Change of Address!

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED!  This is my final entry at this address!

For various reasons, I'm not posting it here but if you would like the new address, please e-mail me at the address found on the "Contact Me" page with "New Blog Address" in the Subject Line and I will e-mail you the new address. 

If I get e-mails I'm not familiar with, they will be deleted without being read unless they have that subject line. Sorry, just have to be safe.

Hope to hear from you and that you will move with me to my new place! ;-)

Thanks and God bless!

Natalie :-)

Galveston 2012

Yesterday, we took our annual trip to Moody Gardens water park in Galveston!  It was a blast!  We got a cabana which I sat under most of the day leaving a couple of times to cool off in the pool.

The park has this awesome Lazy River that you can get in a float and ride along and just enjoy.  I've never done it despite my Dad's best efforts to get me to do it.  Mom and Dad LOVE it but it doesn't seem like my thing.

My favorite part of the day is going to the Splash Pad where water comes up from the ground and I can roll my wheelchair through it and get wet.  It's a tradition to let Lexi push me through it as least once....She laughs the entire time at getting me as wet as she possible can!  This year, her best friend and my "second niece" came with us and got to push me through as well....I think she laughed harder than Lexi did!  I think a good time was had by all!

Funny story: You have to pay extra for a cabana and a cabana boy has to take you to your designated spot. After he did so and brought us a bucket of ice filled with bottled water, my Dad tipped him five dollars hoping it would be an incentive to keep checking on us periodically throughout the day.  About an hour later, Dad was floating on the Lazy River and Mom and I were in the cabana and the young man came up to my Mom and said, "Hey, you know what just happened? I lost the tip ya'll gave me when I pulled out my phone a few minutes ago!"  My Mom said she was sorry and if we saw it, we'd let him know.  As he left, Mom looked at me and said, "I can't believe he came over here and told us that! Is it OUR responsibility to keep up with HIS tip?! I'm sure he thought we'd just give him another five dollars!" After Dad got back and we told him, he had the same reaction.  And then when the guy brought us more ice and water later that day and hung around after dropping it off...All of us were fairly certain he was waiting for another tip....He didn't get one.

After we were all watered out, we changed into dry clothes, said our goodbyes to all and headed home.  Traffic was AWFUL and it took us three hours to get to Conroe (usually about an hour and a half drive) where we stopped for dinner.  I didn't realize until we got home how....Interesting....My hair looked. Perhaps that's why I got all those glances when we walked in.

We finally got home a little after nine and by the time I showered and got ready for bed, I was too tired to get online.  I'll try and post more pictures when they get loaded on to my computer.  As usual, it was a really great, relaxing day! We always look forward to going every year and this year didn't disappoint!

Taken from our Cabana...Beach and Lazy River

Lion, and Tigers, But No Bears.....Oh My!

Everyone that had to work today took today (and tomorrow) off for a little family fun!  Dad is having knee surgery on Thursday, and won't be able to do a whole lot for a good bit of what's left of summer vacation.  So, we're trying to squeeze in a couple of day trips while we still can.

Today, we headed to the Lufkin Zoo!  We loved it and I was pleasantly surprised at how handicapped accessible everything was!  We saw everything from lions, to monkey's, snakes, to exotic birds.  This was a smaller zoo so there were no elephants or bears.  We did however see LOTS of peacocks....Running freely throughout the zoo!  We'd be looking at an exhibit and look down and a couple of peacocks would be standing literally RIGHT NEXT to us!  We would often see baby peacocks trailing behind.  They were everywhere!

This peacock crossed the path RIGHT in front of me!  

Once we finished at the Zoo, we wrapped the day up with a ten minute train ride around the outskirts of the zoo.

Mom and Dad enjoying the ride!

Me and Lexi.  I couldn't get turned around in time! :-)

Kimberly and Austin...He LOVED it!

We had lunch at Cheddars (My first time there) and now we're resting up for another fun day tomorrow!  I really love this quality time we all spend together!  Pictures and details of our day tomorrow will (hopefully be posted tomorrow night!

"Rookie Blue: 3.06 "Coming Home"

* Probably the most powerful (and my favorite) episode of the season so far!

* LOVED the fact that it was centered around Oliver and Matthew Gordon got a chance to SHINE! He was FABULOUS!

* Zoe Shaw was EXACTLY as I pictured her.

* I don't know why, but I always pictured the Shaw kids younger, like in grade school younger, so to see one of them was a teenager was a bit surprising.

* The fact that Izzy calls Sam "Uncle Sammy" puts a big grin on my face!

* When Oliver had the gun on the guy....Loved the fact that it was Sam that was talking him down, but was going to support him at the same time, no matter what.  Andy was willing to do the same.

* The scene at the end with Oliver and Izzy in the car was heartbreaking and so sweet at the same time.  Poor Oliver! I just wanted to hug him!

* The flour fight with Sam and Andy....So freakin' cute!  Sam in my favorite color (red) and covered in flour....I love flour!

* If I'm being honest, I'm surprised it took Sam as long as it did to run a background check on Andy's Mom.  I'm even a bot more surprised that ANDY didn't do it herself....She seems to have trusted her Mom awfully fast.  I don't know why, but I don't trust her either....Then again, I didn't like her when she showed up last week!

* Loved, loved, LOVED the fact that Sam came in and he and Andy actually talked through WHY he did what he did.  He was honest about how he felt, so was she, and they worked it out.  Kudos to writers letting their couples WORK THROUGH their issues.

* Not really liking Jerry this episode, but thought it was hysterical that he and Traci started off the episode dressed alike and then Traci changed clothes....HA HA!!

* Dov and his stalker friend have me worried for him.

* Gail needs makeup!

* Still not enough Noelle, but it was great to see her!

* Chris--My heart hurts for him a little.

* Still don't like New Guy and the fact that next weeks episode seems to be centered around him has me kinda dreading it.

* This was one of those episodes where it felt like all I said to Diana the entire time was "WOOOOOW!!!" Seriously, it was like that was all we could find to say.  The previews lived up to the hype! Kudos to all involved!!

I Love Summer Thursdays!

I live for Thursday's in the summer!  When I was hooked on Grey's Anatomy, I would live for Thursday's in the Fall and Spring as well, but since I don't really care one way or the other about Grey's now, it's ALL about Summer Thursdays!

Back when I was hooked on GA, I made the decision that Thursday night would be my night to decide what we would have for dinner and we ALWAYS went out.  Mainly because I enjoy going out and another reason is to ensure we WOULD NOT be in the kitchen at 8 o'clock when GA was on.  Somehow, this rule stuck and I now decide what we're eating every Thursday in the summers as well.  I LOVE IT!

Last week we went to Olive Garden.  Tonight as soon as the kids are picked up (and because my Dad's golf  game was canceled and we can leave earlier) we're heading to one of my favorite places to eat "The Pizza Shack." It's got some of the best Italian food around!  All of their food is made from scratch and if you sit in a particular spot in the restaurant, you can see the cooks flipping the pizza dough.  We always usually share a large pizza.  It's SOOOO good! And more often than not, we have cheesecake for dessert.

There are two in close proximity to us.  One about twenty minutes away and one about 45 minutes away.  Oddly enough, we prefer the one that's 45 minutes away as opposed to the closer one.  The atmosphere is quieter and we think the food is better.After dinner, we usually stop at Starbucks just down the street and grab me a mocha to drink on the way home.  And then, usually by the time we get home, I have just enough time to get comfy before "Rookie Blue" starts and  Diana and I settle in for our Thursday night texting date as we watch the show "together."


For 13 weeks Thursdays are once again my favorite day of the week!!

Confession Time.....

I gotta confess guys.  I know I'm in the very small minority here, but I'm sad about the Tom Cruise  and Katie Holmes divorce.

I was one of their biggest supporters when they got together.  I watched Tom Cruise go crazy about her on Oprah and yet, there was something about him that made me think, "He really does adore her!" and I STILL think he does.  I told all my friends and family that and they all looked at me like I had two heads, but even now, I think they still love each other....Their religious beliefs were just too different.

I know a lot of people thought they wouldn't last, and I'm really sad that they didn't, but IF the reports are true and Tom's involvement with Scientology had to do with the split, then I think Katie did what she had to do for her sake and her daughter's.

I wish things had gone differently for them.  I really do believe Tom's feelings (and hers for him) were genuine and I was hoping they would prove the naysayers wrong.  Only they know what really went on and what the real reason behind their divorce was, but my heart goes out to both of them and I wish them all the best as they move on.

Love This Quote!

"Religion is spelled 'D-O.' Christianity is spelled, 'D-O-N-E.' There's nothing I can DO except receive what's been DONE for me!" ~Ed Young Jr.- Pastor of Fellowship Church in Grapevine Texas~

Rookie Blue: 3.05 "Messy Houses"

Lookie here at me getting this posted the day after the episode airs!  Figured I better take advantage of having the house to myself for a few minutes! :-)

*LOVED that the show opened with Sam and Andy in bed and asleep.  How cute was Andy hopping out of bed upon remembering that it was her Dad's birthday? And Sam trying to coax her back to bed.

*Still they end up at her Dad's front door IN PARTY HATS....ROTFL! Sam! In a party hat! Too flippin' funny! Tommy thanks them but he has a lady friend waiting so they leave.(Sam blowing the noisemaker as they leave....LOL)  "You're lucky you're cute!" Sam tells Andy. (Awwwww.....)

* "Hey, when do I get to meet YOUR family?" Andy asks. Sam lays his head on the side of the car. "You'll meet my my family when I wanna punish or torture you...." Picks his head up like he has an idea: "Hey...Wanna go meet my family? LOL!

*The exchange between Sam and Andy's Mom (whom I don't like, by the way) is priceless. "Stop calling me cowboy, ma'm...." And Sam keeping a close eye on Andy at the scene as she processes the fact that her Mother (that walked out on her and her dad fifteen years ago) is there as a SOCIAL WORKER of all things!

* Loved seeing more of Oliver! Although, he's breaking my heart! He used to be the light-hearted guy that always had a joke....Now, he's sad and it makes ME sad! Loved the fact that he told Dov what was going on though, and the scene at the end with those two was just awesome!

* Here's another thing I don't get: Last week we ended with Sue knowing Dov hadn't been going to his therapy appointments because of the shooting.  This week, NONE of that was even mentioned, and Sue wasn't even ON the show! Um. What's going on there?

* Sam was adorable with Conner!

* Poor Chris. I've said it before, but I never know whether I love or hate Gail....This week, it was the latter. And Sam really needs to stop riding with New Guy because I don't like New Guy.

* Wasn't really into the Jerry/Traci story line last night. Although, I LOVED the color of Jerry's shirt and tie!

* Any Rookie Blue episode without Noelle is just WRONG! Missed her tonight!

* The ending scene made me MELT.... Andy: "Promise me something." Sam: "Go." Andy: If things go south with us....And I don't want them to, I hope they don't, but if they do, don't just walk out the door. Okay? Let's promise to work at it." Sam: "You won't get rid of me without a fight." AWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!! The way he looked right at her as he said that and the way his eyes squinted a little after he said it...Like he wanted her to GET how serious he was....It was just GREAT! Perfect way to end the show!

REALLY looking forward to next week's Oliver centered episode!  Looks intense and I'll be interested to see the Sam/Oliver scenes....Matty and Ben ALWAYS have FABULOUS scenes together! The fact that they're close friends in real life always shines through!  The fallout with Andy/Sam/Andy's Mom should be interesting to watch as well.

And just in case you needed something to make you smile today:

SAM....IN A PARTY HAT! :-D

Rookie Blue: 3.04 "Girls' Night Out"

* This was my least favorite episode of the season so far. Therefore, I don't have a lot to say about it.

* The Sam and Andy moments we got were cute.  Moody Sam is starting to annoy me though.

* Loved the whole "I wanna drive your truck!" exchange at the end....The look on Sam's face at the thought of Andy driving his "baby" was priceless, but the kiss on the cheek she gave him....Adorable!

* I miss Oliver!  Although, I loved that moment he had with Dov.....GREAT scene!  And LOOOOVE the fact that he is the only person (besides Frank) that knows about Noelle's pregnancy!

* Still don't like the new guy, and the fact that he and Sam were partnered and not Andy and Sam just made me scowl at him even more.

* The dead guy's sister gave me the creeps.

* I'm sure there's something I could say about Chris or Gail but can't remember any stand out moments for them in this episode.

* Now that Sue knows Dov is not going to therapy, I wonder what the fallout will be from that.

* Nice to see an intimate Jerry/Traci moment.  Half the time I forget they are a couple.

Alright, that's it.  Based on the promo for tomorrow night's episode, I'm REALLY excited.  Glad this filler episode is out of the way....On to better episodes!

Happy Fourth of July! :-)

Terrific Twitter

I've mentioned before how much I love former Olympic gymnast Shannon Miller. So, imagine how thrilled I was when I tweeted her a question about the Olympic Trials last night and she responded!

This simple response made my night!

Surprising Discovery!

Many of you have probably seen the P&G Olympic commercial.  I love the song playing in the background and when I googled it, I not only found it, but three others that I loved as well!

All of these songs are instrumental  With heavy piano.  I love piano music and I've always wished I could play.  So that might be why I'm so taken with these songs.  And they are PERFECT to listen to right before bed, or when you just need to take a second to "be still...." Very soothing.  I've linked them below and encourage you to check them out and let me know what you think. All songs are performed by the same artist: Ludovico Einaudi.

Divenire (the song used in the Olympic commercial)
Andare
Primavera 
Nuvole Bianche

Rookie Blue Renewed!

Next summer won't be boring!

It was announced Saturday via Rookie Blue's official twitter page that Rookie Blue has been renewed for a fourth season!

Like the previous seasons, the renewal news comes after the third episode and before the fourth episode airs! And I loved the fact that the news came on June 23rd which was the season two premiere date last year!

So happy for the entire cast and crew!!! Congratulations to everyone involved....Can't wait to see what the rest of season three holds, and what season four has in store NEXT summer!

Rookie Blue: 2.03 "A Good Shoot"

We've been having internet issues and are having some work done on Wednesday so I wanted to get this up before Thursday's episode (never mind the fact that I could have written it during the two week hiatus we just had, but enough about my procrastination skills)....

* I thought Andy and Sam were freakin' adorable in this episode (even if if was the lightest Andy/Sam episode so far this season) what we did get was so cute!

* The scene with them in the truck and Sam belting out "Personality" was priceless, and the reaction when Andy was telling him to stop the truck...."What? What? What happened?" as he looks around and squeals to a sudden stop! And that grin as he watches hop out and jog toward the ice cream truck when "it's not even 9 a.m." That look. That smile. I loved it!

* As a whole, I thought the entire episode was a lot tighter and more focused than the previous two of this season. I loved that everyone was focused on the same case and fighting to clear Dov's name.

* Travis Mine was incredible.  I especially loved the scene where he was going back over the details of the shooting with Traci...Just a great scene with the two of them!

*Andy going all "bad cop" with the store clerk and the look on Sam's face as he watched and listened to her... kinda like, "Whoa! Where did THAT come from!" And how he totally went along and played good cop....Trusting her instincts.  Still, his facial expressions were hysterical!

* The scene at the park was tense.  And I think that was the most we saw of Oliver all episode, which made me sad.  I LOVE Oliver!

* I think overprotective Frank is kinda sweet, but I'm still not impressed with his overall attitude so far this season.  And I don't think Noelle will last an entire episode behind a desk

* I got the goofiest grin on my face at the sight of Sam waiting outside the locker room for Andy, like it was totally a habit.  And then....We got our first PDA....A hand hold as they walked out together!  Granted, they did when no one else was around, and it was a casual, yet so natural move....I LOOOVED it! Experience indeed!

* I think this is far from over for poor Dov, but it'll be interesting to see where the writers take it.

*It'll be interesting to see Traci in a detective role, and how that affects her relationship with Jerry.

Alrighty, I think that covers my highlights!  So glad the two week hiatus is over and ready to see what Thursday's episode has in store!  Thanks for reading!! :-)

Great Read!

This book is great! It's a bit choppy in terms of flow, and there are a lot of excerpts taken from a message board people posted on after Nat's accident.  After awhile, those experts seemed like filler (there were so many of them) to me, and I think that was one of the things that messed up the flow of the book in my opinion.

All that aside though, Nate's story is a great testament to the power of prayer, and the healing that our God can (and does) do! Check it out if your in the mood for a little reading this summer! 

Starbucks Secret!

Lately, when I've gone to Starbucks, my white chocolate mocha's haven't been near as sweet as I like them. No matter how much I tell them, "I like it really sweet, so please add extra white mocha..." It hasn't been sweet.  I was at a loss as to what more I could tell them.  Today, I figured out the secret:

WHOLE MILK (not 2%) and extra white mocha.....PERFECTION!

Rookie Blue: 3.02 "Class Dismissed"

YIKES! My apologies for just now getting this up!  There are a whole host of reasons why this is late but nobody really cares about that.  Since it is so late though, and I have to work tomorrow, I'm going to make this post REALLY short and will probably come back and add more later.  For now, here ya go!

*LOVED the first scenes with Andy and Sam!  The way he says "McNally" as he leans in to kiss her and then ends the conversation on a whisper....Too cute!

*Loved that they are partnered together and when Sam boosted Andy over the fence, my heart did a little dance.  Also thought it was cute how he checked her shoulder.

*I think Sam and his sister might have been in foster care at one point.

* The scenes with them inside the school were intense!  Loved Sam talked the guy down, and how worried Andy seemed as Sam went out unarmed with Andy covered him.  She seemed to go limp once the gun was secure.

*The interrogation room scene left me confused.  Have no idea where Sam's head was then and didn't no if I should do a happy dance, or be worried.

*Same thing with their ending scene. Left me feeling uneasy.

* Not sure I'm liking Frank yet this season.  I do think it's very cute how protective he is of Noelle and their baby! Loved them seeing the ultrasound!

* I don't like the new guy.

* My heart broke for Oliver!!!  WHO could get OLIVER of ALL people out of the house???

*Chris and Nash cracked me up as well as Dov.  And it was nice to see Traci and Jerry walk out together and remind the audience that they are indeed a couple!

Okay folks, that's all I have for tonight!  Again, sorry for the delay and hopefully my thoughts on tomorrow nights episode won't take near as long to get posted!

Thanks for reading! :-)

Rookie Blue:3.01 "The First Day of the Rest of Your Life"

I thought the premiere episode was well worth the LOOOONG wait!

* Andy skydiving....Huge kudos to Missy given the fact that she's scared of heights and did it anyway!

*Brooding Sam is still funny!

* Sam holding the sign "Dummy" at the airport with that very stoic look on his face made me laugh out loud! And the fact that he never took his sunglasses off the entire time made it even better!

* Sam referring to Nash and Epstein as "NashStein" was hysterical!

* Loved how calm and soothing he was with the woman in the car, and how he got her to calm down when she thought her son was missing. Great scene!

*William Shatner--AWESOME!

* I constantly flip flop on whether I love or hate Gail on a given episode.  This time it was half and half. I've never totally warmed up to her character and I can't decide if she loves or hates Andy which leaves me conflicted even more!

* Noelle, I heart you!

* Frank seemed like he was in a bad mood the entire episode except for when he was talking to Noelle in the hallway.

* OLIVER!!!!! I just ADORE OLIVER! We didn't see enough of him in the premiere! :-(

* Would have like to have seen where Traci and Jerry stood.  More interaction with them would have been nice.

*Interesting that Luke wasn't in the premiere.  I guess since and Andy are done, that he will be around less now.

* I like Nick so far!

* I LOVE Sam in that red shirt!

* The ending was great!  Loved how Sam and Andy just sat on the couch staring at the end, like, "Okay, now what do we do?" Both of them looked sorta nervous, but the sweet kiss to close out the show was PERFECT! I REALLY hope the show gives them a REAL shot and doesn't break them up by the end of the season, because honestly, that's what everyone is expecting (myself included) and I'd like to be wrong where this is concerned.

I'm ready to see what the season has in store! No doubt, it'll be heck of a ride, but I'm READY for it! :-)

Rookie Blue: Consolidated Blog Entry

Instead of moving each post over and giving it a separate entry, I've consolidated most of them and put them in this ONE entry.  My episode commentaries for the two episodes I have done (and the third episode when I get it typed up) will each have their own entries. All other "Rookie Blue" entries after this one will be a separate post.  This consolidated post is a one time thing to help save me some time. :-)

Season 3 Cast Photos:

Photos courtesy of SpoilerTV. All other cast photos can be found HERE!

I LOVE the first cast photo! However, I miss everyone else....Matty, Mel, Noam etc...Interesting how Sam is included and he's the only one that's NOT a rookie....Hmmmmm.... ;-)

And the one of Sam and Andy over in a corner by themselves as the rest of the gang handles the crime scene....I'm loving the subtle (although, not very) message that seems to be sending!

One final thought: What's up with Missy's bangs?

PROMOS:

Ben Bass Joins Twitter:
Follow him: @BenBassOfficial 

A Decision About My Rookie Blue Blog

I've had this nagging thought about my Rookie Blue blog.  I know a lot of you don't watch the show and could care less about it or what I have to say about it.  That's cool.  It doesn't hurt my feelings.  It's a big reason why I started my other blog.

That being said, when I created THIS blog, I wanted a place where I could put anything and everything I wanted to share in ONE place.  I blog mostly for myself, it's my outlet, and believe it or not, I do go back often and re-read my blog posts....It helps me remember great times, helps me see how far I've come in different areas of my life, and also helps me see in a sense, of where I'd like to go.

"Rookie Blue" is definitely a show I'm passionate about.  In fact, I haven't liked a show as much as I like Rookie Blue in a long long long time!  I LOVE talking about it to anyone that will listen, and even if nobody reads any entries I write about it, *I* like going back and re-reading them later and thinking, "Oh! I remember how I felt when that happened!" or "I'd forgotten the Andy gave Sam that look.....I'll have to re-watch that episode now!"

One of the my issues that lead me to my decision is the fact that, I like everything being in ONE PLACE!  I haven't really cared for my Rookie Blue thoughts being in a separate place apart from this.  If I were writing about the show to TRY and attract attention of LOTS of people, perhaps that might justify keeping it giving it a blog all of it's own, but I'm not, I write about it, because *I* want to, and if other people get a kick out of it, great!  If not, that's fine too! This blog encompasses all parts of my life....And let's face it....Rookie Blue is a part of that! 

So, I've made the decision to close down "Rookie Ramblings" and move my first two episode commentaries over here (haven't done the third one yet).  I will also post anything "Rookie Blue" related that I feel like posting here as well just as I have done in the past.  If you don't watch the show and don't care to read the entries, then feel free to skip it (it's not like I'll know one way or the other unless you comment) but I feel good about this decision and hope all of you understand.

Thanks!

State Softball Tournament 2012

4TH PLACE!!!

Last weekend the KnockOuts traveled to Beaumont, TX to play in the State softball tournament!  They placed 4th out of 59 teams!

They also played what was their most nerve wracking, nail biting, most exciting game EVER Saturday afternoon.  Playing a team that won all of the last forty five games they had played as a team.....Until playing our KO'S!  We beat them by ONE run (the runner had to slide into Home to make it) in the last second (literally) of the game!  It was INCREDIBLE!!!  I think that's the most excited WE as fans have EVER gotten!  Ultimately, that team went on to place just above us in third.

It was such a fun weekend!  The girls played so hard all weekend with one game on Friday, two games on Saturday, and three back to back games on Sunday!  It left the girls wanting more, and the fans wanting more as well!  No doubt our summer will be full of Softball!

My "Little Cousin......."

Not sure how we got from this.........

To This.....SO FAST!

Time sure flies! Congratulations Landon on getting that high school diploma!  We love you and are SO proud of you!

Reminder....

Just a gentle reminder that that the "Rookie Blue" season three airs Thursday (that's today for you subscribers) May 24th at 9:00 central time.

My fellow RB fan Diana and I have been planning for a month to watch "together" just like we did last season, she texts me as the shows starts and we text together throughout the show.  It helps the commercials fly by.  We started it last year just by accident and it stuck throughout the entire season.  It really is more fun watching a show with someone.

So as I was saying, we'd had it planned for over a month and then this week she found out she has to work until Midnight Thursday night (11:00 my time).  Luckily, we're both off the next day so, I'll be shutting my computer totally down around 7:00 tomorrow night and waiting until Diana texts me when she gets home from work (around 11:30 my time) and we shall watch "together!"

Luckily Austin has his final baseball game of the season tomorrow night, and then we'll go out to dinner so that will take up some of the time.  I usually don't go to bed until 12:30 or 1 anyway so I'm not worried about staying awake...(I WILL be stopping by Starbucks on the way home from dinner though) it's just waiting those extra hours knowing that it has aired and that I haven't seen it yet that will drive me a little nuts.  If anyone wants to text me and keep me company while I wait tomorrow night, feel free since I will be off the computer.

If you plan on tuning in, please also remember to check out my "Rookie Ramblings" blog sometime Friday to read my thoughts on the premiere! Let me know what you think!

Music Monday!

It's been awhile since I posted for Music Monday, but I couldn't let this song go! I heard it while I was at work last week and have been hooked since!  I hope you enjoy it as well!

Rise Up by Matt Maher

Our Lives Lately....

This past weekend Alexis and her softball tournament team "Huntsville Knockouts" played in a tournament in Beaumont where they placed fourth! Alexis played some great ball! She was especially on fire the first two games!  We as a family had to pace ourselves in our screaming because our voices were already getting hoarse by the end of the first game! It was worth it though!

Then, Monday night Austin's baseball team, the Red Sox had a game where Austin made his FIRST EVER HOME RUN!  The first picture below is him right after he crossed home plate.....Notice the tiny hint of a smile? The second is moments after the first! He also made Player of the Game and in doing so, got a free personal pan pizza!

Needless to say, this Aunt is very proud of her two kiddos!  My heart swells with pride every time I see either one of them take the field! I'm honored cheer and support my two favorite players, and we will continue to go wherever the games take us! 

A Final Season of "Hot Calls"

I'm crushed to have to write an entry on this.  The producers of "Flashpoint" announced today that the upcoming fifth season (airing in the Fall on ION) will be the series final season (article is linked below).

Many of you know that next to "Rookie Blue" "Flashpoint" is my favorite show.  While this news saddens me greatly, I'm so grateful that everyone involved with the show is CHOOSING to let the show go out on top and with grace and a proper conclusion.  I'd much rather it end with us still LOVING it, than have it keep going and us WISHING it would end (Are you listening Grey's Anatomy higher ups?).  It is a one of a kind show, and the people involved have been so kind in letting US as viewers be involved in the show as much as possible.

I'll miss miss the cast.  I appreciate how hard they worked at making the job the portrayed looked so authentic.  I'm grateful to everyone involved in making "Flashpoint" the series it has been.  Season five will no doubt be bittersweet to watch, but I'm grateful for what it has been, and what it forever will be!

 Flashpoint to end after five seasons

Change of Dreams?

Thursday as I was getting ready for work, Mom told me that she had just gotten an e-mail telling her that Randy, our Minister of Music's two week old grandson Joshua had been diagnosed with down syndrome.  My heart broke.

Let me just stop and tell you about Randy.  He's special.  Not just in the way he lights up a room just by walking in it, or the way the sound of his laugh makes me smile, or the fact that his Louisiana accent makes me laugh when he says certain words, but he's special because I don't trust easily, nor do I welcome people into my heart as easily and quickly as I have Randy.  From our first meeting he won me over, I can only describe it as a God thing.  I adore him, and from the way he picks on me, I have a feeling he thinks I'm fairly okay as well.

So, when I heard the news about his grandson that had been born two weeks earlier while I was working in the office, my mind went back to how happy he sounded on the phone when he called into the office to share the news.  I was crushed with what he must be feeling now.  Mom wanted me to know the news before I headed to work so that when I saw him, I wouldn't joyfully exclaim, "Hey Randy!  How's that new grand baby?" leaving him to have to fill me in.  When I got to work, the other secretary filled me in on the latest and said Randy had taken an "Emergency week" off from work to be with his daughter and son-in-law.  When I asked how Randy was holding up, I was told he was "destroyed" over the news.  My heart broke for him all over again.I can imagine that this family's world caved in.  All of the dreams and hopes they had for Joshua maybe weren't shattered, but I'm sure they now have to be altered a little bit.

 Thinking about Randy and his family so much this week has me also thinking of my parents.  What was their reaction when I was born two and a half months early and they got the news that I did indeed have Cerebral Palsy? Were they "destroyed" as well? Did all the hopes and dreams they had when they found out they were having another baby girl suddenly vanish?  And, shockingly, I wondered about something I had never thought of before until it was voiced in the office: If my parents had known that I was going to be born disabled, would they have kept me?

I know down syndrome comes with its own set of challenges that I am not even remotely qualified to even pretend I know about and I know that Joshua's parents must be reeling over this news as they come to terms with what lies ahead for their son.  I also know though that God doesn't make mistakes, and I know God is going to use sweet Joshua in a mighty way.  I know Joshua's parents might have to alter some of the dreams they had for Joshua, but I pray it doesn't stop them from dreaming BIG for him (if his parents are anything like his grandpa, I don't think I have to worry) because I KNOW God has incredible plans for Joshua! As his family continues to try and make sense of this, I pray that they cling to the promise of Jeremiah 29:11 and that it brings them hope and rest.

I've Always Said He Was A Hero

I've called Patrick Dempsey one of my heroes for years! Now, someone else can say the same!

Patrick Dempsey Rushes To Save A Life!

Making the world a better place....One life at a time! Thanks, Patrick!

March of Dimes 2012- Team Kyle

It's that time of year when I raise money for a cause very near and dear to my heart....Because of a little boy that is near and dear to my heart: Kyle Sherrill. Here is an e-mail from Kelly, Kyle's Mom with a brief update on what Kyle's been up to since last years MOD walk:

"Kyle is 4 now - and he is amazing! God's healing is evident everyday. I feel like MOD snuck up on me this year! My focus has really been on therapy lately. We are starting to see some struggle in the fine motor and attention/focus areas. ...I remember being in the NICU and wondering why the doctors cared so much about these things - all I wanted was for him to live. Well... now I see why these things are so important! But we are not taking no for an answer - we are working hard everyday and everyday Kyle sees success! He is such a hard worker! and just for an update we got kyle into a school that can take him all the way to 6th grade. They believe in 2 teachers per classroom so the highest ratio will be 8 students to 1 teacher! They use the same fine motor curriculum that Kyle's OT uses and its the best out there! Also they have gross motor and motor planning toys on their play ground and best of all they will let kyle move at the pace that is best for him. We can delay kindergarten if need be and he can learn to read and write at his own pace. I am so thankful and so excited!"

Seems like March of Dimes snuck up on all of us this year. The walk is April 29th this year and with that being only about two weeks away, there's not enough time to raise a lot of money. However, if you are interested in supporting this great cause and "Team Kyle" please go HERE and purchase a t-shirt....Nine dollars of every shirt purchased will go to March of Dimes and help babies born early like Kyle and myself!

I know the majority of you don't know Kyle, (and some of you have never even met me) so you're probably wondering why you should bother buying a shirt for someone you don't know. My answer to that is simple: Every time I wear my "Team Kyle" shirts out, there's always usually at least one person that asks "Who is Kyle?" that opens the door for me to tell people Kyle's story and the incredible miracle God did in (and continues to do) in his life! If YOU were to buy a "Team Kyle" shirt, not knowing him, but knowing me, you would have TWICE the chance to tell of not only Kyle's story, but mine as well! AND...March of Dimes gets some money from it! It's a win/win situation for all!

If you choose not to buy a shirt, that is totally understandable! Many of you have supported me when I have raised money for this in years past, I greatly appreciated it and I hope you will support me in the years to come! I would ask that whether you buy a shirt or not, that you pray for Kyle as he continues therapy and as he prepares for school. Pray for his parents Kelly and John for wisdom as they make decisions for him.

Thank you all for your support of this amazing little guy and of this great cause! I appreciate it more than you know (and Kyle does too)!

New "Rookie Blue" Blog!

After giving it some thought, I decided that to be fair to the readers that come here that don't really care about "Rookie Blue" *GASP* (you don't know what you're missing!), I would create a new blog that I could devote entirely to my show and that way, I wouldn't feel guilty for babbling about it contstantly here.

If you're interested, please visit my new blog "Rookie Ramblings" and keep up with all my squealing and gushing over this show. Episode thoughts, pics, and info will be posted there as well!

I'll probably still mention it on this blog from time to time, but for the most part, my thoughts on the subject will be there.

I hope you'll visit and subscribe to that blog! More importantly, I hope you'll tune in....Thursday's at 9:00 central time on ABC begining May 24th!

Let's Recap

Let's recap this Friday, the 13th, shall we.....

*Got my computer in and out of the repair shop on the same day, FIXED and with free memory added as a bonus (Apparently it "died" while I slept last night and would not turn on this morning. One new motherboard and processor later, we're back up and running). AND the customer service was AWESOME!

* Mom is back home after almost a week spent in Dallas (Grandma is in a rehab facility right now and is on the mend...Thanks for praying).

* A great dinner out with the family.

* It's my dear friend Meghan's birthday today....Happy birthday, Meg! Love ya girl!

Not sure what kind of luck YOU saw today, but all I saw were the Fingerprints of God! Humbled and grateful!

Prayers and Praises

Prayers:

My Grandma is in the hospital. She fell around Valentine's Day and a cut she sustained on her knee during the fall became infected. She was given antibiotics and the infection cleared up. However, once she finished the antibiotics a few days ago, the infection returned. Mom went up there and took her to the doctor this morning and it was decided she needed to be admitted to the hospital. They are planning on doing a MRI tomorrow (Wednesday) morning. Please pray that the doctors are able to treat her and get rid of this infection for good.

Praises:

A few weeks ago I got a text from one of my closest friends, Julie. I've mentioned her on this blog a couple of times. She wanted to let me know that she and her husband are expecting their first baby in October! I'm thrilled!

This morning, I got another text from one of my "big brothers" Dennis, whom I've also talked about on here, telling me that he and his wife are expecting a baby girl in late August or early September!

I'm so thrilled for all of these people that mean so much to me! And what meant even more is that THEY contacted ME! I can't tell you how much that means to me! Please keep Julie and Jim, and Dennis and Leslie in your prayers as well!

Thanks so much for praying with me!

Fear Not....

This truth changes EVERYTHING!

Happy Easter, everyone!

We Have A Date!!!!

Finally! After almost nine months....The "Blue" is BACK.....Well, ALMOST!

This press release announces that the season three premiere of "Rookie Blue" will take place Thursday, May 24th at 9:00 (central time) on ABC!!!

Mark your calendars NOW! Put a reminder on your phone NOW! Make plans to tune in NOW!

48 days and counting!!!!

Music Monday!

Since I haven't done a "Music Monday" post in.....Well, a WHOLE bunch of Monday's, I'm recommending to you an ENTIRE ALBUM!

Seriously, I'm addicted to it! Love every song! It's probably the best Passion album yet! Christ is glorified clearly in every note of every song!

Enjoy!

Tired of Chasing.....

I try to be as positive and real as I can here. That said, I'm about to vent so if you'd rather skip this entry, feel free!

I've decided I'm tired of chasing everybody. I'm tired of being the one that initiates contact first in my friendships and I'm tired of having to "nudge" people to get them to check in.

I've noticed that a lot of people are bad at following up on situations. Say for instance, I tell someone a family member of mine has been sick, it annoys me that they never bother to check in later to ask how things are going, and only after I make contact with them after a few days do they ask.

I'm sick of people patronizing or humoring me and thinking I don't realize it. I want people in my life that care enough to hear what I'm not saying, that worry when they don't hear from me after awhile, I want equally balanced friendships.

I've been praying about this and asking God to give me the discernment I need to realize those friends that I have that are genuine, and those friendships that I need to let go. It'll be a difficult process, but it's one that needs to happen.

I'm finally at the point where I can say I really feel I deserve better, and I only want people in my life that want me in theirs. Any relationship is a two way street, and I'm finished making all of the first moves.

God grant me the strength to let go of those that I need to move away from, and help me hold on to those that are true and genuine, all the while remembering that YOU are the center of it all.

Amen

Some Things I've Noticed.....

Here are just a few things (Three, to be exact) I've noticed lately about myself:

* I'm not good at waiting.

* As much as I like to think I leave room in my life for the unexpected, I've noticed this week that I REALLY do better if I can plan ahead and know what's coming up. Due to some things that have happened over the past few days, A LOT of things have been in the air, and I haven't liked it. I'm definitely not as spontaneous as I once thought. BUT it occurred to me today that only two things in life are set in stone: Your birth, and your death....EVERYTHING-And I do mean EVERYTHING-else is subject to change--With no advanced notice.

* A new pet peeve: When someone says "bless you" after a person sneezes and that person doesn't say thank you. Not sure why but that goes all through me.

So, there ya have it...Just a few of my discoveries.

Valentine's Day

This Valentine's Day, no matter what your relationship status, know this:

There is a God that loves you. It's a constant love, a patient love, a deep love, an adoring love.....And He loves you JUST AS YOU ARE!

"I have loved you with an everlasting love." Jeremiah 31:3.

Rest in His Love for you today! Happy Valentine's Day!

And now....We wait!

Over the last three weeks or so, I've noticed a theme in my life: Waiting.

Waiting for that e-mail response, waiting on that phone call, waiting for that text, waiting on that package to arrive in the mail. Waiting, waiting, waiting. It's never been my favorite past time, but seeing as it seems to be happening a lot lately, I think the Lord is trying to give me opportunities to grow in patience, as well as my trust in Him. Knowing that everything will arrive in His perfect timing!

Seems like HE'S waiting on me to learn this lesson....Thankful for His patience and that He waits as long as He has to!

To the First Man That Had My Heart.....

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

I LOVE YOU!

What's The Problem?

Our family has come to the conclusion that my five year old nephew's pre-k class is covering math facts right now. We've decided this because Austin is now constantly coming up to one of us and asking, "do you know what "insert random number here" plus "insert another random number here" is?" and then he will tell us. And he's right! If there's two things people know about me, chances are they are 1) I love Jesus and 2) I HATE Math (in that order). So, the constant and I do mean CONSTANT talk of Math was a bit jarring for this Aunt. That being said, I never want Alexis or Austin to struggle with math the way I did, so if I have to listen to a flow of Math problems for awhile, so be it. Having said that, here is a recent conversation between Austin and myself:

Austin: "Do you know what ten plus ten is?"
Me (playing dumb): "I don't know....What?"
Austin: "Twenty!" (With a huge smile on his face and looking so proud)
Me: "Austin, you are so right! I'm so proud that you know that!"
Austin: "Nat-Nat, you should have learned that in school!"

Out of the mouth of babes....LOL!

Music Monday!

Probably the most beautiful cover of a song I've heard thus far....

Will You Be There by: Boyce Avenue

Available on Itunes! Enjoy!

Another MUST Read....

Wonderful book! You will be left inspired, and wanting to inspire others!

SHINE ON, GABBY!!!!

The "Tooth" of the Matter.....

A week or so before Christmas, I noticed that when I drank cold drinks, one of my upper side teeth hurt. I didn't think much about it, but noticed that over the Christmas holiday's it hurt even more. I had to drink everything out of a straw and position it just right so that it wouldn't hit that side of my mouth. Drinking water was even a problem. When I couldn't even eat the cranberry sauce (one of my favorites) at Christmas dinner because the cold sensation was too agonizing, I began to consider the possibility that a trip to the dentist might be in my future.

Not having dental insurance, I put it off. I switched toothpaste thinking that perhaps I just had a sensitive tooth. When the pain only seemed to worsen after two weeks, I finally gave in and asked Mom to please make me an appointment with her dentist. Surprisingly, I got an appointment for two days after Mom called.

Given the fact that it had been years (at least six or seven) since I'd been to the dentist, we scheduled a full dental check up, in addition to figuring out what the problem was with my tooth. I was nervous, but I was also tired of hurting. I'd never met this dentist and I'm always unsure how they will react to me. I went back to the exam room where his very nice dental hygienist took x-ray's, and as she did, commented on how white and beautiful my teeth were and asked if I bleached them (this question made my entire week. I don't bleach them, but I always wished they LOOKED like I did!) she asked me what the specific problem was. I told her, she made a note and said the dentist would be in shortly.

He was. He came in, introduced myself and sat down. He said, "Natalie, I'm looking at your x-rays and I'm seeing something I don't normally see...." I braced myself as he stared at my x-rays again. "Natalie, you have perfect teeth! No cavities, nothing is broken or chipped. I see nothing here that I can pinpoint as to why you're hurting."

I was stunned. That was NOT what I was expecting! I thought for sure my "no cavity record" had come to an end! He asked a few more questioned then poked and prodded on the tooth I had mentioned. It didn't hurt at the time, (go figure) He asked when my last dental cleaning was and when I told him "years..." he went back to stare at my x-rays. His dental hygienist mentioned something and he said, "No, no evidence of that....I'm telling you, her teeth are perfect!"

He then came around and said that what he thought it was probably inflammation in my gums and said that since it had been so long since my last cleaning, there was problem some build up there causing my gums to hurt and thus, making my tooth hurt, so he asked me to schedule a cleaning and see if that fixed the issue. He put me on an antibiotic to clear the inflammation, and said to that if it kept hurting or there was any swelling or bleeding, to make another appointment and "we'll look again..." I made my dental cleaning appointment, got my prescription, paid, and walked out and gave Mom the news. Her expression cracked me up! Neither of us were expecting such a "perfect" report!
I've been on the antibiotic now for almost a week. There's still some discomfort, but I can definitely tell that the medicine is clearing up whatever the problem was. I can drink whatever I want now without thinking about it and the constant dull ache is now gone. I had the first part of my teeth cleaning yesterday, and go back for my second part in a month. After that, I'll go in every six months for a cleaning and a yearly check up!

I'm BEYOND grateful for such a great report and that everything turned out SO much better than I had originally thought! I kept imagining that tons of dental work would need to be done (especially given how long it had been since I had been to a dentist). My dentist was incredibly nice....Mom said she's been really happy with him as her dentist too, and everyone I've had to deal with has been incredibly helpful and wonderful to me so far. I'm hopeful that the antibiotics are going to take care of my gum inflammation and that I won't have any other reason to go to the dentist except for check ups and cleanings!

A Doggone Special Day....

Happy Birthday, Tazzie Mae!!!!

We Love You SO Much!

So Cute as Parents!

Still My Dream to Meet This Guy

Happy Birthday, Partick Dempsey!

I'm no journalist, BUT....

Everybody is having a field day snickering at Tim Tebow every time he kneels to pray after a game. The radio announcers even did a "Tebow" as they signed off in the studio and were cracking up as they did it.

The thing that gets me is, Tim Tebow is doing this quietly. It's not as if he's purposefully finding a camera to kneel in front of....The cameras find HIM! And later snicker and make jokes about it.

If that were a Muslim who were praying, we wouldn't DARE laugh or make jokes....Because that would be disrespecting and offending their religion. Yet, it's okay for the media to do so to a Christian who quietly takes a moment to kneel? I think not.

Our media needs some brushing up on what it means to be respectful and non biased.

First Words....

Today, Mom and I were talking about how several of Kimberly's friends call her "Kim." This REALLY gets under Mom's skin. Growing up, NOBODY, was allowed to call her Kim....Mom would say, I didn't name her Kim, I named her Kimberly." Kimberly is a lot more lax about it than Mom is (especially after getting married) and occasionally, we do hear friends of hers calling her "Kim" and all eyes instantly go to Mom, who's giving Kimberly, "the look."

For me, Everybody calls me "Nat." In fact, very seldom these days do I hear, "Natalie" and when I do, I always wonder if I'm in trouble. Everyone asks why I can be called Nat, but Kimberly can't be called Kim. We always smile as we share that story.

Being born two and a half months early, I was very tiny (not even two pounds) and very sick. My Grandpa (aka Pop) called the day after I was born to check on me and the first words out of his mouth to my Mom were "How's that Nat?" and it stuck. We tell everyone Pop gave me the nickname. And 99 percent of the people I know, call me that.

As we talked about it, I smiled, and blinked back tears as I thought about how cool it will be if those are the first words out of my Pop's mouth when he greets me in Heaven one day...."How's that Nat?" My answer will probably be muffled as the two of us cling to each other in an incredible hug, but my answer nonetheless will be, "Now....I'm perfect, Pop!"

To The Greatest Woman I Know.....

Happy Birthday, Mom!

WE LOVE YOU!