So tonight's the big birthday bash. Well, probably nothing BIG, but it'll still be great, as always, I'm sure. And I'll get a present or two, so that makes it even better :-) I really love the week of my birthday, because there's ALWAYS something going on for several days of it. Like, tonight is the party from my parents, Michael's parents will probably take me out to eat one night next week, and Michael is going to take me out to eat, too. So it's like the 12 Days of Christmas, only it's more like the 12 Days of My Birthday.

Vacation is exactly one month from today, and I totally can't wait!!! I just have to hope and pray that no more disasters happen between now and then...no more sickness in the family, no nothing bad!!

Not much else going on, other than we got our tax refund yesterday. Tax refunds are very useful. This is the first year since our marriage that we've gotten anything back worth writing home about. Of course, $1,000 of it is spoken for for the vacation, and some of it is to pay off the credit card bill we used for some new clothes and shoes for the family. I also need to set up an appointment to get my eyes checked, and Jacob an appointment to see a pediatric dentist.

I'm heading for the tub now!

Well, the vacation plans have changed. Not only have we changed the location, we've also changed the dates. SO we aren't going to Destin and we're not going in August...instead we're going to Gatlinburg the last week of May. Well actually we're staying in Pigeon Forge, but it's one in the same or something. We REALLY wanted to take Travis somewhere this summer, but the more we talked/thought about it, we realized that Travis is still too little to really do anything. Or so that's what Michael's mom talked us into, lol. I was willing to take TRAVIS somewhere and let him ride kiddie rides at Dollywood and take him to see the sites, but Michael talked me out of it, too. So it's just going to be the two of us...Michael says it'll be a second honeymoon :-) We're staying in one of those cabins...check out the pictures. It has a heart-shaped jacuzzi, which is shown in one of the pics there, and also a hot tub for two out on the deck. I totally cannot wait!

While we're there, we're going to Dollywood, Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum, Dixie Stampede, Cade's Cove, and I'm TRYING...TRYING to talk Michael into white water rafting. We're also going to drive over to Chattanooga to see Rock City, Ruby Falls, and do the Lookout Mountain incline. It should be fun/relaxing/some place different I've never gone to before.

(REMEMBER, my parents never took me and my sister ANYWHERE when we were kids...of course, I will never forget that when I was 6 and my sister was 12, my parents DID go up there WITHOUT us and left us at Grandma's. I'm sorry, but that is just WRONG. When my kids are 6 or older (and probably younger), as long as we can scrape together the money, my kids will have probably seen more than I ever got to see before I got married. That is probably one of the things I resent my parents for...not taking us places to see and do things.)

ANYWAY, now that I got that out of my system.....

We even found out there's a Duke's of Hazzard museum and store up there...gotta check THAT out. And of course there's the big outlet mall...that's a definite. I'm just really excited to be GOING SOMEWHERE, and A LOT SOONER than we had originally planned!

Well that's it for now.

P.S. If you are a debt collector and you call me, do NOT ever hang up on me AGAIN...especially when it's a bill I didn't even know I had and this imaginary "bill" was from over 2 freaking years ago!!!!

It's almost May, so that means I have to get the music schedule printed and stapled and handed out before I get canned, too, lol. It also means that our Pastor's wife's baby is due VERY soon, which means I'm going to have to be prepared to cook a big meal to take to them when they bring the new baby home. It's SUPPOSED to be a girl, but stranger things have happened. Why is everyone having girls but me? I want a girl! If I knew I could try for another baby and DEFINITELY get a girl, I'd have another one, but I would have a whole basketball team of boys trying to get a girl, or at least that's the conclusion I've come to.

Here's my question of the week:

Is it considered RUDE for me to ignore the knocking at my front door when it's my neighbor down the street with her little girl, and she shows up unannounced, and it's during Travis' naptime? She has made a habit of showing up during his naptime or when it's about to be his naptime, and of course Travis ends up not getting a nap when that happens. I just want to say to her sometimes, "I'm SO SORRY Travis' naptime and her daughter's naptimes do not coordinate." So what am I supposed to do, change my entire schedule? Um, NO??

FINALLY, peace and quiet! For the moment anyway. Some quiet is better than no quiet, I guess.

We had a great time at the lake, as usual. Time goes by so slowly when we're there, and we did so much, and slept a lot, too! We were only there from Friday night to Sunday afternoon, and it felt like we were there for a week or something. We take a trip anywhere else, and we need a vacation from a vacation. We go THERE, and we feel rested. Isn't that the whole idea of "getting away from it all"?

Anyway, it's really bad when you fall madly in love with a person that does not even exist...or does he? I haven't blogged about my weird dreams lately, but this one hasn't left my mind all day. I dreamed that I was downtown Memphis, in the morning, and it was raining. In the dream it was as if I was actually VISITING Memphis as if I was not living anywhere around here anymore. (Isn't it odd how you can perceive things like that in a dream without anyone having to say anything to you about it in the dream?) So anyway, I was standing in the lobby of a big downtown building, waiting for someone, and this man came running up to me and I ran into his arms and he held me for what seemed like forever. He was about my height, had short, dark brown hair, lots of gel in it or something, a 4 o'clock shadow (in the morning?) and wore a gray trench coat. Then he asked me not to leave and to marry him. I hugged him again and then I woke up. What's so strange about the dream is that while I was holding onto him, I knew at that moment that I needed to be with him for the rest of my life, I desperately had to be with him, and it just couldn't be any other way. I've been thinking about the guy all day, off and on. I don't know why I dream dreams like that, but it was the most desperate feeling I've ever felt.

In OTHER news, I finally got an appointment with the Neurologist set up yesterday. I finally had to DEMAND to speak to the scheduling person, after the rude receptionist at Memphis Children's Clinic kept giving me the run around. I mean, seriously, how many more WEEKS did she even THINK I'd believe her when she said "We will call you back this afternoon" or "You'll hear something back tomorrow." What is this, a test? I mean, Jacob's pediatrician didn't say he needed to be seen by a neurologist for NO REASON! So anyway, the appointment is set up for next Tuesday, April 27 at 2, with some Muhammad fellow, downtown. That's the day before my birthday.

Speaking of birthdays. my mom is having mine and my Dad's birthday party this Saturday night at their house. She always says "It's nothing special, blah, blah, blah," but to ME, a card, a present, a cake, and a dinner is pretty darn special to ME! So backing up to the "present" part, if you want to send me a card with check, cashiers, or money order made out to Candice Brewer, e-mail me at Booberry617@aol.com for my mailing address. I also accept any denomination of cash, even bills OVER $20...now THAT'S something you won't get at McDonald's!