Laughing Momma

My Husband Rocks

2010-02-22T11:02:00.000-08:00

Big Daddy is getting a shout out this morning...I would "bump fists" with him if he would let me...but he HATES that, so that would be a negative. But, out of my love and admiration for him, I did get up with him this morning at 4:30am and make him a hot breakfast and coffee, and then even stayed up and watched the news with him, while he ate it.

I am ever thankful for my husband who gets up, without complaint and goes out to provide for his family....in the harsh reality of 15 degrees with a wind chill in the single digits. And then, in the summer, he does the exact opposite by heading out at 4:30am when it is ALREADY 75degrees and on its way up to near 100degrees. All the while, without complaint. All he asks for is either a hot breakfast in the winter or a cool drink in the summer ...that is quite the trade off if you ask me.

So here is to husbands.

Husbands that get up early, and the ones that get home early.

Husbands that pull an extra shift for some extra cash, and the ones that turn down a shift for extra family time.

Husbands that make the big bucks, and the ones that make a big difference.

Husbands that are great bosses, and the ones that impress their bosses.

Husbands that went to college, and the ones that went to work.

Husbands that served their country, and the ones that serve their communities.

Husbands that love their wives as Christ loved the church, and the ones who try to.

Husbands who pray for the kids, and the ones whose kids pray for them.

Husbands who bring home the bacon, and the ones who cook the bacon.

Husbands who go to church, and the ones who need to go to church.

Husbands who have tea parties with their little girls, and ones who watch from from afar.

Husbands who send roses, and ones that pick them.

Husbands who kiss you goodnight, and ones who kiss you good morning.

Husbands who play sports with their kids, and ones that play video games with their kids.

Husbands who save money, and the ones who spend it.

Husbands that have been faithful, and the ones that have been remorseful.

Husbands that make you laugh, and the ones who hold you when you cry.

Husbands who lead, and the ones that listen.

Husbands that do everything right, and the ones who make everything all right.

I imagine that all of our husbands are as vastly different from each other as we are. So today, I celebrate them for whatever they bring to your family, the good, the bad, and the really good.

Now get off the computer, and go love on your man!!!!

WOW!!!

2009-12-09T10:46:00.000-08:00

Could you use a NEW TOUCHSCREEN HP COMPUTER????

Well, join the club and head HERE for your very own chance.

Boomama has completely outdone herself.

Can you even believe this giveaway?????

2009-09-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

I recently overheard a stay at mom say that her kids don't have chores. I really don't know why this puzzled me so, but it did. ALL of our kids have chores, both of the daily variety and the I need you to.......fill in the blank variety.

Aside from making their beds, all the kids obviously need to take care of personal hygiene and keep up with all their stuff that some how creeps and runs wild in areas other than their bedrooms.

The boys also alternate weeks of dish duty and dog duty. Our youngest, only 5, even helps by putting away the silverware, and relining the trash cans with bags after they have been emptied.

We also blitz the house everyday right before Big Daddy gets home. We try to get all the school stuff up and out of the way, babydolls back in thier beds, and pillows straightened on the couch.

Our kids also help with some of the leg work for bigger chores, like mowing the grass(especially if Big Daddy has to work late) or picking vegtables from the garden in the summer.

What about you and yours? I really think of myself as a house manager, not a maid, so I delegate and get the troops moving when necessary.

Back in the swing of things....finally!!!!

2009-09-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,

I hate that my last few posts have been nothing but....here I am again...sorry, I've been gone....better late than never....but REALLY this time I mean it....I'm BACK!!!!

Which, I am sure that, my 3 readers will be over joyed with.

Fact is, Blogging fits very nicely with my homeschooling routine....but not so much my summer routine. Who wants to be on the laptop when there is a beautiful lake across the street, a swimming pool at both the In-Laws and the grandparents, and a new niece next door? Can you blame my hiatus???

With all that said, life is very good

2009-08-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

I'm a little Pee-pot

2009-08-05T17:09:00.000-07:00

Big Daddy, who has a lot of amazing qualities, also has a handful of annoying ones. For example....he can aggravate you in a heart beat....but the worse part is that he doesn't let up once your aggravated. Instead he just pokes and prods until you are ready to literally RUN AWAY. FOREVER!!! This was my perdicament the other night in the kitchen when this conversation took place.

BD: Come on Babe...I'm not that BAD
Me: Oh, yes you are. Leave me alone and get out of the kitchen
BD: Really, Babe....I just want to be near you...I've missed you all day(remember this is not sweet nothings...its the aggravation game...trying to not only "get my goat" but slaughter it as well)
Me: You know honey, I've been thinking
BD: what about darlin'?
Me: I once heard on a show about self defense that if someone is trying to abduct you, that you should pee on yourself because they wont want to take you anywhere if you just peed your pants.
BD: what does that have to do with anything?
Me: Well, I am thinking about peeing my pants just so you would leave me alone and let me cook dinner.

Funny HaHa

2009-08-05T16:43:00.000-07:00

Life around our house has been quite busy and FILLED with laughter here of late. Had to take a moment and share some of the highlights.

The Beez sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" last week. It went something like this..."buy me some pickles and apple jacks"

Tucking in The Snake last night almost got me a black eye. When I leaned down to kiss him, I scared him to death and he turned over swinging. I caught his clenched fist just inches from my face.

My MIL asked Crack (12yrs old...all boy) which of her perfumes he liked best. He just nodded and walked away. Later he told me about their conversation like this...."Mom, really? She wanted to know and I just shook my head. But the truth was they all smelled the same....except for one...and it smelled like butt."

Trying to convince The Beez to read me one of her new books before she went outside to ride her bikes went down like this:

Me: read this to me before you go outside

Beez: I dont want to read...that's school and its summer

Me: come on, its one of your NEW books that I just bought...PLEASE

Beez: You said that those books were for school....I want to go and ride my bike...not do school

Me: Well, you could read this ONE book and then go out and ride your bike....OR you could read all TWELVE of your new books to me....and NOT go out and ride your bike

Beez: That sounds like a THREAT!!!

Me: Guilty. Go ride your bike.

Beez: OK, I'll read just one.

BD: Come on Babe...I'm not that BAD

Me: Oh, yes you are. Leave me alone and get out of the kitchen

BD: Really, Babe....I just want to be near you...I've missed you all day(remember this is not sweet nothings...its the aggravation game...trying to not only "get my goat" but slaughter it as well)

Me: You know honey, I've been thinking

BD: what about darlin'?

Me: I once heard on a show about self defense that if someone is trying to abduct you, that you should pee on yourself because they wont want to take you anywhere if you just peed your pants.

BD: what does that have to do with anything?

Me: Well, I am thinking about peeing my pants just so you would leave me alone and let me cook dinner.

Staying True: My Journey through Homeschooling

2009-07-22T08:46:00.000-07:00

My blogging break has been wonderful. It has accomplished everything I hoped it would and I feel refreshed and energized and ready to jump back into the blogging world. Joyfully that break is over, but another one is on the horizon and school is just around the corner.
Most years I have already purchased all my curriculum by the end of the previous year so that I can have the summer to tweak it and prepare myself for the upcoming year. This year with our big NY/DC trip that didn't happen. I knew that I wanted top make some changes but the sepcifics I had not laid out yet. Then a friend offered me her curriculum from last year...Science, History and English Lit/Grammar. It was everything I would need for those subjects except for the grammar work text and I was thrilled. The amount of money she saved me was unreal and I was so thankful. She brought me all the books and I started going through them trying to figure the best way to use it and still be true to myself.
The truth is, I couldn't. I sat there and looked over this great gift and solid curriculum and I was lost. I couldn't find myself with those textbook pages, and I feared failure was on the horizon. I looked over each subject and then in defeat I prayed over them and asked for direction. And this is what I heard in the depths of my soul. "What you see as a financial gift and answer to prayer, is really your lack of faith that I will provide what I really want you to have. Be TRUE to yourself, and to your kids. I have called you to homeschool these precious children, and I will not leave you short handed"
In the span of just a moment, a mere breath within my self I suddenly felt at peace. And I reminded myself of the two things I counsel other homeshooling moms to do. First, know WHY you are homeschooling. Write it down. Remind yourself of it often. You have to know the WHY or you will get lost in the HOW. The first time someone asks you, "Why do you homeschool?" and you stutter and fumble over your answer, you will feel defeated. So know the WHY so you can succeed in the HOW. The second thing I urge other parents to do is this: Be true to yourself. Be the teacher God created YOU to be, not the teacher you see in others. You are uniquely gifted to teach your own children, your own way. This is the gift that homeschooling gives you. Instead of your child being in a group of 20-30 kids who all learn differently, but are required to learn the systems way, you have the freedom to individualize. Meet your child where they are, and bring them on the journey.
The beauty of homschooling is just that, the journey you take with your children to teach them to know God and to love knowledge. Remembering above all things, that diagramming sentences and periodic tables have nothing on the real gift you are giving your children. Hold fast to the knowledge that homeschoolings greatest gift is the beautiful relationship you are given with your children when you stay true to yourself.

In Love and Laughter, Seeking to KNOW Him

2009-07-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

Hello world!!
I thought my blog break would only be a week or so but it quickly turned into a well needed month.
We have been super busy with summer camp, swimming, and gardening.
Oh, and welcoming a new little one. Presley Fern came 2 1/2 weeks early, but not a day too soon for her momma. She weighed a whopping 9lbs and ofcourse is beautiful.
I am hoping that I will be frequently updating now that I can do it via my iPhone. It seems that I am never on the actual computer.
Thank you too the many friends who have emailed me to check in on me...we are alive and well and just enjoying our summer and our new precious angel.

LaughingMomma

2009-07-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

Test post from my iPhone.

Blogging Sabbatical???

2009-05-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

It seems, without even officially planning it, that I have been on Sabbatical. And in some ways that has been VERY good(more on that later). I have missed it, but before our trip I was spending way too much time not only on my own blog...but also visiting each of your blogs. In the middle of all that, I realized I was missing out on my own life while I was enjoying yours.
That is one reason why Twitter(I'm LaughingMomma if you twitter too!!!) works well for me. I am able to capture some great family moments and times of reflection without having to immerse myself in the blog world. It of course didn't help that we had our big trip/adventure right in the middle of it all, and now summer is upon us and my baby niece Presley is about to make her grand entrance very soon, all of which have been occupying my time away from the blogosphere.
Here is a quick update on all things ALOL:
Big Daddy is going to be the BIG 40 in just a few weeks. I had a surprise party for his 35th, and I think this year we will just do a family dinner. He wants, of all things, an old fashioned ice cream maker. I am usually "anti" appliance when it comes to gift giving...after all I was the recipient of a new stove one year for Christmas....and that did go over so well. But that is a whole other post.
The Beez is READING!!!! WOO WHOO!!! All of you who homeschool can probably understand the frustration of striking out when it comes to reading. It usually starts off great with them getting short sounds and reading every three letter word around. Then when you throw them a curve ball with long sounds, multiple rules, and special sounds and they just give up. I am pleased to say that we have rounded the bases and she is now reading everything with great success.
Snake is back to his old self. Which is such a good thing. While we were on our trip
it seemed like every time we had to get on to one of the kids...it was Snake. But once we got back on Mississippi soil he was back to his flying under the radar self. On a positive "note" he has started tinkering on the piano, so we decided to start him taking lessons with my Grammy. I'll keep you posted on his progress
Crack is in the tail end of baseball. Its been a good year but admittedly, I am counting down to the final game on opening day. I love watching my kids play sports...I just hate the time it keeps us away from home. Crack also moves up to the Youth this summer, which is good in that He and Snake will be separate. But that also means that we will have twice as many activities on our calendar.
As for me, well I am just ready to grab a book and hit the pool and the lake. That is the best thing about all the kids swimming....I can actually relax instead of having to "play" the entire time. So leave me a comment with your summer reading suggestions...cause I am definitely in the market for a summer reading list.

It's Good to be Back Friends

2009-05-11T11:30:00.000-07:00

It would be impossible to to recap our last month in just one post, so I won't even try. But I will say that our long awaited vacation was no vacation, but really a 17 day long field trip. We saw just about every monument, memorial, and museum in DC and of course hit all the big spots in NY too. We had a lovely time visiting with my Dad and his fiance Ann while in NY and then with good friends Brian and Lauri while in DC.

The trip was more than I could have imagined if I had not put all the hard work into the thing in the first place. So instead, it was everything I imagined and more. the kids were, as a whole, super troopers. The Beez only complained once about all the walking...and truthfully it was the same time we were all complaining. Walking the Mall in DC-twice- before lunch on the hottest day of the year, with hungry kids was one of the few lapses in parental judgement we made...but in the end it was all good.

I was pleasantly surprised with how much I loved NY. I especially loved Tarrytown, where my Dad and Ann live. It was not only beautiful, but cozy as well, something I thought impossible in NY. I also loved riding the Metro. Goodness, I could get use to that. And the view along the Hudson was something to behold.

As for DC, is was breathtaking. Big Daddy and I are already planning a return trip without the kiddos. the history and beauty of our blessed country was a treat in and of itself. The Smithsonian Museums left me wanting for more and yet completely satisfied as well.

I have so much more to share, and I hope to do so soon. thank you for checking in with us and I hope to catch up on your blogs as well very soon.

P.S. Cracks surgery went perfect. he has the best looking broken nose I have ever seen...you wouldn't know it if I didn't point it out to you.

Best to you and yours!!!

Jedi's, tree limbs, and baseball

2009-04-09T20:29:00.000-07:00

I have been working on a post all week long, but with family visiting and trying to get school completed before our vacation it has been difficult to find the time.

But...... then we had drama last night and into today and I couldn't NOT share it with you all.

Last night as small group came to an end, Snake comes rushing into the house yelling, "Hurry, he's hurt!!!"

As we make our way to the front yard, sure enough, Crack is laid out in the front yard face down. He is scream-crying...you know sobbing and screaming at the same time, making no sense at all. We finally got out of him that Snake had busted him in the face with a TREE BRANCH.

After getting him to his feet we see that he took it right across the bridge of the nose, but that the skin was not broken and he wasn't bleeding.

We made it into the house just as the bleeding started from inside his nose, and then I feared the worst...it was broken.

After a call in to our Ped she assured me that we could wait till morning to be seen, so we iced it, gave him some Tylenol and went to bed.

Now, honestly, when I saw it this morning I thought, 'boy am I glad I didn't take him to the ER last night' because it really didn't look that bad. I mean, for taking a tree limb to the face, it was only slightly swollen, and barely bruised. If you didn't know him you might not even notice anything at all. But, I still wanted to get it checked out so we headed to the Ped this afternoon.

The Xray confirmed the break, and our PED consulted with the other Drs on duty and determined that the break was not that worrisome, but that a possible deviated septum (sp?) was more alarming. After all FOUR doctors on site poked around it was decided that we see a specialist.

Lucky for us, we were able to see the same Doctor that had put tubes in Snakes ears years ago. This man is a hoot!!!! Loud, rowdy, country, and spot on when it comes to ENT cases.

We were sent right over and when he came in he immediately was more concerned with the break than with the deviated septum. He said it looked a "little smushed" so he ordered a CT of Cracks head....and it came back that the poor boy's nose is broken in 5 places!!!!

For fear of messy healing we are headed to surgery next week, just before we leave on vacation. My careful planning of the days leading up to our departure have just been kicked in the teeth and I am now scrambling to make adjustments.

The two best parts of the story I saved for last. Big Daddy is not happy with Snake for breaking his brothers nose and last night(even before we confirmed the break) he decided to give Snake an ear full. I kid you not it started like this:

Big Daddy: "Snake, you are NOT a Jedi. You do NOT have special powers. You can NOT stop objects with a force field......"

I completely lost it. I had tears in my eyes...mainly because Big Daddy was being spot on serious. He was not kidding. He really felt like Snake needed to be made aware of his human limitations. It was HILARIOUS!!!!

Then at the doctors office, after we scheduled the surgery, I asked the doctor about baseball. He said, "oh, ya by the time you guys are back from your trip he will be as good as new."

I replied "oh, OK, that is great, but I was kind of referring to our 6pm game TONIGHT."

He laughed and said, "of course he can play ball. What's he gonna do? break his nose again? Anything he does between now and surgery, I can fix....so let him play ball."

And so we did. Crack caught all 6 innings and had three hits to boot.

Reflections of 36

2009-04-08T14:42:00.000-07:00

In celebration of my recent birthday I thought I would share 36 things I know for sure. Although they are in no order of importance, I can assure you that these are merely truth from my vantage point....36 years in the making.

Every year has been better than the one before...without exception.

Nothing beats In-N-Out Burger....nothing.

I love the quiet of the early morning, but I will forever be a night owl.

Thankfully the Lord doesn't care that I can NOT carry a tune...He accepts my worship no different than Chris Tomlin or Michael W Smith.

I heart feeding people, actually cooking for them, it brings me joy.

T.V. is highly over rated.

When your Beloved loves your body, it is easier for you to love it.

Homeschooling is worth every hair I've pulled out.

Having a great and satisfying relationship with 5 of my sisters, doesn't make up for the awful relationship(really lack of any relationship ) with my the other one.

Big Daddy's easiest ticket to lovin....it's a tie between emptying the dishwasher and rubbing my back.

Three isn't such a bad number.

I'd rather have $60 bucks to live on for a week and have every bill paid, than to have money in the bank and have creditors calling.

I enjoy being a Jack of all trades, and a master at none, although in my youth it aggravted me to no end.

I am blessed to stay home and never take it for granted. I jokingly tell BD when he calls that I am busy 'living the life of luxury' that his hard work affords me. But really, I am only half joking.

While I appreciate modern media I do not and will not EVER regret NOT allowing our kids to have a cell phone or a Facebook acount.

RE: #13...if I am a master of anything it is cake...I can make a cake that will make you wish you never had the first bite...and cupcakes too. I can make people who HATE cake not only love it but fight over it. Yes, it is that good.

I am "that Mom" at the ball field who cheers so loud you don't want to sit by me. But, in my defense, I am also cheering on behalf of "that other Mom" who sits in the stands talking on her cell phone or reading a book. I cheer for every kid....loudly.

A beautifully remodeled kitchen gets just as messy as the old, outdated one....but I still wouldn't want my old one back.

There is great freedom in throwing things out.

Gardening speaks to me. And I speak back.

One of my proudest "Mom" moments is when I witness my chidren being a good friend to someone else.

Big Daddy completes me...and he did even before Jerry Maguire.

Nothing beats having family in my backyard.

I love that Bid Daddy brings me coffee on Sunday mornings when I am getting ready....even though I usually don't drink it till I get in the car.

When no one is home and I am folding laundry or cleaning up, iCarly keeps me company.

Never underestimate the power of a good hair day. It can change your perspective

I could live life as a Hermit and be happy. I love being home that much.

Note to Big Daddy

2009-03-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

Dear Big Daddy,

Here is a review of your weekend activities:

Cleaning out my car...loved it!!!!

Mowing the grass....loved it!!!!!

Sleeping in with you Saturday morning....loved it!!!!

You washing ALL the dirty laundry....hated it!!!!!

Note for further weekend help....feel free to lend a helping hand whenever you feel like it. UNLESS, of course you ever feel like washing clothes again. There is no greater defeat for a Monday morning than a bedroom floor covered in CLEAN laundry.

While I appreciate "the Love", I can name a hundred other ways that wouldn't stress me out all day Monday.

Love you,

Hot Momma

Finally Truth

2009-03-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

In an effort to NOT have every area of our life out there on the Internet I have been amiss in telling you that Big Daddy has been gone for THREE weeks!!!! I know, three weeks is a long time, but the Lord was faithful. He not only timed this trip perfectly as to not interfere with our upcoming NY/DC trip, but also provided it as a way for us to save some extra money for the trip as well.

While Big Daddy was gone, I was busy, like I shared with Spring Cleaning!!!! And let me just say, that Spring has officially Sprung!!!! It has been so nice to live without all that clutter and to have a place for everything and everything in its place. The other bonus, and hence another reason I have been absent from blogging, is that with the house in tip top order, I have had time to catch up on some reading.

The kids and I also did a whole week of immersion study, which basically meant that we set aside our normal studies in Math, Lang, Science and History, and focused on a few specific areas of study instead.

The holocaust was one of them. We will be visiting the US Holocaust Memorial Museum while in DC, and I did NOT want to just show up and my kids have no idea what it was all about, and then be both shocked and confused. Our time studying the holocaust, was breathtaking. Literally, it took my breath away both with its horror and with its hope.

We read many first hand accounts, watched The Hiding Place, and entered into great discussion about what happened, why it happened, and how it should alter our world view.

I was so pleased with all of the kids....and I felt like each one, on their own level, really gained a sense of the scope of the tragedy.

I have also been busy with choosing our curriculum for next year. Homeschooling is an evolving learning experience for all involved, and I go to great lengths to tweak our learning environment every year. This year is no different, and I am once again taking stock at what really worked for us and what needs to be altered.

One thing that we won't be changing is Math-U-See....we love MUS and I can with great certainty say that this will be our math text of choice for the years to come. It definitely took time to adjust because it is NOT like anything we had ever used prior, but the adjustment was well worth it and we are now converts.

Along with all of that I have also been busy planning our upcoming NY/DC trip. Our house is busting with excitement. The Beez spends hours looking at her American Girl catalogue trying to decide which one she wants...which changes daily as well as every time we read one of the books...I feel she is going to break the bank...but for a five year old, American Girl is probably going to trump any museum or memorial, and I am okay with that.

The boys are excited about the Empire State Building, the World Trade Center site, and Mount Vernon. All in all, I think it will be the perfect family vacation. Big Daddy wants to eat at some great hole in the wall diners with humongous hamburgers...seriously folks, like 3, 5, 8 & 15 POUNDERS!!!! And, me, well I am looking forward to the Statue of Liberty and a Broadway show.

Anyway, so there you have it...Big Daddy gone for three weeks, spring cleaning, reading, vacation planning and gardening.

What have you been up to?

Manna for the today...

2009-03-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

Thank you Lord for giving me just enough for today...so that I would not waste your gift in the storehouses of my own grip. Thank you for the freedom that comes with trusting you daily and not just in the BIG picture of my life.

Oh, that I would trust you even more....

Things Hidden

2009-03-14T11:51:00.000-07:00

Over the past two weeks I have taken our home to task and been busy organizing and cleaning out closets and every corner of the house. In all honesty, I have been doing more throwing out than organizing and it has felt so good....on so many levels.

During my purging sessions I have been surprised by how many things I "had put away" in hopes of working on them or doing something with them at some later date. Unfortunately, later never came, and instead clutter begot more clutter.

I have now taken my soul to task considering the same things. How many character traits, bad habits, old hang-ups, senseless fears, and useless baggage have I kept hidden away hoping to correct it, fix it, use it, or loose it at a later time.

I wonder how much energy is wasted on trying to keep those things hidden away. How much time to I spend trying to make others I think that I have it all together, when really I might have it, but definitely not ALL together.

I wonder what footloose and fancy free might feel like in my soul if I was not so oppressed by my own short comings.

I wonder what good purging does, if it only makes room for more stuff.

I wonder what I might do with an empty cabinet here, or closet there.

I wonder what my spirit might do with a little extra room for growth once the parasites of life have been thrown into the fire.

I wonder if my soul needs a spring cleaning as much as my house did?

I wonder if I dare?

Woooo-Whooooo!!!! 10,000!!!!

2009-03-12T15:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you San Francisco!!!!

You were my 10,000th hit!!!!

I am glad you stopped by and hope that you will again!!!! Introduce yourself next time, and stay for awhile!!!

Bridget(in OK) it was almost you!!!! You were 9,999th....so close.

That's all, just wanted to celebrate!!!

Just Checking In...

2009-03-12T09:53:00.000-07:00

Hello Blogging Friends

I have been so busy the past two weeks that I have not had time to update here on the blog....BUT if you Twitter, and you should, than you can always follow me that way. Of course my Twitter name is LaughingMomma, so you can look me up or just follow the link along the right side bar. I LOVE TWITTER because it is like miniature blogging, and is easy to do and updating is just a text message away!!!!

Anyway, the other reason I have not had time to be on the computer is that it is SPRING CLEANING TIME!!!! That's right, every closet, dresser, cabinet and nook and cranny is on the chopping block. And it feels so good!!!

I had been wanting to add some shelving to two of our closets that had wasted space and once that was done(I heart power tools!!!) the organization began.

Our house really had very little storage space with no hall closet or linen closet. It has always been necessary to stash sheets under our bed, and put towels in our closet. Not to mention suitcases and extra blankets under the beds too...it was a mess.

And don't even get me started on the amount of pictures I had stashed here and there and everywhere...oh how I love digital...and now with the new shelves in the closets I have EVERY photo in one location and I even have a shelf for my sewing machine and various notions and material.

Cracks room had a complete overhaul...the boy is growing so fast that I can hardly keep him in clothes. Which meant that every clothing item was gone through!!! I do not have time to share the grief I gave him over how the clothes that do fit were wadded up and shoved in drawers....or worse yet in box with Legos!!! I think my threat went something like, "If I find one shirt out of place than I will take every shirt, pant, short and even your socks and boxers...and you will have to do hard labor to earn each piece back...individually!!!!"

Anyway, his room is done, but poor Beez has not even been able to get in her room for a week...her closet got new shelves too...but she actually has two closets and I needed to switch her clothes from one to the other...which in turn meant that EVERY toy that was in the other one was put under the scrutiny of a mother on a mission....meaning that every toy was brought up on the witness stand to stand trial for the charge of "causing more clutter than joy." I am happy to say, that in the end, the guilty were weeded from the innocent and we are on our way "to a more perfect union."

In other news, basketball season has ended and been quickly followed by baseball...a last minute addition after we had previously decided against it since we will be going on vacation right in the middle of the season and then the boys have summer camp at the end of the season. In the end, I was over ruled and Big Daddy decided that Crack should play one more season. Which meant coughing up $100 for registration and $80 for cleats and pants....my checking account is about to start a revolt , I am sure of it!!!

The boys have also started attending Robotics Club....just typing that I am feeling stretched. I am a home body by nature and I make no bones about that I would rather be at home than anywhere else...but I am hoping that this will be both a good school activity and a good team activity for the boys....time will tell.

My garden got tilled yesterday...that brings joy to my heart...you really have no idea how much I love to garden...I love it. This year I will be adding potatoes, cabbage,pink eyed peas, tomatillos, strawberries and onions to my usual crop of tomatoes, peppers, squash, green beans, zucchini, okra and every herb under the sun.

For the first time I am green housing seedlings for transplant...I have 72 peet pots started, and even have 9 tomato plants green housing as well to get a jump even with the cooler weather still upon us.

Other exciting happenings in no particular order

when kids play light saber in the back yard near a water faucet...one missed swipe can decapitate your said water faucet and create a pool in your back yard...unfortunately, not the kind that you could actually swim in.

I had an amazing hair day on Tuesday...just thought that I should document that

Snake went from footloose and fancy free to pneumonia in 4 hours flat last Friday....which translated into horrible night Friday night and all morning at the doctor Saturday

when contract negotiations are going on at Big Daddy's work, and he is on a business trip, which means everything he hears is second hand, which means I am hearing it third hand....communication is sure to be a complete and utter disaster....no Laughing Momma that day.

And finally, I saved the best for last. Big Daddy has a lot of great qualities...but one of them is most assuredly NOT gift giving. Now, before you judge, let me say that I have examined this from both sides...and after considering that maybe the issue was mine, and that I might be a terrible acceptor of gifts, I have come to the conclusion, that indeed, this fault is mainly his, and his alone.

He does great with a list...in fact this year for Christmas I printed off copies of the gifts I would love to have and he choose great things .....from THAT list!!! And I was never happier. But to ever think that he would just be walking through a store and see something and think, 'Hey Hot Momma would really love that"...not gonna happen. And I am okay with that. He is a great provider and I want for nothing...well except for...(more on that later)

Anyway, a few weeks ago he said he was going to use our PayPal account to buy something and have it delivered here. When I asked him about it, he just said it was for my birthday and I was not to ask any more questions. To say that I was a little scared would be an understatement. This is a man who forgot my birthday once...this is how it went.

For those of you who don't know my real name is April....I know you are shocked that Laughing Momma is NOT actually on my drivers license, but anyway. You should also know that my birthday is in April too...I know that is such a stretch...but work with me folks.

Anyway, this particular birthday, when he left for work I didn't get a "happy birthday babe" kiss on his way out, and I had noticed that there hadn't been any behind the scenes action in the days leading up to my birthday either(you know when dad gets all the kids in the back of the house, they are all squealing trying really hard to be quiet, and he send on up front asking for tape and scissors...which you of course hand over without any questions, and then about an hour later they all emerge and chalk up the last hour to just "hanging with Dad"

Well, the entire day goes by, and nothing form him, absolutely nothing. I had to be at church earlier than he, and many of my friends had wished me well...and when arrives still nothing. As a matter a fact, I later found out that he didn't realize it was my birthday until he overheard someone else wishing me happy birthday...yes folks it was that bad!!!

To make matters worse when he finally did get to me this is what he said, " Look babe, I am really sorry I forgot about your birthday, but you have to know this....I didn't just forget that TODAY is your birthday, I was so not even close to thinking you had a birthday coming up that I guess you could say that I forgot you even HAD a birthday. I am so sorry babe."

After laughing my head off, I hugged him and told him he would never live it down...and he hasn't but remember this folks...my name is April, my birthday is in April, so you would think that somewhere in the course of life when the month changes to your wife's name...money says its time to by a card and get the kids in the back of the house :)

So, the box arrived while Big Daddy was still gone on business and I was sent away while Crack went out and met the UPS truck. The package was hidden and I thought nothing more of it. Well, a few nights later this is what I sound on my bed

That's right folks...a whole box of my favorite candy bar...Abba-Zaba....which is absolutely not available anywhere...at least not in Mississippi.

So, for me, this was the perfect gift on so many levels. First of it is not something I would ever buy myself...especially by the box and online. Somehow, whenever people talk about their favorite candy or candy bars, I always mention Abba-Zaba...but not in a hint dropping way, more in a I am totally bummed no one sells it way. And although buying a box of 24 seems over the top, it was not at all something that broke the bank...which the frugal part of me appreciates.(I am not one who would welcome a new car in the driveway with a big read bow...I don't want anything that we are going to have to keep paying on....now if you win a car and want to give it to me...my hand is out and waiting!!!!)

I guess a box a Abba-Zabs was the perfect gift because it was thoughtful, edible, and just exactly what I have always wanted!!!

Now, if we could just get Popsicle brand Big Sticks delivered I would be in heaven....

To Cheer You Up

2009-03-06T23:06:00.000-08:00

To Cheer You Up from Laughing Momma on Vimeo.

To "Cheer" You Up

2009-03-06T22:49:00.000-08:00

Untitled from LaughingMomma on Vimeo.

The Magic of Mentors

2009-03-04T09:16:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago something magical happened.

I was blessed to spend the afternoon in the presence of one of my favorite people in the world....and by that I mean, every time I am in her presence, I stand in awe and wish I could stay and never leave.

She is teacher by trade, but more importantly she is a teacher by destiny. It is her very core, and the Lord has blessed her with amazing gifts.

I first fell in love with her when we traveled with our church to a Women of Faith conference in Atlanta. She is hilarious...and I mean in a really dry, sarcastic, speak the truth and mean it kind of way.

She has a love for education, and while I appreciated her passion for education, I kind of laid low at first, not knowing her take on homeschooling.

In my experience, "real" teachers either tolerate us homeschoolers or they hate us....I had never found a teacher by trade to truly be supportive, or let alone encouraging.

That was until I met her. Right away, she showed respect for my decision to homeschool. Not only that, but she became sort of a personal champion on my behalf. For instance, when the boys were doing microscope work I really felt like that needed to be hands on...but our pocketbook was not feeling the same way so purchasing one for home use was simply not an option. I went to our local co-op and was only able to find the "toy" like microscopes for younger children and then it dawned on me to try her.

She was able to check it out from their teachers resource center, and then loan it to me. She said, that while the teachers resource center was suppose to be available to parents in the county, that usually the staff balked at actually letting that happen, and that her signing it out would cut the red tape.

That was the first of many, in fact, I actually have a regular stack of books from her personal collection that we use based on our current topic.

But books and microscopes have nothing on what she gave me that afternoon in her classroom.

Here is that back story. My oldest, Crack, is just like me. We think and process things the same way. He can start to ask a question and I already know where he is going with it. When something doesn't make sense to him, I can usually pick out the exact point of confusion and then clarify it for him. Even in math, our brains work the same...we talk it out logically, and then put it on paper.

But, my precious Snake is totally opposite. Bless our hearts....after homeschooling this sweet boy for 6 years, I still don't know how his mind works. Well, actually, I do. It works just like my husbands. For example,I noticed about two years ago, that BIG textbooks overwhelmed him. It was almost like he doomed himself at the very start of the school year. It was an uphill battle....he couldn't just take a chapter at a time. He did much better when things were broken down in smaller segments. So, I ditched the 3 inch thick text books and started him on AOP LifePacs. These contained the same information, but instead of one huge textbook, it was ten workbooks...which in Snake's eyes was doable.

But, even after making changes in other areas, I still sensed that I was missing something. Somehow, I had to bridge the gap between how I think and how he thinks. It once again seemed like a great time to glean from her vast knowledge and have her help me sort out what was so jumbled in my mind. So, after a few weeks of juggling calendars, out time was set.

First, you have to visualize her classroom...think Mr Magoriums Wonder Emporium, meets the Smithsonian, meets the Library of Congress. It is truly a WONDERful place, and truth be told, if she could teach all three of my kids, all the way through, I would sell my left kidney to make it happen. But, I digress. Her classroom alone makes me a better homeschooler. It makes me want to dig and find clues and seek truth. It makes me want to curl up on the couch and lock the door. But, this day it was to be resting place in the truest sense of the word.

If you don't homeschool, you might not understand this next part, but I find that whenever I doubt a current course of action or teaching style, I doubt every part of homeschooling. And when you doubt EVERY part of homeschooling, a public school teachers classroom is NOT where you want to be. My past experience with other teachers is that when they sense I have something troubling me, that you might as well throw out the BABY(homeschooling) with the BATH WATER(the singular problem)

Unless, of course, it is this teacher. This woman sat down at the table across from me, eye to eye, and said, "so, what is going on?"

I began to weep as I shared my struggles with her. Not because I was sad, but because I knew that this was the place that the Lord was going to do a great work. I knew that this woman, was going to be used by God, to open my blind eyes, and show me what I was missing.

And boy, did He show up. It was the most amazing interaction. I showed her some of his school work and shared what I was sensing. I shared the frustrations of looking him dead in the eyes and trying so hard to understand his view point, and just getting so frustrated that we both just needed a time out. I shared with her the strengths he has, and the interests that keep his attention. I shared with her what he hates, and what frustrates him.

And then, as she began to process and tell me her thoughts, it was like the well spring of knowledge gates flooded open....

She began to connect the dots...the same ones I saw....but that I COULD NOT connect. And suddenly it all made sense.

Suddenly I felt empowered.

Empowerment is, itself a funny thing. Nothing has really changed...only your viewpoint. It is going from backstage, nervous and alone, to the center stage, headlining the show. Really, it is all just about perspective.

So, today, I am joyful that one woman reached out and changed my perspective. That one woman looked at me, and said, "You are doing EVERY thing right. You noticed that something was not clicking, and you sought help and guidance. You are a wonderful mother and a great homeschooler."

Every once and awhile a girl just needs someone to be her Bridesmaid. A trusted soul to show her which foot goes in which shoe and which way her dress goes on....not because she doesn't know herself, but simply because she doesn't want to make a mess out of the miraculous.

So, here is to Mentors, or Bridesmaids, whatever you call them.

Just make sure you call on them because they not only make your day, they brighten your life.

About Last Night 2/26/2009

2009-02-27T10:01:00.000-08:00

It wasn't pretty.

Do you ever get tired of being under attack?

Well, I am.

It came from all sides and unfortunately Big Daddy got served from the "All is fair in War and Migraines" Buffet....and it wasn't yummy love and dessert I was serving, it was nasty, messy, worse than left-overs from the all night truck stop kind of messy.

What kills me, is that we are actually doing the "Love Dare" right now, yeah that's right, he is actually showering me with love, and I am giving back the worst of me.

It is like I am the grave digger, busy digging up ancient graves, instead of openly receiving the love he is giving.

None of which was helped by a horrendous migraine/sinus headache that took me all day to get rid of.

So, this is confession. I gave the worst of me to my love. It didn't really hit me how bad I was toward him until I realized that I did have some really great interactions yesterday. Not only did I pony up and put on a good front, I actually showed love and graciousness toward others. I also had some really funny moments that I shared on Twitter, that were not coming from the same "woman wronged" vantage point that I gave to my Beloved.

Of course, everything in my life is intertwined, and the Lord usually hits me from all sides since I am too dense to see the quiet subtle signs that should keep me in line.

Pete, posted about this very thing and linked, once again to a great blog, about the 8 things that can ruin even the best marriages. Whether you have the marriage you always dreamed of, or are dreaming of marriage other than the one you have, please go read the 8 things...it is very enlightening, and comes from a couple who has been in both places.

So, here is to communicating truth, receiving love, and living forgiveness.

Marriage...it's ALWAYS worth fighting for.

But fight the battles against what tries to destroy your marriage.

Don't fight each other.

Note to self: read and take your own advice!!!

Pretty Woman

2009-02-20T11:12:00.000-08:00

Last night I took The Beez to the Ballet for the first time.

While I am not endorsing the movie Pretty Woman, if you have seen it, think back to the scene were Julia Roberts arrives at the Polo match. As soon as the team scores, she starts cheering, a la Arsenial Hall with the dog pound style fist pumping in the air.

That was kind of how my little princess acted when she cheered for the ballet dancers. Instead of just clapping, she started "woohoo-woohoo-woohoo-wooho!!!!!!" All in a priceless 5 year old high pitched squeal/scream.

All made even funnier by the fact that we were sitting in the upper section, but on the front row, so every time she started in, the people below us would kind of turn around and try to find the source.

I guess, even at the Ballet, refinement is hard to come by if you live in our house.

About Last Night 2/19/2009

2009-02-20T10:45:00.000-08:00

Looking for a little refinement, I took The Beez to the Ballet last night.

We have a beautifully renovated opera house not far from here and we have been blessed to be able to catch all sorts of amazing shows the past few years.

The best part about it, is that many traveling shows do educational performances during the day for local schools, and these shows are only $5 bucks...that's right, not the $25-$90 bucks that is charged for the evening production. So one or two days a month, we journey down to the opera house and catch a show.

Last night was actually the result of me not being able to use a calendar...one of my many faults. I hate being tied down, and unless we are trapped in a sporting season like baseball where we have to be at varying places on different days, at different times, I pretty much just like to wing it. Well, every school show this year has been on Friday. So my week had been planned around spending this morning at the Ballet.

But, yesterday I realized that I needed one additional ticket so I called the box office and asked it any were available...to which she replied, "Oh, Honey, the Ballet was this morning. You missed it Sweatheart....I am so sorry Darling."

So, I screwed up and The Beez was not going to be happy. The nice box office lady did say that there were tickets available for the evening performance, but that they $35-$50 each.

I did not have $100 to spend on an evening out. I was so bummed. But then about ten minutes later, before I had built up the nerve to break the news, the kind lady called back. She had shared my mishap with the director of sales, and he was going to sell me tickets for $12!!!!!

So, after a little jiggling of our scheduled activities we decided to make it happen. I failed to mention, that I had also invited a young lady from church, who loves to dance, to attend the morning show, which I of course missed, so she to was going to come along last night.

The show was amazing. It was not a typical Ballet, as it was no a continuous story played out in dance, instead it was multiple vignettes with some audience particpation. Here are a few of my thoughts on ballet:

I was surprised that some of the men in the dance company did not have what I would have considered dancers bodies...some of them looked like they could have been playing professional football, with very broad shoulders and short, stocky builds.
The same can be said of the women, various body types and height. This company also did something unique. Instead of the women wearing pink tights and ballet shoes, as is the norm, they had their tights and shoes dyed to match their skin color. That was neat because they had many nationalities represented within the dance company.

Life Interupted

2009-02-19T08:52:00.000-08:00

Last week in Sunday School our pastor asked us, "How has your life been interupted, and how did the Lord use that in teaching you a life lesson?"

About Last Night 2/17/2009

2009-02-17T20:31:00.000-08:00

The Beez has lost her first tooth.

While I am appreciative of the fact that she really milked it for all it was worth, in the end the stupid thing fell out anyway, and hence opened the floodgate of my soul.

I distinctly remember when our oldest lost his first tooth...we were calling everybody and counting the days to the Tooth Fairies arrival. But with The Beez, although there were lots of phone calls, as there should be with such a rite of passage, there were also lots of tears...on my part.

It is no secret to anyone who really knows me that 4 has always been my magic number for children. It has always been four...maybe even 5...but always 4. After we had our boys within 15 months of each other...no I was not on drugs...we decided to wait a few years to have more. I relished that time as Mom to 2 Boys...it was a magical time. I was so young, and thought I knew so much, but in the end I think we all figured it out together.

Then 5 years later, we were blessed with The Beez...I had always thought I would want 3 & 4 as close to 1 & 2, but reality hit, and so we waited. Once again, I relished being a mom to 3...what a difference pink makes.

With a long awaited DisneyWorld vacation on the horizon, this roller coaster riding momma did not want to have to skip out so we decided to start trying on our vacation for my magic number 4.

Well, I guess roller coasters and reproduction don't go well, because somehow, my previously fertile myrtle self was just not cooperating. Finally, A YEAR later, we were pregnant.

I was beside myself...magic number 4 was on its way.

But, only days after our wonderful news, our world came crashing down with complications that ended up with us in the ER. Our friend was the Dr on call, and he said that either I was not as far along as we thought, or something was clearly not right.

Something was clearly not right. After countless ultrasounds and blood work with nothing concrete on the horizon as far as a diagnosis the Dr assumed that it must be ectopic. For the next 4 weeks the needles continued with blood work every 48 hours to see if the methotrexate had worked and would save me from surgery.

It did not and sadly one of the most frightening days of my life ensued. I ruptured at home, in the early morning, alone with my kids who were all sleeping soundly in their beds and never heard my cries for help for over an hour. Finally, my oldest heard me and found me on the floor of the bathroom and called my dearest friend who got me to the hospital.

Magic number 4 was not to be the summer of 2006.

And neither in the winter of 2008 when another early miscarriage took precious life from within me.

And, so now, as I slip on my Fairy shoes to make a night time delivery, I am reminded it will be the first time, for the last time.

The future for Big Daddy and I is laid before us...Crack, Snake and The Beez.

Three is not a bad number, it is just not what my plan had picked.

But none of this surprises The One I serve, and if His "Plan A" for my life is Mom to 3, then I will cherish my first and last with a fierce heart.

My quiver is full and I pray my heart will follow suit.

Father Daughter Dance 2009

2009-02-13T17:44:00.000-08:00

Big Daddy and The Beez went to their 3rd Father Daughter Dance tonight. The Beez was so excited about her red dress and red shoes AND about FINALLY getting her Daddy to wear a pink shirt.

I can not believe she is 5years old...were has the time gone?

About Last Night 2/8/2009 AKA as The 80's Revisited

2009-02-09T15:02:00.001-08:00

About Last Night 2/8/2009 AKA as The 80's Revisited

2009-02-09T15:02:00.000-08:00

This is me and Big Daddy all dolled up for the throw back valentines banquet. You were suppose to dress like your graduation year....let me clarify that BIG DADDY graduated in the 80's, NOT me. But really, how much different were the early nineties????

He was so channeling Don Johnson....make sure that you scroll down and see what he had on his feet...I was dying when he put them on!!!

This is me and "Candy"...at least that is what my kids call her. We were collectively working the 80's eyeshadow, the gaudy jewelry, the mauve lipstick and the hair by "Aqua Net"

This is Crack and his lady...she did an amazing job during the show. The youth did a flash back to the previous decades, and she was by far the best dancer.

These are the previously mentioned shoes. Do you love the white pants? I guess you should know that he actually had PINK pants on to begin with, but we liked the mint green shirt over the pink Tee with the white pants in the end. This was also taken after we got home, but when we were there, his pants were tight rolled, right above the ankle...just like the ladies liked them back in the day.

We had a marvelous time re-living memories, and making some new ones.

Now, if I can just get my hubby to order me this for Valentines Day, I will be all set.

"Is it spring yet???"

2009-02-09T13:14:00.000-08:00

My darling daughter asked me this morning, "How many more days till spring?"

Science 101

2009-02-05T13:26:00.000-08:00

Jumping on the trampoline = Static Hair

HELP

2009-02-03T14:52:00.000-08:00

We are planning a visit to NY and to DC in the spring.

If you live there, or have been there, help a girl out and tell me what we HAVE to see.

I have all the "regular" places penciled in, but I am looking for things that might be more from a locals viewpoint.

Things off the beaten path, you could say.

So, speak up and email me at laughingmomma@gmail.com to send us on our way!!!

Oh, and if you have any contacts that could get us a White House tour, you better speak up!!!

Insomnia.....While I'm Waiting

2009-02-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

Insomnia

I can run with the best of them, but insomnia has been a struggle for me pretty frequently over the past two years.

I have, in the past, lain awake at night worrying. I tend to over analyze everything and so sometimes it is my racing mind keeps me awake.

But the past month, it has not been my racing mind that has kept me awake, but instead it has been my uneasy heart.

And last night, or better said, this morning I laid awake until 3:45.

If I had to be brutally honest I would have to say that it is not circumstance that causes me unrest...but the thought of the unkown.

I am capable to deal with the known, whether good or bad...but ask me to wait and I am a nervous wreck.

And, yet, here I am waiting.

I am waiting on the LORD.

In my time of waiting, this is what I am listening to, it is by John Waller, entitled "While I'm Waiting"

I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait
I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I’m waiting
I will serve You
While I’m waiting
I will worship
While I’m waiting
I will not faint
I’ll be running the race
Even while I wait
I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it’s not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting on You, Lord

So, I wait.

Come quickly Lord.

The Cleft of the Rock

2009-01-28T10:00:00.000-08:00

Exodus 33
14 The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
15 Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.
16How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?"
17 And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name."
18 Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."
19 And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will
have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
20 But,"he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."
21 Then the LORD said, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock.
22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.
23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen."

It is not everyday that the very presence of the Lord greets us. But sometimes, just sometimes, we are witness to the very power of the Living God.

I have always loved the above passage. I love that Moses says, "Now show me your glory."

I love that in his relationship with the Lord, he felt like he could ask this of him. I love that it reminds me that I too, am valued by the Lord on High, and that asking things of the Lord is NOT boastful, haughty, or for self gain. But, rather, it is the very essence of the relationship we are given through his Son.

I love that Moses realizes that unless the Lord go with Him, he ought not even to go. Oh, that I would have that be my prayer each and every morning.

This week, life for our church family changed with one phone call. It came on the heals of one visit to the doctor, and in that one moment, everything was different.

I write today, not because our greatest and most fervent prayers were answered. But instead because regardless of the medical tests and observations, we SERVE a MIGHTY KING.

I write today because Emily is awaiting a diagnosis.

I write today because Jud was healed not in life, but in death.

I write today because Audrey Caroline is in heaven with the Lord, and Stellan is not.

I write today because Pam is now living a life she never foresaw, but is walking it none the less.

I write today because prayers are answered, and because they are not.

I write today because none of this surprises our Mighty King.

I write today because there is no "Plan B" in the journey of life.

I write today because someone fought the good fight, and won.

I write today because someone else fought just as good a fight, but lost.

I write because when you are in the cleft of the rock, it is because His hand is upon you, not because He has forsaken you.

I write because even though I have not seen His face, I have indeed seen His GLORY.

She's going to be a doctor...

2009-01-26T12:05:00.000-08:00

The Beez just had the following conversation with her brothers:

Beez: I need some medicine because I am sick

Crack: How did you get sick?

Beez: Remember when Kannon was sick? She had hand, foot and mouth disease? Remember that? Do you remember?

Snake: Yeah, I remember that.

Beez: Well, I have the foot part.

Crack: What do you mean you have the foot part?

Beez: Well, mom always says that I am going to get sick if I don't put socks on in the winter. And it is winter right now, which means it's cold.

Snake: Okay????

Beez: Well, I took my socks off on Saturday and my feet got cold....that means that I got foot disease, cause now I am coughing and have a runny nose.

Sometimes NOT correcting your child is the best medicine.

100-0

2009-01-26T09:18:00.000-08:00

Can a game that ends with the score of 100-0 really be considered a game?

I saw an article online today and it got me thinking. In a nutshell, two small school girls varsity teams in Texas met last week on the basketball court.

The winning team, Covenant, a small Christian school beat Dallas Academy 100-0. The halftime score was 59-0 and while Covenant did back off the scoring run once they reached 100 points, they were still taking and making 3 point shots and doing a full court press in the 4th quarter.

In an email to the local paper the winning coach said this,

"In response to the statement posted on The Covenant School Web site, I do
not agree with the apology or the notion that the Covenant School girls
basketball team should feel embarrassed or ashamed," Grimes wrote in the e-mail,
according to the newspaper. "We played the game as it was meant to be played. My
values and my beliefs would not allow me to run up the score on any opponent,
and it will not allow me to apologize for a wide-margin victory when my girls
played with honor and integrity."

I guess "running up the score" is a matter of opinion, not numbers. You can read the whole article here.

Having played high school ball for a small school, I can attest that 100 points is a run up, no matter the opponent. During my playing years, the now famous Lisa Leslie played for another Southern California team. I remember very clearly the hoopla that surrounded the now infamous game. According to school tradition, the senior star player broke the schools single game scoring record each year. The time came, and Lisa Leslie was one fire...she scored 101 points......in the first half. The half time score was 102-24. Their was never a second half because the opposing team refused to take the court again, and therefore the game was officially forfeited.

I wonder if records are worth it when they come at someone's demise and loss of dignity?

I also wonder what the players of Covenant Academy are thinking right now. I wonder what they would have thought if it never made the news?

Integrity matters.

It matters most when no one is looking.

In the aftermath, the coach of Covenant has been fired and the school is seeking to forfeit. As of this writing, the coach is showing no regrets. He stands by his decision to keep the pressure on the team and to push his players to 100 points.

Here is what I think...I think that school sports, and community sports should be about the sport itself. About how to play the game, and how to apply the game to life. While I do agree that much is learned by winning and losing, I believe that more is learned by how you play the game.

So what is your take?

I would rather be a player, than a winner any day.

****UPDATE*****
I thought an uplifting story about high school sports would be better to end with. If you really want to know the difference playing a game to win the game, and playing the game to win in life read this...but grab the tissue box.

Origin of Nicknames 101

2009-01-25T08:21:00.000-08:00

Carol asked about our nicknames and I thought I would clarify. When I started blogging I used everyones real names, but I tried to keep specifics about our life vague. I didn't post our last name, our city, our church, or anything else that would be a give-a-way as to our actual location and everyday lives. While I realized that someone, who had gads and gads of time could probably reasearch every corner of my posts and decifer something that I might have overlooked, I never really stressed about it.

Until the "anonymous" comment.

Back in

That comment kind of jadded me and made me realize that some people do have gads and gads of time and choose to spend it making random, full of lies statements.

Playing House in the White House

2009-01-24T09:49:00.000-08:00

This is a slide show presentation of a letter written by the Bush girls on the occasion of the Obama girls taking up residence in the White House. This is only part of the letter, to read it in its entirety click here.

I am so impressed by the grace that is given and the wisdom that is imparted.

Before you watch it, make sure you scroll down and pause the music that is playing on the blog.

Enjoy, it gave me hope that politics doesn't jade everything.

You can read my own letter to President Obama here.

The Passing of the Torch

2009-01-24T09:46:00.000-08:00

About Last Night 1/23/09

2009-01-24T09:25:00.000-08:00

Last night we celebrated Crack's birthday with family dinner here at home. The Outlaws were here, and the birthday boy choose the menu. I made Grilled Chicken with Fettuccine Alfredo, garlic bread, and blue cheese wedge salad with bacon bits and balsamic vinegar.

As we sat down to eat, The Beez asked if she could say the blessing. This is how it went.

Me: "Go ahead Beez, we are ready to eat."

Beez: "Is everybody ready? I am going to pray now."

Me: "We're ready."

Beez: "Reeeeaaadyyyyyyyy? OooooooKaaaayyyyyyy!!!!!! Dear Jesus............"

The poor child is so excited about being a cheerleader, that it has overtaken everything, even her prayer life!!!

He's 12

2009-01-23T09:12:00.000-08:00

He is 12 today.

My firstborn.

My likeness.

My heart.

My love.

My son.

My joy, ~~and occasionally a pain in the rear.~~

But, he will always be mine.

I thought I would share a few pics with you on this the occasion of his 12th birthday.

Cheap Grace

2009-01-22T09:45:00.000-08:00

I just read ICorinthians 6:19 &20 to my kids for their Bible lesson. This is what it says:

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

How often I live in the shadow of "cheap grace". Because redemption is free to me, I live like it was free to Him who redeemed me. Instead of living like one who was "bought for a price", I live like I am His only by way of some cheap scam where you buy one and get a hundred...for free.

Oh, that I would remember daily to honor Him with all I do...the simple and mundane, like homeschooling, cleaning, cooking, paying bills. May I also honor Him with the Holy, like in prayer, repentance, worship and grace.

Just reading over those words reminds me, not only that I was bought for the ultimate price, but that He willing paid it. Oh, that I would think of my GOD with the reverence that such great sacrifice deserves.

In a "me" world, I would be well served to remind myself how valuable I am...not in my own or others eyes, but instead, in the eyes of the Lord.

And the Golden Measuring Tape goes to...

2009-01-21T13:08:00.000-08:00

ME!!!!!!

Yeah for the Bloggy Awards!!!

Bridget over at Don't Blink gave a little blog love to me and now it is my turn to share it. First let me say that Bridget is who I want to be when I grow up. She is hilarious, beautiful, a little wacky, and a lot in love with Jesus. She home schools her kids, loves her husband, and doesn't take herself too seriously. Oh, and she lives in my home state of California, which makes it even better.

Now, on the the specifics. I have to do three things with this award.

First, I have to say something nice about my main man....okay, he is my ONLY man, but he is pretty great, so this is not hard. For a longer diatribe on husbands in general, read this from last week.

Here goes: Big Daddy, is all that. He is madly in love with me. He adores our children, and he is vested in the people they will one day become. He is the picture of hard work...but knows how to relax and enjoy things.

But my number one accolade is this: He loves my body. He loves it exactly the way it is. He has never suggested I diet, lose weight, work out, color my hair, do my makeup differently, nothing but "Babe, you look hot!!!" and he has even has gone the extra mile by telling me I am beautiful with NO MAKEUP and my hair pulled on top of my head, with pj's and baby spit up on the shirt that I thought was clean.

Now for those of you who do not "know" me in the flesh, but only thorough this blog, here are the facts. I am just shy of six foot. My skinny is a 14 long and an XL shirt. I am broad in every way. I not only have hips, but I have a butt and a gut. Yet some how, waking up with him next to me, reminds me that I make 200 pounds look good!!!

And while I may dream of a 12 long, it is my dream and not his. And that is a blessing that I never thought about when I dreamed of my dream guy, but boy is it a fringe benefit that I wouldn't trade for anything.

Off that soapbox and on to number two.

Second, list six ways in which I measure success.

6. Stewardship - Not how much money you have made, but what you have done with it.

5. Humor - Any level of success, comes with some degree of failure first. Most people do not share their failures, and worse yet, they have not learned for them. If we take ourselves too seriously, than we are missing the point. Laugh at yourself. Out loud if possible.

4. Goals - I find wisdom in planning. Everyone might have have different goals, but just having them means that you are trying to succeed at SOMETHING. And to me, that matters.

3. Journey - I am not interested in people who "have arrived" I am interested in those who are on their way, knowing that growth and character comes from the journey, not the destination.

2. Empathy - When I had kids, I was immediately burdened by raising empathic children, who would grow into empathetic adults. It does not matter where you are in your own life, if you can NOT understand where someone else is in theirs.

1. Love - Loving God and loving others is what it all boils down to. If you have all the other things, but lack love, than you lack the ability to reach people and to make a difference.

Third, I need to pass this on to someone else.

Brandi and Pete
Carol
Bridget (in OK not Cali)
and lastly to my Mom, who while new to blogging, will be wildly successful once she gets going.

Dear Mr. President....

2009-01-21T09:47:00.000-08:00

Dear Mr. President,

This election mattered. You now have the awesome responsibility to not only walk in the footsteps of our history but to also forge you own as you lead this great country.

I pray for one thing as you undertake this, the greatest task asked of a countryman.

That you are Honorable.

That you act not on your own behalf, but on the behalf of us all.

That you will fight for the future of our country, always mindful of the foundation that was laid by our forefathers.

That you will remain faithful as a husband and father, remembering your true legacy will be with them.

That you will act, not as a politician, but as a man bound by the honor of this great nation.

This election mattered.

Lead on.

Sincerely,

Not Me Monday

2009-01-19T08:22:00.000-08:00

It's that time again...Not Me Monday

I did not spend the last week on Facebook reuniting with friends from elementary school...because that would mean that I would have to admit that elementary school was more than 20 years ago for me...and who wants to admit that???? Not Me!!!

I did not try to explain math to my oldest son by saying, " you can not add those together...it's like apples, pears and oranges....they are different." Only to hear my little girl say, " you can add those together Mommy, you can make 'p-o-r-n-g-e-l-s juice...that would be yummy." To which I then had to explain that that was not a good made up word...not one we should be sharing with others. Not me.

You're Gonna Miss This...

2009-01-16T10:35:00.000-08:00

I know...two posts in ONE day...it's like Christmas all over again.

For my first installment of Pam's You're Gonna Miss This I thought I fill you in on a little something, and hit two birds with one stone.

If you have been reading this blog for more than a few months, then you might remember this post about my little sister KC moving 100 miles away...which is a really BIG deal because she lived practically in my backyard...technically, she(and her husband and little girl) live next door to my backyard...but you get the point....from a 100 feet to 100 miles is a really BIG deal.

Well, it was horrible. Really horrible. The pain of not seeing her and the Beast daily almost killed me. But, on some level it was never as bad as we had imagined it in our heads. We did have to detox from daily coffee together and daily interaction of our kids, but the hardest part was that the day after they moved...she found out she was expecting. Talk about kicking you when you are down...I then had to grieve all over again it took me weeks to realize that once again it was probably worse in my head...I seem to always end up in the deep end in my head.

Anyway, we were all doing our best. The first few days we did a lot of texting. That's what we do when all we would do on the phone is cry and therefore make everything worse. They, as a family were miserable. Between the apartment living, no family around, and pregnancy hormones...it was really hard.

Call them crazy, or call me the luckiest girl around...tomorrow they will be back in the "Blue House" as the Beast calls it. Yep, my backyard will once again have a worn pathway from my back door to hers...actually since its winter...the path never went away.

This morning the Beast is here with us while KC is at work... in all fairness she is so NOT as Beastly as she use to be...but the name stuck. So my pictures are of what I DID miss...and what I am glad to miss no more.

Here is Kannon...in all her glory...some of my favorite shots...

She is always a "knockout"

This one we affectionately call "Baby on a Wall"

First steps

Rocking out with the big girls on Beez's 5th Birthday

When your child quotes the Bible...to your other child

2009-01-15T10:02:00.000-08:00

So, I was just sitting here, working on my 200th post when I overhead the following conversation from the kitchen...

Crack (who is almost 12 to Beez who is 5): "you need to stop messing around, it's time for lunch." Beez: "I am just playing with Snake"
Crack: "I know you are just playing, but you are being disobedient. Mom said for us to get our lunch made and not to waste time. The BIBLE says that you should obey your mother and father, and you are not doing that are you?"
Beez: "No, I am not. I will be obedient and get my lunch ready like Mom said"

Me, to myself, "is that a good thing or a bad thing??? Part of me is thinking, 'way to go Crack!!!'...the other part is thinking, 'take your own advice'.....mostly I am thinking, "he ALREADY sounds like his mother!!!! (poor thing)"

New Year + New Budget = New Stress

2009-01-13T17:40:00.000-08:00

I am really not a New Year's resolution kind of person. With the exception of taking a personal inventory(and spiritual one too) I really don't make a list of things to do or accomplish just cause it New Years.
This year, though, I really have felt the urging of the Lord to get our finances in order. This past year we had record expenditures due to the fact that we made a top to bottom remodel in our kitchen, replaced the floors through 75% of the house and also gutted and remodeled the kids bathroom. Add to that some hefty auto repair bills(no car payments though) and any one would have their head spinning. But unfortunately, while we were in full demo mode the economy was in total meltdown mode. Not a good mix.

So, for the New Year, I have some new goals:

Start using http://www.pearbudget.com/ I found this over on Brand & Boys page. I hope it is all that I am dreaming it will be...I hate most online budget guides, but so far this one is right up my alley.
Give up the Debit card....too much mindless spending on my part...I can turn a quick trip for milk and eggs into 4o bucks without blinking.
Give up the check book too...except for bill paying that I can not do online. I am a sucker for kids coming up to me asking me to sponsor them or order something from them for a fundraiser...and then just whip out a check...mindless spending again.
Stick to my grocery budget...not my list..just my budget. I have this thing about groceries...it is kind of freaky, but ask anyone, my pantry IS ALWAYS stocked. In my defense, I also cook a full hot meal EVERY night and during the colder months, I usually cook a hot breakfast a few times a week too. We only eat out maybe twice a month at our fave Mexican place.
Do my VERY BEST to not purchase any "wants". I am a bargain shopper, so I do a lot of what I would call preemptive sale shopping. I am always on the lookout for my kids next size athletic shoe, end-of-season-for-next-season bargain clothes shopping, and just in general...if it is on sale, than I am tempted to buy it.
And, lastly I really need to keep on eye on our tithing. While we do tithe regularly, I have kind of gotten into a giving rut. I am praying that the Lord will help me be mindful of others needs, and to give freely, without preconceived amounts and then trust the Lord to meet our needs.

So, if you find yourself in these same shoes, or maybe your own pair with different goals and changes on your horizon, leave a comment I will pray for your journey, as I pray for my own.

Ants in my pants...or something like it.

2009-01-13T10:48:00.000-08:00

Last night, in order to watch 24 uninterrupted, I gave the kiddos permission to finish the cupcakes that I had made earlier by icing them and decorating them. I know, what was I thinking????

But actually, they did a very good job. What I did NOT tell them was how many they could eat AFTER they finished with the decorating. BIG MISTAKE!!! I should first mention, these were no measly cupcakes...these were my highly sought after JUMBO Celebration Cupcakes.

So this morning, while I was cleaning up the mess(don't miss the fact that it was this morning...not last night) I realized that there was only 5 left. After some quick addition(or subtraction) and searching, just in case I missed them and they were hiding, I realized that between the four of us who ate them last night(Beez was full from our yummy homemade soup and cornbread..which she said "rocked") we consumed 7 cupcakes...remembering that they were of the jumbo variety should bring a look of shock across your face.

But I KNEW that Big Daddy and I only ate one a piece....which left the culprits Crack and Snake eating two each.

That, my friends, is the equivalent to 4 PIECES of CAKE EACH!!!!!!

Just trying to make a point...

2009-01-12T12:35:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, when homeschooling your children, you have to go to the end of the world to get one of them to understand a new concept or even just a simple project.

Crack, who is in 6th grade, loves to do reports on figures he is learning about, especially if he gets to role play. Tell him to imagine he is actually walking around the walls of Jericho, and watch out, he will blow your socks off with vivid imagery and relate able feelings.

Snake, on the other hand, loathes role playing, at least in school. Don't get me wrong, the kid actually has a more vivid imagination than his older brother, but somehow when asked to use it scholastically, and he clams up.

Today, Snake had to write a short report based on the story of the King Belshazzar in Daniel. Specifically on the writing on the wall story. His instructions are simple, read the passage, and then describe the account in your own words including the translation of the words written on the wall. In addition, he needs to IMAGINE that he is at the kings table when it all takes place and describe his feelings in relation to the nights strange and powerful encounter with the Holy God.

After he retells the event as laid out in the scripture...he hits a wall. Blank stares and absolutely no desire to "go there" in his imagination he calls for me.
I read his completed portion, which was fine and then ask him to IMAGINE he was at the table when it actually happened.

Again, a blank stare. Not even a hint of imagination in his eyes. At this point, in my frustration I look down and try to keep my composure(and my hands to myself). When I look back up, I spot Snakes newest pride and joy, a Lego robot, complete with guns and fighter guys to help protect him. I then remembered his explanation of all of his parts the previous night. You see, the Lego robot had something that NO OTHER Lego Robot in the history of Lego Robots has ever been privy to have....a goober gun, two actually.

So, I grab the Lego Robot, goober gun and all and explain to Snake that his IMAGINATION thought up the goober gun...that no one else on the planet would have had the IMAGINATION to do that. So just like he used his imagination to think up that, he needed to use it to think of being at the kings table.(sans the goober guns)

When all else fails, just use the goober guns to get the job done.

24 is BACK!!!!

2009-01-11T17:50:00.000-08:00

Jack is back!!! Which means that Big Daddy and I will be planted in front of the TV for two hours straight tonight!!!

I am not sure if I should be jealous or not...cause I think Big Daddy might love Jack even more than I do. But then again, who doesn't love Jack!!!

Meet the Family Part 1

2009-01-06T18:09:00.000-08:00

I am nearing my 200th post and I can hardly believe it. I have to say that blogging has kept me sane this past year, and in a way has really calmed me...or at least helped me with processing my life and all that in entails.

I have been a little neglectful these past few weeks, but even after the holidays, we still had/have family staying with us, so instead of processing via blogging I have been doing it in real time with them.

Speaking of family, I don't think I have ever given anything more than just general stats when it comes to our extended family so I thought I would highlight one or more of them over the next week so that you can get to know me a little better by getting to know the gallery of laughter that I come from.

No faves or anything, but since I would like to included pics of who I am talking about I will start with the grandparents and make my way down.

First up, my grandparents, who go lovingly by Grammy and Pops. They live here in Small Town MS, only a mile from us and we see them regularly. Grammy is retired, but you would never know it. She is a great cook, and my go-to-gal when it comes to southern cooking. She is also an amazing pianist and has been playing at her church for more than 30 years. Pops is retired X2 from both the Navy and from a civilian job. On top of that, the man can not sit still (or Grammy won't let him) and has been at his current place of employment for 13 years. He loves to hunt, and often takes my boys to go along. He makes no bones about the fact that he loves the nap he gets as much as the possibility of taking down a buck.

They have four kids, my mom being the oldest. The youngest we lovingly call, "the Chosen One" but I have to admit, if I found myself sick at forty and thought it was menopause only to find out I was pregnant, I would probably have some "choice" feelings as well. We all love "the Chosen One", and we let him know it...often. I should give full disclosure, that while my title is not as wide spread as his, I am pretty much the chosen one when it comes to grandchildren. Mainly in my youth, since I was the first and only for many years...did I mention that "the Chosen One" and I are only 4 years apart? Yeah, so I think that the glory of "the Chosen One" rubbed off on me a little. (or at least that is what I tell all the other grand kids as to not hurt their feelings.)

Anyway, my favorite thing about my grandparents is this...when it comes down to it, it is all about family. And family means love and laughter, and Grammy's famous taco's if we're lucky.

I actually met my hubby, Big Daddy, while I lived with them for a semester during my college years(that's a whole nuther...I live in the south remember...story) Big Daddy said that if either of my parents had had an issue with us getting married(since they didn't get to know him before we got engaged) that he would ask Pops for my hand in marriage, and that if we got His blessing, than we would be okay.

That says a lot, since on our first date, Pops met Big Daddy in the yard and told him he was at the wrong house...and something about goin' inside to get his gun. They would have to tell it, but just picture it if you can.

More later...but since I have a big family, we might hit 250 by the time were done.

Stay tuned. If you have a crazy family you will feel right at home, and if you have a normal, boring family you will be enlightened.

We got a new dog....

2009-01-03T21:20:00.000-08:00

Since nothing else needs my attention, as I sit and eat Bon Bons all day and watch Soap Operas, my DH decided that we needed to take in a dog that someone needed to find a new home for. She is totally precious, and full of love, but HELLO, now my kid to dog ratio is even...which in turn means that we ARE TOTALLY out numbered on ALL FRONTS.

Here are the details, and I will post a pic soon.

Her name is Maxie, she is a Reverse Brindle Boxer, and she is about 16 months old.

Our other dogs are adjusting, but Bruno is being very protective of Beauty, which makes for a tussle every now and again. (I used "tussle" to remind you how out numbered we are...and that all the involved parties are NOT ALWAYS getting along.)

Her best characteristic is that she is very loving, and very attentive. She looks you in the eye when you give her love, and sits down right at your side with a little lean into you, just to make sure you know she needs you. Our others are loving, but in a hyper way. I wonder who will influence who.

Lord help me.

About Last Night 1/02/09

2009-01-03T19:51:00.000-08:00

So last night my husband and I snuck out to the deck for a few moments to play with our new cell phones...he got a new Pantech Slate and I finally activated my anniversary present, a new iPhone. We were not outside for 2 minutes when the boys come out and start bugging us about playing the Wii before bed. We oblige, as to gain a few more minutes of play time for ourselves, and they head into the living room to play Guitar Hero.
I kid you not, 30 SECONDS later they are in a full knock down drag out, about to hit the living room floor in a tussle. I come storming in and of course they are both blaming each other, claiming innocence for themselves. I had had enough, so I sent them to bed...no questions asked. My explicit instructions were these:

Don't look at each other
Don't talk to each other
Brush your teeth
Get in bed
Not a word, not anything.

Crack brushes his teeth first, while Snake gets the bunks ready(they are rooming together since we have company). About 5 seconds after Crack enters the room, he comes running up front mad that Snake is aggravating him and messing with him...he is so mad that he pleads for me to give him the go ahead to lay him out....with my blessing...I was cracking up...but tried to keep my cool and a straight face. I send Crack to bed and call Snake up front for an explanation.

My first words were a recounting of the above rules....loudly. Then I asked him why he broke them, especially when he was already in so much trouble. He replies, "I didn't Mom." I am flabbergasted and told him not to mess with me. I gave him the rules AGAIN and then asked again why he went back there and aggravated his brother. He said, "I didn't break the rules Mom!" To which I met my eventual downfall by replying, "How did you aggravate him without breaking the rules?"

With a straight face he replied, "I took my little dog and waved it in his face...but I DID NOT TALK OR LOOK AT HIM!!!!"

Please tell me I am not alone...please weigh in that you too completely loose face when trying to tow the line with your kids.

I was a goner...their was no point of return...if a kid can find a way to make a way without breaking the rules....I am all in...as in all in the middle of the floor, falling out!!!!

Washed by the Water

2009-01-03T13:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone, the New Year is upon us, and the rain is falling hard with frigid temps right behind it. I have sat down so many times to try and catch up...but something just wasn't right.

I am pretty much an open book, I share everything with everyone...hence this blog, but lately I have sensed that some things need to be kept close at heart and that, in and of itself, is a challenge. I love the journey of life, I love my family, I love connecting with people, but sometimes I just need to to process things within my own mind and heart....especially when it happens to be matters of the heart. Not as in love, but as in matters of my heart and where it is laying its treasure. The Lord is doing things, I would love to say mighty things, but when the process is painful and long sometimes the minuscule becomes trivial.

Right now my lifesong is Needtobreathe's "Washed by the Water". The chorus is powerful it says,

Even when the rain falls

Even when the flood starts rising

Even when the storm comes I am washed by the water

That is how I feel right now..that even though the process is rough, the cleansing power of the rain is worth it. So rain on, Lord, reign on Lord, over me and all that I have. Over my mind, Lord, cleanse it and keep it meditating on your word. Be the Inn Keeper of my heart Lord. Rain on.

Not Me Monday 12/22

2008-12-22T15:13:00.000-08:00

This is my year end edition of Not Me's...a little trip down memory lane.
A final farewell to some of my not so great moments in 2008.

I did not start a kitchen remodel with one budget and then end up spending 4x that amount...cause that would mean...well I guess that would mean that I have a REALLY AWESOME kitchen.

During the same kitchen remodel, I did not actually have a come to Jesus meeting with my ceiling...knowing of course that such a great and Awesome God would have no time for such idle things. But if I did not do that, then I would have missed an AWESOME work of God in me during the meeting with the ceiling and Jesus...and believe me...I was there.

I did not act a fool when my oldest boy played baseball this season. Cause I am one of those sit quietly-mind my own business-never give the ref my point of view-and I never ever raise my voice....honestly, I am all those and love it. I am actually the mom who will even cheer loud and proud for your kid, if you are one of those that I am not.

I did not cry this year when I realized that my baby girl is growing up. I thought for sure that she would stay tiny and toddler like since I asked so nicely, but no she is 5 going on 15 and even though I am sad that my littlest one's littleness is fleeting, I am so proud of the lady I know she will become.

I did not witness this exchange between Big Daddy and the Beez while trying to get the kids in bed:
"Beez, don't make me come back there and close your door" (she was crying about having to go to bed)
(through sobs and tears) "I don't have a door Daddy"
While remodeling the house, we replaced their doors, so technically she HAS a door, but it isn't hung yet, because we are going to replace her floor also(after the new year)...nothing like a guilt trip for Dad.

I did not almost loose my pants during a boat-turned-swim race while chaperoning at church camp this summer. While everyone was yelling at me to get out of the lake and tag the next teams hand...there I stayed in the mere 18 inches of water, trying to get my black yoga pants from my ankles to waist. Of course, if my partner would have rowed better, we would have never ended up IN the lake instead of skimming along on its surface.

I did not wash my favorite cell phone in the washing machine. Cause when you love something you take care of it. Of course, if I never washed it, then I wouldn't be the proud owner of an iphone...not me.

I did not just get done wrapping 60+ gifts...and I am still not done.

I did not sneak one more gift under the tree that my hubby is totally not expecting.

I am not blogging right now instead of getting ready for our Christmas Party on Wednesday night....because I HAVE NO TIME!!!!

Tea for Two

2008-12-19T20:46:00.000-08:00

Quite possibly the best picture of Micah...EVER!!!! This was of course from the Mother-Daughter Tea that we attended last weekend. Isn't she ADORABLE!!!! More to come as I can get them uploaded, but I just couldn't wait on this one.
This photo make my case for investing in a really great camera...a girl can dream right???

Dashing through the snow...

2008-12-19T11:58:00.000-08:00

Well, here I am again....just barely. We have been so busy the past two weeks, I have not had the chance to take a breathe, let alone put pen to paper here on the blog.

The kids are through with school....THANK YOU LORD!!!! I need a break, and with family coming in and out over the next three weeks, it couldn't come soon enough.

Here is what you missed. The Beez, my M-I-L, my grandmother and myself all attended a Mother-Daughter Tea last weekend. It was divine. It was held at a beautiful Bed and Breakfast and the three course tasting was marvelous.

The same weekend, the family participated in our annual church Christmas Celebration. More on that when i can get the video downloaded. But to be sure, it was something truly special. It was the Beez's first program, and I was so proud of her singing her heart out....and so was she!!!

I also tackled our bedroom, and believe me tackle is the only way to describe it. I spent all of Monday in my bedroom cleaning from top to bottom and everywhere in between. I was actually very proud of myself, because nothing got stashed away, everything was put in its proper place, and I am happy to say, it has stayed that way.

It was also our 13th anniversary this past Wednesday. It usually sneaks up on us, and this year was no different. I did wake up to a message on my bathroom mirror from my beloved...I need to buy him a tube of Bonnie Bell dollar lipstick so that he will leave my Lancome alone, but who am I to regulate love notes on a bathroom mirror???

I really need to dish on my gift from my love, but I do not have the time to do it right now. Just know this, I washed my Katana II in the washing machine a few months back...it was horrible cause I LOVED THAT PHONE...and my husband has been saying that until our contract was up I would just have to suffer through with an ancient phone from years ago. He has really been laying it on thick...you know me not being able to take care of nice things and all....and it was all for show because guess what he bought me for my anniversary???? Are you ready??? I got an iPhone....yep, little ole me is now the proud owner of an iPhone. I have no idea what to do with it, but I own it!!!

Yippee!!!

Gotta run.

I hope you all have a blessed Christmas, I wish I could sit around the fire and chat with you all face to face, both family and friends that keep in touch via this blog...you all mean the world to me.

Until that time, be safe, laugh a lot, and Praise the One we Celebrate this Season.

April

Quick Christmas Quiz

2008-12-18T21:16:00.000-08:00

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both, whatever works for the given present.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Real, it is too much fun to go and pick it out and chop it down
3. When do you put up the tree? As close to Thanksgiving as possible
4. When do you take the tree down? It depends, usually before New Years though
5. Do you like eggnog? Heck NO!!!!! A glass of wine will do me just fine.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? My Cabbage Patch doll
7. Favorite gift received as an adult? Last year we got a kitchen makeover
8. Easiest person to buy for? Usually my sister KC, but my husband is pretty easy too
9. Do You have a nativity scene? Yes, my grandmother made one when she was in her 70's, it is BEAUTIFUL. It is large, and it is on the DO NOT TOUCH list at our house
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I am a mailer, but this year it has been so HARD getting my kids to cooperate for the picture....I am definitely a picture sender
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? We got a snow ball maker one year...HELLO we LIVE IN MISSISSIPPI!!!
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? With Big Daddy as my hubby there is only one answer to this question....Charlie Brown Christmas
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? As soon as possible, but it usually around September or October.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Plead the fifth
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Shrimp at my grandmothers on the night of Christmas
16. Lights on the tree? HUH? Who does not put lights on their tree?
17. Favorite Christmas song? Little Drummer Boy, and Christmas Carol by NewSong
18. Travel for Christmas or stay home? Always at home...I DO NOT TRAVEL ON CHRISTMAS!!!
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yep
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? A Star with lights
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Pj's on Christmas eve, everything else in the morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The big stink about saying "Merry Christmas"
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Red
24. Favorite Christmas dinner? We only cook a big meal on Thanksgiving..so whatever I can get my hands on will do.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Tresor perfume, and a Spotted Pony Long Sleeve T-shirt

100

2008-12-11T14:48:00.000-08:00

I make my own rules. I grabbed this 100 list off of and I am suppose to just highlight those that I have done...but it would be so much more fun to give a little play by play right????

1. Started your own blog...hello you are reading this aren't you

2. Slept under the stars...many times...one of my fave spots was O'Neill Park in Trabuco Canyon CA...our dog Barney even had his own tree that HE could climb....good times were had by all. After years of camping there, our family ended up moving with just a few miles of the place.

3. Played in a band..you should be thankful the answer is NO!!!

4. Visited Hawaii...Yes, three times. Oahu twice, once with family, the other with my senior class...and Maui, the trip of trip with three best girlfriends after our sophomore year at BIOLA University.

5. Watched a meteor shower...many times, my brother and I use to sleep out in the back yard during them when we were kids. Just last year, we took our kids to the Lake to see one. Poor Beez, every time we said, "oh, look at that one." it was gone and she was too late...in the end she caught on and just stared out into the vast horizon and she did finally see some herself.

6. Given more than you can afford to charity...yes, and been blessed because of it.

7. Been to DisneyWorld...in 2005 when Katrina hit the Gulf. We partied on, while all our friends and neighbors had no power for a week. It was turned on about 12 hours before we got home.

8. Climbed a mountain...hiking yes, but like Everest, than no.

9. Held a praying mantis...yep

10. Sang a solo...yes, BUT be glad you were not there

12. Visited Paris, no but I did live in Perris California.

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea...not while on the sea, but I have watched one from the rocky cliffs of Oregon overlooking the sea and also from the shore in SoCal

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch, if cooking is an art, than yes

15. Adopted a child, nope but I could see myself doing it

16. Had food poisoning, yes, while on a date...not fun.

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty, get back with me in May, we hope to go to the Big Apple in April

18. Grown your own vegetables, yes see this post

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France, Mona who???

20. Slept in an overnight train, don't think so, but possible when I was a child

21. Had a pillow fight...yes, but I ban them in my house

22. Hitchhiked, surprisingly, yes

23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill, heck yeah, maybe i will tell the kids I am taking one tomorrow!!!!

24. Built a snow fort....man, yes..angel, yes...fort...no

25. Held a lamb, yes

26. Gone skinny dipping, most memorable time was in the a fore mentioned Maui trip

27. Run a marathon...does shopping day after Thanksgiving count???

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice....no

29. Seen a total eclipse, yes

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset yes and every time I am astounded at the beauty the Lord gives daily

31. Hit a home run...no

32. Been on a cruise, no but hoping to on our 15 year anniversary

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person, yes with my Grammy and Pops...amazing memories

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors...no

35. Seen an Amish community, yes but not as close as I have wanted

36. Taught yourself a new language...I am the BIGGEST GRINGA you will ever meet

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied, yes

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person,no

39. Gone rock climbing, yes at Joshua Tree

40. Seen Michelangelo's David,no

41. Sung karaoke, once again, be glad you missed this one, but I do enjoy it with my daughter

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt, yes

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant, yes, ask my husband about that one

44. Visited Africa, no

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight, yes

46. Been transported in an ambulance,nope

47. Had your portrait painted,no

48. Gone deep sea fishing, yes and puked the whole time, they say that draws the fish in

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person,no

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris,no

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling, yes at Hanauma Bay in Oahu, at Catalina Island, and in Maui

52. Kissed in the rain, yes, its how I knew I loved the man I married

53. Played in the mud, yes

55. Been in a movie, no but my beloved was in Underseige

56. Visited the Great Wall of China,no

57. Started a business, not officially but I do make cakes and I use to run a daycare from our home

58. Taken a martial arts class, no

59. Visited Russia,no

60. Served at a soup kitchen, yes

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies, one of my greatest regrets(and funniest stories)...I sold Girl Scout Cookies fraudulently, I was NOT a GS...my sister and I just wanted to make some money.

62. Gone whale watching, yes it is AMAZING

63. Got flowers for no reason, yes

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp,no

67. Bounced a check, who??? ME???

68. Flown in a helicopter, nope

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy,yes but I wish someone would have saved my Corn on the Cob rider...it was like a car, but it was a cob of corn instead

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial, yes and the all the other great monuments and memorial in the D.C. and Virginia area

71. Eaten caviar, yes, I am not a fan though

72. Pieced a quilt, no but I hope to one day

73. Stood in Times Square, nope, but get back to me in May

74. Toured the Everglades, no

75. Been fired from a job, I don't think so

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London, no, but I have seen the Changing of the Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

77. Broken a bone, yes, my toe

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle, yes, not a good memory for me

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person, we went cross country 7 years ago, and that was one of our stops...breath taking

80. Published a book, I hope to one day, but not yet

81. Visited the Vatican,no

82. Bought a brand new car, never have and never will

83. Walked in Jerusalem, how beautiful that would be, but no

84. Had your picture in the newspaper, yes, we live in a small town, so a couple of times

85. Read the entire Bible, not ever from cover to cover, but yes, each book

86. Visited the White House, yes, but if you ever gave me three wishes, I would love to see the private quarters

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating, yes fish and and a dove

88. Had chicken pox, yes, I broke out the last day of sixth grade and I missed all of our end of the year parties

89. Saved someones life, I was a lifeguard in college, and I did run lead on a possible spinal injury recovery...oh yeah, I also did the Heimlich Maneuver on my niece when she was chocking on a starlite peppermint...that was really scary, but she chucked it across the room and was fine.

90. Sat on a jury, no, been called once, but did not serve

91. Met someone famous, heck I married a movie star, see

92. Joined a book club, I am my own book club

93. Lost a loved one, yes

94. Had a baby, had three via c-section, lost one in miscarriage, and one in a ruptured ectopic

95. Seen the Alamo in person, yes

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake, yes but it was really cold

97. Been involved in a lawsuit, yes but it was from a car accident, nothing too exciting

98. Owned a cell phone, owned one, washed one, lost one, need a new one

99. Been stung by a bee, yes

100. Read an entire book in one day, yes more than one

Blue...Blue...Blue...Come on Blue!!!!

2008-12-11T10:59:00.000-08:00

This is the weather that is HOPEFULLY headed our way. The weather channel said last night that we could get 3-5 inches of SNOW but alas, it is 1pm and nothing but cold, wet, and dreary weather.
The schools have closed, which really shouldn't matter since we homeschool, but my friend had surgery this week, and her kids have been staying with us at night while she is in the hospital . And since they are not in school, my kids get a free day off too. Believe they are NOT complaining!
The Beez has been asking, "Mommy, when is the snow coming?" LIKE EVERY 10 MINUTES!!!
Please let it snow....PLEASE!!!!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday...Flashback Christmas 2004

2008-12-10T12:31:00.000-08:00

This is all of my siblings, and their spouses and kids, on my Mom and Stepdads side with the exception of my sister Lisa and her family, and my sister Jaimee's husband, Andrew. In case you are wondering, I have 6 sisters and 4 brothers...more on that when it is not WORDLESS Wednesday.

Snake, Big Daddy, Laughing Momma, the Beez and Crack

Mom and Stepdad with 3 of my sisters and two of my brothers.

The grandest of them all...Pops and Grammy

Wacky pose with the g-kids.

Real Giving

2008-12-09T10:51:00.000-08:00

This year I have tried to do one thing different for Christmas. Along with spending less and buying fewer gifts for fewer people, I have really tried to buy things that are not just "things". I have tried to find some type of attachment, or some memory that makes this particular gift, really a gift. I have not been able to do it with every gift, I mean what kind of attachment can there be with a Wii game or a baby doll for the kids, but for others, I have tried to pick something out that shows them that I thought of them, or us, when I saw the gift, and that it brought me happiness, and therefore hope it does the same for them.

I also got involved with World Vision for the first time and did some Christmas shopping through their site. you can buy llamas for families in South America, or ducks or cows, or like this video you can buy a well for clean water for families. Check out this site if you would like to do the same.

Merry Christmas Friends

Not Me Monday 12/8/08

2008-12-08T14:22:00.000-08:00

Is is Monday already??? Goodness, where did our weekend go??? Here are my official confessions for the week...oh wait, I mean, my official denials for the week.

+++UPDATED at 10:47pm Monday Night+++++++
I had to add one more Not Me since it is so fresh and the evidence is still on my lips...literally.

I DID NOT send the kids to bed and then go into the kitchen and make a batch of chocolate chip cookies just so I could eat the raw dough.

I did not get literally giddy while shopping when I purchased $2195.00 worth of high end clothes from Dillard's for only $225.00...cause that would mean that I only paid 11% of retail...and as good of a bargain shopper as I am...I am NOT THAT GOOD!!!!

I did not run over my sisters FAVORITE stroller...cause that would be ridiculous...surely I would have remembered that I placed the stroller behind the car, so I would not forget it....and having NOT forgotten it, I surely could NOT have backed over it.

I did not sleep till 10:30 on Saturday while my husband got up and not only watched over our boys, but also over their friends who had spent the night...and he made them breakfast. Oh, I did not have the same husband bring me coffee in bed(@ 10:30 am) cause I was surely up and about.

I did not watch iCarly when I was home alone last week...cause it is a kids show...and I am so not into that kind of stuff...truth be told I LOVE iCARLY!!!!

I did not show my kids the "safe" way to be pyro-maniacs last night while we sat around the fire pit...."because ONLY YOU can prevent forest fires"

TIMBER!!!!

2008-12-04T20:52:00.000-08:00

Every year we head out to cut down our Christmas at a local tree farm. It never fails, it is either raining or freezing...this time, it had just finished raining and was now in the low 30's. We hopped on the "Sleigh" and headed for the same field we found our tree in last year. The cold egged us on, as did the setting sun, and we had her picked out in no time. Every year I claim to have found an even better tree than last year, and of course this was no exception. My one request was that it be on the skinny side, as not to take up the whole living room like it did a few years back.

This is Big Daddy, Laughing Momma and Beez freezing their booty's off.

This was Beez's first year helping with the cutting...she was really excited...and so strong!!

This is Crack taking a whack at it. He informed me today that all my blog readers would think he is a drug addict with his code name...but I assure you...drug usage is NOT where that comes from.

Snake getting into the action...that other guy is not my kid..I am NOT THAT old yet.

Big Daddy always gets the first and last cut...He is Man...Hunter and Gatherer...Man of steel and all that stuff.

Me and My Girl

Me and Crack

Momma and Snake

Here it is just before its life is forever changed...It'll never be the same after a season in OUR house!!!!

Oh, and just in case you are wondering....this outing marked the millionth time I have tried to get a FAMILY photo...but it was too cold and even I couldn't make everybody suffer through countless automatic timer photos in the hope of a good family shot.

Thanksgiving,Black Friday,and Krispy Kreme

2008-12-04T11:13:00.000-08:00

Here is part 2, if you missed part 1 you are so out of the loop, you may never recover. Just kidding, I am the one out of the loop and this is my attempt at catching up. Today's make up topics include Thanksgiving, Black Friday and even our "field trip" to Krispy Kreme.

Every year we head to the Outlaws house down south and spend the Thanksgiving holiday with them. It is not really a HUGE gathering, usually just the Outlaws, my husbands two uncles and their wives, and the 5 of us. BUT, you would NEVER know that by how many things we prepare every Thanksgiving, or the shear quantity that we surround ourselves with on this day every year. Here is the rundown:

Turkey
Spiral Ham
Dressing
Sweet Potato Casserole
Homemade Mac-N-Cheese
Green Bean Casserole #1 with water chestnuts
Green Bean Casserole #2 with artichoke hearts
Corn Salad
Fruit Salad #1 with coconut
Fruit Salad #2 without coconut
Deviled eggs - appetizer
Pinwheels - appetizer
Pickles and Olives and Pimento Cheese on celery
Raspberry Jello Salad
Panseet-uncles wife is Filipino and this is like a rice noodle chow mein....so yummy
Lumpia - same wife, these are like tiny egg rolls, more like a taquito...also super yummy
Rolls and Gravy
Pumpkin Pie #1
Pumpkin Pie #2
Pecan Pie

So, basically we had 13 people and 20 items....that is so INSANE!!!! In our defense, this is the ONLY big meal we make all year. We don't do an Easter meal or a Christmas Feast...we just do Thanksgiving in a HUGE way.

This year we also had a first.

This photo is serving as PROOF that my husband actually helped with the cooking once in 13 years. Of course after this photo op he was back to watching the parade and eating the deviled eggs(his normal activity of choice during the prep)

This photo is NOT a first. My F-I-L (half of the Outlaws) ALWAYS cleans up behind me on Thanksgiving day...I love a man with dishpan hands!!!!

This is Crack and Mamaw(the other half of the Outlaws)

I love this pic solely because it looks like I am shorter than my Man...which I am, but only by an inch...this pic either makes me 5'8" or him 6'4"...I'll take either.

Saturday we trekked to Krispy Kreme, where the boys handed in their report cards(yes, even homeschoolers get report cards) and received a donut for each "A". Beez was not pleased that I left her out of the report card/donut give-a-way...but cut me some slack, she only eats the sprinkles off the donuts, not the donuts themselves(such a travesty, I know) I promised her next time I would have her a report card too.

Husband and the Outlaws...can you tell he loves Krispy Kreme?

Mamaw, Beez, and Pappy

He is his fathers son...the kid LOVES Krispy Kreme.

He is SO NOT JOKING...he claims the fallen glaze is like fries in the bottom of a Micky D's bag...you have to eat them..and so it goes with the glaze. Although I did make him restrain himself enough from actually LICKING the box...instead he licked his finger and dipped it in the pile of yummy goodness.

Last but not least, and really this should be a post in and of itself. We are those crazy people who go shopping the day after Thanksgiving. We are the REALLY crazy ones. We were up 2:30am, and were the FIRST in line at Target at 3 am. By opening time (6am) there were 500+ people. We split up and had all of our loot and were checking out at 6:04(me) and 6:07(him). We had everything in the car and were heading back into Target at 6:09 for a potty break when the local TV station stopped us for an interview for their live broadcast. (we had already been interviewed for being the first in line)

After that we headed across the street and made a quick dash into HomeDepot. I grabbed a buggy full of items, and even three 99 cents poinsettias and checked out. While I was doing that, my husband found one more item and got in line himself. Now, while we do set aside cash for Christmas shopping every year, we actually charge everything the day of because the one year we carried cash I was a nervous wreck. It also makes it easier for returns so that way if we buy something and then find it for less somewhere else, it is no problem and doesn't tie up twice the cash.

Anyway, I say all that because when he got to the checkout our credit card was declined, which was shocking beacuse I KNEW we had 4x the amount of what we had budgeted for Christmas free our our credit card, and it was weird since his amount was only $20. I told him not to worry, just use the debit card instead.

Well, 8 hours later, when we got home I was checking email and I received a notice that our card had been frozen due to fraudulent usage. I was worried because my credit has been hacked into before and it is such a headache!!!! But, I called the number and this is what the nice lady told me (after verifying like 100 different things from age, address, 2nd born's birth weight, what I ate last night(see previous list) and so on....and I quote, " Mrs. Laughing Momma, we froze your account because BOTH of the cards assigned to this account were used minutes apart at the same store, and then again just a few minutes later at a different store. Can you verify if you did indeed make these purchases???? They were at Target- 6:04 am and 6:07 am and then HomeDepot at 6:13 and then 6:15" I replied, "Yes, I am happy to say that my waiting in line for three hours paid off, we are guilty of power shopping,(and later dropping) the day after Thanksgiving" Mrs Credit Card closed our conversation with, "Well, Mrs Laughing Momma, I am sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you(that would be a glare from my husband...you know the kind that turns him into the Incredible Hulk...and a hundred questions on whether or not our last bill had been paid....not so pleasant) and we hope that you continue to enjoy our services...I will flag your account so that next year when the computer tries to falsely accuse you, the card holder of fraud, it will overlook the fact that it is practically impossible to be 4 places almost simultaneously, we will remember that you are Super Woman...just out looking for a good deal."

"Thank you, please see to it, cause I may be Super Woman, but I am no match for the Incredible Hulk"

What we did last night(and this morning) 12/3

2008-12-03T11:38:00.000-08:00

We decorated our Christmas tree last night. You would think we could do somethings normal but there is always HIGH drama at our house. It started with one male child, who will remain unnamed, deciding that behavior worthy of a good whooping was the best way to start the evening. We actually had to stop the video camera so that he should get some "wise council" in our room.
Once we did get back to it, I was so excited because I bought some new lights day after Christmas last year and I was excited to see them on the tree. I should stop here and say that my Mom was kind of a Christmas Nazi when it came to decorating our tree when I was little. Every year the tree had a theme, usually based on a common color theme....Red and White, Blue and Silver, Purple and Gold. So we never were able to just go hog wild...until she finally wised up and got us a tree for our room that we could decorate with anything we wanted(except that years themed items) In the end, I was not warped or anything, and actually I really love symmetrically decorated trees. Even ones that are multicolored but maybe only have glass balls, or stars, or Santas, or Crosses.
If I was brutally honest I would have to say that I would love to have a tree like my Mom use to do, but my husband is a purist when it comes to decorating and that means ANYTHING goes.
For years, my only say so was that we had white lights. I lost that battle when the boys got older and decided that they wanted multi-colored lights(one of my least faves) and so the past 3 or 4 years, rainbow lights have adorned our tree.....But last year I found solid red lights and solid blue lights for like a buck a box. I was so excited to have unity at least in the light department. SO there I am, ready to do the lights...when I open the boxes and find that the cords are WHITE!!!! Hello, my tree is green!!!! How in the world am I going to cope with WHITE electrical cording all strewn through my already cosmically created explosion of every color and type of ornament known to man??????
The answer...colored lights again this year. I knew the white cording would bug me in an OCD neurotic way from now till tear down day and I couldn't do it...even for red lights.

Now for my pictorial review of the night. Every year the Outlaws buy the grand kids Hallmark ornaments. They usually buy something that represents what each kid is loving or into that year. Well last year was the best year ever because Hallmark did ornaments from DC Comics. You all know that we are secretly a family of Super Heroes right? Especially Beez...She loves Wonder Woman. Now, while the rest of the DC crew had really cool figurines-each hero in a really cool pose- I guess the best they could come up with for WW was her clothes.
Yep, in case you were wondering if you missed the rapture, here is proof. Hallmark designed the WW ornament to be a testament to her outfit and nothing else.

Don't ask me why, but I guess since we got married the week before Christmas 13 years ago, somehow we thought that a laminated copy of the newspaper announcement should be stored with the Christmas decorations...that makes sense right? So here it is...don't laugh.

Halfway through the kids decided we needed some comedy relief...so they posed a few times...They are total nut cases when it comes to Christmas...that is SO not my side of the family!!!!

Lastly, I have been itchen' to get my sewing machine out and I finally did this morning. I whipped this up in about 2 hours, half of that was spent ironing the the seams and basting the initial on....isn't it adorable?????

If you are on my Christmas list...you might be getting one of your very own if I can find time between now and then.

I was super pleased...I didn't use a pattern. I am kind of pattern illiterate sometimes...all the sewing jargon throws me, so when possible I just wing it.

Cakes and Closets

2008-12-02T17:03:00.000-08:00

Every year, just before Christmas, I do a thorough closet cleaning. This year was no exception, and Snake's room was the one I really had my eye on. The kid is growing so fast I can hardly keep him in clothes(hint to a OK friend...need more 12's and 14's?) Anyway, I tortured him and required him to try on EVERY pair of pants...which of course is pure misery for an 10 year old. I finally wittled the massive pile down to just what was needed and even made him give up all but four pairs of shorts for the winter.
The best part about the whole closet and clothes ordeal was that the following weekend, my husband was volunteering at a local ministry and as he was leaving someone was unloading a BEAUTIFUL maple dresser with matching mirror that the manager said he could buy for $60 bucks!!!!....did I mention that Jake is the only one without a dresser???? He has had a 3 drawer Rubbermaid on wheels in his closet for underclothes and jammies but everything else was either hung up or on shelves in his closet.
It was perfect timing since everything was cleaned out and gone through...I couldn't be happier to say that all the closets are cleaned out and toys gone through...that is always such a huge undertaking and to have a checked off my pre-Christmas list is a weight off my shoulders.

Now to cakes. I make cakes as a hobby. It is very relaxing for me and I love the creative part of it. This month I had a bunch of cakes to make and even had a Wilton character cake in the mix...which I have not done in years. In addition to the following cakes I also made two cakes and 4 plates of gourmet jumbo cup cakes for a cake auction that our church has every year. My Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cake went for $75 bucks and a Red Velvet Crumb Cake similar to the one below went for $65. Each plate of (4) gourmet cupcakes went for between $20 and $35. I was super excited...mine didn't catch the highest bid(that was $120 for a cheesecake) but they were highly sought after which made my day.

Red Velvet 4 layer Crumb Cake....it was suppose to have five layers but in the middle of making-baking-frosting 5 different items...I misplaced one of the layers...I found it after I had frosted the stupid thing!!!!

My Niece, the Beast turned 2, and we celebrated with a Wilton Dora Cake. The recipe called for a different color for her skin, but it was super orange....so I altered it and ended up with a Caucasian version of Dora...I was cracking up...totally not a politically correct thing to do..but it was so funny to me after a late night and cramping hands from icing the darn thing.

Well, that was not so bad. I knocked two off of my list...more later.

What we did last night(actually what we have done the past two weeks)

2008-12-02T10:25:00.000-08:00

I know, I know....I am fired. I do not think I have ever gone TWO WHOLE weeks without a post but it is not because I don't have anything to post...it's because I have SO MUCH to post. I really do not even know where to begin...how about I bullet point the topics and then try to touch on all of them this week.

~~Closet Cleaning~~
~~Birthday Parties/Cakes~~
~~Cake Auction~~
Christmas Shopping
~~Black Friday shopping(1st in line a Target...3am)~~
Christmas Tree Cutting
~~Thanksgiving Prep~~
~~Krispy Kreme Field trip~~
Flat Stanley Musical
Garage Cleaning
Jane Austen Reading
~~Christmas Decorating~~
Writing on the bathroom wall
5year old joke gone awry

Winter is upon us

2008-11-18T16:07:00.000-08:00

Somebody PLEASE tell Beez that it is WINTER!!!!!

It was 40 degrees outside and the wind chill made it in the 30's. Tonight we should get down to the mid-20's...and she is building sand castles. Oh, and she wants an audience...which means that I am outside in the freezing cold watching her build away.

Lord, I love the fall and winter but if this keeps up I will praying for spring to come earlier. I almost built a fire in our fire pit this afternoon...Lord help me.

Not Me Monday 11/17/08

2008-11-17T08:41:00.000-08:00

*******UPDATED********

It seems everyday during the week, I have random thoughts of..."THIS is so going to be a 'Not Me " entry next week." but then, in the utter craziness of my life I forget them and try to pinch out what little remembrance I do have at the end of a very long week. So, here goes.

I did not buy the cutest white maternity top from Old Navy this week because I am NOT pregnant and that would just be absolutely crazy..(but for those of you who do not believe me, at least understand that I am really tall and I have issues with finding long shirts...and sometimes, just sometimes the extra length bequeathed to maternity tops hits me just great and I can not resist.)

I did not run away from the Monkey Exhibit at the Zoo last week when the Monkeys stopped being Monkeys and started doing "Monkey Business" Cause I am one of those cool moms who totally are down with the "How babies are made" talk...or at least I was until EVERY body part started having an alter ego within the minds of my growing boys.

I did not find and buy the cutest shoes at Target last week while shopping with my sister...because we were Christmas shopping...NOT shoe shopping. And they were NOT an amazing deep purple Mary Jane-like flat because there is no way that I would have anything to wear them with...oh and they were only $9.98!!!!

I did not buy my oldest son almost $100 worth of clothes for Christmas and almost fall out right there in the middle of Belks. Cause $100 is not THAT big a deal...did I mention that it was only FOUR items...and that usually when I spend a hundred bucks at a department store it is because it was an ADDITIONAL 50% off an already 75%...which is basically FREE and like twenty items MINIMUM!!!! I thought they would have to shock my heart to bring me back.

I did not spend 8 of the past 9 nights up with one or more of my children for PROLONGED periods of time and various cough-choke-gag-cough again-hint of fever-you better not puke on my bed maladies...cause that would be INSANE and I would then not be able to be a rational level headed mother in the morning.

I did not threaten my children with NO THANKSGIVING OR CHRISTMAS break if they did not make their fall goals...cause that would mean that I MIGHT NOT GET A THANKSGIVING OR CHRISTMAS break....and you don't want to see me at Easter if I missed Christmas.

I did not use the 1-2-3 punch of Tacos(for Saturday dinner), Hello Kitty Nightie(for Saturday dessert), and Meatloaf(Sunday after church meal) to make up to my husband the fact that I spent 4nights and 5days with my sister...cause I never use the power of a good meal and a great nightie to my advantage.

*****UPDATED*******

I have 6 sisters and 5 brothers...a few of who regularly read this blog. One of them sent me the following email with her own "Not Me" list. I couldn't help but post it...and I agree...she TOTALLY beats mine this week.

So I can't comment anymore on your blog for some reason, but here goes my Not Me Monday story... are you ready for it... I meant to leave it a couple weeks ago when it happened but at that time realized I couldn't leave comments for you under "name" anymore

So here it is...
I did not go with my friend/employer to a super fancy French
lingerie boutique while I was working. While we were Not there, I did Not
try on mulitple bra-panty combos that made me look and feel as expensive as they
were. Although all of the panties I tried on were done so over the thong I
was wearing, I did Not forget to remove the last pair of $50 grey undies from my
buttox and put my pants on over them with the tag blatanly hanging out the
back! After my purchase of the cheapest bra and panty combo they had at
the store, we walked out to the car and my friend Jennifer did Not shriek as I
leaned into the Expedition to strap her little man into his carseat as she saw
the tag to the $50 grey panties hanging out. I did Not jump into the front
seat, strip down as an old man pulled up into the spot next to us(AHHH!!), take
them off and sheepishly take them back into the overpriced French
boutique. Now I don't think the French owner believed my story, but that
doesn't matter because it did Not happen!
AHH!!!
That tops them all for
me.
Love ya,

Praying God's Word Over Our Children

2008-11-10T14:27:00.000-08:00

One of my first must read blogs was Bring the Rain. This wonderful mother speaks her heart and bares her soul in honor of Our One True God. She is the earthly mother to three lovely ladies, and heavenly mother to two others. She is also a fellow homeschooling mother, and this being her rookie year, she is faring wonderfully. I would love for you go and spend a minute on her page, and read what she has to say about praying over our children the Holy Scriptures. She is urging us to pray these 7 prayes, 7 days a week over our children. Not only has that inspired me to do the same, but I also feel led to search out scripture to pray specifically for my BOYS. Every mother knows that boys and girls are different, and while the verses she choose, would definately have purpose over my growing boys, I feel like Holy Spirit is urging my to make this practice even more practical. So, go and visit and then sit and pray.

Not Me Monday 11/10/08

2008-11-10T14:06:00.000-08:00

It's that time again...time to bare our souls for all the blogosphere to witness.

Here is the TRUTH.

I did NOT take my kids to the doctor EIGHT times in the past two weeks...cause that would just be insane...especially since we had not been since SPRING!!!!

I did not do SEVEN loads of laundry on Saturday...cause I do not do laundry on Saturday....and having SEVEN loads to do on a Saturday would mean that I must have either flaked out on my motherly duties, or was at the Doctor ALL week long...and I have already denied that.

I did not eat FIVE helpings of shrimp last week...in one sitting...cause that would mean my petite girly figure would have been blown.

I did not completely freak out last week when I did a family themed night...and discovered what a complete amount of insane work it takes...cause I am SUPERWOMAN and I don't sweat the small stuff...or the blue pasta, or the HUGE American flag tablecloth, or the All American Apple Pie(that was a disaster)

I did not take all of my kids to vote with me on Tuesday...cause that would be just a little too freaky for my small community to handle.

I did not ditch a date night with my darling hubby, and spend the evening with my sister instead...NOT ME!!!

I did not cry myself to sleep one night because the a fore mentioned sister does not live right behind me anymore...cause I am a big girl.

I did not steal all of my kids Reese's Pieces from Trick or Treating...No really I didn't because, instead I just went and bought myself a 44oz. bag that I can instead keep ALL TO MYSELF(so much for that girlish figure)

What we did last night....11/4

2008-11-04T16:30:00.000-08:00

It's ELECTION CENTRAL at our house tonight. This was our first real family themed night -a la Whittaker Woman. The kids painted a HUGE flag for our table cloth...hand prints for the red stripes, and cookie cutter blue stars...yes there were 50...and do not fret about the white stripe at the top...it was cut off so the 13 stripes were right too!!!!

(technically the red was mixed with pink...but work with me here...I have a 5 year old girly girl and pink rules!!!!)

These were Stars and Stripes appetizers...homemade Stripes a la mozzarella sicks and Homemade Stars which were cheddar, artichoke, and bacon cheese.

Blue pasta, with Maverick Meatballs, and Red Sauce

Then we did Alaskan/Palin Moose Munch...in three different flavors...the perfect Election Night Snack. This one was Chocolate/Caramel.

This one was Chocolate and Caramel, dusted with powder sugar.

This one was just Caramel

Get out and VOTE!!!!

2008-11-04T10:57:00.000-08:00

Whether you are an ELEPHANT or a DONKEY...GET OUT AND VOTE.

I took all three of our kids with me to cast our vote…I live in the sticks “where everybody knows your name” so after a quick hello…we headed to our touch screen and after I voted for Pres/Vice Pres, I let each of them help with the rest(not the choosing of the candidate, just the touch screen part).

Now we are back home, doing patriotic art and character studies on past Presidents.

Tonight will be an “Election” Themed Family Night (with FoxNews on as background music)

GET OUT AND VOTE!!!! And remember, in the end, it is just you and the machine…our freedom to vote is even sweeter since we do it privately…Vote with your conscience,the cool kids won’t be looking over your shoulder.

Not Me Monday

2008-11-03T17:06:00.000-08:00

Is it that time again already???? I thought for sure that I would be carted off to the looney house before another "Not Me!" Monday rolled around. But here goes...

I did not fall out-as in have a melt down- in the shower everyday last week because Saturday was drawing near, which meant my BFF and Little Sister would be moving away.

I did not wander aimlessly around Sam's Club and Walmart on Friday, because coming home would mean seeing the moving truck in my backyard...which is nextdoor to my BFF and Little Sisters house.

I did not

About Last Night 11/1 - The Move

2008-11-02T21:26:00.000-08:00

Saturday was D-Day.
My BFF and Sister, her hubby and my precious little beastly niece drove off and moved 105 miles away. We spent the day unloading and unpacking, and bawling our eyes out. Then we packed up and headed to dinner. These are the pics...but they do not tell the REAL story.

Team CAT...Gunkle JW with the Big Boys

My WONDERFUL Hubby, drove all the way by himself so that the Boys could ride with JW and I could ride with my Sister and the Girls....but don't feel to sorry about him...he had Billy Idol.

Vowing to NOT cry on the way "Brandy"...I think we ALMOST made it.

The Beast found the best new thing about her new house...the door stop.

The Beast's New Crib

My Hubby, under the cover of the shades is completely passed out.

Dinner with no eye makeup since we had cried it all off.

CHEESE!!!

Crack and The Beast

Beez was eating this plate of salad...and somehow was chewing around this one piece of lettuce that was hanging out of her mouth.

Gunkle JW and The Beast, with Snake and Beez in the background.

Here is the REAL STORY...it was awful. Possibly the worst thing ever is to help unpack your BFF and little sister in her new apartment 105 miles away. There was nothing that was pleasant...except the company. Putting dishes away, knowing that lunch would not be shared the following week...was awful. Putting her coffee cups away was the worst because we share a cup of Joe at least 4 days a week.

Setting up The Beasts room was bitter sweet...a new big girl bed....but it was too far away. Playing on the playground was fun...but not as fun as playing in our backyard.

Leaving after dinner as possibly the worst thing ever. I have been thinking about why this was hard. I mean, we have been through some really tough times together. But this was different. Instead of one of us leading the other through a trial, or heartache, or even joy...we were both in over our heads, and unable to help the other one. All of this was made worse by the fact the ALL THREE of my kids were in full blown ugly cries as we tried to get in the car to leave. The Beez, was understandably the hardest hit, and I was no help, for I was the leader of the Ugly Cry Movement.

I could name a hundred other things that would be worse...but it does not matter. For my heart is broken, and I am not sure I want it fixed. I want to miss them as much in a month as I do today. And for that matter, in a year as well.

So, today and tomorrow and I am sure next week, will be filled with many tears, but hopefully the ugly will wear off soon. I have made a pact with the kids to try not to cry on the phone...only because we do not want to miss out on the happy times...which in turn means, that a lot of our phone calls have abruptly cut off like this...."(tear, sob, deep breath) I have got to go"

What we did last night....10/31

2008-11-01T06:42:00.000-07:00

The Vigilante, The Escaped Convict, The Pirate, and Lola (Hannah Montanas BFF)

Me, and My Pirate...I called myself the "The Pirates Wench"

Lola and her cousin, Roll Tides "Big Al"

This was too funny to me...it should be a campaign poster....Get out and VOTE

Lola and her real BFF, The Pirate

A few trick or treats on our way home

The one candy I steal from my kids...Great minds think alike.

Our Halloween tradition...Caramel Apples

Mamaw as Lola

Pumpkin Soup

2008-10-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

Last week we bought little pumpkins from our youth group at church so that the kids could design their own faces with permanent markers...all the fun and none of the mess like carving.

Since its been so cold here, soup was definitely on the menu this week so I decided to make "Pumpkin Soup" , and have us eat right out of our little pumpkins faces. The kids made me promise that I would not actually use any pumpkin in the soup...and I didn't. Instead I pureed carrots and cauliflower with chicken broth for the base and then added a little extra orange food coloring. Then I cooked up some Italian sausage, added it to the creamy base along with potatoes and spinach...and ta-da...pumpkin soup.

Pumpkins, soup, changing leaves, cold weather, bonfires, and time change to boot...I love the fall/winter.

A Little Alma Mater Love

2008-10-30T08:14:00.000-07:00

BIOLA University is the BEST Christian Liberal Arts University in the world....I know, that sounds bias...but the truth is the truth.

Here is a great video, supporting my view point.

BIOLA ROCKS

My Little Shadow...

2008-10-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

She is where I am. Period. It doesn't matter if I am folding clothes, washing dishes, making dinner, blogging, or laying laundry out...she is right there.

The bathroom is no different.

I am sitting...well, you know where I am sitting, and she is, well, right there. Mind you, she wasn't just following me...she had a job for me to do...she needed a pony in...right then.

I guess fashion waits for no one.

What we did last night....

2008-10-29T11:40:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to do a Family Night A La Whittaker Woman ....So here it is, out first attempt.

It is FREEZING here right now, seriously it is getting down to 30 degrees at night, so this is how we celebrated.

Roasting Marshmellow!!!!!

Adoption Rocks Part 1

2008-10-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

Today is a BIG day for our family. My oldest sister is 38 today. Not really that big of deal to you, but to me it is HUGE.

You see, I have NEVER spent a birthday with her, ever. Today will be no different, but I don't want to dwell on that.

I want to CELEBRATE, that 38 years ago, my Mom made the greatest and most honorable choice. She gave life, tiny and pink to an infertile couple. My Mom was only 17 or 18, and in the face of great difficulties, she made the ONE decision that will forever draw my greatest and most unashamed praise.

She shared the life within her, and gave the greatest gift.

I am so proud of you Mom, and I am so blessed to be your daughter, and to be a part of your life.

And who would have thought, that our Great and Awesome God would see fit to bless us again 14 years ago? Hollywood could write no greater reunion. Finding Lisa, and joining our families together has been an amazing journey. Our Infinite God somehow filled the void of years without her by sharing her with us now. No more Missing Pieces.

When I think of God giving us the desires of our heart, I can not help but Praise Him!!! It is one of the GREATEST stories in our family...and we have a lot.

So on this day, although I can't be with her, I love her just the same.

Happy Birthday Lisa!!!

Me, Lisa, and KC

The Cousins

Kibbles and Bits

2008-10-24T08:40:00.000-07:00

Sometimes blogging bogs you down. Not because it is stressful or difficult, but because it is inherently raw. At any given moment you can blog about anything that is on your mind...but what about when your mind goes a million miles a minute like mine? Then you find yourself the author of nothing but kibbles and bits...and sometimes things just don't together. This past week alone I have started posts with the following themes: brothers and sisters, adoption, separation anxiety, physical injury, great recipes, love, suicide, friends, grief, infertility, and Hello Kitty lingerie. So while grief is a serious issue, ER banter is not...yet they all inhabit this world in which I live. In order to touch on subjects that are close to my heart...or maybe just a fleeting thought on a subjects that cross my mind frequently, I have decided to start posting multi-part series. That way I do not have to encapsulate my thoughts into one post...instead I can just keep them rolling as they come to me.

Bloody and Broken

2008-10-23T16:31:00.000-07:00

Let's just say that I have a passel of entries ready for "Not Me Monday" NEXT WEEK!!!

We spent Tuesday night in the ER with our younger son, Snake, after he slammed his OWN hand in the trunk. There was lots of comical banter back and forth between the stitches and drilling holes into his nail...it was really gross.

Then last night, while Snake was busy re-telling his ER story...cause chicks dig scars...to all his friends at church, out older son, Crack, was busy breaking his foot while jumping rope.

Yep, you read right. Tuesday was bloody thumb night and Wednesday was break a leg night. On the advice of a friend, who is a nurse, we held out and bypassed the ER, and instead headed to our Pediatrician this morning. About half way through Crack telling her what happened and how bad it hurt, she said, "Well, that makes since, cause it's broken."

We see the Orthopedic doctor first thing in the morning to find out if he gets a regular cast or if surgery is needed. In the end, he might just keep the temporary brace and be on crutches.

It is never a dull moment around here.

Who's next?

I'm not "always" laughing...here is proof

2008-10-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

<<>>from one year ago....
Originally posted on October 19, 2007

It has been a really hard month. I feel like my life is just now catching up, and yet realizing at the same time, how far behind it still really is. I guess it has been more than a month, really. My husbands sister committed suicide on Aug 16th and then my best friend lost her dad unexpectedly a month later. So I guess after living about 6 weeks in a complete fog I have emerged. Unfortunately, not unscathed. And neither has my family. My boys were on my very last nerve...literally. I had heard one too many arguements, one too many excuses, and the absolute last back talk. There was no "wit" left...I was simply at the end. So, it was no surprise when shortly after my husband got home from work today and was just kicking back in his man chair, that the following exchange happened.

Crack: "That's not fair, Mom. It was not my fault!!!!"
Me: "Son, stop talking, close your mouth, do not say anther word"
Crack: "Mooooommmmmmm!!!!!"
Me: "I am not kidding...not another word"
Crack: no words...but I promise the most hateful look, complete with furrowed brows and pouty lip
Me: disclaimer...remember how stressed I was..."Son, I promise you if you do not change your attitude, I will RIP YOUR FACE right off your head" He turns and leaves the room

Husband (from man chair) "Did you just say, 'rip your face off your head?'"
Me: almost laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes..."My mind was thinking of, 'wipe that look off your face'"
Husband (still in man chair) "Okay, I was just checking...wanted to clarify that."
Me: "Do you believe me now that I am stressed out? Need any more proof?"

So, for all the moms who have ever lost it, (and then found it) this is for you.

Not Me Monday

2008-10-20T19:53:00.000-07:00

I most certainly did not tell my daughter I would be there "in a minute"...45 minutes ago, not me.

I did not come close to laying out...as in causing bodily harm...to the photographer who was taking vintage pics for a MOPS fundraiser last week, not me.

I did not try to hijack my niece tonight from my sister, and let her sleep over here...and I most certainly did not make sure that she was monumentally crushed and that it was all her mommies fault....not me.

I did not buy an actual "Hello Kitty" nightie...because bringing sexy back does not include cartoon characters.

I did not cringe last week when my boys, in the presence of crowd of friends AT CHURCH, began singing, "Viva..........Las Vegas!!!" because I thought they were mimicking the new commercial rendention...."Viva....Viagra!!!!"

Nope, not me, you must have this author confused with another.

It's Time To Bring Sexy Back

2008-10-19T20:07:00.000-07:00

This post is just for the ladies.

I am the worst. I value comfort over sex appeal...any day. But sometimes you have got to ditch the PJ's and break out the nighties.

Now, for some of us, the days of sexy nighties are so far gone, that we do not even OWN sexy things that fit. It's time for that to change.

Go treat yourself, and your Hubby. Here are the ground rules.

1. It must be inherently sexy, meaning it must catch your eye, if it is gonna have a chance to catch his.

2. It must fit you well, and it must show off or accentuate your best assets.

3. If at all possible, buy more than one thing. It always a good thing to have more where that came from.

4. Remember that sexy does not have to mean inherently trashy, which leads to last but not least

5. Most importantly it must be something that makes you FEEL sexy.

While we are on the bringing back sexy bandwagon...go through your underwear drawer...it could probably use a good slimming down too.

Slow Motion

2008-10-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

Some days are played out in slow motion. Today was like that for me.
It started early, with my niece, almost two, coming over while my sister ran into the office for the day. She was still sleepy eyed at 7am and I couldn't resist, instead of heading back to bed and falling back to sleep with her next to me, I sat on the couch and just looked at her for two hours.
I smelled her sweet breath.
I kissed her fluttering eyelashes.
I brushed back her unruly curls.
I cried all over her, and tried to keep my sobs quiet as not to wake her.
But I couldn't help it.
In just 15 days I won't be able to just run across my backyard, and grab her for some shuggars.
So, today, I just drank her in. I let my kids sleep in so that I could selfishly have her all to myself.

She got everything she wanted today.

So did I.

The Countdown

2008-10-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

In fifteen days life, as I have come to know it, will forever change. My sister and best friend will pack up and move. KC, Justin and my niece Kannon who currently live a mere 15 second liesurly walk from my back door to theirs, will be gone. Fifteen days from now, the house will be empty and she and the family will be 90 miles away, instead of 90 feet.

Words can really not explain what this will do to me and my family. Really, I have no idea how we ever lived apart, now that we have been so close the last year.

Need a sitter? no problem.

A cup of sugar? Got it.

A roll of toilet paper? Here is two, just in case.

Inspiration for dinner that neeeds to be done in thiry minutes? Th

at is covered too, no charge.

A good cry? Just a walk away.

Shoes to make the outfit unbelieveable? Take those, and these earrings too.

Need to vent about a husband that just doesn;t get it? Go right ahead, I've been there.

Got a freaky personal question that you really don't want to have to ask a doctor about? We've gone there too, twice... and have laughed about it all the way.

Need to share really great news....or even horrible news? Either one is suitable at any time.

Need to have a mental break from homeschooling? She is all ears.

Need a snack cause nothing in your house sounds good? Raiding in always allowed.

Need someone to cheer you through the tough days of breastfeeding and potty training? Done.

Need someone to hold your hand through a lost pregnancy? Check.

Need to spend four hours in a salon getting your hair done? You've got girlfriend to go with you.

What I need to say

2008-10-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

'Say' Music Video from Matthew Singleton on Vimeo.

One of my favorite daily reads is Pastor Pete at Crosspoint in Nashville This video came from his site and, well, you just need to watch it.

What do you need to say????

Random thoughts ....

2008-10-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

Just checking in with everyone...we have been so busy with the surprise guests that I have not had time to blog. Here are just a few random thoughts..............

Can you believe the election is only three weeks away? After two and a half years of campaigning, I am ready to VOTE!!!
Did you catch the Cowboy/Cardinals game yesterday???? That was CRAZY!!!
My sisters and I all gave pedicures to each other yesterday...well, not really, since we do not let Lucky do any painting...she is really bad at it.
We are making Chicken and Dumplings tonight....just in case you were wondering
Bridget, you need to check your email and get back to me ASAP.
The Beez is going to be Lola for halloween. (fyi, Lola is Hannah Montana's BFF)
I AM NOT DRESSING UP THIS YEAR....PERIOD
Watched the movies Leatherheads this weekend...good movie....gotta love George Clooney
Christmas Shopping....Our boys have outgrown "toys". This year it is all about electronics...as in IPODs....one word EXPENSIVE

That's all, just wanted to ramble a bit.

Hope everyone is well, we can catch up later this week.

One Thing...

2008-10-09T15:14:00.000-07:00

One thing I want to......

.....do in the next year - Travel up the East Coast to visit family in New York

....to accomplish this week - spend time with our SURPRISE guests

.....do with my kids - go on a mission trip

.....do with my husband - travel to the Hawaiin Islands

....accomplish in the next 5 years - be debt free

One dream job I would like....I've already got it...Wife and Mother...but someday I would love to get my Doctorate and teach at the college level

One gift I would buy if money was no object....a muscle car for my husband

One thing I would change about my childhood...I would have been easier on my parents

One thing I would change about my adulthood...nothing yet

What about you????

The Great Surprise

2008-10-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

So, it has been a tough week. We have been hitting the books pretty hard in school and trying to retain information for more than just a fleeting moment, which for mine can be a challenge at times. To add to that, The Beez started running mystery fever Tuesday night and all day Wednesday, which meant that her and I stayed home from church. I thought I would just enjoy my time with her, since although she has had a fever, her only other symptom was wanting to be attached to me permanently the last 48 hours. So, after the kitchen was cleaned up from dinner, we laid on the couch and watched Jon & Kate Plus 8...a favorite of us both. The husband called a few times to check in on us, and then after church took the boys to Sonic for ice cream. I told him Beez was in our bed watching tv and I was about to jump in the shower. He reminded he still had to get milk but that he would be home shortly.
So, there I am in the shower, washing my hair, and honestly in pretty deep thought, when the shower curtain is pulled back...and SURPRISE...my sister from California...is standing in my bathroom....with a VIDEO CAMERA!!!! Yeah, you read it right....me in the shower, her with a video camera....it was pretty HILARIOUS...But how surprised and happy can you be when your little sister is here for a surprise visit...but you are kind of shocked about the whole naked in the shower with a video camera?????
To be honest...it was PG-13 at most...but come on...I was trying to be happy shocked surprised...but I just stood there wrapped in the curtain, hair full of lathered shampoo, saying, "Okay...really...OMGosh...Kelly....How did????....Hey did you know????...turn the camera off....really....Okay....Kelly...the camera"
So the moral of this surprise story is this...Surprises are great...come visit us anytime....I love surprises....and my husband knew about it, helped plan it, and kept it a TOTAL secret...but come on...in the shower...give the girl some heads up...you can only be so happily surprised while naked in the shower.

Homeschool Haiku

2008-10-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

This morning we were learning about Haiku Poetry...which if you don't already know is simple poetry that is bound by only one rule...it must have 17 syllables divided into three lines, 5-7-5 respectively.

Here was mine:

Bright sun beams aglow
Shining through my broken heart
Chasing grief away.

I was totally laughing that my poem had such a solemn and sad feeling about it...but when you have to fit the syllables in, you just have to go with the flow. It is ironic that this post follows the one about my hubby falling asleep on the couch prior to our date...but rest assured, we made it, dinner was wonderful, as was grocery shopping!!!!

Big Daddy and Hot Momma

2008-10-03T14:40:00.000-07:00

So, my wonderful husband asked me to go out with him tonight. I think we are going to try a new Hibachi Steak house tonight...which means SHRIMP AND SCALLOPS for me...yummo!!!!

And even though the night will also include groceries, Sam's Club and Lowe's...I am not going to complain.

But then I walked into the living room and found this....

All dressed up and sacked out on the couch...Can't I get even a little enthusiasm?

Stop the Presses!!!! The Fair is in Town!!!!!

2008-10-03T11:55:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year again...the fair is in town. To be "fair" I should start off saying that I HATE THE FAIR!!!! I really do, and I would be fine to never step foot in that place again as long as I live. I am not trying to be ugly when I say that I HATE THE FAIR, I guess it is just that when you grow up minutes from Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm...a fair on wheels just doesn't float your boat. It also does not help that I also grew up going to the Orange County Fair...which, in a word is AMAZING, so this little rinky dink thing they call a fair, really is not "fair" to the really great fairs that exist elsewhere.

That being said, I went for the fam. The boys love the deadly...I mean crazy rides and the daughter will ride anything that they will let her on. She was riding SpaceMountain and Big Thunder Mountain(a la Disneyland) when she was a month past her three year old birthday(she met the height requirement)

So here are the pics from last night...

While I was striking this self pose....

Jake was busy bumper carting

This was the Ferris Wheel...

Same ride different kid

This is me supporting the family from the safety of the most uncomfortable benches ever made...

That is Crack on the left and Snake on the right...mystery kid in the middle

Husband and The Beez

Pork its whats for dinner!!!! Yeah I went there!!! I was hoping that "Anonymous" might be reading

The UGLIEST hen/chicken/fowl like bird ever...Snake said it had a 'fro-hawk

Beautiful pic....horrible pukey ride....

....but they rode it anyway

The Beez and a friend take flight

same uncomfortable benches...waiting on another equally unsafe ride to be over

Darkness fell and I was ready to head home

A clown on a bike did make my day by handing out Double Bubble...which under normal pleasant circumstances I would never chew...but blowing bubbles with pasty bubble gum seemed like a possible highlight of my night...so I went for it.

Are there any other Moms and Dads that undertake awful wastes of money and time for the pleasure of their offspring???? I know I am not alone in this boat. If not the fair...what is it for you???

Politics As Usual???

2008-10-02T20:04:00.000-07:00

Did you watch the debate tonight??? I missed the very beginning, but the DVR is my friend and I will play catch up in the a.m. I can not wait to see what the polls say in the morning and I am even more excited about the BIG day in 4 weeks.

One question???? Did Biden say "Bosniacs" instead of "Bosnians"??? And I loved the "Say it ain't so Joe." comment from Palin.

Did the banter change your mind???