There is no crying in baseball.......

Unless, you are me. Then you cry when your husband plays baseball and grasps a new injury EACH time! My gosh, its like a weekly thing! So Sunday I got home from my trip to Georgia, and Martin wanted to go play in his baseball game, he plays in a 30 & up league. Against my better judgement, I let him go. My last words to him were "Be careful and DONT GET HURT".

I got a phone call, his coach had to drive him home. Why you ask? Because he hit a foul tip ball off the end of his bat, into his EYE! He couldnt drive. He is lucky he can see, thats for sure.

I cried when I first saw him, it was AWFUL! He has the most perfect nose, Madelyn, Gavin, & Lil Martin all have his nose. But his was smushed and crooked. His eye was swollen shut, and nose was bloody. He had blood stains on his uniform, yuck. We took a picture, and I begged him and begged him to go to the dr. But as you have probably heard, nurses are the WORST patients. He refused to go :( UGH



We settled, or I won :) Because he went to the dr on Monday, the did 8 xrays and his nose is broken, no kidding? I was worried about his brow bone being broken and causing permanent damage to his eye or vision. Thank God. Now its

become a game to the kids, each morning when he wakes up its a differnt color and shape. It being Tuesday, its changed so much. The swelling has shifted to a new area and the color is AWFUL. It looks like Madelyn colored his eye with purple marker while he was sleeping. Which if I might add, is something she would totally do.


So because he asked me not to post a picture on facebook, I decided I would post a picture here on my blog, for private eyes :) Look at your own risk, that is my own warning to you, my fellow blog followers :)
Can I go ahead and say, No I did NOT do this to him. I cant tell you how many people ask me (joking or not), "Did you punch him", "Did he step outta line", "Dang Jess, you showed him". Right, because physical abuse is so funny, geeeeeeez
Its getting better. I suggested that he not go to work until it looks a little better. He looks scary, cant be scaring patients and families now can we?

So who votes that he stop playing sports? :) He is a handful. I love him, but he is a big kid!

Georgia on my mind.....

I just got home from a visit to Georgia, a trip I'm not so sure I was quite ready to make. Dont get me wrong, I am glad I went. But I had to say good bye to my last living grandparent, blood line grandparent (we have several step Grandparents). I wasnt particularly close to my Grandpa, he lived in Georgia, we visited a couple of times. The last time was 10 years ago, that sounds AWFUL to even type, but it is true. This was only the 4th time I had ever seen him, in person. I felt a huge burning in my stomach when I saw him at the viewing. He wasnt anything like I remembered him, he had aged, he had lost weight, and he just wasnt himself. What I remember of him, was a beaming personality. A funny man. Very impatient. A mirror image of my own Dad, only years older. I caught me off guard to see him, lying there, peacefully. But with no movement. He was always tapping his foot, and rocking. My sister and I also had a hard time seeing "Franklin Andrews" written on everything. Thats my DAD's name! So my dad had to bury his father, it was emotional to watch & experience. How my dad will go day to day knowing he cant call his dad, its beyond me. I think my parents are my lifeline! I cant remember going a day without calling or emailing them! My Grandma (step Grandmother), Margie, was very sweet, welcoming. And made me feel welcome and a part of the funeral. I felt my heart breaking for her, she had to come home to a house she shared with my Grandpa for 30 years alone. She said "it doesn't feel like he is gone". That breaks my heart, who will be there when it does feel like he is gone?! To me, his absence was screaming from the house. And mind you, this was only the 3rd time I had ever been there. His chair was empty, the calender wasnt marked with a red 'X' past his birthday (he died two days after his birthday), his clothes were still layed out in his bedroom, his shoes still on the floor, his razor and aftershave still on the sink counter, his medicine bottles still visible. It seemed gut wrenching to have it all still there, so fresh. Yikes, I cant even imagine, and I dont want to.

We arrived to Georgia Friday afternoon, hopped a rental car and drove from Atlanta, to Griffin, where we stayed in a hotel. I havent shared a hotel room with my mom, dad, and Erica in FOREVER! Fun times! Just like our old road trips :) We changed quickly and drove to Barnesville, where Grandpa & Margie lived, to the funeral home. We were expecting to not view him right off the bat, I wasnt mentally prepared for that yet. But as soon as you walked in, there he was. He had picked out his casket himself. It was a beautiful silver US Navy casket. It had a crisp American flag draped across the bottom. And flowers were surrounding. From family, friends, and my dads co-workers. What a nice gesture. We met TONS of people! People who had stories of my Grandpa I hadnt heard before. I honestly enjoyed hearing all the memories people had of him. My memories are of when I was a little girl, and I was shy & timid around him. I wonder what he had remembered of me? After we left the funeral home, we went to his house. It looked the exact same as I remembered it. Margie had fed us, lots and lots of food. Let me tell you, the food in Georgia is something straight out of a Southern movie. Best pecan pie & sweet tea I've ever had! When we left Margie's house, we went back to the hotel. I had a hard time falling asleep that night, because I didnt have my kids with me. They are as instrumental to my schedule as I am to theirs. Gavin plays with my hair, and holds my hand, and Madelyn lays on me and talks till she falls asleep. So I played Words with Friends till I passed out. We woke up Saturday morning, had pancakes for breakfast and then headed to Barnesville for the funeral. It rained and rained and rained some more. The little church was cute. Tiny, little Pentacostal church. Where the occasional "Amen" & "Praise God" is shouted out. I found myself watching all the other people crying, and found it odd that I hadnt cried. Until I looked down at Margie, and she was clapping, singing, and crying. The pastor was telling about how God was ready for him, and how Margie didnt have to watch him suffer any more. When I looked at my dad, I lost it. Would I be clapping & singing at his funeral? Nope. Dont want to even imagine it.
At the grave yard, I looked around to see the many service men there. There were three sailors standing behind the casket which was fully covered by the flag now. There was another sailor standing in the middle of the cemetary in the POURING rain, without so much as a flinch. A little further back were three soldiers wearing dress blues with guns. After the Pastor finished his speech, the gun salute took place (that was neat), then the sailor played "Taps" which was really emotional. When the sailors folded the flag and handed it to Margie, I was emotional. Symoblic. The way Margie hugged that flag. It was beautiful. I know it was exactly as he had wanted it to be. Driving away, I just watched the green trees pass by. So pretty. Georgia is beautiful. The tall green trees. You never truly appreciate trees when you are from Texas, well from Burleson anyways.
So I am back, and reflecting on my trip. So many things I wish I could have done. Regret is my worst enemy. Could I have known him better? I bet. Should I have tried harder? Absolutely. I wont live wondering what if. I will just take all of the stories I gathered this weekend, store them, & thank God that he touched so many lives.
82 years, what a life :)

Franklin Andrews 4/20/1928 - 4/22/2010

TAPS
Day is done, gone the sun
From the hills, from the sky
All is well, safely rest
Safely rest
All is well.
Fading light, dims the sight
And a star gems the sky
Gleaming bright
from afar, drawing nigh
Falls the night.
Dear on rest!

check check, is this thing on?

So for a number of reasons, I have taken to this blog thing again. Mainly for my sanity. I need an outlet. This time I am not going to promise pictures a day for a flipping year. Thats a lot of pictures folks. And lets face it, I am a little busy. For those of you who know me, and I hope that you do since you are reading this. I have a house full of people. Three of them call me mommy, and well the other two call me Jess. Lets see, where do we begin?

There is Martin, who is my darling hubby, or you may see me talk about him as DH (interpret it as you wish ;) ) He is a great father, loves the kids, handy man, the whole 9. He works his behind off at work, so I can stay home with the other people that control my life :) For that I am greatful, depending on what day you ask!

Then there is Lil Martin, who is not so little anymore, but for the simple fact that he is smaller than his dad, he is Lil Martin. He is 13, in middle school, plays baseball, and is a NICE kid. I fear what life will entail as he tip toes into the teenage years. Ugh, is this where the pay back my dad threatened begins? He is the best built in baby sitter a girl could ask for. We all know life hasnt always been peaches & cream with him or his mother, *sigh*. But that my friends is an entire other story, or blog topic. Wait on it.......

Ah yes, then there is the Diva of the castle. Gabrielle :) Or as Madelyn calls her "Gab-wee-ell". She is a mess to put it nicely. Very sweet, and then WHAM unleashes the attitude, all the attitude an 8 year old can muster up. I love her with all of my heart, as she is quite literally the glue of me sometimes. When I was 19, and lost & heartbroken, she was my glue. She was the little being that held me together when I was falling apart. She is my everything. Busy and smart, and talented beyond all get out.

Then there is the life of the party, Gavin. Or as we call him, "the Gavinator". He is the sweetest 3 1/2 lovey boy in the entire world. I am convinced he is quite possibly the sweetest kid alive period. He is always "You are my best buddy friend", "I love you so much it hurts", the list goes on and on and on. The master of flattery! A mother could never get tired of hearing these things. He is special, and people are drawn to him. Oh yes, and he can sleep through ANYTHING, ANYWHERE! Just like his daddy :) People are constantly asking me if I drug him, honestly I dont.

And finally, the tiny princess, Madelyn. She is the boss, the head honcho if you will. Very sweet, and very loving. But things are just on her terms. Kinda early for a 2 year old, I know. And there is this person, she has him wrapped around her fingers, his name is Daddy. Yikes. It is crazy. So this is what a Daddy-Daughter relationship looks like. Oh boy is he screwed. She is precious, lively, and well she loves to sing.

See, I told you my house was busy and full. I am thankful and very blessed. But when I say I'm busy, trust me, you have no idea :) So whats new you ask? Lots.

I have temporarily taken a break from work as most people know it. I am still a nurse. I still work at Cooks on the Hem/Onc floor, and I still love it. But at this time in my life, I am choosing to work more at home, which is a nice way of saying, I wanted to be home with my kids. I work one or two days a month at Cooks, and I work 24 hours a day at home. I am forever struggling with my love/hate relationship with Tony Horton (the freak who made P90X). I love the workouts, but his voice drives me to drink. Seriously, hear him say "Goooooooooorgeous" and you'll want to punch him. I was doing so well, I lost 15 pounds. Then nada. I'm trying to talk myself into doing it again, maybe muting him? In time, I will lose this weight. I mean heck. I cant keep up with all the skinny people in the world. A sister has to eat!

Gabrielle keeps me jam packed busy with gymnastics. That is like work too. I am at that gym so much its crazy. I could probably rent an apartment in Mansfield. Or name a road after myself. She is really good, so I dont complain.....often :) I am learning, slowly, that I need to distance myself from the drama of being a mom in competitive sports. Yikes! Not for the faint hearted.

Well thats really it for now, thanks for checking in.

XOXO

jess