You Know Your A Fireman's Wife When.......

You know your a firefighters wife when..........

Your Husband's wardrobe looks like this: non-descript bottoms paired with any navy blue shirt/sweatshirt with a fire department logo on it.

Your Husband's haircut is "nice and tight". So are his buns.

You know the difference between a police siren and a fire siren.

Your kids think the fire station is "Daddy's house".

You've received more dalmation-themed collectibles than you thought humanly possible.

You know that all of your smoke detectors work.

Your Husband will not let you near the BBQ.

You can make 4 dozen cookies without a recipe in 1.5 hours flat and have them delivered asap.

You know that you always have a team of highly-trained ems professionals at the ready (you know, in case a baby falls down the stairs or something).

You know that it is faster and waaaay better to take the ambulance to the hospital (NEVER go it solo, and actually WAIT in the waiting room!).

Your single friends are always aksing "are there any single firemen at Hubby's work?".

Your children can make good use of vaccuum hoses and rubber gloves.

Everybody knows a Firefighter, and will asume that you know them too.

You find it hard to sleep when your Hubby is at work.

You get severly angry when people don't pull over for firetrucks and ambulances.

You've held more birthdays at the fire station than should be allowed.

You get to listen to stories about fires, mva's, and sprinkler systems, and ems calls

You've seen Backdraft 40 million times and Ladder 49 10 million (but who can get sick of staring at Joaquin Phoenix and John Travolta?).

You've had some of the best holiday meals at the fire station.

You've lost all sense of what a "weekend" really is due to your husband's crazy schedule.

Your husband gets to go on field trips & preschool once in a while.

All of the teachers want your husband to "demonstrate" his skills for the class (yeah, right she just wants to see him in his bunker gear).

Your kids dont know yesterday and tom, only "last day and next day"

At your baby shower at least half the presents are fire related even if your having a girl.

Your kids are the only ones at school with 12 uncles, and they think every kid they know is their cousin.

If daddys not home ask the kids where he is and your bond to hear "fire house" even if thats not where he really is!

You feel like the luckiest girl alive when he comes home off shift and sends your heart a-flutter

~My World~

The smile on their faces on Christmas morning........priceless & means everything to me!






Spent the whole day at the zoo....my beautiful munchkins.















Waiting for the bus on the first day of school.Can't believe Andrea is now in 3rd & Maddie is now in 1st.....they grow up so fast.





Johnny is playing football for West Side Middle School along with every other sport.





Nathan is played EYFL this fall and also is playing every sport & student council for Woodland Elementary School.

~ I miss you Daddy ~

Jan. 16,2001 my world came crashing down. I got the phone call no one wants specially at the age of 20. My mom called me in the morning and asked to talk to my husband and you could tell she was very upset so I thought it had to do with my grandma. Well Johnathon had to have her repeat herself 3 times till he understood. He hurried up and got dressed and was leaving when I asked him what was wrong and he would not tell me finally bout the 3rd time of me asking he finally told me "your dad is dead"....I remember standing there in shock not believing him. Well after he left to go to my dad's house I went there too and when I walked in his house I saw my daddy laying on the kitchen floor ( a picture I can not get rid of ) it was true my daddy was gone. It has been almost 9 years and it is still hard at times...I miss him he never got to see my youngest daughter or watch his other grandchildren grow up. I went through a lot of emotions anger, hatred, depression and still dealing with some.But I know he never left me he is in my memories and watches over me & my family. So I wrote this poem to get my feelings out.

"MY DADDY"

You brought me into this world and you loved me.
You watched me grow and you made me laugh.
My heart is gone, my life taken away, but our memories together will last forever.
GOD called you home so you can be at peace.
But I know you are not that far from me.
The gentle breeze,I hear your voice
The rays of sun upon my face, I know your watching
The cries of my children, I hear your voice
The little whisper in my head, I hear your voice.
You are all around you've never left,by my side I know you'll be.
I close my eyes, I see your face
I feel your embrace.
Even though GOD took you home I know your here to keep me safe.

I Love You Daddy

~ What are you thankful for?~

So many times we get caught up in the "I want game", "Me game","Blame game", then when it comes to the holidays we become thankful. But it should not just be at the holiday times that we state our thanks and let our loved ones know....we should let them be known ALL THE TIME!!!!!
I AM THANKFUL FOR:

~ Having a GOD that forgives us
~ Having a GOD that has made sure our needs have been taken care of my family & I this past year while my husband has been laid off.
~ Being able to wake up to new days
~ My wonderful husband
~ Amazing & Crazy children
~ My beautiful family
~ My Awesome friends
~ My health
~ Being loved unconditionally
~ All of our military people protecting our freedom
~ My AMAZING,BUSY,CRAZY LIFE!!!!

Remember to give thanks for everything in your life no matter how big or small & most of all give thanks & praises to GOD because without him we would not have our lives that we do or a life ever lasting!!!

♥ A happy marriage ♥

Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they
are always watching you.
Robert Fulghum

I didn't marry you because you were perfect. I didn't even
marry you because I loved you. I married you because you
gave me a promise. That promise made up for your faults.
And the promise I gave you made up for mine. Two imperfect
people got married and it was the promise that made the marriage.
And when our children were growing up, it wasn't a house that
protected them; and it wasn't our love that protected them - it was that
promise.
Thornton Wilder, The Skin of Our Teeth

The Secret to having a good marriage is to understand it must be permanent and equal!!

What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how
compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility.
Leo Tolstol

Any fool can have a trophy wife.
It takes a real man to have a trophy marriage.
Diane Sollee

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always
with the same person.
Mignon McLaughlin

Why is it that people get married?
Because we need a witness to our lives.
There's a billion people on the planet.
What does any one life really mean?
But in a marriage, you're promising to care about everything...
The good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things,
All of it... all the time, every day.
You're saying "Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it.
Your life will not go unwitnessed - because I will be your witness."
Wife in the movie, "Shall We Dance?" 2004

Marriage is the hardest thing you will ever do. The secret is removing divorce as
an option. Anybody who gives themselves that option will get a divorce.
Will Smith (11 years into his second marriage)

A soulmate marriage does not at all mean that you have found someone
you match up with on all the cards - on all the issues, on everything. That
would be the most deadly dull thing to even imagine. Instead, it means you're
with someone who wants to take care of your soul - they want to make sure
your soul continues to grow, they don't ever want to blow out that little light
inside you. And you feel the same way about them.
Diane Sollee, NPR, The Real Life Survival Guide, April 2008

~Finding strength in GOD~

When I went to church Sunday morning the pastor was talking about having faith and truly leaving everything to GOD and being part time Christians how we pray for help when we are in a time of need and then when things seem to be calm for us we feel like we can handle what we asked GOD to help us with. But GOD wants all of our problems, concerns, praises, EVERYTHING he wants us to put it on his "to do list" don't take it back cause we think we can finally handle it but leave with him it will all work out when GOD is ready for it to he has his own timing for everything. But before he talked about this he made a comment "Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to the garage makes you a car..." all this made me think and I am guilty at times of doing this. Think about it you have to continue doing GOD'S will out side of church also. Just thought I would share this with you I know this made me review my life and how I live....

God Bless
*hugs*

~Leasons learned~

After spending the weekend with my family it made me think a lot about life. Life is to short to hold grudges towards others and worry about what others think of you. Its your life live it to the fullest with the ones that mean the most to you and pray for those that are still lost. Family is all we have in the end our "friends " will either leave us because we don't live the same life style any more or you find out that they are just fake and two faced and you don't need that kind of drama and negativity in your life because all it does is bring you down and hold you back. Well as I sat there thinking of about everything and how things have changed over the past 10 years. Life has just passed us by so fast that some of us is not close any more or even truly know one another all because we chose to listen to what others have said about us. But for the first time in 10 years all of us sat around together ( all but two sisters) and talked, became close and all the kids played and gotten to know each other more. This is how our lives should be not full of hatred and anger over what we have heard bout others. I can honestly say that after being in the family for 10 years now I finally feel like I belong I mean some people of the family still treat me & my son like dirt and like we never should of became part of it but you know I love the man I am with and he is an awesome father to my son. Because of how these few select people make me & my son feel I do stop and think that maybe life would of been and would be better for everyone if we never where apart of it. But you know that only makes them won the battle I am not going anywhere and if you can not accept me and my son for who we are then my family does not need you in it I hate to sound like that but that is how I feel we don't need the drama that you bring or the negative feelings. All we can do is pray that GOD touches your heart and you one day see what you are doing. For you treat others how you want to be treated for it will come back to you 2X fold in the end. I am so blessed to have all the memories that I have some are bad but you know I don't dwell on those for the good one out number and out weigh the bad. I have 5 beautiful,wonderful children, an amazing husband that I love with all my heart and he is my rock, a few close friends that are family, and an amazing family that is always there for you. It doesn't matter what others think or say about you , what matters is how you live your life for in the end only one person will judge us and that person will determine if we all will meet again on the other side. It doesn't matter how others live, don't fill you life with worries, drama or negative things or people, count you blessings no matter how big or small they are, cherish everything in your life. And remember to forgive others for what they do to you no one said forget but forgive them for living a life full of hatred and anger will only bring you down and make you r life unhappy.You know I sometimes wonder why people think the way they do I mean why do you judge someone when you yourself don't really know the person. I mean because of this attitude I feel like I am not wanted not excepted into the family unless you truly know me don't judge me or say this is how I am because you don't know me. Yea I put up a wall but only to protect myself from others I have been hurt to much to let people do that again. So unless you truly know me stop talking about me and making me out to be someone I am not. Because what you say about me or my family will only come back to hurt you in the end.

Well enough with that just needed to get some feelings out now on to an update on things Madelyn goes Thursday to see if she finally gets her cast off, finally got my midterm in English and I am getting an A :) Life is really busy around here baseball starting, school,LA for the fire department, and birthdays, cook outs, family trips. So much going on but its going to be so much fun :) Well that is all for now & I will let y'all know how court goes in May....only if i could take pictures ;)
♥ya

~Planting a garden~

How To Plant Your Garden

First, you cme to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses ...

FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING, PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS:

1. Peace of mind
2. Peace of heart
3. Peace of soul

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:

1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash selfishness

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE:

1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3. Lettuce be patient
4. Lettuce really love one another

NO GARDEN IS WITHOUT TURNIPS:

1. Turnip for meetings
2. Turnip for service
3. Turnip to help one another

TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST HAVE THYME:

1. Thyme for each other
2.. Thyme for family
3. Thyme for friends

WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND CULTIVATE WITH LOVE. THERE IS MUCH FRUIT IN YOUR GARDEN BECAUSE YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW. NOT BAD, HUH?!

~Letting go of the past for a better future~

Ok so I figure if I want to start 2009 off right and continue to keep changing into a better person & mommy & wife I need to let go of a lot of things I mean it is nearing the end of 2008 so what better of a time then now.

So here you go,why the hell do people think they have every right to judge me and act like they truly know me?! Well you know something YOU DON'T the only person that has every right to judge me is GOD and only GOD knows EVERYTHING about me. So unless you have walked in my shoes or you are God.....KEEP YOUR DAMN MOUTH SHUT!!!! I am sick and tired of people using my problems against me yea I have an anxiety disorder,OCD, and depression but I am still the same person I have always been just with a better out look on life, these things do not make me some FUCKN CRAZY ASS PSYCHO BITCH like a lot of you make me out to be or think I am. Hell we all know I can turn into one (like none of you don't!) I mean shit I am a wife,mommy,& student don't fuck with anything that I hold close and we all will be fine.LOL!I am sick and tired of people saying they are your friends and you go out of your way to help them and get shit on, you know what are friendship was nothing then and it is now over!!!! And this part is the hardest for me but it is how I truly feel... I can not wait till I get my Nursing Degree so I can finally stop running my daycare I mean don't get me wrong I LOVE the children and LOVE doing it, if I didn't I would not of been doing it for the past 9 years. Its just I am tired of the way SOME of the parents treat me like shit like how I feel or what I do for their children does not matter. I know this is going to piss off a lot of people and you know something if this does TO FUCKN BAD, maybe you should take a damn look at the way you treat people and change I hope this can be a wake up call for y'all. This is MY life not YOURS and I am not living it to please others. I no longer want that type of people in my life no room for the negative energy and atmosphere you bring. I am not the type of person that walks out on someone ( even though some will say I am )you are the ones that chose to walk out on our friendship when shit all over it, I am just going to distance myself from those type of people and continue living my life to the fullest with my family, close friends & school.So I guess you can say I am now saying GOOD BYE to the bad, negative, anger, hatefulness, bitterness in my life and starting 2009 fresh full of life and energy I have so much to be thankful for and so much life to live that I can say I am glad to be getting rid of all this and starting right. If people get hurt because of this then maybe you should of thought about your actions cause like the saying goes ' Your actions speak loud then words' .

Now I don't want to end on a bad note and plus I need to update y'all on the Attkisson house hold. I am now on Christmas Vacation until Jan. 12,2009 I passed the English board :O) and received a B in that class. My math I am still waiting on, grades was going to be posted Wednesday and still are not. GRRRRR but as soon as I know I will update this. Only going to be taking 2 classes in the Spring. My children are doing great Johnny turns 12 on Christmas and they all will be on Christmas Vacation starting next week. Yeppers going to have a house full with mine and daycare kiddos LOVE it bring on the snow so we can play!!!!! :O) Johnathon did not get LT. or Captain but they may be doing another election for LT. so he still may get it. We are doing good ♥ Can't wait till Christmas so I can see my children s faces. I will also be putting newer pics up of the whole family then because Andrew will be here too.

I want to tell the ones that have always been there and stood by me and my family thank you and I love you. You guys are true friends not the fake ones like above.LOL!!!Because with out you and my family I would not of been able to get to this point in my life and I am blessed for having you in it.

I think this time of year a lot of people start to think about their lives and how it has changed and what they can do. But we also make it a competition between people to see who can give the best gifts, throw the best parties, spoil their children more. And none of this matters what matters is what the Christmas season is truly about. I mean why do you think they call it Christmas? We need to remember that with CHRIST we would not be where we are!!! We need to step back and take our time and to count our blessings no matter how big or small they are. For we all are blessed and have so much to thank GOD for.