THANKSGIVING AT THE ALBERTSENS!!! LOL

Well, despite all the fighting...we had a wonderful Thanksgiving :-) hahahaha! We had 30 for the dinner! I wish I could take credit for all the hard work...but Dano did most of the cooking:-p Then Friday we did the usual Christmas shopping. I was surprised to find out that there wasn't much of a crowd. So, I have come to the conclusion that it must be because most families are like us...poor!!! ....and probably need to stick tightly to a budget. I don't know about you, but for all of my friends and family money seems less than usual. I was so shocked to look at my check book and realize that we just don't have the freedom that we did last year. So, this year we are going to make a list before buying. We have high hopes of cutting down on impulsive shopping. I would give you Santa's list...but, I know some of my teens are going to take a peak at the blog...(atleast until Christmas). Hahahaha! I need to prepare you for the next post. Grandma took a ton of pictures :-) We put up the Christmas tree on Saturday & the decorations on Sunday. The men went to the movies while Dano and I struggled to get the children under control. The excitement was just too much for them! Dano attempted to sit them all down and explain the true meaning of Christmas. She informed them that they would get a few presents this year because Christmas is about giving...not recieving. As they all sat cross legged in a circle Savannah yelled, "Dano, Gabryel is telling the kids that it's okay that you aren't going to give them much for Christmas....He said that Santa & Grandma are the only people that REALLY give us the big ones...is that true?" We all laughed! BTW We also lost a few Christmas bulbs (Elyjah just couldn't resist the opportunity to throw a few at his twin!). And then no one noticed when Dano and I moved the decoration from the lower limbs to the higher branches... (it was only after the kids went down for a nap...Hehehehe!) I hope to have the pictures posted tomorrow..... So..Goodbye for now ;-) FEEL FREE TO SHARE YOUR THANKSGIVING WITH ME....

Thanksgiving has come and gone. As I sat with my friends and family...(all 30 of them) I realized how lucky I am to have soooo many who love me. You all have no idea how much you mean to me. Every day I run down to my office just to find out who is on, to read my special blogs...also....to see who has left me comments:) So...I just thought I would say, "Thank you" to all my blogging friends. You all have carried me through some of the toughest times. I need to get back to the grandkids now....love ya all!!!! The kids are out of control!!! AHG! I will post again at nap time...hahahaha!!!!

4its-worth is doing great!

I thought you all should know that http://www.4its-worth.blogspot.com/ is doing great!!!! Her husband called me last night and told me that everything went great and that she didn't get her jaw wired shut....Also, she felt better than she has since the accident :D Please continue to pray for her...and be sure and cruise over to her blog. Let her know how much we all care. Thanks!

I can't get turkey off my mind....

Well...It's been a long day!! I thought I would drop in and say, "Hi guys!" I can't get Thanksgiving off my mind....How about you guys? Are you guys hungry for turkey???

LOL Have a good day and I will chat later...perhaps when I get home....

Guess what guys? The "Reba" show is back on!!!!

I just thought I would drop you all a note to remind you that my favorite sitcom "Reba" is back on!!! I'm sooooo excited! I will check in with you all after the show....BTW..the dedication to Reba was great...although, I was hoping that her sister Susie Luchsinger was sitting with her....All in all...it was a lovely and relaxing evening...Hey 4!...I just want to say..It's almost time for the surgery:) I can't wait!!! Don't be nervous...it's going to be okay..trust God and know that it is finally time for you to heal... Neurotic mom! hehehe! I needed to drop you a note...you will love the dedication to Reba:) Nada! Good luck with your exams!!! Don't be nervous...I just know you are going to do fine:) Wow! Jo! It's sooo nice of you to stop by:) I will pay you a visit this evening...I definitely need to see what is going on in your life...Okay guys...got to go:D I will chat later....Expect me to do my rounds and say "Hi" to all my blogger friends this evening...:) :) :D

You don't have to be crazy...but it sure help! hehehe!

This is for you Neurotic Mom!!! Hehehehe! I just thought you might appreciate it....Hehehehe!!!! I hope you all are having a great weekend!!! Got to go now...it's time to go shopping for Thanksgiving....
I just can't get over how much this dog looks like me!....Don't ya think guys??!! hahahaha!!! LOL Okay...I'm getting a little silly with the weekend here:D

Reba Giants is on tonight!!!!!!!

I am so excited I can hardly stand it!!! CMT Giants are on tonight!!! It is in honor of Reba McEntire!!!! Here is some of the info. I recieved on the show. Check it out!!! Reba revelry — Trisha, Faith, Martina and more sing her praisesThe stars come out to pay tribute to country's fiery redhead in 'CMT Giants' showBy PETER COOPERStaff WriterLOS ANGELES — Twenty-one years ago, Reba McEntire signed autographs for a crowd at RiverGate Mall. When one awestruck young woman got to the front of the autograph line, she stood frozen in front of her singing hero, unable to think of anything to say.After several moments of pregnant pausing, McEntire initiated conversation, saying, "What's your name, honey?" The shy 19-year-old answered back, softly, "Trisha Yearwood.""I'd never stood in line and gotten someone's autograph before," said Yearwood, backstage at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre, where she and other star vocalists were preparing to honor McEntire in song. The occasion was the live concert taping of "CMT Giants," a show that airs at 7 p.m. Saturday on Country Music Television.Once Yearwood got a record deal — on McEntire's MCA Records, where the younger singer could have been considered a challenger to the star's throne — McEntire helped guide her through some of the more confusing business aspects of a burgeoning professional life."She taught me about owning your photographs, about keeping in charge of your own career," Yearwood said. "And then she also led by example, because she's someone who has stayed so true to herself. She doesn't care what someone might say about what she's doing, or how she dresses or how she does her hair. She does whatever she wants."McEntire's "whatever" has included 33 No. 1 country singles, 29 albums, a couple of Grammys, a critically acclaimed stint in the star role in Broadway's "Annie Get Your Gun," the title role in sitcom "Reba," a signature clothing line and charity work for Habitat for Humanity and other organizations. The CMT special is a celebration of such efforts, and it features Yearwood, Dolly Parton, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Wynonna Judd, Kelly Clarkson, LeAnn Rimes, Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland and Megan Mullally singing songs and praises.The praise-singing came easy to these performers, the song-singing not so much. McEntire has a knack for choosing songs that provide a full showcase for her multi-octave voice. Even for singers who regularly tackle tough melodies, singing McEntire songs can be a struggle."This is a hard song," said Hill, during rehearsals, after a run through "You Lie." "Lord, my intestines are crawling up into my throat."After the rehearsal, Hill said, "Of course I'm a fan, and Reba is so great. But after singing that song, I have even more appreciation for what she does. Her gift is just huge."McBride, who cites McEntire as one of her prime influences, performed two songs on the show. One was the rangy "Whoever's in New England," and the other was a cat-fight duet with pop star Kelly Clarkson on "Does He Love You."In rehearsals, Clarkson was wide-eyed at her chance to sing with McBride, while McBride's children seemed thrilled to be in Clarkson's presence. The duet was a meeting of two singers clearly in control of their powerful voices and of their substantial stage presence. Backstage, McBride was quick to turn the talk from her singing summit with Clarkson to her admiration of McEntire."I just want to do a good job while Reba's watching," said McBride, who used to tour as McEntire's opening act. "She's an influence on all of us, and she has always done songs that matter. I think, for my generation, she's one of the only true stylists. We're friends, now, and she's always open and kind and real. But whenever I see her, I still have that reaction like a fan. I still think of her going on the CMA Awards, singing a Patsy Cline song and blowing everyone away."Clarkson, by the way, didn't use a Teleprompter for her duet with McBride or for her romp through "Why Haven't I Heard From You." A fan of McEntire all of her young life, she had no need for lyrical prompts.With rehearsals done, the cast reconvened the next night for the show, this time walking a red carpet filled with shouting media members wielding cameras. Though the concert was a television taping, there weren't many stops and starts: Mullally did "You Can't Get a Man With a Gun," a song from "Annie Get Your Gun" twice, and Judd's false start seemed to galvanize the audience and land them squarely in her corner during her version of "Is There Life Out There."The theater itself is the same one used for the Emmy awards show. In person, it appears grander and more intimate somehow than on television. As the show began, McEntire took a seat beside her parents, her husband and her son and watched as the others delivered her songs, and as non-musicians including her "Reba" show co-stars and Goodlettsville-reared James Denton of "Desperate Housewives" talked of her achievements outside of music. McEntire often leaned to her family members and expressed her surprise at what was going on: She knew who was going to be performing, but not what they would perform or what they would say about her."I was knocked out," she said. "After Kelly sang 'Why Haven't I Heard From You,' I told her, 'That's your song now,' " McEntire said.By night's end, though, McEntire said it was difficult to stay in her seat. She closed the evening with her own version of "Fancy," a hit for her and for Bobbie Gentry."You know when you were a kid at school and you got held in class during recess, because you were talking too much or something?" she asked. "Then, finally, maybe when recess is almost done, the teacher says, 'OK, you can go out and play now'? That's how I felt. I loved listening to them sing, but I wanted to get out there so bad." • If you love any of these singers...YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!!! I will give you a review after It's over...K......

I know I'm going to regret writing this post..but, I need to tell you this..

Hi Everyone!!
I'm back and things look much brighter :D I have had a rough week, but once again, I have not only survived.... I have grown so much. 1 Corinthians 8:28 is my verse for the week! If you haven't read it...please do! Maybe it will help you with whatever struggles you are going through today....I have spent alot of time really searching for answers... I have come to the conclusion that my life has been like a balloon. I have held so much inside... and it slowly became so big that when my supervisor met with me, I just blew up!! It took just a few words to send me flying around the room out of control. Has anyone else had that happen? Please don't be afraid to step forward. I could really use some honesty from any one out there reading this blog...Over the last year I have felt like I'm on an island all alone. I have been pretending to have it all together and then I just fall apart at the smallest incident. After this last explosion I began to wonder if perhaps I had finally lost my mind...(okay neurotic mom..I know you want to jump in and say something...hahaha) Seriously, I have realized that I need to face these fears. I thought after brain surgery that all the fear was gone. After all I was alive and doing great...so, maybe all the feelings were just me being dramatic.....Then I survived the heart-attack, so once again I was just being the drama queen. What I realize now is that each time something happened (in which my safety was questioned) my fears multiplied...I know I should give it all to God. But, for me that is sooooo difficult! I am embarraced to admit that I struggle with trusting even God with my fears. (by the way...I know I am going to regret this post....) Anyway,... my head tells me that I have no reason to be afraid. But, my heart is afraid...I still hurt!!...Every time something happens in my life it brings me back to my childhood. Please pray that I can overcome this situation through Gods hand??!! 1 Corinthians 8:28 is going to be posted everywhere until I feel like I can say it in my sleep. The verse reminds me that God uses the most difficult things for His good. Like...if I didn't go through what I did in my childhood I would not have a book...He took a horrible situation and made good things happen. God is an awesome God!!!! I know I am going to be okay...but, still pray for me.....Thanks for listening...I will post again tomorrow...

Unseen Child

Today was such a difficult day! I'm so glad it's almost over!! Have you ever felt like you just can't keep it together no matter what you do and you have no idea why? Well, that was me all day. I found myself crying from the time my supervisor spoke with me this morning until now.. I finally have a minute to just sit and reflect on my day. I look back and it feels like it must be someone else hurting...It just can't be me!!! Then I get angry and think,"Why would I let someone get to me so deeply?" Then I realize that my biggest fear is that I will never be able to keep up with the rest of the world ever again....I just feel like I am absolutely stupid!!! I hate the fact that I had brain surgery and things that come so easily to others...well needless to say...they just don't come easy to me!!! I wonder if I will ever gain the ability to just learn like everyone else. I always need to be told repeatedly...and then write every word down...then hopefully I will absorb the information....But, sometimes the information just doesn't seem to stay...My supervisor said that she needs me to be rested so that I will hear the information clearly....she doesn't want to repeat herself....Those words were devistating to me!!! I fell apart and have not really stopped crying since!! It isn't the supervisors fault...It really isn't anyones fault that I struggle...It is something that I will always have to battle. This is the reason why I didn't go back to work for so long. The fear that I may not ever gain my memory has haunted me for years. And well...now I have to face it. I have to accept the fact that things are more difficult for me...that maybe I am handicapped...I don't know...I do know that for today...I am totally exhausted...The good thing about today is that I have faced my biggest fear and lived to write about it. I will check in tomorrow...I am just too discouraged.....