maybe...

On a happier note:::
Ethan and Kayla are almost finished with school!! Their last day is Friday. They have their awards on Friday morning, along with Ethan's Elementary School Graduation. Just cause I have a son that is getting ready to go the Middle school, does NOT, I repeat NOT make me old.... That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!!