Busy Busy Busy

Everytime someone asks me how I've been my answer is always simply, "busy". I feel like I haven't had a second to myself or my family in quite some time. I calculated that just this week, I have worked around 55 hours and mind you....I'm not a doctor or lawyer, just an elementary school teacher and cheer coach! The next time someone tells me that I have the perfect "family job", I think I may just donkey punch them! People that don't teach really have NO CLUE what it's like. Yeah, yeah, I know you may be thinking oh hush, you have the summers off...blah,blah,blah! BUT, what other job do you know that you often have to take home with you {when I get done with this, I have to input grades}. You don't get to clock out at a certain time everyday. It's just when you get your work done, which often includes LOTS of late days. If you/your child is sick or you can't be there, you have to go up to the school and make sub plans (which take at LEAST 1 hour) and someone has to line up the sub for you and lots of times you have obligations on that day, which makes you feel guilty as well or just makes it impossible to do! It's just really frustrating at times, especially when you have weeks like I've had lately where I've probably seen my daughter about 5 hours total for the week. No exaggeration! It's been something every.single.day!

Monday night - ballgames after school @ Randolph, got home 10 p.m. {Albrey was asleep-didn't see her that day}
Tuesday - she got sick w/ the croup, so I had to leave a meeting and pick her up from Lindsey to take her to the dr., but she slept pretty much the whole day so I didn't really see her much at all! Wednesday - meeting after school - picked her up from Mom and she fell asleep early from being exhausted...I probably saw her 1 hour that night
Thursday - ballgames @ New Hope, got home 10 p.m. {Albrey::asleep-didn't see her that day}
Friday - Zach's Christmas party - saw Albrey for 1 hour once I picked her up from Lindsey & Jeff before dropping her off at Mom's
Saturday {today} - Zach got her from Mom's and then an hour later I had to leave and go to the New Market Christmas Parade for cheerleading/basketball float
*On a positive note-We did finish about 90% of our Christmas shopping this afternoon and we all went together!! Then, we went to her Nana & Pop's {Zach's parents} to visit & watched Mark Ingram win the Heisman!!!! So proud!

But, do you see my quandry....I'm so tired of always missing my family! I miss my little girl so much and I just feel like I am missing so much of her life! I feel like NO ONE understands what I'm going through. I'm sure someone out there does, it just doesn't seem like it!
I'm ready for things to slow down a bit, no make that ALOT so that I can enjoy life....right now I just feel like I'm rushing through it. I feel like I'm living a single girl's life because I'm NEVER home and I never get to relax and spend time with the people in my life who are the most important! Okay, so if you haven't noticed I'm venting/complaining.....SORRY! Sometimes though, I feel that if I don't let it out I will just explode...so there it was!

Now let me spend just a little time on a different note praising my bestie!!!! I'm very blessed to know some great people in my life and I have a very small number of really close friends. One that has taken the cake this week is LINDSEY!!!!! She has been such a HUGE blessing in my life! She's always been so wonderful, but she has really helped out so much lately! You see, my mother-in-law used to keep Albrey for us, but she had to have back surgery a week ago which has her unable to lift things, especially my chunk, for at least 6 weeks. So, my bestie Lindsey agreed to keep Albrey for us during this time. Lindsey keeps her at home with her for the most part with her 2 girls Avery and Hannah, but takes her to MDO where she works on Tue, Wed, Thur. Well, this week when Albrey got sick I had NO CLUE what I was gonna do b/c the dr. said that Alb shouldn't go to MDO and I had something everyday that I had to do at work so I couldn't take off, plus Zach can't get off since he just started a new job! Unfortunately, Avery {Lindsey's 4 yr. old} was also sick so they had to stay home as well, but L offered to keep Alb with them too. My mom also helped out by taking off on Thursday to keep Albrey so that Lindsey could have a break....she had 2 out of 3 kids on steroids...the girl needed a break! So, L has been a MVP this week by keeping my baby even though she was sick!

However, one thing that's not so great, is that Avery is pretty sick right now. She has asthma and it's really bothering her. She has been hospitalized for her asthma a few times and even in the ICU....keep in mind the girl is only 4 years old {almost 5}! The last time was in September, she didn't even get to come to Alb's b-day party which was so sad! The poor thing, she is such a fighter, but that asthma is just so tough. Right now, she is fighting through, but I know how scared Jeff and Lindsey are b/c they know if she goes downhill she will have to go to the hospital. So, the whole reason that I am posting this is to ask for prayers for Ave! She is just precious and she is truly part of my family! We just want to see her get better right away! So please PRAY for AVE and lift up her AWESOME parents, Lindsey and Jeff!!!! I know it will mean so much to them! Love you Linds....hope I didn't make you cry by talking about Ave, but if I did...here's my shoulder....

SEC Weekend...Snow and More

This weekend was jam packed for the Finey's! First, on Friday to kick start the weekend, I was privileged enough to spend my night co-sponsoring/chaperoning our middle school Homecoming dance! Yay! Can I just say....7th and 8th graders are up to way more than we were at that age...WOW. It makes me really scared for what it will be like when my baby gets older! So, Friday night was pretty much shot!

Saturday however, was much better! We woke up to SNOW! Yes, our first SNOW in Alabama for this year! :) We were so excited and couldn't wait to take Albrey outside to play in the snow. I knew that it wouldn't last long so we got her all bundled up to get ready to play and take some pics! Well, as soon as we got outside, for some reason Albrey's boots were NOT cooperating and she couldn't walk in them. So, we did manage a couple of pics of her just standing in the snow and attempting to walk.....

Sadly, right after this shot Albrey fell face first into the snow. Not just a drop to the knee and fall over kind of fall, but a face first plunge and ate it kind of fall! She just froze and we kind of waited to see if she would get up, but after she didn't move I went to pick her up and she threw a fit! After crying for a bit, she pointed right at the snow and said, "NO, NO MA'AM SNOW!!" She had enough! We tried for a few more pics, but she would only let us hold her in them and I will not share them because I was looking a bit rough after just waking up! :) Needless to say, Albrey was SO OVER the snow so we went inside to get ready for some Christmas shopping!!!

I couldn't believe Zach was actually willing to brave the NEACA craft show with me, but he did! {He and Albrey did find a naptime spot though while I braved the crowds alone}. Afterwards, we did some Toys R Us shopping for the princess! She is really going to rack up this year! We knew that this year would be exciting because she would actually understand a little of what is going on and would enjoy her new things, so yes we did go a little overboard! I'll share pics after Christmas, I wouldn't want anyone to tell Albrey what we got her! ;) And yes people I said what WE got her! We don't do Santa...we have our own personal reasons. If you want to know ask, but I won't share them on here because I don't want to be attacked {as we already have been by some} for what we believe and I don't want to offend the vast majority that do Santa! We just have our own personal reasons, just like others who do the whole Santa thing!

So anywho, the next part of the day was the SEC Championship game and we all know what happened but I'm still so excited to scream....WE ARE the SEC Champs and are headed to Cali!!!! I'm so proud to be an Alabama fan, always have been always will be! Other people who want to say RTR, but aren't true BAMA fans make me want to SCREAM! If you haven't said RT your whole life, you don't deserve to say it now just due to our current status!

Now onto Sunday....Albrey had a rough night with some stomach issues and woke up feeling better, but we didn't want to risk it and expose others if she did have something, so we stayed home from church. Especially since we had Nursery this morning! I'm glad we did stay home because she started feeling bad again this time with stuffy nose/congestion/coughing stuff...but no fever! I think she just may be having overall congestion/crud issues so I'm hoping it's nothing major and I really don't feel that it is! Especially after her dessert tonight.....

Yes, that's right she shared some hot fudge brownie w/ice cream with her Mommy and Daddy! So far so good! Sweets always cure everything! Her chocolate face was so cute....

I hated to have to miss church today, but I really did enjoy my lazy Sunday of just laying around the house with the fam! I NEVER get to do that so it was really nice! And can I just say {again} that I LOVE being Albrey's mom! It's the best thing ever! I wish I could just freeze this moment in time with her...15 months is a great age! I love everything about that girl! Hope you and yours had a great weekend as we did.....off to bible study! {at home}