Christmas

Lucas and his Cake!

Helping me make potato candy!

Christmas morning.

Lucas in his toy story snuggie!! He thinks it is a robe. lol

Bradley and his superman steering wheel cover. Lucas bought it for him!

Logan with his 3 favorite gifts. Cowboy boots, Cowboy Hat, and Candy Canes from his stocking!

All the kids at moms!

The 4 little ones !

Wilkins and Addy in their princess dresses

The two little monsters looking rough..lol

We started last week out with a trip to Chucke Cheese for Lucas' 5th birthday. I can not believe he is already 5 seems like yesterday we brought him home. Then Tuesday Lucas and I made Christmas Candy. It was fun and loves to help me do stuff like that. Wednesday was the Christmas Party at work. Which of course I was put in charge of. I don't know why they do that to me. It went great anyway. Thursday and Friday was pretty much spent Christmas shopping with mom and Brandy. Friday night was Christmas Eve so mom brandy, LeAnne and I loaded up our six kids and took them caroling to some of our older people. It seemed to be a big hit and the kids loved it. People kept giving them candy and cookies. They did really good and hopefully it helped some that feel lonely thru the holidays. We got home got the cookies out put the kids in bed then was up all night wrapping presents and putting a bicycle together. We went to bed at about 2 thinking the kids would get us up at 4 am like they did last year. Well our phone rang at 7:30am and no kids up. So we had to wake them up! They loved all their presents. I loved mine too... I got my flip video camera that I was seriously wanting. Then we went to moms and open a ton of presents there. The kids got so much stuff. Bradley got his Clarks and Gap Jacket he was wanting and I got my bedding from Marshalls and my new shoes... And a seriously cute purse from Brandy that I love. They are called Miche Bags and you can change the covers. She got a purse cover and a diaper bag cover for the baby. I think my favorite present this year was the snow. I have never in my life saw a White Christmas. We had about a inch Christmas morning then it snowed all day. It was beautiful!!! I guess Lucas was right he informed me about a month ago that it snows everywhere on Christmas. Sunday morning they called of church because our roads were bad. So we stayed in our P.J.'s most of the day. Bradley started cleaning out drawers and pulling stuff out of closets. So we would have a place to put everything. Then about 3 we decided to run to Logan's to eat we were starving and I sure didn't feel like cooking. We got home cleaned Lucas' closet and let the kids play for a while. Then we were all ready for bed!!! This week is still cleaning and shopping. We still have 2 Christmas' left this weekend with Bradley's family and next weekend with the Middlebrooks in Gatlinburg.

While I am on that subject we got a urgent call from Grandaddy Monday afternoon telling us that Granny wasn't good and they were coming in to pray for her. So of course mom Leanne Brandy Wilkins and I loaded up went to her house. After they prayed she went to sleep for a while but then woke up again in bad shape. We finally convinced her that she needed to go to the ER about 11pm. The ambulance came and got her and took her to Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga. We were there until about 4 am our time. And let me just tell you those people in the waiting room hated us. There were only about 14 of us waiting out there. If you have ever been around one middlebrooks you know it is not quiet but when you get 14 very sleepy Middlebrooks together all bets are off. We laughed most of the night. Apparently her Gall Bladder was the size of a softball when it should be the size of a golf ball. And the took out ALOT of stones the size a Pecan. She says she feels so much better and wishes she would have had it done 30 years ago. Oh did I mention she hadn't been to the doctor since Uncle Daniel was born and he is 37 years old. They are sending her home this morning. She is still sore but feeling much better. Thank You Lord!! Oh well I have blogged long enough...Have a great rest of the week!

Happy Birthday Lucas!!

Lucas' first birthday party

5 years ago was the worst day of my life I thought. LOL Until they brought Lucas in to see me!

You see I was due January 5th. I had already been on bed rest for 2 weeks. I was seriously getting tired of it too. That Monday Aunt Maronica and Uncle Kevin and the kids had come up from Florida for uncle Kevin's family Christmas and decided to come on up from Trenton and see me. She went by the store and picked up the stuff to make my favorite thing she makes. Fried Chicken and Coleslaw. It was so good I think I ate like 5 pieces of chicken. They left to head home and I had to go to the doctor that afternoon. I was the last appointment of the day. So when I went in the checked me out. Apparently my protein level was extremely high.. LOL..This scared them really bad. I explained all the chicken I had ate. They didn't care. I had Preeclampsia. He asked me what I was doing tomorrow and I was like nothing..I thought he wanted me to come back tomorrow and be checked. I was wrong his answer was you are having a baby..I was like ok. I have never been more relieved and scared to death at the same time. I was so sick of bed rest so I was thinking yes it is about to be over with. But on the other hand I was terrified..LOL..

Anyway that night mom Brandy and LeAnne loaded me up in a wheel chair and took me to finish my Christmas shopping. Then at midnight Bradley and I made it to the hospital got checked in. Let me just tell you about that night. Have I mentioned how scared I was anyway.. But apparently the lady next door was having her baby with no drugs...NO Drugs people!! She was screaming and hollering. They wanted me to rest yea right.. I was ready to pack up and go home...It was aweful...LOL...But the next morning after the pill didn't work they started the drip at 7 am. My family started coming in. Let me just tell you who all was there.. My mom and dad, Brandy LeAnne (and Addy of course she was only like 2 months old.) Edna, Danielle,Andrea, Granny and Grandaddy.. Sitting in the room with me and Bradley all day..LOL..So after laying there until 6 pm with very little changing. The doctor comes in to tell me that he was coming back at 8 and if things hadn't progressed he wanted to do a C-Section.. I flipped!! I was already scared and this just made it worse. Not to mention my blood pressure the whole time was like 190/100..( it varied a little all day but really high) So when they come back in at 8 guess what no change. I remember everyone leaving the room except Bradley. He come over to the bed and assured me that everything would be fine. I was thinking man he is really calm and I think that's what calmed me down so much. Apparently he put on a good front because Brandy tells of a crying very emotional Bradley that she met in the hall. LOL...Anyway after getting me all ready for surgery the took me back and Lucas was born at 9:50 pm..Perfectly healthy but really scary looking.. LOL....Bradley says he was scared something was wrong with him because his head was so messed up.. I was so tired and as soon as they pulled the baby out they gave me medicine that made me go to sleep. I was trying to stay awake to hear him cry.. After I heard it I remember seeing a very fuzzy Bradley holding a baby so I could see him. Honestly all I saw was the outline of them. I just remember thinking he is ok. I was asleep and didn't wake up until about 2am. When I woke up the nurse came in and I asked her to bring him in. Apparently they had him at the nurses station waiting on me to wake up. Bradley was asleep but as soon as Lucas came in he woke up. Bradley's words were he looks better. When I saw him he had a hat on and was all clean and wrapped up. I thought he was perfect just not all that pretty..LOL...

After a very difficult 3 days in the hospital. I had major blood pressure problems and I was so swollen it was awful I looked like Fiona from Shrek..We came home on December 23rd. Dad met me at home and stayed with while Bradley went shopping to get me a Christmas present. It is awful now for him to have birthday so close to Christmas but at the time I thought of him like my Christmas present. Bradley and I sat around all day Christmas Eve and just held him or stared at him.

Anyway today Lucas is wild. He is so excited about his birthday and Christmas. We are going to Chucke Cheese tonight everyone pray for me.. I hate this place. But that is what he wants to do. Sorry for the rambling.

Christmas Play and Opryland Hotel

All the kids at Opryland Hotel

Lucas and Logan in their hero costumes that Sis Priscilla made them

Addy and WIlkins singing Deck the Halls

This is how all my pictures turned out with my crazy kids!!

Waiting for Santa at the play!

Is that him!!

Logan singing Jingle Bells!! He doesn't have a shy bone is his body!! LOL

Lucas on the other hand was a nervous wreck singing Jingle Bell Rock!! Although he looked like he was going to throw up at anytime. He nailed it!!!

Will and Lucas as Shepards

Our very unruly angels playing with the feathers in their wings!!

Angels again!

The Christmas Play was Saturday night! It was really good the kids did good!! Got some snow Sunday so that was nice. It was just another busy weekend that gets tangled into this busy Holiday season! Tuesday night mom Brandy LeAnne and I took the kids to Opryland Hotel to see the lights. 4 Adults and 6 kids quiet a adventure let me just tell you!! The kids enjoyed it!! So now it is time to get ready for church. Lucas and Addy's Christmas Party is tomorrow. Then Christmas Vacation officially begins. Saturday we are heading down to Trenton to my granny and granddaddy's house to see Aunt Maronica Uncle Kevin Kelsey and Avery. They are going to be in from Florida for the weekend. It will be nice to see them for a while. Then Mom and I have got to do some Christmas shopping I am so not finished!! Oh well everyone have a great weekend! I am sure everyone will be just as busy as we are but have a good one anyway!!!

Lucas...

I was looking thru pictures today and came across this one. It almost made me cry. Lucas will be 5 in just a few days. That makes me sick. I can't imagine where the time has went. This picture was 2 years ago and he has changed so much. He is so grown up acting. The other day when I took him to school he said he didn't need me to take him. I was crushed!! I walked him to the door and let him walk down the hall alone. It was awful!! I know I am having pregnancy hormones. I don't know how yall feel but I am constantly worrying am I treating them the same, am I showing one more attention than the other. I know I am crazy!! But with the new baby on the way and Lucas in school I feel like he is going to be on his own. He is at that age where he can do everything for his self you know and Logan is so not there. Logan requires constant attention.. LOL Oh well I just wanted to share this picture cause I think it is soooooo cute!!

Another busy weekend down! Friday night Nana called and wanted the boys. SO we took them down there and Bradley and I actually got to go out to eat all alone. It was really nice!! Then we ran to Khols. Saturday was shopping all day. Mom , LeAnne and I covered alot of ground in one day. We did the mall in Murfreesboro, hit a few stores at the Avenue then off to Franklin to Coolsprings Galleria to a few more stores. When we got home I was pooped let me tell you. Sunday was the Cardin Christmas. WE usually have it at Skyline but this year Aunt Thelma had it at her house in Tullahoma. We had a lots of fun just visiting and laughing. Got to see my cousin Tiffany who has practically been at deaths door for a few years now. Since her surgery she is doing so much better. She looks wonderful!! She says she feels like a new person!! I am so thankful! Anyway it is extremely cold and snowing here again!! It isn't sticking to anything but it is still pretty just to watch it. Well that was my exciting weekend!! I know yall were on the edge of your seats!! Have a good week!!

Thanksgiving and Black Friday!

Well this was a crazy weekend! Let me just tell you! We went to Bradley's family for thanksgiving on Thursday. Douglas and April were there. Then later Danielle, Andrea and Michael came in. So we planned out our shopping trip. I decided I would go by Toys r us at 9. I was thinking there would be a line but thought the rain would keep some people at home. I was wrong a hour before it opened and I bet there was 2000 people in line it was ridiculous. So I ran back to the house ordered the few things I wanted online. I had to pay 13.00 shipping but it was still worth it! Then Danielle, Andrea, Bradley and I headed to walmart about 10:30pm. When we got there at 10:45 there were already people in line with buggies full. So we ran back there to get a leapster and some Pj's. Of course they were completely out of leapsters. Which i was not happy. So we picked up a few other things and stood in line from about 11:15 until after 1 am! Then we headed to Target and let me just tell you it was crazy. They didn't open until 4am and 3hours early the line was already 3 stores down. Bradley was like this is ridiculous and he was ready to go home. The only reason he went was to get a new tv. I think the other150 people in front of us was there for the same tv. I was like no I will sit out here and wait. So Andrea and I got out and sat in the rain and freezing cold with nothing but our coats and one blanket. (on the hard sidewalk might I add) Bradley and Danielle ran to Steak and Shake to get us something to eat. By the time they got back we were freezing. Bradley came and sat with me and let Andrea go to the car. Which from what I heard was nice and warm. I never saw them two again. They fell asleep. So after 3 hours and a few people trying to cut in line. We made it in. They ran out of the 40" TV. So we had to get the 46" which Bradley wasn't too upset over. (LOL) So I grabbed a few other toys that I went for and they had the lines going so smooth we were out of there by 4:30. The fun part came when we realized the trunk was full already and the tv was too big for the back seat. So I made everyone get out Bradley shoved the tv in and we still had a problem there was no room for the Danielle and Andrea. LOL So Danielle laid on top of the box on her belly and Andrea sat in the front seat (on the hump) between me and Bradley. It wasn't a very comfortable ride home but we made it!! LOL.. Then of course Bradley had to get the new tv sat up before we could go to bed. It was almost 6 before we got in bed. I was so tired. We slept until about 11:30 got up at cereal watched the game and headed to Nana's for the rest of the day. Bradley"s two other brothers and there families came Friday. So we stayed there until 9 I guess then the girls wanted to watch a movie. Which I didn't make it thru. I fell asleep about 10:30. I am still recuperating!!

Now the family is all gone and I am still tired. Trying to get everything back together. Now my washing machine is backing up in my toilet and bath tub. Oh well I am going to try and clean a little. Got to get out here in a bit and run to gymboree they are holding some sweaters for me. I got to try and find the boys something for Christmas Program which is next weekend!! Oh lord all the Holiday fun is starting. Have a good week!