Happy Birthday to Me!!

Happy birthday to me! I have definitely had a great birthday so far and looking forward to the rest of the day! I had lunch at Ruby Tuesdays with 3 out of 6 of my best friends and we had a blast. Somehow I managed to only get one picture of me and Anna, but, oh well! Here is to a great day and the start of a beautiful new year! I love being in my 30's!!

Grades are in....

and well I mastered Chemistry and Chem Lab with an A....and grades for MacroEconomics and Statistics, that will not be spoken, because they are not good enough for the nursing program, nor good enough for me. After spending all morning long, going back and forth between the house, the College of Nursing and LabCorp getting my background check and drug testing done, I came home to find that my final grades had been posted early. To my dismay, i was very shocked. So after crying a little bit, I faxed my updated transcripts to the Nursing office and waited for a call. It only took one hour for the very sweet lady to call me and tell me that I would have to re-apply for the Summer semester and not only that, but my grade that I was seeing for Economics was wrong...it was worse. So now I have to re-take those two classes next semester. Urrgghh!

I keep thinking that there must a reason behind it all, because I promise, I tried so hard in those classes. Looks like i was a little more worried about Chemistry (that actually has to do with nursing) than these two **required electives** for the Bachelors Degree. hmph! As I strive to find resolution to all this, because I was so excited before, I have registered for them again and added Medical terminology to the mix. Oh well, sa ra sa ra.....

The Blind Side

Wow, what a movie! I have been wanting to see it since it hit the theatre and Thursday night, my friend Mark took me to see it. I knew I would cry during it, because the previews always got to me....but, apparently I needed to cry more than anything that night. He laughed a little, of course, but just put his arm around me and let me cry. There were several moments where I was laughing hysterically at Sandra Bullock though. They could not have cast a better person to play Leigh Ann Tuohy. I predict that she will win an award or two for that film. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. Yes, it is about a football player named Micheal Oher; however, it is a movie about the good things that a simple Christian can do to help others and believing in people. It is about having integrity and character and not caring about what others think. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I think you will too!

Nursing school acceptance!

About two weeks ago, I received a letter from the College of Nursing that stated I was placed on the waiting list pending my final grades. That certainly isn't what I wanted to hear, of course, but I dealt with it and just kept praying over it. Yesterday (12-11-09), I received a call from the C.O.N. telling me that a seat had opened up on the Fairhope campus and it was mine if I wanted it! I didn't hesitate at saying yes!! I applied for the main campus, but if it meant that I would not have to wait any longer, than I will take the long drive (3 times a week), across the pond so that I can graduate on time! It is still conditional on my final grades, which will be revealed on Tuesday; however, I am believing for good grades and that I am finally at the spot where I am supposed to be.

Last Sunday at church, I sent in a prayer request with my tithes about nursing school and to pray that I find the right path in order to make a better life for Tyler and I. I truly believe that the Lord heard my prayer and had a hand in this. Thank you Lord, thank you.

It's FINALLY over....

The semester, that is. I thought it would never end. I still do not have a definite answer as to whether I was accepted into Nursing school next semester, so I just sit and wait. All of my friends graduated on Saturday, and all I keep thinking is, "I should have been with them...". What to do, what to do?

McKemi Place

Tonight Momma, Gary, Tyler and I went to McKemi Place and served dinner and dessert to about 34 homeless ladies. What a great time to share as a family and introduce Tyler to the world of service. He loved serving the ladies and sitting down to talk to a few and getting to know them and they loved seeing an 8 yr old contribute. Gary had them laughing up a storm, which he is very good at and momma and I made rounds and learned more about their program. It is so easy to think only of ourselves every day, especially during the holidays, but there are so many people out there that do not get to experience what we get to every day. It was very humbling to go to McKemi Place tonight and we were asked to come back....I think we definitely will! I took a few pictures and will upload them soon.

A new look

It's been a while since i have posted a blog, and felt it was time for an update. My sister, however, felt that I needed to get with some style on here and pimped my blog up for me! Thank you Shana! It looks beautiful : )

Talk about a baby boom!

The Lord is blessing the majority of my friends with babies, all at the same time! The majority of my best friends are pregnant! Talk about WOW!! Janie is almost 6 months with her second son, Crystal just found out about four weeks ago that she is pregnant, and at her first ultrasound, she saw TWINS! What makes it more special is that, my other two best friends, both of whom were struggling with fertility problems, just found out last week that they are both six weeks pregnant! They are due three days apart from each other next March : )

I hope they all have wonderful pregnancies like I did. I hope that one day I will get to experience it all over again. I know that Tyler will be so happy. All I ever hear from him is "when am I going to have a brother or sister?" Ah....one day I say...one day.

I'm all about some changes...

Last week, I made the ultimate decision to go back to nursing school. It is what my original plan has been since high school, and I never should have veered away from it. I would probably be graduating this year with my BSN. However...if I get into nursing clinicals in January, I will graduate in the Summer of 2011. Wish me luck. I'm almost there and no I do not plan on changing majors again.

Hope everyone is having a great summer.... : )

This aint your momma's Avon!

I have started selling Avon, to earn some extra money on my quest to find full time employment. If you or anyone you know likes Avon, please visit my website www.youravon.com/christyburke and feel free to shop! For those of you not in Mobile, Avon will deliver to you! If you are interested in selling Avon, please contact me as well!

Say Hello Tomorrow, and remember...this aint your momma's Avon!

: )

If you're going to live in Alabama, there are some things YOU need to know!

First you must learn how to pronounce the major cities...Burminham;Huntsvul; Mobeeeel

Driving Information:Alabama has its own version of traffic rules. The truck with the loudestexhaust goes next at a four-way stop. The truck with the biggest tiresgoes after that. Note: Blue-haired ladies driving anything have theright-of-way anytime.

To find anything in Burminham, it is required that you know whereMalfunction Junction is, which is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning andthe end. It may be one of only two 'cloverleaf formation'interchanges in the world. We invented it and only one other city wasstupid enough to implement it again Atlanta -- making them only a weebit dumber than we are.
The morning rush hour is from 6:00 to 10:00 . The evening rush hour isfrom 3:00 to 7:00 . Friday's rush hour starts Thursday morning. If theterm 'merging delays' is ever used by the person reporting the traffic,even in passing, call in to work and tell them that you will be at least30 minutes late regardless of where you are in your commute.
If you actually stop at a yellow light, you will be (at the very least)rear-ended, cussed out, and possibly shot. This applies to male andfemale drivers alike.

You must know that 'I-459,' 'I-59,' 'I-20,' and 'I-65' are the sameroad.They just loop around, cutting in and out of each other's path. We thinkthis was a ploy utilized to confuse outsiders and discourage visitorsafter the War of Northern Aggression.

Always, always, always, find out if it is a race or football weekendbefore you get on any of these highways to travel somewhere. If it is arace or football weekend, stay home. You won't be pleasantly goinganywhere else.

Construction is a permanent fixture in Alabama . The barrels are movedaround in the middle of the night to make the next day's driving alittle more interesting.
If someone has their turn signal on, wave them over to the shoulderimmediately to let them know -- you can be sure it was 'accidentallyactivated'. The minimum acceptable speed on 'I-65' (see above) is 85mph.Anything less is considered downright sissy.
This is also Alabama 's state-highway-sponsored version of NASCAR --especially during rush hour (see above) and everyone in the city is driving at once, bumper-to-bumper. If you are in the left lane and onlygoing 70 in a 55-65 zone, you are considered a road hazard, and will be'flipped a bird' accordingly.

Do not gawk at the woman in the car beside you in traffic who isapplying make-up, drinking a Diet Coke, smoking a Marlboro, andmaintaining a steady speed of 85 mph on I-65 in rush hour traffic. If she is coming from north of Burminham, she might be packing. If she is coming from south of Burminham, she IS packing and is not afraid to use it.

Weather Information:
If it's 110 degrees, Thanksgiving could be next weekend. If it's 10-20degrees and sleeting or snowing, then watch out. Burminham residents consider this 'demolition derby' day and will be all over the roads(front ways, sideways, etc). Please proceed with caution, as you could be the next target.

Seasonal Information:
If you stick to the seats in your vehicle, it is Spring.
If you need to let the car 'get some air' while standing next to it with the doors open for a minute before you can stick your upper body insideto crank it and get the air going, it is Summer.
If you are sweating even with the windows down, driving 55 mph, it isFall.
If you finally turn the AC off and roll your windows up, it is Winter.

General Information:
Do not ever speak during the song ' Sweet Home Alabama 'unless it is to sing along with the lyrics. This is a form of heresy andwill erupt in a brawl if everyone doesn't show 'proper respect' to theband who gave us Free Bird. This is especially true if alcohol ispresent (notice Ididn't say 'sold at this event,' but 'present').
If you ask someone for a 'coke,' they will often ask you, 'What kind?'This is not a trick question. Tell them what you want: Sprite, Dr.Pepper, Root Beer, etc., it is all 'coke'.
All tea is sweet. If it's not sweet, you are in a Chinese restaurant or have crossed the Mason-Dixon Line .
Possums sleep in the middle of the road with their feet in the air.
There are 5,000 types of snakes on earth and 4,998 of them live inAlabama .
There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 live in Alabama , plus acouple no one's seen before.
If it grows, it sticks; if it crawls, it bites.
Onced and Twiced are words.
It is not a shopping cart; it is a buggy.
People actually grow and eat okra.
'Fixinto' is one word.
Thisaway and Thataway are directions.
There is no such thing as 'lunch.' There is only dinner and then supper.
Iced tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it whenyou're two. We do like a little tea with our sugar!
Backwards and forwards means 'I know everything about you.
DGeet is actually a phrase meaning 'Did you eat?'
You don't have to wear a watch because it doesn't matter what time itis.
You work until you're done or it's too dark to see.
You don't PUSH buttons, you MASH them.
You measure distance in minutes.
You'll probably have to switch from 'heat' to 'A/C' in the same day.
All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable,grain, insect or animal.
You install security lights on your house and garage and leave bothunlocked.
You carry jumper cables in your car . . . for your OWN car.
There are only own four spices: salt, pepper, Tabasco and ketchup.
The local papers cover national and international news on one page, butrequire 6 pages for local gossip and sports.
The first day of deer season is a national holiday.
100 degrees Fahrenheit is 'a little warm'.
We have four seasons: Almost Summer, Summer, still Summer and Christmas.
Going to Wal-mart is a favorite past time.
Fried catfish is the other white meat.
We don't need no stinking driver's ed ... if our mama says we can drive,we can drive.
If you understand these jokes please forward them to yourfriends from Alabama (and those who just wish they were).

EVERYONE can't be a Alabamian; it takes talent. You might say it's anart form or a gift from God!

Job searching....

I hate job searching! I have been looking for work since September 2008, and I am sick of it. I have an education, skills, I am motivated and enthusiastic and ready to work......what seems to be the problem here? The places that I am applying to or sending my resume' to, are advertising that they are hiring. Why would you hire some crack head off the street, who could care less about working, than to hire someone who desperately needs the job and is willing to do whatever it takes to support her family? I have even changed my school schedule, to go back at night, so that it wouldn't interfere with working. : ( Why oh why.....

Congratulations Gary!

Tonight marked a special occasion in our house, Gary graduated from college for the first time at the age of 50!! He was determined to push through and he succeeded! He will know by July 1 if he has been accepted into nursing school. We are so proud of him. Congrats Gary! Nice work.....

Mothers Day Weekend

Wow, what a weekend! First off, Happy Mothers Day! The weekend started off with Shana driving in and taking us to Outback on Friday night to celebrate Mothers Day with momma and myself. Yummy! We also celebrated Gary's imminent graduation from college. On Saturday, family from all over came into town to celebrate my grandfathers 80th birthday, and we had a huge party at his house on Dauphin Island. When the Burkes & Turners get together, there is sure to be lots of laughs and this weekend was no exception! I'm also very happy that Tyler has the opportunity to get to know his great-grandparents. I did not get to know mine at all, although I hear that they were really something! I am so happy to be apart of this family. We all decided to sleep in this morning before seeing Shana off. After that, we enjoyed "Bride Wars" and the pool for the rest of the afternoon. I hope everyone had a wonderful Mothers Day! : )


These are just a few of the pictures from the weekend. Starting with the top, me and my momma! Next, me with the birthday boy! A great picture of my dad, with Shana, Tyler & I. Tyler and Aunt Shana and then last but not least, our cousins, (l-r) Melissa & Meredith with us. Even though we were all exhausted from this weekend, you couldn't ask for a better reason to be so tired. Family is such a wonderful thing and to have so many of us there to celebrate an 80th birthday is a blessing.

Taking a break....

When I decided to go back to school, I made the choice to go year round, non stop, & fully loaded! That has come to a much needed halt! As I went to register for the Summer semester this past week, I receieved a notice from financial aid that I had exhausted every penny from my 2008-2009 account. lol... "I'm on a mission, I can't stop now...I am so close to graduation"....that is all I kept telling my self. I was notified that as a Senior, I could apply for summer aid, and see if there is anything that they can do. Well, i waited 48 hours, and the response was no. So i have come to the conclusion that it is a blessing in disguise, now all I need is a job. Aaaaahhhhhhh!!!! Now, as I said before...I am really on a mission now, as a job is something that is very hard to come by these days...for anyone. Please pray with me, that I will find one very soon.

The boys...they grow up so fast!

Momma and I took Tyler and Riddick to get pictures made at Walmart the week before Easter! My, my how they grow up so fast! Tyler is 8 years old and Riddick is 11 months old.

Happy Easter!

Praise Jesus! He is Risen! One of my favorite songs is He's Alive by Dolly Parton...the lyrics tell the story of a woman begging for forgiveness and getting it. This morning, Tyler and I enjoyed a beautiful service at church and now we are getting ready to relax for the rest of the day. I hope you all have a wonderful Easter with your families & friends. God Bless.....

Trip to Alligator Alley...

Captain Crunch!

Today, we spent several hours at Alligator Alley in Summerdale, Al. My friend Melissa and her two boys joined Tyler and I for a great outing in the swamps and got to meet Captain Crunch! He is the largest alligator in captivity in the State of Alabama! He is 13'2" long and weighs in at 850 pounds!!! He was absolutely beautiful to see....(i have a thing for alligators!) Then we got to experience feeding time, and watch Wes (the owner) feed them dead chickens. Some of them were tired of chicken and actually spit them out and walked away, but the others didn't care! I have so many pictures of our trip on my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/christyburke#/profile.php?id=1194330402&ref=name if you want to see all of them. After that, we had the hands on experience where we were able to hold a two year old alligator. He was so cute, and we all loved it! : ) Here are a few pictures of our day...enjoy!

After all this fun, we headed to the Bass Pro Shop in Daphne to get our pictures made with the Easter Bunny and enjoyed a storewide scavenger hunt! If you have had the pleasure of walking into this store, you will understand why it took us 2 hours to find 12 items....lol! All in all, we had a wonderful, bright and sunny day with good friends. What more can you ask for? Now we are off to a cook out at another friends house for the rest of the night! Whew...can you say tired?

Swing Batter Batter Swing....Homerun!!!

It is that time of the season again, and Tyler is back into action in baseball at Christ United Methodist Church. This was the one and only time he has had to hit off the baseball tee; but, when he did, he scored a homerun and brought two other teammates in as well!! He is really getting good at the game. This is his third season playing at CUMC and we really enjoy it. Go Tigersharks!!

Falling behind on catching up...(revised)

Wow, I can't believe i havent posted anything in almost a month. Well, I am still making changes all around me. I did quite a bit of soul searching in the last month and went and had a long talk with my academic advisor. I needed an unbiased conversation and she was the perfect one to talk to. We talked about why i decided to come back to school in the first place, (nursing) and why I went into education and then focused in on what I really like and dislike, etc....and with that, I have decided not to teach, but to become a child nutritionist. In January, I will start my internship with a doctor who specializes in childhood obesity and I am really excited about it. It will be my last step to graduation, which by the way will be on May 8, 2010 at 2 pm in the afternoon. : ) lol, I am ready, can't you tell! So wish me luck.

Oh by the way, I am down another 6 pounds as of the 19th so I am still on my way to looking and feeling great!

Disney World

Tyler and I took a long awaited vacation this past week to sunny Lake Buena Vista, FL! We spent Sunday thru Wednesday at my parents timeshare and had so much fun at all four Disney parks. It was so nice to get away from Mobile, and have that quality mother-son bonding time. I even managed to lose 3 more pounds while i was there! How about them apples....I certainly didn't adhere to my diet regimen while away, so it was comforting to me to see the loss. : )

Another weigh in...

Well my weigh in this morning wasn't as successful as the others, but I did lose two pounds of fat. It is a loss and i will take it. We are switching to Weight Watchers to continue our weightloss journey. I am taking my 17 pound weightloss from Medi and using it as my springboard for success at WW. We still have all the tools, etc. from the last time my mom did it, so no huge expense is having to be put out and that is always nice. I bring my new found knowledge of portion sizes and reading labels to the table, as well as, my new love for exercise. I am confident that we are making the best choice at this point. Thank you momma for everything you are doing for me! The gift of health is worth more than anything. I love you!

Belle of the ball...

Just thought I would share a few pix of my mom and Gary heading out to the Inca's Ball tonight! I love Mardi Gras and going to the balls! Next year, I will be going back!

Day 21...15 pounds lost!!

I weighed in this morning and was happy to hear that i had lost another 6 pounds! That brings my current weightloss to 15 pounds in 3 weeks. Can you H-A-P-P-Y? I am so excited. I also had to look through my closet to see if i had any old pants that would fit me, so i could leave the house....i found a pair that were two sizes smaller and they fit perfectly! Yay!!! I will reach my goal in no time! Here is a picture from this morning...look at the difference in my big photo of me and tyler and me today! I love it...

Personal trainer.....hmm.....

Ok, so I had this idea that my personal trainer was actually going to "train" me tonight...wrong! He just sat there and talked to me about what I wanted to accomplish and then told me that i was already doing what he would tell me to do. The only thing different was that I dont need to do everything I am doing in one day...i need to do weights on Tuesdays/Thursdays and cardio on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Well...........ok! I was actually a little disappointed, because that only took like maybe 5 minutes. So I went and worked out by myself for an hour and a half. : ( he told me to check in with him in a month so he can check my progress. How are you going to check my progress, when you didn't weigh me or measure me, etc. Oh well.....i kicked my own tail tonight! Kind of goes back to the saying, "Who needs a man?" lol....

Exercising...my new passion? hmmm...

Ha ha, this is a funny thought to me. One, because i have always loathed it and two...i hated doing it in front of people. Today, after our morning doctors visit, we headed off to the gym and wound up working out for three hours! Whew....I worked up a good sweat. The lovely thing about Planet Fitness is that you can work with a personal trainer for free (unless you want one on one instruction at their cost). So I am taking advantage! Tomorrow night, from 7-8 pm, I will be working with Brad. (I think he is good looking) He is getting ready to graduate from South in Sports Medicine. He only works with groups of four at certain times, and designs a program based on what i want and need to happen with my body...so I am looking forward to this. I fully expect him to whip my tail into total hottness! ha ha...wish me luck!

Two weeks gone..and so is 9 pounds!

You read that headline right! As of this mornings weigh in, I am now 9 pounds lighter! i am so excited. I was really worried because i felt out of ketosis (according to the ketostix) about four days ago and can't seem to get back in; however, Kay assured me this morning that it is impossible to lose the weight and not be in ketosis. Not to worry...so we are going about our business and tackling another week. My mom lost 7.5 pounds this week and brings her total to 14 pounds in two weeks! I am so glad that we are doing this together...it makes it so much better. I will post pix tonight to show my progress..

First Weigh In!

5 pounds gone! Yay! It is a good solid start and I am proud of myself. I got the results from first round of bloodwork and i do not have any problems with my thyroid as Dr. Jardine may have thought. I did, however, find out that my liver enzymes were 6 times higher than normal. So, they took more blood this morning and are running more specific tests. I go back Tuesday for the results.

Day 7 and still trucking right along!

We decided to take a break today from exercising, and it feels good. I decided to buy two shirts for my trip to Disney World in a few weeks, and I bought them 2 sizes smaller with the hopes that they would fit in four weeks; well, when i got home I tried them on to see how far i had to go and they actually fit me! lol...Not tight either. They will fit better and look better in a couple of weeks, but I couldnt believe it. : ) Our first weigh in is tomorrow, and I am so excited. I already see so many changes in myself and my clothes. Another update after weigh in!

Day 4: right on schedule!

I decided to wait until after church today to test myself for ketosis, but my test came back positive! I am in ketosis, in a major way to. ha ha. I then went to the gym and worked out for two hours alone, jamming with my ipod strapped to my arm and not thinking about anything (except how much i was sweating). When i finally got on the treadmill, i walked for 15 minutes and then decided to jog, and then wound up in a run! I wound up running for 20 minutes at 4.5 mph and after the cool down, i had to leave! A hot shower was calling big girls name! lol.. Getting dressed afterwards, i decided to try on a shirt that was getting a little snug on me.....well it is loose on me now. I am definitely not to self conscious to wear it now. I am refusing to get on the scale until i get weighed in on Tuesday. Both momma and I noticed that our weights were several pounds lower at the dr.'s office than they are here. So for my own piece of mine, I will not be getting on that scale anymore! xoxo

A new year means a new me...one day at a time!

These pictures were taken on Christmas day 2008, just a short 4 weeks ago. So I am going to call these my before shots because I rarely take a full body shot. On my 31st birthday, just a few days later, I was given one of the best presents a big girl could ask for....Mediweightloss! What is Mediweightloss you ask? It is a doctor supervised weightloss program (actually my ob/gyn bought the franchise) that is taking the US by storm! It is comprised of a high protein, low carb, no sugar lifestyle. It also entails getting a B-12 shot every week and taking a host of vitamins and supplements to detox your system and keep your health in check while shocking your system. Oh and did I mention drinking 128 oz of water daily! My mom has decided to try it as well, so we started on the same day. Truth be told, I'm feeling great!

During my inital blood work up and consultation, Dr. Jardine noticed that I may or maynot have a slight problem with my thyroid. I will get the results at my one week check up on Jan. 29th. So as you can imagine, my blog is going to be mainly about my daily or weekly updates and challenges in losing this 100 pounds I have on me. I have met and talked to several women and men who have been on the program for 5 months now and have lost an extraordinary amount of weight, so I have the faith that I will be just as successfull. My word for the year is CONFIDENCE! I refuse to let anyone or anything stand in my way of getting what I want this year. : ) I am also tanning a few minutes a day, and actually have a little color now...go figure!

January 22, 2009: (Starting weight: 235 pounds) First day, after leaving the doctors office it was time to head to the gym. One of my other birthday presents was a year long membership to Planet Fitness. Momma and I have been at the gym 5 days a week for a minimum of an hour and a half, but at most, two hours. I honestly don't think that I have ever exercised so much, but I am finding a brand new passion for it. Before, i would find every excuse of why I couldn't go work out or at the very least take Tyler to the park and walk. That is not the case anymore! So the first week is strictly proteins only, and while it is a change, it isn't so terrible.

January 23, 2009: I have come to the conclusion that I am finally ready to make this change for myself. Just like with smoking, or anything else, you have to be ready to quit and make the changes for your health....that is where I am at. (I quit smoking May 31, 2007) I was told it takes 21 days for new habits to become second nature, and I am open to all the possibilities that await me on this adventure.

January 24, 2009: Now that we are back to present day, I can tell you that I received my first compliment today. Tyler and I attended the first Mardi Gras parade of the season on Dauphin Island today, and when we were leaving my grandmother told me that I am losing weight! I politely responded with a thank you and just wait until you see me at papa's birthday party in May!! She laughed and said ok. She has no clue that I am on this program! So that made my day. Generally, I always lose in my face first and then work my way down ( at a snails pace) the rest of my body. So maybe she noticed it in my face, who knows, I will take it any way I can get it! I am more determined than ever. : ) Tomorrow, I have to start checking my urine to make sure that I am entering ketosis. The process where your body starts to pull all of the stored fat and dissolves it, so that you can pee it out! Trust me, peeing is something that we are doing a lot of now! Sorry to be blunt...but hey, we are all adults here right. Until tomorrow....say a prayer and wish me luck.

Changes to the blog

I decided to recreate my blog, I think it needed an uplift! Occasionally I will post what Tyler and I have been up to; however, I am going through a new adventure that I am going to devote the blog to. I hope you will keep reading. : )

16 Known facts about me.

1. I love to sing everything including commercials and jingles. I'm sure some people get annoyed, but I don't care. : )

2. I have an incredible little boy named Evan Tyler. I did not name him, my mom and Shana did. We call him Tyler, but in church, school and sports he wants to be known as Evan...E V A N...got that! I guess you would have had to be there!

3. I look for love in all the wrong places, which is the major reason I am still single at 31 years of age.

4. I have the best friends a girl could ask for and don't know where I would be today without them. I am also the greatest friend you would want by your side at any given moment!

5. I love to laugh and make people laugh. Laugh so hard that you either start crying or pee in your pants. Yes, i tend to think I am that funny. Ask Hilliary, Ashley and Jessica L. They can tell you!

6. I have changed my major 3 times at school, i think the third time is the charm.

7. I am a peronal lover of change. I am always changing something about me, whether it is my hair color or style. I have never been accused of being "In style", due to the fact that I hate all these new fads...so I am perfectly fine being a step behind. Maybe one day I will catch up.

8. I am about to embark on a doctor assisted weightloss journey, so the next time you see me, I may just blow your mind! I will be looking for the looks of amazement come summer time! ha ha! Y'all wait and see now! : )

9. Sometimes I talk to myself. No I do not have a disorder. I like to think of it as thinking out loud, but I do not do it in public. Usually it is in my car, or my bedroom.

10. One of my biggest dreams is to move out of Alabama....or at least away from Mobile. I so desperately want to experience some place else. Although my son says NO!

11. My word for 2009 is CONFIDENCE. A whole new me is starting to emerge from her cocoon and take over. The old me will be a distant memory and the new me will be burned on your soul forever. This is my year!!

12. I hate to read, but I am trying to force myself to keep reading this book called Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. It actually is really good...just have to actually force myself away from the computer long enough to read it.

13. I am addicted to my laptop. At any given time, (outside of classes) you can find me simultaneously on Facebook, Myspace, Tagged, Yahoo Messenger and Myspace Messenger and my email. You dont have to say it, I already know this is pathetic and sad.

14. My family means the absolute world to me. I have a very large family, and i wish that I got to see everyone more often. Thankfully, through technology, I get to connect with a few of them on here and myspace and email.

15. Upon graduating from the University of South Alabama, I will be teaching Health Education to high schoolers. Lord, please have mercy on me! : )

16. Last but not least....nevermind...nothing else is coming to mind at the moment. : )

Happy Birthday Tyler

Another year has passed and now my baby is 8 years old. Well, he actually turned eight on Friday (the 9th), but I had his party today after church. Normally, i have 8-10 rsvp's, all who say they are coming, and only two show up. Today, EVERYONE showed up! lol... Tyler doesn't have anyone to play with on our street, so he was so excited. The kids played and played and played until 5 pm! Whew! I am exhausted to say the least. Friday night, we had our normal family birthday night with my parents. We went to dinner and then to Chuck E Cheese to play until 7:30pm.

As you can see, Tyler received his first rifle ( this is a gift that can only be used with his pawpaw), and then an awesome Pirates of the Caribbean Lego set. We spent almost two hours putting that set together on Saturday while it poured down outside. It was awesome! Next up, today's party....

After everyone left, Tyler walked up to me and told me how much he loved me and that this was his best birthday ever! All he ever wanted was just a bunch of kids to play with, and today he got his wish. He could have cared less about his presents or his cake, lol. Nothing could make me happier than seeing his face during the party and playtime. It was definitely a great day!