Phase II

I don't know how many of you have been married 20 years to the same person, but I am here to tell you that it is a wonderful accomplishment. Kenny and I were married 20 years ago yesterday. Hard to believe that much time has gone by. We are very proud of our accomplishment. But it has not always been all sunshine and roses. Marriage is a fulltime job of sorts. It goes through many stages and twists and turns. Hills and valleys. Sorrow and happiness. It is all in how you decide to handle each of those stages that will determine the outcome. Love does not always conquer all. Kenny and I have seen many stages in the past twenty years. (and let me tell you, there are times that both of us wanted to throw our hands up and say, "That's it, I'm done. I can't do this any more") I am glad that we decided to push on and overcome whatever struggle we were going through. We are now at a stage of having an empty nest in the next couple of years and we hardly know each other. We have concentrated so much on being parents that we forgot to be husband and wife. It is hard to suddenly not have to worry so much about the kids. We are finding it difficult to communicate as individuals. We don't even know what our interests are any more. We have come to the conclusion that we are going to have to just start from scratch and try to learn about each other all over again. In a way, that alone is very exciting. almost like dating and getting to know the person. There are unlimited possiblities as to what we will learn. We love each other and are looking forward to starting the 'rest of our lives ' together. (Phase II) :)

vacation long over due

On Thursday of last week, I got in my highlander and headed to Port Arthur, TX to spend a few days with Kenny. As most of you know, my husband works there and lives in an apartment there. We don't see alot of him and since Hurricane Ike tore thru there, it has been impossible for Kenny to get any time off to come home. Anyway, it was a wonderful trip despite it raining the entire 10 hour drive there. Once there, I was able to relax and just enjoy spending time talking and sightseeing with Kenny. We drove around the area looking at the devastation from the Hurricane. It is amazing to me how quickly the people there gather up their lives and start the rebuilding process. It is also amazing to me that alot of them will rebuild in areas that are constantly threatened by severe weather. Whatever their reasoning, it is amazing to see them continue to get on with their lives.

There was debris every where you looked. But for the most part, the majority of the destruction was carried back out to sea leaving behind 'nothing'.

I was also able to meet some of Kenny's friends and coworkers. We went out to eat with a couple that he works with and ended up staying out later then we have in years. We shared alot of stories and laughes. I had fun and am so glad I was able to go.

I cleaned Kenny's apartment as I always do when I go visit him. He keeps it clean but isn't the greatest at dusting. lol.

The kids stayed at home (Jesse was on Fall Break from college so she came home and stayed with Mason) I think they had an ok time. I am fortunate to be able to have two kids that I can trust.

The Wait is Over

Here he is.....before and after.

After two years of orthodontist visits and several packages of tiny rubberbands, Mason is now 'braces-free'. He got his braces off on Wednesday of last week and then goes back for his retainers this Wednesday. I am so glad he is finished with it. Now maybe, we will see the smiling Mason that I have missed so much these past two years.
Things at the Coleman home are starting to feel more normal now. Mason and I have started to get used to Jesse being away at college. She comes home about every weekend. We don't see alot of her when she comes home but at least we do get to see her some. She has been going to the AR Razorbacks games.
Kenny is busy cleaning up the jobsite at Cameron/Sabine Pass, LA. It is going alot faster then he thought it would. I am not going to be able to go see him anytime soon because there is still alot of businesses that havent reopened and there is a curfew in effect. He may try to come home in about 3 weeks.
Well, I hope everyone out there is doing well.

I finally had enough!! I couldn't go another day without seeing my daughter, Jesse. It had been two weeks. So after work, I hoped in the car and headed to Conway. We did our normal thing...out to eat and then a bit of shopping. She has been sick for a few days and was still feeling poorly, so I didn't stay long. We picked up some vitamins and otc meds and then she went back to the dorm to go to bed early. I hope she is feeling much better in the morning. I was just good to spend some time with her. Mason has a pretty big day tomorrow but I will save that for the next blog entry.

Being sick is not fun!! I am sure that you already know this. I just thought I would reinterate since I have been sick for the past 5 days. I am feeling much better today and even went back to work.

Mason was sick for only a day and was able to go to work this evening also.

Jesse came home this weekend and spent very little time at the house. She went tailgating at the Razorback game in Little Rock and watched the game. I think she got in around midnight. We all went to church Sunday but I was so sick, that we left right after communion. So needless to say, I didn't get to spend any time with Jess. She will probably be home this weekend too so I will get to make up for it. She is liking college from what I can tell. I think she is a bit bored. She has gone from being in high school all day and then running to work and then out with friends to going to 2 or 3 classes a day and that is it. She doesn't have alot of friends to run around with at college yet. I am hoping she gets more excited about college as the semester goes on. Her boyfriend, Tyler goes to see her once a week and takes her out to eat. So that is fun for her.

Kenny is once again in the process of going through another evacuation. Hurricane Ike is threatening them this time. He would come home for a few days but he is one of the designated ones that is first to re-enter after the hurricane to access the damage to the job site before the evacuation is lifted. I am so thankful that he loves his job.

Not much else is going on right now. But believe me, it won't stay that way for long.....

What is Normal?

Who is to say what is normal? For the past several years I felt that life in the Coleman house was that of 'normal'. The changes that have taken place these past few months, have led me to redefine 'normal' as I know it. What was once days filled with cooking, cleaning, shopping, running from one activity to another and finding time to sleep....has now turned into going to work and returning to an empty house or one where there is just one teenager who doesnt find it a whole lot of fun to just hang out with mom. So.....I am in the process of trying to figure out just what I want 'normal' to be at this point. (Any and all suggestions will be taken into consideration. lol..) At first, I looked at this challenge with remorse and depression, but now see that it can be anything I want it to be. That is a bit overwhelming and exciting at the same time.
I realize that I am not the first (nor the last) to have to figure this out, but I am the first in my family and I hope to come through it with a better understanding of myself and how I can make a difference for "????". (I will let you know when I figure it out).
For now, I think 'normal' is searching, questioning, happiness, confusion, crying, laughing, and wondering for me.... (the answers are sure to come to me as time goes on.....I am already not crying everytime I think about how my kids are growing up and away from the home...So I know THAT is a good sign)

Labor Day Weekend

It was great Labor Day Weekend at the Coleman house. The only thing that could have made it better would be for Kenny to have been home. Jesse surprised us by coming home on Saturday afternoon. I returned from WalMart to find her car in the driveway. Talk about happy!! I was!!

We didn't do anything special except spend time together. Mason and Jesse hung out Saturday night in Mason's truck. It was good to see them spending time together and enjoying it. Sunday we went to church and then we went to IHOP> Gran and Papa went with us as well as Jesse's boyfriend, Tyler. It was alot of fun.

Jesse has been complaining for several years about how uncomfortable her bed is. I never paid much attention to it, chalking it up to just griping. Sunday morning she looked like she hadn't slept a wink and she said it was because of the mattress. I was not convinced. So she asked me to sleep in her room Sunday night while she slept in mine. Well, I could not believe how bad that mattress was. I can honestly say that I would have been more comfortable on the kitchen floor than on that mattress. So first thing Monday morning, I apologized to Jesse for not believing her all this time about it and went straight out and bought a new one. I felt so bad for not believing her, but now she has a new mattress to sleep on when she comes home on the weekends.

Mason had a bad evening last night as his XBOX360 malfunctioned (for the 2nd time in a year) and we are no longer under warranty so he is without an XBOX for a while. But he has been working more hours lately and that and his homework should keep him busy. As a matter of fact, when he got home from school today, he got called into work til 10pm.

Well, last but not least, Jesse left for Conway yesterday about 3:30pm. At 4:30pm she calls me to tell me that she forgot several things at the house and was going to come back for them. I figured since Mason was at work and I didn't have anything to do that I would drive to Conway and take it all to her. When I got there, I helped her hang her curtains and then we went to eat and to Target. then I headed home. Well, it was quite a different weekend than what I had thought I would have and I am so glad. It was great and I have the best family in the world. :)

The Next Phase....

Change is good...at least that is what I have heard. It has been a long week and I am now completely in a New Phase in my life. I must apologize to all for the way I have went on and on about how hard it is on me for Jesse to leave for college. A week has passed and time is a wonderful healer. Each day is easier and more 'normal'. Mason and I are settling in to our routine of just the two of us. Jesse is starting to adjust to college life and liking it more each day. Knowing that she is happy is all it takes for me to get over the sadness of her not being around here everyday. I went to visit her on Wednesday of last week and we went out to eat. It was pouring down the rain. But we shopped at Target and ate at Cracker Barrel and then went to the dorm. There were people in her room 'hanging out' so I didn't stay long. She was enjoying chatting and laughing. I felt more at ease for the first time at that point.
She came home on Friday after classes and stopped by the house for about an hour and then was off hanging out with friends here in town. Saturday we were able to sit and talk a bit while she printed off notes off the class website. Then she was off again to UCA by 3pm on Saturday. She tells me that her favorite classes are English and Philosophy. (makes sense since she is going into Law). Anyway, I looked forward to keeping you up to date on how she is doing and what is going on here at the house with Mason, Kenny, and Me.
For now, there is a bit of normalcy in the Coleman home.

Sending Jesse to College

It has been several days since I have written and it is still hard to do it now. I have spent the past several days (weeks really) in tears. I can bearly see through the tears right now to type but I am making myself try to get through this. It is one of the hardest things I have ever done.

I have devoted the past 18 years to my children and their needs. Everything from what they would eat and wear to getting them to where they needed to go. I have tried to teach them all I could to make them strong, productive, healthy, loving, compationate, brave, god-fearing/loving, individuals. Now Jesse is in Conway in a dorm and I am at home praying that I have given her all she will need to make it in this world.

I find part of me feels a deep loss. A loss of purpose. What do I do now? My kids are growing up and making their own decisions and don't need me to think for them anymore and tell them what to do or how to do it or where to be, ect...

It makes me feel like my purpose in life is done. I know it isn't but I struggle with how to go on with the next phase of my life.

We took Jesse to Conway on Sunday and moved her into the dorm. It was a very busy day and we all did good not to cry much until it came time to leave. She started crying and then we all were crying. She was very scared and alone and that just tore my heart out. Do you have any idea how hard it is to leave your child knowing they feel lonely? It is heart wrenching!!!

Now 24 hours later, she is a bit less lonely. Not alot but she is meeting people and trying to find a place to fit in. There are 12,000 students there. She says she is meeting tons of people but the problem is she never sees them again. I think she may decide to 'Rush' so she will have a group of people to get acquainted with. I know deep down that she will be fine and have the time of her life. But that knowledge does not ease the pain at this point.

I plan to visit her once a week until she tells me that there isn't time this week to fit me in. (I am more prepared for that then this first stage).

Mason started the 10th grade today and seems to like it. I think there is 2 reasons for that. 1. he is no longer 'new kid on the block'. 2. it is 'his' school now and not his sisters. He had to go to work right after school and got home about 9:15pm. He is now in the bed and will probably sleep very sound tonight.

Thanks to all for listening to me and praying for me. I know it must seem a bit overboard to some, but I pray that none of you have to feel this way and if you do, I hope I can be there to help you through it.

My friends and family are such a blessing to me. Thanks.

Pegg

The End of a hectic week.

The past week was very hectic, but is now over and a thing of the past. This weekend has been busy too. Yesterday, Mason was ready to go get tint put on his truck windows. He has been saving his money since he started working this summer and decided to spend some of it on window tint. It turned out really nice. It is a bit dark for me especially at night, but we will see how it works out for him.

It is raining today and is much needed. I have been watering the shrubs and yard for several weeks.

Jesse spent her last day of work at Leslie's Jewelry Store yesterday. She has worked there for over 2 years. They have been so good to her. She will miss it. She has one more week at the law firm and then she is off to school. Kenny will be home on Thursday morning and we are so excited to see him. We haven't seen him since May 10th (Jesse's graduation).

We have a lot to do this week and then we will all be starting a new chapter in our lives. Pray for us as we go through this change.

Registration ---- ohhhhhhhh.........

What can I say it is the least favorite part of my job. A week spent at a computer registering student after student. Getting ss#, bday, address, locker #, car model and drivers license number, ectt.... (for at least 1100 students in 4 days) We are 2 down and 2 to go at this point. Tomorrow is sophomores. I think there are almost 300 of them. but Mason is part of this class and I will know several of the kids.
Hard to believe that school starts in less then 2 weeks. I will be glad to be back in a routine of some sort.
I wish I could say that there has been alot more going on, but if you spent one hour at registration, you would 'run for the hills' !!!!!!! lol..
Going to bed to prepare mentally for tomorrow.
Later.
Pegg

One Step Closer

Well, Jesse is one step closer to leaving for college. We went to Little Rock after work to shop for "Dorm Stuff". It was alot of fun and a bit trying at times. But definitely something I will never forget. I was proud of her choices in bedding and accessories.

She is starting to get excited about moving into the dorm. I am sure there will be many things to blog about during this change in our lives.

Overcoming

9 years ago today I had the accident of all accidents so far in my life. I fell from a 6 foot ladder in my back yard while washing my siding and literally tore my left foot off. It was a long emergancy surgery and 16 weeks of re-hab, but I was able to over come with flying colors. I now have only a slight limp, but pain daily. (Good thing I consider myself to have a high tolerance for pain) I say all of that to say....... We never know what will happen in our lives from one minute to the next. With every passing day, I realize that more and more. But I try to tell my kids 2 things.....1. Trust God and he will see you through anything. 2. No matter what happens, you can always come home.
It's funny how little triumps in our lives makes us stronger people. But between you and me, I plan on letting someone else wash my siding in the years to come. It doesn't take me long to learn my lesson. :)

Another Lazy Sunday.

We are very predictable when it comes to Sundays. We get up and go to church and class and then go to Kenny's parents and eat and then home for a nap, than back to church at 5pm. Today I didn't feel like my normal Sunday afternoon nap so I decided to go to the tanning bed. I haven't been in so long that I am very 'white'. Once I was done with that, I thought since I am already on this side of town, I will go to WalMart and get some hairspray and something for breakfasts this week. Well, sometimes I don't know how in the world 3 things can turn into about 30 things and I end up spending 4 times more than I planned. But it happens quite frequently. (and I am pretty much a 'tight wad' when it comes to money). But I got home and started putting things away and now it is almost time to go back for evening worship at church. We haven't always gone to evening worship but we started to in January of this year and I am glad we are. It has been a blessing and I am sorry I didn't do it all these years. I went to church every time the doors opened when I was growing up. I guess sometimes we just change our habits as we grow up.

I did get couple of pictures this morning before church. They didn't turn out too well. We all look tired or posed or something but we don't look quite ourselves. ((But I will share them anyway. :) )

By the way......It wasn't that I didn't want a picture with Mason, it was just all I could do to get one of him with Jesse :(

I hope everyone has a great week ahead of them.

hum drum day

It has been another hot day in Arkansas. The forecast is for 3 digit temps through Tuesday. I have been watering the yard all week hoping that it won't turn brown.
I slept late this morning (which is something I don't normally do) but I was tired I guess.
Jesse worked at the jewelry store today and then went to the lake with a friend. She just walked in the door (10:30pm) and seemed to have had a great time. Mason worked this evening and then played with Damon. Now everyone is home and we are soon to be in bed and then up early for church in the morning.
While Mason was at work and Jesse at the lake, I went to Little Rock to the mall. Can you believe, I drove all that way and didn't spend a dime? just wasn't in the mood to try clothes on and I didnt find any sales. I did see alot of things that I would have loved to have bought, but my better sense took over and I left without them. Yea, Me! lol....
Well, that's about it for today. I predict something exciting to happen in the next week. (at least I hope so. These past couple of blogs have been pretty boring. )

? ? ? ? ?

What to blog about tonight? Not sure at this point. I am just going to start typing and see what happens. :)

The summer is starting to come to an end for the kids. I work at the high school year round. I don't get the summer months off like the teachers do and the kids. The summer at work has been slow and boring. But come Monday some of the teachers come back on contract and things will definitely pick up. I plan on taking the day off tomorrow and spend time around the house.

Mason has been working alot this week at his job at Food King. He is doing a great job and I am very proud of him.

Jesse has finally been notified of her roommate for college and they have been texting back and further learning abit about each other before move-in day at the University. (August 17th) Kenny is planning to come home the week before she leaves for college. That way he can help us move her in the dorm. (and I will have a shoulder to cry on....because I know I am going to be doing alot of crying).

Well, not much to update (the words are just not coming to me tonight.) I will try again tomorrow.

I hope everyone has a great evening.

God's Blessing are so Great!

It never ceases to amaze me how God works in all things. These past few weeks have been trying weeks for me. I have had several things on my mind that I finally turned over to God completely. I am normally not a 'worrier'. (I leave that to Kenny***because he is so good at it. lol..) but I am finding that for the past several years, I tend to worry more than I used too. I really don't know the reason why. Maybe my faith isn't as it should be. Whatever the reason, it isn't fun no matter how you look at it. Yesterday and ,today brought clear answers to several of the things that have been on my mind and I am once again, encompassed by God's arms. All I can say is, Thank you God! Your blessings are great and I owe everything to your glory. If you haven't turned your worries over to God, I would recommend it. "The burden lifted" is a wonderful feeling.

HOT HOT HOT!!!!!

The weather that is.
Summer is in full force in Searcy, AR.

I love the hot weather for the most part. However, working inside with the air conditioner all day makes for a tough adjustment when headed home. If I begin the day outside and stay out til evening, I find it much easier to tolerate. This weekend I did just that. I got up on Saturday and headed for Lowes. Picked out a few different shrubs and flowers and came home and started planting. I am beginning to wonder if I am getting older because I found it much harder to dig the holes for some reason. lol... But I know that isn't possible. :) or is it? I refuse to admit to any such suggestion at this point. :)
I managed to get the holes dug. It took me almost all day. I waited for the sun to go down a bit before planting the new plants. I have found that if I don't plant in the heat of the day, the plants do before and usually survive. I know they look sparce and little, but give them til next summer and they will fill the space and be beautiful. (at least that is what I am predicting). I truly enjoy the outdoors and wish alot of times that I had done as Kenny had wanted 15 years ago when we bought this house. He wanted to buy a house out in the country with some land. Well, I had grown up in the country with land and chores and animals,ect.... I wanted the suburbs and nice neighborhood, ect.... so that is what we got. (Kenny is sooo good to me). Now 15 years later, I would love to have more yard and maybe a creek and all the other things that go with the country. I guess the old saying is true " You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl" So I make my little lot of land and home as cozy as I can and I really enjoy it. Hot or not.