Life of Riley

LIfe's a B*!#h and Then You Die!

2011-08-28T18:26:00.000-07:00

Life's a Bitch and then you die. Bad things happen to good people. Exodus 34:7 says "...yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." All of these are similar but we don't REALLY think about them until they impact us in some way. Tonight I am feeling really angry, depressed and generally disgusted with the way life treats people. Why is it that everything goes wrong at once? Why is it that the sins of the father continue to plague their children for generations? Why do the innocent get punished for other's sins? It happens all the time. Sin, wrongs, however you want to say it, affects others lives. Causes heartache and pain. We all live with the choices that others make. We can't change that. Bad things happen to good people every second of every day, but do we have to accept it? Life isn't fair. I get that. Doesn't mean I have to like it. I especially don't happen to like how it seems to be unfair lately. Mistreating people that I know, people that I love, innocent adults, children, and yes, even animals. I'm just so disappointed with this aspect of life today and not real sure how I want to deal with it. I want to yell out, hit something (or somebody), demand justice, pray without ceasing, pretend none of the things I've seen or heard are real. Go back to sleep and wake up oblivious to the injustices of life. Won't happen. Can't happen. I've grown up and with that have lost the innocence to believe that everything comes up roses. So yes, for today, life's a bitch and then you die.

God Speaks

2011-01-17T15:54:00.000-08:00

This is a true story that I haven't told too many people. Today a conversation reminded me of this event and I felt the need to share it.

I believe it was 2005 and Hurricane Dennis was barreling down on Dothan. Shawn was scheduled to go to work at the Nuclear Plant at 11:00 pm. Tornadoes were being reported all around the area he was going to be driving through. I didn't like that he had to go to work that night, not in this weather. Shawn usually drove his Nissan Sentra to work, but this night we agreed that he should drive his truck instead. He left our house before 10:00 pm. I was trying to stay awake so I could monitor the weather. As I carried a laundry basket down my hallway, I heard God speak to me. I mean audibly speak to me! I had never to that point heard God this way and I haven't heard him that way since. But he SPOKE to me. God said "Stop right now and pray for Shawn". So right there in the middle of the hallway, I said a prayer for Shawn. Not just any prayer, but words that I normally wouldn't have used at all. I prayed that Shawn would make wise driving decisions. As soon as I finished that prayer, I went and grabbed my Nextel phone and "beeped" Shawn to ask if he was okay. He said Yes that he had been hydroplaning a little but was okay and asked if he could call me when he got to work because he needed to concentrate on his driving.

When he called me at work, Shawn began to tell me the whole story about his hydroplaning. He hit a patch of standing water and began to spin in the road. There was a car behind him and he said he saw its headlights go by three times as he continued to do 360's. He was panicking. Then all of a sudden he "remembered" what to do: take foot off the brake and turn into the spin. When he did that, the truck stopped spinning, slid off the road backward and cut off. As he was sitting there,trying to get the truck started again, I "beeped" in to ask if he was okay. I couldn't speak. I couldn't breathe. The reality of the situation hit me. God told me to pray for Shawn and gave me the words to pray. I did. And at the exact moment I was praying, Shawn was hydroplaning on 84 East. I prayed as God directed me, and Shawn made a wise decision with his driving.

My prayer today is that my ears will never be closed to hearing God "speak" to me, whether audibly or to my heart.

The Colorado Life of Riley

2010-12-31T11:46:00.000-08:00

So... driving a snowmobile is a lot like riding a waverunner or 4-wheeler in that you let go of the gas and it stops and you lose your steering. I've never turned over or fallen off of a 4-wheeler, but have taken many drinks from the waverunner (mostly courtesy of my husband). I learned that turning over on a snowmobile is pretty easy and that landing in the "soft" snow isn't really so soft. And unlike the waverunner, the snowmobile lands on top of your leg. And when riding a waverunner you are generally in a swimsuit. On a snowmobile you have on thermals, sweatpants, snowpants, 2 extra shirts, a VERY heavy jacket, tobaggon (which is a hat to us, but a sled to people in CO), helmet, goggles and insulated,waterproof gloves. It's one of those things where you have to turn your whole body to look left or right.

Shawn and Owen turned over a few times and Shawn did a great roll across the packed ice when he was racing his brother around the track, but did so with no injury. Cullen and I turned over ONCE, going up a hill that immediately turned to the right. I felt justified when the guide said that someone in the group before us turned over in the same place. It's sort of a slow-motion fall - the kind where you know it is going to happen and that nothing can prevent it. My first thought when I landed was that my leg was broken. Intense pain was radiating down it. That all went away as Cullen began yelling at me "mama, I told you to slow down!" I managed to roll over and stand up in the knee deep snow despite the pain and the all-weather gear and hobble back up to the trail. With the snowmobile upright and finally cranked we were off again. (my leg isn't broken, but my knee and ankle are sprained - wearing a brace on my left knee, which is my bad knee anyway, and taking some anti-inflammatories have helped). We finish our snowmobile tour and absolutely loved it. The scenes were like a postcard. Riding through the forest with trees covered in snow was worth it all!! I will definitely do it again if given the chance.

Colorado is amazing to see. How anyone could see the majestic mountains and not believe in a God who created this is hard to understand. With or without the snow there is no real way to describe it. Pictures don't do it justice. We are having a great time here. It is a blessing to be with family and to see the snow.

Oh - and all that training came in handy when it comes to this altitude! We left Dothan (600 feet above sea level) and drove to NOLA (50 feet BELOW sea level) and then flew into Denver (almost 6000 feet above sea level). I gets tough to climb or even walk up stairs without losing your breath! But I'm hanging in there, even when climbing up the hill to sled down! (thank-you Joel)

And one more ting Mrs. Riley.....it wouldn't be a Riley trip w/out a little sickness and dr. visits. Strep throat, antibiotics and pencillin, sprained knee and ankle and Cullen's deep muscle bruise from the same snowmobile incident. Have I ever mentioned "It's just the life of Riley"? ;)

Baby It's Cold Outside

2010-12-12T07:25:00.000-08:00

Sunday, December 12th - drinking my coffee and watching the wind whipping outside. The temperature says it is 42 degrees, but I think it's colder. It's definitely a day to stay inside with a nice fire burning. The boys have started a new tradition this year of watching a Christmas movie while sitting outside by the fire pit. Tonight I think we will sit by the fireplace inside while we watch. I may even start early by watching some of my favorites like It's A Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street or the great classic Christmas Vacation!

I haven't written in a year - and what a year it's been. Ups and downs, the making of new friends and the letting go of some old ones. Heartbreaks and heartaches, the loss of faith in religious institutions but not the loss of faith in God. Disappointment in leaders and their followers who can't think for themselves. Respect for those who stand up for what they believe in and for those that they love.
As a new year approaches, I rejoice with my friends who have new additions to their families. I cry with my friends who have suffered loss. I pray with my friends who are dealing with sickness and disease in their lives and the lives of their children. I look forward to seeing my own children continue to grow and to hopefully understand that their parents do know a little something.

So.... join me in having 1/2 a drink more 'cause Baby, it's cold outside.

Happy ? Birthday to Me

2009-11-29T18:53:00.000-08:00

So it's my birthday. These things don't bother me too much. It's just a number right? I don't feel old and don't think I look old so why should it bother me? The problem doesn't seem to be how I feel about it though. It's how other people feel about it that annoys me. Several people have made comments about my age hoping to get me riled up I guess. One even said he had hoped I would pop off at him. Why should anyone else care about my age? I don't know - I'm just saying. So those of you that might not know - I am hitting a mile stone birthday. Yep the big four ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! (that's 40 ya'll). Cullen told me that my sweet dear husband had been referring to me as over the hill. I asked him if he knew what that meant. Cullen said it meant that half my life was over because not many people live to be 80 anymore. What? So apparently I am half dead now with one foot in the grave! Anyday now I will have to start wearing depends and a bib. And I suppose I will have to get a walker or hover round - although my driving isn't that good. It's time for the prune juice and metamucil. Where are my glasses because I need to put my teeth in? Huh? What did you say? My hearing aid must not be turned on. And on and on it goes.

I have to honestly say that I am going to enjoy this birthday. I am blessed with wonderful friends and family. One friend who gave me 40 gifts, one of which I have been opening for the last 39 days. I get to open the special 40th day present tomorrow. It has been so fun and exciting to see what I open next.

My life is full! I have fun. I laugh. I cry. I live. And I'm going to keep on living as long as God has planned for me. Regardless of what my son says. ;) Yep, 40 is just a number. Happy Birthday to ME!

Life of Riley - Again!

2009-09-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

Remember reading in my first post about the Life of Riley - anything that could go wrong with us will. Well, it has proven true again! Our friends Jennifer and Darrell were getting remarried this weekend. We have all looked forward to this day for a long time. Plans were made to leave and head out of town for the wedding. We'd talked on the phone several times about it. Thurs. night Jennifer was upset because several people had backed out of coming and they've spent all this money on the meal and such. I felt bad for her. After attending the Back to School Bash at one of my schools and leaving at 7:15 p.m., I went home to begin packing. Everything was laid out and hanging clothes were hanging, bathroom bags were packed and ready. Just those last minute things were waiting to go. So - Shawn, Cullen and Owen get home from football practice and everyone needs a shower. As Owen was getting in he said, "I don't feel good." With Owen you never know, so I said "What doesn't feel good?" "My legs hurt" So I am figuring that all that running up and down the bleachers at Cullen's game on Wed. night had his legs sore. I told him I would get him a Tylenol when he got out of the shower. "But I just don't feel good" he said again. "What else doesn't feel good?" "I feel all soft inside." he said. UhOh. What does that mean? He got in the shower and I gave him some tylenol, then Shawn checked his temp - just a slight one - 99.9. That's not really a fever. So we go to bed. Friday morning I am in the shower and Shawn says
"101.4". What? Owen has a temp of 101.4. Well, he can't go to school so just let him sleep. Shawn is off work so that is good. Shawn gives him some more Tylenol and puts a trash can by his bed. Wasn't long before the throwing up began! Lord now what are we gonna do - and my baby is sick. I hate seeing him sick. He was pitiful when I kissed him good-bye and I just wanted to lay beside him instead of going to work. Shawn got him an appt. w/ the dr. and after the appt. sent me a text that said "oink, oink" Yep - swine flu! Just great! So we call our friends and tell them that we probably aren't going to make it. Everyone was disappointed. Then we decided that maybe one of us would take Cullen and go and the other would stay home with Owen. However, the dr. said that if he wasn't running any temp then he didn't see a problem with us going. So- Saturday morning we get Owen up. temp is at 99 and he is feeling better. Hungry and such. Running around playing. So we decide to hit the road. If when we get there he is feeling bad, then one of us would just stay at the hotel with him while the other 2 went on to the wedding. We throw the clothes in a suitcase, grab the hanging things, bathroom bag, a pillow and his tamiflu and cough meds and head out. We now have 6 hours to get to Jacksonville, change clothes and get to the wedding. We can do this. We hit I-10 and the rain began - I mean raining so hard we could barely see where we were going. Shawn kept the cruise on and never slowed down. I chose to sleep so I wouldn't have to watch.
When I woke up I had 2 relevations: One, I forgot my make-up and two, I forgot my
C-Pap. Yep, those last minute things I was going to pack. I had a little make-up in my Yukon and I could buy the rest. no real panic. The C-pap, well, I said I would just buy some of those breathe right strips and hope that kept me from snoring and helped me sleep. A quick stop at a drug store and I would be good to go. We arrive at the Omni hotel looking like the Clampettes in our bummy clothes. The bell hop got all our luggage and hanging stuff and the valet went off to park the Yukon. We hurry upstairs and Cullen, Owen and Shawn are grabbing quick showers. I am ironing the wedding outfits. As I go to get my little black dress, it is not hanging in the closet where the other clothes were. "Shawn, where is my dress?" "It's with the other clothes in the closet." he answers "Um, no it isn't, did we leave it in the Yukon?" "Let me finish my shower and I will call the valet and get them to check" he said. When he got out of the shower, he checked behind me in the closet as if it would magically appear. Then calls valet. When we talk to valet again they didn't see it in the Yukon. "You forgot to get my dress" I say in a very disappointed and accusing tone. He jumps in high gear. "Boys, hurry and get dressed, we've to to go and buy mama a dress for the wedding" I was not going to show up in my sweat shorts, Alabama t-shirt and flip-flops with no make-up! I just couldn't!!!!!! Shawn calls downstairs to ask directions to any kind of store that would have a dress and would be in the direction of the wedding. It is now 4:45! When we got downstairs they had directions to the nearest Target, gave us another free ticket to the next morning's b'fast buffet and had our Yukon ready and waiting. The clerk had even offerred to run to her house and get me a dress, but she maybe wore a size 2!!! Of course!!!! Even with 20 lbs down I couldn't fit in that! So we are off to Target. I began making a list - make-up, kleenex for the Yukon (Owen had sneezed and blew up all my others), an undershirt for Cullen (b/c yes, I had failed to pack that and he had on a white shirt), Tylenol or Advil for me b/c now I had a tremendous stress headache, and breathe rights. Shawn drops me off at the doors and then goes to park. I head straight to the ladies dept. and began pulling every black dress they had (pumps and clutch were black. Then head to the dressing room. Tried on 5 dresses and went with the first one. A little black strapless one. Really cute and only $29.99! Of course, I am not really comfortable with strapless so I bought a hot pink scarf to pair with it. It looked cute. Grabbed the other items and off we go to pay. By the way, I am now wearing the dress out of the store with my flip-flops - real classy. Now we are on our way to the wedding. Everyone will say that something in Jacksonville is just 5 -10 minutes away. NEVER believe them. Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. according to land area. So everything takes at least 30 minutes to get there and it is raining and we are relying on Tom Tom to get us there. I am putting on make-up and shoes and trying to do something with my hair!!!! Finally we arrive at 5:45 and pull up and the wedding party's family is pulling up so I don't feel so bad. Yes, we have done it!!! The wedding was outdoors and it was raining, but who cared? It was great, I was in a dress and had on make-up, the fried chicken and mashed potatoes were awesome and we danced outside in the covered courtyard for hours- oh and had a few glasses of scuppernong wine. YUM!!!! It turned out to be a great evening and our friends were thrilled we were able to come. So now I have a cute strapless, black dress if anyone needs to borrow one and I will remember to do one last sweep of the house before running out of town at the last minute. But hey, It's Just the Life of Riley.

Challenges

2009-07-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I am weight-challenged. I love food, anykind of food. I am a carb addict - I love rice, potatoes, bread and so on and so on. They are the devil I tell you, the devil. Why can't food help you lose weight so that the more you eat the more you lose? Especially those wonderful carbs? So when Shawn planned our summer trip and it was a cruise I knew I had to get busy and lose some weight. Since May I have been working pretty hard to lose ALL of these extra pounds. (getting sick of chicken and fish and green beans). Yes, I fell off the wagon a few times - the cruise of course. Who wants to be on a ship with all you can eat, 24 hours a day and try to be on a diet? Then again at the lake - it's hard not to snack when you're there instead of eating real meals. And again while visiting our friends in Jacksonville. But mostly I have been trying hard. So today I go and weigh and guess what - still have only lost 13 pounds! That is so aggravating! I wanted to lose 20 pounds before my cruise and I missed that goal. Then I decided that I would lose 20 pounds before school starts. Doesn't look like I am going to meet that goal either. So frustrating. Makes me want to give up. The only saving grace is that while the pounds are coming off slow - the inches are coming off fast - 26 1/2 at my last measuring. At least that is something. Guess I will hang in there for a little while longer. Maybe when school starts it will be easier. I really want a big, juicy hamburger though.

Growing Up

2009-06-29T09:53:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that Cullen is 11 years old! It doesn't seem possible. He had his birthday while we were on our trip and it seems like we just keep on celebrating! He had his party here on Friday. A giant water slide and pool party. I have to admit that the waterslide was a little intimidating. I went down it, but it was scary!

Then this morning I put sent him away to camp. Yep, he is gone until Thursday. I managed not to cry when they pulled away. I know he is in very good hands and he will have a wonderful time. I loved going to camp as a child and I'm sure he will too, however, it is his first time away from home. I can't believe he is old enough to go without me. Yesterday, as I was packing his suitcase for the third time, I began to worry about him on this trip without me. Would he remember to brush his teeth, would he remember where everything is, what about at nighttime when I'm not there to tuck him in? I probably over did everything. I labeled each set of clothes in separate gallon ziplocks so he would know what to wear when. I went over and over with him where his shampoo was and where his camera was and we even activated one of Shawn's old cell phones so he can call us everynight before bed. The best thing is that I can send him emails and go online and watch the worship services he will be at and even view pictures of his everyday activities! Isn't that cool? I can't wait to hear all the stories he will tell when he gets home. He's growing up and there isn't anything I can do to stop it. I'm sad and happy at the same time. This parenting thing is hard.

By the way, this song is one of Cullen's favorites so listen and enjoy. It made me smile to put it on here for him.

On The Road Again!

2009-06-25T09:14:00.001-07:00

The Riley's have become famous (or maybe infamous) for our summer trips. We love to travel and my husband is a great trip planner. I prefer to let him do all the planning - he has no fear as to where we can go. For the past 3 summers we have packed up our camper and driven all over the USA camping and sightseeing. We are usually gone for about 3 weeks and it is wonderful! We stay on the go and need a vacation from our vacation. This year we had planned on going to California. But, the closer it got, the more we were undecided about it. Instead we decided to take a cruise. Shawn got busy planning and picked one leaving from Tampa going to the Grand Caymans and Cozumel. 5 wonderful nights! (Of course the swine flu changed the Cozumel route, but we got to stay in the Grand Caymans for 2 days!)

Our first stop on the trip was to visit our good friends Darrell and Jennifer in Jacksonville. We spent Sat. and Sun with them (even had an adult night out - eating and stopping by a place to listen to some live music). It was a good visit. They have three beautiful girls and our children actually get along. Cullen and Savannah have been friends since Savannah was born. It is great to see them. Here's a few quick pics.

Then on to Tampa to get on the ship, Carnival's Inspiration! This ship has water slides so the boys were thrilled! We had a great time on the ship with all the activities and also had fun on our excursions. The Grand Caymans were beautiful! I've never seen water that color before. Amazing. We even got to swim and feed the stingrays. Kising one means 7 years of good luck, so yes, we all puckered up! It was a little scary b/c they are aggressive, but they don't hurt you. Just let go of the food when they start sucking it or else you might lose a finger! We dressed up for dinner everynight and had family pictures made. The second day there we rented a car and drove away from the touristy stuff and just walked on the beach and saw a blow hole. It was great. Shawn of course wanted to eat some local cuisine so we got a bowl of ox-tail soup from a local place that was recommended by our stingray boat captain. It was actually good. Owen ate it like crazy. Then back on the ship for the cruise back to Tampa. We ate and ate and ate and ... well you get the picture. So much for my diet. I think I gained all my weight back - but hey, we were on vacation.

After arriving back to the real world in Tampa, we suprised Cullen and Owen with a trip to Busch Gardens. Cullen turned 11 while we were on the cruise, so this was part of his birthday present. We spent 2 days at Busch Gardens, the second day for 12 hours - opening to close! It was great. Owen was able to ride everything except for 3 rides so that was good. The Sheikra is one of their new rollercoasters and it is incredible! The first drop is 200 feet straight down, except before they drop you, you hang there for about 8 seconds looking straight down at the ground with you arms and legs dangling. Wow! After these two days we headed back to Dothan, exhausted. It was a great trip all around! Can't wait to see what else is in store for the summer!

The End is Near - or is it just the beginning?

2009-05-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

Only 6 more days of school!!!!! Okay so I really have 7 to work, but that last day doesn't really count. I am so excited to be finishing up this school year. Since I was out for 4 weeks, I have had a lot of catching up to do. I am tired. I get home everyday and I am just wiped out, but it doesn't stop there. There are always ballgames or church (sorry, but when you are tired, even that seems like a chore), errands to run, laundry to do, supper to cook, and the list goes on and on. So, YES, I am ready to be done with school. Ready for a break - except do I really get one? VBS at church is June 8 - 12th. I am leading the music so that first week in June I will spend learning the music and moves. Then during the week of VBS, I will be packing for our family vacation. We will leave the Sat. after VBS to head to Tampa. Our cruise ship the "Sensation" will sail on Monday for 5 glorious nights. We were supposed to go to the Grand Caymans and then to Cozumel, but with this pig flu thingy, we will stay in the Grand Caymans for 2 days. Fine with me - a beach and beautiful water is the same. I do plan on doing some relaxing on this trip! Then when we get back there is a list of things we need to get done around the house - repair the sprinkler system, pressure wash the pool deck, spray the privacy fence, bring in dirt and sod - and again the list goes on and on. I am planning on staying at the lake quite a bit though. Cullen is going to camp one week and he may be going to space camp also. I don't know. It just never seems like there is enough time to do everything we need to do. But hey - in only 6 more days I won't have to get up early and come to this job for a while. Sleep late and lay in the sun by the pool. That is if the dishes are done and the laundry is put away and I don't have to go to Walmart for more toliet paper, milk and bread. AHHHH!!! As my son so eloquently put on his mother's day paper - I love to read my magazines and paint my toenails. Maybe I will have a little time for that.

Tomorrow

2009-05-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is our anniversary. 14 years. Doesn't seem that long on some days and on others it seems really long. ha! Shawn is leaving tonight on his big "MAN" trip to the Bahamas for some camping, fishing and so forth. He deserves this break b/c he has been working really hard. We celebrated our anniversary last night by going out to eat. I also got him a card which I am going to try to sneak into his suitcase this afternoon. He will appreciate that.

So Shawn, if you get4 to read this, have a great trip and come home to me safely. I love you!

Happy Birthday!

2009-04-15T17:57:00.000-07:00

Today is my honey's birthday. (April 16) The big 35! Yikes. (I can kid him about his age since I am older than him.)

Seriously, like the song says - I'm lucky to be in love with my best friend. That's what you are and even though I may not show it - I really do love you!!!!
You are an awesome husband and I am glad to be spending my life with you. So this song is for you chicken lizard gizzard plate from the bottom of my heart.

I hope you have a great birthday! I love U!

Gina

A camping we will go!

2009-04-01T16:20:00.000-07:00

Spring break finally got here and we headed off to Oak Mountain State Park in B'ham to do some camping. Our friends, the Kenyons, joined us in their pop-up. It was a great and relaxing few days. We got to B'ham and got set up. The campground was full but we luckily got 2 sites next to each other. We took some walks, let the children play and even attempted a geocache (we didn't find it, but Owen got a nice scratched up leg and we got a little muddy! Geocaches really do exist - I promise). Then we got a fire going and got some supper cooking. Ray got out his ancient hibachi - not making fun it did a fine job - and started on the burgers and hotdogs. I cooked some french fries and Melissa boiled us up some corn on the cob. YUM! YUM! It was a great camping meal. We then sat around the campfire, listening to some music and chatting and laughing. It was great. Made some s'mores and then off to bed. Slept soooo good. Got a little chilly, but thank goodness we have a heater in the camper.

Sunday morning we had scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and what my children refer to as "momletes" for b'fast. And of course good old camping coffee. My favorite meal while camping is b'fast. momletes, by the way, are muffins cooked in my GT Express and they look like omletes when they come out - they taste sooo good! We then headed off to the petting farm. Goats, donkeys, sheep, peacocks, etc. It was fun. The children of course loved it. I wanted to bring home one of the baby goats. They were so cute. We left there and then drove into B'ham for some lunch and more geocaching. We were going to prove they were real. Then as we looked like complete idiots digging around in some holly bushes - Melissa found it! Yeah! Her first geocache. It is real - see? Good spotting Melissa. Then off to lunch. Our first place didn't work out so we hit another place. It was good, hot in there, but got us loaded up for more geocaching. Ray found the next one and then Cullen found one - at the Vulcan Statue.

After all that fun, Avery was ready for a nap so we drove back to the campgound. The Kenyons went back to the camper and us Riley's tried another geocache. Congrats fo Owen for finding this one. It was quite a hike to it and we were tired afterwards. For supper we grilled steaks over the fire and had baked potatoes. Again a wonderful meal! The Kenyons had to leave the next morning, and by this time the majority of the campground was empty. I was kidding them about them now being veteran campers. Shawn told them they wouldn't be veteran campers until something went wrong with the camper. A little while later, Melissa called to say they were at Firestone trying to get a bearing fixed ont he camper tire! Leave it to us to forward our luck to them. Luckily they were able to get it fixed quickly and get back on the road. We went down to the beach area to feed the fish and ducks and the boys played in the water. We then took another hike up the tree top trail to see the birds and the other animals they had rescued at the wildlife center. Another geocache on the way and back to the campsite to hang out and relax. Headed home the next morning. It was a great trip and we cannot wait until we can go again.

Words

2009-03-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

It's amazing to me how sometimes a single word can cause panic. You know, not those that are shouted at the tops of our lungs like SHARK! or FIRE!, But those that get whispered. Like the very saying of them out loud will cause us to undergo the same fate. These are words like: you know he is in prison, you know she is having an affair, you know he is doing drugs, you know she has cancer. Why is this? These are dreaded words that can cause us to worry endlessly. To lose sleep, lose our appetites, cry and wonder "what if?". These are words that cause us to consider our lives and our salvation. These are words that when applied to others we feel bad and are concerned, but when they are applied to our own lives can leave us at rock bottom. We all know someone who has gone to prison. We all know someone who has had an affair or who has gotten mixed up with drugs. And we all know someone who has cancer. This week I thought that person was me. It has been one of the longest, most stressful, and loneliest weeks I've ever had. Even though there were people around me who knew, even though my husband has constantly asked "how are you?" and wrapping his arms around me, I still felt alone. This was me! My life! I can't have cancer! I have 2 children to raise, I have a husband, family, a job and friends. I can't have cancer. And yet there it was staring me in the face everytime I saw my reflection. Cancer isn't choosy about who it effects. It doesn't care about the life and those in it. It is selfish and hateful and destructive! I am angry and hurt. And cancer doesn't care.

Yesterday I returned to my doctor to hear that my blood test for ovarian cancer came back good. My numbers were low so my chances of having it are very low. (YEAH and praise God!) The solid mass is still there, in my ovary, in MY body. Where it is not supposed to be. Dr. Martin, whom I love, suggests that I go ahead and have the ovary removed. Solid masses should not stay in my body even though he does not feel like it is cancer. The chances are still among the 1%. So, on March 25th, during Spring Break I am having a hysterectomy (another whispered word). Removal of one ovary and my uterus. He would like to leave me with one ovary because of the hormones, but there are cysts there also and I don't want to have to go through more surgery later on. I am hoping that he goes ahead and gets rid of it all! I do not want to think that something else could crop up there. This has been frightening enough! I want it done and over with. I won't know for sure what the mass is until the ovary is removed and we receive the pathology report. But I know it is not cancer. It just can't be, can it? There are a lot of prayers going up for me and I know God hears them. I also know that he has His will. My beautiful children need their mother and I am planning on sticking around to see them grow up, get married and have children of their own. I have a husband who I want to continue to grow old with. We haven't traveled everywhere we want to yet. There are so many things to say and do. I am going to be around for that. I just know it! Don't I?

My life is so full - thank you friends and family who love me even when I am unlovable. Who pray for me when I need it. Who are always there to take care of me. I Love you.

Stay tuned,

Gina

Gerald and Snow

2009-03-01T13:46:00.000-08:00

We've had our 3rd couchsurfer to stay with us this week. For those who don't know what that means: It is when we open our home for some stranger (yes I said stranger).to come and stay for a few nights while they are traveling through town. It's done through a website called Coughsurfing.com. When people are coming through town and need a place to stay they send us an email and we say yes or no. I was very skeptical of this at first. Shawn, Donny and Ray started this when they went to New York in August. They "couchsurfed" with a guy who lives in New York. Us wives thought that they would wake up missing body parts and such. But aside from taking "hairy" showers, they came back unharmed and it made their trip more economical. I know all this sounds crazy, but the best is yet to come. We then opened up our home. Our first guest was Sam. He is from Virginia and is riding his bike across the country. He stayed with us for a few nights and went with us to a Friday night highschool football game, Marianna Caverns and church on Sunday. Our 2nd guest was Moritz, he is a photojournalist from Germany. We took him on a tour of the downtown murals and he interviewed Mr. Blumberg about his paying for Jewish families to come to Dothan. Moritz was very into politics. Our 3rd guest was Gerald, he is from Austria. He came in Wednesday afternoon and left just a few minutes ago. His accent was very heavy and I had a hard time understanding a lot of what he had to say. (Think Arnold Swartzneggar when he first started acting) He is 21 and has toured South America and now is touring North America. He bought a car and is driving all over the country. He left Austria in October and will go home October of 2009. He is a sweet person who fell in great with our family. He went to Landmark park, had some southern meals, went geocaching, we to my parents house to ride 4-wheelers, went to church and went to some clubs with our friend Adam. It was a good adventure. Of course this morning when we had the snow flurries - he thought we were crazy! That's not snow! We kept trying to convince him that he is lucky to see snow in South Alabama. All in all it was very interesting, we learned alot about Austria and now have a place to stay should we ever visit there. Our boys are getting a good education from all of this.

SNOW! I can't believe it. I was in the shower this morning when Owen came running in - "mama, it's snowing!" I had been telling them all weekend it was going to happen and noone believed me. By the time I got out of the shower, it was coming down pretty good. We were out playing in it as much as we could. Poor Izzy didn't know what to do. She was barking at it. I sure wish it would have stuck! I'd love to build a snowman with my boys. As you can hopefully see in the picture, Owen was cold and went and put on some oven mitts. He is a wild child! After church it started again. I know it is sad to get this excited about a few flurries - but who can help it when we've only had it here a few times. It's awesome. We will be inside for the rest of the day trying to stay warm and hoping more comes down. If it comes down and sticks, you can bet we'll be out building snowmen and having a snowball fight.

Making Amends and Cleaning Closets

2009-02-16T14:01:00.001-08:00

First of all I owe a big, public apology to my husband. I wrote my criticisms the other night out of anger and frustration and absolute exhaustion. He read my blog and was very hurt stating that he was reading about how "lousy" he is. So Shawn, I am deeply sorry that I hurt your feelings. I know we argue and I can be difficult, but I do love you and you are good to me and our family. You do a lot around this house that I don't give you credit for and I'm sorry for that also. So please forgive me? This is my place that I can vent and spill my guts and such so from time to time there may be something that you don't agree with. Take it for what it is and nothing more, okay?

On to cleaning out closets. That's what I 've been doing on my day off. We all had dentist appointments and went to my parents to visit and for the boys to ride the go-cart. The rest of the day has been spent cleaning out the boys closets and dressers and rooms in general. It amazes me how many little toys they accumulate in their rooms, we have a playroom ya know. It is very sad to see how fast they are growing up though. Cullen is outgrowing all of his shoes and a good many of his "church" shirts. I have a whole trash bag to take to good will and I haven't finished with his dresser yet! Owen's is almost as bad. Why do they have to grow out of everything. I can't seem to keep up. Everytime I turn around they need new underwear or socks or jeans or shoes. I want them to be old enough to do certain things, and yet, I want them to remain my "children". Not pre-teens and such. This can't be my babies. I was so proud of both of them at the dentist today. They went in by themselves, I could hear them talking to the hygenist in the next room. Is this my child who used to throw up everytime we went? Literally we had to go first thing in the morning w/out eating or he would throw up everywhere. Then Owen actually bit, yes I said bit, the dentist the first time he went. She said her reflexes must be getting slow b/c it was the second time that day she'd been biten. Now they go in and even let them take x-rays without screaming. Today they saw my dentist for the first time and he kept telling me how bright and articulate they were. He said they seemed much older than 10 and 7. Are they really 10 and 7? Somedays I feel like they should be much older and more responsible (like the fact that Owen has lost the brand new coat he just got for Christmas and this is coat #2 for the school year). Then other days I feel like I should still be changing diapers and spoon feeding them. Don't get me wrong - I am glad those days are over, but do I miss them just a little bit? My friend Jennifer wrote a wonderul and touching blog yesterday. I cried when I read it. It deals with children and their safety. She wrote a prayer at the end. If you are reading this, I am recommending that you go to her blog and read it. How much it makes me appreciate my children - the good days and the bad days. (Jennifer, I hope you don't mind this - her site is ourlifewiththree@blogspot.com) I need to go hug my children and tell them I love them. Then see if I can tie something to the top of their heads to keep them from growing up anymore. Oh, and then back to the closets.

Did I Mention Sick and Tired? And MEN!!!

2009-02-13T19:59:00.000-08:00

Just when I thought that everything would get back to normal.....Shawn woke up during the middle of the night throwing up. Has been at it all day along w/ the diarrhea! Then, Owen started throwing up at school today during lunch. He is now throwing up and have diarrhea also. So far Cullen is the only one who hasn't had it, but he has now started running fever! OMG!!!!

And did I mention MEN!!! Why is it that when they are sick they think noone in the world has ever been as sick as them! They are HELPLESS!!! and LOUD!!! I can vomit and not wake up a soul, Shawn will wake up the neighbors - why does he scream when he vomits? I don't get it. As a mother I can be sick as a dog (which I have been this week), but still manage to do the laundry, get the mail, check the email, answer the phone, etc. etc.......... But men? I had to call and call today to get him to answer the phone. Why? b/c it wasn't right there beside him. Then he had to get out and go pick up Owen who was sick at school. But I ran to the store in between my schools to buy more Sprite, powerade, etc. for the 2 of them. Fixed them something to drink, left crackers and went back to work. Left work this afternoon and stopped to pick up our microwave that had been in the shop for almost 2 weeks. Then me and Cullen went to Walmart, which was hell on Friday night, the night before Valentine's day. Then to Movie Gallery. I didn't get home until 6:00. Had he called to see where we were? NO. Did he offer to get up and help me bring in the groceries or microwave? NO. Had he emptied the clean dishwasher today? done any laundry? gotten the mail? brought in the trashcan? NO. He did take the sheets out of the dryer, but only piled them on the kitchen table. I understand that he is feeling bad - I've been there myself this week and still don't feel so peachy, but PLEASE. It is not the end of the world. Life must go on. Get over it. And then I look at the powerade that I had opened at lunch for them - no more is gone. He hasn't drank his glass and neither has Owen. Okay - now I am angry. At least make you son drink so he doesn't get dehydrated. He has been the truly sick one anyway. And of course he had not given Owen any medicine - at all. Not Tylenol for the fever, nothing to try and stop the vomiting or diarrhea. So I get busy on that, ended up back out in the rain to buy meds for Owen. Then when I get home Shawn wants to know if he can help me with anything. NO. I've got it now. Just go to bed!

Can you tell I am frustrated! I am dreading this weekend with everyone sick and it raining outside! I might pack up and move to a hotel! I hate to see my children sick, but a sick husband is 10 times worse.

OH, the Life of Riley.

Sick and Tired of being Sick and Tired

2009-02-12T10:02:00.000-08:00

Sinus infection, pneumonia, salmonella and staff infection. None of these are your average run of the mill problems. Leave it to the Riley's to get complicated.

Owen started it all on a Sunday night a week ago. At bedtime he was complaining of feeling "light". His temp was 102. No wonder he felt light! This went on for a few days. He woke up the first morning and asked Shawn "It's 8:20 and it's Monday, Is it a holiday?" No. Then after a minute of deep thought he said "I am going to lose my perfect attendance award." My children just aren't sick. Wednesday Shawn took him to the Dr. Negative for flu, negative for strep. Got an antibiotic for a sinus infections. However, the temp wouldn't stay down. He missed the whole week of school. Sat. night his temp went up to 103 and he was shivering. So, Sunday morning I had to go to church to sing a solo (another story - sound system messed up, mircophone wouldn't work, had to start over). The line for the Dr.'s office was out in the parking lot. They opened at 1:00. At 3:00 Shawn calls to tell me "don't freak out. Dr. Scott said it isn't time to freak out yet. He is sending Owen to the hospital for xrays. He thinks he may have pneumonia. " What? I thought it was a sinus infection? And what does he mean don't freak out? This is my baby! I love Dr. Scott and trust him completely. He is always aggressive with his treatment. I started to plan what I would pack for owen. His best pj's were dirty so I threw them into the washing machine. But, in case he gets to come home he will need clean sheets on his bed and I need to wash his comforter. I started to look for other things to clean! Finally at 5:30!!!!!! Shawn calls me back. Yes, it is pneumonia, but his white blood count is good so NO hospital! YEAH!!! So he got another antiobiotic and more days off from school.

Monday morning. I had planned to stay home with Owen b/c he is my baby and he had pneu. I wasn't going to leave him. My stomach was feeling sort of weird. Ended up having a little diarrhea (I know how you love to hear that). Then a lot of it. Thought it might just be my nerves. But then started vomiting also. Nope it's not my nerves. Must have picked up a stomach bug. So Owen and I are pretty pitiful just lying around all day. Shawn had taken off on Tuesday to stay home with Owen, but yep, I still had the diarrhea. Immodium? didn't help. Pheragan? didn't help. So the 3 of us were home on Tuesday. Then comes Wednesday. Shawn had to go to work for fire brigade training, but would be done at 11:00. He had this place on his jaw that had come up Sunday morning -looked like a bug bite. It kept getting bigger and grosser. His face was swollen and he complained of his lymph nodes hurting. I told him he needed to go to the Dr. himself. So on Wednesday afternoon Shawn and Owenand I went to our Dr. I ended up with 4 prescriptions, blood work and having to take in a stool sample (that was loads of fun). He is treating me for - yes - salmonella. Where did I get that from? Lordy! Shawn's bug bite turned out to be a STAFF infection. He got 3 prescriptions. On top of all this we have to go home and wash all the sheets and towels, spray everything down w/ clorox spray, bathe everyone in DIAL antibacterial soap and all put this ointment up our nose before bed everynight for a week. Where did he get Staff from? This is wild!

Tammy, the wonderful lady who cleans my house was supposed to come today. I called her and said she needed to wear her hazmat suit. She assured me she would wear her gloves at all times and would bring her hospital strength cleaning solution. My house needs a good sanitizing!!

Thankfully - we are all back at work and school today! It's only 1:00 though. Something could still happen.

Did I mention "It's just the Life of Riley?"

Destruction vs. Construction

2009-01-22T10:47:00.000-08:00

My weekend was sooo nice, mostly. We are beginning to redo our gameroom floor. The carpet was yucky and the tile looked bad. Demolition began! We moved everything from that room into the dining room. Then we ripped up the carpet and padding and dragged it all out to the road. Sunday afternoon I broke up all the tile and the boys were even helping by cleaning up the pieces. So I go to church for a meeting. I turned my phone to vibrate and dropped it down in my purse. What was I thinking? My mother comes into the meeting, wriggling a finger for me to come and then says "bring your stuff." What in the world? Are my children hurt? I knew that Shawn had to go to work, but it wasn't time yet. What could be so wrong that my mother was coming to get me? Can you say FLOOD? Apparently the toliet in the master bathroom had overflown, going into my bedroom, the hallway and into Cullen's room. We have laminate floors. They aren't supposed to get wet. And Shawn has to leave for work soon. "He's leaving?" I asked my mother in shock. I call Shawn on my way home. He is fairly calm but insists he has broken his back and possibly his knee. He is vaccuming up the remainder of the water. There isn't anyone to cover for him at work, but he was going to go in a little late. I get home to find Owen vaccuming up water and Shawn using towels. We are saved, so we thought. Then we notice that there is water under the floor, it is all squishy when you walk. We began removing boards and yep, there's water under there alright. Shawn calls our friend Ray to come over and help me since he is leaving for work. I am about in tears. Shawn showers and leaves for work and Ray arrives. I watch as he is removing the floor in Cullen's room, then into the hallway, then into the master bedroom. We broke some boards and had to cut some boards - Ray felt bad about that. I didn't. I just wanted the floor up. Turns out the water goes way up the hallway, into a closet and almost to the boys bathroom. So now every room in my house seems to have some floor missing and furniture stacked and it's chaos. I can not handle it. Stuff everywhere bothers me. Thankfully the floor dried and Shawn got it put back down in the past 2 days. Now he is working on putting the new tile down in the gameroom. I hope that goes well.

Funny side to this story: Shawn was in the shower when the flood happened. He got out, grabbed a towel and went running into the hallway. Sliding on the water his feel shot out from under him, his head hit the wall on one side of the hallway, his knee put a dent in the other side of the hallway wall and he landed on his back. My children, hearing all the ruckus, go running down the hall to see Shawn sprawled out, NAKED, in the hallway. (with all his junk hanging out - as he said). Cullen asked if he could help him up and Shawn said "No, just let me lay here is the pee water for a minute." I hate I wasn't home for this part. Did I mention "It's just the Life of Riley?"

Why "The Life of Riley?"

2009-01-22T10:17:00.000-08:00

I guess I should start this new experience by explaining. You see my maiden name is McKnight, which is a good ole Scottish / Irish name. I married a Riley, which is also a good ole Irish name. We named our boys Cullen Sean and Owen Knight, both good ole Scottish / Irish names. So we are into anything Irish - including the tattoo on my ankle of a shamrock. That's just the beginning. The rest of "The Life" comes from the saying "It's just the Life of Riley." Generally this mean that someone is living the highlife, well-to-do. Now, don't get me wrong, we are extremely blessed as a family and often feel like we are living the highlife. But, we use the term "It's just the Life of Riley" to mean that whatever can happen to us, will. Ain't it the truth though. We also like to do this thing called geocaching, and our name is Life of Riley 4. Thus on the back of our vehicles you will see LoR in green. It's all connected.