The Duggers

California part Two

2009-07-19T21:40:00.001-07:00

Our California Vacation

2009-07-19T21:33:00.001-07:00

Happiness

2009-07-04T20:20:00.000-07:00

This is something I found when I was doing some reading and it really hit home with me....

"I think it is this sense of completeness that brings women true happiness, and comes when the aspects of our lives are lined up according to our authentic selves. It is the exact opposite of the empty and unhappy feeling that comes when we are doing things because we think we "should be" to fit into social norms, or because of what others might think about us. I've seen many women who appear to be complete and happy from the outside, but on the inside, well, they're downright miserable. When I think about the women that I know that are truly happy, they all (1) "love" what they are spending the majority of their time doing (no matter what that is), (2) they have a healthy sense of self-confidence and feel little pressure to conform to others opinions, (3) they give more than they take, and (4) they make it a priority to take care of themselves."

Why is that I can relate to the first three and live the first three in my life everyday, but have a hard time with that last one? Why do women feel guilty when we do something for ourselves? I can think of a million other things to do for other people instead of doing even a simple act such as putting lotion on my feet! LOL! I think this is something I've been trying to work on the past several months and it has to become a priority.

Realizations....stolen from Stacy!

2009-06-02T08:15:00.000-07:00

1. I have come to realize my job…is stable and I'm thankful for that. I love what I do and who I work with!
2. I have come to realize when I’m driving…I love my iPod. Gotta have my music!
3. I have come to realize that I need…love and support.
4. I have come to realize that I’ve lost…my baby. :-( She's almost ten!!!!!!
5. I have come to realize that I hate it when…people lie and cheat!
6. I have come to realize the people I like…are positive people!!!!
7. I have come to realize that money…doesn't grow on trees unfortunately!
8. I have come to realize that people...all have basically the same issues.
9. I have come to realize that I’ll always be....nuturing...can't help it. It's me.
10. I have come to realize that my Mom…is my rock.
11. I have come to realize my cell phone…is a HUGE part of my life.
12. I have come to realize that when I woke up this morning…I was so thankful that I have no more school until AUGUST!!!!!!
13. I have come to realize that last night before I went to sleep…I was worrying about Mike.
14. I have come to realize that right now I am thinking about...Food :-(
15. I have come to realize that my Dad…is extremly strong willed and does what he sets his mind to. I'm jealous of that!
16. I have come to realize that when I get on Facebook…I enjoy it so much more on my phone.
17. I have come to realize that today…is an awesome day...we're going to the water park!
18. I have come to realize that tonight…I will weigh in and no matter how little the loss is, it's still a loss!!!!
9. I have come to realize that tomorrow will be...The last day I see Madison for a week!
20. I have come to realize that I really want to… be more strong willed...have more will power
21. I have come to realize that my life…is what I make out of it.
22. I have come to realize that this weekend… will be fun as always
23. I have come to realize that my ex... will always be in my life for Madison.
24. I have come to realize that the best music is…something with a story.
25. I have come to realize that my friends…are always here for me.
26. I have come to realize that 2008...came and went and still nothing changed in my life!!!! :-(
27. I have come to realize that the last person I kissed…is the love of my life
28. I have come to realize that when people walk out of my life…they won't be forgotten

TAYLOR SWIFT

2009-05-03T18:04:00.001-07:00

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Easter 2009

2009-05-03T17:50:00.001-07:00

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Love Story

2009-01-23T18:18:00.000-08:00

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25 random things....

2009-01-23T17:55:00.001-08:00

1. I am an only child and SWORE I'd never have just one... Now look!
2. I always swore I'd never have a long distance relationship, haha...I should never say never I guess!
3. In my dreams I'm a famous singer with sold out concerts.
4. My first car was a mustang and all the boys wanted to know if it was a 5.0 and I had no clue what that was until Vanilla Ice sang that song!!! LOL!
5. I love reality tv. Can't help it. Love the nonsense of it.
6. Sometimes I don't let Madison talk after school because all I've heard all day is noise!!!
7. My two best friends live so far away, but are still the bestest friends ever.
8. I worked with special needs children for a year and absolutely loved it.
9. I completely believe in Karma!!!!
10. I can find a million other things to do just to avoid housework!
11. I have started a million journals but haven't finished any.
12. Pens make me happy. Will not write with a cheap pin unless I have no other options.
13. Also love stationary, note pads, cards, etc. Love to make my own, but don't always find the time.
14. VERY obsessed with candles. Love everything about them. But also a candle snob....they are not created equal!!!
15. I love it when guys are scruffy!!! Something about that 2 day beard that gets to me!
16. My mom and I got matching tattoos recently...it was her 60th birthday and her biggest wish.
17. I love the smell of crayons and pencils...guess it's a good thing I'm a teacher!
18. When I was little I was constantly playing records and belting out songs!!! Funny thing is that I thought no one was listening! My favorites were Annie, The Sound of Music, and Barbra Streisand.
19. When I was a teenager, my best friend and I would use some vodka for screwdrivers and would pour water in the bottle to make it seem like nothing was gone. And then we'd do it again the next weekend.... It was probably pure water at times!!! LOL
20. I have always been a concert fanatic some of which include Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, NKOTB, Milli Vanilli (yes really), m.c. hammer, Tina Turner, and Aerosmith. I was such a pop queen!!!
21. I remember my first kiddy date... I was in elementary school and our patents took us to see E.T. I was boy crazy. Thank goodness Madison isn't!!! LOL!
22. When I was a toddler, I would eat fistfulls of collard greens. Still really like them .
23. My grandfather is my hero. He was a football coach and I was his pride and joy. He is the one who taught me how men should treat women. I knew I was special because he made sure to tell me.
24. Songs have a bigger impact on me than anything. My life is one big song. There is always a song playing in my head. I play music in my classroom a lot.
25. I am doing this from my phone so I have no idea if this is #25 or not...I may have skipped or double posted numbers...sorry.

Holiday Photos

2008-12-29T15:42:00.001-08:00

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Sophie Kate

2008-12-28T19:29:00.000-08:00

For the last year, I have been reading a blog from one of Mike's friends, Amye. She has a little girl, Sophie Kate, who has been diganosed with Cerebal Palsy and has had a rough time of it the last year. Today, she and her husband were in Memphis and Mike and I got to eat lunch with Amye, Chad, her youngest son, Gray, and Sophie Kate. Amye has been SUCH an inspiration to me this past year, just seeing how she's handled the diagnosis and all of the issues that have come up and how she's always using quotes from the bible to help her through the rough times. It was an honor and a privelage just to get to meet Sophie Kate finally today and to spend some time with them. I'm including some of the pictures....she is precious. And of course I'm a sucker for red heads, so Gray is in the pictures as well!!!

Lucy and Holly

2008-12-14T18:29:00.001-08:00

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Zoo Lights

2008-12-14T18:21:00.000-08:00

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60 and 1st Tattoo

2008-12-02T18:04:00.000-08:00

Well, my mom turned 60 today and she has ALWAYS wanted a tattoo, so that is what we went and did! I have a friend, Blake Randel, who owns/operates Boom Boom's Body Art on Nettleton and he helped us pick out what we wanted. We both got the Chinese symbol for Daughter and had Madison draw a small heart above it so that we had a piece of her with us always. Blake thought that was pretty cool. Honestly it didn't hurt too much, mine is on my shoulder and Mom's is on her forearm.

My Grown Up Christmas List

2008-11-09T21:20:00.000-08:00

Anyone who really knows me knows that I relate situations in life or just my general state of mind to song lyrics. I guess that's why I love country music so much....it tells a story. Yes, sometimes it's sad and a tear in my beer story, but for the most part, it's just about life. Anyway, I heard this song tonight driving home from Memphis and it really hit home with me in today's world. It's by Kelly Clarkson, well, sung by Kelly Clarkson and I hope you enjoy.

My Grown Up Christmas List

Do you remember me
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you
With childhood fantasies

Well, I'm all grown up now
And still need help somehow
I'm not a child
But my heart still can dream

So here's my lifelong wish
My grown up christmas list
Not for myself
But for a world in need

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
and wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown up christmas list

As children we believed
The grandest sight to see
Was something lovely
Wrapped beneath our tree

Well heaven only knows
That packages and bows
Can never heal
A hurting human soul

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown up christmas list

What is this illusion called the innocence of youth
Maybe only in our blind belief can we ever find the truth
(there'd be)

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end, oh
This is my grown up christmas list

This is my grown up christmas list

Carrie Underwood Pics

2008-10-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

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2008-10-26T17:44:00.001-07:00

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Fun Friday

2008-10-03T15:43:00.000-07:00

Five things that are fun to me and things I love to do!!! In no particular order!

1. Make cards. Sometimes I get lazy and buy them, but MOST of the time I make them with stamps.
2. Go bowling with Madison and Mike if he's here. Mike doesn't understand bowling in a dry county, but he's learning :-) LOL!
3. I love watching football....my grandpa was a high school football coach, so it's in my blood. Would much rather watch it live, but I love it on TV too.
4. I love listening to any kind a live music, doesn't really matter what type it is. I love the people watching, I love the atmosphere, I just love live music. My dad is a bass player and I grew up around bands, so I guess that's in my blood too. Luckily Mike likes it as much as I do, probably more!
5. My job is a lot of fun to me!! I have met so many great women, and my one guy friend Anthony, through school and I love the kids too even though they drive me crazy sometimes. Going to work and doing what I do is fun to me.

First School Project

2008-10-01T19:45:00.001-07:00

Madison's 4th grade class had to make ecosystems and Madison chose to make a rainforrest. She used toilet paper rolls as the trees and used clay for the river, animals, some leaves, and vines to put on the leaves. You can see monkeys hanging from the trees and coconuts if you look closely. The yellow thing is a cheetah and the pink/blue thing is a butterfly. It's pretty cool actually. I was dreading it, but she did it on her own...with the help of Kilee with some of the leaves.

Truthful Tuesday...stolen from Stacy!!

2008-09-30T19:27:00.000-07:00

1. When Madison was 2 we were living in Texas and I called my mother in law and told her that she had to come and get Madison, or at least meet me half way, or she might not have a grandaughter anymore!!! She came and got her for a week!!!
2. I miss being in college!! I'm taking classes for my Master's now,but I really have missed college!
3. I can hear a song and remember exactly where I was when I heard it 10 years ago! I remember where I was when I heard Metallica's song Nothing Else Matters...on Gee Street where Sonic is now. Crazy!!!
4. I have hearing aids....not everyone knows that!!! I've needed them since I was about 17, but was vain and didn't get them until I started working with kids at about 23.
5. I can talk about anything....poop, throw up, etc and eat....nothing bothers me!!!

Memory Monday

2008-09-29T16:26:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd reflect about some of my favorite memories throughout the last 9 years.

10. Meeting wonderful friends that I am still friends with today when my ex husband was in the Army.
9. Meeting my Bunco girls....they save my sanity every month!!
8. Graduating college at age 31!
7. Having a wonderful, amazing job and I'm so thankful that we are all so close!
6. Being back here in Jonesboro after being gone for 7 years.
5. Meeting Mike on eHarmony and learning more every day about each other.
4. Watching Madison become a young woman.
3. Watching Madison do Tae Kwon Do...I always wanted a girly girl, but I'm so glad she is who she is.
2. My vacations with my friend Jen and her daughter Shannon every summer.
1. And obviously number one is having Madison. She wasn't breathing when she was born and everyone left me just lying on the table, so it was very scary, but since then she has definitely found her voice!! LOL!

Build a Bear

2008-09-28T18:33:00.001-07:00

Just when I thought we were done with Build A Bear...surprise, surprise, they came out with Hannah Montana bear and High School Musical bear...UGH!! Madison's friend Kilee had her 9th birthday party at Build a Bear and the girls made the Hannah bear then Kilee and Madison made the HSM bear and named him Troy...like in the movies :-) Kilee came home with us and spent the night and the girls worked on Madison's Rain Forrest Ecosystem for school. It was a fun night!

Red Wolves and Rodeo

2008-09-15T16:01:00.001-07:00

We went to Madison's first football game this weekend. That is actually sad considering how much I LOVE football and was raised around it. But, we went to see ASU play and I was amazed at the crowd that comes now!!! When I was in college, it was nothing like that! I was very impressed! And I loved seeing all of the new Red Wolves merchandise and seeing all the people! We stayed until it started raining and then went over to the Convo center for the Rodeo which we've done the past few years. Madison is a cowgirl at heart so that is right up her ally. The clowns were hillarious as usual and I saw a lot of my kids from school which is always fun. We left right when they started bull riding and got in the traffic to come home. Who ever scheduled the rodeo AND a football game is insane!!! All in all, it was a great night and something we will definitely do again!

New Building

2008-08-23T22:56:00.000-07:00

I forgot the funny Madison story this week. She is in the middle school building this year (4th-6th grades) and so this is the first year she's away from me and my mom asked her how she was liking it and she says without missing a beat "ba, ta, ba, ba, ba I'm lovin' it" You know...the McDonald's song or catch phrase? Geez...first the kissing of her crown and then the McDonald's song....I'm telling ya....they grow up WAY to fast....enjoy while you can!!!

First Funny Story of the School Year

2008-08-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

Well, it was bound to happen, and it did....four days in. We have a stomach bug going around and several of my kids have been complaining of their stomachs hurting today and this one little girl (ROTTEN) came up to me as I was reading a book to the class and said "Ms. Dugger, when I'm in my chair my tummy doesn't hurt. But when I get near you, it starts hurting REALLY bad" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To which I replied "then go sit down in your chair and STAY there and your tummy won't hurt because you aren't near me"!!!!! Geez!!! What a self esteem downer! :-)

First Day of School

2008-08-18T19:41:00.000-07:00

I intended to have a picture to go with this blog, but let me tell you guys...when your kids get to be 4th graders, it's not happening anymore! Madison is now in the Middle School which is 4th-6th grades together and she rides the "teacher bus" from my building to her building every day. She of course thinks this is great because being a teacher's kid, she'll never get to ride a bus for real. So this morning we get to the elementary school and I walk her down to the bus loading area because it was her first day riding the bus and there were tons of Jr. High and High School kids waiting to ride the bus over as well. I lean down to tell her bye and give her a kiss and all I got was the crown of her head....she was having NOTHING to do with me showing any signs of affection. Wouldn't even LOOK at me!!! I of course walked away with tears in my eyes. She's growing up so fast!!!

The day went pretty well...it's amazing to me how little my kiddos look right now...they still just look like babies and I know by the end of the school year they won't. The only really bad part of the day was the car line. I had duty and it lasted for an hour and ten minutes...seriously! It took that long for all of the parents to get through the line. I don't know who I felt worse for, us teachers or those parents waiting in line!!! Then we went to Music Theater class at the Foundation of Arts and Madison loved that. A few of her friends are in the class and they are learing High School Musical songs and dances. Pretty cool!

I'm sorry I don't have a picture, but somehow I think those days are dwindling. Guess I need to get/have a baby so I can re-live those days! LOL!

Open House

2008-08-12T19:15:00.001-07:00

Well, tonight was our big Open House at school. Out of 21 kids, TWENTY of them showed up!!!! I was extremly impressed!!! It seems like I'm going to have a really good group of kids AND parents and for those of you who teach, you understand what a big blessing that is. The best part of tonight was that my "old" students and their parents kept dropping by to say hi to me...and that makes me so proud and happy. To know that they still want to see me after putting up with me as a teacher is the biggest compliment! I truly am blessed to have a job that I love and look forward to. I know that not everyone has that. To know that I am making a difference and am impression makes me happy. Can't wait until Monday!!

Mike

2008-08-10T23:07:00.001-07:00

Everyone is always asking me how Mike and I met and so I figure I might as well post it here for all to see. We first met almost exactly two years ago when we got matched up on eHarmony. Yes, I know, not traditional, but honestly, where do you go to meet guys when you're a single mom who works all the time, doesn't go to bars, and works with ALL women? Anyway, we got matched up and immediately started talking via email. I actually met a guy around the same time that lived here and we started dating and so I was honest with Mike about that, but we still stayed in regular contact by email. When that relationship ended a few mths later, Mike and I decided to meet in Memphis for dinner one night. It was January 20th, 2007. He suggested Huey's downtown which I later learned is where he took a lot of first dates...gee thanks Mike!!! Anyway, we seriously ended up talking for over 4 hrs that night at Hueys and really hit it off. We met again two weeks later and the same thing....4 hrs of non stop talking. Two weeks after that it was Valentine's Day and he came here and the rest is history. I don't think we actually ever talked about us not seeing other people, but we just knew. We've talked about marriage and all of that, but obviously, we have to live in the same town for that to happen. He has been looking for jobs here in Jonesboro or even Memphis for over 6 mths and nothing has panned out. The job market is just horrible right now. And he doesn't want me to move to Jackson because I would be leaving a job that I LOVE and he doesn't want to take Madison away from the grandparents which I greatly appreciate and respect. So for now, we're just taking it day by day and hoping and praying something comes along. He is much more patient than I am about that. I want things done NOW and he is just take it day by day. He has been my rock the last two years and I don't know what I would do without him in my life. He loves me and Madison and knows we are a package deal and that means the world to me.

Incredible Pizza

2008-08-10T22:28:00.000-07:00

This year I decided to take Madison on a special day trip for her birthday instead of buying her a gift since the kid has EVERY possible thing she could want like most kids!!! So, we went to the new Incredible Pizza in Memphis. If you've never been, it is true to their name...Incredible!!! It's more expensive than Chuck E. Cheese, but so much better. The buffet is amazing and on top of the tons of games that they have, there is also putt putt golf, bumper cars, go karts, bowling, and a motion simulator. So much fun!! Mike's sister lives in Memphis so she brought along her son, Andrew, who is 7 and Madison enjoyed having someone to play with and I enjoyed having an adult to talk to while the kids played games!!! Although I have to say, the games were a lot of fun, even for us adults!! It's not something we could do on a regular basis, but for the special occasions it's perfect!!!

Madison's 9th Birthday

2008-08-10T22:22:00.000-07:00

We had Madison's birthday party at the YMCA this year. I gotta tell ya, we've done bowling, Tom E. Tiger, slumber parties, etc and this was THE best value!! For only $45 we got the pool for an hour and the party room for an hour. Now granted, we had to provide pizza, drinks, and cake, but it was MUCH less than anything else we've ever done!! We had 23 kids and I think everyone had a blast!! Madison loved the party, but wasn't thrilled about writing out all those thank you notes!!! But, she did it and did a wonderful job writing in cursive!! YAY!!!

The Funny Bunch

2008-08-10T22:16:00.000-07:00

I love this set of pictures because it shows us taking the "typical" picture and then being goofballs, which is what Madison and I definitely like to do. It's funny because Mike is SOOO quiet and so when I said "hey, lets make funny faces for this picture" all he did was smile!! I gotta work on that!!! I gotta say, he's such a great sport about taking pictures and putting up with all of Madison's "drama". It's hard to come into a child's life at age 7 and jump in head first, but he's been great about it. Every day they get a little closer.

Where to Start?

2008-08-10T22:08:00.000-07:00

Well, all of my friends have been doing this for a while and I've enjoyed reading about and catching up on their lives. I am a first grade teacher at Brookland Elementary and I have one daughter, Madison who is 9 and in the 4th grade. I love my job and I love being a mom. I've been dating Mike for almost 2 yrs and although he lives in Jackson, Tennessee we manage to make it work by doing A LOT of texting and emails and seeing each other on the weekends. It's amazing how a few years ago, going to Memphis seemed like a treat and now we're there most weekends since it's half way for both of us and his family lives there. So driving to Memphis now to us is like most people driving to Wal Mart!!! No big deal! I'm curious to see if I have enough interesting stories to keep this blog going so be patient with me and hopefully I can make this fun.