What's this Plexus all about ?

So I wanted to write a little about my new health AND business adventure. I'm sure many of you have seen the posts about Plexus on a friend’s page and may even be annoyed by them. I was curious if it really worked too.



So, What IS Plexus?

Plexus is an all natural health and wellness company. Plexus is a get healthy product that levels blood sugars, as it was developed for diabetics. It levels cholesterol/lipid levels, lowers high blood pressure, helps control the appetite and prevent food cravings. It helps strengthen will-power over poor food choices as it steers you away from carbs and sugars, helps boost energy levels, and helps to maintain long-term weight loss. Plexus is also helping with symptoms of fibromyalgia, arthritis and migraines and many other conditions. It is all natural and gluten free. Plexus promotes loss of weight by burning fat - not muscle! Plexus is giving MANY people another chance at life. Plexus Slim reduces the conversion of carbohydrates into stored fat by inhibiting certain enzyme processes. When less fat is available for use and slowed down, the body burns calories at an accelerated pace. You’ll experience curbed appetite and less tendency to "nibble," plus an increase in energy. Plexus Slim is a little packet of berry flavored powder that you mix with your water once a day. Add the accelerator for faster results! It's simple, convenient and it works! No counting calories, no chalky shakes, no meal replacements and no special diet!! Plexus is a simple solution to losing weight and getting healthy!

And I bet your next question is “Does it really work”?

Consider this, it's the 8th fastest growing company in the US in any category, It's THE fastest weight loss and wellness company in the US. Plexus has grown 16,000% in the past 3 years. There were over 272,000 orders in the past 30 days alone. None of that happens for a gimmick. That kind of phenomenal, almost unprecedented growth over YEARS can ONLY happen if their products work and work well.

People, Plexus is the real deal. It's not magic, it will still take commitment from you, but it is the single best weight loss option most people who use it have ever tried. For the cost of a small Starbucks latte a day, you could transform your life, feel better, look better and live longer!

They are so confident in their products, Plexus gives you a full 60 DAY money back guarantee on everything they make. If you don't love your results, send back the empty package and get every penny back. There's absolutely nothing to lose, except those unwanted inches and pounds!

I mostly started Plexus for the financial side of it. I have a couple friends who make really good money selling it, so I thought why not? I would love to be able to stay home with my kids again this summer and what better way to do it! So far I’ve made a couple sales and it’s really exciting. I don’t feel like I’m really “Selling” anything.. just telling people about a product that I know actually works! It pretty much sells itself. One of my friends pays for groceries for a family of 6 with her income from Plexus! I hope to be able to do that very soon!  If anyone is interested in signing up with me, let me know! I’d love to have people on my team. : )

And for the physical things that have changed, it gives me a lot more energy. The Slim tastes really good. I am hoping to see more weight loss since I’ve only been on it a few weeks and I am also hoping it clears up my sinus and allergy problems! I know a lot of people who have gone off ALL their medications because of Plexus. The testimonials and stories I’ve read are awesome! So if you are skeptical like me, just give it a try and see for yourself. I’d love to answer any questions you might have. I’ll keep everyone posted with the changes I see while doing it.

www.jmccoy.myplexusproducts.com

To Our Mom on Mother's Day

I was trying to decide what we could give my Mom for Mother's Day and came up with this idea.. I thought she might like to see how we all feel about her. Enjoy! Thoughts from your children at 33, 30 and 23 years old.. and 2 precious grandkids at 5 and 8. :)

Jesse

Favorite childhood memory- Family vacations , trips to the library on Saturdays, too many too name. She will do anything for  her kids.

Favorite adult memory- How excited and at peace she is when all 3 kids are home at once since it doesn't happen very often.

Something I admire about her: her wisdom. She's Always right! It's creepy. I Trust her advice so much. Her advice is usually spot on with my guts tell me to do.

Her best piece of advice- To Treat people equally. Never leave people out.

funniest memory- is going whitewater rafting and falling out of the boat and not being able to get back in the raft because of laughing so hard and losing the energy and just floating there for 30 minutes until people threw her back on board.

Nicest thing she’s done for me was: always supported me in music and is still genuinely interested...

Something she always says- : Always says "nip It in the bud" when a problem arises.., always...

Time she was right: She's right a lot.. But probably most to respect people. When people teach you that as a kid, you continue to respect people as an adult. That's what she doesn't have any enemies, she's easy going and nice to everyone.  She's a great mom! Can't imagine not having her, as I wouldn't be who I am without her guidance, support. She's ALWAYS available, always there. Like a rock.

Jenna

 

My favorite childhood memory of her – There are so many I don’t know where to start. From the numerous vacations we got to go on, to my Dad always filming her butt as she ran out of the room. Every home video has this on it! Haha We are so lucky to have so many home videos of us growing up.She would always say “Are you having a happy childhood”? To which we would all reply yes! Sometimes annoyed at the question, but she always cared that we were happy.

My favorite adult memory of her- All of our family gatherings, she spends so much time cleaning her house, cooking all the food, and coordinating things. I always know that we’ll have a great time at her house because she puts so much work into it.

Something I admired about her- She has always worked full time and taken care of 3 kids too. She was involved in all of our activities from sports to music, etc. I know it had to be exhausting. She always took us to church even when we didn’t want to get out of bed.

Her best piece of advice-In my yearbook the year I graduated she wrote the verse “ For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Matthew 23:12 “ I have always remembered that. She encouraged us all to work hard and do well in school, watch our money wisely and just be good people.

Funniest memories- There are so many. I have to agree with Jordan that she does speed through parking lots pretty fast… one time we were in the car together and me and Jordan are looking at each other like “is she going to stop?!” like seriously terrified. I’m pretty sure that every meal for the last 20 something years of my life she has left baked beans, corn, or any other vegetable in the microwave while we’re already eating.. she always finds them like hours or days later. Never fails! And she always used to burn the bread and we would all make fun of her. Another thing is that she always used to sleep in this old denim shirt, like long sleeved, button up! And then she started wearing the denim shirt with jeans around the house so we would all say “oh no, she’s wearing DOUBLE DENIM!”

Nicest thing she’s done for me was- being such a good grandma. She would buy whatever my kids ever needed, or drop everything and be at my house on a moment’s notice. She’s never missed a birthday, special event etc of theirs and keeps them pretty much every weekend. She texts me every day to see how my kids are doing and never misses a day of talking to them.

Something she ALWAYS says- Wear your seat belt! 30 is the new 20! lol

Time she was right- Pretty much always, and as I get older I realize that more and more.

Jordan

Favorite childhood memories- Countless trips to libraries and bookstores, having her try to brush through my hair that was always in knots/needing to have objects cut out of it (sunglasses, headbands, etc.)

Favorite adult memory- The time we went to my orientation at OSU and someone kept scooting their chair around really loudly… which for some reason got us laughing and we could not stop. We finally had to exit the room because we were making a scene with our giggling, and the director of the Honors College gave us a very stern look for being so distracting.

Something I admire- I've never seen someone so willing to sacrifice for other people. She will do anything for her kids/grandkids, regardless of what she needed to do for herself that day.

Best piece of advice- She often reminds me not to compare my life to others'; never wish for someone else's life because you never know what's really happening behind the scenes with them.

Funniest memories- She drives at least 50 mph through every parking lot. This is always a scary experience. Also, sometimes her texts are impossible to decode because there are soooo many typos! haha

Nicest things she's done for me-  Dropping whatever she is doing if I call her and am having any sort of problem, whether it be serious or pretty insignificant.

Something she always says- "Wear your seatbelt, drive safe"… even if I won't be getting in the car or driving for the next 24 hours.

Time she was right- The day I moved into my dorm freshman year, I was suddenly terrified to start college and was afraid of the "big city" of Stillwater. I was literally frozen in the parking lot of Chick-fil-A and did not want to get out of the car. (Dramatic, I know.) She just told me I would have the best 4 years of my life, all I had to do was get started. And she was right.

CARTER

My grandma is:  56  years old

My grandma’s favorite color is: Blue

My grandma’s favorite food is :  Cake

My grandma always says : I love you

My grandma cooks the best : Everything !

My grandma’s job is : Deer Creek School teacher

My grandma always laughs when: I tell her funny things

If my grandma had time, she would love to: go somewhere fun with me and Cooper

My grandma and I like to: get Bampaw donut’s

My grandma really Loves: Me !

I love my grandma because: She is the best !

COOPER

My grandma is  55 years old

My grandma’s favorite color is: Purple

My grandma’s favorite food is: Apples

My grandma always says:  I love you

My grandma cooks the best : Spaghetti

My grandma’s job is : a teacher

My grandma always laughs when:  I don’t know

If my grandma had time, she would love to: Go to the library

My grandma and I like to: go to Gattitown

My grandma really Loves: Me !

Thoughts on my 30th birthday...

30^th birthday blog… I’ve been thinking about what to write for what seems like weeks now and still can’t come up with anything good. What have most people done by the time they’re 30? Does it really matter what everyone else has done by this point or what God has planned for me ? It’s hard to not compare yourselves to other people. I’ve seriously been dreading turning 30 for about 2 years now, especially in the last few months. I don’t know what it is about that number. In some ways I still feel like I’m 16 years old. I don’t feel like I’m actually 30! It feels like 30 was always sooooo far away, and now that it’s here I’m not sure what to think. In other ways I feel like I am really old. I’m sure that having 3 kids makes you feel older compared to 30 year olds without any kids. I’m pretty much busy from the time I open my eyes until the time I go to bed at night.. and even through the middle of the night because when you are a parent you are always on call! I think that this year I will tackle some goals I’ve had for awhile, try some new things and start taking better care of myself. In the last year I’ve had at least 10 sinus infections because my allergies are out of control,( currently have one actually) developed high blood pressure for the first time in my life, and now I have this weird thing with both my feet killing me.. to the point where I can barely get out of bed in the morning.  Really need to get that figured out.

Here’s what I could think of in terms of what I’ve accomplished in my 30 years…

Had an amazing childhood full of great memories.. a lot of people don’t have that! It actually shocks me when people don’t speak to other family members because I didn’t grow up around that at all. There are no awkward silences when we get together and it’s always a fun time to this day. When I was little my friend JaneAnn said she wished she could be a part of my family because she didn’t have a lot of cousins, etc and we always had so much fun. Everyone loved being  a LaFave. Of course I just got lucky to get the family that I have, but I’ve always been thankful. Most people don’t have 25+people in their family alone they could call if they ever needed anything but I do.

Had a great high school experience- People think I’m crazy when I say I’d go back to high school and do it all over again. It was so much fun for me, probably because school was never hard for me. Things were so easy back then! I wish I would’ve graduated college on time but I’ll get there someday.

Learned from my mistakes!


Gained a lot of knowledge in the medical field and a lot of great work experience.

Been a good mother to my own kids and to Paizley. At the end of every long hard day, I go to sleep knowing that I was the best Mom I could possibly be. Even if I get nothing else right in a day or don’t accomplish much, I know that my kids think I’m a good Mom and they tell me often. That’s what keeps me going! They are 3 of the happiest kids and it really could’ve turned out differently for all 3 of them considering their past circumstances.

Been a thoughtful person- I love getting people gifts and cards. Just ask Dustin how many cards he’s gotten from me over the years.. sometimes he’s like really? Another card? Haha

Been a reliable person- if someone needs me to be somewhere at a certain time, I will be there. I’m hardly ever late, and I follow through on things that I promise.

Learned the piano- I started when I was 9 and just took off on my own. I wish I had more time to play now, but sometimes I’ll break out the piano and start playing and it all comes back to me. I hope my kids learn an instrument because it’s something they will love all of their life.

Played sports- I had so much fun as a kid playing softball. Just last weekend my family got together and played baseball. My Dad hit us balls like he used to when we were little, and everyone said I did pretty good.. for an out of shape almost 30 year old!

Kept going through really hard times- from a divorce to another awful relationship, raising kids by myself, there were times we literally had nothing. I worked 2 jobs because I always knew they depended on me. We got a new house and I loved providing everything they needed. It was never easy but I did it for my kids.

Having a great sense of humor! Ask my sister, anything makes me laugh. I think it’s how I get through hard times.. I just try to make a joke out of everything.

Found my partner for life and an amazing daughter came along with him. I don't know what I'd do without Dustin. Sometimes we want to strangle each other, but everyone would in our shoes.. the stress we have is unimaginable on a daily basis. We are the only 2 parents in our 3 kids lives doing any of the financial, emotional, physical things for them. I'm really glad we found each other and completed each others' families. I can't wait for many more years with him and as a family! I love being a Mom to 3 kids as hard as it is. I wouldn't trade my life for an easier life or more money, more success, etc... I think I'm right where I need to be right now. I'm pretty happy "just being a Mom" for right now and working part time.

Yes, I actually did have to make a list so I could see the positives... and of course, I am thankful to be alive every day! 30 will just take some getting used to.
While thinking of something I could do on my birthday, I ran across this verse:

Galatians 6:10 says, “Don’t miss an opportunity to be good to people.” When you’re good to people, you’re sowing a seed for God to be good to you.

I decided to do 30 random acts of kindness on my birthday to make it something positive! I always like to do nice things for people and I try to be thoughtful, but I’m sure there are many more things I could be doing in a day for other people. I hope that others will follow my lead and do the same today.

I will keep holding on to this verse:
 

 "Whatever with the past has gone, the best is always yet to come!”  

Check back later for my random acts of kindness J

Happy birthday, Jordie!

So in honor of my sister Jordan’s birthday on Thursday, April 18^th I wanted to write a blog about her! And she gently nudged me to do one since I’ve done one for other people… ha kidding!

Where do I begin? I remember when she came home from the hospital in 1991. I was 7 years old and I was so excited to have a baby sister! It had just been me and Jesse for 7 years (he is 4 years older than me) and I was probably tired of being beat up all the time and playing cars in the dirt. I loved helping my parents with her and remember changing her diapers and treating her like a baby doll. We shared a room for several years and I really don’t remember that being a problem although I can’t imagine sharing a room with an infant now! We had bunk beds when she was old enough for a big bed and I remember how she would always try to jump off the top bunk and my Dad would be doing his trademark “uh uh uhhh!” Which basically means no… She was the cutest toddler ever and had hair that stuck straight up that we called “helicopter hair”. For some reason she always said “I hate watermelon” in the cutest voice and was always teased by our Pepa for saying that. She started wearing glasses when she was really young and that was her trademark.

Jordan and I and our cousin Abbey were always together. We had a club house out in the woods that we drew “I love Hanson” all over in and other cheesy teeny bopper things. We jumped on the trampoline for hours and made up dance routines to show our parents. For the most part, we always got along well, except for when Abbey and I would gang up on her and throw her around by her hair.. we would say “Jordan, run to the creek and we’ll time you! And we would lock her out… I look back now and think that was so mean! We had lemonade stands and played school, grocery store, etc. She was always tagging along and I wish she had been a few more years closer so I would have gotten to spend more time with her. When I left for college she was only 11.

We are lucky that my Mom always had a video camera filming us.. we have everything on tape from being in the bathtub singing to doing our redneck fun that would involve twirling Jordan around by her shirt. Oh, and my Dad pulling us around in moving boxes that were attached to a rope. There were always good times around our household and a lot of great Christmas memories too.

One time she and I were driving one of our 4 wheelers and for some reason we flipped it over backwards on a hill and landed on CACTUS! Jordan was hurt worse than I was and for the longest time we called her “cactus butt.” She never got the good driving gene that Jesse and I had, and wrecked the 4 wheeler one time so bad that it knocked the garage door leading into the house off its hinges and ran around the corner crying. I guess she didn’t know how to stop! Another thing that is funny now is that one day while in Family Video I somehow knocked her tooth out! She was saying something and in mid-sentence I turned around and elbowed her in the mouth, knocking her tooth out!

Although she was kind of clumsy and not so athletic (haha!), Jordan was always the smartest out of all of us.. Everyone in our family is smart, but Jordan has a different level of genius than we all do. When she was 13 and I was 20 we spent several days doing IQ tests (yes for fun) and she was already smarter than me at 13! She knew math by that point that I had never learned in 4 years of high school. She doesn’t really have to try to be smart either, which must be nice! She loves to read and I get random texts about how her and my Mom are going to the latest “book sale” and she can’t wait to go. haha

Besides being smart, she is totally hilarious! We can get together after not seeing each other for several weeks and just laugh about things that happened 10+ years ago. She is the person in the world who understands my humor the most and thinks everything is funny just like I do. We have been known to have some giggle fests at family get togethers and Granny Jo always says “oh no, here comes the giggling.”

She is also very creative, organized and can fix or build pretty much anything that comes out of a box with an instruction manual. I would rather do anything than sit and read directions but she loves to do things like that and it’s amazing. At Christmas time, she is the designated builder for all of my kids’ toys and helps me organize the games once we can finally get everyone in our family to stop talking and laughing.

We have a lot of common including our love for Keith Urban and Gavin Degraw, most of our music tastes, how we both like to correct other peoples’ spelling and grammar, and how we love to shop at Goodwill. I don’t think any other people get as much joy out of shopping at Goodwill as we do! We love to dig through the t shirts and find some bargains..usually if it’s more than $1.00, we won’t buy it. She is about to graduate college in a few weeks, and can pretty much go anywhere and do anything in the world she wants.. I am so proud of her and so glad to have such a nice person for a sister! I’ve never had to worry that she was out doing stupid things or acting ridiculous like most teenagers and young adults do. If you know Jordan, then you have probably never once questioned her morals or her character. We are lucky to know her! Happy birthday Jordie aka Squirrel!

“Jenna, it’s blue week!” Are you knitting? Make me a necklace! “did they bring carrots to church?” Was that a Duggar?”

And here are some thoughts from your friends and family!

Mom- Jordan is : Unique, quirky, brilliant, beautiful, reliable, and caring. She was born when Jesse was 10 and Jenna was just turning 7, so she was pretty special to all of us, and still is! She has always made us proud, even in all of her dorkiness, and especially as she graduates from OSU. We are so excited to see what's just around the bend for her. "Do not fear; only believe." Mark 5:36

Jesse- can't believe you are 22. When I was 22, you were in the 4th grade! you have grown up to be such a smart and fun person. Can't wait to see where this next year takes you...don't be afraid to search and struggle, that means you are living life! (Just don't join a rock band), you'll really be poor.. Graduating college can feel like the end of a big era of your life, but its really just the very beginning! I look forward to actually seeing you more if/when you move to Music City! Happy birthday!!

Jessica-"Jordie, Welcome to the park!! Happy birthday!!! Its so hard to believe you're 22 AND graduating! We should not be this old. I hope you have a great birthday! I am so proud of you and I know you've got great things ahead of you! Please know I'm always here for you no matter what!! Love you so much! P.s.Have you heard about Betty? They're just standing around butts!  What was her name? Elizabeth Arden? A muuurrddeeer (I still miss trivia time) Umm.. silverware? Spike don't play with girls."

Brentney- Happy Birthday Jordy! Good luck in your new journey to Nashville! Love you!

Megan- You have been and still will be one of my best friends!  Time capsules will never get old and I’m sorry my dad woke you up whenever he made me go feed my sheep! LOL Happy birthday and remember"Bren” loves you too!

LeeAnn- Jordan was always smart and quiet. I remember mema always trying to get her to spend the night but she liked being home. She was in a weird place age wise. Lots younger than the older 4 grandkids but lots older than the younger 3. So it was like being an only child in a way. She is a lot of fun at Christmas. She loves being around her family!

Connie- First word that comes to mind with Jordan is SMART! She and I share the same taste in little things like flavored chapsticks, baskets, purses, etc. also I have many shoes throughout the years that Jordan outgrew and gave to me :) Jordan was 9 or 10 when Eric was born. I remember her helping babysit "play" with him every Wednesday at Mema"s house! He loved Jordie. She was one of his first words! Happy Birthday Jordie! Love, Connie

Cheryl- Jordan was such a sweet baby and fun addition to our family. She topped the "cousin pyramid" like a cherry on top:) All the cousins enjoyed playing with her when she was little because they were older and she was so cute. She has grown to be such a wonderful, beautiful person. I'm so proud to be her aunt! She has always worked hard to better herself through education. I admire her academic work ethic...she's made every honor roll through the years. I want her to be proud of her accomplishments. She also knows how to get the most for her money--another quality many young people don't even try to do. I, we all love her very much! Happy Birthday Jordan!!!

Abbey- Some of my best memories from my childhood are with Jordan ( and Jenna)! I always looked forward to coming to the LaFave's house so I could play with my little cousin(even though I mainly bossed her around). I couldn't even begin to list all of the great memories I have with her. She is such a smart, funny, beautiful girl! Happy Birthday Jord! P.s. Hi I'm Isaac, I'm Taylor and I'm Zac and we're Hanson!! :)

Juliet- Jordan, because of you I got to have Shelby for a while! I remember when i first moved here we were both brushing Shelby's hair together outside your mom's house. Happy birthday.

Chris- My main memory is hanging out with her at Mema's when we were younger. I vaguely remember also being with my mom when she visited your mom in the hospital when she was pregnant still with Jordan. She used to hate when I called her "Jodie Podie" not sure where I got that name lol. I'm happy to see she's grown up well and been successful so far.

Sarah-  Jordan and I first met in First Grade at Cashion Elementary and we’ve been best friends ever since. We have made many memories over the years including, summers at Falls Creek, camping in the yellow tent in the backyard, several Christmas plays, and, most recently, Bachelor Mondays. Jordan is one of the best storytellers I know and the stories are usually filled with laughter because of the obscure things that seems to follow her. I mean, how many people have mopped the OSU Student Union in a beret, been hit (or maybe “tapped” is a better word) by a car, and have a strong bunny obsession?

Oftentimes, friends grow apart over time as their lives become busy and hectic but I know that will never be the case with Jordan and I. As we walk across the stage at our college graduation in the next few weeks and move to different regions of the country to pursue “big kid” jobs, Jordan will still remain as one of my closest friends.  I hope you have a wonderful 22nd birthday! “Everything will be alright if we just keep dancing like we’re 22” –Taylor Swift 

Michelle- Jordan, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! I don’t know about you but I’m feeling 22! Hope you are too!! I can’t believe we are seniors and graduate in two weeks. It seems like just yesterday we were freshman moving into the dorms for the first time having sleepovers in your room when I would bring my mattes over, crashing other people’s dates so we could go to Orange Leaf too, and most of all the late night chats in Nick’s room when the whole gang was together. Let’s face it we have been through it all from the Kansas City …. “O Hey There Commerce Bank” to the Tulsa trip when I couldn’t meet Ryan and to the Ft. Worth trip…. “Get a car people.” I have shared so many great memories with you and I can’t wait to hear about all of your adventures in Nashville because I know you are going to love it there. Jordan you are one of my best friends and someone I have told everything too. You always help me over analyze everything lol. But most of all I am just glad you have always been there for me. Whenever I need someone to talk to I know I can always go to you and you will help me through anything I need. You are truly an amazing person whom I value so much as a roommate and best friend. Keep your head up because I know that there are only good days ahead for you. You are such a nice, caring, and extremely funny person and don’t let anyone tell you differently. Follow your dreams because I know once you put your mind to it you can do anything. Love you lots and Happy Birthday!!!

 

How adorable is she?

 

 Her and her friend Sarah

 

 Senior picture

 

Siblings

 

Cousin Abbey!

 

 

 Mom and Jord! Probably the only picture in existence

Me and Jord at OSU homecoming parade

 

 

Just one of us

 

The only Family pic in existence since the 90s

 

 

Jordie and her 2 nephews, Carter and Cooper

 

College senior

 

 Jord and her friends Sarah and Michelle

 

 GO POKES!

 



To a special man..

Today I want to take the time to acknowledge someone very special to me.

Dustin and I have been together for 2 years.  He doesn't have

Facebook and isn't obsessed with social media like most of us (haha) but I

wanted to tell people how great he is. He is quiet and calm and the most
hard working man you'll ever meet. He can fix anything and solve pretty

much any problem thrown at him. He is an amazing single parent to his 6 year old

daughter, Paizley. He is everything to her and she is the same to him!

Whenever we met I knew I had found a great man because he had been

taking care of his daughter on his own for several years without any help

(other than his wonderful mom and step Dad of course) .. just like I was

struggling to raise my 2 little boys alone. I don't know any men who take

care of kids alone, and especially not any with little girls who are so great

with them. He gets up every morning at 4 to get ready for work and

hasn't missed a day of work in several YEARS! I admire that so much

because that just isn't possible for most people. He doesn't complain even

though his life definitely hasn't been perfect or easy... he just does what he

has to do and he does it with a lot of grace. We have a lot more in

common than most people do in the life experience category which is a

good thing at this point. We are perfect for each other and understand how a

relationship is supposed to work! He is patient and makes every decision

with a huge amount of time and thought put into it... something I've

never been good at until I met him :)
He is great with my 2 boys and loves to tease them and pull pranks on

them. They admire him so much! He has always been a great brother, son,

and friend and is very reliable and kind. He is also one of the funniest

people! A lot of people don't get to see how funny he is but I am lucky to

see his hilarious sense of humor, dance moves and singing :) He cracks me

up on a daily basis. I have even gotten used to the fact that he adores OU,

although I am the biggest OSU fan ever. I never thought I could be in the

same room with an OU fan for long, much less 2 years.. but he isn't

annoying about it and has always loved them, just like I have always

loved OSU. Neither of us will ever change that and agree to disagree!

 

I am so lucky to have him in my life! He changes my oil and fixes my

millions of flat tires I have a month, and supports me when literally

everything in my life goes wrong on a daily basis. Neither of us seem to

have ANY luck in our life, but hopefully that will change. We have both

been patient and good parents so maybe God's test will be over soon! ha

let's hope so.
To celebrate,  we get a night without any kids on Saturday which is a rare treat. ..

(thanks to our parents) We get maybe one night every 6 months or so

without any children... it usually ends up with a 9:00 bedtime because

we are so tired. Exciting!

So, Happy anniversary, Dustin! I hope I didn't embarrass you too much.

Your Mom did an amazing job raising you at such a young age and you

are doing an amazing job raising your daughter. So many people respect

you!
You are loved by me, Paizley, Carter and Cooper very much.

Go Pokes!!! :)

 

12-12-12

To a lot of people, today is a cool day. Lots of people will be getting married, having babies, and having birthdays on this special day. To my family, it is a very sad day that is also full of good memories that are all we have left. On this day 8 years ago my grandma Betty passed away from a terribly fast and awful pancreatic cancer battle. To us kids, she was fine one minute and gone the next... but later we learned that she had been suffering with the cancer for 3 years and kept it to herself because she didn't want to burden anyone.
 I have written about her a lot and I will continue to do so! It seems like the more time that goes by, I actually remember even more about her. She was the kind of person who would give the shirt off her back to anyone in need, she would invite strangers off the street to her house for a meal, and would let anyone come to her house on the holidays and she would welcome everyone in immediately like they were part of our family. No one would ever feel like an outcast around her. She had the admiration of her whole town, church, family and friends. She was literally the “glue” that held our family together. She worked for my grandpa and also taught Sunday school and did one million other things on the side! She and Pepa built a Gospel Singing Barn that was like my home for several years. Every Saturday night I would look forward to spending the night there listening to music and getting to be around my Mema doing the thing she loved most. Her song at the beginning of the show was always the best and I was proud to tell people that I was her granddaughter. I also liked running the concession stand with my sister and cousins.. I think we ate most of the profits though! 

I was thinking last night about how much she loved Christmas. In 12 days (there’s that 12 again) our family will be gathering for Christmas Eve which was her most favorite day of the year. I was thinking about how she would take the time to get every single person not just one present, but several! I remember getting at least 10 presents as well as the other 7 grandkids and 5 kids. Now that I am a parent, it seems amazing to me that she kept that all organized! There would seriously be hundreds of presents under her tree. She loved to give to others and that’s what she was all about. She would cook a HUGE meal on holidays and Sundays when we would go to her house after church. There was enough food for an army… and she would do that all by herself.

I don’t think I ever saw her actually sit down and eat. She was all about pleasing everyone else and playing with the grandkids.

I had a dream about her last night that all of her family was at their old house and we all spent the night… I stumbled to her room in the dark and she was lying awake in her bed and said “here I am Jenna!”, and started laughing. And then my Aunt Connie fell out of her bed or tripped or something and we all started giggling. I think I inherited my ridiculous love of giggling from my Mema! It probably would’ve been more fitting if my Aunt LeeAnn fell down though. Haha I remember how she would let as many grandkids as possible sleep in her huge bed with her and she would tell us stories before we went to bed. And we always heard the trains at night. Breakfast was always made when we woke up, and there would be a trip to Walmart for whatever toy we wanted and KFC to eat. “Kentucky Fried” is what she called it. And during Christmas time we would always go to Kingfisher in Lights.  

I just woke up today after that dream and I was so happy.. it was like I actually got to see her. I wonder what she thinks about how her family has gone on without her. I think she is very proud of all of us. Christmas Eve has still been my favorite day of the year since she died, and I love that we keep the traditions going. I got my love of Christmas from her for sure. The only thing that would make it better is having her there and hearing her laugh and tell her stories! There are some things that will just never be the same. I wish that my kids and so many other people would've gotten to meet her. It doesn't seem fair that they didn't get to be around her. I tell anyone about her who will listen! Again I am thankful that I got 20 years with her. I just wish there could have been 20 more.

Because He Lives was one of her favorite songs, I like these lyrics:

"And then one day
I'll cross the river
I'll fight life's final
war with pain
And then as death
Gives way to victory
I'll see the lights
Of glory and
I'll know he lives.."

http://youtu.be/egBSduThg3k

and some other songs she liked...

http://youtu.be/yXAqoZuYvyA

http://youtu.be/LBNG3TYnnZw

 

Happy Birthday, LeeAnn!

Today I want to take the time and acknowledge someone very special to a lot of people- my Aunt LeeAnn. LeeAnn is my Dad’s sister and is the middle child of 5 kids. She reminds me so much of my grandma and I love that about her. She got all of her great qualities! Sometimes people tell me that pictures of me look like LeeAnn when she was a kid. We share a love of writing that seems to run in our family, and a love of music and laughter.  She always takes the time to write blogs for various family members’ birthdays and never expects anything in return. Her blogs have me laughing out loud most of the time and always make my day a little better. She always organizes things at Christmas and has been the Bingo caller since I can remember! And for many years she has made the drive from Muskogee to Kingfisher to come to every birthday party and family function we’ve ever had. My mom always said how nice that was of her.

She is seriously one of the funniest people I know. There are not a lot of people who can stand in front of a crowd and do comedy or do improv! I would rather be at the dentist having teeth pulled! I admire her because she will try anything, whether it be Zumba or playing handbells, volunteering for everything under the sun, etc… all things I would never try even at 28. I also admire her for what she has been through.. a devastating divorce in which I’ve also suffered through because of the same reason, though she was married for many more years than I was. She always tried to be strong and has always been a great Mom who will do anything for her kids. She even went back to school in her 40’s and got her degree which is something I’ll probably be doing into my 40s at this rate!  Her boys are the same age apart as mine (my cousins Chris and Andy) and we are both the middle child so I can identify with that as well. She is writing a book about her awful dating experiences that I can’t wait to read!  Not a lot of people could make a book out of some terrible experiences and be able to laugh about it. She has a blog that inspired me to write mine, although hers is a lot better and funnier! 

So to LeeAnn , I just wanted to say how much I admire you and I know that many of your family members and friends do too. You have more friends than I’ll ever have in my lifetime, and that is because you are the nicest person we know! I’m so glad you found Joe and you deserve all the happiness in the world. I’m sure Mema is so proud of everything you’ve done. 

 Happy Birthday from everyone who is lucky to know you!  

And here are some words from your family that I gathered: if I had more time I would’ve gotten a lot more I’m sure! 

From your nephew Jesse- “She is strong, encouraging, hilarious and just a person you like to be around. 

Niece Jordan- “ She is hilarious and likes to tell stories.” 

Son Chris- “ She is a great mom and I am lucky to have her.” 

Daughter in law Juliet- “I am thankful to her for how she made the transition to life here simpler, and helped me get up here.”