~THE BEGINNING OF THE END~

originally post in Sept. of 2006

PART1

PART2

PART3

PART4

~~ In October of 1992 I started working at Tyson Foods, Some months later Jim was approved for S. S. disability and the girls were going to this little country school down the road. Working at Tyson was hard! I worked at night and it was rough not seeing the girls like I was use to. Nikki was 8 and Kelly 6.

Things between Jim and I were different than they had ever been. It was like we lived 2 different lives. (Now remember this is the way I perceived things) We seemed to argue about everything. I felt like I was a robot going through the motions of a life. Jim would wake me up at noon every day and I'd eat and get ready to go back to work. At Tyson you work at least 6 days a week and that was if you were lucky!

Life went on like this until October of 1993. I found myself working even more and volunteering to work so I wouldn't have to be home. When I was there it was just constantly arguments between Jim and I. Then the rumors started at work that I was dating someone there. Anyone who works in a plant or workplace where men and women work together know how this starts. You smile at someone and it seems like your all the sudden fooling around, at least thats what they say.... Well supposedly someone called my house while I was at work and told Jim I was having an affair. It wasn't true!

After the phone call things really started going down hill. I had to leave work so much because I would be called home. It finally got to a point that I felt like me and the girls would be happier alone. They wouldn't be hearing their daddy and I fight all the time and be crabby alot. I told Jim I wanted a divorce. At that point in my life that was the hardest thing I ever did. Things had gotten so bad I didn't like him any more and I didn't want to hate him. I wanted to be able to get along even if it was only for the girls sake.

Jim moved back to Reno and the girls and I started a different way of living.We had our own home next door to my mom and dad but they were at my mamas alot because of the hours I worked. We went on like this for several years. Eventually Jim moved back to Arkansas and got remarried. The girls liked his wife and I was grateful for that because I'd hate to think they would go over there and hate being there.

I'm not even sure what year I'm at here but I think it's around 1996, Jim and I have been divorced 2 years, He's remarried and the girls have adjusted well to our split.

Stay tuned for the next part!

PART 4 ~A WHOLE NEW WAY OF LIVING~

**originally posted 9-20-2006
PART 1
PART 2
PART 3

~~~Around Easter of 1988 Jim and my father in law went ahead to Reno to find a house and for jobs. The girls and I stayed behind with my mother in law. I had been married for almost 5 years and this was the first time I had been away from Jim for to long of a period. Harvey (my father in law) came back to get us sometime around July(I think) to move to Reno. Telling my mama goodbye was so hard! I remember driving off and having to stop around the curve cause I was crying so hard I couldn’t see.

We packed up the Uhaul and set off for Reno, with 2 babies. WHEW! That was a trip I’ll never forget. It doesn’t take kids long to get bored with riding. We stopped in Albuquerque for the night to sleep and got up early the next morning. I vaguely remember Kelly throwing a fit in Arizona at the place we stopped to eat. I’m sure she got a spanking although I don’t remember. That was a long trip and I was so happy to see Reno.

When we got to Reno Jim was at work and when he came home things seemed “different”. He had been in Reno for months more or less living the single life and catching up with old friends. (He grew up in Reno) I felt so alone but was determined to make our marriage work. We had a rough few months or so and I almost went home so many times but we worked it out.

We got our own place and was paying 600.00 dollars a month for a 2 bedroom apartment…they said condo but it was an apartment! Remember this is 1988 and we left Arkansas paying like 250.00 dollars for a 2 bedroom house! Nikki started kindergarten and Kelly and I would walk her to and from school every day. This was the first time Kelly and I actually had some one on one time and I was enjoying it.

Jim got hurt while we lived in Reno and had to have back surgery. We stayed in Reno for 3 years with a brief trip back to Arkansas for a few months. We finally moved back to Arkansas for good in 1991. I remember getting back home and mama had 2 little puppies waiting on the girls when we pulled up. They named them Cocoa and Pepper.

I have so many memories of the girls it is hard to decide which ones to share. I remember one where we had a swing from the Oak tree, it was just rope and a board to sit on. It was Nikki’s turn to swing and Kelly slung the swing at her and busted her eye BAD! I was so scared the school would think she was being abused and call SCAN. Nikki heard me telling mama this and when she came home from school the next day she said “ Mama don’t worry, I told the teacher you didn’t hit me in the eye with the swing.” Now did that sound like she was coached or what?

Kelly was always hardheaded! It got her into more trouble than any one child ought to get into! I have actually had to put cold water on her face to calm her screaming down. It was so loud and it cut through you like a knife. One time I put her in her bedroom for not minding and she screamed for so long and so loud. My brother ask me if I was gonna check on her and I told him NO, I’m scared her head will be spinning around and around!!!!!

Nikki almost never got in to trouble and usually if she did it was because she’d tell on herself. One time I heard a blood curling scream from Kelly and ran to see what was wrong. When I got in there Nikki looked at me terrified and said “mama I didn’t hit her in the head with that baby doll!” pointing at the doll. I knew exactly what had happened.

There’s a lot more stories when they got older but I’ll save them for later.

It’s around October of 1992, the girls are in school, Jim’s fighting for social security disability and life seems to be going on….

Stay tuned for ~ The Beginning of the End ~

AND BABY MAKES 3 (PART 2)

HERE'S PART 2, IF YOU HAVEN'T READ PART 1 YOU CAN READ IT HERE.

Nikki's 1st Easter in 1984

Jim and I had a small wedding in my front yard. My Aunt Margaret made our cake and it was so pretty….til we put it outside in August. It was white with yellow and blue frosting which melted and turned into green tie dye like lines, actually it was still pretty. I moved in with Jim in his apartment and we started playing house. Did a pretty good job at it too.

Within a few months we moved in with my mom and dad, I was pregnant and Jim just started working for the Department of Corrections. We were able to get our own place again before the baby was born. My Dr. said the baby would be here around August 4^th , my birthday, I was so excited! In February I got sick and was in the worst pain in my life. I went to the hospital and the Dr. said I needed an emergency appendectomy. Here I am 4 months pregnant, my husband at work, my mama having to sign forms that they could do the surgery and I wasn’t really even very scared cause I was in so much pain. I was just scared I was gonna lose the baby. When I woke up from surgery first thing I did was ask Jim about the baby, he said the baby was fine! This is also when I found out I was allergic to ivory soap….99.9% pure and I’m allergic to it!

I remember on July 1^st Jim, my brothers and I were playing around in the water and having bottle rocket fights. When we went home that night I started having pains and realized Man this is really happening! We went to a payphone and called my Dr. and he said “Go to the hospital and I’ll meet you there.” I never did see him until 2 days later.

I gave birth to a 5lb. 81/2 oz. baby girl! She was beautiful, she had dark hair and looked like she had spent 9 months in a tanning bed cause she had the prettiest skin. (She’s still beautiful and has the same pretty skin color!) Jim was in there with me when she was born. She was due August but I guess decided to come on out and join the fun!

We named her Vanessa Nicole AKA Nikki and she was one little spoiled girl! She was the first grandchild on both sides so she got a lot of attention. We called her Monkey for a long time then it changed to “The Kid”. Nikki was a really good baby, even potty trained herself! She loved Madonna and Prince, she would sing “Like a virgin” every time it came on the radio. Somehow she knew when it was 2pm and would come running in the room yelling “Luke and Laura mommy!” (General Hospital) Two years old and I had my kid watching soaps! Normally she would only watch commercials and play during the movies. Now days she flips thru commercials so fast it makes my head spin!

This is ending in 1985, We had a healthy beautiful baby girl, Jim had a good job and we were a happy family.

Stay tuned in for the next chapter “Hold On! Here Comes Kelly!”

All grown up and still pretty as ever!

This Blog...That Blog????

I really should blog here more often,only here lately with my mom in the hospital I really haven't been blogging at all. I finally got a comment! How exciting is that.....very,to me. I now know that the plant I needed an identity on is a seedum. Now I just need to do some research on it, thanks Sarah! This blog over here works so different than my other, you don't have friends over here???? I'll eventually get the hang of it.

My youngest is having marital problems....it breaks my heart to hear how sad she is. I'm not sure if it would be easier if she was closer to home or not. She lives 600 miles away and just started a new job. I know she'll be ok but it's so hard not being able to be there to hold her when she cries. Anyone got any advice on how to handle this situation?

My oldest is doing good,she's been a real help at the hospital with mama. Hopefully mama will be getting out soon....just not before she gets better!

The boy child is ...well he's almost 14 so he lives in the cave he calls his room and we see him when we have food! LOL..... He is a great kid though.

Well IF anyone reads this I hope you have a great day/night.