Time...

Okay so today is September 1st. SEPTEMBER. You just cannot imagine how bizarre that is for me right now. I still feel like it is July 12 and I am waiting for August 1st to arrive. It has been as though the last 5 weeks have passed in slow motion & too quickly all at the same time. Days have melded into weeks, pain has born itself in my movements then is slowly allowing me to feel semi-normal. My mind is still wrapping itself around things. I know that having lost only one ovary removed is the best of my terrible situation, but I do feel like something is missing. I definitely know that I have changed - mentally - and that change is still a bit overwhelming. I am sifting through these adjustments. Trust me I have had time to reflect on what I want to do for me & my family; it is now a matter of movement forward.
There are a million things out there for any one of us to try & fail or try & succeed. My list is one that is not all new to my own mind, but those around me might be surprised. So here I am welcoming TIME. I return to work tomorrow - feeling quite a bit like a teenager returning from summer vacation. Only rather than wondering who will be wearing what & who hooked up with who, I am pondering what will I do, where will this step in my life take me & what will it take for me to reach whatever goal/star/moment that I am looking forward to, because as we all know it is the journey not the destination. So what will TIME grant me? I can only hope that my eyes are open wide enough to recognize the ticking hands on the clock & that I will take advantage of every moment.....

ROLL TIDE ROLL: Bama 34 - Clemson 10

I know she is in a NEBRASKA shirt (blame her mama! :) But she is a true BAMA GIRL - trust me!!!!

Yep opening game & Bama came out with all cylinders clicking. We truly RAN over Clemson! It was awesome!

We of course had our house full of guests: Rob, Regan, Mary Ann, Cheyenne, Olivia, & Aubrey, Nina, Keith, Jon, Anna, Jessica, & Christian & of course me & Marcus. It was so much fun, we ate, watched the game & thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

What August brings to our household....

VS

Well it is here. You can smell it, feel it, taste it, most of all you can get fired up about it! Football season is upon us! It seems like just a few weeks ago it was A-Day and only a few before that we were taking down the Christmas tree & watching Bowl games. Here we are again. Starting fresh & new.

I am glad that football season is here. Marcus gets all giddy & ready to enjoy the weekends. I get to try tons of new recipes & my house is filled with people on the weekends. I love being the hostess :)

These past two months have been stressful to say the least, so looking forward to this weekend has been rewarding already. Marcus & I bought a new television for our anniversary. 60 inches of pure technology. It is huge! But interestingly enough it seems to 'fit' our living room. I was surprised once we got it on the stand & placed it where we wanted it how rather than dwarfing the room it really complimented it. Marcus is floating on cloud 9 as he prepares "Stevie the TV" for football season Saturdays :) it is adorable.

Anyway this weekend we face Clemson on neutral ground at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. I hope that all of you will watch & root for the Tide!

So, as for my ailments - we are on the mend! I am moving around MUCH better, have driven twice & am headed back to work on Tuesday after Labor Day. I know that I will be dead tired Tuesday night, but that is okay, a little routine again might be nice. The verdict is out & waiting on that one :)

Brooklyn Pulley

Born yesterday at 4:57 p.m. at 1 lb 7 oz was a beautiful little girl named Brooklyn! For those of you that know Tracy Pulley this is her new daughter. She was born prematurely at only 24 weeks.
Please keep this tiny miracle in your thoughts & prayers. Tracy, Isabel, & Mike are so blessed to have this gorgeous little girl. She is currently being looked after by doctors, nurses, parents & all God's angels. If there were any two parents who deserved this miracle it is Tracy & Mike....

boredom...

Yep I am getting bored. 6 weeks is a long time when you really cannot do anything physically & you cannot drive. Though the internet is definitely my greatest escape - shopping on it is fun, but you have to WAIT for everything to come in. Yuck. :)
I am ready to get out of town. This weekend Marcus is taking me South for some relaxation & fun. It should be very nice. He needs a few days to just relax & get away from Tuscaloose so I am looking forward to that. The only problem is usually I would be moving around the house, packing, cleaning..... yeah - can't do that or the voices of my husband, my mother, my sister, my mother in law will haunt me about doing too much. Plus my stomach will remind me that um, it is recovering - leave it alone. lol.
So to head off the boredom & be productive, I am making a list of the things I need to do: notating what I can do & what Marcus can do when he gets home tonight....yeah we will see how this goes :)

Thank You

This post is dedicated to some people.
Nina - I have always known that if I needed something you would be there in any way you can. I never expected to have to ask or need help at 27 recovering from major surgery. I think about how a year & a half ago you would have been too far away. That the phone & this blog would have been our connection during all this craziness. It would have been awful. But God has always known how to help me. He knew that I would need you & He knew that I would need you in person not just spirit. You moved to Atlanta & not only have I found it easier to visit but I have discovered a best friend. I feel bad that you were the one that got the first week out of the hospital - but you were the one I needed at that time. Thank you. Your patience & love knew no bounds. I love you.

Mom- You are the greatest mother that ever could be. I have always been in awe of your love. Not only the love between you & dad but the love that you share with all of us. I admire your patience, your understanding, your ability to comfort, and your personality. Each trait is uniquely yours & uniquely beautiful. I needed you on week two. I don't think I could have handled letting you see me so emotionally & physically weak as I was the week with Nina. I wanted to be stronger for you, because your strength has always been an inspiration. Thank you for loving me, for feeding us :) , for spending all that time with me just being mom & me. I love you.

Stacie - thank you for the phone calls. They light up my day. Hearing about your gorgeous girls has made me smile countless times. Keep posting those videos, they are precious. Keep calling too, I miss you.

Tracy - thanks for the updates on your travels. I know you have enjoyed family so much. I cannot wait to hear ALL the details. Talking to you after surgery made me laugh, smile & cry - you are such an amazing friend -I miss you.

Cheyenne, Aubrey, & Oliva - your visit made me smile for days. Olivia is a joy & growing so much. Marcus needed the 'guy visit' with Aubrey. Cheyenne you are such a shining person, so much fun to be around. I need to make you enjoy shopping more :) We cannot wait to see all of you during football on Saturdays!!!

I know not everyone that I can thank reads this blog, but there are a few people who I want to thank just in case they ever stumble across it: Jamie McClure - you called out of the blue the minute you heard. Thank you. It means more than you will ever know. Ryan Vick - You called the minute you heard - you not only reminded me what a great heart you have but you also assured me that everything would be okay. You were so emphatic, it really comforted me. Josh Maness - you called when you heard. You have always been such a great friend. Thank you. Kerry Ray - you saw me when we thought it was just a kidney stone. You made me laugh so hard it hurt & I loved it. You are my cutie.

There are literally over 100 people who have either called me or sent me a card or came to see me or sent flowers or just prayers. I don't live in Camden anymore but Camden still holds me as family. Thank you. We needed that. If I did not list anyone individually know that I thank you dearly & love you.

Breaking Dawn...

Okay I finished the book. Um, best ending EVER!!! It gave me closure. Closure is definitely what one needs after a series like this. Never before have I read such an intriguing and interesting ending. I am proud of Bella, Edward, & Jacob. They not only surprised me but entertained me. Thank you Stephenie Meyer for creating this world, this story. My heart survived. It was wonderful. Now we wait for the movie :)
Below (under the posts) is a video shot at the Barnes & Noble in Tuscaloosa. It was my outing for the week - albeit in a wheelchair. But we were interviewed and we played Family Feud Twilight style. It was awesome. I was so worn out & hurting at the end, but it did not stop me from diving straight into the book!

I'm Alive!

Well to let everyone know that I am alive out here. Yes, I had a great fourth of July. No I did not get to go to New York. Surgery prevented that. I am on 6 weeks of recovery from the removal of a football sized cyst & my left ovary. I am trying to walk without pain, well just about do anything without pain. I have a 12 inch incision from my navel to my pubic bone filled with tons of staples resembling a railroad track! It hurts to say the least. I have made it through week 1 of recovery & am barreling through week 2. The staples are supposed to come out on Wednesday, August 6th. Yippee! I hate how it looks with the staples. Anyway due to this 'injury' the calendar on the left is drastically wrong, I will update it soon. Just wanted to put out this quick post for info!