So Excited!

Anyone who knows me knows that I have struggled for years with my skin. I tend to be incredibly acne-prone, even more when I am pregnant or nursing (which I have been a LOT in the last 8 1/2 years!). Now that I have 18 months of non-nursing, I was hoping for much clearer skin, but that wasn't exactly happening for me.

I have been trying for about a year to get an appointment with a dermatologist, but was unsuccessful. It seems that every doctor in the Jackson metro area is booked up, or is not accepting new patients.

A few months ago a friend of mine went to a place called Faces. I didn't realize that Faces existed, or that they had dermatologists on staff who would help me get on a plan for clearing up my face. But they DO! I went there yesterday for my 1 hour facial consultation which ended up taking 2 hours because of the extractions she wanted to do on my face.

Apparently acne has 4 grades, 1 being minor and 4 being horrible acne. I am between a 3 and a 4. They recommend oral antibiotics and Retin-A. I started today.

I am SO excited, and praying for clear skin. It has been almost 9 years since I have seen a day where my skin was clear. Can you believe that? 9 years. And when we were discussing my skin care problems I CRIED. It's such an emotional thing for me, and so hard on my self-esteem. I hate that the face I present to the world looks like this. I hate that I have to wear so much makeup to try to cover up the fact that my face looks like a pepperoni pizza, and even then my skin looks lumpy and bumpy. I hate that I tend to pick at my skin and then it will start bleeding profusely, typically at a very inconvenient or embarrassing time.

I am ready to have good skin. And I think I will have to hide myself away for the next 1-2 weeks while I wait for the bad effects of the Retin-A to go away . . . . ;)

Back To School Night

Tonight the big girls are going to Oakdale to meet their teachers for this year. They are excited (and nervous). Sara's going to 2nd grade and will have Mrs Jones. Juliana has Mrs. Julie Byrd - and that's what she calls her!! LOL!

One sad thing - Juli's friend Madi won't be in her class this year. :( Madi has Mrs Campbell. So sad that those sweet girls won't have each other to lean on during the stressful time of meeting new teachers and a bunch of new kids. . .

So tonight is back to school night and tomorrow is the big day - FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!! And horrors! My camera is messed up. I need to format my memory card, and I have to go to Deville camera to get the pictures that are on my memory card OFF. . . So until then, no new pictures! BOOOO!!!

More Pictures from our Virginia Trip

sleepy cheetah @ the National Zoo

panda

feeding the elephant

I thought the streetlights of DC were really pretty

My Sara.

Sara again. . . talking.

Jimmy and the girls at the White House

me n Julie at the White House

Sara's dirty feet from walking all over DC!

Sara and I at the National Treasury

I have more pictures too, but am expecting company and should really think about brushing my teeth! :) So this is it for now!

Goodbye to Good Friends. . . .

Some of my best Mississippi friends are moving this week and it makes me very sad!

Thursday my friend Tammy (and her hubby Corey and three kidlets) all moved to Tyler, Texas. Tammy was one of the first people I met when I moved here - she was my neighbor across the street and her kids had a lemonade stand. . . my girlies (I only had 2 at the time) and I were some of thier customers. We became friends and soon I was her babysitter and she was my own personal interior decorator - she painted my bathroom and helped me re-do my kitchen. We went out together for her birthday right after I had had my baby and just hung out many times. Her daughter Emy and my Julie are 10 days apart in age and REALLY good friends. I know that she is really excited about this move and that it is a great thing for her family but I can't help but mourn this friend leaving.

And then there is Pam and her family. We became friends when I was pregnant with my now 3 year old. When the pregnancy was not going as planned, she watched my older 2 kids so that I could go to the doctor twice a week. She came to the hospital IMMEDIATELY after I had the baby to visit. Pam is one of those people that I spent a lot of time with and that I truly love. Her family is moving to New Orleans tomorrow - her husband is going to seminary there. I will miss them more than they will ever know.

So today is a sad day. 2 of my closest Mississippi friends are moving out of state and I will miss them terribly.

He's DONE!!

My husband now has his Bachelors of Science from Belhaven!

It's been a long three years, but last night was his last class - he has a 4.0 average and will graduate summa cum laude! I am prouder than proud of that sweet man!

I am back in the gym. I REALLY need to work out more and drop this last 15 lbs. . . unfortunately the last 15 is the hardest to lose so this struggle has been happening the WHOLE summer. And I am still where I was. . . . So I am increasing my cardio and the frequency of my workouts and hoping for the best.

Last 2 Weeks of Summer!

Summer vacation is coming to a close already! I can't believe it! I LOVE summer vacation! I think when you are a teacher (preschool or otherwise) it goes with the territory - having summers off is a big perk!!!

I love sleeping in, having my days to myself, not having any plans, just being able to go to the gym when I feel like it, do what I feel like, letting the girls stay up late, having family movie night and eating popcorn, having mid-week sleepovers . . .

So school starts for the girls a week from Friday. We have yet to buy a single back to school outfit or school supply - eek!! Wednesday is payday and we are going out to get those things then.blah blah blah! I am excited to get them clothes this year instead of uniforms! YAY!!

Some pictures from our summer vacation? Here's two - the girls riding the Metro into DC.


Aren't they cute?!!?

Yeah I Slacked!

I am hoping to do better now though!! I would love to be able to keep up with this thing!

So my life since Sept of '07?

Well I made a bunch of new friends and *finally* feel happier about living in Mississippi.

We went home to Virginia for Christmas and spent time with my dad - he informed me that he was sick in November of '07 and died in March of '08. The months in between I spent worrying about him and wondering whether I needed to uproot my family to be there with him. He was suffering with cirrhosis of the liver and was in the hospital for a routine treatment and had a heart attack.


We traveled back to Virginia in March and spent two weeks there dealing with his funeral and the aftermath.

At that point all I wanted was to finish out the school year with the girls and move on - but my husband became ill and had to be hospitalized. He went to the ER with chest pains and a blood pressure of 60 over 20 and ended up needing his gallbladder removed!

May 11 my oldest child turned 8. I still can't believe i have an 8 year old . . .but luckily enough she reminds me.


I feel so blessed to have my precious daughters.


and of course my sweet husband.

My goal is going to be to post more blogs . . . here's hopin'!