Dinner Time...

We have the best time at our house during dinner!

From the mouths of babes....

While looking at a great picture of Jeff and I from our wedding day, Lilly had some priceless words. "Mommy, your belly is big. Was I in there at the wedding?" Well, no Lilly, you weren't but thank you for pointing out how beautiful I looked on my wedding day. And for those of you who are counting, it was nine months and six days later. Thank you very much!

Still feel yuck... And a goodbye...

I am still sick. I have a fever of 101 and am achy and for some reason ravenously hungry. My husband is coming home today after a 24 hour trip to do something fun. I know, I should have asked him to stay home but I was fine and he will be home in an hour or so with some really trashy food for me to eat so I can lie in bed for the rest of the day and night so I can get back to my life tomorrow.

Instead of watching my beloved Golden Girls all morning which usually would have made me feel better, I read blogs. Hundreds of blogs. There are millions of them out there and so far, I have found some great ones. If I didn't feel like I was run over by a car, I would share them with you. Maybe tomorrow.

Fine, here are a couple:
Doc's Sunrise Rants. She seems a little angry, but she explains that.
I Am Bossy: Cracks me right up and actually made me forget I was sick.
Erin Vey: Come on! Pictures of dogs. What isn't healing about that?

Speaking of cars, mine is going goodbye. My 2007 Volvo S40's lease is up and we are giving it back. We don't need two cars. We have Jeff's 2004 Nissan Xterra and it is actually more suited to carry around my kids, all their gear and me. Since Jeff mainly works from home, he can go days without needing his car. I keep telling myself all these things, but the honest truth is that I will miss my Volvo. It carried my babies around for three years, endured cheerios in every crevice, pacifier throwing, a colicky baby for six months, being mistaken for a trash can on more than one occasion and she even kept my children and I alive after a horrible accident. I will miss her.

I look forward to making some money at my new job for many reasons. Right up there on top of the list of things I need to buy with my new found fortune is my actual dream car. I have to get healthy so I can actually work so I can make that money so I can get my car! I guess I could stop reading blogs, or writing my own blog and work instead but I don't have the energy! :)

Just because... The Bubba makes me smile....

Brothers...

My dad's new book is available for preorder .
I am reading it, and so are many others.

It's a glorious, well written book about my dad and his family. How he and his brothers and sister grew up POOR in Eastern North Carolina is just the beginning. It is about the love a mother and father, a commitment to education and a remembrance of those who taught understanding and family loyalty.

I once wrote about a woman who started a blog about her family, specifically about her husband and the accidental life she inherited when she married him. She started telling her story through her blog over three years ago. The result of writing about cooking and her life on her ranch turned into a phenomenon. Recently, her cookbook was published and it turns out this woman is beloved by those whom have gotten to know her through her blog. The book is #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover advice and a recent giveaway on her blog turned out over 13,000 comments.

I hope this success for my dad, and this book. Not for glory for my dad, because he would hate that, but for the book and all it has to teach us. Along with all the other things I have going on in my life, I will try to make this happen.

I got's the pneumonias

So, after a weekend of coughing and trying to pretend all was well, I finally went back to the doctor to be told I have pneumonia. "It depends on who you see." Well that sounds a little wonky. Anyway, my dad told me about nine million times this morning to be aggressive. So guess what, I was aggressive. Told the doctor I had two children, four and one, and couldn't mother them if I continued to feel this way. I got antibiotics and an inhaler and was told to buy Mucinex. I feel complete health is right around the corner. Thanks dad! I was aggressive, and I am proud!

Speaking of my dad... His book, Brothers, A Somewhat True Memoir has me in tears. Happy tears mind you and not a result of my sickness or being tired. I am in awe of him and his brothers; my uncles. So far, my favorite visual from the beautiful narrative is one of my grandfather, whom I never had the privilege of meeting, going to ECU, overalls and all, to see my Uncle Raz to give him $20 so he could pledge a fraternity. What a beautiful moment.

I am proud to be an Autry!

An emotional crazy day

I had the privilege of sharing time with some wonderful women for brunch. These ladies are all connected to me through the wonderful Rosie. She passed away just over a year ago and we continue to try to make time for eachother while we celebrate her life. Her sister is one of the ring leaders making sure we get together at least every six months. She too is a cancer survivor and as of today, has a CLEAN bill of health. Thank you Lord!

This wonderful brunch was followed by the craziest phone call from an old family friend, the father to one of my oldest friends who really is no longer my friend. This woman is not in my life because of one too many burnt bridges and just plain insanity. Turns out, she needs help. She is on her way to a very long journey of discovering sobriety. I hope beyond hope that she finally finds some peace. I want this for her, but remain extremely skeptical if she wants it for herself or if she is just searching for a way out of whatever she did to her life this time.

I arrived home from the spectacular brunch with the ladies, and the mind-blowing phone call from the Old Family Friend, to find Family Football Sunday in full force.

I remain so happy that this is my life, my family and my journey. This is my home and my heart!

I'm sick....

I have had a fever and a horrible cough for three days now. I realize this is nothing to those of you out there whom are suffering from horrible diseases, or just the regular flu and are going on day ten. However, for me, I am suffering. I am a BABY. I demand 100% attention at all times, but still like to pretend I can do it all. I screamed at Jeff for like thirty minutes yesterday because he wasn't being nice enough to me. Poor poor man.

I think I am on the mend. After a trip to Urgent Care to have the doctor tell me I might have pneumonia, but oh no, it's not pneumonia but an upper respiratory infection and here are some very lame drugs to maybe help. Why don't they just start out giving you cough medicine with codeine so you don't have to go back to the doctor because you are still coughing and can't sleep. Oh, maybe that is the rub... More money.

Actually, I am getting better and am cooking dinner. I am ready to go to bed and wake up and feel just fine tomorrow. Wish me luck!