when it rains, it pours...

At least, that has been the case this past week at the Grooms house!

Let me start with last Thursday...

Hubs and I went to our neice's t-ball game and as I am sitting there {watching Blake, our cute nephew} a fly ball {from another field where the big kids were playing} hit knocked the wind out of me. I was sitting between hubs and my MIL and she ducked {so it wouldn't hit her in the head} and it hit my chest. At first, I was a little shocked. Hubs and MIL were asking if I was okay/hurt/etc. and all I wanted to do was cry. It hurt so bad and then everyone around was asking if I was okay which always makes you want to cry even more. So here I am, sitting at a t-ball game with a lot of people around....the last thing I wanted to do was bust out crying!! So, like a big girl, I held back my tears until we started walking to the car. Hubs asked me if I was okay and I immediately said no and a few little tear came out!

Then, we get home and hubs closes the garage door and hears a loud bang. He goes to check it out and sees nothing.

Friday morning I wake up feeling like crap...my poor chest hurt and I had a terrible sinus headache. So, I decided I was feeling too bad to go to work and stayed in bed instead! Hubs goes to leave for work and guess what?!? our garage door won't go up! So, he calls our brother-in-law and tells him what happened {with the big bang the night before} and BIL says its probably a spring or screw or something. No big deal, someone will be by today to fix it! Yay!

BOO! Man comes by and says it will be Saturday before he can fix it. So, my car is stuck in the garage and I have to drive hubs big truck.

Saturday rolls around and I decide to venture out to Wal-Mart {because hubs is working, I have to go by myself}. I get everything on my list and head out to leave. I get in the big truck, stand up on the brake so I can see if anything is coming, let off the brake and POW! I get out to see the damage I have done...

{this isn't the exact car...this one actually looks a little better!}

OOPS!

The lady in the car is mad pissed!

Now bumper-less woman: Ugh! Did you not see me?!?!

Me: {thinking} Yes, I did see you, I just thought it might be fun to play bumper cars today. {Saying} No, I did not, I am sorry.

Now bumper-less woman: I tooted my horn!

Me: I am sorry, I didn't hear it.

Now bumper-less woman: {dialing on her phone} There's been a wreck in the Wal-Mart parking lot, send a police officer.

Officer comes, writes a report {because the woman demanded one!} and sends me on my way.

I call hubs and he laughs because now he has proof that I am a bad driver.

The man comes to fix the garage Monday {not Saturday!} so I am stuck driving the truck until Tuesday.

Tuesday night our hot water heater goes out. I have been without hot water since then.

Oh, yeah, and our lawn mower broke {that hubs used once before dying on us}.

But we are going to the beach Friday so nothing can rain on my parade!!

I love Brian Andreas

Tolerance

Do you ever listen to me? she said & I said I did but sometimes it took a couple of days to sort it out in a way that didn't make me want to murder her in her sleep.
(i chose this quote because i know this is what andrew thinks about me sometimes. ha! oh, how men and women are so different!)

Stress Management
I can imagine it working out perfectly, I said. I can't, she said & I said no wonder you're so stressed.

More than a Princess
Are you a princess? I said & she said I'm much more than a princess, but you don't have a name for it yet here on earth.

A father passing by his son's bedroom was astonished to see that his bed was nicely made and everything was picked up. Then he saw an envelope, propped up prominently on the pillow that was addressed to 'Dad.'

With the worst premonition he opened the envelope with trembling hands and read the letter.

Dear Dad:

It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you. I had to elope with my new girlfriend because I wanted to avoid a scene with Mom and you. I have been finding real passion with Stacy and she is so nice. But I knew you would not approve of her because of all her piercing, tattoos, tight motorcycle clothes and the fact that she is much older than I am. But it's not only the passion...Dad she's pregnant. Stacy said that we will be very happy. She owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. We share a dream of having many more children. Stacy has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone. We'll be growing it for ourselves and trading it with the other people that live nearby for cocaine and ecstasy. In the meantime we will pray that science will find a cure for AIDS so Stacy can get better. She deserves it.

Don't worry Dad. I'm 15 and I know how to take care of myself. Someday I'm sure that we will be back to visit so that you can get to know your grandchildren.


Love, Your Son John



PS. Dad, none of the above is true. I'm over at Tommy's house.

I Just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than a Report card that's in my center desk drawer.


I love you.


Call me when it's safe to come home.

The Skinny on Fasting

road trip

I am a planner....so you can imagine how stressed out I got when Andrew called Friday morning and said we were leaving that afternoon to go to Boone for a training session Saturday morning. Since we don't have kids, it is a little easier to just pick up and go, but it is still a little stressful for me! I like a routine. I enjoy having plans. I write everything down in my planner. I have a list for everything. It's just how I operate. Nevertheless, I made a plan for the afternoon to prepare to leave and got to it! I had to clean my house, do laundry, figure out where Cooper Lee would stay, and pack my overnight bag. I felt much better about the whole situation when we left!

As you can see, Andrew was not stressed at all!

So, to my real story....our road trip to Boone. We left around 6:30pm and drove to Boone. When we got there, we ate at Macado's (yummy! loooove the macaroni and cinnamon sensation dessert!). Then we went to our hotel room at the Broyhill Inn. Now, I am super picky about hotel rooms and in general find them very gross. This one was clean but really outdated! I probably wouldn't want to stay here again! From the front, it doesn't look so bad, but I am sure that they haven't updated the rooms since the 80's.

There was snow everywhere, but the roads were clear (and for this, I was thankful!) Saturday morning we got up and had breakfast at the hotel and then drove to the church where the training would be held.

The training was for The Truth Project...a small group study that answers all the important questions ("Who is Jesus?") and gives you Biblical references to back-up what we believe. How often have you found yourself trying to defend your beliefs and not had the knowledge to do so? Our beliefs are based on faith, but I think it is also important to have hard evidence to show non-believers that we are not out of our minds! {We are starting the study this Sunday and I am soooo excited!} All morning, we took notes....

My favorite quote of the day was "If the Devil can't make you bad, he will make you busy." How true!!

After the conference, we made a quick trip my Andrew's old house. He went to school at App so he felt right at home!It was a pretty nice house for 7 college guys to live in!

After reminiscing about Andrew's college days, we ate at Woodland's for lunch (my favorite bar-b-que joint!), went to Verizon (and got me a new droid!), and did a little shopping at the outlets (okay, maybe a lot of shopping). It was a perfect day!

And I couldn't resist taking a picture of this sign....

No Words

I read once that the ancient Egyptians had fifty words for sand & the Eskimos had a hundred words for snow. I wish I had a thousand words for love, but all that comes to mind is the way you move against me while you sleep & there are no words for that.

No Words by Brian Andreas

I love Brian Andreas' work! Have you seen it? Check it out here and let me know what you think!

i love a good Hallmark movie

What an amazing movie! Andrew and I were sitting at home Saturday night, flipping through the channels, when we found this movie. It is a very inspiring story and gives a new outlook on children and adults with disablities.

Commercial Break

This year, the Super Bowl commercials were a little disappointing....I am not really into a bunch of men in underwear running around or GoDaddy.com (whatever that is!)...but here are my favorites! What were your favorites?!?





I love all the E Trade commercials...these babies are so cute!!

a few good reads

Playing the Blame Game

First Year Off

Understand and Accepting your Mate's Differences

"why is this happening to me???"

Ewww....

Gross but funny!! Strip Tease Gone Bad (very bad!)

I'm Hooked

Our TV is always on, but I rarely watch it....if that makes any sense at all! Let me explain. In the morning, I get up and watch the Today show for about 15-20 minutes (I see the weather and a few other stories, but that is pretty much all). Then, when I get home in the afternoon, I watch The Food Network (Cooking for Real, Barefoot Contessa, Everyday Italian, and Down Home with the Neelys)....well, I should say my TV is on this station although usually I am doing laundry, cleaning the house, or cooking dinner...so, I am not really sitting down and giving it my full attention. Then Andrew gets home, we have dinner and usually have somewhere we have to go (basketball game/football game/softball game, church, dinner with family/friends, Bible study, etc). When we get home, the TV goes on ESPN and does not get changed (for fear of losing my hand). So, hopefully that makes more sense....the TV is always on, but rarely watched! Even when I have time to actually sit down and watch TV, I prefer to read. There is something about a good book that entices me to curl up (with my snuggie) and get lost in the story. However, last night, I got hooked. I don't even know how it happened! Andrew came home last night and told me that I should stay home instead of going to his basketball game because his game was late and they were probably going to win. So, here I am, sitting at home, alone, on a Monday night. So, I took a nice long bubble bath and picked out a new book to read (I just finished The Help...an amazing book!). So, I picked out a book that I have already read (although it has been so long that I forgot what it was about!) by Dorothea Benton Frank...one of my favorite authors! I curled up on the couch, book and snuggie in hand, and turned on the TV (not to watch, just to have some "noise"). The Bachelor was on....and on a date with Tenley. That was it...I was hooked! I put the book down and gave Jake my full attention. What have I done?? Now, I cannot wait until next week to see which girl he choses!! Of course I formed opinions of these strangers almost immediately (isn't that terrible?). Here's what I am thinking...

Corrie-I know she was sent home last night, but I still wanted to give my opinion! How terrible did it look for Jake to give her the boot right after she told him she was a virgin?!?! I think Jake is thinking with something different than the brain in his head! How many 23 year old virgins do you meet these days?? Not many, I am sure! Corrie showed class last night by upholding for morals. Jake, not so much...

Vienna-I only have one nice thing to say about her...the girl knows what she wants. Word on the street is that her and Jake have great chemistry, but I didn't see it last night. I thought she should have gone home at the rose ceremony.

Gia-What a cute girl! First of all, I liked her immediately because she is brunette (ha!). Jake really seems to dig blondes (considering all the other ladies are blondes)...so, I loved that she was different than the rest! But I am not completely sure Gia knows what a catch she is. Hopefully Jake figures it out...

Ali-Ali and Jake seem to be the most natural "couple" of them all! Maybe it was because she was showing him around her town last night, but they seemed so comfortable together. I am not exactly sure about all the drama that has gone on, but Ali seems to be a part of it. Who knows...

Tenley-I didn't really get form an opinion on her because I only saw the end of their date, but she is a cute girl and seems to really be into Jake. I guess when you have been married before, you know what you are looking for....

So, there you have it....I am hooked on The Bachelor...after only one episode! And I am already looking forward to next week and weighing in on which girl is "the one"!!

Warn your Friends

You've heard about people who have been abducted and had their kidneys removed by black-market organ thieves....

My thighs were stolen from me during the night a few years ago. I went to sleep and woke up with someone else's thighs. It was just that quick! The replcements had the texture of cooked oatmeal. Whose thighs were these and what happened to mine?! I spent the entire summer looking for my thighs. Finally, hurt and angry, I resigned myself to living out my life in jeans. And then, the thieves struck again...

My butt was next. I knew it was the same gang because they took pains to match my new rear-end to the thighs they had stuck me with earlier. But my new butt was attached at least three inches lower than my original! I realized I'd have to give up my jeans in favor of long skirts.

Two years ago I realized my arms had been switched. One morning I was fixing my hair and was horrified to see the flesh of my upper arm swing to and fro with the motion of the hairbrush. This was really getting crazy-my body was being replaced one section at a time. What could they do to me next?

When my poor neck suddenly disappeared and was replaced with a turkey neck, I decided to tell my story. Women of the world, wake up and smell the coffee! Those "plastic" surgeons are using REAL replacement body parts-stolen from you and me! The next time someone you know has something "lifted", look again-was it lifted from you?

This is not a hoax. This is happening to women everywhere, every night.



P.S. Last year I thought someone had stolen my boobs. I was lying in bed and they were gone! But when I jumped out of bed, I was relieved to see that they had just been hiding in my armpits as I slept. Now I keep them hidden in my waistband.



Oh, the joys of what women have to look forward to...