Happy Easter Everyone!!!

Well it has been a very eventful weekend.


Friday I took off and Dustin was already off so we shopped pretty much all day for Easter outfits. He had already gotten his and I found mine and Konnor's at the first store. I shopped all day and still didn't find Kensley anything. We headed home to get the kids from school and then on to eat at Catfish Cabin and to see the Perry's in Boaz.


Saturday we went Kohl's and I found Kensley a dress and then on to Greenbrier to eat for Aunt Bernice's birthday. Then it was home to relax and go to Wal-Mart for some last minute shopping. We went to church that night and had a good service.


Sunday started out by getting up at 6:30 to take my shower and then in to the kitchen to start my cooking. I cooked breakfast which included biscuits, bacon, bologna, chocolate gravy and eggs. And then it was on to cooking for lunch. I fixed a chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookies, hob nobs, and some peanut butter cookies with rice krispies and marshmellows (no sure what they are called) and fresh corn. Then it was time to get everyone all dressed up to go to church.

Headed to church a little early to get in a few pictures before time. We had a good service and I want to always remember the real reason for the season. I'm so thankful that the Lord rose again and that he gave His life for me and you. We (I) tend to always get caught up in the material things of life, but He is the reason we are all here today and for that I'm thankful. After church it's a tradition for the families to get their pictures made in front of the church. I have tons of pictures to share. Afterwards we headed over to Suzie's to eat lunch and then up to Marty's for the photo shoot. I'm sure she will have some to share with all of you soon. But for now here are some that we made earlier in the day. Hope you all had a blessed Easter!

Easter picture overload....

Here are some pictures I'd like to share. There are many more and family pictures that Marty made that will be up soon.

The kids with Grandmother and Granddaddy

Now with Mawmaw and Pawpaw

Keelie and Kensley

Dust and Joe David

The Trent Gaines family (look at those beautiful outfits Heather made)

The Jerry Hill family

Darrin, Tasha and girls (and she made her girls dresses too)

The Riggins family (another beautiful dress made by Heather Riggins for Haley)

Kylee and Kens

The Kevin Philpott family all decked out in blue.

Haley and Kensley

Joe, Drea and kids

Kaylee and Kens

Me and Drea

Katie Claire and Kensley

Chelsey and Kens

Heather Gaines, Nickie, Natash, me and Drea

Update on Kensley.....

Last Tuesday night we headed to Birmingham to stay the night. When I got home Tuesday I noticed Kensley was really quiet, but she said her stomach hurt which is not unusual for her so I didn't think much of it. If anyone has been around her any length of time you know she loves to talk and ask questions. Pretty much the whole car ride there she didn't say anything so I began to ask her if she felt sick or was she just nervous and she said she was nervous. I began to feel really bad for her but me and Dustin just reassured her that she wouldn't feel anything and that she was going to be fine. I think I speak for me and Dustin both that we were nervous too, we just didn't know what to expect from this and was it going to set her back any.

I sent a text to a few people to pray for her that night and the next morning she was still a little nervous but not near as bad as she had been the night before. Thank you all who said a prayer for us. She couldn't have anything to eat after midnight and only clear liquids until 6 that morning. She wouldn't eat the night before and it always bothers me when my kids won't eat. I'm constantly asking them if their hungry, what can I get you so that you will eat, but she just wouldn't. So I woke her up about 5:30 that morning to make her drink some Sprite so that she would have a little something in her. We got ready and headed to the hospital. Me and Dustin wouldn't even drink or eat anything because we knew that she couldn't and by this time she had decided that she was hungry, but she got through it.

After doing some paperwork and waiting they finally called us back. They took us to a room where they explained everything and put an IV in and she did so great with that, no tears were shed. They let us stay in there while they put her to sleep, by the way was really strange for me to watch. Then they sent us to the waiting room where we only stayed for about 5 min and they were done. I was a little nervous about the after affects, she has gotten sick in the past from the anesthesia, but she drank about a half of a cup of Sprite and part of a Hershey bar and some peach rings. Yeah I know sounds appetizing doesn't it, but that was just some snacks we had from the night before.

Here we are today a week later and she is doing great. We had therapy yesterday and they seemed impressed especially with her left arm and hand. I can tell a difference, she is so much more relaxed and not as tight. That was their main focus yesterday to get her to use it the best she could. I have to remind her to use it, I think she has gotten so used to not using it that she forgets she has a left arm, granted she has been in a cast for most of 2011, I think there has only been 3 weeks out of this year that she hasn't had a cast on. But we are on the mend and know that God is going to help us through this.

They wanted her to pick some bing bags up and throw them yesterday in the cart and she just took off doing it. She has always had a hard time once she has something in that hand to let it go, her hand just doesn't open without some hard concentration, but she did good yesterday and I'm so proud of her. We are working on trying to crawl with shifting her weight to the left side and she is working on trying to stand on her left foot for 3 or more seconds.

She is doing great in school, she just got her progress report with all A's. She still has some anger issues to work through, but they have gotten so much better and I'm so thankful for that. It's hard to see your child have to go through this, but I don't know what we would do without the Lord's help. Her personality has grown so much and speaking of grown she has gotten so tall. I noticed a picture of her and Kaylee from the Easter Egg Hunt that she is almost a full head taller than Kaylee now and it used to be that Kensley was always the little one of the bunch. Her hair has came back so thick and is longer now than it was before the accident. I have so much to be thankful for and so much to Praise Him for.

I will keep everyone updated on the progress of how she is doing.

Our weekend.....

Let's see where do I begin? Friday evening we met up with Jeff and Alyson at Olive Garden to eat before we all headed over to the Gaither concert. We saw many friends there too and this had to be one of the best Gaither Homecoming concerts that we have ever been to. But by the end of the show we were exhausted. Konnor just couldn't make it through the whole thing as you can see below. Kensley stayed with MawMaw and went to the Easter play.


Once we got home I loaded my car up with yard sale stuff and finally got in bed around midnight. Got up around five and loaded a couple of more things and headed out. It was so cold and windy that we pretty much set everything up in Jerome's shop. We still had a good turn out, but not as good as past ones. Plus me and Nickie weren't able to get our annual sunning in that we normally do. I packed up around 3 and headed home for a quick nap before church.

After a good church service Saturday night we headed to Wings to eat and then went home and crashed for the night. Sunday morning we went out to Gunters Mtn. They had several preachers but only two talked, but it was still going on 2 before church was over. Went back to Huntsville that night for church and had a really good service and heard some really encouraging testimonies. We made a quick stop at Sonic on the way home.

Here we are today back at the work place. The kids are back at school. Kens got her cast off last week. I will post more about that later, I'm waiting until after therapy tomorrow to see what improvements she has made since we got botox last week. Hope everyone has a good week!

Easter Egg Hunt.....

.....Saturday was our annual egg hunt at Simmons Park. Nikki passed me the responsibility of the egg hunt a few years ago and I try to pass it on this year, but no one wanted it. Although Brittney Gamble did offer to help and she was a huge help and I couldn't have done it without her. So a big shout out to Brittney for all your help.

No on to the events of the day. I got up early to clean my house due to the fact that I figured there would be some to stop by after the festivities or need to make a bathroom run. I had to run to Wal-Mart to pick up the hotdogs for Dustin to cook. Then it was over to the park to set everything up. It was a beautiful day and the kids had a blast. I think they enjoyed just getting together and running around more than actually hunting the eggs. It's sad to say that Konnor thinks he is too big to hunt eggs anymore, which means Kensley probably only has a couple of more years until she thinks she is too big for them too.


As we were ending the fun-filled day, up pulls the Excursion of Gaines kids. I felt so bad that they missed out, but hopefully next year Heather will check her email twice to know what time it starts.....lol. Next year Heather I will call you personally to let you know when, where and what time.

Here are a few highlights from our day. In no particular order.









After we cleaned up we me and Drea and the kids headed over to my house where Dustin, Joe David, Justin and Dakota were already watching the video from New Harmony singing with the Isaacs a couple of weeks ago(see good thing I cleaned my house earlier). After that we headed over to Suzie's for some late lunch.

This was our regular weekend, so I had to cook for church. We had a really good service and after church we had some of our good friends from Toney to come over and visit with us until church time. Mom decided to take my kids home with her yesterday and let them spend the night. They are on Spring Break this week so she was keeping them today anyway. After church last night we went to El Olmeca with family.

Here we are today back at the work place and getting ready for my yard sale Saturday. I hope the forecast changes and it decides to be a little warmer than what they are predicting.

Sorry for such a long post, but I just seem to have so much to catch up on. Kensley is getting her cast off today and we head to Birmingham Tuesday night to stay the night and Wednesday she will be getting her botox injections. Please remember her this week. Hopefully will get to post an update on how she is doing later this week.

Days 25-30.....

Well I started this two days ago and have finally finished it, so here goes.

Day 25.....a picture of your day. That would be going to the hospital and holding my new neice. This isn't the best pic, but she was just born, so will have better ones later. Her name is Hallie, she weighed 7lbs 6oz and 19 1/2 in long. She's gorgeous.

Day 26......a picture of something that means a lot to you. I choose the host of friends I have. They were there for us during our most trying time and I don't know what I would do without them. You girls are the best. This isn't all of them, but this was the only pic I could find right now. I love you all.

Day 27.....a picture of you and a family member. This is me and Kylee having fun in the snow. She's a great person inside and out. Day 28....a picture of something you are afraid of. Losing my family. I've come close to that road once and I don't won't to have to go up it again.

Day 29....a picture that can make you smile. My silly husband, he can always put a smile on my face no matter what.

Day 30....a picture of someone you miss. I miss my grandparents. Here is one of Konnor and my mom's dad, Bro. Vester Guffey. He was a jewel. My grandmother has been dead for probably close to 20 years now and now that I'm older I would love to just sit down and talk to her. She was always so much fun, I'm so glad that I was old enough to have memories of. My other granddad died about 4-5 years ago and we would go over there as kids and stay with them. Most kids now days think it's so boring to go to grandparents houses and stay, but as kids we loved it and I wouldn't take anything for those memories.