Merry Christmas 2013

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Love John, Tucker and Brittany

Year End Review 2013

Year-end review 2013

A tradition that start over 7 years go giving my year-end review of highlights from the year.

Jan.

I find out that I am pregnant!

I get told at work I am being moved to another department and will be doing a new job and going full time.

Feb.

My sister and I go to Disney world to celebrate my moms and my birthday.

March

The hubby and I celebrated are 3^rd wedding anniversary!

April

On Tax Day we found out that we were having a little boy! We celebrate by telling John’s family with a cake that had blue icing inside.

May

Work. Doctors. Work. Work. Not much happened this month…

June

The first part of June is the last time in Serve as Temple Worker in the Dallas Temple. I will still go as patron. I plan to go back and work when my kids are grown…

July

We head toward Huston, Texas for John’s family reunion. We also go to the beach one morning.

I have a baby shower and my mom comes to see me.

August

Brittany McGee comes to see me and go to the Mary Kay Convention.

We have a big meeting at work and they are changing are job again. The meetings bring happiness and sadness. Some are laid off.

September

I have my first baby, boy. I didn't even know I was in labor. It was an exciting time! 

Tucker is born on 9-9-13!

My parents come and meet their grandson.

October

It’s Tucker’s first Halloween. We go trunk or treating with him at our ward’s party and John’s old family wards party.

November

We take Tucker on his first road trip-to Arkansas- and he sleeps the whole way! We stay with Uncle Jerry and Cha-Cha and see my old school friends and branch members. Then we head to Louisiana to see more of John’s family.

We take Tucker on his First Plane ride to Georgia to see my grandparents.

December

We go to Disney World with Tucker!  We also get his first haircut of which he slept thru. Tucker rides, Haunted Mansion, Winnie The Pooh, Small World and Dumbo!

John and I go to Epcot with out Tucker and ride the new test track ride and walk around Epcot some before going to meet up with my parents and baby for Mickey Mouse Christmas party.

I head back to work after my leave from having Tucker. We also gear up to celebrate Tucker’s first Christmas!

A lot has happened this year and more is to come in 2014!

3 Months Old

Tucker turned 3 months old on Dec.9th, Check more about Tucker on the baby dean link on the side.

2 months old pic.. a little late

2 months(11-9-2013) and i have funcky hair!

Happy Halloween Family Style

Family Picture with Mommy(Minnie Mouse) Daddy(a Stars Fan) and Tucker(Tigger)

With the cousins.. Yep Tucker was fast a sleep!

Happy Halloween 2013

Tucker's One month Pic and more

Tucker's 1 Month old Picture. Taken on 10-9-2013

 Tucker with his Toy Frog.  My attempt to a photo shoot in my favorite outfit.

You always have to have a photo with the baby in the diaper. 

Happy Birthday!

I should have posted this yesterday. But Happy Birthday to my dear friend Derek, October 12th was his 31st birthday! His been in heaven 7 years and counting!

Halloween Ghost Story

My grandmother, Meme(Vantina) on my dads side always told this Ghost story to my sister and I every year during October. I thought tonight I would go a head and share it with you, my blog readers.

"Once upon a time.. wait this isn't some old story.. it happened back in the 80's or 70's that was not so long ago. It was a chilly fall night getting close to midnight in October in Atlanta, GA and I was driving down the Interstate 20 not to far from the Six Flags exit.

I  had just finished my shift at the hospital. As I was driving down the Interstate I saw a brown hair girl in a walking along side of the interstate. She must have just gotten out of six flags, but why was she walking along the interstate at this hour by herself, Meme thought to herself.

I  quickly speed up some and pulled a head of her along side of the interest, "Are you okay, do you need a ride somewhere?"The young girl looked at Meme with a puzzled faced. "No, I am okay."  "It's getting late.. I can take you home that way you aren't walking by yourself."

The young girl finally gave in and hop in the car. "Thanks for the ride, you are sure this no trouble for you?"

"No trouble at all." I replied. " I am Vanetia, I work at the hospital down town. You must be cold, here you can were this jacket for now so you can warm up even faster."

"Thanks!" said the girl as she put on the jacket, "I am Hannah, thanks for the ride. I am only a couple exits up the Interesate. I didn't think I was going to stay at six flags as late as I did. I was hang out with my friends and they end up leaving before I did."

"Ah, I see." Vanetia replied, "Did you have you had fun?"

"Oh, yes it was a lot of fun! We had blast! We decided to go to six flags instead of the homecoming dance.  My exit is the next one," relied Hannah.

"That's sounds like you guys had a lot of fun!"

As they approached the exited and Hannah told Vanetia to take a right at the light and then go past the next 4 lights and then take a left. Vanetia followed the driving directions as kept talking with Hannah. When they approach Hannah'a street. Vanetia realized that they were coming up near a cemetery. Which seemed really odd, to Vanetia at least but she did not say anything about it.

"You can drop off right here, I am just up the road at the white house past the cemenatry," replied Hannah.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay, well have a good night." Replied Vanetia.

Hannah got out got of the car, "Thank you so much for helping me out tonight." "Your welcome."

Watching the girl get out the car she watch her walk up to the white house.  Just as the girl was out of sight she realized the girl still had on the jacket. She got out of the car and walk through the cemetery seeing the jacket on a tomb stone, just as she took the jacket of the tomb stone she saw that it said, Hannah Liz Carter born Oct. 15th 1964 died Oct. 15th 1978.  "She died 10 years ago tonight." Stunned Vanetia realized that she had seen a ghost. She got back in her car and drove home.

Time Flys... don't blink

The expression that time flies really is true. Tucker will be 3 weeks old next Monday! Hard to believe my little guy is growing up. I have enjoyed the time away from work, it has been a blessing. I love watching my little man and wondering who he will become.

I am already missing he newbornness when he was just days old. Even though I am tried at his 2 am feedings. It will all be worth it. I'll look back and miss those tender moments.  I love how he cuddles with me at night after I feed him. And he just looks at me with cute eyes. I will have to remember that when he's 6 and won't take a nap or when has broken some glass object in the house.

Time sure flys.. gotta hold on to it all and not blink...



"Don't blink.. just like that you are 6 years old and you take nap..."

Birth of Tucker

So a lot of people are asking how did my birth with Tucker go? It actually went really well. Sunday 9-8-2013 I woke up early feeling okay, I made banana nut muffins for breakfast and took a shower/bath and took a nap till it was time to get ready for church. By then I had a horrid feeling a needing poop. Which I tried and tried. So I decided to just go and lay down and not go to church because I felt so constipated. I took another bath that afternoon in hopes that now the pain in my back would go away. It help for a little bit. I spent sometime google signs of labor but none of the symptoms seemed to match what I was feeling. I took some small naps through the day and by 630 p.m. i was in some pain like i hadn't felt before- like the world's worst period cramps ever. So I took another shower in hopes the hot water would help my back-- which didn't really help much at all.

John, by now suggest we just go to the hospital since I was in so much pain. Myself being stubborn gave in and decided to finally go.- that was around 7 p..m. I mean the worst they would tell me would be your not in Labor and just go home- we will see you in the morning for your induction.(I was already schedule for an induction at 9 a.m. on the 9-9-2013).

When they got me back to a room they told me I was 5 1/2 cm dilated already and I was in labor. So I guess all that I was feeling all day on Sunday was labor pains. They asked if I wanted an epidural and I said yes-I had thought I didn't want one but by then I was ready to have one and at least take away the period like pressure in my back.  The epidural really wasn't that bad and it didn't hurt like people say that it does. I was glad that I got it because it was able to help me relax enough.

John's parents came up and my friends from Chickflia came up and talk with us for awhile. And yeah, the Cowboy game was on.( I am just glad they won that night because it made it easier on me.) By 12:15 am I was ready to start pushing. I'll be honest pushing for me was hard because I would also tense up too. They ended up giving me some extra oxygen in order to help the baby.  But I got thru it. My doctor tryed using the vacuum but that didn't work and had to end up make small cuts and using forceps to get baby Tucker out- so by 2:46 a.m. Tucker made his way into the world.

It was pretty awesome seeing him for the first time. He didn't cry much when he was born he was just a calm little baby. I love the experience of the skin to skin contact with him when he was born that was a pretty special time and help me calm down some. The moved me to my room a few hours a later and by 5 a.m. I was in my room with little baby Tucker. Trying to sleep but I was so excited with all that had happened and trying to get used to nursing Tucker that sleep was at the end of my list of things to do.

Would I go through labor again? Sure why not. Hopefully i have a great doctor like I did with Tucker.(my current doctor is retiring from delivering babies at the end of the year. ) I would have to do it at the same hospital too, that was a great experience there too!

When will Tucker have a sibling? I don't know, when I am ready to take on that task. When the Lord says its time. For now I think I will enjoy my new adventure in to motherhood and enjoy my little one.

Baby Dean Has Arrived

Baby Dean has arrived.

Tucker Aiden Dean was born on Sept.9, 2013. Weighing in at 7 pounds and 7 ounces and 19 1/2 inches. He was born at 2:46 am in the morning.

More to come later...

fast workers on strike

STRIKE! FOR FAST FOOD?

Today (8.29.2013) in areas across the country team members at various fast food restaraunt took part in a strike. Why one might ask? Because they want $15 an hour.  Having worked in the fast food/quick service restaurant indursty during and even after college I do think they need equal pay or at least better pay than minimum wage is needed. It’s simple you can’t live off 7.25 an hour or whatever minimum wage is today.

Some might say well they should just go get a better job, go to school or should  have gone to school, shouldn’t have made poor life choices, should have would have could have.  Lots of reason led people to work in the fast food restaurants. Truth is you don’t know the person serving you behind the counter story and truth is you most likely don’t care.  You just want the quick bite to eat for less than $5.00.

If you have every work fast food then you know that it’s no easy task. You have people that yell you, you work all day on your feet, move heavy boxes, stand in the back cooking in the hot kitchen and cleaning up puke from the kid the customer brought in who was sick. And that’s only a small portion of what they do. That’s not everything that they do.

Perhaps with low pay we don’t give them enough credit for what they do. After all if there was not fast food restaraunt then we would not be able to get our quick lunch for $5.00 and would be eating PB&J.  Have you ever thought of not having fast food restaraunt? What a world that would be.

Now, perhaps there are those that don’t deserve the equal pay because they don’t work as hard or hardly at all. But isn’t this the case with all jobs no matter were you are working? But there are some who put their heart and soul into it all, who actually like working in that environment and who perhaps even go to school for it. What about them? After all it is because of fast food workers that we are able to get our quick bite to eat without having to go to some fine dining or sit down restaurant just to eat.

If $15.00 is to much why now raising the cost of minimum wage a bit, so that the college students, high schooler's and those who have work there can at least have some to live on and not work 70 hours at week.

To those who still think it’s wrong to raise the cost of minimum wage, maybe you should try working in the fast food industry (and I don’t care if you have a PHD or college degree) just see what it is like or be reminded of what is like.

Fast food work after all someone is gotta do it as long as we want a quick bite.

a baby update

It’s been close to two months since I had an update on Baby Dean. First, he now has a name Tucker Aiden Dean.  John saw the name of Tucker somewhere and really like it and since our last name is Dean I thought well we might as well find a cool “A” name and that way we can call him Tad for short. I mean after all since I was pregant I have been calling him Tadpole.  So after looking at awhile bunch of “A: names and elmiatining ones that I didn’t like or had bad memories attach to I came across Aiden. So that is how Tucker got his name.

It’s now the end of August. I am still working two jobs.  And staying busy. No problems with the pregnancy to report or changes with my Neurofibromatosis. Which is all a BIG blessing from the Lord. I am grateful that I have been able to work as much as I have been through this pregnancy. With the only major food avoiding was the tomato products; which now I can say I can eat again in small amounts!

I am now close to two and half weeks away from going into labor. That phrase really sounds funny now that I sit and think about it.

My mom and Brittany McGee came in for my baby shower. It was great and I got a lot of neat stuff. Then some wonderful people at the bank where I work through me a shower too, where I got some cool stuff: like a stroller/car seat! I am very grateful to all that came to both showers and for what they gave. I always had this fear that no one would come or every give me a shower when I got pregant.

Tucker, moves around a lot sometimes but he does let me sleep at night and doesn’t keep me up. (Knock on wood) .

We have everything ready for when Tucker decides to make his appearance into the world. But I think for right now he likes what warm waterbed that he is living in. I mean it is a scary looking world out there.

I’ll have to try to post more pictures soon. I just haven’t had time lately. I know I won’t have much time when Tucker is born… but we too saw see.

how we told about baby dean on april 15th

So after much ado.. below is the cake. When we found out that we were having  a boy we had the cake decorator put blue icing in the cake. John's mom had the honors of cutting the cake and saw the blue colored icing. It was a cleaver idea. We made the whole family wait until after dinner at outback till mini mama's house where we had the cake to tell the news! 

Boy or Girl?

So on April 15th we found out that we were having a BOY! I am due around Sept. 8th.  Thought I should announce the news on this blog too..

In later blogs I will tell how we told the family...

Grieving: Six Years in the Making

My church puts out a magazine called the Ensgin-which is filled with uplifting messages. I had taking my old ones over to my inlaws, this past weekend I pick up the Feb, 2013 one to read some articles while I waited on my husband. I wanted to post a quote from one that really sticks out and means a lot to me on many different levels.



Six years ago when I lost my special friend I didn't know what to do. A lot of people told me I should do or act a certain way. For me that was hard. After the reading the Ensign article I finally really understood why I did grieve so long and why when certain things come up  I cry a little. And that's okay. Everyone has there own way of grieving and copping with it. What works for one person may not work for another.

Anyways, here is the quote. I just need to add it to my scriptures and journal now.


Elder Lance B. Wickman, an emeritus member of the Seventy, explained: “Grief is the natural by-product of love. One cannot selflessly love another person and not grieve at his suffering or eventual death. The only way to avoid the grief would be to not experience the love; and it is love that gives life its richness and meaning.”¹ 

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/02/the-refining-fire-of-grief?lang=eng - here is the article where the quote comes from.

Girls Weekend

Weekend fun with the girls from college!

March 29th, 2007

Six years ago my life was change on this very day. The path I thought I was going to take was changed. I lost my special friend, Derek McGee. 

Today is a day of memory for him!

Today is also his sister birthday, Brittany!

Today is also his nephew birthday, Daniel!

Today is a reminder that when someone dies, someone somewhere life is starting anew!

Looking back I am grateful for all that went through with his death. It's changed who I am.

I know that families can be together forever.

Happy Birthday Brittany M

Today is my sister, Brittany M's birthday and her nephews Daniel(5) birthday! Happy birthday guys!

3rd Anniversary

Today marked our 3rd wedding anniversary. John had school and I had work during the day. That night we went to the Rainforest Cafe. We've gone to the Rainforest since our honeymoon. This time however was a very poor experience. They took us to our table and then we waited and waited and waited for someone to come by and acknowledge us and start taking our order. No one came by. 20 mins later the floater walked by, the one who sits people at the table and saw that  we didn't have drinks(like soda/water). She asked us if we had been served, I said no. And she said let me take your drinks and I will get my manger. I didn't even have to ask for the manger. We told the manger what happened. She got us a free apperizar and told us that there was a new waiter and that are seats that we were just to be seated in often seem hidden. After much long wait we finally got our food and left. We desided not to get dessert because it took so long to get our food. Will I go back? yes.. just hope that I won't get forgotten again...

A side from that it was a good day.

Marching in to March

Hard to believe that it is March already! Next week will be John and I 3rd wedding anniversy! Hard to believe we have been married for 3 years already with our first child on the way! 

February was good. I went to Disney World with my parents and my sister. I keep meaning to post picture of the trip I will get around to doing that at some point.

I start my new job title next week at the bank. We have been in training for the last three weeks to get us ready for what is to come. I will now be work 40 hours a week! New schedule 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and yes I still will be working at CFA. I will be a very busy working women. I will miss my Tuesdays were I was off all morning and got to sleep in. Sleeping in guess that something that won't happen for a long time now. Plus side is I will have normal hours. I have never had normal working hours really in my life. So it will be a change to actually be home when the sun is still up!

The baby is doing fine. Click the baby dean link on the side bar to follow the progress of baby dean. :)

baby dean

Ode to my life-Jasmine Style

So a couple years ago Jasmine came up with a great story at writers circle and for the longest time I have had it recorded to my cell phone. Any time I change phones I just blue toothed over to my new phone.  Because it's such an awesome story I wanted to share it here!  

Ode to My Life- By Jasmine Bolen (recorded someone between 2007-2009)

 When I was little I use to wish that I was a pumpkin  until i realized  they made pumpkin pie out of pumpkin  Then I wanted to be a chihuahua; until I realized they could not speak Spanish  Then I wanted to be a mermaid; until I had the rationalization that I am terrified of sharks.  Then I wanted to be a princess; until someone told me they had no diplomatic power. So I decide to me myself and it still kind'a sucks!

New Years Resolutions

Happy New Year! Happy 2013! 

Every year people come up with New Year Resolutions and they end up breaking them with in a week. I hope to try to keep this longer. Last year I didn't do well in keeping my resolutions. :( 

Below are my 2013 Goals

1) Read my scriptures more

2) Become a better wife

3) Write more in my journal

4) Work on family history

5) Walk more(my way of working out and staying in shape)

6) Come closer to the Savior