happy birthday to me!

Well, today was my 48th birthday. I will be twice as old as Elizabeth when she turns 24 in june. I am almost 4 times as old as my baby, who just turned 13 a month ago! I am proud of every year, Mama used to say, getting old is better than the alternative.

we have 3 new pups as of Tuesday. I noticed one wasn't looking good- you could see his ribs and he just looked dehydrated. We got some milk replacement powder and started him on it today. He already looks better. We got him to nurse this evening on his mother. WE brought him in again for a little more bottle milk before turning him back to his mom while ago. I think that he wouldn't have made it without a little help. His brothers are so fat and shiny, about twice as big as he is.

I had a nice birthday. Many of my facebook friends sent birthday wishes. I received many text messages throughout the day as well. Jon sent me flowers. Jon and Sid took me to eat at the Mexican place for lunch, and got me "pied". It was fun, though.

Well, I made it through the GA hospital tour without a hitch. We took them to eat pizza afterwards and made it back to the church in time to have our lesson before it was time to go.

I'm going to have to brag on my middle child this week. He has gotten letters from 2 honor societies this week asking him to join. If you remember, this child didn't know if he was graduating high school until 2 days prior to! The National Technical honor society and Phi theta kappa both have requested the "honor" of Jonathan's membership. I told him YES!!! It will look so good on a resume! To go through barely getting out of high school to a 4.0 is quite an accomplishment, I do believe. he is doing what he loves now, welding, and he doesn't understand why they are asking him to join these things, since the subjects that he is taking are not academic, but vocational. I told him that they see the 4.0! He never thought that he would be attending college, but he truly loves it. He loves his teachers, Mr. Gary Gammill and Mr. Ricky Collier and East Mississippi Community college. Answer to prayer!

Happy Birthday Sidney

Friday February 20, was Mr. Sidney's #52!!! He had a lovely steak lunch with all the fixins' at the Ray's. We took him to the Pickled Okra in Cleveland Saturday night for birthday supper with the whole family. (Liz had the privilege of waiting on us!) His mother made him her famous fried peach pies and we got him parts for his old truck. Hey, that is what he asked for. He would definitely NOT rather have a new shirt!

Sat. at lunch I went to the church for Children's Ministry Day. Mrs. Pam Lee came and taught the girls about good nutrition and how to read labels. She also let them make homemade pizzas and wraps and icecream in a bag. The GA's and we made goodie bags for extended stay patients at the hospital in Greenwood. We are going to deliver them Wednesday and take a tour of the hospital. (I hate hospitals!) I am not looking forward to hauling them to Greenwood. UGGHHHH. Little girls are so loud.

what a beautiful week! Other than Monday, which was nasty, the rest of the week was wonderful. patrick had a nice birthday party friday night. Afterwards Patrick, CJ, Jon and I sat around the fire pit and roasted marshmallows until everyone got tired.
Kristy's shower went well. Thanks to Tonie and Mable, the food was out of this world. Liz showed up and Kristy was so happy to see her. The new baby should be ready to come. He got a lot of nice stuff.
Sat. night Sid and Patrick went to FBC Kosciusko for their annual wild game supper. They have been going for a few years now and they really enjoy it. Jon asked me out to the Crystal. How could I refuse?
This week seems really long. Today should be more than Thursday! Thursday should have been days ago! Susie James did an article in the Commonwealth about my sock monkeys. It ran today. How about that? I am famous for my monkey business !!! ha ha

happy Birthday Patrick

It is so beautiful outside. Beautiful and misleading! ha, it is so coldddd!!! I am thankful for a warm house and a nice toasy fire. I am thankful for 3 beautiful children and a loving husband. I am thankful for running water and electricity. I am thankful we have not been plagued with an ice storm this year.

13 years ago on February 2, 1996 an ice storm hit. I also went into labor! Well, thought it was anyway. Sid got up at 5ish and had to go somewhere to find some gas for the bronco because we were going to have to go to Greenwood to have a baby. At the time there were few places around Carrollton Mississippi to get gas at this time of the morning. It was before the days of pay at the pump anytime! But anyway, he found a place open. Around 8 I decided that the labor was over for now, but the bronco was gassed up and we were ready. Liz and Jon were out of school because of the weather and were having a ball with the neighbor kids getting pulled on an old truck hood behind a 4 wheeler. The next day we were still ok, the kids were still having a ball. Bright, sunny, cold and icy. Fortunately, the power lines were not suffering so we still had electricity and water. The next morning church was cancelled because of the weather, so we weren't worried about getting up at any certain time, but Patrick Knox Morrison decided it was the day. I woke up just like Friday, so cautiously optimistic I got a bath and warned Sidney that something might be happening. I offered to cook him some breakfast, but he thought that he would get something at his mother's when we dropped the kids off there. Liz and Jon had spent the night at the neighbor's-just couldn't get enough of the fun they were having. Sid called and asked for them to be sent home, so John Sanders decides it would be faster to bring them in his little S10 2 wheel drive truck. HAA big mistake. He made it about half way down our drive way before he just couldn't go anymore. Sid had to get the tractor out and pull him back home before we could get out to go to Greenwood. By the time we got in the road, which wasn't icy,(just the driveway!)It was 11:00. When we made it to Greenwood we stopped at the Morrisons' house to drop off our kids and Sid decides he is hungry, of course his mother offers to cook him some breakfast, but with my best possessed howl growled, you aren't eating anything! I am having a baby NOW! It was quite uncomfortable riding 4 people to town in a vehicle that only sat 2. Add to the fact that the kids were fighting and I was having contractions multiplied the misery! It took us over 2o minutes to get to the hospital from their house due to the fact that the streets in town were still pretty icy. We got to the hospital after noon sometime and they did indeed concur that I was in labor, duh. I had been promised by good old Dr. Meek that I could this time have an epidural, since I was denied the other times. The anesthesiologist (sp) didn't make it in time and I ended up having another natural childbirth. Well, to make matters worse, it was on Sunday and Dr. Meek was not on call, so Dr. Evans, his partner got to deliver Patrick. I hope that he treats his own patients better than he did me. He was the rudest, least compasssionate person that I have ever had dealings with. Well, despite all the drama, on Sunday February 4, 1996, Patrick made it at 1:29, not long after we got there. He was the prettiest thing with the largest roundest head of any baby I had the privilege of giving birth to! he had just now grown into it! All that to say, happy birthday my sweet baby, I can't believe that you are a teenager. I love you, Mama

Just a few minutes old, so sweet and so unhappy! (look at that head!) ouch.

This week has been a good one so far. No one is sick, no one is hurt. It is a beautiful day and I intend to hang out my sheets! A rare treat for the winter.
My baby will be a teenager next wednesday. We are planning a party for him next friday night. He has only had one birthday party in his life, he always preferred to spend his birthday celebrating with family. This should be an interesting week, as he has to help me get everything ready, since it will only be he and I. Sid will have to work Friday night.
I am helping with a baby shower next Saturday. One of "my girls", a dear friend of Elizabeth's from kindergarten on, is expecting a wee one in march. I am excited for her and her husband. Kristy will make a wonderful mama.

Well, this week is almost to a close. We left early Sunday morning headed to Albany Georgia for my uncle JEK's funeral. JEK is my Daddy's brother and the JEK is James Edgar Knox II. daddy always called him JEK, but then again, Daddy always had a name for everyone. It was a bittersweet weekend. We reconnected with cousins that I haven't seen since Daddy died in '97. Some I haven't seen in many more years and some I just met. It was wonderful to meet both of Gail's kids and also Ed's daughter Leah and wife, Julie. I have watched Casey and Jordan grow up through Gail's yearly pictures, but it was great to finally meet them and talk with them. Ed's little girl is so precious, too. We relived many hilarious moments from our childhood. When I asked Patrick what he thought of my family, He laughed and said they are so funny! I know that they will be fine. They know where their dad is and there is such comfort in that. I don't understand how people can bury a loved one without Jesus. I know that the coming days will be so sad for my aunt, Boo. They were married 54 years. I have read that losing a spouse is second only to losing a child. I still miss my folks, particularly my Daddy. He always had good advice and a quick wit! I wish that he could have lived to see my kids grown. Liz was 12 when he died and Patrick was only 17 months. Jon was 7. Patrick doesn't even remember my parents at all. It seems I miss them more when there is a milestone happening-Liz's graduation, Jon's graduation, awards days, baseball world series, band concerts. They would have been proud of them, I do know that. Well, back to the weekend. We made it just in time for the visitation Sunday afternoon and then went to Boo's house for supper and visiting. The next morning we went to the funeral and then to FBC for lunch. Their church families were so wonderful to prepare food. We left going home around 1:30 our time and got home around 10:30 our time. WE did stop in Tuscaloosa for supper for about an hour. It was nice to get out and stretch and rest. Tuesday was business as usual.
I joined facebook yesterday and it is so addictive. My sister in law had wanted me to join so we could keep in touch better, and some of my cousins have it, so it will be fun to keep in touch. I also found some old classmates that I haven't seen in 30 years. (They looked so old!!! ha ha not me!)
WEll, I just tried to bake a cake in my silicone bundt pan. It WASN'T SUPPOSED TO STICK!!! Guess what? Yep, it did. Guess I will try to dig it out and salvage what I can. Good thing it was just for us, not to give to anyone.

I didn't realize that I had not posted since the day after Christmas. Everyone is back in school and doing fine. Sidney had a change of start times since the new year started. He is not real happy about it. He was going in at 2:30 and getting off at 11:30, but now he has to go in at 5:00 and doesn't get off until 2:00 AM! The only good side to this is that he doesn't leave the house until 4:30 and gets to see Patrick and me before he goes off to work. It is just hard getting used to working so late and having to sleep until noon.

My only Knox uncle died yesterday afternoon. His visitation is tomorrow afternoon and the funeral is monday morning. Since Patrick doesn't have school monday he is going with me to Albany Georgia. I dread the 7 1/2 hour drive, but am looking forward to seeing my aunt and cousins. My uncle had been asking for my dad who has been in Heaven 12 years now, so I know that he met JEK at the gates! I'll bet their sister was there, too. I know that was a sweet reunion, as they were all so close on earth. The whole family was with him as he left this earth and my cousin said it was so sweet to be with him at this time. I'm sure it will be hard, especially for my aunt. I'm not sure how long they had been married, but my oldest cousin is 52.

We took Patrick and Kristen to the fish house in vaiden tonight. Tried to get Grandmother to go, since she loves to eat fish so much, but she wasn't hungry. The kids didn't talk much, so Sid and I tried to initiate conversation. Jon took Lizzie to see "marley and me" tonight. He loved it too. Said the dog was bad as hell!

I'd better go and get ready to leave early in the morning.