What time is it?

Wow! It feels like an eternity since we packed up and left for Las Vegas and even longer since I have seen my son! I am still partly bed ridden with the flu, however, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and am now in serious cleaning mode to prepare for my sweet little Ben to come home! I talked to him today and he sounds so big and clearly misses me NONE!

Ben: Hey Mamma!

Me: Hi, baby! Mommy misses you!

Ben: Ok, Bye Mommy!

hmmm...not quite the longing in his voice that I had imagined.

Vegas was a great trip. Kevin and I needed the getaway and until I became disease stricken, had a really great time. Kevin won 2007 Outstanding Producer of the Year and 2007 Mid Market Star Performance Award! Hurray for Kevin! I am so very proud of him. Attached is a picture of us at his Awards dinner at Tao on Thursday night.

Hope everyone is well and expect more when I get my child back!

We're Home

We are back in Texas and I now have the FLU! Get your flu shots people. This is miserable. 8 days and counting since I have seen my Ben and I still have a couple of days to go!

One of My "Nevers"

Hello all - just taking a break here in Vegas while Kevin is in his meetings and after walking the strip this morning I found another one of my life's "nevers". Kevin and I like to play, "I would never..." and then it goes into discussions of "you should never say never..." but as I passed a sign for a new restaurant at the Flamingo, I can honestly tell you that I will NEVER eat seafood at a restaurant called "The Cockeyed Clam"!!!!!!!

OH ITS ON!

So my new friend Leslie Petree has this little blogging rivalry with one of her friends on who has the cheesiest and most humiliating songs on their iPods. While I am not humiliated by my playlists (all of my songs are fab!) I do have some cheesy songs that require more of "unique" taste in music. So here goes:

Xanadu (the entire soundtrack)
Can't Keep It In - Cat Stevens (actually I have every one of his songs)
Evergreen - Barbara Streisand (A Star is Born soundtrack)
High School Never Ends - Bowling for Soup
Beat So Lonely - Charlie Sexton
Never Say Goodbye - Bon Jovi
Home Sweet Home - Motley Crue
Something to Believe In - Poison
18 & Life - Skid Row
7 - Prince

Now these are just the most blatantly cheesy. We haven't even begun to discuss my list of current "pop" cheese. Perhaps for another post?!

For a good read and a good laugh, visit Leslie's blog, Diary of a Southern Drama Queen. Leslie, I expect full recognition for shaming you all with my list!

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted...

Vacation, have to get away...

Oh happy day! We leave for Las Vegas on Monday for an entire week. We are mixing work and pleasure and tearing up "Sin City" Bredemeyer Style! It is the longest I have ever been away from Ben, so it is a little bit of a bittersweet event, but I am sure he and I will both be just fine! Expect lots of stories and photos upon our return! I hope everyone has a great week!

Kate Alexandra

Hello everyone! My dear friends Chris & Rebecca just added a new addition to their family. Kate Alexandra arrived on Tuesday, January 15th at 5:11 p.m. She is 6 lb. 9 oz., 19 1/2" long. They came home from the hospital yesterday afternoon. Everyone is doing well. Big hugs and kisses to Chris, Rebecca, Caroline & Kate!

Praise For Kevin

So Kevin read my post. Hurt and bewildered he emailed me his concerns that I am bothered by him every night and that I left out his wonderful act of kindness last night. So here it is...

I have been feeling down, low, "sickish", just haven't had both oars in the water, at all! So Kevin came home at 4:30 and took Ben on a "Daddy and Me" outing to PetSmart, the grocery store and out to eat so that I could lay in bed and rest! And I have to say I do feel much better today! Big snaps for Kevin!!! (I told you all that he was sometimes a better Mommy than I am!)

All About My Boys???

So last we left, I was going on and on about my hair. Anyone who has talked to me on the phone or in person can attest to the fact that is really all I have had to say in a while. And in reviewing my original post I promised to tell you all about my boys. But yet, I have drifted off to talk about ME! Not surprising, but I will try and focus!

Nothing really new in the land of testosterone overload. Just your basic "let's gang up on Mommy because she is a girl" type of activity.

I praised my son daily for being such a good "talker" (not entirely grammatically correct, but "You speak so well" didn't sound like something you'd say to a toddler) Every day I would encourage and work with him to make certain that he spoke clearly and precisely and every day I was beaming more with joy than I could ever imagine. For this activity I am now being punished.

Ben: Mommy, whas dat?

Me: That's a hanger for my sweater.

Ben: A hanguh for your setter?

Me: Yes

Ben: Mommy? Mommy?

Me: Yes, Ben

Ben: Was dat?

Me: That's a hanger for my sweater.

Ben: A hanguh for your setter?

Me: Yes

Ben: Mommy? Mommy?

AHHHHHHHHHH! This went on for more than five minutes. With each item that I hung, he'd pull out a hanger and ask what it was.

Fast forward - Daddy is home! Praise God! I love 6:00 p.m. - I totally check out! Not all night, but for a bit! I get supper on the table, clean the kitchen, chat on the phone, check email - whatever I want! So Daddy's been on bathtub duty because I have extended my free time a little too long. Bad Mommy. So I walk in the bathroom and I see my husband leaning on the counter facing the tub about 5 feet away saying, "Ok - here it comes again!" Ben burst into laughter and I hear "SPLASH!" More laughter. I walk in and Kevin is throwing this big super bouncy ball (Thank you Maggie) into the tub. Not a toss, really a throw. Ben loves it and throws it back. Kevin throws it again. More laughter. More water. So Ben cocks his arm, arches his back and throws the ball as hard as he can. SMACK! Right into the side of the cabinet. The ball hurls back and SMACK! right into the shower door. It ricochets off the shower door and I hear PLUNK! into the toilet. My sweet husband turns to me and says, "That's Ok, Mommy will get it!" Then he smiles and walks out the door. So I am now left to fish the ball out of the toilet, wash it off and then have pointed out to me by the small man how incompetent I am in my throwing abilities, how I don't do it like Daddy and how we will NOT get out of the tub. Thanks, Daddy!

Fast forward - Bedtime! Here we go again...

Ben: Mommy? Whah happen?

Me: With what, sugar?

Ben: Wha happen?

Me: With what?

Ben: Mommy? Mommy? Mommy?!?!?

Me: What is it Ben?

Ben: Whas dat?

Me: What's what, Ben?

AHHHHH - Why do I play this game?

So Kevin puts Ben down to bed. At last peace and quiet. I am laying in bed, counting my sheep and my blessings, just about to drift off...

Kevin: Hun?

Me: WHAT?!?!

Kevin: Did you want some cookies?

Me: NO!

Kevin: Do you need me to set my alarm?

Me: Yes.

Kevin: Did Bagger chew his bone?

Me: No

Kevin: Did you feed him?

AHHHHHHHHH - STOP TALKING TO ME!!!!!!

My New Hair

Why do women immediately want to completely change their hair when they go through some sort of internal crisis? Why is it when we feel a little fat, a little tired, a little frumpy we want to immediately and completely change our hair? Well, who cares why...it makes us feel better. In an effort to maintain my own youth and beauty I have been laboring over a new hairdo for MONTHS now. I researched all the hairdressers in Abilene and the Metroplex that my friends use searching for the hippest, the coolest...the best! I searched online for my new hair and decided to cut it all off! No more would I drag myself around town in yoga pants with my hair pulled back! I would be sleek, sophisticated, stylish! Of course in my new hair fantasy, I would have 30 lbs cut off with my locks. After my research I found Toby Vernay at Jacques & Vernay in dear old downtown Abilene. He's weird. He's quirky. He cuts hair like Edward Scissorhands. But he's smarter than me. He talked me out of chopping off my hair for now and HE decided that I should look like this! I am elated with the color and really do love the cut. Hurray for Toby and his magic scissors! Note: I realize I look a little rough in this photo but we're focusing on the HAIR, not the makeup or lack thereof!

Boot Camp

So as most of you know, I am participating in the Everfit Boot Camp 2 Week Intensive. Every morning at 5:30 a.m. I haul my tired a$$ to ACU (that's a 20 minute drive) to try and get my self into a new shape. I say new shape because the shape I currently am is ROUND, so I would like a new one! This morning was our first day and I slept last night like I was having some sort of surgery today. I tossed and turned until 1:00 and then finally fell soundly asleep until my alarm went off at 4:20. The workout wasn't terrible, but I remind myself that today was "testing day" so I'll wait before I get too proud of myself. I think the worst part right now is the mental part of getting up, working out for an hour, driving all the way home and the sun STILL not being up. That and my two boys are sleeping soundly. I am jealous. But I know that the next two weeks will help me to be a better mother and wife. A tired mother and wife, but perhaps physical exhaustion will be a little better than mental exhaustion. Oh and before you ask...the answer is NO! There will be no pictures of me in my 5:00 a.m. workout gear! You'll just have to trust me that no one will be asking me to film an exercise video anytime soon!

Update on Ron

My father-in-law continues his chemo for LMS. His attitude is amazing and is a constant inspiration to us all. Even on his "not so perky" days he does not complain, rests when he should and continues with his daily life. Please remember him in your prayers. Here is his latest email update:


Wow! What a blessed CHRISTmas and New Year. The Lord scheduled it so I would be drug free during Christmas holiday. We had a great celebration with all the kids and grandkids here for several days and lots of good food.
Now 2/3 through the second round of chemo, I have only one more three week session to go before we return to MDA for evaluation of the chemo effects. Because of all the prayers by you guys, I have been able to maintain a fairly normal work schedule and feel great during the holidays.
I have now learned that bald is beautiful. It allows me to sleep later in the morning because I don't have to get up early enough to shave or comb my hair. What a blessing.
Words can never express my sincere thanks for all the prayers and contacts. I has been a real joy to hear from so many of you. A constant reminder of God's love for each one of us.
The remaining prayer request at this point is that this chemo regime is working and the tumor is being reduced as we speak. Surely it cannot survive all the prayers and chemicals that are aimed at it. We are believing for that result when we go to MDA on the 30-31 of January.
Brenda and I are praying for each of you: A Most Blessed and Prosperous 2008.
Love to All,
Ron and Brenda