Our Surprise Get A Way for the Birthday Girl

Well this past weekend we had our surprise Birthday get-a-way for Karmen and 5 friends and I think it went well. We left here Friday afternoon around 4:50 after we had a wild hunt for Karmen's dog that thought he needed to run away(not part of the plan but did add adventure lol) and arrived at The Alluvian in Greenwood around 6. The girls were excited as well as myself cause I had never been there but had always heard how nice it was. We got checked in and went to eat at Webster's. Then we returned back to the Hotel Lobby to wait on Becca. When she arrived we went to the room to spill the beans on what all we were doing during our stay.

I laughed so hard when we got back to the room cause we had asked when we left for them to bring a cot to the girls room so they could all have a place to sleep and when we opened the door it was the "BIGGEST" cot I've ever seen. It was more like they rolled a twin bed in LOL. The girls were like WOW that's a COT.

Our activities included getting up on Saturday morning eating Breakfast and then going on The Help Tour, Shopping on the strip by the Hotel, Touring Viking, Getting Manicures(by the lady that happened to do the nails of the ladies in the movie "The Help") and then finishing it off with dinner at The Crystal Grill.

When we arrived home some girls on the trip had never seen "The Help" so we popped it in and and watched it.

We had a great time and I'm so thankful that Karmen has the GREAT group of friends that she does. I am also VERY THANKFUL for a wonderful husband and Loving Dad who made sure that the girls had the best time possible.

Someone in our house turned the "Big 18" today!!!!!

Happy 18th Karmen - We Love You

Wow it just seems like yesterday I was a scared 19 year old anxiously awaiting the arrival of my firstborn. A baby girl. I was so nervous that I was going to do things wrong or just not know how to be a mother. But God trusted me with you and Blessed me with a healthy beautiful 9 lb bundle of joy. Although the delivery was a little rocky we both come out great and you were born on Jan 5th 1994 at 6:05 p.m.

I always thought that it would just be the two of us we would be - 2 Peas in A Pod. It was hard at times but we held on to each other and that's what made us the "Best Friends" we are today. We were content just being us and lived that way until 2004 when God decided it was time for us to be BLESSED with a wonderful man.

Robert has stepped in from the VERY beginning and been the BEST dad any mom could ask for. He as well as his family has loved us and treated Karmen like she was part of the family from day one. We were truly blessed by being invited to join the Hawkins family. Again, I thought it would just now be the 3 of us - The 3 Muskateer's but yet again God had another plan.

He knew that Karmen would be such a Godly role model and would make a mighty fine big sister so he sent us an Angel that looks up to her "SISSY" for EVERYTHING. From as little as turning on Elmo to as big as kissing her "boo-boo". Let me say she might not have been happy about this little sister at first but she wouldn't trade her for nothing NOW.

As the last 2 years to say the least have been "Rocky" Karmen decided to lay back kick up her heels and deal with it. She has kept her faith in God and grown so much. When times would get hard she would say it's okay God has a plan. NO she's not perfect but she is EVERY mother's dream and I am so Thankful God chose me to be called her "mommy"

So as that sweet baby girl starts making plans to graduate look out Milsaps and look out world. She has big dreams, plans and goals and with the love of family, God's help and Faith she will go far and accomplish them all. As I want to stop time and enjoy her still sitting in my lap or wanting me to come lay in bed so we can talk I know I have to Let Go and Let God and just as he trusted me with this Precious Angel 18 yrs ago I will trust him with her future.

I will close in saying I love her forever and a day cause that has no end and I am one PROUD mommy.

Why I Haven't Posted Lately

Wow as I looked on my blog last night I realized it has been well over a year since I had posted ANYTHING. Sorry :( But let me say it has been one wild ride. Last post I wrote was about Karmen being sick. Well since that post she has had her spleen removed and been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Hadleigh has had a broke arm and been wild. Robert has been about the same except maybe a little more gray hair. I have gotten a job at PDS Preschool Program and we have just been GOING GOING GOING. But I have missed writing and sharing funnies so I promise it will not be that long before I post again. This month will be fun with two birthday's Karmen's is tomorrow and Hadleigh's is the 18th so I will keep you up on all of this.

After reading Mollye's post yesterday I was so inspired to get back Blogging so I will see you soon... Thanks Mollye

My Girls

Wow - Hadleigh turned 4 months on Tuesday. Where has the time gone? She is so funny got her on little personality going and wants things done her way. Can you say just a little spoiled? But I can't or won't complain cause I did it. I sit and think it won't be long and she will be following her sissy's EVERY move. So enjoy while I can, huh? Doesn't seem like her sissy is 16 and will be a JUNIOR next school year. My heart breaks she will be graduated and gone before I know it. :( We are just trying to make MEMORIES with both the girls that we can sit back MANY years from now laughing about things that we did. (Like blowing and waving at people we think we know. LOL You will have to ask Karmen about this one.)

Speaking of sissy(Karmen) she has mommy a little nervous - no she's not out doing anything she shouldn't, she is sick. She started going down the 1st of January and just can't get back to where she needs to be. I noticed her just being tired all the time and just always looking pale. We went from being a very active teen to not wanting to do anything but rest. So we decided it was time to go see the doctor. We were told she was severe anemia and low vitamin D and they put her on some medicine. Then the 1st of march she came to me in the middle of the night and said it felt like her stomach was about to explode so at 2 in the morning her and I took of to Jackson. We were told that she had a colic stomach and need to see a Pediatric Gastro Dr. Thank God we were able to see her the next day due to a cancellation and that's where it ALL begin to go downhill. She did blood work and scheduled a upper and lower scope for the 24th of March. We were called 2 days after the blood work and was told blood work was bad and couldn't wait till the 24th so we were told to go to local Dr and have blood work drawn just to make sure it wasn't an era somewhere. So we went and again it came back bad so we were sent to another Dr to have a Bone Marrow done. Can you say freaking out at this point? Bone Marrow came back normal so we had Scope done the next day where we were diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Which wasn't unknown to us since I have the same disease. However, Karmen is on a scale of 1 to 10 hers is and 11. So not only dealing with severe Anemia, low Vitamin D, Dangerously low Platelets now we add this. So along with a very STRICT diet we are now taking 7 pills. Well this has rocked on and Platelets had gotten a little higher as well as the Iron and Vitamin D but when we went to Dr. last week we were told everything had started to decline again and had the Dr a little nervous. So we left with things to watch for and a appointment in two weeks. Well yesterday we stared seeing some signs that we were told to watch so we called Dr and they are putting Karmen in the Hospital on Monday to run some test to see if we can FIND the problem.

As a mother to 2 Beautiful and VERY special girls my heart is heavy and a little anxious and trying hard to be strong for her. I know that God is here and he will take care of us all but it is hard to give this to him and not want to fix it yourself. (But I'm doing it)

Karmen my first born is my BEST friend and my heart. We have been through things that have made the bond SO strong nothing or no one can take that away. I am so thankful God put a wonderful man in my life who will hold BOTH our hands through this storm in our life and I know that we will ALL come out of this with a great testimony.

So as you say your prayers Remember us and pray that whatever it is we can and will deal with it through the love of God and our friends and family - We just want an ANSWER. Also remember that bad things happen to good people all the time.

Thanks and God Bless

Glad To Be A Golden Eagle Fan

Robert and I attended the banquet at the Casino last night and had a GREAT time. We were both excited because we were going to meet the coach of USM. To some it may not be a big deal but to very big Southern Miss fans it was a huge deal. We met Coach Fedora at the VIP Social and then during the Banquet we were seated with him and had dinner. Later we had the chance to hear him speak and what a good job he done. The when all was over and everyone was talking and standing around the unexpected happened. The coach was talking with us and we were telling him what a big fan Karmen was and how much she loved football and the next thing we know we was calling her on the phone and Coach Fedora was talking to her about football. Again you might say no big deal but again I say to a 16 year old who is VERY much into USM football she was ECSTATIC. This made her night. What a great guy he is and if we were not already USM fans this would have made me change schools I cheered for in a heartbeat. GO EAGLES!!!!!!