Sweetest Pea

Boggled?

2012-01-31T05:59:00.000-08:00

One of my new year-ish resolutions that I unofficially made to myself (and told no one else for fear of groaning and wailing) was to play more games as a family.

We had a little trip to the lake at the end of the summer and had so much fun playing some old games that were already at the house we rented with my parents, and my kids loved it!

Unfortunately, our favorite game that was there is no longer in circulation (this is when I wish I was one of those Saturday morning yard sale enthusiasts instead of lazy), not to mention we aren't too sure on the name of it.

So, I really wish my blog was more popular so that I could get lots and lots of great game ideas.

However, I trust the opinions of my faithful blog readers more than Big Mama's masses, so, no pressure, but my hopes are all on you.

I want to know your favorite family games? I want suggestions that are more adult but easy for kids to catch on. (i.e. not Candyland, Chutes and Ladders type stuff)

We already have Monopoly, Life, Uno, Clue, Risk, Pictureka, Scrabble, Rumikub, checkers, Taboo, Scattergories, Battleship, Sorry, and Trouble.

I know that sounds like a lot of games, but my kiddos get bored of the board game easily, so we need a little shake up.

Any ideas on something that you love to play with your family or a big group?

My son is really not a board game kind of person, BUT he absolutely LOVED playing with my parents last time, so I am hoping on riding those coattails over Spring break.

I remember we used to go to our lake house in Santee over the winter and there was NOTHING to do, so we played Risk, Scrabble, card games, and Monopoly for hours on end.

It was fun, but with two brothers 5 years older than me, I rarely won at Risk (by the way, world's most boring and male oriented game) and they weren't really up for Candyland.

So let me have it, your favorite games from your youth and current day?

Hit me!

I wear my sunglasses

2012-01-25T11:02:00.000-08:00

Today, the sun is beautifully, gloriously, inspiringly SUNNY!

It is amazing what a few rays of sun can do for your disposition! (Sorry for being a Debbie Downer last post, it was a rough day! BUT the heat was fixed for under 300 bucks...I'll take it!)

It is a gorgeous day, and I feel hopeful!

There is a lot to be down about in this world, but today I am focusing on all the place the sun is shining on!
I am pretty sure there is a verse that is applicable, that I can't recall the reference to, but it goes like this:

"God is light. In him there is no darkness at all."

Anything that is darkness in my life is not from God.

Conversely, everything light in my life IS from God.

Amen.

It rains, it pours...

2012-01-23T06:17:00.000-08:00

I am trying to keep a sunny disposition around these parts for the new year. To keep hopeful, positive, annoyingly optomistic even.
But it is getting hard.

Really hard.

For one, the rain. Seriously, more rain? It has rained every week since I can remember here. I do remember a drought years ago when I promised to never complain about rain. So this is just an observation, man, we certainly should have an awesome water table thingy do now. Never seen so much rain.

The ground if often so soggy that our backyard looks like a mud bog after the dog runs around for five minutes.

Our poor dog. He misses playing in the sunshine. Going to the sunny park to frolic. So do I. We play with him as much as we can indoors, but you can tell even he is sick of it. Last week I played with him outside for a long time, and he got so muddy he had to have a bath immediately after.

It's also cold, which doesn't bother me that much, EXCEPT that our downstairs heating unit went out last night. Burrr...

So you may be able to figure out why Polly Positive is struggling around here to find her sunny disposition and side order of cheer.

I know that we are SO BLESSED, but last night my hubby was struggling to find that as he rehearsed our household trials over the last year. We just paid for our upstairs heating unit to be replaced in April of last year. WHAT A FUN WAY TO SPEND thousands of dollars, right?

I am waiting on the heating guy now, but last winter he warned us that the heat was on it's last leg and it would be much more expensive to replace the downstairs unit when it died.

Joy.

We are praying it is a simple, quick fix.

Blessedly, we do have gas logs, but we can't leave them unattended so that makes it hard when you first get up. Yes, just like Ann Voskamp, I can find the gratitude in this situation.

That's all for now.

I know. Not very uplifting. Sorry. Did I mention it is raining a lot.

What is robbing your smile right now?

Mileage

2012-01-16T14:53:00.000-08:00

January 16th is MLK day. The kids are out of school, and I did not have to work. My hubby was not thrilled about that, since he has a new job, and he did, in fact, have to go to work.

We laid low today. I caught up on cleaning toilets, doing laundry (I know, you are green with envy, I will try to dial down the glamour in this post a titch), trip to the orthodontist for the son, and tending to my daughter who isn't feeling well.

Anyway, today is significant in that it marks the first day that our extracurricular activities resume.

My son will be having soccer practice, not two, not three, but FOUR times a week starting today. That is a lot of driving back and forth for me. My hubs is working farther away now, so it will mostly just be me making the 25 minute trip each way four nights a week.

A lot of parents would just say forget it, that is too much. I know, and I understand why parents limit sports and things.

Here's the thing, though. He made straight A's on his report card Friday. He had a 4.0 for his first semester of middle school. He just made it in Beta Club.

He is such a great student.

And he loves soccer. I mean, he really loves it.

And I love it, because Saturday night at the last indoor soccer game over the outdoor soccer Christmas "break", he scored. He was elated.

There is just something about your child doing something that they love that makes it worth it to crawl out of your comfy clothes and warm home to drive across town and let him play his heart out for a couple of hours. It must be love.

Really, it's giving up the weekends for the four tournaments and ten games that hurts the most. But it is rewarding. He is making memories and life lessons. Believe me, we would quit if he were not!

I would not do it for myself, that is for sure.

Not to be forgotten, my sweet girl has still been working on her back handspring for cheerleading that commences in the Fall. However, she is going to start volleyball soon with a local church sports group.

I think it will be good for her. She is an excellent student, and I think being on a this team will be both fun and challenging for her. Plus they only practice one night a week. Score! Still, they have Friday night games, but we will work it out.

You see, our time with them is going so quickly. It is ever present in my mind these days. A friend of mine lost her brother last week. It brought home to me that I want to invest every ounce of myself into their lives.

To be a godly influence on them. To etch in their memories the many, many times we pray together from morning, before tests, before games, after games, dinner tables, to night prayers after devotion.

To be the best parent I can to them. Praying often for wisdom and seeking to find God's will as we make the big decisions in their life, and realize once again that one day they will make these decisions for themselves, and we want those to be good decisions.

To be their biggest fan. Which is why I am walking out the door right now to drive a cute little blond haired boy to soccer, where he can't wait to go and show of his new cleats and see his friends.

And that's mileage I'm willing to travel.

Reading Reviews

2012-01-14T20:46:00.000-08:00

*This is not a paid, or particularly good, book review.
I got Bossypants by Tina Fey for Christmas from my mother in law. After I read it, I hope she didn't peek inside.
I think you have to have been a SNL fan to enjoy the book, and I hate to admit that I totally laughed out loud.

A lot.

She was funny in some very unexpectedly hilarious ways. I love the background information about SNL, and insider scoop on some of the writers. She is a brilliant comedy writer.

I am also a huge 30 Rock fan. But there are a couple of pretty bad words, and some gross stuff, so I don't know whether I would recommend it for light reading. However, I had a kind of crappy end to the Christmas break, so it made me laugh when I needed it.

Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts was loaned to me by my neighbor one day a couple of months ago. I had actually read a couple of her Compassion International trip blog posts, and so I was interested in reading her book.
It took me over a month to finish it.

You have to slowly digest this book.

I liked it. I didn't like it, or at least how I felt while I read it.

It was super depressing at times, but extremely hopeful in other chapters.

It is her journey to finding hope and joy through gratitude. It is a very raw and honest account, and it is often heartbreaking. I was thrilled to learn that she spent the proceeds of this bestseller buying land and helping to build a much needed facility for the children of the dumps of Guatemala. So I would say she is authentic in her sincere desire to follow Christ with her whole heart. I want to be her friend. She write in a way that jars the soul, but captivates the mind. I had to re-read parts. I've never read an author like her. It is a must read.

In a shockingly different tone, Paula Deen's book, It Ain't All About The Cookin' was given to me by my mom, I really didn't mean to read it. However, I love cooking shows, so I just kind of got curious. It turns out this lady has had quite a past. Extreme debt, panic attacks, agoraphobia, a ten year affair, and a lot of stories that I would have never believed about her. She is a hardworking woman, and she had definitely built an empire.

I also read another book, but I can't remember the name of it. That is sad, but it was just "okay". I read it in a couple days, and I know it was set in Charleston, and that always sucks me in. I could have done without it, which is probably why I am too lazy to look it up. I gave it away with a bunch of other stuff when I cleaned out the closet under the stairs. I obviously wouldn't recommend it.

My daughter has just finished Old Yeller, and now she is reading Where the Red Fern Grows. Her teacher won't let her group read ahead of their assigned reading each night, and it is killing her. She absolutely loves those books, and I have got to say, I am jealous.

I remember reading those books (sandwiched between my avid reading of Sweet Valley High books) at her age.
I remember reading coming alive to me right around 5th grade. It was always so magical when a book would just transport me through time and space and you just felt like you were living it with the characters.

It rarely happens to me anymore, but I love it when it does!

What are you reading?

Words with Friends

2012-01-09T17:16:00.000-08:00

So a lot of blogs are focusing on a word for 2012.
Some bloggers have put a lot of thought into their word. I am genuinely impressed with their 100 word description of their one, meaningful, inspiring word.

I guess I finally feel the need to explain my word for 2012: hopeful.

How did my word find me?

I kind of decided in a kind of slump at the end of 2011 that I needed to change my point of reference a little.

I was so caught up in how quickly my kids are growing up, stressful work situations for both me and my hubby, and this generalized fear of the future, I kind of had to take a step back and re-evaluate some things that were stealing my joy.

I decided that I need to start to focus on the blessing and not the bitterness in life.

You know, focus on all that is "right" with my life, and not the few, seemingly overriding, things that are "wrong" or spiritually/financially/emotionally challenging in any given moment.

I pretty much dread the first two months of the year.

I am not sure why, but I think it's exactly because of today: it was cold, rainy, foggy, and bleak outside.
Everyone just seemed to be in a blah mood at work and everywhere else. I have several friends with very sick family members, and today there were several coworkers experiencing the same.

It just seemed kind of like a yucky day.

Maybe it's post-holiday blues?

But then I split the soup I brought for lunch with a coworker who forgot their lunch, and somehow the day brightened up a little.

A friend and a coworker texted/emailed me for prayer and shared they were praying for my hubby's first day of work at a new job.

It's so nice to know people care about your family, even when they are going through tougher stuff! The sun started shining on the inside, sure, there were still some shadows, but it was starting to clear up a little.

My hubby had a good day at work on his first day, and believe me that makes me feel very hopeful, because he had been pretty hopeless about his job situation for a LONG time.

I reheated the homemade vegetable soup I made last night and made some hot dogs to go with it, and we actually had some great laughs at the dinner table talking about our day. And we all smiled a little more despite the bleakness outside.

I am typing from my warm, cozy bed. My son is at the foot of the bed telling me funny stories about school friends while he plays new apps on his IPod. His laugh is the most hopeful sound I know.

My dog is nudged between my daughter and me sleeping, and he keeps my legs so warm it is making my eyelids droopy.

My daughter is playing Words with Friends on her IPod...and that is when it dawned on me.

Sharing our word for 2012 really is like a game of Words with Friends. We share our hearts in a word, and we read each other blogs searching for some meaning, some kind of connection, not just in our words, but in our lives.

And somehow, that makes me hopeful, too.

Because God can use social media for good sometimes, and I'm sure glad he does.

Paparazzi

2012-01-05T16:42:00.000-08:00

Some, but not all, of my favorite Holiday 2011 pictures and captions, it's all I got right now!

Every year my sister in law hosts a crew of us for New Year's Eve. This year she got a Keurig, and everyone wanted to try it out. We laughed a lot because we kept having to rehearse the steps with each other between cups. It was a fun night, and my kids always love playing all the games like Guesstures and Sardines.

The older girls fixed their hair, and they even pinned my son down and put one of those huge cheerleading bows that are bigger than a person's head on him for a brief moment.

My son had to open all his gifts with a huge dog in his lap. He was such a good sport about it, but it cracked me up. My son was especially grateful of everything he got this year, and it was so sweet the way he always worries the night before if he will get anything from Santa.

My sweet Cooper sat there in front of the cookies and milk until I carried him in our room to get him to stop sitting. He never touched anything, but he was definitely begging and jealous of Santa!

This year I bought a few miniature trees for the mantle from Pottery Barn, and then my mother in law asked if I wanted that huge silver tray that she found in the attic. I was suppose to polish it, but I love the tarnish on it.

Christmas day my Granny didn't feel well, it was the start of a very bad week for her. She ended up having to have a new pacemaker, fluid removed from her heart, and three days of ICU. She is still not doing much better, and it is definitely hard on her and her caregivers. She was able to enjoy everyone opening their Christmas gifts, though!

I found this miniature manger scene in my Mama's bathroom cabinet last year. It is very old, and the box it came in is picture to the side. It is small, but I just loving knowing my Mama loved it, and it was on my mantle.

At Nana's house, my kids enjoyed their new books. I thought it was cute the way they were in their pj's reading foot to foot.

Christmas morning Cooper finally pooped out after getting in every one's gifts and enjoying his own. He still had to be in the middle of the action, though.

I love Gates, he is a cutie, and loves to run around enjoying the attention. My hubby wrestled him into his arms for a little while, and I love this picture. Gates adores my son, and that is just a sweet cousin thing.

My daughter's favorite gift from her Grandma. This summer she sewed a dress for a little girl in Africa. Her Aunt Niki took the dress on a mission trip in the fall, and Grandma surprised Caitlin with a picture of the little girl who received the dress. We had not known who got it, the little girl's name was "Happy", but in her picture she had tears in her eyes, and we have been broken over it many times. I see it when I am at the sink, and we pray for her often.

My Daddy having puppy time with Hannah's new puppy, Alli. She was a sweet heart. My daddy is tickling the puppy with his nub.

Nana with her grand kids.They were all happy as could be!

These three have literally grown up together. I found out I was pregnant for the first time, when the little girl on the right, Anna, was born, and I told her Mom while I went to visit her at the Birthing Center. It was the beginning of their friendship, and they are still sometimes called twins, even though they are nine months apart in age. They laugh a lot!

When your kids get older, the stuff they want from Santa is so much more technical and less toy-like. I am not sure how to communicate how hard that is for a parent, because it is definitely a sign that your kids are getting older. However, the good news is, my daughter still wanted to have some Barbie stuff this year, and her absolute favorite gift from us was this Barbie jet. She and her daddy sat there and put it all together with the three zillion stickers, and she has played it for hours. It even has these little ice cubes that dispense into a ice bucket and menus for the passengers. When I was a kid, I would have flipped out for that jet. It is awesome, and it means she is not totally grown up... yet!

PS: I love my new camera, even if my family is tired of me taking pictures.

lol

2012-01-04T09:13:00.000-08:00

Hey, wrud? (what are you doing?)

Idk (I don't know)

gtg (got to go)

Having a middle schooler with a phone is an interesting experience for lots of reasons.

One reason being when you are a parent who reads your son's texts (he was fully aware of this when he got texting privileges) before they are deleted, you learn a lot of social lingo abbreviations.

smh (shake my head)

I am a strong believer in reading your kids texts, well, at least in the beginning while they are learning the ropes, and also because a kid can get in a lot of trouble with a cell phone. Pictures. Texts. It is a different world, my friends.
(For those who think that is an invasion of privacy, you must not read the news/ watch TV, and that is totally up to you, but I have seen quite a few kids with an unchecked facebook, which was a BAD IDEA.

You, see my son does not have FB, but a couple of his friends requested me as a friend, so I obliged, being told by my prayer group it provides good information about what they are doing and their character. Well played, dear prayer group. (I have found out a lot being an approved "stalker", remember they invited me to friend them, not me, why? I have no idea why they friended me!).

Anyway, one kid is constantly posting stuff, but on New Year's eve, he posted the following status, "Man, my dad is so drunk!". To which several of his friends replied: lol (Laughing out loud).

Hmm... Think those parents who go to church and work in the community would possibly wish they knew that was on his FB page for his 500 "friends" to see?

By the way, "hmm.." is not an abbreviation, it is just me pondering.

I am not sure why I am talking about this, but it just struck me as a problem my parents never had to face. No computer growing up. No cell phones. No FB. No texting.

Ah... simpler times?

My son's texts are all very innocent. Mind numbingly boring, in fact. BUT I AM SO THANKFUL FOR THAT!

I hope it stays that way.

At Christmas the adults were sitting around talking about texting culture, and how the kids don't call each other anymore, they just text.

Then my brother and sister in law discussed how recently they had both seen job applications with texting abbreviations on the resume and application. Really?

I was so appalled. Needless to say, those peeps did not get the jobs.

Also, my brother in law said that one of the their requirements is that an applicant pull up their facebook page during the interview.

He said if they refuse, no hire. Those who do have often had some questionable things posted.

Sobering news, something to think about. He also said that a growing number of kids and young adults do not know how to read cursive. It isn't taught in school as much anymore. Yikes!

I even recently read in a magazine a story about texting, inappropriate pictures being taken and mass texted, and the negative toll on teenagers girls who are much more apt to be "snarky" or jealous and make negative statements on FB that they would not say in real life feeling more protected in type in the comfort of their own home.

I am not sure what the answer is?

I know being a vigilant parent is a huge part, but just saying "no, no, no, never" to cellphones, FB, etc. can not be the whole answer either.

I know of a girl whose parents will not let her have FB until college, and she sneaks and goes on all her friends accounts at school, after school sports, and sleepovers on their phones/Ipods/computers/Ipads and just posts through her own email and account, so her parents have no control or knowledge of what she is doing, but the kids all know her "assumed name".

On the other hand, my daughter's ten year old best friend has had a FB account for two years and an IPhone for Christmas, and I think: too much, too soon, too immature to handle all of that. However, our daughter and son are two of the ONLY kids I know in their social circle and MINE (including mostly church friends, preacher kids, etc.) who do NOT have FB.

smh

Teens are crafty. Social media has changed a lot. I even know two adults who have a FB account for their pets. I wish I were kidding, but smh. Whew!

PS: I am driving spell check crazy, apparently it has not been updated to identify the newest English language: texting.

So I am scared to ask, but thoughts??

gtg

scared momma (my tag line)

Unsettled

2011-12-31T12:12:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2011 was great in so many ways. My kids were super thankful for all that they received, and said so many times, with sincerity.

My daughter's favorite gift was a surprise from her Grandma who gave her a picture frame with three pictures: her sewing a dress, her showing off her completed dress and purse, and the little girl in Africa "Happy" who received the dress.

Her Aunt Niki went to Africa on a mission trip and was able to actually pick out the little girl who received the dress. My girl wanted it to be the saddest, poorest girl who received the dress.

To have a face and a name was purely a gift to us. We have been praying for precious Happy ever since, and I did not have dry eyes that night or Christmas morning as I said my prayers for her and her family.

It was a stark contrast: "Happy" with so little material things, and "Us" with so much more than we need, and yet just as lacking in some ways.

My girl declared that her favorite, and I will say, little can top the gift to giving of yourself.

We enjoyed family immensely, but my Granny got sick, and that really put a damper on her spirits after Christmas, as we began to sort through those all to familiar feelings of fear and concern around her health and living situation. We are so fortunate my parents live beside her and offer her care every day, despite the time and patience it requires, so that she can remain at home as she desires.

Last night we enjoyed a pre-New Year's Eve party with close friends. We played games, and the kids had a blast. It was a reminder of all the things I love about where I live and the dear friends I love so much! My kids were giddy they were so excited.

As I look to 2012, I have a lot of mixed feelings.

My hubby is starting a great, promising, new job in a a week. I just agreed to do a training in New York City (where I have never been) in a couple months. There are a lot of new changes already lined up for 2012, and we haven't even hit January 1, yet. Our calendar for January is already filling up.

Change can be a lot of fun. It can be exhilarating, good, and welcome.

But there is always a down side for me. Uncertainty is hard, even when change has lots of promise and has been prayerfully decided. I have lost a good bit of sleep over the last month of 2011.

Again, I am forced back to the one constant of this year and every year:

The love and care of my Savior. Grace. His provision. His constant presence, and the promise of His faithfulness and salvation.

I enter 2012 with a prayer for peace and a stomach a little unsettled, but I plan on experiencing joy, love, peace, provision, and friendship. When I look back on my life thus far, I see so many ways he has carried me through hurts, hopes, and fulfilled so many dreams.

I will turn 40. I will color my gray. I will run laps to lose fat. I will attend around a 100 soccer/cheerleading/school events. I will work. I will pray. I will grow.

I am thankful for where I have been, and hopeful for where He will lead me. (And a little unsettled).

Did I mention that? (I am pretty sure God is shaking his head at me again whispering "trust me, the one who made time can handle it").

So this is Christmas

2011-12-19T06:58:00.000-08:00

Last night we had our Sunday School Christmas Progressive dinner party. That was a long description wasn't it?

We had a blast, and our SS class is full of dear, sweet, god-loving, friendly, chatty, kind hearted, generous, fun peeps.

The three houses we visited were decorated beautifully, and I tried not to let myself be jealous and just enjoy all the pretty. I do have to add that one house had a live, 14 foot Frazier fur that was breathtaking.

I truly enjoy our class, and found out so many things about couples in the class that thrilled me. One couple has two Vizslas, and we are gonna schedule Cooper a play date on their 13 acre farm with pond, soon! I also got to chat about "kid's these days" and their facebook, texting, and the joys of parenting the techno savvy 9 year old of the world. It is a vigilant job!s

In summary, I love my peeps. I also confirmed I definitely need to get my decorating mojo back.

Next subject, I am getting ready for a 10 day break from work. Hallelujah. Best present I could get right now, as I am weary. Enough said, but it could not have come soon enough!

We have all sorts of fun stuff planned from movie matinees to Splash planet, Hollywild, birthday parties, soccer games, and lots of PAJAMA DAYS. Can I hear an Amen? I might even crack a book. GASP!

In summary, I don't plan on posting much, so my two readers are really gonna need to fill the void in other ways. Maybe start a hobby? Ha!

Merry Christmas dear friend, and may Christ be the center of your heart and holiday!

He is precious, and I read a verse in Luke about Jesus one day piercing the soul of Mary, and I remembered anew that His free gift was priceless, but it also carried a cost to those around him.
So many walk around with scars this holiday season, it is my prayer that they feel His presence as they seek solace.

Christmas Tradition

2011-12-08T16:47:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, we had a rare opportunity to just be frivolous and just pick up and go do something fun

So we took that opportunity, to take a respite from some pretty stressful regular life stuff.

We took off to our favorite city to see Christmas lights, eat yummy food, and hopefully, take some great pics of the kids for our Christmas card. We had been to see the lights a couple years ago, and declared it a Christmas Tradition for our family, but we just had never gotten back there.

It was a lot of fun. Our kids loved staying at Aloft. It's this really trendy new hotel chain that is very European and modern. The kids really enjoyed it, and it was super cheap, so that was a bonus.

The yellow flower blooming here was just an unexpected blessing.

My boy is growing up so quickly, but still such a happy kid with the best sense of humor. He makes me smile every day.

The ladies who make baskets also had all of these live wreaths, and I wanted one so badly. Gorgeous!

My kids always want to climb this same tree at the Battery. They were having fun climbing around on the limbs, but if you could see the outtakes, it was so funny seeing them try to climb.

I would love a secret entry to my garden like this, it just seems magical.

I can't believe I got this picture to turn out. The old bridge lights would fade on the display, and then the new bridge lights would slowly brighten in the background. It was so pretty, and it was on a little pond so it was awesome that I got it.

My daughter kept saying, we could live in this little house, or this one. Not realizing that these little houses South of Broad, cost over a million dollars. Sorry, baby, we would not quite afford that. She was the most patient in posing for pictures, believe me, noone else was!

All in all in was a great trip. We had a blast, and I knew the kids did, when on the way home my son said, "Aww that was way too short, I don't want to go home yet."

Tradition confirmed.

What do you do as a family tradition?

American Pickers

2011-11-29T13:42:00.000-08:00

My entire family loves this show. Frankie and Mike crack us up, and I love all the information they share about the antiques they find.
What a dream job! Traveling the country, meeting interesting people, digging through people's junk to find treasures that you sell so you can travel to find MORE treasures.

I love that they always get the story behind the person's junk pile while they are digging through it. Usually, they have some kind of sentiment attached to the things they save/hoard, but some people just make a hobby out of collecting stuff.

Sometimes they buy rusty, old, useless looking stuff, and you can not believe what it is worth!

Last night they bought what a man said was "a platypus mouthed" dinosaur bone for $450. I really thought it was a peice of wood that had been made to look like a bone.

It turned out it was a real dinosaur bone, and they donated it to a museum after a palentologist told them how important a find it was for the state of Tennessee.

Cool stuff. They buy a lot of motorcycle and car parts and stuff, which is not my favorite kind of stuff, but I do appreciate the history behind the cars and companies they share.

They meet some interesting characters, and have a lot of fun along the way.

Anyway, while we were tree hunting (see my last post) we stumbled upon several barns on the tree farm that would have been right up the Pickers' alley.

In all honesty, I have to admit that all this junk makes me want to clean it up really badly. I mean REALLY badly.

I can't even stand to have a bag of trash in my garage waiting for the dump for more than one day!

I love the idea of traveling and meeting people and hearing their stories appeals to my adventurous side.

What would your ideal job be?

Say "trees"

2011-11-26T20:47:00.000-08:00

Friday, after a wonderful day of turkey and family, we headed out to hunt down our tree. (If you read last year, you remember we could not find a tree at the tree farm so we broke tradition and bought one at a local lot. This was not popular with our children, at all. So this year we headed out earlier so we wouldn't miss all the good trees, and go on our traditional tree hunt.)

How to hunt a good tree. A pictorial study in Christmas tree hunting.

Most important first step ever: find a good tree farm.

Grab a saw and a tree cart at the shed, and head out for the hunt.

Notice we have on appropriate tree hunting attire, and gloves in my boy's back pocket. It kind of makes me sad my kids are too big to ride the tree cart like they used to when they were little. Sniff.

We skipped the marshmallows and fire this trip, since it was warming up to over 60 degrees Friday. Below you can see they put out a sample of each type of tree(covered with candy canes for you to grab) so you know what you are looking for and where to go. This year all the trees had a good showing.

We did a lot of walking to make sure we saw all the trees before we decided on ours.

We didn't do it, but wouldn't it be fun if we rang the big old school bell when we found our tree and everyone shouted or something?

My kids used to love to climb the wood chip pile after the hunt, but alas, they are too big for that, too.

We all followed our fearless leader around the farm. He turned and commented he felt he was being followed by paparazzi at one point. (Can you guess who has a new camera?)

We showed amazing forethought in having two children. We are able to use them both as tree markers. If you find a good tree, you have to mark it with a kid, or you will forget which one you liked while you search the area. Ours are pretty good at keeping tabs on our trees.

This one was enjoying having fun with the saw.

Taa Daa, Alas, after lots of searching and debating, we found our perfect tree! (Or maybe we were just ready for lunch and this one was closest?)

It was right down the row from this adorable barn and tractor. I had to really work hard to resist the urge to jump on the tractor and ride around the farm.

We called in the expert to saw down our tree.

After we had roped and tied it down, we carted it back to the shed to get it ready to bring home.

The super cute barn had one of those stars that I love, and a fancy little chicken coop beside with a dozen eggs for a dollar sign on it. Love that color green!

The tree handler takes your tree and puts it on this thing that shakes it really hard to get all the loose needles or critters out. No critters in ours, but it does prevent a Christmas Vacation squirrel incident later on.

Then he loads it on this here contraption (I feel like I have adopted a Beverly Hillbilly accent) which does two things: 1) lines the tree up straight, 2) shaves off the end while putting a whole in the center so it will easily fit on the tree stand.

Cool contraption, ehh? My hubby and kids actually discussed their desire to own a tree farm at this point in the day. They made it look too easy!

Next they bind it up for you to take home, and all this for just $45 American dollars, fond memories, a walk in the woods, and a 9 foot tree.

Then we headed off to our Jeep so we could carry her home to decorate, after we got some of the twine of course (these people really do think of everything, which might be why they have been in business 40 years)!

You can't see it, but that string has a pair of scissors attached and there is a big bucket of twine at the bottom of the pole. I loved that.

My hubby got the tree strapped up on the roof, and we headed home to soak her in a bucket of water overnight.
I know that an artificial tree is easier, simpler, cheaper, and a lot less work, but I love a real, live tree from a farm!

I love knowing we are supporting a local farmer, since I grew up as a farmer's daughter.
I am so glad we went back to our roots and got a tree from the farm this year!
Well, where do you weigh in: real tree or artificial?

Thankful for 5 SWEET days off

2011-11-22T15:00:00.000-08:00

I have five glorious days off work. Five very, very much anticipated days off. I am super excited.

I am feeling better just in time to enjoy my vacation.

Work had gotten to the point I really needed a break. Desperately.

So, I am overjoyed that I have a million things that I want to do in five days, and I am pretty sure it does not matter if I don't do many of them. It's the planning that makes it fun.

My daughter wants to make a craft project for her Granny, who recently fell and gave us a scare. I plan on being super thankful as I sit next to her and eat turkey together Thursday.

My son is meeting a group of friends to play soccer tonight, and then has plans to watch a movie tomorrow morning in his PJ's. I plan on surprising my kids with a trip to the movies to see Arthur Christmas and eating popcorn with BUTTER until I feel sick.

I am gonna eat some turkey, and cook my first rib roast ever for my family tomorrow night. Fingers crossed.

We are putting out Christmas decorations and getting our live tree.

We are playing some games. I can't wait!

I am planning on reading something, and hopefully something in the form of a book.

I am gonna exercise and enjoy the weather as much as possible.

I may stay up really, insanely late and go shopping before I go to bed. Maybe.

I plan on dealing with some of this pent up stress and anxiety I have been carrying around for a couple weeks, and really enjoying time with my family and friends.

WHAT are YOU planning on doing with your Thanksgiving week?

Bedroom by Pottery Barn (kind of)

2011-11-19T14:06:00.000-08:00

One of the side effects of having a big, lovable brown dog who likes to snuggle up and cuddle in bed is that it is a little rough on your comforter. The good thing about Cooper's breed is they shed very little, and they have almost no smell, some things we read about the breed also call them hypoallergenic (super good for allergic kids).

Anyway, we have had our current Nautica comforter for about three years. I got it at Ross on sale for about forty bucks, and then saw it later at Bed Bath & Beyond for $250. and I was totally excited about my sale purchase!

I knew I would probably not be able to match that bargain again, and I really wanted something that I could wash more easily than our old huge comforter.

So last Friday I set our for PB outlet, and I even prayed that I would find something great, because I had been looking for almost a year.

My hubby DOES have an opinion, and we had looked at lots and lots of things that we could not agree on, so I knew I wanted a few things: something that would not show wear easily, a neutral pattern (not too girlie or masculine), and something that would not clash too badly with my bed skirt, and bedroom lamps, etc.

Well, I got there and started looking and something that I had seen in the catalog and really liked caught my eye...

BUT they did not have the matching shams, and it was a duvet cover which meant I would have to buy a down comforter insert which would be super expensive at PB.

I asked a salesperson, and twenty tense minutes and a lot of hunting later, I had my shams. The duvet and the two shams were an additional 10 percent off, so I ended up scoring all three for less than my budgeted amount.

Score.

I then went to TJ Maxx and bought an Eddie Bauer version of the down alternative comforter, and saved a lot of money (it was less than half the price it was at PB Outlet, so I always look at those places before I purchase things like that).

The BEST part was, when I got it all home and on the bed: 1) the cover and shams matched my existing bed skirt, throw pillows, and shams from my old set. 2) Hubby liked it. 3) Cooper is almost totally camouflaged in the pattern of the comforter, so you can not tell he has ever even touched it.

Oh, and 4) I love the colors and pattern! 5) It is so warm and snugly we turn the heat down a little more at night and are still warm!

So, you want a peek?
(The suspense is palpable isn't it?)
Before I show you, I totally realize I still need a new picture over the bed and new lamps, but pace yourself peeps, money doesn't grown on trees (cause if it did my yard would be full of money right now, too).

Oh, and window treatments would be nice, but the point is I love the paisley pattern, it's a start! PS: We love pillows, we now have four regular pillows and four shams on the bed, plus one throw pillow. It still may need a small red one in front? Thoughts?

the gunk

2011-11-16T16:29:00.000-08:00

It hit our house through our youngest a week and a half ago, and then over the weekend our son caught it.

Now the gunk has strengthened it's germ forces and passed itself off to the adults in the family. I want to point out that my son did admit during prayer time a couple of nights ago he may have accidentally used my toothbrush.

Eeek, Yuck, ACCKK, EWWW, Yikes, EEK, YAK, ACKK, BLECH, UCK, (ooh, dog breath to quote Lucy from Charlie Brown).

Okay, totally changing the location my kids brush their teeth in the mornings. Permanently.

Sore throat, headache, stuffy noses, insomnia, exhaustion, and nausea. Delightful.

I have managed to struggle through all our usual activities, but today I was not sure I would make it through the day alive.

Dinner was a homemade pizza made from refridgerated dough and leftovers reheated.

I did manage to do an hour of Math on the computer with my son, which I might add, is absolutely not a homemade remedy for this particular gunk. The Lowest Common Denominator only made me feel lower.

Anyway, no one is very sympathetic at work or home, so maybe I was looking for a titch of sympathy from my Internets.

Until then I 'll be consoling myself with a box of Advil cold and sinus. May the force protect you from this particular breed of germ, my friends. You will need it.

Light and soccer balls

2011-11-12T12:39:00.000-08:00

Saturday is just glorious sometimes. Somehow, between the housework and the yard work, sometimes I am able to find the essence of family.

It all started with a project.

(Doesn't it always?)

We needed to put up a soccer net for this guy. He got a huge soccer net for his birthday to help shield stray balls that missed the goal from flying into the woods and rolling down the hill into the briars, or worse, the neighbor's yard.

Cause our boy, he likes to do a lot of this, if you haven't noticed.

As it turns out, the woods are not the only thing keeping the ball from the goal. A certain little doggy could audition for a Disney movie with his soccer skills. He kept stealing the ball and running around with it, which our son really enjoyed.

Don't worry, as punishment the water boy made sure the talent was well hydrated.

I'm pretty sure there were no hard feelings after the ball stealing incident.

However...

I think we got a couple of looks from the jealous neighbor who kept peering through the fence wanting play.

But really, who can blame her for wanting to come over? We were having so much fun!

Well, most of us were. Some of us were cutting down trees, hauling logs, hanging a 15 foot net while dangeling from a ladder, and burning limbs. (Me, included!!!)

And some of us were just simply enjoying a Saturday in the backyard with our best friend playing soccer.

Artsy

2011-11-08T16:30:00.000-08:00

Excuse me missy, but do you know where my ten year old went?

Today after school, the hubs came home early and we scurried off to see my youngest child's artwork at a local Art show. It was in a conference center and it was really nicely put together.

She received an engraved invitation to the event, and the rest of us had to pay to get in.

She dressed up and we curled her hair (hubs said she should have worn a black turtleneck and a bun with a paintbrush through it).

We were excited to see her art work that was selected as one of ten from her school picked by the principal for the art auction and show.

The art work was displayed beautifully around the center, and it really seemed like a real art gallery.

She spotted her painting right away, and I was SO VERY impressed when she pointed it out.

She has creativity in her blood, I do believe.

She seems to be great at creating and expressing herself through lots of different mediums: paint, crayon, pencil, fabric.

We took lots of pictures, but the high point for her (second to getting to pick up a donut on the way home) was when a lady we don't know came up and asked her to show her where her artwork was hanging.

My daughter took her to her piece. She was so complimentary of her work, and asked my daughter about how she got the inspiration for the piece and created it.

It was so sweet of her to take such a special interest in her. An art teacher from another school also stopped her and asked to see her artwork.

I was very impressed with the show, and the talent of the local elementary school, middle school, high school students as well as teachers and community members. Caitlin's art teacher had a gorgeous watercolor portrait of her son displayed.

I know reading about me bragging about my kids gets old, but this blog is mostly for my kids to preserve snapshots of their quickly shrinking childhood years, and I always want her to be able to look back on this when she is opening her gallery in New York or Charleston one day.

It also really inspired me to keep trying to tap into my creative energy. It never seems to get any easier to find time for a hobby, but you know what, I think it's even more necessary at this point in my life.

What gets your creative juices flowing?

Someone to snuggle

2011-11-06T17:12:00.000-08:00

Tonight I was reading a blog I had forgotten to check for a while, and I was reminded that I have not really posted a pic of our favorite pup in a while. He is 2 and a half now, and we love every cute, cuddly, loving, overbearing, high maintenance pound of him.
And he loves us...

It may look like he is always sacked out, but I promise you this dog has plenty of energy... he shook that rabbit's brains out before he finally pooped out and rolled his eyes back in his head for his favorite spot on the couch, nap.

His mummy dog toy that he obviously has affection for...

Comfy, Cooper?

I killed a wabbit.

So sweet when he is sleepy and you can take as many pictures as you want to, because when he is awake and alert, it is hard to get him still enough!

Hey, I AM _________ 's MOM!

2011-11-04T07:18:00.000-07:00

I started this post without a title, which, I am pretty sure is a good sign this will be rambling and meaningless.

Lately I am stumped. Or at least too lazy to work up a good post. I just haven't got the energy left at the end of a very long day to upload pictures or write witty little statements. Although I do want to show picture from Halloween (which was a blast).

Unfortunately right now I am tired. Very tired.

However, I have to muster some energy because I am about to host 100 sixth graders in ''field day- like" fun with a bounty of Mountain Dew, popcorn, snow cones, candy, soccer, Frisbee, kickball, games, and other assorted fun stuff.

The worst part is I may be doing all that in the rain.

I will be concentrating on not embarrassing my son, by saying, and I quote him from this morning,
"I will speak to you Mom, just don't like yell out, 'HEY _______, IT'S ME, YOUR MOM' in front of everybody really loud."

Yeah, thanks son for the reminder. You know how I, Captain Obvious, over here like to host you and all your friends on my DAY OFF, so that I can embarrass you by yelling out the utterly embarrassing statement of fact that I am your Mom to the whole sixth grade.

I mean I live for that. That and laundry, my two favorite activities. You betcha.

Oh, and judging by the fact about twenty of them said, "HEY _____'s Mom, how are you?" in the hall at school while I was there yesterday, I think the secret may be out from the past 6 years of being his room parent and bringing brownies and treats to your classes ten times a year.

But who's counting?

Parenthood. The joy. The pain.

Middleschoolers. The joy. The deep pain.

This afternoon, in my third favorite activity, I am taking those two little hard to fit sugar snaps shopping for school and KID approved pants and jeans.

If things start going badly I am just gonna start yelling out like Rain Man in the store, "HEY everyone, I am ______'s MOM and I am paying for these pants he does not really like!"

I am pretty sure he will warm up to me when we get to Gamestop and he goes to use his birthday gift cards and needs a little bit more money to get what he really, really, really wants.

So what have you done, or not done, embarrassing lately?

Milestones

2011-10-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

My favorite boy in the world turned 12 this week, and I still can not believe it!

We had a hectic day with studying for a Math test, soccer practice, and working in presents, candles, and Moe's (his absolute favorite restaurant after a hard soccer practice).

He said his coach let the team do "butt kicks" on him, which sounds quite disturbing, but really just means that you bend down facing the goal and the whole team tries to kick a soccer ball at your rear end.

I have to giggle when I think that it is a GOOD THING, adults don't play that, because BIG TARGET on me!

My son, however, is all muscle, so he only got a little shin ball. Then he and coach got to do butt kicks at his teammates, and he found that very entertaining.

Twelve year old boy humor. Golden.

We bought those trick candles for his brownies (he likes them more than cake) and he was absolutely dying laughing while he kept trying to blow them out. He wouldn't let me put the video on facebook, but it was so funny.

His laugh is a delight to my soul.

There is nothing like that sound. I love it.

He loved his gifts, and especially the one he got a few weeks early... a cell phone.

We caved in and bought it when he came home with a 100 average in math on his five week progress report. He has always struggled with Math, and we really were beyond proud of his hard work and dedication he has shown in Middle School. He had all A's, and I felt that was quite a feat for all that he has going on.

Anyway, he has proved very responsible with the phone.

Tomorrow night is his birthday party, indoor soccer, of course, since he only gets to play like four or five times a week as it is! The truth is, I am so grateful he has found something he loves and is getting good at, and watching you child play sports can be both exhilarating and heart attack provoking all at once!

One thing I know, it is definitely expensive!

Anyway, there are a thousand nice things I could say about him, but I really prefer to say those to him in person.

I just wanted to record that I love him and I am proud of him on my blog so that he could always look back and know that his parents adore him.

Pictures of eight sweaty boys playing soccer and a cake coming soon!

Oh, and I was worried he didn't enjoy his birthday, so on the way home from soccer practice I said, "Sorry you had school, tests, and practice on your birthday, I hope it was okay?".

To which he replied, "Are you kidding, Mom? It was a perfect 10!". Bless him. He is a cup half full kind of kid I so enjoy.

I ate my way through Charleston in three days.

2011-10-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

So hubby and I finally did it. We made out a two page master schedule for the grandparents, called in a few favors, washed and packed what seemed like a month's worth of clothes, and headed out of town for our first weekend away in TOO LONG!

We were greeted with sunny skies and 70 degree temperature that felt, well, delicious.

We decided to get our favorite food joint out of the way first, so we parked and walked to Hyman's seafood on Meeting Street where we dined on boiled peanuts, fried green tomatoes, and fried shrimp with hush puppies. It did not disappoint.

We left there and walked back down King Street where he very patiently let me shop, and I snagged a couple of pictures of some vary odd bacon themed treats at Robot Candy Shop.

Your eyes do not deceive you, that is Mr. Bacon verses Monsieur Tofu action figures.

I can't tell you how many times I have wanted to bring home the bacon in my deluxe bacon wallet.

If any of you read Boo Mama, you know that Sophie frequently posts about her love of all things bacon, so naturally, I had to take these photos. Shortly after, I heard what sounded like a marble rolling across the hard wood floors. It turned out it was my hubby's eyes rolling across the floor when I told him I was taking the picture to show a lady whose blog I read.
He does not get us, bloggy friends, he just doesn't get it!

This elusive Cinderella carriage would light the streets of Charleston every night, but I couldn't ever catch it close enough to nab a shot, and I knew my daughter would think it was ultra cool. We didn't take a ride, but we did drive by the Battery Saturday evening and see a couple getting married on the second floor balcony of a house overlooking the harbor. It was so romantic, and beautiful!

Friday night we splurged and ate at Cypress, this really swanky restaurant that I had read great things about. It was probably the most expensive meal of our marriage, but it was totally worth it to treat ourselves to such a nice, relaxing dinner. The food was awesome, and we could not stuff in dessert no matter how great it sounded.

Did I mention we stayed at this new chain of hotels called ALoft? They are super trendy and very sleek, modern, and green. The chain is kind of geared toward young business types with a super cool lobby, and really European type rooms. The best part? The room was super affordable and the place is pretty much brand new. We saved money on the hotel, so we could eat more! Surprised?

I nabbed a not so good pic of our room and the lofty bathroom.

I felt like Pioneer Woman photographing the bathroom where you can see me in the mirror. (Only, no one reads my blog, I don't have a cookbook, Food Network Show, or live on a ranch, and I used an IPhone. So really the similarities are just that we both take pictures of hotel rooms.)

The next day we had to change rooms due to a very noisy elevator, so hubby let me go outlet shopping while he moved rooms.

We then ate at our number one college day haunt that is still in the same spot and ranks as our favorite pizza in the world. A slice, drink, and a salad all for 7 bucks, and just two blocks from our Alma Mater, C of C.

After our carb-loading, we walked around the Market, ate a praline cookie (Yum, did not last long enough to photograph, I assure you!), and drove out to Sullivan's Island to our favorite beach spot Station 28 1/2. I found my first starfish while watching on the beach, and I am trying to dry it out now.

Later, we feasted on Southern favorites at Hominy Grill, which recently expanded, and I must say, never disappoints. I had She Crab soup, and shrimp and grits. Both were scrumptious. Hubby even liked his shrimp etouffee, despite risking a shellfish allergy reaction to enjoy it. Oh, and we had more boiled peanuts and this time I splurged for sweet tea!

Later we went to our favorite dessert spot, Kaminsky's and my hubby had his favorite dessert, Boston Creme Pie while I had an awesome mocha coffee.

Sunday we walked around downtown before heading back to Sullivan's Island for lunch at Dunleavy's. We saw this cool house with all the skeletons looking like they were trying to escape the iron porch overlooking Meeting Street.

It was such a whimsical and appropriate decoration, I had to snap a couple pictures. The whole time we walked around people dressed up for church were walking down the streets and you could hear all the church bells chiming everywhere, it was magical.

I love the stained glass windows apparently going up the stairwell of this old house near the battery and South of Broad. The streets were so quiet and gorgeous, and there was the perfect blend of sea breeze and smell of flowers from shadow boxes in the air. It made me want to move there. However...

This little Salt box probably goes for well over half a million, so I think I am pretty much gonna have to just dream about that neighborhood. When we finally got home to our kiddos, we gave out their sursees and one doggie in particular really liked his mummy toy.

I had plans. Big plans.

2011-10-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

To show you pics of my trip and all the great food we had.

However, this week is a triple threat: two football games, two cheer practices, and three nights of soccer. Plus, a very special boy is turning 12 and party preparation is under way!

Translation: outlook for posting about my weekend away not so good.

However, I will be back and posting, soon.

The weather was beyond gorgeous, and most of you know from my facebook status that I could not stop taking pictures of the beautiful houses South of Broad. My husband was so sick of me taking pictures of all the food.

Wait until I get my DSLR camera... evil laugh!

It was one of those weekends away that we didn't realize how bad we needed it until we got there.

Two years was way too long!

It was one of those things I promised myself that I would do when I was doing the One Month to Live study, because marriage is important.

Enough said.

Rain update

2011-10-13T06:07:00.000-07:00

Okay. Fourth day of rain.

Working and rain don't mix.(But staying home in bed and watching Rachel Zoe project and rain DO mix, I've heard!)

It also makes it kind of hard for your son to carry in his huge pyramid project without getting it wet. (Especially if his Mom forgot to buy trash bags.)

My yard goes "squish" and my shoes fill up with water when I take the dog out.

The dog does not like to go out in the rain.

Neither do I.

Tomorrow, I leave for my belated birthday trip.

So excited, but...

I am really, really hoping that it is not raining the whole time. Or at all.

It's the kind of trip where you plan on being outside enjoying the scenery a lot.

I haven't gotten to run in three days. That makes me grumpy.

Okay, enough of my rain rant.

I am thankful for rain, but the gloomy sky, soggy air, and humid HAIR are starting to get to me.

Plus, I bought steaks for my hubby to grill tonight, and that is not looking like it is gonna happen.

Yours Truly,

Rained out

(PS- I know people in Texas really need rain right now, so I good with it going their way for a while!)

Cozy

2011-10-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

Today is cold and rainy. I complained about it when I got wet taking the dog out this morning at dark thirty, on the way in to work, and on the way out of work.

However, It is a lot more tolerable now that I am home from work, have picked up the kids, gone to the dump, and now don't have a single place to go tonight.

Yippee!

We are working on a couple of school projects for my son (coincidentally, one is about the cycle of a rain drop), but it is such a wonderful treat to have a night without any where to 'go' on the calendar.

Even better, my Daddio stopped by for a visit, cup of coffee, and a handful of candy corn from my handy new fall mantle display.

My dog absolutely loves my Daddy. He can not leave him alone the whole time he visits. I guess he just senses my daddy is a soft touch, and he literally sticks by his side the whole time he is here!

I love this time of year when you can actually take advantage of cuddling under a blanket, wearing cuddly soft clothes, and sipping coffee while reading in the middle of the afternoon.

Joy.

I am in the most comfortable sweatpants in the whole world that are about two sizes too big I don't care (on a totally random side note).

What do you like about a rainy day?

Reunited and it feels so good!

2011-10-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I set out on a journey. I left for the airport in plenty of time to make my flight to Lexington, Kentucky where I was meeting another trainer to teach 34 participants for the week.

The flight was delayed for repairs for three hours. Let me say, there is perhaps no stronger faith builder than watching two seemingly flabbergasted mechanics work on the engine of your plane for three hours while you wait in the airport.

I texted about ten people to pray for safety. When the airline assistant announced a delay for the third time due to "oil leakage from the engine" it was hard to imagine we would or should be flying out that day.

All other flights were booked, and it was looking like I had ironed all those clothes and re-arranged our lives one million ways for nothing.

But we got out. We landed safely, hence the lengthy post.

It was a marathon week, but the people were wonderful (overall) and I love my co-trainer, so that was super fun!

As usual when I am in a hotel, I did not sleep well all week. I did get to sleep by 12 most nights, but well before the already EARLY alarm every morning, I was wide awake.
When I missed an earlier flight and arrived home at 10:30 p.m. Thursday night, it was tough and I was so very tired.

My children were leaving on trips early the next morning, one with the church to the mountains, and one to Gatlinburg with her best friend. Both would be gone until Sunday. I resisted the urge to keep them up all night snuggled next to me!

It was super hard to tuck them in bed, make sure they were packed for their trips, and realize they would both be leaving the next morning while I went to work.

I really agonized over the decision to send them. It just seemed like too much separation, too quickly. But they really seemed fine. I was the one who was suffering!

However, God knew what I didn't, and with much prayer and concern, I sent them on their way cheerfully and they both had a super time.

It was the first time I have ever been away from them for almost 8 days in a row.

Between laundry loads yesterday, we got to hear about their trips and all the fun things they did while away.

I was so proud of how they behaved, and relieved that they returned safe and sound, but it made me realize that this is really just the beginning for us.

(Hubs and I spend our first weekend home alone together without kids since our son was born almost twelve years ago.We haven't gone away together overnight in over two years, so we are looking forward to doing that soon, too.)

As our kids get older, there is so much about our little world that changes. Some things are for the better, and some things are harder to accept.

However, I look forward to this stage of life for them. I remember how much fun church camp and trips with friends were, and I am definitely excited that they get to do those things.

My parents were always really great about traveling and allowing us to travel, and I know that is part of why I am who I am today.

It helps that the reports back from parents were so positive, my daughter's manners were "impeccable and she is a doll". She is also apparently a dare devil, but that is for another post. Yikes.

My son was "great, had a blast, and loved every minute", as a bonus he drank his first cup of coffee, too. )Funny story, when they told him it stunted your growth he poured the whole cup in a plant).When I asked him what the showers were like HE DID NOT KNOW, but he was "plenty clean" from falling into the lake twenty times each day. grin. You do not want to know about brushing his teeth, trust me. My husband said, "Honey, some things you just don't ask your kid!".

I wonder why I spent all that time packing toiletries and towels.

The laundry that returned from camp was quite interesting, too.

Overall, I realized that just like I enjoy spreading my wings and going to trainings, it is vitally important that my kiddos get to do a little of the same to prepare them for their inevitable launch from the nest one day.

Oh, and hubby painted the office, re-do pictures to come as soon as we get it put back together!

Media Facebook Fast

2011-09-28T09:08:00.000-07:00

Our Pastor encouraged us Sunday to turn down the noise of life a little bit by considering fasting one form of media that interrupts our day.

I decided to fast Facebook.

Which I did not think would be so difficult (or get in the way of my marriage like a TV fast would. I'm smiling).

(My hubby said he was giving up coffee. He does not drink coffee. Ponder that for a minute.Still smiling.)

Anyway, back to my favorite subject, me.

I starting using FB a lot more when I got the app on my IPhone.

It is so easy to just push a button and see updated statuses really quickly.

Our church uses it, and my SS has a page that is often posted on, as well as my son's soccer team, etc.

It can be a fun way to check out what's going on in people's lives without having to pick up the phone or actually see them.

That above sentence is the exact same reason I think it can be dangerous, too.

To feel like you are up to date on some one's life by looking at their pictures and their pithy little status updates is not really living life with them.

In fact, I dare say if you only knew what you saw on FB, for most people it would seem their life is full of fun, vacations, happy times, and FANTASTIC, overachieving, beautiful CHILDREN/SPOUSES. (Seriously, some people can overkill on the fantastic children posts.) (guilty?).

I have yet to see someone post an unflattering picture of their child, spouse, self, or dog (ahem) on FB for the world to see.

Yet, I have talked to many FB friends in real life, and I know that what goes on their FB "wall" is not really representative of what is really going on inside the walls of their real-life house. (Guilty.)

All this to say I don't think there is something inherently wrong with all of FB. (Except they cancelled Pathwords!)

I have used the last four days to really think about why I like it, what purpose it serves, and whether or not it is a supreme time waster.

I think it is easy to be jealous sometimes when you look at people's FB page and they post a ton of vacay pics from the year (no joke, I had a FB friend who went on six vacation this summer...SIX really nice vacations...and she looked really cute and happy on all six of them). Jealous is never good. Or another friend who publishes all the extravagant gifts her hubby brings her from trips.

I also find can be awesome to see how funny some one's status is, share a verse, or keep people posted on things.

I find the constant changes to FB maddening/confusing, but besides that, and a couple of people who must live on FB that I have had to, ahem, "hide", it has been a good experience overall.

What do you think, my fine Internet friends. FB: good? bad? indifferent? All of the above?

Ooey Gooey

2011-09-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

Today in Sunday School the lesson was about sacrificial love.

If we had One Month to Live, would we be more intentional about being selfless in our love for those close to us.

Of course, we talked about the challenges to laying our lives down for others the way Christ did for us.

Some people shared some pretty justifiable reasons to hold on to some grudges and unforgiveness.

But God is clear in His word that we are to forgive.

Not just once. Not just three times (which is what the Jewish Rabbi's thought was the appropriate number because they calculated that as the number of times God forgave Israel's enemies).

In the book of Matthew (22:18 I think, but I am three rooms away from my bible), Peter feels he is being generous when he asks Christ if SEVEN times is sufficient (the number of perfection).

Alas, Jesus tells us seventy times seven, and then he shares a parable intended to reveal to the disciples that we have been forgiven so generously and undeservedly for our sins, that we should willingly forgive others in return.

Seventy times seven may just be symbolic of innumerable times.

In other words, if love does not keep a record of wrongs, we shouldn't whip out our pad and pen and start counting up the times we've forgiven others, because God does not do that for us.

We got into some pretty deep discussion about boundaries, people who are 'sandpaper' to us (rub us the wrong way, but can be useful in teaching us lessons about ourselves and love we need to learn. You know, they can hurt us and even draw blood as they sand away the pretense, layers of fake, and can reveal the beauty beneath.

We talked about how in the world's eyes relationships are only going well when they are meeting our needs.

How in Christ's eyes relationships are going well when we are giving ourselves to others in humble submission to God's plan.

How an invisible God can become visible to the unsaved through our sacrificial gift of loving the unlovable.

We talked about how in the beginning of our marriages we were "ooey gooey" in love and as we have matured in to 15-25 year marriages, some of us just feel like we are "ooey" or "gooey" and not really in a good way.

I am not sure that I said everything perfectly, or even was able to answer all the whys and how's asked of me in some very difficult relationships shared today.

In fact, I have spent the better part of today second guessing myself.

But then I remembered something that I taught today that God keeps teaching me over and over again.

I am not perfect (seems obvious, doesn't it?). He does not expect me to be perfect.

My path to becoming Christ-like is long, hard, and I am not expected to complete it until I reach His loving, forgiving, welcoming arms in heaven.

I pray that all those wonderful faces I taught today will share that joyous homecoming with me, but until then, I am so thankful to have a church family to live love with until we get there.

Locker nightmares

2011-09-22T19:52:00.000-07:00

Today my boss was incredibly kind and took me and a coworker out to lunch as a thank you for some hard work we've been doing.

It was nice to be appreciated, but the real story is what we talked about.

For some reason, we started talking about our kids (shocker, eh? Three women with kids talking about kids!) and since they each have kids in college, we talked about that, too.

Meal plans, grades, RISING COSTS OF COLLEGE, bad roommates, cafeteria food (I personally lived for one whole year on frozen yogurt and granola plus the occasional Sharky's calzone),
Then we started talking about how we each still have recurring school/college related dreams.

We each had a similar version of having a final exam in a class you had never gone to, or not being able to find the class, being late, failing, forgetting you had the class until the last day, etc.

Mine is a little different because it almost always involves me desperately needing to get to class, but not being able to open/find my locker or remember the combination or find the class.

I can not count the number of times I have woken up and been relieved that was just a dream. It is the worst, most realistic dream, and I never ace that test!

I have no idea why all these years after graduating I still have those dreams, but there is something so palpable and real about the feeling of being a student and not meeting the expectations of a teacher.

Anyway, I thought it was kinda funny that one of my son's biggest fears about middle school was opening a locker.

He was kinda worried about it during the summer, and I assured him that the teachers/friends would help him get it open.

Turns out, it took a week or so, but he is able to open his locker now with no problem. They are not allowed to carry book bags at school, so he has to go to it between every class. It was a score that he got one near his classes and a top locker was even better!

Tonight, he came in my room and told me that today when he went to his locker someone had drawn a heart on it with their eraser.

He said he tried to get it off, but he couldn't.

He seemed a little embarrassed about it, but then a little smile crept across his face.

And I started to think that girls liking my son could be a whole different kind of nightmare!

Roller Coaster verses kiddie ride?

2011-09-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

Today our lesson in SS was about choosing not to live safely or on the kiddie ride side of life.

We were challenged in our One Month to Live study to make the most of the mundane by really living in the moment, and embracing the roller coaster of life.

Easier said than done, right?

Easier to teach than live, too!

I have really been trying to make my time more purposeful each day. To embrace each day and surrender it to God while still living the everyday chores and trials of life.

It is a challenge, but I have seen great strides in the last couple weeks are a result of God's transforming power.

I am just a branch. I am not required to produce fruit on my own. In fact, I am incapable of fruit producing without connection to the vine of Christ.

Isn't that a very freeing revelation?

God will prune my branches when it is needed for more abundant fruit production later, but he only does pruning when and where it is needed.

The hard part is feeling the pain of pruning, and the waiting for the fruit.

It is so much sweeter after the wait.

Which leads me to my son. He has played soccer since he was old enough to be on a team. Probably 3 or 4 when the kids just run around in clumps and kick everything everywhere.

Last year, we began playing Club soccer, and it was quite a sacrifice in a lot of ways.

We have sat through a lot of games we lost. We have sat through some games wondering if this was really the right thing for our family and son.

Defeat can be tough.

He had to practice, a lot. He had to do a million drills. He lost the position he wanted so badly and was moved last year.

He got a new coach, and a good friend on his team left. He endured a little bit of team discord at times, and that was hard, too.

But God.

He is using soccer as such a great life lesson for my son.

It is amazing to watch.

He has learned to value of self-discipline, teamwork, hard work, dedication, and digging deep.

He has learned to lose with grace and win with humility.

This weekend we played four games and got to the Championship game.

We ended up losing 0-1, and the one score our player accidentally scored on us in fluke play.

My son was so disappointed in the loss, but he played his best.

Oh, did he play his heart out!

Dare I say soccer actually yielded some fruit in his life, could God use a sport to teach some pretty important life principles to an 11 year old?

I think the answer is yes, yes he can.

So much prayer goes into his games. It may sound silly, but we just pray for safety, and good attitudes, and for everyone to play well.

I recognize sports are not always best for every kid, but for ours it has reaped a lot of benefits.

He has a real passion for the sport.

We have a high energy kid, and soccer has allowed him to burn off a lot of energy and stress on a field with a ball and some buddies.

His new Coach is great, and he has developed some great friendships with other players, but I think the real teacher has been God.

He can teach us lessons through anything, and soccer has proven to be the biggest roller coaster ride. You're up, you're down. Win. Loss. Win. Loss. Tie.

What lessons is God teaching you through everyday life today?

2011-09-18T13:46:00.000-07:00

Point and shoot

2011-09-15T07:07:00.000-07:00

For the past two to three years I have really wanted a digital, single lens, camera.

It is one of those purchases that I do not take lightly.

Which explains why I don't have one.

Because except for buying a new car every 5 years, we pretty much don't splurge on big purchases or toys.

I replace furniture through this local furniture discount place at bargain prices, and I buy clothes ON SALE mostly at TJ Maxx.

Of course, we have had to replace a lot of appliances that died lately, but I think of those as more of a neccessity item.

Call me crazy, but refrigeration, heating up food in an oven, and a machine that washes clothes for me all seem like modern conveniences I am not willing to live without for very long.

I usually don't buy things solely for me that are not 'necessary' in nature.

I really want a hobby that is just for me.

I know. I blog.

However, I hardly think two posts a week about my pretty much totally predicatable daily life does not seem like a hobby.

So, I have been doing some research.

Lots of research.

Turns out cameras and all the doo dads (yes, that is how Nikon refers to it's lenses and various cases) are a tad expensive.

I consider expensive anything over 100 bucks.

So in my terms, they verge on extravagant prices.

I am not an extravagant price paying kind of girl.

My hubby said I could have the camera for my birthday, but I just could not pull the trigger (or snap the shutter, ha!).

Indecisive would be an understatement.

Friday we stopped by our little furniture warehouse, and they had this gorgeous leather couch for the rock bottom price of... yep, you guessed it. The exact same price as my camera.

My couch is ten years old, y'all.

It is tan chenille and it has seen better days. Plus my Mom recently did an awesome den re-do that made me really realize how yucky my couch was looking.

Now I am torn.

Couch, that everyone could use and enjoy?

Camera, that I need to study and learn how to use, but will bring me much joy?

I am paralyzed in this decision.

It's not that we have extra money laying around or anything, but occassionally I do a little extra work where I travel, and since the last time I did that my paycheck ended up going entirely to a sexy, new air conditioning unit, we thought I might could use this one on a "luxury" item.

I'd better act fast though, the TV has an ominous bar going down the middle of the screen, and I dare say that brings the rest of my family much more joy than my camera or couch ever could.

Your thoughts?

One Month to Live (study)

2011-09-12T06:55:00.000-07:00

For the next six weeks our entire church and all the Sunday School classes are doing the One Month to Live study by Kerry and Chris Shook.

I have been doing the study for about three weeks now, in preparation for teaching it to my class.

There are so many things I want to say about this study.

I will start with a confession. At first, at our launch luncheon in August, I was kinda hum ho about the whole thing.

I mean, I was not sure it would be a really new concept or "worth" the hype.

I was wrong.

Sunday morning I was shocked to find our class bulging at the seams. We were bringing in chairs and sitting on top of each other.

It was awesome! There was excitement in the air, and all week leading up to the first Sunday people were posting things about in on Facebook.

We shared. People connected.

In short, the Holy Spirit SHOWED up and showed himself.

And I was ashamed I had been so pessimistic a mere month ago.

God had really been working on me through the last three weeks as I did the study.

Opening my eyes to some things that I needed to "see" with fresh clarity.

The concept of the book is pretty obvious: what if you only had one month left to live on earth?

Are you living a no regrets life of passion for Christ?

Are you up for radical change and taking risks with your heart in relationships?

Are you making your time on earth really count for something eternally?

(Tough Questions, eh?)

As we do each daily study, we are asked to journal about our thoughts and revelations.

One of my favorite things so far was creating a list of some of the "every day" activities in life that bring me joy or make me feel pleasure.

I thought if I shared some of the things on my list, maybe the bloggers out there would share a couple of theirs in return?

It's a little exercise in gratitude.

A hot cup of coffee early in the morning before anyone else is awake.
Rubbing my dog's soft velvety ears while I drink my coffee early in the morning and pray.
My son's laugh!
My daughter blowing me a kiss when I drop her off at school in the morning (even though she is in 5th grade).
A funny text from a friend.
Date nights (okay, these aren't every day, but I wish they were!)!
A magazine in my mailbox.
The first five minutes my kids get in the car after school (other minutes too, but I love how they just blurt out their day and are so happy to see me!)!
Any part of the day the temperature is under 70 degrees.

YOUR TURN!

Cone of shame

2011-09-08T07:28:00.000-07:00

About two weeks ago my dog, Cooper, got two pretty bad scratches on his tummy.

They were healing okay, but he would not quit 'licking his wounds' long enough to let them heal completely.

We had to go to the vet for some shots unrelated to the scratches, but the vet insisted he needed a cone on his head so that the wounds could heal up since they were irritated from the licking. Two hundred dollars later, we left with a huge cone tyed around his head.

He did not like the cone.

In fact, as we left the vet, another dog crossed our path, and Cooper put his head down and would not walk.

He literally slumped over in shame.

Hence the name we gave it, "Cone of Shame".

He hated the cone, and he would hide when we put it on him.

In fact, if we said the word, "cone" he would stop licking immediately, so we did not even end up having to use it much after that and he healed up nicely.

I could not get a picture of him in the cone of shame, because he would not look up when it was on, he would cower down and hide.

So this is one I got from some great person on the Internet to give you a visual.

Now to the good part of the story...

Tuesday night I went running as it was getting dark. The weather was perfect, and I had a great run, until...

A bug flew into my eye. It hurt so bad, but I had to run all the way home to get my contact and the BUG out of my eye and get some relief.

My eye was so red and hurt so bad, I've had to wear my glasses a lot.

My husband keeps using the following line, "Excuse me Ma'am, but could you direct me to the micro-fiche?".

Ha, ha, he is such a jewel of a hubby.

A jewel.

Anyway, I was using some older drops that I had, but my eye was getting worse. Today, I woke up and used my drops, and my pupil was HUGE and would not change so everything was blurry.

I did not feel this was a good sign.

I went to the Doctor, but as I was entertaining myself texting people in the lobby, when my hubby asked me if I was going to get my daughter to "bedazzle the patch" he was certain I would be gettting today?

At which point I could envision the hours of poking fun at my expense following me receiving an eye patch.

I can only imagine the pirate jokes, "ARRGGHH, Ahoy matey, Land Ho!".

My stars, I was afraid.

Then he asked if I thought I would get a "Cone of Shame" so that I would quit touching it.

And I began to understand how Cooper felt a little better.

If you need me I'll be cowering in the corner with bedazzle eye patched, cone head.

...And I am pretty sure the Internet eliminated microfiche thank you very much, sir.

Below 60 Degrees

2011-09-07T05:39:00.000-07:00

It was a chilly 59 degrees (or close to that) when I took the dog out at dark-thirty this morning.

That's it.

Just thanking God that cooler weather does actually come eventually with the falling leaves.

And I am so grateful for that!

M + E = ME

2011-09-01T18:01:00.000-07:00

The past three weeks kicked my butt.

And not in a good way where I ended up with a smaller butt.

I had a huge audit at work that almost killed my desire to ever work outside the home again.

Praise the Lord it is over and we did okay.

We had first day of school, Math tests, Orthodontist appointments, Eye appointments, practices, and hubby in a boot on his ankle hobbling around. Stuff.

So, yesterday I got brave and I told my boss I wasn't coming in to work the next day... and I meant it.

It was a deal breaker.

Working was not an option today.

(Especially with my big, sore butt.)

Luckily, I am still employed and she graciously let me have three days off in a row (counting Monday).

I needed it so bad people! For the first time in four months I had a "ME" day.

I spent six hours of the day totally alone (except for jogging with the dog).

I went to a huge, fancy Mall in a big city nearby.

Me, myself, and I, we had a good long cry on the drive there. We just surrendered our tiredness to the Lord and let him love us.

I prayed, rejoiced, worshipped, and tried not to speed (or at least no get caught speeding) on the Interstate while doing so. Tricky!

I had coffee. I ate salad in the car all alone from to go box, which sounds sad, but was surprisingly wonderful.

It was gloriously quiet there all alone in the car with no music or noise.

I got a couple of things on MAJOR sale (not much, but enough to make me feel like I was treated!).

I came home to the same hustle and bustle, but those hours...

Those precious hours with just me, God, and silence... they were healing.

I highly recommend it.

In fact, I told myself that once a month, I am going to shirk my home/work duties and take off and spend the day alone.

OF course, it's fun to meet friends, shop together, and talk a million miles an hour, BUT sometimes I just need to get back in touch with liking to be with ME.

Alone is not always bad.

Something better?

2011-08-30T07:17:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we were away at a soccer tournament in a huge orange-filled college town, and it was hard and awesome at the same time!

Our kids loved the college town feel and excitement.

They loved seeing Death Valley.

They loved the cool restraunts and walking through the campus at night.

There is an energy on college campuses that just makes you look back (or forward to) those years with a sense of longing.

I miss college for so many reasons.

Reason number one: I miss being young and relatively carefree.

Reason number two: I miss being young and relatively carefree.

Okay, well I think you get that if you are done with college and living in the real world of mortgage/car payments and gainful employment.

The other twist I had not expected to feel was a sense of impending loss. Those two kids in my back seat will be unloading at a dorm room before I feel like I blinked. Stop Father time.You are cruel!

I feel likeI have been on a blog post nostalgic kick lately.

I think it may be because I will be forty in precisely one year and 14 days.

Forty?

Man, that sounds so old!

Mature sounds better, but who are we kidding? When I was twenty I would have told you a forty year old woman was ancient.

I can't even think about it anymore.

We truly enjoyed the soccer tournament this weekend! Being so close to the college reminded me of the importance of enjoying every single second of life. Sucking out the marrow and savoring the moments.

So we really did. We let the kids swim five times. They were swimming at 12 p.m. Saturday night, and you know what, they loved it.

They enjoyed their friends, played hard, and made memories. Hopefully ones they'll remember when they turn forty (and I turn 70!). Yikes! Which led me to try to remember something from when I was 11.

Anybody out there want to share a memory from when you were 10 or 11?

I'll start.

Is anyone still reading even? I think this may be getting to a "good part". Maybe.

I remember being super excited about Jr. High because there were so many more people to meet.

I particularly remember making a new group of friends pretty quickly after I got there.

I tried out for cheerleading and was devastated when I didn't make it. I was told I was the alternate if someone could not cheer, but that was little consolation.

So my Music teacher encouraged me to try out for a singing/ dance group called the "Bruinettes".

Swanky title, I know.

I have never been a great singer or dancer, but I went for it and made it. It was an awesome experience, and I met some friends that were so good for me then, and several I am still "Facebook friends" with today.

I will never forget the bitter disappointment of standing in the gym locker room having my name NOT be called when they called over the loud speaker and some of my friend's names were called and they jumped around with excitement.

It was all I could do not to cry until I got home. My Mom was so sweet to comfort me, and tell me that there was something better out there despite the fact that I couldn't see it then but God could.

I have thought about that moment many times when my kids have not gotten what they wanted through the years, and I often share with them that experience, and how God's "better" turned out to be "better" to me also.

Yesterday, my daughter uttered the words, "Mom, I am glad I didn't make Safety Patrol this year, because I wouldn't have been able to do Knightline (a morning school TV show she is an anchor on each morning), or a Honor's Choir, or a bunch of other clubs I want to be in!".

I can not tell you how relieved I was to hear those words, because that child cried her eyes out over and over again and prayed every night the entire summer to somehow get to be on Safety Patrol.

It broke my heart a hundred ways when she still did not get the position even though she was the "alternate".

But God had something better.

Now that I think about it, maybe that is how I should look at my last year of being in my thirties, too.

Oh Irene, please don't hit me

2011-08-25T06:21:00.000-07:00

We are not directly in the path of Irene, but who knows where that unpredictable mass of Category 3 rain and wind will destroy in it's path.

I know, actually.

Well, I know where it is right now, because we are charting it every day on our handy, dandy, hurricane tracker map for 6th grade science.

I know what you are thinking. I am one lucky Momma, getting to go all meteorological on you every evening with the latitude and longitude and the precise mapping of wind speeds.

Last night, I also got to brush up on my 5th grade knowledge of Congress, Old Abe, VP Johnson, and the 13th Amendment.

It's like all those years of not paying attention back in elementary school are catching up to me.

I have to actually read the handouts when I quiz her because I HAVE NO IDEA, what the dates and places and people are related to our history. I say that without pride, but it really isn't information I use much in my day to day existence.

And if I ever did have that knowledge, it is now replaced by far more important information like: where are my soccer shoes? what time is open house tonight? have you washed my uniform for the tournament, cause I can't find it? does the dog have his vaccine so he can go to the kennel this weekend while we are gone? what is for dinner? what time did they reschedule my cheer practice for? have you called in my prescription? and the all important...have you packed my lunch yet?

(All of which have been asked of me in the last two days.)

Trivial but important.

I feel like even Donald Trump would have a hard time keeping this level of multi-tasking afloat.

I did get comfort from my prayer group yesterday, though. It seems we have all hit the scheduling wall, and fondly look back at the sleeping late and lazy pace of summer like it was ten years ago already.

On a totally unrelated note, and one actually related to the above title, we are really praying there is not torrential rain during our first soccer tournament of the season this weekend.

We are not scheduled to play until late Saturday, which makes me a little nervous considering the "ever changing storm predicted path".

To further complicate matters, my hubby is sporting a really sexy looking new boot for fall. Well, actually, it's a huge black, Velcro strap covered Orthopedic boot for his tendinitis that is keeping him from walking, but it sounded better to say he was sporting one of falls most popular looks.

He actually texted me a picture of him at work with his boot on his desk, and it cracked me up for lots of reasons.

The first of which is picturing his coworkers as he snapped a shot of his sporty new boot while resting it on his desk at work.

Snicker.

He can't get the thing wet, so you see why I am really wishing Irene would pass us by (and I also have prayed it does not affect anyone else negatively too, just so you know I'm not THAT shallow).

I already shudder to think about unloading the car fifty times, hobbling him to all the soccer fields, and in and out of restaurants all weekend. I have considered trading in his crutches for a wheelchair, because we are touring Clemson University campus while we are near there, and anyone who has ever been to Clemson knows it is GINORMOUS and there is no short way to walk around and see everything. However, he is too proud for that (we'll check in after two hours of crutching and see how he feels then, mwwwuu haa haa!).

Adding in rain just seems cruel.

So, my Internet buddies, what are you doing this weekend and does it involve a wheelchair or crutches?

Meet me at the punch bowl.

2011-08-22T10:55:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon I picked my son up from a church retreat center, and he reported that he had gone to sleep around 4:30 a.m.

Ahh, the ignorance and resilience of youth.

He was so tired from not sleeping, swimming, bowling, and playing pranks on the 50 plus Middle Schoolers he had the pleasure of spending the weekend with.

However, it was time for him to get spiffied up for Junior Assembly, his very first official dance!

In Junior Assembly (a highly supervised event) they teach manners, handshaking, greeting, general etiquette, and then pair them up to teach them the Shag before they get to experience "free dance time" with a DJ.

My son was okay with all of that, but you could tell that he was nervous on the way there. He kept thinking his pants were too long, and what if he had to dance with, gasp, a girl he did not like!

He ended up knowing his partner and having a great time, but I had to tell you the funniest part of the event recap he and his friend Jordan gave us afterward at dinner.

He told us he had to offer his arm to his dance partner and then accompany her to the punch bowl for refreshment.

I was so proud of his etiquette, UNTIL I asked him whether he got her punch when they go there.

His reply in typical 11 year old fashion, "No Mom I didn't, they just told us to SHOW her to the punch bowl, so I showed her the punch bowl and then had to get her to unlatch from my arm so she could get some. I mean, come on, she HAS arms."

Maybe we have a little more to learn before our next dance? He is quite a catch, isn't he?

Older and bigger, but still happy.

2011-08-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

Those stinking kids went and did it again! They decided to grow over the summer. You know how I know?

This year first day of 5th grade, last year of elementary school.

Last year in Fourth Grade.

Third grade year. Sniff. Sob. Snort.

This year starting 6th grade (will someone tell me how to make a big, bad, tough 6th graders smile before the first day of Middle School?)

Last year, as a smiling 5th grader.

This year again. In uniform, mind you.

This year with perky new backpack.

This year, where did she get those long, skinny legs and arms?

Help! Someone kidnapped my baby and stretched her all out and then returned her.

Oh well, at least she is still smiling. I guess it may have been an inside job. ( I know, I know).

Mr. Serious.

Mr. Happy go luck, without braces.

Remember how much she loved to cheer on the ground? Last night I watched four ten year olds pick her up and raise her over their heads in an "extension" and then throw her up in the air and catch her.

Gulp.

I knew my prayer life needed some work.

Two years ago my son begged us to allow him to play football for his school. We gave in, and he figured out it wasn't for him, but that he loved soccer.

Last year he was so nervous about starting club soccer.

This year, he is a starter on his Club soccer team.

There's that smile I love even with braces, he is still my Mr. Happy Go Lucky. He made five new best friends his first week of Middle School.

I think three of them opened his locker for him yesterday.

This weekend he has his first Junior Assembly Dance (his Daddy learned to Shag at the same dance), and a weekend church retreat. My daughter has two back to school parties on her agenda. My children officially have a more vibrant social life than I do.

Life sure comes at you fast! Sometimes you have to look back to see just how how fast you're moving forward!

The first week of school: the death of freetime.

2011-08-18T06:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I knew we had officially killed summer when I:
-woke up early to pack lunches
-took two children to school thirty minutes apart
-went straight to work and was way behind on a project that I finally finished
-left work to clean up for 30 minutes before my prayer group came over
-prayed fervently for all our issues
- picked up my daughter from school
-ran her home and did homework/processed her day before her friend came over
-waited in line thirty minutes to pick up my son
-did homework with him for an hour and a half (he has FIVE tests next week-REALLY TEACHERS?)
-calmed him down about the five tests he has next week
-helped him with his 75 question Math Review sheet, and drawing and label a world map from scratch
-rushed him to soccer
-ran errands
-literally ran two miles to de-stress
-rushed home to feed my son and myself
-finished folding laundry
-showered
-had prayers and devotion with kids
-collapsed in bed wide awake for two hours thinking that yesterday hit me like a truck.

The last night of summer

2011-08-14T17:24:00.000-07:00

I used to get "The Sunday Night Blues" really bad when I was first married and working a lot of hours during the week.

Hubs and I would have a fab weekend, and then we would both crash on Sunday night and talk about how short the weekend was...

That was before we had kids.

When we had kids, and I cut my out of home work hours to six a week, the blues came for another reason. I knew that I would miss my hubby while he worked, and I would be doing a lot of diaper duty (or doodie) all week.

Now our kids go to school, and I am now up to working 20 hours a week.

Most evenings I pass most of my friends coming and going behind the wheel of an SUV or van as we shuttle our beloved kids back and forth from church, soccer, cheer leading, gymnastics, friends houses, and a million other places.

I still get the Sunday Night Blues on occasion, but not as severely as I have them right now.

The night before school and schedules starts like a prize winning Stallion shooting from it's stall at the Kentucky Derby headed for the win. Too fast for my liking, but filled with purpose and promise none the less.

I think that as your first child enters middle school, there is some kind of shift in your thinking as a parent.

A call to urgency, like nothing I have felt before.

Suddenly the tide is shifting, from our jokes of "how much longer til they're gone", to a feeling much like fleetingly trying to catch sand in your hands while the sand slips through your fingers, as you keep trying to cup them tighter.

Or like that last day at the beach when you know you're leaving in the morning and you just try to suck in all the salty, ocean air, and burn the picture of the calming sea into your memory banks along with the sounds of waves, shrieks of joy from kids and seagulls nearby.

We have seven years left before he goes to college, if he so chooses. We have eight years left before our youngest goes and we are left with the much dreaded and anticipated empty nest.

It doesn't seem like long at all when I think about how quickly the last seven flew by.

Recently my hubs earned a trip to Aruba from his work. It was an all expense paid luxury trip for TWO. A blessing, and most assuredly the first extravagant prize either of us has even received.

We got excited. Didn't we deserve a little down time together in a beautiful place like Aruba?

Our 15 year anniversary went by largely uncelebrated in June, because we always go to the beach with our kids the week after that and we both had hectic work schedules.

The trip was our answer to a romantic getaway that we had been really wanting and we got really excited about it, at first.

Then we started to think about having only seven summers of family vacation left.

Seven seemed like 77 too few.

So we did some praying and some soul searching.

Then we did some more.

We decided cashing in that trip was just what we wanted to do for our 15 year anniversary.

Spending some time on another family trip just seemed to feel right to us. (Plus, is it just me or don't a lot of women seem to disappear in Aruba?)

Sometimes the only cure for the Sunday night blues is to savor the moments in between with the people you love.

And I plan on doing just that, whether it is the last day of summer, the first day of school, or the second week in December.

And I hope you can do, too.

Meanwhile, I have a vacation to plan. One little one for two, and a little bigger one for FOUR.

"S" is for Schedule.

2011-08-08T05:49:00.000-07:00

I have dreaded and anticipated this day.

The last week of summer.

It was bound to happen, but it always seems to sneak up on you.

It seems like I just cleaned out their backpacks and put away 200 pieces of schoolwork just last week!

Actually, I did kind of procrastinate and it may have actually only been the week before last week that I cleaned out their backpacks.

It is always amusing to see what an 11 year old boy leaves in the bottom of his bookbag after a year of 5th grade. Crayons, erasers, mechanical pencil remains, dirt, balls of paper (?), a sticky substance yet to be identified, and alas, my favorite, pencil shavings (did I mention he uses mechanical pencils? It's a mystery how we still end up with wood pencil shavings).

My kids both got their teacher assignments on Friday, and there was much to-do about that since one is going into MIDDLE SCHOOL and his mother's heart is somewhere between heartattack and broken with all the stress and newness and nostalgic feelings of "where did the time go" and "did he really grow six inches this summer"?

My daughter got a great teacher for next year, the same one my son had last year. The convenient thing about having kids close together is the first one kind of paves the way for the second who is following right behind.

That is also the heartbreaking thing, just so you know. You get over one first day of kindergarten only to repeat it the next year.

Anyway, my son got his middle school schedule, and I am not exaggerating when I say it filled up an entire page of paper.

It looked like Chinese to me. He really didn't notice because he was too busy talking to all of his friends about their schedule, and seemingly could careless that his mother was hyperventilating with his vice principal who was jovially laughing as she talked me down from the homeschooling ledge.

(I really don't want to homeschool, but that thought always crosses my mind when public school frightens me.)

It turns out, or so they say, that he has a great "team" and an awesome schedule.

He did end up in the first five of seven classes with his bestfriend, so to him, all is well.

I am a little more concerned as he has 5 core courses and 8 electives over the year. EIGHT electives?

I think he is taking every single thing there is to offer at his school next year.

I ran into a former middle schooler, and she was able to explain the Chinese alphabet for me and help me get some clarity as to where he will start the day.

From then on, he is on his own.

The very nice principal and I discussed the ideas of little painted mascot footprints leading him to each of his 8 destinations for the day, but in the end, my son felt that might draw too much attention to him.

Picky!

Then there is the added stress of learning to open his locker. Who knows how that will work out the first day?

We were not able to walk through the school again because they were waxing the floors.

So I really will send my son into a school of 900 next Monday morning, and he will have no idea where to go.

My only solace is that he has three cousins who just went through the school and so the staff already know him, and they promise me he will be well taken of- thank you, LORD!

It is gonna be an interesting year, and I still can't figure out how I ended up with a kid old enough to go to Middle School.

Catfish, ants, and floating at the lake

2011-07-31T15:18:00.000-07:00

We just got back from an awesome long weekend at the lake.

My mom and dad met us there Thursday, and the fun began immediately!

We took a cruise on the pontoon boat around beautiful Lake Wateree, and the water was as smooth as glass with hardly anyone around.

My kids swam for hours each day, and they LOVED jumping off the pontoon to swim whenever they could!

She heard a fish jump a couple feet away and lost some of her bravery!

The view from where I drank my coffee down on to the fishing spot!

My very patient daddy making sure my kiddos caught lots of fish. My girl caught her first catfish around 9:30p.m. one night with her Popop looking on with pride!

My boy caught lots of fish, too. He loved playing Outburst and Apples to Apples at night after we came in, he was the one who deemed Nana an "Artist" (good call, son)! Every night ended with a few belly laughs during game time.

My hubby was more than happy to be Captain for the weekend. He really loved looking for a house to buy, and so did Nana. Now all we need is financing!

Is this the big one? My boy being silly reeling in his baby fish one night.

As hot as it was, my kids spent hours out fishing from the dock, then jumping in for a swim. Once when we were swimming a water snake crept by my girl, I almost saw her walk on water she shot over to me so fast! The only thing she like less than the snake was the abundance of ants everywhere we went!

Miss Priss wearing my glasses and enjoying her boat rides!

Popop patiently looking out for her and ready to add the bait!

My boy enjoying being captain for a while, and doing a great job of it! I can not believe he goes to middle school in two weeks. (sniff.) He is reading his summer reading list books to get prepared, but I have a feeling nothing really prepares you for the first day of middle school.

Nana enjoying a shady spot on the pontoon.

Of course, my girl had to have a chance to steer. For some reason I love that pic of her in her brother's cap looking so proud of herself!

We had a great time. My daddy was so kind to cook BBQ, steaks, pancakes, grits, bacon and hot dogs! We did let him out of the kitchen one night, but my children sure did love that we had a cook on hand for the weekend.

Coffee on the porch in the morning with my parents, reading in bed with my mom, watching my kids catch fish/swim, and seeing my hubby finally relax and enjoy the water, are all memories that I hope I (and my kids) never forget from this trip.

We will definitely return. It was a little bit of salve for the sting of most of our activities starting up again this coming week.

I always want to savor my summer and relaxing, but it seems like schedules, sports, school, and commitments always come back in full force in August.

It is bittersweet, and this year especially I feel the deep stab of anxiety as I look at my two precious children and realize they are becoming "adolescents" much more quickly than I ever imagined.

This nest we've created is way too full to be empty.

To blog or not to blog, is that the question?

2011-07-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

Last week, I went to the water park with eight kids and two other adults.

I know, they had us outnumbered.

It turned out to be the coldest day of July, and the kids actually shivered as they swam and we sat with towels covering us to keep us warm. It was also kind of drizzling which meant no crowds.

It was glorious.

We talked semi-uninterrupted for at least two hours.

Today the heat index is suppose to be 110.

NOT so glorious.

Anyway, the three adults and I were talking about how we quit scrap booking about the time when our kids started talking back and have not resumed the process since.

It is not intentional, but our lives have just taken a turn for the busier. It is the source of much mommy guilt for all involved.

However, one mom mentioned that her friend with triplets (God bless her soul), writes a blog about her daily life and is printing it out in book form to place in an album for the kids.

Brilliant. I tell you, this woman is a time management genius. Not only can each kid read about their own ups and downs, they can read about their siblings and use this information to bribe and annoy them in the future.

Why have I not thought about doing this before?

Pictures are included, and it is just such an easy solution to scrap booking.

I have a friend who sells Creative Memories and has weekend retreats at the beach where they stay up scrap booking until 3 a.m.

I am so sorry, but there is no way I am spending a much anticipated and rarely occurring weekend away clipping pictures and writing pithy little captions.

However, printing out a blog? I may actually be able to execute that action!

My hubby STILL rolls his eyes about my blogging, but I continue to persevere.

The funny thing is, that I do not tell any of my friends I write a blog.

It's like a little secret that I don't really want out.

It's not that I write ugly stuff about people I know, but I have never really wanted a huge readership.

I don't leave comments on any blogs other than the four or five I faithfully read (you know who you are) and occasionally for a contest at Confessions of a Pioneer Woman (which is my all time favorite read and soon to be featured on Food Network-JOY!).

It made me question why I even blog.

If it's not for fame, fortune, popularity, or some internal deep seeded need for validation...Why do I do it?

I thought about it.

Then I thought some more.

I am still not 100 percent sure, but I think it actually boils down to this:

It is fun for me.

In a world where most of my time is carved out for: family, church, work, friends, family, soccer, housework, and other stuff, blogging is actually one way that I can have fun documenting my life (good and bad) in the comfort of my home. I also don't really try to censor what I write for the comfort of my three "readers".

I just write from my own perspective, and I find that I really enjoy a place that I can do that.

So, dear friends, I ask you: Why do you blog?

Closet Organization: Before and After

2011-07-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

Well, what do you do when it's 100 degrees and painfully humid outside?

I decided to fulfill one item from my ping pong jar of summer "to do's" and re-organize our "art closet".

The closet is really a catch-all for school paperwork, electronic cords, batteries, paperwork, art stuff, 150 glue sticks, pencils, cameras, pictures, 45 notebooks with only two pages scribbled on (and the rest all clean but no one uses), and junk we can't figure out what to do with.

I started cleaning it out a couple of weeks ago.

This is what it looked like then.

It pains me to post that picture of junk.

Notice the tennis ball. Every time I go started working in that closet the dog wanted to play, and would bring me a ball.

I think I had ten different kinds of organizers, and none of them were the right size or uniform.

So I had a lot of wasted space.

I am pretty sure that box of old notebooks in the corner has been in there for six years.

Oh, the shame.

I took a lot of time thinking about the kind of organizational system I wanted. I looked at World Market, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target, TJ Maxx, Ross, Wal-mart, Big Lots, and Ikea for some cute containers that I thought would be durable, cute, and inexpensive.

I looked at a lot of containers, baskets, pails, cubes, and cloth bins.

In the end, IKEA won out, and I only spent 56 bucks total.

If I had done wicker baskets, which was my original idea, I probably would have spend around $250 which was NOT in my budget.

It was very tempting, because I knew it would look super Pottery Barn-ish and cool. I also knew that markers and crayons tend to slip through cracks and look messy all piled in a basket.

The boxes are made of really strong cardboard, and have a little metal trim with tags that you can remove and use to label the contents inside.

You had me at hello.

The only real set-back (besides finally biting the bullet and deciding) was that I then had to put all of them together.

It took me about 4 hours total, which isn't bad, but it was hard to delay the organizational instant gratification desire a week while I worked on those.

I took about three trips to the dump and got rid of a lot of things we DID NOT need, but thought we needed.

The thing I knew we needed most was something easy to remove and put back in, and something that had a lid to limit the amount of junky-ness.

Lids just seem to make things look tidier and more uniform. Plus they hid the 100 rapidly drying out glue sticks lurking inside!

I realize you can' t really tell how big the boxes are or the closet is by these pictures, but it was the best I could do with a point and shoot camera.

I really, really, really want a nicer camera, but I am waiting patiently for a good sale and some unexpected money. (Anybody out there have a Nikon 3100 you'd like to give and opinion on? A Nikon 5100?).

Ta-da!

I thought the mix of orange and green pepped it up a little?

Anyway, I know I must be a boring person to take and actually post pictures of my CLOSET! However, I figure someone out there must be bored enough to actually look at the pics and give me some props?

What are you organizing (or in need of organizing in your life?)?

The calm before the storm?

2011-06-29T09:52:00.000-07:00

This has been the season of thunderstorms for us. Three or four, and two involving damaging hail to our roof and car, but I know it is NOTHING compared to those with floods and tornado damage!

We were at the waterpark/theme park yesterday when a storm quickly swept in, and we literally grabbed our flip flops and ran under all the huge METAL roller coasters to the car.

When we got to the car, we had zero seconds to spare.

As soon as the doors closed and the six of us piled in, the storm broke loose into a downpour.

The whole time we ran through the park it was thundering so loud and you could see lightning zapping everywhere. I wanted to get those kids protected as soon as possible. I felt exposed running through a cement park with no shelter in a wet bathing suit!

We were all praying as we dodged families with kids in strollers, and you would not believe the number of people who were just standing there. Some even ENTERED the park while we were leaving!

Crazy!

God was good to protect us, and while we may not have been in real danger, I was thinking later that evening about how many time God protects us when we maybe don't even realize the depth of danger that we are facing.

He spares us the awareness of how close the calls are sometimes, and I so appreciated that yesterday.

We went to Chick-fil-a to try to salvage the evening, and I missed the correct exit off the interstate. My friend and I were laughing about how many times over 14 years I had taken that exit, and I still missed it.

However, we went to another Chick-fil-a at the next exit and laughed about our craziness.

We had not been seated long, when in came a friend and her daughter (who was just diagnosed with an aggressive form of ovarian cancer very rare for a nine year old).

My friend and I had JUST been talking about dear Brooklyn and her family, and she walked in. I was mostly surprised because Brooklyn has just had surgery to remove her second ovary on Thursday of last week, and I had heard she had not been doing well in recovery.

Brooklyn's mom, Alisha, and her hubby used to coach both of our kids in soccer. Her son also was in fourth grade with my son, and Brooklyn cheered with my daughter last year for elementary school.

So we had been discussing her cancer and how God had been placing her our heart and mind lately to get Alisha in touch with another friend of ours who has a four year old with a rare form of brain cancer.

What a coincidence to just run in to her?

Sure, if you don't believe in God, that would be the word.

However, I totally, completely believe God had it perfectly orchastrated.

My friend and I got to sit and talk to Alisha about all that she and Brooklyn had been going through. (It has already been a trying battle with lots of hard things to deal with and accept and pray for- they need our prayer).

Brooklyn had just had labs done, and so they were stopping to get dinner, and she said they had really debated even coming inside to get the food.

We were able to listen, offer support, and share our friends story as well as all exchange cell numbers, caringbridge site info, and get another one of Brooklyn's bracelettes with Phil 4:13 on it.

Alisha had so many examples ALREADY of the support they are receiving from people, and especially her husband's firefighter co-workers.

My friend that was with me, also happens to be a cancer survivor, so it was just a 'God thing' that we got to sit there and share about God's faithfulness right there in Chick-fil-a.

God never ceases to amaze me.

I am not sure how much support Alisha and Brooklyn got from our conversation, but I somehow knew God really wanted me to hook her up with our other friend whose daughter, Belle, has been battling cancer for two years.

I don't know how or why, but I am certain one day God will reveal to my human eyes, what he has seen with is divine eyes all along.

I know that they have many stormy days a head that will be scary and seem too close to danger for their comfort, but I was relieved they are experiencing a portion of the calm that only our God can offer today.

One thing I know for sure: We are meant for relationship.

Both with God and other believers. I am so thankful to have both. Amen!

Back to Reality

2011-06-13T16:18:00.000-07:00

** By request (smurk) updated to include my book list in the comments!***

We had an awesome week at the beach.

I would love to post some photos of us doing all the fun things we did, but I FORGOT THE CAMERA.

Really?

What decent blogger forgets her camera at the beach, of all places?

So in your mind, picture a very thin(why not extremely thin, just for the sake of imagining), tanned, and smiling me doing the following with my happy, tanned, smiling family:

Reading four great books and ten magazines on the beach, in the rocking chair, in bed, on the chaise, and in the car.

Kayaking in the ocean (which my kids adored both days, but is more than you would think in the way of a workout for you arms!)

Sitting in a beach chair relaxing (under an umbrella with 45 SPF sunscreen, in case my dermatologist is reading this).

Eating shrimp/crab/grilled tuna while sitting out by the water watching boats go in and out of the inlet four nights out of seven.

Feeding a flock of seagulls that got WAY too close for the comfort of my littlest one.

Having coffee on the deck in the morning while it was still cool outside and you could see the sunrise, feel the breeze, and hear the ocean.

Staying up until after 1 a.m. reading an awesome book (maybe you shouldn't picture me at 1 a.m., it gets ugly after 11, okay maybe it gets ugly after 7:00)

Playing putt putt and losing by one stroke to my hubby. Grumble, grumble.

Eating a 'dip top' ice cream outside as fast as we could before it melted all down our arms and legs.

Walking on the pier.

Walking on the beach at night finding crabs.

Dreaming about owning a beach house.

That just about sums up my week at the beach. The bad part is now it is over, and it just left me wanting more. There is nothing like the lure of the ocean in the summer.

What is your favorite thing about the beach?

15 years

2011-06-01T06:18:00.000-07:00

Today I celebrate my 15th Anniversary with my hubby.

He has been my best friend, number one confidante, and comedy relief since we met when I was just a young, perky, spiral perm-haired, ambitious 18 year old Junior at the College of Charleston.

He is still handsome. He is still so funny. Really, really funny. (Annoying nicknames aside, of course.)

Cute is important, but in my world fun and funny are vital to a good relationship.

We always say NOW we shouldn't have scheduled a wedding the week school let's out. What were we thinking?

We can never go to Italy on our anniversary like we planned with graduation from elementary school tomorrow!

I know what we were NOT thinking... we were NOT thinking about KIDS AND THEIR SCHOOL SCHEDULES!

We were thinking about finally being together after three years of dating and a year long engagement.

I still remember that year of engagement (and the three years before) as being a magical time for us.

He was finishing up his internships for school, and I was in my second year grad school.

We had our best friends in the world in town, and we had a blast every weekend we were together.

We went to the beach. We went out to eat. We laughed. We took long walks. We went to church together. We discovered our mutual love for the Early Bird Special at the Japanese Steakhouse. We listened to great music and went to concerts. He sold blood to pay for fancy dinners (somehow that sentence just seems wrong!). We danced on the top of parking decks to the mixed tapes he made for me. We dreamed big dreams.

We checked out beachfront property. (We still do that!)

We looked for jobs.

We were lovesick for each other.

Then we planned and had, what I recall, as being the perfect wedding in Charleston.

Charleston provided the perfect weather, and we left that perfect wedding for a perfect week at Emerald Isle taking walks on the beach and naps in the hammock on the front porch.

We didn't have a doubt in our minds we'd be together forever. And we still don't.

We have been through MANY, many trials and celebrations since those days of young love.

Those happy and hard things have managed to bring us closer, stronger, and definitely grown our faith in God and each other.

So today, 15 years older, wiser, and a few (or more) pounds heavier, I love you more than I did on our "perfect" wedding day, dear hubby.

Here's to 60 more even better than the first 15.

Meet you at 7:30 tonight at The Cove, I'll be the hottie in the corner!

Fun-u-cation

2011-05-31T05:38:00.000-07:00

Well, it promises to be a grueling week of school for my children.

Yesterday, on Memorial Day, they went to school for Field Day.

They learned all about being hot, throwing sponges at classmates, and covering their best tennis shoes in red clay on a holiday. (My daughter also learned about being modest while changing in a rooom full of girls in an empty classroom with windows. I had to laugh at her Maguiver skills as she used a cabinet door in the corner to shield herself as she changed!)

They summed up their learning with a test on their aptitude for "How to eat a Popsicle in 94 degree heat without it melting first.".

Today (my last day of packing a lunch, Praise The Lord! My poor child has had: yogurt, fruit, a piece of ham, Cheetos, a dessert item, and fruit punch more times than any human should be subjected to!) they are going to watch a film entitled The Mouse and the Motorcycle.

Remember that movie?

Okay, I am pretty sure I watched that when I was in elementary school, so, CLASSIC! At least, my daughter said they had actually read the book.

My son, in his great wisdom, said, "we didn't read the book or anything, we just needed something to DO for the day." Another CLASSIC!

My daughter is having an ice cream sundae party today.

The school system is basically just trying to fill time, and this is where I could go off on a tangent about saving money and the ridiculousness of a week of " fake school" on/after Memorial day.

This is the part of my post where I confess a little Room Mom guilt, and hope you will make me feel justified in my defiant actions.

The PTA sent out a little 'reminder' that we, as our last duty as room parents, may like to schedule a pizza/ice cream PARTY for the last day of school for the poor, bored, under-partied, deserving students.

(The fact that would take up about an hour of filler time doesn't hurt, either!)

Both of my children have had pizza/ been bowling twice in the last week.

I just could not send home ANOTHER note requesting parents send in money or anything else this year.

We had a huge baby shower for one of my son's teachers going out on maternity leave in April.

We collected well over $250 for her gift, and I spent a small wad on decorations, punch, and snacks. All of which was great, but I kinda figured that was the end of my Room Parent duties.

So, I guess I am lazy, but... they get out at 11:00 a.m.

Where, pray tell, am I suppose to find pizza and get it to school before 10:00 a.m.?

So I just ignored the plea for party.

Thursday is 5th grade graduation, and the kids are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to leave after the 8:30 graduation.

Maybe I am just rationalizing my end of year laziness, but I've given all I have at this point.

So, what do you think? Will I be black balled from Room Parenting next year when my daughter is in 5th grade, or was that just strategic planning on my part?

P.S. I absolutely ADORED hearing your ping pong lists! Thank you Mary B. for your cute post on the subject. I already have two books sitting on my counter for the beach reading!

The path to insanity gets shorter by the minute.

2011-05-26T06:10:00.000-07:00

This morning when I was taking the dogs out for the second time (which is usually my hubby's job in the morning), one of my friends was walking in the cul de sac.

She is the mother of my daughter's bestfriend. She also has a son graduating high school next week.

Which is why she was crying. She had been crying for a while.

I felt so bad for her.

It seems she had seen someone from their carpool pick up our neighbor, and that used to be her son's job.

He is out of school until graduation.

She said, "I swear he just finished Middle School yesterday". "How can he be going to college already?"

My heart went out to her.

My son will start Middle School in less that three months.

This morning as he dressed up for Decades Day in his white t-shirt, rolled leg jeans, slicked hair, and my hubby's high school letter jacket, he looked adorable.

He looked like he had just come from the cast of Grease.

He has always loved dressing up, and today was no exception.

It really seems like yesterday he would run through the house in his Buzz Lightyear costume yelling, "In-fin-ee-fin-ee-on" (His words for infinity and beyond).

Oh gosh, I think my heart just burst.

He got up super early and worked on his hair to get it just right.

He melted my heart a little.

That blond haired, blue-eyed kid stole my heart 11 years ago when he came in to the world and rocked my world permanently.

I am so grateful that he did.

I plan on walking the cul de sac Thursday after graduation so that all the other moms can see me and offer me their consolation like I did to my friend this morning.

We will say statements that mothers throughout time have muttered in bewilderment to each other like:

"It seems like yesterday I cried when I dropped him off at Kindergarten." (tears flowing)

"Where did the time go?" (lump in throat)

"How can I be old enough to have a kid that old?" (red blotches emerging on face and neck)

"Why do they keep growing so fast?" (ugly cry)

"How did my grocery bill triple in one year? "(half chuckle, half quiver in voice)

"Will someone slow things down a little, this ride is going to fast and I am feeling dizzy." (nose pours)

"I really only have __ years left with him/her at home?" (gulp, sniff)

"How can I love someone so much it delights me and hurts me simultaneously?" (full on bawling and group hug)

"We can't hold their hand forever."

"I am so proud of all that he has become, though"

"Maybe I should have another baby." (temporary insanity)

Nostalgia leads to insanity. You heard it here first, people.

Cute idea?

2011-05-23T06:56:00.000-07:00

I saw this darling little idea in Home Life magazine yesterday.

It said to buy ping pong balls and have your kids write on them fun thing they wanted to do this summer.

Then when they are bored, or need a reward, they can pull a ball out of the jar and have an idea.

Presto!

It led me to think about a few things I want to do this summer. I think my ping pong ball jar would be super sized right about now, because down time has not really been abundant lately.

So I will share some of my "summer wishes", if you will share a couple of yours (actually I will share them either way, but I like to be interactive around here, comments are what make a blog fun)!

read a great book (times 10) suggestions?

read magazines

spend hours on the beach

swim

make/drink homemade lemonade

cookout and let the kid's catch fireflies

make Smores in the backyard fire pit

go antique shopping with my mom

swim in a lake

take my kid's tubing

see a waterfall

sleep late

reorganize my art closet

not wear makeup for a day

shop

re-decorate my mantle

cook a GOOD meal with shrimp (recipes?)

eat a good meal with shrimp

relax.

read blogs

Tag, you're it!

When life hands you lemons...

2011-05-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

Lately we have not had to best experience with stuff.

Over the past year we had to replace: refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, microwave, and washing machine.

It has been an expensive year.

We have had one substantial medical bill, and a braces bill that could pay for a small car.

Then a month ago my hubby's car got really bad hail damage in a storm, and it turns out our roof did, too.

So now we are working with insurance deductibles to replace the roof and fix the 15 dents in his car (that is about a year from being paid off).

You can understand why I am delighted to report our upstairs air conditioner bit the dust a week ago.

Those suckers aren't cheap to replace.

I could feel really sorry for myself right now.

We've had a few other circumstances come up that were not financially taxing, but were pretty emotionally exhausting alongside these household trials.

We had planned on a few exciting opportunities that just this week we found out did not quite pan out. Some still hold a glimmer of hope, but that glimmer is dim compared to the glow of our disappointments.
We have worked pretty hard to build up our savings over the last year.

It stinks out loud to blow it on appliances and now an A/C unit.

I could really pout and feel justified about how unfair it ALL is, and how it is all coming at once.

BUT GOD.

Reminds me everyday there are people in much worse circumstances. Some life threatening.

That this too shall pass.

That it IS just money, and it does NOT buy security whether in my savings account or anywhere else.

That is IS just one opportunity, and more are coming along in the future. Some I don't even realize how much better they will be, or we will be, because of them.
Money does not buy happiness.

It does not give me plans for a hope and a future.

It just FEELS like it does.

It doesn't really satisfy, it only creates more of a hunger for things of this world.

I would still like to have a full savings account, mind you.

I would like to have taken that big 15th Anniversary trip we'd planned.

I would have liked to have purchased few things we really, really wanted and have been saving for as a treat.

I think about the people who have lost homes to tornadoes, floods, tsunami's, radiation exposure, health problems, unemployment, death, traumatic events...

I know that I have to be content, even GRATEFUL for where I am.

I just have to remind myself sometimes after I write the check, or here the words, "I'm sorry, but..."

How about you?

What are you having to remind yourself to be grateful for today?

(Here's hoping it's working A/C, a good roof, and a lot of working appliances!)

American Girl Adventure, Part II

2011-05-16T17:49:00.000-07:00

Day Two was just as exciting as day one!

We woke up to room service breakfast that included Starbuck's coffee for me~!

She watched the Little Rascals and got a kick out of it!

We got dressed up and headed out for the American Girl store. Apparently hair appointments are hard to come by on a Saturday, so we got there early.

You would not believe the amount of little girls that we saw there. Tons!

We nabbed a hair appoinment for the doll who needed it most (although I am pretty sure I needed one worse!), and a Spa appointment for the one who looked a little rough around the edges after I dropped her in the hotel parking lot. Bad Mom!

I must stop here. How many of you as a little girl would have gone bonkers to go to a shop like that and have your doll and YOU all fussed over? I would have died with delight to have these gorgeous doll and outfit choices!

My girl was so impressed. Almost every staff person talked to her and treated us special.

My daughter had some cash from her birthday to spend, and we spent a really long time looking at all the different furniture, accessories, and dolls.

She is shrewd with her money, and I love that about her. She did not want to waste anything, and even turned down my offer to pay half for a new doll for her. She ended up not spending much at all but deciding based on what she would play with most at home.

They had so many cute things.

I even wanted to sit in the floor and play with Kit's little teenie camera with film, newspapers, pencils, and an I.D. badge for her "job". They even had a little cart for her dog Grace. So cute!

There were all kinds of fancy doll beds, slumber party supplies with pinata, shaved ice stand, teepee, and even a mini boccee set for the beach with little picnic food.

The dolls are so pretty, but the accessories she settled on were: a little school desk for her doll, a tiny book sachel, this cute little binder/pencil set with crayons/report card/Math book/folder/tiny eraser, and pencil box with doggies on it.

I also bought her some mystery books from the Kit series that she loves.

I will post picture of the stuff later, but for now here are the dolls hair salon, and some of the vignettes throughout the store.

Do you see the dolls doing each others hair in the backgrouond? So cute!

I don't know if you can tell, but the one on the left is sitting in the desk we bought. The other doll is in a little wheel chair! So cute!

Dog show scenario, so cute with the little trophy!

The doll of the year is from Hawaii, she looks a lot like my girl with the curly hair and brown eyes?

My Mom would have loved all the little stuff like saddle shoes, and the tiny binder with paper, and lunch box with sandwich and pickles!

It reminded me of going to Washington D.C. with my Mom as a little girl, we would go to this cool store with miniature doll house furniture and the things they had were so elaborate and tiny. I always thought it was so cute to see the little houses all neat and orderly with cute tiny things.

One year my mom bought me this tiny bubble gum machine with bubble gum balls in it. It was my favorite because I would always get bubble gum ice cream when we went to Washington. Ahh, nostalgia!

We then ate lunch in the Bistro, complete with appetizer, and little doll chairs with tiny pitchers and cups for your to pour for them.

It was really sweet, and she was so tickled by everything. She got lots of attention with her birthday sticker, despite there being a LOT of birthday girls there.

We finished up with a shopping spree and some ice cream before we hit the road home.

We rode home in traffic and lots of storms, but it did not dampen out spirits. She kept saying thank you and how special she felt, so really I would say mission accomplished.

My American Girl

2011-05-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

Friday at 11:30 my 'little' doll, and her dolls, set off to celebrate The First Annual Girl's Weekend -American Girl Atlanta style.

We buckled up, dolls in tow. The dolls even had their own suitcase packed by their owner.(Oh, and their pets, but we left our two pets at home!).

We had a little Krispy Kreme snack of donuts and coffee along the way. PS. I had the coffee, she had the chocolate milk and donut!

We got to the hotel and they had VIP check in for us that was alll roped off and special. Later in the room, they had waiting: a doll bed just for her doll, magic wand suckers, a VIG card for an ice cream sundae, and and a special invitation from the manager.

VIG check in (Very Important Girl)

The doll in the picture is being raffled off, and of course my girl was all about that!

Goofy liked the elevator a lot.

Showing her doll her accommodations for the evening.

Cheesecake Factory for dinner with the doll! Then a shopping spree that my pocketbook will not soon forget!

Cookies and milk for her and her doll delivered to our room at 9:30.

Somebody likes to twirl in chairs that have wheels.

After our cookies, we headed to the indoor pool to work off our calories. She found a friend named Talbot (cool name, right?) who had a little brother, and they swam until the hotel kicked us out at 11:00 p.m. Then we stayed up reading magazines until we couldn't keep our eyes open any longer!

Even before we hit American Girl, my daughter said thank you at least ten times. So sweet!
Tune in tomorrow to see what happened on our day at the actual store!
Spoiler Alert: A lot of pampering to come!

Tenacious

2011-05-11T14:49:00.000-07:00

I spent 7 nights away from home in a hotel bed. Those were not all great nights of sleep. In fact, 90% of the time I got less than six hours of sleep. I did get a big comfy bed to myself though. Many nights I studied and did not even turn on the TV.

It was really quiet.

Nice and quiet!

I like to sleep at least 7 hours in order to be perky and alert enough to brush my own teeth.

This was particularly problematic as I had to awaken on less than six hours of sleep and actually teach an in-depth curriculum to 30 professionals for 9 hours each day.

Good times.

On day four nothing in the world could get me to pronounce Transtheoretical Model correctly.

I tried several times.

It was a tongue twister for me.

I survived though, and it turned out to be an exhausting but fun week.

It seems that my bestfriend/co-trainer and I get a wee bit silly after even one night of partial sleep. We laughed more than I have laughed in years. Even on the plane ride home we laughed until close to tears. Our fellow co-plane mates were thrilled!

I cried in laughter on several occassions while exclaiming, "stop, my bladder, stop!". Enough said.

Anyway, I flew in late Friday, and woke Saturday to sprint to soccer practice, groceries, and then, drumroll, the BIRTHDAY PARTY!

My girl was turning 10 and six little girls were gonna be there to celebrate starting at 3:00, whether I liked it or not.

They arrived and were all smiles. We had cookie cake, opened presents, took silly pictures, and headed out to see Soul Surfer and get pizza!

Soul Surfer is just an awesome movie. I had already seen in with my girl once, because I had promised her I would take her if she read the book (kind of thinking I would wait awhile to get the book). Alas, her GT teacher brought it to her the next day and she read it in 24 hours.

For all you Christian Mom's out there, it is a great, inspirational, story (with a little bit of trauma, blood, and shark mixed in).

It is based on a true story that we probably have heard about, but the true inspiration to me was that they showed a real, live, fun, non-nerdy, loving, supportive, cool, funny CHRISTIAN family up close and personal.

Church service, family saying grace, praying, encouraging, going on a mission trip, affectionate parents, they had it all wrapped in a very believable package.

I was so excited to see that. I cried the first time from all the emotion. I cried the second time even harder because I was so dang tired and emotional after a week away, I just couldn't hold back.

I was so proud of my daughter picking an inspirational movie for her friends, and she really 'got' the message, too. It was a shining moment for me. (One girl did get the willies from the blood though, so CAUTION!).

We'll see how swimming at the beach goes, but she has been swimming at the beach since then.

Then they packed in one super large and one large pizza and had a blast singing songs, being goofy, taking pictures, and enjoying being 10.

They fought over who HAD to go home first, and we only ended up with one stragler to spend the night and go to church and lunch with us on Mother's day.

I love my girl. God knew I needed a girl as sweet as mine in my life.

She isn't perfect, but neither am I. She is perfect for me, and she is definitely a perfect fit for our family.

So Happy Birthday to my one and only precious Sweetest Pea. I love you so much sweet girl!

I can't wait to spend the weekend together on Mother Daughter Weekend Number #1 of many.

It thrills me that you decided you only wanted me to go because you wanted us to have special time together with just "us". That made my heart smile.

Fun and Sun

2011-04-29T10:08:00.000-07:00

I have no business blogging right now, it is not even on my To Do list.

I just missed a week and I could not let it go undocumented.

We had a lovely Easter in Charleston.

The beach was absolutely gorgeous. The kids swam, and it was the perfect 80 degree beach day.

We went to the church we went to when we were dating in college, and the same preacher was there.

It was awesome.

The church is bigger. Five services, plus two at a remote location. I did see some familiar faces, though.

It was a blessing.

Then we headed out to Sullivan's Island for lunch at Poe's Tavern, it did not disappoint. Rarely do we ALL enjoy every bite of our meals, but we did (and hubby got a t-shirt)!

We came back to a jam packed week, and now it is soccer tournament time. Next week I will be training in another state while my family muddles through without me (ha, they love getting to eat junk food and watch whatever Dad allows on T.V.- SCARY)!

I feel like I just finished packing, but I vowed to pack less this trip. HA! My suitcase broke last trip, so I went to TJ Maxx and found a big one with wheels for my flight home. I thought it might be too small, but I don't even have it 3/4 full.

I will call that "shopping room" for me.

I am going with my bestfriend, who also trains with me, so I think this week has the potential to be awesome.

If we just didn't have to WORK!

I am so looking forward to the slower pace of summer. We still have six or so camps and things going on, but I see the finish line of elementary school on the horizon.

And it is bittersweet. Let me tell you.

That's enough about that, though.

Loved Kate's wedding dress by the way, she has got to be one of the most effortlessly beautiful women in the world. I love her hair and smile. I hope she stays grounded!

Here are some pictures to entertain you while I'm gone!
(I have no idea why they are so grainy when I upload them? Any blog world ideas as to why they do that?)

Our favorite beach at Station 23 1/2

Waterfront park, before we had our FIVE DOLLAR slushies.

The Battery.

Right near Broad and King Street, our favorite residential areas to walk through and see all the gardens and houses.

Poe's Tavern after church. My hubby is so cute in a tie! Everyone at church wore bow ties, just like he used to!

My blue eyed boy is growing up too fast!

I had dinner with my work buddies at Carolina's on Exchange street. It has just rained really hard, and the Valet brough an umbrella and escorted us in right from the street to our comfy seats. I had a four course Spring Tasting menu meal that was SO good! Peanut Brittle Cup filled with berries and ice cream for dessert. Yum!

We hadn't been to California Dreaming on the harbor in years and years, but after a day on the beach I wanted She Crab and a good view of the city. I got it!

Right near where we used to visit friend in a carriage house on King Street. They were our best college buddies and live in Boston now. We miss them so much when we visit Charleston!

Easter dress was so pretty on her!

The beach has an awesome sandbar so you can swim without being beaten by the waves. We must have seen 100 doggies, which made us miss our own pouch!

My daughter loves historical markers of any kind.

That pool was freezing, but they swam for an hour. Of course, my son found two boys near his age, and he ended up playing with them the whole time.

Poe's was a great meal, but the hot Krispy Kreme donut I had Saturday night with coffee was scandulous. Don't worry, I already jogged it off!

Today I screamed my head off.. in a good way.

2011-04-15T17:51:00.000-07:00

I had today off.

Thankfully. Joyously. Gloriously.

OFF.

So I got up, got the children ready for school, dropped their hiney's at school (the rest of their body, too) and came home to run.

I ran. Showered. Headed for shopping country.

(I am really in a descriptive mood tonight.)

I had high hopes of finding the perfect outfit for my upcoming training.

While I did score some cute t-shirts, a pair of awesome pants for fourteen bucks, and one possible training appropriate blouse, I did not have the luck I really wanted to have.

There is a reason.

I saw a bathing suit on sale. (cue suspenseful music)

I thought, "hey, I need one of those, I'll try it". Big mistake.

I repeat.

BIG MISTAKE to try on a bathing suit.

I have blogged about losing 27 pounds. Running. Loving the compliments when people say I look great.

The sting of the mirror was almost more than I could bear today.

It was that bad. Don't try to picture it. Look away. Save yourself.

Anyway, after that, nothing was as much fun.

I texted a friend, and she assured me we could wear wet suits together at the pool this summer.

The only things that looked thin on me were my calves.

I don't think people spend much time paying attention to your calves at the pool.

I ended up buying one more thing for my son, and some flip flops for me (because everyone looks skinny in five dollar flip flops- it's a fact- really, check Wikipedia if you doubt me).

I digress.

I picked up the kids, and low and behold, hubby called and said he was coming home from out of town early.

We whipped out our season passes to a local theme park and hit the rides. We had a whole two and a half hours to enjoy.

It was cool and breezy, and not very crowded.

I laughed because they have not been since they were 4 & 5, so they were in the car talking about how they were gonna ride EVERY HUGE roller coaster. I just nodded and said, "Okay!".

Then we got up close to the huge loop-dee-doo, your feet dangle above the sky, roller coasters.

Suddenly, they got kinda quiet.

Pensive, almost.

They rode every coaster at Disney, but these are not theme rides. These are out in the open, fast and furious, toss your cookies rides.

So 'we' decided to try some of the "smaller" thrill rides to just get our feet wet.

They loved them.

So we worked up to this really old, wooden roller coaster with a bunch of big hills in a row.

The very same one that I rode in high school ___ (not so many, thank you very much) years ago.

The last time I rode said coaster was with my blogging buddy, Mary Bailey. We thought we were the stuff for riding that thing. Until it started up the huge hill.

We screamed.

A lot.

We laughed.

Even more.

So tonight, with my daughter by my side, I screamed.

A lot.

I think I lost my breath a couple of times and blacked out. Or maybe I just closed my eyes. Same difference.

Anyway, it was so much fun. Three coasters later, I felt just like I was back in high school, only without the Guess jeans, 12 inches of spiral permed hair, and the attitude.

Okay, okay, maybe I still have the attitude, and I would LOVE to fit in those size 4 Guess jeans again!

I thought it would be fun to ask my bloggy friend when the last time you let out a good scream was?

Spring (but not so much of a) Break

2011-04-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

Every year I do this.

I say that I am going to plan something awesome and take the week off for Spring Break like everyone else in the entire world seems to do (ok, I exaggerate, a little at times).

However, this year, I chose to add a second job to my week in addition to my regular job and not taking any time off!

What in the world was I thinking?

I know what I was thinking...

I was thinking:

1- I don't have much paid time off left,
2- I can make a lot of money if I just work those extra two days,
3-Oh well, we will still have fun despite all the working.

I hope I am right about that last one!

Friends on Facebook are all about counting down that trip to Disneyworld, the Beach, Bahamas, and other assorted fun places.

It makes me regret my dual job decision.

However, I am going to be doing my favorite kind of work in Charleston for two days, and then my family is coming to pick me up and spend two days trying to savor the moments that I am not working.

I have to remember that work is paying for our upcoming summer beach trip, several camps for my kids, and (drum roll) possibly a new laptop for me!

Did I hear shouts of hooray?

(Crickets?)

No?

Well, I should.

A wireless router and a laptop are the top of my "Wish List" right now.

They might just catapult me into technological relevance.

I am tired of being chained to the computer in the "Junk Room" with the dog cage and the video games.

(I guess chained was a little dramatic as a descriptive term, since I actually enjoy the computer, but I felt it was necessary to give this post a smidgen of -- oh, I don't know---EXCITEMENT?)

On a totally unrelated note:
The last days of 5th grade are really ticking down for us, and I am trying not to dread the upcoming graduation from elementary school, but it is not looking good people.

I have a feeling an ugly cry is going to be documented as my son crosses that cafeteria stage for the last time. Sniff, bawl, snort, WAIL!

He is super excited, but last week we went to his last Terrific Kid program (and look away for a sec while I BRAG, but he was selected for Terrific Kid every year he was there!) and it was hard to see how big he is and know that we have so many changes in store for us that are, ahem, scary to say the least.

So counting down to summer this year has a bittersweet tone to it. Not to mention, I have a daughter who will do all this NEXT YEAR! What was I thinking having them so close in age?

My tear ducts may never recover!

Anyway, I guess this is the appropriate time to ask you what kind of fun things YOU have planned for Spring Break (if you have one upcoming).

Oh, in the interest of total honesty, I am working later one night so that we can go to an amusement park for the day and I can ride roller coasters that make me want my childhood blankie for comfort, so I guess I do have some fun things planned other than work.

And please, remind me next year, to TAKE SOME TIME OFF AND SPRING!!!

American Girl and Bubble gum ice cream

2011-03-29T06:25:00.000-07:00

There are some things about my childhood that really stand out as special moments that I will always cherish.

Some of those things I promised myself I would replicate with my own daughter.

They were just that epic and important in my childhood, and I knew that if I ever was blessed with a daughter of my own, I was going to make sure that I tried my best to etch those same special memories on her memorybanks.

My mom and I used to take awesome "Girl Trips". Sometimes with some of her friends (and their daughters, occassionally), and sometimes just the two of us.

I have two, twin brothers that are 5 years older than I am, and let me share with you that time without 'the boys' was precious to me.

Having my mom all to myself, with all her attention on me, was just about the best thing I could imagine.

Sometimes we would just go shopping or to the movies for the day, and that was always special.

But as I got older, we started taking little trips together, and that is really when the fun and bonding started.

We went to Washington, D.C. to see her parents (my Nana and Popop) on the train a couple times. Bliss.

We went to the mountains of North Carolina to see where my favorite movie, Dirty Dancing, was filmed and actually saw the room he slept in while filming. Swoon. I walked the stairs where Baby danced up to his cabin for her lessons.

We went to see Mom's bestfriend and her daughter in Washington and visited a doll house shop that was absolutely equisite. Then we went for ice cream at Swenson's and I got pink bubble gum ice cream with REAL GUM BALLS in it, and savored every single piece!

While in Washington we went to the The Nutcracker ballet and I thought I had died and gone to high society heaven when we went backstage to meet the Clara who was friend of a friend and she even spoke to me!

We went to the Hilton Head, SC for a weekend beach trip and had an absolute blast, laughing, eating, and reading the whole time.(We always seem to upgrade our hotel rooms when together, too! Bonus!)

We never conclude a trip without at least one laughing fit, and getting lost is just part of our adventure. Who can pay attention to directions when you are talking 100 miles per hour?

Several Beth Moore conferences have been the highlight of recent trips, and let me tell you there is nothing more precious than growing spiritually in the presence of your mother. The calm assurance that you are both going to experience heaven together, and knowing that you understand each other's faith is something better than we could ever buy on one of our many antique hunting trips! (Thank you, Mom!)

I say all of that to let you know that I am finally stepping up to the plate in my home and planning the first, (and hopefully annual) Mother Daughter Weekend for my 9 year old daughter.

I realize that most 9 year old girls fast approaching 10 would not really still be in to American Girl dolls, but I am tickled fourteen shades of pink that my dear, sweet girl still loves to play with dolls.

She will hunker down upstairs in the bonus room with her doll house, outfits, and play for hours at a time. She shuts both doors, and when I ask her why, she always says, because I want to be able to play without worrying about people hearing what I say.

Love it.

She has read several books in the American Girl series, and has two dolls. She really wants to go to the store and actually take her doll with her to get her hair done and maybe even buy a new outfit.

So for her birthday, we are going to stay in a hotel (one that offers a bed for your doll, and cookies and milk for both at bedtime), and have lunch at the American Girl store in Atlanta. We have big plans. This is her birthday gift this year, and it beat out her heart's desire of a trampoline.

She is so excited. Understatement!

I have several little surprises planned for the weekend, but I can tell you she asks me every single day another detail about the trip. When are we leaving? Where are we eating? Can her doll go everywhere with us? Can she dress like her doll? Will they fix her hair however she wants? Can we swim in the hotel pool late at night? Am I getting out of school early? Is the hotel fancy? Are we eating out? Will we be gone for two WHOLE days?

The answer to all those questions is Y-E-S!

Yes, my dear, sweet, darling daughter I have always wanted and adore, this will be a trip you never forget.

I may even make sure you - and your doll- have bubble gum ice cream with real gum balls.

And I know we will have the time of our lives!

Soggy Bottom

2011-03-28T05:52:00.000-07:00

There are few things that make you question your child's choice of sport more than getting up at 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning to go stand out in rain watching your son play soccer when it is 38 degrees and 'too windy for an umbrella' weather.

Why, oh why aren't there indoor soccer stadiums in our town?

We stood out there four hours total on Saturday. It was just as miserable as you might imagine it being, only add the wet feet, grass, mud, and oh, did I mention the COLD. I even managed to run two miles while they were warming up and before it really got going.

We forgot our umbrella's for the first game, but luckily another parent brought one of those big canopy things with a tarp, so we all huddled together like wet rats on a solo raft in the ocean.

I knew it was bad when I went in to get coffee at a nearby shop between games, and a lady took one look at me and said, "Oh dear, you must be a SOCCER MOM". She said it with a sympathetic tone that I knew could only be shared by a fellow soccer mom survivor. She and her husband were retired, but they did manage to say, "Enjoy it, it is over too soon." as they got in their warm car to go home and NAP peacefully, I presume.

Then Sunday morning we got up and did the whole thing over again, only BONUS, now the fields were even more muddy and flooded! Yay!

My son's allergies have been really bothering him, so I went through a couple tumultuous hours of self-doubt and "am I a bad mother for letting him play in this weather when he doesn't feel good" conversations with myself.

He begged to play because it was a tournament, also, and this is a big shocker, they kind of discourage missing Tournaments. In the end, he was even disappointed he did not get to play more, because they shortened Sunday's games to accommodate for the torrential rain and field conditions. The good news is the rain should help with getting rid of all the pollen!

It was one of those weekend when you know on Sunday night, after you have vacuumed out your car twice, done four loads of wet, muddy laundry, and cleaned off six pairs of muddy shoes THREE TIMES, that maybe it is gonna be a rough week because you have not had the restful weekend you envisioned.

We lovingly told my son several times each second, I mean day, you better NEVER question whether we love you! This is family sacrifice at the highest possible level. Sacrificing Saturday and Sunday for soggy bottoms and sniffly noses.

In all honesty, I know that there are many people around the world who really suffer. So this was really nothing but a little bit of a blip in our comparably comfy, cosy, life road, but it's kind of fun to document it all on my blog in case he ever tried to pull the "you don't really love me" guilt trip!

It was a cruel trick of nature to lure us in with sunshine and 80 degree nirvana last weekend and then blast us with cold when we weren't expecting it!

So what, pray tell, did you do for your weekend? I want to live vicariously through you!

Risky Business: A multi-generational mantel.

2011-03-24T05:51:00.000-07:00

I am totally not trying to use false humility when I say that home decorating is not my thing. It just isn't my gift.

So I make do the best I can.

I think if I had more money to burn it would be a little easier, but I have never been one of those people who uses those decorator type "props" that are trendy and everyone kind of jumps on the bandwagon.

You know like porcelain monkeys, bronze pineapples, lion heads, starfish and buoys, or rooster themes. (Okay, maybe I am out of touch with what people are decorating with!)

I am much more likely to decorate with an antique I foraged from my Granny's house, or anything with sentiment attached.

I like things to be different, not really matchy-matchy or theme-y, but that means things don't particularly turn out looking as put together as I'd like.

However, it usually evokes a feeling of home from me, and I guess that is what I am going for.

So, I decided I was tired of my mantle about five years ago. That is one year after we moved to this house and I decorated it, for those of you keeping track.

I decorated a little more for Christmas this year with my Nana's antique cookie jars and some other newer things, but then Christmas was over and I was back to the same old, same old.

So yesterday I decided to rock out some of the things I had on hand to decorate for spring.

Warning: I did not spend one penny on this mantel.

The clock is my great grandmother, Mama's, and it will never leave that spot. Her precious hand wound that clock, and it is one of the only ways I still feel connected to her- and I miss that woman a lot!

The glass chickens were a collection from my Nana's (my mother's mother) and I usually have them all cooped up in a display cabinet (cooped up, get it? Ha, I am puny!).

The tree is actually made with ornaments my very own 9 year old sewed with my mom (now her Nana) for me. Love it! You can't read it with my yucky angles, but one ornament says "Jesus" on a cross. That is my favorite along with the chick and bunny.

The bunny cookie jar was a gift from my parents. So I am counting four, yep, that's right FOUR generations of goodies gracing my mantel.

Oh, and the daffodils were transplanted from my Granny's (who turns 95 years old today!) yard and I have about 6 varieties in full bloom in my yard right this moment.

What is lacks in sophistication it definitely makes up for in sentiment.

And that is good enough for my home any day!

Isn't that chick just the cutest thing?

You can kind of see the Jesus cross, little Easter basket and bunny here.

Funny story, my husband and son asked, "What do chickens have to do with Easter?" My daughter and I were like, "duh, EGGS?". Um, then we all tried to figure out what eggs had to do with Easter. Brain teaser!

The finished product. Wish I had a cross to hang where that picture is!

Springing Forward

2011-03-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

Some things that I love about Springtime:

It doesn't get dark until almost 8, and we can spend more time outside(I don't want to talk about how hard it is to get up in the dark, though).

My hubby uses his grill.

My daughter's Lemonade stands.

My son playing soccer while I run, and making sure that he is always in my line of sight so I can count his juggling.

Cooper running by me with the sun making his fur look shiny red and his tongue flapping in the breeze.

The result (not the process) of Spring cleaning and yard work.

Talking to neighbors because we are all outside more, complaining about yard work and how fast our kids are growing up. Two telling me how grown up, pretty, and POLITE my daughter is while selling her lemonade.

My son playing football in the front yard with friends, and it totally not bothering his sister while the ball whizzes past her head fifty times.

All my clothes from last year are too big (this is a first)!

How excited my kids are when we record their height on their charts inside their closet. (This also makes me immensely sad and nostalgic.)

Finding an old picture of my son's Easter basket when he was four and him saying, "Hey, I still play with that car I got!"! Joy.

The beach trip countdown.

Strawberries starting to come in season.

Watermelon season being just around the bend.

Little girl's Easter dresses.

Buying new flip flops. (I love this one too much, I am afraid!)

Grilling out at my parent's house on the weekend!

Feeling with a renewed sense the joy and hope of salvation.

What do you like most about Springtime?

Black and White.

2011-03-10T17:30:00.000-08:00

It has always been a preference of mine to choose one side or the other. Sitting on fences never did much for me when it came to making a decision. Right or Wrong, I want to pick a side.

Which is why my occupational task is really hard sometimes. I have to decide what is right and what is wrong, and it involves a lot of people sometimes. So when I make a decision, I spend a good while debating it and making sure I have my facts straight (and get rid of the fiction) before I involve anyone else. It's the perfect position for someone striving for unattainable "perfectionism".

Sometimes.

So today was hard. Somebody higher up did not like the choice that I made, and even though I have been at this particular "decision making position" for six years, it does not make it easy to stand up for what I believe in.

I did what I could sleep with in good conscience, and I would not bow to some pretty strong persuasion to do otherwise.

I wish I could say that I stood tall and it did not affect me at all.

Nope.

I did an ugly cry for quite a while. Offered up a resignation, which didn't get taken. Left with not a drop of makeup on my face when I returned home.

It was a hard day. Then I started getting mad. Then I wanted to get even.

Then I heard a song on the radio aptly titled: 70 x 7. Referring to the number of times we are to forgive those who sin against us.

Man that number seems high today.

Of course, if it was referring to the number of times I want to be forgiven, it is WAY TOO LOW!

So I am going to have a long weekend to cool my jets. Pray some prayer. Read some scripture, and hang out with some of my favorite peeps.

Hopefully, I will find the place forgiveness promises healing in.

Until then, I will be thinking about how great it is when we believers all live together in a place that I picture as the purest white imaginable.

Filled with light. Filled with love. Sinless and pure.

Ah, that is a much better perspective.

What happened last night, and why I don't want to forget it.

2011-03-04T06:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was pretty high on the crazy schedule factor at our house.

Leaving work to go running from here to there with this one,
while the other ran there with that one,
studying for tests,
picking up mess.

I could've skipped playing in the yard with my daughter and son.
Easily could have said, "not today"
could have NOT made a way.

BUT, I didn't.

Could've told my daughter "no way, no how"
when she wanted us to go buy new PJ's for PJ day at school.
Could've made her wear the too short ones that were not so cool.

BUT, I didn't.

Could've been stricter on bed times, and lax on love.
Could've cleaned up more and actually used the stove.

BUT, I didn't.

And when I tucked my oldest in to bed,
picking up laundry for the 30th load as I did,

He could've skipped saying, "Mom, thank you for being such a great mom to me."

BUT, he didn't.

February Sunburn?

2011-02-28T06:48:00.000-08:00

We had a fun, busy weekend, but the weather really was the star/culprit.

It was 37 degrees when we left our home at 6 a.m. Saturday to head South for our son's two soccer games. I had to keep repeating in my head, "we like soccer, soccer is good", even though everyone(except ME of course) was tired and a little on the grumpy pants side.

We had to take our dog, Cooper, because we weren't getting back in town until after 4:00 p.m. and he would have been crazy being cooped up (get it?) that long. With all the dog stuff, soccer gear, picnic food, jackets and "stuff" we looked like we were going for a long weekend, not just a day!

Cooper loved the park where the games were held. I walked him along a gorgeous trail through the woods by ponds with geese (which is Cooper's favorite animal to swim after, so I now have one Pop-eye like arm from trying to strong arm him back on the path every time he got a whiff of a goose swimming nearby).

What he loved even more was all the attention from people who came by to admire him. He loves kids, and the team enjoyed petting him. In fact, they declared him the "Team Mascot" and dedicated their two wins to him.

If dogs could get a big head, his would be like a Bobble head from all the compliments and attention. He slept like a big old baby the whole way home, sprawled right across my daughter's lap with a look of pure contentment on his face.

After Cooper and I ran, it had started to warm up some ( I think it eventually got to 74 degrees?), so I took off my jacket and enjoyed the next 6 hours in the sunshine.

Oblivious.

When we were riding home, I mentioned that my neck and chest felt a little warm. My hubby mentioned it looked a little "red".

Ahem.

I wear foundation with SPF 15, so my face was totally protected. But my neck and chest. Oh, Molly.

I woke up Sunday morning to the world's reddest neck and chest. Of course, It was really warm on Sunday, plus I was teaching SS, so a turtle neck would not do. I would roast in one.

We had a packed Sunday School class, and I think more than one joke was volleyed at my "red-neck" expense. Everyone kept asking me if I was nervous, or how I got so badly burned. One lady even chidded, "you really should wear sunscreen as fair as you are".

Thanks for the tip!

My husband teased that he was calling my dermatologist to report that I had sunbathed without sunscreen.This from a man who never, ever, ever wears sunscreen and yet tans beautifully. NO. FAIR.

I am usually so vigilant, since I am so freckled, fair, AND I had a precancerous spot removed about 6 years ago.

However, I ask you internets. My dear comrades of support.

Can you really blame a person for not wearing sunscreen in FEBRUARY?

Who knew?

Certainly not this red-neck.

So what is your best/worst sunburn story? Make me feel better, please!

My worst nightmare.

2011-02-22T05:57:00.000-08:00

Whenever I am preparing for a conference where I am one of the trainers, it always feels a little surreal and overwhelming.

Then I go through the self-doubt and the tedious process of actually preparing what I am going to be teaching. Then I start to think that maybe I am too old and feeble minded to remember all of this information. (If that is how I feel at 38, 40 must be such a JOY.)

It's a pretty heft workload to fit into my already busy work schedule and "life" schedule of pick ups and drop offs and such.

Anyway, about a month or two before the training date approaches, I start my "Scary Dream Sequence of Training Catastrophes". (Catchy title, right?)

The dreams usually start out with a simpler theme: I forget what I am teaching and run from the room crying.

Then as the date of the training approaches they get a little more intense: None of the other trainers show up and I have to teach 16 hours of material I don't really know by myself, and the participants heckle me and ask a lot of questions I can't answer. Then they call my mother and tell her I'm worthless. (sniff. sniff.)

This last time I concluded with a nightmare I shared with one of my four co-trainers: I get there and the night before the main trainer tells me I have to teach sessions I did not prepare for, and I can't get it together in time. Then she calls and yells at me the next day for screwing up, and I go home all downcast and feeling like a loser.

I know, intense right?

SO, we arrive at the training the afternoon before to set up all the multi-media components needed in the room.(Cue nervous stomach.)

And guess what? The main trainer texts us she can't make it out of Iowa today because of fog, but DO NOT WORRY (yet) she will fly out the next day and she knows we can handle the first day, (Cue the perspiration).

Next my co-trainer talks me down from the beach front balcony ledge on the 8th floor, assuring me that she will make it and that all will be well.

Fast forward next morning during the training. I receive an email that she can not get her flight out again and will not make it in time for the training, so we will be teaching her two sessions the next day in addition to our two sessions. (Cue the sudden onset bowel discomfort. ahem.)

I wish that I could say I trusted God immediately and was filled with peace and certainty that all would be well.

However, God was so good even though I freaked out. He has a way of doing that when we most need it, doesn't he?

I missed some sleep, and there was an outlet mall less that 1/2 a mile from my beachfront hotel room, that I DID NOT EVEN GET TO WALK INSIDE A STORE (with an Anne Taylor outlet, no less), but God lavished me with grace and we were able to pull it all off.

I even had a couple of nightmarish things happen (the hotel staff accidentally took down all the tables and technical stuff in my ballroom during lunch and I had to reset it all minutes before my next session, and my computer almost crashed right before my powerpoint but magically behaved).

I tell you all that boring detail because I want to remember this next point the next time I am a nervous wreck.

God can even handle my worst nightmare and turn it into an opportunity for me to grow in faith and trust in HIS abilities, even when I seriously begin to doubt my own.

After the training, while we were both scurrying around packing up and preparing for a very long, tired ride home, we read the evaluations. And they were so kind and encouraging, that I just had to thank my Creator for grace once again, even in my "worst nightmare" scenario.

Anyone else have a worst nightmare scenario that came true?

Love the ones your with!

2011-02-14T08:10:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day peeps!

I hope everyone is having an awesome day! May the one who created you to love, lavish you with love today!

I am so hopeful that this Monday will be better than last Monday, which was, um, stinkin'!

I am not a flowers and chocolate kind of girl, well, this year! I can't have chocolate on my diet (so I warned my hubby to cancel the dozen Godiva truffles he usually serves up), and I am leaving town in a day or two so I didn't want to miss the best of the flowers (and I only like tulips, they go fast!).

I did get a gift card to my favorite coffee spot, AND an awesome leather purse that I had been drooling over for a while at TJ Maxx. I asked him if he minded if I picked out my own gift this year, and he said "Yes" before I even finished the sentence. That is what you call a Win Win!
I got up early and made my family breakfast (which is huge for me), my daughter even said, "WOW, this really is going all out Mom!". I had to snicker (man, would a Snickers taste good right now) at that, poor kids, they only get homemade breakfast on Saturdays around here.

I had their Valentine's gifts sitting on the table, and they really were so excited. They did not even turn on the TV, but sat there and talked all excited about their Valentine's Party, their Pillow Pets, and how much fun today was going to be.

It was the sweetest breakfast scene I have ever encountered before 7 a.m. Ever. Since I am not a morning person, it really takes a lot for me to even witness a breakfast scene, much less enjoy one where I am doing the cooking and not the eating!

Leaps and bounds better than last Monday.

Now I am off to the races to get ready for this weeks out of town training. I have a ton of preparation to do, but I get to go with my co-presenter/best friend so that makes it something I am really looking forward to: three days at the beach in a hotel with your best friend and getting paid for it- YES, PLEASE!!

My hubby and I cheated the crowd and went on our Valentine's date on Friday night, and it was the best meal I have had in months! A really cool little place with great food that I had never been to, and we really enjoyed not having to check the Kid's Meals section of the Menu, because there was nary a kid in sight to order for!

I had planned to surprise him by asking to go see True Grit (which I have heard several bloggers give high praise- I am skeptical there is no romantic, comedy stuff, but I am trusting that he would be so shocked it would be worth it) after our date, but our babysitter (aka mother-in-law) ended up being sick when we got there to drop of the kids.

Apparently, she had been hiding the fact she was sick all week so we wouldn't cancel our date plans that had been on her calendar for weeks. We felt so guilty we just ate dinner and scratched our plans for a late movie so that she could recover.

The rest of the weekend was just plain awesome weather, great family time, and really low key. We had a break from soccer games, but we went to the park both days and the whole family ended up hanging out, playing soccer (even Cooper, who loves to steal the soccer ball and then run around while we all chase him), and enjoying the 60 degree weather that was a gift from God!

Church was great yesterday and on a very relevant topic for me, and I had a long devotion this morning.

I am convinced that was the ONE thing that made all the difference in how my two Monday's turned out so different!

In an hour or so, I will go host my son's Valentine's Bingo Party/ Ice Cream Sundae party, and if 20 giddy fifth graders can't cheer you up, what will?

So, how are you spending your Valentine's day?

Grace

2011-02-05T15:26:00.000-08:00

We had a guest speaker at our church a couple of weeks ago, and she said something that really stuck with me.

She said that growing up in her church she never remembers being told about grace.

Let that sink in for a while.

Never taught about grace. In a church.

Now, in the defense of whatever church she grew up in, I am quite sure she could have read about it herself in the Bible, but to never have been taught from Sunday School or the pulpit? (Let's hope she was just home sick or on vacation those Sundays.)

It just kind of struck me hard that morning.

Then I tried to remember what I had heard about grace growing up. That took some soul searching.

She went on to say that it led to a kind of checklist Christianity where she always tried to just be really "good", follow all the biblical rules, or keep up appearances of being good and following the rules.

You know. All the "normal" ways a person tries to earn salvation (and eventually fails or runs out of steam).

The Bible says all our "good works" are like filthy rags compared to what God has done for us.

It sounds so wonderful. Free gift. (How many times have I sat an marveled over my Clinique make-up free gifts?)

To think that we don't have to "do" anything but accept God's free flowing grace by faith, and then be His child forever. To believe and rest in the knowledge that He just chose to love me enough to allow His one and only son to die on the cross for my sins. Not because of who I was, but because of who HE is.

I find it is much harder to live out than one would think.

Very often in my life I have found myself slinking back to my old, "I'm gonna earn God's love" ways.

It's subtle sometimes.

I get smug because I've done my devotion 10 days in a row (or heck, even 7!)!

I memorize a verse and can't wait to quote it to someone.

I think harder about how my public prayer sounds than the sentiment behind the prayer itself.

I smile inwardly as someone shares their struggle with cursing, and I think to myself, "whew, they should read their Bible more."

I know.

Yuck. Yuckiest, yuck, yuck.

So easy to allow ourselves to take "credit" for the things God has done for us, isn't it?

Or maybe you are feeling smug reading this because you've never done that yourself.

My hats off to you.

As much as I try to keep God's grace in focus, I always seem to need a little reminder that He is the only reason anything good gets done in or with my life.

I am incapable of anything good or wholesome without His marvelous, saving, cleansing, redeeming, pure, unearned, undeserved, free-flowing, all consuming, perfect G-R-A-C-E!

So guess what? Tomorrow in my Sunday School class I am teaching on grace.

Not so much for the person who is sitting there that has never heard of the lifesaving grace that changes lives, but for THIS person who is sitting here in awesome wonder at this life He chose to save by that very same grace.

Foodies

2011-01-29T12:31:00.000-08:00

We love to eat.

In fact, we come from a long line of "eaters" (I know, amazing isn't it?)

So when we go out of town (or even IN town) we are always looking for some really good grub. If it is inexpensive, then it just tastes that much better to our untrained palates.

My hubs and I love watching the Food Network, even though that is probably not the best channel for someone on a diet like me, it is still pretty entertaining.

I mean, nothing ramps up my cooking self-esteem like an episode of Worst Cooks where they can't even peel a cucumber, or seeing a Chef that owns their restaurant leave the bones in a fish and not be able to cook a potato like on Chopped.

It's good stuff I tell you.

So, recently when we went to Charleston, we went to our old favorites, Hyman's Seafood (delish shrimp, any night you go!), and Andolini's Pizza (6 bucks even for a salad and a New York style slice as big as your head)! Yes, please!

Then we walked a little on the wild side on for the rest of the weekend. We ate at Hominy Grill (which has been featured on Rachel Ray, Anthony Bordaine, and Man Verses Food guys pic is even in the bathroom along side Anthony Hopkins as happy customers). I had this awesome blue cheese flank steak that melted in my mouth, and the rest of the family, well, they did not choose well.

Sunday we went to a place featured on Good Eats! It was awesome because it is a hot dog only menu, with root beer served in frosty mugs and awesome fries. I had this awesome Rocket Dog with chili, onions, blue cheese slaw, and a sweet potato mustard.

Heavenly. I kept wishing my Dad was there, because that man LOVES a hot dog, and these were some of the most scrumptious combo's I had ever seen. Plus the chili cheese fries, were worth cheating on my diet!

We love hunting down good food, and I had forgotten to include that in my last post, so I am gonna also include some pics, too!

Doesn't it look cool inside?

Chucktown

2011-01-24T06:33:00.000-08:00

This weekend was one of the only ones on our spring calendar line up that did NOT have any events on it.

Those two blank squares lit up my life and filled me with the hope of endless possibilities.

Okay, maybe that was a little overboard.

It was a little more like, "Hey honey, we don't have anything on the calendar and I don't have to teach Sunday School this Sunday, do you want to go somewhere?".

We booked a hotel and headed out for Charleston before we could convince ourselves it wasn't rational.

A little back story, my hubby and I met and fell in love in Charleston while we were both attending C of C. I was a Junior, and he was a sophomore who just transferred from a small Christian school. We met at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes party, and after a quick breakup from my boyfriend at Clemson, we were dating full force. So we love going back there, and we always dream about moving back someday when life is less chaotic.

I gotta say, we use brainwashing techniques on par with the FBI to convince our kids to going to college there.

We try to woo them with great food, wonderful scenery, breathtaking architecture, and the stories of all of our 'zany' college adventures.

( In truth, I have no idea what techniques the FBI uses, but slices of chocolate raspberry cake the size of a soccer ball, praline cookies, Hyman's seafood, Krispy Kreme donuts, heaping bowls of boiled peanuts, and bottled cokes seem to do the trick for us! )

Okay, that was a LOT of back story. (Do I hear crickets chirping?)

Oh, even though it is not a specific to Charleston thing, my kids absolutely adore a trip the the hotel breakfast bar equipped with a waffle bar and day old danishes. They can not wait to get up and go down there to eat. (Probably because their Momma never really delivers on the hot breakfast at home very often.)

Maybe they're an easy sell.

(I definitely hear chirping.)

We toured the Citadel Military College also, and I think my hubby has some kind of delusion that my son would see all the old air crafts and tanks parked on the quad and it would become his school of choice. After some details though, my son's enthusiasm seemed to falter a bit.

Somehow no car for two years+ no leave for six weeks + crew cut + standard issue military uniform + hazing + spit shining your shoes + running 8 miles a day = not a lot of interest in the school from 11 year old who can't put his underwear in the hamper, never makes his bed, and eats 9 snacks a day plus three meals with gusto.

My husband actually seemed surpriseded he wasn't interested.

We also toured Fort Moultrie and my kids continue to amaze me at their total and complete interest in military history. They totally did not get that gene from me. They read every plaque and touch every artifact.

While I take pics and try to feign interest. Heavy on the feigning.

We also love to show them all of our old apartments (and might I add, I had a LOT of apartments while in undergraduate and graduate school there). Wow. My poor parents must have hated all those moves. (Thanks Mom and Dad, I really did have some cool addresses!)

I lost count after 5 moves(seven if you count the two moves into dorms!).

We also drove by the historic church we got married in (almost 15 years ago), the Historic house where we had our reception.

I have to say, even now, that had to be one of the most perfect days of my whole life.

In fact, I think our entire year of engagement was pretty much the stuff of fairy tales for me.

At one point, my daughter asked what did we talk about in the limo ride along the Battery after our reception, and I said, "honey, at that point in my life, I had NO IDEA that one day I would be riding around in Charleston with your daddy and our two elementary school aged children in the back seat, so it was probably some totally realistic conversation about how the world would always revolve around us and our love".

Okay, so I didn't say that out loud, but I thought it. Who knows what in the world we talked about, but I am dern sure it wasn't about how one day we would con our kids into going to college there so we could re-live our glory days through them.

Ever notice how time flies?

It really is nice that they love the magic of Charleston as much as we do, though.

We had a fabulous weekend, and I am so glad we are the type of parents that just pick up and go places on a whim, and that our kids will get to tell their kids about our adventures as a family one day.

I am totally convinced, that a love of travel is a fabulous trait to instill in our kids.

But maybe my parents just brainwashed me into thinking that when I was a kid?

Today

2011-01-16T16:56:00.000-08:00

I was a little late to Sunday School, but it really didn't matter because we started late and the class was full of new couples and "old", dear ones which makes me happy!

I really enjoyed our pastor teach about Paul and his calling in life, and his "story" really reminded me of a bloggy friend who is experiencing a huge change in her life. It made me smile that the Internet is not all bad, and that I can pray for someone I have never actually met, but really like anyway.

I got to spend an hour and about 3 1/2 miles talking/walking with my best friend (and letting my dog Cooper romp around like the happiest dog on the planet).

I am not sure if our bodies or our minds needed the workout more (Keep in mind we spend almost four whole days snowed in with our families and only texted), but I am pretty sure my jaw muscles got an awesome work out!

I went to the grocery store and took my time. And it actually wasn't that horrible, it was kinda nice to slow down and actually FOLLOW MY LIST!

I made homemade meatballs and marina sauce, garlic bread, and salad for my family.

I did not even eat the pasta and stuck to my diet (except for the little piece of garlic bread- YUM!).

I am celebrating 23 pounds lost and two clothes sizes. All my recently purchased pants are baggy and it is a NICE change of pace!

I am thankful for where I am, and where God is leading me. Even though I have no idea where or what He is leading me to, I am confident He has a plan that is better than mine. For this moment!

I am about to finish up the day with my one Splenda cup of coffee and enjoy some family time before we start a crazy week.

What was your "today" like?

Snow Blizzard of 2011

2011-01-10T11:41:00.000-08:00

Catching snowflakes on your tongue is rare in the south!

My favorite pic!

For us, this is a blizzard. We are still counting at six plus glorious inches, and it is gorgeous!

Today we hiked a mile and a half or so to the neighboring school where there is a huge hill to sled down.

My daughter met up with her best friend to sled, make a snowman, and snow ice.

We ended up running into lots of neighbors at the hill, and it was a great time... until we had to hike the whole way back.

The good news is, I definitely can eat whatever I want today. We walked up three humongous hills to get there, up and down the hills there, and then back. Thighmaster's got nothing on me today. They already ache!

Now on to the pictures!

She wasn't sure she even wanted snow, and she played in it the most and did not complain one time about the cold/wet!

I love a kid all bundled up!

Brother gave a big push down the big neighborhood hill!

Sledding down the hill!

Throwing snow balls at the frozen lake!

Don't even hit the camera girl!

A true friend will pull you UP the hill!

Down the road to the school, crazy?

He ate a ton of snow!

It is up the hill that is the killer on the legs, she must have done 15 trips or more!

Harry and Lisa raced to the bottom, look who got snowed!

Dad did his fair share of sledding, then got a four wheeler ride home, we did not have that kind of luck!

I love having a neighborhood to enjoy snow with!

My son said, "Best snow day ever!"

Carol gets mother of the year for doing this several times, they went so fast!

Empty or Full?

2011-01-06T07:06:00.000-08:00

There are really two kinds of people in the world.

(Okay, really there are a myriad of kinds of people, but let's just suspend reality for a little while because that lead sentence really made me feel important. You know, like I had just published some huge research paper on "kinds of people" and was reporting to my faithful bloggy friends the outcome of my very scientific, number-filled study.)

I digress.

There are two kinds of people in the world when it comes to calendars.

Ah, now we are on to something!

People who like a "full" calendar that makes them feel busy and important with lots to look forward to in the new year.

Then there are those who prefer as little as possible on their calendar, feeling like the free space in each little calendar day box gives them the flexibility to live in the moment each day (or not have children who do anything extracurricular, in the very least).

I have to admit that I was so hyped up when I opened up my home and work calendar for the first time and the pages were all blank.

Oh, the freedom. The possibilities of a new year. The free time! Whatever would I do with all the free time?

Then I filled in my regular work schedule.

School holidays.

My "contract" travel work schedule.

My obligatory one week of beach vacation (yippee!).

My meetings.

The soccer schedule, orthodontics appointments for braces, and three weekend tournaments.

Gymnastic practices, tech club, and church activities.

Good-bye free spaces.

Even with all the filled in boxes, I am still excited about a fresh start. New faces. New people to enjoy. New adventures in parenting.

I know that it is typical for parents to brood over how quickly their "babies" have grown up, and say things like, "where did the time go?", but I totally get it. I totally understand how the mother of a college student stands in front of me weeping and says, "I swear, it was just yesterday when I was potty training!".

(...and if potty training means getting an 18 year old boy to lift the lid and hit the "target", she may have been literal because HELLO!)

I understand those mothers now. I understand the cruel irony of them driving you crazy sometimes when they are home for two weeks straight, but the deep feeling of remorse as they walk out the door to go to a friend's house after school and you feel like you just didn't get to see them enough that day.

Parenthood. It is a difficult role, this parenting gig.

Everyday I wake up to a new facet that I either totally love or struggle to comprehend.

Some days I feel like every decision I make has a monumental impact on their future.

"What if I overreacted about the bad grade and he feels like a failure."

"What if I didn't make a big enough deal about that and she ends up thinking it's okay to say that to a friend?"

"What if I only told them I loved them 50,000 times, but I forgot to tell them this morning before school and they really needed to hear it most TODAY?"

"What if I try too hard to be their friend/confidante and I am not firm enough of a parent to teach them what they need to learn about respect, obedience, and responsibility."

"What if..."

Only by grace.

Only with God.

Only day by day.

Whether empty of full on the calendar page, I realize that every day I have to make an intentional effort to make the most of what God gives me.

2011??

2011-01-03T17:01:00.000-08:00

I owe you (or maybe just my fading memory banks) a really long, descriptive Christmas recap.

We really had a great holiday.

The end.

Just kidding. You know I have more to say than that! I could write more words about a stop at the Post Office to get stamps.

I am wordy like that!

We all got the crud at one point or another during the holidays, but even that did not rob us of our Christmas joy.

Just like the Grinch's plans were foiled, God had a better blessing in mind for us that runny noses and barking like seals.

Elfis (our elf on the shelf) showed up in precarious positions. He made snow angels in flour on my kitchen tables. He left "snow" all over my kitchen. He was his usual micheivous self.

Santa came in all his mysterious storytelling ways, and he left nice gifts of electronics, bike helmets, stockings filled with fun toys, and crafty fun things.

God was faithful to meet me by the tree early several mornings and late one night to re-open my heart and eyes to the glory of his gift of salvation through a baby. The word made flesh. It gave me chills more than once this Christmas season.

We had a great time with both families. We had an awesome New Year's with great friends and laughed until I needed a restroom. Right then.

I stayed on my diet pretty well and managed not to gain any weight (despite a week break from walking due to the crud).

My hubby got some great news from the Doctor after a few tests (Praise the Lord)!

I was off work a good bit and played lots of Scrabble Flash, Trouble, and Uno Attack.

This one is really big:

I read two books cover to cover. One was Jan Karon's newest that I can not remember the title of right now and am too lazy to go check. The other was Learning to See by Mary Beth Chapman and it was just as tear jerking and inspiring as you would think it would be.

We really enjoyed being a family. We got bored together. We made cookies. We went out for Japanese Steakhouse on Christmas Eve, eve like we always do. We ate treats the neighbors brought over.

We laughed a lot, snuggled tons, and all around enjoyed the blessings of house, health (when we had it) and home that God has blessed us with.

It was a super holiday season for us.

Today my kids had to go back to school, but my bestfriend and I got a day off work due to state holiday schedules, and we went shopping for the day and had a blast! We talked and shopped and had an all around great time getting really lost and then found again all over the neighboring city.

There was a prayer meeting at our church last night and a fabulous speaker on Sunday. It reminded me that hope lives in my heart because of Jesus' precious gift of grace, and that, that knowledge alone, is what makes me excited about a 2011.