New Picture

I love this picture. It was taken a couple of weeks ago when Richie and I had to have a picture taken for work. While we were "posing", Jason (who took the pictures) got us when we were just being ourselves. Richie always makes me laugh!

Out with the Old and in with the New

On Sunday I was talking with my friend Tori about how much I can't stand my washing macine which has been giving me trouble for about a year now. In good fun, she suggested I OVERLOAD the washer in hopes that it will finally blow up and I would be forced to get a new one. A few hours went by and I thought nothing of our conversation as I threw a very normal size load in. An hour or so later I asked Belle to go downstairs to change the laundry. She came back with this report: "Mom the sheets smell like a skunk just died." I went downstairs to find that the load of laundry was sitting in the bottom of my washing machine... soaking wet, and the smell, YEECH! I'm pretty sure it wasn't a skunk but probably a burning belt that was making us gag. So, it was finally over. No more dealing with the ridiculous washing machine and no more small sized loads of laundry. The next day, Rich took me to Lowe's and we bought us a big ol' front loading washing machine and dryer set. I have to say, it's pretty nice doing laundry now... although laundry is still laundry... which is nothing to do back flips over.

Mean People SUCK!!!

I know that my title is pretty descriptive but it is exactly how I feel right now. There are a couple of little girls we know who have made it their mission in life to be cruel to my daughter. They OBVIOUSLY do not have good parents who can teach them what it means to respect others. We have tried on several occasions to go over to their house and talk with their parents but it's like looking in the future at what those girls will become... BIG GROWN UP MEANIES'S!!! It's in times like these that I start thinking about home schooling. Anyone who know me, knows that I am not an advocate of home school... atleast not for my daughter, but I am so mad right now, I start to think that sheltering my daughter from the big mean world is the only answer. GRRR!!!

Softball Saavy

Belle is playing softball on a recreational league in Broken Arrow. Her team is the "Roadrunner's". Even though this is her second season with the team, we missed the first season which put us a a little bit of a disadvantage since the girls had a coulpe of months to play together and establish first impressions, relationships, positions and the like. One of the things that all the girls got in that first season was "Nicknames" and they are really cute. Here are some of the names; Ace, Sugarbear, Pokey, Big Mac, Mad Dog, Krusher, V-Train... that's all I can think of right now. Each of the girls have their own helmets and the mom's bought some sticker's and tagged their daughter's helmet with the nicknames. This means that when all the cute little helmets are lined up on the fence, Belle's is the only one without a name. I thought that the name would soon come from the coach... not happening. So I decided that I am not waiting for the coach anymore and I am goimg to give Belle her own nickname so I can make her helmet just as cute as everyone else's.

Tori and I brainstormed last night and here is a list of possible nicknames we came up with: B-Bomber, B.B.Gun, Beamer, Brick House, Little B, Baby Bear, Bam Bam, Big Shot, Bee-Bop. We are strongly leaning toward Bee-Bop because it kind of sums up Belle's take on the whole softball thing. :0)

After showing this list to Belle, here are some of the names that she came up with: Mochy (her nickname since birth), Bumper car, Catfish, Kitty and Chewy (after our dogs), Blue Belle, Banana Split, Hubba Bubba, Tuffy, Slider, Big Red and BIG MAMA... she thought the last one was super funny.

So, tell me what you think.

Pilates

It's no secret that I am not an exercise buff. However, I have always enjoyed the effects of a good Pilates class. It's a kind of exercise that focuses on lengthening and strengthening your "core". So, when I arrived at our first class yesterday, I never thought I would be SORE like I am today. WHAT A WIMP!!! Ahhhh, it's all good. I know in comparison to most of the human race, I AM JUST NOT IN SHAPE (hehe). However, for the direction I am going with overall health, this class is one of the most exciting things I have to look forward to in my week. We also got P90X in the mail last night... (it's all your fault Matt and Jen) which is something that my husband will set out to do. We just need a couple of hours to go over the material together so I can get him on track and then I will pick and choose anything I feel will be beneficial to me. I'm pretty excited about the nutrition portion...
On a personal note: Those of you who know me know that I have basically maintained the same weight within a 5 pound window for all of my marriage (pregnancy excluded of course). However, for about a month or two now, I have EXCEEDED that 5 pound window. It has really been bothering me, but this morning I stepped on my scale, and I am just below my high weight by 1 pound. OH HAPPY DAY!

"Pop In's" Welcomed!

Just when we were feeling a little sad that we didn't make big plans for the weekend, we had 2 "pop in's". Last night after we went for a long walk, I went upstairs to take a shower. It was still early in the evening and Belle came to tell me that Miss Jen is coming over to bring her webkinz, needless to say, we had the Jones family in for a while and we got to "catch up". It was an unexpected visit, and we really enjoyed it... even though I was in my pj's... with no make up (or bra)...yikes. :0) Then today around noon, Rich and I were getting ready to go get some lunch when Roy and Lisa stopped by. They were out exercising and came in to say "hi". They stayed awhile and after a nice visit, we invited them to meet us for lunch. So, we had two wonderful opportunities to see good friends and there wasn't even any preparation necessary. "Pop in's" are awesome. Too bad we can't plan for more surprise visits... except, now that I think about it, that's not possible is it? :0)

Competitive Bones

When God made me, He didn't give me the "competitive bone". I know for some people that is completely unbelievable. For them, competition is just a way of life. But for me, I could live every day of my life, for the rest of my life, without ever competing in any sporting event or game that requires a "go get 'em" attitude to win. Maybe it's because while I was growing up, I had such a bully of a brother and it was him that drove it out of me. Both of my parents have very strong over bearing personalities and maybe that had something to do with it. Or, maybe it was because I was the baby and I got "babied" a lot as a child. I don't know, maybe it's because I'm just a drag...
but that's not the way I see myself! I still like to be at events and I will even participate and play because I do enjoy the opportunity to spend time with people... and truthfully, I do enjoy winning. That is why no matter where I am, if it involves teams, I always want to be on my husband's team because he's just one of those guys who usually wins. And I have to be honest when I say that my husband has been known to "cheat for me" by not playing as good as he can just so I will win because he's just a DORK like that. But he's my Dork and I love him. I just don't want to play against him at Yahtzee... EVER... okay, maybe once in awhile, just not a lot. :0)

I Need a Personal Assistant

Do you ever feel like you need someone right there to pick up all the slack in your life? How about those times when you have 500 thousand things that need to be done and just when you think you finished... there's just one more thing?! Grrr...
Recently, my hubby left his Cooshy "Work from Home" job as he is now the Children's Pastor at our church. His now position is WONDERFUL!!! We couldn't be happier. God is SO GOOD!!! However, there were a lot of benefits to him staying at home all day. Like- I hate to admit this, but, I NEVER had to do laundry. I know, everyone gripes about laundry, and I'm with ya. It was just that since Rich was here all day, he just did it for me. I CERTAINLY wasn't about to complain. Now, I have to do it. With him being home al day, he kept up on the housework. I still did the CLEANING, he would just keep things picked up. Now when I get home from work, there are dishes in the sink, clothes and the floor... you get the picture. And that's just the home life. I could go on and on with school work, yard work, errands, bills, extra curricular activites, social life, spiritual life, work... and the list goes on and on.
It's funny... I always thought I woud make the best Personal Assistant to any successful person, but now I think I'm that person and someone just needs to assist me! :0)

Monday Blues

I don't know if I'm "a little bit weird" here, but, I have to say that sometimes, most of the time, on my day off, I get the BLUES!!! This morning was pretty much the same as any other. I woke up to get Belle ready for school and before I knew it, I felt the "heaviness" that I have come to describe as "Monday Blues". Throughout the day I have to fight to stay "up". Richie asks me what's wrong and I really don't have a good answer for him. Atleast he's a good enough guy to stick it out with me and not throw it in my face like some people I know would do. As a mom, I know that children do better when they have a set schedule. Maybe I'm still a kid at heart and I just need my schedule to keep me happy. I don't know. All I can say here is it's only 5:06 pm and there's still plenty of Monday left.
THANK YOU LORD FOR TUESDAYS!!!

3 Miles to Victory

Yes, that's right. Three miles. I know that doesn't seem like much, and really for Rich and I, it wasn't that bad, but BELLE? She had a hard time with it. Tonight I asked my hubby to take me to LaFortune park so we could go for a walk. Once we got out there, we were pleased that they have a nice "Jogging trail". When we started out, I thought we would walk really hard for 30 minutes and then go get some dinner. Little did I know that one time around the trail was a 3 mile trek. After we started, I realized we were in for a serious exercise and you have to be committed because there really is no way you can quit. The trek takes you way far away from your car, so even if you turn back, you still would end up walking a long way. About 1 mile in, Belle started getting really rosey cheeks and she had a serious cramp in her side. We had to do a lot of talking to keep her in it with us. Several times, she wanted to quit, but we wouldn't let her. When we rounded the last bend, some 50 minutes later, we were so happy. Belle was whimper laughing... if you are a parent, you know what that is.:0) Needless to say, it was great exercise and we told Belle she better get used to it, because we are going to be doing a lot more exercise from now on.

cute, cuddly AND COSTLY!!!

I have these adorable little chihuauah's. The fawn colored one is Shiloh (he belongs to Belle) and the chocolate one is Kitty (she's mine). We have had them for about 3 months now and every day we have so much fun with them. We have such a good time playing with them and cuddling with them and we love showing them off to all our friends and family. Often, I say about the puppies that they are "cheap entertainment" because they are so sweet. BUT, in reality, that isn't the truth. We have spent more money on these two pup's than we ever have on any other family pet. With shots and food, we never leave the pet store without scratching our heads as we look at the receipt and tonight we bought flea treatment adding up to a whopping $90.00 total. It won't be too much longer and we'll be shelling out a coulpe hundred dollars to get them fixed... does it ever end? Oh yes... I will say that they are CUTE, they are CUDDLY... but they definately are COSTLY!!! Can I get a witness?

Burning Little Tingles

Okay, I'll admit, I can be pretty obsessed from time to time. In this "chapter" of my life... yes, I definately am obsessed. You see, recently I discovered that I am developing varicose veins. YEECH! I know, it's hereditary and, no, it's probably not quite as big of a deal as I am making it out to be, BUT... I don't have to like it. In fact, I googled varicose veins and found that there is really nothing you can do to stop them... since they're hereditary. But, there are a few ways you can prevent them. For one, I am walking... a lot. Exercising your legs can help with the circulation. I have also started taking vitamins. They say that grape seed extract is a natural anti-oxidant which is good for vein health. And as I go through the day, I elevate my legs when I can and I picked up a pack of support hose... but I won't even think about wearing those until it gets a little bit cooler. I think I am going to call the doc and have them looked at eventually. But until then, I have to say, the thing that I always thought was so ridiculous is sneaking up on me. It's that "getting older" thing and I am starting to see the effects of it.

Road Trip!

In the morning, we'll be loading up the car and heading off to KC for some much needed R & R. Since Belle has been out of schooll, our head's have been spinning. BUT... I will not allow myself to think about all of that right now. What I will think about... 3 days, away from here... relaxing and having a little fun!

Newest Pages

Mother Daughter Tea

"Belle, do you want to go to the tea party next weekend?"

I was pretty surprised to hear her reply. She was thrilled with the idea... so, I bought two tickets to the tea! We entered her in the Hat Contest. We made her hat earlier that week and we were pretty convinced that she could win. Unfortunately, she did not even place, and she took it pretty hard. I looked at her face after the results were given; she turned beet red, and then... tears ran down her face. I felt so bad for her, I just wanted to scoop her up and take her to the toy store and buy her anything she wanted. I had feelings of childhood disappointments rush through my mind as I watched my sweet little girl go through the embarrassment {which was completely unnecessary, but for a child... I suppose inevitable}. After it was all over, I did take her to the store and bought her a Webkinz... and that seemed to make it all better. For her, I will post the beautiful hat that she paraded that day. In my book, she is the WINNER... and I don't care how cute the other girls were {I know, I sound BIASED... I guess I am} her hat should have won! Oh well, there's always next year... but honestly, I could take it or leave it when it comes to Tea Parties... too fussy for the likes of the Selleck girls.

Day 3 and Counting

Tonight Belle and I just finished our 3rd round of Pilates together. I have to say, I am amazed at how devoted she is to the excercises. Actually, as it has happened, before we would do our workouts, we have taken a vigorous stole through the neighborhood. It is beautiful this time of year and we spend a lot of our afternoons together outside. So, one of our activities is to take Chewy on a "Two Poop" walk. It has come to be called this because if we go on a long walk, Chewy poops two times... hence the "Two Poop" walk... gross, I know, oh well, kids say the darndest thing...

Anyway, back to our exercises; the wonderful thing is that we are making a habit of hanging out together and having quality "Mommy/Daughter time" and we are doing exercises... who'd of thunk it!!! I can't say for certain that we will keep it up, but for now, it makes me very happy to see my favorite little person develop some good habits. Tonight after we finished, we even prayed and asked God to help us stay focused and to keep our bodies healthy.

PRECIOUS MOMMY MEMORIES!

I'm on a Roll

Scrapbooking... it's got me crazy right now. I almost finished my book for 2007 with 1 page left to go. I gotta be honest, the Christmas pages were a real drag. I like to do Holiday stuff, it's just that they seemed to be never ending. Check 'em out and tell me what you think.

I'm a Smart Alic

"Yep, and proud of it." Belle responded when I asked her if that is what she just called herself. I chuckled a bit and told her that "smart alic" is what adults call children who are acting badly. She disagreed and proudly wore her new found title. What's really funny is that she told the ladies at the gym tonight and they think it is just the cutest thing ever. I dunno... sometimes it's safe to say but most other times, she's my precious angel.

Homeowner's Aches and Pains...

If money was not an issue, I would love a new house! Don't get me wrong, I do like the one we currently live in, it has just been screaming for some TLC lately. The ice storm did not treat us kindly, so our backyard is a wreck. Our trees have cost us $500.00 so far with about $1500.00 left to go. Two of our three fences need replacing and the entire backyard will need new sod... which is another $500.00. We are definately needing to paint the outside of the house this year and we have to start a "new roof" fund. That's just the outside. Inside, we have to replace two exterior doors... and the list goes on and on. YEECH! I am grateful to own a home and Richie and I aren't new to the idea of a little work. It just seems that sometimes we get swallowd with "To Do" lists. I suppose there is much more to be thankful for than there is to complain about... I'm just saying, if I had lots of money, I'd love a new home so I wouldn't have to worry about this one so much!

Coupons are for the BIRDS!!!

I know that a lot of people would disagree with this comment, but today, I have to say that COUPONS ARE FOR THE BIRDS! One of my favorite things to do on Sunday afternoon is to pick up the Sunday paper and per-uze through the ads to see if there is anything good. Today I saw that Michael's had a 50% off coupon, just for today. So I called up my friend Tori and told her to meet me at Michael's because there was a Scrapbooking thingee I wanted that was originally $20.00 but now that I had my 50% off coupon, I would be able to get it for $10.00. We walked the aisles and I swooped up my item, along with a few other things. When we got to the cashier, I discovered that the item I wanted was on sale for 25% off and that my coupon would not work since it was already on sale. I asked the Sales lady if I could use the coupon and she said no. I went ahead and paid the $5.00 difference, since it's really not that big of a deal, but I still thought it was ridiculous, since the reason I came to Michael's in the first place was to get the 50% discount. I just want to know when everything got so complicated...
My opinion cannot be changed... until next Sunday when I find some great deal in the ads heh!

The Land of the Living

I feel like I missed out on a lifetime of experiences this past week. When I found out I had the flu, I didn't think it would have taken the toll on me that it did. This is the sickest I have been in a long time. I actually took 4 sick days and it wasn't for kicks... let me tell you. I stayed in bed most of the past 9 days. You always think it sounds great to stay in bed, then you can't wait to get up and out of the house. One thing is for sure, my house is really needin' a good cleaning and there is no denying it. I'm getting better, but I still think that cleaning the house will have to wait. I need to conserve my energy still... darn! Thanks MOM for taking care of your 32 year old little girl. It just goes to show that I still need my mommy.

Well Done Punky Brewster!!!

Last night I bought my sweet daughter a cute little shirt. It is bright orange with little white polka dots all over it. When I brought it home to her, she was so excited. She dreamed up an outfit to wear to school today that was very "Punky Brewster". Some of you may not know who that is. When I was a kid, Punky Brewster was a sitcom about a cute little girl who always had funky outfits on. They never matched and they were always so funny. Needless to say, this morning when Belle left for school, she had that polka dotted shirt on, a gray mini skirt, camo leggings and shoes with big glittery stars on them. WOW!!! She thought she looked so good. Today when Belle came home, she had the biggest smile on her face as she told me she reached her reading goal for the third quarter. This is really an awesome acheivment since the term does not end for 3+ more weeks. I was so proud of her. We told her we would take her out to celebrate, and we get to go to McDonald's tonight... oh well, we made a compromise for our sweet little girl.

"We did?"

Woops! That's a big boo-boo!
I got a call from Richie's mom this week and we were talking for 20 minutes or so when she let me know that we missed their 35 year anniversary. Needless to say, I felt awful. I wanted to wring my husband's neck. I know that this sort of thing usually falls under the wife's duties, however, in these cases, I haven't always been successful. I remember my own personal stuff, but I definately get an "F" when it comes to remembering other people's stuff. I would like to say that at this very moment, I will change and do better at remembering people's birthday's/ anniversaries, but I know that won't happen. It's not that I don't care, because I do. It's just that life never stops and there are alot of people in my life. I know that if I hear ahead of time about a birthday that's coming up or an anniversary, or something of that nature, I can make arrangments to get a card or present... no problem. It's when I don't hear anything about it ahead of time, and then the day comes, and I feel like a jerk. I despise that!
When it comes to anniversaries, I think they are mostly for the husband and wife (and adult children... I know it was bad to forget Mom and Dad's 35th anniversary... there is no excuse for me in that). Oh well, I'll have to think of a way to make it up to them later.

How Bad Do You Want It?

When we attended Bible School years ago, I had an instructor who often used the phrase, "How bad do you want it?" He would teach us things pertaining to the course and then he would follow the statements with the question, "HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?" As we went through the course, he must have taught us 100 different truths relevent to this phrase. It really hit me. Here I am, some 5 years later, and I am still trying to live in the truth of that statement. It goes without saying that life has been handed to us and we have the ability to make of it whatever we wish. Sure, there will always be a list of excuses. But the truth is that I will succeed if I really put everything I have into it. In essence, the only thing that stands in the way of me succeeding in something is my lack of really wanting it.

Winter, Spring... Spring, Winter

Okay, I know the famous Oklahoma saying, "If you don't like the weather, wait until tomorrow". I have heard it and chuckled a bit when it was said. But I can't believe the weather these past few days. On Thursday, 5 days ago, it snowed. Snow= COLD!!! So we were excited for snow. But the very next day, the snow was already gone. Yesterday, we broke a record high and reached 81 degrees. It was beautiful.. Today, it's freezing and there is snow in the forecast for this evening. It's times like this that I really miss Cali. The weather at the Coast is so beautiful... and predictable. Around here, watching the evening news consists of the Weather Report which can be as addicting as a Soap Opera...

iT'S tHE bUBBLE gIRL!

My husband and I were so excited to go out on a date last Saturday night. We had plans to meet up with a few friends for dinner and a movie. After a whole day of house work, an evening out was just what we needed. We got dressed and headed out to meet the group. We ate at Fish Daddy's which is one of my favorite restaurants... not only is it good food, it's also pretty inexpensive. Rich and I ate for all of $11.00- SCORE! After we were all full, we went to the movies. I was surprised at how full the parking lot was. I think that everyone in town was at the movies on Saturday night or something because the place was jumping. Anyway, I think we paid $16.50 for two tickets to see "Strange Wilderness". What we didn't know is that we all just bought tickets to be visually violated and morally uproared. Let me explian:
The movie was prefaces with some very tasteless previews about high school boys, college kids and their HORMONES... lovely! After a preview like that, I decided that my daughter is never going to be a teenager (hehe). The previews were only a prelude to the graphic content I was about to be exposed to in the movie. The very first scene opened up with some absolute loser smoking a joint. I am surprised that Hollywood gets away with so much in this area. It gets better, the next scene is filled with tons of swearing and I means tons. I know movies come with some cussing and what not, and I can handle that. But this was RIDICULOUS! I think we heard the F-Bomb 40 times within the first 5 minutes. So I thought maybe it wil get better, let's just sit here a ride it out a bit. Then, we were exposed to several naked women who were dancing for the camera... YEECH! As the movie went on, we got lots more of the same... swearing and vulgar sex scenes. I was shocked to see that the people who were in the theater with me were laughing and carrying on. How does anyone find this stuff entertaining. I could feel my skin crawling with every minute that went by. I couldn't believe they would actually show this stuff. Finally, after we were exposed to a borderline pornographic scene, I turned to my friends and said, "See you guys tomorrow"! I grabbed my husband by the hand and we high tailed it out of there. We asked for the manager and told him how disguisting the movies was and requested our money back. He said we needed to get back in line and they would refund our tickets, Praise God! As we were waiting, I saw that our friends were standing in the lobby. I motioned for them and they got their money back too. I was so affected by the contents of the 30 minutes in the theater, I actually had nightmares about it... GROSS!!! I would rather live in my little bubble than be exposed to junk like that. Next time, I will think twice before I take any chances on movies like "Strange Wilderness". Whatever you do, don't waste your money... not even for a Blockbuster night.

Walking in Love

How else do I say it? Walking in love isn't all that easy!!!

For the past year now, I feel that God has been teaching me the impotance of "Walking in Love". Most of the time when I am conscious about this particular subject, it is right when I am in the middle of a conversation where I am running off at the mouth saying exactly what I shouldn't be... am I ringing any bells?
Roll with me for a minute... I am not saying that I am a gossip or even a back stabber. I try very hard not to get involved in conversations that rally around those sort of things. I am just saying that sometimes I wrap my mouth around a thought that goes too far. In the end, there are names mentioned and opinions stated that maybe shouldn't have been.
I think it's fair to say that girls can get a little out of hand where chatting is concerned and although I consider myself to be a little less chatty than most, I do have my fair share of regrets in this department. I am reminded of what Paul writes in Romans 7:15 " I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do it." I so understand what he is saying here. After I over do things in conversation, I usually go through a time of beating myself up and then make determined statements that I will never open my mouth in public again. It's never very long before I find myself in another conversation, saying things I shouldn't be saying... AGAIN & AGAIN & AGAIN! It's a vicious cycle, and I don't know if it ever ends.
There is a part of the love walk that I tend to over look. When I think about all the things I shouldn't be saying, I am overwhelmed because I know that I can never not say everything. And although I am not giving myself carte blanche to just say whatever I want to say, I am suggesting that maybe I'm going about it all wrong. Instead of focusing all my efforts on what not to do and say, I will choose to walk in love toward others when they say what they shouldn't say and there is plenty of opportunity for me to do that. hehe
Recently, I was made aware of a series of things that were said about me by people who obviously got caught up in their feelings and said some things they probably shouldn't have. On any normal day, I wouldn't think twice about being angry toward them and holding a grudge. However, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I chose to forgive them and found it to be quite liberating. I was able to be friendly with them instead of being tormented by a feeling of betrayal. I have to be honest and say that it wasn't the easiest thing to do...at first, but after a while, I really saw that forgiving them was the best thing I could have done. Besides, how selfish of me to think that I could hold anything against someone else when I too need a little grace every now and then.

NT in a Year

I want to inspire you to read the Word with me this year. I know that there are several plans to read your Bible in a year and if that works for you... great! But for me, it was always too time consuming and I found myself just skimming through the daily readings so I could hit my quota before the day was over. If I missed a day or two, I was so pressed to "catch up" that I would eventually stop trying. So, I found a way to read only The New Testament in a year. I pray and ask God to feed my spirit with His Word and then, since I only read 1 chapter a day, I can take my time and let the words "sink in" as I read them. My husband and I have even been reading to Belle after dinner. It's a wonderful thing to see her asking questions as she learns scripture. I am very excited about it and I hope you will be too.

Here is how it works:
Every week if you read 5 chapters (starting in Matthew), you will have completed the entire New Testament in a year's time. I love it because you only read 5 nights out of the week, so if you miss 1 night, it's easy to catch up. Today I am on Matthew 10. I wake up and almost can't wait to read my chapter. I believe that as I put the Word in... daily, it will produce results in my life as well as your own if you make the commitment to read your Bible too.

Happy Reading!!!

Cake for Me?

Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too? Today, I sure did. It was my birthday and I had a blast. I woke up with soft little fingers gripping my hand and a kiss on my cheek from the sweetest girl in the whole wide world. My husband brought me my present before I even opened my eyes. It was the watch that I saw before Christmas that I absolutely loved. I knew we couldn't get it with all the Holiday expenses. I was a little disappointed then, but my hubby made up for it today. The phone started ringing... and kept on ringing throughout the day. I did manage to stop everyone before they attempted to sing me the "Happy Birthday" song, thank goodness. My brother ands sister-in-law brought me a beautiful present and a hysterical card that sings "Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer (super funny). I got several cards in the mail (which was a first) and I loved them all. I spent an hour at the mall and then headed off to a wonderful dinner that my beautiful mom and Bob prepared for me and my family. I spent the rest of my evening at the Scrapbook store with a few of my good friends. It was so much fun. I got lots of gifts and I EVEN GOT TO HAVE MY BIRTHDAY CAKE... and we all ate it too. I am so BLESSED!

Thank you all so much...

"Icky Days"

Today was one of those "icky days". I woke up this morning and like every other morning, I headed off to the bathroom for my daily 1 hour makeover. I didn't give it much thought since I've been at this routine now for most of my life. I took my shower, blowdryed my hair, put my make up on and when it came time to see the finished product, the mirror wasn't being too nice to me. So... I tried again. I plugged the flat iron back in and re-did a few strands of hair... that didn't work. I got my eye liner back out and darkened the lines around my eyes with hopes to soften the puffyness... that didn't work. I needed a change of scenery, so off to the closet I went to see what I would wear today... YIKES!!! I looked in the mirror in the closet and it was just as rude. By this time, I was pulling for my husband's approval who so honestly confirmed my feelings of insecurity. He told me my outfit wasn't doing it for him and then suggested that I change. I couldn't agree more. I threw my shirt on the floor and tried again... icky, icky, icky! I flew out the door (running a little late) and when I got to work, I couldn't wait to get home so I could put on my sweat pants and call it a day... and you know what..? That's exactly what I did. I figure if I am going to have an "icky day", I may as well make the most of it with my slipper socks, a hair tie and a blanket. Can I get a witness?

New Mercies

Last year at this time, we were gearing up for a hum dinger of a storm which ended up dumping several inches of ice on our area. It kept us stuck in our houses for three days. It just so happened that my birthday was the day of the big storm... both literally and figuratively. As I think about what to write next, I am able to give detail after detail explaining the prelude to a very depressing and turbulent time in our lives, but, I will spare you (and myself) by not reliving those horrible memories. I am thankful for the words in the Bible that say "don't look back". As I approach my next birthday, I am determined to celebrate the new mercies promised to me today. I thank God that He loves me so much. He makes the sun to shine on me every day. I won't take that for granted.
I will say that one of the results of the crisis of 2007 was a determining of quality friends. It seems like some people came out of the woodwork to help me while others, who I thought were good friends, did nothing. Although I can't expect anyone else to go through tough times for me, it sure did help having good people "hold my hand" along the way. One thing is for sure, I do try to make a concious effort to help my friends when they are in a rough spot. Even though it's not convenient for me all the time, I make the effort to be there. When I get to the end of my life, I do not want to be known for being so self absorbed that I didn't take time out of my busy schedule for what mattered most.
So, A BIG THANK YOU to those of you who know what I am talking about and you WERE THERE! What an impact you made on my life. As I come up to my 32nd birthday, I expect to have a great year and I know that you all will be there with me through it all.

What exactly is quality time anyway?

Where do all our days off go? Today is Saturday and my husband and I get this one day off a week together. Ideally this would mean we would spend quality time together with our daughter, but, it never quite seems to work out like that. So far today we had to go to a meeting at work, which wasn't a bad thing at all, but still, it took up a little bit of our time. Then we came home and it dawned on us that the chores aren't going to do themselves... so we thought we would spend just an hour or so in the yard and maybe wash the car. Here we are some 3 hours later and still up to our noses in chores. As I look to the evening, there are several more tasks to be done so I say, bah on the whole "day off" thing. I've always said my husband works harder on his days off than he does when he's working. Atleast we are all together and in a sense, that makes our time spent together to be our own family quality time.

Evening Quandry

So when I sat down tonight I decided that watching tv is a big waste of time. Besides, I always have tons of things to do and now seems like just as good of a time as any. For instance, there are lots of birthdays in January and there are presents to wrap, I wanted to get started on this blog thing, I have phone calls to make etc. By the time I get done here, it will be late and I will be ready to be done with today. So off I go...