Shewwww....

Soooo.... what a week it has been and there is still more to come. Mom went into the hospital Monday evening and has had tons of tests performed and we still do not know what is going on with her. It is frustrating, but we also know that the doctors are trying to figure out what is wrong and next steps before telling us anything, but it sure would be nice to at least have an idea of what they are thinking, but that is not to be apparently. It's our hope that she will know something today and have a timeline of when she may get to go home.
Saturday is Jorden's senior prom and I know mom wanted to be home in time for that, but my niece being the precious person that she is has already informed her friends that if Granny is still in the hospital on Saturday they have to all go by and let her see them all dressed up. She is so sweet.
Also this week Nathan will finally get to AR with their moving truck and thankfully with his parents in tow. Tebo and I are taking tomorrow off so we can help unload the truck and get them unpacked and settled. I'm so excited for Candi as she has really missed him. Unfortunately he will have to return to TX most likely on Monday to take his final exam and then return to AR on Wednesday to start his new job. He will be one tired puppy after this week. Luckily we should have all their stuff in place and nothing left to do but relax and enjoy their place come bedtime Friday night. That's my goal and I'm pretty set on reaching my goals every time so they all better be ready to kick it into high gear tomorrow to get it all done. I know we can do it.
Katie has done an amazing job getting things ready for Chad's return from Bridgeport. She had a slight setback yesterday with unexpected expenses due when they move into their new apartment. Luckily she was able to talk to Chad last night and he assured her all would be fine. Just like a good hubby should do. I know she will be so glad to have him back home. Won't be long Katie Bug and he will be there helping you out and giving you that hug you've been waiting for.

Our Parents

We've all been told what it's like when our parents start aging and we begin the process of being care givers for our parents. While my siblings and I aren't completely there yet we are getting our toes in the water some. It makes it even more difficult when there are many miles between us and the burden is left on the shoulders of just one or two of the kids more so than the others. I thought I would take a moment to reflect just a moment on our parents and how much they mean to us.

We are fortunate enough to have our parents and our "bonus" parents and we have been very fortunate in our lives. My mom is in the hospital now and it is up to my sisters in NC to be there for her and help out where they can. She hasn't felt well for quite some time, but she can be quite hard headed (she must get that from my younger sister) so there is no telling how long she has felt like this. We do know she has lost a ton of weight and the doctors are running tests on her now. Our hope is that she will only be in the hospital for a couple of days and then be back home. She has an extra reason to be home in a couple of days because my niece has prom Saturday and Granny will be very disappointed if she isn't there to see her all dressed up. However, Jorden has already informed her friends that in the event she isn't home they will be making a stop at the hospital so Granny can see them. I know she will love that.

Daddy has been doing so much better over this last year, but we still can't help but worry every time he has an off day. He got a good report from the memory center yesterday and we were all so relieved. He tells us all the time that he is doing great and feels fine, but we really believe he only tells us that so we won't schedule him another doctor's appointment. Ha!

Our "bonus" dad has been very healthy over the last few years and we are thankful for that and glad he is able to care for mom as much as he has.

Our "bonus" mom had open heart surgery less than a year ago and she has done a remarkable job of recovering, but it was very scary. She just spends her time taking care of daddy and helping the youngest sister with her kids and just enjoying being Nana.

We are very fortunate that there haven't been more illnesses with our parents and as they do get older I am sure we will face other obstacles as we go along this journey, but the one thing I know for certain is that we have a strong loving family and no matter what comes along we will all be there for each other together and that's what will get us through. I want to pay tribute to all my siblings and thank them for just being who they are and always the ones I can call on should I need them and knowing they will be there means more than any words can express. So with that, I thank you; Clay, Dawn, Rae, Paige, Amanda, and Stacy. I love you all very much and you can always count on me for anything.

Sisters...

Well, we all know when it comes to sisters it can be complicated, but wonderful. I'm fortunate enough to have 4 sisters. This is the order by age that we are; Me, Dawn, Paige, Amanda, & Stacy. We have our little pet names we call each other like all sisters do. Paige is Paigie, Dawn is Dawnie, Amanda is Mana, and Stacy is Bratola. They just call me the princess... Now they may disagree, but secretly I know they think of me as the princess. Usually they just call me Celno (which was my grandmother's name). We are separated by miles, but not in heart. Paige and Amanda are in NC, Dawn is in TN, I am in AR, and Stacy is in OK. We tried to plan a sisters annual trip for this year and I can just tell you trying to get 4 girls together and work around schedules and find locations that everyone was happy with was, well, let me just say, we've decided to start now planning to have our trip next year. Some of us talk every day either by email, phone, or text. Some of us talk at least once a month and sometimes some of us go months without actually talking to each other, but one thing is always certain, we are there when the other needs us. We were all together for Chad and Katie's wedding with the exception of Amanda and we had a ball. I was (of course) an emotional mess with all that was going on, but they were right there to fill my wine glass and make me laugh when things got too serious. I will be there for Paige when her youngest daughter graduates high school in June and I am sure I will need to fill her wine glass and make her laugh. That's just what sisters do. We took pictures while we were together for the wedding and had so much fun. We've shared so much in life together as sisters (good times and bad) and through it all we stand strong. Of course like all siblings can be we get upset with each other or get hurt and hold on to hurt at times, but without fail when we are together or need each other we are always there. Those are things that will never change over the years and I truly believe that over the years and as we get older and wiser we will only be closer and eventually we will manage to have our first annual sisters weekend. Got that girls?

Not exactly my shining moment today

So, anyone who knows me knows I don't cook and when I do attempt it isn't my best. Well, today was no different. I have been fighting a sinus infection so I worked from home today. There were warning signs all over the place today that should have warned me from attempting to cook dinner, but did I listen, NO! I got tired of laying around and thought I would get a jump on laundry. I started a load and just as it was on the last rinse and then to spin the washer went down for the count. I called a neighbor and she let me bringing it over and rinse and spin in her washer (thank you Kristen). I brought it home to dry and thought, oh I will fix dinner so Tebo can eat before his games tonight and Candi wouldn't have to cook since she had a headache. Well, I put a tenderloin in the crock pot with potatoes and mushrooms then came back to work and realized when I was looking for a file for the last 20 minutes I had been looking in the wrong one so I basically did things 2 and 3 times today for everything. Anyway, back to dinner. So I had it timed perfectly so that when Tebo pulled in the driveway I would have dinner on a plate. The only problem with that was.... The meat was tough, the potatoes were crunchy, and the mushrooms had shriveled up. Hmmm... maybe they won't notice. Wrong! I should have known my gourmet cook would pick up on those little tid bits and sure enough he did. Well, we tried cooking the potatoes longer in the microwave in hopes that we could salvage dinner, but no such luck. Needless to say, Tebo had a protein shake and Candi and Trevor made jelly and peanut butter sandwiches. Sorry guys. Not my best effort.

Tia Bia...

Tia, our middle daughter, is such a doll. She is caring and giving and such a hard worker. She would like to make you think that she is tough as nails and while she is a tough cookie, she has a very tender heart. She is great with kids and do anything for anyone. She has her own apartment and loves it. She works full time and has a new boyfriend that we can't wait to meet. She is a daddy's girl for sure and he loves that girl big time. He really misses her a lot and doesn't get to talk to her or see her near as much as he would like, but he takes what he can get. She and Alex will be here for Memorial Day weekend. This will be the first time we've met Alex, but I feel like I already know him through her. She had a very exciting high school graduation. There were tornadoes all around the night before and most of the city was without power so they moved graduation to the football field. It all turned out just fine and made for an interesting story they will all be able to tell their children one day (many days away yet we hope). She is so responsible for her age and Trevor absolutely adores her. They are very close and I really think it's been so hard for him living here because she isn't with him. It's very sweet. She is beautiful. She doesn't think she is, but you can see for yourself that she really is. We don't know what the future holds for Tia, but whatever she does she will do well and with an amazing attitude. We would love (selfishly) to have her move here as well, but we don't believe that will ever happen so for now we will be satisfied with our visits when we get them.

Trevor last year of junior high

So Trevor just spent two years of Junior High in Arkansas and will start high school in Vernon, TX. It's been an interesting and yet odd couple of years. 7th grade he seemed really excited about being here but wouldn't really get engaged with anyone or anything at school. He wanted to move back to TX, but after summer came back here. We were shocked, but thrilled. 8th grade has ended up being much better and he has gotten involved with plays at school and hanging out with friends on weekends and is even on his 2nd girlfriend of the year. We are so glad, but saddened that he is giving all this up to return to TX, but we know he has to be happy to continue to grow and become a young man. He has gone from his natural brown hair to black and while he has had many hair cuts since coloring his hair it still looks pretty dark. Kids and their hair... He has attended two weddings of siblings, been to my sister's 40th birthday party, went on a cruise with us all since moving here. We've had a busy couple of years. Sadly he lost his grandmother last year and it was very sad. He was very close to her and she loved him so much. His grandmother gave me the sweetest tea cup with a bear in it one time with "smile" on the front. She told me to put it in the kitchen and every time I saw it know she was thinking of me and to smile. I did that until the holidays came along and I knew they would be difficult for him so I took it to him and asked if he remembered where I got it and he said yes, my MeMe gave it to you. I said yes she did and I think you could use it more right now and she would be happy for you to have it, because I know holidays are really hard (especially the first ones) without her so I gave it to him and he keeps it in his room where he can see it every day. He has a big heart and I know he looks at it and thinks of her. He will be leaving us the weekend of June 12th and we will go back to seeing him on holidays and vacations and any time we can swing a visit, but he knows the door is open should he change his mind. As long as he is happy, we are happy.

Candi & Nathan Wedding & Update

April 2009 was a busy fun month. Candi and Nathan are getting married in Amarillo, TX so we leave NW Arkansas and swing through Vernon, TX to pick up Tia and we head to Amarillo. They had the ceremony and reception at the same location and the wedding was outside. It was beautiful. The weather was perfect. It was suppose to be very windy and chance of rain, but it turned out perfect. The night before we had tornadoes and tons of rain, but the Lord just wanted to get that out of the way so they could have a perfect wedding day. Her dress was beautiful and Nathan was very handsome. She had her sisters in the wedding and the brothers were ushers. She had her daddy and her "Bonus" dad walk her down the aisle. After the wedding we had wonderful food and good music. They did a great job. Her mom did most of the work and she did a great job. I can't imagine the hours of work that went into all they did. Candi and Nathan waited August to take their honeymoon and while the weather didn't cooperate they still had a great time. It was fun had by all at the wedding and we are looking forward to them starting their new chapter of their married lives here in Arkansas.

Chad & Katie Wedding and Update

Here it is, September 2009 and we are having wedding. We did the wedding all on our own. Katie, her mom, myself, and Tebo did most of the leg work while Chad was still in Iraq. He pitched in and helped with anything that was left once he returned. It was beautiful. The weather couldn't have been better and without our family and friends that pitched in with the food preparation and the reception it wouldn't have been as wonderful as it was. We had the ceremony at Bogle Gardens in Bentonville and the reception at the Boyett house. It was so much fun with getting ready. Katie decided to get ready at our house and we sent the guys to my sister's house. We had so much fun. I was able to be a part of the entire thing and I don't think many "Bonus" moms get that honor. I will never forget it. Chad wore his dress blues and oh my, how handsome he was. Katie's dress was absolutely perfect for her and she was beautiful. The mother of the bride found her dress first and it was gorgeous so then the pressure was on me. I was scared to wear anything that would offend Katie or her mom and still wanted to look nice and of course in my fashion I finally found a dress with 30 minutes left before the store closed and the week before the wedding. Shewww... that was close. I really think that everything turned out beautifully. Just see a few pictures for yourself.

The year that changed our lives....

Well, 2008 was a life changing year for us. Our oldest son, Chad joined the Marine Corps and deployed to Iraq. He is so amazing. He's done such a great job since being in the Corps and is truly setting the stage now for a wonderful future for he and Katie. We are so proud of him. He has been promoted to Lance Corporal now and any day now will take Corporal. He returned from Iraq in September 2009 and 2 weeks later he married his sweetheart who stood by him faithfully while deployed. I made a promise to him before he deployed that I would take good care of Katie while he was gone so I did the best job I could. We got very close and she even allowed me to participate in planning and throwing her wedding and even picking out the dress. It was amazing. I will have a wedding album for them on this site so feel free to check them out. They were beautiful if I must say so myself. He had to return to base just a week after their wedding and she was able to join him less than 3 weeks later. They have started their married life in California on base at Camp Pendleton and will soon be moving off base into an apartment. As much as we hate they are so far away I'm glad if they had to be anywhere they could be in beautiful California. Their plans are to return to Arkansas when his contract is up and start the next chapter of their life together here. He will have one more deployment some time this year and shortly after that he would have fulfilled his 4 year contract and will opt to get out and most likely work in law enforcement in some capacity.

Our oldest daughter, Candi, also got married in 2009 six months before Chad and Katie. She and Nathan married in Amarillo, TX and began their married life there, but as Nathan completed another semester of college (all along still working full time) they decided that they were in a good time of their life to relocate and loved NW Arkansas and made the decision to move here. Nathan got a transfer with his job and Candi is currently looking for a job. She moved here approximately 3 weeks ago to look for a job and Nathan is joining her next week. We can't wait for him to arrive and I know she is thrilled beyond words. They found a place to live and we will be moving them in next week. They are a precious couple and love each other so much. They will do great things together as they continue to grow together.

Our youngest son, Trevor, has been very involved with school this year and on Face Book (big time). He is in a school play and has a girlfriend (well, a 2nd one in a month) and seems to be very happy. 14 is such a funny age with relationships. They will break up today and before they are home for dinner the next day they are back together. They can break up with one today and be with someone new tomorrow. Ahh... young love.

Our middle daughter, Tia, is such a sweet soul. She is so mature for 19 and such a work horse. She was a manager at a grocery in TX and recently got a new job at a bank there. She has such a great work ethic and a good heart. She is dating this new guy, Alex, and she seems the happiest we've ever seen her. We are anxious to meet him over Memorial Day weekend. As long as he treats her right and takes care of her I know we will love him.

We are truly blessed with the kids we have and the families we share. My husband, Tebo, is just amazing. He loves me and loves all our kids and takes such good care of us all. We both work at Tyson Foods and everyone that works with him or for him just respect him more than I've ever seen. I couldn't be more proud of him. So, that was our crazy last 1 1/2 years and I look forward to what awaits us ahead.

Boyett Family

Well, here is my first attempt at blogging. I have so many family and friends that are spread from West Coast to the East Coast and all between that I thought this would be a fun and easy way to keep all updated on the latest going ons in the Boyett home. We have a fabulous family. I am the oldest of 8 kids (one is sadly no longer with us) and while we are all in different locations we are still very close and would be there no matter what if we were needed. That's what family is all about. I am married to a wonderful man. It took me a few tries to finally find my prince, but thank the good Lord above I finally did. He has a wonderful family that has just taken me into their hearts and I can't imagine my life without any of them now. It's as though we've just always been family. We have some terrific kids. Our oldest son is a Marine and stationed at Camp Pendleton in CA. He is married to the sweetest girl, Katie and she loves him so much. She makes it a little easier for mom to be in AR while he is in CA or deployed. Our oldest daughter is married and they have just (actually still in the process) of relocating from Amarillo, TX to AR just blocks away from us. We are thrilled. Our middle daughter lives in Vernon, TX and we miss her terribly. She is an amazing young lady with a heart as big as TX. She will be visiting in May and bringing her new boyfriend for us to meet for the first time. I've promised her that her daddy will be nice to him and not scare him too terribly. Our youngest son has been living with us for 2 years and it has been great seeing Tebo's eyes light up having his son with him every day. He is 14 and after summer will be a freshman in high school. It's a tough age that's for sure and it's hard to know where you really want to land so he has decided to move back to Vernon, TX once school is out and attend high school in TX. We support his decision even though we will miss him being here. We've had quite a year in 2009 and I will share that on my next blog. Bare with me as I get my feet wet with my first ever blog and hopefully as more practice I get the better writer I will become. Well, a girl can dream can't she? Later.