tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58500732151766713492024-02-18T19:55:14.650-06:00smiling's my favorite!my favorite word is...always!!!
2 Cor. 2:14smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-64536001624759682772009-03-12T21:36:00.003-05:002009-03-12T21:48:50.045-05:00SPRING (we're actually going somewhere) BREAKWe are going somewhere for Spring Break on Tuesday. I can hardly believe it, since in our whole married life I can't think of a time where we actually scheduled a trip on this holiday. <em>Rich just reminded me... we were supposed to go two years ago but that trip was cancelled since Richie's dear friend Raymond died. Actually, it feels so good to be able to say that sad, sad day happened two years ago... the further we could get away from that horrible time, the happier I am.</em> Okay, enough of that... now on to our anticipated trip. We get to go to Denver, Colorado and spend a few days with my aunt and her family. Her children are Belle's age and they are really the only cousins (second cousins) she has. We can't wait... we're going to get to do a little sight seeing and who knows what else. I have another cousin who lives in Colorado Springs and she just had a baby girl... we're going to get to meet her. It is a ten hour drive but we are planning to catch up on some reading and Goef and Jan Jackson lent us their animated CD series "The Chronicles of Narnia". What a delightful idea... can't wait! Is it Tuesday yet?smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-60845357585309347142009-03-08T21:48:00.003-05:002009-03-08T22:01:58.049-05:00My Grown Up Bedtime StoryI'm almost embarassed to be "posting" since it's been a long 5 months since my last post. Oh well, it's still my blog and I can do whatever I want to with it, right? Tonight has been fun. Richie has been reading to me for the past 2 hours. It's a simple thing that I can honestly say means more to me than the usual sitting on the couch and vegging out in front of some Nick at Night reruns. Not only does it bless me, but I can tell that Richie is enjoying it as well. Neither one of us are "readers" but we have been persuaded to read "The Shack" which is a book traveling through the Christian circles right now. Wow... we are really taken by it. So far we have been emotionally choked by the despair of a father in his love for his daughter and intrigued by the passing thoughts about God from the main character. I am amazed at the way the author has described God and I can't wait what the next chapter has in store. Interesting... I really see how we could use segments of the book to illustrate the love of God and I am truly blessed by the truths retold in a fictional story and the by the way they are presented.smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-63678844113278772792008-10-06T12:36:00.002-05:002008-10-06T12:40:04.412-05:00New PictureI 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!smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-19578112114920788632008-09-18T17:21:00.003-05:002008-09-18T17:34:16.030-05:00Out with the Old and in with the NewOn 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.smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-34561724871673074122008-09-16T16:17:00.002-05:002008-09-16T16:27:45.295-05:00Mean 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!!!smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-43931711982042528372008-09-03T23:33:00.003-05:002008-09-04T00:01:43.702-05:00Softball Saavy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxOEqGPUDVcbebQPSnsgUfZGfwKdPKBXS1vKiaTvjo0bnCi1lnae_j-tXw_mkXq_Qt3hAdpKY9j6_vmZSRGFPu52f47jUxYL6Z1742hyphenhyphenjv7CRkGbI9SBnptXEYtnQVrQUAgS-4J2Fo8Xg/s1600-h/Belle+1st+game.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242026183112543874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxOEqGPUDVcbebQPSnsgUfZGfwKdPKBXS1vKiaTvjo0bnCi1lnae_j-tXw_mkXq_Qt3hAdpKY9j6_vmZSRGFPu52f47jUxYL6Z1742hyphenhyphenjv7CRkGbI9SBnptXEYtnQVrQUAgS-4J2Fo8Xg/s320/Belle+1st+game.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>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. </div><br /><div>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) </div><br /><div>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. </div><br /><div>So, tell me what you think. </div>smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-85585645775515015632008-09-03T23:21:00.003-05:002008-09-03T23:33:04.028-05:00PilatesIt'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... <br />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!smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-84064487403103621222008-09-01T23:04:00.003-05:002008-09-01T23:21:00.557-05:00"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)smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-21638688653914133632008-08-29T22:08:00.003-05:002008-08-29T22:27:14.797-05:00Competitive BonesWhen 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...<br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">but that's not the way I see myself!</span></strong> 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)smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-74025782771032353192008-08-28T15:42:00.002-05:002008-08-28T15:52:43.026-05:00I Need a Personal AssistantDo 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...<br />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. <br />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)smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-27752134553120418262008-08-25T16:54:00.002-05:002008-08-25T17:08:53.987-05:00Monday BluesI 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. <br />THANK YOU LORD FOR TUESDAYS!!!smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-90290260143131903462008-08-23T22:03:00.004-05:002008-08-23T22:18:11.389-05:003 Miles to VictoryYes, 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.smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-68711436986378079832008-08-22T22:01:00.005-05:002008-08-22T22:15:45.417-05:00cute, cuddly AND COSTLY!!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwQdlEPm6OCAn_RlIqkE8qwkSEttf-QT82UgWw1uMfHjAuZokSTDu5tQcHLT95JiM83JQ7O3GMzt5afJh7m1wNuYoqO6cmhl92su_0jycvMS6Y1rqJdmNKGn4iIKhVmDLneOtF8WxGuA/s1600-h/Puppies+(13).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237543315643050098" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwQdlEPm6OCAn_RlIqkE8qwkSEttf-QT82UgWw1uMfHjAuZokSTDu5tQcHLT95JiM83JQ7O3GMzt5afJh7m1wNuYoqO6cmhl92su_0jycvMS6Y1rqJdmNKGn4iIKhVmDLneOtF8WxGuA/s320/Puppies+(13).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br />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?smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-73977095650973507202008-08-21T20:57:00.003-05:002008-08-21T21:24:10.069-05:00Burning Little TinglesOkay, 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.smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-72984503016185523522008-06-16T00:15:00.003-05:002008-06-16T00:22:53.851-05:00Road 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!smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-12177382895432427882008-05-13T22:01:00.000-05:002008-05-13T22:05:43.434-05:00Newest Pages<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XCl-T4nv2elJas1MiQIXSzRKNq-cJBnZfLgpPUJVUKOSlA1yfUx24p72I0ZZ3XzazLo6XYkRjjaB420yFWzbevsxBv3m6eGa56j0NXjw88WGwg9VX7ef4nohyphenhyphen1sIL_c8cbLhCsTZ2cY/s1600-h/Tea+for+two+020.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200064208758887378" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XCl-T4nv2elJas1MiQIXSzRKNq-cJBnZfLgpPUJVUKOSlA1yfUx24p72I0ZZ3XzazLo6XYkRjjaB420yFWzbevsxBv3m6eGa56j0NXjw88WGwg9VX7ef4nohyphenhyphen1sIL_c8cbLhCsTZ2cY/s320/Tea+for+two+020.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Cw7kuqTovdN7GIbH9QV2gp7lxF8zRQo-NbEI3o9NKv52NXkO6bMUXwoiFvNcgHCcO55xby1y1akJwK42Ykp-WtXttBVhOTlSNENjH2eJbNlEwoUlurRYgsHwtqPvlJTAzaxxenahJaw/s1600-h/Tea+for+two+027.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200064217348821986" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Cw7kuqTovdN7GIbH9QV2gp7lxF8zRQo-NbEI3o9NKv52NXkO6bMUXwoiFvNcgHCcO55xby1y1akJwK42Ykp-WtXttBVhOTlSNENjH2eJbNlEwoUlurRYgsHwtqPvlJTAzaxxenahJaw/s320/Tea+for+two+027.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-36503492155790381372008-05-12T16:22:00.004-05:002008-05-12T16:58:39.206-05:00Mother Daughter Tea<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYIP7XllTxZLByNhHDhMbYhXyzZO3GF6xKSOzi_wncowScAQtjoWm0DlwhS7tEsmjSLm0xiVYhsLR2C40HDBQ3rQu-AZlFwVHrHoUzUhXdpNDmS6GtUbPi5mqgoYeNpUWG6PitUt0vrc/s1600-h/Tea+for+two+044.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199613400401564610" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="219" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYIP7XllTxZLByNhHDhMbYhXyzZO3GF6xKSOzi_wncowScAQtjoWm0DlwhS7tEsmjSLm0xiVYhsLR2C40HDBQ3rQu-AZlFwVHrHoUzUhXdpNDmS6GtUbPi5mqgoYeNpUWG6PitUt0vrc/s320/Tea+for+two+044.jpg" width="305" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhDj25rtBzpS8w9bswty40-3XlQ4NxduByRwDLuUc-Qxsi6kG36TqMvMu3iywk9mxYLthsTSZKkxSd2AVrN5e2pDaTmN-sTyp2qJlS_vMbzcdkYPqa9guH-8FbBzD-0U4GtzaHPXw0l6U/s1600-h/Tea+for+two+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199613026739409842" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 187px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 239px" height="207" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhDj25rtBzpS8w9bswty40-3XlQ4NxduByRwDLuUc-Qxsi6kG36TqMvMu3iywk9mxYLthsTSZKkxSd2AVrN5e2pDaTmN-sTyp2qJlS_vMbzcdkYPqa9guH-8FbBzD-0U4GtzaHPXw0l6U/s320/Tea+for+two+001.jpg" width="192" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:130%;color:#ff6666;">"Belle, do you want to go to the tea party next weekend?"</span> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>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. </div></div>smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-39612179691589110172008-04-28T21:29:00.004-05:002008-04-28T21:50:14.017-05:00Day 3 and Counting<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZV5MPLHM_jFWJL6jLJhsmTy0AG4qJ_SbR3pxOzo3pW0zxerMPSEhwI371gOdocPh-oHCjLpER2OAQ3qJEHfq8Nzc5m4SVQeDHAZAy1aRe-UIiFa4HABFAlSaUgefHLRYAdj8cvB8QJuA/s1600-h/Pilates+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5194493773732312498" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="115" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZV5MPLHM_jFWJL6jLJhsmTy0AG4qJ_SbR3pxOzo3pW0zxerMPSEhwI371gOdocPh-oHCjLpER2OAQ3qJEHfq8Nzc5m4SVQeDHAZAy1aRe-UIiFa4HABFAlSaUgefHLRYAdj8cvB8QJuA/s320/Pilates+001.jpg" width="195" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0d3rP2Ghapzx31Imnx3CIUGTDeSUM6Z6qY71L9L0LTnTobRlG4PshBfflJFoltSlGO8OED0M5vm0f5TwNxkQnxuB1vP0kR9LX_KrHBNg9ybVdmgT3KcqHtArsu3BB2-KCcYNu3HOE1k/s1600-h/Pilates+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5194493322760746402" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 210px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 134px" height="94" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0d3rP2Ghapzx31Imnx3CIUGTDeSUM6Z6qY71L9L0LTnTobRlG4PshBfflJFoltSlGO8OED0M5vm0f5TwNxkQnxuB1vP0kR9LX_KrHBNg9ybVdmgT3KcqHtArsu3BB2-KCcYNu3HOE1k/s320/Pilates+003.jpg" width="215" border="0" /></a> 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...<br /><br /><div>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. </div><br /><br /><div>PRECIOUS MOMMY MEMORIES! </div></div>smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-74059335559752293192008-04-10T15:54:00.004-05:002008-04-10T16:28:40.225-05:00I'm on a Roll<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZoqx-8w4trCS0w0ZwdhSBoxbKdcVZz_bu1P9fYJwOLonhTNaSJXlshYaxjnrBJ8UWUQ7plCdVzZRHiEmrLQ9TM86wrScm1QiZBvrRI6EWQYC45BDpjCWMVeq_LYX0wwMw_khuPVYbv4/s1600-h/Scrapbook+Pages+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187731404595755250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZoqx-8w4trCS0w0ZwdhSBoxbKdcVZz_bu1P9fYJwOLonhTNaSJXlshYaxjnrBJ8UWUQ7plCdVzZRHiEmrLQ9TM86wrScm1QiZBvrRI6EWQYC45BDpjCWMVeq_LYX0wwMw_khuPVYbv4/s400/Scrapbook+Pages+005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VkgC83vp-fjaTLdQtJWE6vZl-BrO7Ln0i7Bgv8L62uLSUX_LLXb7rz4H3zL0AdRHbeTwPLS4SZbm_dN-aSHdpIUmx6fM0PI5S_9RxtuDAAr2_aYGkL1Sajk9jBD21kUoAsCYEllVdKQ/s1600-h/Scrapbook+Pages+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187731408890722562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VkgC83vp-fjaTLdQtJWE6vZl-BrO7Ln0i7Bgv8L62uLSUX_LLXb7rz4H3zL0AdRHbeTwPLS4SZbm_dN-aSHdpIUmx6fM0PI5S_9RxtuDAAr2_aYGkL1Sajk9jBD21kUoAsCYEllVdKQ/s400/Scrapbook+Pages+006.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyycr_1Y1HFjmlJ5P0Vpzy0d68cyJzDRKyTtNzPIlqiCb1rNmvCM-w2E8iNHxl6VkVOgX21fxHriFwc7XDpViGLqIdWxYSEthqvu3141QYd6xDKvKX5aNC14TP-VIQFr0OcMXTFMcHRE/s1600-h/Scrapbook+Pages+008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187731417480657170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyycr_1Y1HFjmlJ5P0Vpzy0d68cyJzDRKyTtNzPIlqiCb1rNmvCM-w2E8iNHxl6VkVOgX21fxHriFwc7XDpViGLqIdWxYSEthqvu3141QYd6xDKvKX5aNC14TP-VIQFr0OcMXTFMcHRE/s400/Scrapbook+Pages+008.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8t_35JAawRL75NCfLHIgYBF0E8SL1yHlXxztYJqLUQaHPQlzfS-2IzT9twdhzpFAgASP4k-6UUu0MknG8GwR6gWZO34a8J9JOn_rTBLLhUdGuJPMgV2COu3hVtHDsWiQNEAiKeGVi7x4/s1600-h/Scrapbook+Pages+010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187731421775624482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8t_35JAawRL75NCfLHIgYBF0E8SL1yHlXxztYJqLUQaHPQlzfS-2IzT9twdhzpFAgASP4k-6UUu0MknG8GwR6gWZO34a8J9JOn_rTBLLhUdGuJPMgV2COu3hVtHDsWiQNEAiKeGVi7x4/s400/Scrapbook+Pages+010.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv24vG-N6Hsut4gccSsCbqsGAokGD-EvBAWhAPElUHBiPSFGvry_rNPbhfnhU_R642AB_bH7JNZImsjiMoG60AHev0-QbyAibhUeOkVAuK5Dw9xvz8cGp_DxwvkoknV3OKL222hmUDM0w/s1600-h/Scrapbook+Pages+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187731430365559090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv24vG-N6Hsut4gccSsCbqsGAokGD-EvBAWhAPElUHBiPSFGvry_rNPbhfnhU_R642AB_bH7JNZImsjiMoG60AHev0-QbyAibhUeOkVAuK5Dw9xvz8cGp_DxwvkoknV3OKL222hmUDM0w/s400/Scrapbook+Pages+011.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_ef-0j6E-Ve_d8KybRNU-eod-JVaPQO8slpFFkG6i3HupJYO2zslCqja04A9PcsYz7_2OvPBhbQeK7ygccElYd_qHLl6yVCii2z9-HhruhBV9JdltRtuNNR0oua-JXye2Vq9Z0gL7PY/s1600-h/Scrapbook+Pages+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187729909947136226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_ef-0j6E-Ve_d8KybRNU-eod-JVaPQO8slpFFkG6i3HupJYO2zslCqja04A9PcsYz7_2OvPBhbQeK7ygccElYd_qHLl6yVCii2z9-HhruhBV9JdltRtuNNR0oua-JXye2Vq9Z0gL7PY/s400/Scrapbook+Pages+004.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>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. </div></div>smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-39641216194852249832008-04-07T22:22:00.002-05:002008-04-07T22:26:40.279-05:00I'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.smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-89260020576433926042008-03-29T20:54:00.003-05:002008-03-29T21:09:48.769-05:00Homeowner'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!smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-52925905677960275182008-03-16T22:36:00.002-05:002008-03-16T22:49:21.571-05:00Coupons are for the BIRDS!!!I know that a lot of people would disagree with this comment, but today, I have to say that <span style="color:#33ff33;"><strong>COUPONS ARE FOR THE BIRDS!</strong></span> 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...<br />My opinion cannot be changed... until next Sunday when I find some great deal in the ads heh!smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-4024434545313369182008-03-10T21:24:00.002-05:002008-03-10T21:31:23.734-05:00The Land of the LivingI 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.smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-28950418104824271902008-02-25T16:06:00.002-06:002008-02-25T16:20:32.502-06:00Well Done Punky Brewster!!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9aDB4Nmo5qkSrpNiluojHV9jGzIyO05f21KYEvyyznZFEHcE2djw_T8cq6NQtpaJCjPTgE3h_zvR-g8-J1m1oqHwipG1xF3UprdqVlPU7hneLPrt4mgC64Pz3ErgxD4FDOUrrA9XsMAQ/s1600-h/Punky-Brewster-Season-One.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171046213211272130" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9aDB4Nmo5qkSrpNiluojHV9jGzIyO05f21KYEvyyznZFEHcE2djw_T8cq6NQtpaJCjPTgE3h_zvR-g8-J1m1oqHwipG1xF3UprdqVlPU7hneLPrt4mgC64Pz3ErgxD4FDOUrrA9XsMAQ/s200/Punky-Brewster-Season-One.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>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.</div>smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850073215176671349.post-36171743494393303332008-02-17T20:31:00.003-06:002008-02-17T20:55:55.909-06:00"We did?"Woops! That's a big boo-boo!<br />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! <br />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.smiling's my favoritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428867250591546554noreply@blogger.com3