Good times

Yes, 'Good times' is synonymous with JJ Walker but also the visit we just received from our OKC friends. Carmen, Courtney, and Kacey all came with 4 kids total in tow. It was a very quick visit (one night) but so great. They gave thumbs up on the new house and JJ was real excited to play with the big kids (2.5 to 4.5 years old). We did not do too much last night but this morning we decorated the house. It looks so good! They helped with placing pictures on walls and displays all over. I really appreciate their efforts to get here and the extra effort it takes traveling with kids. They left today at 3 pm so they were here just under 24 hours. It is normally a 4:45 drive but on the way here it took them 6:15. They made better time today.

Robert and I are having lunch with the YoungLife guy on Monday so we will see where that leads. Also, Robert's company is starting a softball team and we are going to look into it so I might be able to do that. Opportunities are starting to come that would make it easier to make friends. JJ and I are going to the city (Little Rock) on Thursday for his 9 month wellness check-up (he is just over 10 months). We nixed the appointment here that we were supposed to go to yesterday. I had a referral for this doctor in LR and plan on a better experience. There are four doctors in this office. Sadly, I will be looking forward to Thursday all week to go to the big time city. It is fine here and everything but LR is the environment that I am used to. I hope JJ and I can make a day out of it and go shopping a bit after the appointment. Robert and I finally received some $$ for the tv from the moving company and went to Best Buy to purchase it. It was not in stock, as nothing is for this small store, and that is what you get in a smaller town like this one. You always have to wait to get big items shipped in.

Robert is still doing fine with his job. He shaved his beard last week so he has a new look. JJ continues to be great. I must brag on my little dog Scout. She was so well behaved with seven extra people in the house. The girls were so impressed with her and said she was a great dog. Scout had a rough start her first year of life but she is a great pal to have around now at the ripe 'ol age of almost-4. I love to watch her and JJ play together. JJ will rummage through Scout's play basket and Scout sits patiently to see what JJ will pull out for her to play with. What a good girl!

The last straw!

Well, a few things have happened since the last entry. Tuesday we called the doctors' office to make an appointment. She had an opening for 1:15. Great! Then I advised her that it was his first time to come in. Then she had to find a new patient opening. At that point, JJ could not get in until Wednesday, the next day, at 9:20. I asked if under the circumstances he could not go ahead and come in since he was sick. No, policy rules over sick children. I was totally irritated. I called the only other option in Conway - the OTHER pediatric group and got in there but from what I understand, they operate the same way - I was just lucky. So, I canceled the other appointment and we went to see, not a doctor, but nurse practitioner. It checks out that JJ just has a common cold. He just has the runny nose and cough but it fine otherwise. All this to say that I am ready to seek out a pediatrician in Little Rock. I believe it is worth the drive and time it will take to get good care there and have choices to say the least! Outside of that, Robert and I had our third wedding anniversary on the 15th. The three of us went out to eat. Robert bought me my favorite flowers - Gerber daisies. Good job Robert! Our lives are carrying on as usual. I made a great homemade ravioli recipe this week that was excellent. That is always exciting to me. AND...I got it off the healthy section on Foodnetwork. com. that's all for now. Later.

Cough cough....wipe

Poor JJ. He is unofficially sick. He has had a small cough for a couple of days and just tonight I think it has gotten worse. It sounds like he is coughing up flem and then there is his constant runny nose (which is clear but still). He has no fever and it hasn't really slowed him down but he is more clingy than usual. His first Conway "doctor's" visit is in two weeks but I plan on calling tomorrow. I think he needs antibiotics. I am anxious to see how the visit will go. At this point I am a skeptic so it shouldn't be too hard to meet my standards. It's like my visit to the library today. I always leave frustrated because their system is so antiquated. It sure makes me appreciate what I had in a library in OKC. It was like royalty! WAKE UP!! Oh, sorry... I was lamenting on the good 'ol days. Here is the good news: My gal pals are coming to visit in a week and a half. Carmen, Kasey, and Courtney with their eldest children and a bonus 2 yr old Anna May. They will only be here one night but it will be great to have friends here again. I can finally get a second opinion on hanging pictures now that I am in that phase of the move-in. I took Robert across the street to meet Margaret and Bob, Maggie and Leck. They will watch JJ in the future so Robert and I can go out on a date. Tomorrow is our 3rd anniversary. He may have to work tomorrow night so we ate out tonight instead. The neighbors already had plans and since JJ wasn't feeling well we just got take-out. Anytime we go out it's fun because we get to try a new restaurant. There are lots we want to try. I am cooking healthier food and cutting out the sweets so eating out is a treat to cherish. I'll let you know how the doctor situation comes out.

Life in Conway

I haven't been posting very much lately mostly because there is nothing to write about. It is pretty mundane here. Still getting the house organized and just caring for JJ. I did go to a Bible Study yesterday at Fellowship Bible Church in hopes of meeting some people. I didn't visit much with anyone but it was only the first meeting. It is only a four week study on one of Beth Moore's studies called 'Loving Well'. I think it was a great time for JJ who was in the nursery while I was studying. He is so social and has no problems on his own. I peaked in on him during our break and enjoyed watching him.
I had another visit with my neighbor Margaret across the street. They are grandparents living with their grandchildren whose mother died last year in their old house. The mom fell down a flight of stairs and broke her neck and the son found her. Very sad. The two kids are Maggie, 12, and Leck, 20. Maggie met JJ before when I first went to meet them and Margaret said she has not stopped talking about him. I shared with Margaret about my own mom and that I would like to be a friend to Maggie. It excited me to think that God may have me here to help her. Margaret agreed that they would be glad to watch JJ since it is getting close to the time I need to go to dentist, hair, etc. I can tell they are great people and it will be nice to have them as neighbors.
On another note, I talked to the leader of the Young Life branch here and he wants to meet with Robert and me later this week. This could be a great place for us to make good on our 2008 goal of getting involved somewhere and volunteering. It is also just another starting point for us to start meeting people and becoming part of this community. My friend count here is still 0, zero, goose-egg. I'll blog sooner next time.

2-Double O- 8

Start your engines....here we begin another new year. It's so nice to be able to start over in 2008; A fresh start! The New Year's holiday was uneventful for us here in Conway. I still have no friends here (other than the realtor). Hopefully with the holidays coming to a close some regularity will bring some activities our way that will provide opportunity to meet people. I can't believe JJ is only two and a half months away from his first birthday. We will be making a trek to Oklahoma City for the celebration. It is a ways off but I am looking forward to it. He has a fourth tooth showing on top. The teeth are coming on quick. It is a new phase for JJ. I feel like saying goodbye to my baby as the teeth come in. He's great.
Still unpacking here. Progress is being made slowly. Pictures are beginning to be hung, etc. We still love the house. The only bump in the road has been with the moving company who today wrote denying our claim on our damaged and missing items. I think everything will work out but we were both very upset finding out that they were not going to honor their original statements.
OU plays tonight and I have my flag hanging on the house, albeit with duck tape. Robert says that is true Arkansas fashion. We have made our goals for the coming year and hope to see great things happen in the future.