quite.like.life.

when words don't work

2010-08-16T20:03:00.004-04:00

December 19, 2007. couldn't breathe. the weight of the awful reality that my brother was gone forever choked all thoughts from my head and left my heart in mangled mess.

July 20, 2000. an umbilical cord tying her to me cut off all response...the first time that i was to feel this pure, unadulterated feeling of being permanently attached to someone who had never asked for my love in return.

August 9, 2001. alas, it can happen twice in a lifetime! this squirming little mess of body fluid and new life gasped his first breath...and with it stole my ability to speak. the only reponse to this rush of fierce, protective love were my tears.

April 22, 2004. the sense of soul shattering disbelief that my mother was gone left me feeling weak and weary with life's ability to steal my voice and replace it with salty, stinging tears.

these are moments in my life that take your breath away. these are moments in which there were no words can describe a feeling. the only response that a body can allow are tears...or breathlessness. seconds....minutes....hours....sometimes days and months of mind numbing FEELING.

in moments like these, (if you're lucky) you learn what life is all about.

life is about love and loss. life is about learning to appreciate what is there, when it is there. it's in the gentle curve of my children's cheeks...the whisper of their breath as I watch them sleep. it's in the laughter that seeps beneath their bedroom door. it's when i hang the phone up after talking to my dad. it's when i watch my brother's truck drive away. it's when i see my father in law take a tumble or have a seizure. it's when i watch my mother in law smile even when i know she has been hurt by someone she loves. it's sitting on the couch piled up with my family watching TV and doing nothing.

it's falling asleep each night knowing how much I love...and how much I am loved in return.

When words don't work... Those are moments that speak the most to me...

and those are the ones worth speaking about.

Part 2

2010-01-10T23:20:00.004-05:00

Ohh, I am so lucky.

Have I said this already?

See, I have a best friend. Her name is Lori.

To be honest, I have a few best friends...each one of them special and important to me in their own right. I can count them on one hand...and still have a finger left over, but I feel that perhaps that it just about right.

But Lori.....she is my soul mate. Truly the Yin to my Yang. I am loud, she is quiet. I am bossy and over bearing, she is submissive(but not in a bad way!!) and humble. I tend to change my mind quite often, while she is steadfast and sure of what she believes in. I have very little patience, hers is endless. I am judgemental and intolerable of other people's stupidities, she is kind hearted and sympathetic to the plights of others (even sometimes before they even realize there IS a plight...lol!)

See? In so many ways we are opposites. Sometimes I sit and wonder how on earth someone as incredible as Lori could have chosen me (ME!) to be her best friend...her sister in every word of the definition, except for the small fact that we don't share the same parents. Why? How on earth could I have been so lucky to stumble upon this woman who has taught me so much about....life?

From Lori I have learned that being a mom doesn't mean that I have to be perfect...nor should I expect my children to be. She has ABSOLUTE! endless patience with Cody and Courtney. From Lori I have learned that not everyone is going to like me...and I really shouldn't let that bother me because those who DO like me, will like me for the right reasons. Because I am being ME and not the person someone else wants me to be. From Lori I have learned that I shouldn't be swift to judge. {{The lady who just cut me off and nearly ran me over with her car very well may have just heard that her son is dying}} Slow to anger...slow to wrath because we never know what someone else is going through.

Her ability to see just beneath the surface and know what someone needs even before they know what they need...well, it makes me jealous (and because she is MY best friend, I can say that and know that she loves me even though I am jealous of her!) But in being jealous, it also makes me strive to be more like her. I WANT to be more intuitive of someone else's needs, but I am so darn selfish that it makes it very hard. Lo reminds me (much like my mum did) that life is not all about me (some of the time anyhow).

She is an amazing cook, a tolerant and loving wife, a loyal friend, a caring daughter,and an astounding mom. I don't think the people around her tell her this enough because she IS so quiet and steadfast...never demanding attention or recognition. But she is all of this and so much more.

But she is the most beautiful friend....person...that I have ever known. Her heart beats pure gold:) For as long as I live, I know that I am truly the lucky one in our relationship. I have learned so much about life, love, friendship, and FAMILY from Lori. She keeps me learning and ever vigliant in making myself a better person because I never want her to think poorly of me, her best friend. Knowing her has made me a better person and I am forever thankful that God saw fit to place her in my life at a time when I really needed her.

When I found Lori, we'd just moved to South Carolina. I was in a new town and started a playgroup on a whim...from sheer boredom to be honest. I've never had a problem meeting people, in fact I love meeting new people. But I'd never been able to form a bond like you read about in novels. The one where you can tell someone anything and everything (and I mean E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G to the point that it's gross and scary sometimes...haha!), the kind that you can share ALL of who you are and they don't run screaming for the door. To that point, I'd had childhood friends who knew the superficial me, and the me from younger years. But they were all moved away or married with their own lives. After my brother died, I started to cut relationships much like one would do a stray thread. I felt that I didn't NEED anyone, and letting people know ME was too much trouble and not worth the effort. Even in starting the playgroup, I just wanted those aquaintance type friendships that didn't require much work and would provide my kids with a few playmates. To put it very bluntly, when I met Lori....I had NO friends. No one. No one to call just to laugh with. No one to call just to fuss or cry about things with. No one to swap recipes with. No one to just sit in comfortable silence with.....no one.

In Lo, I have found that life is not neccesarily better on my own. I've found that it is nice to have someone to not have to hide your dirty little secrets from. I've found that it's the best feeling in the world when you lay your eyes on them for the first time in two years and have them look back at you with that some happiness. I've found that it is actually quite wonderful to have them cry as you leave...and laugh at you crying too. From Lo I have learned that family doesn't have to share your blood...they just have to share your life and love you for all that you are.

Lori has rounded out my life in ways that she may never understand. I love her beyond words. She owns a piece of my heart. I thank her for the lessons:)

Underpaid and Overloved: part 1

2010-01-08T21:48:00.006-05:00

By now you have noticed that life is not made up of one choice that sort of spreads itself out over many years. No one is given a hand written map that guides you through life, directing you away from every hurt and tear. The delivery room nurses aren't sending babies home with "Life:For Dummies" manuals. Most of us don't have life coaches that may help steer us in the direction of a right decision. No one has a little white angel sitting on their shoulder telling them the right thing to do.

But I....(yes, I!) am a very lucky girl.

Here is why I am lucky:)

I've had a small handful of role models in my wee bit of time on the planet.

I don't find my inspiration in great speakers. I don't have life altering moments thanks to Nobel Prize winners. I don't lie in bed at night thanking God for something Oprah said.

I am lucky to know, and to have known, some very inspring women during my wee
little lifetime.

From them I have been taught life is a series of choices {good and bad} strung together like dazzling christmas lights flashing off of pristine white snow, each one distinct in it's own right, but when strung together they make up a breathtaking display of beauty. From them I have learned how to love unselfishly. From them I have learned that a lie is the most viscious thing you can tell someone you love. From them I have learned that to judge swiftly and harshly is not only cruel, but also causes me to become like a bitter lemon. From them I have learned that sometimes life doesn't turn out quite the way we envisioned, but it is still LIFE....precious life, worth savoring every single creamy, tart, bitter, sweet, spicy moment!

Thank you for reading this blog today and sharing in my quiet thoughts~ and I hope you bear with me as I thank each of the 4 {{four}} people that inspire me every single day.

Beginnning with....

my mother.

Life was not easy for this woman. Her mother was murdered when she was a child of 12 years old. From that time on, she was tossed from house to house, not really wanted in any of them. She was abandoned by her father. She spent time in an orphanage when no one else wanted her. She was abused mentally, physically and emotionally by an exhusband. Her life was raked across the dirt before it really even started.

By all accounts, she should have been either a drug pushing whore or a cold, bitter hearted woman who blamed the world and everyone in it for her misfortune.

but she wasn't.
and she didn't.

My mother raised three kids in a single parent home for the better part of my life. She was told she couldn't (or perhaps shouldn't) do it on her own. But she did it:) I am not saying that she was perfect, nor am I saying that she didn't have moments when she WAS bitter or angry at the way her life turned out. She was human and I know she MUST have felt this way a lot of the time. I remember very few times when she did things that weren't very "mother like" and perhaps selfish. In those time I imagine that she was frustrated or angry that her life wasn't "fair" or that it hadn't turned out quite the way she had planned. She had every right to feel that and more, but my mom chose not to. She chose to be a stong woman even though life had not offered her much to hold on to.

:I learned from her life:

NO ONE and NOTHING determines your destiny. You make the most of what you have been given. Making crumb cake from crumbs. Lemaonade from lemons. The secret is finding the butter and sugar~then mixing them in just right.

This memory I share now is personal and pains to even write it.

I spent the last week of my mothers life with her in a hospital room. She moaned in pain most of the week, crying out during the night. I spent the week telling her she would get better, not wanting to admit to myself that she was dying. Somehow, in the stupor of being fed morphine to ease her pain, to this day I believe she held on to life that week so I woulnd't have to SEE her die. You see, I'd been there every single minute of her last week. But I left the hospital that afternoon and ten minutes (TEN) later, we were called back because she was gone. I believe in my heart that my mom's last act of love...of unselfish love...was holding on until I was gone before she let go of her life. Perhaps on some level she knew that I was not capable watching her take that last breath?

:I learned from her death:

how to love unselfishly and....
that life isn't always (or really...EVER) all about me. There are people in this world that I truly love more than I love myself and I hope that if there is ever a time to prove it...I will be as strong as my mother and love them as unselfishly as I know she did for me.

what a breathtaking LADY she was. and I am so lucky she was mine.

PART 2: to be continued tomorrow:) this is all I can handle for one night!

Big Scare

2009-05-17T16:40:00.004-04:00

Brooke felt sick on Thursday morning so I let her stay home from school. B was home with her, but sleeping since he had to work that night. I had to take a class at Gulf Coast that morning, so I went on into work thinking she would be ok with dad for a few hours. Around 11, Brooke called me saying that she couldn't feel anything. I called her Nana, Nana went over to check on her....Nana called me back and I hear Brooke screaming in the background in pain. I call her Dr and get her in to be seen...while in the waiting room, Brooke's hands curve inward, stiff as wood...all pliability is gone from her hands. You can't even feel the soft tissue on her hands. Her thumbs are pressed to her palms, and I can not pry them back into place. After we show the Dr what is going on, and after which I have become increasingly freaked out and panicky, Brooke doubles over in pain and clenches her entire body against mine as she holds on to her ear. I scream for MaryJo ,*my MIL, who also has fear written all over her face*, to go get the Dr again. He says that he has called ahead and wants to have her admitted to the hospital for some neuro tests.

??? moment of inner freak out

Brooke holds her hand to her ear and screams again in pain....I have never heard her scream like this. I've never seen either of my children in this much pain and the sound rips at my heart, my lungs, my stomach...my very soul.

She then holds her hand out and screams, "IT'S A BUG!"

A tee tiny water bug that has fallen from her ear.

She and her brother had been swimming in the backyard the night before. What we thought was swimmers ear turns out to be a bug that had been stuck inside her ear for nearly 24 hours. (OMG and ewww...there, I said it for all of you) It left numerous scratches and was apparently causing her little nervous system to react very strongly to the fact that something foreign was inside biting and scratching her ear.

CT scans and blood work up later, we know that she is perfectly fine. Thank God:) We did spend the better portion of the night in the hospital before her neurologist came by and told us we were free to leave....and to wear ear plugs next time in the pool! The kids did have fun in the hospital though....Brooke said she felt like a princess having her meals delivered, eating on a "fancy table" in her bed, and watching TV in her bed.

Both kids put in their orders for hospital beds and pull out table for their own rooms.

I'm assuming they also expect room service.

We were both super tired by this point.

Brooke tried to look very sick....but instead looks very mad:)

Thank God Brandon went in with her to have the IV put in....I'd heard in screaming in pain more than enough for one day!...more than enough for a lifetime!

This is the life...well, minus the IV, the cold hospital floors...the wailing of the fire alarms going off on our corrider...the weird hospital food...

Thank you God for watching out for my baby girl:)

pumpkin patch

2008-11-30T13:42:00.003-05:00

I took the kids to a Halloween fest at the church on Transmitter the weekend before Halloween. They were the only kids there NOT in costume:) They really don't like dressing up...i'm not sure why? They had a lot of fun doing a stuffed animal walk *like a cake walk, only you win stuffed animals instead* and sliding down the boundy slide. Before leaving the fest, we stopped in the lot in front of the church to pick out our pumpkins. We never did get around to carving them this year.....
These pics aren't that fantastic because I was having trouble adjusting the color/ISO feature on the camera, but since I am documenting our lives...they will have to do!

smashingly incredible~~

2008-11-30T13:12:00.004-05:00

I took these pics of the kids on the way to Boo at the Zoo....they were taken in the backseat of the car! I can't believe how great they all turned out....and YES, I am having a few of them enlarged and framed.

Look at those freckles...POP!

She has the angelic look down pat!

Practicing her ballerina moves in the backseat~

Kiddos Halloween

2008-11-30T13:02:00.004-05:00

The kids didn't want to go trick or treating this year...they instead wanted to go to a fall fest with their Nana in Wewa. So on Halloween night I went to dinner at Outback with Dawn, Leann, and some new people that I'd never met before, then came home to watch a movie (Atonement). Bub came home after the fest so I wasn't alone on Halloween night:) After spending the day in 6 inch boots at work, I was exhausted!!! The day after Halloween Zoo World hosted Boo at the Zoo and the kids wanted to go out to see what all the fuss was about. I was worried that the place would be a mob house jammed with greedy idiots, but was pleasantly surprised to find that it was chaos free, well organized, and the kids were given loads of good candy and cool stuff. We had a blast and I plan on making a trip out there again next year!

Halloween

2008-11-30T12:51:00.003-05:00

The Halloween party was a little Humane Society benefit as well....I met a few new people and had a blast with Resa as my "goddess" date! I thought I would stick to something I knew very well...and dressed up as a hot nurse:) Weird thing though...when I walked in the door, the first person I saw was one of the doctor's the I work with...it was kind of awkward but he and his wife both looked cute in their gangsta and flapper outfits:) I am looking forward to next year's gala!!!

vanessa, resa, me
a nurse, peter pan, a greek goddess, and captain hook.

daniel and vanessa
the party has arrived!!

Little Black Dress~ October

2008-11-30T12:44:00.002-05:00

We skipped November because everyone was busy or simply too tired to get dressed up to go....but here are pics from October's Little Black Dress party at Boatyard. Dawn, Resa, Leann, and I met up early for dinner *note to self and anyone else who cares to know: never waste your money on the sushi at Boatyard. it sucks.* Be sure to zoom in on my shoes....they ROCK! I got a spicy little deal on them at Envy.

Labor Day

2008-11-30T12:34:00.003-05:00

The kids and I went to Vicki's for Labor Day and had a nice time laughing over the way Brooke ate her corn...she'd just lost a tooth and another was extremely loose, so she would gnaw on it with her BACK teeth, if you can possibly imagine that. The girls had fun trying to catch the fish that Jamie had recently stocked the pond with, while Bub was content to hang out on the back porch with me. I also managed to shoot a few pics of the kids with their Nana.....I played around with the color saturation and this is what I came up with. I love love loooove the pics!

random

2008-11-30T12:27:00.002-05:00

I am posting these pics for no other reason than....I like them:) They were taken at the "big ball" at Pier Park (that I am always trying to describe to Lori even though she's already seen pics of it!) while the kids and I were waiting to see "Journey to the Center of the Earth" on Brooke's birthday.

birthdays~

2008-11-30T12:07:00.006-05:00

Here are some pics from the kids birthday party this year. We only invited a few people...cousins and some church friends...but the kids had a blast all the same.

my fav pic of the day~ I captured Bub's first expression the moment he opened his Wii:)
Dad, Brooke, Hobbes, Bub, Mom

Jacob, Brooke, Jared, Bub, and Anthony.

let them eat "cake"!

I can hardly believe that NEXT year they will be 8 and 9~~~

crash

2008-09-01T14:46:00.002-04:00

My friend Stephanie (of NieNie Dialouges that I've written about) was in a plane crash two weekends ago. She and her husband are both in the hospital and have suffered severe burns as a result from the crash. I've followed Stephanies life for a long time, often envious of the sweet, charmed life that she leads....an incredible mom and woman, my heart broke when I learned of the accident. Steph and Christian have 4 beautiful children who are anxious for their parents recovery. Please take time to visit the link that I've posted to the left hand side of my blog. You can read more about Stephanie and track her recovery....as well as donate to help their family out. Please say a special prayer for them!!!

read and watched

2008-09-01T14:15:00.004-04:00

Here's a little recap of what I've read and watched this summer, along with my personal critiques of each! After all, what good is sharing the list without sharing MY 2 cents worth??

Earlier this summer I was introduced to a series by Stephanie Meyer. I am sure you've heard of Twilight, unless you've been living under a rock! I am absolutely SMITTEN with this series. It's my new obsession, and unlike the Potter series, I don't have to wait on the next book because the series is all on shelf already!! I am on "New Moon" at the moment, trying to pace myself to finish the series around the time the movie comes out in November *yeah, who sees ME pacing myself...very funny*. Anyhow, Twilight is a phenomonal love story about a girl who falls in love with a vampire. Sounds cheesy, yes....but the story line is gripping and will tie your stomach up in gooey knots. An absolute MUST read, and you will not be sorry....but I guarantee that Edward will tie up a LOT of your dream time :)

Also, I started a new time period obsession. I've been reading more about Ancient Egypt, Nefertitti, Ramses...and a lot of old Egyptian pharoahs/gods. So when I've had TIME to read, this is what has been on my nightstand.

Movies.....

Sex and the City with Beth *there was a little boy sitting in front of us in between his parents....weird and pretty awkward* but the movies was great and i adored the ending!

Wall-E with the kiddos *in which I asked the ticket chick for three tickets for "waAALL-EE, please" in the characteristic WallE voice. the kids loved it and thought it was hilarious, although I am sure the girl at the ticket booth was thinking I was some freak* it was a surprisingly good movie when you think of how little speaking actually took place.

Wanted with James McAvoy and A Jolie....yum yum yummy. This movie was all about the eye candy, and I say that about BOTH of the star parts. Loved the story, packed with action, will watch it again when it's on DVD.

Journey to the Center of the Earth was ok, but I think more could have been done with it. It's one of those book to movie movies that disappoints if you've READ the book. but satisfies if you're a backwoods retard and have never read it.

Iron Man. Hallejuah, who knew Robert Downey Jr had such an incredible body!? I thought this movie would be a disappointment, like the Ben Affleck "DareDevil", but really REALLY enjoyed it!

The Dark Knight. Watched it with Biff and Coco*and pissed a crabby, lonely lady off in the process*, best movie of the summer for me:) I think it was filmed amazingly well and I loved Heath's portrayal of The Joker. Must buy this one when it's on DVD!!!

and my BIGGEST letdown of the summer....The Clone Wars. It was pretty, although all of the characters looked like they were carved from wood....and the story doesn't "FIT!"...I mean, WHEN did Anakin have time for a padawan?? random. weird. was disappointed and give it a D. They didn't even have REAL ACTORS doing the voiceovers. waste of $$ and time, but Bub really REALLY liked it....so not a complete waste I suppose.

Tell me what you're watching and reading:) Did you watch any of these movies?? what is your take on them??

remember me??

2008-08-31T00:58:00.002-04:00

YOWZA!!!

So I am officially a slacker.

I haven't blogged in ages, so to those friends who have been bugging me about doing so...this apology is for you....SORRY!!! I know my life is SO thrilling that it is near painful not to read about it, but life has changed so so so very much for me over the past few months, and I have had very little time to write about it. MANY changes, some that I will share, some that I will not. So brace yourself!! I have all Labor Day weekend to update this sucker and I will try my darndest *is that a word!?* to please the masses.

So practice a few more hours patience with me and I promise you will not close the screen feeling empty inside...LOL! I'm gathering pics and working on a few blogs....and now that you're holding your breath and are in ten kinds of suspense, I am off to bed!!! Will finish up tomorrow with loads of juicy fun!!

The Middle Wife

2008-06-17T18:13:00.001-04:00

*every now and again I come across something that gives me a giggle that I want to pass along. I know a lot of my mum friends read the blog, so I thought this the best way to share it! A girl from my Meetup group posted it today:)~ ENJOY!*

The 'Middle Wife' by an Anonymous 2nd grade teacher

I've been teaching now for about fifteen years. I have two kids myself, but the best birth story I know is the one I saw in my own second grade classroom a few years back.

When I was a kid, I loved show-and-tell. So I always have a few sessions with my students. It helps them get over shyness and usually, show-and-tell is pretty tame. Kids bring in pet turtles, model airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that. And I never, ever place any boundaries or limitations on them. If they want to lug it in to school and talk about it, they're welcome.

Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing kid, takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a pillow stuffed under her sweater.

She holds up a snapshot of an infant. 'This is Luke, my baby brother, and I'm going to tell you about his birthday.'

'First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad put a seed in my Mom's stomach, and Luke grew in there. He ate for nine months through an umbrella cord.'

She's standing there with her hands on the pillow, and I'm trying not to laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me. The kids are watching her in amazement.

'Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts saying and going, 'Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh!' Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans. 'She walked around the house for, like an hour, 'Oh, oh, oh!' (Now this kid is doing a hysterical duck walk and groaning.) 'My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn't have a sign on the car like the Domino's man. They got my Mom to lie down in bed like this. ' (Then Erica lies down with her back against the wall.)

'And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like psshhheew!' (This kid has her legs spread with her little hands miming water flowing away. It was too much!)

'Then the middle wife starts saying 'push, push,' and 'breathe, breathe. They started counting, but never even got past ten. Then, all of a sudden, out comes my brother. He was covered in yucky stuff that they all said it was from Mom's play-center, so there must be a lot of toys inside there.'

Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat. I'm sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, when it's show-and-tell day, I bring my camcorder, just in case another 'Middle Wife' comes along.

what i am making....

2008-06-14T10:37:00.003-04:00

I am heading to Joanne's today to buy the stabilizer for my newest little project!! I have everything else I need....so at this point I am simply frustrated that I have to wait to start on it. I adore this purse and I have B*E*A*U*T*I*F*U*L fabric to make it with! I'll be posting pics of my progress. If my efforts are successful, and I know they will be because I have an incredible tutorial, I am sure to have a closet full of smashing hobo bags!!

The 3 LeaderShip Club

2008-06-13T12:05:00.003-04:00

The kids' cousin, Anthony, has been spending more time with them now that school is out for summer. The plan is to have him over 2 days a week for the entire summer. They all have so much fun playing together and I have a blast listening to their little people converstations. Yesterday they they decided to form a club. Not just any club, mind you! This is "The Three Leadership Club", no other members allowed! They were wrapped up in their little world of making plans and dreaming up schemes....and it seemed to slip their minds that they really should ask their mom before they wrote *in permanent INK* the name of their club on their clubhouse. *I do think watching Little Rascals inspired them here....so my fingers are crossed that they will come up with some nifty way to con people out of some money as well!* Naturally, they got in trouble...but I couldn't help but laugh over the whole situation. I have to stop myself from being too harsh with them sometimes....especially when I tell them that it is THEIR playhouse and I want them to be creative with it and make it into something that is entirely their own:)

my buddy: bunny

2008-06-13T11:57:00.004-04:00

I was FINALLY able to get an amazing shot of my bunny yesterday! I feed the little guy lettuce nearly every day, in hopes that he will someday see me and think, "Oh! It's the tall thing that gives me food everyday....I think I will see if I can get closer and actually take the food from those dangly things on the side of her body!"

ahh, yes. i dream of petting this bunny...but for now I am content with simply watching it from a *near* distance!!

The Great Cookie Caper

2008-06-12T20:38:00.004-04:00

The target: A small pile of black and white cookies....creamy white center missing.

The culprit: Small black dog of the chihuahua breed. Notable traits: white mask around eyes, questionable snarl with right tooth overbite. At large, possibly armed and dangerous, especially if harboring stolen goods.

The crime: Grand Cookie Theft.

The proof:

Evidence was sufficiently distroyed, verdict will fall solely on the pictures taken during the crime.

webbie wednesday on a thursday

2008-06-12T11:28:00.005-04:00

Again, didn't feel like blogging yesterday so I am doing my webbie wednesday on a thursday this week:) hmm, I may just start a trend!

My fav of the week is another that I've been in love with for a while now. It's WhistleStop Cafe. I don't remember how I came across this site, but I DO remember the recipe that made me ear mark it as a fav! It was sometime late last year when I found her recipe for FRESH pumpkin ravioli...I tried it and was amazed as to how easy it was to make fresh pasta and then stuff it with real pumpkin! I'd fallen in love with butternut squash ravioli, but Publix had stopped carrying it at the time, so I had to find an alternate to fill in the void:) Since then I have followed her blog and have come to realize that she cooks the way that I do. A mix of ALL sorts of food, with a heavy leaning toward the Southern style of cooking. Her cornbread recipe is to die for...there is a super easy Pad Thai recipe...tiramisu...and even a simple recipe for the great Southern delicacy, BOILED PEANUTS! *btw, I found a place to buy fresh green peanuts this week, so I am planning on trying that recipe out soon!* I do hope you check the site out...and VICKIE, there are loads of baking recipes there too:)~

*click on the pic for the link to the whistlestop site. from there you can access the CAFE site which is full of recipes broken down into categories. Enjoy!*

update. update

2008-06-12T11:12:00.004-04:00

yeah...I was having a bad day yesterday and didn't feel like updating my blog. First I have to address the fact that my lovely lady friend Lori could not come to town this week due to the fact that the powers that be in the Army decided that Duane was unfit to take a vacation at the moment. No matter that he'd put in for it in, oh...FEBRUARY! Ah well, I am learning the heartbreak of the Army that I've been told of many times:)~ Alas, if it weren't for the dear old Army, I would never have met my Lori girl! So...to them I am thankful, albeit a bit perturbed with them *the powers that be in the Army* at the moment! Still, our fingers are crossed that the Schrier's will still be able to make the trip sometime this summer. If not...I may just ditch the Disney plans and head to Amish country so I can get my Lori fix AND view Ohio in the fall:)~ To D and L and kids....I love you guys and really wish you were here right now so the guys could be fishing and WE could be chilling on the beach amidst the smell of coconut and salt water!

For everyone else, check out this clever little pic that Lori made in memorandum of our would be vacation! You can see more on HER blog, LORI. Click on it:)~

{putting the brake on things}

2008-06-05T18:55:00.002-04:00

so, after nearly singeing off my eyebrows yesterday evening *haven't blogged about that yet, but i will be soon*, and cleaning up my nephews puke this morning....i didn't think the day could get any worse.

until i actually ventured OUT into it.

as MY luck would have it, this was one of those days in which i actually had PLANS.

with people. *i know, YAY!*

alas, my first date with our meetup group is STILL on hold because of what someone upstairs had already mapped out for me:)~ now, the story....

i was leaving Hobby Lobby this morning, gearing up to pull up to the red light beside Publix when.....swwwwoooooshhhh.

my breaks went out on me. i ended up spending over 3 hours in the holding room of Big 10 Tires....JUST the way I wanted to spend my afternoon. come to find out, the break shoes were dust, the pads down to metal, and one rotor was cracked.

still, i have to count my blessings here.....
1} the kids were DIVINE! my kids are so well behaved when we are in public and i was super proud of them today....considering we were stranded for over 3 hours:)~
2}the brakes went out on a nearly empty parking lot. *and not on a busy highway or when i was crossing said busy highway to hop into the median.
3} *perhaps the best of all*, the brakes went out dead center....BEHIND A TIRE SHOP!! seriously....i was nearly in front of the shops entrance!! wow. i just kinda sashayed the car into the curb where she came to a halt.

so...thank you to everyone looking out for me and my kiddos from way upstairs!! i am truly counting my blessings today:~)

webbie wednesday

2008-06-05T00:01:00.003-04:00

cute website this week...full of crafty fun! best part about paperandink is that almost everything i've found on her site is simply crafted, easily made....even if you have ten thumbs and are lacking all creative skills:) enjoy!

new stuff!

2008-06-04T21:46:00.003-04:00

Brooke lost a top tooth this week....finally!! She looks absolutely adorable.....but funny as well. Her other top tooth is loose, so....with the gap from the freshly lost tooth and the other one dangling sideways, she looks ten kinds of hillbilly! She can't say any word with an "f" in it either!! I love this stage, when they are losing teeth and growing the new, bigger ones. I have been looking forward to seeing her with those big front teeth...so the countdown is on for them to start growing in!!

*side note....Brooke doesn't put her teeth under her pillow, but in a small bowl NEXT to her pillow. The morning after the tooth fairy's visit she woke to $$ in the bowl and (to MY amazement because I SWEAR I did not put it there!) ....a teeny ball of silvery pink fibers! She almost started crying over the excitment of finding fairy dust in that bowl!! I was amazed as well....and thought how much fun it is to believe in the magic that is borne with childhood:)*

last today. i promise!

2008-05-28T16:41:00.004-04:00

I forgot to write about this a few weeks ago, but was reminded of it when I was on the phone w/ L earlier today. I had a wild hair before Mother's Day and decided to try my hand at silhouettes. This was my first attempt...and I think it went over very well! Unfortunately, I ran out of photo paper so I was unable to do Brooke's. For now, Bub's little silhouetted head sits below a pic of my dad and stepmum. Isn't it loverly?

webbie wednesday

2008-05-28T13:24:00.003-04:00

Found this blog on Today's Creative Blog and am in looove with it already! There are various tutorials, quick fire craft projects, and nifty ideas to turn the mundane into something spectacular!

As usual, even though no one ever does....lemme know if you check her out!!

photographer for hire

2008-05-28T13:03:00.005-04:00

every now and then i turn the kids loose with the camera to take pictures of the things that they find interesting. if you've never tried this with your kids, you really must... sometimes the things that they find interesting really may not be what you pictured:) so i turned brooke lose with mine last week while i was painting the chalkboard door. here is what she came up with.

a sleeping pluto. this little guy sleeps in the weirdest positions. we've found him asleep in his wheel with his head hanging out of if. he's a doozy.

after taking this picture, she came out to tell me that bub STILL hadn't finished cleaning his room *hmmm, the makings of a PI??*

and this monstrosity of a stuffed animal. nana bought this massive tweety for brooke sometime last year and it is ALWAYS a task trying to find a place to put it. i guess brooke thought the striped sheet was the perfect touch:)

letting sleeping dogs lie....my dog thinks he is human and here is proof. brooke adores him, but for him...it's a love hate relationship:)

alas, no photo shoot would be complete without a fantastic self portrait~ i love this pic of my girl...and here is proof that she's seen her mum take one too many self portraits!

pause. to catch up

2008-05-28T12:39:00.005-04:00

I am taking advantage of the fact that I can finally sit up straight for longer than 2 minutes by updating my blog. I've been feverishly sick, but I feel the worst is passed and I am left to deal with a terribly swollen, sore throat. Bully for me, blogging requires no talking;) So here is a bit about what I was up to before this nasty virus settled itself upon me!

I made this sweet little dress for Brooke!! I am very proud of it....it's very simple, nothing fancy, but it's the first I've ever made and I think it is pretty fabulous! She looks adorable in it too:) I am going to sew a partridge applique onto it, maybe in the form of a pocket. She loves it;) I am anxious to make a headband that matches it...I am thinking of using white material w/ a teeny partridge in the matching dress material attached to one side. It will be uber cute!!

I've also finally painted this gold framed mirror that I've had for ages! It's now a beautiful green *feldspar by behr* and looks shabbily retro *which is the name I made up to describe my own brand of style...LOL!* and I am in looove with it! Brooke helped me with the paint brush:)

I've also finished painting the inside of my chalkboard cabinet door. Was planning on finishing this up the day that I got sick, but I am sure to finish it by next week. When complete, she'll hang in the kitchen and will be serve as one nifty little notepad! This pic was taken while taping her off...

and one more pic just for Lori....here is the bucket full of oysters that I wrote about last week *week before?*...they were beyond YUMMY! I think they may have tasted better because I was the one who fished them out of the water! *show court what she'll be eating for dinner every night...LOL!*

revisiting........

2008-05-26T11:50:00.003-04:00

This is a semi-repeat blog *refer to Oct 2007*..but I just came across the pic that I was missing from the original post. It was never truly complete because I couldn't find THIS pic~~it is of our very first annual faux flip off;) Our first Halloween together, Lori snapped this pic and it looks like I am flipping Carrie off. We thought it was a pretty funny pic, so we decided to adopt a tradition all our own....so the following year, Carrie fauz flipped me! Lori was obviously feeling left out, so on our last Halloween together, Carrie and I wrapped her in our circle of love and flipped her off as well;) HAHA! I am one lucky lady to have these two crazy women in my life....even though that are miles and miles away....these quirky memories are ones to last a lifetime...and how great is it that I can revisit these moments in pictures?

First annual FAUX flip-off...

Second annual faux flip-off....

The final faux flip-off....what a way to go:)

I love you two freaky chics!

webbie wednesday

2008-05-21T11:25:00.003-04:00

After another bout of the pukes early this morning, Brooke's fever has *finally* broken and she is now resting in front of Phineas and Ferb. She was laid up in bed all of yesterday, sleeping the "yuckies" away. My poor baby girl....hopefully she won't have a relapse.

Taking a break from napping, I am posting this weeks website:) It's one of my favorites, and has been for a while now. I am not sure HOW I came across NieNie Dialogues, but I am happy that I did....her pictures are lovely, her family life evokes simple happiness in everyday life. I plan on stealing her camera someday as well:)~

no post

2008-05-20T22:24:00.001-04:00

After a super busy weekend, Brooke has been nasty sick and I am running on very little sleep....so no new posts for a few days:( i'll be back soon, promise!

note to self

2008-05-15T22:46:00.002-04:00

this
is
not
an
animal
cracker.

~the rest, i'll leave to your imagination~

webby wednesday

2008-05-14T12:05:00.005-04:00

YOWZA! I came across the MOST INCREDIBLE website last week and have been chomping at the bits to share it...but I wanted to wait until today to stick with the wednesday idea:) It's really a surprise for Lori, whom I know will adore it more than anyone! It's been hard keeping it a secret, and I won't tell you about it...I will give you a hint. *click on the pic to take you to the site. you may have to look in the top right corner of the site to change it from Japanese to English so you can actually read it* ENJOY!

WANTED!

2008-05-14T11:48:00.002-04:00

A crime was committed last night...in my very own yard. The heist of the century. I tell you...whoever pulled this stunt off is a proverbial genius. Last night some loony redneck took it upon himself to steal my TRASHCAN. *yes I said REDNECK because what NORMAL citizen has a burning itch for someone ELSE'S garbage can!?* Now I have to buy a new one....this go around, I am painting it bright neon pink with my name in glow in the dark letters tacked all over it.

weekend recap, minus menu monday

2008-05-12T19:42:00.003-04:00

Yes, I know it was M~Day this weekend, but unlike most of you mum's, mine was pretty mundane...and crummy. My Saturday was spent cleaning the pool to ready it for summer, then spending most of Sunday in bed recovering from cleaning the pool out on Saturday. My back hurt in places that I had never hurt before. Top that, I am PMSing...and in a pretty foul mood. Add the backpain, the cramping, the foul mood...AND the fact that it was Mother's Day....let's just say....this weekend was my worst in a looong while. *for any ears listening to me upstairs...I do not wish a repeat*. I'm not feeling very friendly or nice....but on the flipside, I've found that withdrawing myself from the outside world has opened another door for me....and I have finally started stripping down furniture that I've been needing to refinish:) I felt all artsy-fartsy outside on the driveway today wearing airy summer sheath with my hair in a loose ponytail and headbang perched on top....barefoot...with a paint scraper in my hands. I scraped as much as would come off and hopefully the paint stripper will do its work tonight so I can finish tomorrow:)

~~as for Menu Monday...i am in no mood to think about food, much less plan for it. forgive my moodiness this week....I am sure to be back in full force *and in higher spirits* next week:)~~

i will try and cheer myself up by posting a pic of an apron that I want...have been eyeballing it for while now, so we'll see what becomes of it! I looove it so much...even looking at it makes me smile:)

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-10T18:37:00.004-04:00

~Only One Mother~

Hundreds of stars in the pretty sky.
Hundreds of shells on the shore together.
Hundreds of birds that go singing by.
Hundreds of lambs in the sunny weather.

Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees to greet the clover.
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn.
But only one mother the whole world over

**I love this poem...My brothers and I bought my mom a picture with this poem on it for Mother's Day one year many years ago. It now hangs in my closet and I think of my mum everytime I look at it. I hope everyone has a beautiful Mother's Day tomorrow...and when you are spending time with the most special woman in your life tomorrow, remember...she's the only mum you'll ever get, so you'd better hug her tight and love her with every ounce of love that she is deserving of**

momsense

2008-05-08T17:41:00.005-04:00

fast paced funny...a wonderful summary of "mommy talk" condensed into this weee little clip! listen closely....for my mum friends, you'll LOVE IT! *thanks Vickie!*

*again, scroll to the bottom of my blog and pause the music player before you watch this*

for someone

2008-05-07T23:05:00.003-04:00

this post is random....but for someone special to me. it will make sense to almost none of my regular readers....but it's something that's happening in my world right now and i must acknowledge it.

~~i hope the next few years fly by for you...that you take care of yourself...guard your heart and mind all the time...and remember that you have family, who are your friends.....who love you and will be thinking of and praying for you. i regret the way we've all drifted....and hold on to the hopes that someday things will right themselves in ways that we can't dare to imagine. my heart is broken for you, DB, and K, and for the brother who loves you so very much. i love you D~and PLEASE take care~

a bed of my own

2008-05-07T22:50:00.002-04:00

the girl and i went on for a bike ride today to the bay park up the street from our house. the water was calm and peaceful....the air was cool...but hot. it's florida, seaside:) i love that feeling~ anyhow, i noticed some oyster shells near the edge of the water and thought that it's just someone's shell dump spot. while the girl ran around, i sat on a flat rock at the edge of the water and poked a stick around in the sand at the shells.....imagine my surprise when i turned an oyster shell over and saw that it was, in fact....WHOLE!!! i'd stumbled upon my very own oyster bed:) YEHAW! i was only able to bring this one home because we didn't have a bag or anything....but it was a doubly! i shucked this lil puppy and almost fell over from the salty smell.....i looove oysters!!! best of all.....cappy says that oyster beds mean....REDFISH!!!! so he's going wading tomorrow morning to try and catch me some dinner;) will keep you posted on his luck.....for now, here's the pic of my oyster!

wednesday website

2008-05-07T10:47:00.004-04:00

trying something different, will see if i can stick to it;) i come across loads of nifty weblogs and thought i would share the love via a regular "wednesday website" posting. as per most regular things on my blog, we'll see how long it lasts~~for now, enjoy my generosity.

my fav website this week is my half of the brain, a nifty site of nothing but tutorials..."more than you can shake a stick at" to be exact;) i love love love this site!! you'll find pics of freebie tutorials listed with the link that you'll need to see it. check it out and let me know what you think.

would a kid by any other name.....

2008-05-06T21:38:00.005-04:00

I came across a blog in which a mum listed the many nicknames of her kiddos. I had a good laugh over some of them *suga-buga?* and then wondered how many of mine could possibly bring a tickle to someone else's tummy.
From the beginning of *their* time, my kids have been enveloped in a long series of nicknames...not only given by moi...but by the g.p's and uncles as well. I have a "set" nickname for each of them....the one that they like me to tuck them in with, but it doesn't stop me from making new ones up at any random moment of my day...here is a list of the ones i can think of at the moment....

~little *bub's set n'name*
~stringbean *brooke's set nickname"
~tweety
~muffin
~muffin bottom
~muffin top
~my bean
~yolilyoda
~poppin
~porky *short for porcupine*
~pfrdouck (pronouced fer-douck, given to Brooke by Cappy)
~'douck *short for pfrdouck*
~pfrdouckin-dayshus-peahead-thang *again, another weird name cappy gave his only girl. this was eventually shortened to Pfrdouck. yes, he calls her this everyday*
~scooby
~peahead
~frecky
~angel
~angelcake
~brookus
~BJ *brandon jr*
~double 06
~pappy's poo-poo *weird, i know but my FIL calls Brooke this all the time*
~sunshine
~flutterbucket
~best bud *cappy's for bub*

YOWZZZA. It's a bloody miracle that my kids actually know their names...Cappy is always making up new ones for them as well, each just as weird as the ones he already has*....I do believe the only time I ever use their given names are when they are in trouble;)

Menu Plan Monday

2008-05-06T18:01:00.003-04:00

Day late, but here ya go.

Monday~ Brocolli and Cheese soup *yes, from scratch*
Tuesday~ Chicken and Shrimp gumbo
Wednesday~ Shrimp Fried Rice and Miso Soup
Thursday~ Turkey Manwich w/ baked fries
Friday~ chili dawgs and baked fries

Easy week...trying to make that almight dollar stretch into oblivion:)

do u like....

2008-05-06T11:11:00.002-04:00

my new layout!? i finally figured out how to customize it....it took a bit of work *a good 30 minutes of my butt being glues to this chair!*....but alas, she is pretty to look at!!!

lemme know what you think....

i'm off for a bike ride:)

kid pics from first friday

2008-05-03T13:03:00.003-04:00

Brooke beside the fountain of laundry detergents past...... simply boy....
the kids counted escapee balloons all evening....here is brooke spotting another one....
my inquisitive boy....
close to the end of our evening, our legs were pretty tired....so we found rest on these old coin rides.

Chicken kabobs~~the kids new fav fast food! Bub made the discovery....and wanted seconds!
Going for a boat ride on the mainland.....

2008-05-03T12:34:00.005-04:00

here are some more pics from last night....I found my table and bought it, but will pick it up next Friday. I also found a few new pretties that I really want and will keep my fingers crossed that they don't get purchased before I have the money to buy them.

I've been eyeballing this phone for a few weeks now. Price tag: $45...ohhh I want her so bad... I snapped this pic while the kids were playing on the 25 cent horse and boat rides. One row of tent vendors....notice the spanish moss? This pic is for L....the stuff really is EVERYWHERE here~~
The back end of my chevelle.

I want all of these books. Each time that I go to to this shop, I stand in front of this booth and just hold them....beautiful!
This pic is for Vickie....the apple topped Longabergers' I told you about.
This pic is for Lori....*no, I did not get one of these for your b-day present*
My new table!! One chair is missing because it is upstairs with my tag still on it. I can hardly wait to bring this beauty home with me!! Also in this booth are several other pieces of furniture that I want. They are very reasonably priced too....so we'll see!!
The fan that I am drooling over. I really REALLY want it....look at the color!! I never really LOOKED at the beauty of old fans until Lori told me that she loves them....so I had to figure out what all the fuss was about....it is so obvious in this picture, don't you think?

first friday

2008-05-03T12:05:00.005-04:00

On First Friday, Harrison Ave is packed with artsy vendors, vintage and muscle cars, food, antiques, and bands *one band was called the Dashboard Chihuahua's! LOL!*. I adore the atmosphere of Friday Fest. Older people bring lawn chairs to hang out and chat on the sidewalks....kids walk around holding dripping ice cream cones in one hand and a balloon in the other....the smell of frying funnel cakes on one corner, BBQ kabobs on another...men and women stopping to dance in front of one of the street bands...a cool breeze wafting in from the marina's edge....people of all shapes and sizes smiling at each other and engaging in the random conversation with the person in line behind them....small dogs of all types dressed up in swimwear and searsucker suits *I kid you not*.

Making my way down Harrison Avenue last night enveloped me in a feeling of nostaglia. I had a really nice time with the kiddos.....and they are already looking forward to next month's First Friday! Here are a few pictures that I took to share with you:)

The front end of my fav car on the lot....A lovely robin egg blue Chevelle..sigh
Looking up Harrison frome our bench...
The kids loved this car~
and this big ice cream....
but I think they liked the chicken kabobs best. I had to buy TWO of those massive things!

one more thing....

2008-05-02T16:59:00.002-04:00

If you look on the right hand sidebar of my page, you'll see that I added a guestbook. For all you lurkers out there, take a moment to make me feel important and loved.....

SIGN MY BOOK!!!

I'll love you even more for it;)

oh and....

2008-05-02T16:54:00.002-04:00

I just have to say, if for L only.....

!!!!40 more days!!!!!

I can hardly wait to update this pic!!!!

sorry....

2008-05-02T16:41:00.003-04:00

for the lack of blogging this week! I've been super busy and simply didn't feel like taking the few minutes to actually blog this week! In lieu of a long blog, I will give you a trailer of the week past....

Worked 2 days with MJ.
Discovered that Sonic serves half price drink from 2-4 EVERYDAY, so we've been spending a whopping 2.30 on slushies everyday since.
Spent a few hours browsing Sam's Club on Tuesday.
Ate some bad food on Tuesday night and suffered near death food poisoning as a result.
Kids stayed home Wednesday, since mum didn't sleep/wake up on time and b/c they were a bit down in the gut as well.
Spent the day shopping with MJ and Debra out at Pier Park. Ate too much of my burger and fries, spent the rest of the day burping and sucking in my gut so I wouldn't look FAT in my jeans.
Returned some furniture that I was unhappy with.
Going tonight to the antique store to REPLACE the furniture that I was unhappy with.

Ok, seeing it in writing, it doesn't look like much does it?

Side note: I am bored out of my mind not working at the moment. I can't really get together with my MeetUp group until the kids get out of school *because I am actually trying to keep the kids group a KIDS group this go around*, my MIL and SIL work a lot, Beth only has time for lunch once a week *or every other...LOL!*... Cappy is in bed all day long. Kids gone to school. I am going STIR crazy not having anything thing productive to occupy myself with at the moment. *although I have been working on some crafty things for my Etsy site....coming soon!* So....I am about to be on the lookout for a job. I have my feelers out, so we'll see what becomes of it. I don't want to JINX myself just yet, so just keep your fingers crossed for me!

Hope everyone has a SPECTACULAR weekend!

Economic Stimulus Rebate Checks....

2008-04-30T11:18:00.000-04:00

As you may have heard, the Bush Administration said
each of us would get a rebate check to stimulate the economy.

If we spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China.
If we spend it on gasoline, it will go to the Arabs.
If we purchase a computer, it will go to India.
If we purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to Mexico, Honduras, and
Guatemala.
If we purchase a good car, it will go to Japan.
If we purchase useless stuff it will go to Taiwan.....

and none of it will help the American economy.

We need to keep that money here in America . The
only way to keep that money here at home is to spend
it at yard sales, since those are the only
businesses still in the US .

I'm having a yard sale at the end of the summer.....bring your checks
over.

Just a thought....LOL!
Alisha~

one down.....

2008-04-25T17:53:00.003-04:00

I had a creative hair pop up today and decided to start on my trivets. Here is the first one that I've gotten finished! I first coated it with acrylic adhesive, which is water/heat proof. I then attached pretty cardstock and decorative goodies with the adhesive as well. Coated all in adhesive, then mod-podge, and will coat again with more mod-podge and an acrylic sealant. I think it's very pretty;) For the first time doing one, I think it turned out really well!

Before:

After:

I also started on some reversible deco coasters...used pretty papers, acrylic adhesive, and decoupage glues. I distressed the edges *I distress....EVERYTHING!*...and voila! Will post pics of those when the stack is complete *I only got 2 of them done today, and will tie them with a pretty ribbon and add to the stack of things that I will eventually be posting on Etsy:)*

can't resist.....

2008-04-24T20:38:00.005-04:00

I adore this song....but how much cuter is it when this kid is singing it? *scroll down to my playlist and stop it before you watch this video, I promise it is worth your time~*

someone's trash........

2008-04-24T19:56:00.004-04:00

i found this treasure trove of goodies last weekend at a yardsale.....I have many things planned for these lovelies!

~~the large white frame($1) is going to be washed up and sprayed with acrylic paint, then i am putting a fabric covered corkboard inside, and it will find a home on Brooke's wall.

~~the groovy lamp($1) is getting re-wired *using the lampworks from a lamp that i was unable to get rid of in my OWN yardsale* and will make it's home in the living room on a magazine rack that I bought 3 weeks ago at a yardsale *will post pics of that when i finish painting it*.

~~the swimming pool tiles($1) will be decoupaged into trivets, and will find their way onto etsy:)

~~the fabric( .30 for ALL) will be sewn into a shirt for Brooke, and clothes for her dolls.

~~the chair($2) will be recovered and washed down, then sat in the corner of the music room.

~~the window pane($5) is something i found on the way home from getting the kids today....a lady had a whole slew of them propped up on a wheelbarrow, so i stopped and made this little beauty my own! i love the color already, so will do nothing to it other than wipe her off and add hanging hooks. i'm thinking she'll grace the wall next to my bedroom...but i may put her in the living room instead!

can you believe that i got ALL of this great stuff for a mere $10.30!? YOWZA!! the saying is true...."One man's trash....another's treasure!"

reading....

2008-04-24T19:07:00.003-04:00

....haven't gotten too far into it yet, but I am already in love with of this little collections of essays;) Very funny, very relateable....best of all chock full of sardonic wit, of which, I am a massive fan:) I promise you, it's one laugh after another....oddly enough, I almost feel as if I am listening to Carrie Bradshaw read her column to me when I read this book.

i. really. like. it.

t-shirt

2008-04-24T11:08:00.004-04:00

Lori, Liz *her sis*, and I are planning a "great escape" mini vacation to Disney World~~it's been in the works for a few months now.......I am super excited. We're doing crazy things like having yardsales and selling our platelets to save the money to go~*ok, the blood thing was a joke, but not a bad idea* :) I thought having a special t-shirt made for us to wear would be just the thing to pep up the excitement *as if we NEEDED help doing that!*......so here is a pic of a t-shirt idea that I am playing around with. I couldn't change the color of the shirt on the website.....but I was thinking pink shirts w/ black or grey writing. I love the Tinkerbell insignia, but am still on the lookout for simple Mickey ears to use in its place. I loooove this idea and it will be fun to brand ourselves for one day of our trip, don't you think? Lori, Liz.......I can hardly wait for our "Great Escape!".............hmmm, maybe I should change that to our great "MousEscape!" clever clever;)

~4~

2008-04-22T09:40:00.002-04:00

Today marks 4 years since I lost my beautiful mother to lymphoma. I'm not going to write a long, sad blog........I just want to recognize this day because it was one of the most life altering moments of my life. I was lucky to be able to call my mom my friend....but how blessed was I to be able to say that my mother was a jewel of a lady. She had a big heart...one in which there was always room for love and forgiveness. She wasn't perfect and made many of her own mistakes....but what an example she was each time she picked herself up, dusted herself off....and walked on with her head in the air and a smile on her face. Her life wasn't an easy one...but she gave us 100% of her sweet, unperfect self....100% of the time.

Such a bittersweet treat to see you in so many of the things I do.....mangling the words of a song....rubbing lotion into the hands that look just like yours....running late for everything....forgetting so many things....and seeing your face stare back at me in the mirror....

the past 4 years of my life have flown by, but strangely enough.....the burn in my heart makes it feel like yesterday. Mum, I miss you more than my words could ever do justice.....and today, remembering the woman you were....I know that no words ever could.

love to heaven and back~~ alisha

Menu Plan Monday

2008-04-21T17:28:00.003-04:00

I've gotten slack on this...will try to keep up, if for only that *one* person who keeps asking where it's at each week...hehe;) The menu is not that impressive this week because I am not feeling all that creative. We'll be eating a lot of the old reliables!

Monday~ Popeye's chicken carry out *because the culligan people are out and we have NO use of our watering facilities to wash hands and meat....arghhhh*

Tuesday~ Fried roast w/ rice and *fresh!* steamed green beans

Wednesday~ Pork chops, mac and cheese, and french fried eggplant

Thursday~ Chicken enchilada's and cheese quesadilla's

Friday~ Shrimp and pork fried rice w/ miso soup

Easy breezy week;) I may switch the days around depending on how I am feeling! It's so dern hot here already that I am going to have to start breaking out some good...COOL...summery recipes! I'm sure we'll substitute at least one of our meals this week with fish, since we have an abundance of it in the freezer....maybe we'll just pan sear it and put it in a salad;)

overgrown kids:)

2008-04-20T19:17:00.002-04:00

We finally got the kids swingset put up last week! Cappy was out of town *business trip* and Mary Jo was in Arkansas for the week....so Tony and I were kind of left on our own~~ He came over to keep the kids company for a few hours and they had a blast playing cowboys and indians around the new swingset.

Tony took a little fall when he tried to swing:) It was pretty funny....he is accident prone, so I think I will be buying him some head gear and knee pads for his birthday this year! hehe~~

get in my BELLY!

2008-04-20T18:58:00.003-04:00

Cappy went sharking last night.

Sharking is when you go fishing, only you're not planning on catching any fish....just shark. yes, i made that up, but pretty clever if you ask me.

anyhow. Toby and Desiree went along with him for what turned out to be a fun night of shark wrangling! They used spanish mack for bait, but apparently the water was full of sharks that were already in feeding mode......and you can see from the haul that they brought home, sharking came easy for them;)

Beautiful creatures, aren't they? It really is a sight to watch them feed while you're standing onshore. We've been out at Mexico Beach around sunset and have seen them swim up into the surf while they are feeding.....it's an amazing experience.

None of them are going waste, I assure you. If you've never tasted shark, you need to add it to your list of things to do before you die. It has a very distinct flavor...very rich. Cappy fried and pan-seared some tonight for dinner.....I'm told that the skin makes an excellent seafood broth too, but I've never tried it. Cappy came up with this little creation...shark with pan-seared onions and tomatoes. It was pretty tasty!

I'm also throwing in a pic of the crabcakes that I made to go along with the shark....none of that prepacked frozen FAUX crab for me...these are fresh, lump crab cakes. Beyond yummy:)

YEHAW!

2008-04-15T12:21:00.003-04:00

I found the MOST *I*N*C*R*E*D*I*B*L*E* website last night!!! I am super excited about it and just wanted to pass the goodies along:) There are some amazing fabric choices....and ribbons galore!!! Let me know if you check it out.

dad visit....

2008-04-14T17:47:00.001-04:00

I've been meaning to add this pic ever since my dad left....I love it because as I was getting set to take it, dad was looking at me. At the very last moment, one of the kids moved and he looked down at them....VOILA! The color isn't great, but I adore this pic:)

putting on the moves

2008-04-14T17:31:00.005-04:00

and who says white men can't dance?

MJ snapped this pic when the kiddos stayed the night with them last week. Pappy shook more than a leg with the girl....he put his back out:) If this isn't proof that HE is wrapped around her pinky finger, I don't know what is.....what I do know is, this was one serious blackmail photo op!

why.....

2008-04-14T17:26:00.002-04:00

oh why, would anyone buy this book from someone's yardsale?

I saw this book in a yardsale and had a good laugh imagining that someone would actually BUY this from a Y*A*R*D*S*A*L*E....but as I was looking for the pic to post with this, I was surprised to see that it is on MANY "resale" book lists.

Dunno why, but it's funny to me...to think that someone would actually WANT a book that I've been reading while on the toilet.

babies...

2008-04-08T12:35:00.003-04:00

baby tomatoes, that is.

just had to post a pic of the first two tomatoes on my big boy plant! I played around with the camera to enhance the yellow of the bloom.

i also played around with red enhancement and this was the result of the pic that i took of the rose bush up front.

...and a little birdie that calls a tree up front his home...

*what bits of beauty can you find in nature today**

~happy....way deep inside~

2008-04-07T23:43:00.002-04:00

My daddy and Sandra came this weekend for a quickie visit and, as usual, we had a really great time. Unfortunately...it rained all day Saturday:( Still, we had fun hanging out, going to MargaritaVille *even though it really IS overrated!HA!*, meeting up with Chris and Daren at the mall, chowing down on some fresh seafood....and just spending time talking. My daddy is one of my favorite people in the world, and his amazing wife is sitting right up there with him! I love you two so very much....thank you for getting by on a little sleep just to come see us! I am counting down the days until I see you again:) *I do have a pic that I will be adding to this post, but it is late...and I am tired, so I will do it later!*

~~as a side note. something VERY VERY special and wonderful happened this weekend. something that I've wanted to happen for so long now. I've cried from the sheer happiness that fills my entire being at this moment. I am thankful beyond imagination...but I had to somehow try to expess my utter contentment so I would never forget when it happended and how I felt when it did! I love you my two dad's:) So very much....~~

Spring Break kickoff!

2008-04-07T18:36:00.005-04:00

The kids are on Spring Break this week, so we took them to the park for a pic-nic to kick it off properly:) Tammie and the boys met Mary Jo and I there...the kids had a lot of fun;) Here are some pics I took.....I told MJ and Tammie that I would have absolutely NO social life if I carried this camera everywhere I went....it's INCREDIBLE~and the results that I get from it give me butterflies:) Sorry for the number of pics this time...I couldn't pick a few favs! I made the size of the pics smaller, so click on each one to see just how incredible the resolution is!! I am in looove....with a camera:)

Mary Jo had to get in on the fun;)

annnd they all fall down~

priceless~

look...a monkey!

tammie, mary jo, and me...by Bub the photographer:)

~the thinker~

~cousins~

if you look closely, you'll see that Jared's socks are covered in fire ants..OUCH!

Tammie and the boys~glad you guys could come today!

Swap fun:)

2008-04-06T20:26:00.002-04:00

I am on a new craft kick:) DECOUPAGE! I went to the craft store today to buy a few things for some new projects that I want to start on *picture frame and a wooden photo block*....I am super excited to start on them!

So this evening, I was sifting through old emails when I came across an old swap-bot friend's thank you email from the last swap I''d participated in.....and it hit me!

I am going to start a swap of my own!!

If you're interested in being a part of it, click on this website: http://www.swap-bot.com/swap/show/14258 and sign up. If you haven't signed up to be a swap bot member, you'll need to do that first. Be sure to include enough info in your profile so your partner will be able to have a clear idea of the style of decoupage items you'd like:)

I'm so excited to do this~~ I will post the results of this swap after it's over~~

splurge

2008-04-04T16:26:00.005-04:00

Beckie over at Infarrantly Creative shared a list of her splurges a few weeks ago...I thought it was a cute idea, so I am stealing it to share over here:) I am ever on the lookout for a good deal and I really don't tend to splurge on ANYTHING. So you may laugh when you read my little list of "splurges". After you read mine, share yours and link me up to your post...I'd love to read them!

Starbucks coffee~ This may on the list of many other tightwads as well. I treat myself maybe once every other week....for one, each trip costs me at least 4 bucks...add that to the high calorie content and you'll understand why this is my slurge.

Amish swiss cheese~ I recently discovered a little farmers market up the road from my house that sells Amish products *canned pickles, butter, chowchow, salsas....* that are made in Millersburg, Ohio. Millersburg is right next to Wooster where Lori was raised. I adore cheese, but Lori has told me repeatedly that none compares to the Amish made cheese....I know have to say the lady is right! I am addicted to this cheese even though it costs me 6.95 a block. sprinkle a little salt on it and I am good to go;) Maybe knowing that it came from the place L grew up makes it taste a little better too though...hehe

Magazines~ Every year I tell myself that I am going to save about $15 a month by NOT buying them anymore....and every year I fail! I do have to pat myself on the back though, because I no longer buy trash mags like US or In Touch:) My personal favs that I simply NEVER miss are Rachael Ray's Everyday, Mary Engelbright's Home Companion, and Country Sampler. I love love LOVE these magazines and I promise that I totally get my money's worth of ideas from these 3:)

Scrapbook paper~ Ugh. My biggest weakness. I've spent $20 on SINGLE SHEET papers at one time. To prevent my overindulging, I only go to The Scrapbook Studio ONCE a month. The girl always has new paper and I can't help myself....especially now that I've started using the paper to make frames! I need to clean my paper box out in a bad way...but I'm so darn stingy that I don't want anyone else having my paper!!

Lunch~ ok, this sounds goofy, so let me clarify. I love to eat out for lunch. I know I could save a LOT of money if I were to stay home and eat cucumbers and cheese everyday....but food is one of the biggest loves of my life;0 I like to try new places and find little hole in the wall places to eat at. It's an adventure of sorts...that breaks up the monotony of my day! I've discovered some of the best sushi dives, chicken salad recipes, and specialty salad dressing...all from eating out at lunch! This is probably my biggest splurge since my bill can add up to $40 some weeks:(

Name brand food~ ughhh, I hate admitting this, but I never buy off brand stuff. When B and I first got married I did....but over the years I've learned that I waste more when I go off brand. You'll only find Kraft mac and cheese...LaSuer pea's...Green Giant vege's...in my cabinet.... I'm such a food snob:( Oddly enough though...I DO prefer offbrand bread to Sunbeam *and that is because off brand is drier than the more expensive brands...and I like my bread dry...lol*

....so that list doesn't look like much in most people's books...notice that you don't see shoes/purses on my list? I love shoes as much as the next girl, but I prefer to buy mine off the clearance rack at TJMaxx or Ross'. *told you I am a cheapskate!* I honestly can't think of one more thing to add to the list though! Now, for a few things that I WOULD splurge on if someone saw fit to bless me with splurge money:)

1. A Big Chill Fridge. Not sure what color I would go for, but you know me and yellow! This is my DREAM fridge...would take the matching gas range as well;)

2. A sewing/craft room that is as cute as this one! Look at the color of that table! ahh, the space, the all around whimsy of it...I am so in love with this room that I am leaving my husband to marry it!

3. Vacation~ ohhhhh I wish we could splurge a few times a year to see more of the world! My first stop would be Africa....specifically the beaches! B dreams of cage diving with sharks, so he could do that here while I lay out and explore the mainland:) Someday......

and this is all I can think of to splurge on at the moment...I'm not a girl of many wants:) But it is oh so nice to dream isn't it?

tweaking

2008-04-04T11:22:00.002-04:00

Just playing around with Photoshop....bear with me:)

Before:

After:

oh those freckles P*O*P! she's a daisy ain't she?

Field Day: Part Deux

2008-04-03T14:13:00.004-04:00

Brooke's field day was yesterday...and I have to say, I am happy their school split the field days up! It has been soooo very hot here this week and I just don't think I would have been able to stand double features in one day;)

Brooke entered into 5 activities and won 3 third place ribbons!...but our favorite was the hop-along. She was so cute bouncing along across the finish line! I love this age...they aren't afraid of looking "uncool" or running to hug their mom *or Nana!* when they complete their goal:) Here are my fav pics from the day... I am also adding a video of her hopping to victory~I love it!

there should be No need for words...

2008-04-02T17:16:00.004-04:00

but I can't resist....*maybe it's the teeth?? hehe*

I was going to use this pic for another "wordless wednesday" post, but couldn't resist writing a little ditty about my crazy kids. This pic captures their goofy personalities to a "T"! I am so blessed to have children who love each other as much as these two do. One is always on the lookout for the other....granted, they do their fair share of sibling fighting, but for the most part, my kids adore being with each other. I am happiest when I am with these two muffin heads:) Nothing hits me in the heart like a wedding kiss from Bub, or a random, "You're the best mum in the whole world!" from my Stringbean. There's a new song on the radio, "You're Gonna Miss This"....and it sums up my life *as I am sure it does of most mum's*! I dread the day these two leave my home for good...I dread the moment that hugs no longer make all things right for them...when my arms can no longer shelter them from heartache. When the world sneaks in and steals them away from me...when they truly become one with THEMSELVES...and no longer need their mum's hugs and kisses to right their lives. I do encourage their independence...but I am in constant remembrance that their childhood is precious and sadly, quickly fleeting. I am determined to have no regrets concerning the time I spent with them as little ones. It's the one ABSOLUTE thing in my life that I have control over, and I am bent on not regretting a second:)

So I cherish every moment...every second...every opportunity that I have to MOTHER them. The time I spend time rolling on the grass with them, coloring under the blankets with them, planting gardens, spinning in circles, reading, bathing, and singing with them.....is the most precious part of my life. I hope they carry the memory of a mum who adored their company above anyone else's...and I hope it makes a difference in the people they chose to be when the wings are clipped..and they fly away from our cozy home;)

I love you my little muffin tops!

Bubs' Field Day

2008-04-02T10:12:00.004-04:00

Mary Jo and I went to be spectator's in what is probably one of the best things about being in elementary school....Field Day! I love Field Day....it was a lot different in Columbia then it is here though. In SC, the activities were broken down for each class and spread all over the school. Mulitple grades would go on the same day, and I volunteered to lead one of the activities, so I wasn't able to enjoy the full experience of watching my children participate. Field Day here is exactly as I remember it to be when I was in school. The only thing I'd forgotten was the heat:)

First grade had their's yesterday, 2nd grade is today. The kids are allowed to sign up for the activities that they wish to participate in *at least 3, but more if they want*...and the classes compete against each other for ribbons. I remember the feeling of coming home with all of those ribbons tied to my belt straps....so I was incredibly excited for my kids to win their own!

Bub chose to participate in 3 activities...relay, bean bag toss, and the egg race. I got a really great shot of him making a last second catch in the bean bag toss. He had fun....but I am sure that Mary Jo and I had even more fun watching him be a little boy having fun with his classmates...and he did carry that blue ribbon around with him for the rest of the day!

April Fool's~~~

2008-04-02T09:53:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was April Fool's Day, but I got a late start on the holiday. *for those who don't know me well enough to read between the lines here, that means....I FORGOT! haha!* So instead of just "starting over" and faking it on the 2nd, I decided to go ahead and start ~fooling~ around after the kids got home and then carry it over to the next morning *to make a day of it!*

Mean mum that I am, I replaced the kids homework pencils with fakey's! The kids had a nice time trying to figure out why they couldn't pick up the quarter's that I'd superglued to the sidewalk up front.......and when I told Brooke to wash her hands in the kitchen sink, she got pretty irritated when the hose sprayed her in the face! *I wrapped the handle with a rubberband..hehe* But the day was late...and this mum was out of clever tricks. I tucked the kids into their beds and kissed them goodnight....and waited for the best part of my April Fool's plan.

The great "switcharoo"!

After the kids were good and asleep, I snuck into their rooms, swapped their underwear.....put Bub in Brooke's bed, and Brooke in Bub's bed. Now all I had to do was wait for morning to unveil my trickery....mwahahahaha!

I went first to Brooke's room to wake Bub. I sat beside him and shook him, saying "Wake up Brooke! It's time for school! It's your field day, Stringbean!" I am not kidding you. The boy popped up and moaned a great big, "ooohhhh nooooo" moan! He touched my hand and looked at me with confusion in his eyes. I kept calling him Stringbean, Brooke, little princess....the poor kid was freaking OUT! He looked at his hands, then at his body....only to find...MINNIE MOUSE UNDERWEAR!!! OMG! You should have seen his F*A*C*E*! He just kept moaning this pitiful moan because he couldn't figure out if I'd gone crazy or if he'd really switched bodies with his sister!!! Oh the fun:)

After giving in and admitting that he was in fact, still Bub, we went to wake Brooke. As per usual for the girl....she didn't like been shaken awake. She really didn't like being called, "Bub" or "Little". There was no confusion here...only irritation that she was being awakened from her night's sleep, and that she was wearing boy undies. She's no fun in the mornings, I tell ya;)

She did have a nice little giggle over the story about Bub thinking he'd was stuck inside his sister's body though:)

Hope everyone had a fun April Fool's Day!

reading.....

2008-04-01T12:53:00.003-04:00

I came across this book at Target yesterday. It is by the author of a book that Lori and I fell in love with last year, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I haven't started reading it yet, but I am excited to! *I'll mail it for you to read when I am finished, L:)* For those of you who have never read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan...it is a MUST read! I've read it at least 4 times and I never tire of the tragic story of love and friendship...and the sacrifices you make out of love for someone whose blood you do not share, yet you chose to love as if you did. It's one of the most moving books that I've ever read and I would recommend it to anyone! I'll let you know what I thought of Peony in Love when I am finished~~

Boatyard pics

2008-04-01T12:18:00.005-04:00

Promised someone I'd post these...so here are the good pics from Boatyard:) I had fun girls!

Now, these two aren't that great...photo wise. But I love them because they are captured in the moment. Oddly enough, her mouth is bigger, but I am much louder;) hehe

Easter Sunday

2008-04-01T12:05:00.006-04:00

Easter dinner was had at Vicki's house this year. I wish I had pics of the spread, but as usual, I don't think of the photos that could have been until after the fact. I did manage to snap a few of the kids before Sunday school, as well as some of them hunting eggs in the backyard after we got home. We didn't color eggs this year *oh the horror!*, but chose to stuff plastic *recyclable* eggs instead. The eggs are on their 3rd year of use and are as pretty as they were the day I bought them! Hope everyone had as happy an Easter as I did!

The silly pic:)

Hot or cold, mummy!?

Counting his eggs.

Easter weekend

2008-04-01T11:13:00.007-04:00

Easter weekend was a series of events that I know this family will be talking about for a long time! It all started out innocently enough. Jamie will take his boat out, we'll take ours. We'll meet up and dock seaside for a nice pic-nic lunch. We'll have a great time in the warm sun, then head home following our afternoon of beachy, family filled bliss. Shouldn't take more than 3 hours or so.

annnd, ACTION!

Vicki picks up Brooke so she make the boat trip with Viv. *planning on switching out kids when we dock for lunch*. The in laws meet us at the house to load the boat up. We put in at the overly crowded marina, but that goes well. Settle in for the short, but bumpy, trip past Shell Island...where we have planned to meet up with the rest of our motley crew. The water is the clearest of greens, the white sand is calling our name....so, while waiting on Jamie...the crew decides to go ahead and pull on shore for a quickie sand dip. We quickly realize that the water is a bit too deep for those of us who didn't bring an extra change of clothes *ie: all of us*, so decide to just pull off and wait instead. Unbeknownst to all aboard, the boat has become buddies with the waves crashing ashore and decides that she is content hanging out there for a while, forcing the captain and his wife *ie: ME and B*, to jump ship and push. PUSH us out to sea. This struggle between man and nature last's for about 20 minutes. muscle time. *which, as we all know, can be multiplied by 3 when you're in as bad a shape as I am*. The father in law makes a Gilligan worthy attmept at paddling us along, but his efforts are a bit late...as the captain and I have managed to finally break us free of the ever crashing waves.

But wait! The fun doesn't end here!

After some creative clothing alterations that will allow the mother in laws clothes to dry out *I am talking sheet wearing, folks*, our sister ship makes an appearance and we all agree to head further down the island to more sure water...and an open sandbar. We find a cozy, so the captain backs our trustworthy ship into a nice little spot and finds that we don't even need to anchor her off! Before settling on our final destination...the captain decides to show off his boatmanship and takes to briskly walking along the side of the boat, when all of a sudden, a rogue wave decides to knock him overboard. Yes, the captain is down! His wife is trying very hard not to laugh, while his mother is tense with worry that the captain has suffered some bodily injury! Alas! Nothing is harmed....except for maybe the captain's pride:) So we pull him aboard and he makes a successful docking.

Sounds like fun, you say? But oh, the journey doesn't end here! No, I tell you! The best is yet to come!

Jamie finds that he can't get his boat across the sandbar *darn those new finagled land lubber's!*, so he makes a call to head back to bay side. Meanwhile, I try to make my way across the sandbar to acquire my daughter from their boat. I decide that the waves are going to soak me *if a shark doesn't get me first*, so I turn back to shore while Brooke is calling my name and crying...along with Vicki, who is so seasick at this point that she can barely hold her head up to comfort my girl. Jamie turns the boat around....and we watch our sister crew fade away into the white surf.

Meanwhile, back on the island, we've decided to go ahead and eat lunch and collect a few shells. We've come this far, so why turn back now?! We have a lovely time frolicking in the waves and finding sand dollars to take home for my girl. Yet, all good things must come to an end, so we pack up the boat and leave.

Well, try to leave at any rate.

Sadly, our boat has become one with the ocean. Particularly....the sand. After much pushing...pulling...shoving....we come to the conclusion that we are, alas....stuck. With little hope of ever making our way off of this sandbar that our boat is now calling home. Lucky for us, we have Sea-Tow, who gladly comes to our rescue *for a mere fee of $400. yes, lucky us, right!?!?* With out tail between our legs, we allow the bright yellow boat to pull us through the Jetty's pass, where there are loads of other boater's looking on....surely shaking their heads at our plight. * I will never again shake my head at that dreaded yellow boat. I will merely click my tounge in sympathy*

But all's well that end's well. After an afternoon on the water turned into a day long affair...I believe the in-laws have been turned against the ocean and any idea of ever pic-nicking onshore with us. *maybe that was part of the captain's plan, no!? hmmmm* We made it safely home with only our ego's bruised up a bit.

I will never forget.....

2008-04-01T09:12:00.006-04:00

to wear sunscreen when I go to the beach!!!!

We took the boat out again this weekend to a great little cove that Brandon found the day before when he went fishing with a friend. We're able to pull the boat closer to shore without getting marrooned *refer to previous post*!! It's absolutely P*E*R*F*E*C*T because we're able to anchor down in shallow, waveless water on one side of the little island, and walk to the other side to enjoy open water and shell hunting. It's like a mini island, only it's attached to the mainland, hence why I called it a "cove"...lol! *btw, I am super excited that B found this place because Courtney is scared of big waves, so she'll be able to choose her side when L comes this summer!* The kids had a blast shell hunting and digging for clams....and we discovered that Hobbes is quite the water dog;) It was pretty funny watching him growl at jellyfish and run freely up and down the sand. Unfortunately, I'd forgotten just how badly you can get burned when laying out on that white sand....so I didn't put much sunscreen on. I am now suffering the conseqences! *consequences including, not being able to sleep, turn over when I am TRYING to sleep, not being able to wear a bra, and not being able to dress myself without the help of my husband...and this morning, without the help of my daughter. very sad. very painful* So dear Mother Nature....you've reminded me of a lesson that I'd forgotten in my absence of these wonderful beach's....a lesson that I am not soon to forget:) I am in the process of buying stock in sunblock, thank you very much!

Here are a few pics from Sunday *I wish I'd taken more, but I was too wrapped up in what we were doing to actually stop and take them!*

don't look too closey...don't want you finding any bogey's or nosehairs:)

YIKES!

2008-03-31T13:59:00.003-04:00

I promise that I am alive and well...just been busy and the little lady who enables me to actually write has been in the Dr's office for a cleanup!! My computer crashed on me a few days before my first SLAH show...when I deperately NEEDED her, but she's home now and all is well. I will try to catch up on my blogging sometime this week....but for now, hope everyone had a great Easter and I hope everyone is having a great Monday;)

caught in the act

2008-03-21T09:41:00.002-04:00

So....I fell asleep in the hammock yesterday;~) I had a massive headache for the better part of the day *may have had something to do with not eating and just having redbull for breakfast...hmmmm?*, so after picking the kids up from school, I decided to go lay outside for a while. The sun was warm on my skin and the gentle rocking of the hammock had me out within a few minutes. Really, it could not be helped. I think I've found a new habit;)

little black dress night

2008-03-21T09:36:00.004-04:00

Went our with Beth last night to The Boatyard for Little Black Dress night...just posting one pic for now because Dawn took most of the pictures and I am hoping that her's turned out better than mine!!! Also, the photo guy took some really great pics of us, so I am waiting for him to upload them to the boatyard website so I can steal them...mwahahahahha! Check out my bling! We got goodie bags, but mine was the only one that had the shiny stuff in it;)

wordless wednesday

2008-03-19T20:30:00.001-04:00

Happy St Pat's Day!

2008-03-17T20:10:00.003-04:00

Every year, Lenny the Leprechaun makes an appearance at our house. Usually just to use the toilet....but this year he decided to eat a few things from the fridge as well! Apparently, the price of gasoline has affected the magical world as well...because this year he didn't leave behind any gold...only a few green carnations! The kids were excited to come home from school today to see if he'd been by the house. Once again, they giggled over the green "pee" in our toilet. Tied to the green carnations that he left behind were notes written on shamrocks in "leprechaun" language! Thank God mum was able to figure out that we could read his messages by looking at them in the mirror! Lenny is the talk of the house tonight....and the kids ate their St Patty's Day themed dinner wondering if he'd like green eggs and ham too;)

ewww! Leprechaun pee-pee! *I really wish he'd start flushing the toilet!*

The St Pat's spread! Green eggs and ham, toast with green butter, green milk, and green cupcakes.

I topped the cupcakes with chocolate shavings. YUM!

Another visitor....and a pretty

2008-03-17T20:02:00.003-04:00

Look who made an appearance in our backyard today! He blends in very well with the grass, so click on the picture to enlarge so you can see him!

Also, I have been looking for a round, black coffee table for the living room. I have been to EVERY SINGLE furniture store in town....and no luck. Ginger and I were at the antique mall on Saturday when I came across this little beauty! The top is a bit worn and deperately needs some paint...but just LOOK at those legs! I am in love with this table....and as an added bonus....it only cost me $38! YEHAW!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-03-17T19:53:00.002-04:00

Monday~ Pork chops and mashed potatoes *green eggs and ham for kids*
Tuesday~ Pork fried rice w/ carrots and peas
Wednesday~ Chicken Parmesean w/ garlic bread and corn on cob
Thursday~ Fried chicken gizzards, okra, potatoes *baked chicken tenders for me and kids*
Friday~ Tacos and Quesadilla's w/ B's homemade salsa

Easy breezy week....again:) It's one of those weeks that I simply don't feel like putting much effort into figuring out a new menu or doing anything out of the ordinary! *side note about gizzard night....my hubby loves fried livers and gizzards, but the kids and I can't even chew them, much less...swallow! So, because I love B so much, I fry them for him, but make something else for the kids and I. Yes, I am an incredible wifey~!

my thank you........

2008-03-16T20:30:00.006-04:00

have you ever had a day that you feel that you should just cry from the peacefulness that surrounds you? in this moment....i feel like that.

2007 was a very tough year for us. financially, emotionally, and physically...I learned that worry can age you like nothing else can. i spent the year getting by each day on very little sleep, worrying about money issues that were beyond our control, questioning my life, friendships, and other relationships, in ways that I never had before. i learned many lessons last year, not only about myself, but about the people I surrounded myself with.

2007 ended on a tear and I welcomed 2008 on a few as well.

After learning that B got a new job back home in Florida, I felt that I could loosen my belt a bit and actually BREATHE for the first time in a very long time. Unfortunately at that same time, I was forced to deal with the fact that many of the relationships that I'd spent time building over the past few years, weren't exactly what I'd worked them up to be in my heart and mind. In a time that I should have been bouncing off the walls with happiness and planning some sort of going away party....I was left on my own as my husband made his way to Florida a few weeks ahead of us to find a home.....and people that I considered friend, cut me off without rhyme or reason. I spent so much time worrying, crying, fretting, and trying to figure out what I could do to fix it...to fix, ME.

On the word of a very wise friend, I continued to hold my breath for the something better that moving promised me. Skeptical, I was....knowing the way I felt during my last month in South Carolina....I carried on and dealt with my life there as well as I could figure how to. I left SC very sad, with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat...as if something was left undone, yet knowing how the game was played....and that I could do nothing about it at all. Here I sit...almost 2 months later...feeling as if SC never happened. Feeling that my life there was almost a waste of time...and a waste of thousands of tears on people who never really cared to begin with.

I watched a show on TV tonight in which a woman put a gun in her jacket pocket and drove with plans to kill someone who'd done her wrong. When she walked through the door, hidden in the shadows, her phone rang...and her plan to kill someone was stalled due to an emergency concerning her 13 month old niece. She picked up her niece and took her back to her home. She sat her niece on the floor, draped her jacket on a chair, and went to get cookies and milk from the kitchen. When she returned to the room, her niece was holding the loaded gun in her hand.

It made me think of the things that we carry around inside us. The anger, pain...that we tote around with us everyday. Sure, we are adept at hiding these feelings, but after watching this...I thought about the way we hurt those we love by the bad things, feelings....that we carry around in our pockets.

In this moment, even my little toe is at peace...in complete happiness I sit and ponder the lessons learned from the heartache, worry, and sleepless nights that I experienced over the last year. Thankful that I left SC with a world of knowledge on life and relationships....and an ability to do something that I haven't been able to do for almost 4 years. From the pain of last year I learned....

to let go.

Of resentment that I'd held against the people who turned their backs on my mother...when they once called her "sister" or friend. For SO LONG I have held onto that and each time I saw certain people, I would cringe and literally bite holes in my cheeks from the hate I had toward them. I let go of the life sucking anger that I felt towards God for not giving us the chance to say a proper goodbye to my brother. I can't question Him anymore, because I am tired of feeling angry everytime I look at Ricky's picture. I let go of anger towards some of my mother's family for treating her like a second hand citizen all of her life. To let go....of the things that are out of my control. I learned that no matter what I say....what I do.... nothing EVER changes someone's feelings towards me.....but I should never let that make me be afraid to keep on keeping on;)

I ADORE who I am. I mess up...often. I do things that make even those who love me regardless, shake their heads in irritation. I am not perfect...and I find my own imperfections...endearing:) I laugh too loudly, I talk far too much, I go off in ADD tangents in nearly every moment of my day, I eat super fast and talk even faster, I am not a size 4, I have a big nose and a jiggly belly, I don't get manicures or get my hair done, I don't work out like I should, I blog entirely too much about things that no one really cares to read about....and I am not a good dancer.

yet....

I still sit in peace tonight....content with the life that is unfolding around me. Blessed to be surrounded by family who love me, and loved me even when I was a great big ball of anger and resentment. Blessed to have a friend who sticks to me like glue, no matter what;) Blessed to have two lovely kids who still kiss me goodbye in front of their friends. Blessed to have a hardworking husband who sees EVERY ONE of my faults...and loves me all the same. This blog is my thank you to God tonight...for giving me the strength to cry such happy tears...

All in a day's work

2008-03-16T20:09:00.004-04:00

After D and G left this morning, the whole family headed outside to do some much needed yard work! Brandon hopped on the mower and cut the grass, while the kids and I tackled the garden. I wish I would have taken a "before" picture, but you'll have to settle for the "after" one instead:)

For years, I have wanted my own vegetable garden. I love fresh veges, and for some reason, they seem to taste better when they come from your own backyard! After much weeding, fertilizing, and weeding some more....the garden was ready for some seeds. I chose to plant sweet carrots, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, squash, sunflower, and some herbs. I did overplant the squash and cuc's, just in case some of the seeds were duds...and I am going to plant some peppers later this week. The tomato plant that we put in a month ago is getting pretty big as well, so I will be trussing it up sometime soon. The kids had a blast helping me pull weeds, and were rewarded with the random earthworn making an appearance. It's going to be great when they help me harvest the vege's, knowing that THEY had a hand in helping them grow!

Here are a few pics of the kids helping out, along with an amazing "after" shot. We all have a bit of sunburn and our hands are stained by the soil....but I guarantee that we will sleep well tonight!

The silver bags you see beside the garden are grounds from Starbucks. You can request for them to save the grounds for you to use in your garden. It's a great way to recycle AND they are free:) I meant to take a picture of the compost box we have in the backyard as well, but I forgot. You don't have to buy fertilizer from the store if you can make your own in a compost box;) I'll be picking up a few more bags of grounds to jumpstart the box later this week.

company

2008-03-16T19:57:00.005-04:00

Daryl and Ginger came to visit us this week! We had fun just hanging out, but we also threw in fishing, antique shopping, Sperry shopping, eating at Tally-Ho and MargaritaVille, and a lovely vet nightmare;) Whenever we're together I have to get at least one pic of the two of us together, but this go around the kids wanted to get involved. They left around noonish....but I miss desperately miss them already. I am so blessed to have such an amazing brother, lucky to call him friend...and even MORE lucky to call his wife the same:) I love you two....beyond imagination!

always better the 2nd time around:)

2008-03-16T19:52:00.002-04:00

I just had to post this pic of me with my 2nd cousin, Paulie. Paulie's dad, Chris, and I are first cousins....and we were the best of friends growing up. His personality is the spitting image of Chris', but he looks just like his momma! Seriously, who can resist those big old cheeks! If you think those are cute, you should see his Buddah belly:)

an unexpected visitor

2008-03-16T19:46:00.004-04:00

I opened the door this morning to find a snapping turtle on my doorstep! The little sucker tried to get in the house, but Hobbes decided to put on his guard dog hat and scare him off. The kids had a good time trying to feed him bibb lettuce....Brooke even picked him up!....and they followed him across the yard trying to figure out where he lives. This is the second time we've had a snapping turtle in our yard, so after a considerable amount of reasonable deduction, we've decided that we have a snapping turtle living under the shed in our backyard! So, we have squirrels in the trees, rabbits in the left corner of the backyard, turtles in the right, and the random cat camping out under the hammock. It's a virtual zoo in my backyard~~

Meet Petey

2008-03-12T22:39:00.003-04:00

Petey the Pig, that is.

while on the phone w/ L, I jokingly said that I should name the pig. i then said that I was thinking of "Pete", but it was too....boring? L laughed and said she'd just thought the name "Pete" as well...before I'd said anything. So, Petey it is.

in the spirit of fun...and we all need more of it in our lives...i've decided to take L's advice and make Petey my travel buddy. so don't be surprised or think i've fallen off my rocker when you visit the blog and find random photos of Petey going places and doing things that no wooden pig has done before. we are deliciously clever.

Wordless Pic Wednesday

2008-03-12T16:11:00.002-04:00

Funky Finds on a lunch break:)

2008-03-12T15:51:00.004-04:00

If you look closely in the background, you'll see the ladder I found 2 weeks ago. If was $45 then, and I didn't really want to spend that much on it. I went back today and it was on sale for $18!!! WOW! This urn is so sweet. It has little bits of red and blue paint on it. The pig....what can I say about him...he is just precious:) He's wooden and pretty heavy for a little guy. Candy Cane lane sign came from the same booth that I got the ladder. It was originally marked $10, but I got it for $4!

These metal bowls are fantastic!! I think I will use them somehow in the half bath. Not sure yet, but I had to have them.

Wooden airplane w/ metal attachments. So cute. He will sit on the bookshelf too. The book stand will be in the kitchen, unless I decide to use it w/ a picture on the bookshelf. I will be using it at my SLAH parties too, as a book display*duh*.

Growing up I'd always heard that kissing a pig would bring you good luck. Maybe it was because there were very few people who would actually want to kiss a pig, I don't know. Either way...I am kissing my little guy for loads of it!

Here I am again with my pig. I need a name for him.....I really don't know WHY I got so excited over him...I don't even collect pigs. The color, maybe? Hmmm. Still, he is awfully cute.

I met my old pal, Beth, downtown for lunch today...we had a good time catching up and are planning on doing lunch every other week:) I am super excited to start spending a bit of time with my oldest friend....AND, doing so will give me an excuse to browse more antique shops downtown:) *as if I needed an excuse!! HAHA!* Today I found a lot of new little things to add to my bookshelf. I bought a 6 shelf bookcase when we moved, and now I need things to fill it up with!!! *don't tell me...BOOKS...because we already have a shelf for books in the music room;)* Here are some pics of my fabulous finds!! Lori....I can hardly wait for you to get here so you can go crazy with me at these great shops~it will be fun shopping with someone other than myself!!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-03-10T15:40:00.003-04:00

Monday~ Shrimp Creole w/ rice

Tuesday~ Crunchy ranch tortilla chicken w/ twice baked potatoes

Wednesday~ Honey basted pork chops w/ squash and corn on the cob

Thursday~ Lemon pepper mushroom chicken w/ yukon gold potatoes *I am going to a Taste of Home show this night, so easy is called for! This dish is super easy and quick to prepare. As usual, I am using boxed Yukon Gold potatoes because they are my fav!*

Friday~ Feta stuffed chicken w/ prosciutto and angel hair pasta *my brother is visiting and he LOVES this dish:)*

Saturday~ for breakfast, Creamy Sausage Casserole. I am posting Sat breakfast because Daryl and Ginger will be here, and this is one of our favorite breakfasts. You HAVE to try it! It's like sausage and gravy in handheld form. super yummy!

As with last week, I will post one or two recipes and link to my recipe blog.

randoms...

2008-03-09T15:32:00.003-04:00

I linked the recipe for my crawfish pie from last week's menu to my other blog. Instead of posting recipes on THIS blog, and eating up my space, I have decided to just keep the other one for recipes.You can scroll over the recipe and click on the link provided from Menu Monday.

Another thing....

Most of my readers know that I've been a Cookie Lee Jewelry consultant for almost a year now. I love to wear the jewelry, but after many returns and pieces breaking, tarnishing too quickly, and personally being unhappy with the product quality in general, I decided to stop selling in January. Upon moving to Florida, I also knew that I wouldn't have much of a core clientele group because the majority of the people I know here don't wear it all. Knowing that I still wanted to have my own home based sales business, I decided to become a Southern Living at Home sales consultant. For only $199 I signed up and recieved over $500 worth of product to get me started! This Friday I met my sponsor at a local home and garden show and met several promising clients. My sponsor, Susie, has also said that any bookings she gets from the remaining days of the show....she will give to me, since she lives in Pensacola and the drive is a bit too far for her to make every week. I signed up on Friday and had my kit on SATURDAY! The very next day! I have been to several shows, and am already assured of the quality of product....as well as the guarantee, so I feel very content and at peace with making the switch:)

I am super exicted for my launch party, and my stepmom is hosting a catalog party for me in Mississippi to get this ball rolling. Wish me luck;) You can check out my SLH website by clicking on the link.

Hugs to all of my friends who are having to suffer through the miserable snowstorms!!! I will make you feel a bit less envious of me.....the high here today is only 55 degrees...so no boating for me today:) HAHAHAHA!

No need for words...

2008-03-05T09:29:00.003-05:00

It's a BOY!

2008-03-05T09:14:00.003-05:00

We have a new addition to the family! My daughter is the proud parent to a new baby HAMSTER! Brooke has been begging for a hamster ever since her friend Courtney got one last year. As I am scared of any little critter that poses the possibility of piercing the skin, I have been stalling the purchase of one for ages. When we moved, I told Brooke that if she could be responsible enough to save her own money she could have her hamster. Between report card money, tooth fairy money *she lost another tooth after we moved*, and Valentine's money.....the girl did it! So, after school on Monday I surprised her with the trip to Petsmart to get her new baby. She took her time perusing each and every cage before coming to a decision. I must say, the girl chose well because Pluto is the sweetest little thing. He seems very mild tempered, has yet to bite any of us *except for the hubby....HAHAHA!*, and loves to be held. He loves to run in this little ball we bought him. He rolls ALL over the house....with Hobbes in fast, but tentative pursuit. The dog has yet to figure him out, so he is pretty scared of him for now. Brooke has started reading to him at night as well, so I am thinking this hamster will benefit me as well! Here's a cute pic of our new baby! Welcome home Pluto!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-03-03T17:53:00.005-05:00

My friend Liz has been doing this menu plan Monday thing for a long time now, so I thought it was about time for me to jump on the bandwagon! The idea comes from Orgjunkie, a really great site for those of us who are constantly looking for new and fun ways to organize our lives! One of my goals this year is to transform my home...my LIFE!...into a nice, neat organized little ball:) I've always had the habit of over-extending myself and taking on more than I can handle. Not this year....I am slowing down and re-prioritizing my life, and so far...all is well on the homefront! So here you go~my very first Menu Plan Monday! Thanks, Liz, for the fun idea!

Monday~ Turkey tacos and cheese quesadillas w/ Brandon's homemade salsa

Tuesday~ Crawfish pie w/ french bread and green beans

Wednesday~ Chicken fried steak w/ yukon gold potatoes *the BOX kind..HA! I love them!* and gravy with fried okra

Thursday~ Chicken alfredo w/ fettucine and french bread *having the in-laws over for dinner, so maybe I will throw in a salad*

Friday~ Shrimp and chicken gumbo w/ rice and rolls

I am not including the weekends on here just because we do pizza or something else super easy on those days. Sunday is pretty much whatever is left in the fridge from the previous week. My menu looks super yummy.....I might post pics of some of the dishes on my other blog along with the recipes of a few of them as well. I believe my alfredo recipe is already on there, but will have to check. I do NOT use a mix or that nasty bottled stuff...and my recipe is beyond yummy, so you'll have to try it! For now....I pass on the menu plan Monday challenge to those of you reading! Let me know if you do it and I will check your menu out *and most likely steal some recipes from you!*

funny

2008-02-29T22:26:00.003-05:00

I am in Star Wars mode tonight because my cousin, Chris, gave Bub a trunk load of figurines and other odd/end Star Wars toys....so we've been playing with them all afternoon. Yes, if you haven't guessed it by now...I enjoy playing with my kids. On the floor. With dolls and boy toys. I ROCK at sound effects, trust me;) Between my finding the Galactic Heroes Millennium Falcon at Walmart yesterday *I've looked for that thing for 1 full YEAR* and Bub having a Star Wars Christmas today, I can't get away from anything Star Wars tonight. It's even stalking me online! I was browsing blogs tonight and came across this one that gave me a good laugh. If you're not a Star Wars fan, you probably won't be able to appreciate the humor that I find in it....but if you ARE a fan....this little girl sums up SW very well;) *you'll need to scroll down and stop my music player to be able to hear her*

quite.like.life.

when words don't work

Part 2

Underpaid and Overloved: part 1

Big Scare

pumpkin patch

smashingly incredible~~

Kiddos Halloween

Halloween

Little Black Dress~ October

Labor Day

random

birthdays~

crash

read and watched

remember me??

The Middle Wife

what i am making....

The 3 LeaderShip Club

my buddy: bunny

The Great Cookie Caper

webbie wednesday on a thursday

update. update

{putting the brake on things}

webbie wednesday

new stuff!

last today. i promise!

webbie wednesday

photographer for hire

pause. to catch up

revisiting........

webbie wednesday

no post

note to self

webby wednesday

WANTED!

weekend recap, minus menu monday

Happy Mother's Day

momsense

for someone

a bed of my own

wednesday website

would a kid by any other name.....

Menu Plan Monday

do u like....

kid pics from first friday

more

first friday

one more thing....

oh and....

sorry....

Economic Stimulus Rebate Checks....

one down.....

can't resist.....

someone's trash........

reading....

t-shirt

~4~

Menu Plan Monday

overgrown kids:)

get in my BELLY!

YEHAW!

dad visit....

putting on the moves

why.....

babies...

~happy....way deep inside~

Spring Break kickoff!

Swap fun:)

*splurge*

tweaking

Field Day: Part Deux

*there should be* No need for words...

Bubs' Field Day

April Fool's~~~

reading.....

Boatyard pics

Easter Sunday

Easter weekend

I will never forget.....

splurge

there should be No need for words...